Shadows in the Mist: A Paranormal Anthology

by Kristine Cayne

  Wyatt’s hand cupped the back of her neck, holding her gently. He made her feel so safe, so protected, with a simple touch. His amber gaze locked on hers. “Claire, first off, you weren’t wasting time. You were fighting for your life. Second, someone almost blew this whole place apart. It isn’t safe for you to be here.”

  Her stomach churned and she pressed a hand to her mouth. Why would someone want to blow up an aquarium? Maybe she really did need to consult a doctor. Everything seemed surreal, incredible, unbelievable. “H-how do you know all this?”

  “I caught the bastard in the act. Left him zip-tied while I disposed of the bomb.”

  “The wave… the rowboat…”

  “The pressure wave when the bomb exploded flipped your boat over. What were you doing out there anyway?”

  Her hand smoothed over the odd surface of his wetsuit. The sun refracted against it, turning her hand multicolored. In the shallower water, she could make out the dark shape of a dolphin tail where his feet should have been. “I was…” She broke off and swallowed hard. “I thought you were a stranded animal. I thought someone was trying to hurt you.”

  He chuckled softly. “Have I ever told you how much I love… your devotion to marine life?”

  His face turned red and she felt certain she hadn’t imagined his hesitation. She smiled and wished she could run her hands through his hair. Damn that hood. “Looks like I caught myself a big fish.”

  “A truly rare variety.” He grinned.

  “What are you going to do with our bad guy?” A thought hit her and she gasped. “Is he dead?”

  “No. He had an air tank.”

  “So where is he? I don’t see any bubbles.”

  Wyatt frowned and peered through the water. “I left him right there—” Suddenly, he dove below the surface and came up with a looped zip tie. His face was a mask of dark intent. “Goddamn.”

  Wyatt stared at the intact zip tie, an explosive mix of adrenaline and testosterone seeping into his blood, roaring through his body. He wanted to crush the bastard’s throat. Led by her compassion, Claire had gone from one danger to another while that madman had laughed in Wyatt’s face. He’d never forget the bomber’s eyes after he’d armed the explosive device. The self-righteous asshole would stop at nothing if he thought it would aid his cause. Whatever the hell it was.

  What was he supposed to do now? He couldn’t leave Claire alone, not until he discovered what or who the bomber’s target had been. With the guy on the loose, she wasn’t safe anywhere—except with him.

  Chapter 4

  The anger and aggression in Wyatt’s tone surprised Claire. He’d always seemed so jovial and easygoing. The sudden change was a stark reminder this man was in the military. He was trained to kill. What exactly had she gotten mixed up in?

  Shoving his fingers under the hood of his wetsuit, he massaged around his ears and groaned. A vein throbbed at his temple; he had to be experiencing a severe headache. Very gently, she joined her hand to his, on top of his hood, and rubbed tight circles over the bulging vein. When he opened his eyes, it was impossible to miss the burning heat in their golden-brown depths. Emotion swelled in her chest, forcing her to admit the truth. “Wyatt, I’m scared.”

  “I’m not leaving you alone, Claire. Not until the bomber has been apprehended.” He blew out a breath. His features cleared, and she knew for certain this was the face he wore when he was on a mission. Decisive. Steady. Confident. “Is there another way inside?” he asked.

  “On the other side of the dome, there’s a ladder that leads up to the back exit off the staff breakroom and lab.” She gave him the passcode.

  He gave her a quick kiss. “I’ll meet you inside. Oh, and”—he hesitated—“don’t tell anyone about me.”

  “Why not?” How could she explain losing the boat and getting back without mentioning Wyatt?

  His expression turned grim. “This is technically a UA.”

  “A what?”

  “Unauthorized absence.

  “Oh no!” she exclaimed, her voice echoing off the pier. Wyatt winced and pressed a hand to the side of his head. Her stomach dropped. “Wyatt, what is it?”

  “Loud noises…” He spoke through gritted teeth, clearly in pain. “Hurt my ears.”

  Guilt and concern immediately swamped her. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, worried that his close proximity to the explosion had damaged his hearing. As soon as they got inside, she’d examine his ears, and then they’d talk about this business of being AWOL or whatever he’d called it. The military didn’t take too kindly to that sort of thing. Why had he done it?

  “Go,” she said. “I’ll create a distraction while you sneak in the back way.”

  She squeezed his shoulders one last time and offered him a shaky smile before swimming out from under the pier. When she was far enough away, she shouted for help. She caught the bottom of the access ramp and lay down on it face-first, her legs still dangling in the water. Exhaustion flattened her against the cold metal.

  Steps pounded on the ramp, making it vibrate and sway. She clung to the sides as she tried to formulate a story for her rescuers, wincing against the pain in her torn fingers.

  “Claire! Sweetheart, are you all right?” Her father’s concerned voice rose above the others.

  She lifted her head and smiled. “I’m so glad to see you.”

  Her father’s face was pale and strain lines framed his mouth as he closed the distance between them. Sitting on the ramp, he pulled her out of the water and cradled her in his lap like he’d often done when she’d been a little girl. “You’re so cold,” he said, chafing her arms briskly.

  Without the warmth of Wyatt’s body surrounding hers, hypothermia had begun to set in. Her teeth chattered loudly, preventing her from speaking.

  “Down here! We need paramedics!” her father called to the people gathering on the deck above.

  Claire rested her head on his shoulder, comforting him as much as herself. She licked her dry lips, chapped from the salt water. “Dad, I—”

  “Shh,” he murmured. “Rest now. We’ll talk later.”

  The paramedics arrived and wrapped her in a heated blanket. One of them, a tall dark-haired man with piercing blue eyes, probed her forehead and frowned. “Do you have any other injuries, ma’am?”

  “My foot…” She trailed off and raised her leg.

  The paramedic nodded. “Let’s get you to the hospital.”

  “No. No, I can’t.”

  Her father stroked her hair. “Claire, please be reasonable. Let a doctor have a look at you.”

  The plea in his voice almost broke her. But Wyatt and Kirby were waiting. “I don’t need a doctor.” She looked at the paramedic. “I have a very sick animal to tend to. Can you fix me up in your ambulance?”

  “Of course.” He picked her up and carried her to the gurney they’d left at the top of the ramp. The second paramedic, a shorter man, arranged her blanket and strapped her in.

  As they rolled her through the aquarium’s main building, a couple police officers joined them. “Ma’am, we need to ask you a few questions.”

  She had to give the cops something. “If it’s all right with…” She glanced up at the blue-eyed paramedic.

  “Chad,” he supplied. “And”—he pointed to his partner—“that’s Liam.” Turning to the cops, Chad narrowed his eyes. “Ask your questions while we walk. But once we get to the unit, back off so we can treat her.”

  The older of the two cops nodded and took out a small notebook. “What can you tell us about what happened here today?”

  She recounted her story, sticking to the truth as best she could while leaving out any mention of Wyatt, his odd wetsuit and dolphin tail, or the bomber.

  “How did you get back after you freed yourself from the net?” The cop’s suspicious glare unnerved her.

  “I…I…”

  Her father’s hand clasped her own. “My daughter has answered enough questions for now, officers.”

&n
bsp; The cop arched a brow. “And you are?”

  “Senator Montgomery.”

  The officer’s eyes flashed before his lips tightened and he nodded. “We’ll come back after she’s been patched up.”

  “Patched up?” her father muttered under his breath when the men left. “She almost gets killed by an unexplained explosion and he says, ‘Patched up.’”

  Claire laughed at her father’s indignant tone. “He’s just doing his job, Dad.”

  “Well, he can do it later.”

  “Okay, ma’am. We’re going to lift you into the ambulance. Sir, you can get in after we secure the gurney,” Chad said.

  After Liam closed the doors, Chad opened a cabinet and pulled out a medical kit. He quickly checked her vitals, then examined the contusion on her head where the boat had hit her. “No signs of a concussion, but you’re in for a nasty headache. Luckily, this gash isn’t deep enough for stitches.”

  While Liam bandaged it up, Chad checked her neck and shoulders, then her arms and worked his way down to her feet. “How is your ankle?”

  “Sore.”

  When he rotated it, she grimaced. “Hurts?” he asked gently.

  “Some.”

  “So the good news is that it isn’t broken. I’d say it’s a light sprain. We’ll clean the cuts, then bandage it up for you. You’ll need to change the dressing several times a day. Any sign of infection—”

  “I’ll go to the hospital. I know.” He really was too sweet.

  Her father laughed. “Dr. Montgomery can handle things from here.”

  “Doctor,” Chad repeated, his brows rising.

  She grinned and pointed in the direction of the aquarium. “I’m a microbiologist.”

  The paramedic’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “You’re good to go then, Doctor. Just stay off the ankle for a few days and keep the bandages clean.”

  After he finished wrapping her ankle in an ACE bandage, she hitched the blanket he’d given her more tightly around herself and thanked both men.

  “You know the cops will be waiting,” her father said as he helped her walk inside the aquarium.

  Of course, he’d have noticed the discrepancies in her story. He had seen the bomber himself, although he didn’t know that. “I can handle it, Dad. But I really need to get down to the lab before I talk with them again.” She had to check in on Kirby and confirm her suspicions about the bacteria that had infected him. The lives of all the animals depended on it. And what was she going to do about Wyatt? She had so many questions, the first being why he’d been here in the first place.

  “I’ll run interference. That should give you time to sneak down through the staff access stairs.”

  She kissed his cheek. “I’m so happy you’re here today. I’m not sure I could have dealt with all of this without your help.”

  “Nonsense. Where else would I be but here with my amazing daughter?” The tender look in his gaze made her eyes burn with tears. Her father wasn’t much for talking about feelings; this was as close as he ever came to saying he loved her. Pulling his shoulders back, he strode out into the middle of the room. As soon as the reporters saw him, they surged forward like a great wave, with their cameras and microphones.

  “Senator, is it true your daughter was caught in the explosion?” one asked.

  “Senator, who do you think was the target of the attack?” another shouted.

  “Senator, was this an act of terrorism?” a third asked before her father had even opened his mouth.

  The reporters’ excitement attracted attention, and more people gathered to hear her father’s responses. Several police officers regarded the growing crowd with uneasy features, their stances indicating they were ready for trouble.

  Claire limped along the wall, searching out the shadows, until she reached the stairwell leading to the laboratory. She entered her passcode and slipped inside, hopefully unnoticed. Her heart beat a crazy tempo in her chest. She was definitely not cut out for all this cloak-and-dagger business. Before attempting the grueling descent, she leaned against the wall and took a moment to catch her breath. A sound from below startled her. She gasped and flattened herself to the wall.

  “Claire?”

  Thank you, God! The low rumble of Wyatt’s voice warmed her skin like the thickest wool. “I’m here,” she whispered, thankful he was too far away to see the blush heating her face. She was acting like the wallflower with the crush on the high-school football captain. Or in this case, the scientist with the crush on the smoking hot sailor.

  As Wyatt took in Claire standing at the top of the stairs, his pulse began to race. His heart slammed against his sternum with stunning intensity. Head bandaged, arms bruised, nails ragged, ankle wrapped up, and a tentative smile on her flushed face, she made him want things he’d given up when he’d joined the service—a wife, children. Stability.

  Amazon and angel, warrior and wounded. She appeared strong and vulnerable at the same time, a heady combination. He wanted to pick her up and carry her some place private where he could ravish her. He wanted to cocoon her in bubble-wrap and hide her away from danger. He wanted to climb a mountain and shout to the whole world how proud he was of her.

  Torn by his conflicting desires, Wyatt mounted the stairs slowly. She watched him with wide blue eyes that sucked him deeper into their depths with every step he took. His mouth went dry, his hands damp. When he stood on the step below her, putting them at eye level, he ran his fingers through the tangled mass of hair on her shoulders. “Can I hold you?”

  Her eyes shone and her smile turned genuine. “Please.”

  He wound his arms around her shoulders, tucking her against his chest, and buried his face in her neck. Even the faint fishy scent of bay water on her skin seemed right. Since beginning the MK X program, Wyatt hadn’t felt at home with anyone other than his team and the Salish Sea orcas. Until now.

  His vision blurred and he rubbed his cheek against the soft skin of her shoulder. A sexy sound escaped her mouth, drawing his attention. He lifted his head and pressed his lips against hers in a gentle soothing brush. It took everything he had to keep the kiss light when what he really wanted to do was back her up against the wall, lift her dress and show her how much he needed her. Inhaling deeply, he loosened his hold and eased their mouths apart. He wasn’t an animal, and Claire deserved better than a quick fuck for their first time back together. No, when he got her in bed, he’d love her all night, take her to levels of ecstasy she’d never experienced.

  Adorably dazed, her breasts rising with each breath she took, she turned questioning eyes on him. “Why did you stop?”

  He pressed his lips together to smother a chuckle. Oh yeah, Dr. Montgomery was completely befuddled. Crouching, he picked up the blanket she’d dropped and used it to cover her shoulders. “We’ve just hit the pause button, sweetheart. Didn’t you have—”

  A sound below made him snap his mouth shut. He turned and shielded Claire with his body as he waited to see who was approaching. The steps were soft and light. Probably a woman.

  “Claire? Is that you?”

  “Jane? I’m up here.”

  Wyatt’s shoulders relaxed, and keeping a hand on her arm, he moved to the side so Claire could see her friend.

  “Claire! What on earth happened to you?” Jane raced up the stairs as she spoke. She bulldozed past Wyatt and immediately began examining Claire’s injuries. “Let’s get you downstairs. Are you sure you shouldn’t be in the hospital?”

  Claire’s joyful laughter reassured him than her words ever could. “I’m fine, Jane. I took a little unexpected dip in the bay. The paramedics fixed me up. I just have to keep off my ankle as much as possible.”

  Wyatt had barely absorbed Claire’s words before he had her cradled in his arms. “Oh!” she gasped on a nervous giggle. “You don’t need to—”

  “Yes. I do.”

  “Okay, then.”

  Jane eyed Wyatt with a big grin on her face. “Looks like you’ve found a white knig
ht. He isn’t exactly wearing a suit of armor, but let me just say that shorts and a T-shirt have never looked better.”

  Now it was his turn to blush. And was it his imagination or had Claire tightened her grip on his neck? He winked at her. “Who’s your friend, Claire?”

  “This is Dr. Jane, the head veterinarian here. Jane, this is my… Wyatt.”

  Wyatt bit his lip to hide the smile that tried to show itself. His groin twitched as memories of their idyllic weekend together flashed in his mind. She’d almost said “boyfriend.” He was certain of it.

  “How is Kirby?” Claire asked, her voice thick with concern.

  Any levity in the good doctor’s features leaked out. “I think it’s time to move to step two. But first, let’s get you changed.”

  Wyatt followed Jane down the stairs. She led them to the staff locker room. “I’m sure what you need most right now is a nice hot shower.” She pulled a couple towels out of a cabinet along with a few plastic bags and some tape to waterproof Claire’s bandages. Opening another cabinet, she selected a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. Wyatt recognized them as the uniform worn by the aquarium staff.

  He set Claire on a bench and stood awkwardly by her side. Did she want him to stay or go? Jane cured his indecision by pushing him toward the door. “Wait outside.”

  Glancing over his shoulder, he caught Claire’s wave. “Ten minutes, Wyatt.”

  Ten minutes. That was doable. He paced the small breakroom, checking his watch every ten seconds. By the thirtieth time he’d looked at his watch, Wyatt’s skin was prickling. Worry knotted his stomach. He wanted to smash his fist into the nearest wall.

  What the hell was going on in there? He pressed his ear to the door and strained to hear any sound from Claire. The water turned off and Claire asked Jane for a towel, and his mind instantly flooded with a vision of Claire in all her naked splendor. He moved away from the door to sink into a chair. Leaning his elbows on the break table, he gripped his head between his hands and closed his eyes. His behavior was far from normal. He was aggressive, impatient, and… yeah, oversexed. He shifted in the chair to make himself more comfortable, willing his erection to go away before Claire came out and spotted the tent in his shorts.