by Nikki McCoy
Time passed until she thought he might not answer, then quietly, he said, “My sanity. You’ve held it since the day I met you.”
The words echoed in her mind, haunting her long after she drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Eleven
Daneya woke to the feel of fingers combing through her hair. She opened her eyes to find Saden lying beside her, watching her intently with his head propped up on one hand. His mussed locks and five o’clock shadow gave him a rugged appearance in the dim light of the bedside lamp. She recalled the events of the previous night but focused only on the last part. The reason she was in bed with him now.
No regrets, she remembered. And it was true. If anything, she felt more calm and content than she had in a long time, and it was because of him.
He was waiting for something, she realized. When she gave a lazy smile, he relaxed visibly and offered one of his own.
“I have to go,” Saden said. “Blade has been keeping an eye on Gabriel and I told him I’d take over in the morning.”
Daneya suppressed a groan. Not a topic she wanted to think about right after waking up. Though a necessary one. “What time is it?”
“Six in the morning.”
“Take a shower with me?”
“Of course.”
The answer was so easily given, she couldn’t contain the wide grin that spread across her face. Truth was, she loved spending time with him. As hard as it had been to reveal her past, she felt better for it. Saden hadn’t judged or critiqued her in her choices. All he’d offered was support, and she honestly didn’t know how she would’ve handled the emergence of Mckenzie’s power without his help.
That Marco had chosen him to watch over her only fortified her growing feelings for him.
They used the hallway bathroom next to Saden’s room and stepped into the shower once the water was warm. Saden lathered a washcloth with soap then turned to her and began washing her backside and arms. She was startled at first. No one had ever tried to take care of her like this. It was slightly embarrassing, childish and…
Daneya let out a deep moan as he massaged the tension from her shoulders. His hands moved sensuously to her lower back then up again, kneading and rubbing in a way that was so far from childish, a delicious ache took root between her legs. He pressed his front to her back then started on her breasts, lathering with one hand and massaging with the other. It was extremely erotic and somehow chaste. There was no urgency to his actions. Just soothing comfort that had her melting into his touch.
He kissed her long and leisurely while stroking the washcloth along her sex, then knelt to reach her legs and feet. By the time he was done, she was ready to crawl back into bed and sleep until noon.
She rinsed off then took the cloth from him to lather it with more soap. Returning the favor proved to be more stimulating than she’d expected. He was full of hard planes and flexing sinews. When she came to his flaccid shaft, he eased her hesitancy by capturing her mouth again. And though he grew in her hand, he stayed at only half-mast.
Afterwards, she ran her fingers over the silvery lash marks on his back. “Why do you still have these scars? I thought you said the Drakonem could heal completely.”
He stiffened then moved under the spray of water to rinse. “Those weren’t from my Drakonem.”
“Then who gave them to you?” She almost wanted to take the question back as soon as it was out. His agitation was palpable and expression closed to her. However, her curiosity wouldn’t let it rest.
“They’re from Gabriel, when he and his men tried to finish me off after the explosion of his first facility. My Drakonem thought I should keep them to always remind me of my past.”
Daneya shivered at the gruesome scene her mind conjured. That of a nine year old boy barely alive in the wreckage. Beaten by an uncle who should’ve protected him. How he’d grown into the man she admired before her was still a mystery.
She cupped his jaw and made him look at her. “I’m sorry.”
He seemed to let go of his anger on a deep breath and kissed her forehead. After finishing in the bathroom, they got dressed then went to Daneya’s room.
Saden checked Mckenzie quietly, making sure not to wake her. “She looks good.”
“Thanks to you.” She took his hand and walked with him through the balcony doors to the terrace beyond. “When will you be back?”
“At nightfall. I should have a good idea of what Gabriel will plan to do by then. Go through the files you took and let Blade know if you find anything interesting.”
Before he could turn to leave, she pulled him down for another kiss. He responded instantly, enveloping her in his strong arms and taking what she offered. They remained locked together for several seconds until a sharp gasp drew their attention.
Cherri was standing near the walkway to the balcony, staring at them in wide-eyed horror.
Daneya slowly let go of Saden and took a step to the side. “Cherri—”
“What’s going on? What has he done to you?”
“Nothing, I promise. He’s just…” She gave a small shrug, feeling a little like a teenager who got caught making out with her boyfriend. “He’s not the man I thought he was at first.”
“You mean you… This is voluntary?” Cherri waved a hand at Saden. “How could you?”
The disgust and accusation in her tone threw Daneya off-guard. It wasn’t like her friend to jump to conclusions without asking for an explanation. Besides, Cherri had been the one to put a measure of trust in Saden from the beginning. “Let me explain. He’s not exactly a criminal—”
“He’s a Drakon, for God’s sake!” she yelled. “A soulless murderer cast out by his own kind. The worst of the demons you hunt. Or have you forgotten you’re a member of the DCM?”
A spark of anger flashed within Daneya. She looked to Saden whose face was set in stone, a mask she’d come to recognize as a way of hiding his emotions. “I haven’t forgotten anything. I was just wrong before. Life isn’t always as black and white as we want it to be. Saden is a good man, and I trust him.”
“What about Vincent?”
“Vincent?” she repeated.
“He cares about you and Kennie so much. I can only dream of having a man like him. Someone who would love and support me. He’s willing to give you everything you deserve. A family, a future. How could you be so selfish and throw all of that away?”
Daneya gaped inelegantly, stunned by her friend’s outburst. She’d never given Cherri or anyone else reason to believe she and Vincent might get involved romantically. Granted, it wasn’t for lack of effort on his end. But he wasn’t the one who had coaxed her secrets from her with acceptance. It hadn’t been his patience and understanding that had made her see herself as a woman and not just a fighter.
Cherri did have a valid point, however. With Saden, there was no future. No chance of living the life she’d always coveted. Would she really want to, if Saden weren’t a Drakon? She put the thought from her mind. There was no sense in dreaming of what couldn’t be.
“Cherri, there’s nothing between Vincent and me except friendship. With Saden it’s…different. I’m different. Just listen for one minute—”
“Do you love him, now? Is that why you defend him?”
She paused, unsure of what to say to that. “It’s not that simple.”
“Yes, it is!” Cherri cried. Her eyes glittered with unshed tears. “You have no idea how lucky you are. How happy you could be. And you’re wasting everything on this filth.” She spun on her heel and stormed away.
Daneya turned to apologize only to stop when she saw Saden’s face. It held a mixture of unease and…shame? She decided to switch tactics, scrambling to think of something to say that might diffuse the awkward situation. “Cherri doesn’t know you like I do. I’m sure once I tell her the truth, she’ll calm down.”
His face was a mask again, hard and implacable. “Doesn’t matter. She’s right. You should be with someone who can give you what yo
u need.” He walked stiffly to the edge of the terrace.
“Saden, wait!” By the time the words were out, he’d already faded into the muted light of dawn. She ground her teeth as she made her way back inside. Alone, frustrated and thoroughly convinced she would strangle the next person who tried to tell her what was best for her.
* * * *
“It’s about time you got back.”
Saden solidified into his true form as he landed on the porch deck at the back of the manor. Blade jumped down from his perch on the banister, the setting sun lighting the bleached tips of his hair.
“I’m going crazy locked up in this house with two hormonal women. Especially ones that are off the menu. Don’t get me wrong. Kennie’s cool to hang out with and Daneya isn’t so bad either, but a guy’s gotta get laid every now and then.”
Saden scowled. “Haven’t you gone through all the beautiful women in LA yet?”
“Hey.” Blade stretched his arms wide with a grin. “Beauty is only a light switch away, my brother, and I ain’t picky.”
He studied his friend briefly, looking for signs that Blade might still be standing on the precipice of insanity. They were evident, though not as pronounced as before. Saden had a feeling Mckenzie had a lot to do with that. She was a firecracker on a summer’s day, and a reminder of why they worked so hard to do their jobs well. To safeguard innocents like her from the criminals they hunted.
It brought his mind around to another concern that’d been bothering him. “When you were getting your assignment from Serrakus, did you happen to overhear any information on mine?”
“What do you mean?”
He clawed a hand through his hair with a sigh. “Phoenix dropped by the other day.” When Blade palmed the knife at his belt, Saden made a calming gesture. “Not as a threat. At least I don’t think so. He said he came to warn me. Apparently, he heard Serrakus telling Lucius that Gabriel is my last job. And that the reason Serrakus didn’t inform me of this is because he wants me to screw up so he can keep me on for a while longer.”
“Whoa.” Blade was silent for several seconds, then asked, “Do you think Phoenix is telling the truth? That guy can’t be trusted for shit.”
“I’m not sure. If he has some kind of ulterior motive, I haven’t seen it yet. From what I know of him, it’s not in his MO to purposefully get involved with other Drakons. He’s a loner.”
“All right, say he’s not lying. If this is your last assignment, you can’t afford to take any more risks. If you want my opinion, I think you should take the evidence you have now to Serrakus. I was looking over the files with Daneya earlier. There’s definitely enough there to incriminate Gabriel. Let Serrakus decide what he wants to do about the others who are in league with him.”
A slow smile spread across Blade’s face. “Do you know what this could mean?” He tipped his head back and laughed, then gripped Saden’s biceps. “You’re free! No more groveling to a master and living a half-life. You’ve fulfilled your sentence. Sweet oblivion waits around the corner, my man. We should celebrate. Get your rocks off one last time. I’ll get the girls, you bring the liquor. And don’t give me crap about not being able to feel its effects. The burn as it goes down will be enough.”
Saden shook his head grimly. “Daneya—”
“Fine. You can have her, I’ll take the rest. Come on, man. Cheer up! This is what you’ve been busting your ass for. Don’t tell me you’re afraid to die now.”
“It’s not that.” He paced to the other side of the porch then back again. Ever since Phoenix had come to him, he hadn’t stopped thinking about finally taking the death he deserved. This was his chance to accept the only absolution he would get for his crimes. Only one thing stood in the way.
“I can’t leave Daneya alone right now. There’s no guarantee Serrakus will pursue Gabriel’s operation. Daneya will try to bring it down herself. She’s already got enough information to warrant the help of the DCM. Even with them on her side, she could get herself killed. We have no idea how many Djinn are working with Gabriel or how high this goes within the house of Avram. She’ll be going up against factions from both races.”
“Daneya’s not that stupid. She wouldn’t take on more than she could handle.”
“Not stupid. Determined.” He told Blade of Mckenzie’s true parentage and why Gabriel had gone after Daneya the night Saden had first tracked him. The word Daneya had used infected his thoughts like an abhorrent disease. ‘Obsessed’. With anyone else, it might’ve been an exaggeration. With Gabriel, however, it was all too believable.
The knowledge sickened Saden more than he could deal with. Daneya had every right to demand revenge, and he knew she wouldn’t rest until she got it.
Blade leaned back against the banister and let out a low whistle. “Well, fuck me sideways. She’s got one hell of a bone to bitch slap Gabriel with.”
Saden nodded at the eloquent summation.
“How did Gabriel find her? If she escaped years ago, he’s had all this time to search for her. Why now?”
He shrugged a shoulder. “Daneya didn’t say anything about it, so I’m assuming she doesn’t know either.”
The sounds of nature filled the silence that spanned between them. Eventually, Blade took a deep breath and crossed his arms over his chest. “You really love her, don’t you?”
Saden opened his mouth to call the man a fool. It wasn’t love that had him sacrificing his chance for freedom. It was his sworn duty. A promise to an old friend.
That excuse held up for about the blink of an eye.
He could no more deny his feelings for her than he could change who he was. She had set his fate the moment she’d found out about his past and still looked at him as if he mattered. Treated him like a man who was worth forgiveness and love. He would’ve given her anything for that, and all she’d wanted in return was comfort. From him.
When she’d asked him what he would take away after she left, his real answer had been everything. His heart, his devotion and sanity. All of it was hers.
If it meant suffering another decade or more of existence, he would do it. “Yeah, I do,” he said simply.
Blade dipped his chin in acknowledgment. “Then let’s do this.”
“I can’t ask you to do more than you already have. If this goes bad, it might be your ass as well.”
“So what’s new? I’m not exactly making myself into a martyr here. I care about what happens to Kennie, which means I can’t let her mother go off and commit suicide in the name of revenge. Besides, I agreed to watch out for Daneya if anything happened to you. Might as well do this together.”
Saden clapped Blade on the arm with a smile. “You’re a good friend.”
“Yeah, yeah. One more thing. I’ve been getting a real creepy vibe lately. Like somebody’s watching us but I can’t pinpoint who or where they are.”
“Now that you mention it, there was interference from an unknown source at Gabriel’s house when Daneya and I went to investigate. Someone was tranqing the leisonguardes there from a distance.”
“Friend or foe?”
Saden shook his head. “I don’t know. Keep doing routine scans in this area, though. If someone’s spying on us, I want to find out who.”
Blade nodded and led the way inside. From his room, he grabbed the four CDs Saden had taken from Gabriel’s stash and the laptop he’d purchased for Mckenzie. While it didn’t have Internet access for security reasons, she was able to use it for music and offline games.
In the kitchen, they found Daneya and Mckenzie sitting at the island eating the last of their dinner. A quick search with his Drakonem power told Saden that Cherri was in her room. Likely in an attempt to avoid him. Her argument with Daneya still occupied his thoughts.
He’d been an idiot to think what he was doing with Daneya wouldn’t have consequences. Cherri was the one she’d be going home with when this was all over. And Mckenzie. What would her daughter say if she knew what a selfish bastard he was? How he
couldn’t let go of something he’d never had to begin with.
He had to end this now, before he drove a wedge between Daneya and the only two people who mattered to her. Yet, somehow, getting eviscerated seemed like a less painful ordeal.
Mckenzie waved excitedly and gulped down her mouthful of spaghetti. “Did it work? Are you feeling better?” She cast a furtive glance at her mom then started again. “I-I mean, how are you feeling?”
He leaned on the countertop next to her. “Your mom told me what you did. That was very brave of you. I am in your debt.” When she blushed a deep red, he looked briefly to Daneya then back. “If it’s okay, I’ll tell you more about your power later and how to use it safely.”
“Can he, Mom? Please?” She tugged on her mother’s arm pleadingly, eyes as round as saucers.
Daneya sighed with exaggeration. “I guess. Don’t think I love you or nothin’.”
“Of course you do!” Mckenzie said brightly.
“All right, go play some games for now. The adults need to talk.”
After Mckenzie took her plate to the sink, she skipped over to Saden and handed him a folded piece of paper, whispering, “The last one’s for my mom, but don’t tell her.”
As she left, he reviewed the list of music CDs she’d made that he had promised to get for her then put it in his pocket. He looked up to find Daneya staring at him intently. Her gaze was searching, no doubt trying to gauge his reaction to the scene Cherri had made earlier. If he were smart, he’d have indicated right then how disastrous what they were doing was. Instead, all he wanted to do was drag her close and breathe her in. Take possession of her full lips the way he had the night before.
Blade cleared his throat loudly, snapping them both back to reality.
Daneya stood and took her own plate to the sink. “So did you find out what Gabriel plans to do now?”
Saden discreetly readjusted the bulge in the front of his pants while her back was turned, inwardly cursing his lack of self-control around her.