Текст книги "Heart of Darkness"

Автор книги: Lauren Dane

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He kept his fingers with Meriel’s and looked to her before speaking. “It was important she hold her ground.”

He’d done it and nearly given himself an ulcer having to sit there and not rush her from the place. And he didn’t regret it when she gave him a beautiful smile.

“I know, right?” Meriel looked to Nell.

Nell, unable to hold a smile back, shook her head as she looked to Dominic. “Yeah, yeah, he’s the cat’s meow. What’s going on?”

The two leaned in close and began to speak while William held out a hand. “Can I buy you a drink? We aren’t doing much of that at home as the missus is in the family way.”

Nell looked up and sighed. “I thought we agreed not to announce it to the universe for a while.”

“He’s your best friend’s whoosit, bond thing. Of course she’s going to tell him, even if it’s inadvertent.”

Dominic liked the energy between Meriel’s friend and her husband. They clearly liked each other as well as loved. Tom hadn’t really dated when Dominic had been growing up. None of his friends had gotten married yet either. He hoped the lack of exposure to working relationships wouldn’t be too much of a detriment with Meriel.

“Mazel tov.” Dominic raised his glass.

“We’re still going to dinner tomorrow night. Just a reminder. This does not trump that.” Nell sent a raised brow to her husband.

“Who am I to deny you anything?”

“Are we going to find this mage stalking Meriel? Or can I get her the hell away from here?”

Nell raised a brow his way. “Gage is here and doing his business. Meriel has given me some clues and so now I think it would be good to get up on out of here and leave.”

“I think you should come to Heart of Darkness.” Meriel looked to Nell and then over at William. “Nell, you can check the wards and security yourself and if it passes inspection, I can report on it next week at council.”

Nell sighed and William laughed, reaching out to touch her cheek.

“Nell hates the nightlife and does not like the boogie, I’m afraid.” Meriel teased.

“Even though she usually ends up having a good time.” William rarely took his gaze from his wife.

“Yes, well, it’s probably more fun than watching skanks rub themselves all over you like homeless cats.”

Meriel looked to Dominic and winked. Did she think he was amused by all this?

“My darling Meriel,” he said this silkily as he kissed her knuckles, “I don’t want to go anywhere tonight with this asshole out and about. I want to get you home where you’re safe.”

William shifted in his chair. “Glad to know it’s not just me. I agree with Dominic. We’re doing dinner tomorrow, we can go afterward.” He shrugged one shoulder. “I’ve checked out a few nightclubs in town, you know, to get the lay of the land. Maybe we can talk about that sometime.”

Nell nodded. “They’re right, Meriel. Not that, you know, I’m not chomping at the bit to go clubbing and all. Until we get a better handle on just what’s happening, it’s best for you to be extra wary. I was concerned before, now I’m convinced it’s mages here looking for witches to grab. I’m putting a few more people on a team to run these mages to ground. As for Heart of Darkness, Gage has already checked the wards there, you have too. It can wait another day.”

Nell turned to Dominic. “You know she’ll be far stronger after the ascension.”

Scandalized, Meriel whacked Nell’s arm. “Shut up! I won’t allow this to be used to push him into the ascension.”

Nell whacked Meriel’s arm right back and snorted. “Fuck you, Meriel. I’m saying what needs to be said and you’re being a dumbass.”

“This is my bond. This is my ascension and if I can tell Edwina to back off, I can sure say it to you. She’s scarier anyway. This is about not only my bond, but about our clan and mine and Dominic’s future. I won’t rush. I’m not some weakling of a witch as it is, thank you very much for the confidence.”

So fierce. She was so deliciously hot and fierce right then. A shiver ran through him, driving him to make her safe, to make her his.

“I’ve already told her I wanted to do it. We were discussing the particulars when this happened.”

Nell smirked and Meriel growled. “Good. Talk some sense into her then. Go home, Meriel. Get the hell off the streets or I’ll assign a guard to you full-time.”

Dominic was torn about this. He wanted her protected, but he was perfectly capable of physically protecting her. They really had no idea what he’d spent most of his twenties doing.

Dominic knew the smile on his face was nearly feral, but this was getting taken care of his way, damn it. “Why don’t you two come with us to Meriel’s father’s garden?”

Her eyes popped open as she gaped at him. It made him laugh, even has he knew it would have been better not to show her any amusement or she’d try to get around him.

“No. Dominic—”

Chapter 16

“SO, Dominic and I would like to perform the ascension and we’d like to do it in your garden.” Meriel stood with Dominic in her parents’ living room.

Edwina’s attention sharpened so taut Meriel felt the change in her magick. “When?”

“Tonight. Right now.” Dominic smiled, utterly debonair but there was no disguising the rough patches. He was not Edwina’s sort of witch. But he was spectacular. Standing there next to him as he charmed his way into getting what he wanted, just like he had with her earlier only reinforced her affection for him. To think she’d fought him on this, when she wanted to ascend too anyway.

“Well now.” Edwina stood. “Yes, of course. Coming up on midnight in a bit.” She nearly spoke again but stopped herself. “What would you like?”

Meriel grinned and gave in, hugging her mother and not being offended by the way she always sort of held herself back. “Not the entire full-council. Perhaps the quorum?” She’d explained to Dominic that the quorum was the uppermost tier of any clan’s governance structure, made up of those council witches who’d ascended.

In Clan Owen it was Edwina, her magickal bond-mate, Ron, Meriel’s father, Abe, his brother and bond-mate, Kent Purcell, and Sami Ellis and her bond-mate, Brenda Conrad. After the ascension, their number would include Meriel and Dominic.

“Of course. I think that’s wise.” She pulled Meriel along, already holding her phone and dialing. “Is he going to be joining officially? How do you want to handle that?”

“He is. But he’d like to keep that low-key. Not his affiliation, naturally. He’ll be sitting on the dais with me. But the joining part itself. I’m already providing him with the education he needs.”

Edwina gave a bunch of orders, hung up and turned her attention back to Meriel.

“I agree. He will receive further training with his magick.” She looked to Dominic. “He’s not using even a quarter of his gift right now. Don’t get that look on your face, Meriel. He’s your bond-mate and he grew up outclan, it’s our job to help him use all his potential.”

“The ascension will make him even stronger,” Nell added so helpfully.

“Yes and he’ll gain part of my control and my training along with that.”

“I’d like to suggest that if The Owen has an idea for training she feels would benefit me, she should share that.” Dominic added a tip of his head that for some reason kicked totally outrageous behavior down to sort of rakish and right then she watched her clever man charm her mother.

Calls were made as Edwina interrogated Dominic. He’d thrown down a challenge for her to make a suggestion and she was on the case. She took her job seriously and now she’d be sure to find something to fit. It amused Meriel and Dominic seemed to handle her mother perfectly.

Preparations continued as people began to show up. She’d wanted something reasonably quiet and probably with more than half an hour’s planning, but at the same time it would be taken care of and things could move forward.

Satisfied that she had enough information from Dominic for the time being, Edwina dismissed him, sending him to the other side of the room where the males seemed to be keeping out of her mother’s way.

Meriel looked up from her mother’s yammering to watch her father with Dominic. They already had an easy way about them. She was glad about that. Her dad’s opinion meant a lot. She wanted him to approve of her life choices.

He looked up, his glasses on his nose and smiled. “We’re talking about you!” He waved, looking amused as he turned to pour Dominic a few fingers of Scotch.

Dominic had been such a surprise. He’d backed off enough to give her space at the restaurant. He’d not only let her remain to look for the mage, but he’d lent her his magick. He’d then turned around and dug his heels in and proceeded to seduce her with words and deeds until she found herself knocking on her mother’s front door.

And then he’d held his ground with her mother when she’d gone a bit bitchy but he’d managed to charm her with his defiance instead of piss her off. It was beautiful really. He was such a con artist. She smiled as she watched him talk with her father and William. He stood there in her house and made friends with her dad. And he did it for her.

“It’s funny how something so new can feel so essential.” She put her head on Nell’s shoulder as her mother ordered people around.

“I hear that. I like you two together. I like that he’s pushing you to keep safe in the face of all this mage stuff. He’s a bossy one, gonna take some maintenance.”

Meriel grinned. “Yeah, that’s part of the fun.”

“You two stop your whispering. We have to stay on task. Say your good-byes to him for now,” Edwina said, flapping an impatient hand toward Dominic. “He needs to be prepared and so do you. We’re cutting it close. Brenda and Sami have arrived. Sami will help your father prepare Dominic. Nell, can you deal with that? Just show Sami to Abe and let Brenda know where we’ll be doing the ritual.”

Nell bustled off and Meriel, not needing any more urging, went to Dominic.

“Hey.”

He pulled her into his arms and it was all right. So very all right. “You just make everything all right,” she mumbled into his shirt.

He kissed the top of her head, squeezing her just a little bit tighter. “Good.”

“So it’s time for you to go with my dad right now. He’s going to walk you through the entire process ahead of time so you know what to expect. Are you sure you don’t want to wait for Tom so he can be here?”

“He’s not answering his cell. I didn’t think he would anyway. He’s on a backcountry trip. He takes groups out all year long. He won’t be back in range until Sunday night, maybe Monday.”

“I hate that he’s not here for you. Will he be upset?” The idea that this man who was so important to Dominic might think she excluded him or that she’d hurt his feelings really bothered her.

“We’ll go down there and see him. Is that all right with you? I do want him to meet you and I’d like to show you the house and stuff. He’ll be happier that way. He’s not one for this kind of stuff. He’d have come because it was me, but he’s not overly social.”

“I’d really like that.”

He bent down and took her lips tenderly, just a breath of a touch across her mouth with his lips. And yet there was so much there passing between them. He touched parts of her she’d never even known existed.

Hoo. She was so drunk off this man.

She took a step back. “See you out there in a few.”

Abe, Meriel’s father, raised his glass as they watched Meriel rejoin her mother and then disappear up some stairs.

“I’m so pleased to have you do this in my garden. I’ve always loved to work my magick out here. Funny, you know Meriel is the worst with plants. Can’t keep a houseplant alive to save her own life, even with magick! But she’s loved this garden her whole life. Used to perch on the rock wall over there to watch me work and keep me company.”

“She told me about your garden. She’s proud of it.” Dominic walked down a path, trees all around. Benches, water features, rockeries. The garden was astoundingly beautiful. Fecund. Life just dripped from every surface. He saw it clearly as he used his othersight, as Ron and Sami had suggested. Meriel had been helping him learn how to use it better and then Abe had patiently shown Dominic a new way to open himself up, a way he’d understood a little better than he had before.

And so there she was, the moon shining on her skin. Those witches Meriel had referred to as the quorum stood in a line. Meriel’s dad had explained that they would form an internal circle around Meriel and Dominic, all of them protected by an outer circle Edwina and Ron would set.

Meriel stepped forward. She wore a beautiful white cape; her hair was pulled from her face, exposing her features. She held out her hand and he took it. A connection was made. Energy was conducted between them, humming.

He trusted her with everything he was.

She knelt and he followed. The quorum made their circle and Edwina set the outer circle with a snap of energy.

Edwina came forward and tied Meriel and Dominic’s wrists together with red twine.

And then she stood back.

Meriel looked at him, smiled and he felt reassured. He felt like home.

“Open to me.”

“Open to me,” he repeated.

She spoke, sometimes in English, sometimes in what he was told was Gaelic. He repeated as she’d instructed, but there were times he added his own words to the spell they wove together. It was intuitive, and he trusted his gut. Her gaze remained steady on his as she spoke so he assumed what he was doing was all right.

He felt it like a tsunami building. Massive, rising up and up. Filling him. He never worried or feared. He just knew that as long as they stayed together they’d weather it.

Then her mouth curved up just the smallest of bits and she said, “I am open to you. I am ascended.”

He repeated the words and the intent wrapped around them, strengthening their bond as what felt like raging rivers of magick knocked him off his feet and he had no choice but to hang on and trust that Meriel would keep him from drowning. Her eyes told him she had that same feeling.

And then, a while later, she leaned forward and kissed him. His knees ached from where they’d been kneeling but he didn’t care. He kissed her back as someone undid their bindings.

She put her forehead to his as they both fought for air. “I’m a little dizzy right now,” she said for his ears only.

“Me too. Thank God, I was hoping it wasn’t just that I was a pussy.”

Her gaze met his and everything clicked into place with total, utter certainty. This was right. What he should have done. He simply knew it.

He helped her to stand. “We are ascended,” she announced and there was much clapping. Dominic felt part of something far bigger than he ever had before. He was part of this other person. She stood at his side, her hand in his. He tasted her magick on his tongue. Each time he breathed in it was her scent on the breeze. She was everything all at once but he never felt as if he’d lost part of himself. Just more of something else added to that. She hadn’t made him whole, she’d simply snapped all the missing pieces together and in doing so he was whole.

Magick crackled around him as he looked around. His vision was altered as the othersight he’d only recently learned to open up seemed to layer with his normal vision. Meriel told him it might happen like that sometimes right after an ascension, and that he’d get used to it.

Edwina broke the circle and everyone moved back to the house where there’d be some mulled wine and light appetizers.

“Welcome to Clan Owen.” Edwina bowed to him.

“Hear, hear!” Abe raised a glass in agreement.

Chapter 17

MERIEL sat and drank tea with Gia Kelly down in a bright, cozy corner. “This is pretty swank back here. I’m sorry I’ve never seen it before.”

“We keep it a secret so people leave us alone.”

Gia had called her down to talk about the scrying angle and had met Meriel with a cup of tea and the promise of cookies. Which she’d made good on. Snickerdoodles even.

“You like it that everyone’s afraid to come down here.” Meriel laughed, delighted.

“It’s our secret. If they weren’t afraid, they’d be here all the time asking us to research things they should do themselves.”

“Kudos to you. I wish I’d have thought of that.”

“Given all the information you’ve provided and that Nell and Gage have supplemented, we feel what you experienced was indeed someone scrying to watch you.”

Meriel frowned.

“Since, in general, witches don’t need to scry because they have othersight and seeking spells, it’s usually something mages use.”

Great.

“I’m going to guess this is connected in some way to the alert Nell sent out about mage activity on the East Coast?”

“Yes, that and more I suppose. I wanted to hope it wasn’t, but it’s hard to imagine why anyone would scry me except for that. How do I protect myself?”

“I was hoping you’d ask.” Gia gave her a sly smile. “I have a spell that will work. It’s not exactly traditional but it does the trick.”

“I’m wary, but intrigued.”

SHE got the text from Nell while meeting with Gia so Meriel headed straight upstairs to Nell’s office.

“So Gia says yes, it’s scrying.” Meriel grabbed one of the donuts she spied upon entry. “Why do you rate donuts?”

“I’m the great and terrible Oz. People bring me things to keep me placated. Sit down and let me brief you on this mess.”

“I need to be scarier if it nets me donuts.”

“Don’t whine, it’s not cute.” Nell winked. “I’ve been in contact with Arel. He and I are in agreement that the incidents with you being watched are connected to the mages. Gage is working with some other hunter folks from Gennessee and Rodas on putting together a database. Identifying these mages who’ve messed with us. Tracking them.”

“Eliminating them.”

“I do like the way you think. Yes, that too. We’re going to need to step out of our comfort zone here. These mages are fueled by their addiction; they don’t care that they’re hurting and killing to do that. The only thing they’re going to understand is a fist in the face.”

“If you’re expecting me to tell you no, you’ve got a long wait ahead of you.”

“Good. My gut tells me they know an awful lot about us. So they’ve possibly tortured some of the witches they’ve taken for info. But I don’t really think that was the goal, though I do think they may have tortured for the power of the pain they’ve inflicted. The missing witches we’ve found to be likely targets were mainly non-clan witches.”

“Turned witches?” She saw red a moment.

“Given the apparent move toward snatching witches who are at the higher end of the power scale, I’m going to say yes, I think they’re getting inside information from turned witches.”

“Are we keeping track of them in any way?”

“No. And I should have thought of it so I apologize. Gage is on that now.”

She waved it away. “Yes, so totally loserly of you not to know every single possibility ever. Anyway, in our history they’ve usually just burned themselves out and ended up dead within five to ten years after they get stuck. How the hell are you supposed to know they’d start working with bigots and other junkies to traffic our magick?”

“It’s my job to think about every possibility.”

“Make it happen and keep me apprised.” She stood. “Gia taught me a spell that renders the caster invisible to scrying. She’s agreed to teach it to anyone who’d like to know it.”

“Good. Good. All right, I’ll work with her to get my people trained and then take it outward. Be careful, Meriel. I’ve put a guard on you. He’ll stay in the background, but your mother told me to and I agree.”

“Nicely played.” Meriel rolled her eyes. “Not gonna argue with it. Good to have an extra pair of eyes. It’ll hopefully calm Dominic down too.”

“TOM?”

Dominic had made the time to call his foster father to arrange to come down.

“Dominic! I was just thinking of you. I’ve actually had a few dreams about you while I was out last weekend.”

It was best to just get it out quickly. “I’ve met someone special. I want you to meet her.”

“Have you now?”

He heard the wary interest in Tom’s voice and smiled. Crusty old man.

“I did. You’ll like her.”

“Hm.”

Then he laughed. “She’s nothing like any of the women I’ve dated before. She’s a lawyer. A redhead. Gorgeous. Hyperintelligent. Works in the family business.”

“Really? Well, this is good to hear. You know the door is always open to you. This is your home too. I’d like to meet her. What’s her name?”

“Meriel.” He avoided saying her last name, not wanting to get into the whole ascension/bond-mate business over the phone.

“How old is she?”

“Twenty-seven.”

“She marriage material?”

“Yes.”

“She one of us?” He meant a witch.

“Yes.” Dominic left it at that. Once he met Meriel, Tom would feel differently and he didn’t want to have her prejudged.

“All right then. Bring her down. Spend the weekend so I can get to know her. She’s not fussy, is she?”

“She looks like she might be.” He snorted. “But she’s tough. Hard as nails. Ruthless when she has to be. She’ll love the house.”

They spoke for a while longer until Dominic got called away. Meriel was at an evening meeting of this or that committee. He’d gotten used to her being in the club with him and felt her absence sorely. Her schedule was the opposite of his so meshing their time would be a challenge. But one he wasn’t afraid to take on.

It had been several days since the ascension and there’d been no more strange incidences with feeling watched. Nell and Gage were working with the witches down in records to figure out the scrying angle. Meriel had shown him the spell they needed to perform to render anyone invisible to a scry. At least they had that much.

He walked out of his office and headed down the long hall, away from the club. He needed to check the stock. He had staff to do this for him, but he liked to handle it himself too. No one could run the place better than he could.

As evidenced by the low number of full bottles of top-shelf tequila. It was a favorite back in the Others portion of the bar. He made a note and left it on Simon’s desk.

Movement at the back door got his attention. As he moved toward it, alarm slammed into his system. Power built up in his belly and somewhere he knew she felt it too. Knew his alarm raced through her across town at her meeting. He’d have to call her when this was over just to reassure her.

“What the hell are you doing out here?” he asked the man standing near the loading dock. “No employee smoking where clientele can see you.”

The icy claws of someone else’s magick dug into him. A dark, oily energy that slithered through him. Poisonous. It drew his energy from his body. The pain of it like a thousand sharp pins.

Not magick, no, this was not natural at all.

The mage made a very big mistake and stepped in closer to take a better look at Dominic where he’d slumped against the door. And when he got close enough, Dominic whipped his fist out and slammed it into the mage’s jaw, sending him backward, reeling down the steps and onto the asphalt below. His magick might have been crippled by the spell, but his fist hadn’t been.

“You stupid motherfucker.” Dominic kicked the mage in the side and then used his magick to hold him in place. “Simon, out back, now,” he barked into his phone.

But even as he heard the thomp, thomp, thomp of Simon’s boots as he ran toward them, Dominic was hit with a big blast of magic so nasty it tore at his insides.

He threw out a shield and the air stank of ozone from his energy sliding against all that wrong, dark sludge. Shoving the nearest mage back with one hand, Dominic punched him in the nose and then gave him another jab in the eye.

As expected, the fool hit the ground, holding his face. The clawing in his guts began to lessen and his head stopped throbbing. His phone buzzed in his back pocket. He knew it was Meriel and he needed to keep her far, far away from this.

A roar sounded over his left shoulder as Simon leapt over the railing from the loading dock ledge and down where Dominic was. The two injured mages managed to pull back and erect their own shields as three human flunkies joined them and rushed Simon and Dominic.

Simon didn’t need to transform to take his wolf form. He was powerful enough as a man and one fist the size of a rump roast slammed into one of the thugs’ belly so hard he lost his footing.

Dominic let the haze take over. Let the violence rush up and through him, to his fists and into his brain. This was like homecoming. This was where he knew the lay of the land. The law of the fists.

He showed his teeth to the human who’d been edging toward him and rushed him, knocking him to his feet as Dominic delivered a beating while straddling the man.

Someone, most likely the remaining human, hit him from the side, knocking him off his prey.

The clawing began again and his head hurt so much he could barely see. The magick rushed up through the ground and tore from his body, draining away.

And then he knew she was coming. He felt her moving toward where they were. Panic warred with admiration as the well of her fury boiled the air and she was there on the landing.

Dominic managed to wrest his body up from the asphalt of the parking lot and to standing again. Just so he could punch the human one more time.

Still on the landing, Meriel looked like an angry goddess, one arm out, her magick swam past him like a guided missile.

Nell ran around where Dominic managed to choke the thug out and onto his knees. He knew just how long to hold, watched as unconsciousness began to take hold.

“Out,” he whispered and then the man went limp.

Shit. He’d just knocked the guy out with his magick?

Dominic saw Meriel moving toward him. Knew he was yelling at her to get the fuck back. He could only hear the drumming of his heart and briefly wondered if he was having a stroke.

She touched him and spoke, her lips against his temple and the pain was gone. The furious pain of those claws in his gut were gone.

“Get out of here. The mages are here,” he heard himself ordering her some moments later.

“No, they’re gone.” She kissed his knuckles, whispered over them and the throb of the abraded skin eased back.

“It’s not safe. The cops—”

“Are so not coming.” Simon heaved himself to stand and then gently helped Meriel up and finally Dominic. “So much magick out here they won’t see or hear a fucking thing. Want to fill me in on what the hell just happened?”

And then Dominic threw up.

MERIEL unbuttoned his shirt and tried not to wince at the bloom of a bruise over his left side.

Everyone had gone, leaving them alone at his apartment where she’d finally allowed herself to take a good look at the damage he’d sustained. He’d refused a doctor so he’d have to deal with the best she could do.

“I felt it.” She allowed herself those three words as she gently pulled his shirt free and examined his back. He had an abrasion across his shoulders. “Hold on. You’ve got asphalt in there. Gravel. I have to clean it out.”

“There’s no magickal spell to do this?”

“You were siphoned.” She said this as she stood behind him, not wanting him to see her face. Not wanting him to see how scared she was.

“What do you mean siphoned?” He hissed just a bit when she used the alcohol.

“I mean they took some of your magickal energy. That’s very hard on you. A bruise will heal and I can help that along a little. This ugly thing on your back will heal, though it’s going to hurt when I clean it out. I’ll use a spell to numb it a little. I’ll get you cleaned up and taken care of. And then I’m going to use the font to replace what you’ve lost.”

“Is it permanent?”

She breathed out carefully and put her head on his uninjured shoulder for a moment.

He reached up to run his fingers through her hair and she shoved away any thoughts about what might have happened far, far away.

“No. You’re probably going to have a headache for a while, but your stores will fill again. Our bond has stabilized that, closed the wound. No, not wound. Not in the sense of this on your back.” She used a spell to numb his skin and muscle as she’d promised and began to clean him up to keep busy and from freaking out.

“So tell me about it. It’ll keep us both calm.” He put a hand on her thigh as she worked. “And thanks for whatever you did. Just now and back at the club.”

She’d felt the spike in his magick, had known there was trouble and when he didn’t pick up, she ended up running the seven blocks to Heart of Darkness from where she’d been. Nell had been in the building with Gage and they’d seen her dart to the elevators and had come along.

Never had she been so scared.

“You didn’t need me. How many did you take out on your own?” She poked just a little too hard and felt bad when he winced.

He’d told them the story of how he’d seen the guy on the loading dock at the back doors and had gone out only to get hit by a magical attack.

“I don’t know. There weren’t that many.”

She should have felt shame for how she’d taken him in, a full rage, fists flying, shirt torn open and bloody. She’d looked and wanted to lick him. So bad and wrong, but he was so masculine and rawr.

“You would have taken the mage on your own, you know. Though I shouldn’t tell you because hello, how dare you have done that and endangered yourself!”

She heard the sob in her voice and it mortified her.

He turned, taking her hands after he’d made her put the tweezers down. “I’m sorry you were worried. But I’m here, and reasonably healthy apparently. I can handle my shit. It’s just I didn’t know much about the magick siphoning thing. Was that the clawing in my head? The oily magic?”

“Yes. I’m told that’s what it feels like.”

“Hurt enough to make me puke. Been a while since I’ve thrown up after a fight. Especially when I wasn’t even drunk.” He kissed the frown on her mouth. “I can handle a dustup. I’ve done things in my past I may not always be proud of, but it left me with the ability to fuck someone’s shit up. I can protect myself and you too.” He looked at her features for long moments. “And I will. What if it had been you instead of me? Damn it, I keep playing it over and over in my head.”

If he kept this up, she’d cry for real. “Turn around so I can finish.”

The left corner of his mouth twitched and he finally gave her a small smile before turning. “Explain it to me. What happens with this siphoning stuff. We’ll both feel better when you do.”