Forget Me When the Sun Goes Down (Forged Bloodlines Book 11)

by Lisa Olsen

  “You’d best let me go first,” Rob cautioned as we approached the bedroom at the end of the hall.

  “Why, what are you expecting to find in there?” I whispered, holding tight to the candle.

  “Don’t know, that’s the point. But if there’s to be any danger, I should be the one stepping into it first.”

  “My hero,” I grinned, and he gifted me with one of his half smiles.

  “Danger is my middle name. Or it could be Wallace,” he added with a shrug before stepping into the room. I followed, bringing the light, figuring that if someone was hiding inside, Rob would want the light to see his opponent. But nothing leapt out to meet us. Instead, we found a nice sized bedroom, decorated in the same rustic style of the great room, with a large bed dominating the decor.

  The windows over the bed were shuttered closed as well, but a tiny strip of night sky was visible overhead where they weren’t a perfect fit. “Mr. Buns,” I grinned, scooping up a stuffed bunny rabbit, his ears flopping as I hugged him close. Rob fixed me with a raised brow, and I shrugged. “What? That’s his name. I guess this must be my room.”

  “Our room,” he amended, nudging a masculine looking pair of boots in the corner of the room with his toe.

  My bag was on the low dresser opposite the bed. At least, I assumed it was my bag. I couldn’t fault the owner’s choice of clothes, in any case. My favorite was a t-shirt with the Doctor and Rose recreating The Kiss on V-J day. Yep, I was pretty sure it was my stuff, since I couldn’t picture Carys being caught dead in a Boba Fett t-shirt either.

  “Right then, let’s see what we can see,” Rob said, rubbing his hands together before hopping up on the bed to reach for the windows. Unfortunately, the windows in the bedroom were just as barricaded as the ones in the living room, no matter where he tried them. “Bloody hell, we’ll be trapped here for all eternity,” he growled, punching his fist into the center of the barrier, which crackled in a shower of blue sparks, but held firm.

  I flinched at the display of temper, another memory striking me in that exact moment.

  Rob’s fist smashed into the bedside table, obliterating the alarm clock. “Bloody fucking hell! Can’t a bloke get a moment’s peace?”

  I froze at the violent outburst, my heart leaping into my throat. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…” I started to say, but he didn’t want to hear it.

  “I don’t want to have a fucking heart to heart, alls I want is some peace and bloody quiet. Is that too much to fucking ask?” His face contorting with rage, he picked up the lamp and hurled it with impressive force at the bathroom door, where it smashed to smithereens.

  “Rob,” I breathed, words failing me in the face of the second outburst in as many minutes. But he was gone in the next instant, stomping heavily into his old room to slam the door hard enough to rattle the pictures on the walls.

  I froze in place, stunned by the violent memory. I had no context, no way of knowing if this was a usual occurrence between the two of us or not, but from his current outburst, it didn’t look good.

  Rob noticed me standing there staring at him, my arms drawn in tight. “What?”

  “Nothing, I had a flash of memory there.” I wasn’t sure I wanted to get into it. What would be the point? We didn’t have all the facts. All I knew was, I wasn’t as at ease with him as I’d been in the kitchen hallway, not anymore.

  “Sounds like a bad one from the looks of it,” he frowned, hopping off the bed.

  “You were just really angry.”

  “Me?” His brows rose in surprise. “I didn’t… I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Now he looked scared.

  “No,” I answered quickly, relieved that he seemed mortified at the idea. “At least, I don’t think so.” I had the feeling that had been the end of that argument, but what if it wasn’t? What if I’d chased after him and he had turned that temper against me?

  His thoughts seemed to mirror my own. “I would never hurt you,” he said, his brows drawn together in concern. “Not for any reason.”

  “I know,” I said instinctively, and I hoped it was true. “Let’s keep looking around, okay?”

  “Anja…” The misery hadn’t faded from his expression.

  “What?”

  “That there by the window was frustration is all, it wasn’t aimed at you in the slightest.”

  “I know. It just triggered that memory, and…”

  He reached for my arms, his movements slow in case I wanted to pull away before his hands lightly skimmed over my skin. “I’m sorry for what I done. Whatever it was, I promise I’ll keep a lid on my temper from now on. I know that can’t excuse what happened in the past, but I’ll make better choices now. Alls I need is a chance.”

  “Hey, we don’t know anything about the circumstances. I’m sure I’m blowing it way out of proportion.”

  “I’m still sorry. As long as it was me put that look on your face, I’m sorry.”

  Whatever had happened between us in the past, I knew what I saw in his eyes now, and there was nothing but tenderness and love. “It’s okay. Let’s not make a mountain out of a molehill. We’re all frustrated with being trapped in here, I can understand you losing your cool. Let’s just keep looking around.”

  Rob accepted that, but he didn’t let me go. “I remember something about you too, you know.”

  “You do?” It stood to reason, I’d had a few flashbacks already. “What was it?”

  “I remember you claiming me as your own, shouting it for any who cared to listen. I mean to be worthy of your love, at all costs. I swear it.”

  I pulled away but only got two steps before he caught my wrist and pulled me back. Rob brushed the hair away from my face, cupping my chin as he drew me near. His words were soft, but no less powerful than my noisy declaration. “I lay claim to this woman, my life for hers.”

  I don’t know who kissed who first, I only know that we stood on the side of the road, the wind whipping my skirt and hair into a tangled mess but I didn’t care. All I cared about was the man in my arms. It wasn’t frenzied or sexual, but an admission of love so profound it transcended words and became music. It swelled between us, my heart so full I couldn’t contain it all, and tears leaked from the corners of my eyes.

  His thumb brushed against the moisture gathered there when the kiss drew to a close. “You alright?”

  “Just happy.”

  “Silly chit,” he smiled with a shake of the head, pulling me into a tight hug, his body shielding me from the worst of the wind. Not that either one of us was much bothered by the chill in the air. It was a perfect moment in time.

  “You really love me,” I murmured, still bathed in the memory of his love.

  “Do I now?” Rob’s lips cocked into a half smile that made me laugh.

  “Well, I mean, you did. I had a good memory, and we were crazy in love with each other.”

  “Don’t seem too hard to imagine,” he smiled, his thumb reaching up to stroke the line of my jaw, and I leaned in to his touch.

  “I don’t have to imagine it, I felt it. You claimed me right back. It was only a couple of lines, but I felt it. We belonged together. And when we kissed, it was perfect.”

  “You’re the perfect one,” he rumbled, hands framing my face as he leaned in close, moving slow, giving me plenty of time to pull away. Only I didn’t want to pull away. This man was my husband, and somewhere deep inside of me that love was buried. I wanted to recapture that feeling out on the side of the road, with all of that hope and love focused on one man who made me deliriously happy.

  His lips closed over mine, the rasp of his stubble tickling as he expertly coaxed my response. My lips parted, tongue sweeping out to tangle with his. It felt right, familiar somehow; the taste of him, the feel of his hands clutching my shirt behind my back, the way my body molded to his as it’d done it a hundred times before. Rob held me as if he never wanted to let me go, and in that moment, I didn’t want him to.

  The kiss came to a close, and I got ano
ther one of his half smiles. “I reckon we should get to what we’re supposed to be doing in here, yeah?”

  My eyes flicked to the bed. Did he mean what I thought he meant? Warm fuzzy memories aside, it wasn’t the time or the place, nor was I ready for such a thing. “Um…”

  He cocked a single brow. “I meant look around for something useful? But if you’ve other ideas, by all means, I’m ready to entertain them.”

  I’m sure my cheeks flushed bright red. “No, looking is good. The sooner we search the place, the sooner we get out of here,” I agreed, swallowing back my embarrassment. “Should we move on to the next room then?”

  “Let me have a quick look in my bag first,” he replied, picking up the duffel bag from his side of the bed. Rooting around, he withdrew a gun from between a stack of clothes, checked the ammo, and stuck it in the back of his pants.

  “Ah…” I stared at him in shock. Did he always carry a gun? “What are you doing? Is that a good idea?”

  “It’s mine, ain’t it?” he replied without skipping a beat.

  “I guess so, but do you honestly think you need to be armed?”

  Rob turned to face me, his voice lowering. “Don’t any of us know each other from Adam. Could be any one of them is responsible for locking us in here. Alls I want is to be prepared. You can understand that, can’t you?”

  It was his gun, I supposed he knew how to safely handle it. He’d certainly looked capable enough.

  A stream of profanities sounded from deep in the house, definitely angry, and definitely male. My first instinct was that Ulrik had gotten hurt, but it didn’t sound like him at all. “Something tells me one of our friends is up.”

  Chapter Six

  I skidded to a stop in the great room to find Carys and Ulrik staring down at the guy who was chained to the wall, cursing up a storm. I supposed I couldn’t blame him. It’d been disorienting enough to wake up without knowing who or where I was, I could imagine what it’d be like to add being held captive to that list.

  Every cord of sinew stood out on his neck as he struggled against the cuff, his wrist raw. “What do you want with me?” he growled, giving Ulrik a baleful stare. “You can’t keep me locked up like this.”

  “Holy smokes,” I breathed, not sure what to do. “What do we do now?”

  “You bloody well let me go, that’s what you do!” the man spat back. Despite the angry snarl in his voice, his accent was crisp and refined, another Brit.

  Rob stood before the guy, insinuating himself into his light of sight. “Oi, that’s no way to talk to a lady,” he scowled down at him. “A man in your position might think about putting a civil tongue in your head if you ever want to be let out.”

  “Oh that’s rich coming from the likes of you,” he sneered in condescension. “Who are you people? I demand that you release me at once!”

  “That’s just it, pal. You’re not in a position to demand anything,” Ulrik pointed out gently. “I don’t suppose you can tell us who you are?”

  “I don’t have to tell you anything,” the guy clammed up, but there was a wildness to his eyes that made me think he didn’t know the answer to that.

  “That’s what I thought,” Ulrik sighed. “Listen up, ’cause I’m only gonna say this once. We all woke up trapped in this house, none of us knows who we are or why we’re here or how we’re gonna get out. This is Carys and that’s Anja. Your new friend’s name is Rob, and I’m Ulrik, for lack of a better name. Now, I suggest you adjust your attitude. If you don’t shut up and behave, we’ll go back to looking for a way out and you can go back to shouting your head off.”

  “You expect me to believe that none of you know who chained me here?” he scoffed.

  “Don’t much care what you think, mate. You can rot for all I care.” Rob turned his back on him, and I shot him a glare. We wouldn’t make much progress if Rob kept aggravating the guy.

  The man muttered something under his breath I couldn’t quite catch, but his face smoothed into a polite expression after a few moments’ thought. “I see. What’s this about being trapped in here as well then?”

  Ulrik took a step closer, his voice patient. “We think it’s because there’s some kind of spell over this place and over us.”

  “A spell?” the man snorted. “What kind of bollocks is this? No magic spell handcuffed my arse to this wall.”

  “And such a cute ass it is.” Carys gave him a speculative look, earning her a frown from her fiancée.

  “Okay, first thing’s first.” I stepped in before Ulrik lost his calm. “Do you have any ID on you?”

  “You’re welcome to check, sweets,” he winked up at me, obviously deciding he’d do better catching flies with honey than vinegar. The rakish smile touched off another fragment of a memory for me.

  Aubrey touched my cheek, and yearning mingled with regret on his face. “Why couldn’t it have been you who found me all those years ago?”

  “Aw, Aubrey, I…” I wasn’t able to remind him that I hadn’t been born until twenty-two years ago as his lips covered mine in a desperate kiss. No, he wasn’t my type, and no, I didn’t want to start anything up with Aubrey, but to my bourbon soaked brain, all I knew was his pain called out to me and I responded. It wasn’t about sex, it was about two people reaching out to each other to keep the hurt and loneliness at bay.

  In Aubrey’s kiss, I found the acceptance and desire that I badly needed at that moment, and I felt his hunger for the same. Most of all, what I craved was not to think for once. I wanted to forget who I was and what I’d seen, and it was impossible to think as long as he kept kissing me. Without knowing how it’d happened, his leather jacket and t-shirt ended up on the floor next to my bra and I didn’t question it, reaching for his belt.

  I sucked in a breath as the tawdry scene vanished as quick as it’d appeared. Holy schnikes, had I made out with him too? I didn’t know what to do with that. Was it before I’d married Rob? Or was the hurt and loneliness I’d felt because of Rob?

  “She ain’t going near you,” Rob growled, tugging me away by my elbow and jarring me out of my train of thought. Apparently Rob was the jealous type. Cool beans. I didn’t mind though, I was still trying to figure out how to tell them that I’d remembered the guy’s name was Aubrey without admitting how I knew it.

  “I’ll have a look,” Carys volunteered ignoring Ulrik’s displeasure to bend over Aubrey. “You don’t mind, do you?” she smiled, offering him an eyeful of her cleavage.

  “Not at all, luv,” Aubrey grinned up at her. “Feel free to search anything you like.”

  Her hands slid around him, taking longer than I thought she personally should’ve to check his back pockets, before coming up with a silver business card holder and a slim phone. “Here we are, that wasn’t so bad now, was it?” she purred.

  Ulrik plucked the card holder out of her fingers, pulling out an embossed card. “Aubrey Cantrell, Elder of Vetis,” he read off. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Search me,” Aubrey shrugged. “Never heard of it.”

  “Maybe it’s a gentleman’s club with funny hats?” I suggested. I’d never heard of Vetis either, and he didn’t look like much of an Elder. He couldn’t be more than thirty at the most.

  “How does this contraption work?” Carys muttered, turning the phone over in her hands.

  “Here, let me show you,” Ulrik offered, holding the screen so she could ­see. “If there was a signal, it would show right here. And here is his list of contacts, so we can see if he knows any of us,” he explained patiently.

  “You’re so clever, cariad,” she simpered up at him.

  “It’s pretty basic really,” Ulrik replied, scratching at his upper lip with his thumb. “And here’s Anja in his contacts,” he looked up at me with a brief smile. “Nice picture.”

  I looked over to see a pic of me dressed up in a fancy ball gown, Christine from Phantom of the Opera, it looked like to me. “Maybe we met at a costume party?” I suggested to Aubrey, w
ho looked at the screen with interest when Ulrik turned it so he could see.

  “Or perhaps I threw it in your honor. You look magnificent,” he beamed up at me.

  “Isn’t she Miss Popular,” Carys remarked with a less than friendly smile, her eyes narrowing to slits. What the heck was she so ticked at me for? She had a fiancée of her own.

  Ulrik continued scrolling as if she hadn’t spoken. “But I don’t see any of our names in here, just hers.”

  “Well then, it appears we know each other quite well, sweets.” Aubrey smiled up at me, and I felt a wave of guilt. Were we having an affair? Or had I dated him in the past? “I don’t suppose you’d care to free me now that we’re old friends?”

  How could I resist that smile? Rob wasn’t having it though. “No bloody way. I’d rather leave him be where we can keep an eye on him.”

  “But he’s hurt,” I pointed out, gesturing to his raw wrist. “Couldn’t we figure out a way to pry him free from the wall at least?”

  “Maybe we handcuffed him for a good reason, did you think of that?” Rob pointed out. “Maybe he’s the reason we’re in here in the first place?”

  “Even if we wanted to, none of us have the key,” Ulrik agreed.

  “Can we at least get him a chair so he’s not left hanging like that?” I suggested, and Ulrik nodded.

  “Sure, we can do that.”

  Aubrey didn’t look all that grateful, but at least he wasn’t stuck with his arm up over his head.

  “I’m sorry about this,” I said, while the others briefly discussed what they’d discovered in the search so far. Ulrik and Carys had found another bedroom, but nothing of interest. “Can I get you a pillow or something?”

  “I’d settle for a drink. I don’t suppose you’ve come across any bourbon in this place, have you?”

  “Ah, sure.” There was a widely stocked bar on the other side of the room, and I came back with a generous glass full. “So, you don’t remember me at all?” I asked, handing it over.

  “Parts of me do,” Aubrey replied, his eyes full of smoldering charm. “Unchain me and I’ll show you.”