Second Sight: An Away From Keyboard Romantic Suspense Standalone

by Patricia D. Eddy

  “That’s it,” Evianna says. “Wren, will you marry me?”

  “Send us everything.” I grab the phone and double-tap the power button to hang up the call. Turning to Evianna, I take her hands. “I love you. And after that prick Tased me, I thought I’d lost you. I don’t ever want to be without—”

  A brisk knock cuts me off, followed by Decker’s gritty voice, roughened by age. “Holloway, what the fuck have you gotten caught up in this time?”

  37

  Evianna

  A little past 4:00 a.m., someone wakes me with a gentle hand to my shoulder. “Ms. Archer?”

  I blink up at him, not understanding where I am or who this kindly, older man is. “Dax?” I croak, suddenly terrified our escape was all a dream, and the lumpy couch I’m stretched out on isn’t real. Maybe I’m dying. Maybe—

  “He’s right across the hall. They’re just wrapping things up with him. Louie Stein was shot dead by two uniforms an hour ago, and Noah Goset was killed when he tried to run across a busy street and got pancaked by a bus. We’re still searching for Barry Nolan, but he won’t be able to hide for long.”

  Sitting up, I bite down on my bottom lip to keep it from wobbling. I’ve cried enough in the past twelve hours. My eyes burn, and they’re swollen to twice their normal size. “You’re…sure?”

  “I’m sure.”

  Now I remember him. Detective Decker. Not more than two minutes after Dax and I arrived at the police station, they separated us. Questioned us for hours, made us repeat our stories half a dozen times. When Decker was satisfied, he led me to this empty office and told me he’d come get me when they were done with Dax.

  “Thank you,” I whisper.

  “Come on. I’ll take you to Dax.” He holds out his hand, and I let him help me to my feet.

  As soon as the door across from me opens, I see him. He looks so tired. But still proud. Still strong. “Dax?”

  He’s up and out of the chair in a heartbeat, feeling his way around the table until he reaches me. Nothing, in my entire life, has ever felt so right than being in his arms.

  “Let’s get out of here, darlin’. I need you…alone.”

  Ronan and Vasquez take us back to the Fairmont and promise us that they’ll be at either end of the hall until Clive and Ella relieve them in the morning.

  I lock the door, and then lead Dax into the bathroom. “Come on, soldier. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

  Steam surrounds us, and I strip off Dax’s torn and stained shirt, kissing each bruise. Skimming my fingers over the cuts on his wrists, the gashes on his head, I say, “You should have gone to the hospital.”

  “Would have kept me away from you,” he replies, his voice rough and strained. Pulling off my bloody tank, he reaches around me to unhook my bra. “Nothing…will ever keep me away from you, darlin’. Not again.”

  I undo his belt, then let his pants fall to the floor so I can strip off his briefs. His cock stands at attention, the tip already glistening, and despite the exhaustion, the pain, and the tears, my core heats, and arousal floods me.

  “Get in. Let me get this stuff off the floor and I’ll join you.”

  Dax threads his fingers through my hair and brushes a gentle kiss to my lips. “I don’t know what angel smiled on me the day I met you, darlin’. Or why. But you are…perfect. You’re my everything. My only. And I love you.”

  I can’t respond. I almost lost him, and every time I close my eyes, I see the blood seeping from his side. See him spasming on the ground after Louie tasered him.

  “Evianna?”

  “I’ll…be right there. I promise.” Sweeping the clothes under the sink where he won’t trip over them, I follow him into the shower, wrap my arms around him from behind, and lay my cheek against his shoulder blade. “I love you, Dax. I…didn’t want to tell you in the middle of that room. I wanted…” Swallowing my sob, I tighten my hold on him to stop him from turning. I don’t want to see his face right now. I have to get this out while I can.

  “I wanted to take you somewhere special…to me. Show you with…words. Let you…know me. More…of me.”

  Dax wraps his fingers around my wrists and carefully loosens my grip. His cock nestles against my stomach, hard and hot, and he eases me under the water. Running his hands through my hair, he groans softly. “You smell like freesia. And you’re so soft. And so…strong. You’re brilliant. During times of extreme stress, you respond one of three ways. You joke. You narrow your focus to only what needs to be done. Or you turn your attention to others. Take care of them. Like me. Like now. I know you, Evianna. I know you.”

  We take our time. Washing away the blood, the stale lingering odor from that dingy room. The last vestiges of the drug still lingering along the edges of my mind.

  And when we fall into bed, we’re both asleep in seconds.

  Dax

  Her soft breaths tickle my cheek. Our legs tangle under the blankets, and our hands are joined between us. A shaft of sunlight cuts in through the drapes, and I can make out the rich chestnut of her hair. But for the first time since we first met, I don’t long to know what she looks like.

  Because I know. She’s beautiful. Strong. Capable. Brave. And she loves me. Blind, scarred, with nightmares, anger issues, and a complete inability to ask for help when I need it. For her, I’ll be better. Go back to my shrink. Work on rebuilding my friendship with Ry.

  With a gasp, Evianna sits up, and I’m up right next to her. “What’s wrong, darlin’? We’re safe. You’re safe.”

  “Alfie!” In a heartbeat, she’s out of bed and fumbling for something on the desk. “It’s…Saturday, right? I mean…shit. It’s after noon.”

  “Evianna? Talk to me.” I slide to the edge of the bed, the wound in my side throbbing.

  “Alfie’s code goes live on Monday. It’s an automatic push to every Alfie unit around the world. And it’s broken. I have to fix it.” She fiddles with something in her hand, and then says, “Ulysses? Yes. I’m fine. No, I didn’t leave without saying goodbye. Well, okay. I did. But it wasn’t my choice. No more questions. Just listen. I need you to call in every single developer except for Barry. Do not, under any circumstances, call Cindi. You won’t be able to reach Noah. Don’t even try. Get everyone into the office ASAP. I’ll be there in under an hour. Order enough food to keep everyone going for at least twelve hours.” She pauses for a brief moment. “Yes. I’m serious. Have you ever known me to joke about something like this? Do it. Now.”

  Her phone clatters to the desk, and then she’s at my side. “I have to fix Alfie. Noah and Barry…they don’t get to take this success away from the rest of my team. Do you think Wren would be willing to help?”

  “I think Wren would kick your ass if you tried to do this without her. But, darlin’, you know I’m not leaving your side today, right?” I arch a brow as I link our fingers.

  “Dax, I’m going to be glued to my computer the entire day. In an office full of people.”

  My voice drops to a whisper. “You were in a room full of people last night, and I almost lost you. I have my own work I can do. But don’t ask me to let you do this alone.”

  Her embrace is so sudden, so fierce, I fall back against the pillows with her on top of me. “I’m sorry,” she says. “I didn’t think—”

  With a searing kiss, I quiet her apology. Maybe I don’t care if she ever stops with these unnecessary “I’m sorrys.” Not if I get to do this every time. Between us, my dick hardens, and when her hips grind against me, I roll her over and cage her with my arms.

  “We’ll go. Along with Clive and Ella. Conference Wren in. But first, there’s something I need.”

  “What?” Evianna breathes.

  “You.”

  Sliding my fingers into her hair, I angle her head and trail kisses along the curve of her neck. She shudders under me, and damn if that doesn’t make me even harder. This woman is mine, but more than that…I’m hers, and I’ll give her anything. Everything.

  She grabs
my ass and pulls me closer, and her sweet arousal perfumes the room. “Dax,” she whispers as I kiss my way down to her breast, cupping the heavy globe in my hand and pinching her nipple. “Oh God. Harder!”

  I oblige, rolling one taut nub between my fingers while I use my tongue and teeth on the other. Her hips writhe, her back arches, and she grits out, “I’m…on birth control.”

  As her words sink in, I stop, my words catching in my throat. “I’m…clean. You’re…the first, the only…in more than six years.”

  “I want you inside me. Just you. Right now.” Evianna pushes herself up on an elbow and cups my cheek. “As talented as that tongue is, soldier, I need to feel you. I need you to take me. Right now. Please.”

  I don’t have to see her face to hear the emotion in her words. To know…in my heart…the exact look in eyes I’ve never seen, and never will.

  I love her, and as I bury myself in a single thrust, she wraps her arms around me. “Don’t let go, Dax. Don’t ever let go.”

  Epilogue

  Evianna

  Alfie's launch is exhausting. For almost thirty hours straight, we work to pull out all the insecure code. Wren was a godsend, and we spent so much time together—virtually—untangling Barry and Noah’s messes, I feel like we’ve forged a real friendship—something my life has been sorely lacking the past couple of years.

  Explaining what happened to the team…that nearly destroyed me. But with Dax at my side, I survived. Even if I did have to close myself in my office and sob in his arms for ten minutes afterwards.

  During those thirty hours, Dax never left my side, until finally, at 3:00 a.m. on launch day, I declared victory, and he took me back to his apartment, where his housekeeper had pulled off a minor miracle and restored the whole place to its former spartan order.

  Not wanting to be involved in any of the press surrounding the launch, he hired private security for me, and for the past two days, Tank—the now-former bouncer from the Kilted Scotsman—has been standing just outside my office for eight hours a day, arms crossed, staring daggers at anyone who dares look sideways at me.

  But amazingly…everything else…is working out. Noah’s death forced our PR company—well, my PR company now, I suppose, to do some serious dancing.

  The official story? He was out celebrating after the party, drunk, and walked right into the path of an oncoming car. Dax made some calls, and details of his other injuries—as well as his negligible blood alcohol level—are buried forever.

  The day after the first units come online, I walk out of my office at 5:00 p.m. on the dot, join Tank in the elevator, and don't bother to hide my smile.

  Dax waits for me in the lobby, dressed in a pair of black jeans and a blue Henley, with a new cane in his hand. I can tell the exact moment he hears my footsteps, because he smiles, and though the man never truly relaxes, some of the tension leaves his shoulders.

  "I think I read all the news reports today, darlin'. And the interview on WBZ? I'm so fucking proud of you."

  Stepping into his arms, I feel safe. Protected. Whole. For so long, I thought Alfie's success would be the thing to give true meaning to my life. But I was wrong. I ignored almost everything else these past three years. I worked, visited my mother, and slept.

  Now...I realize how much I've missed.

  "Let's get out of here," I say against his ear. "I want you all to myself tonight."

  Dax offers me his arm, and Tank follows us to the waiting car. “You need me any longer, Dax?” the big man asks.

  “Not tonight.”

  I offer Tank a smile. “See you tomorrow?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Evianna. And…I ordered you that kick ass chair I told you about. If you’re going to be protecting me eight to ten hours a day, you’re going to be comfortable.”

  Tank doesn’t even try to stifle his grin as he high-fives me. One of these days, Dax will relent and agree that I no longer need round-the-clock protection, but for now, I let him be as overprotective as he wants.

  After the car pulls away from the curb, Dax turns to me. "Do you trust me?”

  "With my life. You know that." He's...nervous. Why is he nervous? "Why are you nervous?"

  "I want to take you home. Your home."

  My heart lands in my throat. I haven't stepped foot in my house since the attack, and I'm not ready. "Dax...can't we go back to your place instead?"

  He takes my hand, holding it between both of his. "If you don't want to stay, we won't stay. But...it's like being thrown off a horse, darlin'. You have to get back on sometime."

  After a long minute, I take a shuddering breath. "Okay. Let's go."

  The ride passes in silence as I stare out the window, remembering the fear, the helplessness I felt as Noah's hitman held me down. But then the memories shift. The first time Dax put his arms around me. How he took care of me. By the time Dax gets out of the car and offers me his hand, I'm steadier. I can do this.

  It still takes me three tries to get my key into the lock, but once I do, I gasp. The house smells...clean. Like freesia and lilies. Two steps down the hall, I understand what he's done.

  "You took care of everything," I breathe as he shuts the door behind us.

  "This is your home. I didn't want you to come back here and have to see it...broken. And...Ry has a contact at the best home and business security company in the United States—maybe the world. There's a top-of-the-line system protecting every door and window. I want you to feel safe here."

  I turn slowly, terrified to ask the next question. "Is this your way of saying...you want me to start staying here again?" I leave out the two words I can't bear to say. Without you. We’ve spent every night together since the attack, and though I know our relationship went from zero to a lifetime—at least in my heart—faster than it should have, I can’t imagine my life without him.

  "I'm fucking this all up," he says as he shakes his head. "Can we go upstairs? There's one more thing I need to show you."

  With my hand around his elbow, I guide him up the stairs. My bedroom looks almost exactly like I expect, with one difference. Little Xs of tape on the floor under the bedposts. At the corners of the dresser. My gaze trails around the room, until it lands on my bed.

  “Oh, my God.”

  My eyes brim with tears as I gently cradle the jewelry box to my chest. “How…?”

  “This is a big city. Didn’t take long to find the best woodworker in Boston.” Dax runs a finger over the lid, all the way to the dented corner, which still bears evidence of the fall, but is now smooth and polished—almost like it was dented from the start. “It’ll never be…what it was. Never perfect again. But, it’s whole. And it’ll last.”

  “You’re wrong about one thing,” I whisper. “It is perfect.” Easing his hand off the box, I lift the lid and stop breathing.

  Dax sinks to one knee as I stare at the intricately designed platinum ring with an emerald-cut diamond cradled among the whorls.

  “I know it’s soon,” he says, his voice rough as he stares up at me. “But…you’re it for me, darlin’. I think I knew that very first night we spent together. Something about you quieted my demons. With you, I’m…not the man I was, but the man I think I’m supposed to be.”

  He clears his throat and holds out his hand. When I lay my shaking fingers against his palm, he swallows hard. “Evianna, I love your strength. I love your heart. I love your mind. But most of all, I love you. All of you. Will you…marry me?”

  A single tear races down my cheek and lands on our joined hands. Dax sucks in a sharp breath. His words tumble out in a rush, almost colliding with one another. “I…we can wait as long as you want. A year, two, we don’t even have to legally—”

  “Yes.” Sinking down next to him, I set the jewelry box on the bed and then wrap my arms around him. With my lips only a breath away from his, I say it again. “Yes.”

  Dax

  Kissing Evianna goodbye the next morning as Tank holds the elevator door, I
think I catch a flash of light from her engagement ring, and smile.

  The late May morning is warm and sunny, and I slide my briefcase strap over my shoulder and extend my cane. The short walk centers me, and gives me the courage to do the one thing I’ve avoided ever since we escaped that basement and certain death.

  As I drop into my desk chair, I tuck my Bluetooth into my ear. “VoiceAssist: Call Ryker.”

  “Dax,” he says after the second ring. “About time, asshole. I had to find out you were okay from Wren.”

  I still haven’t gotten used to hearing his voice again after all the years and the pain between us, and I put this one off for too long. “I didn’t know what to say to you, Ry.”

  “The fuck?”

  “This…is going to sound crazy. Hell, I lived through it and don’t believe it happened.”

  “Explain. Now.”

  I stifle a laugh. Ry has always been a man of few words. “When Noah and his goon had us, they took Evianna. Tasered me, and left me in a locked room. I didn’t have my glasses, my cane, or any weapons. No lock I could pick. I…I almost gave up, Ry.”

  “Dax…brother…”

  “You wanted an explanation, you shut up and let me finish.” There’s no harsh edge to my voice, but my words have the desired effect. Ry grumbles something under his breath and quiets. “You were the best damn commander in the whole fucking army, Ry. You taught me how to survive. You kept me going in Hell. Protected me.” My voice stalls until I force the words out, “You came back for me.”

  “You’re family, Dax. That’s what family does.”

  “I know. But…Ry…you did more than that. You saved me in that basement. I was lying on the floor, barely able to move. And…I heard your voice. You told me to get up. To move. To think.”