Forbidden Touch

by K. S. Haigwood

  He began walking quickly back to her. How the hell had he not known about this tint? "Let's go. We are taking the fastest one and I am driving."

  Ciera was having trouble seeing the road through her tears. How could he do that to her? He hadn't changed at all. He had charmed her and fooled her into sleeping with him, knowing that he was just going to leave her. She was a fool to have fallen for it. She hit the already broken steering wheel with the palm of her hand. She shook her head and wiped at her face. What did she expect? Dane to stay there in Illinois and live unhappily-ever-after while she was with Mitch? She couldn't blame him, but he had evidently decided this before they had slept together. Lenya had known that he was going to come back to Utah with her.

  She felt the tingling in her body, and quickly pulled over on the side of the road. She didn't want to hit oncoming traffic when Mitch pulled her to him. She didn't want him to see her tear streaked face either, but she wasn't going to have a choice in the matter.

  She had just thrown the car in park when Mitch took her spirit from her body.

  She opened her eyes to the bedroom they had been in before. "What is it, Mitch? I am driving now, so you can't do this. I will be on a plane soon, and I will be invisible. When you pull me to you, my body becomes visible to people and the sun. I will fry and not even be aware of it if you do this when I am on the plane."

  He stood up from the bed and walked to her with a look of concern on his face. "What has he done to you?"

  She wiped at her eyes again, and knew that last night's mascara was probably smeared around her eyes, then again maybe not, she was after all a ghost right now. She shook her head. "Nothing. I left him at his friend's house in Utah, and I am catching the first flight to Decatur. I am on my way to the airport now."

  Mitch put his hand to where her face would be if she were solid. "I'm sorry he hurt you. It is my fault."

  She shook her head. "No it isn't. It is all my fault. I didn't have to trust him and I did."

  "Hurry to me so I can hold you. I hate seeing you so upset when I can't do anything about it. I just wanted you to know that I love you. You may want to hide yourself on the plane. I am about to get some rest, and I can't control pulling you to me when I am unconscious."

  Ciera nodded. She would ride with the luggage. It was the safest place for her, and no one would hear her sobbing. "All right. I will see you tonight."

  He wanted to hold her, to kiss her. But that was not possible right now. "I will see you soon." He closed his eyes and willed her back to her body.

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  Chapter 56

  Being confused wouldn't even come close to explaining how Ciera felt when she opened her eyes again. She wasn't behind the wheel of the black Lexus any longer. She was just about to decide that a different spirit puller had pulled her to him or her, then she looked over to the person sitting in the back seat of a compact sports car with her.

  She closed her eyes again and shook her head.

  "How is Mitch?" Dane asked.

  "He is fine," Ciera bit out. She looked to the seat in front of her and couldn't see anything but blond hair. Lenya was driving. She hadn't even stopped to think that Lenya might have a vehicle that had the special tint on the windows, too. Where the hell did they get this tint?

  His face softened. "I'm sorry. I will stay in Decatur if it means that much to you. I'm not going to promise that Mitch and I will not be at each other's throats." He lowered his voice and looked away from her. "You told me that you would understand if I couldn't stay there and watch the two of you be all in love and shit. What changed your mind? Are you thinking about choosing me over Mitch? Because if that is the case, we can just stay here."

  "I'm not staying here," Ciera said shortly.

  "So I guess that is my answer?" he said.

  "It appears so," she responded.

  He huffed, then looked back at her. "Why is it that you can be pissed at me for not wanting to watch you be in love with someone else, but it is not all right for me to be pissed that you are?" He put his face in his hands, growled, then removed them. Ciera could tell that he was mentally exhausted. "Don't answer that. There is no winning with you, at least not where I am concerned. I only want you to be happy, Ciera. If Mitch makes you happy … then I am not going to say anything else about it. We will go to Decatur, kill Lazarus, and rescue the man of your dreams. I will stay."

  It was all Ciera could do not to cry out. The pain in her chest was so fierce that it would not come even close to comparing with any other pain she had ever endured. She moved from her bucket seat, and sat on the hump in the middle. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he pulled her into his lap, and held her while she cried. She clutched his shirt in her hands and pulled him even closer still as she sobbed. She felt like something was ripping her in half. No, she felt like something was ripping her heart out. She knew that it would be impossible for her to ever be happy again. If she didn't have Mitch, she would be feeling the same way, and she couldn't keep them both; they wouldn't allow it. If it was up to her, she would have them sleeping on each side of her body every night for the rest of her life. There was no fixing this.

  She pulled back from him enough to kiss his lips.

  His hands dove into her hair, and he took all she was offering. He didn't know how he could go on without her. He had waited for her his whole life, and now that he had her in his arms, she still didn't belong to him. He was holding onto a dream that would never be real.

  "May I speak now?" Lenya said from the driver's seat.

  Dane and Ciera broke free of the kiss. "No!" They both shouted simultaneously.

  Lenya huffed. "Well, I was only going to say that I think the two of you make a very cute couple." She sighed. "I am sorry, Ciera. I did not know that you were unaware of Dane's intentions to return with me, or I would have kept my mouth shut. It isn't like we will ever be together again. He will touch no other, and allow no one to touch him, after being with you. I must say that he has instantly become a hermit." She sighed again. "It is a pity that a handsome man such as him shall go to waste. I only wanted to make things clear, that's all."

  Ciera closed her eyes and laid her forehead on Dane's collarbone. And from how close she was to him, she was broadcasting so loud that it was hurting his head to try and keep up with her thoughts and emotions. Mitch had done a complete one-eighty. He trusted her now, and had expressed his feelings for her the last two times her spirit had gone to him. There was a scene that she kept going back to in her thoughts. The three of them together, forever. He closed his eyes, and shook his head. It couldn't happen. He would try it for her, but he was positive that Mitch wouldn't allow it. Mitch would make her choose, and Mitch would be who she would choose.

  He ran his hand over her soft dark hair. "Worry not about this now. We have a more important task at hand. If we do not conquer Lazarus, there will be no decision to be made at all, for we will all perish." He kissed her head as he felt her shudder in his arms.

  She really hadn't thought about not winning the fight against Lazarus. What if they lost? He would kill Mitch, Dane, her family including herself and all of the Elders. Surely with all the power they all possessed, Lazarus wouldn't even have a chance to blink, much less kill anyone. Had he sired Mitch long ago with this intent? To bring down the Illinois Vampire Aristocracy? What if he did manage to kill only a few of her people? What if one, or both of the men she loved, perished in the battle? She couldn't even think about that without her heart threatening to burst in her chest cavity. Dane was right, she needed to stay focused on how to surprise, capture, and subdue the Rogue vampire. It was her task, and right now, she had a job to complete.

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  Chapter 57

  Lenya had been upset with the fact that they had had to stow away in the cargo department of the plane. She couldn't understand that if Mitch pulled Ciera's spirit to him, they would all become exposed to the passengers on the plane and the sun. The good thing
about Lenya being pissed was that she was silent. She hadn't spoken a word to either of them since she realized that she would not win the argument.

  They had been deliberating their options, but nothing they had said in the last couple of hours would even come close to helping. "Malcolm has the skill to hinder Lazarus' eyesight, but something will need to happen quick after that; Lazarus is powerful enough to do anything he wants to do without the use of his eyes." Dane thought for a minute. "Miles can…" Dane shook his head. "No, his skill only works on humans."

  "Asabel may be able to make …" Ciera began, but her thought was cut off by Lenya.

  "Oh, for heaven's sake," Lenya rolled her eyes. "I am beginning to think I am working with a pair of amateurs. I thought the two of you were Finders?"

  "We are Finders Lenya, not Destroyers," Dane raised his brow. "Would you happen to have any better suggestions on the matter, or are you only going to sulk some more?"

  Lenya stood up from the suitcase she was perched on, and smiled. Ciera and Dane both gave her quizzical looks. She glanced over the pair in front of her, and their expressions changed to longing.

  They both stood from their own seat, and walked quickly toward Lenya. Dane reached her first, and his hands took possession of her body in a mad race to have all of her. Ciera didn't stop when she got to Lenya, or acknowledge anything that Dane was doing to the woman in front of her. Her hands dove into Lenya's bright bombshell hair, and she kissed her passionately on the mouth.

  Lenya pushed them both away from her, holding them at arms' length. They struggled to reach her and she laughed hysterically, then released the hold that she had on their minds.

  Ciera and Dane froze, and only blinked a few times at her. Then Dane became angry. "Lenya, you promised that you wouldn't use your skill on us. You are catching the first flight back to Utah when this plane lands in a few minutes."

  Ciera placed her hand on Dane's chest and had a far off look in her eyes. She smiled, then looked back to Lenya, who had a bright smile of her own. "No, wait, Dane."

  "Ciera, she promised …" he said, but she cut him off.

  "Don't you see why she did it?" Ciera said, and he blinked in confusion.

  "No, I guess I am not following," he replied.

  Ciera smiled. "Lenya can cloud Lazarus' mind with emotions of love and passion instead of hate. She can make him lose focus enough so the Destroyers can make their move."

  It dawned on him what she was saying, but he still looked back at Lenya with a frown on his face. "You could have just told us. You didn't have to make us seduce you."

  She glanced at her perfect manicure. "A girl has to have fun somehow being around the two of you. You guys are both so depressed right now, and your emotions are making me sick. You can't have her, she can't have you. OMG, get over it already. It seems like this Mitch guy is the only thing in the way of the two of you living happily ever after." She glanced at Ciera and smiled. "I can take him off your hands if it is that much of a problem for you. After I get finished messing with his mind, he won't even know who you are."

  Ciera's blood began to race. "I will rip your fucking heart out of your chest if you touch him in any way, physically or mentally."

  She shrugged nonchalantly. "What about Dane here? Would you allow me access to him?"

  Ciera couldn't slow her heart rate, and she was feeling faint. She didn't want anyone touching Dane either. The thought of either of her men being with anyone but her was maddening. She would surely go insane before all of this was over. She could not pick only one to be with. Even if Dane chose to be with another woman on his own; she wasn't sure she could let it happen. Even if it meant he would be happy. She was not strong enough to let him go.

  Ciera shook her head at Lenya as she sat down on a different piece of luggage. "No…Dane is mine."

  Dane's head shot around to look at Ciera so fast, that if he had of been human he would have suffered whiplash. "What?"

  Ciera looked up at him with tears threatening to fall. "I can't let you go. I am not strong enough to let you go. I know that I said that if you love someone enough, you can let them go so they can be happy, but …" She shook her head, then lowered it to look at her trembling hands in her lap. "...it was a lie. I cannot be happy without you being mine, and … I cannot be happy without Mitch being mine. I know I sound like a selfish bitch, and I may very well lose both of you over this, but I will never feel whole without you both in my life. "I know Alice said that Mitch and I are soulmates, but I have to believe that you and I are as well. There is no other explanation. I love you so much."

  Dane sighed, then walked to her and took her in his arms, hugging her tight to him. He pulled her back so she could see the happiness pouring out of his eyes. "I promise that you will not lose me, Ciera." He kissed her softly as the plane began to descend.

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  Chapter 58

  They'd had to wait three hours for a flight out to Decatur, Illinois. And with a little over a two hour flight, sunset was only a few hours away. They were still well ahead of schedule, though. Driving would have only given them minutes to spare when they arrived.

  They linked hands together and waited quietly for the cargo door to be opened. There were voices outside the door, and Ciera knew that it wouldn't be much longer. She used her skill and made herself and her two companions invisible. They heard the latches being freed from their locked positions, then the sunlight burst in on them.

  Lenya sighed and whispered, "I would do just about anything to switch skills with you. It has been over five centuries since I have seen the sun in all its splendor. The tint on my vehicles sort of dulls the effect; makes it seem less real." She smiled. "This is glorious. I could go shopping during the day … of course I would have to steal …"

  "Shut…up!" Dane growled under his breath as two guys began to hook up some type of conveyer to get the luggage out.

  Lenya huffed. "Fine."

  When the two guys got the conveyer in place, and had moved to do something else, Dane led the three of them out of the plane and down the belt. He spotted the parking lot, and went straight for it. He would try to find a vehicle with completely blacked-out windows. A human would freak out if they thought a car was driving itself.

  The first vehicle that he came to, with the windows tinted dark enough to steal, was a black Escalade. He smiled as he studied the ride.

  "No, Dane. We are not stealing this one," Ciera said.

  Dane's grin split his face as he nodded. The Cadillac had twenty-four inch chrome spinners, and was lowered to the ground. Somebody would definitely be pissed if this ride came up stolen, he thought, then pulled the door open and quickly disengaged the alarm system, one handed, in a matter of seconds.

  The way that they were holding hands, Lenya was going to do the honors of driving. They could have switched, and Dane drove, but either way, Ciera had to be in the middle or one of the vampires were going to burn up in the sun.

  Dane crawled in, pulling Ciera behind him, with Lenya bringing up the end. She quickly hotwired the Escalade, and when the engine turned over, 2-Pac was thumping through the speakers. Lenya hit the power button on the radio with her left hand, because her right was in Ciera's hand. She put the ride in reverse, backed out of the parking slot, then put it in drive and drove away from the airport.

  Dane gave her directions to his Parents' home. The Elders wouldn't be there. It had been after sunrise before he had talked with his Father, and until they got some of this nifty tint, that every state seemed to know about excluding Illinois, moving about during the day was impossible.

  The drive had taken about twenty minutes to get from the airport, but the minutes seemed to fly by. Two of the three in the vehicle were nervous about this particular visit. Their Parents were going to demand answers. Answers that they weren't near prepared to give. Lying wasn't an option. Their mother could sense even the whitest of white lies. And their Father always seemed to know exactly what questions to ask, to k
eep a person from skirting around the truth.

  Lenya parked the Cadillac in the front drive and shut of the engine. Dane could feel the soft trembling of Ciera's body through her hand that he was still holding. Lenya opened her door, and they all crawled out in single file.

  "Your Family lives here?" Lenya asked in disbelief.

  "It isn't as it appears," Ciera said, then took the first step to lead them in the house.

  Once inside, Dane led them through the basement door. Lenya shut it, securing them safely inside, away from the sun. Ciera released their hands, and they all became visible.

  Dane smiled nervously as he framed Ciera's face in his hands. "Try not to say anything unless they leave you no choice. I will try my best to keep us out of trouble." He inhaled deeply, then let the breath out slowly. "You will not be blamed for any of this. I am at fault here, not you." He kissed her briefly.

  She shook her head as tears filled her eyes. "I will not let you take the blame for something that Lazarus manipulated you into doing."

  "I wasn't being compelled, Ciera, I was being bribed," he said.

  Lenya cleared her throat. "Can we just go already? You aren't going to be able to hide anything from your Parents. It doesn't matter anyway. The Mitch guy wasn't completely human to begin with. He just didn't know about what kind of blood was flowing through his veins." She walked past Ciera and Dane down the stairs, then stopped and looked back up at them when she reached the bottom. "Are you coming, or are you just going to wait until the sun sets and lose your chance to take this guy down?"

  Dane took Ciera's hand in his and walked down the stairs. He took the lead once he got to the bottom, and didn't even pause when he got to his Parents' living quarters. He nodded to his Parents' doorman, then opened the door and they all walked in unannounced.