He zipped up the jacket and pulled the collar up to protect her from the wind. “Come get me when you’re done.” He watched her walk away with a heavy heart.
Across the street, a movement caught his eye. Standing mostly in the shadows, the man was camouflaged, but a wink of blue sparked once, and then he was gone.
Rori paused to say hello to one of the lions that guarded the entrance. Patting it fondly, she hustled into the warmth. Her eyes immediately went to the place where Arthur always waited. The space was filled with other people today. As much as she hoped it would be different, Arthur wasn’t there. He was gone and never coming back. She swallowed a lump in her throat as his smiling face filled her mind. He’d been there forever… been part of her life for years. She missed him, the sweet old flirt. Oh, Arthur, I hope you’re happy wherever you are. Dabbing at a sudden tear, she sniffed and headed straight to the computer lab. There was work to do and only a few hours to do it. After logging on to the computer, she went to People Search.
She was up to her eyeballs in details when the power surged. Flopping back in the chair, she rubbed her eyes and groaned. Damn it! She’d been making good progress. The lights flickered again and went off. The library was usually quiet; now it was deathly so as everyone held their breaths. After a moment, the lights flickered back to life. The computers did not. The clock on the wall flashed at 12:00. Judging by the fading light outside, it was time to go anyhow. Raine always packed up at dusk. It wasn’t profitable to be on the corners at night.
She gathered up her notes and stuffed them into her backpack.
“Leaving for the night?” A familiar voice stopped her in the middle of zipping it up.
“Yes, ma’am, it’s that time again. How are you feeling, Mrs. Anselmo?”
Mrs. Anselmo was as ancient as Arthur had been. A retired librarian, the sharp little woman haunted the halls of the building, drifting through the stacks, touching her favorite tomes. No one really knew how old she was, and she wasn’t sharing. A lady never discussed her age… or money. These topics were gauche. Rori gave the thin shoulders a lingering pat. Was she sick? Did she look more tired than usual? Was she breathing funny?
The older woman cleared her throat and said firmly, “I’m not dying. Do stop looking at me that way. We all miss poor old Arthur, dear.” She patted Rori’s hand and chuckled. “Just because I’m aging, doesn’t mean I’m dying. Don’t count me out just yet! Now, did you get your research done? You were very intent this afternoon.”
Done? Not yet. Progress? Yes. More progress today than in the past few months. It was looking promising until the power surged. Maybe she’d stay a little longer… a crack of lightning made her jump. The lights went out again. Okay, maybe she was done for the day.
“I have to do some more digging, but I found an old property deed.” She couldn’t stop the excitement from showing. “I’m getting closer.”
It was pouring cats and dogs when she heaved the heavy glass door open. Ugh. This was a nightmare. No way did she want to hoof it all the way to Raine’s corner. He’d probably ducked into the Thai place to get out of the weather. A rummage in her pockets turned up a wrinkled five dollar bill and two quarters. Damn it. This sucked. Where did this stupid storm come from? No one told her it was supposed to rain today! She didn’t have too many options unless she wanted to shower in her clothes. She’d just have to wait it out. How long could it last? A taxi pulled up to the curb and honked. No way!
“I can’t believe you got a taxi for us! Come inside. I need to change.” She shrugged out of Raine’s jacket and dashed to the kitchen for a towel. Patting the leather dry, she draped it over a hanger hooked on a drawer pull.
“There. It’ll dry better now. I hate to say this, but I think we’ll have to stay here and skip the romantic pizza dinner. Did you bring wine?”
Rain spattered loudly against her tiny windows causing them both to jump. The lightning was gone now, but Mother Nature was still throwing a tantrum. Gusts of wind rattled the glass every few seconds. The new window was holding up nicely. She glanced from the window and back to Raine. He grinned like a little boy. Before she could run, he shook his head, scattering water on her.
“Stop!” She broke into helpless giggles until he stepped away from the wall. Something in the way he moved, the heat in his eyes… she froze in mid-laugh with her hand raised. Raised in welcome? In defense?
“Rori…I…”
As his lips moved over hers, she let herself sink into him. The kiss was tender, sweet, sad. He slid his tongue along her bottom lip, teasing, tantalizing, until she opened her mouth for him. With a harsh groan, he cupped her chin and dove in. Lights danced behind her eyes, heat pooled in her core, her knees went weak. It was almost too intense. She tried to pull away. He pulled her closer. She clutched at the back of his head, standing up on her toes, taking control of his mouth with a growl.
For the second time since meeting Rori, Raine was on fire. He’d come here for one last night with her. One night to talk to be sure she’d be okay without him--one night to say good-bye. He had to leave, and if not forever, at least for a long time. There were things he needed to do, and they weren’t in the city. Damn it! He knew it would be hard to say good-bye, but he hadn’t planned on this. What was he thinking? He knew he shouldn’t touch her, knew she’d ignite him. He wanted her so much even his teeth ached. She wanted him too--but that wasn’t the point. He wouldn’t make love to her knowing full well he was leaving in the morning. That would be a shitty thing to do, and he wasn’t that guy.
These thoughts raced in the back of his brain as he stroked her tongue with his… the silky sensations shot straight to his groin… the voice of reason grew dim. When she ground herself against him, he was already rock hard, already tipping past his fragile control. Her heart pounded, magnifying the thud of his own. Blood pulsed hard and fast into every place south of his brain. With eyes closed, hands fisted in her hair, he gave in to the demands and slammed her against him.
One last kiss. One last kiss. One last kiss.
Flinging himself away, he put the futon between them like a wall, one hand clenching the back of the futon in a death grip.
There are millions upon millions of nerve endings in the human body. Right now, every one of hers was screaming for Raine. She pulsed in places that shouldn’t have sensors. She couldn’t catch her breath. “Raine? What’s wrong?”
He was bent over, breathing harshly, eyes squeezed shut. She touched him and he flinched. “Baby, don’t. Please.”
Hunger? Sorrow? Regret? Love? When he finally raised his eyes, she couldn’t read his expression at all.
“Do you have a dream, Rori?”
“Don’t answer. I’ve been dreaming of making love to you for months. It’s been on my mind constantly. You’ve been on my mind constantly. I care about you in ways I never thought I’d ever feel. But our timing is all wrong. I’m not free to take your beautiful, sexy, body.”
This was the last thing she expected to hear. Stunned, she sank to the futon. “I don’t understand. Are you married?”
He moved closer, but didn’t sit. “No! I swear that’s not it. I’m leaving. Tomorrow.”
“What?! Why?”
He cringed at the volume, so she lowered her voice. “Where are you going?”
He lowered himself gingerly to the other side of the futon and reached for her hand. “I’ve got to find my family. After the war, I wasn’t myself. I was wounded in here.” He tapped his chest with two fingers. “I was… damaged. I was too ashamed to face my father. So I didn’t. I didn’t go home. I didn’t call. I didn’t write. I just went off grid until I finally drifted to the Bronx.”
Clearly he’d been struggling with this for a long time. She kissed his fingers and gave him a sad smile. “I’m so sorry, Raine. I wish you would’ve talked to me. I’m a good listener. You’ve been here for me; you know I’m here for you.”
“Yeah, I know. But I didn’t want to dump any of my bullshit on yo
u. It’s mine to deal with.”
“Why now? What happened to make you change your mind?”
“Do you remember the day of the fire? You almost died right in my arms. I was pretty messed up. Third degree burns on my hands and arms. My throat was seared. My face, too. I had a couple of broken fingers. I was a wreck.” He paused before plunging on. “I never told you about the angel. At first I thought I was hallucinating, but the more time goes by, the more I clearly remember him. He took you from me and vanished.” He snapped his fingers. “Just like that. He appeared out of thin air, told me he would help you, and then vanished with you. I guess I stumbled to my place and passed out.”
“If that wasn’t freaky enough, I woke up two days later--completely healed. How the hell does that happen? Angels? Voodoo?” He flashed a quick grin. “I’ve got no answers. But I know one thing for sure. I was blessed. You were blessed. Someone upstairs thought enough of me to make me whole. I need to honor that by living my life the right way. That means letting my parents know I’m alive.”
He lowered his eyes, carefully choosing his next words before stroking her cheek with the backs of his fingers. “That means letting you go without sleeping with you. I want to, God knows I do, but it wouldn’t be good for either of us. I won’t leave you like that.”
He tried to drop his hand, but she pressed it against her face once more and held it still. Her eyes glittered, but she didn’t cry. She gazed into his eyes, connecting to him, letting him know she accepted him. Instead of weeping, she pressed her lips to his palm.
“I think that is the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. Now I really want to jump your bones! Will you keep in touch at least? I don’t want to say goodbye forever.”
It was nearing midnight when the front door opened and Rori stepped outside into the cold air. The rain was long gone, but the wind still gusted. She laughed when it whipped her hair into her mouth. Dec straightened in the shadows. Was she going out? All set to follow her again, he started to step away from the building. Whoa! What’s he doing here?
Raine faced Rori in the open doorway. She wrapped her hands around her bare arms, hugging herself against the wind. She smiled up at the man in front of her. They were talking quietly, their voices muted from the distance. He could tune into them if he wanted, but he was afraid of what he’d hear. He’d been tailing Rori ever since she’d banished him weeks ago. He’d resorted to ghosting after her… pathetic kinda, but there it was. She was still his charge, still in trouble. Just because she didn’t want him around didn’t change things. He was responsible for her in ways she’d never understand unless she knew what he was. That little convo wasn’t happening any time soon. He’d done his absolute best to keep her in the dark about Primani. And his best had been good enough--she couldn’t stand him. He was banished. She didn’t care about him. She definitely wasn’t in love with him. Sure, he’d done a great friggin’ job.
That’s exactly what he wanted. Right?
He could keep her safe without any emotional attachment. So why did her rejection hurt so much? He wasn’t even going to pick at that particular scab. There was nothing there but pain. Instead, he’d do his job. Tonight that meant he’d stand here, stalking the woman, with one hand on his Sig and the other one clenched in a fist. Probably no one would bother her now, but he was nursing a flame of hope that Dread Head would fuck up so he could shoot him.
The target in question stepped closer to Rori, gathering her into his arms even as she eased up on her toes. He wrapped his hands behind her neck, capturing her flying hair in one. They both smiled just before he kissed her. And kissed her. And kissed her some more. Rori clung to him, touching him, pressing against him from head to toe.
His heart actually broke. The slash of pain took his breath away before rolling over him in waves. Flipping the safety back on the weapon, he slid it into its holster. Rori’s voice drifted over him, her throaty words whipped away in the wind. He edged farther into the shadows and closed his eyes.
He was an idiot.
Chapter 12: Innocence Lost
HE WAS GONE. Rori crawled under the blanket with more than just a heavy heart. Her chest hurt, her head ached, her soul wept for the loss of her only friend. She was beaten into nothing again. “Oh, Raine. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
She wanted him to be happy, truly. So she’d done nothing to get him to stay. He was a good man. He deserved time to reconnect with his family. She wouldn’t hold him back. But that didn’t make her feel any better just now. Tucking the pillow against her chest, she let the tears come before slipping into a restless sleep filled with dark angels and fire.
He shimmered into her room, molecules settling into his solid form. He’d been away for too long. He’d been missing her, their little chats, his nighttime visits.
She lay asleep, but restless. She tossed and turned in the grip of a dream. Nightmare? Her breath came in short gasps, her fingers grasped at something only she could see. Time was running short. Her birthday was coming. It would be a very special day for both of them. Until then, though, he’d chip away at her defenses, ease his way inside… by the time he owned her, she’d be thanking him.
He knelt by her side, his black leather boots creaking in the quiet. He touched the side of her face to enter her dreams. The bolt of energy knocked him to his ass. With arms flailing behind him, he landed hard. The power lingered in the dim light, a crackle of bluish electricity that dissipated quickly. His hand stung from the force of it. What the fuck was that? She turned over and mumbled in her sleep, unaffected by the energy exchange.
“What have you been doing?” he hissed. He sent his thoughts to her, willing her to open her dreams again. Nothing. Instead of the usual slide into her subconscious, he saw nothing but a darkness that hadn’t been there before. It was like a wall… no, not a wall... a barrier! He tried again. And once more. Nothing. She had blocked him out.
He circled her, using his sight to search for lingering psychic energy. Any residual power would linger. Faint traces tickled at the edge of his mind. No! This wasn’t possible! She didn’t have the knowledge. She couldn’t keep him out! She didn’t even believe in him. He stalked across the room and back again. What in the name of Satan had happened since he’d been gone?
“You’ve been a bad girl, Rori.”
He stared down at her, hands clenched at his side, thinking hard. Grabbing her hair, he jerked her around, looking for his mark. It was gone!
Primani!
A vicious stab of pain roused Rori with a cry of protest. Still groggy from sleep, she was confused for a split second before adrenaline jump-started her. He was there! The dark man from her nightmares was there--for real this time. He straddled her waist, hand twisted cruelly in her hair, eyes glowing yellow in the gloom.
“Go ahead and scream, bitch! No one can save you. I’ll take what I want now, and then I’ll be back for the rest of you when it’s time.”
“Get off me, you sonofabitch!”
She struggled to shove him off, but he swung his fist into her face. Her thoughts splintered into a thousand fragments. Before she could respond, he hauled her upright and slammed her into the wall. The plaster cracked. She tried to cry out, but he was on her before she could utter another sound. With strength that couldn’t possibly be human, he flung her across the room into the window. It shattered from the impact, glass raining everywhere. She sank to the floor, numb.
“Where is your Primani now, Rori? Where is your protector?” he growled softly in her ear. Twisting her chin around, he hissed, “You are mine! Do you understand me?”
The words barely registered in the haze.
“No! I’m mine… only mine. No one owns me…” Her voice trailed off into a whisper.
He slapped her across the face. “Wake up! I’m not done with you yet.” He yanked her upright before shoving her onto the futon again. “I’ve been patient. I’ve been nice to you.”
He held up his hand. She screamed as three inch
claws sprouted from each fingertip. She tried to scoot backwards, but he simply grabbed her thigh to hold her still. “But you don’t want to play nice.”
The claws sunk deep, forcing another cry from her. The yellow snake eyes gleamed when he smiled. A set of fangs dropped over straight white teeth.
“Vampire?!”
“Sorry, but no.”
“Then what?” Her words came out as a whisper. The effort sapped her strength.
“Demon.”
A cold black wall cracked deep inside of her. “But you don’t exist… can’t exist…”
He curled a claw around her ear, almost tenderly stroking the delicate skin. “Looks like Father Joseph was right after all. You should’ve paid better attention during confession.”
This isn’t happening! Demons don’t exist! I’m not evil.
The forgotten mantra tripped and stumbled across her mind as she tried to make sense of it all. The crack widened, red light beginning to seep through as memories came tumbling to the surface after so long in the dark. If demons really exist, then what else was true?
For all those years, Father Joseph had told her it was her fault. He’d told her she was bad, evil… something inside of her would draw the demons. He said she would welcome the touch of evil. She’d prayed he was wrong. God, how she’d prayed till her knees bled! But each week, he heard her confession and damned her. She was a special child; her absolution required sacrifice. Her path to redemption was always the same. When the dreams started, she begged Father Joseph to help her, to save her. She was afraid of the fire, the wings… Surely God was merciful?
He’d said in a voice dripping with sorrow, “You know the sacrifice the Lord requires. Are you ready to make it, my child?”
After months of terrifying nightmares, she’d finally agreed. The nightmares had stopped.
The price had not been worth it.
Broken Souls (Primani Book 4) Page 18