Day (Stronghold Book 4)

by Erin M. Leaf

  “If you come with me, and pair with me, your energy will boost the Stronghold net enough to power a shield that will keep Earth safe.”

  ****

  Bruno scowled into the wind. Amy’s strong arms wrapped around his waist, and she leaned into him every time he took a turn slightly too fast. Maybe if I go fast enough, I can outrun the hurt in her eyes, he reasoned, knowing he lied to himself. When he’d told her he needed her power for the Stronghold net, she’d closed down completely. He didn’t blame her. He’d as much as said he wanted her only for the power she held in her small body, and not for herself, but the truth was far more complicated. He wanted all of her: her mind, her emotions, her power, and her future. You sound like an obsessive psychopath. Is it any wonder she shut down on you? he asked himself.

  “How much farther?” she asked, talking loudly into his ear so he’d hear her above the noise of the motorcycle.

  “We’re almost to the bridge,” he yelled back, wanting to reassure her.

  She squeezed him tighter. He sensed her acknowledgement, and gritted his teeth. He couldn’t talk to her until they reached his Stronghold in the middle of Manhattan. He couldn’t apologize for the way he’d fumbled after the kiss that had rocked his world. He eased through the traffic lining up to cross the new Tappen Zee Bridge. Once across, he headed south, cursing under his breath at the traffic that slowed him when he reached the city. He’d felt Amy’s emotions ricocheting from worry to excitement to arousal during the trip, mirroring his own uncertainty. When he finally pulled into his building’s underground parking garage in midtown, he breathed a sigh of relief despite the pressure of so many thousands of minds pressing on his empathic pathways.

  “We’re here?” Amy asked, when he parked the motorcycle. She climbed off and looked around at the unremarkable space. “This is not what I expected.”

  “This is just the garage. We need to go up,” he said, removing her helmet for her. He’d lent her his, and her mussed blonde hair made him want to kiss her all over again. He smoothed a stray strand away from her eyes. “Are you okay?”

  She grimaced, rubbing her neck. “A little stiff.”

  “Come. The entrance is over here.” He led her to his express elevator, then placed his palm on the clear white surface of the reader panel. Unlike most security pads, this one was composed of Stronghold tech, similar to the column in his penthouse. The pad read his DNA, and then the polished brass doors opened. “I’ll key it to your handprint so you’ll be able to get in and out at will,” he assured her.

  “No actual security guys?” Amy asked, sounding bemused.

  He smiled as he ushered her into the elevator. “I like to keep a low profile.”

  “There’s low profile, and then there’s crazy,” she muttered. “You’re the most recognizable man in the world.”

  His smile faded as her worry rolled over him. “You are safe here, Amy.” He pressed the button for his floor, and he gently caught her elbow when she swayed with the pressure of the sudden movement. “The entire building has Sentry tech embedded into the steel. I have sensors everywhere, and a shield that can detect Spiders and other threats. This is the safest building in the city.”

  “My father thought he was safe, too,” she told him, a wrinkle marring her brow. “Technology can’t protect you from humans who are determined to hurt you.”

  Bruno nodded. “I know. But my empathic senses can detect any human intent on harm. And as a Sentry, I have a far more dangerous threat to deal with than a few people.” He steadied her as the elevator sped up, pressing them down into the floor.

  She shrugged off his hands, leaning back against the brass handrail instead. “I’m sorry.” She adjusted the small backpack she’d brought with her.

  “No need for apologies,” Bruno murmured. He could sense her weariness, and her arousal. His cock throbbed, still half-hard even after the long motorcycle ride. He slid his hands down her arms. “I promise, we are safe here.” He leaned in and kissed her temple. Before he could lean away, she turned her head and kissed him full on the mouth.

  “I still don’t quite understand what I’m doing here, but I know how to have a good time when I want to,” she said, biting at his lower lip.

  Bruno groaned and crowded her against the wall. “You are much more than a ‘good time’ to be had, Amy. Much, much more.” He seized control of the kiss, licking into her mouth. He couldn’t get enough of her. His skin burned, and he pressed his erection into her hip. Thoughts of the Spider swarm faded as her scent and emotions invaded his mind. He’d never felt so crazed with lust.

  “God, you’re killing me,” she gasped, grabbing his shoulders. “I swore I wouldn’t do this, and then I swore I would because what the hell, you only live once, and then you kissed me. I don’t know what to do with you.”

  Bruno picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. “We should talk,” he said, tracing his lips down her jaw. “This can wait.”

  “I don’t think I can make sentences any longer,” she replied.

  Bruno grinned despite the worry that insinuated itself into the midst of his arousal. “Then don’t,” he said, kissing her again. The doors opened, and he walked them into his home.

  “Whoa,” she said, twisting around to see the large, open space. “That’s a hell of a view.”

  He let her slide down his body, shuddering when she clung to him. The sense of possession that filled him at the sight of her in his home shook him to the bone. He cleared his throat. “Welcome to my Stronghold, darling.”

  He watched her take it in. Her eyes moved from the white pillar at the center of the room to the polished glass conference table at the far southern corner. Her gaze landed on the stairs that led to his private quarters.

  “Yes,” he said in answer to her unspoken question. “That’s where I live when I am not ensnared in meetings.” He gestured toward the stairs. “Would you like to see?”

  She nodded. “This is the top floor, right?” She headed to the windows. “You can see the entire city from here.”

  “This is the second to top floor. My living quarters are above us.” Bruno joined her. He wanted to sweep her off her feet and carry her up to his bed, but his frantic need for her had already nearly ruined everything. He had to somehow make up for his clumsy words.

  Amy turned from the windows and walked to the pillar. “This is the Stronghold net? Saige sort of described it to me.” She reached out a hand, but didn’t touch it. “I mean, she didn’t go into detail, or anything.”

  Bruno knew she was worried about getting her friend in trouble. What she didn’t realize was that she already knew more than anyone else except another Sentry. “The pillar is a framework constructed of nanotechnology, organic filaments, and energy. It is both a wide-ranging network, and a repository for knowledge and power.” He took her hand and placed her palm on the surface.

  “It tingles.” She frowned.

  Bruno tilted his head. “You also said you could feel the energy in the shield ring.”

  “Yeah. The ring buzzes against my skin, especially if I pay attention to it.” She shrugged. “I don’t notice it most of the time.” She let her hand fall, and then turned and leaned back against the pillar. Her brown eyes held shadows darker than someone her age should bear. “Bruno, why am I here?”

  He took a deep breath. He knew she wanted a true answer, not some off-the-cuff excuse. “Do you believe in destiny?”

  She narrowed her eyes. “No.”

  Bruno touched a strand of her short hair. “Every Sentry has his perfect match. It’s written into our DNA. My brothers found their paired mates.”

  “Wait, wait, wait,” she said, straightening up. “I thought you wanted sex, and then I thought you wanted to give me a job. Now you’re talking about fate? You said something earlier about pairing, but I didn’t think you were serious.”

  “I’m deadly serious.” Bruno wanted to hold her, but he could tell that she was riding the edge of anger. Their
mutual arousal wasn’t helping matters, either. “It’s all mixed up together, Amy. When Greyson met Eva, he tried to run away from her. They knew each other for years, and he ran to keep her safe, but it didn’t matter. He could not stay away from her. When Solomon met Lucy, they paired very quickly.”

  “And then Saige met Isaac.” Amy pursed her lips. “Saige had a weird thing with guys. She didn’t like them much. When she met Isaac, I couldn’t believe she’d moved so fast with him. It made no sense to me, and then I met him. I could tell he was a good person.”

  Not for the first time, Bruno wondered about her excellent people skills. The daughter of a diplomat likely learned how to read people from a young age. “I know. Saige’s wariness makes their pairing all the more surprising unless you understand the underlying biological imperative. Pairing requires complete trust, or it doesn’t work. They were either going to commit to each other right away, or not at all.” Bruno understood all about Saige’s traumatic past, and he knew it didn’t matter. Saige and his brother were meant to be together.

  “When Saige met Isaac, it was like she’d lost her damn mind. I’d never seen her so torn up over a guy.” Amy laughed suddenly. “But I don’t feel like I’ve lost my mind. I feel unsettled. And wired.”

  “You feel aroused and confused, and even with all of that, you can’t stop thinking about the Spiders looming over our heads,” Bruno offered.

  Amy blinked. “Yeah. Can you read minds?”

  “I can read emotions.” Bruno smiled. “And, too, I feel just as shaken as you do right now. I knew as soon as Isaac brought Saige home that I would be meeting you very soon, but that did not in any way assuage my worry over dragging you into my world.” He waved to the pillar. “What we do as Sentries is a dangerous, difficult job. It is our duty to protect humanity from enemies no one else can face.”

  “I understand about duty,” Amy said, her face closing down.

  Bruno felt her old grief, and it nearly broke his heart. “I know you do,” he said softly.

  She offered a smile, then shrugged. “Okay, so you understand what I’m feeling. Now what?”

  “Now? I should contact my brothers.” He put a hand on the pillar. “I need to let them know I’m home, and that you are with me, so we can plan for the worst.” He inhaled deeply, hesitating. “But I don’t want to contact them. I want to savor meeting you before everything crashes down around us.” He let his hand slide down the smooth surface without opening a communication window, and then he turned to her and touched her shoulder. He sensed her strength. He sensed her desire for him. She didn’t push him away, and Bruno let himself hope that he hadn’t destroyed what they could have together before they even began to build a relationship. “I did not mean for you to get caught up in this.”

  “You only came back for me after you found out about the Spider swarm,” she pointed out, though, with devastating incision. She gripped his wrists, hard. “And I still don’t understand what I could possibly do to help.”

  Bruno gave in to his baser impulses and touched her cheek, gratified when she didn’t flinch away. He deserved it, given how quickly and brashly he’d snatched her away from her home. “I would have come back anyway. Even if there had been no crisis.” He leaned in and kissed her, willing her to believe him. “There’s no way I could have stayed away, not once I’d finally met you.”

  Chapter Five

  Amy stared up at Bruno, mind spinning with a thousand uncertainties, but when he kissed her, she melted. She wanted this. She wanted him. They’d only just met, but she felt like she already knew him from the many interviews she’d watched obsessively over the years. She knew him through her best friend, Saige. And she knew him by the way he treated her: careful and kind, even while he obviously felt torn in a thousand different directions. He’d done a shitty job of explaining what he wanted, and she still didn’t quite understand, but she felt almost as if his emotions were reaching out to her. She felt his restlessness.

  “Don’t be afraid,” he whispered, kissing her again.

  “I told myself it was okay if all you wanted was a hookup,” she murmured against his mouth. “But now I don’t know if it’ll ever be okay. I want more than one night.” Even saying those words out loud felt wrong. Who was she to make demands on him?

  He slid his hands into her hair. “Once I have you, I’m never going to let you go.”

  Amy trembled. “You realize this is insane, right? People don’t do things like this. We’ve only just met.”

  He nodded. “I know.”

  She took a deep breath. “How long do we have before the world comes knocking?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “Well, then, you’d better blow my socks off,” Amy said. Inside, she couldn’t believe she was talking to Bruno Day like this. Hooking up with a celebrity was something other women did, not her. She drew his head down, savoring his strength. The other guys she’d been with were mere boys compared to this man. He’s the leader of the Sentries. He’s the most powerful man in the world, and he’s looking at me as if I’m precious. She shivered, not sure what to do with her hands.

  “If we do this right, you’ll know everything I know,” he murmured. “But you have to trust me.” He leaned back, eyes glittering. “I would never hurt you.”

  Amy shook her head. She felt his worry against her skin as if it were a palpable thing. “Don’t overthink this.”

  He touched her cheek. “Come with me.” He led her to the stairs.

  When they reached his private quarters, Amy gasped. The white Stronghold pillar sat in the center of the room, but beyond that lay nothing but glass walls and an enormous bed with an antique wooden headboard. Everything was decorated in pale grey and light blues, with a hint of earthy brown here and there. The polished floors gleamed white. “It’s a good thing I’m not afraid of heights,” she murmured, sliding her backpack off her shoulders. She’d brought a few toiletries and one change of clothes. Bruno had assured her that she wouldn’t need anything else.

  “The glass is nearly indestructible, and opaque from the outside. You are perfectly safe here,” Bruno said. He picked up her backpack and set it on a low wooden chest at the foot of his bed. “Do you need to use the bathroom?” He waved to the other side of the room.

  Amy turned, nodding as she saw the light grey walls dividing some of the space into what must be closets and an enormous bathroom. To the left of that section was an ultra-modern kitchen, facing south. The windows over the sink let in light. A comfortable sofa sat just beyond the kitchen area. “I bet you have windows for walls in the bathroom, right?”

  Bruno smiled. “Of course.”

  Amy snorted. “You’re taking this ultra-modern decorative thing a bit too seriously, aren’t you?” She eyed his bed. Even the soft pillows piled against the dark wooden headboard were aligned with military precision.

  He shook his head. “The moment the technology existed to insulate my home from the clamor of the city, I did so. It can be overwhelming to deal with all the minds pressing in on you, twenty-four seven.” He glanced around. “I like the openness of this space. I don’t feel trapped here.”

  Amy frowned. She hated the thought of him feeling cornered in a city with millions of humans. “You could leave. Set up your Stronghold somewhere else.”

  “No. This is my home now,” he said quietly. “I’ve been here for a very long time.”

  Amy hugged herself as she remembered he was two centuries older than she was. Everything about Bruno seemed huge. Overwhelming.

  “Don’t worry.” Bruno stepped closer, then enfolded her in his arms. “I would never let anything happen to you.”

  Amy tensed, and then let herself relax into his embrace. You’re here. There’s no going back, she told herself. Bruno felt strong and warm and steady. She liked the way he smelled. She liked the low tingle of arousal in her body. She knew that his talk of pairing with him meant some kind of commitment, but she just couldn’t bring herself to worry about i
t anymore.

  “I can’t stand this starting and stopping thing anymore,” she murmured.

  She wanted to get on with it. She’d made up her mind. He said he needed her energy, or whatever, for this pairing thing. Fine. He could have it. She understood how important it was to protect Earth. And if I get to make love with Bruno Day in the process, all the better. Saige seems more than happy with Isaac. Maybe I could have something like that with Bruno. It was time to take a leap of faith into the unknown.

  “Are you sure about this?” Bruno asked her.

  She scowled, then leaned back and threaded her fingers into his hair. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

  “There’s no going back.”

  She sighed, loudly. “I understand duty.”

  His eyes darkened. “I hope you realize that this is more than duty for me.”

  Amy pulled his head down and kissed him softly. “Whatever. Stop talking.”

  He groaned into her mouth. “To do this right, you need to completely submit to me.”

  She broke the kiss, panting. “What, you need to tie me up or something?”

  Bruno shook his head. “No. It goes much deeper than that.” He picked her up and walked over to the bed. “You need to release the emotional walls in your mind so that we can bond.” His arms tightened around her. “We all have walls. Sentries have more than most.”

  Amy shuddered as he placed her on his bed. The heat of him had already pushed her arousal past the low simmer stage and into a conflagration. She ran her hands down her hips, wondering if he could sense how wet she was already. “I don’t think I’m going to have trouble letting go.” She kicked off her shoes. “What about you?”

  “I know what I need to do.” Bruno climbed over her. Amy sighed when he finally used his weight to press her into the bed. His erection slotted along her hip like a brand. “Bruno.” She dug her fingers into his shoulders. He felt so large and solid, like a force of nature. She wanted to pinch herself. Was she really here? What was she doing in Bruno Day’s bed?