Ashley wrenched back the curtain and let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. He was there. Jerking open the door, she ran outside with an apology on her lips that caught in her throat. Oh my… Balen looked like hell. There was blood smeared across his neck, his arm, and his chest. His shirt was filthy and torn, and his jeans weren’t faring much better. He looked exhausted.
“My Lord, Balen! What happened to you?” She dropped to her knees between his parted thighs and ran her hands over his neck. When she didn’t find the wound, she moved to his arms—searching...
“Ashley, stop.” He caught hold of her hands and pushed them away.
“Balen, you’re hurt!”
“It isn’t my blood. It’s yours.”
“Mine?”
“Yes, yours.”
His scowl sent her heart racing with dread. “What happened? I don’t remember—”
“How would I know? I wasn’t there. You told me to leave, remember?”
Vaguely—
“The alcohol you consumed nearly severed our connection. By the time I felt your fear and found you, you were in a shoddy bathroom in Haden’s arms, clinging to him and bleeding. If you want any more details, you’ll have to ask him.”
Yeah, right, like she was going to talk to Haden. The briskness of Balen’s tone heaped hot coals of regret upon her head. He was pissed, not that she blamed him. He couldn’t look more detached and apathetic than he did at this very moment, holding her away at arm’s length. Ashley feared she’d made an unforgivable mistake with Haden last night. None of it made sense. What was she doing in Haden’s arms? She didn’t even like him.
“What aren’t you telling me, Balen?”
He stood up and dragged his hand through his already disheveled hair. “Look, Ashley, I’ve had a long night. I didn’t want to leave until I was sure you were awake and all right. Since you’re obviously fine, I’m going to go.”
She caught his wrist as he started to walk away. “Wait, Balen.” He hesitated long enough for her to rush, “I’m so sorry about last night! I didn’t mean—”
“So am I.” He cut off her apology and tugged free of her grasp. Turning away, he kept on walking. Ashley tensed to run after him, but before she could take a step, he suddenly disappeared.
“Balen! Dammit, come back here and talk to me! We’re not done here!”
A second later, Mitch’s door swung open and he poked his head outside. “Hey, Ash, you all right? I thought I heard— Damn, what in the hell happened to you? You look like shit!”
“I’m hung over. Of course I look like shit. What do you think?” she snapped.
“I think you look like an extra for the movie Carrie. Jeez, did Balen try to kill you in your sleep last night, or what?” His teasing comment didn’t match the concern on his face, and that gave her pause.
“What do you mean?”
“Have you looked in a mirror?”
Well, no she hadn’t. And then she remembered the blood on Balen. “It isn’t my blood. It’s yours,” echoed in her head. Mumbling some unintelligible response, she ran back to her room and directly over to the dresser-top mirror. Ashley gasped, her hands diving into her crunchy crimson curls. Holy hell! What happened to her last night?
The entire crown of her head was coated in dried blood, a smudge streaked across her cheek. She poked around for a sore spot and couldn’t find anything. Tipping her chin to her chest, she tried to feel the cut that surely would be back there. Nothing…
“So are you gonna tell me what in the hell happened to you last night, or not?”
Ashley turned to see Mitch standing in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest, a concerned scowl scrunching his face. “I would if I knew. Honestly, I don’t remember very much about last night. I need to shower. Give me twenty minutes and I’ll be ready to go.”
He nodded, looking a bit reluctant to leave her. “You’re sure you’re all right?”
“As far as I can tell. I guess it looks worse than it is.”
“All right. Let me know if you need anything. Otherwise, I’ll meet you at the car.” Mitch left and she closed the door behind him, latching the deadbolt for good measure.
She showered as quickly as she could, all the while feeling for the wound that wasn’t there. It didn’t make sense that she wouldn’t have a mark, especially with all that blood. Her lack of memory ate away at her. The fight with Balen left her heart aching with regret and her mood downright fowl.
With curt, brisk movements, she turned off the shower, hastily dried herself, and dressed in her favorite skinny jeans, black calf-hugging boots, and a cashmere heather gray sweater. She left her hair down and wild, not taking the time to tame her curls, something she’d no doubt regret later, but then, she was well acquainted with regret and figured it was just one more thing she could add to her list.
Ready to leave, Ashley grabbed her bags and pulled the door closed behind her. Turning around, she collided with a wall of muscle. Hands shot out to steady her, and she looked up to see Haden staring down at her with a cocky, lopsided grin that made her want to drive her knee straight north.
“Seriously, Ashley, you’re really going to have to stop throwing yourself at me like this. It’s embarrassing. People are gonna talk—”
“Oh, shut up!” she hissed, jerking her arm from his grasp. “You’re not funny.”
His arrogant chuckle begged to differ. “Really?” he genuinely sounded surprised. “Because I rather amuse myself.”
“I’m sure you do,” she grumbled. “Why don’t you go ‘amuse’ yourself away from me?”
He shrugged. “You’re welcome, by the way.”
“For what?” she snapped.
“For saving your life. Or maybe the idea of becoming an indentured sex slave appeals to you? ‘Course, it’s only fair to warn you, those Incubus like it rough, and the one that attacked you last night definitely looked like he wanted to give your apple the worm.”
Ashley gasped at the wicked amusement dancing in his pale green eyes—his penetrating gaze tracking her every movement. Surely, he lied. Why was she even standing here giving him the time of the day? Because she wanted to know what happened last night, and apparently Haden was the only one who knew. But she’d be damned if she’d give him the satisfaction of asking. What did it matter, anyway? Balen was already furious, and recounting the details of her shame would do nothing but delight Haden.
“Let’s get something clear, Haden. I don’t trust you, and for all I know, you’re the one who attacked me last night!”
The amusement drained from his face. Those hateful eyes blazed with barely controlled rage. He took a step closer and grabbed her arm in a punishing grip. Bending closer, he snarled in her ear, “Listen here, you haughty little shit, if I had attacked you, you’d damn well remember it, and for the record—” he paused, his voice thick with disdain “—you’re not my type.”
He released her with a shove as if having her so close disgusted him. “Here’s a little word of advice you might want to take to heart in the future, don’t piss off your guardian. You nearly got yourself killed last night, and I’m no fucking babysitter. You put yourself on a ledge like that again, and I’m gonna shove you off!”
Before she could respond, Haden stormed past her. Ashley’s heart slammed inside her chest as she stood there—stunned. She had no doubt he meant every threatening word. Haden didn’t exactly seem like the kind of guy that would blow smoke. No, if you saw clouds, be sure a storm was coming. Today’s forecast: One hundred percent chance of rain.
She waited a few extra minutes to make sure he was good and gone before heading downstairs. Mitch was standing by the car when she reached the parking lot. His bag was on the ground beside his feet as he leaned against the driver’s door, chatting it up with a lanky blonde who was posting her ass against Ashley’s car. The tart wore a cooter-flashing mini skirt and a lacy shell that should have been an undershirt.
His flirtatious grin lit Ashley
’s already very short fuse as she marched across the parking lot. She was more concerned with watching Mitch than paying attention to where she was walking, and stepped into a pothole. “Dammit!” she cursed when her ankle rolled and a stabbing pain shot up her leg.
Mitch dragged his gaze from the buxom blonde long enough to lock eyes with Ashley’s glare. He gave her a sheepish grin and said something to the woman, who also turned and looked at her. She stifled an amused grin as Ashley gimped her way to the car. Mitch leapt forward to help her—too little too late—and froze in his tracks when she shot him a touch-me-and-die glare. If he wanted to help her, he should have been waiting for her at the room instead of entertaining this hoochie and leaving her alone to deal with Haden.
“You ready to go see your fiancée?” she asked and then snapped at the chica, “Get your ass off my car.”
Cooter girl huffed indignantly and marched off, muttering something under her breath. Ashley wasn’t sure what she’d said, nor did she give a shit.
“That wasn’t very nice, Ash—”
“Nice?” Ashley snapped, dropping her bags near the trunk. “I’m gonna have to go through the carwash now to get that tuna juice off my car!”
Mitch held up his hands. “Jeez, leave off, will ya? It wasn’t that bad.”
She popped the trunk and tossed her bags inside. “What are you doin’ talkin’ to her, anyway?”
“Hey, she came up to me. I was just being nice.”
“Well, maybe you shouldn’t!”
“Maybe you should worry about your own mistakes and quit taking that pissy attitude out on everyone else. I’m not a child, Ash. I don’t need my mother telling me who I can and can’t talk to.”
She slammed her trunk, gimped over to him, and poked him in the chest. “Maybe your ‘mother’ wouldn’t need to tell you who to talk to if you didn’t eye-fuck everything in a skirt!”
“That’s it. I am not spending the next God knows how many hours in the car with you!” Mitch snatched his bag off the ground and hiked the strap over his shoulder. “I think this is where our little road trip ends!” He marched over to the red convertible and tossed it into the back seat.
“You know what, Mitch? Balen was right, you’re an ungrateful tool!”
Chapter Thirty-Four
It was shortly after ten when Liam pulled up to the hotel located along the shore of Lake Superior. Duluth was a moderately-sized city and as good a place as any to deal with Cale and Rhen. He’d considered taking Olivia farther up north, but on the off chance that this ended poorly, he didn’t want her stranded in the Northern Tundra alone.
A few times on the drive here, he’d tried to bring up the subject of taking her memories. He’d explained she’d be safer from Haden, and although it didn’t seem like it now, she’d be happier in the long run. Each and every time he spoke, she’d either turn away, ignoring him all together, or she’d start talking about something else, pretending that she hadn’t heard him. Her stubborn defiance frustrated him to the point where he finally stopped trying to reason with her. It was becoming painfully obvious she wasn’t going to cooperate and intended to force his hand on this issue. He wouldn’t bring it up again.
Right now, he needed to focus on the task at hand—killing Cale and Rhen. The challenge was how to neutralize Haden while keeping Olivia safe. For the last hundred miles, the problem plagued him. Liam couldn’t seem to shake the feeling of foreboding that crept over him, leeching into his bones.
They were getting close. He could feel it. His preternatural senses were coming online, swift and hard. Everything heightened—sight, smell, touch, hearing… all making him painfully more aware of the female sitting beside him. It was killing him to be so close and not take her in his arms.
He could hear the draw of her breaths, the steady beat of her heart… Heat radiated from her body, her vanilla-jasmine scent pervading his senses. The male in him stirred with arousal, his vision sharpened, taking in everything around them.
She opened the door to climb out, and his hand shot to her wrist. Stretching his senses, he searched for imminent danger. Detecting no immediate threat, he let go of her arm. Perhaps it was the calm before the storm that had him on edge, or perhaps it was the overwhelming desire to have one more taste of those luscious lips before he betrayed her. She’d never forgive him if she knew what he planned to do.
“What?” Olivia asked, looking over her shoulder. Her surprise rippled over his sensitive flesh like a caress. “Is something wrong?”
He shook his head. “No. They’re close, but they’re not here yet. Look, Olivia, I just wanted to say that I know you may not be very thrilled with me right now, but—”
She effectively cut him off by crushing her lips against his. She kissed him hard, claiming his mouth with a fevered desperation that stoked the fire already burning inside him. His arms had a will of their own and wound around her small waist as he dragged her closer to him. It wouldn’t be long before his energy burned hot enough that he’d be forced to let her go, but he greedily took these few stolen moments, desperately wishing things could be different.
Olivia threaded her fingers through his hair, teasing his nape. When she broke contact with his mouth, he couldn’t hold back the growl of protest that rumbled in his throat. She smiled triumphantly, giving him a wicked grin, and smugly said, “I just wanted to give you a little reminder of what you’ll be losing if you had a mind to take my memories against my will. Perhaps now you’ll let this lie between us. I will never forget you, Liam, not any more than I could forget how to breathe.”
Abruptly, she pulled away from him and scooted out the door. So that was how she was going to play this… Thank God, she was too far away to hear the foul curse that flew from his lips. He grabbed her bags and purposefully followed several paces behind, needing the distance to keep his head clear, knowing all too well that this female would ultimately prove to be his downfall.
Liam entered the lobby to find Olivia looking around in amazement. Of course, growing up in Florida, there wouldn’t be many places this rustic. The interior of the hotel was comprised of log and stone. Animal heads hung from several walls—a moose, white tail deer, and an elk. A timber wolf prowled a pose near the fireplace, ready to pounce on an unsuspecting snowshoe rabbit. Huh…cozy…
The courtesy desk was located in the middle of the foyer, and off to the right was a large living room. The far wall had a cathedral pitch, with floor to ceiling glass overlooking Lake Superior. To the right was a stone fireplace surrounded by furniture, complete with a bearskin rug, and to the left was a bar. On the second floor, a balcony overlooked the foyer below.
Olivia wandered into the living room and headed for the wall of glass. Perhaps the full moon was providing enough reflection for her to see the lake. Liam checked them into a suite and waited for her to make her way back to the lobby. As he escorted her to their room, she commented on how rustic and beautifully romantic the place was. Although that had not been his intention in bringing her here, he couldn’t deny the ambiance did seem rather quixotic—a distraction he certainly didn’t need, especially since it seemed Olivia’s new strategy was to seduce him into changing his mind.
Once inside their suite, Olivia headed straight for the bedroom. “I’m going to take a bath,” she called. From the reflection in the mirror, he could see her digging out an emerald green spaghetti strap nightie from her bag. “It’s surprising how stiff and sore one can get from sitting hour after hour.” She walked into the living room, rubbing her shoulder. Stopping in front of him, she slid her arms around his neck and arched a brow. “You seem pretty stiff yourself. I don’t suppose you’d care to join me? The Jacuzzi fits two.”
“You know I can’t—”
“Can’t and won’t seem to be synonymous words with you,” she quipped tartly.
“So does focus and survival.” He untwined her arms from his neck. “I can’t afford this distraction right now, Olivia.”
She grew solemn and t
ook his hand in both of hers, those finely sculpted brows drawing tight with concern. “I didn’t mean to sound flippant. I get that this is serious. It’s just… I have so much faith in you and your ability to keep me safe, that perhaps I should be more concerned than I am.” She squeezed his hand. “Should I be more concerned? Do you think there’s a chance you cannot kill Rowen’s legion?”
“Killing them isn’t the problem, it’s keeping you safe long enough to do it. I can’t hide you from Haden, and if he’s helping them, then that makes this a lot tougher. He’s after you for the stone, but since you don’t have it anymore, best case scenario is he’ll lose interest and bail.”
Her top lip pulled up in a sad smile. “But you don’t really believe he’s going to do that, do you?”
“The time I start predicting what’s going to happen is the time I’ll get taken by surprise.” He bent down and brushed his lips against her cheek. “And I hate surprises, Olivia.” Before he could pull back, she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tight. Pressing her cheek against his chest, she stood there clinging to him for the longest time. Neither of them spoke. Sometimes there were just no words…
Except—“I love you, Olivia. You know that, right? Promise me, whatever happens, you’ll never doubt that.”
“I promise,” she whispered, “and I love you, too, Liam. I hope someday you’ll understand why I can’t let you have my memories.”
And I wish you would understand why I have to take them…
***
Liam restlessly paced the small quarters from couch to window, window to couch. Something was wrong—he could feel it, and it set his nerves on edge. The closer the legion got, the stronger his sense of impending doom became. Could he possibly lose her? Was his sixth sense warning him to run with her?
Shades of Darkness (Redemption Series) Page 32
