Rigo grinned. “I’d heard that about this place.”
Larina sauntered over to Rigo, drawing his immediate attention. “You were injured by the Mendukati.”
He glanced up slowly, clearly appreciating the view. “Yes, I was.”
“You’re lucky to be alive.”
He raised a brow. “Skill, not luck.”
“Indeed.” She gave a nod, then glanced at Cara. “I’m going to shower. I’ll meet you and Maria out front in about fifteen.” Without waiting for a reply, she set down her empty cup and left the room.
“O-o-okay,” Cara said to the empty doorway.
“Well, she’s just a breath of sunshine, isn’t she?” Tessa muttered.
“She is something,” Rigo said, but his meaning was completely different.
Lupe hurried back in with Maria and made a beeline for the refrigerator. “How many pancakes?” she asked, grabbing a plastic pitcher of batter out of the fridge.
Rigo and Carter called out their orders, and Tessa used the distraction to take a quick read of Rigo. He was in a little pain, but glad to be out of the hated wheelchair. Wanted to start some exercise today, get back into fighting trim as soon as possible.
“Tomorrow’s soon enough to start exercising,” she murmured to him. “We don’t want you to reopen those stitches.”
He jerked his head around, his eyes narrowing. “You people are darned scary, you know that?”
“It’s not hard to tell what you were thinking,” she said, laying a hand on his arm. “Remember, my brother was in a wheelchair for a while, and I used to see the same look on his face as he was fighting to walk again.”
His expression cleared. “Oh, yeah. Right.” He chuckled. “I guess with everything that happened in that cave, I’ve started looking for weird stuff.”
“Lots of that around here. Welcome to the club.” She patted his arm as Lupe set a glass of orange juice in front of him.
“You need vitamin C,” the housekeeper said. “For healing.” She darted back to the stove to flip the pancakes.
Rigo reached for the juice. “I could get used to this life.”
“You and me both, buddy.” Carter placed two cups of coffee in front of Rigo. “Only one of those is yours,” he called back as he went into the dining room to get an extra chair.
“Which one?” Rigo called after him. “I may have to taste both to figure it out.”
Carter appeared in the doorway with a chair. “Not if you value your life.”
“Sit here, Carter. I’m finished.” John rose and collected his dishes.
“Thanks.” Carter reversed direction and brought the chair back to the dining room. He came back and grabbed one of the coffees, then sat down in John’s place. “You didn’t spit in this, did you?” he asked Rigo.
“Wish I’d thought of it,” Rigo shot back.
Tessa smiled to herself. The two men sounded just like her brothers when they got into it. All was well with the world.
“Pancakes,” Lupe announced and set a steaming plate piled high in front of each man.
“Marry me, Lupe,” Rigo called as she bustled away.
“Ha!” She turned and shook a finger at him. “You would be lucky to be married to me, Rodrigo Mendez.”
“The luckiest man on earth,” he agreed.
“Silver tongue.” Grinning and shaking her head, she made her way back to the laundry room.
“You trying to steal my housekeeper away, Rigo?” John asked.
“Not at all, sir. If she agreed to marry me, I’d still let her work for you.”
Everyone burst into laughter. Maria came and took John’s hand. “I’m so excited about tomorrow.”
“What’s tomorrow?” Rigo asked.
“Big charity dinner in Phoenix,” Cara said. “We’re all going.”
“Sounds fun,” Rigo said.
“Yeah, you always did like getting all slicked up to charm the ladies,” Carter said.
“We’re not going,” Darius said, indicating himself and Faith. “Not our thing. That leaves two seats open at the head table.”
“Why don’t you two come with us?” John said. “That is, if Rigo is feeling up to it.”
“He’s been healing faster than I expected,” Carter said. “What do you think, Mendez? Thought we should probably take the wheelchair so you don’t wipe yourself out.”
“I’ll take the wheelchair if it means I can get out of the house,” Mendez said. “And the security SUVs are outfitted to handle wheelchairs.”
“Then it’s done. You two can come with us,” Maria said.
“And it can’t hurt to have a couple more trained personnel along for security purposes,” John said. “I’ll make the arrangements.”
“Sounds great,” Cara said, rising from the table with her dishes in hand and walking to the sink. “We need to go shopping, Maria. Tomorrow is going to be here really soon.”
“We can leave in an hour,” Maria said. “I know the perfect boutique.”
“Oh good. By the way, Larina’s meeting us out front. Fifteen minutes, she said.”
“Oh, did she?” Maria shook her head. “I suppose we’re leaving in fifteen minutes, then.”
“Let me change clothes and get my purse.” Cara doubled back to the table and kissed Rafe. “Going shopping with your mom. Be back later.”
“Have fun,” he said.
Maria grinned. “Come on, Cara. I’ll tell you all the stories from when Rafe was growing up.”
“Oh goody.” Cara hurried across the room.
“Mom…” Rafe warned, but the two women had already left the kitchen, heads together and whispering. “Damn it.”
“Welcome to married life, son.” John said. “Better to just roll with the punches. Now, I’m going to go set up additional security for this little shopping trip.” He left the kitchen.
“We’re not even married yet.” Rafe dropped his head into his hands.
“Just think about what you can look forward to,” Darius said.
“Not helping, bro.”
* * *
Adrian followed the smell of pancakes toward the kitchen and found most of the household gathered around the table. John and Maria were nowhere to be seen, nor was Cara. Rafe sat at the table with Darius and Faith, Tessa, Rigo, and Carter.
Adrian stopped in the doorway, frowning at the way Tessa bent close to Rigo. His gut reaction demanded he rip the other man away from his mate and stake his territory by pounding him to a pulp. He curled his fingers into fists, instinct warring with intellect. His brain knew Rigo was no danger, especially given the strength of Adrian’s bond with Tessa. Logically, he had no fear of losing her to another man, but that didn’t mean he liked seeing her cuddled up with one.
Primally, well, that was another story.
She glanced up, obviously sensing him. You can stop glaring at Rigo like you’re going to punch him.
I’m not glaring. But it would help if you’d stop touching him.
She hesitated, and he could feel her struggle not to rebel just for the hell of it. She dropped her hand from Rigo’s arm, and the red haze in front of Adrian’s eyes dissipated.
“Gray,” Rafe said. “I didn’t see you there. You want pancakes? Lupe’s are the bomb.”
“Cereal is fine,” he said, pulling his gaze from Tessa. But every cell in his body was aware of her.
“In the cabinet,” Darius said. “I’ve got some high fiber stuff up there.”
“Thanks.” He went to the cabinet and perused its contents, settling on a sugary breakfast cereal featuring fruit-flavored rings, an indulgence he never got at the temple. He grabbed a bowl and poured some, making himself breathe. Control. Everything’s fine. No danger here.
“Seriously?” Rafe said, eyeing his choice. “I would have bet real money that you were a berries and twigs guy, like Darius.”
“You would have lost.” Adrian poured some milk into the bowl and grabbed a spoon. Leaning against the counter, he scooped som
e into his mouth. The vantage point allowed him to watch the entire room. “You stag today, Rafe?”
“Cara’s going shopping with Mom. Don’t make that face, they took security.” Rafe rose with his empty plate in hand. “Larina, to be exact.”
“Good.”
“You can sit at the table, Gray. We’re leaving.” Darius got up from the table and held out his hand to Faith. “See you guys later.” Faith took his hand and waved as the couple stepped through the sliding glass doors and headed for Darius’s cottage in back.
“Me, too,” Rafe said. “I’ve got to get my tux out so Lupe can get it freshened up for tomorrow.”
Adrian frowned. “What’s tomorrow?”
“Charity dinner in Phoenix.”
Adrian set his spoon down in the bowl with a clink. “The hell you say. Why wasn’t I told?”
Rafe shrugged. “Mom and Dad just decided. Cara and I are going with them, but Darius and Faith are staying here.”
Adrian turned to Tessa. “What about you?”
“I hate those things,” she replied. “Too many people. I’d rather stay here with Darius and Faith.”
“No way. It’s a security nightmare. I can’t guard all of you if you take off in two different directions.”
“Larina said she was going to the dinner,” Rigo said. “Carter and I are going, too. I may be banged up, but I’ve got eyes and my shooting hand is just fine.”
“We’ll be backup for Larina,” Carter said.
“And Dad is adding some of the team, too,” Rafe said. “If Larina goes with us, then you can stay here with Darius and Faith.”
“And me,” Tessa said. “Like I said, I’d prefer not to go.”
“Not a bad plan, I suppose,” Adrian mused. “And one of us should stay close to Faith.”
“It’ll be fine,” Rafe said. “Without the stone here, there’s less chance of an attack.”
“I’ll discuss it with Larina,” Adrian said.
“Sounds good. Gotta get that tux.” Rafe disappeared down the hall.
“You’re not wrong to be concerned,” Rigo said. “They’re still at risk.”
“I know.” Adrian stirred his cereal. “Maybe I’m being paranoid.”
“It’s how we’re built,” Rigo said, and Adrian heard the truth in the words. Rigo was a soldier just like he was. “Look, I was in that cave in Belize. I got a good look at the enemy. They’re nothing to ignore. And between you and your partner and John’s security team—and us—you’ve got good coverage.”
“You’re still in battle mode, man,” Carter said. “Throttle back.”
“Just a little,” Rigo said. “Blow off some steam, get your head clear.”
“You’re right.” Adrian pushed away his bowl of colorful cereal. “I’m going for a run.”
“Carter and I will keep an eye on things,” Rigo said.
“You bet,” Carter said.
Adrian gave a nod. “Tessa, can I speak to you for a minute?”
“Sure.” She got up and followed him out to the patio. “You okay?”
“As okay as I can be right now.” He took her hand. Had to touch her. “How did you like the dancing yesterday?”
Her cheeks flushed pink, her beautiful violet eyes glistening. Her voice was hoarse when she answered. “You know exactly how I liked it, don’t you?”
“Yeah.” He tugged her closer, sliding an arm around her. “I missed you last night.”
He heard her breathing catch, her heartbeat quicken. The unmistakable scent of her arousal teased his enhanced senses, and her body temperature ticked up a degree beneath his hands. “We talked about this,” she whispered. But he heard the longing in her voice, saw the softening in her eyes and mouth.
“We did.” He began to sway, guiding her in a private dance that rubbed their bodies together in all the right ways. “You wanted to learn more about me. Well, you met my dad. Saw where I grew up.”
“I did.” A soft, shaky breath escaped her lips.
“You also said we should date.” He leaned his forehead against hers, the nearness of her enveloping him like an aphrodisiac. “I was planning to ask you out to dinner tomorrow night, but this charity dinner thing puts a kink in that plan.”
“How so? Larina is going to be with my parents at the charity thing. That means you can be here. With me.”
“Don’t forget Faith and Darius. The stone might be safe at the temple, but the Mendukati still want the Stone Singer.” He sighed. “I so wanted to take you out on a real date.”
“I want that, too. Let’s do it.”
Oh, how she tempted. “I can’t ignore my duty, as much as I want to. I can’t leave a Seer and the Stone Singer unguarded.”
“Have them come with us.”
“What?” He reared back to look at her. “You want me to bring your brother the empath along on our first date?”
“Not my ideal date, true. But I’d really love to go to dinner with you, and if that’s what it takes…” She shrugged. “Maybe Faith can do a stone thing to keep Darius out of my head.”
He pondered the idea, weighed the strategic options. “You know, that might work. What if we all went together, but we got separate tables? Same restaurant so I can be close by if something happens, but alone. Kind of.”
Her eyes lit. “That could work!”
“It could. I’ll talk to Darius.”
“And I’ll talk to Faith. I wasn’t kidding about that stone thing. What time?”
“Seven. I want you so badly,” he murmured. “Kiss me, princess.”
She did, with trembling lips and a desire that staggered. Her taste exploded on his tongue, searing through him like liquid fire. He wanted to drag her off to his bed or, hell, find another tree. But she’d said slow down. So he broke the kiss.
“I’m going for a run,” he said. “Need to work some of this off. Unless you want to come upstairs with me.”
“I know what I want,” she whispered after a long, agonizing moment. “But I also know what I need. And I do need to stick with the slow plan, at least for a little longer.”
“All right.” He brushed a soft kiss to her lips, held her gaze. “You know me, princess. I can go as slow as you want. Very slow. So slow that you’ll go insane with pleasure.”
A shiver rippled through her. “I know.”
He flicked a finger down her nose. “See you at seven. Tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow,” she echoed.
He called on years of discipline and released her. He could feel how much she wanted him through their link, but he forced himself to resist. She’d told him what she needed, and he’d give it to her. It’s what mates did.
And as he turned toward the path through the woods, he hoped that soon she would give him what he needed, too.
* * *
This was a disaster.
Azotay burst into Criten’s chambers. “Your Excellency, we have a problem.”
“One moment, Azotay.” Criten aimed a paper airplane at a dartboard and let it fly. As the folded paper flew, it transformed into a dart, which hit the target. “Ha!” Criten turned around, grinning from ear to ear. “My healers instructed me not to use my powers until I was feeling better. But ever since you brought that wonderful stone back from Belize, the rate of my healing has tripled, so I thought I’d test things.”
“Excellent news, sir. The sooner you’re back at full power, the sooner we can take down those Seers.”
“A beautiful sentiment, Azotay.” Clearly pleased with his progress, Criten picked up a pen from his desk, which he also transformed into a dart. He let it fly at the target. Bull’s-eye again. “Tell me, what’s this problem you were talking about? You seem on edge.”
“I am. The Seers have moved the stone.”
“Moved it? Moved it where?” Criten held his hand over a nearby lamp. The bulb flickered and then went out as a red ball of energy appeared in his palm. He moved his fingers, increasing the size of the ball with his own energy.
&nbs
p; “To the Temple of Mneseus.”
“What?” Criten bobbled the energy ball, caught it. “Mneseus? Ezares. Damn him.” He began to pace, tossing the ball from hand to hand. “What made them move it? Why now?”
“The local battalion of Mendukati in the area. They Whispered the housekeeper and tried to steal the stone again. Unsuccessfully.”
“Of course they were unsuccessful! Whispering a human was the plan I used to get inside last time. The Seers would be expecting that.” He shook his head and crushed the energy ball in his hand, sparks drifting to the floor. “Morons.”
“Agreed,” Azotay said. “And now their failure has resulted in the stone being moved to a nearly impregnable facility. We’d have to get through legions of Warriors to even get near the room where they’re keeping the stone. And then get through that security system. Casualties would be high, and chance of failure high as well.”
“Casualties.” Criten waved a hand in dismissal. “Casualties are the price we pay for war. There are always more fighters willing to step in to replace the fallen. But I agree that this makes our plan to obtain the stone even more challenging. So we need a new plan. One that will assure success and, if all goes well, bring us the Seers, too.”
“What have you got in mind, sir?”
“Leverage.” Criten grinned and went to his desk. “Your team is ready to go, I assume?”
“Yes. They’re on standby.”
“I want you to go as planned, Azotay.” Criten turned on his laptop and glanced at Azotay. “But instead of stealing the stone, we’re going to steal something much more valuable. Something that will make the Seers bring the stone to us.” He hit a few keys on the laptop and brought up a web page, which he presented to Azotay with a flourish.
Azotay immediately caught on. “Brilliant, Your Excellency.”
“It is, isn’t it?” Criten propped his hands on his hips. “Take your team to the States, Azotay. I’m counting on you.”
“Yes, sir. And may I say, I’m gratified to see you healing so quickly.”
“Thanks to you, Azotay.”
Azotay bowed his head and turned to leave.
“I’m not finished.” Criten waited until Azotay faced him again. “It vexes me that your father interferes with the stone, allowing the Seers to use his temple to keep it from me. This cannot be tolerated.”
Warrior of Fate Page 15
