Dark Guardian (Dark Series - book 9)

by Christine Feehan

  He found himself smiling again. He was more than likely the most powerful creature on the face of the earth. He could command the heavens. She was not much more than five-foot-one, probably didn’t weigh in at a hundred pounds, yet she didn’t think anything of standing up to him.

  The truth was, Lucian was used to complete awe and respect. Even among the more powerful males of his race, he had always been treated with deference. No one had defied him in centuries. He mused over that. No one other than enemies he had to destroy had

  ever

  defied him. Not once in all those centuries did anyone ever disobey his will. Lucian was used to having his way in all things. In his arms Jaxon felt so small and fragile. He was suddenly aware of his strength, of his power, something he had always taken for granted. He inhaled her scent; she was already the very air he breathed. The bond between them was growing stronger with every moment that passed.

  A sound intruded, a soft cry, music on the wind. The wolves knew he was out on the grounds and had come close to visit him. Seeing he was not alone, they were in the woods, dark shadows watching him, waiting for a signal. Attack or stay back? He touched their minds, sending images to them. Jaxon was a part of their clan, their pack, his female, a leader right alongside him. She was under his protection.

  Under their protection. They must at all times look out for her first.

  Jaxon raised her head. “They’re out there now, watching us, aren’t they? Where did you get them? You have to secure all sorts of special licenses to have a wild animal. I would have thought, even for you, it would be difficult to attain the permits when you live so close to the city. How did you manage it?”

  He shrugged his wide shoulders carelessly. “I simply told the gentleman he was going to give me the permits, and he did so.”

  Jaxon sighed and stopped dancing with him. “I need to get away from you. I really do. I can’t believe someone so perfectly logical and down-to-earth as I am is falling for this fantasy world you’ve created. Lucian, you can’t just go around getting your way by crawling into people’s minds and hypnotizing them into doing whatever you want.”

  His black eyes glittered with what could have been amusement. “Jaxon, I have been doing just that since the beginning of existence.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Centuries. I have been doing it for centuries.”

  Jaxon held up her hand. “Just stop saying

  centuries

  . Don’t use that word anymore. Something about it makes me crazy.” She pressed a hand to her stomach. “Give me back my gun before you call those animals to you.” She could see the wolves, their eyes reflecting in the dark. Without realizing it, she moved back beneath the shelter of Lucian’s wide shoulder for protection. “I’d just feel better, you know?”

  “The wolves are my brothers. They would never seek to harm me or mine,” he said quietly. “They are noble creatures, Jaxon, with a strict code. They would give their lives for us. Do not fear them.”

  Her heart was beginning to pound. Right away she noticed his heartbeat match hers, and then both hearts slowed to normal. She glanced up at him. “What

  are

  you?”

  “Not vampire, little love. Never that.” His every instinct was to scoop her up and run off with her, claim her body and tie her to him irrevocably. Lucian’s mind was a shadow in hers; he knew she would be unable to resist him, but it was not what she wanted. She was still struggling to accept his existence and their strange bond. With a sigh he circled her slight body with his arms and dropped to one knee.

  Come to me, brothers and sisters. Come and meet my lifemate

  .

  The wolves raced from the woods, eager to welcome her into the pack. Lucian held her tightly, reassuring her physically as well as mentally. In her head his voice was soft and soothing; his heart and lungs directed hers so that she could remain calm in the midst of the large pack. The animals pushed against her legs, rubbed along her thigh, sought to have her hands in their fur. When she was reluctant to do so on her own, Lucian’s hand guided hers, so that her palm was immersed in the thick dark coat of one of the larger wolves.

  Jaxon found a smile curving her mouth, joy in her heart. She almost felt as if she could see into the minds of the animals. Images of what they were thinking and feeling. Their fur was incredibly soft and thick. It was amazing to be so close to a wild animal, to be touching one, having it accept her. She turned her head to look up at Lucian. “This is so wonderful. Have you been doing this all your life?”

  “I would say for

  centuries

  , but I know how much you dislike that particular word,” he teased her. She made a face at him. “You are so bad.”

  He ruffled her hair, trying to treat her like a child instead of the woman he knew her to be. She was tired. He could sense her exhaustion. Her wounds were not completely healed. She needed nourishment, though her mind shied away from that particular need. Lucian sent the wolves back into the woods, scooped Jaxon into his arms, and glided back into the house, cradling her against his chest.

  “I’m quite capable of walking,” she pointed out.

  “It is faster this way. Your legs are short.”

  “They are not!” She was seriously offended. “I can’t believe you even said that.”

  He laughed and tossed her into the deep cushions of the sofa in his den, where it was warm. “I have to go out for a short time this evening. You will, of course, remain indoors and out of harm’s way.”

  She looked up at him with wide-eyed innocence. “Where exactly did you think I was planning on going at this time of night? Out dancing? I can wait a few days.”

  “Promise me you will try to eat something.”

  “Absolutely.” She nodded solemnly. Lucian regarded her through half-closed eyes. “Why is it I am not certain I can trust you?”

  “You have the longest, darkest eyelashes I’ve ever seen,” she replied, trying not to stare at his eyes. “You should be locked up. It’s not safe to have you around women.”

  “I have not noticed

  you

  falling all over me, angel.”

  “Thank God for that.” Jaxon snuggled deeper into the cushions and smiled up at him. “Notice I’m not even asking you where you’re going. I’m just happy to be rid of you for a while.”

  “That is not nice.”

  “Keep it in mind when you’re thinking about this lifemate stuff. I’m not a nice person,” she said smugly.

  He laughed softly. “I do not have to reinforce my request that you remain indoors with a little help, do I?” Her dark eyes flashed fire. “You wouldn’t dare!”

  “Try me.” His voice was as soft as ever. Jaxon did her best to look demure. “Do I look in any shape to go running around like an idiot? But you need a couple of bodyguards. Take the chauffeur. He looks as if he can handle himself in a crisis. Not that I have any intention of worrying about you.” His white teeth flashed at that blatant lie. “If you need me, honey, just reach for me with your mind. We can talk to each other anytime.”

  She held up a hand. “Go away. It’s the only safe thing for you to do. And leave my gun while you’re at it. I don’t want to be here alone unarmed.”

  “You have a complete arsenal upstairs in your bedroom. I never saw so many weapons. It made me wonder just what type of woman I was getting myself involved with. There will be no shooting me when I come home this night, no unfortunate accidents, I trust,” he teased as he put her gun on the table beside her chair. He bent to brush her temple with his warm mouth before he walked away from her, laughing softly.

  Lucian made certain he had stepped out into the darkness before his tall frame shimmered into transparency, slowly dissolved into millions of tiny droplets, and streamed out into the mist rising from the ground. He moved fast, traveling at preternatural speed, moving straight toward the city.

  The three men sent to murder Jaxon had all worked for the same perso
n. Samuel T. Barnes. The man was a banker, wealthy and very social. He was seen at all the prominent parties, supported the local mayor, the congressman, and the senator. He did not appear to have any drug connections, yet he had ordered all three assassins to get rid of Jaxon. She had been far too successful in slowing the drug traffic in her city. Her team had virtually put a stranglehold on the incoming routes. She found and took away shipment after shipment.

  Lucian found Barnes’s condominium in an exclusive neighborhood. The stream of mist circled the house, testing the defenses. Each window was sealed, every door bolted. Lucian returned to the front door, shimmering once more into solid flesh and blood. He stood tall and straight, a faint smile touching his mouth, although his eyes were completely expressionless. He listened for a moment, noting the position of all people in the house and what they were doing. His knock was sharp and authoritative and brought an instant response.

  A young man in a suit, the poorly concealed bulge beneath his jacket indicating he was armed, opened the door. Lucian nodded politely. “I am Lucian Daratrazanoff, here to see Mr. Barnes. I do not have an appointment, but I was in the area and thought I would take a chance.”

  The man blinked several times in surprise. He obviously recognized the name. “Please come in, sir. I’ll tell him you’re here.”

  Lucian didn’t move. “I would not want to disturb him if he has settled in for the evening. After all, it is quite late. I will wait out here.”

  “Mr. Barnes wouldn’t like that, sir,” the man insisted. “I’ve heard him speak of you often. Please come in.”

  “You are certain you have the authority to invite me into his home?” Lucian’s voice was soft, his accent very much in evidence.

  The man nodded. “Yes, sir. Please come in. Mr. Barnes would have my job if I kept you waiting on the doorstep.”

  Lucian graciously allowed the man to talk him into entering the foyer. He stood quietly while the man hurried off to get Samuel Barnes. He could clearly hear the whisper of conversation in the room above him.

  “Are you certain it’s Lucian Daratrazanoff? My God, where’s my jacket? Quick, Bruce, mix a couple of drinks, and bring them into the library. No, wait. Escort Daratrazanoff into the main sitting room. I’ll make the drinks myself.”

  Lucian remained quite still, waiting while Bruce hurried back to him. “Mr. Barnes said to bring you right up,” he announced, indicating the staircase.

  Lucian moved up the stairs without hesitation. He had not used his voice to persuade or enthrall. He had not needed to do so. His name, that of the elusive foreign billionaire, was enough. To a man like Barnes, he would have celebrity status. He moved silently, remaining aware of the location of all those in the house. There were four men, including Barnes. Bruce was right behind him, and two others were playing pool in a recreation room on the first floor toward the back of the house.

  Samuel Barnes met him halfway across the room, his right hand outstretched. He was a slim man with a quick, practiced smile and thinning hair. “Lucian Daratrazanoff, this is quite a surprise. What can I do for you?”

  Lucian’s black eyes were hard and uncompromising. “I believe we have some private business to discuss.”

  Barnes indicated the door with a nod to Bruce. The man immediately went out, closing the heavy oak door behind him. Barnes crossed to his leather bar. “What can I get for you?” He poured himself a scotch and water.

  “Nothing for me, thank you,” Lucian replied softly. He waited until Barnes was seated comfortably across from him before leaning toward the man and fixing his black eyes on the other man’s gaze. “We have a small problem, Mr. Barnes,” Lucian said very gently. “I know you will be more than pleased to help me with it.”

  “Of course, Mr. Daratrazanoff. Anything at all.”

  “I would like you to tell me quite frankly why it is you wish Miss Jaxon Montgomery and her partner, Barry Radcliff, dead.” Lucian’s voice had dropped an octave, so that the tone wrapped around the other man, every bit as mesmerizing as those empty black eyes.

  “My partners and I have made several attempts to pay off her or some of those in her unit, but they’re all very loyal to her. She seems to know where every shipment is before it even arrives. She’s putting a stranglehold on our cash flow. I told my partners that we couldn’t hit a couple of cops, but they said we had to or they would find a more agreeable partner. I had no choice.”

  Lucian nodded seriously, as if they were simply discussing the weather. “And who are these people who are insisting upon her death? Because, you know, you do not really want such a thing.”

  “Dennis Putnam and Roger Altman. They have big connections in Colombia and Mexico.”

  “And where would I find these two men?”

  “It’s hard to get to them. Bodyguards surround them all the time. I think they’ve got one of their men planted here, but I can’t figure out who it is. They always know what I’m doing. They have a base of operation in Miami.”

  “Write down the address for me.”

  Barnes complied immediately. Lucian rose with his casual, fluid grace. “The men in this house—how many of them are aware of the fact that your partners want Miss Montgomery dead?”

  “All of them.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate your help. I want you to wait until I have left this room, and then you will suddenly cease to be able to breathe. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Mr. Daratrazanoff.”

  Barnes walked him to the door and held out his hand. “It’s been a pleasure doing business with you.”

  Lucian took the hand offered to him and stared directly into Barnes’s eyes, ensuring his instructions would be carried out swiftly. “I cannot say the same for you, but, then, you are a deceiver and a murderer, are you not?”

  Barnes frowned and rubbed his temples.

  Lucian’s white teeth flashed. “Good-bye, Mr. Barnes.”

  Bruce was waiting just outside the door. “Please follow me, Mr. Daratrazanoff. I’ll show you out. I trust everything went well.”

  Lucian put a friendly hand on the man’s shoulder. “Please show me to the pool room. That would make me very happy.”

  Bruce blinked rapidly several times. “Of course, sir. This way.”

  As they descended the long stairs, they heard a faint noise from the upstairs sitting room. A strangling, a gasping, and then a thud, as if someone had fallen to the floor. Bruce turned quickly. Lucian merely smiled. “You will not go to his aid, because I do not wish it. Take me to the pool room.”

  Bruce nodded and led the way down the hall to a set of double doors.

  Lucian waved a hand, and the doors opened wide. The two men looked up from their game, both putting their hands on the weapons in their shoulder holsters. They relaxed visibly when they saw Bruce.

  Lucian walked directly up to the first man. “I want you to get into your car and drive very carefully, obeying all traffic rules, until you come to the entrance to the cliff road. You will go up that road and drive straight off it. Do you understand me?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “You will do so immediately.”

  Without replying, the man picked up his jacket and car keys and left the room.

  Lucian turned to the second man. “You have killed many times.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “You feel bad about that, do you not? It is a very difficult thing to live with, the taking of innocent lives. I have never done so in all the long centuries of my existence. Those I have condemned to death have always been murderers such as yourself. You are evil. You know that you are, and you no longer wish to continue your pitiful existence. Go to your residence, and end the misery you bring to others. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, sir.” The second man picked up his jacket and left the room without a backward glance. Lucian studied Bruce. “You have not killed.”

  “No, sir.”

  “Why would you work for such a man as Barnes?”

  “When I was f
ifteen I got involved in a car-theft ring. I served time, and once I was out, no one but Mr. Barnes would give me a job.”

  “You do not like Barnes or the things he does.”

  Bruce couldn’t look away from those mesmerizing eyes. In any case, the sound of that voice demanded the truth. “He disgusts me. He’d murder his own mother for money. I have a wife to support. We’re expecting twins any day now. I have to make enough money for them to live, and no one is going to hire a felon.”

  “You will go home and stay there for a few days thinking about your future. You will get rid of the gun, tell your wife you are getting a legitimate job, and you will call this number. The man there will interview you and give you honest work. Do you understand me? You will remember nothing of my presence in this house, and you will not remember that Miss Montgomery and her partner were ever on a hit list.”

  Bruce took the small piece of paper, folded it carefully, and slipped it into his jacket pocket. When he looked up, he was alone in the pool room, and he couldn’t remember why he had gone there. He was sick of his job, sick of Barnes. Mary was due any day now. She hated his working for Barnes and begged him all the time to quit. Maybe now was the time. Maybe he should just quit and think things over while they waited for the babies to be born. There had to be something better out there for him. Something legitimate. Bruce went upstairs to tell Barnes he was finished. He found him on the floor, his features gray, tinged with blue. Immediately he called 911 and started CPR. All the time he worked, he knew it was too late for Barnes, and he couldn’t find it in his heart to be all that sorry.

  Jaxon waited until she was certain Lucian had left his house and was off his property. At once she sought a telephone to call Don Jacobson, her childhood friend.