Highlands at Dawn

by Aliyah Burke

  That was to be Billy’s pleasure.

  Blue eyes glared defiantly up at him from the ground. He wasn’t impressed. The men had been too dependent on the demons and hadn’t been properly attired for a night attack. Not that he minded, for it had made his job easier. Once the demons had been defeated, the humans had been relatively easy to dispatch.

  Still doesn’t mean I’m not pissed they came close to Mal. Sure, it might not be logical that he was mad over it for he’d insisted on keeping her with him and camping. But hey, he wasn’t going to blame himself.

  “Sit down.” Mal’s voice, authoritative, reached him before she stepped back into the light.

  He did as ordered, ensuring he would still have a clear vision line to the trussed-up man.

  Mal walked up to him, bag in hand and shook her head. “Easy ones first.” She crouched at his side and dug to find what she wanted.

  Billy didn’t say a word as she inspected him and cleaned out his injuries. When she’d finished and had put everything back in her bag, she stood and looked over at the man who was bleeding.

  “Do you want me to treat him?”

  He heard it, in her voice—the need in her to fix up that other man. It was part of a doctor’s code, and hers—she didn’t just ignore those in pain. But he admired that she asked him instead of insisting. Even if it was a thinly disguised demand.

  “Who cares what he wants. I’m bleeding here,” the man spat.

  Billy leaned forward when Mal faced the complainer. He could see her profile in the flames and it wasn’t gentle. There wasn’t any sympathy he could see.

  “You wouldn’t be if you hadn’t attacked us. Don’t think I give a damn you’re bleeding. I only ask because if you die, he doesn’t get the answers he wants then we have to do this again and lure more of you idiots out.”

  She’s good. He knew she felt a need to save him but the man she spoke to had none of that knowledge. Derision dripped from her every word, cold and cutting.

  “I thought you were a doctor.”

  “I’m sure that should mean something,” she said. “Well?” Mal looked at Billy. “Am I treating him or can I put my bag back?”

  “Treat him.” He rose from the chair, unwilling to have her treating that man with him being so far away. “Just a patch job. If it can wait, let it wait.”

  She squatted beside the man and opened her bag again. Billy drew a sword and placed the tip at the side of the man’s throat. “Don’t try anything. I won’t kill you, but you’ll wish you were dead.”

  Mal flashed him a glance but didn’t say anything, just withdrew more of the things she’d used on him. Billy watched her attend to the man. Her touch was professional and quick. As he’d ordered, she overlooked the miniscule injuries and focused on the three wounds that could prove to be problematic.

  She finished and pulled off her gloves. “He’ll survive.” She shoved all her supplies in the bag and walked off.

  The man looked up at Billy. “We’re going to have fun with her when they come for me.”

  Billy put his sword away so the man wouldn’t provoke him to do something rash. Billy had a feeling that when it came to Mal, rash reactions would be kind of common. He crossed his arms and stared down at him. “You’re not going to touch her.”

  The smug smile had him wanting to smack it off the man’s face.

  “Where’s your stronghold?” Billy asked.

  He shook his head. Billy stepped closer when Mal reappeared. In her hand, she held a syringe. Without a word, she crouched back by the prisoner and injected him. She rose and bypassed Billy this time.

  “Give it about five minutes and then ask him what you need to know.” She walked on and he stepped backward to halt her.

  “What did you give him?”

  “Something to loosen up his tongue a bit.”

  “You walk around with Sodium Pentothal in your bag?”

  “No. It’s been long thought that ‘truth serums’ don’t necessarily work. It lowers their inhibitions but they can still lie. Basically, they’re drunk. Therefore, I did that, injecting him with nearly pure ethyl alcohol. It’ll have the same, or nearly the same effect, as if I’d used Sodium Pentothal. Hopefully he’ll think he’s drunk and with friends, that way he’ll spill what you need to learn.” She looked over at him briefly. “I’m going to put this away then sleep, if you think that’s okay for me to do.”

  “Yes.” He brushed some hair behind her ear. “I’ll put the bed back in the tent. You don’t have to close it, but the wind is picking up and I don’t want you to get cold.”

  “You’ll not be joining me, will you?”

  “I wish I could.” He grinned. “I really do, but I need to keep an eye on this one tonight.”

  She laid a hand on his arm. “When will you sleep?”

  “Tomorrow when you’re driving us wherever we need to go.”

  He watched her war with his decision—she opened her mouth to speak a few times, didn’t, but finally she gave him a nod and walked off. While she was gone, he did as promised and moved the bags back in the tent.

  “She don’t want to sleep with you? Shame. I bet she’s hellacious in the sack.”

  Billy ignored him.

  “Maybe she needs a real man, not someone of your…kind. I’ve heard about Asian men and how small some things are.”

  “I can assure you that’s a lie,” Mal said in a bland tone. “In fact, I’d say you are way smaller than he is, considering what I felt—or didn’t, in this case—when I was cleaning your injury.”

  Billy smiled before he backed out and watched Mal walk toward him. Her light brown eyes looked golden in the light. His heart pounded and he longed to hold her and strip her down so he could inspect her, ensuring she was fine. She looked it. Calm. Composed.

  She stopped at his side and settled her hand against his chest. “Be careful.”

  “Could it be you’re worried for me, Mal?” he asked in a low tone.

  “Could be, but don’t count on it.”

  “You know I’ll make this up to you.”

  “Just stay safe.”

  “You are worried.”

  “Nope, just don’t want to die while camping.” She tugged on his shirt slightly then slipped by him into the tent.

  Billy returned to the fire and sat in his chair, staring across the way to the man who had slumped over. His eyes were disoriented and he kept licking his lips, as if he needed a drink.

  “What’s your name?” Billy asked, making sure there was no anger in his tone.

  “Logan.” He sat up more.

  “Who do you work for, Logan?”

  “Man,” he slurred. “I’ve got this great gig.” His eyes grew wide. “But I can’t talk about it. You know, it’s hush-hush.”

  Billy moved his chair closer but in the end opted to just sit on the ground with him. “Hush-hush? Are you one of those secret military guys?”

  “Sort of.”

  “Who do you work with? Royal Navy? Air Force?”

  “Not them.” He leaned closer. “This group is secret even to them—although we have some people in it.”

  “I’m in one as well,” Billy said. “I can’t tell you the name but I can draw you the symbol. Tell me if it’s the one you know.”

  The man seemed thrilled he had someone to talk to and had not even realized he was tied up. “Okay.” His words were still slurred and he wove from time to time.

  Billy picked up a small stick and dug into the ground what he needed to. Three vertical lines connected by a horizontal. Everything was flush across the top, the middle of the three verticals hung down further and ended with an empty circle. The symbol for The New Order. Also Uranus.

  “This it?”

  “Yes. You’re one of us.” He squinted and shook his head like he knew something wasn’t right.

  “You’re injured, man. Let me take you to your headquarters so you can get fixed up.”

  “I don’t feel injured.”

&nb
sp; “You’re still buzzing from your drinking. Look at your leg.”

  Logan did and stared back up at him with wide eyes. “Shit, man. Look what I did.” He frowned. “What did I do?”

  “Don’t know. I found you like this. Tell me where to take you.”

  “We have one”—he scrunched his brow—“very near where the Father of Australia is buried.”

  “The Father of Australia?” What the fuck does that mean?

  “You should know where…oh shit. I just pissed myself.” Logan slumped back over and Billy knew this time he was out.

  “Great. I’m sure that means something.”

  He used his advantage of Logan being unconscious and took care of spreading out the remains of the dead demons. Then he turned his attention to the other two humans who lay upon the ground. He didn’t want to put them in the loch but it wouldn’t do to have them lying there for someone to discover. So he set about making it look like they’d killed one another.

  The sun had just begun to rise when he finished. He stretched and worked out the kinks as the morning fog came into view. One minute he stood alone, the next, Mal was beside him.

  She slid an arm around him. “How are you?”

  “Good. You?”

  “Slept well, considering.” She placed a kiss on his cheek. “What about him?”

  “Been out since he pissed himself.”

  “What a pleasant thought and imagery. Thank you for that. Did you get what you needed to know?”

  “He said their stronghold is near where they buried the Father of Australia, whatever the fuck that means.” He tipped her chin up. “Do you know what it means?”

  “Sure, I know who it is. He was a Scottish Army officer. He was also the fifth Governor of New South Wales. Lachlan Macquarie, with a variation on the spelling depending on how you’re doing it.”

  Billy held her gaze. “Where was he buried?”

  “Same place he was born. Mull.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Pretty much. Shelly is a wealth of information I would never think to learn. She told me about him. But check it out.”

  He intended to. Not sure why I didn’t think of asking Edmond earlier. “You know how to get to this Mull place?”

  “Yes. It’s an island of the Inner Hebrides.”

  “Let’s pack up and get going.” When she stepped away, he reached out to Edmond to double-check.

  * * * *

  Mal drove the speed limit. She didn’t have any intention of being pulled over—especially not with a body in the trunk. Logan. Billy had told her that was the name the captured man had given him last night.

  She’d been uneasy traveling with him back there, tied up. Billy had knocked him out and said they’d stop every so often to check. Then once she’d begun driving, Billy had fallen asleep—and slept now. She’d woken him to check on Logan before stopping for fuel.

  He said he asked one of the other Guardians. A computer specialist. And the man, Edmond, confirmed what I had told him.

  She wished she’d grabbed a bit more to eat at the station, for she could go for something now. Billy was slumped against the door but it didn’t take away from how attractive he appeared to her. There was no denying his masculinity.

  A small snort escaped as she recalled Logan’s attempt at a dig—saying he had a small dick because Billy was Asian. Yeah, she could personally attest that was a myth. Even thinking about him made her pussy dampen.

  She shoved those thoughts away—they weren’t doing her any good. Right now, she had to stay focused and alert. Billy needed to get his rest.

  “What are you thinking about so hard over there?”

  His voice was so calm and seductive, she trembled a bit.

  “Just that I shouldn’t speed, because it wouldn’t be conducive for me to get stopped with a body in the trunk. I can’t believe I’m a kidnapper now. I’ll be lucky to ever practice medicine again.”

  “You’ll be fine. We’ll be fine.”

  “Says the man with nothing to lose.”

  He twisted in his seat to face her. “Do you really believe that?”

  “I don’t know,” she admitted. “You say you live at a vineyard and from all accounts, you’re taken care of there. I don’t begrudge you that, but I work for a living. And more than that, I love my job. I busted my ass to become a surgeon. I’m a damn good one.”

  “Do you think I would let anything happen to your career?”

  She flexed her fingers around the steering wheel. “I don’t think you’d have the choice. They don’t usually approve of kidnappers as surgeons. People want well-respected non-criminals in that profession.”

  “So you think I’d leave you here and just go back to Oregon?”

  “I don’t know, Billy. I haven’t the slightest clue what you plan on doing.”

  “Marrying you.”

  Okay, that wasn’t expected. The car swerved until she regained control. “Still on that?”

  “You thought I would let it go? You said that’s how I get you back to Oregon. I’m going to do it.”

  All about Oregon. “I see.”

  “I don’t think you quite do yet, Mal. But you will.”

  Such confidence flowed from him. It was hard not to buy into all that he told her. It’s not like I have a script for how this should be going. So she chose not to answer him. Instead, she refocused her attention on the road ahead.

  Billy gave her some silence then out of the blue, spoke again. “We can marry in Mull.”

  Thank God there were no other cars near or she surely would have plowed into them. Again, swerving on the road. “Just like that?”

  “Yes.”

  More of that confidence she wasn’t sure what to do with. How has my life got so insane in the last few days? Why can’t it go back to me being a damn good surgeon and having zero knowledge of this paranormal, otherworldly crap, which is surrounding me?

  “What are you thinking about?”

  “How easy my life used to be.” The words slipped out and she regretted them. “I’m sorry, that was rude. I’m just… This is all a bit much.”

  “You thought being a Guardian for the entire world would be easy?”

  “I’m not the Guardian, you are. According to you, I’m the Guardian’s mate.”

  “No,” he said, his deep voice both oddly soothing and possessive. “I said you were my mate.”

  She slowed for the corner. “Isn’t that the same thing? I mean, you are a Guardian.”

  “I am but you’re not just any mate, Mal. You’re mine.”

  “Not sure how I feel being labeled a piece of property.” Her words were strong despite the tightening in her belly at his insistence she was his. Was it wrong for her to feel so deeply and passionately about someone who wanted her with equivalent intensity?

  “You’re not. I’m calling it like it is. It’s not as if this isn’t a two-way street here, Mal. I belong as much to you as you do me.”

  “So I can go around saying you’re mine?”

  He settled his hand on her inner thigh. “Please do.”

  Her pussy gushed and she shifted on the seat, needing to seek out some relief from this near desperation that was gnawing at her. She gulped some air, trying to calm her heartbeat.

  “I’ll think about it.”

  His fingers drove her crazy with the small circles he drew upon her leg. This just wasn’t fair.

  “See that you do.”

  This time his voice was a tantalizing thread of promise. For what? She wasn’t entirely positive, although she had a pretty clear idea. She slowed again when they neared the ferry to take them to Mull.

  “Should we stop before we get there and make sure that Logan is still out?”

  “Good idea. Pull over out of sight. We’ll prop him up in the back and cover him with a blanket.”

  The stop didn’t take that long and soon Logan was slumped against the back window, a blanket up to his chin. Billy gave her hand an encouraging sque
eze as she drove on the transport.

  “Why don’t you go get yourself something to drink and stretch your legs?”

  Mal stared at Billy. “You don’t mind?”

  “Of course not. I’ll stay here with Logan.”

  She hesitated, unsure for a moment. Then Billy smiled at her and she sent him one back. He was confident all was okay and she trusted him. On impulse, she leaned over and kissed him before leaving the car. With a small wave over her shoulder, she walked inside the ferry.

  It didn’t take too long and she had a coffee in hand and walked to one of the small tables. In the seat, she stared out of the window at the choppy water, fingers curved about the cup, taking in all the warmth it offered. As far as disbelieving adventures, this one takes the cake.

  She dug in her pocket for her cell and placed a call.

  “Is everything okay, Mal?” Shelly’s greeting had her smiling with a mixture of relief and sadness.

  “I don’t know, Shelly. I really don’t. I’m in some mixed up shit.” She kept her voice low and contained despite wanting to scream aloud.

  “Do you need me? You know I’ll drop everything and come to wherever you are.”

  She was so lucky to have such a wonderful friend. “I know you would. I don’t think I need that. But hearing a friendly voice is helping so much more than you could realize.”

  “Are you in danger?”

  She drank some coffee. “Yes. Not from the man I told you about. Well, not in that sense. He’s playing hell on my libido, Shelly. I’m like a horny girl who wants to go Girls Gone Wild on him. Every single time I see him. And he even took me camping. Camping!”

  Shelly’s laughter filled the line. “Good.”

  She frowned. “Good? What do you mean good?”

  “Just that it’s about time you’ve had someone to rock your world. And I think it’s way past time you camp. I know it’s been a dry spell for you. Every bloke I sent your way, you found a reason to keep your clothes on. If this one—and I remember how cute he was too—has you wanting to keep them off, all the better. Ride him ‘til he drops.”

  “There’s an image,” she commented dryly.

  “Please, like you’re not squirming on your seat at the thought. Look. I’m thrilled he’s making you happy in bed but I’m worried for you. Are you okay, truly?”