Kindling Flames: Smoke Rising (The Ancient Fire Series Book 3) (11 page)

Darien sighed deeply, waiting for Vicky to say something, but she didn’t. To his surprise, he felt her arms slide around him from behind.

Vicky’s hand came to rest on the center of his chest, and she pressed her cheek into his back. It was a little uncomfortable holding on to the upset vampire. Darien’s power boiled off him and prickled her skin. She rubbed her face between his shoulder blades, waiting for him to calm down and regain control over his energy.

Vicky stood there for a long time, her comforting warmth melting away the coldness of the fury that had gathered inside him. When he had finally calmed down, Darien raised his hand up to cover where she was touching his chest. They stood quietly together for a few more minutes.

“You know I love you,” Vicky said, softly rubbing her cheek into his back.

Darien sighed deeply and looked down at her hands. “Yes.” He rubbed them gently with his thumb.

“I know what Zak did wasn’t nice, but it doesn’t change anything,” Vicky said into his back.

Darien stepped away from her and turned to face her. His eyes swept over the long sweaterdress she was wrapped in before he answered her. “It does,” Darien protested. “He marked you as his.”

Vicky cocked her head and looked at him. “Zak claimed me months ago, yet you didn’t complain then,” she pointed out.

The anger rose in him again. “This is different!” he growled. “This is permanent.” Darien saw irritation set into her eyes.

“Are you going to kick me out because of this?” Vicky’s voice grew firm as she took a step forwards.

Thrown by the question, Darien took an involuntary step back. “Of course not!”

Vicky took another step into him.

Darien retreated again.

She pressed him backwards more. “Do you still love me?”

“Yes!” Darien answered, taken aback that she would even have to ask that. His legs hit the bench around one of the planters, and he sat down heavily.

Vicky stalked towards him again. “Is this going to hurt me?”

Darien looked up at her, confused.

She leaned forwards and grabbed on to the back of the bench forcing him back farther on the seat.

“No,” he answered as Vicky slid one knee alongside his leg. Darien’s hand came up to her side without thinking about it.

“Then it doesn’t change anything.” Shifting her weight to the bench, she slid her other knee along his other leg. The bottom of her dress rode up slightly as she settled on his lap, trapping him under her. “If you’re not sending me away, and I’m not leaving, then nothing has changed.” She leaned into him.

His other hand came up to rest on her hip. “But Zak—” he protested weakly as Vicky dropped down and kissed his lips, silencing his words.

“Zak isn’t going to do anything,” she said quietly against Darien’s mouth. Shifting her face over to the side of his head, she rubbed her cheek into his hair. “He wouldn’t dare,” she breathed into his ear.

Darien shivered as his body responded to the advances.

Vicky ran a line of kisses down the side of his neck. She stopped on his pulse point and ran her teeth lightly over his skin.

Closing his eyes, Darien drew in a deep, sharp breath. “Not fair,” he complained, unable to hang on to his anger any longer. His arms wrapped up Vicky’s back and pulled her in tighter against him.

She made a pleased noise deep in her throat. “No one ever said I was fair,” Vicky purred as she sat up to reclaim his lips. She kissed him deeply, and Darien returned the passion. The need for breath forced her to pull away from him.

Darien gave in to Vicky’s wiles. “All right.” He raised his voice and called to the darkness next to the stairwell door. “But if you eat another pair of my pants, I’m breaking out the marinara sauce.”

A gurgle sounded from the corner, and Vicky chuckled deep in her chest. She leaned forwards and kissed him again.

“I’m still mad,” Darien said when they parted.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less.” Vicky spoke softly. “But, there is no reason in raging over something that’s beyond your control.” She tucked a loose piece of hair back from his face as she looked into his brilliant green eyes. “I’ve learned that you have to take what life hands you, deal with it, and get on with your day.”

Darien wrapped his arms around her tighter and pressed his face into her chest. “Wise words.” He nuzzled her.

Vicky draped her arms around his head and kissed his crown. “You can thank Sue for that tidbit.” She smiled into his hair.

Darien snickered lightly.

They held each other for a few more minutes until the cool, night air made Vicky shiver. “Come on.” She patted Darien’s back. “Let’s go inside before we catch cold.”

Darien smiled as he released her. “Vampire’s don’t get sick.”

A mischievous light lit Vicky’s eyes. “Then take me inside and warm me up before
I
catch cold.” She stood up from Darien’s lap.

He followed her up from the bench. “Gladly.” Taking Vicky’s hand, he led her over to the elevator. “Come on, Zak,” he called to the fay hiding in the shadows.

Zak wiggled over to join them for the ride to the apartment.

Darien may not have forgiven Zak, but now that he was calmer, his rational mind understood why the fay had made his link permanent. It didn’t just bind Vicky to him… it also allowed Zak to keep tabs on her. No matter where she went, Zak would know how to find her and in what condition she was. In all honesty, Darien should have let Zak mark her a long time ago, but he just couldn’t stand the idea of something else having a claim over the woman he loved.

Pushing the eggs around her plate, Vicky played with her breakfast. She really wasn’t hungry, but she knew she needed to eat. Yesterday had been very trying, and she was feeling it this morning. She scraped a clump of eggs together and dropped it to the fay wiggling by her feet. He munched them up happily as Vicky forced more of the food into her system. She looked up when Darien came into the kitchen and smiled. When she woke up this morning pressed between the vampire and the hellhound, she knew her world was right again. Zak hadn’t even eaten Darien’s pants.

Passing up his normal breakfast stop, Darien came over to Vicky. He leaned over and kissed the side of her neck over her pulse point. “Good morning, beautiful,” Darien breathed softly to her. “How do you feel?” He had noticed that Vicky had taken a little longer to get ready than usual.

Vicky made a contented noise. “Tired,” she admitted.

Darien placed his hand on her forehead to make sure she hadn’t gotten sick from being out on the terrace too long last night. “Do you want to go back to bed?” he asked, worried.

Vicky refused the offer. “No. Today is light for a Thursday.” The normal afternoon meeting with Mr. Rodgers had been canceled while he was on vacation. She had taken the opportunity to spread the rest of the day out over the freed time. “Anyway, someone has to keep you in line,” Vicky teased.

“True.” Smiling, Darien stole a piece of toast from her plate. “Finish eating, and we’ll head out.” He popped the corner of the jelly-covered bread into his mouth as Vicky shook her head. Heading over to the cabinet, he took down one of the blue tumblers he used for his normal breakfast.

“What are we doing for transportation?” Vicky asked as she finished off her orange juice.

Darien munched on the toast as he prepared his normal liquid breakfast. “Charlie dropped a car off last night.”

“Oh.” Vicky wondered which one of the classic cars they would be using.

Darien drained his glass and washed it. Snagging a set of keys from the corner of the counter, he pocketed them as Vicky stood up from her partially eaten meal. “Are you done already?” Darien asked, looking over what Vicky hadn’t finished.

“Yes.” Vicky picked up her plate and set it down on the floor for the fay stretching a tentacle up hoping to get more eggs. “I’m not very hungry today.” She rubbed Zak’s feelers back, and he gurgled happily as he planted his face into the food. Picking up her bag, she headed over to Darien. “Let’s go.”

He looked at her, slightly concerned, and shrugged.

Vicky followed him out of the kitchen and into the elevator.

Darien watched as she leaned against the wall of the elevator and closed her eyes. “Are you sure you don’t want to go back to bed?” He studied her. “You had a rough day yesterday.”

Vicky stood up straighter and opened her eyes. “It’ll be all right,” she grumbled. “I just haven’t woken up properly.”

Darien gave her a long, considering look. “Very well.” He pulled her over against him. “But tell me if you start to feel worse.”

Vicky smiled as she felt a familiar warmth radiate from her boss. She felt marginally better when they stepped out of the elevator together. Darien did his best to help, but there was really nothing he could fix. Too much magic, the accident, and not enough sleep were adding up. She would be fine. She just needed to make sure she went to bed early tonight.

Darien escorted Vicky out to the street and looked around for his car.

Her fatigue melted away as she looked at the sleek, red convertible he led them to. “We’re taking this?” she gasped as he opened up the door of the Jaguar XKR-5.

He smiled broadly. “Yeah. It’s not my favorite car, but it handles nicely.” Darien made sure Vicky was all the way in before he shut the door.

She just shook her head and looked up at the black material of the roof. “Isn’t this going to be cold in the winter?” Vicky asked as Darien got in the car. The weather had already started to hold that cold nip in the air.

“Yes.” Darien adjusted his mirrors. “But I have other things to drive in colder weather.”

Vicky shook her head again. Of course he would have something better to drive in winter. He probably had an SUV or even a Hummer squirreled away in that garage of his.

***

“Excuse me.”

Vicky looked up from her desk to the man that had come into her office. Darien had been getting all kinds of unannounced visitors today. Somehow, information about the crash had leaked out, and several reporters had shown up to ask questions.

“May I help you?” Vicky asked as she sat up straighter.

“I’m Detective Mark Hazelhurst,” the man said. “Is Mr. Ritter in?”

Vicky looked over the police detective. He was dressed in what would have been a nice suit had it not looked like he slept in it. His dark brown hair was badly in need of brushing, and he had the air of someone that had been working hard. It was his eyes that caught Vicky’s attention. They were an average blue, but they had a sharp, penetrating quality to them.

“He’s on a conference call at the moment.” Vicky stood up from her desk. “But if you would like to have a seat, I’ll let him know you’re here.”

The detective nodded his thanks and turned back to the room.

Vicky wrote a message on a paper and slipped quietly into Darien’s office.

Darien looked up from his meeting as she slid the note across the table. He read it quickly and nodded before turning back to his business.

“He’ll be out when he’s done,” Vicky told the detective as she closed Darien’s office door gently.

“Thank you.”

Vicky sat back at her desk and returned to work while the detective studied the pictures on the wall.

“Good afternoon,” Darien said when he finally stepped out of his office.

The officer turned to look at him. “Hello.” He took the hand Darien offered. “I’m Detective Mark Hazelhurst. If you have a few minutes, I have some questions about the accident.”

Darien held out his hand, inviting the detective into his office. “Certainly.”

Mark led the way through the open door.

“Please, have a seat.”

Mark settled into one of Darien’s leather armchairs. “I’m glad to see you’re doing so well after the crash.” The detective tugged on his jacket, watching Darien return to his normal seat behind the desk. “I was surprised when I went to the hospital to find that you weren’t there.”

“Seatbelts and airbags,” Darien said with a hint of a smile.

Mark cocked an eyebrow at him curiously. “The doctors said they didn’t even check you out.”

Darien’s knowing smile spread just a little. “I’m a very resilient person.”

Mark eyed him, looking for any falsehood in his words.

Darien laced his fingers together and rested them on the top of his desk. “What can I do for you?” He forced the detective to the point.

“Can you think of anyone who might want to hurt you?”

Darien was taken aback by the question. He could think of lots of things that might benefit from his death, but nothing actively looking to hurt him. “Not to my knowledge.” Darien slid his hands from the table and sat up straighter. “Why?”

Mark pulled on his tie uncomfortably. “We think we found what was left of the SUV that might have hit you,” Mark said. “There wasn’t much left after the fire, but the VIN number and license plate lead us to believe it was stolen.”

Darien nodded his understanding.

“What about the young lady that was with you? Could someone be after her?” Mark asked.

“You mean Miss Westernly?” Darien shook his head. “Unlikely.” He couldn’t think of anyone that would want to hurt his personal assistant. He would have already taken care of the threat if he did.

Mark looked suspiciously at him.

“You can ask her if you like.” Darien raised his voice. “Miss Westernly,” he called.

Vicky appeared at his summons. “Yes?”

The detective turned to look at Vicky, surprised.

“Detective Hazelhurst wants to know if you can think of anyone out to hurt you.”

Vicky looked horrified at the prospect. She had recently been the subject of an ifrit’s attack, but the man responsible was dead. “No,” Vicky said after turning the thought over for a moment.

Mark was shocked. “
She’s
the young lady from the wreck?” His eyes ran over her. “But the report said she broke her arm.” His eyes locked on the arm Darien had healed.

Vicky paled a little, wondering how they were going to get out of this one.

“The report must have been wrong,” Darien said. “As you can see, she’s fine.”

Vicky could feel the power in Darien’s words as they washed over the detective.

Mark wavered for a second before shaking his head to clear it. “I’m glad to see they got it wrong.”

Vicky let out the breath she was holding as the detective succumbed to Darien’s suggestion.

The detective turned his attention back to Darien. “So what were you doing out in that area last night?”

“I recently had some repairs done to the floor of one of my warehouses,” Darien explained. “I went out to make sure the job was done correctly.”

The detective leaned forwards in his seat, studying him. “Did anyone know you were heading out there?”

“No,” Darien said.

Mark looked back to Vicky with the same question in his eyes.

She shook her head. “No.”

Mark thought about it for a minute but could not come up with an answer. “Well,” he sighed and stood up from the chair, “if you can think of anything, please, give me a call.” Reaching into his pocket, Mark pulled out a card.

Darien stood up and took it from him. “I will.” He accepted the detective’s hand for a firm shake.

“Good day, Mr. Ritter.” Detective Hazelhurst turned and nodded to Vicky. “Miss Westernly,” he said in parting as he passed.

Vicky waited until the man had left her office before turning to Darien. “Is someone after you?” she asked, worried.

“Not that I’m aware of.” Darien reached for the phone. “I can’t think of any humans I’ve pissed off enough to take me out, and anything supernatural would take a more direct approach.”

Vicky really blanched at this.

“But I’ll check with Rupert just to make sure.” Darien dialed his phone. “He’ll know if there’s anything funny going on.”

“Okay.” Vicky turned to leave the office. “I’m going to get some coffee. Would you like some?” She needed some caffeine after that shock.

“Please.” Darien listened to the phone ring. “Oh, and see if Sue has any of those chocolate chip cookies.”

Nodding, Vicky left to get their refreshments.

As Darien waited for Rupert to pick up, he thought about the cookies he had gotten from Sue yesterday. They had been unbelievably good, and he could really kill a few of them right now.