by Dee, Bonnie
And Ethan heard her cry.
Chapter Eight
Donegal, Ireland
“Christ, woman, watch it with those branches. You damn near took my eye out!”
“Sorry!” Eileen was glad Casey was behind her and couldn’t see the little smile upon her face. She always did enjoy a bit of payback and this was just a way to give him the back of her hand without raising a finger.
He hadn’t stopped flirting with her the entire trip. Not that she minded flirting; it was the begrudging manner of the man. Like he couldn’t help it. Like he’d flirt with anything with breasts. Like he knew he had her hot and wet with just the sound of his voice.
Was he also a Terran Singer? She’d learned more about their power since her experience when Ethan Clark had enlisted her help. No, Casey wasn’t a Singer. He was just a smooth-talking, good-looking Irishman. Just like her ex-boyfriend. Maybe that was the reason she was so irked with Casey. He reminded her of Timothy.
Damn him. The fellow was just being friendly. She braked to a stop.
Casey ran directly into her. “Lord, are you trying to do me injury?”
He’d grabbed her instinctively and she twisted now in his arms. “Leave off! I’m not one of those women who fall into your arms.”
Casey released his grip, staring at her glowering face. “Where the bloody hell did you come off with that line?” Eileen rubbed her arms and Casey cursed aloud. “Christ! I’ve hurt you!”
He ran his fingers through his hair, then slammed his fist against a slim birch, shattering the bark from its trunk. He gaped at his clenched fingers as though they belonged to another man. With a stifled groan, he sank to the ground, resting his head in his hands.
Eileen knelt next to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. “Casey, I’m sorry I reacted so crazy to … well, to everything. You didn’t hurt me just now and you didn’t insult me in the car.” She leaned her head against him and she felt his warmth against her hands. “Please, Casey. Get up and come with me. We’re almost at the cave.”
Casey looked up at her. “I can’t control it. I killed half a dozen men without blinking an eye. I burned them to ashes.” He gazed at his hands. “I didn’t even have to touch them. I just pointed my hand…” He ran his left hand over his right, and turned his hands palms up. He fisted them, his nails biting into his skin, his knuckles white.
Eileen grabbed him. “Stop it! Stop it, right now! Unclench your hands, you stubborn Kerryman! It’s not your fault! Get up off your ass and follow me! You bloody fool, if you’re so worried about what you are and what you can do, you’d be better off coming with me than lamenting like a baby unable to tie his shoes!” She bent and kissed the deep crescent nail marks on his unfurled palms. “You fool, you’ll learn. That’s why you’re here.”
Casey glanced down at Eileen’s bent head. He took a deep breath. “His name was Lark.”
Eileen raised her head, saw the tears glimmering in his eyes, dropped his hands and lowered herself down to the ground. “What?”
“No. Who. The reason why I lost it. Why I torched those men.” He waited a beat. “They killed the man I loved.”
Eileen remained silent.
Casey shifted, moving back against the birch tree he’d damaged. He took a deep breath and let it out before he spoke again. “I don’t fecking understand it. For most of my life I was after the girls like a fox after a hen. Then I met Paddy Larkin last year and … and…” He paused and looked at Eileen’s quiet face pushed his sweat-dampened hair off his forehead and continued.
“He had the ugliest mug you could curse on a guy. He looked like he could slice your ear off and never blink an eye. He’d scared half the men in my unit at the end of his first day after they’d transferred him to us. By the end of the first week he’d gotten into so many fights, I hauled him into my office to ask why the hell they’d made him my second-in-command when the men were either afraid of him or wanted to prove they weren’t.
“He didn’t say a damn thing at first, just looked at me and smiled. The first time I’d seen him smile the entire week he’d been with us.”
Casey’s voice broke. Eileen longed to reach out and comfort him, but kept her hands still in her lap, fearing that he’d stop before he’d had his say.
Casey closed his eyes, his arms limp at his side as he continued. “His smile transformed him. I never knew that something like that could happen. His smile … his smile was gentle, self-deprecating and cocky all at the same time.” He laughed, then grinned full out. “He said, ‘I figured to let them get it out of their system. I’m thinking I’ve one or two with some fight left in them. We can go on once they realize I won’t kill them, only beat them to a pulp.’ He looked me in the eye. ‘You can’t respect a man or follow his orders if you don’t know that he’s stronger than you, but knows his limits. The men don’t know me from a rat’s arse. They need to be sure I deserve to be the one to turn to if anything happens to you. You need to know that you can depend on me to cover your back.’”
Casey opened his eyes and stared into the forest. “I fell in love with him that day. I’d never known a man like him before. I couldn’t handle what I felt for him. Christ, he’d make me tremble when he’d slap me on the back when we’d come back from a successful mission. I tried not to be alone with him, and it was driving me crazy because that was all I wanted to do.” He swore under his breath. “He made me hard. I couldn’t figure it out. I called up every female I knew when I was off-duty. I’d take them back to their flats and fuck their eyes out.” His mouth slashed to a razor-sharp line. “What the hell was going on with me? How could I swive these women and yet, want to do the same thing with Lark? Then, one day, it didn’t matter why I felt this way, because I found out that Lark felt the same.”
He smiled, a weak, feeble thing. “It was like something out of a bad porno flick. After a long, hot day training with new equipment, I was in the officers’ shower. Water pounded in my ears and I didn’t realize I wasn’t alone until I felt a calloused hand on my hip and felt a lathered bar of soap running down my backside. I started and whirled around to see Lark standing naked in the stall with me. His short hair was plastered to his skull and water dripped off his broken nose. Drops of water beaded his eyelashes.
“I couldn’t bring myself to look any further down until he told me to. ‘Look down. Look at what the hell you do to me, Casey. Look at what the fuck we do to each other.’ I forced myself to look and I found my gaze riveted. He did feel exactly like I did.”
Eileen couldn’t tear her eyes away as Casey visibly shuddered.
“‘Now what?’ I said. Lark smiled and said, ‘Now you let me fuck you; let me make love to you, and after … you do the same to me.’ It was that easy. Lark was the most bloody … he was the most generous…” Casey’s eyes begged for her understanding. “I loved him, damn it! Then he got his bloody self killed! How can … how can I want you now? Why do I find you desirable?” He laughed. “Why did I tell you what happened?” He shut his eyes and scowled.
Eileen moved next to him and squeezed his shoulder. “I can tell it’s been eating you up inside. I won’t say a thing to anyone if you don’t want me to, but listen to me, Casey. The best thing you can do is focus on something outside your realm of experience. Meet with Dagda. Learn about your heritage.”
“It’s what I promised Lark I would do. It’s the only way I can show what he meant to me.” He rose to his feet reeling like a drunk after a weeklong binge and leaned against the tree. “I’m ready. Let’s go.”
* * * *
Dagda’s Cave
“You’ve company, Dagda.” Machnamh glanced over Dagda’s shoulder toward a gap in the cave wall. Dagda swiveled and smiled as a winsome young female emerged. Machnamh joined Dagda in his pleasure. The sweet girl was a Terran through and through; a Fire Keeper, but with some Water Element in her bloodline and pretty as the day was long. Curly, dark hair billowed around a fair, oval face with bright blue eyes. A trim figure in tro
users and a short-sleeved top was displayed for his appreciation.
Hard on her heels came another figure. Machnamh could barely restrain a gasp of admiration. Fiery-red hair, cut short in a warrior’s style and fierce hazel eyes. A hard face saved from being cruel by a lush, mobile mouth. The man exuded his Fire Element and his powerful physique and demeanor proclaimed him a Protector.
But what troubled Machnamh were the sexual tension and turmoil roiling from the two and the despair broadcasting from the male. What was going on here? He would do what he did best: wait, watch, listen and learn.
He rose to greet the couple even as Dagda stood and opened his arms to the female who rushed into them, burying her face in Dagda’s embrace. “Eileen, dear child! What a joy to have you home.” He stepped back and gestured to Machnamh. “We’ve a welcome guest. And I see you have someone with you as well.” A smile bloomed upon his face. “It looks like we were both successful in our quests.”
Eileen directed Casey to her side. “This is Casey Aidan, captain in the Irish Army Rangers, and, we’re pretty darn sure, an Irish Terran Protector with a very powerful Fire Element. Casey, this is Dagda and an awfully good-looking stranger.” She grinned as she spoke and folded her arms at her waist. “I’m waiting for an introduction.”
Casey strode forward, his hand outstretched. “I have no bleeding idea who you men are or where the hell I am, but I have a notion that if you wanted to, you could have me on my knees in less than a minute.” He gripped Dagda’s hand and then Machnamh’s, dropping it like a burning, hot poker.
“The man you see before you is Machnamh of the Irish Terran Spirit Keepers. He’s here to determine if we’re worthy of being assisted in our fight against Nimhnach and Ba’al.”
Eileen’s mouth dropped open. “You mean he’s not convinced of the threat they pose to the world? What are the rest of them waiting for? An engraved invitation?”
Machnamh took in the feisty female and the quiet, self-possessed male. He was right about his first assessment. Something was very off. Casey’s sexual aura showed both male and female colors. Not unusual, though not that common for humans, so he had heard from stories related when he was a child. Since humans with human attitudes had raised Casey he’d have to accept that Casey was troubled and needed his help.
Eileen’s aura was shot through with black arrows of abuse. Their auras would need cleansing if they were to function to their fullest capacity. It would have to be done quickly or it would hamper their participation in the fight that Machnamh knew was coming.
He came around the table and embraced first Eileen and then Casey. With each contact he exuded feelings of calm and acceptance and as he released each one, he felt the tension in their bodies ease.
“Casey, this man will tell you all you need to know about the battle in the offing and train you to control and improve your Terran powers. We’ve need of men like you.” Machnamh cast his eye upon Eileen. “And you, a chara, my impatient youngster, show some respect for a man almost a hundred years older than you!”
Eileen wrinkled her nose and grinned. “Do you need any more convincing that Nolen threatens the entire world?”
“I need to know his plans, but we’ll prepare for battle. You’ll do the recruiting and Casey and Dagda will do the training.”
Casey eyed the proud male. “And what will you be doing, Mach?”
Machnamh fixed his gaze on Casey and his mouth softened. Shining through Casey’s confusion and despair was a purity he’d seldom encountered. He let a smile touch his lips and focused his attraction to the younger male, allowing it to touch his wounded spirit.
He moved closer to him and whispered his answer. “I’ll be determining the strategy. I know how Ba’al works. He seeks the greatest number of blood sacrifices he can get. It’s the manner in which he’ll receive them, when, where and how that we must find out. Once other Terrans join in the fight, we can fortify our defenses and focus on Nimhnach’s weaknesses.” He paused. “I like the name Mach. Thank you for gifting me with it.”
And the mighty Casey blushed like a stripling with his first female.
* * * *
“Let me get this straight. Everything I’ve heard about the sidhe and all that gods and goddesses blather is really about Irish Terrans?” Casey pushed away from the scarred wooden table. He looked at the empty can of cola in his hand and slowly crushed it.
“I can’t control it. You heard I torched a group of terrorists. I hurt Eileen.” Casey took a deep breath. “When I was younger, sometimes … when I got angry I … I’d smash the wall in my room. That’s why I joined the army as soon as I turned eighteen, to learn self-discipline. I never regretted that decision.” He clenched his fists. “But now…” He looked at Dagda. “Teach me how to use this talent that I have and this strength that’s growing greater. When we get fighters, I’ll train them. I’ll need to put in my papers for discharge. It could take a while.”
Dagda interrupted him. “We might be able to help there, also. We’re not alone in this fight. There are other Terrans who’ve learned to make use of their abilities with humans for the benefit of the world and all who dwell therein. I’ll contact my daughter’s spouse and get him to assist you. You’ll speak to him and tell him exactly what you need.”
“How do you do it? Some sort of incantation?”
Dagda laughed and pulled a cell phone from his pocket. “With this.”
* * * *
Manhattan, East 92nd Street
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything. I’ll make sure Casey won’t have a blotch on his record.” Gabe sipped his coffee, nodding automatically. “You’re right. Casey sounds like a fine young man.” He grinned. “Yes, I agree. You need a cell phone with video capability. Have Eileen order them and send the bill to me. She can have them delivered to Carrigclarseach. Next time we speak, all our equipment will be more up-to-date. And you’ll be able to see your darling daughter. She’s out now, but I’ll tell her you sent your love to her.”
Gabe ended the connection and leaned back in his chair. He tried to stop smiling, but he couldn’t. He’d been frustrated with his work, but he just knew he was close. It was a cipher, it had to be. If he could only figure out which book. Shit, if he could only figure out what language! He was damned sure it wasn’t English. That left only every other language on the planet that might use the Latin alphabet … or not. Nolen could be using a transliterated version of Irish, but even if that were the case, if he didn’t know what the source was, it didn’t matter a damn!
He leaned forward on his elbows and ran his fingers through his hair, pushed back the chair and moved toward the door. Maybe a good, hot shower would wash away the cobwebs cluttering his brain.
* * * *
“I’m okay, Anthony. Please. I’m fine. Tell Marty I’m looking forward to those Parker House rolls she promised me!”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
“We’ll see you later.” Tony rolled up the window and pulled away from the curb.
Brigid watched him pull around the corner to park the car in back of the house. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out.
She’d lied. She wasn’t fine and she could barely stand. Why she expected Ethan to remain celibate, she had no idea. She bit her lip and entered the code to unlock the door and let herself in. All she wanted was Gabe. All she needed were his arms around her.
Brigid took the stairs two at a time and flung open Gabe’s office door. Empty. He must be upstairs. Maybe in the gym? The image of Gabe all wet and sweaty in workout togs was enough to make her nipples ache. If she changed into shorts and a halter she could join him.
The sounds of the shower reached her as she neared their bedroom door. Gabe. Not waiting to hang up her clothes, she threw them off as she entered the bedroom and opened the bathroom door. Steam filled the tiled room and clung to her skin like drops of dew. She stepped into the stall, and wrapped her arms around Gabe’s waist, dipping her hands b
elow to his cock and gently squeezed.
He jumped, thrusting his penis within her grasp and groaned. “Hurry and finish me. My wife could come home any minute.”
Brigid chuckled, but tightened her grip. “If you don’t behave, your wife will finish you. Literally.” She pressed her breasts against Gabe’s body and kissed his back, whispering her desire for him. She released him, reached around and shut off the water. She opened the stall door and looked at him. “Come to bed with me. I need you so much.”
*
Not saying a word, Gabe followed her to the bedroom.
Her damp blonde curls clung to her shoulders and glistened with drops of water. Brigid sank onto the mattress, opened her arms wide—and winked. Gabe’s lips twitched. There was no getting around it, she’d bewitched him, captured his heart and there was nothing he wouldn’t do to keep her safe and happy. Nothing.
He took two strides to the bed and climbed onto it, kneeling between her thighs. “Wider. I want to admire that pretty pussy for a minute before I sink my cock into it.”
“A minute? Think you can last that long?”
Gabe heard the teasing note in her voice and hesitated. “You’re right. I can’t.” He slid his hands beneath her ass, raised her for the best angle and rubbed the tip of his cock against her labia. She moaned and he swelled. “Ah, babe, that’s what I like to hear.”
He sank further into her moist folds. Inch by inch he delved deeper and deeper until he was seated all the way, unable to go any farther. He held still for a moment, then ground out a command. “Grab the headboard and don’t let go. Do whatever I tell you to do, no matter what. Understand? Just nod your head.”
Brigid nodded and arched her back, stretching to reach the wooden headboard behind her. Her breasts rose up, twin creamy mounds crowned with pink, taut buds. He licked his lips and took one nipple deep within his mouth, sucking hard and nipping it just as hard. Her sharp yelp turned him on and made him lose control. Almost.