Dark Steel

by Fable Gray

“When did you have time for this?”

  He gave me a small smile. “Saturday. I almost went to his house because I wasn’t sure he’d believe me if I called him on the phone. It took a little convincing because he was the one who drove you to my house and you weren’t exactly happy with me at the time.”

  “No, I wasn’t.”

  “But once we got talking and I told him he was perfectly free to call you and ask you if I was, in fact, a decent human being—”

  I laughed. “Decent, yes. Human being… God, you’re so much more than that. I’m sure there are a million things I don’t know yet.”

  He squeezed my hand. “We’ll get to that. I’m also hoping I’ll have time to talk to Randy more about his son’s condition. Maybe there’s something we can do.”

  My stomach cramped with the words. “You mean, like…?”

  He shook his head. “No, nothing like what happened with me.” He glanced to the front of the vehicle where Parker seemed to be ignoring us as he took us to Russo’s. “More like, stem cell treatment or something. Something…”

  He left the statement unfinished, but I knew what he was getting at. Something normal. Something legal. I blew out a breath. Good. Until I knew exactly what had happened to Declan and what his father had been trying to accomplish, I didn’t know that I trusted that serum at all. It was fascinating, but was it safe?

  I needed to talk to my father.

  Glancing over my shoulder, I searched for another dark car. A reflex.

  “What’s wrong?” Declan asked. His fingers warmed mine when they squeezed. “And don’t say nothing. I can tell.”

  My stomach twisted again. “Did you send somebody else with Randy this morning?”

  “You mean like in the same car?”

  “No. I mean, in another car. There was someone following us almost the entire way to your building this morning.”

  His jaw clenched, and he turned his gaze to the window. “I did not.” He looked back at me. “Did you see who it was?”

  I shook my head. “They were too far behind us, and the windows were dark. I shouldn’t have said anything, I just thought—”

  “No. You have to tell me these things,” he said.

  His phone buzzed and he pulled it from his pocket. His eyes ran across something on the screen and a frown formed on his lips.

  “Bad news?” I asked.

  He shoved the phone back in his pocket and gave a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Work stuff.”

  Before he could say anything else, we arrived at the restaurant. Parker opened the door to let us out, but Declan caught his attention. “Can you give us just a minute?”

  “Sure thing, Mr. Dark.”

  He shut the door, and we were alone in the dim interior of the Bentley. Declan shifted on the seat to face me, his expression serious. “If someone was following you, that means someone was probably following your dad.”

  The sick feeling returned to my stomach. I wasn’t sure how hard I’d been clinging to the hope that it really was just an accident out there on the road that day until now. Knowing it might not be an accident made me feel horrible. But because I still wasn’t sure, I shook my head. “I could be wrong. I have no idea what it looks like when somebody is tailing you. I—”

  “Don’t,” Declan said. He brushed his fingers down my cheek. “You have to trust your gut. If you think you saw somebody following you that may be what was happening. And you have to tell me these things. In fact, we're going to have to have somebody outside your building all the time. And we should also—”

  “Wait.” I pulled my hand from his to run it through my hair. “I don’t know if that’s what happened. I don’t want to worry about something else when I still have my dad to deal with and figuring all this out…”

  Declan clasped his hand around mine again in a warm and reassuring grip. “Royal. Take a breath. We’re in this together, and I don’t want you to have to worry either. We’ll figure it out.”

  “You promise?”

  “Absolutely.”

  He leaned in and slid his tongue across the seam of my lips. I opened for him, already drawn in by the strong tone of his voice, the warmth of his fingers, his assurance that he would take care of it all. Because right now, when I had no clue what to do and I was tired of holding it all together, that was exactly what I wanted. I wanted to take a breath and let go of the worry, to let somebody else handle it.

  He massaged my tongue with his, driving in deep and squeezing his hand in the back of my hair.

  I moaned softly and pressed closer. My breasts mashed against his chest, nipples hardening into tight buds. “Declan,” I murmured, my hand clenching around the lapel of his jacket.

  It wasn’t warning in my voice, it was longing—urgency—the need to be as close to him as possible.

  His free hand slid under my blouse and ran up my side, the pressure soft enough to tickle my ribs. I shifted, and then his fingers moved just as softly on the lace of my bra.

  The dull ache between my legs built to a crescendo, shuttling away all my previous worries. All I wanted at this moment was to focus on Declan.

  Hell, I was halfway to leaning back on the seat and letting him take me right there.

  Then Declan’s phone buzzed again.

  His lips left mine and he cursed under his breath. “I’m sorry.”

  “Work again?” I asked, my voice breathless.

  “Probably.”

  But something in his voice told me he wasn’t telling the entire truth.

  I reached up to fix my hair, but Declan was already reaching out and smoothing it into place.

  “Is everything okay?” I asked.

  He pressed a chaste kiss to my lips. “Absolutely.”

  Then he opened the door and held out his hand for me to take it and step out.

  I didn’t miss the way he glanced at our surroundings, taking in the other cars and the people nearby. I tried not to let it worry me, but I knew I’d made him tense. It also made me wonder if it had anything to do with the phone calls or texts he seemed to be avoiding.

  He ushered me inside and spoke in a low confident voice to the host, asking her to give us a table near the back and bring a bottle of champagne. Then he turned to me and put his lips against my ear.

  “I need to make a call. Don’t worry about anything. I’ll be right back.”

  Surprised, I looked up into his eyes. He gave me a nod of reassurance and then turned to the doors we came into. He strode out, already pulling his cell phone from his pocket.

  “This way please,” the hostess said to me.

  I tried to ignore the pit of unease in my stomach. Declan was a busy man. He had people to talk to and people who needed him. But dammit, I wanted to know what was bothering him.

  Same goes for you, my brain fired back. I was sure Declan was just as curious about what was going on in my head and yet I was holding back. This was new to both of us, I supposed.

  I followed the hostess to the back of the restaurant, close to the same place we’d sat at before, but this one was a table for four.

  I sat down alone and closed my eyes for a brief moment, reflecting on everything that had happened since the last time I’d been here. I knew Declan’s secret. My dad knew Declan’s secret. And now Xander new Declan secret.

  What kind of danger did that put us in?

  Chapter 22

  “Champagne, miss?”

  My eyes flew open and my breath caught. It was just the waiter carrying glasses and a bottle of champagne I didn’t even want to guess the price of.

  I gave him a wobbly smile. “Yes, please.”

  That might help call my nerves some. After I had taken a few sips that warmed my insides, Xander arrived with wide eyes.

  He’d put on a sports coat over dark jeans, and it made me smile. I was pretty sure they had a dress code here, but they probably waived any guidelines when it came to Declan. Besides, this was dressed up for Xander.

  The
hostess gestured to the table, and Xander gave her a smile before seating himself across from me. “Oh my God,” he whispered, leaning in. “Since when do we have connections?”

  I laughed. “Since I got my fake job.”

  The waiter appeared again to pour a glass of champagne for Xander. Xander waited until the waiter left before his lips curved and he said, “Even the waiters here are cute. This place is too good to be true. No wonder there’s a waiting list. Except when you have connections.”

  Evidently. I was going to have to get used to that. Declan had connections. He was a billionaire. And it seemed the son of a brilliant scientist. Butterflies whirled in my stomach. I wasn’t sure if it was a product of the champagne or the fact that I was getting myself in deep with someone I hardly knew.

  “How does it feel returning to the scene of the crime?” Xander asked.

  I blinked and turned my attention back to him. “What?”

  Xander lowered his voice, having the presence of mind to stay discreet. “The scene of the crime,” he said, lifting and lowering his eyebrows. “This was where you found out the man is more than a man. More than mere mortal. Superhuman. Or maybe you could say—”

  With a laugh, I cut him off. “Okay, Mr. Thesaurus. I get it. Yes, it’s weird. Before, I was trying to find out secrets. I was trying to expose him.”

  Xander got a wicked look on his face. “And then you did expose him—if you know what I mean.”

  I groaned. “How is your mind always in the gutter?”

  “How is your mind not always in the gutter? Especially around Mr. Tall, Dark, and Superhuman.”

  It was a fair point. And my mind was probably in the gutter a lot more than he knew or a lot more than I realized.

  Xander lifted his glass toward the waiter, who was standing across the room, apparently waiting for us. It seemed we were his only table. Connections.

  The waiter came over and poured Xander another glass of champagne. He filled my glass as well after checking if I wanted more and inquired if we were ready to order.

  I glanced to the front of the restaurant, hoping to see Declan, but he was nowhere to be found. For a brief moment, I thought he might have left. That he might have decided with a snap of a finger that I wasn’t worth it and he was getting his ass out of here.

  Don’t do it, I told myself. These were the kinds of doubts that had gotten me in trouble in college. I’d been hopelessly in love with a boy who hadn’t loved me back, but he’d strung me along and I’d been too stupid to realize it. I was constantly left wondering if I was less than. If he was just using me or he actually cared.

  It turned out he was just using me. But those doubts weren’t healthy—at least not in a healthy relationship. And if I was going to start to have them already in this relationship, then it wasn’t off to a good start.

  “Speaking of Mr. Tall, Dark, and you know,” Xander said.

  I gave him a tight smile and looked up at the waiter. “He’ll be here in a minute.”

  And I was right. Less than a minute later, Declan walked through the door, adjusting his tie as he strode purposely toward our table.

  When he saw me and our gazes connected, I felt a jolt straight to my core. His eyes were like lightning, a bolt of electricity that hit me hard. His lips parted as though he felt it too. My sex clenched in anticipation. Fuck, he was hot. And he looked hungry.

  I licked my lips and then scooted back my chair. I wanted to ask Declan if everything was okay and if he was okay too.

  Declan set a gentle hand on my shoulder to stop me from getting up. I could feel the barely restrained strength in it, though. He leaned down and whispered in my ear, “Don’t get up. Everything is fine.”

  How did he always do that? Anticipate what I was going to say? Was I that easy to read or were we just that in sync?

  I decided to trust his words for now, not only because it was our first night out together, but because Xander was here too.

  Declan leaned over to shake Xander’s hand and then pulled out the chair next to me. The waiter came over immediately and poured Declan a glass of champagne.

  He gestured to my glass. “Have you had any?”

  I nodded and smiled. “It’s good.”

  But now my stomach was swirling with nerves again, and I didn’t know how much more I could drink. Declan seemed to sense this because he reached out under the table and set his warm fingers on my thigh. He looked over at me with steady eyes, a gaze that said everything was fine. A gaze that said he had everything under control. At some point, I had to trust him.

  I lifted my glass and took a long sip of champagne. “It’s delicious.”

  Xander nodded. “My favorite.”

  I snickered. We might not have been poor, but we weren’t exactly billionaires like Declan. We had our share of fine wines, but champagne rarely made its way into our apartment. And for good reason, apparently. Xander seemed to be enjoying it a lot.

  Declan turned his attention to Xander. “Thank you for joining us for dinner.”

  “Are you kidding? I’ve been wanting to come here since it opened.” Xander looked around, his gaze passing over the cute waiter again. “It’s been a little difficult getting a table.”

  Declan only grinned. “So I’ve heard.”

  I reached out and connected my hand with his under the table, drawing strength from it. Also, appreciating that he’d included my best friend in the dinner and wasn’t trying to flaunt his money too much.

  “Let's order,” Declan said. He squeezed my hand. “And then you can tell me all about Royal.”

  Xander’s grin mirrored Declan’s. “Be prepared to be appalled.”

  I kicked Xander’s foot under the table, but I knew he was just joking. Mostly. I wasn’t the same person I used to be in college when we met. Back then, I was more reckless, more impetuous, and a lot more naïve. Now, my walls were carefully constructed and stood there for a reason.

  “Before I forget,” Xander said, buttering a piece of bread, “your dad called earlier.”

  My stomach jumped. I automatically reached for my purse, worried that I’d missed a call from him.

  Xander shook his head. “No, he didn’t call your cell phone. He didn’t want to bother you on your first day back to work.”

  “How did he know I was at work?”

  “Because he called the house and I told him that’s where you were.” Xander paused with the bread halfway to his mouth. “Was that a mistake?”

  I glanced at Declan, who seemed to want to know the answer just as much as Xander. “No—no, not a mistake. He just doesn’t know that I’m working at—I mean, for—”

  I broke off, flustered. I’d told my dad this when he was in his coma. After that, the conversation hadn’t come up. Particularly because I hadn’t brought it up. I hadn’t wanted him to worry about anything but getting better.

  And secretly, I hadn’t wanted him to find out about me and Declan before I had the chance to explain things to him.

  Declan’s fingers flexed on mine. I could tell he wanted to know more—tell that he wanted to know why I hadn’t said anything.

  I smiled at Declan and said to Xander, “Why was he calling?”

  Xander finished off his piece of bread. He dusted his hands over the plate. “He said the doctor was planning on releasing him tomorrow. He just wanted to let you know.”

  I opened my mouth in surprise. I hadn’t expected that he would be let out so soon and I knew he’d insist on going home. He was an independent man who was used to his own space. But I didn’t want him to be alone.

  What if something happened to him again? What if he was still in danger?

  Declan cleared his throat. “We’ll stop by the hospital tonight and figure out a plan.”

  I looked over at him, filled with a sense of relief not for the first time that day. If I didn’t have Declan right now, I didn’t know what I would do.

  Our dinner was served, and once the waiter was gone again, Declan gave
a wicked grin. “Now, I want to know about Royal.”

  I shook my head. “No, you don’t. I’m a boring person.”

  “Not entirely true,” Xander said. “You used to be the life of the party. When I met you, you were with those guys, you know those ones who were streaking through the em–”

  I laughed a little too loudly, making him stop talking. “Okay, we definitely don’t need to talk about that.”

  Declan released my hand to squeeze my thigh gently, making it clear he definitely did want to talk about that—and more. “I think we do. The life of the party? I have so many questions.”

  Neither of them seemed to be deterred, so I gritted my teeth and let Declan hear Xander’s stories about my wild youth, the entire time hoping that Xander wouldn’t talk too much about my ex or whatever he was to me. On my end, Tate had been everything, but on his end, there wasn’t a relationship. There was just the occasional booty call in the middle of the night and his endless suggestions on what I could do to give him what he wanted.

  Xander, being a person who desperately liked to laugh, but who also knew how badly I’d been hurt by love in the past, kept his stories light and upbeat.

  But I could tell by the end of dinner Declan had even more questions than before. He wasn’t the only one. For every question he asked about my past, I had the same for his.

  We stood from the table, and I hugged Xander. “I’m going to be at the hospital for a little bit, but then I’ll be home later.”

  He gave me a curious look but only nodded. Then he shook Declan’s hand and thanked him for dinner.

  “I’ll have one of my drivers take you home,” Declan told Xander.

  We walked as a group to the front of the building, then outside, where the air was still warm, and the sun had only just set.

  “Stay close, okay?” Declan whispered in my ear as we arrived on the sidewalk.

  His words sent a shiver down my spine. I looked around, suddenly aware of what was in the vicinity. People walking around, cars driving past, valets at the curb, and dark cars lined up.

  Declan wrapped his arm around my waist, holding me close. He was faster than any human. Faster than any car, faster than I could even follow with my eyes. If anyone could keep me safe, it was him.