Chaos sat in the back seat with Dakota. Unable to take her eyes off of him, she had a million questions but no energy to voice them. If Linda could hear her thoughts, she wasn’t answering.
Linda drove. Chaos didn’t know where they were going. Sheila whistled in the front seat. Chaos couldn’t make out the tune.
Sheila’s whistle changed to a confusion of words and humming. “Have to believe we are magic. Nothin’ can stand in our way. Hmm hmmhm-hmhmhm hmmm-hm.”
Olivia Newton-John? Great. Beside her, Dakota stirred. She watched the rise and fall of his chest. Light danced with shadow across his peaceful face as they drove past the street lights. The frequency of the lights told her they were back in the city now. She looked out the window and saw the sign for her hotel up ahead.
“Can you take care of him tonight?”
Chaos was sure she'd misheard Linda. "What?"
“I need Sheila and Kat to go back with me and help me cleanse this space. It’s not safe for the owners to go back in there until we do. Can you take care of him?”
“In my room?” Chaos never imagined they’d ask her to take care of Dakota. He didn’t like her and she didn’t know the first thing about how to care for him. What if Dead Bill showed up? What if she accidentally killed him or her bad luck did? “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
Linda ignored her. “We’ll help you get him inside. He shouldn't need much care but he shouldn't be alone and neither should you.”
Chaos looked in the back seat of the car and realized she was right. Whatever had happened to him, they couldn't just leave him. If what happened tonight were real, and not a complete and total hallucination, he’d probably saved her life. “Okay.”
“Thank you.”
“My room’s over there. You can pull up alongside the building and the car will be mostly hidden.” She could only imagine what someone would think if they saw three women carrying a limp man to a hotel room. They didn’t need the trouble. They found a luggage cart and loaded him up on that, which made it easier. As they wheeled Dakota into the room, anxiety started to poke at her. How was she going to take care of him? What had happened back there? What did Dakota need? Questions about what had happened in that kitchen ate at her but she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer to any of them.
“Give it time,” Linda said, apparently hearing her thoughts. “We’ll talk tomorrow. Let’s get him onto the bed. On three. One. Two. Three.”
Chaos had his head and shoulders. Linda and Sheila had his feet. It wasn’t pretty but they managed to get him on her bed. It’s a good thing he wasn’t hurt. Chaos turned to Linda. “Is he going to be okay?”
“He’ll be fine.” Linda brushed the hair out of his eyes. It reminded Chaos of something a mother would do.
“What happened to him?”
“Ask him when he wakes. It’s his story to tell.” With that, Linda turned and headed for the door. "Get some sleep. I’ll call you tomorrow.”She started to pull the door closed and then paused. “He may not be himself when he wakes up,” she warned. “Don’t hold anything against him.” Linda closed the door, leaving them with that ominous warning.
Sliding under the covers, it all came back in a flood. The choking. The pressure. The life being pushed out of her by an invisible force. The guilt when she thought that Dakota was dead. For the first time in her life she’d been willing to give it all up. Thinking Dakota was dead because of her was the worst feeling she’d ever experienced. It didn’t make any sense to her, logically. She’d been through worse and been closer to people, people who actually liked her. But a world without him just didn’t seem right.
To say tonight had been overwhelming was an understatement. Maybe it was feeling her dad’s love around her that put her over the edge. How he had gotten there and where he had come from she had no idea. What she did know was that her entire world had been turned upside down. Everything she thought she believed was gone and in its place she had confusion and uncertainty. Had it all been a hallucination? She was exhausted and people hallucinated when they were tired. Maybe the fatigue combined with the situation had caused her to imagine things that just didn’t happen. But what about Bill, she thought. He is real. You know he’s real. And Dakota, the man who split in two, was real, too. Beside her, he slept like the dead. Save for the steady rise and fall of his chest, she'd be checking his pulse for signs of life. She fell asleep watching him breathe.
Chaos awoke with the sensation of the warm sun on her face. It was welcomed like a kiss from a lover. The light was so bright it permeated her eyelids and turned them pink. She woke with the blessing of forgetfulness. But as reality has a way of making a quick appearance, it didn't hesitate this morning either. Lately it was the smell of motel air that brought her back to her surroundings. Today it was the sound of someone else breathing in her room. Dakota.
Chaos rolled over to find that Dakota had maneuvered himself under the covers sometime during the night. The polyester bedspread he'd been lying on was now bunched up on the foot of the bed. The sheet, pushed down to his waist, revealed a broad and naked chest. The eagle tattoo stretched across his chest from shoulder to shoulder. Beak wide open, the head of the eagle rested beneath Dakota’s collarbone as if the eagle were flying out of him. The ink work was intricate. It must have taken days to create the entire picture. Dark clouds tumbled behind the eagle as if it was flying out of a storm. The clouds took the image to a whole new level. The clouds looked dark and ominous but the expression on the eagle’s face was victorious. Such a detailed and specific tattoo, it had to mean something to Dakota. If he ever said two nice words to her, she’d ask him about it. For now, he slept.
Taking the opportunity of sleep to study him, she allowed her eyes to dip down his body. He possessed a broad chest with just a sprinkling of hair down the center to his naval. The sheet covered his hips and legs, not allowing her eyes to wander any further south. His smooth olive skin pulled tight over his muscles and beckoned for a touch. Uncomfortable with the urge to touch him, Chaos slid out of bed. Standing, she noticed his jeans wadded up on the floor and his underwear, too. He was naked.
Chaos hadn’t seen a naked man in a long time and certainly not one with Dakota’s assets. She allowed herself another look. The thin sheet hugged his legs and hips, leaving very little to her imagination. Feeling someone watching her, she glanced back at his face only to find his eyes peacefully closed. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had a man in her bed. Not that she could or would do anything about it. Anyone that got close to her got hurt. Some died. She wouldn’t risk another person’s safety for her own pleasure.
But she could look and enjoy the view. She took him all in. His tan nipples nestled in the eagle’s wings. The way his eyelashes rested on his cheeks. The trail of hair that dipped down beneath his belly button. The size of the bulge under the sheets. It was the nipples that drew her attention back. Small, pink and perfect on a large manly chest. The contradiction of the two mesmerized her. Chaos found her mouth watering at the thought of tracing her tongue around those nipples. She licked her lips.
“Don’t think I’ve ever been looked at like that.”
Chaos jumped, gulped back her desire, and blushed. "Fuck," she muttered turning away. She was mortified that she’d been caught. She pretended to rifle through her suitcase on the dresser and tried to act nonchalant. She didn’t care what he thought, right? He was just part of the team of folks who were hopefully going to get rid of Dead Bill. He was a means to an end.
“Can’t.”
“What?” Chaos stopped moving and turned to face him.
“I can't fuck. Too tired. Sad, right?”
Chaos didn’t imagine their first conversation would be like this. She felt like he had the upper hand. She didn’t know how to respond. “You don't look too tired,” she said, casting a glance at his crotch.
“Sporting a hard on isn't fucking. But you could.”
“Could what?”
“Fuck.”
> “You?”
He propped himself up on his elbows and pinned her with a heated look. “Is there anyone else in here?”
Chaos shook her head and swallowed hard. She actually wanted to take him up on the offer. She wouldn’t. Couldn’t. She took a step back and crossed her arms over her chest. “So you’d just lie there and I would do all the work?”
He nodded. “Works for me.”
“Doesn’t sound like much fun,” she said, turning away from him.
“Doesn’t it?”
Actually it did. Tall, dark and demented turned her on. She was so messed up. Her libido was taking over her brain and her lack of experience made it difficult to fight. "You haven’t said two words to me since we met,” she said giving up on the banter. He had the upper hand and there was no way she was getting it back. “Yesterday you actually slammed a door in my face and swore.”
“You heard that?”
“You weren’t quiet about it and now you’re coming onto me?”
“Guess so.”
She didn’t have a lot of relationship experience, hell she barely had any social experience. Interacting with people on a friendly or flirtatious level just didn’t happen. She skipped out before most people had the opportunity to say hello. But despite her lack of social graces and relationship skills, this didn’t feel like a normal conversation. “This is uncomfortable. Weird.”
“Weirder than last night?”
Something in his eyes changed, as if her answer was important to him. “Nothing was weirder than last night."
Disappointment flashed across his face quickly. Lust replaced it. “So, about that fuck.”
The ring of a phone prevented her from responding.
“Saved by the bell. Would you answer that? It's Linda. My phone is in my jeans pocket.”
Chaos picked up his jeans, fished around in the back pocket and then dropped them on the bed. She allowed herself one last lingering glance...from the way the sheets molded to his thighs...to his bare chest and full mouth, he made her feel like a wanton hussy. A hussy that hadn’t had any action in a long time."Get dressed," she said shaking it off. She answered the phone. “Hello?”
“Chaos, this is Linda. Your car is in the parking lot, we dropped it off last night, and the keys are at the front desk. Please pass the phone to Dakota and go take a cold shower.”
“Crap.”Chaos tossed the phone on the bed, and headed for the bathroom. In the mirror she caught a glimpse of his bare ass as he climbed out of bed. She groaned inwardly. A cold shower wasn't going to help.
The warm water cascaded over her shoulders and caressed her spine. Forget cold water. It wouldn’t help and she wasn’t a masochist. She poured shampoo into her hand and massaged it into her scalp. Chaos wrinkled her nose. The scent of the hotel shampoo stunk. It smelled like…
Chaos’s eyes popped open. Dead Bill stood in front of her. “Son of a bitch. Get out!”
The shower curtain flung open. Dakota stood there with fury on his face. “You’re not welcome here,” he growled.
Bill extended his middle finger, laughed, and disappeared. Chaos fought the urge to collapse against the shower wall. She just wanted it all to stop. “He’s getting stronger. He’s never come during the day.”
“It wasn’t him last night, you know.” Dakota said.
He was staring at her naked body like he’d never seen a woman before. Maybe he didn’t hate her as much as she thought. Didn’t matter, she reminded herself. You can’t get involved and you’re not sticking around. “Do you mind?” she said, pulling a towel off the rack to cover herself.
“Not at all,” he smirked. “I could help you with that. Maybe squeeze the shampoo or help you soap up.”
The smirk looked good on his mouth. It took everything she had to keep a straight face. “I’ve been showering all by myself for twenty six years. I’m sure I can handle it.” Turning her back to him she grabbed the shower curtain from his hands and yanked it closed.
Dakota smashed the heels of his hands into his eyes in an attempt to try to wipe the image of Chaos’s naked body from his mind. It wouldn’t work. He knew that. It was everything he had dreamed about right down to those damn three freckles near her naval. She’d swept her long hair behind her. Breasts exposed, he’d been mesmerized as rivulets of water cascaded over her nipples, around the underside of her breast and over her stomach. The image of her athletic body and lean curves was going to be burned into his brain for eternity. All slick with water and soap, it was all he could do to not to touch her, or more. It’s the evil inside you. He should have left her alone. He should have covered his eyes. He should have apologized.
Dakota's hands started to sweat. Up until now he'd been able to contain his attraction for Chaos. He’d been able to set it aside, for the most part. To not worry about what she thought, saw or believed. He’d been able to focus on keeping his team safe and protecting them from her. Now who needs protection? Maybe you’re the one in danger.
Dakota opened the window and looked outside. The room faced the Flatirons. The sun was well into the sky now and a low mist hung midway down the rocks. They looked as if they jutted out of a mystical sea. He needed coffee but he couldn’t have any until he met with Linda. Dakota looked around the room. His gaze stopped at the bed. He’d had another dream about Chaos last night. It was another warning. A coyote at her heels and dagger in her hand, as he lay dying on the floor at her feet. What were the ancestors trying to tell him? Why was this woman so dangerous?
And why did he have such a visceral reaction to her? Last night when she was being attacked, he thought he might lose her and was overcome by a despair he hadn’t known for a long time - the kind of despair that ripped your heart in two and left you trembling on the floor. Where had that come from? Why was he so affected by this woman? He wondered if Linda knew more than she was saying.
She’d left him with Chaos; that must mean something. Or maybe it didn’t. Maybe she just needed both Sheila and Kat to help her cleanse that bakery. Or maybe she wanted you to share her energy. It hit him like a brick to the head. That’s why that thing attacked her last night. It wanted her energy. She was a walking battery. Any spirit that wanted to cause trouble would gravitate to her. When she said trouble followed her, she was dead on.
Pain stabbed him deep in the pit of his stomach. It grabbed hold and squeezed until he was forced to drop to his knees on the motel room floor. “Chaos.” The words barely whispered from his lips. If he didn’t get to Linda soon he was in trouble. The battle last night had taken more from him than he thought. “Chaos,” he said.
“Are you in my head now, too?” She asked bursting from the bathroom. Fully dressed, she was combing her long hair. “I’m tired of…what’s wrong?”
He felt her warm hands on his shoulders and pulled some energy from her. Not enough that she’d notice, he hoped, but enough to help him rise to his feet. It was easy to borrow energy from Chaos, like she had some to spare. She didn’t know how miraculous she was, and she wouldn’t know. Not if he had anything to say about it. He looked at her and saw compassion and fear in her eyes. She was worried about him. He wanted to know why. Why did she agree to look out for him? He hadn’t exactly been nice to her. What had she thought when she’d seen him separate into two? Did she believe what she saw or did she think she imagined it? He knew Linda wouldn’t say anything about it to Chaos, if she even asked. Linda respected his gift, she understood him. She was like a second mother to him.
“I’m okay,” he said, stepping away from her. The image of her naked was still at the forefront of his mind, battling with the warnings of his ancestors. “We need to get to Linda’s. She’s waiting.”
“What’s going to happen at Linda’s?” she asked, grabbing her bag from the desk. “She’s going to get rid of Dead Bill today, right?”
“I don’t know.” It hadn’t occurred to him that Chaos would stick around at Linda’s today. He usually went through the process alone. If she stayed, she
was going to be truly tested. Cleansing was a painful process for him. She’d see him at his very worst. She’d deserve an explanation and he wasn't ready to share it with her. He didn't like to share his past with anyone, especially not someone as potentially dangerous as Chaos.
They drove in silence to Linda’s house in South Boulder. He actually lived two doors down from Linda. He owned more than a dozen homes around town. Most of them he rented to students but some of them he rented to families. He did the landscaping and home repairs for all of them and the monthly rent gave him the money he needed to live well and the free time he needed to investigate with Linda and the team. He glanced at Chaos. Dakota could tell she had about a million questions but she didn’t ask them.
“You don’t trust me,” she said, like she’d finally solved a puzzle.
Dakota didn’t answer or respond. He didn’t think she expected him to. It was true, he didn’t trust her. He could feel the doubt radiating off of her like heat off the desert sand. Doubt about what she’d seen. Doubt about what she’d done last night. It’d taken a very strong person to call the dead to them for help. She’d done that but he’d bet his other half that if he asked her how she’d done it she’d deny she’d done anything. She was so strong and she didn’t even realize it. She stayed. She fought. And she had fought him this morning when he’d antagonized her. He shouldn’t have done that. He owed her an apology.
“I don’t trust easily,” he finally said.
“I understand.”
She couldn’t. No one really could but for some strange reason he was glad she was trying. He didn’t even understand why he mistrusted her. She hadn’t done or said anything to cause it. It was the dreams and his intense reaction to her that fueled his distrust and confusion. Chaos pulled into Linda’s driveway and killed the engine. She turned and looked him in the eye.
“What happens now?” she asked.
He wanted to say something to reassure her about what was going to happen because in all likelihood she was going to see some things today that challenged her beliefs. She’d had them challenged quite a bit over the past forty-eight hours and was faring quite well but he didn’t know how much she could take. “Now we go inside,” he said instead. Still feeling incredibly weak, he opened the car door, closed it behind him and without looking in her direction he made his way toward Linda’s front door.
Deadly Chaos Page 10