A bitter sound that wasn’t quite a laugh caught in her throat, and she lifted one soft, feminine-looking hand to push her hair back from her face. Though some of her angry flush had begun to fade, her skin still glowed with a healthy, fresh-faced vitality, the rosy color in her mouth and cheeks completely natural. “Try the state penitentiary in North Carolina.”
He stared, thinking he had to have heard her wrong. “What the hell does that mean?”
“Watch it,” she warned him, suddenly bristling again at his tone. “This is my place, Riley. Not yours. You have no right to come in here barking at me.”
“State penitentiary?” he echoed, struggling to wrap his mind around the jarring idea. It didn’t fit. Not in the rose-colored, white-picket-fenced life he’d always envisioned for this woman. She had to be jacking him around, screwing with his mind. “Are you seriously telling me that the guy you married is in prison?” he rasped out of a dry throat.
She gave a low, tired-sounding laugh. “Yeah, you know. Nasty places where they lock up creeps and keep ’em there. Don’t they have prisons where you live?”
He kept staring, trying to read behind her closed expression and forced sarcasm, but her walls were too thick, blocking him out. “What exactly did he do?”
“What does it matter?” she asked, shrugging one slender shoulder. The sweater slipped a little, revealing smooth, pale skin along with a slender bra strap, and his muscles tightened in reaction. “We’re divorced now. He’s no longer my problem.”
His eyes started to burn, but he just kept staring, trying to make sense of what she’d said. It was as if the words wouldn’t compute in his head. Divorced? Oh, God, that wasn’t good. Was even worse than her being married. Being divorced meant that she was…
No way. Whatever you do, do not follow that train of thought. She’s still off-limits.
Right, right. Of course she was. Hell, even if she wasn’t married, there had to be a serious boyfriend. And even if there wasn’t, Riley couldn’t touch her. Not with the rain of chaos he’d bring down on her head.
“So you’re single?” Kellan murmured, breaking the awkward silence that had settled in the fragrant room like a fourth presence.
“This is your last warning, Scott,” he barked, cutting her off before she could give a response, not wanting to hear it. “Don’t even think about her that way.”
“You can snarl orders at me all day long, Ri, but I’m afraid my mind is a powerful thing,” the Watchman replied, lifting the dark slash of his brows, a cocky tilt to his mouth. “Has a will of its own, I’m afraid.”
“Yeah, well, get a grip on it, or it’s going to have my fist shoved up its—”
“Okay, okay. I get it.” Kellan laughed, holding up his hands. “She’s off-limits. Same as Millie.”
Hope’s golden eyes went wide. “My aunt is off-limits?” she asked, sounding fascinated.
The Watchman grinned. “’Fraid so, sweetheart.”
The corner of her mouth twitched, and Riley could tell that she was trying to hold back one of her infectious smiles. Like the ones that had brightened up his miserable adolescence. Made him feel like a god whenever she’d looked at him with that soft, sensual curving of her lips. “How sad. She’ll be crushed to hear it.”
“I’m feeling pretty crushed right now myself,” Kellan said in a low, teasing rumble. “Riley’s ready to kill me for even talking to you.”
“Exactly how do you two know each other?” she asked, her curiosity so thick he could feel it.
Riley’s common sense told him to turn around and get the hell out of there, but he couldn’t move. Whether he stayed or left, Hope was now in danger. The cross had to be unearthed, before it fell into the wrong hands—and he was too much of a realist to hope they wouldn’t be followed to the town. They’d done their best to cover their tracks, but it wouldn’t stop the Casus and their psychopathic buddies from finding them…and fast. Riley knew all about how a Casus could tune in to the Merrick and know exactly where they were, as if the demonic creatures carried some kind of metaphysical tracking device. And now that they knew he’d come to Purity, it didn’t take a genius to realize they’d think he was there to find the third Marker. Hell, even if there were some way he could mask his presence—which he knew damn well there wasn’t—with a little searching, they’d learn that he’d asked about this property…and the trail would lead them right to Hope.
With the Marker buried on her land, Hope was going to be caught in the crossfire whether he was there or not. Which meant that until the Dark Marker was found, she needed protection, and he was more than qualified for the job. And yet the last place in the world he needed to be was this close to her. He didn’t even know her anymore, but the girl she’d been was too wrapped up in the woman she’d become, and it was messing with his head. God, he could still remember the taste of her mouth. The softness of her skin. The way her eyes went heavy when he touched her.
Don’t go there. Bad road, man. Just step back and get it together.
“Well?” she asked. “Is it some dark, juicy secret?”
Kellan seemed to have found his brain for once, and remained blessedly silent until Riley finally said, “How we know each other isn’t important.”
“Whatever,” she breathed out, quickly losing her patience, her anger still simmering just beneath the surface. “So are you going to tell me what you’re doing here in Purity? Or is it another dark, dirty secret?”
He drew in a deep breath, studying her guarded expression, while his mind worked, searching for a way to explain. But he was too fogged up with lust. Anger. Frustration. “Were you in town earlier?” he suddenly asked, his voice a quiet, gritty rumble.
He could see her confusion as she nodded. “I had to run in for some more milk. Why?”
He shook his head, knowing that it had been her scent he’d picked up while on Main Street. Scrubbing his hands down his face, Riley wondered how he was going to say what needed to be said. God, he didn’t even know where to start. “Look, I know this is…” He faltered, searching for the words. “Awkward as hell,” he finally growled through his clenched teeth, “but we need access to your land. Out in the forest. We were hoping to talk to the owner here about renting one of the cabins, so that we could search for something out in the woods.”
What are you saying? You can’t stay here now…. Are you crazy?
“Search for what?” she asked, interrupting the argument in his head, her gaze moving suspiciously between him and Kellan.
Riley closed his eyes. Tried to think. “You remember Saige?” he said, scraping one hand back through his hair as he lifted his lashes. “Well, she thinks there’s something buried out there. A family heirloom of sorts, and we’ve come to find it for her.”
She looked at Kellan. “Is he serious?”
The Watchman nodded, and Riley cleared his throat, saying, “I know it sounds strange, Hope. But this is important.”
“Why?” she asked, her mouth flat as her gaze found his again.
Because my life is falling apart. Because if we don’t find it, something else will. Something that could hurt you, just to get to me.
Instead of muttering the pathetic, melodramatic words, he simply said, “You’re just going to have to take my word for it.”
“Not likely.” She laughed, tightening her crossed arms over her chest, the position doing interesting things to the shadow of cleavage revealed by the V-neck cut of the sweater. “This is mine and Millie’s land, Riley. You’re not going to just dig it up without telling us what’s going on.”
Obviously trying to help, Kellan lifted his shoulders and said, “It’s not an easy kind of thing to explain.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Try.”
“Damn it,” Riley snapped. “Suffice it to say that there are lives at stake. And that’s all you need to know at this point.”
“Lives?” Her brows drew together, her expression a blend of frustration and wary disbelief. “Whose?”
> He silently cursed, painfully aware that he was botching the explanation with every friggin’ word that came out of his mouth. “I don’t have time to go in to details, and you’re better off not knowing them. But we’re not the only ones who want what’s out there. Because of that, people are in danger.”
She gave him a baffled look. “And it’s your job to protect them?”
“Actually, it is,” Riley explained with a hard sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose, while a hell of a headache started knocking around inside his skull.
“Wow, that’s some pretty serious responsibility,” she said, lifting her brows. “Did you suddenly become God in the past thirteen years?”
Kellan snuffled another laugh under his breath, while Riley just ground his jaw. “I’m a sheriff,” he muttered. “In Colorado. That’s where I live.”
“Huh,” she breathed out. “Well, I guess that would explain the gun.”
He paused, realizing she must have seen his Beretta in the holster beneath his jacket. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he said, “I know there’s a helluva history between us, Hope, but my family’s safety is on the line. If it wasn’t, you can damn well bet that I’d already be out of here and we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
Another low, bitter laugh left her lips and she turned her head, staring through a long, narrow window at the distant storm rolling in over the ocean. “Are your mother and Saige in danger?” she asked after a moment, her voice quiet…controlled. “I never really knew Ian, but I always liked your mom and your sister.”
“Saige is involved, but Elaina…she passed away at the beginning of the year.”
He could see her shoulders stiffen with surprise, though she still didn’t look toward him. “I’m sorry about your mom.” She drew in a deep breath, then slowly let it out. “And even though I know I should tell you to get lost, my stupid curiosity seems to be getting the better of me, because I’m dying to know what you’re really doing here. The cabins are all empty right now because we were getting ready to do some redecorating, so if you want, I’m willing to let you rent one.”
“Thanks,” he rasped, while inside there was a voice shouting, Idiot! Fool! Jackass!
“Don’t thank me yet,” she said, snagging his gaze. “I still haven’t told you how much I’m planning to charge you for your stay.”
“Something tells me that we won’t be getting the going rate,” Kellan offered wryly, sounding as if he still thought the entire situation was hilarious.
She lifted one hand, rubbing at her forehead as if she were in pain. “We’ll hash out the rental agreement when you come back.”
“Come back?” Riley echoed.
She gestured toward the door he assumed led to the kitchen. “I was right in the middle of getting prepped for lunch. I need to finish and—”
“Probably bake some more pies,” Kellan cut in with a lazy drawl.
The corner of her mouth twitched, though she didn’t quite smile. “That, too. I can get the paperwork together for the cabin and show you out to it later this afternoon. They all sit on the trail that leads out from the back garden, winding its way through the forest, so you’ll have plenty of privacy for whatever it is you’re going to be doing out there.”
Riley watched her from beneath his lashes, wanting to argue that they needed the cabin now, but knew that putting some space between them for a while was a good idea. Maybe, if he got lucky, she’d panic and leave town. Which was exactly what he wanted.
Yeah, sure it is.
Ignoring the words, he said, “We’ll be back around three, then.”
“Fine,” she sighed, and turning, she headed through the swinging kitchen door.
“Hope,” he called out.
“Yeah?” she asked, looking back at him over her shoulder, one hand holding the door pressed open. He stared at the thick, glossy sheet of her hair for a moment, having never seen it so long. The tips curved against the base of her spine, the sight unbearably erotic, even though she was hardly dressed for seduction.
Her voice snapped with impatience. “What is it, Riley?”
“If anyone asks, you don’t know me. You only—” he gestured with his head toward the front of the café “—reacted like that because you thought I was someone else. Understood?”
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
He locked his jaw, knowing she didn’t have a clue how important this was, wishing like hell that he’d never set foot in Purity. “I mean it, Hope.”
“I heard you the first time, Sheriff Buchanan.” She held his stare, then slowly shook her head. “Let’s be honest. It won’t be such a lie, because I never really knew you to begin with.”
Riley watched the door swing shut behind her, and just stood there, still pulling in lungfuls of that mouthwatering scent, his head in a freaking daze. In so many ways, she was a stranger—but he still wanted to go after her, lay her down, strip her bare and study the changes in her body. Not that he’d ever seen her in the raw. He’d been too bloody terrified of losing control. Even at seventeen, his physical appetites had been…hard. Harder than a virginal girl like Hope should have had to handle. So he’d choked them back, waiting for her to get older…
And then he’d lost her.
Shaking his head, he finally turned, surprised to find Kellan still standing there, quietly waiting for him. Silently studying his expression, no doubt seeing far more than Riley wanted to reveal. He was too stripped down at the moment. Too shocked open. Without saying anything, Riley headed back into the bustling café, where a busboy was mopping up the remnants of pie from the floor. Ignoring the curious stares sent their way as they walked out, they stepped into the rainy mist now drifting down from the sky.
“So,” Kellan said lightly, as they made their way down the path, “are we going to talk about it?”
“Talk about what?” he asked, pulling his jacket up around his ears, his heart still beating painfully hard.
“What you’re going to do about the woman,” Kellan murmured, while the bristling wind grew stronger, whipping at their hair, the thunder rolling in hard and fast. “Who she is. Why she hates you. Why you can’t take your eyes off her. Not that the last one needs an explanation, considering she’s some serious eye candy, though she doesn’t flaunt it. And we can’t forget the way you damn near fainted when you set eyes on her.”
“I’ve never fainted in my life,” he growled. “And it’s none of your goddamn business.”
Kellan made an obnoxious buzzer sound and smiled. “Wrong answer, man. I’m on babysitting duty, remember? Everything you do right now is my business.”
“Babysitting duty my ass,” he grumbled, heading back toward Main Street. “Everyone back at Ravenswing just wanted you out of their hair.”
Shaking his head, Kellan made a low sound under his breath. “Now that’s just not nice. Especially coming from ol’ Saint Riley. What would your brother say if he heard you being so rude?”
Riley grunted in response, his lip curling at the mention of the ridiculous nickname Ian had given him. Yeah, he’d done his best to make a difference in his life—to fight for things that were good and just and pure—but that was only because he knew what lay ahead. Knew just how messed up things were going to get. Knew he needed to score some decency points while he still could, racking them up before it all went to hell.
They moved along the crowded sidewalk, Kellan quiet at his side, while Riley’s thoughts churned around and around. “We need to head back to the truck so that I can get some clean clothes. Then we can grab some food at that sports bar near the parking lot. What was the name?”
“Shorty’s.”
“Yeah, that’s the place,” he murmured, fighting the frustrating urge to turn around and head straight back to Hope, hovering over her like a protective shield. With each step he took away from her, his agitation rose, cranking tighter, making him sweat. The back of his neck began to tingle, and Riley lifted his hand, rubbing at the odd sensation, al
most as if he could feel the press of a stare against his skin. Running his gaze over the crowded street, he searched for the source, but couldn’t find anyone that snagged his attention. No one with pale, ice-blue eyes. Not that it mattered. He might spot a Casus’s icy, unusual gaze, but the Collective soldiers working with the monsters were human. They could be anywhere, anyone.
A militant organization of human mercenaries, the Collective Army was devoted to purging the world of all preternatural life. Thanks to an unlikely ally—a Collective lieutenant colonel named Seth McConnell—Riley and the others now knew that the Casus and the Collective were working together to acquire the Dark Markers. According to Seth, a mysterious man named Westmore was behind the bizarre alliance, though his motives were still unknown. But whatever Westmore’s goal, Riley and the others knew it wasn’t going to be good.
Still feeling as if he were being watched, panic nearly had him turning and rushing back to the café, but he fought it down. He didn’t need to do anything to make Hope stand out. Though he would be searching on her land, he knew that the more distance he could keep between them, the better. Which meant that he didn’t need to be hovering over her like an overprotective lover.
At his side, Kellan suddenly said, “What’s going on?”
Riley sent him a dark, questioning look.
“You’re blasting vibes like a psychic firecracker. What gives? Are your Spidey senses tingling?”
Though he didn’t like it, Riley had to admit that it was impressive, how good Kellan was at reading him. “I have a feeling we’ve already got company,” he said in a low voice, before adding, “So I think it would be smart if we stay as close to Millie’s as we can. I don’t want to take any chances.”
“You’ll get no arguments from me,” Kellan replied, casting his own gaze out over the crowd of people filling the sidewalks. “You know, if one of them is onto us so quickly, it could be Gregory.”
Riley nodded, the panic in his gut turning to dread at the mention of the Casus who had seemed to make it his personal mission to go after Buchanan blood. The first Casus to return to this world had been Gregory’s brother, Malcolm. Ian had killed Malcolm with a Dark Marker, and upon his own return, Gregory had gone after Saige for revenge. Though they hadn’t heard anything from him since the day they’d all rescued Saige from Westmore’s clutches, they knew he was still out there, no doubt waiting for an opportunity to strike. Because of that, Saige was all but under lockdown back at Ravenswing, her soon-to-be husband, a Watchman named Michael Quinn, unwilling to take any chances with her safety. Riley had expected his footloose sister to have been champing at the bit, but he’d been wrong. Instead, she practically glowed, her blue eyes shining with happiness…with a peace that he’d never expected to see in her. And it was the same with Ian, who was set to marry his own fiancée in just two weeks’ time back at the compound.
Edge of Desire Page 3