Darkness Unknown (9 page)

“Here, take this damn thing before I drop it again.” When Jake didn't immediately relieve him of the sword, his first reaction was irritation. Then he saw the worry in his friend's expression.

“What's wrong?” He waded out of the water, and looked across the river to see what had Jake's attention.

They weren't alone. Luckily, the new arrival was of the four-legged variety. Unfortunately, there was no way to know if Larry was prowling the woods by himself, or if one of his owners was close behind.

Jarvis dropped the sword and jumped behind the cover of some brush to yank on his clothes. The last thing he wanted to do was try to explain what he was doing here in the woods, since he'd told both Moselys that he wouldn't be in the area until tomorrow.

Jeans were a bitch to pull on over damp skin, but he managed it without damaging anything important. After yanking them on, he worked on his shoes and socks. There. He was decently dressed, although only Larry had put in an appearance so far.

Jake joined him at the river's edge. “Could be he's out by himself.”

“Maybe, but the way my luck runs in these woods, I wouldn't count on it.” He studied the hillside, looking for any sign of movement, but didn't spot any. “At least we've got the sword. Time to get out of here.”

“Sure thing, boss.”

Larry trailed along with them from the other side of the river, pausing every so often to whine and wag his tail.

“Go home, Larry!” It felt just plain stupid to be pleading with a dog, especially one as intellectually challenged as Larry appeared to be. “Chase and Gwen will have my hide if you get lost following me.”

Larry's tail speeded up as he gave Jarvis his best doggy smile. Jake's laughter didn't improve Jarvis's mood.

“You think it so damn funny, you get rid of him.” He marched off upriver.

He hadn't gone more than a handful of steps when Larry's whine changed to a low growl. Jarvis whipped around. “What's up?”

“Larry's sensing something.” Jake had already drawn his weapon, staring deeper into the woods on their side of the river. “Whatever it is, the dog's not happy about it being there.”

A chill rode up his spine. Jarvis switched the sword to his left hand and drew his gun.

“Larry, stay!” He wasn't sure the dog would
obey the command, but he didn't want to endanger Chase's pet.

“Let's go, Jake.”

The two of them moved slowly, scanning the limited distance they could see clearly. He heard a splash and a few seconds later, Larry caught up with them, water dripping from his coat. For once the dog was all business, his nose to the ground as he ran a zigzag pattern a few steps ahead of the two men.

Jake leaned in closer to whisper, “I'm going to skin that dog if all we end up with is a bad case of chiggers.”

Jarvis laughed softly. “Or if he corners a skunk for us.”

“Thanks for that happy thought.”

With the noonday sun directly overhead, the woods were sweltering. There wasn't a breath of air moving to ease the heat and humidity.

Larry disappeared over the rise ahead. Cursing, Jarvis kicked into high gear, not wanting the dumb dog to barge into something that would get it killed.

He and Jake reached the top at the same time. Larry was waiting for them, his tail wagging as if to thank them for joining in the chase.

“Damn you, dog, if I had the energy, I'd kick your butt all the way back to the farm.” Jarvis leaned against a tree to catch his breath.

“Do you think it was nothing, or was he really on the trail of something that shouldn't have been here?” Jake looked at the rocky cliff that rose above them on two sides. “Nothing short of a goat could climb those walls that fast.”

Jarvis did a slow three-sixty with no idea of what he was looking for. “I'd feel a damn sight better if it had been a raccoon. At least then we wouldn't wonder what we missed.”

But they had to leave. Both were scheduled to be on duty in two hours.

“Come on, dog, let's head back.”

 

Gwen pushed her favorite alpaca out of the way so she could go out the pasture gate. “Go on, girl. I've got work to do.”

It was usually Chase's work, but she'd traded chores with him so that he'd have time to practice his moves before his early-morning football workout. Since she'd agreed to have dinner with Jarvis that evening, the switch in their normal routine worked out for both of them.

She'd gotten an early start on shoveling out the alpacas' pen, wanting to have that done long before Jarvis was due to show up. She didn't want to be wearing her pasture boots when he arrived.

Too late. He was already there, leaning against the fender of his car. As usual, Dozer was hanging with him, getting his ears scratched. Larry was roll
ing in the dirt, stirring up a cloud of dust a short distance away from the car.

“Hi.”

The sun's warmth had nothing on the heat in Jarvis's smile. “Hi, yourself. I like the boots. Is that the latest style for the fashion-conscious alpaca herder?”

Gwen turned around slowly, letting him look his fill. “Yes, they go especially well with cutoff jeans and old T-shirts. It's not a look that everyone can pull off, but I'm workin' it.”

“Believe me, I'd like you in nothing better.”

She laughed, no longer feeling embarrassed by her attire. “Come on inside. Chase should come rolling in in half an hour or so.”

He straightened up. “That long, huh?”

Why the sudden change in his expression? “Yeah, he usually gets home around noon. Why?”

“Because that means we're alone for the next half hour. I'd hate to waste the opportunity.”

Jarvis sauntered toward her, leaving little doubt what he had in mind. She backed away.

“You do
not
want to get close to me until after I've cleaned up. I've been doing chores all morning.”

“I could scrub your back for you.”

Oh Lord. The thought of sharing their big old claw-foot tub with Jarvis melted her right there. The sensible part of her pointed out that sometimes
football practice ended early. But the wild part was already racing ahead to start the water running.

“I'm not sure that's a good idea.” Which they both knew wasn't exactly a definite “no.”

“I could get an early start on my freckle hunt.” He reached out to brush his knuckle down the side of her face.

“Jarvis, I…”

The rattles and squeaks of their old truck interrupted her, and though she should be relieved, she was disappointed. Jarvis gave her a crooked smile before turning away to greet her brother.

Chase pulled up next to the barn and shut the engine off, which rumbled on for a few seconds before finally clunking to a stop. He climbed out and headed straight for Jarvis.

“Sorry if I'm late. The coach wanted to talk to me.”

Gwen's stomach lurched. “What happened?”

Her brother grinned. “Nothing. He wanted to thank me for a good practice. He said the last couple of days, he could see an improvement in my attitude.”

Jarvis slapped Chase on the shoulder. “Nice job, Chase!”

Her brother basked in the warmth of his approval. “I'm still on probation, but I promised myself I'd really try not to piss him off so much.”

“That truck sounds pretty ragged. How long since you've had it tuned up?” Jarvis asked.

Gwen answered, “I honestly can't remember, which probably means it's long overdue.”

“Chase, why don't we get our practice out of the way, and then take a look under the hood? Judging by the sound, I'd guess it wouldn't take much more than points and plugs to get it running better. Want to work on it together?”

“Heck, yeah!”

She protested. “Jarvis, you don't have to spend your day off working on our old truck.”

“It's not work. I find tearing engines apart relaxing.”

She wasn't going to win this particular battle. “If you're sure, but I'm willing to pay for any parts you need.”

He gave her another one of
those
looks. “I'm sure we can work out a payment plan we'll both be satisfied with.”

Oh brother, she was melting again. “How about we start with lunch? A neighbor gave us an apple pie.”

“Great! If you have some ice cream to go along with it, I'll throw in a free oil change.”

“It's a deal—but first I'm going to shower.”

She could feel Jarvis watching her all the way to the door. She would have put a little extra sway in her walk, but her brother was there. Besides, there was a limit to how hot a girl could look in pasture boots and cutoffs.

“T
ake it easy, Chase.” Jarvis leaned against a bale of hay. “Slow down until you get it right. Then we'll go for speed.”

So far, the boy was taking every correction and criticism well—not that Jarvis expected things to stay that way. Right now the exercises he was putting Chase through were new and fun. But somewhere around the hundredth repetition, tedium would set in, and with it a shorter fuse—if Chase followed the same course of behavior that Jarvis had himself, not to mention most of the young recruits he'd ever trained.

“Bring your fists up higher and snap that leg out to the side when you kick.” He moved over to stand beside Chase to go through the motions with him. “That's it. Much better. Now once more from the top and we'll call it a day.”

Chase groaned, letting his hands drop to his sides as his shoulders slumped. No doubt his energy level had taken a serious hit between his morning football practice and the regimen that Jarvis had put him through. The kid had gumption, though, because he immediately backed up, assumed position, and went through the entire routine without a single error.

“Jake's going to be jealous. It took him a lot longer to master that one. We'll knock off for now and see what we can do for the truck.”

“I'll go snag us some cold drinks and be right back.”

“Sounds good.”

Chase took off at a slow jog. Considering how hot it was, Jarvis wasn't sure he could move that fast. He picked up his T-shirt and wiped his face before pulling it over his head. There wasn't much shade where the truck was parked, and he didn't want to risk getting fried.

Outside, he reached into his car for his sunglasses. Where was Gwen? He hadn't seen her since they'd finished lunch a couple of hours ago. He checked the time. Good, he should be able to work on the truck with Chase and still have time to get cleaned up before taking Gwen out to dinner.

Their first real date.

He knew better than to get mixed up with a woman like Gwen Mosely. He knew better than to
get mixed up with
any
woman, but especially one with such innocence about her. She wasn't naïve, so maybe inexperienced was the better word. Regardless, she deserved better than a man whose career path had been bathed in blood and who could only look forward to more of the same. He didn't want her to end up like her mother, staring at the phone and wondering why it never rang.

Yet he couldn't resist the temptation of spending a little more time in her company. His worn and ragged soul basked in the warmth of her touch. And her kiss was nothing short of mind-bending. One taste or a dozen would never be enough for him—all the more reason to walk away for both their sakes. Jake could take over Chase's training for a few months until the boy turned eighteen, then the Regents could take a more direct approach in bringing Chase into the fold. Once the boy knew what it meant to be a Paladin, Jarvis could reestablish his relationship with him in secret.

That would work—even if it killed him.

Gwen stepped out of the house and headed straight for him, a glass of lemonade in her hand. Her red hair burned fire-bright in the afternoon sun, and her smile had a predictable effect on his anatomy. At least his shorts were baggy enough to hide it. Or maybe not, because her steps suddenly faltered, and her green eyes went all smoky as she got within reach.

How could he ever have the strength to walk away from all that beauty? “You looking forward to dinner tonight?”

“Yes, if you're not sick of spending all your free time with Chase and then me.” She held out the drink. “Chase got a phone call. He said you needed this and that he'd be out in a few minutes.”

Jarvis cast around for a safe topic of conversation, one that didn't include trying out that pile of hay in the barn. “We're about to start on the truck. Nothing like a little grease on a boy's hands to make him feel all manly.”

“Something tells me that Chase isn't the only one who can't wait to get his hands dirty. Still, it's nice of you to do it. Chase has always been interested in learning stuff like that, but I'm useless in that department.”

“You already have enough on your plate to deal with. And it'll be good for him to learn a few basics. If his first car is anything like the one I bought, he'll spend as much time under the hood as behind the wheel.” He nodded toward the Chevelle. “That's how I learned how to restore her.”

“And you've done an amazing job with that car. I really enjoy riding in it.” She smothered a smile. “Oops, I meant to say
her
.”

Jarvis grinned. “If you've enjoyed the front seat, you'll have to try out the backseat sometime.”

Before she could respond, Chase came barging
out the door. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Are we ready to start on the truck?”

“Sure thing. Raise the hood and I'll be right there.”

Gwen turned away. “I'll let you get busy. Yell if you want me for anything.”

He couldn't help laughing. “Oh, honey, you already
know
the answer to that one.”

“Get your mind out of the gutter, Donahue.”

Then she walked away, her hips swinging.

 

She'd spent far too much time looking out the kitchen window. What were he and Chase laughing about so hard? Some man thing, no doubt.

Jarvis picked that moment to straighten up, which put him in the perfect position to catch her staring out the window. It was too much to hope that the sun was reflecting off the glass bright enough that he couldn't see her…No such luck, because he waved at her before turning his attention back to Chase.

Then he started for the house. She didn't bother pretending to be busy; he would only have laughed at her again. She opened the door and stepped out on the porch.

“Chase and I are going to run into town to pick up the parts we need. We'll get them installed in plenty of time for our date.”

Now that was a loaded word. It would have been easier for her to think of it as a casual dinner between two friends. “Date” had a whole world of implications she wasn't ready to think about.

“Where we are going? So I know what to wear.”

“That green dress was nice. I liked it a lot…for a whole bunch of reasons.” That predatory smile was back in full force.

“Okay, I'll aim for nice, but casual and comfortable.” She needed a cold drink. Now.

“I'll need to shower after we get done with the truck. Hope that's okay.”

Jarvis naked in her shower was
so
okay. She resolutely blocked the image from her mind. “Considering you've been working all afternoon on our truck, I could hardly complain.”

“Need anything while we're in town?”

“No, I'm fine.”

That was a lie. She wasn't fine at all, not with her hormones eager for what Jarvis had to offer. While they were gone, she'd hunt through her wardrobe for something that would incite another freckle hunt.

 

Jarvis concentrated on the winding road. He let Chase pick the radio station, hoping the loud music would prevent the boy from asking the question he'd been working himself up to for the past hour. No such luck.

Chase reached over and turned the music down low, then sat tall, staring straight at Jarvis. “So you and my sister are going out for dinner tonight.”

“Yep. You have a problem with that?”

“I don't know.” After a bit, he added, “Maybe. It all depends.”

He
really
did not want to be having this conversation with Gwen's brother. He'd outgrown being grilled by suspicious fathers close to twenty-five years ago. “On what?” he asked.

“Gwen doesn't date much.”

“Maybe she's picky.” He sort of liked that idea, considering she'd agreed to go out with him.

“It's more like most guys don't want much to do with a woman who comes saddled with a younger brother to raise.” Chase shifted restlessly. “She should've been free to finish school and maybe marry some college guy. Instead, she spends all of her time taking care of alpacas and me.”

“That was her choice, Chase. You have nothing to feel guilty about.”

“I know that, but now that I'm almost out of school, she's going to be able to do more things for herself. She deserves some happiness.” Chase shot him a determined look. “With a guy who's going to stick around.”

Jarvis's stomach did a nosedive. “Whoa there, big guy. This is just a date. A
first
date, at that. Don't go listening for wedding bells.”

“That's my point. She likes you a lot. She acts different when you're around.” The boy's fists were clenched now. “You could hurt her bad if you're not careful.”

Jarvis liked her a lot, too, more than any woman he'd ever met. And he certainly didn't want to hurt her. But he couldn't make himself walk away, especially since he still needed to spend time with Chase.

“It's just a casual date,” he repeated. “I thought she might like a break from cooking. Now, where's the auto parts store?” He injected enough strength into the question to make it clear that their previous discussion was closed.

 

The door to the bathroom opened with a billow of steam. Gwen blinked twice and backed up a step. Seeing Jarvis step out of the mist was like a scene from some romantic thriller. Sort of like that new James Bond guy crossed with Russell Crowe. A charming smile, but with something lurking in his eyes that warned that the civilized behavior was only a veneer. Underneath all that polish was a warrior capable of both extreme violence and hot sex, whichever the moment called for.

Then the air cleared, and it was Jarvis standing there, her date for the evening. It occurred to her that the image that had flashed through her mind wasn't an illusion—not entirely anyway.

Despite his charm and the way he was trying to help Chase, she couldn't forget the way they'd met. Whatever he did for a living had almost cost him his life. He was dangerous on so many levels.

“Let me get my bag, and I'll be ready.”

She walked over to the counter for her purse and keys. The need for a little excitement in her life was clearly stronger than she'd thought.

Her brother ambled into the kitchen, putting himself between her and Jarvis. He had an odd expression on his face, not quite anger, but he was clearly unhappy about something.

“Chase, is everything all right?”

His attention was solely on Jarvis. “Where are you going?”

Jarvis crossed his arms over his chest and widened his stance. “We haven't decided. It will depend on whether Gwen is in the mood for a good steak or for Italian.”

“How late will you be?”

This time the edge of anger was more obvious. What on earth was wrong with Chase? Since when was it his job to interrogate her dates?

Jarvis wasn't helping much with his vague answers. “I'm not sure.”

She stepped between them. “Chase, I'm a big girl. I'll be home when I get here.”

“Fine, Gwen.” He shot her a withering look. “Just know that I'll be waiting up.”

“Why on earth would you do that? You know Jarvis will make sure I get home safely.”

He glared over her head at the man in question. “See that you do.”

He marched out of the room and up the stairs, leaving Gwen embarrassed and confused. “What brought that on?”

“He's protective of you, Gwen. You're a very attractive woman. He knows that, and he senses that I know it, too. He doesn't trust my intentions.” He followed her onto the porch. “Can't fault his instincts.”

She couldn't decide how to respond. Did she thank him for the compliment, or run for the hills because that gleam was back in his eyes? Or grab him and kiss him?

Jarvis opened her car door. “So what's it going to be? Steak or Italian?”

When he joined her in the car, she answered, “I love a good steak.”

He nodded and started the engine.

 

As he drove, Jarvis stole another look at Gwen. That soft, sexy dress was creating all sorts of fantasies in his imagination. He needed to cool things down.

“Your brother did good work today. He has a solid feel for the precision needed to excel in martial arts. And with the truck, he already knew
enough to identify most of the problems before we even raised the hood.”

She smiled. “I could hear a huge difference after the two of you finished tuning the engine. I'd like to buy a new truck, but that will have to wait until I sell part of the herd next year or the year after.”

Good. Another safe topic. “Is it hard, selling your animals?”

“It almost killed me the first time I sold a pair that I'd raised from birth, but it's gotten easier. The trick is to make sure that they are going to good homes. As long as I know they'll be well cared for, I can live with it. And I always make sure my customers know that I'll buy them back if it doesn't work out.”

“Has that happened often?”

“Once or twice. Alpacas aren't always the best of pets, any more than a cow would be. But people take one look at those big eyes and think they have to have one. Trouble is, they're really herd animals and much happier hanging out with their own kind.”

She gave him a challenging look. “But enough about me. You've already heard plenty about my boring little life. Tell me something about Jarvis Donahue.”

What could he tell her? Certainly not what he did for a living.

When he didn't immediately answer, Gwen sat up straighter. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry.”

He contradicted her. “Yeah, you did, and you
should
be asking questions about me. I was trying to think of something interesting.”

She laughed. “You don't need to worry about being interesting. You've got that nailed.”

He liked the sound of that. “Why don't you ask me questions and I'll try to answer them?”