Heroines and Hellions: a Limited Edition Urban Fantasy Collection

by Margo Bond Collins

  Disgust flavored his tone. “They had a spare charm. Colton’s got native blood, and his grandfather’s a shaman, so he made ‘em. I don't know how any of it works. It just does. Cane wanted one more to ride with him.”

  “Wade,” Riley whispered.

  “I said I wouldn’t do it.” McClain shook his head emphatically. “Cane tried to force me to his will the way he’d done to Colton, but... I wouldn’t. Nearly broke me. You’ve never felt such pain, like he was ripping my mind apart. I woke up hours later, and Colton was just sitting there. Said I should have agreed. That Cane had ways of breaking a man.”

  Eden stroked a hand over his shoulder. “He came for me, while Adam was out of it.” She shot a fierce glare toward Riley as if daring her to condemn him. “Tore the charm off Adam and shoved us in a room together.” She licked dry lips. “Night was coming.”

  McClain held out his hands. “I could feel it. Like an itch under the skin. I’d never turned, not once, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold it. So I told Cane I’d give him what he wanted. I’d lure Wade out if he let Eden go.”

  His words fell into silence. Riley tucked her knees up in front of her, far too aware of both men. McClain, rock-solid McClain, had a face like granite, but that didn’t mean he didn’t feel anything. The revelation made something ache within her. Sympathy. Would she have done the same in his position? Either way, the choice was hard – kill his sister with his own hands, or betray a friend.

  “I can’t blame him for his hatred,” McClain said wearily. “I earned it. I betrayed him in the worst possible way. I’ve tried to make amends, but he won’t hear of it.”

  Eden leaned on his shoulder. “It’s not your fault. No man should have to make that choice.”

  Riley shook her head. “I still can’t believe... How do you hide it? If the settlement knew—”

  “The only way they’d find out would be if you told them.” Harsh words. Untrusting ones.

  She stiffened. “I wouldn’t do that. A week ago, maybe.” But the man on the bed had changed that, changed all of her perceptions.

  And McClain knew it. “He’s not the man he once was, Riley. What I did to him... it turned him hard, bitter. He walked away from Abbie, even though she’d just lost the baby. Walked away from... everything. He’s spent the last eight years trying to kill me.” Reaching down, he stroked the thin tube that fed directly into his vein. “This changes nothing. I don’t even know why I’m doing this. When he wakes, he’ll come after me as sure as the sun rises in the east.”

  Eden scowled. “I’m not going to let him hurt you.” A defiant look in Riley’s direction. “I pity the man, but I won’t let him take my brother. No matter what happened.”

  Riley’s heart raced. Eden wouldn’t hurt him, not in this condition. She was a healer, not a killer, but if she thought her brother was in danger there were ways she could manage that. Leave the door open to someone with a grudge against a warg. Or keep him incapacitated with drugs or herbs.

  “Maybe he’s not the man he once was,” Riley argued. “But I don’t think he’s entirely lost.”

  McClain tensed. “Don’t be a fool, Riley. He used you.”

  “Yes,” she said. “He made no mockery of his intentions, but you weren’t there.” With a frustrated sigh, she spread her hands. “I’m not an idiot. This... This is misplaced guilt. Because he gave me what I wanted, and I reneged on my side of the bargain. I gave him into the hands of his enemy, and that led to this. I don’t want him to die. I don't want it to be my fault.”

  An intense look that burned her to the core. Without his hat, McClain looked amazingly vulnerable. Tawny curls and eyes that threatened to drown her. Green eyes, she realized now, with flecks of silver through them. Eyes she’d once thought were a mysterious grey-green. He reached down, lips twisting angrily as he tugged the needle from his arm. Weariness stained his hard features. “I wish I believed you,” he snarled, handing the needle to Eden. Snatching a piece of gauze, he pressed it against the bleeding vein. “But I’ve never seen you soften. Not for any man.”

  Wrenching to his feet, he staggered slightly. Eden grabbed his arm, shooting Riley an exasperated glance.

  “I’m fine,” he snapped, warding her off. “I just need to sleep.”

  “You’re not staying?” Eden murmured.

  McClain shot Wade one last condemning look. “No. Let the bastard bleed out, or let him live. I don’t give a damn anymore.”

  Without looking at her, he surged toward the door, tucking the charm beneath his shirt once more. The door slammed behind him, and Riley took a slow breath. The man drove her crazy, but she didn’t doubt his charisma. His presence filled a room, pressed against the skin.

  Silence fell, full of unspoken reprimand.

  Riley settled back into the chair, finally able to relax. “I won’t tell anyone about him,” she replied. “I don’t have it in me to be vindictive.”

  Eden sighed. “He’s lying, you know.”

  “McClain?”

  “He cares. He cares far too damned much.” With one last enigmatic look in Riley’s direction, she sat on the bed and took Wade’s wrist in her hands, pressing her fingers to his pulse.

  “I wish I did too,” Riley whispered. “Maybe it’d be easier. I’m not saying I haven’t thought about it. Your brother’s an attractive man.” Heat flushed through her cheeks. “Always so damned hard. If there’d been one hint that there was something else there, one hint of softness, maybe my feelings would have changed. Argh.” She sank her head into her hands. “Men. Why did any of this have to happen?”

  Eden shrugged. “At least you’ve got options.”

  A trace of their old relationship, of friendly banter. “I’ll trade you,” Riley muttered. “Two options for none.” She looked down at the prone figure on the bed. What was she thinking? Maybe she wouldn’t even have two options. And when had Wade been put on that list? Her voice softened, a faint tremble to it. “Will he live, Eden?”

  “You know I don’t give promises.”

  “Your bedside manner sucks.”

  Eden grimaced, then took her fingers off his pulse. “It’s stronger,” she said. “The bleeding’s slowed, and he’s got a few pints of blood back into him. There’s a chance. That’s all I can give you. Now, we just have to wait.”

  “Waiting’s for the patient,” Riley grumbled.

  Eden settled into the seat McClain had vacated. “Maybe we could talk.” She shot Riley a sidelong glance through thick lashes. “How are you feeling? Have you recovered from your ordeal?”

  “I’m tired.” She sank into the chair and rested her chin on her knees. “But I’m fine, Eden.”

  “Adam....” The healer hesitated. “He told me... Do you need some morning-after tea?”

  A bitter brew most goodwives out here knew by rote. An herb that often kept a man’s seed from taking root. Riley flushed. “Please. Just in case.”

  Eden rose and slipped toward the bench at the far end of the room. Hundreds of tiny drawers filled the woodwork, and she eased one open, taking out a sachet. “Stay here with him. I’ll go find some boiled water for this to steep.”

  Riley nodded and watched as the door closed behind her friend’s slim shape. The quietness of the room draped over her skin. She could barely hear him breathing. Inching closer, she peered at him.

  “Don’t do this,” she whispered. “Don’t die. Don’t make me hate you.” Edging onto the bed, she slid her hand over his, weaving her fingers between his own. His flesh was cool to the touch. Unresponsive. Riley sucked in a sharp breath. His hand had been her anchor in the dark.

  Perhaps hers could be his.

  9

  Luc coughed, his lungs heaving with pain. He could taste old blood on his lips, and the memory of drowning on it suddenly assailed him, making him wrench for the edge of the bed. The world was dark and silent. Alone. He was alone. Panic clenched his gut muscles as pain shot through him.

  Shots.

  Half a d
ozen of them, drilling into his chest. A gasp tore from his lips, an almost inarticulate cry of pain and fear as he reached for the bed, tried to ground himself.

  “Hush.” Whispered words in the dark. The rich scent of a woman, one he almost didn’t recognize. Perfumed soap clung to her skin, disguising the earthy smell he’d come to know. Riley. Hands trailed over his bare shoulders, and he felt the dip of the bed as she sat on it. Then her arms slid around his neck and he clung to her, his lungs heaving, the panicked rasp of breath slowly calming.

  Lucius buried his face in her neck. Not alone. She was there, though he didn’t know where he was, or what the devil had happened.

  The smooth stroke of her hand through his hair came, gentle and calming. He clutched at her arm, needing to feel her skin beneath his.

  “You’re alive,” Riley whispered, as if afraid to curse him by saying the words louder. Another lingering caress through his hair. “We’re in the infirmary. Eden stitched you up, said your wounds were starting to heal. It’s nearly morning.” Her face lowered, words whispered in his ear. “She said you might be frightened if you woke. They wanted to chain you to the bed, but I didn’t think you’d be a danger.”

  His fingers curled around her wrist. Damn him for a fool, for showing any sign of weakness, but she was right. Fear tasted bitter on his tongue, and he hadn’t the energy to drive her away, let alone the will. The pain left him vulnerable, made him crave her touch. Anything but waking alone.

  He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Not enough breath to speak. Riley seemed to understand. She eased him back onto the mattress, her hair tangling over his chest as she leaned forward, the silky strands painfully sensitive against his skin. Lucius grabbed for her hand.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” she murmured. “You need to sleep. To heal.” A hesitation came. “I promise I’ll watch over you.”

  He clutched her hand tight, rested it against his abdomen. Riley stilled, then slowly lay down, easing her chin onto his shoulder. The heat of her body warmed him, her sweet breath whispering over his bare skin as she curled around him from behind.

  “I’m angry with you,” she said. “That’s twice you’ve threatened to claw me. Twice I’ve forgiven you. No more, you understand?”

  Lucius turned his head toward her. His eyes were slowly adjusting to the slits of moonlight that peeked through the curtains. It washed over her hair and skin, turning it silver. He could just make out the angry glint in her dark eyes.

  Taking a deep breath, he rasped, “Tomorrow. Talk... tomorrow.”

  Blessedly, she fell silent, but that steely glint in her eyes didn’t soften. “Tomorrow,” she replied. Her fingers curled into his and she sighed, relaxing against his shoulder. “Thank God, there’ll be a tomorrow.”

  The curtains opened with a jerk. Riley sat up sharply, flinching at the sudden light. Eden shot her a prim look, lips thinned. “Adam’s on his way.” A pointed look. “Maybe you’d best straighten up.”

  Looking down, Riley saw the indentation on the sheets where she’d lain, and the way her fingers were still clasped with Wade’s.

  “He woke,” she said, feeling as though she owed someone an explanation. “You were right. He was frightened.”

  Easing off the bed, she scraped her imprint off the bed and straightened the sheet over Wade’s bare hips. That done, she turned her attention to her hair, finger-combing out the snarls and straightening her shirt.

  “Damn it, Riley,” Eden murmured, stalking past. “What are you doing?”

  I don’t know.

  She turned away just as the door banged open; McClain stepped through, followed by a pair of his men. His expression raked over her, missing nothing, she was sure. Those smoky green eyes hardened, and he gestured sharply. “Is he out of danger?”

  Eden checked his pulse and breathing. Wade murmured sleepily, reaching out for something. Her hand, Riley thought guiltily.

  “His signs are good.”

  “Then we move him.” McClain nodded as if the matter was decided. “He can’t stay here. He’s too dangerous, and I’m not going to have him take out his vengeance on either of you.”

  “Where are you taking him?” Riley stepped in front of him.

  McClain looked down, barely an inch between them. “There’s a cage in the lab. Eden can monitor him from there.”

  “He’s barely lucid,” she snapped. “What makes you think he won’t backslide?”

  One hard look that left nothing to be negotiated with. “He’s a warg.”

  “He’s not indestructible.”

  “He’ll survive. If only to plague me another day.” McClain ignored her and glanced at Eden. “Any questions?”

  She shook her head, lips compressed. Not taking sides, damn her.

  “Then get him out of here, Jericho. Be gentle, but make sure he’s locked up tight. I want a guard on the room at all times.” Another piercing glare that turned Riley’s spine to ice. “And apart from Eden, no visitors unless I expressly command it.”

  Then he strode past and left her fuming behind him.

  He had no right.

  Riley tucked her hands under her armpits, stalking through the walled gardens behind the main building. Gravel tracks wound between the garden beds, revealing neat rows of herbs and vegetables. Not a single flower in sight. A few fruit trees offered welcome shade, but the garden was built for a purpose, not for pleasure.

  She had a room there, a bare cell with a few of the things Madi had brought with her. The old faded quilt her grandmother had made for her, her clothes and boots, a few books that she’d spent a small fortune acquiring. It only reminded her of what it was not.

  Home.

  Sighing, Riley ducked under the sprawling greenery of a kumquat tree with its dark, bladed leaves and small, yellow fruit. The shade was a welcome respite from the morning sun. Heat baked the gravel paths, the small wilted herbs. It shimmered off the cobbles and gave a stark haze to the white stucco walls, making them look sun-bleached and bare. Like bone.

  What was she going to do? She’d spent the whole night curled against Wade, her fingers interlaced with his. Giving the man comfort.

  Christ. She dropped her head into her hands. Who was she fooling? Certainly not herself, and by the look in Eden and McClain’s eyes, not them either.

  Why the fascination with a man who’d threatened to claw her up twice now? If she was expecting anything more from him, then she ought to just excise that thought from her head. The only person Wade gave a damn about was Wade. Or even McClain, who he was so desperate to kill. There was no room there for her.

  “Are you okay?” The quiet voice took her by surprise.

  Riley yanked her head up, sucking in a sharp breath. A young girl stared at her from the path, her white cotton pinafore stained and smothered in dust. Tangles of baby-fine blonde hair curled down her back, and her eyes were as blue as the midday sky, framed by lush, dark lashes.

  She’d be a beauty one day. And with that smile creeping over her lips, she’d no doubt break more hearts than she’d keep. A fat little puppy scratched at her side, stifling a yawn.

  “I’m fine,” Riley said. She looked around. “Are you supposed to be here?”

  The girl shrugged. “Probably not. But Aunt Eden’s busy. She usually keeps an eye on me, but they brought in a warg yesterday. She’s been tending to him.” Her nose screwed up. “Don’t know why. Adam’s only going to have to kill it.”

  World-weary words from a girl who couldn’t have been more than ten. Still, that was the way it was out here. Every single family in the Wastelands had lost at least one person to the dangers that stalked them.

  Riley eased back on her hands, eyeing the girl. Aunt Eden? The only sibling Eden had was McClain, and she’d never heard of him having a child. Her gaze searched the girl’s face, hunting for signs of him, but there were none. Only eyes the color of a cloudless sky.

  Riley frowned then held out her hand. Dirt imprinted her palm, and she shook it off
. “Name’s Riley. I’m from Haven.”

  The little girl shook her hand solemnly. “I’m Lily.” She settled on the rock garden edge that Riley perched on, her white skirts in the dirt. The puppy leapt up with a yelp, licking at her face, and Lily giggled.

  “So....” Riley stretched her feet out. “Won’t your parents be looking for you?”

  Just like that, the light went out on the girl’s sunny features. She shook her head. “My mama died. Adam found me a few years ago and took me in.”

  “And your father?”

  “He died when I was two. The wargs got him.” Her expression tightened, though she gave a careless shrug. “I can’t remember him.”

  The puppy sniffed at Riley’s lap, then gave a growl. Riley shifted out of the way, but it followed her, butting its nose against her hands and nibbling. “Hey.”

  Lily grabbed him by the collar and hauled him back. “Sit down, Arthur.” She sighed. “I’m not s’posed to have him out.” Big blue eyes looked up, blinding Riley for a moment. “You won’t tell Adam, will you? It’s against the rules. They’re s’posed to be hunting dogs, but Arthur’s the runt of the litter. He’ll never be a hunter.”

  “I won’t tell Adam,” Riley replied. She couldn’t stop herself from smiling. “Adam likes his rules, doesn’t he?”

  Another sigh. “I like him. He’s good to take me in, but he thinks girls should be clean and pretty. Eden’s trying to teach me to sew.”

  “You never know when you might need to stitch something up,” Riley replied.

  Lily looked at her as if betrayed.

  “Like a gunshot or a knife wound,” she replied. “Maybe a piece of canvas, or Hessian sacking. I used to work in the stables when I was a girl, and knowing how to stitch came in handy.”