by Donna Grant
“Charon.”
“Aye,” he said, trying to mask the fury that welled inside him as he saw the bruise forming on her jaw. “He hit you.”
“I think I need to do better on my background checks,” she muttered.
She was in shock, and by the way she looked around her flat, Charon knew she didn’t want to be there. And he didn’t want her alone. The weasel might come back.
“You doona need to stay here,” he said, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
It wasn’t until she laid her head on him and her shoulders began to shake that he lifted her in his arms and strode from the flat. Whatever distance he’d wanted put between them no longer mattered.
She’d been hurt. She needed him, and he wasn’t about to let her down. If there was one thing he could do, it was protect her.
“You’ll be safe with me,” he murmured.
He took long strides crossing the street. Charon didn’t go in through the pub, instead went around the building to gain entrance at the back.
In no time he was inside. He took the stairs up to his private quarters and walked into the bedroom. Yet, he couldn’t make himself release Laura.
He sank onto the bed with her still in his arms. She clung to him, though she had stopped trembling. “I need to get you something for your face.”
“He said I teased him.”
“He’s a liar. Forget him.”
She raised her head so her eyes met his. “He was adamant about me going with him. Desperate even. I never wanted to be manhandled like that again.”
Again? Charon wished now he had dug into her past. “He willna touch you ever again. That I can promise.”
A ghost of a smile played on her lips. “I don’t think I’m meant to find anyone.”
“Because of one date with a deranged man? Doona base your facts on that.”
“I base my facts on my life. If you knew my family, you’d understand.”
It was the first time she had spoken of her past, and he didn’t want to let the opportunity slide. Plus it would keep her mind from the attack.
Though he had no such problems. As soon as Phelan returned to let him know where Ben was, Charon planned on paying him a little visit.
“Tell me about your family.”
“They’re … I don’t talk to them.”
“Why?”
“It’s better that way. Tell me your secret now.”
He smoothed her hair back from her face, careful not to touch her bruise. It felt so good to touch her and have her in his arms. His secret wouldn’t be shared with her. Ever. “Did Ben say why he wanted you to go with him?”
“No.”
Laura began to shake again, and Charon silently cursed himself for bringing the bastard up. He set her on the bed and rose to pour some scotch.
On his way back, he grabbed a shirt from his closet and took them both to her.
“Drink this now. All of it,” he instructed. “Then go change into this. You’re sleeping here tonight.”
When she stared at him, he nudged her hand holding the glass until it was at her lips. Once she had drained it, Charon took the glass and watched her go into the bathroom.
It took everything he had not to follow and pull her back into his arms. But after the night she’d had, it would be the last thing she wanted.
“Charon.”
He looked to find Laura standing in the bathroom doorway in her torn dress. She walked to him, rose up on her tiptoes, and placed her lips on his.
Fire rushed through his veins as his body roared to life. He’d dreamed of kissing her, yearned to take her lips.
His arms locked around her, refusing to let her go. For a moment, he simply savored the feel of her body and mouth. Then he tilted his head and slipped his tongue past her lips.
He deepened the kiss, the taste of her more erotic and intoxicating than he could ever have dreamed. The place in him that had been empty for so long began to diminish as she tangled her tongue with his and sank her hands into his hair.
Flames of desire, potent and exciting, coursed through him. They licked at his skin, urging him to taste more of her, touch more of her.
With his hands splayed on her back, he made himself pull back from the intensity of their kiss. It was the last thing he wanted, but he couldn’t take advantage of her after the night she’d had.
It was the hardest thing he did, but Charon slowly, reluctantly ended their kiss. When he looked down at Laura, her eyes were filled with desire and longing that rocked him to his very core.
How could he have ever thought to push her away?
CHAPTER TEN
Jason Wallace stood alone under the night sky on the back porch of the hunting lodge. Every hour he spent at the lodge told him it was one of the best investments he’d made since inheriting Declan’s money.
“Any word?”
He smiled as Aisley’s voice reached him. She was another of his cousins, one who had very powerful magic. Aisley didn’t yet understand her true role in his plot, but she would. Very soon.
“No’ yet,” he answered. “I suspect verra soon to be hearing from Ben.”
Aisley’s heels clicked on the stone patio as she walked to a potted plant and leaned down to smell the roses. “And you think that taking someone close to Charon will hurt him far more than just killing him?”
“Aye. He willna be expecting it. The Warriors think they’re so smart, hiding in MacLeod Castle. Deirdre was able to penetrate the castle. Even Declan was able to, but nothing ever came of it. I decided to approach things another way.”
Aisley straightened before she sank onto a nearby bench and leaned back on her hands. “You’re taking a big chance that this woman means anything to Charon other than an employee.”
Jason briefly smiled as he turned to his cousin, the pull of the stitches in his cheek reminding him of his deformity, his lack of a healer, and the fact that for some reason his magic couldn’t heal him. He’d have to take precautions from now on.
“Ah, but I do know, cousin. You forget I was watching these Warriors for months before they knew anything of me. I know more about them than they expect.”
“In other words, they’ll underestimate you.”
“Precisely. Once I have the woman, I’ll use her to get Charon out of hiding.”
“He should be easy. After all, he isn’t at MacLeod Castle.”
Jason narrowed his gaze at Aisley. She was the one who had dared to try to leave him. Once. He’d taken care to ensure that would never happen again, but he also knew she didn’t always agree with him.
“Why the sudden interest in my thoughts, cousin?”
She shrugged nonchalantly and looked at a passing lightning bug. “Mindy was running her mouth again. I had hoped I’d seen the last of the whiny bitch, but I wasn’t that lucky.”
“You’re going to have to learn to like Mindy. She’s a part of this team.”
Aisley looked down at the bloodred heels she wore and rotated her ankle. “I’ll tolerate her because I don’t have a choice.”
“You doona have a choice about a great many things, Aisley. Doona forget that.”
“Never,” she said, and stood. “You don’t let me.”
If there had been any heat, any sarcasm to her words, he would have punished her right then. But she was just stating a fact, so he let her walk away.
Jason turned back to the stars. He could barely contain the excitement running through him. A smirk tugged at his lips as he imagined Charon’s face when he learned his precious Laura was gone.
Charon might not have taken Laura to his bed, but Jason had seen the way Charon looked at her in the surveillance pictures.
The Warrior who thought he could live among humans was about to get the surprise of his life. Jason could hardly wait for Charon’s arrival.
He could almost picture the copper Warrior demanding the release of Laura. There was no doubt Charon would offer a trade: himself for Laura.
It was a trade Jason was more than willing to make.
Charon was the first he would attack in such a way, but the others wouldn’t be the same. No, Jason had devised a unique approach to hitting each Warrior where it hurt the most.
The plan had unfolded in his mind hundreds of times. The Warriors wouldn’t see any of this coming until it was too late. There would be nothing they—or the magic of their Druids—could do about it either.
The buzz of his phone sent a spike of anticipation through him. “Aye?”
“We have a problem,” Ben’s voice said through the phone.
“Tell me you have the woman.”
“She got away.”
Jason fisted a hand to control his rising temper. “Explain.”
“She fought me. Someone heard the commotion and came to help her. I ran off before they could call the police.”
“Did Charon witness any of it?”
“I doubt it,” Ben answered. “He’d have charged me if he had. I heard no roar of a Warrior and saw nothing.”
Jason opened his eyes. “Damn. Where are you now?”
“I had to stop for some petrol, so I took the chance to call you. Do you want me to go back for her?”
“Nay. They’ll be expecting you.” Suddenly Jason laughed as a new plan took flight. “But they willna be expecting what I do next.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Where are you?”
“Outside Inverness.”
“Good. Stay there. You’ll hear from me soon.”
Jason ended the call and turned to the open doors that led into the study. He shoved the mobile into his pocket and strode into the house.
* * *
Phelan flexed his hand as his claws lengthened from his fingers while his enhanced hearing picked up the entire phone conversation. It would take just one slash to sever the head from Ben’s body.
He wasn’t surprised to learn Ben was connected to Jason Wallace. It was becoming impossible to decipher who was with Wallace and who wasn’t.
Phelan edged closer to Ben in the shadows of the petrol station. The lights were blinding and left little hiding places, but Phelan didn’t need to get that close with his hearing. It also helped that Ben didn’t care if anyone heard his conversation.
Phelan was blindsided to learn Jason had been watching Charon and the others for months. With the way he moved around constantly, Phelan was sure he hadn’t been followed.
But he hadn’t been looking for it, so it was a possibility.
“Bloody hell,” he murmured when the call ended.
Phelan wanted to stay with Ben and see what was next, but by Jason’s words, Phelan couldn’t chance it. For whatever reason, Jason was focused on Charon now, and it was up to Phelan to make sure his friend made it out of this cluster fuck alive.
With one last look at Ben, Phelan turned and started back to Charon.
* * *
Charon sat in the dark, watching Laura sleep. He’d taken the chair beside the bed since he couldn’t climb in with her, nor could he go into the next room because of his worry.
She had taken a long time in the shower. So long, Charon almost went in after her. When she finally came out, she immediately climbed into his bed, where she had been ever since.
For hours, he had been going over everything she told him about Ben and then the attack. Something wasn’t adding up. From what Laura had told him, Ben was a stand-up guy with a good job. Why turn into a lunatic so suddenly?
Charon ran a hand down his face. He leaned up and braced his elbows on his knees and looked at Laura. She was on her stomach, one arm tucked beneath the pillow and one long, lean leg out of the covers.
She wore the faded denim button-down he’d tossed her, and the hem was hiked up to where her leg met her buttocks. His hands itched to smooth up her thigh and cup her arse.
But he wanted to do so much more than that.
He smoothed a lock of hair away from her face and saw the bruise. Once more, rage consumed him. He never understood why some men felt the need to hit women, but Ben would pay for what he’d done.
Charon was also going to make sure Laura could defend herself from now on. She’d done a good job, but with some training, she could have set Ben on his ass with one or two good punches.
It was the sound of someone on the deck outside that had Charon on his feet, releasing his god, and in the living room in the space of a breath.
As soon as he saw Phelan, he tamped down his god and motioned his friend inside. Charon had been prepared for bad news, but by the look on Phelan’s face, it was worse than he expected.
And then the full impact hit him.
“Wallace.”
Phelan gave a nod as he shut the sliding glass door behind him.
“Shite. How did this happen?”
Phelan leaned a shoulder against the wall and folded his arms over his chest. “He’s had you followed for months. He has photos of you and Laura, and God only knows who else.”
“How could I no’ have known?”
Phelan shrugged. “We can no’ do anything about that now. I did, however, take a look around the village. The guards you have set up are still patrolling, but I did find one of Wallace’s men who had a spot on the roof opposite this building.”
“Then I need to have a word with him,” Charon said, and started for the stairs.
“There’s no need.”
Phelan’s words halted him. Charon whirled around and glared at his friend. “I need to hit someone. You wouldna let me go after Ben, and now you take care of the weasel who is watching me and Laura.”
Phelan gave him a crooked grin. “You were no’ the only one in need of a battle, though the man watching you was no’ much of anything. He passed out when he saw what I was. I woke him up and learned he had been hired to watch you. That’s all he knew. He didna even know his employer, just sent the photos to an e-mail address.”
“And you believed him?”
“I saw the proof. No’ to mention, the man was scared shitless. He pissed himself. Twice. He was telling the truth.”
Charon began to pace the length of his home. Laura’s life had been put in danger because of him. He’d feared this, which was one of many reasons he had never shown her any interest.
But what had he done to make Wallace take notice of Laura? He didn’t want to even think about what Wallace would have done to her just to get his attention.
“I knew something was no’ right about the entire situation with Ben and then the attack. Now it’s all coming together.” He stopped and looked at Phelan. “Tell me you didna kill Ben?”
“Nay, but I left him alone. There’s more, Charon.”
“Fuck,” he ground out, and raked a hand through his hair as his mind went through possibilities. “Let me guess. Jason is pissed that his plot to kidnap Laura didna work?”
“Aye. He has something else planned. Jason didna say what it was, only that Ben needs to be ready.”
Charon blew out a harsh breath. “They’re coming here.”
“That’s my thought as well. With your men, and both of us, we can hold them off.”
Charon was shaking his head before Phelan finished talking.
“Why the hell no’?” Phelan demanded.
“Last year when Deirdre attacked, I lost men. People learned what I was. The secret I had been keeping from them was exposed.”
“And?” Phelan asked wearily. “What’s your point? The cat’s out of the bag, brother.”
“This … war … is between Wallace and us. It’s bad enough Druids have been brought in on this, but I willna sacrifice more innocents.”
“You mean Laura.”
“Innocents, but especially Laura.”
“Then what do you plan?”
“I need you to take Laura to the MacLeods. She isna a Druid, but Jason has targeted her, so they’ll give her sanctuary.”
Phelan gave a quick shake of his head. “Bad plan. Call Fallon and have him us
e his power to teleport and take Laura. That’ll leave me here to help you.”
Charon caught Phelan’s blue-gray gaze. “Jason wants me. Doona put your life in danger. It’ll be there soon enough. Besides, the MacLeods will need you with the others. The more Warriors there to fight, the better. Just take Laura.”
“No,” Laura said from behind him.
He turned to see her standing in the doorway with steely determination in her pale green eyes.
“No,” she said again. “No one tells me what to do anymore.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Laura had woken to the sound of male voices. For several minutes she was content to simply listen to the cadence of Charon’s voice, the sexy timbre and how it put her at ease knowing he was near. Until she heard her name.
Then she began to pay attention.
The mention of Druids, Jason Wallace, and the MacLeods was of interest. Something big was going on, and somehow it involved her. She could hardly wrap her head around the idea of Druids, let alone hearing Charon and the other man speak of them as if they were a part of their everyday lives.
But when Charon asked the man to take her away, Laura could no longer sit back and listen.
“Laura,” Charon began.
She held up a hand to stop him. “No. I left England because my family kept running my life. I made a promise to myself then that I wouldn’t let it happen again. Ever.”
“You doona understand,” the man said.
Charon sighed and motioned to his friend. “Laura, this is Phelan.”
“Nice to meet you,” she said, and turned her gaze back to Charon. “Are you listening to me? The only one making decisions about my life is me. When I left England, I left that part of my life behind.”
“Maybe if she knew what was going on, she might change her mind,” Phelan said.
Laura gave a nod of thanks in Phelan’s direction. “A capital idea. Charon?”
Charon lifted his deep brown eyes to her, and she saw the indecision and worry that filled them.
“I recognize you’re concerned for me, and I appreciate that,” she said. “What Ben did was … well, it was unconscionable. However, that doesn’t give you the right to decide my life.”