Christine Feehan 5 CARPATHIAN NOVELS

by Christine Feehan

  She swung around, trying to be calm. There was no way to take a deep, calming breath without drawing the thick smoke into her lungs. “Ginny, call nine-one-one, then Sean Everett.” The Everett spread was the closest neighboring ranch. “Paul, keep water on this entrance, but stay back. I mean it. The stable is going to come down any minute. Don’t you dare come in, no matter what happens. That’s an order.” She turned and rushed to the very entrance of the burning building.

  “No!” Paul screamed it, but Colby had already disappeared, greedy smoke whirling around her like a huge black cape, swallowing her into the gaping maw.

  She focused on the doors to the stalls, trying to get her mind to work, to open them. The doors refused to budge under the pressure. She didn’t know if it was her desperation, the screaming of the animals keeping her from focusing properly, but she had no choice but to go all the way inside.

  Nineteen. She had nineteen horses in the stalls. Colby forced her numb mind to concentrate. Her eyes were stinging from the smoke and the fire roared in her ears. In the choking black smoke, thick and dangerous, it was impossible to see anything at all. The heat was intense, the noise loud and frightening. The horses were beyond reason, dangerous, desperate animals.

  Colby felt her way to the long row of stalls. One by one, she swung the stall gates open, trying to hold her breath, eyes streaming. Her lungs burned and she coughed horribly. She was becoming disoriented. Domino loomed up, eyes rolling wildly. Colby was choking too much to soothe him. He reared up, his slashing hooves inches from her face. Colby lurched back, tripped, and fell. Domino thundered past her, narrowly missing stepping on her. His back left hoof slashed a wound into her thigh as he ran.

  The air close to the ground was somewhat better and her painfully aching lungs gulped at it. She managed to get her shaky legs under her and, pushing herself up, propelled herself forward. Waving her arms, hollering hoarsely, Colby ran at the panic-stricken horses. Whirling, they rushed at the entrance. The open doorway was burning too, but not with the same intensity as the walls. Colby stumbled after them, falling to the ground coughing and retching.

  Hard hands caught her, bit into her waist, pulled her from the entrance and into safe arms. Rafael dragged her free of the smoke and flames. He smelled the blood on her from the painful gash on her thigh and something ugly and demonic deep within him lifted its head and roared for vengeance.

  Part of the roof caved in and somewhere deep within the raging inferno an animal screamed in agony so intense there was a dead silence in the yard. Colby was the first to react, wrenching herself from Rafael’s grasp, running straight toward the flaming entrance to the stables. “Paul, the rifle!”

  Without preamble, Rafael caught her up as he shouted an order to the men in the yard. He put her on the porch and stared down into her terrified eyes. “Stay right here. Do not move, do you hear me?” Rafael caught the rifle thrown to him by Juan Chevez and disappeared into the leaping flames greedily devouring the stable.

  Paul knelt beside Colby. She looked dazed, in shock. He couldn’t help but admire Rafael’s efficiency—helicopters for transportation, men seeing to the frightened, wounded animals. It was obvious that it was Rafael directing the well-coordinated operation. He had picked the rifle out of the air with one hand and calmly entered a rapidly disintegrating building.

  A shot rang out, and the pitiful cries ceased abruptly. Aware he had been holding his breath, Paul let it out slowly, bending solicitously over Colby, who was leaning back against the porch post. Her face was streaked with black smoke and tears. There was a bruise high up on her forehead, and several on her ribs, he guessed from the state of her top, probably from the horses knocking into her. Her pajama bottoms were torn and singed. Blood smeared her leg high up on her thigh. Both palms were an ugly mass of blisters. She was struggling to breathe with the terrible smoke already deep in her lungs. Clumsily Paul tried to comfort her, circling her slender shoulders with his arm.

  Then Rafael was there, bending over them, lifting Colby into his arms with exquisite care. “See to your younger sister,” he commanded Paul softly. “She is very frightened. I will take care of Colby.” He signaled to Sean Everett’s foreman, directing the crews toward saving the barn. Colby lay in his arms dazed, unable to take in the enormity of what had happened. He carried her a safe distance from the smoke and activity, putting her down in the grass to examine her injuries. Shielding her from any prying eyes with his body, Rafael tipped up her black-smeared face to study the bruise. “I am sorry, pequena. I could not save the horse, nor allow it to suffer.” Even as he spoke he laid his hand over the laceration on her thigh. Strangely the throbbing and burning ceased immediately. His hand glided, feather light, across her throat, touched her pounding temples. Then his palm moved to the bruise on her head. “I came the moment I heard you awaken.”

  “I can’t believe this is happening,” Colby whispered hoarsely, afraid to cry, afraid if she did she might never stop.

  Rafael brushed back her hair with gentle fingers. She had a few minor burns, the bump, and the gash, but it was her hands where she had grasped the metal bar that concerned him. He murmured to her softly as he raised her hands to the healing warmth of his mouth. His tongue swirled in a sensuous motion, ensuring the healing agent bathed every blister and burn mark. Where it should have stung, she felt a tingling warmth that only soothed. She wanted to crawl inside of him and hide where it was safe.

  “I have to help,” she said, trying to draw her hands away from him. She could barely breathe, the smoke trapped deep in her lungs. Her chest burned and she was gasping for clean air.

  Rafael signaled to Juan Chevez to watch the sparks coming off the fire, leaping toward the main house. He knew the Chevez brothers were worried about him, as he should have gone to ground in the early morning light. He could take the morning hours if necessary, but his strength was slowly waning and he would eventually succumb to the limitations of his species. The sun was already burning his skin, turning him to a mass of blisters, and his eyes were streaming in the light. Rafael kept the clouds overhead to help shield him, but the sun was taking its toll. The Chevez brothers knew he had very little time before his body would turn to lead and he would be completely vulnerable.

  Rafael leaned toward Colby. “Look at me, querida, you must really look at me this time.” His black eyes were magnetic, impossible to ignore, and Colby stared rather helplessly, knowing she was falling into the dark pools but unable to summon up the strength to stop herself. Rafael took possession of her mouth, breathing into her body, pushing out the black tarry smoke attempting to choke the air out of her. His hands glided over her body, touching the bruises on her ribs, even as he veiled their presence from any prying eyes.

  He lifted his head reluctantly, his black gaze still holding her captive. Focusing in the way of his people, concentrating until he separated his spirit from his body, until he was pure energy, he entered her body to aid him in pushing out the smoke and heal the gash and burns. He held her in his thrall until he was certain every injury had been treated and there was no danger of infection. No danger to her lungs. Slowly, reluctantly, he released her. Already, with his mind, he was directing the various crew chiefs and those arriving as the call went out for more help.

  “We have this under control, Colby,” he murmured softly. “I do not want to turn around and find you are placing yourself in danger. Going into the stable was brave but very foolish. Do not ever do such a thing again. I cannot tolerate such a danger to you.”

  She clung to him for just one more moment, appreciating his hard strength and air of complete confidence. She didn’t have to know her own feelings to admire his efficient manner and total authority. The man certainly knew how to get things done.

  The next couple of hours were a nightmare, Colby and Paul treating the burns on the terrified horses while the men fought to keep the fire from spreading to her house and the other outbuildings. Sometimes she would look up to find Rafael looking at he
r with his intense black gaze. He seemed to be everywhere, a machine working tirelessly throughout the long early morning hours.

  At last, as the fire was reduced to glowing embers and tails of smoke and the animals had all been cared for, Paul and Ginny went to her for comfort—for answers. In her tattered, singed pajamas and with smoke-blackened face, Colby surveyed the destruction. “How could this have happened?” She groaned softly in despair. “We had no chance of saving the stables. The fire was everywhere, completely out of control. No alarms went off, the sprinklers didn’t work.” She shook her head, unable to believe it.

  Colby was devastated. Fourteen of the horses housed in the stable, including the one Rafael had put down, didn’t belong to her. She was boarding and training them. They were priceless to their owners, bred for specific purposes. Now they were traumatized and burned, covered with cuts and bruises and suffering from smoke inhalation, and Colby would be held responsible for their injuries.

  Paul put his arm around her, a clumsy gesture of support even as his eyes went automatically to the one person who seemed in control of the chaotic situation. Rafael and the Chevez brothers had fought long and hard along with Sean Everett’s ranch hands and the forestry department to keep the entire ranch from going up in flames. Paul didn’t want his uncles to drag him off to a foreign country away from the home he loved and he was deeply afraid of Rafael De La Cruz, but he couldn’t deny that without them they would have lost everything.

  Rafael read the desperate plea in Paul’s young face and immediately said something to the small group of men he was talking with, easily excusing himself. He took Colby’s arm, guiding her very gently across the yard and up the stairs to the porch of the ranch house. Pushing her gently but firmly into the swing, he poured her a glass of water from the pitcher Ginny had thoughtfully kept filled for the men fighting the fire. Colby looked dazed.

  She stared up at him helplessly, confused and afraid. “How could the smoke alarms not work? There are several—how could all of them malfunction?” she murmured. “And the sprinklers. I just had the sprinklers checked. How could the entire stable go up that fast? I don’t understand.”

  “We will find out, meu amor.” Rafael was gentle as he took a cup of hot, sweet tea from Ginny and pressed it into Colby’s hands. “You are in shock, pequena, I want you to drink this. It will help.” He raked a hand through his hair. “It looks as if it was started with kerosene. Do you store kerosene here?”

  “In the stable?” Colby said incredulously. Restlessly she jumped to her feet. Pushing past Rafael’s larger frame, she entered the kitchen. “I’d never keep kerosene in the stable. You must really think I’m an idiot.”

  She was so fragile, so close to tears. Rafael was in her mind, reading the jumble of emotions, the horror of what had happened, the fears of facing the future and her frantic attempts at putting the pieces together to discover what could have happened. He followed her patiently, a silent jungle cat stalking after her. “That is not what I asked you, querida. I am telling you I think this fire was set. I think the fire captain also believes this to be the case. Do you have insurance?”

  Colby went very still, half turning to face him. “Is that what you think? That I would burn down my own stables with horses still inside for insurance money? Is that what you’re suggesting?” She waved a hand to encompass the yard filled with her neighbors. “Is that what everyone thinks? That I would be capable of harming animals for my own monetary gain?”

  Her green eyes began to smolder dangerously. “Or maybe that’s what you and the Chevez brothers want everyone to believe. That I would be capable of such an atrocity. That would certainly help your case, if I were to be thrown in jail, wouldn’t it? No one would stand in your way to get the kids.”

  “Enough.” He said the word very quietly through clenched white teeth. His black eyes were ice cold again, his mouth a merciless slash. He looked quite cruel and ruthless so that she backed away from him, her heart pounding out her sudden fear. “You are very upset and you do not know what you are saying. It is better to stay quiet than throw out groundless accusations. You are scaring your sister, Colby.”

  Ashamed at her loss of control, Colby shook her head and stared out the window to avoid his penetrating stare. She had no way of knowing Rafael had already discovered the key to her mind and was well aware she was incapable of such a treacherous action as starting a fire in her own stable filled with live animals.

  Rafael hunkered down beside Ginny, his tone very gentle. “It is going to be all right, menininha. No one would ever believe such a thing of Colby. Do not look so frightened.”

  “Are we going to lose the ranch?” Ginny burst out anxiously. “Are you going to take us away from Colby and turn our ranch over to that horrible man?” Tears were making a path through the smoke on her small face.

  Rafael looked at the child and his heart turned over. It was a singular experience to see a human through the eyes of love. Connected as he was with Colby’s mind, he felt tremendous emotion for the little girl and her fears.

  “No, darling.” Colby’s voice was extraordinarily gentle. “Don’t worry, Ginny, we’ve seen worse times and come through. You and Paul are alive and unhurt, that’s all that really matters.” Even in her distress, she was reassuring.

  “Which horrible man, Ginny?” Rafael asked, his black gaze seeking and finding the child with a firm compulsion to answer him.

  “Everything is just fine,” Colby interrupted, sounding weary even to her own ears. She reached for Ginny in an attempt to break the lock Rafael’s gaze had on her.

  Rafael glided without appearing to move, keeping his body inserted between Colby and Ginny. The little girl looked up at him trustingly. “He wants to take our ranch away. He is always coming here and telling Colby to give him money.” She leaned closer confidentially. “He wants to marry her. I heard him say we wouldn’t lose the ranch if she cooperated with him.”

  “Ginny!” Colby spoke much more sharply than she intended, humiliated all over again. Rafael De La Cruz was the last person who needed to know their business. For a moment she covered her face with her hands. She’d slept with him. Slept with him. That wasn’t even the right words for what they’d done together. A virtual stranger, she let him touch her, devour her. She had taken him inside her body. She felt naked and vulnerable and slowly lowered her hands to meet his black eyes. He had possessed her, marked her, and she had been so eager for his body, his touch. She would have done anything for him. God, she had begged him. Screamed his name over and over in her mind. What was wrong with her?

  Rafael released the child from his thrall, his gaze thoughtful as it rested on Colby’s face. Her eyes were alive with pride, but he was a shadow in her mind and he could read her humiliation and fear. He circled her fragile wrist with his strong grip, careful to keep his enormous strength leashed. “Who is this man and what does he have to hold over your head to threaten you in such a manner?” He said it softly, his teeth very white and almost wolfish. He was very much aware of time slipping away from him. He had pushed his endurance far beyond normal in order to be with Colby.

  “It isn’t your business.” Colby attempted to twist free, feeling foolish when he didn’t appear to notice. “I’m too upset to cope with an interrogation right now,” she murmured rebelliously, fighting back tears. It didn’t help her state of mind to notice that her various injuries hadn’t been hurting since Rafael had attended to her earlier.

  Rafael’s breath came out in a slow hiss. “You will answer me, Colby.” It was a command, his voice so low, so laced with velvet, she felt it rather than heard it. For all of that, it was sheer menace. His glittering black eyes did not blink once.

  “All right then.” Goaded beyond endurance, her usual control shattered into fragments, Colby glared at him. “I made a huge mistake when my father was ill. We needed money. Everyone knew he was sick, the bank wouldn’t loan us anything. I couldn’t keep up with the ranch work because he needed me wit
h him. There were so many bills. The kids needed clothes for school.” Her chin was up, belligerently. “I was only nineteen, no one would take the chance of loaning me the money and the bank wouldn’t go for another mortgage on the ranch because of the hospital bills and my father’s paralysis. It was fairly common knowledge.” She jerked at her wrist again. “I hate this, telling you this.”

  She didn’t have to tell him, he could “see” the memories in her mind. She had loved Armando Chevez with the same fierce loyalty and passion she gave the children. To Colby, Armando Chevez had been her father, blood or no. Grief-stricken when her mother had died, she had still taken on the daunting task of caring for her paralyzed father, two children, and the enormous ranch. She had been very frightened, with nowhere to turn and everyone depending on her.

  Rafael ached for her, his eyes burning with unfamiliar emotion. He tugged on her wrist until her resisting body was close to the protective shelter of his. He needed to comfort her even more than she needed the comfort. Colby wrenched herself free and jerked open the door to the kitchen. He moved with her like a dance partner, graceful, fluid, sheer energy. He made no sound on the tiled floor.

  Colby looked at him, feeling trapped and very vulnerable. “I borrowed the money from a neighbor. I knew what he was like, but we needed it. I sent the letter to the Chevez family first, they were our last hope, but there was no reply. I went to Clinton Daniels and I borrowed the money we needed to keep going.” When he continued to look at her she shrugged. “I wasn’t stupid—I knew he wanted the ranch, and I knew he was responsible for the bank turning me down. I also knew he would give us time if he thought he might have a chance with me.” Her green eyes wavered, shame creeping into them. “I took the money and I’ve managed to come up with the payments every month since then, but we have a balloon payment due. Unless I can sell off part of our land quickly, we’ll lose the ranch. Unfortunately it isn’t so easy when the ranch is part of a trust.”