He sighed and rested his forehead against hers. “Looks like I don’t have a choice.”
…
Luther was reeling from Victoria’s confession. She’d actually seen a drakon, had talked with one. And not just any drakon. His father. She also had confirmation that his mother was still alive. Hope surged within him.
Even more astounding was the fact that she was searching for the same people he was. How is that even possible? The odds are astronomical.
For a brief moment, he wondered if somehow she’d been sent to test him. If what she was saying about her psychic abilities was true, she could have easily learned his secrets and be working for Temple and the Knights. Everything she was telling him might well be a lie.
Except he couldn’t detect any untruth in anything she’d told him. And he was very, very good at ferreting out lies. And Victoria reeked of sincerity.
But could he take the chance she might betray him?
Shame washed over him, hot and thick, for thinking such a thing, even if it was for the briefest of seconds. Victoria was his to protect. He couldn’t doubt her. Besides, if Temple suspected Luther of working against him, he’d already be dead or worse. But trust came hard, and he wasn’t willing to share his secret. Not yet.
“Luther?” The soft whisper was his undoing. He rolled off her and lay staring at the ceiling, not yet able to talk. His emotions churned inside him, like lava bubbling away beneath the surface of the earth. The pressure was building. He had to get a handle on himself and what she’d just told him.
She turned onto her side and put her hand over his pounding heart. Everything inside him stilled and settled. Only she had that kind of power over him. Calmed slightly, his brain kicked into gear. He turned his head on the pillow so he could see her. “You said you saw Sergei in one of your dreams.”
“Yes.”
“So you know who is holding him?”
“In theory. I know the man’s face, but not his name.”
Luther swore. “So it’s not Caine?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen a picture of Caine and couldn’t find one online. He rarely appears in public and keeps a very low profile.”
“Most Knights do. Only a handful are ever in the spotlight. So it could be Caine.” Hope surged inside him. This might be the break he’d been hoping for.
“I guess I’ll find out when we meet him.” Victoria was trying to sound brave, but he could hear her underlying fear. And she had every reason to be afraid. Not only were they walking into an unknown situation, but the people they were dealing with were deadly.
“I’ll keep you safe.”
She shook her head. “You can’t promise that. No one can.” She paused, and a gleam of determination entered her eyes. “If Caine is the man I saw in my last vision of Sergei, that means he and his wife may be somewhere close. If you get a chance, you have to rescue them. Promise me.”
“And what about you?” He was furious at her lack of regard for her own well-being, while at the same time awed by her loyalty and courage.
“I have no one who’ll miss me. They’ve been imprisoned for so long. They deserve their freedom and a chance at happiness.”
Luther cupped the back of her head in his hand. “I’d miss you.” He brushed his lips over hers. “I’m not sure I’d survive if anything happens to you.”
She caught her breath at his confession. Then she smiled, and her already beautiful face took on an almost ethereal glow. She truly was an angel. “That means a lot to me.”
“But?” he could hear the “but” in her tone.
“I want Sergei and Katherine to be free.”
Lust and some much more tender emotion welled up inside him. He wanted to swear a blue streak, to sneak Victoria out of the hotel and stash her somewhere safe, somewhere Temple and his cronies would never find her.
Since that wasn’t possible, he kissed her.
She surged forward and met his passion, equaling it, surpassing it. She thrust her tongue into his mouth, tangling it with his. She was so giving, so open. He wanted everything she would give him and more. He was greedy for her. She belonged to him. Only him.
He’d kill anyone who tried to take her from him.
She already knew too much, could endanger him as well as those he sought to protect. But none of that mattered. She was under his protection now. And her safety was dearer to him than that of anyone else.
That should have scared the hell out of him. Instead, he rejoiced. He’d finally found someone who filled the empty places in his soul, who shed light in the dark places.
If what he suspected was true, Victoria was his mate. As the son of a drakon, he’d always wondered if he’d have the same instincts as his father or would he be more human like his mother. A drakon was the son of a full-blooded dragon and a human woman. Luther’s blood was diluted, but it seemed as though the dragon blood in his sire’s veins shaped him in all ways.
And a drakon always knew when he’d found his mate. Maybe it had taken him a while to realize it, to accept it. But now that he had, there was no going back.
He rolled until she was on her back once again. He ran his fingers over her cheek and jaw, marveling at how soft her skin was. The clock was ticking. He was very aware that there wasn’t enough time to properly make love with her. He didn’t want to rush their first time. Plus, he didn’t want to leave himself that open, that vulnerable when he knew they weren’t safe. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t touch her, taste her a little.
He rained passionate kisses down her neck and along her delicate collarbone. She always seemed so much larger than life in her heels and power suits. She was strong willed, but beneath it all she was…not fragile, but fine. He was too rough and hard for her, but he didn’t care. He had her now, and the time had passed where he could let her walk away.
She’d made her choice. His job was to make sure she never regretted it.
He hooked one finger beneath the strap of her nightgown and slowly lowered it, revealing one perfectly shaped breast.
…
Victoria knew in her heart that Luther was the man she’d been waiting for her entire life. It seemed odd they’d known one another for some time, but she’d never suspected she was so attracted to him.
She’d been too busy trying to keep him away. That should have told her something.
It was easy to put off most men. Honestly, they didn’t even make a blip on her radar. She was too focused, to insular. But Luther had been like a pesky mosquito, always buzzing at the edges of her awareness. She’d had to work to try to keep him out of her mind. Even then, she’d failed.
And she was infinitely glad she had. No matter what else happened, this experience was worth it. He was worth it.
The way he kissed her made her feel as though she were the only woman in the world. There was a sense of possession that should scare her, but it was the exact opposite. She craved it. She’d never belonged anywhere before, or to anyone, and his touch silenced the old voices in her head that whispered she wasn’t good enough, that no one wanted her because she was flawed.
The skin of his hands was rough. Had to be from all the hard workouts he must do in order to maintain such a ripped physique. His muscles bunched and rippled when he moved. But when he touched her… She sighed and ran her fingers over his back. When he touched her, it was pure magic.
Heat enveloped her when he revealed her breast. He trailed his fingers over the mound before cupping it in his palm.
“You’re perfect.”
She shook her head. “I’m just a woman.”
“My woman.” He slowly lowered his head and captured the straining nipple between his lips.
His possessive claim and his touch sent all her senses reeling. Everything with Luther was more intense. She’d made love before, but somehow, he made everything feel fresh and new and exciting. She had a suspicion it would always be this way, even if they spent the next thirty years making love.
Sh
e shoved thoughts of the future away. That wasn’t likely to happen given their current situation, which was all the more reason to take advantage of every moment they did have.
“Luther.” She said his name because she wanted to, because she wanted him to know she was very aware of who he was. She couldn’t tell him she had deep feelings for him. It was too soon for that. It wasn’t fair, either. Not considering what might unfold over the next few days.
Fear threatened to drive out the passion, but Luther yanked down the second strap of her nightgown and nuzzled her other breast. She griped his head and pulled him to where she wanted him.
His laugh was low and wicked and made her insides clench. She wanted him more than she’d ever wanted another man. She opened her mouth to tell him so when the bedside phone rang.
Luther jerked his head up and glared at the offending piece of machinery.
“I asked for a wake-up call,” she told him. The sky wasn’t fully light, but it wouldn’t be long now.
Luther rolled off her and sat on the side of the bed with his back to her. She hurriedly yanked up the straps of her gown. The phone continued to ring, so she reached out and grabbed the receiver. “Yes.”
“Good morning, Ms. Marshall. This is your wake-up call.”
“Thank you.” She hung up and rubbed her hand over her face.
“It’s just as well we were interrupted.”
Ouch. That hurts more than it should.
Luther stood and turned to stare down at her. “I want more than a few stolen minutes when I make love to you. I want hours. All night long.”
Okay then. She was on board with that idea. And he was right, as much as she was loath to admit it. Now was not the time. Didn’t help the arousal thrumming through her, but a cold shower would.
She glanced down and was heartened to see he was as aroused as she was.
“Don’t do that,” he told her. “It only makes things worse.”
“Cold showers for both of us,” she told him.
He glanced at the clock and sat back down on the side of the bed. “It’s still early. Why don’t you try to sleep for half an hour? I know you, so I know you built in some extra time.” He brushed a finger over her shoulder. “I’ll wake you.”
“Are you sure?” Just the mention of sleeping made her yawn, in spite of the need pulsing through her veins. She was exhausted and more than a little scared about what was to come, but having Luther here to watch over her made her feel safe.
“I’m sure. Rest.” He pressed a kiss against her forehead and then went to sit in the chair beside the bed.
“Why?” she asked.
He shook his head, and the heat from his gaze almost scorched her. “I crawl back in that bed, and you won’t get any rest.” His voice softened. “Close your eyes, baby.”
She sighed and did as he said. She was hyperaware of his presence, but it was soothing, too. She’d rest. Just for a few minutes.
Chapter Eleven
She was going to have a vision. She knew it but couldn’t stop it. This time, she was adrift in a sea of nothingness, the blackness closing in around her like a shroud, smothering her. It was hard not to panic, no matter how many times it had happened.
It meant she was traveling quite a distance to visit someone while she slept. That was rare. It was usually someone much closer. She wondered who it was and why she was connecting to them.
Maybe it’s Sergei.
The shadows began to lift, and she forced herself to pay attention. She wouldn’t be here if it weren’t important.
Victoria found herself in the corner of a hotel room, quite a lovely one. She glanced out the window to the bright lights of the city beyond. It was instantly recognizable, even though she’d never been here before.
What am I doing in Las Vegas?
She looked toward the bed where a man and woman were sleeping beneath the blankets. The man was big, maybe even slightly bigger than Luther, which meant he was huge. And he was curled around the woman in the most protective way, as though even in sleep he wanted to protect her, keep her safe. It brought tears to Victoria’s eyes.
She crept closer, even though she didn’t have to worry about them seeing her. She was always an observer when she traveled like this.
Or she had been until Luther had changed all that.
More cautious now, she looked down at the woman. The ambient light from the city was glowing down on her, highlighting her lovely blond hair with bright red tips on the ends.
The man had black hair and olive skin. Part of his chest and one of his arms were covered in tattoos. They reminded her of Luther’s, but this man’s tattoos extended down his arm to his wrist. She couldn’t see how far they went down his chest with him wrapped so tightly around the woman.
The man stirred, and Victoria retreated to the shadows. Why am I here? It couldn’t be simply to watch two strangers sleep. Her dreams were always for a reason. She always learned something about the people involved.
This was the first time she’d walked into the life of someone she didn’t know. Why? The man couldn’t be Evan Caine. Or at least she didn’t think he was. Maybe he was, and he’d catch a plane in the morning and fly back to Utah.
She shifted her weight from one leg to the other. This was boring. She also didn’t have a whole lot of time. Luther would be waking her soon.
The man in the bed suddenly sat upright, his eyes scanning the room. The woman was awake in an instant. “What is it, Nic? What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know.” He shoved aside the covers and climbed out of bed. He was totally naked. He had an incredible body, but it did nothing for her, stirred no feelings other than admiration, like one would have for a beautiful work of art. His tattoos covered the entire left-hand side of his body. The swirls were incredibly similar to Luther’s tattoos, but the colors were very different.
He cocked his head to one side and listened. Once again, she was reminded of Luther.
Victoria shrank deeper into the corner. He couldn’t see her, but could he sense her? She wasn’t sure. She’d always felt safe during her visions because she was anonymous and unseen.
If this signaled a change in things, she wanted no part of it.
“Nic?”
The big man curled his fingers toward the woman. “Come here.” She hurried to stand behind him, dragging the sheet around her as she did.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” The woman stood next to the man, but he swept his arm around her and pushed her slightly behind him.
“I don’t know. I feel…something.”
The woman rubbed her hand over his arm. “You’re worried about Oscar.”
Nic sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. “That’s probably it. He should have called tonight.”
“You said yourself he might not be able to. Not if he didn’t think it was safe,” the woman pointed out.
These people were connected to Oscar somehow. She knew it had to be Oscar Denning. After all, Oscar wasn’t exactly a common name. And she wouldn’t be here if there wasn’t some connection to her life. That’s the way her gift worked.
It was fascinating and more than a little disconcerting to be listening to a private conversation. No matter how many times it happened, she never got used to it.
“Constance.” The way he said her name was part frustration and part pure love. He pulled her into his arms and settled her against his chest. “You’re probably right.”
Victoria leaned against the wall and paid attention. This was a vision of the present. They were having this conversation right now, and a piece of her—her spirit or whatever part of her that left her body while she slept miles and miles away—was watching.
“Oscar is smart,” the woman pointed out. “He infiltrated Dent’s organization and now Temple’s.”
Okay, these people, whoever they are, know both Dent and Temple. That can’t be good.
“The Knights are ruthless, baby. They catch Oscar, and they’ll kill him.”
Nic’s eyes kept scanning the room. She thought about moving position, but she feared that might somehow attract his attention. His senses were keenly developed.
Constance simply hugged Nic, and the two of them stood there bathed in the light from the city. They belonged together. Victoria knew it with a deep-seated certainty.
“I’m going to call Tarrant. See if he can’t get eyes on the hotel where Oscar is staying.”
Constance rubbed Nic’s arm. “That’s not a bad idea.”
Nic’s grin was quick and made Victoria realize just what a handsome man he was. “I occasionally have a good one,” he teased.
“You want coffee?”
“Yeah. Might as well. I’m not going to sleep any more tonight.”
Constance dropped the sheet and pulled on a robe before leaving the bedroom. Nic’s gaze followed her until she was gone.
Victoria was getting tired just standing here. So she knew this Nic and Constance were somehow connected to Oscar and that they knew about the Knights of the Dragon. But what did it mean? And who was Tarrant?
As usual, her visions weren’t always the most forthcoming.
She shifted position and sighed. Nic’s gaze settled on where she was standing. She held her breath, even though she knew he couldn’t see her.
Nic took a step in her direction. He was a very large man with lots of muscles, and he was angry. Fear bubbled over. She tried to retreat, to wake up, but she was locked here.
She wished Luther was with her. Then she wouldn’t feel so scared. A rush of wind brushed past her, and she suddenly felt a huge presence behind her. Large hands fell on her shoulders. “Where the hell am I?”
How had she brought Luther here? How was it possible he’d traveled to her and was now sharing her vision? He must have dozed off in the chair. She couldn’t think of any other way she could have drawn him here. Her gift seemed to be evolving and changing, and she didn’t like it, not one bit.
“You’re in my vision.”
“Who the hell is this guy?” Luther didn’t sound the least bit happy about the situation. Not that she could blame him.
“Shh. His name is Nic. He can’t see or hear us, but I think he might have sensed my presence.”
Drakon Unchained (Blood of the Drakon) Page 12