by Beth Ciotta
“I’m glad. I just wish … Your first time, Lily. I should’ve have taken it slower. Been more gentle.”
“I didn’t allow for that.”
“No, you didn’t.”
His lips quirked in the semblance of a smile and her heart danced a crazy jig. “Next time, I promise to be less frantic,” Lily said. “We’ll take it slow and maybe you can show me how to please you.”
“I don’t remember ever being so aroused, Lily. Or satisfied. You’re beautiful and giving. Passionate.”
She traced her finger over the sudden crease in his brow. “Then why are you frowning?”
“Not frowning. Thinking.” He pushed up on one elbow and gazed down at her with those mesmerizing eyes.
Lily couldn’t imagine anyone recoiling from that compassionate gaze. Admittedly, his colorless eyes were an oddity, but they seduced her soul. Then again, as an artist, she had long understood that beauty was subjective. In her opinion, Doc Blue was a compelling study of masculinity. His lean, muscular body equaled the chiseled grace of a Greek statue. And his hands, those healing hands, were not only strong but painted with intricate art. How wondrous.
Suddenly obsessed with anything of visual beauty and everything regarding the man who’d captured her heart, Lily reached for the fingers still resting on her hip and examined the scrolled design inked on the back his hand. “Tattoo?”
“I was influenced by the rest of the crew of the Maverick. Every man has one, some men several. Body art that represents something of personal significance. This is a Celtic design for healing.”
“It’s beautiful.” Mesmerized, Lily traced her finger over the intricate scrolls. “Must’ve hurt.”
“Nothing like what Birdman Chang endured. His colorful tattoos snake all the way up both arms. Your brother’s body art spans his back.”
Which showed how little Lily knew about Tuck. She had no idea. “Sometimes less is more,” she said, still admiring Doc’s hands.
“I just wanted to fit in. Hard to do some times.”
“Because you’re a Freak?”
“Because I’m a healer. The ship’s physician and cook. While I tend wounds and prepare meals, they perform mechanical, aviation, and combat duties. Not saying I want to be like them—every man has his strengths—but I’ll admit I was keen on being accepted as one of their own.”
Lily pondered that. “I suppose since you lost your parents and since you were estranged from your brother, Tuck and his crew, well, they’re like family.”
“That they were.”
“Were?”
A strange stillness settled over Doc.
Lily tensed, wondering at his thoughts. She didn’t pry. She waited, hoping he’d clarify that troubling statement.
Were his family.
Past tense?
Instead of appeasing her curiosity, Doc pulled his hand from hers, and tucked her hair behind her ears. “Not sure where to go from here, angel.”
“What do you mean?”
“Aside from the rough life you’d face, it’s against the law for Vics and Freaks to legally marry.”
“My brother will be the first to tell you that plenty of people get around the law.”
“That’s another thing. Tuck. Put yourself in his shoes, honey.”
She thought about it, nodded. “He’ll be surprised, concerned. We rushed into this, obviously. But once he knows how we feel—”
“It won’t be enough.”
“Why ever not?”
“Extenuating circumstances.”
“What circumstances?” Lily’s heart fairly burst through her ribs. She could feel Doc pushing her away. She wouldn’t stand for it. They were destined to be together. Why didn’t he see that? Why wouldn’t he fight?
Someone knocked on the door.
“Rise and shine!” P.J. shouted from the other side. “Jasper’s incoming. Thought you’d want to know.”
Lily stared at Doc, her pulse racing as she heard P.J. running off. “I don’t need my brother’s approval to be with you.”
“Maybe not.” The enigmatic healer rolled out of bed and nabbed his trousers. “But I do.”
Chapter Twelve
Doc’s mood was downright foul when he blew out the door and slammed into the red-braided aviatrix. “Hell’s fire, P.J. I thought you left.”
“Assumed you’d need time to pull yourselves together. Ran two doors down to tell Snoop about Jasper. Now I’m back. I say, no need to bite my head off.” She looked past Doc’s shoulder to the closed door. “How’s Lily?”
Fit to be tied. “Washing up and dressing.”
“Alone? What if she trips over something or turns the wrong spigot on the wash basin’s heat generator? Not being able to see the temperature gauge—”
“She can see.”
“What?”
“When she woke this morning, her vision had returned.” Chest tight, Doc adjusted his tinted specs. The expression on Lily’s face when she’d looked into his eyes and declared them beautiful was etched into his memory for life. He’d loved her all the more for her kindness and sincerity while cursing himself a selfish fool.
“Spectacular!” Grinning, P.J. shifted foot to foot, a bundle of annoying energy. “What about her memory? Did she get that back, too?”
“Yes. Although we didn’t discuss details.” He’d been too busy pleasuring her in a bid to ease her distress … and fulfill his own hunger.
Hands on hips, P.J. gawked. “How could you not ask details? You know how desperate we are for information regarding the traitor! What were you talking about? What were you … Oh.”
Eyes narrowed, she gave him a once over. Even though the hall was dimly lit, the flickering sconces shed ample light on his disarray. Frowning, Doc tucked his shirttails.
“If that don’t beat all!”
Snoop immerged from the shadows. “What’s going on?” Not that a verbal response was required. An intrusive moment later, he frowned at Doc. “Aye, you should have shown more restraint.”
Just then Jasper came striding down the corridor, illuminating his way with a battery-charged torch-lamp and looking no worse for wear.
“Thank God,” P.J. said under her breath.
Doc’s exact thought as he inspected Jasper best he could considering the man was still trussed in warrior gear. No injuries as far as Doc could see. No blood or bruises. Seeing his brother alive and well—uncrushed—was an almighty relief. “What took you so long?”
Jasper quirked a wry grin. “Good to see you too, brother.”
“Joey and Viper?” P.J. prodded.
Snoop groaned. “Shite.”
Whatever the dreadlocked warrior had just learned via Jasper’s thoughts hadn’t been good.
“Oh, no,” P.J. whispered.
Somber now, Jasper reached out and grasped the young woman’s shoulder. Fighter or no, obviously she was still sensitive to the demise of her fellow soldiers.
“What about Crusher?” Doc asked.
“He won’t be coming for us,” Jasper said in a cold voice. “Or anyone else.”
Snoop grunted. “Good riddance, yeah?”
“I hope you made the bloody blackheart cry,” P.J. croaked.
Jasper gave her shoulder another squeeze then dropped his hand to his holstered Liberator. “How are you faring?” he asked Doc. “How’s Lily?”
“She regained her vision and memory.”
Jasper tensed. “And?”
“He didn’t get details,” P.J. complained. “He was too busy—”
Snoop nudged her.
“There’s a traitor in our midst,” she railed on to Jasper. “The cause is at risk. Your life is at risk, and your brother’s doing the four-legged frolic with the Sky Cowboy’s sister.” She turned on Doc, eyes blazing. “For someone who was so bloody keen on making amends with your boss, I’d say you just bloody well burned that frayed bridge!”
Doc opened his mouth to shush her, but the door swung open and Lily stepped out. He couldn’t be certa
in, but he’d bet she’d heard P.J.’s rant which meant she knew he’d had ulterior motives regarding her recovery. In the words of Snoop: Shite.
Avoiding Doc’s gaze, Lily faced Jasper head on.
Doc braced for that infatuated expression all women got when they got an eyeful of his broad-shouldered, muscle-bound brother, but Lily seemed unfazed. Dressed in P.J.’s mannish clothes and thick-soled boots, her golden hair slicked back into a severe tail, she looked as though she were ready for battle herself. “I’ll tell you what I know, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to get through it more than once,” she said in a tight tone, “so pay close attention.”
“Not in the open,” Jasper said then moved toward the room Lily had just exited.
“Not in there,” she said, and Doc knew it was because they’d made love in that bed. No doubt the blanket still smelled of their passion. Doc knew he couldn’t look at that mattress without thinking of Lily naked and writhing beneath him. Lily was probably trying to blot the liaison from her memory. No mistaking her irritation with him.
“That’s putting it mildly,” Snoop said.
“My quarters.” The squad leader guided Lily ahead and farther down the hall.
P.J. huffed close behind. If Lily’s theory was right and the spunky Darcy had tender feelings for Jasper, she probably didn’t like the way he’d settled his hand at the small of Lily’s back.
Neither did Doc. “Never you mind,” he said before the clairvoyant Freak could remark on his jealously. Striving to shield his more intimate thoughts, Doc followed the group into Jasper’s quarters, absorbing the scene as his brother ignited more lanterns.
First thing he noticed was the lack of windows. He’d hoped, what with Jasper’s superior position, to step into quarters with a view. Doc hadn’t had a glimpse of the outdoors since they’d entered this mountain fortress. He was beginning to feel claustrophobic. Didn’t help that Jasper’s room, though bigger than P.J.’s, was twice as cramped. You couldn’t turn around without hitting a stack of books, periodicals or newspapers. Most seemed focused on geography, warfare, politics, and current affairs. Several maps were tacked to the walls, including a detailed diagram featuring the interior and exterior of a modernized zeppelin.
“The Brittania.” Lily moved toward the diagram as though hypnotized.
Doc’s mouth went dry, knowing she was thinking about that night. The monster. The blood. Dead eyes. He watched for signs of budding anxiety, prepared for a spell. But she seemed almost numb as she stood stock still staring up at the design featuring the interior spaces of the passenger airship. Concerned Doc moved toward her only to be waylaid by Jasper.
“We’re listening, Lily,” his brother said. “Four sets of ears. You can trust you won’t have to repeat yourself.”
She pointed to a section on the drawing. “I was here. Deck A. I enjoyed a light dinner—here—in the Dining Room with Will Everett. He’s the young man, the diplomatic aide who’d befriended me three weeks earlier. We met in Central Park where I sketched caricatures for extra money. I’d been saving my pennies, hoping to join my brother in England. When I mentioned this to Will, he said he knew how to expedite my journey. Said I could be his guest and that I’d be safe.”
She paused and Doc had to root himself so as not sweep her out of the room. He leaned against the wall, crossed his arms and stewed. It bothered him that she called the aide by his Christian name. Had she been smitten? It bothered him more that she’d been promised safe passage only to receive the opposite. But it bothered him most that her tone held no emotion. It was like listening to one of those black market automatons programmed for speech.
“We dined early,” she went on. “Since I was the only woman aboard, Will tried to shield me from curious eyes. I shouldn’t have been there at all. That particular flight had been reserved for Prime Minister Madstone and his council as well as a legion of Americans connected with a goodwill project. I’m not sure how Will arranged it, but I was most grateful.”
Again Doc tensed. Obviously Will had had ulterior motives. Jasper shot him a look and Doc frowned. He wasn’t sure if his brother was confirming what he’d already said, that Lily hadn’t been a listed passenger, or if he was telling him to pull the jealous stick out of his ass.
“We parted ways,” Lily said, her finger skimming the diagram. “Will retired—here—to the Reading Room. He had work. I retired—here—to my cabin. I tried to lose myself in a novel, but I was too excited. I’ve never been outside of America. And I hadn’t seen my brother in over a year. My mind was brimming with the adventures I imagined we’d have once I joined him on the Maverick. I dragged out my sketch book and charcoals. I was drawing my imagined adventures when the room shook with a loud explosion. I remember feeling stunned. We were flying through the air, over the ocean. Had we hit another airship? Then I heard sirens and I knew we were truly in trouble.”
She paused and breathed deep and Doc knew she was remembering what he’d told her about tempering an oncoming spell. Although he dreaded where she was going, he was damned proud of her fortitude.
“All I could think about was getting to Will. He’d know what was happening. He’d know what to do. I fled my cabin and ran down the hall. Just as I rounded the Promenade, Will slammed into me. “We’re under attack,” he said.
“There was gunfire, footfall. He steered me into the lounge where I saw the faces of a dozen refined men. All shocked. All flustered. Then a door slammed open and Will shoved me down behind a writing desk. “Stay small,” he said.
“He left me then. To draw away attention or to take up arms. I don’t know. I stayed small, curled into a ball under that desk. I stayed small, but I saw through a crack. A monster showering the room with red hot bullets.”
“What kind of gun?” Jasper asked carefully.
“No gun. The bullets came from his arms.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” P.J. said.
“A man fell in front of the desk,” Lily said, voice brittle now. “I saw his face. His eyes. Will’s eyes. Dead eyes. I … I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. Suddenly there was silence. I saw the monster turning toward the other end of the room and I panicked. He looked as if he was searching for someone. I scrambled toward the nearest door, tripping over bodies, slipping on blood.”
She blew out a breath, palmed her forehead. “It’s all a blur after that. I just remember running for my life.”
“That’s when I saw you,” Jasper said.
“I hope what I told you helped,” Lily said, looking drained.
“Not really,” P.J said. “A monster with arms that fire red hot bullets? That’s the best you can do?”
Jasper shushed the obstinate woman before Doc could and Lily ripped a map from the wall. “Pencil?” she asked.
Doc saw several and handed her one right quick.
She placed the map, printed side down, on the floor, then fell to her knees and started to draw.
Doc moved in as did Jasper, P.J. and Snoop. They all watched as Lily’s memory came to life.
Amazing.
“Half man, half machine,” Snoop said.
“Heard a rumor about enhanced humans—killing machines—being manufactured and distributed on the black market,” Jasper said. “Whoever hired this monster has ties to big money.”
Doc shoved a hand through his hair, staring down in rapt appreciation of Lily’s talent. Her attention to detail was impressive. He marveled that she sketched so quickly and with complete ease. The intensity of her focus fairly hummed throughout the crowded room.
At long last she looked up at the circle of people staring down. “Does this help?”
“Aye,” Snoop said.
Jasper stooped down. “This works fine, Lily. Better than fine. Don’t know this monster, but we’ll find him. And the traitor who hired him.”
“Bloody good wanted poster,” P.J. said. “Thanks, kid.”
All that remained was for Doc to say something, only he couldn’t find the words.
Lily looked to Jasper. “I need fresh air.”
“I’ll have Snoop escort you and Blue—”
“I need to be alone.”
Jasper glanced at Doc, and Doc reached down, grasping Lily’s elbow and helping her to her feet. “Too bad, angel, because I need to be with you.”
Chapter Thirteen
Lily held her tongue and wits as Snoop escorted her and Doc one floor up and eventually to an outdoor terrace.
“Protected vantage point,” the Fighter said. “You’ll be safe. All the same, I’ll be stationed on the other side of this door.”
He left, and Lily turned her face to the sun. She welcomed the bright rays and the bracing chill of the fresh open air. She relished the sight of nature and thanked the lord for restoring her vision. Even though her soul was bruised and her heart wounded, she knew she was blessed.
Moving closer to the railing, Lily admired a glimpse of sparkling blue ocean. White frothy waves crashed against jagged gray rocks. Green vines clung and climbed up the mountainside. Since she didn’t see the Tudor house facades or the airships or docking bays as described yesterday by Doc, she assumed they were on the backside of the fortress.
“Brave of you to share what you saw that night, Lily. I know it wasn’t easy.”
She swallowed hard as the enigmatic healer moved in beside her. Even though she was angry with him, she longed to turn into his arms. To rest her cheek against his chest and to absorb the sensual heat. To know such passion only to have it snuffed in a heartbeat tested her spirit something awful. She still loved him, still wanted him, even though he kept putting up walls.
“If I were brave,” she said, throat thick, “I wouldn’t have fled that room without trying to help anyone who might have survived the blasts. I wouldn’t have deserted Will.”
“Will was dead. You said so yourself. Are you second-guessing that?”
She shook her head and gripped the railing to steel her spine. “Part of his head had been shot off. It was awful. Fragmented bone, torn flesh—”
“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want.”
“I don’t want to. Dear God, I wish it had never happened. Poor Will! If he hadn’t tried to save me …”
