His beast growled with satisfaction. Darius tilted his head to get a better angle. Sarah was tall for a woman, but their height difference was giving him a crick in his neck. He cupped her ass in his hands and lifted. She immediately wrapped her legs around his waist and hung on.
Desire roared through him like an out-of-control freight train. He turned so her back was against the wall and kissed her again and again. He couldn’t get enough of the taste of her, the sensual heat. Voracious, he felt like a man who’d been starved for centuries and she was sustenance.
“Are you two planning on joining me anytime soon?” Tarrant’s voice came over the intercom system.
Sarah stilled and then pushed against him until he released her luscious lips. “How do you do that to me?” He could tell it was a rhetorical question and wisely kept his mouth shut. “Put me down.”
He’d forgotten he was still holding her and reluctantly let her slide down his body until she was standing on her own two feet once again.
She glanced around. “Can he hear us?”
“He can,” came Tarrant’s reply.
Sarah reached up and dragged Darius’s head down until it was close enough for her to whisper in his ear. “Can he see us?”
“I’m not sure.” Better to be honest.
Her cheeks reddened. She whirled away and was through the door before he could stop her. He loved his brother, honestly he did, but he was seriously contemplating the joys of being an only child.
His body was humming with pent-up lust and his erection was obvious. He ignored both and followed Sarah to the kitchen where Tarrant waited. The air was redolent with the delicious smell of steak and spices. Tarrant had a huge grill pan on the stove and had large cuts of meat sizzling.
“What can I do to help?” he asked.
“Not much. The potatoes are already baking.” He pointed at the microwave.
“What about a salad?” Both men looked at Sarah like she was speaking a foreign language. She rubbed her hand over her forehead. “Let me guess. That’s girl food.” Both of them nodded in tandem.
Her gurgle of laughter was followed by a groan. “I’m going to starve if we’re here long. I’m not much of a meat-eater. I rarely eat red meat.”
“What do you eat?” The idea of not eating meat was unthinkable to Darius.
Sarah sat on one of the stools on the far side of the kitchen island and rested her elbows on the top. “Regular food. Fruit and vegetables, whole grains, fish and chicken.” She gave him a pointed look. “Yogurt.”
Darius curled his lip. “That’s not real food.”
“You really are a throwback, aren’t you?”
Before he could respond, Tarrant jumped into the fray. “There are a few cans of vegetables in the pantry if you want to open one of them.”
Sarah slid off the stool and walked to the cupboard Tarrant indicated. She pulled open the door and peered inside. “Green beans, corn, peas.” She shifted around several cans. “Carrots.” She pulled out the can. “These will do. I’m in the mood for carrots.”
Darius was in the mood to drag her back into the bedroom, but that wasn’t going to happen. “Carrots it is.” He took the can, found the opener, and had the lid off in no time. He located a saucepan, dumped the carrots into it, and placed it on the stove.
“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Back on her stool, Sarah folded her hands and smiled sweetly at him. He simply growled, not bothering to respond.
She straightened and her expression turned serious. “Okay, where are we with the book?” She looked expectantly at Tarrant.
“I’ve done some checking with some people I know,” he began.
“Is that safe?”
“Safe enough,” Darius answered before Tarrant could take offense and say something in anger. “We need to trust someone.”
She rubbed her forehead. “Yeah. Sorry about that,” she told his brother. “I’m more paranoid than usual.”
“Understandable.” Tarrant flipped the steaks one more time and then forked them onto three separate plates. “My source recommends an exorcism on the book while burning it with the fire from a holy candle and then dousing the ashes in holy water.” He set the plates in front of each stool and then got cutlery.
“Wow, that’s extreme.”
Darius pulled the potatoes out of the microwave and put them in a bowl before depositing them onto the island. Tarrant dumped the heated carrots into another bowl and shoved them in front of Sarah.
“Do you have any other ideas?” Darius asked. He took a seat beside her and put one of the potatoes on her plate before piling four on his own. Tarrant got butter and sour cream from the refrigerator before joining them. Darius could tell his brother was curious about what Sarah had to say.
“Not at the moment, but I wouldn’t mind doing some digging around online. I’m not without resources of my own.” She cut a piece of the steak and popped it into her mouth. She chewed several times and then smiled. “It’s good.”
Tarrant grunted and kept eating, but Darius smiled. “You could set it up so her searches wouldn’t be detected, couldn’t you?” Darius was curious to see what Sarah could come up with.
Tarrant thought about it a minute. “Yeah, I can do that.” Darius knew his brother was more than capable of doing it, he just hadn’t been sure he would. “We can go back to the lab after we eat.”
“You mean back to Fort Knox,” she mumbled.
Tarrant cracked a grin, and Darius couldn’t help teasing him. “At least she didn’t call it the Batcave.” That drew a deep, feral growl from his brother.
Sarah stopped eating and drew back. “Should I ask?”
“Batman,” Darius told her. When she still looked confused, he added, “You know, the Dark Knight from the comics and the movies.”
“Ah, I get it. You don’t like the knight reference.” She mimicked zipping her lips. “You’ll never hear it from me.”
“Good.” Tarrant shot him a glare. “Now if only my brother would do the same.”
They kept the conversation fairly light while they finished eating. Darius and Tarrant stuck to the meat and potatoes, leaving the carrots for Sarah. There were still a lot of them in the bowl when she was done eating. More than half her steak was still there, too.
“You didn’t eat enough.” Darius didn’t like the idea of her being hungry. He turned on his brother. “We need girl food.”
Sarah smiled and rubbed her hand over his arm. “I had more than enough to eat and it was delicious. Thank you, Tarrant.”
Darius wasn’t convinced. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. I can’t eat nearly as much as you two can.” She pushed her plate toward him. “You can finish it if you’d like.”
“You can also clean up while Sarah and I get to work down in the computer lab.” Tarrant rose and indicated for Sarah to come with him.
Darius didn’t want her out of his sight. No, that wasn’t quite true. He didn’t want her alone with his brother. He loved and trusted Tarrant, but he honestly wasn’t sure what he might do if he thought for one second Sarah was a threat.
“I need coffee first. If that’s okay?”
“I’ll brew some fresh while I’m cleaning up and bring it straight down.” He gave his brother a significant look that warned of immediate and dire retribution if he hurt one hair on Sarah’s head. Tarrant smirked and left the kitchen.
Sarah rubbed his arm again. “Don’t worry, Darius. I’ll be fine.”
He wished he could be as certain. “I won’t be long,” he promised. Then he dropped a kiss on her lips and watched her leave.
…
Tarrant was waiting for her by the large steel door at the end of the hallway. It was already open, so she stepped inside the elevator. The door slid soundlessly shut and Tarrant gave the command. She held her breath until he went through the necessary security protocols and the door opened up into his lab. She’d never thought of herself as claustrophobic before, but being trapped
in such a small space with Tarrant was nerve-wracking. Not that he threatened her in any overt way, but she could feel the tension rolling off him in waves that were almost suffocating.
“You can breathe now,” he told her.
Sarah sucked air into her starving lungs. When she was calm enough, she decided to confront the problem head-on. “Look, I know you don’t know me or trust me. I get that. I understand that.”
“Good.” He crossed his massive arms over his wide chest. “Then you should also know that if you betray us or hurt my brother in any way, I’ll kill you.”
Every primitive instinct she possessed screamed at her to run, but there was nowhere to go. A part of her was glad Darius had someone in his life who cared about him so deeply. Another part of her was jealous of that obvious love. She’d never had that kind of relationship with her parents, or anyone else, for that matter.
“I understand. Where can I work?”
Tarrant tilted his head and studied her like she was a puzzle he couldn’t quite solve. “Over here.” He pointed to a computer in the corner. “Be assured, I’ll be monitoring everything you do.”
“I’d expect nothing less.” She slid into the chair and pulled it up to the desk. She jiggled the mouse to wake up the machine.
“My brother likes you, Ms. Anderson.” Tarrant was standing right next to her, taking up way too much room. There was menace in his every word that was more than a little scary. “I’ve never seen him take to a woman as quickly or thoroughly. Use that power wisely.”
“Are you asking what my intentions are?” She had no idea what possessed her to ask him such a thing and in such a flippant manner. Honestly, you’d think she had a death wish.
Tarrant growled again. “Be very cautious, Sarah.” The softly spoken words had her insides trembling. Since there was nothing else left to say, she gave her attention to the computer. This was the world she understood—books and knowledge.
She sent her fingers flying over the keyboard as she began to search, going deeper and deeper with each keystroke, each click. She reached out to several reliable contacts and asked hypothetical questions under the guise of helping a collector with a particular book. She kept all specifics out of it.
She lost herself in the work and had no idea how much time had passed when she finally surfaced. Her shoulders and neck ached, and she leaned back in her chair and groaned.
“Stiff?” Darius asked. He put his hands on her shoulders and began to rub.
Sarah groaned and leaned forward. “That feels good. How long have you been here?”
“Several hours.” He found a particularly tense spot and worked the knot out. “You didn’t drink your coffee.”
The mug was sitting just beyond the keyboard. She hadn’t noticed it there. Even more telling, she hadn’t noticed Darius putting it there. “I got lost in my work.” She tilted her head back so she could see his face. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s important we find out answers.”
“What time is it?”
“It’s evening.” Tarrant’s voice ripped through the circle of intimacy that surrounded her and Darius, reminding her that they weren’t alone. “Just past nine.”
She yawned and stretched. “My body clock is so screwed up.” Tarrant was hunched over another computer. “Have you learned anything more?”
He shook his head. “No. I have some searches going. I still have a business to run in spite of the Knights breathing down our necks.”
“Do you still want coffee?” Darius asked. “You need a break.”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t mind one. Both.” She rubbed her eyes and stood. “Yes, I’d like both a coffee and a break.” She grabbed the cup and headed to the exit.
Tarrant ignored them as they went to the door that shielded the elevator. As soon as they stepped in front of it, the doors opened. Darius’s hand was in its usual position at the small of her back.
The second the elevator doors closed, she gave a sigh of relief. The elevator was no bigger, but she felt much safer sharing it with Darius and not his brother.
“Up,” Darius gave the voice command before giving her a questioning look. “Is everything okay?”
“It’s fine,” she assured him. No way was she going to tell tales on Tarrant. What was said between them stayed between them. When they reached the next level, the door slid open. It closed automatically and relocked as soon as they stepped through it.
The corridor seemed positively huge after being in such close quarters. “It’s weird being underground and not seeing the sunshine. Or moonlight for that matter.”
She went straight to the kitchen sink, poured out the cold remains of her coffee, and started a new pot brewing. She leaned against the counter while she waited. “What have you been doing for the past few hours?”
Darius prowled around the room, his motions fluid and quick for such a large man. “Not much. You and Tarrant are the research experts.”
“We all have our skills. Mine just happen to be in research.” She pushed away from the counter. “But fair warning, if the Knights come for me, I’m hiding behind you.”
The frown on his face dissolved and was replaced by a warm smile. “You trust me to protect you.”
She knew in her heart that Darius would protect her with his life. That kind of sacrifice and commitment was rare in this world. “Yes, I trust you to protect me.” She waved her hand in the air. “I followed you here, didn’t I?” She lowered her voice and whispered. “To the Batcave.”
He chuckled and looked more relaxed. God, he looked good, whether tense or at ease, with his silky hair hanging to his shoulders, his smoldering green eyes, strong features, and kissable lips. And he’d brought her coffee. She just hadn’t been aware enough at the time to acknowledge it.
“Can we go outside?” she blurted. “I need to breathe real air. Feel the breeze on my face.” As big and lovely as Tarrant’s place was, it was still underground. “We can stay close to the cabin, sit on the porch stairs.” There weren’t any chairs to use, but she didn’t care. She’d sit on the ground at this point.
Darius came to her and rubbed his hands up and down her arms. “We can go outside.”
Her shoulders slumped slightly with relief. She’d half expected him to tell her they had to stay inside. It wasn’t that she felt like a prisoner. She knew staying inside was safer for security purposes. Still, she needed to feel as though she had some kind of control over her life, her surroundings.
And right now, that meant going outside to breathe in the evening air—something simple that she’d never take for granted again.
The coffeepot gave a final hiss, and she filled two mugs, adding sugar to her own. “Lead the way.” She picked up her mug and followed Darius over to the inside door. He pressed his hand to the scanner and the door opened. They went up the stairs with him in the lead.
With each step she took toward the outside world, she felt the tension in her body dropping away. The old cabin was suddenly beautiful to her eyes as she stepped into the kitchen. Anxious now, she hurried toward the front door, aware of Darius right beside her.
Her free hand fumbled with the door and then the wood panel was open. She turned her face up to the night sky as she stepped out onto the porch and inhaled.
“Beautiful.” She set her mug down on the railing and peered up at the stars. Everything inside her settled. Along with it came the awareness that she was exactly where she needed to be.
Chapter Nineteen
Darius was very aware of his surroundings. It wouldn’t pay to get careless. They should be safe here, but he didn’t underestimate the tenacity and resources of the Knights of the Dragon. Still, leaving the safety of Tarrant’s home was worth the payoff.
Sarah had her head tilted back and a look of wonder on her face as she studied the sky. They were far from any major city. This high in the mountains, there were no ambient lights to block the majesty of the stars. The sky was like a dark blanket with diamonds sp
illed over it.
This was the world at its best. Darius could easily remember a time long before electric lights, long before humans had populated the planet, scurrying over it like locusts destroying everything in their path. But many remote, beautiful places remained, and this was one of them.
“What do you think of Tarrant’s suggestion of an exorcism?” Sarah wrapped her arms around herself. “I thought exorcisms were for people, not objects.”
He should have realized she’d be cold in the chilly evening air. It was autumn and they were in the mountains. He stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned back against him, seeking his warmth. “The idea has merit. This is not a normal object. You said yourself it seemed almost alive.”
She shivered, and he didn’t think it had anything to do with the cold, but rather from her memories of touching the tainted manuscript. “Yeah, you’re right about that.”
“Tarrant trusts his source, and my brother does not trust easily.”
“Yeah, I get that.” Something in the tone of her voice made him stiffen.
“What did he say to you?” She hadn’t been alone with Tarrant for long, but certainly long enough for him to have threatened her.
“Nothing.” She wasn’t exactly lying to him. It was more like evading. Sarah wasn’t the type to tell tales. If Tarrant said something to her, threatened her, she’d deal with it in her own way.
Which meant he’d have to have a discussion with his brother later.
“Forget about the book and the Knights for now.”
“How can I?” she asked. She tipped her head back so she was staring up at him. “It’s the reason we’re here.”
It was, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t take a few moments to enjoy themselves. If there was one thing Darius had learned, it was that each minute of life was precious. Humans were fragile, and death could come in a flash, taking with it the promise of tomorrow. It was that appreciation, a zest for life and all it offered, that had kept him and his brothers sane and interested in living.
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