Текст книги "Passion Ignites"

Автор книги: Donna Grant

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Текущая страница: 5 (всего у книги 23 страниц)

CHAPTER

NINE

Lexi opened her eyes to see she was in a bed. It was a woman’s studio flat by the looks of it, but it wasn’t hers.

Her throat hurt, and her mouth was dry. She desperately needed something to drink. She sat up, wondering why her body was so sore.

There was no one about that she could tell, and she really wished she could remember how she got there. Lexi slid her legs from beneath the covers and over the side of the bed. She stood, and her legs immediately buckled. She managed to grab hold of the bed to keep herself standing.

If she didn’t know better, she would say she had been sick. She got her legs underneath her before she looked out the window. The sun was high in the sky, which meant she had slept. Since her eyes no longer hurt, she suspected she’d slept at least a good eight hours.

Lexi spotted a pile of sheets near the door. She saw her sweater sticking out. Suddenly, she realized she was naked expect for the pale yellow Victoria’s Secret nightshirt she wore.

She slowly walked to the stack to get her clothes. Lexi bent and pushed the sheets away to reveal all of her clothes. That should’ve made her happy, except that they were cut to pieces.

Just what the hell had happened?

And why couldn’t she remember?

Lexi looked for her knife. It had to be around somewhere. It took her two tries before she could stand. A walk around the studio and she found her knife laying on an end table next to the sofa.

She hurried to it. Once she had the weapon in her hand, she felt a little calmer. She wouldn’t be in control until she had on clothes and was back at her place.

If she could get past the Red Eyes.

“Good. You’re up.”

She knew that deep, silky smooth voice. Lexi didn’t have to look to know it was the stranger, but she couldn’t help herself. She turned and lost herself in his deep brown eyes.

His long dark hair was down once more. It was thick and straight, and sexy as sin. Damn him for being so good every time she saw him. He smiled then, looking charming and wicked all at once.

Despite a valiant attempt, Lexi took stock of his white tee, jeans, and boots.

“How do you feel?”

She felt like she had been dragged through Hell and back. “I’m fine.”

Lexi winced at the croaking that was her voice. What had happened to her? She rubbed her throat and glanced into the kitchen.

Warily, she walked in a wide circle around him until she reached the kitchen. Using the counter as a crutch, she got a glass off the shelf and filled it with water. Lexi kept her eyes on him as she drank four glasses.

The stranger remained where he was, silently watching her with his cool gaze. This was the third time she had encountered him. No longer could she call it coincidence.

She set the empty glass down and braced herself against the counter. “Where am I?”

“This flat belongs to a friend named Darcy,” he replied.

“How did I get here?”

His lips compressed for a heartbeat. “I brought you.”

Lexi gripped her knife tighter.

He held up his hands, palms out. “I’ll no’ hurt you, lass.”

“What did you do to me?”

He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I caught you when you fainted.”

“I don’t faint.”

One dark brown brow lifted. “I beg to differ. You were sick. I brought you here and nursed you.”

She put her empty hand against her stomach. That meant he’d been the one to undress her.

“You’ve been out for three days.”

Her gaze snapped to him. Three days? She couldn’t have lost that time. She needed it to find Christina’s killer. Lexi looked at the wardrobe. Surely there was something in there for her to wear. At least something that would do for her to get to her flat and change.

“I know you want to leave, but you might want to rethink that, Lexi.”

She jerked at the sound of her name.

He pointed to her jacket. “I had to know who you were. Your money is still there, by the way.”

“Since you know my name, I think it’s only fair I know yours.”

He glanced away, as if trying to come up with a reason not to tell her. “It’s Thorn.”

Why did she look at his mouth when he spoke? She couldn’t deny there was something altogether alluring about his mouth.

Lexi mentally shook herself. What was wrong with her? She didn’t have time to ogle a man, no matter how good-looking he was. She had a murderer to catch.

“I need clothes,” she said.

He looked at the door, then slid his gaze back to her. “I wouldna advise leaving this flat just yet.”

“I’ve already lost three days. I can’t lose any more.”

Lexi made her way to the wardrobe and threw open the door. She was looking through the clothes when she heard him come up behind her. She turned around to tell him to back up when her knife sank into his side.

Thorn sighed loudly and looked at the ceiling as if to ask for help. When he lowered his eyes to her, she was trapped in his gaze. His fingers gently wrapped around her wrist and pulled the blade out.

“That’s the fourth time you’ve stabbed me,” he said flatly.

Lexi couldn’t believe he was so glib about it. Didn’t he feel any pain? She looked at the wound to see how deep the knife went.

She felt light-headed when she found the wound and watched it close up. The knife clattered to the floor as it fell from her numb fingers.

“Easy,” Thorn said as his hands gently took hold of her. “Look at me, Lexi. Look into my eyes.”

Somehow, she dragged her gaze up to his face. Her brain couldn’t process what she had just seen.

“I didna wish for you to see that.” His face scrunched. “You’ve had a wee bit of bad luck recently, it seems. I would’ve spared you witnessing any more than you already have.”

“You healed.”

His face smoothed of all emotion. “Aye,” he answered firmly. “You sense evil when you’re around what you call the Red Eyes. Do you feel that with me?”

Lexi felt the warmth of his hands on her arms, the strength within his fingers as he held her tenderly. If he had brought her to the flat, he’d had ample opportunity to harm her, and yet he hadn’t.

“No,” she answered.

He relaxed. “I’m glad to hear it, because I’m only trying to help.”

Lexi felt her strength waning quickly as the room began to spin. She hated being sick, and now was the worst possible time. Perhaps a hot shower would do the trick. And clothes. She really needed more clothes on if Thorn was going to stand so near.

Thorn. Such an odd name. Was it short for something?

“Nay,” he answered, a small smile playing about his lips. “It’s just Thorn.”

Could he read minds? That should bother her more, but she couldn’t stop looking at his mouth. And it wasn’t just his mouth. It was the entire package.

But his face … wow. His penetrating dark eyes hypnotized her. His brows were thick, slashing over his eyes in a hard line that went with his square chin. And that jawline. It looked as if it had been cut from granite.

Muscles bulged on his arms. His tight shirt formed over his wide chest and thick shoulders. Hard. He was hard everywhere.

Except his mouth. It simply wasn’t fair for a gorgeous man to have such a tantalizing mouth. Almost too full for a man, but Lexi liked the look. She wanted to touch his lips.

No. She wanted to kiss his lips.

She grew concerned when she saw one side of his mouth lift in a smile so wicked and wanton that her stomach fluttered. Surely that wasn’t right. That only happened in books. People’s stomachs didn’t flutter from a smile. Right?

Lexi lifted her gaze to Thorn’s eyes. His smile was fading as he frowned. It took everything she had to stay on her feet. She was suddenly thankful that he was holding her because the room began to swim again and she couldn’t keep her eyes open.

She needed to get back to bed. All of a sudden, she realized that her feet felt as if they were blocks of ice.

“Lexi?”

She licked her lips and tried to step out of his grasp. “I need to lie down.”

The next instant she was in his arms. Lexi rested her head on his shoulder. She should demand that he set her down so she could walk. The problem with that was that Lexi didn’t think she could make it to the bed on her own.

She fought to keep her eyes open when he returned her to the bed and covered her. It was wrong on so many levels that she was sick. She rarely got sick, but this one was a doozy.

Every inch of her ached. It was as if getting out of bed and learning she’d lost those days was all done on adrenaline. Once that faded, her body let her know quickly how bad it felt.

“Rest,” Thorn ordered, though his deep brown eyes were filled with concern.

“I can’t. I need to find…”

“Your friend’s killer.”

Lexi’s muddled mind tried to sort out how Thorn knew, then she didn’t care. “Yes. The Red Eyes need to be stopped.”

“They’ve noticed you’ve been following them. They’re tracking you now. You can no’ go out there, and especially no’ sick.”

Lexi wanted to cry. She was failing.

“You’re no’ failing, lass. You’ve worn yourself out.”

“Stop reading my mind.”

He was grinning again. “I’m no’. You’re talking.”

Lexi wanted to argue the point, but it was taking too much energy to keep thinking, much less talking. She let her eyes close.

As she drifted off to sleep, she heard Thorn say, “The Dark Fae willna harm you. No’ while I’m around.”

Thorn checked Lexi’s forehead to make sure the fever hadn’t returned. Then he sat back in the chair and called to Darius.

Darius immediately answered. “What’s wrong?”

“Lexi woke. Her fever might be gone, but the sickness isna. She’s going to need a doctor.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

Thorn rose and walked to the window. A part of him wanted to rush out of the flat and kill the Dark he saw walking on the street, but another part of him, the part that spoke the loudest, urged him to remain with Lexi.

He was tasked with killing the Dark, but he had also taken a vow to protect humans. Thorn wasn’t sure why Lexi had stuck out more than any of the others, but she had. Even though he knew history could very well repeat itself, he would do all that he could to keep death from finding her.

CHAPTER

TEN

Darcy drummed her fingers on the kitchen counter as she looked out the windows and toward the mountains. Dreagan wasn’t just beautiful. It was serene, a place where she knew she was safe.

Then there was the magic. As a Druid, she could sense its power in every blade of grass and every rock of the sixty thousand acres.

She couldn’t imagine being anywhere else but with Warrick, even as the number of enemies of the Dragon Kings continued to grow.

The ceremony to bind her and Warrick together had been scheduled for a week ago. They had put it off because of the war with the Dark Fae. It was tradition for every Dragon King to be there to witness their union, but Warrick didn’t want to wait.

Only after the ceremony would she become immortal, living as long as Warrick did. Traditions were important to the Kings, and she wanted everything to be perfect. Especially since so much had gone awry in her getting to Dreagan.

Strong arms came around her from behind. Darcy closed her eyes and smiled when Warrick kissed her cheek before resting his chin on her shoulder.

“Something is bothering you,” he said.

Darcy loved how easily he could read her. As their love and bond grew, she was finding it just as easy to decipher him. “It’s Thorn.”

“Did he call again?”

She shook her head and turned in his arms to look up into Warrick’s face. His cobalt gaze held hers. “Despite the unfathomable time you Kings have walked this earth, you know very little about humans.”

“Ah,” Warrick said with a nod of his blond head. “You doona think Thorn can care for the female?”

“I think that it would be better if he took her to a doctor. There could be a number of things wrong with her.”

“Or nothing.”

Darcy knew he was right. She lowered her gaze to his impressive chest and ran her hands over the thick muscles there. “I have an acquaintance in Edinburgh. She’s a doctor.”

“Darcy,” Warrick began.

“I know,” she hurried to say as she looked into his eyes. “You don’t have to tell me how important it is that all of you remain secret, but there was something in Thorn’s voice.”

Warrick’s eyes narrowed in concern. “What was it?”

“I don’t know his past, but I got the feeling that it was important that the woman live.”

Warrick’s lips pinched into a flat line. He looked over Darcy’s head and stared out the window for long moments. She didn’t rush him. She also knew he wouldn’t tell her what had happened in Thorn’s past, and she didn’t care to know.

Finally Warrick lowered his gaze to her. “Come with me.”

They walked hand in hand from the kitchen, up the stairs to their bedroom. Warrick shut and locked the door, then he pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

To Darcy’s surprise, he put it on speaker. She smiled at Warrick. Through eons of secrecy and shielding himself, he never stopping bringing her into his world and showing her his love.

“War,” Darius said in answer.

“I’ve got you on speaker, and Darcy is here with me,” Warrick said.

Darcy sat next to Warrick on the bed. “How is the woman you and Thorn found?”

“No’ good,” Darius answered. “Lexi’s fever broke, but she’s still sick. Thorn just asked me to find a doctor.”

It was just as Darcy had feared. “I know someone who might help.”

There was a beat of silence before Darius said, “You trust them?”

“She doesn’t know about magic or that I’m a Druid. But she’s good at what she does. It’s not in Sophie’s nature to turn away those in need. She’ll help.”

Darius sighed. “What’s her name?”

“Sophie Martin. She works at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Edinburgh.”

Warrick added, “I’ll get Ryder to send over all her details.”

“Did Thorn call you again?” Darius asked.

Darcy glanced at Warrick. “No. It was just something in the way he spoke of Lexi.”

“Thank you,” Darius said.

Warrick said Darius’s name to keep him from ending the call. “What’s the story with the woman?”

“She’s an American visiting here, and one of her friends was killed by the Dark. Lexi set out to find the killer.”

Darcy was so shocked she couldn’t find the words. She’d had her own run-in with the Dark. There’s no way she would actively seek them out. Then she looked at Warrick and knew she would do anything for him, including facing a horde of Dark Fae.

Warrick whistled low. “Are you going to stop her?”

“What do you think Thorn will do?”

“I think he’ll help her.”

Darius chuckled. “I suspect you’re right.”

“How are things there?” Darcy asked.

“Bad. Verra bad,” Darius answered in a grim tone. “There’s been no sign of Ulrik.”

Warrick said, “Ryder can no’ find him anywhere either.”

“He may be with the Dark.”

Darcy still had mixed feelings about Ulrik. She had been the one to unbind his magic, and in doing so she got to see his past through his memories. There were things the others couldn’t begin to fathom that he’d endured.

All because he had been betrayed by a human and retaliated in the only way he could—by killing them. All that got him was banishment from Dreagan and to walk the earth forever in human form.

Until he found her.

“I’ll let you know about the doctor,” Darius said.

The call ended, but Darcy was still thinking about Ulrik. She had truly thought him an ally.

Warrick’s hand covered hers. “I hate him for nearly killing you.”

She hated Ulrik for nearly being killed.

“But,” Warrick said, “the Dark think you’re dead. They’re no longer looking for you.”

Darcy shifted to face him. “I know. I keep wondering if Ulrik did it on purpose.”

“I can no’ figure it out myself. He had no reason to help you.”

“Unless he’s not as bad as everyone thinks.”

Warrick raised a brow. “If Con or the Druids hadna been there, you would’ve died.”

“But I didn’t. I’m here. Let’s think on that.”

Warrick kissed her forehead as he pulled her against him. “Ulrik brought Lily back from the dead. Now there’s a possibility that he helped you. Yet he’s aligned with the Dark to bring us down. None of it makes sense.”

“One moment I think Ulrik is a decent guy, and the next I think he’s the Devil himself.” Darcy held Warrick tighter, thankful that she had him in her life. “Trying to figure it out makes my head hurt.”

“Aye, love, but if we choose wrong, it could be the end of us.”

*   *   *

Darius stood at the back of the Royal Victoria Hospital. From what Ryder discovered, Dr. Sophie Martin was due to get off work in thirty minutes.

He had already been by her flat. On the way to the hospital, he’d cleared several streets of Dark Fae. It had taken him longer than he would’ve liked to cart the bodies to the warehouse and remain unseen.

Like Warrick, Darius didn’t mind working alone. With Thorn occupied keeping Lexi alive, he couldn’t see Darius battling his own demons. Just as Darius wanted.

His patience was running on empty when thirty minutes past the time the doctor was supposed to get off she walked out of the hospital.

He spotted her easily enough, despite her red hair pulled with some clip that kept it all together at the back of her head. She walked at a steady pace with her head up, a purse on her shoulder, and a black bag in hand.

Darius knew all about the doctor. She was from London and had attended Oxford. After a few years at a London hospital, Sophie Martin moved to Edinburgh where she had been for the past seven years.

She was single, which made things much easier for Darius. He wouldn’t have to contend with a husband or boyfriend wondering where she was.

He also knew that she was known to pay house calls to those who either couldn’t afford a doctor or who couldn’t get to her. Darcy had been right. Sophie was the perfect one to help Lexi.

Since Darius knew her route home, he put himself in a place where she would have to walk past him. In order not to frighten her, he stepped out of the shadows that dusk provided.

“Dr. Martin,” he said.

She halted instantly, her gaze on him. “And you are?”

“We have a mutual friend. Darcy Allen.”

Sophie relaxed a fraction. “How is Darcy?”

“Doing well. She suggested that I find you. Darcy believes that you’ll be willing to help me.”

Sophie stood tall, her olive gaze direct. “What do you need help with?”

“I’ve a friend who is ill. She’s being chased by some verra bad people, and we can no’ risk bringing her to the hospital.”

Sophie regarded him for long moments. “What type of man are you?”

“No’ a nice kind.”

“Yet you would stand here waiting to bring me to your friend?”

Darius eyed her. “You asked. I told you.”

She adjusted the black bag in her hand. “I need your name.”

“Darius.”

“Darius what?”

“Just Darius,” he replied, hiding his grin. He liked the way she held herself, the way she looked as if she could take on the world single-handedly. He held out a piece of paper. “Here’s the address.”

She looked at the paper and returned her gaze to him. “You’re not coming with me?”

“As I explained, bad people are after her. I’m going to make sure they doona get close.”

Darius turned and blended into the shadows. He waited to see what Sophie would do. He almost expected her to refuse, but she raised her hand to call for a taxi. A few moments later, she got into the car and drove off.

“I knew there were Dragon Kings in the city,” came a voice behind him.

Darius smiled as he faced the three Dark he had seen circling the hospital. “I didna think you idiots would ever find me.”

“What did you want with a doctor?” asked one.

Darius shrugged and widened his stance. “If you best me, I’ll tell you. But you willna best me.”

He lunged forward, ducking a blast of magic and slammed his fist into the abdomen of one of the Dark. The only time he felt … normal … was when he was killing the vermin.

*   *   *

Sophie had her mobile phone in her hand. She was about to call Darcy and see if she had sent Darius, but Sophie hesitated.

It had been Darius’s admission of not being a nice guy that threw her off. Most lied, but he was deliberately honest. And that struck her as … odd.

Much to her dismay, it intrigued her as well. She didn’t want to be intrigued. She had gone out of her way to keep all men at a distance for over seven years.

Sophie was exhausted after a fourteen-hour shift at the hospital, but just as Darcy said, Sophie never refused someone in need.

When the taxi stopped, she quickly looked around the area. With all the murders each night, being careless was no longer an option.

She paid the taxi and stepped out of the car to find a tall man with long dark hair waiting for her. He smiled and held out his hand. On instinct, Sophie took it.

“I’m Thorn. Darius said you agreed to come. Thank you,” the man said. He motioned to the door as he looked behind her. “We best get inside so you can see to Lexi.”

Sophie watched Thorn carefully. He was vigilant, the kind of man who appeared calm and unobservant when he was anything but. He was the kind of man who knew when danger was coming before anyone else.

The same kind of man Darius was.

Sophie wondered if she should turn around and leave. She had the unwavering feeling that she was getting involved in something perilous. But something urged her onward.

“Lead the way,” she told Thorn.