Dark Protector

by Alexis Morgan

  But even if he could escape his shadow, he couldn’t walk fast enough to escape the image of Lonzo being subdued and strapped down like some rabid animal. And Laurel had joined the throng to lend her strength to the others until once again Lonzo was no longer a threat, naked and vulnerable on that steel slab.

  He’d been through it and seen others go through it before, of course. But never before had it been his lover who had tightened that last strap, who decided to allow Lonzo to continue in his struggle to revive. What if he’d had to stand there helpless as Laurel injected the toxins that ensured that Lonzo breathed his last?

  He admired her courage and willingness to take on the burden at such a cost to her own soul. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and protect her from such horror. Yet, he also wanted to curse her for making him care again, knowing that each day took him one step closer to the end of his humanity. And here he was, wanting desperately to spend every night of eternity in her arms and in her bed, losing himself in the sweet heat of her body, not in the insanity of becoming Other.

  Son of a bitch, he needed a fight. Rather than trying to elude his unwanted company, he sidestepped onto a staircase that led down to some basement-level shops. He kept his back to the near side wall and waited. It didn’t take long before a familiar figure strolled by. Devlin climbed the stairs and fell in behind his unsuspecting victim, then charged forward and dragged Trahern into a handy alley.

  In less than five seconds he had Blake shoved against a wall, his hands on the man’s throat. Trahern refrained from fighting back, leaving his arms slack at his side. His lack of resistance enabled Devlin to regain control of his temper. He slowly backed away, still itching for a fight if Trahern made one wrong move.

  “Why are you following me?”

  Trahern shrugged. “It’s a free country. I wasn’t aware you owned this particular stretch of sidewalk.”

  “Damn it, don’t toy with me. You’ve been trailing me since I left Research, and I don’t like it one damn bit.”

  Trahern came to full attention, like a wolf that had scented prey. “No, I haven’t. I spotted you just before you went down those steps back there. Before that, I’d been heading straight for your place.” He sneered. “Your woman wanted me to check up on you.”

  Devlin’s fist connected with Trahern’s jaw before he was even aware of taking a swing. Blake stumbled back into the wall but made no move to retaliate. As Devlin flexed his sore hand, he couldn’t decide if he was disappointed or relieved.

  “Don’t call her that.”

  “Not saying it doesn’t make it less true.” Trahern spread his stance, his fists clenched as if bracing for another attack.

  “I didn’t deny it. I just said don’t say it. She deserves better.” Even if it damn near killed him to admit it.

  “I’d guess that is up to her, don’t you think?” Trahern relaxed a bit. “But you’ve got bigger problems than you and the delicious Dr. Young having the hots for each other. I meant what I said before you punched me. I wasn’t the one dogging your footsteps.”

  Devlin believed him. Trahern was many things—sarcastic, easily riled, and bitter—but he was also brutally honest, because he didn’t give a damn if he offended anyone or not. If he said he wasn’t Devlin’s ghost, then he wasn’t. So who else might have been trailing him?

  “You heard that the last time I was killed it wasn’t by an Other.” Cullen or D.J. would have made sure that all the Paladins closest to Devlin knew what had happened.

  “Yeah. That’s a bitch. It’s bad enough we have to fight those Otherworld fuckers without having to worry about getting backstabbed.” Trahern looked past him toward the street, as if he expected another attack to come boiling down the alley.

  “Well, this isn’t the first time I’ve had an itch; someone’s been breathing down my neck ever since I revived. The other day in the tunnel, I fought and killed two Other males. While I was tracking them, I knew someone was behind me. The coward never showed himself.”

  “Probably waiting to see if the Others took you down so he could move in for the permanent kill.” Trahern’s eyes were cold enough to freeze the evening air.

  “That’s what I thought at the time.” This was no time to keep secrets. “Yesterday I left Research to go to Dr. Young’s condo to see how she was dealing with putting down her first Paladin.”

  “I heard about that.” Trahern shook his head. “She’s got backbone. She put the poor bastard out of his misery and still showed up for work today.”

  “Yeah, well, I had to see for myself that she was all right.” It was none of Trahern’s business how hard Laurel had cried or that Devlin had spent the night in her bed. “I took a circuitous route from Research to her place. I never saw anyone trailing me, but something was driving me to keep doubling back.”

  “So there’s no way to know if you shook your tail or not. And if he managed to stay with you…”

  “He would have found out that I went to Laurel’s place. Damn.”

  The urge to hit something was riding him hard again. How could he have been so stupid? He wasn’t anyone’s idea of a white knight, and yet he’d gone charging off to rescue Laurel yesterday with no thought to the fact that someone was out to kill him. He might very well have led the bastard straight to her door.

  “I don’t particularly want to get punched again, but I’m guessing you didn’t just share a cup a tea with her and leave.” The sympathy in Trahern’s normally cold eyes was a surprise.

  “No. I was still at her place this morning when Cullen sounded the all-call.” And he was about to go charging right back there unless he could come up with a better idea. “Want to bet my shadow stuck around long enough to know that I didn’t leave?”

  “Shit, that sucks.”

  The succinct comment startled a smile from Devlin. Trahern always did have a way of cutting straight to the heart of the matter. He considered the possibilities.

  “Someone needs to watch her place.” He didn’t want to ask more of Trahern than he was able to give, but he hoped he’d volunteer to share the job. If he asked any of the other Paladins to share in guarding her place, they’d start to wonder why he cared so much. It wouldn’t take them long to figure out that there was something going on between Devlin and Laurel. She didn’t need the whole bunch of them looking at her and wondering about the nature of their relationship. And he didn’t have enough time or energy to go around beating the hell out of any of them who even so much as looked at her wrong.

  “Leave that to me.”

  “Thanks. I owe you.”

  Trahern snorted. “I’m not doing it for you.” He walked away.

  Devlin stared after him until he disappeared into the shadows. Very little surprised him anymore, but Trahern always had been an enigma. He didn’t need to understand what made Trahern tick to know that he could trust him to keep his word, though. Evidently the man wasn’t as immune to Laurel’s gentle treatment of her patients as he’d like everyone to believe.

  But for now, Devlin had a mission. He needed to draw his opponent out into the open, though not yet. Too many of the other Paladins were in no condition to fight, and his own arm was screaming with pain. But in a day or two, there would be a reckoning. He’d see to it personally.

  • • •

  “He’s all right.”

  Trahern, never one to waste words, had already hung up the phone before Laurel had a chance to thank him. The knot of worry in her stomach relaxed. She knew the recuperative powers of a Paladin, but it helped to know for certain that Devlin was on the mend. She would have to repay Trahern for his kindness. Chocolate chip cookies, maybe? The meals the kitchen prepared for him always included some cookies.

  The small weakness made her smile. The big, tough Paladin had a sweet tooth.

  The door to the lab opened, and Dr. Neal entered the room with Colonel Kincade at his side. She quickly stood up. The man from Ordnance found it harder to intimidate her if she was looking him straight in the
eye. She joined them beside Lonzo’s bed.

  “How is he?” Dr. Neal asked as he picked up the chart and started flipping through it.

  “About as you’d expect. He hit a rough patch earlier, but he’s been quiet for several hours now. I ordered a new scan and tests for the morning.”

  Kincade stepped closer to the table. “When will I get him back?” He turned his cold gaze toward Laurel. “I must point out how shorthanded we are right now. The mountain is still rumbling, and our manpower is down by at least a third. I’m not asking you to risk his health, just for an estimate of when I can reasonably expect him to be returning to duty.”

  As much as she disliked the man, his request wasn’t out of line. “Based on his previous revivals, I would estimate another two days, three at the most. The wounds are already starting to close, and his CPK levels have dropped. All of the other indicators seem to be on track, as well. I’ll know more in the morning. I’d be glad to e-mail you an update after the results are analyzed.”

  “See that you do.” He immediately dismissed her, turning to Dr. Neal. “Shall we visit my men then, Doctor?”

  “Of course. I’m sure a visit from you will cheer them all greatly.”

  Dr. Neal winked at Laurel as he led the pompous ass out of her lab. She wondered how her boss managed to maintain such a sunny disposition around such an irritating man. Well, he wasn’t her concern. Her still-unconscious patient was.

  “Lonzo, don’t worry about the colonel. You’ll be here until I know that you’re completely healed. It wouldn’t be to anyone’s advantage to have you return to full duty too soon.” She patted him on the arm and then placed her stethoscope on his chest. Closing her eyes to hear better, she listened for a heartbeat. It was faint, but there. For the next twenty-four hours, his pulse would gradually speed up until it reached a normal rhythm. By then, his lungs should also be back up to full capacity. A Paladin’s recuperative powers were truly amazing. “You’re doing fine. Just be patient.”

  It was getting chillier in the lab now that night was upon them. Maybe she was fooling herself, but she liked to do what she could to make her unconscious patients more comfortable. A blanket straight out of the warmer had to feel good on some level to these men as they struggled to return.

  Having done all she could for Lonzo, she returned to her desk and the mountain of paperwork that always followed an influx of new patients. The majority of the Paladins would be discharged by the next afternoon. She wouldn’t be surprised to have only Lonzo left. That was fine with her.

  Maybe she’d let her dictation wait until morning. Her eyes burned with fatigue and her back was aching. After dimming the lights, she kicked off her shoes and took off her lab coat and laid it on the counter. After brushing her teeth and running a brush through her hair, she stretched out on her cot. She fell asleep wishing she were back in her own bed with Devlin’s arms wrapped around her.

  • • •

  He had an excuse all ready if anyone were to question why he was sneaking into Dr. Young’s lab. Someone had to make sure that the Paladin was strapped down tight. Everyone had heard about his sudden eruption before they had gotten him under restraint. To give truth to his alibi, he crept closer to the bed, wishing that it was Devlin Bane lying there, literally dead to the world. It would have made his job much easier.

  Instead, Bane had been discharged or else left on his own. He’d heard both versions when he’d reported for duty after returning from the bloodbath in the tunnels. He shuddered. He’d backed up the Paladins before, but never in anything like this. Blood had run freely, pooling in sticky puddles to make the floor slippery as more and more Others kept appearing from across the barrier.

  He’d killed his fair share, but nowhere near the number that any one of the Paladins had. Blake Trahern and Devlin Bane, especially, were two scary sons of bitches. The rest of them were bad enough, but Bane and Trahern killed without hesitation and without remorse, as if they were mowing down hay instead of living beings. God forbid they ever turn those cold eyes and sharp blades in his direction.

  Which made it all the more important that he find some way to take down Bane without incurring the wrath of all the others. He eased closer to the cot where Dr. Young lay sleeping. No doubt she was exhausted. Any other time, he would have felt bad for her. It couldn’t be easy working on dead bodies like that Lonzo fellow, not to mention stitching up all those others. But he didn’t pity her, not anymore. Associating with Paladins because it was her job was one thing. Fucking one was another.

  He’d thought better of her. In a way, he was glad it had happened, though, because it made it easier for him to use her as bait to lure Bane into a trap. The bastard was just noble enough to trade his life for hers.

  Dr. Young stirred in her sleep, forcing him to retreat until she settled into deeper slumber. She seemed to be smiling, no doubt enjoying a happy dream about rolling around naked with her lover. The images that filled his head made him sick. He’d already decided that she would have to die with Bane because of the very real possibility that she’d recognize him, and she would bring the fury of all the Paladins down on his head. Yes, she had to die.

  He savored the heady taste of power, knowing it would be up to him whether she died the same quick death he had planned for Bane, or if he would take his time with her. Maybe he’d make an example of Dr. Young, to show everyone what happened to sluts who chose Paladins over real men.

  Yeah, he liked that idea.

  He sidled back closer to her cot, wishing he dared touch her skin. Instead, he looked around for a pair of scissors. With a quick snip, he stole a lock of her hair to take with him. He held the small curl up to his nose and breathed deeply. His body’s reaction to the feminine scent was immediate and almost painful in its intensity. Oh yeah, if he played his cards right, this could be fun.

  He tucked the strand of hair inside a tissue and tucked it in his pocket. Now wasn’t the time to get caught prowling; his time would come soon. The man with the money wouldn’t be patient much longer.

  Outside in the hall, he returned to his post. For now, he would take advantage of the quiet night to make his plans.

  • • •

  Laurel fumbled for her key in the depths of her purse. The day hadn’t gone badly, but she was exhausted. Most of the Paladins had been discharged with instructions to check back with her or Dr. Neal if they needed anything. Lonzo had made solid progress over the past twenty-four hours. She fully expected him to be awake and alert within the next twelve hours.

  Along with the reinforcements that Colonel Kincade had ordered in from other sectors, they’d requested another three Handlers. The carnage had been too much for Dr. Neal and herself to handle, so tonight, one of the outside Handlers was watching over her patient. Laurel hated knowing that there was a good chance that Lonzo would awaken with a stranger by his bed, but it couldn’t be helped.

  She was so tired that she didn’t trust her own judgment, and she’d headed home to recuperate. There was nothing wrong with her that about twelve hours of uninterrupted sleep wouldn’t cure.

  If only her bed wouldn’t seem empty without Devlin curled up behind her, spoon style. It had been less than two days ago, but it already seemed like forever.

  She turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open. Before she’d gone two steps inside, a man’s arm appeared from nowhere to yank her inside. Before she could scream for help, he clamped his hand over her mouth.

  “Laurel, it’s me.”

  As soon as she recognized Devlin’s voice she slumped back against his chest, convinced her pulse was pounding hard enough to bring on a heart attack. Then she got mad and kicked his leg.

  He immediately let go of her. “Ow! Why did you do that?”

  As if she could have really hurt a big, tough Paladin like him! She rounded on him and ticked the reasons off on her fingers. “First of all, you just scared ten years off my life. Secondly, I’ve been worried sick since you escaped from my lab yeste
rday. Thirdly…I’m too tired to fight with you right now.”

  “We need to talk, Laurel. It’s important.” He took her coat and tossed it over the back of a handy chair.

  “Nothing is that important. I’ve got plans for the evening, and even you aren’t going to spoil them for me.” She pushed past him on her way to the kitchen.

  He tagged along behind her, so she set out two bowls and pulled out two boxes of cereal. One was whole wheat, filled with fiber and nutrients. That was for him. She filled her own bowl with a brightly colored cereal that was full of sugar.

  “Hey, I want that, too.” He shoved aside the box she’d set by his bowl.

  She shoved it back. “Nope, this one is all mine. If you insist on staying for dinner uninvited, you get what you get.”

  She’d never seen Devlin sulk before. It was cute, but not cute enough for her to share. When he tried to sneak a spoonful out of her bowl, she rapped his knuckles with her spoon.

  “Back off, big guy. When it comes to these beauties, I don’t share.” Feeling better than she had all day, she sat down on one of the stools at her kitchen counter and relished every bite.

  When they were done, Devlin put their bowls in the dishwasher.

  “Now can we talk?”

  “No, now I’m going to take a hot shower and go to bed.”

  She slid off the stool and walked away. Before she reached the bathroom, she looked back over her shoulder to where Devlin still sat as if he had the right to take up residence in her home. Just as he had in her heart. Maybe she should order him to leave, but she couldn’t muster up the strength or the desire.

  He met her gaze head on. “I know I scared you, but I couldn’t wait outside where someone could see me.”

  She wondered how many times in his life Devlin had felt compelled to apologize. Not many, she’d bet. “You’re forgiven.” Wearily, she walked away.

  Once inside the bathroom, she turned the shower on hot before she peeled off her clothes. The sting of the hot water felt sinfully good to her sore muscles and aching bones. A blast of chilly air gave her goose bumps when the bathroom door swung open. The man was making a habit of opening doors without permission.