Darkness Unknown (15 page)

“If you don't need me for anything, I'm going upstairs.”

“No, go ahead. I won't be far behind you.”

“I'm glad you weren't alone the whole time I was gone.” That was true.

“I had a good time.” She smiled. “Can you believe that Jarvis had never been to the zoo?”

Somehow, that didn't surprise him. “So, you two are dating now? I mean, it sounds that way.”

Gwen wiped her hands on the dish towel and set it aside. “We are. For a little while, anyway.”

“It's nice that you have someone your age to hang out with.”

She laughed. “Well, I don't know about the age part. He's actually about seventeen years older than I am. Can you believe he's forty-five?”

“No way!”

She laughed. “Yes, way. That's what he told me.”

“Why do you think he looks so young? Is it part of this whole healing thing we both have?”

She looked thoughtful. “Sounds logical. Ask him the next time you see him.”

“Maybe I will. See you in the morning.”

As Chase's head hit the pillow, his last thought was he ought to be make a list of questions for Jarvis—including what his intentions were toward Gwen.

 

“How are you feeling this morning?”

Jarvis rolled over and glared at Dr. Crosby. “I was doing great until you turned the lights on.” He sat up and rubbed his eyes. “What time is it?”

“Close to noon. You've been asleep for about fourteen hours. I wouldn't wake you now, but Jake called and asked if you wanted him to take your lesson today.”

“Do you think you'll need my vein again? If so, I'll stick close and let Jake go in my place. Otherwise, we may both go.” He swung his legs over the side of the bed.

“No, I've been giving Hunter IVs and that seems to be helping.”

Jarvis looked toward the lab. “How's he doing?”

The older man looked grim. “His numbers are improving a little at a time, but there's been no sign of him coming around. That's hardly surprising, though. He'll need more time than usual to recover completely. It could be weeks before we know if any of the nerve damage is permanent or not.”

Son of a bitch.

“Keep me posted.”

“Will do.”

Jarvis pulled on his clothes and headed out, stopping to check on Hunter first. The man looked like death warmed over, but if you looked hard enough, you could see a few spots that had healed. Great—the poor bastard had a few square inches that didn't hurt every time he breathed.

Leaning down close to Hunter's ear, he whispered, “Hey, buddy, glad to see you're on the mend. Don't worry, we'll get the bastards that did this to you.”

One of the machines hiccupped and beeped loudly a couple of times as Jarvis straightened up. He'd like to think that meant Hunter had responded on some level.

On the way out of the lab, he put in a call to Jake.

“I'm going to my quarters for a shower and shave. Give me thirty minutes and then meet me at the car.”

The thought of spending the afternoon with the Moselys was a definite mood booster. Maybe Jake could keep Chase busy while Jarvis and Gwen finished that bubble bath? He sighed. A man could dream.

J
ake lifted his water bottle and chugged down half of it. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he nodded in Chase's direction. “What's up with him?”

Jarvis kept his eyes on Jake, trying to make it less obvious that they were talking about the boy. “I suspect he found out that I spent a lot of time with his sister while he was gone. He'd warned me once about not messing with her, so I'd guess he's working himself up to another lecture.”

“She told him that you were doing the horizontal tango?”

Jake sounded incredulous, right up until Jarvis's fist connected with his stomach. Then he sounded like a whole lot of pain. He hit the floor hard, holding his gut with a moan.

Chase's eyes were the size of plates when he worked up his courage to approach. Noting the boy
stayed on the far side of Jake, Jarvis gave him points for good sense. A smart man avoided getting in the middle of a fight until he found out which side he was on.

Staring down at Jake, Chase asked, “Is he okay?”

“I'm fuckin' fine.” Jake pushed himself up to his feet, glaring at Jarvis. “I didn't think—”

Jarvis cut him off. “That's exactly right: you
didn't
think. Now shut your damn mouth before I give you a second lesson in manners.”

Chase backed away a step. “Do you two have these lessons often?”

“Too damn often,” Jake complained. “Don't worry, kid—he only uses his fists when he thinks somebody hasn't been listening close enough.”

“O-kay.” Chase put his hands behind his ears as if trying to hear better. “What do you want me to do next, Mr. Donahue, sir? I'm all ears.”

Jarvis laughed. The kid had gumption. “I want you to go open that red gear bag by the door and bring back what's in it. Carefully.”

He and Jake waited to see Chase's reaction to the three swords. Hopefully Gwen wouldn't poke her pretty nose in anytime soon. Even if Jarvis could convince her that swords were a normal part of martial arts practice, he wanted to put the discussion off as long as possible.

“Cool!” Chase sounded reverent as he lifted the first sword out of the bag.

“Take a few practice swings with it and then do the same with the others. When you're done, I want to know which you like best and why.”

Jake moved up beside him, a silent apology, which only made Jarvis feel more like a shit.

“It's different this time.” There'd never been another time that even came close.

His friend managed a small smile. “Tell me something I don't know.” After a few seconds, he said, “Hey, Chase has some good moves already. I think he's a natural. He'll take to the job like a duck to water.”

Normally that would have pleased Jarvis because God knows they needed any additional manpower they could get. But prying Chase out of his sister's fingers was going to be tough. If they could tell her the truth about the very real threat the constant invasions from Kalithia posed, not only to this country but also in other spots scattered around the world, she might understand.

“Might” being the operative word. It was easy to flag-wave when it wasn't your ass on the line or that of someone you loved. But no matter how Gwen felt about it, Chase would man up to do the job, just as Jarvis and Jake had when they were his age. It was hardwired into his genetic makeup.

Which reminded him—Chase had never said a word about his father, not since Jarvis had given Gwen the picture to pass along to her brother.
Apparently, she hadn't done so. He'd respect her decision for now, but would ask her about it later. Eventually they'd have to tell Chase more about Harvey, to help the boy understand who and what he was. And sooner would be better, because Jarvis was already planning a field trip for Chase.

The time to introduce him to others of his own kind was coming. Chase would probably get a kick out of working out with some of the younger Paladins. It was just another step in the process of bringing him into the fold.

Chase was on the last sword now. He hefted it and then waved it around a couple of times before doing a couple of quick lunges. It wasn't hard to tell that he'd found his favorite. His bright blue eyes gleamed as he carefully put the other two back.

Jarvis crossed his arms over his chest and gave Chase his best drill sergeant stare. “Why that one?”

“I don't know, except that it feels better. Right, somehow.”

“How so?”

Chase brought the sword up into fighting position and held it there as he tried to formulate an answer. Finally, he brought the sword straight up in front of his face. “The other two felt heavier and sort of awkward. This one feels like an extension of my arm, as if the pommel was made for my hand.”

Jake clapped him on the back. “See, I told you, Jarvis. The boy's a natural, with fine taste in
swords.” He stage-whispered to Chase, “That's the one I picked out for you.”

True enough. “Okay, smart-ass, you put him through his paces. I'm going to see what Gwen is up to. If we're taking up Chase's time, she might need help with the chores.”

Chase's excitement visibly dimmed. Time to nip this in the bud. “You got a problem with me helping your sister, Chase?”

The boy rested the sword on the ground, his hands crossed on top of the pommel. “And if I do?”

“Spit it out.”

“I've already warned you once.” He handed the sword off to Jake and squared up his shoulders. “Right now she seems happy about the way things are between you. If that changes, we'll have a discussion like the one you had with Jake—only I'll be the one doing the talking.”

Chase had to know he wouldn't stand a chance against Jarvis in a fair fight, if there even was such a thing. He couldn't fault the boy's instincts and respected the loyalty that drove them.

“Fine. We'll talk.” Before he could go two steps, Jake caught him by the arm. “What do you want?”

His friend's eyes were flint hard. “She's a nice lady. If Chase needs help explaining things to you, I might help him clarify a few points.”

Jarvis shrugged off Jake's hand and walked away. When he stepped out of the barn, he turned toward
the woods rather than the house; his mood was too volatile to be around anyone. A quick hike might help.

Then he saw Gwen standing at the corral fence. There was no way to avoid being seen, and if he ignored her, it would only cause more problems.

He joined her at the fence. She was watching the alpacas so intently, he wasn't sure she noticed him.

“Something wrong?” He put his foot on the lowest railing and rested his arms on the top one.

Gwen shook her head as if to clear it. “What? Oh, no. Everything is fine. I was just seeing sweaters.”

He couldn't resist the urge to tease her. “I would have thought their coats would keep them warm enough this winter. Knit hats and booties might help, though.”

She laughed and poked him in the ribs with her elbow. “Very funny.”

“Seriously, though, what do you see when you look at them?”

“Colors, mostly. I prefer to work with the natural colors of their fiber. One of the other breeders in the state is selling some of his breeding females, and I'm trying to decide if there are any colors I'd like to add to my bunch.”

“Are they expensive?”

“Oh, yeah. If I want to buy one or two, I'd have
to sell a couple of mine to swing the payment.” She lapsed into silence again, her eyebrows drawn together in a frown.

“If it's a matter of money, I've got some I'm not using.”

Paladins were well paid for the duration of their fighting years. Of course, there were no retirement benefits, since they all left the job in the same way: at the wrong end of a lethal injection.

“You're sweet to offer, but no thanks. I don't really need another animal; I just want one.”

“The offer stands if you change your mind.”

She raised up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

The sound of a muffled shout, followed by raucous laughter, drifted from the barn. Gwen turned in that direction, a pleased smile on her face. “So how is the training going?”

“He's good, and will be really good before long. He and Jake are practicing some new moves.” Ones that would help Chase become a proficient killer.

“It's so nice of you and Jake to give up your free time to help him. Other than various sports coaches, he's never had a man to show him the ropes. It means a lot to both of us.”

Maybe now was the time to ask about the picture. “Chase has never mentioned the photo I gave you of his father. Did you decide not to tell him about Harvey?”

“Not exactly. I told him his father's name, but he didn't seem very excited about learning even that. I could have pushed it more, but…”

“But what, Gwen?”

“This might sound silly, but it's just been the two of us for so long. It's hard to know whether telling Chase about his father will help him or hurt him. It's not like he'll ever have a chance to meet the man.”

Jarvis turned to stare out toward the woods. “I wouldn't presume to interfere, but maybe even a small connection, especially knowing his father was a good guy, might help Chase learn his place in the world. It's not easy for teenage boys at the best of times, and anything that sets them apart just makes it that much harder. Your brother has a lot in common with Harvey. Maybe it would help for him to know that.”

Gwen turned to stare at her herd. After a bit, she said, “You're right, of course. I guess I have a hard time sharing, which is stupid. It's not like the man is going to swoop in and steal Chase away from me.”

No, Jarvis was going to do that. “Look, I'm going to take a walk in the woods for a few minutes. When I get back, it will be time for Jake and me to head out.”

“Mind if I come with you?”

Yes. No. Maybe.
Hell, he didn't know. Chase
wouldn't like it, but maybe that was too damn bad. “Sure thing. I've been shut in too much. A walk along the river just sounded good.”

She whistled for the dogs, who came charging around the corner. “Come on, boys, let's see if there are any varmints in the woods for you to chase.”

As they followed the excited dogs toward the path into the woods, Gwen slipped her hand into Jarvis's. At first she wasn't sure he was going to respond, but after a second's hesitation he gave her hand a soft squeeze before letting go. Something was obviously bothering him, but she didn't feel comfortable prying. Maybe he'd tell her if she was patient.

After a bit, he draped his arm around her shoulder. She snuggled closer and cupped the side of his face with the palm of her hand. Seeing the sadness in his eyes, she raised herself up high enough to kiss him. His arms immediately tightened around her, holding her close and with such care. The brief embrace had a far different feel than any they'd shared before. This time, she offered him comfort and sweetness instead of heat and passion. She hoped it helped. The air in the woods was heavy with humidity, but a small breeze kept it from being unbearable. Other than the occasional rustling in the bushes or the call of a bird flitting around in the trees, the woods were quiet and peaceful. It always seemed as if she shed her worldly problems there.

She wished she could say the same for Jarvis. Maybe she could get him to talk about whatever was weighing him down. “I know you can't tell me what was wrong the other night, but I hope whatever Jake needed you for wasn't too serious.”

“Serious enough, but the, uh, situation is improving bit by bit.”

“That's good.” So much for that topic of conversation.

She tried again. “Chase's first game is this coming weekend. He'd love it if you could come—if you're free.”

“Sounds like fun. Tell me when and where, and I'll try to be there. Things at work are a bit dicey right now, but if I can get free, I'll meet you there.”

She understood he had obligations, but they'd be easier to accept if she had a better idea of what they were. “That'll work. I really hope you can come.”

They'd reached the edge of the river. She sat on a boulder and tugged her shoes off to dangle her feet in the cool, clear water. Patting the space next to her, she said, “Come join me. The water is perfect.”

He immediately pulled off his boots and rolled up his jeans. As soon as he stuck his feet in the water, he yelped and yanked them back out. “That's not perfect! That's damn cold!”

She giggled and splashed the water with her feet. “Wuss. It feels great.”

“If you say so.” Even as he groused, he eased his feet back into the water. Then he tugged on her braid. “You caused me a big problem the other night.”

“Really? What did I do that was so terrible?”

He leaned down to scoop up a handful of rocks to toss in the river. “Jake and another coworker kept sniffing the air around me and saying they could smell roses. I thought I was going to have to threaten one of them to make them stop.”

“Would they think less of you for taking a bubble bath?”

“Actually, I think they'd be green with envy. Any guy in his right mind would fight for the chance to take a bath, bubble or otherwise, with such a beautiful woman.” His fingers tangled with hers, and his voice grew rough with heat. “I get hard just thinking about wrapping myself around all your sweet-smelling skin. If I thought we could lock Jake and Chase in the barn, I'd suggest we pick up where we left off.”

Then he pulled her close for a long kiss, the kind that had her curling her toes and actually considering nailing the barn door shut for a while. She ran her hand up under Jarvis's shirt, loving the feel of all that warm skin and smooth muscle.

He broke off the kiss, resting his forehead against
hers. “If I could bottle the taste of your kisses, I'd put all the candy companies out of business.”