Eternal Hearts (A Darkness Within)

by Jennifer Turner

  Surprise fell like a curtain across Natasha’s face as Toni bared her fangs. But when Natasha took a large step back, Toni didn’t move an inch.

  “You killed my family!” she roared.

  “I did what I was paid to do, Toni. That’s all!”

  “My family’s dead because you needed money?”

  Drake could barely process the words. Natasha had killed Toni’s family? Why? Techs were known for gathering and selling information to the highest bidder, not assassinations.

  Both Natasha’s and Toni’s heads snapped left when rhythmic pounding echoed all around them and the wind picked up. A moment later, a Chicago Police helicopter dropped to a hover near the edge of the roof.

  Toni’s face twisted with rage. “If I don’t kill you, I hope Locke does!”

  Natasha stepped sideways and made a run for the chopper, but Toni caught her with a wicked kick to the shins. The strength behind the blow completely flipped Natasha’s body. Her forehead scraped the concrete before she landed flat on her back, arms sprawled out at her sides.

  Toni instantly moved to stand over her. She glared nothing but hatred down into Natasha’s terrified eyes. However, when Toni opened her mouth to say something, Natasha grabbed her ankles and pulled them out from under her.

  The back of Toni’s head smashed into the pavement. She blinked hard over and over as she tried to sit up, but she couldn’t quite complete the necessary motions.

  Natasha took the opportunity to crawl towards the helicopter.

  Drake couldn’t help but to cheer for his woman when she braced both hands against the concrete on either side of her head, and then kicked herself up to her feet like a little Warrior ninja. In a matter of seconds, she’d caught Natasha by the throat and was dragging her to the edge of the roof. Natasha screeched like a howler monkey as Toni stepped up onto the ledge and roared into the night like a lion with a fresh kill.

  Toni’s fingers dug deep into Natasha’s throat right before she extended her arms. She held the dirty bitch at eye level, watching with what looked to be no small amount of satisfaction as the Tech’s spiked heels dangled twenty stories above the ground.

  Natasha clung to Toni’s arms. “Don’t do it, Toni. Please!”

  Drake heard the rustle of movement in the helicopter still hovering behind Toni, but she didn’t turn around. She just kept staring deep into Natasha’s pale blue eyes.

  “Give me one reason not to kill you. They were just humans!”

  “It wasn’t personal,” Natasha yelled. “It was just business.”

  The beast disappeared from Toni’s wide eyes. Shock relaxed her face and slowly drained down her body. It looked as though she didn’t understand what Natasha had just said, like her mind couldn’t even begin to process the statement.

  Drake tensed as the crack of a rifle shot rang out.

  Toni’s eyes widened as the high powered round ripped into her back. Pain darkened her features as the warped bullet chewed through her chest and buried into Natasha’s right shoulder.

  Natasha bellowed in agony as her grip loosened on Toni’s arms.

  Toni tried to draw in a breath, but all that followed was the sick, sucking sound of air escaping the deep wound in her chest. Her body dangerously swayed in what felt like slow motion, and as consciousness slipped from her brown eyes…she let go of Natasha.

  Drake pulled himself from Toni’s nightmare when everything went dark and braced a hand against the wall. His heart pounded hard against his ribs and his stomach churned with bile. He squeezed his eyes closed and swallowed a mouthful of fresh air.

  What she’d done that night three years ago, every single crime she’d committed, each rule she’d broken – it was all to avenge the death of her human family…

  He opened his eyes and stared down at Toni’s beautiful face. He couldn’t hold that against her, and he certainly wouldn’t blame her. Not one bit. Because he knew damn well if the roles were reversed, he’d have done the same thing, if not a million times worse.

  However, even for as much as he completely agreed with what she’d done that night, now he understood exactly why Locke had exiled her from the city. If the fight between her and Natasha had started down on Rush Street like Jake said it had, it was amazing Locke hadn’t sentenced Toni to death for breaking the Veil.

  Then again, if Locke knew why she’d blazed a trail of destruction through his beloved downtown, which he probably did, he’d most likely exiled her because he didn’t have the heart to kill her for doing the same thing that rumors said he’d done over a thousand years ago in London.

  A funny thing hypocrisy became when combined with immortality.

  When Toni flailed and knocked the last pillow off the bed, Drake focused his full attention back on her. He reached down to brush the damp strands of hair out of her face but didn’t get more than six inches from her forehead before her hand wrapped around his wrist like a vice. She swiftly sat up and glared around the room.

  So she really could wake up during the day…

  He didn’t move a muscle until she finally blinked, and then stared down at her hand clamped around his wrist. Tears welled in her eyes before she took a deep breath and released him.

  She looked horrified. “I’m so sorry, Drake…”

  For a few seconds, all he could do was blink at her. After the nightmare he’d just witnessed, she was worried she’d hurt him?

  “I’m fine, Toni,” he whispered as he followed through with the action he’d originally intended. “I’m sorry for waking you up, but I heard you scream and it scared the hell out of me.”

  She frowned. “I was screaming?”

  “Yeah.” He lowered his hand to cup her cheek. “I came over to make sure you were okay.”

  “Oh, thanks,” she said as she patted his hand then yawned.

  He smiled as the heavy fog rolled back into her eyes, followed by her rather impressive attempt to fight it off. “Go back to sleep. Everything’s okay. I’m here with you.”

  She gifted him with the cutest, sleepiest smile right before she collapsed back against the mattress like a sack of rocks.

  Drake quietly chuckled. Though it appeared that despite her age she very much could wake up during the day, it was also blatantly obvious that for her the sun was still a force to be reckoned with.

  But for him – not so much.

  He carefully tucked the comforter back around her then dropped a kiss on her forehead. He’d just started to wonder about what other special abilities she possessed when his stomach made a loud noise similar to those heard in zombie movies.

  He rubbed a hand over his abdomen as he walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. He may not have been able to do anything for Toni right now, but he could fix his growling stomach. And this time he didn’t even need to call Odin.

  Drake surveyed the various fruit dishes and fancy specialty foods occupying the shelves, but opted for the tray of deli style lunchmeat and cheeses instead. It took him a couple minutes to find the bread and condiments hidden in the cabinets, but when he was finished, he had a big fat sandwich calling his name.

  He smiled down at his creation as he walked over to the wall of curtains farthest from the bed. After untying the golden ropes holding them closed, he pulled the first panel back just far enough so he could slip behind it. But before he got comfortable, he leaned back to double check that no sunlight filtered into the room. Considering what she’d been through in just the twelve hours since they’d met, he didn’t think Toni would appreciate being burned awake.

  Confident that she was safe, Drake grinned wide as the sunshine warmed his body and the sandwich filled his stomach. If there was one bright spot when it came to being a freak of the supernatural world, it was skirting the rules everyone else had no choice but to live by.

  After all, not only did being able to see the world when it was bathed in sunlight give him a definite advantage on contracts, but it also gave him a chance to see something most immortals
couldn’t until they were older than the dirt on Odin’s boots. Besides, Chicago always looked so vibrant and alive in the snow.

  I wish Toni could see it with me. He stiffened at the uncharacteristic thought. He hadn’t felt the desire to share anything, especially his time, with anyone since Klesa.

  He wrinkled his nose and tried to shake that horrible thought back into the darkest corner of his mind. Now was definitely not the time to remember her, because she was nothing like the woman sleeping only a few feet away.

  Drake popped the last bite of his sandwich into his mouth and took another long look over the busy city sprawled out before him. He might not be able to love Toni the way she deserved, or be the kind of man she needed, but the least he could do was make sure the last few hours they had together were as stress free as possible.

  He gave himself a mental pat on the back for the good idea, and then carefully slipped out from behind the curtain. Once he’d tied the panel back into place, he resumed his spot on the couch and peeked over at Toni. She appeared to be sleeping again, but the look on her face still wasn’t relaxed.

  He sighed as he snapped his blanket straight. If he thought it would do any good, he’d crawl in next to her and let her use him as a teddy bear. But instinct quickly reminded him that a cold blooded killer lying next to her probably wouldn’t help her sleep any better.

  Chapter 7

  Toni jerked awake to the sound of the hotel phone screaming at her just as the last sliver of light faded from the sky. She sat up and cast a quick glance over the suite then frowned. A rather nice fixture of the room was missing…but the lights were on now, so maybe he hadn’t gone far.

  She rubbed her eyes when the phone screeched again. Who would be calling her so early in the night? She rolled over to the nightstand and picked up the receiver. “Yeah?”

  “Good Morning, Miss Tutoro,” a cheery, English voice greeted her from the other end.

  She couldn’t help but smile. “Hi, Robert. How are you?”

  “I’m fine Miss, and yourself?

  She wrinkled her nose. “I’m good, but you can call me Toni, Robert. Miss Tutoro makes me feel all old and stiff.”

  “Very well, Toni. I shall do my best to remember that.”

  “So, what’s up?”

  “I’m actually phoning to inform you that your meeting with Lord Locke has been postponed until tomorrow evening. Unfortunately, some business has come up which requires his immediate and undivided attention.”

  She frowned. “Is everything okay?”

  “I’m sorry Miss…Toni. I’m not at liberty to discuss city affairs with you at this time. I do hope you understand.”

  “I understand,” she said as she twisted her index finger into the spirals of the phone cord. “I guess I’ll just show up at his office tomorrow night then. Should I be there at Midnight?”

  “That would be perfect. In the interim, Christian says that if you’d like to venture outside the confines of your suite, you may do so, but only if you are accompanied by Drake. Since a final decision hasn’t been made with regard to the duration of your stay, he wishes there to be no trouble. Do you find his terms acceptable?”

  A slow smile tugged at her mouth. “Yeah, that works for me.”

  “Excellent. Do you require anything else for your room?”

  She looked around again. “Unless you can tell me where Drake went, I’m all good up here.”

  Robert’s warm laughter filled her ear. “Check the bathroom, my dear. He has more use for it than most.”

  She eyed the closed bathroom door. More use for it than most? What did he mean by that? “Uh…okay. Was that all you needed to tell me?”

  “Yes, Miss. I won’t keep you any longer.”

  “Well, if you need me, you know where I am. Have a nice night, Rob.”

  “Thank you, Toni. You have a good night, too.”

  Toni sighed as she set the phone back on its base. Robert was smiling when he told her to have a good night; she could sense it through the phone, which felt wonderful since she couldn’t remember the last time she woke up and heard a happy voice.

  Maybe coming home had been a good idea after all.

  She sat up and threw her arms into the air, intending to stretch out her tight muscles, but paused when the bathroom door swung open and her missing fixture sauntered out.

  Drake didn’t have a stitch of clothing on, save a small white towel wrapped around his waist. And if that wasn’t enough to get her undead heart pumping again, his hair and his spectacular body were still dripping wet.

  He wasn’t defined…he was chiseled from the finest bronzed stone she’d ever seen. Lightly dappled with dark hair, his sculpted chest tapered into a set of rock hard abs that she could probably do her laundry on for the rest of her immortal life. And just below his belly button, sandwiched between the deep cuts of his hips, was a thin trail of hair that tauntingly disappeared under his towel, practically begging for her to come and see where it went.

  She slowly lowered her arms and folded her hands in her lap. Jagged scars crisscrossed every single inch of his rough skin, but they didn’t detract one bit from the incredible man standing across the room. If anything, for her, each pale line added something new to explore, something new to learn about the man she now had at least one more night with.

  A man who made her feel alive again…

  The horny teenager trapped deep inside her somewhere wanted nothing more than to rocket off the bed and lick every last bead of water off his hard sexy body. But the woman she’d become over the last few years, the one who saw the world in a way the teenager never would, wanted nothing less than to kiss each scar and take away the sadness and pain still hidden in his eyes.

  “Welcome back to the world sleepy head.”

  Toni tore her gaze away from Drake’s body and met his smiling eyes. “Good morning. I almost thought you left.”

  “I figured I’d hit the shower while you were sleeping. I didn’t want my stink to scare you away.” He ended his sentence with that lopsided smile she’d become rather fond of.

  She mirrored the gesture. “Well, thanks for thinking of me.”

  The grin on his lips widened for just a fraction of a second before it turned devious at the corners. “You’re welcome,” he drawled as he hooked his thumbs inside the top of his towel and inched it down a little farther, baring more tanned skin for her hungry eyes.

  The teenager and the woman inside her both sat up and took notice, waiting to see how far that thin trail of hair went as the towel slid even lower down his hips. But just before they got the answer they’d been hoping for, he ripped the damn thing from his waist and clothes suddenly appeared on his body.

  Toni shook her head then stared at him again, this time in disbelief. All that gorgeous skin was now covered by a tight black t-shirt, hard leather pants and a pair of boots. How the hell did he do that? But more importantly…why? She blew out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Well, if nothing else, at least he looked comfortable.

  “What?” his gruff voice scolded. “You were expecting to see Drake Junior?” He clucked his tongue at her. “You haven’t even bought me dinner yet.” Then, much like a little kid, he stuck his nose up in the air and stomped back into the bathroom.

  Dinner! She hadn’t bought him dinner? Was he serious?

  She rolled up onto her knees and glared at the bathroom door. “I don’t recall you buying me dinner last night before you made me take my shirt off and shoved your tongue in my mouth!” She clamped her hands over her mouth as heat suffused her cheeks.

  OH GOD! The words fell out before she even had a chance to stop them. She closed her eyes when the laughter in the bathroom started light but slowly grew until it echoed through the suite.

  “That wasn’t dinner,” he called. “That was just the appetizer. And from what I could tell, you were more than ready for the next course!”

  Toni threw herself back against the bed then pulled the comf
orter up over her head. She had to spend the entire night with a man who she’d just thoroughly embarrassed herself in front of, and now it wasn’t because she wanted to. And yes, flaming cheeks and all, she would willingly admit that she wanted to spend more time with him. But now…now it was because Christian said so.

  She punched at the comforter. She hated playing Christian-Says. Not only because the mere thought caused her blood to rebel for some strange reason, but because no matter what she did, she never seemed to win.

  “Did you talk to Robert?” The hollow tone of Drake’s voice signaled he must still be in the bathroom.

  “Yes, I talked to Robert!”

  “What?” he boomed right next to her.

  Not expecting him to be so close, Toni screamed, jumped, and then fell off the edge of the bed, landing with a loud and awkward thud. She flung the comforter away from her face only to find Drake standing in front of her.

  “Kinda jumpy, aren’t we?”

  She clutched a hand to her chest as the heartbeat she hadn’t realized how much she’d missed pounded out of control. “I didn’t even hear you come out of the bathroom. You scared the ever living shit out of me.” Her cheeks burned hotter as he stared down at her half hiked up tank top a little bit longer than he should have.

  She straightened her shirt then crossed her arms over her chest. “What are you looking at?”

  “I’m glad vampires can’t shit,” he finally mumbled.

  She shook her head. Where did that come from? Attempting to follow the little bouncing ball, she snapped her fingers. “Why are you glad vampires can’t shit?”

  His gaze slowly slid back up to her face before he smiled. “Oh, because that’s the only way you’d have ever living shit.”

  She crawled to her feet and flopped across the bed again. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”