Dark Warrior Unbroken

by Dark Warrior Unbroken (lit)

  “I’m sorry for your loss,” Sandor said.

  George managed a ragged smile. “Me, too, but we had almost sixty good years together. I hope the two of you have it as good as we did.”

  He and Lena would be lucky to have even a couple of more good days together. The thought hurt far more than it should.

  The flash of blue lights indicated that the police had blocked both ends of the alley, and one look at the two heading his way had Sandor cursing under his breath. Of all of Seattle’s finest, they had to get the same pair who’d responded the night Mary Dubois had been mugged.

  Lena immediately stepped close and took his hand in solidarity. Explaining how they’d chanced upon a second mugging victim in only a couple of days was going to take some fancy footwork. Good deed or not, the cops weren’t going to like it one little bit.

  Sean watched the minutes tick by on the clock, each one lasting an eternity. Tara had taken the boy out to feed, and he hated the thought of the two of them out on the streets without him. He’d offered to drag someone home for all of them to feed from, but she’d gone all stubborn and self-righteous on him.

  They both knew that if they ever brought their food source to their own doorstep, they would have to do a lot more than graze. Disposing of a body would be messy and dangerous, even in a city the size of Seattle. He also knew that if they escalated to killing, the police would be paying a lot more attention to the sudden rash of muggings. Someone would connect the dots and realize there was something odd about the attacks.

  So here he was, waiting and wearing the carpet out. He stopped every lap around the small room to listen for footsteps. Tara had tucked him in bed before they’d left, thinking he still needed such care.

  The minute she relaxed her guard, he’d be off and running. He had no idea where, as long it was far enough that she couldn’t find him. The whole idea of starting over by himself really hurt, but he figured he wasn’t long for this world anyway.

  Lost in that cheerful thought, he almost missed hearing Kenny’s return. Sean made it back to bed with only a second to spare before the kid stuck his head through the door.

  “I’m back.”

  “Where’s Tara?”

  Kenny shrugged. “She took the money I earned tonight and said she had errands to run. Maybe we’re out of milk or something.”

  The truth was someone else had earned that money. The three of them just stole it.

  “So, tell me how it went. Any problems?”

  “I’m here, aren’t I?” But Kenny’s eyes slid to the side as he spoke.

  “Tell me how it went,” Sean repeated, injecting enough energy into his words to force Kenny to answer.

  “Okay, okay, fine.” Kenny held his hands up in surrender. “Tara stood watch while I culled an old man out of the herd. I took enough to keep me buzzing for a couple of days. We only got about thirty dollars, but I got away clean. We hopped the bus and walked in the opposite direction of the apartment for several blocks before circling back. Just like you taught us.”

  “That all sounds real good, Kenny.” Sean sat up, aware that his control was starting to slip. “But tell me this, what are you leaving out, Kenny?”

  “Nothing.”

  It took more energy to break through the kid’s resistance this time, enough that it left Sean breathing hard before he forced the truth out of the little prick. Kenny grabbed the door frame and dropped to his knees, his face gleaming with sweat as he struggled against Sean’s compulsion. The battle between them was brief but hard fought.

  “Okay! So one minute I was chowing down, and the next, there’s this dude running down the alley straight for us. I dropped my dinner and ran to the other end of the alley. I got away clean while the guy stopped to help the old man.”

  “So you didn’t lead him to Tara?”

  “Hell, no, you taught me better than that. I wouldn’t risk Tara just to save my own skin.”

  He looked Sean straight in the eye, his words ringing solid with the truth. Good thing. If he ever did put Tara at risk, the kid would be back on the streets before he knew what hit him.

  Sean released his hold on Kenny. “Go eat something. It will help stabilize what you took in.”

  While he listened to Kenny rummaging around in the kitchen, Sean fought against an increasing panic. Someone had seen Kenny in that alley. He had assumed he’d gotten away cleanly, but Sean wasn’t so sure. Just because the intruder had stopped to help the victim didn’t mean that he hadn’t gotten a clear look at Kenny as he’d escaped.

  Their time in Seattle was drawing to a close. Tara and Kenny might no longer be safe, even without him.

  This guy charging to the rescue bothered Sean on a lot of levels. First of all, what had Kenny done to attract someone’s attention? He’d taught the kid right; he knew how to choose the right kind of victim, as well as a safe time and place for the attack. Kenny had doubtless picked the old man because of his age and because he’d been near the alley.

  So what had drawn the other man to the alley? He might have been using it as a shortcut, but it didn’t pay to assume anything.

  Sean would feel a whole lot better when Tara returned and he got her version of the facts. Maybe everything was fine and the intruder was just a bit of bad luck. But Sean’s gut was telling him there was more to it than that.

  Maybe his worst nightmare had just come true, and the hunters had suddenly become the hunted.

  Lena stood on the sidewalk and watched for Sandor. She was tired and her feet were killing her, so she’d accepted his offer to go get the car and come back for her. It had taken far longer to satisfy the cops than it should have. This time they’d really wanted the two of them to come down to the station to make a statement. Clearly they weren’t buying Sandor’s explanation that their involvement in a second mugging was simply bad luck.

  Only the victim’s vehement statement that he’d been attacked by someone far shorter than Sandor had kept them from a ride in the backseat of a cruiser. Bless the old man: despite his bad fright, George had defended them to the police.

  Lena was exhausted and ready for bed—alone. The past few days had been chaotic and full of turmoil. After a few hours of solid sleep she’d be better able to sort out of her confusing feelings for Sandor Kearn and the secret world in which he lived.

  She finally spotted Ranulf’s convertible turning the corner, and every eye turned to watch the old beauty cruise up the street. When Sandor pulled up and she got in, she couldn’t help but enjoy all the attention.

  She grinned at Sandor. “This gorgeous old girl makes it hard to make a discreet exit, doesn’t it?”

  Sandor smiled and patted the steering wheel. “Yeah, she’s a beauty. I’m surprised that Ranulf hasn’t called every fifteen minutes wondering where his baby is. Look, I know you’re tired, but we really should get her back. I don’t think they’ve been apart this long since he bought her back in 1940.”

  She liked the teasing light in his eyes. “That’s fine. I’m not sure any of us are ready to deal with a Viking with separation anxiety.”

  Besides, that would give her more time with Sandor before she went her way and he went his for the night—and maybe for longer than that. Ignoring a sharp pang in her chest, she focused on their mission. “So do you think our young perp is the same one we’ve been hunting for?”

  “Hard to tell. Mary Dubois had thought there were two attackers, but the reading I got off this kid was different from what I got from her or down at the pier. What did you think?”

  She’d wondered if Sandor had picked up the quick read she’d done between returning the old man’s wallet and the cops’ arrival.

  “He didn’t remember much except the impression of the perp being short, and therefore maybe young. The attack left him tired and confused, but his thoughts were much clearer than Mary’s were. That may be because we interrupted the attack, or because he’s not as timid as she was.

  “From what I could pick up, the attack had
some of the same feel, but it was different enough for me to think we have at least two perps involved. Three, counting the girl who was standing watch up the street.”

  Sandor shot her a quick glance. “So you’re convinced she was definitely involved?”

  “I’d say so. She disappeared for a while before I could get near her. When I spotted her again, she got a phone call and then a young teenaged boy approached her. It was obvious she was upset with him about something. Then they took off to catch a bus together. I made note of the bus’s route number before heading toward you.”

  “That’s more than we had before. When we get home, I’ll print out a map of the route and see what that tells us.”

  Home? What did he mean by that?

  When she didn’t say anything, Sandor shot her a questioning look. “Is something wrong?”

  “You promised to take me back to my hotel.”

  “You were mad when you said that, and I was hoping you’d changed your mind. But if you haven’t, I’ll take you there now before I trade cars with Ranulf.” He pulled over to the curb. “So, what’s it going to be? Home or the hotel?”

  The answer depended on whether she was thinking with her heart or her head. In the end, it was no contest at all.

  “Take me home, Sandor.”

  Chapter 13

  In the end, they swung by Lena’s hotel long enough for her to pack a few things to take to his house. Sandor thought about suggesting that she check out of the hotel and move in with him, but that would be pushing too hard. It was enough to know that once they reached his place, she was his for another night.

  Every inch of his body liked that idea—especially certain inches that were definitely making their demands known right now. If he spent much more time in Lena’s company, he was going to have to buy looser jeans to keep from causing permanent damage to himself.

  He’d love to see the expression on her face if he were to tell her that one. Maybe he would later, just to hear her laugh.

  For now, though, they needed to pool what they’d learned from tonight’s mugging so he could report his progress to Kerry in the morning.

  Lena led the way into his kitchen, and he hid a smile when she glanced at the counter and blushed. Was she still embarrassed over the wild monkey sex they’d had there? Personally, he was thinking about installing a memorial plaque, but he wisely kept that idea to himself.

  He set her bag at the foot of the steps. “I’ll be in my office looking at that bus route. Feel free to make yourself at home. There’s sandwich makings in the fridge if you’re hungry.”

  “Would you like one, too?”

  “Sure. Ham and Swiss, heavy on the mustard.”

  Business, then pleasure. Business, then pleasure. He booted up the laptop and started hunting for the bus route. After he printed out the map, he studied the neighborhood it encompassed. Although it covered a fair amount of territory, it narrowed down the search parameters considerably.

  He compared it to the map he’d made of the sites where the earlier attacks had taken place, then added tonight’s to the mix. Eliminating the few outliers, most of the attacks had taken place in a limited area, all of which were within easy walking distance of the bus route.

  This was good. With Ranulf’s help, they should be able to start closing in on the little bastards. But what then? A frisson of icy anger skittered through him, resulting in the now familiar burn of dark energy playing under his skin. The oily blackness made him sick to his soul as he contemplated having to execute not just one but possibly several renegades so soon after Bradan’s death.

  How had Ranulf lived with this burden for so long without having it destroy him? Sandor guessed he’d have to figure it out, and soon. Renegades endangered the very existence of the Kyth, and their actions could not be tolerated or forgiven.

  Which brought him back to the woman headed his way. The depth of his feelings made it clear that he wanted her far beyond tonight. However, she’d made it clear that she couldn’t accept Kyth justice. While he trusted her to keep quiet about Bradan’s execution, what did she think was going to happen to the renegades she’d been helping him hunt?

  Could she possibly be thinking that this time they were going to turn the information over to the police to handle? She should be smart enough to know that wasn’t going to happen.

  Lena knocked on the door frame. “Mind if I come in, or would you rather I left you alone?”

  Her doubt made him see red. If she didn’t know how he felt about her by now, it was damn well time she figured it out. The burn was back, stronger than ever.

  “Here’s your sandwich.” Lena started to hold it out, then froze as her eyes went wide with shock.

  “What?”

  She pointed toward the paper in his hand. The smoking paper. The one starting to crumple as the smoke erupted into flames near his fingertips. His control was clearly shot to hell and back.

  Sandor cursed and tossed the burning map into the trash can, then carried it into the bathroom to put water on it. When the flames were out, he grabbed on to the sink, soaking up the soothing coolness of the porcelain.

  “That’s the second time I’ve seen you do that. Does it always happen that often?”

  Although Lena kept the question light, there was real concern in her words. Once again he’d managed to freak her out. His shaky control was largely due to the strain of facing a multiple execution, combined with trying to protect her from that particular reality.

  He stared at her reflection in the mirror. “No.”

  When she didn’t reply, he forced himself to say, “Would you like that ride back to your hotel now?”

  He could hear her pulse speed up and sense her momentary indecision. Then her arms slid around his waist and she rested her face against his back. With the simple gift of her touch, the darkness was banished.

  After a bit, she gave him a quick squeeze and stepped back. “Come on, let’s go look at that map and see what we can learn from it. Meanwhile, I want you to eat that sandwich for two very good reasons.”

  “Which are?”

  “The first is because I went to the trouble to make it and don’t want to see it go to waste.”

  “And the second?” he asked, suddenly really interested in hearing her answer.

  With a high-voltage smile, she faced him. Placing her hand gently on his chest, she trailed her fingers down the length of his fly. “The second reason is that I’ve got serious plans for you tonight, and you’ll need to keep up your strength.”

  Bless the woman. He grinned wickedly. “Then maybe you’d better make me another one.”

  “Would you mind if I take a bath while you wait for an email back?” Lena asked.

  They’d studied the map to figure out where the renegades might have gone to ground. Once they had a better idea of how to narrow their search, Sandor had emailed Ranulf and Kerry with the information.

  He looked up from the computer screen, his eyes alight with gold sparks. “Go ahead and take your time. And if you need someone to wash your back, call me.”

  That’s what she’d been hoping for. “Only if I can reciprocate.”

  “You have a deal.”

  As she walked out, he called, “By the way, there are candles and matches in the right-hand drawer in the vanity. I keep them for when I get a headache and need to zone out for a while. Most painkillers don’t work well for us.”

  Upstairs, she turned on the water in the big, old-fashioned claw-foot tub, then hunted up the candles. It meant a lot to know he had them there for medicinal reasons. A man as handsome and likable as Sandor had to have other women in his life, but that didn’t mean she wanted to imagine it.

  She turned down the blankets on the bed and tossed her pale blue nightie on the pillow, right where Sandor would be sure to see it. Then she stripped and eased into the huge tub, moaning at the warmth of the water lapping at her skin. As she relaxed, she hoped Sandor joined her soon. Too many hours had passed since she’d l
ast felt the sweet slide of his skin against hers.

  Almost immediately, she heard the creak of the steps. Sandor was on his way. The tips of her nipples budded up and the core of her body turned liquid in anticipation. She listened as he reached the top of the stairs. His steps halted briefly. Had he spotted her gown?

  There was a thud as one shoe hit the floor, followed quickly by the other. The rasp of his zipper and the soft hush of clothing hitting the floor made her pulse pound. Then he was at the bathroom door, his nude body illuminated by the flicker of the candles. Each lean muscle and powerful line was defined by the soft light and shadows.

  The evidence that he wanted this as badly as she did was most convincing. Impressively so. Overwhelming, in fact. It would be enough to make a lesser woman feel a little nervous, but Lena reveled in the knowledge that this warrior wanted her.

  She arched an eyebrow and gave him a slow, sultry smile. “Are you going to preen there in the doorway all night?”

  With a look that promised retribution, he asked, “Preening, am I?”

  “I wasn’t complaining,” she hastened to assure him. “I was just worried that the water might get cold.”

  “Don’t worry. We’ll heat it up again.”

  Her lover stalked forward, letting her look her fill. Then he slid into the water behind her, surrounding her with his powerful body. Suddenly the tub didn’t feel all that big.

  He reached for the soap and worked up a thick lather, then began stroking her body with his soap-slick hands. He started at her shoulders and then pushed her forward so he could continue down the length of her back. Gradually, he made his way down her sides and around to the lower curve of her breasts. She leaned back to give him freer access, sighing with pleasure as he cupped her breasts with a soft squeeze.

  The man was certainly thorough. In no time, her body was clean as a whistle and strung as tight as a bow. And boy, did he have a shaft she was really, really interested in. She reversed her position to straddle his lap. Oh, yeah, baby, that was better. Time for a little payback of her own.