Undiscovered

by Sara Humphreys

  It couldn’t be. Could it?

  His heart thundered in his chest as he inched closer and kept his sights on the large, gold ring on the man’s gnarled, arthritic right hand. The emblem of a dragon, wings extended, head reared back, as though roaring at the world, looked exactly as it had five hundred years ago. The two pieces of red quartz for the dragon’s eyes glinted in the sunlight and jostled memories from his previous life.

  The static in the energy pattern now made sense.

  Son of a bitch.

  Zander knew that ring, and the emblem on it, as well as he knew his own face. He had seen it every single day of his life until the spell had been cast. The heirloom had been passed from generation to generation in their clan’s family line, from father to eldest son, and it should have gone to Zander, who was one minute older than Zed.

  The ring, like so many other things, should have been his.

  His fate could have been so different.

  If Arianna hadn’t been killed.

  If he and Zed hadn’t been cursed.

  If Zander’s father hadn’t been murdered.

  The list of unfulfilled possibilities and broken dreams could have gone on forever. Much like his rootless existence over the past five centuries.

  His life that could have been…but wasn’t.

  All of it destroyed because of hatred, greed, and jealousy.

  And love.

  Misery was all that love had ever gotten him. What it had gotten all of them.

  Anger shimmied up his back hotly, and his hands curled into fists as he moved slowly around the man’s chair. He had to see his face. Confirm what he already knew in his gut. Rena was saying Zander’s name. Her voice and energy signature were soaked with concern and uncertainty, but he could barely hear her. Every single fiber of his mind and body was wound tight, zeroing in on the slouched, decrepit form of the old man in the chair.

  Zander stood between the foot of the man’s wheelchair and the windows, wanting to be sure the bastard would see him. His gaze drifted slowly over the scuffed brown shoes, the tan slacks, and untucked, striped shirt over a round belly. The man before him was trapped in a wrinkled, weathered body that had once been full of vitality and life. Anyone else, including Rena, looked at him and saw an elderly man who resembled many of the other residents in the rest home.

  But Zander knew differently.

  His fierce gaze latched on to Vito’s face, and all of his suspicions were confirmed. Years may have ravaged his body, but no amount of time would erase those eyes from Zander’s memory.

  They were the last ones he had looked into before being cursed.

  A pair of watery, pale-brown eyes lurched up, locking on to Zander’s with a vacant stare. At first, there was nothing. No recognition. Not a hint of memory. But then, a flicker of awareness sparked in the old man’s eyes. His mouth twitched at the corners, and his gnarled hands tightened their grip on the arms of his wheelchair as a gurgling groan rumbled in his chest. His lips pursed, and spittle clung to them while he struggled to speak.

  Zander wasn’t sure if it was age or fury that muddled the old bastard’s speech. Like all Amoveo who were widowed, Victor had aged and lost his powers. Essentially, he had become human. Zander crouched down so he was face-to-face with the man, a shell of a creature from days gone by. Folding his hands in front of him, Zander allowed his gaze to drift over the enemy from his past. A cruel smile tugged at his lips. How many nights had he lain awake thinking about what he would do if he ever crossed paths with him again?

  “Hey!” Rena swatted his arm. He’d practically forgotten where he was. “What the hell is going on? You’re upsetting Vito. You’re obviously freaking him out. He doesn’t know you.”

  Oh yes, he does, Zander thought.

  The old man gurgled some more, his white eyebrows furrowed, and anger was carved into the deep lines that marred his face. Zander flicked his gaze to the ring and then back at Vito’s furious glare.

  He knew those eyes.

  They belonged to Arianna’s father.

  The eyes of his father’s killer and the man who’d had him cursed.

  * * *

  Rena grabbed Zander’s arm and pulled him to his feet as she glanced over her shoulder at the other residents. Luckily, none of them seemed to have noticed what was going on over there. That was fine, because Rena didn’t know what the hell was happening either.

  “Hey,” she said in a harsh whisper that wasn’t really a whisper at all. “Cut it out. You’re upsetting him.”

  Zander’s expression was stone-cold, and the glint in his eyes bordered on murderous, but she let out a slow breath when he took a step back, increasing the distance between him and Vito. She sensed Vito’s anxiety ease back, and a few seconds later, the vacant look on his face returned. It was as if Zander had never even been there. She looked back and forth between the two men, not needing her psychic abilities to see that this wasn’t the first time they had met.

  Add that item to the long list of weirdness that had become her life.

  “Okay,” she said with a rush of air. She put her hands out to the side and placed herself between the two men. “I don’t know what the deal is with you two, but you both better cool it.”

  “We’ll talk about it later,” Zander said coldly. His words were clipped and short. “We have to leave, and since he obviously isn’t going anywhere, I can deal with him later.”

  “You are not doing anything to him. Now or later.”

  “He has something that belongs to me.” Zander inched closer to her, his voice barely audible. “But then again, you probably already knew that, didn’t you?”

  His energy swam around her at a furious pace, and even with Vito’s buzzing one nearby, Zander’s was still far stronger. It almost drowned out the older man’s entirely, but it didn’t diminish the sting of Zander’s accusation. She had shared her deepest secret with this guy about an hour ago, and now he was accusing her of keeping information from him.

  What. The. Hell.

  “Dude, the longer I hang around with you, the less I know. Okay? All you’ve done is give me even more questions than I already had.”

  “You asked me to answer your questions honestly, and I will, but I expect the same from you.”

  “Fine.”

  “Good.”

  “What do you want to know?” She folded her arms over her breasts, attempting to still her shaking limbs. “Shoot.”

  “Not here.” Zander’s brow furrowed, and he shot a glance at Vito. “We have to go. Right now.”

  “I don’t think—”

  “Hello again!” Maude’s bright, cheerful voice cut into the room, halting further conversation. “It’s time for Mr. Fox’s physical therapy session, Miss Rena. I came to take him down to the PT suite.”

  “Okay, Maude.” She forced a smile, not wanting to raise any red flags with the nurse. “Thank you.”

  Rena sliced a side eye at Zander before squatting next to Vito. Her anger and irritation melted away as soon as she took his hands; weathered and battered from the life he had lived, it always made her feel better to gather them in hers. It was as if his years of experience could soothe her ever-present feelings of uncertainty.

  When she gently laced her fingers with his arthritic ones, life flickered in his eyes, and he turned his watery gaze to Rena’s. Recognition lit up his timeworn face, and the relief tugged at Rena’s heart.

  It was a gift any time he remembered her. Even if it was only for a moment.

  “There’s my girl.”

  His voice was brittle and cracked, but it was music to her ears. He wasn’t her father, but as far as she was concerned, that was semantics. She couldn’t imagine loving her biological parents more than she loved him. Sorrow swelled with the tide of tender emotions and reminded Rena why she never let people in.

 
; It hurts too damn much.

  “Hey, Vito,” she said, her voice strangled by the threat of tears. “I’m going out of town for a little while, but I’ll see you when I get back. Okay?”

  “You watch out for those devils,” he said through a cough. “They only come out at night though. After the sun goes down. You remember what I told you. Those beasts only bring death and destruction.”

  “Okay, Vito. You got it.” He was doing it again. “I’ll be sure to keep my eyes peeled.”

  Rena learned a long time ago to never attempt to correct someone with dementia. It only made them more confused or scared. So she would simply smile and nod and reassure him, no matter what crazy stuff he came out with. What else could she do, really?

  “All right, Mr. Vito.” Maude took the wheelchair handles and released the brake. “She’ll be fine now. Look at that big man she’s travelin’ with. Ain’t nobody gonna mess with her.”

  Vito’s eyes widened, and panic glimmered there, but he didn’t take his gaze off Rena’s. Seeing fear and confusion in his face was like a stab in the heart. Rena leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek, paying no mind to the remnants of beard stubble.

  “Maude’s right. It’s gonna be okay. I promise. And when I get home, you and I are gonna get outside.” She rose to her feet and squeezed his hand one last time before releasing it. “We’ll take a spin around the grounds. How does that sound?”

  As Maude backed up the chair, Vito’s pale-brown eyes flicked past Rena, and she knew he was looking at Zander. The panic that had been there only moments ago immediately shifted to anger.

  “He’s going to be the death of you,” he murmured.

  “Come on now, Mr. Vito. Time to go.”

  Maude gave Rena a look that said don’t worry about it and pushed Vito’s chair toward the doorway.

  “Listen to me,” he rasped. “Please!”

  Rena hugged her arms around herself and fought the shiver that whispered over her flesh as Vito’s voice faded down the hall. He had often made incoherent references to monsters and demons, but Rena had always dismissed them. Yet, given all she had learned in the past twenty-four hours, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of foreboding. Were his words merely the ramblings of a confused old man, or was this one of his moments of clarity?

  The last thing she heard him say before his voice faded was, “I love you, Arianna.”

  “Rena…not Arianna,” she whispered. Her shoulders sagged, and she let out a weak laugh. “So much for remembering me.”

  Rena swiped at her eyes, wishing she wasn’t getting all girly and emotional in front of Zander. The truth was that part of her wanted to turn around and seek comfort. Bury her face against his broad chest and just cry it out. Weep for Vito, all the time and memories he had lost. For all the memories they never had a chance to make together.

  But she didn’t have to worry about Zander noticing her emotional moment or offering her comfort. He had already walked past her and was waiting impatiently in the doorway.

  “Time to go.”

  No emotion. Not a drop of empathy. The man was like ice. As he disappeared around the corner, Rena told herself that it was for the best. It was better for both of them. No emotional involvement. Fine. If that’s the way he wanted to play it, then two could play at that game. If he wanted to be a cold bastard and keep their relationship strictly business, then Rena would be more than happy to oblige.

  Her eyes narrowed as she followed him down the hallway. This guy had no idea who he was dealing with. If anyone could keep their distance emotionally and shut people out, it was Rena. She had done that her entire life. She was good at being on her own. Hell, it was her comfort zone.

  Zander Lorens may possess the long sought-after answers to her questions, be drop-dead sexy and filthy rich, but there was one thing he didn’t have.

  Rena’s trust.

  No man, regardless of how mind-blowing his kisses were, would gain access to her heart or her body without earning her trust first.

  After the exchange with Vito, Zander had none of it.

  Chapter 8

  They had traveled in silence for almost six hours, and if it weren’t for Rena’s earbuds and streaming music on the highest volume, she might have lost her patience with the whole damn situation. Existing in conflict, her body and mind totally at war, was testing her limits. Sitting tucked up against Zander on the back of the Harley with her arms curled around his waist did little to cool her physical reaction to him.

  On the contrary, all it managed to do was get her more turned-on than ever.

  Zander’s legs were hot and hard, and she had no choice but to settle hers alongside them. His back, a broad expanse of muscle and bone beneath well-worn leather, pressed against her breasts with tantalizing perfection. Not even the strong smell of exhaust could drown out his manly scent of leather and musk, which seemed to have settled firmly inside Rena’s head.

  There was no escaping him or the way he made her feel.

  It was maddening. Especially given his ability to go from hot to cold in a split second, kissing her one minute and interrogating her the next.

  At first, she’d had her arms around his waist, with her palms settled over his rock-hard abs, but once she’d gotten the hang of it and felt balanced on the back of the bike, she held on to the metal support behind her back.

  She had tried talking to him before they hit the road, but Zander would barely look at her, let alone speak to her. This, of course, only wounded her further. And that was a hell of a pill to swallow for a woman who prided herself on her ability to remain detached. They had stopped once at a gas station to use the bathroom and grab a protein bar. Zander had dazzled her with a couple of grunts, which she supposed meant no when she asked if he wanted anything.

  Big, handsome jerk.

  The sun had gone down, and the temperature had dropped right along with it. The crisp fall air had felt okay when the sun was out, but now, with the darkness of the evening and only the moon lighting the empty highway, Rena had started to shiver. She didn’t want to wrap her arms around him again, but the need for warmth overtook her pride.

  Grumbling under her breath about how annoyed she was with herself, Rena caved in and curled her arms around him. She let out a sigh of relief as his body heat quickly seeped into her skin, even through the layers of blue jean and leather. Shivering so hard her teeth were chattering, she turned her face and rested her helmet-clad head between his shoulder blades, pressing her body firmly against his.

  Zander’s muscles stiffened as she tightened her grip.

  He was probably annoyed that she was hanging on to him like a baby spider monkey, but that was too damn bad. He was the one who had insisted on riding this loud, rumbling contraption all the way from Las Vegas to Montana. His heart was beating hard against his rib cage and reverberated through her body along with the ass-numbing vibrations of the motorcycle. She licked her lips and clutched the leather of his jacket between her fingers. The combination of his heartbeat and having her body wrapped around his was beginning to drive her wild.

  And not in an I-want-to-punch-you kind of way. More like a I-want-to-strip-you-naked-and-climb-you-like-Mount-Kilimanjaro kind of way.

  Rena squeezed her eyes shut and struggled to get her uncooperative hormones under control. Why was she so insanely attracted to a man she was annoyed with? It was infuriating and made no sense.

  Focus on something else, she thought. Anything other than the feel of him. Jeez. Patricia was right. Maybe if she hadn’t been so sex starved, she wouldn’t be as affected by Zander’s…everything.

  She needed to get off this bike and obtain some distance between his body and hers. However, his brooding, monosyllabic routine was wearing on her patience, and when they finally stopped for the night, he was going to have to start talking.

  As though reading her mind, Zander hi
t the blinker, the yellow light throbbing eerily along the dark highway. Rena lifted her head and peered over his broad shoulder. They were approaching an exit ramp, and not too far beyond, there was a blazing red-and-blue neon sign for the Eat, Drink, and Be Sleepy Motel.

  Rena almost wept with relief.

  She was exhausted in body, mind, and spirit.

  Zander gestured with his right hand, pointing to the exit as he veered the bike toward the little motel. With a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, Rena let out a slow breath and kept her sights on the land of salvation. The beds were probably musty and the sheets scratchy, but it would do.

  He brought the bike to a stop in one of the only empty spaces in the lot, and Rena hopped off before he even cut the engine. She stretched her arms over her head and arched her back in an attempt to work out the kinks. Among other sensations.

  Zander flipped up the visor on his helmet and seemed to be surveying the quiet, dark parking lot of the diner and motel. Rena tugged off her helmet before propping it on her hip and quickly fluffing her hair with her free hand. She probably had major helmet hair. Not a good look. Not that she cared what he thought or anything.

  Rena rolled her eyes at her foolishness. Yeah right. She did care, and that was more disturbing than anything else. Twenty-four hours ago, all Rena cared about was her work, Vito, and Pat. The rest of the world could be damned. Now, here she was, at a no-tell motel with the one person in the world who knew her secrets.

  And he wanted nothing to do with her.

  She was his job or assignment or pet project. He didn’t care about her, and the sooner she accepted that fact, the better off she would be. Zander may have cracked the safe cocoon Rena had constructed around herself, but that didn’t mean she had to let him tear the whole damn thing down.

  She fleetingly recalled a paper cut she got the other day. It stung like crazy. One of the cruel ironies of the universe was that sometimes the smallest wounds carried the biggest wallop.