Dark Warrior Mine (The Children Of The Gods Paranormal Romance Series Book 7)

by I. T. Lucas

  “What do you think it was? Do you have a hypothesis?

  Nathalie shrugged. “The only thing that comes to my mind is that she’d been somehow genetically altered, probably by the government as some secret scientific project. Before she met Papi, she’d worked as an agent for the drug enforcement agency, or so she said. She might have been a Bond style assassin for all I know.”

  Nathalie had come up with a pretty imaginative scenario. Funny how the real explanation was even stranger.

  “Do you know why they split up?”

  “I have no idea. When I asked her, she said it was between her and Fernando. I’ve gotten the same answer from him. It almost sounded like she was implying that he’d cheated on her. And the guilty look on his face when I asked him why they were splitting reinforced that impression. But it didn’t make sense. Who in his right mind would cheat on a woman that looked like her? Especially since Papi was an overweight, balding, middle-aged guy.”

  Andrew smoothed his palm over Nathalie’s soft hair, winding a long strand around his finger. “I wouldn’t be surprised if this was exactly what happened.”

  With a frown, she turned her face to look up at him. “Why would you think that?”

  “Men have egos, even your father. And being married to a goddess who everyone is drooling over can be challenging. Especially if he perceived himself as not worthy of her, or if she implied it in some way. From your story, I gather that he was a charming and friendly guy, so it’s not like he couldn’t attract anyone despite his looks. He might have had a need to prove to himself that he still got it. You know what I mean?”

  Nathalie’s face had doubt written all over it. “I don’t know. Maybe. Anyway, it’s water under the bridge. I know that he loved her and was devastated when she left. The onset of his dementia happened shortly after that.”

  “Do you blame her for it?”

  “Yeah, I do. I know that the disease must’ve been in his system for years prior to manifesting, but I think that it would’ve remained dormant for many more if not for the shock of her leaving him. And it was right at the same time I was leaving for college. He was left all alone.”

  Nathalie had gotten all tense, her body feeling rigid in his arms. Andrew hooked a finger under her chin and kissed her lips until he felt her muscles loosening. “I bet that part of your resentment toward her is guilt over also leaving him.”

  “You’re right. I was so mad at her that I never called, and during breaks, I stayed with Papi, not her.”

  “What did she do after the divorce?”

  “She worked at Nordstrom’s in the men’s department, and I guess dated a lot. In the beginning, she tried to maintain contact and called me every day. I would talk to her, but I’d end the call as soon as I could with the first excuse that came to mind. After a while, she got the message, and her calls became less and less frequent. Then one day she just disappeared from the face of the earth.”

  “Any ideas about what happened to her?”

  Nathalie sighed and brought the blanket up to her neck. It was getting cold, and Andrew tucked it around them.

  “God knows. She might have gone back to work for the government on some secret mission. At least I hope that this was what happened. When I hadn’t heard from her for over a month, I called, but the line was disconnected. I went to look for her at the apartment she was renting at the time, but it was already rented out to someone else. She left all of her furniture behind but took her personal stuff. So I know she wasn’t taken by force. Still, she might have gone on a vacation, and something happened to her then.”

  “Would you like me to look into it?”

  “What can you do? The police never found anything.”

  “I’m not the police. I work for a different government agency, and I have access to information.” This was as much as he dared to tell her.

  “I guess it wouldn’t hurt. But I’m not holding my breath. I’m tired of waiting for her to come back and hoping that she still cares for me. After all, if I find out that something happened to her, it will mean that I’ve lost her forever. And if find out that she is fine but didn’t bother to let me know she’s alive, then it will mean that I’ve lost her forever anyway, because she doesn’t deserve to be called my mother. Not knowing allows me to hover between the two options. I’m almost afraid to find out, so it’s no longer a priority for me.”

  Oh, but it was, Nathalie just didn’t know it. Finding Eva would provide the only definite answer to whether Nathalie was a Dormant or not. Because the other option wasn’t on the table for her. There was no way in hell he would allow one of the immortals to attempt her transformation. If anyone was going to do it, it was him.

  But unless he knew for sure that she was indeed a Dormant, he wouldn’t risk going through the transformation. The only reason for him to put his life on the line was to facilitate Nathalie’s immortality.

  And if he died in the process?

  Then someone else would do it for her, but at least he wouldn’t be there to witness it.

  Chapter 48: Anandur

  We can’t switch players in the middle, and we don’t have the luxury of playing nice. Go for it.

  Anandur shook his head as he read Kian’s text message again. This was so uncharacteristic of the guy. It seemed that Dalhu’s take-no-prisoners attitude was rubbing off on their do-gooder leader.

  Kian was telling him to thrall Lana.

  Damn, he really didn’t want to.

  There must be a way to extract information from her without the help of fangs and venom. Problem was, Lana was expecting him to deliver on his promise of mind-blowing sex. Tough to pull off without biting.

  Though not impossible…

  Leaning against the wall outside the ladies’ room, Anandur wondered what was taking her so long. Was she taking a shower in there? More than fifteen minutes had passed since she’d said she needed to pee, told him to hold her purse, and wait for her.

  Bossy Russian.

  In a way, it was a refreshing change from the overly polite American women. She was direct. There was no if-you-please-could, or if-it’s-not-too-much-trouble. With Lana, it was do this or don’t do that.

  And language deficiency wasn’t the problem. It was just her attitude.

  A short brunette in monster platforms wobbled out of the ladies’ room and sidled up to him. “Hello, gorgeous…” She gave him a once-over. “You, I want to take home with me.” Leaning into him, she pressed her large boobs to his arm and lifted a long-nailed finger to touch his face.

  He patted her shoulder and gave a little push. “Not tonight, dove, I’m here with someone.” He lifted Lana’s purse level with her face.

  She pouted but refused to budge. “If she’s hot, I don’t mind a threesome…”

  Damn, how was he going to peel her off him without shoving her? One hard push and she would fall on her ass, probably twisting her ankle on those ridiculous platforms.

  He was about to say something when Lana emerged from the bathroom, her face contorted with rage. In one swift move, she yanked the brunette by the hair and shoved her against the wall. Towering over the woman, she kept a hold on her hair as she spat, “No putting your filthy hands of my man, kurva, you understand?” She forced the woman’s head up and down in a parody of a nod.

  He knew that word—it meant whore.

  Lana shot the brunette one last angry scowl before threading her hand through his arm. “Let’s go.”

  “What took you so long?” he asked as they headed out of the club.

  She snorted. “If I know you in trouble I go out before.”

  They exited through the back door out into the club’s parking lot. “I wouldn’t call it trouble, baby.” He opened the pickup’s passenger door for Lana. “The poor things just can’t help themselves, and I try to let them down gently. There is no reason to be mean when I reject them.”

  Lana harrumphed and crossed her arms over her chest. “Not all, I’m sure.”

  An
andur circled the old truck and got behind the wheel. “Of course, not. I only keep the pretty ones.” He winked at her as he turned the key in the ignition and shifted the gear to drive.

  The old clunker belonged to one of the maintenance guys, Rupert, and Anandur had swapped cars with him for the week. After all, he was supposed to be a lowly deck boy of little means.

  His classic Thunderbird didn’t fit the bill. It was one of the original Thunderbirds, and he’d had her since he’d bought her brand new in 1956. He’d been keeping her in mint condition.

  Hopefully, Rupert was treating his baby well.

  “By the way, I’m flattered by your impressive display of jealousy, but you didn’t need to be so rough with her. She was just drunk.”

  Lana shrugged. “I see her hands on you, and I get angry. And it is not important that she is a woman because I am a woman too. If another man touch me, you do the same.”

  She had a point. Not because he was jealous, Lana didn’t inspire that kind of feeling in him, but because it was his job as her date to defend her against unwanted advances. Not that Lana needed him to fend off the jerks—most human males didn’t stand a chance against her—but it was a matter of honor.

  “I guess you’re right. It’s just that I’m not used to a woman being so aggressive.”

  Casting him a worried sidelong glance, she asked, “You not like?”

  Poor thing, she was afraid that her display of violence had turned him off. But he wasn’t one of those guys who was intimidated by a strong woman, or who preferred the soft and timid types.

  The truth was that he wasn’t picky, and decent looks and several years of sexual experience were his only requirements. Other than that, there was little else that had any impact on his appetite.

  “Oh, I like.” He patted her knee, then smoothed his palm up her inner thigh and under her short skirt. When he found her little panties already moist, his shaft swelled and throbbed in response.

  Lana’s breath hitched, and she parted her legs to allow him better access. He pushed the panties aside and stroke her wet folds, gathering moisture and bringing it up to circle her engorged clit.

  “We go to your place?” she breathed with a hopeful glint in her hooded eyes.

  “Sorry, baby, no can do. I sleep on a couch at a friend’s apartment. We will have to go to yours.” He removed his hand and rearranged her skirt.

  She grimaced. “My boss say no bring men on boat.”

  “Fuck. What are we going to do?”

  She cast him a sidelong grin. “Many boats in marina are empty. We can go in no problem.”

  Driving one-handed, he reached for her and pulled her against his side. This was another advantage of driving the old truck over his Thunderbird—the front seat was one long bench. “Lana, you’re a genius.” He kissed the top of her head.

  She put her hand on his inner thigh, her legs parting in invitation as she caressed her way up to his hard bulge. Hell, at this rate they would get each other off before ever getting to the marina.

  Oh well, it was a good problem to have.

  With a smirk, Anandur returned his hand to where she wanted it and tugged on her panties. He was tempted to give the lacy little thing a hard yank and tear it off her, but such a display of strength wouldn’t go unnoticed, and the small thrill wasn’t worth getting Lana suspicious.

  “How about you take these off?”

  She smiled, swinging her long legs up and stretching them, so her feet rested on the dashboard as she lifted her butt and pushed the panties down. Slowly.

  “Fuck me…” he groaned and reached to cup her heated, wet flesh.

  “Yes, I do, now. Stop where is dark.”

  It had been ages since he’d fucked a woman in a car. Not his favorite to say the least. He was just too big and wasn’t into all the contorting. Doing the horizontal folded like a pretzel wasn’t fun. But he was willing to make an exception for Lana, or rather for his cock that wanted out of the tight confinement of his jeans and into Lana’s wet and welcoming sheath.

  Anandur pulled into the dark parking lot of a small strip mall. The stores were closed for the night, and a waist-tall hedge formed a natural fence between the street and the parking area—hopefully providing enough privacy for their quickie.

  “Can you move chair back?” Lana asked as he cut the engine.

  “Sorry, baby, that’s as far as it goes.”

  “Is okay.” Lana hiked her skirt up and straddled him, reaching for his zipper. A moment later she had his jeans pushed down his hips. Sprinting his shaft free out of his briefs, she gripped him in her strong hand.

  His breath hissed out between clenched teeth as her fingers tightened around it. Normally, he loved the feel of a soft feminine palm on his sensitive skin, but there was definitely something to be said for a powerful grip.

  “You so thick.” Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “And so long,” she marveled as her hand traveled the length of him.

  Anandur smirked. “You no like?” He teased her with her own words.

  “Oh, I like, ya lyublyu mnogo, I like a lot.”

  She lifted onto her knees and brushed his shaft again her wetness, coating it in her juices.

  He groaned. “You’re so wet for me, baby.”

  “Da.” Lana agreed and began lowering herself on his shaft.

  His hands shot to her hips, and he held her up, not letting her impale herself the way she intended. She was dripping wet, and not a small or fragile female, but he was large, and experience had taught him that a few extra moments made a big difference not only for his partner but for him as well.

  “Let me. I want you inside,” Lana hissed in her impatience.

  His grip on her hips tightened, and she winced as his fingers dug into her flesh. “We do it my way, or not at all. Understood?”

  The look of surprise on her face was almost comical.

  Until now, Anandur had played the role of the easygoing bum, so she wasn’t expecting him to take charge. Still, as far as he could tell, she didn’t mind the switch. In fact, judging by the wetness that coated the tip of his shaft, she liked it.

  “Okay, big boy. You the boss. Tell me what you want.”

  Hm, perhaps he could torture her for information by withholding sex…

  Nah, he was so horny that he wouldn’t last more than a minute before burying himself in her to the hilt.

  “Just go slow, I don’t want to hurt you.”

  An unfamiliar tenderness flitted through Lana’s pale blue eyes and she brushed the back of her fingers over his cheek. “You’re a good man, Anandur.”

  Not really, sweetheart.

  Chapter 49: Bhathian

  Pacing around his apartment, Bhathian stopped next to Patricia’s portrait, the one Tim had drawn for him. He’d pinned it to the wall of his living room, next to the flat screen, so he could gaze at it from time to time while sitting on the couch and watching the dumb tube.

  Eva, not Patricia, he reminded himself for the umpteenth time.

  Ever since he’d gotten Andrew involved, the memories that over the years had finally dimmed and loosened some of their grip on him resurfaced full force, tormenting him anew.

  He couldn’t take his mind off her.

  Instead of clubbing, he’d spent Friday night brooding alone in his apartment, then hardly gotten any sleep, and had awoken this morning before the sun came out.

  Finding Nathalie had been a blessing that he still had trouble believing had been bestowed on him. Seeing her every day, spending time with her, talking with her—even though she had no idea who he was to her—had been the highlight of his every day. He lived for those mornings he was getting to spend with Nathalie at her café.

  Problem was, she looked so much like her mother, he was constantly reminded of what he’d lost. And imagining what could’ve been was torture. If only he hadn’t been such a coward, he could’ve had a family for all these years. He could’ve been raising his own daughter—not Fernando.


  It wasn’t that he harbored ill feeling toward the man, on the contrary. The love and dedication she was showing her adoptive father with every look and gesture, the sacrifices she was making for him, all reflected on the kind of father Fernando had been to her prior to his disease.

  And for that Bhathian was grateful to him beyond measure.

  He touched his finger to Eva’s picture, caressing her cheek. You must be so proud of her. Why did you leave her, though? What happened to you?

  He was losing sleep over these questions. They were going on a never-ending loop in his head.

  And there was the most disturbing one—was she even alive?

  In his gut, he knew she was, and what’s more, he knew he had to find her. For Nathalie’s sake as much or even more than his own. And he needed to do it sooner than later.

  It was possible that Nathalie was already too old to attempt the transition and survive. Syssi almost hadn’t made it, and she was only twenty-five…

  The thought was so painful that he felt bile rise up his throat. He’d just found her, and he couldn’t fathom watching her getting old and eventually dying.

  He wouldn’t want to go on without her.

  Perhaps this was the reason Eva had fled and severed all contact with her daughter. If she had been turned without her or her partner realizing it, it meant that she had no idea how she’d become immortal and why she wasn’t aging. And besides not wanting to see her own child age and die, she must’ve gone into hiding out of sheer fear of someone discovering her secret.

  Just as the rest of them, she must’ve realized that once exposed she would be locked up in some secret lab at a facility that wasn’t supposed to exist—living out her life as a test bunny.

  Where are you hiding, my love?

  He was a fool for calling Eva his love, but he was convinced that once he found her, he’d be able to make her his. After all, they already shared a child, were already a family.

  For weeks now, he and Andrew kept the story to themselves, and he was hoping Andrew would find Eva’s trail. But the guy had too much on his plate as it was. Between his government job, the things he was doing for the clan, and spending every free moment with Nathalie, there wasn’t much more he could take on.