She felt the press of his thumb against her neck and then there was blackness.
So beautiful.
Bale released the pressure on the vein that put Ari to sleep and swept his fingers down the milky column of her neck. Not for one second was he sorry he invoked the Skandavian sleeper hold to force her to rest. The woman was beyond exhausted and didn’t know when to stop being so damn intriguing. Another moment longer, he might have forgotten his vows and crossed a line of no return.
Again he wondered what it was about her that had him running in eight different directions that all lead right back to her. She was sunlight and sin. Magic and adrenaline. She had a special light that made him want to sweep her away and horde her like a rare treasure. She was everything he wanted but couldn’t have.
However, just because he refused to give in to her charms, that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy the sight of her in his arms. With featherlight touches he traced the supple line of her lips and the curve of her cheek. He didn’t dare go below her collar, as it was the tempting swell of her breasts pressing against his ribs was torture enough to endure. To give in to the urge to fill his hands with her softness would make him no better than the scum he rescued her from in the club.
At the thought of the club his anger rose anew. Damn Jax for not seeing to her safety. He knew Lucian had alerted security that Ari was a special guest and Jax should have sent her right back to her rooms the moment she stepped off that elevator, not given her a VIP tour of the place. After what Bale had witnessed, the man was lucky to be alive. So too was the human who dared touch Ari so intimately.
Bale bit back a roar of displeasure as he recalled the sight of Ari’s red hair bunched in the man’s hands as he groped her back and buttocks. Bale’s powers had sensed how the male had been patiently waiting and priming Ari for the right time to remove her from her clothes while all Ari had desired was comfort, someone to hold her. The sweet purity of her need had clashed with the man’s fiery lust and manipulation and made a foul cocktail that had burned Bale’s throat raw. What if he hadn’t made it in time to stop her from doing something foolish? Jesu, what if he had found her in one of the playrooms? Sweat broke out across his forehead at the thought. Blood would have most certainly been shed.
Ari moaned with distress and stirred in his embrace. With his thoughts on what might have been, his arms were constricting her breathing. He loosened his hold and brushed a kiss to her forehead while whispering hushes until she settled down. Funny how that trick worked just as well on Ari as it had his child.
Once he was certain she was asleep, he rose to a stand and cradled her to his chest.
Where was his mind at? She was only a woman, a human who had needed his protection but for a brief moment. Why was he now so determined to see to her every need? For over an hour he had tossed in his bed, wondering if Ari had taken to her new surroundings until his worry drove him to seek her out.
When he had discovered she had left the apartment, he about had two heart attacks, and the anxiety quadrupled when he found her in The Cavern. The tension eased only slightly when they had reached the open air of the rooftop. She was not his and yet the yearning and sense of propriety was there, driving his every action. Whatever spell she weaved upon him had to be broken, and only distance was going to do the trick.
He used his house key and juggling skills to enter the main house and return Ari to her room. The thick scent of woman and the sight of damp, rumpled sheets made his cock instantly hard. Apparently Ari was not immune to the sexual charge Lucian and the princess generated when they made love. It was told that the night they bonded, half the state went into orgasmic shock and ten months later a mini baby boom occurred.
To know that Ari had been twisting amongst the sheets, searching for relief made the cum boil in his balls. What had she been thinking about? Had she dreamt of him?
No. Do not think on it.
He laid her upon the bed and without a second glance he ran from the room before his libido took over. By morning’s light she would be on her way to the next great adventure she had been searching for and he would be back in the shadows. Where he belonged.
The image of her in bed pleasuring herself dogged him with every step down the hall. The tropical scent of her bath soap clung to his shirt, teasing his senses with the possibility of having that fragrance rubbed into his skin. Damn it all to the seven hells! How was he to go to sleep now when his body demanded action?
Hmm. Simple enough answer. He wouldn’t.
With a quick stop back at his apartment he retrieved his sweatshirt, jacket and long sword and went back to the rooftop. He climbed on top of the railing and closed his eyes, filtering past the noise of the city and the cacophonous cloud of thousands of people’s emotions. Even after a year of learning how to deal with the constant bombardment of mental noise, he still found it difficult to funnel his concentration, which was another reason why he hated The Cavern. The den was a bubbling cesspool of contradictions. It was a wonder he had been able to locate Ari there at all.
He puffed out two short breaths and strengthened his focus, skipping over surges of annoyance and petty anger in search of signs of stomach-clenching terror that left a person incapable of defending themselves.
A sign such as the one he sensed came from an area to the north of his location.
He drew the hood of his sweatshirt over his head and with a flinch of muscles he was off, leaping off the ledge and landing in an elegant crouch five stories below. He became a black blur to those he ran past, a figment of their imagination if they were ever pressed to ask. The beacon of distress intensified as he entered the main shopping district. At this time of night the upscale department stores and specialty shops were empty but for the occasional janitor or security staff, yet a sharp jab punched him repeatedly in the gut, pulling him deeper down the dark street as if he were a fish on a hook.
Ah, there. At the jewelry store. Through the windows the store appeared dark and empty, but a malicious presence was most definitely inside. He slipped from shadow to shadow to the back of the room where he found the service door closed but unlocked.
The hinges creaked as he opened the door, but he moved so quickly, he was hidden in a dark corner of the hallway by the time anyone came to investigate.
A man-child, for he appeared barely old enough to shave let alone carry the gun he gripped in his trembling hand, entered the hallway and scanned the area. Bale calculated that whatever had brought the male to this location was a last-minute decision based on his attire of jeans, red t-shirt and brand-new bright-white Nikes. Not exactly the uniform of a seasoned thief. He hadn’t even bothered to cover his face.
“It’s nobody,” the man shouted over his shoulder and turned to go back into the only lit office.
Bale followed and paused outside the doorway, hiding in plain sight. Since he wasn’t an expected presence, their lack of attention was a perfect disguise.
Inside the office a second gunman held his pistol on a young girl who was sobbing in hysterics as she fumbled with the dial on a closet-sized safe. An older gentleman lay passed out on the floor. Blood seeped from a cut near his temple and a purple bruise colored the exposed side of his face.
All four occupants in the room appeared to be descendants from the same nationality with their straight black hair, olive complexions and almond-shaped eyes. Somewhere from East Asia, if Bale remembered from his lessons about Earth.
As the girl fought to control her crying she stuttered in a language he did not understand, but the tone in her voice pleaded for mercy in a way that sounded the same in any language.
Also universal was the malice glittering in the man’s eyes as he barked at the female and waved his gun to spur her to move faster. A narcotic of some type coursed through his veins, amplifying and scattering his emotions like broken shards of mirror, distorting the true reflection.
Once he obtained whatever treasure was within that safe, Bale was positive the girl was going to be destroyed. I
t wouldn’t matter if she physically survived, the woman she had once been would be gone forever.
Bale drew in a breath and allowed his arms to swing free in preparation. With his skills and speed he could decapitate both men before they heard the sound of his blade clearing the sheath. But he had promised Lucian to spare lives if he could, and full-out murder was not his style. The quickest course of action was to render them unconscious and hold them until law enforcement arrived.
An anticipatory smile curved his lips. But what would be the fun in that?
He rapped on the doorjamb. “Excuse me, may I join the party?”
Two guns whipped around in his direction. “Who the fuck are you?” the mastermind shouted in broken English.
“Your worst nightmare.” He nodded at the girl. “Do you speak English?”
She responded with a single jerk of the head, her terror grew as she stared up at him.
“Don’t answer him,” Foul-mouth shouted and smacked her in the back of the head. “Tinh, kill him.”
The scout jumped. “What?” Then volleyed a fevered dispute in his native language.
Terse sentences and wild hand movements ensued while Bale gestured to the female with a slight wave of his hand to remain calm. Her eyes widened but she pressed her lips together and tensed her muscles as if to will her body to settle down.
He nodded his encouragement then looked back to the quarreling duo. “Gentlemen, gentlemen. Allow me to settle this argument for you.”
The woman screamed in surprise as he traced across the room, knocking Tinh’s gun from his hand and breaking his arm at the elbow in the space of a heartbeat. As Tinh fell to the floor in howling agony, Bale had the second gunman up against the wall by the shirt front. He wrapped his hand around the bony wrist holding the gun and applied enough pressure to make the man wince and drop his weapon.
“Have you sounded the alarm yet?” he asked the girl without taking his gaze away from the squirming worm.
“N-no.”
“Do it now. Then gather any rope or cord you have and bring it back here. Even a telephone line will suffice.”
The patter of her shoes as she ran out the door indicated she followed his directions and that he had about five minutes before the police arrived.
Bale tightened his grip and soaked in the man’s adrenaline-laced terror like a junkie getting his fix. Screams drowned out the sound of bones turning to dust as he pulverized the wrist. The man better pray he was ambidextrous.
“You will never pick up a weapon to cause harm again. You will never touch another in anger. One step out of line and I will be there to strike you down. Do you understand or shall I continue the lesson with the left wrist?” he taunted.
A lot of nodding and agonized whimpers was the response.
“Alarm is on,” said the girl as she ran back into the office, carrying an armful of extension cords and spools of metal wire.
“Tie them up, little one.” He dropped the thief on the floor next to his partner.
“Tie them up?” she repeated in shock.
“I cannot be here when the police arrive, and I will not leave you alone with them if they are still mobile. Tie them up. Secure the restraints as you see fit. May I suggest you show them the same courtesy they bestowed upon you?”
“Oh, no.” She tried to push the ties into his arms. “It not proper.”
“Tell them I did it.”
A light entered her eyes as the possibility of partaking of the forbidden chased her fear away. “Yes?”
“Yes.”
She dropped her supplies onto the floor except for a length of extension cord. She began with Tinh’s feet and wrapped the cord around his ankles several times, securing the ends into a knot. The fine metal jeweler’s wire she used to wrap around his wrists. When she pulled on his arm to position them in to place, he cried out in pain. She hissed in sympathy then her eyes narrowed and a shy smile emerged as she bound his hands with an extra vicious twist for good measure.
Bale left her to finish her task as she started on the second assailant and he sensed her satisfaction in having a tiny outlet to express her displeasure. By the time he reached the rooftop of the building across from the store, blue and red lights flashed as the police roared up the street and skidded to a stop.
Two more lives saved. Who was next?
Chapter Four
What the hell happened?
Ari rolled out of bed and held on to her head as she staggered into the plush bathroom. If she hadn’t seen the bartender pour her drink, she would have thought she had been slipped a mickey. She was usually better at holding her liquor, especially when she only had the one. And most especially when snuggled in the arms of a ridiculously hot guy.
Had that whole event even happened or had she hallucinated the entire moment? Maybe she had been more exhausted than she had realized. One minute she was feeling groovy and relaxed next to Bale’s heat then wham, nothing. Complete blackness until she woke up, still fully dressed and tucked into her borrowed bed.
The idea of Bale carrying her in his arms and laying her down on the fluffy mattress sent a surge of heat through her veins while her brain kicked her in the ass. While the fantasy of Bale doing wicked things to her was nice, she had a future to begin, like, now. Bale was going to have to reside in the place of might-have-been. At least for now. The future was still undecided. Maybe in a month or two things would be different
In a month or two, she reminded herself and set about facing the day.
She splashed cold water on her face and changed into another borrowed shirt before racing down the stairs where she was greeted by a smiling Lucian.
“Good morning,” he said with a slight bow.
“Morning.” She brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and sneaked a glance at him from beneath her lashes.
Lucian was dressed in black slacks and a white button-down shirt that made his tan skin appear golden. It stretched dangerously tight across his melon-sized biceps. He was what she’d call tongue-tying gorgeous, so handsome he robbed her of the ability to form a sentence.
But that was before she met Bale. Yeah, after spending time with tall, dark and silent the only thing that made her nervous around Lucian was that now she had a good idea of just how well he used his cock. A mental image that was not going to go away any time soon.
She felt the heat of the redhead curse steal across her cheeks. “I’m sorry to have slept so late. I’m sure y’all have lots going on, so I’ll be out right quick. If it’s all right though, I’d like to grab some toast before heading on my way.”
He laughed. “Do not fret. You needed to rest and we are happy to have fulfilled that need. And I know you require more than toast to fill your belly. Come with me. Amaryllis has been cooking all morning. She loves to have people to fuss over.”
“She shouldn’t have, really. I don’t want to be a bother.”
“We know, and you aren’t.” He gestured for her to precede him into the kitchen, which she did while wishing her embarrassment to die down.
“Whoa.” She stopped short and gaped at the buffet spread across the center island where bowls of fruit cut into decorative shapes bookended platters of eggs made three ways and the entire roll call of pork, from sausages to ham steaks. “Is she expecting an entire football team?”
Lucian chuckled and reached across her for a slice of bacon. “No. We men can eat a lot.”
“Men?” As in plural?
“Good morning,” Bale rasped by her side and she nearly jumped ten feet into the air. Damn, that man took silence to an entirely new level.
“Morning,” she mumbled and took a sudden interest in the star-shaped pineapple and melon balls as the heat in her cheeks returned.
What else was there for her to say? Sorry for passing out on you, or, Were you the one to tuck me into bed? Yeah, that sounded real classy.
Lucian rescued her from having to break the silence. “Bale, is all taken care of?”
“Yes sir.” He bowed. “It is with the repairman.”
“Good. Well, take a seat everyone. Amaryllis? Where are you? We’re starving.”
“Eat then,” she called out as she entered from the pantry with a green bottle in her hands and a smile stretching her lips. Bacon grease and strawberry juice dotted her purple apron and tendrils of hair fell from her ponytail, but there was no mistaking her happiness at providing for her family. She held up the bottle. “I thought mimosas would be fantastic this morning.”
Ari saw Lucian lean over and whisper into Bale’s ear, who then nodded with a twitch of understanding in his brow and offered Amaryllis a slight smile. “That sounds lovely.”
What was that about? Had he never heard of the orange-juice-and-champagne cocktail before? Granted, she had never heard of it either until she was fifteen and saw them in a movie, but Bale was surrounded by people who owned food and beverage outlets. Maybe the drink wasn’t popular in Sweden.
Her curiosity was interrupted when Amaryllis hugged her tight and said, “Good morning, Ariel.”
The woman might as well have hit her upside the head with the bottle of champagne. Her heart pounded hard and for several seconds she couldn’t breathe. When the need for oxygen overrode her surprise she gasped, “What did you call me?”
“Ariel. That is your full name, correct?”
“I—how?”
“And it is a beautiful name.”
“Unless you’re a redhead,” she managed to sputter. How in the hell did Amaryllis know her real name?
“Why would that be?” The woman blinked with innocence in her lavender eyes.
“Ha ha. Funny.” A long silence ensued as three pairs of eyes stared back at her without comprehension or teasing. “Seriously. Seriously?” Nothing. “Look, I know y’all aren’t from around here, but you’re from Sweden, which is like, right next door to Holland, right? I know you’ve heard about The Little Mermaid.”
“Ah.” Amaryllis clapped her hands. “That is a cartoon, correct? One of the girls in the club dressed like the character last year at Halloween. Is that who you are named after?”
HeroRising Page 8