by Erin Wade
“Why me?”
“I don’t trust anyone else to keep her alive.” Darke hung her head. “Besides, your department is the one that let Carter slip through our fingers. If we had him in jail, Eden wouldn’t be in danger.
“Obviously, he is out of the US. He confronted me, and Myron tried to kill Eden in Grand Cayman. Caz saved her life. I don’t know how they slipped through airport security.”
“Given the circumstances, I’m surprised you trust us.”
Darke shrugged. “Just get her through the first two weeks of college, and I’ll take over. I’m leaving Caz to take care of you both.
“Oh, and don’t say anything to Eden. I haven’t told her I have to go home for a couple of weeks.”
“I don’t envy you that,” Lori said, grinning. “She can be a spitfire.”
Darke rolled her eyes and shook her head. “You have no idea.”
##
It was still dark when Eden emerged from her peaceful sleep. She felt safe and secure sleeping next to Darke. She shifted slightly, snuggling closer into the warm softness of her lover. I never imagined love could be so consuming and freeing at the same time , she thought . My life has changed—no, I’ve changed so much since that first day Darke thundered into my life.
Tomorrow they would embark on a new life adventure. College, Eden thought. I need to discuss my choice of majors with Darke.
Eden couldn’t resist running her hand down Darke’s tight, flat stomach. God, she’s perfect, she thought as her breath caught in her throat.
Darke’s long fingers curled around Eden’s wrist. “If that hand goes any further down, there’ll be the devil to pay.”
“I’m more than willing to pay my dues,” Eden whispered as she eased on top of Darke.
“Um, and I’m more than willing to collect,” Darke murmured against her lips.
##
The sun was shining brightly when Darke fell onto her back, trying to catch her breath. “Oh, you are unbelievable, baby.” She wrapped her arms around Eden and hugged her tighter.
Eden giggled and snuggled deeper into the brunette’s arms. “You make me happier than I’ve ever been in my life. I never dreamed anyone could be as wonderful as you. You make me feel loved and safe.”
“You are, honey. I promise.” Darke shifted to face Eden. “I guess this is as good a time as any to tell you … I have to go away for a few days.”
Eden’s body went rigid. “I … why? What will I do? Can I go with you?”
“I’m needed at home.” Darke stroked Eden’s silky blonde hair, trying to reassure her. “Lori is going to stay with you while I’m gone. She’ll go to college with you and stay in the dorm until I get back. I’m leaving Caz with you too.”
“Can’t I go with you?” Eden asked again.
“No,” Darke said, the word gentle but final.
Eden turned away from Darke and lay on her side, contemplating her choices. “Where is home?” she asked.
“Europe.”
Eden snorted. “That’s no answer. Where in Europe, Darke? Oh, wait, let me guess. Transylvania!”
“ Moldova,” Darke said.
“Moldova? I’ve never heard of such a place, and I traveled extensively with my family.”
“Then you should look it up on the internet.” Darke tossed back the cover and slid out of bed. “I’m going to take a shower.”
Eden laid her head back on the pillow. I seem to have a knack for upsetting her, she thought. She’s so damn secretive. I know very little about her except that she slays monsters … and I love her.
“I thought this would be faster,” Eden said as she stepped into the shower.
##
Margaret knocked on the door as they finished dressing.
“Come in,” Eden called out.
“Will you want to breakfast on the patio by the pool or in the study?” Margaret asked.
“Poolside,” Eden said.
As if overcome by emotion, Margaret rushed to Eden and wrapped her in a bear hug. “I’m so glad you’re home from the Caymens, Eden. I was so worried about you.”
“I’m fine, Margaret.” Eden hugged the woman back. “I did miss you.”
Margaret nodded and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “I can’t believe you’ll be leaving for college tomorrow.” Margaret squinted, holding back more tears.
“We’re discussing that now,” Eden said as she patted Margaret’s arm. “There may be a change of plans.”
Margaret nodded and hurried from the room.
“No change of plans, Eden.” Darke took her hand and led her to sit on the love seat. “You must enroll, and you must earn a college degree.”
“But—”
Darke cut off Eden’s argument by placing two fingers on her lips. “The sooner you graduate, the sooner we can begin living our lives together,” Darke explained. “I must take care of some personal business at home. My mother needs me.”
“You have a mother?” Eden said, wide-eyed.
“Yes.” Darke chuckled. “That bit about the stork? It’s a myth.”
Eden laughed. “I just never thought about you having a mother.” An impish look filled her eyes. “I thought you were raised by wolves.”
Darke rolled her eyes and pulled Eden into her arms.
##
They dangled their bare feet in the swimming pool as they sipped their coffee. “I’m considering changing my major,” Eden said, glancing sideways at Darke.
“To what?”
“Psychiatry,” Eden said.
“That’s an open field,” Darke noted. “Any specific branch?”
“Behavioral science. There are scientific answers to unusual behaviors,” Eden said. “Reasons why people think they’re wolves or vampires, for instance.”
Darke nodded. “Ah! I think that’s a field you’ll find fascinating.”
A few minutes later, their discussion was interrupted by the sound of Eden’s phone. She got up to answer it, spoke briefly to the caller, and then hung up.
“Lori will be here in an hour,” she informed Darke. “I suppose I should check to make certain I’ve packed everything. What time does your flight leave today?”
“Around five this afternoon. That will put me into
Chisinau around one the day after tomorrow. Moldova is eight hours ahead of Texas time. My mother or one of her drivers will pick me up at the airport.”
“Darke, please take me with you.”
“I can’t, honey. I promise I would if it were possible. This is something I must do alone.”
Chapter 23
“Countess! It’s good to have you home.”
Darke turned to greet a wizened face lit by a beautiful smile. “It’s good to be home, Jorga. Is Mother with you?”
“No, the duchess fears leaving the castle unprotected. Do you have luggage?”
“No, but I trust you brought what I need.”
“Indeed, I did, Countess. Everything you requested is in the car. The duchess ordered us to spend the night in a hotel and leave early in the morning. She doesn’t want us traveling through the mountain forest after dark.”
“Ordered?” Darke raised her brows. “That sounds like Mother. I’m good with that, Jorga. Let’s find a restaurant that serves excellent cuisine and fine wines. I’m famished.”
##
Darke stood under the hot water until it began to run cool. The heat had loosened muscles tense from traveling. Even first class became cramped after a while. She plugged in her cell phone to let it charge overnight, slid beneath the covers, and dialed Eden.
“Darke! I thought you’d never call,” Eden said, breathless with excitement upon hearing her lover’s voice.
“I tried,” Darke said, “but I kept missing you.”
Eden sighed. “I know. Time zones.”
“Did you get registered?”
“Yes, I was able to get all the classes I wanted. And Lori has been wonderful. She’s almost as overprotective as
you.”
“We can’t be too careful,” Darke cautioned. “When do your classes start?”
“Monday. When are you coming home, Darke? I miss you so much.”
“As soon as I can, baby. I miss you too.”
“How’s your mother?”
“I haven’t seen her yet. We’ll leave for the village early in the morning. We’ll reach there just before dark.”
“It takes all day to drive there? Texas is twenty times the size of Moldova.”
Darke laughed. “You did look it up on the internet. You probably noticed that it has rugged mountain ranges covered in heavy forest. One can’t drive as fast in Moldova as one can in Texas.”
“What’s the weather there?”
“Cold, rainy, and miserable,” Darke said.
“You should have taken me with you,” Eden teased. “I’d keep you warm at night.”
“Um, I was just thinking about that,” Darke murmured.
“What were you thinking?” Eden urged her on. “Are you thinking you’d like to …”
Darke closed her eyes against the visions prompted by Eden’s sensuous descriptions of their lovemaking. Eden leaning above her. Eden slowly lowering her lips for a kiss. Heat consumed Darke’s body.
“Is this phone sex?” Darke whispered, panting. “If it is, I’m not sure my heart can take it.”
“Serves you right for leaving me behind.” Eden giggled. “What are you wearing?”
“Nothing. I’m in bed.”
“Good. If I were there, I would cuddle your face between my breasts and let you …”
I won’t sleep a wink tonight , Darke thought as she recalled the thrill of lying in Eden’s arms.
##
Darke checked the bag Jorga had brought her. Everything she had requested was there. She pulled on the black leather pants and knee-high boots, strapped on the pair of Glocks, and covered them with a long, black, leather jacket that reached almost to her knees. Extra magazines for the Glocks fit into the inside jacket pockets. She tucked a switchblade into her pants pocket.
Darke scanned her image in the mirror. She liked black. It didn’t show blood. I’m ready, she thought as she walked downstairs to meet Jorga.
“Your mother picked a miserable time of the year to call you home,” Jorga commented as he steered the limo from a heavily traveled highway onto a two-lane blacktop.
“The weather doesn’t usually cooperate with emergencies,” Darke muttered as she looked out the window.
They had been traveling for hours in the driving rain. Visibility was nil, and Jorga rarely drove faster than thirty miles an hour as they moved deeper into the dense forest.
I should get some sleep while I can , Darke thought. She smiled at the way Eden had kept her on the phone for hours. God, I miss her.
After several hours, they entered a small village. “They have petrol here,” Jorga said, pulling into a convenience store with a single gas pump in front of it. “You might want to get something to eat and some water. It’s going to be a while before we reach our village.”
He pulled the car beneath the store’s portico. Darke was thankful for the pause in the incessant drumming of the rain on the roof of the car. She shivered as she contemplated leaving the warmth of the vehicle to walk into the store. For reassurance, she touched the Glocks. “Thank heaven for Jorga,” she muttered. She pulled up the collar on the leather jacket and stepped out of the car.
Jorga filled the car with gas and then motioned that he was going to the men’s room. She picked up bottled water, sandwiches, a package of cookies, and two candy bars. As she placed the items on the counter, three men entered the store. She heard the click of the lock on the door.
“How much do I owe?” she said, ignoring the three thugs.
“Nothing.” The cashier sacked her items and then backed against the wall. His terrified eyes darted from right to left then over her shoulder. She turned to face the men
“Welcome home, Countess.” A wicked grin twisted the face of the largest of the three men. “We’ve planned a little welcome home party for you.”
“She’s a real looker, Dirk,” one of the other men said as he appraised Darke’s body with a lascivious expression on his face. “All of us ought to get a turn at her before we kill her.”
“Yeah,” the third man snorted. “You think you’re woman enough for the three of us?”
“No doubt in my mind,” Darke said, her smile cold and calculating. If they were foolish enough to come at her one at a time, killing them would be easy.
“Since I’m the boss,” the largest man said, “I’ll have a go at ’er first.” He approached Darke, backing her against the counter.
Darke waited until the man was so close that she could smell his foul breath before jamming the heel of her hand into his nose, driving the nasal bone into his brain. He screamed and dropped to his knees. She gouged out his eyes and kicked him backward.
“Who’s next?” she said, flashing a demonic and terrifying gaze at the others.
Both men rushed for the door, but she beat them to it, blocking their exit. “No, no,” she taunted. “You wanted to play with me. How about you, fatty? You want to be next?”
The man swung his fist at her face, but she caught it in midair. He shrieked as she tightened her grip on his hand, crushing all the bones in it. Then she rammed her fist into his throat. Blood spurted from his lips as he fell backward.
“This wasn’t my idea,” the third thug whined. “I wasn’t going to attack you.” As he spoke he eased a knife out of his hip pocket. He swung the blade at Darke’s chest.
Darke jumped back and caught his arm. She twisted it behind his back and wrested the knife from his hand. She shoved his arm higher behind his back until she heard the snap as it came out of the socket. She stopped his screams by slashing his throat with his own knife.
She tossed the knife onto the counter, picked up the items she had selected, and walked to the door. “Thanks,” she said to the cashier.
Jorga opened the car door for her and then took his place behind the steering wheel. He was thankful that their trip had been uneventful so far.
Darke cringed as the car moved from the protection of the portico and the rain started drumming the roof again. She unwrapped a sandwich and passed it to Jorga. Then she twisted the cap from the water bottle and placed it in the holder closest to him. He slowed the car as he ate the sandwich.
“Thank you, Countess. I didn’t realize how hungry I was.” He accelerated to increase the speed of the car to forty miles per hour.
“Traveling at this speed, it will be midnight before we reach home,” Darke commented as she watched the dark shadows that seemed to dance beside the car. “It’s almost night now. Mother will be upset if we’re too late.”
“On these mountain roads it would be dangerous to travel faster,” Jorga noted. “It’s better to be late for your mother than to slide off the side of the mountain.”
“What’s going on, Jorga? Why has Mother called me home? She has never insisted I return home before.”
“It is not for me to say, Countess. Your mother keeps council only with herself. She shares neither her joys nor her fears with anyone.”
“Hers must be a lonely existence,” Darke muttered. I must find a way to share everything with Eden , she thought.
The heavy rain created a curtain that almost hid the beam from the car’s headlights. Jorga grew increasingly uneasy about continuing to drive in the downpour.
“Countess, we should stop and wait for the rain to let up,” he said, scowling.
“Jorga, I’m concerned too, but you know our weather. This rain could go on for days.”
“There are several bridges between here and our village,” Jorga reminded her. “It is not uncommon for them to wash out during the monsoon season.”
“I’ll drive, Jorga. My eyesight is better than yours.”
The man nodded and pulled to a stop on the side of the road. “Don’t o
pen the door, Countess,” he cautioned. “I’ll climb into the back seat while you move to the driver’s seat. Then I will take your passenger’s seat.”
Darke looked out the side window into the darkness. A flash of lightning lit up their world like the midday sun.
“Oh dear God!” Jorga gasped as he made the sign of the cross and mumbled something in Latin.
Their vehicle was surrounded by four-legged animals. “Wolves!” Darke said.
They switched seats as planned, and Darke eased the car forward. Watery figures danced in her headlights, but she continued to increase her speed.
“Careful, Countess. The last thing we want is to slide off the road.”
“I need Tess,” Darke muttered as she slowed the car. Above the torrential rain she could hear a rushing river.
“Who is Tess?” Jorga asked.
“My car in the States. She has state-of-the-art GPS. She would already know if the upcoming bridge is out. I can only guess.”
“Countess, are you speaking a foreign language?” Jorga said as he tried to comprehend what she was saying.
“No, Jorga. There is so much new technology that hasn’t reached your corner of the world.”
The rushing of water was closer and louder. Darke slowed the car to a stop. “I’m going to walk ahead of the car to make certain the bridge hasn’t washed out.”
“Countess, you don’t know what’s out there.”
“Follow close behind me. The headlights will help a little. If I slap the hood, stop immediately. That will mean the bridge is out.”
Darke pulled the hood out of her jacket and secured it over her head. She took a deep breath and opened the car door. A wall of rain slammed into her face. She ducked her head against the force of the wind and water and fought her way through the elements to reach the front of the car. Jorga climbed back into the driver’s seat and eased the vehicle forward.
Darke had never felt so alone in her life. Even though the car was right behind her, she felt cut off from reality. A world of darkness, leaping shadows, and muffled growls swirled around her. Only the thought of Eden gave her comfort.
