As the feathers settled, Sean scrubbed a hand over his head and shuddered as he flicked a stray feather into the air. He muttered, “Rats with wings,” before facing Dec and teasing, “Any special physical powers I need to know about?”
“Don’t even think about it!” Sean thought he was hilarious. Idiot.
“Don’t get your panties in a bunch. I’m not poaching.”
“You suck. It’s not like that. I’m just worried about this demon. It’s weird he can get to her in her sleep.”
Sean lost his smirk and eyeballed the broken window. “I might as well stick around to give you a hand. Aisling’s gone again, and the demons have been freaky quiet since Dec-napping you. I’ve got feelers out for intel, but it’s going to take some time.”
Aisling was Sean’s baby mama and sometime friend. Usually she was a pain in their asses, but once in a while she was cool. A former Primani, she was formally released by her maker Gabriel, and allowed to live on earth since she’d had a baby with Sean. Full-blooded Primani babies were ridiculously rare since there were very few female Primani made by the archangels. Once upon a time, Aisling had been a unique weapon in their arsenal. Today? Not so much.
“Wait! Here she comes. Let’s follow her.” Dec was across the street as soon as the words left his mouth.
The hot summer air slapped her in the face as soon as she opened the lobby door. Gagging on the smell, she sucked in some oxygen and coughed it back out. The rain had washed away some of the garbage stench, but it was still rank. God, she hated this neighborhood. Filled with bottom feeders and predators, she wondered for the millionth time what she’d done in a past life to end up here. Slamming the door behind her, she took off jogging to work. She was going to be late again. After getting creamed by that truck, she had a more relaxed attitude about the whole timeliness bullshit. Oh, she’d rush to get there on time, but she wasn’t going to have a panic attack over it.
Before she could clear her own block, someone whistled at her. Damn it! Not again! What would it take to get rid of this guy? Hector Ramirez was a cocky young gangbanger who actually thought she’d sleep with him if he treated her like dirt. As if. There was nothing about him that rang her bell. He was short and overly muscled for his height. He wore his hair shaved nearly bald. A chin curtain hid the weak jaw that made him look younger than his age, but didn’t help the fact that he seemed to be missing his neck. All of this was topped off with beady mud-colored eyes. Even if he was good-looking, his attitude was a no-go.
He whistled again, and then shouted her name. Refusing to look in his direction, she kept moving. She totally didn’t have time for this, or for him. He’d been a... problem recently. Fixated on her in a creepy “Criminal Minds” sort of way, he watched her apartment window with an arrogant gleam in his eyes that spelled trouble for her. The more she said no, the worse things were getting. Last week, he’d cornered her in the lobby, shoving his hand up her shirt while offering his protection from the gang. Not really an offer, not really protection. Honestly, he was scaring the crap out of her. One of these days she was going to buy a stun gun if she could scrape up enough cash. It was a plan at least.
He caught up with her and jerked her around. Losing her balance, she stumbled against his chest to the delight of two gang brothers hanging out on the corner. He gripped her by one wrist, holding it up like a trophy. His nasally voice usually grated on her nerves, but today there was an underlying threat of violence in it that gave her chills. “Where do you think you’re going? I called you, my bitch. Don’t you know to come when you’re called?”
One of his friends added, “Woof. Woof!”
Squirming against his grip, she stomped hard on his instep. “Let go of me!”
Five dollar plastic sandals were completely useless as weapons. He just laughed harder and tried to cop a feel of her ass. She’d give up her first born for a Taser right about now.
“I said let go of me!” She slapped him with her free hand, the sound echoing in the stunned silence that followed.
His eyes went flat as a snake’s, and he raised his fist. “You bitch!”
Before she could react, Hector flew backwards into the side of a parked car. The shattering window glass scattered like shotgun pellets. Two men stalked to the car so fast they were just a blur. Unable to believe her eyes, she blinked several times. The men were still there, and they weren’t standing still. Whoa! Where did they come from? Between their looks, their clothes, and their total disrespect for the gangbanger, they were clearly not from around here. And the way they moved? Aggressive, powerful, controlled… Their muscles rippled with every movement. Dangerous men. She shivered as those words crossed her mind. A sane woman would probably run in the other direction, but her brain was too busy oohing and ahhing to give any commands to her feet.
Gawking with no restraint whatsoever? Priceless. A woman just didn’t dismiss eye candy this sweet without taking a good, long look. It would be rude not to memorize every inch of them for future reference. Not only were they hot, they were clearly trained in martial arts. She wasn’t usually into violence, but damn! She couldn’t turn away as they took on Hector and his friends. There was so much testosterone flying through the air, her lady parts were screaming, “oh, yeah!” at no one in particular.
Since no one was paying attention to her now, she’d just do a little ogling before running in the other direction. The more brutal of the two men practically screamed ‘Navy SEAL’, from his black t-shirt all the way down to his camouflage pants and black combat boots. He had short, spiky black hair, a lean face, brilliant blue eyes, and a hard mouth. That mouth was growling something ugly at Hector while a blond-haired guy bent his arm behind his back. There was something familiar about the blonde. She knew him from somewhere... tall and gorgeously made, he seemed younger, more approachable. He damn sure wasn’t smiling now, but he had the kind of mouth that curled naturally upwards at its corners. Considering she was usually surrounded by dark-skinned gangbangers and dusty old men, this guy was like an Australian beer commercial come to life. Surely she’d remember a man this fine? Where had she seen him before? He had the same high cheekbones as the SEAL guy. Hmm... She wondered if they were related. Brothers maybe? Yes… they could be. They moved together like they were used to fighting side-by-side. Each one seemed to know what the other was going to do. Fascinating. She was so lost in dissecting them, she missed his approach. In two steps the Aussie was standing in front of her, asking her questions that her mouth just couldn’t seem to answer.
“I asked if you’re okay. You look like you’re in shock.”
Despite the curt tone, the sound of his voice sent her hormones pulsing. He had an accent on top of that sexy body? That was just wrong. She absolutely couldn’t help it; she glanced down until he cleared his throat to get her attention.
“Hello? Can you hear me?”
Flushing beet red, she stammered, “Oh, Jesus. I’m sorry! I wasn’t listening to you. I was... was... uh...”
“Sorry, not Jesus. The name’s Declan. Everyone calls me Dec.” His curt tone changed to teasing amusement that sent a swirl of warmth into her belly.
If he was there to rescue her, she was completely on board with that plan. Declan smiled and her heart melted on the spot. Consider me rescued! Normally she’d snap out some kind of sarcastic comment, but she was stuck in staring mode. He had the most impressive dimples she’d ever seen. Ever. His eyes were so clear a blue she wanted to dive into them. His smiled widened, and those eyes crinkled... Shit! She was staring again.
Closing her mouth with a gentle touch of his finger, he spoke very slowly, “Uh, darlin’, are you all right? You seem a little shocky to me. Maybe you should sit down. Did he hurt you?” He gave her arm a little shake. “Are you hurt?”
Oh, my God, she was going to die on the spot. She’d lost her mind right then and there. He must think she’s a complete moron. She wasn’t usually this awkward! This was all Hector’s fault--his attack short-circuited
her brain. What was she thinking? With a single step forward and a wave of heat, Declan swamped her personal space. He stood with a perplexed expression. He seemed to be waiting for her to do something. He wiped his hands on the back of his jeans and winked. Thunking herself in the forehead, she squeezed her eyes shut. He’s looking for an answer. I’m an idiot.
Snapping out of her embarrassing trance, she cried, “I have to go!”
“Was it something I said?” he mused under his breath as she bolted like a deer. Wow. That was the first time in a long time that he’d stunned a pretty woman with a smile. And she didn’t even have a head injury.
He was torn between wanting to chase her down and wanting to beat the hell out of her attacker. Deciding she’d freak out if he started running after her, he flexed his fingers and opted for violence. Spinning around with every intention of clocking the tool one last time, he stopped abruptly and fumed. The tool was out cold. Damn it! Now who could he hit? Where was Dread Head? His blood was pounding with adrenaline that he really needed to release. Worse, his saol was still amped up higher than it should be. It coursed through him like a current of electricity, making muscles stronger, vision sharper, hearing stronger. Mica called it soldier-mode; he called it cool. But bad things happened if they let their energy run too hot.
“Dude! You couldn’t wait for me?”
Sean knelt over the prone man. He glanced up at Dec’s accusation. Lips pressed tight to keep his power under control, Sean waved a hand over the general direction of the guy’s torso and suggested, “Want to kick him while he’s down?”
One of the asshole’s friends objected, “No!” He moved in to take a swing at Sean.
Sean pivoted out of range then kicked him in the side, breaking a couple of ribs. The guy grunted, going down hard. On his knees now, he couldn’t move fast enough to escape one last roundhouse to the side of his melon.
The other banger pulled a knife and jumped at Sean’s back. Dec dove into the helpful, but stupid, friend’s side, slamming him into the ground. The two rolled across the sidewalk into the street. After getting one solid punch to his side, he grunted and slammed his fist into the guy’s tattooed face with a tad more force than necessary. Lights out.
Rolling smoothly to his feet, he hollered at Sean to get a move on. They had more important things to do.
The bells clattered as the door swung closed. Her customer, Alex Taylor, turned to wave as he walked out. Forcing a bright smile, she lifted her own hand before sagging against the counter. Geez. Mr. Taylor was nice enough, but she wasn’t really in the mood to hear all about his beautiful wife’s birthday plans. He’d scored tickets to an off-Broadway show, and then they’d be off to a surprise party at some fancy restaurant. If that wasn’t enough, one dozen crimson roses and a chocolate teddy bear would probably earn him a blow job after the party. He’d babbled on and on about his secret plans, minus the blow job part, while she wrapped up his order. She absolutely couldn’t move fast enough.
Oh, they were so happy! She was the best thing to ever happen to him... Rori wanted to puke. Yeah, yeah, I’m sure the sun and moon rise and set on her… whatever. Please go away so I can think! She thought those words, but would never say them aloud. He had a right to be happy, she got that, but right now she really needed to be alone. The routine of opening the store and handling orders helped settle her nerves. She’d finally stopped twitching over the ugly scene with Hector and those other men. In the grand scheme of things, they were minor distractions. She had bigger worries. She had to think. The dreams were getting worse, more vivid, more frequent. She thought she could handle that, but now she was losing time again. Arthur was gone… there was no one to ask now. What was happening to her?
Hello, Rori. I’ve been waiting for you.
Blinding pain forced her to her knees. Light seared the inside of her eyes as she clutched her temples, desperate to crush the pain before it killed her. No, no, not again! Whimpering like a wounded animal, she curled into a ball. Trying to fight it just made it worse. Breathe, just breathe. There was a vague sense of darkness, another blinding flash, and then nothing. As abruptly as it came, the searing agony was gone.
Dec rounded the corner and stopped in front of a two-window storefront. There was a green and white metal awning hanging over the sidewalk and half a dozen lifelike photos of flower arrangements covering the windows. A bright yellow sign announced the place as “Angela’s Flowers and Gifts.”
“Here’s the shop. Come on. Let’s go.”
Sean parked his butt against the side of the building and pointed to the door with his chin. “You go on. I’ll wait here. God knows you can use a little… distraction. I’d just be in the way. You know how it is. The minute she sees me, it’ll be all over for you!”
“Yeah, right. I’ve got no worries. Besides, this is business. I’m not looking to hook up with her. She’s human for crying out loud.”
“Yeah, sure. A very pretty little human with big problems. Just your style. Go on. I’ll wait. Yell if you need any help.” He grinned and pointed to the door again.
Everybody’s a comedian… He yanked on the door handle much harder than was necessary to get the thing open. The metal bells clanked loudly against the glass. With an apology on the tip of his tongue, he realized he was alone. Where was Rori? Drawing his Sig, he circled around to the storage closet, easing the door aside with the toe of his boot. Nothing. Same thing with the bathroom. The skin on the back of his neck prickled. Where did she go? Tightening his grip on the gun, he headed back to the front. A faint shuffling noise snatched his attention straight to the checkout counter.
“Rori?” Jamming the weapon back into its holster, he vaulted the counter. “Sean!”
She lay curled into a fetal position, fingers digging into the side of her head. Both eyes were open, staring at nothing, terrified.
“Oh, God. Don’t be dead!” He slipped straight into healing mode, checking for signs of life, muttering prayers under his breath.
Her pulse was fast and thready. Good. Not dead. But not normal either… the pallor of her skin scared him. Chalk white, blue around the lips and under her eyes… We need to get her to a hospital.
“Stop! Look up!” Sean ordered. Pointing to the ceiling, he kept his hand on Dec’s arm.
“What the hell?”
Chapter 5: Dazed and Confused
“HEY, YOU’RE AWAKE.” Moving slowly so he wouldn’t scare her, Dec leaned into her field of vision from a chair next to the bed.
His little mystery woman had been out for hours. Just now easing awake, she was disoriented and groggy. Intending to comfort her, he wrapped his fingers around her cold hand. Flinching like he’d shocked her, she jerked her hand away with a gasp.
“Sorry, sweetheart.”
Oops. He needed to dial it back some. Their saol did that to people if they didn’t rein it in before contact. She scooted against the headboard, eyes wide with fear and confusion. As they darted around the room, he got a good look at them. Cognac? No. Bourbon. Definitely bourbon. Her eyes were the shade of top shelf Kentucky bourbon. Tilted up at the corners, heavily lashed, with thick black rings around her pupils, they were stunning. Cheetah eyes. Beautiful and hypnotic. Exotic. He couldn’t look away. For the first time ever, he was speechless.
His eyes drifted over the rest of her face, taking in the pallor and dark circles. She frowned, shielding herself with the sheet as if it would protect her. Nothing could protect her from him. He could do anything he wanted. But he wouldn’t. He didn’t have it in him. Her vulnerability called to the warrior in him. He sensed her emotions as easily as he read her expression. She was scared, confused, and desperately trying to remember how she’d gotten here. He should say something… anything. He had a pretty speech all planned out until she opened her eyes and destroyed his ability to think.
She watched the man’s eyes linger on her face and tried to force her own expression to stay blank. Who was he? Where was she? When? Her mind raced in a mad
scramble for information. This was not good. She wasn’t where she was supposed to be. How did she get here? This hadn’t happened before. She always woke up where she fell asleep. Glancing around the room, she searched for a clock or a calendar… anything with a date on it. Nothing jumped out and waved at her. The bedroom was simply furnished. The dresser and bed were made from dark wood with intricate carvings. The sheets were purple. There was a small framed picture of a couple sitting on the nightstand. She studied it more closely for a clue, a date stamp, something in the background maybe. The pair were obviously in love. Their faces glowed with happiness. Not helpful, that.
Where the hell was she?
The man cleared his throat. “Rori. Look at me, darlin’. We need to talk.”
Snapping her head towards his voice, she found him studying her from six inches away. She jerked back, smacking her head against the headboard hard enough to see stars.
“Ow! What are you trying to do, kill me?” She rubbed at the back of her head and he burst into laughter.
His lopsided smile was natural and bright. “You’ve been asleep for 24 hours. If I wanted to kill you, I’ve had plenty of time. Though truthfully, I’ve been sitting here waiting for you to wake up just to see the color of your eyes.” He reached out and traced a circle around her right eye, calloused fingertip just skimming the tender skin. “And you do not disappoint, do you?”
Her skin tingled, her blood bubbled, tickling her from the inside out. Gasping at the sudden burst of pleasure, she smiled into his eyes. She’d never been this alive. His expression was somber as he touched her, tracing the curve of her jaw and moving to her left eye. After tracing its shape, he rested his fingertip beside the delicate skin near the corner.
“Beautiful,” he murmured.
She should move. She should slap his hand away. She should…
“So your Sleeping Beauty woke up? Did she say anything?” Sean sliced into his steak and waited for Dec to answer.
Broken Souls (Primani Book 4) Page 7