The Warrior In Me

by Anita Philmar

  “I told you they are my ancestors. Their life revolved around their tribe and family. Every special skill they possessed was to protect and provide for the ones they love.” He needed to make her understand how important that made her to him. How important his people were to the world, at least if he believed what Rex and his grandfather were telling him.

  “Yes, I believe you mentioned it helps you tell if a person is lying.” She cocked an inquiring eyebrow.

  He tightened his hold, unhappy she’d recalled that little tidbit from their conversation. She had him so strung out with need and anger, he’d blurted it out without thinking. “It’s also how I know you are a part of me.”

  “Right. Maybe this will help. The first word is I and the last word is you.”

  “Yes, I know and love goes in the middle. The problem is, the simple statement doesn’t even come close to what I feel for you.” He monitored the expression on her beautiful face while a thousand conflicting thoughts ran through his head on the correct and the incorrect way of convincing a woman he cared. His stomach twisted into knots at the possibility of doing this wrong, and he deliberated the likelihood of losing his breakfast. “When I said you belong to me, it’s like saying a part of me has been missing for my entire life. The minute I found you, I became whole. You are the missing piece I’ve been searching for, which makes you mine.”

  She blinked. A smile bloomed on her lips. “I believe that’s a laymen’s definition of love, a feeling of being complete when you’re with the one you love.”

  “But that’s not all of it.” He wanted not only to love her but also to take possession of her and have her life center around his alone. “I can’t share.”

  With a light chuckle, she slid her arms around his neck and rose onto her toes. “That goes both ways. I don’t share either.”

  He didn’t think she fully comprehended what he meant, but with her lips just inches under his, he opted to let the distinction slide. With a sigh, he took her mouth and drank her in, enjoying her unique flavor. The heady rush hit him like a pint of hundred proof whiskey.

  Applying more pressure, he had her mouth opening under his. She tasted sweeter and fresher than the orange juice they drank moments ago and a thousand times more mouth-watering. He wanted to consume her.

  Fighting to rein in his control, he slid his lips off hers and nibbled his way to her ear. He nipped at her earlobe. “Tell me we can have a short engagement, because I don’t think I can wait very long to claim you as mine.”

  She giggled. “Shouldn’t you ask if I’m willing to marry you first?”

  He raised his gaze and met hers. “It’s not a matter of if, but when, we will get married.”

  “Not right now. I can’t even think about a long term relationship until I know for certain I’m not going away for the next twenty years on a murder charge.” She cupped her hands around his face and offered him a quick kiss. “I do, however, accept your proposal.”

  “But…” The sudden urgency to get this case cleared up had him rethinking the idea of cooling his heels here with her while the police continued to believe they were after the true killer.

  “We can enjoy our time here in paradise, though.” She looked out the large window, lining one wall of the living room and pointed to the deck. A custom spa sat against the iron railing. “Can I interest you in a dip in the hot tub?”

  “Do you have a swimsuit?”

  “Do I need one?” She stepped back and lifted the hem of her tank top up over her head. It landed near the breakfast table. The sight of her lush breasts had his mouth watering, and he wiped his lips to contain any drool that might have escaped. He couldn’t recall ever seeing such a gorgeous woman.

  Then she stepped out of her shorts. All blood drained from his head and pooled in his groin. Blindsided, he simply ogled the treasure under his hands because he couldn’t be this close and not touch.

  “Is that a no?” She released a soft moan at the caress of his thumbs over her nipples.

  “Sweetheart, the spa will have to wait. I’m thinking we’ll be lucky to make it to the couch.” Sebastian swept her into his arms and managed the few steps it took to reach the buttery-soft leather sofa. He tossed her onto the cushions and fell over her.

  “Okay for now, but I want a rain check on the spa.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and brushed her lips against his.

  He couldn’t remember later how long they were on the couch before they moved to the spa and then back to bed. All that mattered was how much he enjoyed touching, tasting, and holding the woman of his dreams.

  Only one thing kept nagging him. How could he get the murder charges dropped against her and get their lives back on track?

  ****

  “I know Devin hasn’t been into work since Mark’s murder, but you…” Bruce waved his finger absently. His gaze locked on Lily, a few feet away. The lights in the lab bounced off his rumpled hand-combed hair. Roused from his bed at three a.m. in the morning, he appeared half-asleep. His clothes were wrinkled. It looked as if he’d slipped on the first thing he’d found on the floor before he started for the door. He arrived a few minutes after they had.

  After a moment or two, he turned to Sebastian. “We’re here, I take it, because you want to know if the DNA test will provide the concrete evidence we need to prove Devin killed Mark or, at the very least, has motive.”

  “Yes, but we couldn’t think of any other way to get the DNA results right away. With the police’s backlog, the test could take weeks before they’d be able to determine if Mark is Devin’s father. By that time, Devin could have left town or, depending on how his cancer treatment is going, be dead. We’re looking for more immediate results.” Sebastian paced along the hallway. For the last two days, he and Lily had remained in hiding at the beach condo.

  At first, he’d enjoyed his time with her, then he’d started to compare the few hours he’d had with her to the possibility of having her for the rest of his live. Doubts plagued him, and he’d become more and more restless for answers.

  The police, according to Rex, had talked to a few other people, but they were still convinced Lily killed Mark. After all, she had the most to gain from his death, and they loved the old adage of follow the money.

  However, in this case, Sebastian had come to believe revenge lay at the center of this crime. He and Lily had gone over and over Devin’s motivation. Yes, Mark had been willing to help Devin with the cost of his cancer treatment. But Lily held firm to the theory that Mark would never have been willing to undergo medical treatment to help Devin beat his cancer. As much to silence Lily as to learn the truth, Sebastian had finally agreed to let her do the test.

  “Was it so bad spending a few days alone with Lily?” Bruce’s gaze ran over Lily’s sleek form.

  The jealous rage firing through him surprised Sebastian. He punched his partner in the arm. “Watch it, or I may not remember we’re friends. The problem is Lily believes Devin is Mark’s and Violet’s son. She won’t rest until she knows for certain. That’s why Lily wanted you to swipe a few strands of hair from both of their brushes so there will be no doubt about them being Devin’s parents.”

  “And what if they aren’t? Then what? You’ve both taken a big risk in coming here.” Bruce crossed his arms. “If Rex knew, he’d have my hide. You know he believes Lily is the key to staying informed of every aspect of the Neanderthal DNA research project.”

  “Yes, well, if she’s in jail, she won’t do us much good,” Sebastian grumbled.

  Rex’s fascination with the project still didn’t completely make sense to Sebastian, but at this point, he didn’t care. Lily believed she had the answer to Mark’s murder, and he couldn’t deny her the chance to find out.

  “She’s also lucky. She bought me a lottery ticket before we flew out to see you. And damn, if it didn’t win.” Bruce smiled and patted his back pocket.

  “Two bucks?”

  Bruce smiled. “No, close to ten thousand, which means I pro
bably owe her dinner. Mind if I take her out after this case is over?”

  “Don’t even think about it. As soon as this case is solved, she’ll have a ring on her finger and be off the market for having dinner with the likes of you.” Sebastian glared at his friend and wondered if she had the special talent of buying a winning lottery ticket? Hell, he didn’t even know if she had Neanderthal warrior DNA. Yet, something told him it was the reason for their almost instantaneous connection.

  Bruce laughed. “God, you’re easy. After less than five days, she has you hooked. Maybe, I’m lucky she just bought me a lottery ticket.”

  Ignoring the jab, Sebastian gave him a one-finger salute and walked over to Lily. “Have you made any progress?”

  Awareness tingled through Lily. She fought back her feelings for Sebastian and continued to study the results in her hand. She checked them three times, and they still revealed she had been wrong about Mark. Guilt at falsely accusing him twisted her stomach into a knot. Being wrong about Devin didn’t help either. Still, she had learned something, but not what she had expected.

  She nodded and turned to convey the facts as she saw them. “I’m afraid I was right and wrong. Violet is Devin’s mother, but Mark is not his father.”

  “What? I thought Mark and Violet were a couple back then. How can someone else be Mark’s father?” Sebastian’s dark gaze burned through her, revealing how much he, too, had believed her theory.

  “I don’t know. Violet never mentioned dating anyone else, but then why would she?” Lily racked her brain for an answer. “The only thing I can come up with is she had sex with someone else not long before she slept with Mark. Because when I asked her, she said Mark was her baby’s father.”

  “That’s right.” Bruce stepped closer and offered his support with a simple nod.

  “Then the theory of Devin killing Mark because he wouldn’t help him with his cancer therapy is pure bullshit.” Sebastian fisted his hands on his hips. “I should have never allowed you to talk me into coming here.”

  Lily could sympathize with his disappointment, but saw no reason for him to take it out on her. She opened her mouth to tell him to…

  “Hold on, partner.” Bruce laid a hand on Sebastian’s shoulder. “Let’s review what we know. Devin’s parents secured his adoption through Mark. Therefore, it stands to reason Devin believed Mark could help him find his birth parents. Even if Devin did a DNA test on Mark and found he wasn’t his father. He would still need Mark’s help. If he refused, it’d give Devin a powerful reason for wanting to kill the man.”

  “Yes, but that’s only speculation.” Sebastian raked his hands through his hair. “It’s just our word against his.”

  “Yes, well…” Bruce stepped back and glanced at her.

  Scrambling for an answer to the mystery, she blurted out, “Shouldn’t we at least talk to Violet and see what she has to say?”

  “No.” Sebastian barked and grabbed her arm.

  His unbending answer lit an angry fire in her gut. She jerked free of his hold. “Who the hell do you think you are? It’s my ass on the line here. If I want to go see Violet, I’ll go.”

  He recaptured her by clamping a large hand around her waist and blocked her path to the exit. “And do you want to end up in jail?”

  She squared her shoulders and tightened her hands into fists. “If that’s what it takes to find the answers I’m looking for, then yes.”

  “Are you nuts?” He laid his other hand on her shoulder. “I can’t let you do that.”

  “Guys, timeout,” Bruce yelled to get their attention and silence their shouting match.

  Lily glanced at him and edged away from Sebastian. The stress from the last few days had finally caught up with her. For days now, she’d believed the case would be over if she could get the results of the DNA tests. Instead, she’d found the theory she’d developed couldn’t hold water.

  “Shit.” She dropped her forehead to Sebastian’s chest. “I was so sure Devin had the best reason for killing Mark. Now, it could be anyone.”

  Chapter Twenty

  “Easy, sweetheart. Like Bruce just said, we need to look at this from a different angle.” Sebastian ran his hands over Lily’s back and drew her tighter against his chest. Different theories raced through his head, but he couldn’t determine which avenue to pursue while preoccupied with concern for Lily.

  “Exactly, who would Devin turn to for the information if he wanted to track down his birth parents?” Bruce asked both of them, but Sebastian remained silent when Lily’s head popped up.

  “Zane.” She turned in the circle of his arms to face Bruce.

  Sebastian jumped to a different conclusion. Why not question Karen Winslow? He met Bruce’s gaze and lifted a brow. Bruce nodded as if they were on the same wavelength. His partner had the special skill of knowing another person’s thoughts.

  “Then maybe we should go talk to Zane and Violet,” Bruce suggested. “Together, they might remember something that happened in the weeks before Mark’s murder that can shed some light on the case.”

  Sebastian immediately wanted to nix the idea. “I was—”

  “Don’t go there, pal. Lily won’t sit on the sidelines and let you do this alone.” Bruce rubbed the back of his neck and turned. “And having Lily with us, might make Zane and Violet more willing to open up about what exactly happened.”

  “I don’t like it.” Sebastian set his hands on Lily’s hips and kept her from following Bruce down the hall.

  She glanced over her shoulder with a smile. “Yes, but your only alternative is to talk to them alone while Bruce watches over me.”

  Knowing she spoke the truth didn’t calm the flash of jealous that spiked through him. “Don’t play with fire.”

  “I’m not. It’s your issue of maintaining a constant vigil over me that’s creating the problem.” She swiveled around in his arms and dropped a kiss on his cheek.

  “Right. I can go and leave you behind or take you with me and feel guilty for putting you in danger. A lose-lose situation.” He released her.

  She snuggled closer before she eased out of his embrace and walked down the aisle. “See, I knew you could see reason.”

  Hours later, Sebastian couldn’t say he regretted having her tag along to Zane’s house. At least, having her there, her friends appeared eager to help.

  Violet met them at the door and ushered them into a large living room. Unlike Mark’s house, this one appeared lived-in and enjoyed. A basket of knitting sat by the floral couch and magazines covered the oak coffee table. Blue and burgundy high back chairs were situated on each side of the couch that faced the black-tiled fireplace.

  Sebastian elected to stand by the hearth and remain quiet while Lily and Bruce asked the questions. His senses on full alert, he judged every word spoken to detect any lies or a slight bend in the truth.

  “Lily, I don’t know what to say. Devin never approached me about Mark’s past.” Violet sat next to Lily on the couch while Zane and Bruce occupied the other two chairs in the room. “And I certainly never told him I was his mother.”

  “How about you, Zane?” Bruce turned his focus to the other man. “Did he ask you about his adoption?”

  Zane stroked his chin and studied the floor. “For some reason, I can’t say no. But I don’t remember exactly what we were talking about when the subject came up.”

  “Was it back when he first told us he had cancer?” Violet shifted restlessly and caught hold of Lily’s hand. “I knew I might be able to help him, but—”

  “No, it was before I learned about your affair with Mark,” Zane answered for her, providing her the excuse she needed for the oversight. His frown indicated he still wasn’t entirely pleased by the fact.

  Uncertain how the information Lily gained at the lab would be received, he watched Lily carefully. She cared about these people and didn’t want to hurt them, but she also needed to know the truth. Holding his tongue, he waited for her to divulge the secret in her own
time.

  Lily frowned and laid her other hand over Violet’s. The simple gesture told him she couldn’t hold off any longer. “And who was the other man you were involved with at the time?”

  Violet blinked. “What are you talking about? There wasn’t anyone else?”

  Zane looked at Lily as if she’d grown a second head.

  Sebastian opened his mouth to jump to her defense but words failed him. What could he say that wouldn’t sound worse?

  Instead, Bruce came to her rescue and broke the strain silence. “Where were you when you first had sex with Mark?”

  “At a party at his house, he invited everyone over while his wife was out of town. She had a guest speaking engagement at some university in the northeast.”

  “Oh, yeah, I remember that party.” Zane shook his head as if recalling his wilder days. “Everyone got so drunk. I…”

  Violet nodded and fixed her gaze off into space. “Yes, that’s how I ended up in Mark’s bed. I remember going upstairs to use the bathroom. The one in the hall was occupied, so I snuck into the master bedroom and used the one there.”

  For several long seconds, she paused.

  Lily probed, “And?”

  “I came out of the bathroom and turned off the light. The room was dark, but somehow I knew I wasn’t alone. I made it about halfway across the room before Mark grabbed me from behind. He turned me around and kissed me. I had a crush on him for months, so I kissed him back. The next thing I knew, we were on the bed making love.” Violet shrugged. A soft reminiscent smile formed on her lips. “The next morning, I woke up beside him. We carried on the affair for several months until I found out I was pregnant.”

  Zane stood suddenly and walked to a bar in the corner. He pulled out a bottle of whiskey and splashed around two fingers into a glass. “Could anyone else use a drink?”

  Violet regarded Zane while she worried her teeth over her bottom lip. She moved to stand, but Lily detained her by drawing the hand she held onto her lap. “Violet, why didn’t you marry Mark when you found out you were pregnant?”