“It’s not pity,” Ric was quick to reassure him. “More, it’s—”
“What?”
Ric shook his head. “No, I’m not going to burden you with my own issues.”
“Not even if I want you to?” Dafydd stiffened.
Not wanting to cause discord or dispel the good feelings lingering between them, Ric rubbed his hands lightly down Dafydd’s arms before letting go entirely. “I’m not going to be one more person in your life that makes demands or puts pressure on you to meet expectations beyond those that are purely for your own good.”
“Don’t be patronizing.”
The stern rebuke caught Ric by surprise. “I’m not. I’m trying to be—”
“Noble?”
“No. I was going to say ‘considerate’.”
“Don’t be.”
This assertiveness was new in Ric’s experience. He liked how Dafydd was standing up for himself, standing up to him. He appreciated what it meant about the man’s growth. The best way to show Dafydd he was wrong about Ric’s attitude toward him was to be as honest about his feelings as Dafydd was demanding.
To put temptation out of reach, Ric took a step back. “I’m falling in love with you.” He shook his head a moment later. “No, I am in love with you. That’s the unvarnished truth, Dafydd.”
When the guy stood blinking at him without saying anything, Ric decided to lay it all out.
“Part of me is thrilled to be your first. The other is furious about what that monster put you through. I mean it when I say I admire how you survived and ultimately became the instrument of your own rescue. But I also want to wrap you in my arms and protect you from anything bad for the rest of your life. My biggest fear is that I’ll do something that hurts you, that no matter how careful I am, it will never be right. That I’ll remind you of that horror.”
Dafydd scoffed, almost chuckled. “Seriously, mun? You think that could ever happen? You’re all the good and gentleness that I always dreamed was waiting in the world for me, yet never experienced. Not before you came into my life, that is.” Dafydd plucked at the sleep pants with his free hand. “I’m not worried that you’ll hurt me. I’m worried that I will hurt you, that I can never give you what I know you want.”
“Anything will be enough.” Ric meant it.
“You say that, but how can it be true? I understand what drives men and it’s not lying untouching in bed or playing with a baby on the floor.”
“Those are both very good starts.”
“What about the end?” Dafydd challenged and, hugging the baby monitor to his chest, dropped his head.
Ric bent to try to catch his eye. “Do we need to worry about that now? Like the beginning of any relationship, can’t we simply see how it goes? I’m a very patient man, you’ll find, and you are certainly worth the wait.” When Dafydd scoffed again and started to argue, Ric put his finger to the boy’s mouth. “Don’t. The one thing I can’t stand is your not valuing yourself.”
Saying nothing, Dafydd nodded once.
“Can I ask you something? Why did you change into my sleep pants?”
Dafydd shrugged. “Don’t know, exactly. It was an impulse, like.”
“It makes me really happy.”
“Oh? You best have another pair because I’m not sure I’m going to give them back. They’re very comfortable.”
Ric grinned. “That’s fine. I have others, although not with me. Is it okay if I sleep in my underwear?”
Dafydd nodded then lifted his gaze. “I’m not scared of you, Ric.”
His heart did a slow roll. “I think that’s the first time you’ve called me by my first name.”
“Oh yes? I suppose I should do that more. It’s rude to simply call you ‘you’.”
“I don’t mind. Whatever is easier.”
“No. I think maybe it’s time for me to do things that aren’t easy but are better, like caring for Idris full-time and not depending on Lucien to swoop in when it gets hard. Taking your advice about using my medication properly and not counting on alcohol to numb the pain. You can’t monitor me every night, after all.”
“I wouldn’t mind, if you like it, too. But you make good points about taking control yourself. It’s all to the good.”
“Not tonight, though, heh? You’ll stay with me and help me with the relaxation?”
“Of course.”
“And when we get back to Boston, perhaps we can see more of each other. Deliberate, like, not just because you happen to come to the club.”
Ric barked out a laugh. “I’d love that, although I have to confess I’ve never ‘accidentally’ seen you. Every visit was planned on my part. I’m sorry about that.”
“No, it’s okay.” Dafydd took Ric’s hand. “I’m that glad you did, and I kind of knew anyway.”
“No surprise. You’re a very smart man, Dafydd.”
“I might be. Let’s go to bed. I’m not much one for partying, even if I did enjoy watching you wiggle about.”
They started walking toward the steps leading to the staterooms. “Is that what I was doing? I’ve always fancied myself a good dancer.”
“You are, mun. If you ask, Alex would definitely give you a job as a go-go boy.”
Dafydd was teasing him! The knowledge lifted his heart. “I’ll keep that in mind if this whole doctor thing doesn’t work out.”
They walked hand-in-hand into the room and stopped to check on Idris. The baby was sleeping face down with his bum in the air. So sweet, his two boys, and while it was premature to think it, he couldn’t help doing so.
My family.
Chapter Ten
Brenin’s expression went all mulish. “I don’t like the idea of staying behind while you go haring off into danger.”
Malcolm suppressed his impatience. Things between them had being going well and he didn’t want to say anything to interfere with that. Nevertheless… “You do try a man’s resolve, laddie, but I’m not changing my mind on this. You’re safer staying here and we’ve enough manpower to get the job done without you.”
That didn’t help matters. Brenin crossed his arms. “You couldn’t have succeeded back in Wales without me. You know how strong a swimmer I am.”
“Aye, and it nearly tore my heart in two letting you go into that cistern and the castle alone. This time around, we don’t need someone small. The cave entrance can accommodate a dingy, let alone a man, even one as big as we are. We’ll make it through fine. By our nature, we can also hold our breaths a long time. We don’t need your help for any of it. Besides, once we get inside, there won’t be the kind of room you’d find in a castle. The fewer bodies crammed in, the better we can launch an attack without worrying about friendly fire.”
Clasping his boy’s shoulder, Malcolm leaned in closer. “If you’re not there, I can concentrate on taking out whoever I need to without distraction. I know what you’re going to say,” he added when Brenin opened his mouth. “It matters little how well you can take care of yourself. I’ll nowt be able to let go of my fear for you. Call it a failing of mine,” he added with what he hoped was a disarming smile.
He saw the moment he’d won the argument. Brenin’s face fell and he dropped his forehead onto Malcolm’s chest. “Okay. I’m sorry to fuss. I worry, too, you know?”
“Aye.” Malcolm kissed the top of his lad’s head before setting him back again and letting go. “I’ll return before dawn. Please stay here and help Duncan keep watch. Whoever is lurking down there may have been scoping us out as much as we’ve been doing to him. It will ease my mind to know that you’re being vigilant.”
Brenin nodded firmly once. “We’ll be fine. The only helpless person on this ship is Idris. You just concentrate on coming back whole and healthy. We’ll do the rest.”
“I will, I promise.” He gave his lad one more quick kiss for luck and left to find the others.
He passed a lot of unhappy faces when he joined Alex, Val, Emil and Harry by the stern of the ship. No one liked the
idea of being left behind. Duncan was the only one who appeared relaxed. Despite the warmth of the night, the cop wore a windbreaker. Malcolm knew that was to hide an arsenal of weapons around the man’s waist and under his arm. If he stooped down to lift the man’s pant leg, he knew he’d find a clutch piece or two for good measure. Knowing that the cop was locked and loaded in defense of Malcolm’s family eased his mind further.
“I don’t envy your job, Duncan. Keeping this lot on lockdown isn’t going to be easy. You know we’ll cut you up into fish bait if any of these boys leave to come help?”
The human lifted his palm. “Understood, MacLerie. I swear to you that this time, they’ll stay put. I’ll tie them all to the mizzen mast, if I have to.”
Malcolm rolled his eyes. “This is a motor yacht, not a sailing ship, but I take your point and appreciate it.” He hesitated to leave. “You know if this goes south, you’re going to have to run. If we’re not back by mid-morning, take off. Brenin knows how to pilot this thing. Making for Scotland will be your safest bet. Don’t even stop in Boston. My man, Darling, can get in touch with Willem, plus there are others scattered here and there who are loyal to Alex and will come when called. You’ll need all the help you can get, regardless of Dracul being out of the picture. Petru, if he’s about, is just as dangerous.”
Duncan held up his hand again. “I understand all this. I’ve already received these instructions from Alex…and Val…and Emil”—he sighed—“and Harry.” He tapped the side of his head. “It’s all planned. Now, please go take down whatever fuckers you find without the distraction of worrying about the rest of us.”
“Aye. Will do.”
Malcolm stripped off his shirt and tossed it on a nearby deck chair then paused to yank off his boots. The large rubber dingy that served as the ship’s tender had been dropped into the water already. It wasn’t all that big and there was no sense clogging it up with stuff that could easily be left behind. He would have taken off the kilt except that it wasn’t so late that there weren’t a few other boaters around. Humans were ridiculously squeamish when it came to nudity. There was no sense attracting unwanted attention when their activity demanded stealth.
He found his compatriots ready to go, each in various stages of undress and sitting in the dingy. He climbed down to join them. It was a tight fit with the five of them, but they’d decided that they had to go in with full strength. There was no telling how many of their kind they’d find lurking about. Most of Dracul’s men had been eliminated at one point or another, ending in Wales. Assuming the bastard himself was indeed dead, that still left Petru, Bran and three possible others to contend with. If they were all together now, it would be foolhardy to go in without close-to-even numbers. Someone needed to stay with the craft, however, Harry being the logical choice. Of all of them, he’d had the least amount of battle experience, having chosen to heal instead.
He braced himself as his presence caused the boat to rock, then took his place by the motor. He couldn’t help glancing at the yacht. Only Duncan was visible, and Malcolm was both relieved and disappointed that he couldn’t see Brenin. “What odds are we placing that the boys stay put?”
“A hundred percent,” Val answered. “Harry and I both laid down the law, and this time, we covered every conceivable loophole. Plus, I promised Mackie that if he disobeys me, I’ll punish him in all the ways he really hates.”
Starting the motor, Malcolm eyed the man. “I’m not sure I can rely on that, Val. Your boy is devilish when he sets his mind to it.”
“And Lucien can be surprisingly stubborn,” Harry chimed in, “except I’ve tasked him with protecting Dafydd and Idris. He takes his role as protector seriously. Plus, Dr. Paz will do his bit to keep them in place.”
“Duncan has wisely included Demi in guard duty,” Alex added. “Emil and I have blessed Quinn and Jase in joining him in his endeavors. It’s an important job and one which will keep the boys distracted.”
“I did the same with Brenin.” Malcolm steered his craft deftly away from the yacht and headed farther out. The plan was to approach the cave from a distance then swim the rest of the way in. “I hope to God it works.”
That was the end of the conversation. Not knowing who or what they faced, they had to be prepared for a close-quarters fight to the death. While Malcolm ferried them, Val rechecked their arsenal. Each of them would carry an array of small arms and knives strapped to their waists, arms and legs. It had been rare for Malcolm to fight with anything other than his claymore. The impracticality of swimming with a large sword across his back was obvious. He’d have to make do.
Once they arrived about a half mile from their destination, Malcolm cut the engine and waited with the others while Val used his surveillance gear to study the coast.
“There’s no movement along the shore and the mouth of the cave is completely filled with water, as we anticipated.”
“High tide will give us cover,” Alex observed unnecessarily, as that had been the plan all along. “We can only hope that the cave system is extensive enough that when we rise up, we aren’t right in front of their eyes.”
Val put his equipment away. “I wish I had more intel on it. There has to be at least one more cavern farther in that sits above sea level. Otherwise, it would be useless to them. They have to have somewhere dry to stash their deliveries.”
Emil lifted his ass off his seat to pull down his jeans. “We won’t know until we get there.”
The obvious having been spoken, the rest of them followed suit. Malcolm whipped off his kilt and started strapping weaponry to various places on his body. His guns were secured in dry bags that he tied to a diving belt, and each of his knives—one around a calf and the other on his left biceps—were snapped into their sheaths. The weight of it all gave him some comfort. He wouldn’t be going in unarmed, while at the same time, it wouldn’t slow him down on his swim to shore. Luckily for his kind, human armaments had always been manufactured with the weaker species in mind.
When they were all ready, Alex dove into the water without another word. Val, then Emil, followed him. Malcolm stood to do the same. He shot Harry a glance.
“See you in a bit. Mind the store, heh?”
Harry patted the automatic rifle lying across his lap. “Not to worry. Good luck.”
“Aye, we can always use a bit of that.”
Malcolm sliced through the surface of the ocean, finding his friends waiting for him beneath like mermen. Scary ones. Alex signaled and Val shot off on point with Alex, then Emil, in his wake. Malcolm covered their six. Given the distance, they did have to come up for air once during their journey before plunging down again. The coastal Maine waters were quite frigid, but Malcolm barely noticed it. He was only grateful that Brenin wasn’t needed this time around.
As they approached the shore, the bottom of the sea came closer and rockier. Waves helped to bring them in, but it also took more effort to swim in order to keep from dashing against the rocks looming on either side of the mouth of the cave. Malcolm trusted Val to navigate them safely. He concentrated on making sure nothing and no one crept up behind or beside them and followed Emil through the opening.
The moment they entered the cave, the sound of the sea around them changed. Everything was more muted, and although the temperature of the water didn’t increase noticeably, it felt different. If his eyes hadn’t been open, he still would have known that they were in a very different place than they had been. The sandy bottom beneath him became reachable with his feet within seconds. He remained submerged, however, until Val popped his head through the surface and signaled the others to do the same.
The cavern was wide, a good twenty feet across, and with high tide starting to recede, it wasn’t entirely under water anymore. In the back of it, the ground sloped upward to a narrower entrance somewhere deeper inside the cliff. They sloshed through it and found themselves in a spot with a higher ceiling. There was also a tunnel leading farther into the cliffside. Even with his acute v
ision, Malcolm couldn’t see beyond the pitch blackness. He could barely make out his friends in the faint moonlight that penetrated over the water. He strained to hear if there was anyone rummaging about back there, but all he could detect was the pounding of the waves. He waited like the good soldier that he was, gripping the sandy edge of the entrance and riding out the ebb and flow of the water. This was Alex and Val’s operation. He was there to lend muscle.
Val unstrapped night-vision goggles from his waist, freed them from their protective covering and slid them onto his face. Everyone waited as quietly as possible while he peered beyond the opening. Then the man hoisted himself onto the small spit of dry sand and got closer. Whatever he saw must have given him comfort because he waved at the others to join him. Silently, Malcolm and the others rose from the water and joined Val on what bit of ground they could balance on with their big feet. Their weapons were drawn. Malcolm gripped a semi-automatic pistol in each hand. He could and would use them with equal skill and accuracy. Although they had no idea who they faced, the plan was simple. Whoever it was would never leave the caves alive and whatever they stored there would be destroyed.
They lined up single file. There was unfortunately no other way to proceed. Val lifted the goggles onto the top of his head, confirmation that he’d spotted light farther on. Then, he stepped into the darkness. Alex followed with Emil on his heels, and Malcolm brought up the rear. He kept one eye on the progress in front of him and the other on what was behind him. His job was to make sure no one came out of the sea to trap them. Despite the darkness and the stealth, there was always the possibility of someone having seen them. With Moran still coopted by Dracul’s plans, his house remained a source of danger. Alex had decided against any effort to secure it, preferring to trust in a quick strike rather than risk showing their hand too soon.
Val led them beyond the opening, down an ever-drier natural stone path and Malcolm spotted the faint glow of a light beyond a bend they’d crept to. The others pressed against one wall within a few feet of the source of the illumination. Malcolm did the same, although he kept his sight on where they’d come from, trusting Val and Alex to launch an attack when they deemed it the right time. They waited a few minutes. No sound reached him. Either there was no one about or they were asleep. It didn’t seem likely that the vicious men they knew would be stupid and not set watch. Who knew? With the head of the snake cut off, perhaps the others were proving to be weak and dumb as rocks. Malcolm had never been impressed with any of them except Dracul himself and Petru.
Healing Dance Page 14
