Damned and Defiant (4 page)

“I’m a mortal now, Dante. I can’t see that anymore,” Sakari spoke through gritted teeth.

Dante nodded. It was hard to see Sakari without her Drone powers now that she was mortal. “How is it being mortal?” Changing the subject might help.

She sighed, and he saw the tension drain from her face. “Just fine. I would never go back. How is it knowing you’re leaving Earth forever?” she countered.

Dante rubbed his hands over his face. It was easier when he didn’t think about it. “It’s like a new adventure. It reminds me of the time I left Virginia in the 1800s and traveled across country by wagon to stake my claim in the Gold Rush.”

“You were mortal then,” Sakari said. “And you were betrayed.”

“If I hadn’t been betrayed, I wouldn’t have been rescued by the Drones and brought to Anartia. I’m immortal now. It was worth the sacrifice.”

Sakari shrugged. “Don’t be surprised if Brad comes around checking on Haley. He doesn’t trust you.”

“I helped save his life once.”

Sakari laughed. “He knows what the Drones can do. He keeps his leopard skin with him at all times. Just in case.”

“More trouble I don’t need.”

Haley brought a tray of dirty glasses and placed them down on the bar. “So what are you all talking so serious about?” she asked.

Dante picked up his beer and took a swig.

“He’s telling me all the work he’s been doing on the ranch,” Sakari said. “Brad and I will have to come out and take a look at your progress.”

“That would be great,” Haley said. “But stay away from the horses while I’m working with them. After Dante’s event in two weeks, then you and Brad can come see them, maybe even ride them.”

“I’d like that,” Sakari said. “I’ve never been on a horse.”

Dante glared at her.

“There’s only two more customers left and they’re about finished eating. Mind if I took off?” Haley asked Sakari. “I’d like to get settled into Dante’s place and get an early start in the morning. I’ll be to work regular time at the bar.”

“Sure, Haley. See you tomorrow.”

“Thanks. I’ll be right out.” Haley grinned and ran off to the back room.

Sakari was giving him that look.

“Don’t worry. I’ll protect her. In two weeks I’ll be gone and everyone will be safe from the Drones. All the Drones are too busy getting the temple ready. Nothing can happen to her in two weeks.”

Chapter Four

Dark, so dark and so quiet. Haley’s car rattled and bounced along the deeply rutted road well past midnight. A cabin, barn and split-rail fence came into view and her heart skipped a couple extra beats. What was she getting all excited about? This was a temporary arrangement. She parked the car in front of his house next to his pickup truck and got out.

“Lordy, when you said this was out a ways, you weren’t kidding. What’s it like being out here alone? I didn’t see one house along your road.”

“I prefer the isolation,” Dante said, grabbing her duffle bag out of her trunk.

She could understand that. Maybe he was running away from a past just as she was. For as far as she could see, desert and scrub brush stretched out in all directions. Silhouettes of red rock formations jutted out along the starlit horizon toward Sedona.

Haley followed Dante up wooden steps to his cabin. Across the driveway from the house was the corral with a small barn. “Can’t see much in the dark, but I bet you have a fine view of the desert and mountains from this porch during the day.” All these months she dreamed of seeing Dante again, being alone with him. What if she couldn’t help him?

“I like the view any time.”

“I can see why. All those stars.”

“It’s late,” he said. “I can show you to your room.”

“Can I get a quick look at the horses? I’ll get an early start with them in the morning.”

He shrugged. “Sure, why not?”

The barn was old but neat and organized. Water troughs were filled with fresh water, clean straw lined the stalls and a salt block was available. She checked the feed grain and the bales of hay in the loft. In the tack room, tack and saddles were clean and hung with care. Haley could tell Dante was a man who knew horses, or whoever was caring for them did.

She took in the smell of horse, hay and manure and smiled. “I miss ranch work. I worked on one when I was a kid and when I went to college.” It had kept her away from her parents too.

“What did you go to school for?”

“Veterinary school.”

“You like working in a bar better?” He tied a length of rope he’d found on a table in a neat coil and hung it on a wall hook.

“I didn’t finish. I liked working better than school anyway.” Her grades weren’t the best, she always froze during tests. People respected her at the ranch. At school they called her dirt-road trailer-park trash. Not here in Arizona. People didn’t know about her father or what he’d done, or that he was in prison. Here she was known for her skills, not for the horrible things her family had done. “I can handle this. Two horses are nothing. I’ve worked on much larger ranches when I was a kid.”

“Your parents owned a ranch?”

Her body stiffened. “No, I said, I worked on them.” She pushed past him and went inside the barn. The horses raised their heads when Dante turned on the lights and then came into the barn.

“What are their names?”

“D.A. and Siren.” He stood beside her. A worried frown crossed his face. Did he think she’d change her mind?

“I like those names.” She didn’t know what his problem was—her being there or his horses—but she decided to go introduce herself. “Beautiful horses. Appaloosas.”

“Thanks.”

She gave a little whistle and their ears perked up. Good, not pinned back, though they snorted and pawed the ground, a little skittish. The first one moved to the far side of his stall. “Come on over and say hello, scaredy cat.”

“They’re not very friendly.” Dante stood off to the side.

Then one tossed his head and finally approached slowly. “Which one is this?”

“That’s D.A.”

“Come on, D.A. Come on, boy.” Haley had grabbed a couple carrots from the Red Rocks kitchen before she left and held one up in front of D.A. “I brought some treats as bribes.” The horse’s nose flared. She didn’t move, waiting for D.A. to come to her. Slowly, he grasped the carrot out of her hand and munched. Then she petted his head.

“I’ll be damned,” Dante said.

The other horse let out a bellow. Haley laughed. “Now, I know why she’s called Siren.” She waved another carrot at Siren. “Here’s yours, girl, but you have to come here for it.” Haley stood in front of her stall.

The horse carried on some more then moved closer.

“I’m impressed,” he said.

“What’s wrong? Have you ever used too much force with them, beat them?” she asked. She looked at him directly. She’d know if he was lying.

“Never. I’d never abuse them. I just can’t get near them.” There was sadness and frustration in his tone. She didn’t believe he’d ever abuse them.

She held out her hand to Dante. “Come here. Take my hand. He did, then she tried to gently place his hand on Siren’s snout. “See? Not so bad. Stroke her easy.”

“I don’t think this is—”

Siren snorted, then let out a shriek and reared up on her hind legs and began to kick.

Dante jumped back while the horse carried on. “Told you.”

“Easy, easy, girl.” After several moments, Siren calmed down. “I’ll have to work on that. They seemed fine with me. We’ll figure this out.”

“I hope so.” Dante turned and stomped out of the barn.

Haley opened the gates to the stalls so the horses could go out during the night. It was cooler at night, during the day they stayed mostly inside where the fans kept the barn cool from the desert heat. She gave Siren a final pat, then followed Dante outside and found him standing motionless at the corral gate, staring at something in the desert. Chills skidded across her arms. Her intuition told her something was wrong. More than the problem with the horses.

“Dante? What is it?” He didn’t answer, or turn around. A coyote, a rattlesnake? Out here it could be a bobcat. Slowly she moved up beside him. “What do you see?”

“Owl.” He tilted his head toward a fencepost. She noticed the outline of the creature, his wide face motionless as if staring at both of them.

Haley smiled and let out a breath, her muscles relaxing. “He’s a good omen. Owls mean wisdom and protection from harm. He’s beautiful.”

“To some Native Americans owls are symbols of death,” Dante added. “I’ve seen him before. He keeps coming around here.” He didn’t take his eyes off the night bird.

“He means no harm,” Haley said. “Except to any field mice you happen to have around.”

“Okay,” he answered. “Let’s go inside.” They walked past the owl, but it didn’t fly away. Dante glanced back at the bird.

Inside the cabin, she was even more aware of how isolated they were. The house was larger than she’d expected. It had a rustic feel even though it had been remodeled. The floors and walls were made of natural wood and the ceiling was vaulted with open beams. The furniture was new and in neutral shades to match the desert colors. Two couches faced the stone fireplace and a dining table and chairs were set up at the far end of the room. Colorfully woven Navajo rugs decorated the floors and walls. The cabin was rustic but clean and cozy and smelled of old wood and a recent fire in the fireplace.

She was going to like staying here. The ranch was a good meditation place. Less distracting than her apartment with her noisy neighbors. “Any ideas on why the horses are afraid of you?”

“They’re not afraid,” he said defensively. “They’re just not used to me yet. I travel a lot on business.” He dropped her duffle in a chair. Silence grew thick between them.

“What type of consulting do you do?”

Dante hesitated. “Accounting for small businesses.”

“Somehow I don’t see you as a sit-behind-the-desk accountant.” She studied him, wondering if he was lying to her.

Dante smiled a little at that. “Thanks for doing this.”

“I’ll do the best I can.” He nodded and was looking at her that way again that made her legs feel like rubber and her body heat up. Two weeks of this and she’d go mad. “I’ll also have a chance to take psychic photos.”

“Psychic photos?”

She grinned. “Pictures of orbs, auras and other supernatural forces.”

He gave her a puzzled expression.

She laughed. “I know, most people don’t believe in that stuff. If I get any good pictures, I’ll show you. If I’m successful, I might open my own photography business. That’s what I’d really like to do.”

“And do horse whispering on the side,” he added. But she didn’t think he was mocking her.

“Why not? If I can help people. It’s a good thing, right?” The longer he stood beside her, the more weak-kneed she felt and the more she wanted to get him naked.

Instinctively, she surrounded herself with white light. She did this little exercise whenever she got nervous, every time she got into a car, or felt negative vibes from people she met.

He rubbed the back of his neck and stretched, then got up and picked up her duffle from the chair. “It’s late.”

“The silence out here might keep me awake. I’m used to hearing people moving around in the neighboring apartments or cars in the street.” She was doing it again. Rambling because she was nervous.

He shrugged. “I had six brothers and five sisters. We didn’t get much privacy when I was younger.”

“Had? Don’t you see them?”

“The kitchen is through there.” He pointed past the dining table. “Help yourself if you get hungry. Your room is this way.” He walked down a long hallway, pointing out the bathroom and his room, then entered a spare bedroom. Flicking on a wall switch, he dropped her duffle on the bed. A lamp on a bedside table, next to a queen-size bed illuminated the room. “Will this be okay for you?”

“This is great. A big room and a beautiful house. I’ve never lived in a house before.”

“No? Where did you live?” He moved over to the curtains and closed them, then moved up close again, so close she could feel his heat. God, she wanted him bad. Chest and arm muscled bulged against his T-shirt. She stuffed her hands inside her pockets.

“I grew up in Texas. Our place wasn’t as nice as this though.”

“Anything else you need?”

“No.” She didn’t take her eyes from him. Her belly quivered and her womb clenched. God, her panties were soaked. She wanted to say,
Yes! Make love to me. You almost did once a long time ago in the desert.

He looked at her for a long time, and she fought a touch of vertigo. Dante closed his eyes as if he was struggling with something. Maybe he wanted to kiss her. Abruptly, he turned for the door. “Good night.”

“Dante,” she breathed and grabbed his arm. A wave of dizziness surged through her.

He jerked his arm away and looked up at her almost resentfully. “What?” His words were sharp.

She swallowed, about to change her mind. “You were there that time in the desert when I had sunstroke. Sakari and Brad were there too.”

He glanced down at the floor. “Is that what she told you?”

“She won’t tell me either way. I keep remembering parts of it. I don’t think it was sunstroke. I don’t remember hiking in the desert that day. Sometimes I see an underground room and feel pain, darkness and you holding me. Maybe it was the heat, but it seems so real.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Hmmm. Hallucinations can seem quite real especially when you’re ill.”

“I wasn’t ill and it wasn’t a hallucination,” she said. “Something else happened.”

He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. “You worry about things that happened months ago?”

Anger made her bold. She stepped up to him and placed both hands on his crossed arms. As the dizzy sensation began, she instantly lowered her shroud of white light and her strength returned. “If you won’t tell me about that night. How about you tell me why you’ve never asked me out? We kissed that one time. Things got pretty hot and heavy there and then you stopped. And don’t tell me that was a hallucination. My knee is between your legs and could do some damage right now.” She smiled a little to show she was teasing. She was breathless and her heart thundered while she awaited his response.

The side of his mouth quirked in the slightest grin. “I need you here,” his voice was raspy and rumbled through her chest. There was lust in his gaze. The fluttery feeling in her stomach traveled straight to her pussy. “It’s important to solve this problem with these horses. I don’t want to complicate your life.”

She moved closer, her mouth an inch from his lips and whispered, “Complicate it.”

He moved faster than she could imagine any person could. One moment she was gripping his forearms and the next he had both her wrists behind her back. Her legs were spread wide with his muscular thighs. Sucking in air, she pressed her breasts against his chest. “Pretty slick. Martial arts?”

He didn’t answer. Instead, his mouth came down hard on hers before she finished the sentence. Haley’s body went limp as she melted into the kiss. His tongue thrust hungrily into her mouth, igniting the nerve endings from her nipples to her pussy. One kiss and already she imagined the hard, thickness of his engorged cock filling her cunt. Wrenching her arms from behind his back, she slipped them around his neck, caught up in the passion. She clearly expected him to make love to her this time.

She rocked her body against his length, her pussy rubbing the hard ridge of his cock. Her clit swelled and throbbed. Yes. This was what she wanted, what she’d been fantasizing about for months.