Touched by Light

by Spangler, Catherine

  “Hey, Adam,” Luke answered.

  “Hello, Luke. How is Marla?”

  “She’s pretty shaken up about Bennett’s release.”

  “That’s understandable. It would be extremely unsettling to have your attacker set free.”

  “You’re telling me.” Luke blew out a breath, and Adam could picture him running his fingers through his long blond hair. “Man, I’d like to personally escort that lower-than-a-Belian scum to the fires of Saturn.”

  Adam felt the same way, but unfortunately, terminating human lowlifes didn’t fall under the Sentinel directive. “I trust you’re aware you’re not to approach or harm Bennett in any way, unless he threatens innocents.”

  “I know, damn it.” Luke’s voice vibrated with anger. “But I don’t have to like it.”

  “The reason I’m calling is I’m going to be tied up for a while and I need you to keep surveillance on Bennett while I’m out of pocket.”

  “That’s fine by me. I’d prefer to know where that bastard is at all times. What’s going on?”

  “We’ve got a problem in San Antonio. I’m heading there to deal with it.”

  There was a pause on the other end. “It’s Matt, isn’t it?”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “He didn’t sound like himself the last time I talked with him. Seemed off.”

  “And you didn’t inform me?” Steel edged Adam’s voice. All his Sentinels knew he wanted to be informed if anything, no matter how trivial, seemed wrong or out of place.

  “I just assumed it was because he was grieving over Susan. But it’s more than that, isn’t it?”

  “I’m afraid it might be. I haven’t been able to get in touch with him.”

  “Ah, shit. I guess I screwed that up. I’m sorry, Adam.”

  “Just keep me informed whenever anything appears odd to you.”

  “Do you think Matt might be dead?”

  “No, he’s alive, but I can only sense him intermittently.”

  “That’s not possible, is it?”

  Adam decided to keep his suspicions to himself for now. He trusted Luke implicitly, but he didn’t want his Sentinels to feel they had to provide backup in possibly taking down one of their own. That was his responsibility alone.

  “Apparently it is possible,” he said, “although I’ve never come across this before. So I’m going to check on Matt, and I want you to keep track of Bennett while I’m gone. Get Davis and Stamos and any other initiates not on assignment to tail him. I want him covered 24/7.”

  “Will do. I’m assuming we don’t need to worry about Julia. She talked with Marla a little while ago. I understand she’s going to San Antonio with you, and that’s she’s not too happy about it.”

  “That would be an understatement.” Adam looked up as the lady wheeled her suitcase into the foyer. She was talking into her cell phone.

  “No, Mom, it’s just a business trip for the university. I’ll leave out plenty of food and water for Ike. You just need to check on him every few days and scoop the litter. Marla can’t do that, because of the pregnancy.” She shoved the suitcase upright, using so much force, it pitched forward before rocking back. “I couldn’t tell you before now. The trip was arranged without my prior knowledge.”

  She gave Adam a look that would wither the sexual organs of a mortal man—not that his appeared to be entirely immune—and stomped off toward the kitchen, holding her cane in a death grip. It was going to be an interesting trip.

  He returned his attention to Luke. “Julia’s safety will be my responsibility.”

  “I guess you tracked her down at the Red Lion Pub yesterday because of Matt. This must be really serious if you’re pulling her in.”

  Knowing how close Julia and Marla were, Adam wasn’t surprised Luke knew about the pub. “I don’t know yet how serious the situation might be. But I think Julia’s assistance will be crucial. She’s going along with it . . . for now.”

  Luke had the nerve to laugh. “I wish I could be there to witness the fireworks. Good luck, boss.”

  “A little respect for your superior would be appreciated.”

  Luke was unrepentant. “Yeah, well, you have my respect. But Julia’s is another matter entirely.”

  “I’ll handle her.” He hoped. “You keep track of Bennett and let me know immediately if anything comes up. I want daily reports, either e-mail or phone.”

  “I’ll take care of everything here, and contact you every day.”

  “Good. My best to Marla.” Adam snapped his phone shut, slid it into his coat pocket, and headed to the kitchen. He stepped in, saw Julia pouring dried cat food into two large bowls. She still had the phone against her ear, and with his enhanced hearing, he heard a line ringing, then a man’s voice answer.

  “Hello, Jeff?” She shifted, set the cat food down. “It’s Julia Reynolds. I’m sorry, but I have to cancel on you.”

  Cancel? Who was this man? Adam hadn’t found any evidence of a boyfriend when he’d thoroughly investigated Julia six months ago. But he hadn’t checked since then. He felt a startling surge of possessiveness that shocked the hell out of him.

  “I have to go out of town,” Julia was saying. “We’ll have to reschedule.” She listened a moment. “No, it’s nothing serious, just a business trip. I don’t know when I’ll be back, so I’ll have to call you. . . . Oh, thank you. Sorry this is such short notice. . . . You, too. Good-bye.”

  She disconnected, glared at Adam. “I can’t believe I had to do that. I’ve been waiting weeks for him.”

  He stiffened, experiencing a totally alien emotion. Surely that wasn’t jealousy. “Waiting weeks?”

  “Yes, weeks. And I’ve had to deal with this damn leak all that time.”

  Now confusion rolled through Adam. “Leak?”

  “Yes, leak.” She raked him with another testicle-curdling gaze. She certainly had the look perfected. “You know, a hole in a pipe—that’s a metal cylinder used to carry water—and water leaking through the hole and causing damage. I have one in my bathroom. Jeff Delozier is the best plumber in Houston, maybe all of Texas. It’s difficult to get him. I’ve been waiting three weeks for him to come fix it. And now I have to reschedule.”

  Adam felt an inordinate sense of relief that this Jeff was nothing more than a professional contact for Julia. Then, disconcerted by his feelings, he sternly ordered himself to put aside his odd reaction. Despite the fact that Julia was a perfectly matched conductor to him—and that it was unheard of for a Sanctioned to match with a conductor, much less participate in a conduction—he couldn’t allow emotions to cloud his judgment. Too many people depended upon him.

  Still, his reaction was fascinating, something he’d ponder at a later time. He didn’t intend to ignore the match with Julia, not that he could, after the visions he’d seen. There were very few coincidences in the Universe, so there was a reason for the link between Julia and him. He would open himself to guidance, and make use of the match as necessary.

  He’d have to learn to deal with the emotions that apparently went with such a bond. Along the way, he’d enjoy the unusual and intriguing challenges that were certain to occur in dealing with Julia Reynolds.

  FIVE

  IT started raining as they exited the loop onto Interstate 10, big fat drops that fell sporadically at first then picked up in intensity and velocity. Adam switched on the wipers and turned up the radio, which was set to a local station playing an eclectic mix of blues, jazz, and light rock. Julia was surprised he hadn’t chosen a classical music station. He seemed the type.

  The rain and decreased visibility didn’t seem to bother him—not that she’d ever seen him perturbed about anything. But then she suspected he was a cold-blooded species, or possibly an android, disguised as a human.

  She wasn’t normally affected by rain herself, but the gloomy aura of the day only served to drag her deeper into a rare funk. Unfortunately, she wasn’t an automaton like Adam. Despite her best efforts, her emotion
s surged in tumultuous waves, pounding through her in random, nonlinear patterns. Dark memories of William Bennett and the ensuing gut-twisting fears mingled with indignation and fury aimed at Adam Masters. The added sense of loss of control over her life flowed into the already unstable mix of emotions.

  She clenched her hands in her lap, battling to regain her normal ironclad self-control. Over the past twelve years, she’d become a master at ruthlessly steamrolling her emotions into a smooth, manageable pavement. She’d created a life cocoon of logic, discipline, order, and, most importantly, predictability. Perhaps it was a dull existence, but it helped her feel safe—and in control of her life, which was vitally important to her.

  Now both William Bennett and Adam Masters were destroying the cocoon, which had been her lifeline to sanity and functionality. Bennett was the reason she’d had to burrow behind walls in the first place, and damn him for breaching them now. The same went for Adam.

  Right now, every time she glanced at him, sitting there so utterly contained and smug, she felt more agitated. She was glad she’d broken his nose, not that he’d suffered for long. Yet her vehemence bothered her. She wasn’t a violent person, had never wished harm on anyone—except when it came to Bennett or Adam.

  Funny how the two men created similar upheavals in her life.

  She looked out the window. The rain had slowed to a fine mist. The sudden, increased volume of the radio drew her attention. She looked over to see Adam adjusting the sound, his expression intent.

  In what sounded like a newscast, a female voice was saying, “Don’t yet know the cause of the fire at the IMAX Theater in downtown San Antonio around eight last night. Investigators are saying flames started in several different parts of the theater, setting off mass hysteria. At least three people are dead, and an undisclosed number were treated at area hospitals for injuries and smoke inhalation. There is speculation that it was arson and police are saying . . .”

  The woman droned on, but the shock ricocheting through Julia blocked out the rest of the words. Fire? In a San Antonio theater? Flashes from her vision yesterday replayed in her mind. Smoke, screams, terrified stampeding.

  “You knew about this?” she asked.

  His gaze flashed to her. “Yes.” Keeping one hand on the wheel, he reached between the seats, pulled a soft leather briefcase from the back, and handed it to her. “There’s an article in the morning paper, if you want to see it.”

  She was having trouble assimilating the data. She managed to get the satchel open, slid out the newspaper. The story about the fire was on the front page. She stared at it, her thoughts a kaleidoscopic jumble. “How long have you known this?”

  He glanced back at her. “It just happened last night.”

  Which was his evasive way of admitting he’d known about it since then, probably as soon as he left her house. She looked at the article again, disbelief and anger blurring her vision. “You knew about this, and you suspected it’s what I saw yesterday. But you didn’t bother to tell me.”

  “There’s nothing you could have done. We’ll sort it out once we get to San Antonio.”

  Rage simmered inside her. “You kept me in the dark this morning. Rather than tell me what my vision was, and instigate a rational discussion about how this might provide a concrete reason for me to go to San Antonio, instead you resorted to lies and subterfuge to force my compliance. You—Oh!”

  Fury exploded like a nuclear blast. “You son of a bitch!” Blindly, she struck out at him with the newspaper. “You sneaky, lying bastard!”

  She felt the car swerve before Adam righted it. “Julia! Stop!” She didn’t care if he wrecked the damn Mercedes. She wanted to pound some of her own pain into him.

  Realizing the briefcase was a much more substantial weapon, she smacked him in the head with it. “You Neanderthal! You arrogant, overbearing jackass!”

  “Damn it, Julia!” He pulled over to the shoulder of the highway, began slowing.

  Pure emotion driving her, she had her seat belt off and the door open before the car stopped. As it lurched to a standstill, she swung her legs out, grabbed her cane, and took off. She didn’t know where she was going—not that she could see past the red haze wallpapering her vision.

  She only knew that if she didn’t get as far away as possible from Adam Masters, she would explode from the rage. There would be nothing but raw, bleeding bits of her scattered like debris from a plane crash.

  “Julia! What are you doing?”

  She ignored him, her focus on navigating the downward slope from the road. But with her bad leg, she couldn’t maneuver the wet grass and uneven surface. She felt her leg slipping out from beneath her and tried to catch herself by digging in her cane. The next moment, she was on her rear, bumping down the incline. She ended up sprawled out like a rag doll, her backside throbbing from the fall.

  Adam was there in an instant, kneeling beside her. “Are you all right?”

  Gasping, she tried to sit up, but he pushed her back down. “Be still until I’m sure you didn’t break anything.” He started running his hands along her legs.

  She smacked his arm. “Get the hell away from me!”

  Lightning quick, he grabbed her shoulders and pinned her to the ground as he leaned over her. His black-as-sin eyes glowed with preternatural power. His expression was fierce with anger. “You’d better damn well accept the fact that I’m not going anywhere. And I will check you for injuries, with or without your cooperation. I’ll keep you in place by force, if necessary. This can be easy or hard. Your choice, Julia.”

  Knowing he wouldn’t hesitate to immobilize her, she sagged back and closed her eyes, trying to still the trembling that wracked her body. She also tried to ignore the feel of his hands sweeping over her legs, arms, and beneath her.

  His touch was firm but also surprisingly gentle. It sent a tingling rush of heat through her body, setting off that damned chain reaction of sexual need. It certainly wasn’t calming.

  “Would you hurry up?” she snapped, opening her eyes to glare at him. “I want your hands off me.”

  “You’re lucky they’re not thoroughly warming your backside. What the Darkness were you doing?”

  For the first time, she noticed the redness and swelling on the side of his face, compliments of her hitting him with the briefcase. He was still angry, if his glowing eyes were any indication. Her own anger surged. “Trying to get away from you and your power games.”

  His lips firmed. “So we’re back to that. I’ve already told you I am not going away. The sooner you accept that, the better. Can you sit up?”

  He slid his arm around her and she struggled upright. “How do you feel?” he asked.

  She was stiff and cold, but that appeared to be the worst of it. “I’m fine. Just let me get up.”

  He helped her, grasping her upper arms and steadying her as she made it to her feet, feeling about as graceful as a drunken elephant. She looked down at her wet, muddy, grass-stained suit and felt chilled to the bone.

  “You’re shivering. Here.” He slipped off his expensively tailored suit coat and wrapped it around her.

  Heavenly warmth and his unique scent surrounded her. She took a deep breath, felt her aching muscles protest. “Thank you,” she murmured.

  His expression closed, he retrieved her cane from the ground and handed it to her. Then he took her arm, turning her toward the car. As she struggled up the incline, he put his arm around her again, easily propelling her up the slope.

  When they reached the car, she saw the engine was off, although her door was still flung open. Adam stopped by the door, blocking it. “Before we get back in the car, and I remove all possible weapons from your reach, I think we need to deal with your anger. Tell me what set you off.”

  “Why? It doesn’t seem to matter what I say. You won’t listen.”

  “Funny, but I believe I’ve said that about you.” His gaze was steady and serious. “I’m listening now. Talk to me, Julia.”

  Ju
st like that, the resentment and outrage rushed back in a torrent. “All right.” Her voice shook, and she took a shuddering breath. “I’ll tell you. You charge into my life, disrupting it and forcing a horrifying vision on me. Then you invade my privacy—my bathroom, for God’s sake. You . . . you—”

  Her voice broke, and hot tears flooded her eyes. Oh, great, she was going to cry. She never cried—hadn’t given in to self-pity for a long time. She blinked furiously to hold the tears at bay. “You’re no better than Bennett.”

  Genuine shock flashed across his rapidly bruising face. “By the Light, how can you say that?”

  Of course he couldn’t understand. He was a pompous ass. “You took away my choices. You forced me against my will. Whether it’s physical or mental, it’s still a personal assault.”

  And to her, it was. After Bennett, she’d promised herself no one would force her to do anything ever again.

  “You took away my personal power,” she whispered, her throat constricted. “But I refuse to be a victim ever again.” Her tenuous control cracked, and the tears spilled over. “And you made me lose control. Damn it! I hate when that happens!” She turned, took a step away, mortified that he should see this moment of weakness.

  He grasped her arm. “You are not going anywhere.”

  She tried to jerk free, like that was going to happen, with his super-Sanctioned grip. She settled for keeping her back to him while she struggled to pull herself together.

  “I don’t suppose you’d allow me to hold you and offer comfort,” he said quietly.

  She was surprised by this oddly nurturing gesture from him. How long had it been since anyone had held her, to give comfort, or anything else for that matter? How long since she’d felt safe and cherished? Oh, it was tempting. But this was Adam, she reminded herself—demanding, controlling and threatening on far too many levels. “Don’t even think about it,” she retorted.

  “Then at least look at me.”