Chapter Twelve

 

 

 

Luc stared at his cards then around the table at the children there. They ranged in ages from seven to fifteen. One of the boys had his hat on and was trying to glare at him from beneath the rim.

They gazed at one another and Luc rolled the toothpick in his teeth before shifting in his seat. Aminta walked in the room and everyone looked at her.

“No hats on indoors, Kevin,” she said without slowing.

He watched the young man take it off and swiftly rake a hand through his unruly golden locks. Again the attention returned to him.

“Okay, here we go,” he uttered checking his cards once more. “Go fish.”

The girl moaned with a style that should have won her an Oscar and reached for a card.

“I was sure you had the sixes,” she complained.

He thumbed along the corner of his mouth. “Nope.” Luc reached for his bottle of soda and drank it. Beyond them, in the rest of the main room, kids did other things. Some of the Guardians were there but he didn’t see Dracen. The man Tiarnán glared at him a lot, but Luc didn’t give a damn. Dracen had told him he was surly.

“Do you have any threes?” he asked.

Tara stuck out her lower lip. “Do I have to give them to you?”

“If you have them, yes. That’s the rules.”

She handed him two and he stuck them in with the others. “Thank you, ma’am.”

The tingle in his blood had him glancing up to see Dracen walking in with Calida. Instantly Tiarnán focused on the two of them and Calida went to sit with some of the kids on the couch while Dracen made her way to his side.

“Everything okay?” he asked, sliding his arm around her when she stopped next to him.

“Yes, just getting to know Tiarnán’s woman.”

He rubbed his hand along her hip. “You feeling okay? Need to sit?”

“I’m fine.”

He readjusted and guided her to perch on his leg. She didn’t fight, allowing it. Luc noticed how some of the other Guardians and their mates looked a bit shocked by this. He tugged her close and whispered, “Why are they all looking so surprised?”

“I’m doing something unexpected.” She rested her head against his and stared at his cards. “Are you winning, Tara?”

“No, he just took my threes. I’m not sure what I should ask for.”

She held up her hand, fingers spread wide. Luc clucked his tongue. “That’s cheating.”

“I didn’t say a word,” Dracen countered.

“Do you have any fives?” Tara asked, a big grin on her face.

He grumbled under his breath but passed over the three cards bearing that number. “No more helping anyone else,” he said.

“Fine,” she muttered, resting back against him.

As the game progressed, he noticed how open she was with the children. His woman was multifaceted. But her care and concern for each kid there was obvious. When she began to shift uncomfortably against him, nothing overly noticeable, just small movements, he quit the game.

“I have to get some rest, you are wearing me out. How about a rematch later on?”

Tara nodded and he winked at her. “Sounds like a plan to me,” Luc said. Assisting Dracen to her feet, he took her hand and refused to let her pull free. She might not be into public displays of affection, but it was something she would have to get acquainted with for he loved them.

Side by side, they walked up to the room they were sharing. He took it all in, seeing there was very little from a personal standpoint. “You’ve been here for fourteen years, right?”

She crossed the room, after she’d shut the door. “Yes. Why?”

“You don’t have much in the way of knick-knacks. Pictures. Or pretty much anything that is personal.”

She sat on the foot of the bed without responding and began unlacing her boots until he caught her wince.

“Let me do it,” he said, brushing her hands away.

He unlaced her footwear and carefully removed them, before lobbing them off to the side. He peered up at her, resting his hands on the outsides of her thighs. The loose-fitting cotton pants a far cry from the skintight leather he was used to seeing covering her body.

“Why?” He’d not meant to ask why she’d done what she had up there, but the question slipped free.

She blinked. “I wanted to protect you.”

Anger coiled in his gut, ready to strike. “Protect me.”

“That, and I was selfish. I put the artifact in your pack with a number. I figured you would call it once you got to a phone.”

“I did call the number.” He pushed to his feet, raking a hand through his hair. “Do you have any idea what it was like coming back there and seeing you bleeding as you were?”

She didn’t respond. He muttered a curse, whirled away then spun back.

“Christ, Dray. I can see flashes of what you’re thinking. I can hear you in my head. Fuck, woman, do you even comprehend what it was like to see that?”

“I’m sorry.”

Those two words slapped back his anger with the force of a locomotive. He gave a small shake of his head. “What?”

She lifted her gaze to his. The bruising and healing cuts hurt him to stare at.

“I said I’m sorry. For putting you through what I did.” She put her attention back down to her lap.

“Look at me.”

Ever so slowly, she did and he paused. Her lashes were tipped in silver, something he’d easily be able to get used to seeing, it was beautiful. There was more, her eyes were different…well, one was. The right eye was. No longer so dark, it looked almost as if some taloned animal had raked across the eyeball.

“We’re learning this together, Dracen. I know that. Don’t shut me out. Whatever is between us is growing. I’m not sure what it means, but I’m not ready to lose you.” He leaned closer until their lips touched.

“I won’t ever be.” Her words were heartfelt.

She touched his cheek, he held still, experiencing the contrast from her skin and the bandages around her hand.

“Let’s get you in bed.”

He assisted her in undressing and crawling between the clean sheets of her large bed. It didn’t take him long to join her and he gathered her close once he had. The light from the moon was the only illumination in the room.

“You’re not happy to be home?”

“I am. I just feel different.”

He understood that. So did he.

“I called my father while you were sleeping and he said he would look into the weapons. I’ll call him back in two days to give him time to find something out.”

She settled into him and he moved his fingertips along the skin he touched, grateful beyond all measure that she still lived and was in his arms. “Okay,” her word was low and he realized she was nearly asleep.

While she slumbered he held her and thought about this vineyard he’d come to. How much his life had changed since he’d been dropped into a section of the Boundary Waters. For the better. This woman was the one for him.

The knock that came on the door wasn’t as much as surprise as it was an annoyance. He rose and walked to answer it.

“Yes?”

He found himself looking at a tall black man. Edmond.

“I’m sorry to bother you, but I need to speak to Dracen.”

“She’s sleeping. I’ll give her the message when she wakes.”

“I’m awake,” she said from behind him. “I’ll be down in a minute, Edmond.”

“Very good.” He gave Luc a nod then walked away.

Luc kicked the door shut and turned, hitting a light. She stood mostly dressed. Again, she wore looser clothing.

“You need to rest.”

“I’ll be sitting in a chair looking at screens. It’s not expending a lot of energy.”

“Why?” he demanded, frustrated.

“Because it was Edmond who came looking for me.”

“That supposed to mean something?”

“Edmond was one of the Guardians from before. He’s our resident tech guru and smart as anything. If he came to get me, he has a good reason.”

“I’m coming.”

“Of course you are. Let’s go.”

It appeased him that she’d expected him to go with her. Together they left the room and headed down. He took in his surroundings as they moved, the items in the house were impressive but when he walked into the ops room, he couldn’t help the low whistle escaping.