Dark Guardian Found

by I. T. Lucas

  “Five bucks if my guy can penetrate your systems.”

  “You’ve got yourself a bet.”

  Chapter 16: Eva

  “I’m curious. How come you know a hacker?” Bhathian asked a few minutes into the drive.

  They were alone for the first time since Eva’s arrival, and it felt awkward as heck. The man was just as irresistible as she remembered him, but she had to remain strong. Under no circumstances was she going to succumb to his overwhelming masculinity and invite him to her hotel room.

  She’d made that mistake before and had gotten burned.

  The thing was, her traitorous body had ideas of its own, and to keep it in check, she forced herself to go over a list of recent cases in her head. In detail.

  That tidbit of information about Bhathian’s ability to scent her arousal was a strong deterrent to any naughty thoughts that might have crossed her mind.

  “I have a detective agency. Nick is an employee.”

  Bhathian cast her a sidelong glance. “So you went back to your old occupation, but as an independent contractor?”

  Obviously, if Nathalie’s husband had found Eva’s records, he’d also found out she hadn’t been a real flight attendant.

  “Not exactly. I’m not chasing drug smugglers, just unfaithful spouses and clandestine corporate maneuvers.”

  He nodded. “I’m glad you’re not doing anything dangerous. Is there good money in what you do?”

  Eva stifled a snort. Her day job wasn’t particularly risky, but her after-hours hobby certainly was. Maybe not as much as she’d previously feared because apparently her miraculous healing worked on more serious injuries than accidental cuts and bruises. She hadn’t known that it could handle bullet and deep stab wounds as well.

  Today she’d learned that the only way to kill an immortal was to cut out the heart, chop off the head, or blow him or her into tiny pieces.

  Splendid. From now on she could take on riskier cases and go after higher caliber targets.

  “I can’t complain. The corporate stuff pays well. It’s a smaller and less competitive niche in the larger private eye field, and I’m very good at it.”

  “The disguise, it’s something that you use on the job, right?”

  “That’s my best one. No one pays any attention to an old lady. I’m invisible when I’m wearing it. But it’s uncomfortable. The body suit I wear under the clothes is heavy and hot, and the latex masks and gloves are no picnic either. Not to mention that it takes me over an hour to put it on and then apply the makeup.”

  This was a safe topic, and Eva debated whether she should keep going with it until Bhathian dropped her off at the coffee shop where she’d left her rental car. As it was, she had enough interesting stories to pass the time on a drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and back, let alone a short one like that.

  “Any other employees besides Nick the hacker?” Bhathian asked.

  “He’s not only a hacker; the boy is a genius with all kinds of electronics. Then there is Sharon, who is doing preliminary research and gathers information for me. And Tessa who is my personal assistant.”

  Bhathian seemed focused on the road ahead of him, but he was listening. “You’re fond of them. I can hear the smile on your face when you talk about them.”

  “I am. We are a little freaky family. I rent a house that serves both as my home and my office. The kids live and work with me.”

  “Don’t they have their own families?”

  “Tessa doesn’t; she was a foster kid. Nick hates his father, and Sharon’s parents live somewhere in the south and are very religious. They are ovejoyed that her boss is a woman who also provides lodging for her.”

  They were nearing the café, and Eva couldn’t wait to get out of Bhathian’s car so she could finally take a deep breath.

  Was he as nervous?

  She glanced at his handsome profile and immediately looked away. That broad chin of his and those full lips were too much of a temptation.

  As Bhathian eased the car into a parking spot, her hand hovered over the handle, and when he cut the engine, she unbuckled and pushed the door open.

  “Wait.” He put a hand on her thigh, sending goose bumps to every part of her body.

  “Yes?”

  “Don’t go yet. We have so much to talk about.”

  “Not really.” She pushed up to get out.

  In a blink of an eye, he was on the other side of the car to assist. As if she needed it. But Eva had been raised a lady, and her good manners didn’t allow her to refuse his hand.

  When he got her standing, she could sense his inner struggle. He wanted to pull her against his body and hold her. Eva wasn’t sure she would have the will to push him away if he did. Dressed as he was in exercise pants and a muscle shirt, every one of Bhathian’s impressive muscles was on display, from his powerful calves to his bulging biceps.

  She didn’t dare check what else was bulging.

  “I want to see you, Eva.”

  “You will. I promised Nathalie I’ll come back tomorrow morning.” Avoiding his eyes, she fixed her eyes on a spot over his left shoulder. For a woman who had no problem risking her life or taking the life of a target, she was showing uncharacteristic cowardice.

  “I meant alone.”

  She shook her head. “That’s not a good idea, Bhathian.”

  He hooked a finger under her chin and gently lifted her head, so she had to look at him. “Am I so repulsive to you that you can’t even look at me?”

  There was so much pain in his gray eyes that she didn’t have the heart to lie and say yes. “Just the opposite, Bhathian. You’re so handsome that I’m afraid I’ll succumb to your charms again. But I can’t. I’ve been hurt enough. I’m not looking for a repeat.”

  His smile was sweet, for lack of a better word. It wasn’t conceited as she’d expected it to be, or even satisfied. He looked like a boy who hungered for affection and had just gotten a morsel of it.

  “I’m not going to hurt you ever again. If you’d just give me another chance, I’ll prove it to you.”

  Tempting. But she wasn’t a naive girl that bought any of the lies men told. Some of them even meant the false promises at the moment they left their mouths, but not the next one.

  Fickle creatures.

  And what was even more absurd was that men called women shifty.

  Doubtless it was true for some. Eva hadn’t dated any women and was no authority on the subject, but the truth was that people in general were not trustworthy. In her line of work she got to see the ugly underbelly of humanity. The liars, the cheaters, the manipulators, and the abusers. Men didn’t hold a monopoly on bad character traits though; she’d encountered a good number of female rotten apples.

  “I don’t think so. We have a daughter, so I guess we need to get along, but no more than that.” She turned to leave.

  He caught her hand. “Please.”

  Damn it.

  Eva didn’t know Bhathian well, but she had no doubt that the word ‘please’ didn’t leave his mouth often.

  She closed her eyes and sighed. “What? What would you have me do?”

  His finger hooked under her chin again. “A kiss. One little kiss for old times’ sake.”

  God, she wanted one too. “For old times’ sake,” she whispered.

  His lips were soft and warm on hers, gentle and hesitant, not demanding at all. Exactly like she wanted, just a chaste little kiss.

  Liar.

  She wanted a real kiss to remember.

  It was the only one she would allow herself, so she needed to make it count.

  Her arms wrapped around Bhathian’s thick neck, she pulled his head down and licked into his mouth.

  He groaned, his big body trembling, either from excitement or from the effort it took to let her lead, Eva wasn’t sure. As she plastered herself against him, he wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her gently.

  The world and all of her troubles and concerns dissolved into nothingne
ss, and all that remained was that kiss. Bhathian’s lips, Bhathian’s tongue, Bhathian’s hands, Bhathian.

  Chapter 17: Amanda

  “Did you go through yesterday’s report?” Syssi asked the same question she’d been asking every morning ever since William’s game went live.

  “I’m ready to give up.” Amanda leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.

  The game was working perfectly, but the scores of the best gamers were far from encouraging. It was true that the game tested only precognition, and that there were plenty of other paranormal talents out there it wasn’t designed for, but with the thousands of people playing there should have been at least a handful who showed some promise.

  She and Syssi had agreed to check out anyone who scored eight and above on the scale they’d compiled, but to date four was the highest score.

  “Maybe we should lower our standards and check out the best from what we have,” Syssi suggested.

  “What’s the use? A four means dismal talent. A potential Dormant would’ve scored higher.”

  Syssi pulled out a chair and sat across from Amanda. “What are we doing wrong?” She braced her elbows on the desk and rested her chin on her upturned palms.

  “I don’t know. I was so hopeful when I found Michael and you, but I’m starting to think it was a fluke. Almost a year later and we still don’t have even one good candidate. But you know what bums me the most?”

  “What?”

  “The looks I’m getting at the keep. Everyone is waiting for me to discover the next Dormant, hoping it will be their destined mate. I hate to see the disappointment in their eyes.”

  Syssi snorted. “I don’t know why. Finding a destined mate is even harder than locating a Dormant. Just look at Carol and Robert. Two eligible immortals who can’t stand each other.”

  “True.”

  “Kian and I are so incredibly lucky.”

  Amanda sighed. “So am I with Dalhu, although I didn’t think so at the time. Maybe Carol and Robert just need more time.”

  Syssi shook her head. “It’s not the same. To be together, you and Dalhu had to overcome enormous opposition and eons of ingrained hatred. Carol and Robert have it easy. No one is trying to separate them or objects to their union. It just simply doesn’t work.”

  Amanda tapped her finger over her lips. “You’ll think I’m being silly, but I’m starting to suspect that my research was just a vehicle for the Fates to bring you and Kian, and Kri and Michael together. I think all our efforts to find Dormants are futile. It will happen when the Fates decide it’s time and not a moment before.”

  Syssi chuckled. “A very unscientific conclusion, Professor.”

  “Just think about it for a moment. In a city of millions, what were the chances of me bumping into Dalhu, a Doomer, on Rodeo Drive?”

  “Not statistically significant, that’s for sure.”

  “Exactly. But that’s nothing compared with Nathalie’s conception. Some random unaccounted-for immortal activates Eva, who meets Bhathian in a club, hooks up with him one time, and boom, she’s pregnant with Nathalie. Immortal females can’t conceive so easily. There are exceptions, like my oldest sister, but Eva isn’t one of them. Nathalie said that Eva and Fernando wanted to have another child, but couldn’t.”

  Syssi nodded. “I agree. It’s too much of a coincidence. But what do you suggest we do? Go dance naked in the woods and chant prayers to your fates?”

  “If that worked I would’ve done it in a heartbeat.”

  “Yeah, that’s because you like being naked.”

  “And you don’t?”

  “Not in public!”

  “What don’t you want to do in public?’ Hannah poked her head into Amanda’s office.

  “Dance naked in the woods,” Amanda said.

  “Ooh, sounds interesting. Are you girls planning a Wicca ritual? Because if you do, I’m in.”

  “You’re into Wicca?” Sissy asked.

  Hanna shrugged. “I don’t even know what it is, but I’m curious.”

  Amanda knew a little, and she could find more on the Internet. “You know what? We should do it. Just for fun.”

  Syssi cast her an incredulous glance. “Are you out of your freaking mind? I was just joking! I’m not going to dance naked outdoors. You can’t pay me to do that.”

  “Coward,” Amanda mouthed.

  “Yes, I am. I’m not going to participate in your crazy ideas.”

  “What if we’re not completely naked? We can wear white nightgowns or whatever else witches wear for their moon dances.”

  Syssi hesitated for a moment. “Fine, I’ll come. But there must be more than the three of us there.”

  “Of course. Isn’t twelve the right number? What do you think, Hannah?”

  “I can check and prepare a list. After my date with William, that is. That’s what I came to tell you. I’m leaving early today.”

  The thing between Hannah and William was troubling. The two had been going out steady for a while now. Like some couple from the Fifties, they were taking walks on the beach, going to movies, and having lunches and dinners together. But when Amanda pulled William for a little talk about overdoing it with Hannah and thralling her too many times, he’d said they’d never gotten that far.

  How the hell was it possible?

  Hannah was a sexually active adult woman, and William was an immortal male. There was no way these two weren’t hooking up, and yet William had insisted that they didn’t.

  Since the guy was tight-lipped about the relationship, Amanda was planning on having a talk with Hannah about it.

  She was still looking for an opportune moment to bring the subject up casually.

  “Have fun,” she told Hannah.

  “I will. See you tomorrow morning, boss.”

  Amanda waited until she heard Hannah open the lab’s squeaky door and close it behind her.

  “I don’t get what’s going on.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Are they having sex or not?”

  Syssi’s cheeks pinked. “I don’t think it’s any of our business.”

  “If he is thralling her repeatedly it is. But he says he doesn’t.”

  “Maybe they are just friends?”

  “That’s what it looks like. But I find it hard to believe that an immortal male can be ‘just friends’ with an attractive woman.”

  “As the saying goes; to every rule there is an exception. Maybe William is an exceptional immortal male?”

  “That he is.”

  Was it possible that William’s powerful brain could override his immortal body’s urges?

  If the answer was yes, then it was worth investigating. Maybe he could help poor Andrew.

  Chapter 18: Andrew

  “Before you duck into the spare room with that bottle, I have something to tell you.” Nathalie regarded Andrew with a pair of sad eyes. In preparation for the baby’s arrival, they’d moved into a four-bedroom apartment. But Nathalie refused to call the additional room a nursery until the baby was born.

  Every day when he returned from work he found her in the same position; sitting on the couch, her feet up on the coffee table with a throw pillow under them. And like every other day, he’d already eaten dinner out so he could lock himself in the spare room as soon as he came home, drinking himself into oblivion.

  He was at the end of his rope, and it was taking every mental muscle he had to just survive from one day to the next. They’d talked about it, and Nathalie had agreed that it was the only way. Hopefully, she hadn’t changed her mind and decided to move out, or conversely kick him out. It would crush him.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “Can’t you sit down with me for a minute?”

  Andrew walked over to the chair facing the couch and sat on the edge.

  The look Nathalie gave him was full of pity, but he wasn’t sure who she was feeling sorry for, him or herself. She braced her hands on the couch and lifted to push herself up a
nd sit a little straighter, scaring the shit out of him. It seemed Nathalie was getting ready for a serious talk.

  “Jackson called earlier today to tell me about a strange old lady that came into the café, asking about my father and me.”

  Relieved, Andrew let himself slump in the chair. It wasn’t about him.

  “He said that she only looked old but smelled young.”

  That wasn’t so unusual, given the nearby studios. “An actress in costume?”

  “That was what I thought too. The old lady turned out to be my mother.”

  Did he hear her right? “Wait, what?”

  Nathalie cast a wary glance at the bottle in his hand. “You’re not drunk yet, right?”

  “No.”

  “I need to backtrack a little. Before Bhathian left the Brazilian orphanage, he left a letter for Eva in case she ever went back there. Smart move on his part because she did. About a week ago.”

  “Must’ve been one hell of a letter to make her show her face back here.”

  Nathalie chuckled. “She didn’t show her face. Her disguise was so perfect I don’t think I would’ve recognized her. If not for Jackson’s nose, she could’ve seen me without revealing herself, which was her original intention. Anyway, long story short, I grabbed Bhathian and he drove us there. She was so shocked to see him that she let her act slip. He confronted her and brought her over to me. One look and we were both crying like crazy.”

  It hurt a little that Nathalie hadn’t thought of taking him with her, but Bhathian’s part in Eva and Nathalie’s life obviously superseded Andrew’s. She could’ve at least called him, though.

  “Where is she now?”

  “Back at her hotel room. Kian agreed and we brought her here, after she’d changed of course. You should’ve seen it. So many came to greet her, the café was overflowing with people.”

  Yeah, he should have. “Why didn’t you call me?”

  “Would you have come?”

  “Of course. What kind of question is that?”

  She shrugged.

  “Come on, Nathalie. You know I love you and that I have no choice about any of it. I’m doing the best I can under the circumstances.”