by Susan Hayes
She took several quick sips of her personal ambrosia and slid out of bed. “Oh god, you might have reminded me of the fact I’m not wearing anything!” she yelped as she snatched up last night’s T-shirt and draped it over her front, barely managing to keep from spilling her coffee in the process.
“Why on earth would I do that? I was enjoying the view.” Gareth’s hazel eyes flashed with obvious appreciation as he ran his gaze over her again. “Tonight I’m hoping to get to spend several hours enjoying it again, and again.” His eyes met hers and the heat in their depths made her breath catch in her throat. “Sound good?”
Suddenly at a loss for words, Kyra just nodded as she felt the beginning of a serious blush creep up her cheeks.
“Good.” His lopsided grin made her heart stutter. “Now go get ready before I forget I’m supposed to be getting us somewhere safe, not staying here and making love to you all day.”
WHILE KYRA SHOWERED AND DRESSED, Gareth stayed out of her way, his back to the room and his gaze sweeping out over the view of the city, his thoughts on the fight to come. He knew he should be officially informing the Brotherhood of his potential bond with Kyra, but part of him resisted. What if they decided to separate them? His connection to this vampire was not something they’d overlook, and if they believed she could be better protected by someone else, they could order him to leave this fight to another. Not that there was another dhampir hunter as strong as he was, but there was always a chance that his personal feelings about Kyra could make him vulnerable. He knew differently, but would the leaders of the Brotherhood agree with him?
Gareth turned slightly and watched Kyra buzz around their room, a sense of warmth and protectiveness filling him as he watched her tug a pair of well-worn jeans over her shapely legs. Feelings. Shit. I have feelings for her. He turned back toward the window before she caught him staring.
Blood bonding was not common among his kind. Most of them did things the normal way. They dated, married, and sometimes divorced and started over again. He’d been too busy to play the dating game, and until he met Kyra he’d always assumed he’d stay a solo act. His dark side, his abilities, they were all damned good reasons for being alone, or they had been. But now? Hell if he knew what would happen now. Logically he understood what a blood bond meant, and the physical part had recently led to the most incredible sex of his life, but emotionally? He blew out a slow breath. All new territory. And they hadn’t even bonded yet. His heart gave a small, sharp pang. If they bonded. If she truly wanted him. If he could keep her safe long enough for her to even make that choice.
Fuck. His hands curled into fists. He would make sure she survived. When this was all over, when she was truly safe and could make her choice freely, when she understood what it really meant to be with someone like him, then he’d ask her to stay.
He felt her arms slide around his waist, the soft curve of her breasts pressing into his back as she held on to him.
“I’m ready to go,” she murmured, her head resting against his back. He relaxed his hands, resting them on her much smaller fingers where they held on to him.
“It’ll be all right, Kyra, I promise. Trust your instincts and stay close to me, and we’ll get you through this.”
He felt a faint tremor pass through her, and then her arms squeezed him tightly. “I better get through this, or the first blood donor I’m coming for is going to be you.”
“That won’t work,” he informed her softly. “If he lays a hand on you ever again, I’ll already be dead. That’s the only way he’d get that close to you, sweetheart.”
“Not going to happen.” He heard the steel in her voice. “I only just found a man who understands the miracle that is a properly made espresso. I won’t let him take you away from me.”
“You have yourself a deal.” He laughed. “And here I thought it was going to be my prowess as a vampire hunter or maybe as a lover that would win you over. Turns out all I needed to do was hand you a decent coffee. You, little wildcat, are hell on my ego.”
She nipped his shoulder blade through his shirt and danced backward, laughing. “Your ego is just fine.” He heard the slither of leather as she tugged on her jacket. “If I told you that you were the best lover I’d ever had and I can’t wait to do it again, you’d likely become insufferable, so best I don’t mention it.”
Gareth turned around, knowing his grin was as smug as a cat with a bowl full of cream. As he took in the sight of Kyra in faded jeans, motorcycle boots, and a well-worn black leather jacket, he felt an unfamiliar band of warmth coil around his heart and squeeze. No matter what happened next, he was damn sure his life just got a lot more complicated.
KYRA SLID her hand into Gareth’s as they left their room, her sense of vulnerability rising the moment they passed the threshold and entered the hallway. She barely noticed the workman kneeling beside an access panel, his toolbox sprawled open and a maze of tools nearly spanning the entire width of the hallway. She could feel Gareth tense up though, his guard high until they passed the solitary worker, picking their way through his tools.
They checked out quickly, Gareth keeping her close to his side the entire time. The sunlight outside was dazzling, a rare treat in a city known for its gray winters and rainfall. Blue sky and sunshine had everyone smiling, and Kyra felt her own spirits lift in spite of everything she was facing. In the light of day, the terrors she had suffered seemed far away and the chance to sleep without nightmares for even a few hours had helped to ease the feeling of exhaustion that had numbed her mind and body for days on end.
They were waiting for the valet to bring the car around when she felt someone jostle her from behind. Before she could turn her head a hand clamped down on her shoulder with enough force to nearly buckle her knees, and her instincts kicked into overdrive. She spun around, breaking the hold on her shoulder as her hands snapped up into a guarded stance. She caught a flicker of movement and ducked down and to the side, watching in horror as a hand holding a hypodermic needle flew past her shoulder. Son of a bitch! Her adrenaline spiked, and she reached for the gun Gareth had returned to her that morning, only to feel someone else grab her arm and twist it before jerking sharply upward, making her cry out as she arched onto her toes in a vain attempt to escape the pain.
She heard Gareth bellow and turned her head toward the sound, watching in amazement as he grabbed a man nearly a match for him in size and lifted him over his head before hurling him into the side of the building. One down, she thought as she struck out at the man holding her arm, reaching back to drive her free fist into her attacker’s groin. Her knuckles slammed into something hard, and she cursed as another jolt of pain speared through her captured arm.
“Nice try.” A voice rasped near her ear, and then she was being lifted into the air. Memories long buried bubbled to the surface of her mind, back to a time before she knew how to defend herself from the monsters of the world. She screamed in fury, and for a moment she fought purely on instinct, her kicks wild and her free arm flailing as she fought to get loose.
Realizing she was wasting energy, Kyra forced herself to stop, to focus. She slumped and let her body go limp, appearing to surrender. She felt the hold around her waist relax slightly, and she threw her head back with all her strength, the stomach-turning crunch that reverberated through her skull telling her she’d broken her assailant’s nose. The arms holding her went slack, and she lashed out with a vicious kick that sent her attacker to his knees.
Her feet hit the ground, and she wrenched herself free, only to stagger into someone else. Hard hands grabbed her as an engine roared nearby, and she threw a right hook that slammed into a familiar fist only inches from Gareth’s jaw.
“It’s me, Kyra! Hang on tight and I’ll get us out of here.” He growled and lifted her high against his chest.
She ignored the pain shooting down her arm and obediently wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her fingers taking hold of his jacket just as he took off at a run. She looked up and cried out in shock as
the world seemed to speed up and then become a blur, the wind whipping against her cheeks until she turned and buried her face against his neck.
She felt Gareth’s heart pounding, his breath coming harder and harder as he pushed himself, somehow maintaining their impossible speed. When he finally slowed down and then stopped, he didn’t let go of her. Finally, she lifted her head and whispered, “Hey, Superman, you can put down Lois Lane now.”
He responded with a chuckle and carefully let her go, dropping a suitcase from his other hand at the same time. They were alone on one of the higher floors of a parking garage, and she had no idea which one or where they were really, but she guessed it was some distance from the hotel.
“How the hell did you carry me and that thing and still manage to break every land speed record known to man?” Kyra demanded as she tentatively moved her injured arm, checking the extent of the damage.
“Dhampir.” He uttered the single word as if it explained everything, his eyes on her careful movements. “You’re hurt.”
“I’ll live.” She shrugged and then winced as it sent a fresh bolt of pain down her arm. “Better slightly battered and bruised than drugged and tossed into whatever vehicle I heard gunning its engine just before you got to me.” As the reality of what had just happened set in, she felt her stomach knot, and she leaned into Gareth’s chest. “Are you okay?”
“To quote someone near and dear to me, I’ll live.” He wrapped an arm around her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I’m a lot tougher than I look.”
Kyra laughed at that. “You look like you could take out half a biker bar without breaking a sweat. If you’re actually tougher than that, I’m very, very grateful to your powers that be for sending you along to protect me.” She rubbed the spot on her shoulder where the needle would have struck if she hadn’t moved as quickly as she had. “How many were there?”
“I counted three. I think their plan was for two of them to keep me busy while the other one subdued you. I don’t think they were expecting you to go all Xena: Warrior Princess on them.” There was an expression of approval on his face as he ran his hands lightly over her injured arm. “I’m sorry you got hurt. I never expected them to attack us in public. Creatures like Vlad avoid drawing attention like that. It’s the only way they manage to stay alive.”
“You got me out of there and we’re safe for now. I think that means you don’t have to give up your protector status just yet.” Kyra’s gaze fell on the single suitcase lying on the concrete at their feet. “I suppose it would be very ungrateful of me to point out that you managed to bring your toys, but left my things back at the hotel?” She tipped her head up to look at him, smirking now.
“Weapons take priority over your underwear,” he retorted and dug a cell phone out of his pocket, dialing in a number that Kyra was certain had too many digits to be local.
“It’s Gareth. We were intercepted and attacked leaving the hotel. We’re going to need alternative arrangements, fast. They’re still looking for us, and we’re on our own.” He paused, listening to a woman’s voice too faint for Kyra to make out properly.
“Understood. Our things are still at the hotel, same with the car.” He paused again and actually rolled his eyes. “Glad to hear you have your priorities straight, sis. If you don’t get us out of here, you are never going to get a chance to meet her, so quit being a pain in my ass and go organize the cavalry because we’re going to need it.” A sharp retort came over the phone and Gareth laughed. “Yeah, I love you, too.” He ended the call and dropped it back in his pocket.
“My sister says you are totally kick-ass, and she can’t wait to meet you,” he informed Kyra with a pained expression on his face.
“How the hell does she know anything about me?”
“Well, if I know her, she tapped into the security footage at the hotel the moment I told her we got attacked. Given that she’s a nosy pain in the ass she’s likely already read your entire file.”
“What file?” Kyra glowered up at Gareth. “Why do I have a file? Oh, you bastard!” she yelled at him as a possibility came to mind. “You knew I liked Americanos because there’s some sort of freaking file on me, didn’t you!”
“You are really cute when you get all riled.” He kept his arm tight around her waist so she couldn’t get away from him, his other hand coming up to cup her cheek. “Yes, I confess, the file mentioned your preferences in coffee. Same coffee shops every day, same order, same bank card. You are terribly predictable, you know.” His thumb traced over the line of her lips, sending a tingle through her and stopping the flow of curses she was about to let loose at him.
Something deep inside her curled into a tiny ball of humiliation and shame as she asked her next question. “What else did the file tell you?”
“I know your childhood sucked, your stepfather was a bastard, and you’ve taken care of yourself for a very long time.” His words were soft, but there was no pity in them she could detect. “That gun you carry is a vast improvement over the one you pulled on your stepdad the day you left home, and if I had been in your shoes, I would have done more than threaten to castrate him with it. I’d have gone ahead and done it.”
Kyra sighed and lowered her eyes so she was staring at the ground at their feet. “Is there anything about me you don’t know? This is so unfair.”
“I needed to know who you were so I could figure out how best to keep you safe, sweetheart. If I had known I was going to fall for you, then I would have skipped it and gotten the pleasure of knowing you myself, but I didn’t have that luxury.” She felt his hand cup her chin and lift her head until she was staring back into his eyes. “There’s a lot I don’t know. I’m hoping you’ll stick around and fill in the gaps for me.”
“You’re falling for me?”
“Trust a woman to pick those words out of a lineup.” He leaned closer so their noses were almost touching. “Falling, fallen, currently hoping for a parachute before I hit the rocks below. Or do you think I go around telling every woman I meet I’m a dhampir who wants to bond with them forever?”
She laughed, her whole world suddenly much brighter than it had any business being, given that an undead creature was gunning for her. “Well, you have to admit, it’s a hell of a pickup line.”
“Minx,” he muttered and leaned in to kiss her. Just as his lips brushed hers, his phone rang, and she sighed with disappointment as he straightened and answered it.
“Gareth.” He paused and then relaxed slightly, his expression softening. “That will work. Thanks, sis.” He paused again and then glanced up and all around them, cursing softly. “I’m going to kick your ass for that the next time I see you. Go spy on somebody else!”
He hung up, turned off his phone, and then slowly turned Kyra around until her back was to his chest. He pointed to a security camera placed on a wall across from them and started waving at it. “Wave hello to my sister, who has an annoying ability to track down cell phones with remarkable speed and then hack into supposedly secure camera feeds.”
Kyra lifted her uninjured arm and waved, then turned around and tugged Gareth’s head down to meet hers. “She wants to spy? Let’s give her something memorable to look at,” she whispered against his mouth and then kissed him. She took the lead this time, her tongue teasing his lips apart as she curled her body around his, her fingers framing his face.
He responded by lifting her hard against his chest, his hands sliding down to caress her ass before cupping his hands around it and lifting her higher, until her legs could wrap around his hips. His strength surrounded her, his warmth filled her, and every breath drew the deep, masculine scent of him into her lungs. Her world had been pared down to a single choice, death and darkness, or light and the promise of life. Two men, two outcomes. Gareth was life and warmth and light, and she wasn’t letting go of him.
12
THEY WERE SITTING in a booth at a small local diner. Both of them snuggled together on the same side of the table as t
hey whiled away the time until their ride appeared. Neither of them was willing to sit with their back to the door, and after the morning’s events Gareth wasn’t going to leave Kyra exposed to another attack. He’d tucked her up against the wall and taken the outside seat, putting himself between her and the rest of the world.
He ordered them both coffee and a plate of pastries and then snagged a copy of the morning paper, reading the story of the massacre at the motel she’d been staying in yesterday. Kyra had read along with him. Her only reaction to the body count and the grisly details laid out in black and white was to reach out and grip Gareth’s hand, holding it tight. She was one amazing woman.
“Can I borrow your phone?” she asked him after picking apart one of the pastries, leaving more on her plate than she had eaten.
“You know you can’t tell anyone what’s going on?” he asked, fishing it out of his pocket.
“I know, but I need to tell Travis something, or they’re going to panic when I don’t show up for work tomorrow. If I call and tell him I’m finally going to take some time off, he’ll be happy to fill in for me. He can figure out the rest when the police come looking for me.”
She dialed the number from memory, a flicker of disappointment crossing her face when there was no answer. “Hey, Travis, it’s Kyra. I’m still feeling like hell, and I think it’s time to take your advice. I’m going to take a few days off, maybe the whole week. I’m going to head out of town, so don’t worry if you don’t hear from me. Take care of the place, please, and don’t let the inmates run the asylum! Gotta run, Trav, take care of yourself, too. Bye.”
She hung up and handed the phone back to him. “All taken care of.”
Gareth put the phone away as he mulled over what he’d just witnessed. He’d always thought of himself as a loner, but not even he could have walked away from everyone and everything he’d known with nothing more than a single phone call. It made him ache for her, realizing just how lonely her life was. He wanted to change that.
