Black and Blue (26 page)

“Are you hungry?” he asked, switching topics with a speed that left her floundering. “I’m starved. So why don’t I make us something to eat? Afterward we can shower and clock a few more hours in bed before we
go to sleep.” His voice went husky with desire when he added, “Then, come morning, I’ll wake you up in the best possible way. Promise.”

Wait. He expected to stay the night in her room? The
entire
night?

“Stay here. I’ll be right back.” Naked, he padded into the hallway, leaving her alone with a growing sense of panic. At last it had arrived.

H
E HADN’T WORN A
condom. To be honest, Blue hadn’t even thought about wearing one. On some level, he must trust Evie more than he trusted any other woman. He knew she would never make claims about a false pregnancy as Pagan had. As countless others had. She was honest to a fault.

And now that he knew she hadn’t complained about the lack because she had been as caught up in the moment as he had been, he only wanted her more.

He was grinning as he carried a tray of sandwiches into the bedroom, nearly let-the-world-crumble eager to see her splayed out, dark hair splashed over the pillows, pale skin flushed with the pleasure he had just given her, lips red and swollen from his kisses.

He’d never been a possessive guy. Today, that had changed. Evie Black belonged to him, and he wasn’t letting her go. He was already addicted to her taste—the honey she smelled of. But now he knew her warmth, and her inner softness, and the sounds she made as her excitement built. He knew the feel of her nails in his flesh and her body moving against his, surrounding his, knew her smile afterward, the huskiness of her voice.

She’s a treasure. My treasure.

Yes, he betrayed Michael.

Yes, he felt guilt. But he would make his boss understand.

What about tomorrow? The postgame party? Tiffany?

Evie understood. She trusted him, no questions asked, and the knowledge floored him. He didn’t think he’d ever been this happy.

He wouldn’t blow it. For once, Blue had drawn a line and he wouldn’t cross it.

“Evangeline,” he said, grinning as he stepped into the room.

She wasn’t in the bed.

He set the tray on the dresser and strode into the bathroom. But she wasn’t there, either. Frowning, he checked the entire suite. There was no sign of her, and her clothes had been picked up from the floor.

“Evie,” he called.

There was no reply.

He raced through the entire house, checking every corner, every shadow, but she wasn’t hiding anywhere.

Scowling, he stomped into her office and watched the security feeds, using the codes she’d given him. Within minutes he was seething. The little witch climbed out of her own bedroom window and scaled down the side of the house. As if he were a booty call she regretted.

Fury rained, a storm of ice and fire. His motions were jerky as he strapped weapons all over his body and dressed. She had a ten-minute head start. He’d have her back in bed in five. Whether he would spank her, lecture her, or seduce her, he wasn’t sure. Maybe he’d do all three.

Why do this to him?

She wasn’t the type to run away from her problems.

Or, hell, what did he know? Maybe she was. She still hadn’t told him about Claire.

Outside, the moon was high and full, the sky a stretch of diamond-studded ebony, the air cool. The roads were deserted, the entire neighborhood at rest. Evie had gone north, so he took off in that direction, following the lingering trace of her sweet perfume.

She’d left prints in the ground, and they were deeper than a normal step. She’d been sprinting, her shoes pounding into the dirt. She was
that
eager to escape him?

Infuriated all over again, he rounded a corner just in time to watch Evie disappear inside an all-night grocery—and catch a Bree Lian dodging her steps, moving faster and faster, drawing closer to her heels. Blue lurched into super-speed, several yards away one minute, right behind the guy the next.

He slapped a hand over furry lips—and stabbed, stabbed. Spleen. Kidney. The Bree Lian’s startled, pained howl was muffled as he fell to his knees. Blue dragged him into the darkened alley beside the building and slammed his knee into the guy’s face, propelling him backward. Before he could figure out what was going on, Blue had a pyre-gun unsheathed and aimed.

“Why are you after the girl?” he demanded. “Who do you work for?”

Clutching his bleeding side, the otherworlder pressed his lips together in a tight, mulish line.

Blue picked him up with a single stream of power
and kept him suspended in the air. With another stream, he spread the Bree Lian’s arms and legs, hopefully making him feel as if the appendages were going to be ripped away any second. Because they were.

“I’m not going to ask again.”

The Bree Lian peered down at Blue with resignation. He had just realized he was going to die. It was only a question of how painfully. “Tyson Star.”

Tyson? Not Gregory, the father? “Why?”

“I don’t know. I’m never told why, only what to do.”

“And what were you to do?”

“Pick up Miss Black and escort her to Mr. Star.”

Where she would be beaten? Killed?

Fury stampeded him. “One last question. Have you seen a Rakan with the Stars, or heard of one’s skin being sold?”

“No. The Stars are the most secretive family I’ve ever met. They’ll assign different aspects of hired hits to different men, so no one knows the whole of what’s going on.”

Secretive, and smart.

“You’ve earned your death. I’ll make it fast.” He sheathed his gun, intending to take the guy out with his bare hands, when a noise caused his ears to twitch. He spun, a stream of bright azure light shooting out and nailing him in the chest. Every muscle in his body turned into stone, though his mind remained utterly aware. He heard the Bree Lian slam into the ground, no longer held by Blue’s power.

His fury found a new target: himself.
Should have suspected the Stars would send more than one.

A second otherworlder stepped from the shadows. A Cortaz Blue he saw guarding Star’s country estate. The male was a few inches shorter than Blue, with dark hair, green eyes, and skin that looked as if it had been dipped in a honey pot. “I’m not sure how you pegged my partner, Mr. Blue, and I don’t really care.”

Blue let the worst of his emotions shine in his eyes.

The man wasn’t impressed. “I only gave you a partial stun, so you’ll be as good as new in a few hours. In the meantime, I’m going into the store and finding your girl. And she
is
yours, isn’t she? A very surprising development, I have to say. You’ll get to watch me have a little fun with her before I take her to see Mr. Star.”

“Hmm. I don’t think that’s how this night is actually gonna go down.” Evie’s voice echoed through the alley as a stream of azure light erupted and slammed into the Cortaz.

Like Blue, he froze in place.

Then she shot the Bree Lain, freezing him, too, just in case he decided to fight.

Blue had never been so relieved to see a woman he wanted to strangle.

Evie, his beautiful, irreverent Evie, flipped the Cortaz off as she passed him, then stopped in front of Blue. “You are so lucky I’m on your side.” She dug in her purse—that glorious, magical purse—and withdrew a ring with a big oval in the center. “This will counter the effects of stun.”

Before she could stick him, her arms were grabbed, twisted, and pinned behind her back. The ring fell to the dirty ground.

“Good thing I came as an insurance policy,” a gleeful voice said from behind her.

Still unable to move, Blue glared at the tall, muscular Arcadian spinning Evie and slamming her against the brickwork. It was like watching a horror movie in slow-mo. Every detail was in Technicolor. From the surprise on her face to the dust that sprayed from the building.

An indignant gasp left her.

Absolute, utter rage detonated inside of Blue. He drew all of his power into his core, letting it concentrate there, building layer upon layer.

“I’m giving you one chance to let me go,” she gritted. “And then things are going to get nasty.”

“I think they already
are
nasty.” The Arcadian patted her body down, looking for weapons.

“Yeah? Wait till you see this.” She slammed the back of her skull into his nose.

Bellowing, the Arcadian released her and stumbled away. She whipped around and punched him in the throat. As he gasped for air, she kicked him between the legs. He collapsed face-first, a writhing puddle of agony.

Blue released his grip on the power, and as it exploded through him, life twitched into his muscles, allowing him to trip forward. He grabbed Evie by the arm and drew her behind him . . . then whaled the Arcadian.

He punched, and punched, and punched. “You don’t hurt her. Ever.” Punched, and punched, and punched. Blood sprayed. Teeth flew and skidded across the ground.

Soon, there was nothing left of the guy’s face.

“Uh, I think he’s dead now,” Evie said. “You can stop and maybe we can go the hell home.”

Blue jolted at the sound of her voice. He was panting, and he knew he had to look fearsome. Still, he straightened and jerked her into his arms, needing her close, if only to soothe the bestial rage inside him.

She offered no resistance. Even curled closer.

“I’m sorry, baby. I’m so sorry I let him get to you. He’ll never harm you again.”

“Hey, it wasn’t your fault. I was so primed to get to you, I forgot to scour for a third hit man.” Very gently, she began to pet his chest. “And you killed him real good, Blue. Watching you work was a real pleasure. My review will be glowing. He’s not going to harm anyone ever again. Promise.”

If anything had happened to her . . .

He wasn’t sure what he would have done. Right now he was having trouble muting his emotions. Panic. Fear. Relief. Anger.

A long while passed before he felt calm enough to speak again. “You have a lot of explaining to do, young lady!” he snarled, pushing her away while maintaining his hold on her shoulders.
Dude. Maybe you should have waited a bit longer.
“Why the hell did you leave the house?”

She broke away with a single step back, and a rumble of irritation cut through his chest. “Do you really want to do this here and now? Some of our audience is still alive.”

He turned and shot both the Cortaz and the Bree
Lian in the face. Yellow beams. Not azure. Death rather than stun. “Not anymore.”

“Blue!” she said, and stomped her foot. “We could have interrogated them.”

“I got all the answers I needed from them. So. I ask again. Why did you crawl out the freaking window, Evie?”

She threw her arms up in a what-did-I-do-to-deserve-this gesture.

“Well?”

“Several reasons,” she said, raising her chin.

“Name one.”

“I saw the guys lurking in my yard.”

“And you didn’t call for me?” he shouted.

“I didn’t want to lose them, and, quite frankly, I needed a little time away from you. Time to think.”

Inside him, the fury chilled, becoming far more dangerous. “Is that so? Well, then, take all the time you need, princess.” He stomped away, never looking back.

*  *  *

Evie knew she’d made a mess of things.

Blue was in the guest room and she was in her room. They were like boxers in their respective corners. Sunrise would be the starting bell, and only one of them would be declared the winner.

I can’t wait that long.

She had to make things right. Already she missed their easy banter. Their . . . friendship.

They really were friends, weren’t they?

Wearing a tank and shorts, she marched down the
hall and into his room. For once he wasn’t working. The lights were out, and she couldn’t see jack, but she could feel the hum of his power.

“You awake?” she asked loudly.

“I am now,” he grumbled.

“Good. You promised we’d have snugs and then you dare not deliver? Don’t be that guy.” She climbed into the bed and stuffed herself under the covers. Divine body heat enveloped her, and she shivered, her lust level rising quickly.

Though she pressed into his side, he didn’t tug her any closer. “You aren’t the only one in need of time apart, Evie.”

Ouch. “I’m not used to this relationship stuff, okay? I’ve never even had a boyfriend. I’ve had boys that took advantage of a young girl desperate for someone’s approval, guys that used me for a night and snuck away—and, yeah, okay, that always made me feel like crap and I suck for doing the same to you, and I’m sorry. I was wrong. And I know you told me not to apologize anymore, but it really does bear repeating. I was also wrong to judge you and call you the very names I called myself for years. Minus the ‘he-’ and ‘-man,’ of course. You’re a great guy, Blue, and it’s throwing me off my game.”

At first he gave no reaction. Then, with a sigh, he tucked his arm under her nape and rolled her into his side. She nearly wept with relief.

“You are not a whore or a slut,” he said. “And I don’t want to hear you talk like that ever again.”