Devlin shrugged and hoped Laurel would find it in her to forgive him. “My job is to protect the barrier, Purefoy, and you managed to bring it down. For that, you die here and now.”
“I don’t believe you. She means too much to you.”
Devlin forced himself to laugh. “Don’t be stupid. You’ve been around Paladins long enough to know that we go through women like water. If you want her, take her, but you have to get past me.”
He widened his stance and waited. He didn’t have to wait long.
Purefoy shrieked out his frustration and lowered the gun.
“Laurel, drop!” Devlin yelled, to get a clear shot at the desperate Guardsman. She did as he ordered, but even as she flattened down, the dark form next to her surged to his feet and threw himself between Laurel and Purefoy, sending the Guardsman sprawling. Devlin pulled the trigger at the same time Purefoy did, the flashes of gunfire blending in with a powerful flash of light that ran the length of the tunnel.
Purefoy’s scream died abruptly as the barrier cut through him, leaving him half in this world, half in the dark world, and dead in both. The echoes of the gunshots died away, leaving only the healthy hum of the barrier to fill the silence.
Devlin surged forward to pull Laurel back into the safety of his arms, but she fought him off with her free hand.
“Laurel, you know I didn’t mean any of what I said to him.”
She gave him a disgusted look as she struggled to get closer to the Other. “I’m not stupid, Devlin, but right now I’ve a bigger problem on my hands. Barak’s been shot.”
“So what? He’s an Other. He knew when he crossed the barrier that he was a dead man.”
“He saved my life, Devlin. I’m not leaving him here to die in this godforsaken place.” Then she lifted her arm. “Besides, I’m chained to him. Where I go, he goes.”
“Where’s the damn key?”
He wished he could take back the question when Laurel turned toward the half of Purefoy that lay on their side of the barrier. Her complexion took on a decidedly green cast, and she swallowed hard several times.
Her voice quavered when she spoke. “It’s in one of his pockets.”
Devlin moved to block her view as he patted down the pockets he could still reach, being careful to avoid coming in contact with the barrier. He found the small key in the front pocket of Purefoy’s pants. His own stomach was feeling pretty damn queasy when he realized the two halves of Purefoy were no longer connected.
He wiped the blood off the key on Purefoy’s leg before handing it over to Laurel.
“If I undo this, will you help me get him out of here?”
He’d promise her the moon and the stars if it would get them both away from the macabre sight behind him. “I’ll carry him for you. Let’s just get the hell out of here.”
Her answering smile went a long way toward melting the core of fear he’d been living with since he’d realized she had been taken. As soon as she stood free, he lifted the Other off the floor, draping the grayish arm around his shoulders and all but dragging him down the passageway. Laurel did her best to help once the path widened enough for them to walk abreast.
The welcome sound of running feet greeted them when they reached the main passage. Devlin stopped and eased his unwanted burden down to the ground. Laurel immediately knelt down and began checking the Other for wounds. The sight made him sick.
“He’s not human, Laurel. His kind is bad for our world.”
“That may be true. But more than once, he did his best to save me from Purefoy, and he didn’t have to do that. I won’t let you or anyone else hurt him.”
Damn, he was afraid of that. He’d been trying to convince himself that the Other’s attack on Purefoy had been a fluke, not a deliberate attempt to save Laurel. He owed the Other a debt he could never repay, especially with a bullet or a sword.
“This is going to cause all kinds of problems with the Regents, not to mention the Paladins. None of them are going to like having their favorite doctor fussing over an Other.”
“His name is Barak.”
“Damn it, Laurel, he’s not a pet who followed you home. You can’t keep him.” He cupped her face with his hand. “The best you can hope for is getting him stable and then shoving him across to his side the next time the barrier goes down.”
The Other groaned and struggled to sit up. “Kill me now, human. I will not go back.”
Devlin glared down at his enemy. “I can’t. If I kill you, she’ll kill me.” Either literally or by leaving.
It didn’t help his mood any when Barak smiled and shook his head.
Trahern was leading the charge down the tunnel straight toward them. As glad as Devlin was to see them, he raised his sword and prepared to defend the woman he loved and a half-dead Other.
• • •
It had been touch and go for a while, but she’d finally gotten Barak stabilized. Since no one had ever treated an injured Other, it had been mostly guesswork and luck that she’d managed to bring the bleeding under control. His blood was too different for her to risk giving him transfusions, so she had pumped him full of saline IVs.
Dr. Neal came in just as she was pulling off her gloves.
“How is your patient?”
“Stable for now.” She put her hands on her waist and stretched from side to side, trying to ease some of the stiffness from going too long without rest. “We’ll know more by morning.”
Dr. Neal picked up Barak’s chart. “It would help if we knew what normal was for one of his kind. But as long as the readings don’t go haywire, I’m guessing he’ll pull through.”
He peered over the top of his glasses at her. “And you, young lady, have a lot to answer for.”
“I couldn’t let Barak die, not when he saved my life.” That was true, but she also knew that her patient wasn’t what Dr. Neal was referring to.
“When were you going to tell me that you’ve become…shall we say, involved with Devlin Bane?” He sounded more disappointed than angry. “I can’t help you if I don’t know the problem exists.”
“I know, but—”
“No buts, Laurel. We all get attached to our allotted Paladins, but I suspect you’ve gone way beyond that. The minute you knew that your feelings for Devlin Bane were no longer what a doctor feels for a favorite patient, you should have come straight to me.” There was anger in his voice now.
“And I would have, but there was no time. And then there were his improving test scores. I was afraid someone new might not follow up on them.”
He arched an eyebrow and pursed his lips. “Are you saying the rest of us are slipshod when it comes to the long-term care of our patients?”
That was exactly what she’d been thinking, at least on some level. “I’m sorry, sir, but I know the changes are important. Think what it could mean to someone like Trahern if the damage could be reversed. Maybe the changes are unique to Devlin, but maybe not.”
“And that is the only reason you aren’t being transferred out of here.” He glanced past her to Barak. “Not to mention him. You have to know that Colonel Kincade and the Regents will be watching your research very carefully, as will I.”
“I know.”
“Devlin Bane won’t be an easy man to live with, Laurel, but I have an enormous amount of respect for him. I hope he makes you happy.”
He threw his arms around her in a surprise hug. “Tell that young man of yours that I owe him a debt of gratitude for bringing you back safely. Now go home and get some rest. Tomorrow will be soon enough to start taking a closer look at the scan results. I’ll keep an eye on Barak for you, but once the Regents catch wind of his presence here, there’s no telling how they’ll react. Just be forewarned.”
“Thank you, sir. For everything.”
She trudged out the door. Tomorrow she’d be better prepared to do battle again.
It worried her that she hadn’t seen Devlin after he and Trahern had lifted Barak onto the lab table. Every time
she closed her eyes, she felt the terror she’d experienced watching her lover face down his friends to protect a creature they had been born to hate. He’d done it, though. Trahern and Cullen had finally lifted Barak between them, leaving Devlin free to lead Laurel to the elevator.
When they reached the top, she stepped out into the fresh air, feeling suddenly free of the burden of the entire Earth pressing down on her. It gave her a new appreciation for what Devlin and the other Paladins faced on a daily basis.
With his usual efficiency, Cullen had called ahead for transportation to take her and the wounded Other to her lab. Trahern and Devlin had made the trip with her. She could only hope her insistence on protecting Barak wouldn’t permanently damage her rapport with her assigned Paladins. But that was something else she would worry about later.
She tossed her bloodstained lab coat in the laundry bin on her way out. When she reached the lobby, it was divided with nervous-looking guards on one side and one very large Paladin on the other. Just that quickly, her world righted itself. She walked straight into Devlin’s arms, no longer caring who saw them.
“Take me home.” She snuggled against his chest, needing his warmth and strength.
“My place or yours?” His words rumbled through his chest.
“Yours.”
The short distance to Devlin’s house seemed to take forever. His silence bothered her. Once they were inside, safe from the rest of the world, she’d find out what was wrong.
He all but carried her into the house, kicking the door shut behind them. He walked straight through to set her down in the bathroom. Still looking decidedly grim, he set about stripping off her clothes. She let him take care of her and then waited patiently for him to get naked, too. After setting the water on full blast and steaming hot, he picked her up again and stepped into the shower. Then there was nothing between them but heat and hot kisses. Devlin took her fast and hard, driving them both over the edge with pounding thrusts that filled her body and her heart.
• • •
Devlin feared he’d been rough with her, and for that he was sorry, but they’d both been out of control with need. Afterward they stood under the showerhead for a long time, letting the water wash away the twin stains of death and fear. Finally, he’d turned the shower off and reached for a towel. As he dried Laurel’s skin, he quietly checked her from head to toe. The bruises on her face and the abrasions on her wrists made him sick, but he was relieved to see her injuries were minor. She tolerated his first aid attempts without complaint. Then he led her to his bed and tucked her in next to him, not wanting even the thickness of a T-shirt between them. Resting his forehead against hers, he tried to find the right words.
“I almost lost you.” Even now, that fear left a mark on him, one that no amount of soap and scrubbing would erase.
“I’m right here.” She smiled up at him. “I knew you’d come for me.”
“I almost didn’t make it. Purefoy was a smart bastard. Smarter than I would have given him credit for.”
“Not that smart, Devlin, or he never would have tried to go after you.” Her hands slid up his arms to his shoulders. “Someone was paying him.”
“That’s what I figured. The question is who, but I don’t want to think about that now.”
She slid her hand down his chest to his belly, and then down some more. With a siren’s smile, she curled her fingers around the hard length of him and gently squeezed, the little tease. “Then what do you want to think about?”
He caught her hand and pulled it back up to where he could keep an eye on it. “We need to talk about what I said down in the tunnel…about Paladins and women.”
Some of the light in her eyes died. “I’ve heard more than enough about that subject. I don’t care about your past, Devlin.”
But she did; he could hear it in her voice. “I won’t lie to you, Laurel; I’ve known my fair share of women. But until you, I’ve never fallen in love, and I’ve never asked a woman to marry me.”
He kissed her long and hard. Both of them were short of breath when he broke it off. “I saved those for you.”
He lifted her up to straddle him. “Will you love me back and be my wife?”
She smiled down at him as she rose up to take him deep inside her body. “I will, on both counts.”
He decided there was no more need for words. After all, he’d always been a man of action.
Epilogue
The phone rang again. He had ignored it the first half dozen times, but avoiding his angry superior wouldn’t make the man go away. Bracing himself for the worst, he picked up the receiver. As soon as he identified himself, his boss went on the attack.
“We’ve got more problems—besides the fact that you obviously picked the wrong man for the task.”
“Purefoy was a regrettable mistake, sir, but this time I’ll personally make sure Devlin dies and stays that way.” Though now that Bane knew he was a target, he’d be harder to corner than ever.
His superior sniffed. “Forget him. He’s too busy screwing himself blind with that doctor woman to notice what’s going on around him. He’s not our biggest problem right now.”
“Then what is?”
Silence hung heavily. His superior would start talking when he was ready and not a second before.
“Trahern made some unfortunate phone calls.”
That unwelcome news made him want to cuss loud and long. “What do you want me to do?”
“Handle it, damn it. I don’t care how, but handle it.”
“It could get messy. Trahern’s friend has connections in high places. Besides, the judge is squeaky clean and always has been.”
“Then make him look dirty, and take the bastard out before he causes us any trouble.”
“Yes, sir. Consider it done.”
The phone line remained open but silent again. Finally, his superior spoke again. “You’ve failed me once. Don’t do so again.”
The finality of the click on the other end of the line sent a chill up his spine, but he ignored it. There was no time for fear in his life—not when he had plans to make and people to kill.
He reached for a pad of paper and began making notes.
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POCKET BOOKS, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2006 by Patricia Pritchard
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ISBN-13: 978-1-4165-3566-9
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