Bound By Darkness

But then maybe he was talking not about her injuries but the fact that someone might be gunning for her. If so, she shouldn’t be alone, and that idea scared her all over again.



She gave up and closed her eyes, determined not to cry. “All right, fine. Stay if you want to, but at least sit down. I don’t like being hovered over.”



He gently brushed her hair back from her face. “I’ll try not to hover. Get some sleep.”



Then he leaned down to press a feathery kiss on her forehead. That was the last thing she remembered.



Duke sat in his living room and shook. God, what the hell had he gotten himself into? His fingers traced the wound on his neck, a reminder that he’d already come within a hair’s breadth of dying. It still weirded him how quickly the cut had healed, and now he had Devlin Bane riding his case. That wasn’t going to change in the near future.



He supposed he was lucky he still had a job at all. Earlier, he’d been in Devlin’s office when the Paladin had gotten a phone call. The man had started cussing a blue streak and immediately ordered Duke to go home and plant his ass there until further notice. On the way home, Duke had driven past a guy parked in an unfamiliar car down the street. Duke had just checked and he was still there.



Was his house being watched? If so, who was doing the watching? One of Devlin’s boys? Or did Rusty have someone spying on Duke? It really didn’t matter as long as he hunkered down on the couch watching TV and calming his nerves with a six-pack.



The mysterious watcher wasn’t what had Duke all weirded out anyway. When he’d come home and turned on the computer, there’d been another anonymous e-mail with a video clip attached. When he played it, his blood ran cold. Someone had tried to kill Sasha Willis. Thank God he’d still been at headquarters with Devlin Bane himself when it happened. At least Duke’s name wouldn’t be tossed in the hat as a possible suspect.



The really creepy part was that someone had filmed the whole thing. He’d been debating whether or not to forward it to Bane for the past couple of hours and still hadn’t reached a decision. It might help him start earning his way back into the organization’s good graces. On the other hand, Rusty, most likely the bastard who’d sent it to him, was obviously willing to kill for the cause. Duke really didn’t want to offer himself up as the next target.



Maybe it was time to think about asking for a transfer. Things here in Seattle were getting too damned weird. Yeah, sure, he’d insulted the new administrator, but what the hell did she expect when she took up with a freak instead of a human? That didn’t mean he wanted her dead.



No doubt Larem q’Jones and his buddies were already on the prowl, looking for whoever was responsible. Once again, Duke traced the raised scar running across his throat, a permanent reminder of how Larem had slit him open. No way he wanted to give that Other an excuse to finish what he’d started.



The phone rang, causing him to jump about a foot in the air. He reached for his cell and checked the number. The ID was blocked; no surprise there.



“Hello?”



“Did you enjoy the video I sent you?” The male voice was altered, making it impossible for Duke to identify the caller.



“No, I didn’t. Rusty, is that you? If so, quit fucking with me. You shouldn’t have gone after Sasha Willis. I don’t want anything to do with that.”



“Aw, Duke, you disappoint me. And here I had such high hopes for you.” Then he laughed, the distortion making it sound as if it came straight out of some cheesy horror film.



Duke hated cheesy horror flicks, but somehow his life had become one. “Don’t call me again.”



“You’re in no position to be giving orders. You’re part of us now. I’d suggest you do as you’re told. When I need your services again, I’ll call.”



“And if I don’t pick up?”



“Duke, you don’t want to know the answer to that question. And by the way, for your sake, I’m really glad you didn’t give in to the temptation to forward my e-mail to your friend Devlin. That would not have pleased us at all.”



When the phone went dead, Duke reached for another beer. Maybe he should have bought two six-packs.



Larem studied Sasha’s face, wishing he could risk performing another healing. His energy supply was running low, and he had to keep something in reserve in case he needed to act quickly.



The curtain stirred, warning him that someone was about to join them. He rose to his feet, prepared to defend Sasha if necessary. He relaxed when a familiar face appeared in the small gap at the edge of the curtain.



Laurel peeked in, taking in both him and Sasha in a quick glance. She kept her voice to a soft whisper. “Okay if we come in?”



“Please do.”



He backed into the corner near the head of the bed to make room for the Handler and her husband. Devlin followed her in, his broad shoulders taking up most of the extra room in the cubicle.



Laurel studied the readouts on the monitor on the wall. “How is she?”



“Tired, scared, sore,” Larem answered, fisting his hands to resist touching Sasha, who stirred restlessly as if in pain.



She needed her rest, and he needed to bring the Paladin leader up to speed. “Laurel, will you stay with her while Devlin and I find a more private place to talk?”



“Of course.” Laurel studied Larem for a second, those dark eyes seeing far too much. “Dev, take this man and get him some food. Judging by his appearance I suspect he’s been practicing his mojo on Sasha, and he’s running on empty.”



“Will do. You two should be safe enough here.” He jerked his head in the direction of the nurses’ station. “There’s plenty of medical staff around and security officers down the hall. We won’t stay gone long.”



“We’ll be fine. Go before the man falls down.” She gave Larem a gentle shove toward the exit. “When you get back, I’ll hunt down the ER doc and get a full report as Sasha’s primary caregiver.”



Larem swallowed hard, knowing exactly what detail that report would contain. Sasha was going to hate having others find out about the pregnancy when she clearly hadn’t yet come to terms with it herself. God, he was still reeling with the knowledge that they’d created a new life together.



He said, “That’s good. The doctor was going to write her discharge orders but said Sasha had to stay here until the final reports are all in. I’ll be staying at Sasha’s place tonight because the doctor says she shouldn’t be alone.”



Laurel gave him one of those looks that very clearly said she knew there was more to that story, but at least she didn’t press for details. He and Devlin made their way out of the chaos of the emergency room and followed the signs to the cafeteria.



Devlin handed Larem a tray. “Look, I know how much you guys like your veggies. However, if you’re going to keep burning energy like you’ve obviously been doing, you need protein. Eat some meat or at least some eggs and cheese. Don’t make me force the issue.”



Larem appreciated the rough concern in Devlin’s order, but he could take care of himself. He wasn’t an idiot. Or maybe he was, everything considered. Rather than argue, he chose a salad with grated cheese and a bit of ham. After adding a couple of hard-boiled eggs to his tray, he picked up two cartons of yogurt and one of whole milk.



Noticing that Devlin was watching his every move, he sighed in disgust. “Satisfied?”



“It’s a good start, although I’d rather you ate a big slab of the meat loaf and some of that chicken.”



“We’ll see how I feel after I eat this much.”



“Fair enough.” Devlin pulled out his wallet and told the cashier to ring up both trays.



“Thanks, Dev.”



“Yeah, well, don’t tell any of the guys I was so generous. D.J. would be hitting on me to pick up the tab all the time.”



Larem smiled, partly because it was true, but mainly because he appreciated Devlin’s efforts to lighten up the situation for a few minutes. They’d all had a big scare, and a little humor would go a long way toward helping them both find some balance.



For a few minutes, they ate in silence. Larem hadn’t realized how hungry he was until he took that first bite. It wasn’t long at all before his tray was filled with empty cartons and dishes. He waited until Devlin polished off the last of his sandwich and pushed his tray away before speaking.



He looked around the cafeteria. They’d deliberately chosen a table in a quiet corner, and the two closest tables were now empty. This was going to be their best shot at some privacy.



“Okay, here’s what happened.”



Devlin leaned back in his chair, balancing it on two legs as he listened. Larem started with meeting up with Sasha at the coffee shop and brought him up to speed on almost everything. He considered whether or not to tell Devlin the one thing he’d left out, but decided not to until he and Sasha had had a chance to talk.



Laurel would probably find out from the doctor overseeing Sasha’s care, but he trusted her to keep that bit of information to herself.



Devlin rocked forward, bringing the front legs of his chair down with a thud. “You’re holding something back, Larem, but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. If I find out whatever it is puts Sasha at further risk, though, I’ll kick your ass. Got it?”



“Got it, but I promise it has nothing to do with today.” He fiddled with his napkin, tearing it into small shreds. It was time to lay the rest of his cards on the table.



“This was a deliberate attack on her, Devlin. The bastard shoved her out into heavy traffic, doing his best to kill her. It’s only a matter of luck that she was knocked aside by the fender instead of getting hit head-on. Coupled with the fiasco in the tunnels, it would seem that someone is determined to see her hurt—or worse.”



Larem bit his lip, fighting to control the renewed surge of murderous fury. “If I hadn’t been there, that head wound could have been dangerous. I managed to contain the damage, but just barely.”



Devlin’s sympathetic expression almost proved Larem’s undoing. The big man looked away, giving Larem a precious bit of time to collect himself before Devlin spoke again.



“So far, Duke’s our only connection to whatever’s going on. I’ll sic Cullen and D.J. on his phone and computer to see if anyone’s contacted him. I know for a fact that rat bastard wasn’t involved today, but that doesn’t mean he’s completely innocent. I’ll also call in Barak and Hunter to spell you on protection duty for Sasha. If Sasha is anything like their women and mine, she’s going to insist on getting right back to work, and you can’t be on guard twenty-four/seven.”



“Thanks, Devlin. Promise me when we track down the monster who did this, I get first crack at him.”



“You have my word. Now, let’s go see if your woman is ready to get out of here. We’ll drive by your place so you can grab a few things and then take you both to the condo. Just so you know, I had a top-of-the-line security system installed when Laurel was still living there. It won’t stop someone who’s really determined, but it should give you time to respond.”



“That’s good.” Larem grimaced. “By the way, I’m not sure Sasha would be happy to hear herself referred to as mine.”