Bound by Darkness

by Alexis Morgan

  “It will be discussed at the next general meeting, which will be a teleconference. If you’re serious about applying for the position, put together some hard data on what you’ve accomplished and what’s next on your agenda. Include any negatives, too, or they’ll get suspicious. It would help if you listed possible solutions.”

  “That was my plan.”

  Her father sat up taller. “You have to know that with this possible attack on you, I’d feel a whole lot better if you finish up what you were sent to Seattle to do and come back home. Now that you’ve proven yourself here, the Board can find a position more commensurate with your abilities in St. Louis.”

  “So you’d vote against me.” That hurt, but it was really no surprise either.

  “Sasha, honey—”

  “No, Dad, don’t go there. We both know that as long as I stay in St. Louis, I’ll be living in your shadow and under your thumb. I want more than that, and you should want it for me, too.”

  A knock at the door saved them both from going any farther down that road. She didn’t want to fight with her father, but his heavy-handed protectiveness drove her crazy.

  She got up and headed for the door.

  “Sasha, wait.” Her father was up and charging past her to grab the gun. “Stand back and let me open the door.”

  “All right, but at least let me see who it is.”

  He reluctantly stood back and let her look through the peephole. Great. What was Devlin doing back on her doorstep?

  “It’s okay, Dad. It’s Devlin Bane, and I wouldn’t be surprised if his wife is with him.”

  The Paladin leader walked in with Laurel right behind him. “Mr. Willis, what a pleasant surprise.”

  That was a lie, but at least her father let it pass. “I needed to see for myself that my daughter was all right. If I’d waited for a report from her or you, I suspect hell would be frozen over.”

  Laurel caught Sasha’s attention and rolled her eyes. “Sasha, why don’t I give you a quick checkup while these two finish their discussion?”

  “Good idea. I don’t know about you, but I truly hate the smell of testosterone in the morning.”

  Laurel laughed, although the two men didn’t seem to get the joke. Too bad.

  Feeling better now that the cavalry had arrived, Sasha led the way to her bedroom. She flipped on the radio next to the bed, hoping to give them some degree of privacy. When they’d closed the door, Laurel set her small medical case on the bed. Sasha dutifully let the doctor do her thing.

  “Any problems?” Laurel asked as she wrapped a blood pressure cuff around Sasha’s arm.

  “You mean besides my father showing up unannounced? Or that I still have no idea who tried to kill me or why?”

  “Well, let’s start with the injuries from yesterday. Any headaches or dizziness?”

  “Nope.”

  “Any cramping or bleeding?”

  “Nope.”

  “Any problems having wild monkey sex with Larem last night?”

  “Nope.”

  Oh, crap. As soon as the word slipped out, Sasha blushed furiously.

  Meanwhile, Laurel finished pumping up the cuff and closed her eyes to listen as she let off the pressure. “Don’t sweat it. Your dad couldn’t possibly have heard us.”

  “Maybe not, but Devlin probably could.”

  Laurel put all her stuff back in her bag. “He’s the one who bet me Larem wouldn’t end up sleeping on the couch last night. By the way, we spoke to him before we came in.”

  “How is he?”

  “Worried about you. Not sure what he should be doing right now, especially with your father here. He offered to let us bring Chance inside, so he could leave. Devlin told him to hang around a little longer until we knew what you wanted.”

  Sasha rested her elbows on her knees and buried her face in her hands. “I want more time alone with him, so we can really talk. That’s not going to happen with my father here. Heck, Dad’s already suspicious that Larem’s more than just someone Devlin ordered to stand guard.”

  She prayed for patience. “Dad’s asked Larem twice where he’s from because he didn’t recognize his accent. The man’s not stupid. Sooner or later, he’ll figure out that Larem is Kalith.”

  Laurel sat down beside her. “I know what you’re going through. I love my parents dearly, but they’ve only recently come to understand that I’m never moving back home. It hurts them that I don’t fit in there anymore, but they love me enough to let me go.”

  She laughed. “You should’ve been there when they met Devlin for the first time! Not exactly the son-in-law they had in mind. It was a dicey couple of days, I can tell you, but the bottom line was that they love me and so does he. They’ve managed to build on that.”

  All that was nice, except Laurel’s situation wasn’t exactly the same as hers. “At least Devlin’s human.”

  Laurel’s laugh had little to do with real humor. “Not exactly. He’s also decades older than I am.”

  Sasha was pretty sure the front door had just opened and closed. “At least you and Devlin have each other. With Larem, I have no idea where we’re headed.”

  “Where do you want to go?”

  Sasha hesitated. “A month ago that would’ve been a simple question to answer. I wanted to be the first female Regent and make a difference in how Paladins are treated. Dad doesn’t know this, but I dated a Paladin for a short time. He was a great guy, really special, but then they all are.”

  “What happened?” Laurel asked, although the shadows in the Handler’s eyes said she already had a pretty good idea.

  “He was killed and didn’t make it all the way back. I didn’t figure out that’s what really happened until later, but the how didn’t matter. Dead was dead.”

  Sasha grabbed a tissue from the nightstand. “I swore then that I’d do whatever I could to make sure we gave these amazing men the best of everything. And there has to be some way to stop losing them to the insanity, to save men like David. Like Trahern.”

  “Sounds like a worthy goal to me. What’s changed?”

  “That would seem obvious. Most of the Regents are a bunch of old-school traditionalists at heart. Not only am I going to be a single parent, but the father is someone they’d just as soon see dead or shoved back across the barrier. It could even affect my father’s position if they want to get nasty about it.”

  Laurel stiffened. “Don’t listen to them. No matter what they think, Larem’s a good man.”

  “I know that, Laurel. I don’t have wild monkey sex with just anyone. I care about him.” Honesty forced her to add, “A lot. I’ve already told Larem that if the Regents won’t accept me, I’ll leave the organization and stay here anyway.”

  She wadded up her tissue and tossed it at the waste-basket, smiling briefly when she hit it dead center. “But I’m not the only one with decisions to make. I still don’t know the story behind what brought Larem to our world. What if all he wants is to go home?”

  “That’s not happening,” Laurel said, shaking her head. “No way, not now.”

  “But I don’t want him to stay just because I’m pregnant.” She wanted him for herself, too.

  “No, you want him to stay for you,” Laurel said, echoing Sasha’s thoughts.

  “Yeah, but—”

  A soft knock at the door ended their chance for any more conversation. Sasha got up and opened the door.

  Her heart fluttered in her chest. “Larem, we were just talking about . . . things.”

  His expression remained stoic, but there was a gleam in his eye that warned her that he’d heard at least the tail end of their conversation. “I wanted to let you know that Devlin is going to take your father to a hotel so he can get some sleep after traveling all night.”

  Then there was a spark of mischief in his eyes. “He wanted to stay here, of course. However, I pointed out that since your guest room is full of boxes, and your bodyguard will be sleeping on the sofa, there is no room for him. Devlin was
kind enough to offer him a ride after I pointed out the problem.”

  “How considerate of both of you.”

  “Yes, we thought so.” Then he looked past her to Laurel. “Devlin said he’s ready to leave when you are.”

  Laurel replied, “Tell him I’ll be right there.”

  Before he could leave, Sasha caught him by the arm. “So will you be staying?”

  Larem’s expression turned solemn. “It is my duty and my honor to protect you, unless you would prefer someone else.”

  They were both talking about more than just a few hours of patrolling her condo, and she knew it. “I only want you.”

  He nodded and then stood back to let Laurel pass.

  “I’d better go say good-bye to my father. Maybe we can take him out for a nice dinner tonight.”

  “If you’re going to tell him about me, about us, about everything,” he said, his gaze briefly dropping down to her stomach before returning to her face, “it would be better done in private.”

  What could she say to that? He was right, of course, but she couldn’t find the words to respond. All trace of softness disappeared from his eyes. Once again, she’d hurt him without meaning to.

  He stepped back. “Perhaps you should ask Devlin for a different guard.”

  “No, I was just thinking that you’re right about talking to my father here instead. Once they all leave, we’ll figure out what to say—together.”

  She rolled her shoulders to ease the knots of tension forming there. “God, this is going to be so much harder than when I was sixteen and had to tell him I’d wrecked his brand-new car. At least he can’t ground me for a month like he did back then. He might try to take a swing at you, though.”

  He gave her a quick hug. “For the sake of family peace and since he’s your father, I promise I won’t hit back.”

  She laughed despite the lump in her throat. “Now that we’ve got that settled, let’s go say good-bye.”

  Chapter 19

  Chaz Willis stood by the front door with barely disguised fury at being the one to leave. Larem trailed down the hall beside Sasha but positioned himself in front of her and slightly to the side to make sure that no one had a clear shot at her when the door opened. He suspected her father thought Larem was trying to protect her from him.

  He wasn’t wrong.

  “So, Sasha, do I have to have your bodyguard’s permission to hug my own daughter?”

  “Dad, don’t be a jerk.” She stepped past Larem to give her father a quick embrace. “We’d like to have you back for dinner tonight. Say, six o’clock?”

  Larem winced inwardly. Sasha probably didn’t mean anything by her use of the word “we,” but her father certainly picked up on it.

  Chaz’s hands balled up into fists. “I’ll be here.”

  He might have answered his daughter, but the look he shot in Larem’s direction conveyed far more than a simple acceptance of a dinner invitation.

  To make sure that they were both on the same page, Larem gave the older man a cold smile. “As will I, Mr. Willis. I look forward to seeing you again.”

  “Actually, Mr. Jones, no offense, but I’d prefer to have dinner alone with my daughter. She’ll be safe enough with me, especially with the guards outside.”

  “No offense taken, but I’m afraid that’s not possible. As her bodyguard, I plan to remain in very close proximity.”

  “Oh, brother.” Sasha stepped between the two of them. “Larem, Dad—both of you—that’s enough.”

  Devlin cleared his throat. “Look, we should be going. Larem, call if you need anything.”

  “Will do.”

  Larem stood back and held on to Chance’s collar as they all filed out. The big dog had inexplicably taken a liking to Sasha’s father, a feeling that wasn’t at all mutual. The man had been trying to brush a layer of white hair off his pants as he walked out the door.

  Now that everyone was gone, a strained silence settled over the room, but at least they were alone.

  He and Sasha had a lot of ground to cover before her father returned. They certainly hadn’t done much talking during the night, but they’d communicated in other ways. Never had he experienced something quite as sweet as holding Sasha Willis by his side. Making love to her had soothed his soul.

  Larem watched Devlin’s car disappear down the street, with Chance at his side. Sasha had disappeared into the kitchen. If he had to guess, she was making a pot of tea. Maybe she needed a few minutes to gather her thoughts. If she didn’t come out soon, he’d check on her.

  A short time later, she returned carrying a tray with a teapot and two mugs. He crossed the room to take it from her, setting it down on the coffee table. Chance stretched out in front of the door and closed his eyes, leaving them to fill in the silence on their own.

  She looked frustrated.

  “Sasha, say what you need to say.”

  “You know, all of this is difficult enough without you deliberately provoking my father.”

  She poured herself a cup of tea and took a seat at the far end of the couch. He sat down on the opposite end.

  “I’ll try to do better, but there’s not much about me that is going to make him happy. You know that.”

  “That might be true, at least at first, but there’s no use making a bad situation worse.”

  “I said I’ll try.” He sipped his tea. “What else is on your mind?”

  “I don’t know why you’re here. Not here in the condo, but here in this world.” She angled her head to look him straight in the eye. “No one wanted to explain, saying it was your story to tell.”

  “All you had to do was ask.”

  As she listened, he poured out the whole tale. About serving as Lusahn’s Blademate. About how Cullen Finley crossing into their world had changed everything. About the betrayals that would have ended with Larem’s execution if he’d refused to follow Lusahn and her Paladin lover into this world.

  “You loved her. Lusahn, I mean.”

  He considered the idea. “I thought I did, but now I don’t think so. Not really, more that I liked the idea of being in love with her. For sure, Lusahn never felt anything beyond friendship for me. You only had to see her with Cullen once to know that he had claimed her heart.”

  “Still, it must have been hard for you to lose everything because of them. I’m surprised you’re not bitter.”

  Hard didn’t even come close to describing his rage over his life being shattered by the selfish actions of others. If Lonzo hadn’t offered Larem both a home and his friendship, Larem didn’t know how he would’ve survived those first few weeks. It wasn’t until Hunter Fitzsimon had allowed Larem to serve at his side, hunting the traitors who had betrayed both their worlds, that he’d found a renewed sense of purpose.

  “I’m not the same man I was then.”

  He thought he’d lost everything when he’d been dragged into this world. But now, with this woman and the child they’d created, he realized he’d been wrong. Nothing he’d left behind came close to what he stood to lose if something happened to Sasha.

  “You’re looking pretty fierce there, Larem. What are you thinking?”

  “About what happened yesterday.”

  “There’s nothing to be done about it now. The police will let us know when they find the guy.”

  Larem didn’t want the authorities to get their hands on her attacker—he didn’t want the culprit behind bars. No, he wanted the bastard where he could watch him die slowly and painfully.

  Sasha’s eyes narrowed. “You’re not thinking of going after him yourself.”

  He didn’t bother to respond. Any warrior worthy of the title would insist on avenging his woman.

  Sasha knew it, too. It was there in the frown lines bracketing her mouth. “I’m thinking maybe Dad’s right. I should meet with him alone.”

  “Why?”

  Although he suspected he knew. She wanted to make plans for her future, one that didn’t necessarily involve him.
/>   “Because he’s going to be hurt and angry, and you don’t need to be here for that.”

  “Why?” he repeated.

  Sasha stared down at her cup. “Because you’ve already done enough, and it’s not your problem.”

  He set his own cup down hard enough to slosh tea onto the table. He ignored the mess. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  Slowly, her dark eyes came up to meet his. “It means I like you too much to tangle you up in my life any more than you already are. I may have to tell Dad that I’m pregnant, but that doesn’t mean I have to tell him who the father is.”

  He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “And you think he won’t be able to guess? And after everything we’ve been through . . . after last night and this morning . . .” It took all he had to ask the question. “Are you going to deny me my child?”

  Before she could answer, Chance barked softly and then growled down low in his chest. He moved away from the door, dividing his attention between it and the windows. Larem stood up and reached for his gun.

  “Sasha, get down behind the kitchen counter and stay there until I say otherwise.”

  As he spoke, he pulled out his cell and dialed the number Devlin had given him for the guards outside. No answer. He tried the Paladin leader’s number next.

  “Dev, something’s going on. Chance is sensing danger, and the guards aren’t answering their phones.”

  But any help Devlin might send was going to be too late. The front door took a heavy blow at the same time the window shattered. Two canisters of gas hit the living room floor and started spraying smoke into the air.

  Larem shoved the phone back in his pocket and ran for the kitchen. The air in the living room was already growing hazy enough to make breathing hard.

  Sasha was crouched down near the floor. “Larem, what’s going on?”

  “We’ve got to get out of here.”

  He quickly considered their options, which were damn few and none of them good. Whoever was after them had to be pretty desperate to attack in broad daylight.

  “Where does the side door in the garage lead?”