Smoldering Hunger (14 page)

Her heart skipped a beat. A small part of her had thought Darius was just being overly cautious, but there was no denying what she saw.

Sophie observed the man. He wore glasses, a black jacket and jeans, and he was looking right at her.

She tried to pretend she didn’t see him. When a group passed her, she made sure it appeared as if one of them ran into her, spinning her around.

It was the chance she needed to look behind her. Her gut clenched when she saw another similarly dressed man walking about fifteen paces behind her.

“Oy! Watch where you’re going,” she called out to the group to keep up the ruse.

Sophie turned and kept walking. Men had been watching her building. She’d trusted Darius, but it had been just a feeling. Now she knew for sure she could trust him.

She suddenly wished she’d remained at her flat. As soon as she reached the deli, she placed her order. While she waited, she walked around, subtly looking at everyone in the deli—and outside. The two men were waiting.

Sophie leaned over the counter to the older man she had paid after she had her order. “Is there a back exit?”

“No.”

She glanced over her shoulder at the men standing at the window who had been following her. “You see the guy outside with the bald head and goatee? He’s my ex, and he’s been stalking me. I’d really like to get home without confronting him. Please. Is there another exit I can use?”

The old man glared at her follower and called someone else to work the register. Then he waved her around the counter. With a hand on her back, he led her through the kitchen to a storage room and the door to the back alley.

“He willna see you, lass,” the man said.

Sophie patted his arm and shot him a grateful smile. “Thank you so much. You’ve saved the day.”

To her surprise, he blushed to the roots of his salt-and-pepper hair. “Be safe.”

Sophie exited the deli and hurried back to her flat, her heart pounding against her ribs. Her two followers were none the wiser, but she saw another man dressed just as they were standing across the street from her flat. As soon as he saw her, he brought his mobile phone to his ear and placed a call.

She pretended she saw nothing as she entered the building and made her way up to her flat. Sophie threw open the door and hurried inside, slamming the door shut and locking it with shaking hands.

“Sophie?” Darius said as he came from the bathroom putting on his shirt.

“I was followed by two men. There’s a third outside,” she said as she handed him the bag of food.

Darius gently grasped her hand with one of his large ones and took the food with the other. “They willna hurt you as long as I’m here.”

And God help her, but Sophie believed him. How could she not? The sincerity was in his voice, it was in his eyes.

It was in the way he held her.

CHAPTER
SIXTEEN

Rhi fought to cling to the darkness. She was determined to remain asleep, because if she woke, she’d have to face everything she’d been running from.

“I know you can hear me,” Rhys said.

His voice was low, just above a whisper, but he was close. She imagined he was sitting by the bed. Rhys, her faithful friend, who had seen her at her worst. The friend who never wavered in his support of her, even when other Dragon Kings—Darius—sided against her.

“You’re hiding,” Rhys continued. “You ken I know you, Rhi. I know you better than most. You’re hiding in that sleep like I hid in the Dragonwood no’ that long ago. You urged me to come out of hiding. Now I’m telling you to get your arse in gear and wake up. You’re no’ a weakling. Face whatever this is. I’ll stand beside you in whatever way you need of me. You know I will.”

Rhys always did have a way of shining the light on a particular situation.

He sighed loudly. “It’s been three weeks. Three weeks. It’s past time for you to wake. I came in yesterday, and I swear I caught Henry before he climbed in bed with you.”

That made her want to smile. It was Rhys’s way to make light of a volatile situation.

“Con might verra well throw you out.”

Let him try, Rhi thought. She wasn’t foolish enough to believe Rhys would allow that to happen. Rhys was grasping at anything to get her to open her eyes.

“Dammit,” Rhys grumbled. “There’s no reason for you to no’ wake other than you’re scared. When have you ever been scared?”

Every damn day. But Rhys didn’t need to know that. They all thought her strong and undeterred by things. They were all wrong. She was just a very good actress.

“Is it Balladyn? Is he pressing you into becoming Dark? I’ll be happy to kill him.”

“You’ll have to stand in line behind me.”

Phelan. Of course he would come. How could she withstand both Phelan and Rhys? They were like brothers, and in some ways closer to her than her own brother had been.

There was movement on her other side and someone took her hand. Phelan. He gave her hand a squeeze. “What have you told her?” he asked Rhys.

“To wake her skinny arse up,” Rhys stated.

Phelan chuckled softly. “You think that’ll work? The Rhi who goes against any kind of order?”

Rhys grunted and said, “We’ve tried sweet-talking her, cajoling her, bribing her, and even ignoring her. I figure this was the only option left.”

“There’s another one.”

No. Rhi knew what Phelan was thinking. All she could do was pray that Rhys wouldn’t let the secret out.

“What’s that?” Rhys asked.

“Bring her lover to her.”

No. Nononononononoooooooooooo.

There was a long pause before Rhys said, “I willna. She’d never forgive me.”

“But she would wake.”

“Maybe. Maybe no’. Too much has happened, Phelan. Rhi isna the same Fae from even a month ago. With the way she’s been experiencing things, she might verra well sink further into the sleep instead of waking. Besides, she’d skin me alive if I let the name slip to you.”

Phelan snorted. “He’s been here, hasn’t he?”

“Let it go.”

“It was worth a try to discover who the asshole is. Why will none of you tell me?”

“Because Rhi doesna want you to know.”

Phelan’s grip on her hand tightened. “Why is that exactly?”

“You’d try to kill him, which you know is futile.”

“So I’ve met him?”

There was a creak from a chair as Rhys stood. “Does it matter?”

“It does. He hurt Rhi. He continues to hurt her.”

“Until she moves on.”

There was a beat of silence. Phelan’s voice was laced with surprise when he asked, “Is she moving on?”

“Many of us have urged her to do so.”

“Because there’s no hope of her lover returning to her?”

Rhys tugged on her hair. “Because unrequited love can kill, and Rhi is too important for that to happen. I’d like nothing more than for the fucktard to realize he lost something precious, but I think for Rhi’s peace of mind she should stop loving him.”

“I could never stop loving Aisley. Never,” Phelan said.

“She’s gone several thousands of years without her love being reciprocated. That changes a person, especially someone like Rhi. She feels things deeper than most. She’s one of the most giving individuals I’ve ever met, and she deserves happiness.”

“And if that happiness is with Ulrik?”

Was that a growl she heard from Rhys? Most definitely it was.

“She’s no’ that stupid.”

Phelan made a sound at the back of his throat. “It was Ulrik that carried her out of Balladyn’s dungeon. She’s gone to see him a few times as well. Tell me you’re no’ worried there’s something there.”

“Aye. I’m no longer concerned about Henry though. He’ll have his heart broken, but he’ll find someone else eventually.”

“Like Rhi?” Phelan asked. “What about Balladyn? Rhi told me that he loves her.”

“I believe he does. He’s the one I’m really worried about. They had a close connection before, during, and after Rhi’s lover. I doona think it’s coincidence Balladyn has come back into her life now.”

Rhi hated to admit it, but she agreed. Why after all those millennia had she found Balladyn? Why had he just sought her out? There was no such thing as flukes, of that she was certain.

“He’s Dark,” Phelan stated.

“Tell me something I doona know,” Rhys said sarcastically.

“If she goes with him, she’ll turn Dark.”

“There’s a chance of that, aye, but she has you and me. There are others who could help pull her back from that.”

“Nay, Rhys. I’m no’ comfortable pushing her toward Balladyn.”

“There may no’ be a choice for us. Rhi desperately wants to be loved and have that love returned. Balladyn is giving her that love. I doona believe any of us could withstand him if we were in her position.”

Wow. So that’s what they thought of her. Rhi wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or not. One moment they were saying she was strong, and the next that she was too weak to withstand Balladyn.

Never mind the fact that she hadn’t thought about resisting him. That wasn’t true. She had—briefly. It just felt so nice to have someone’s arm around her, to see desire in a male’s gaze, and to be wanted.

“I’ll talk to her.”

Rhys chuckled and resumed his seat. “We can talk until the sun explodes, but it willna do any good. Rhi has a mind of her own. She’ll do whatever she wants.”

“I can no’ lose her.”

“Neither can I. None of us can. I’m no’ sure she knows that.”

Rhi hadn’t comprehended the depth of Rhys and Phelan’s friendship until that moment. She wanted to sit up and hug them simultaneously.

It was too much for her to take. She sank further into the darkness and let the sleep take her, because she knew it wouldn’t be long before she had no choice but to wake.

Not yet though. Not yet.

Phelan gazed down at Rhi sleeping and rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. “Do you think her being here is causing this?”

Rhys raised his aqua ringed dark blue eyes to his. “I think if we brought her anywhere else Balladyn would be there in a second. Or Ulrik.”

“Can any magic reach Rhi where she’s at?”

“I’ve tried. If it is, she’s no’ responding.” Rhys sat back in the chair and stared at Rhi.

“I’m no’ going to sit and watch her any longer. I need to do something.”

“You are. You’re here for her.”

Phelan raised a brow. “And that has done so verra much.”

“More than you know. Rhi has been on her own for a while. She claims to like it that way, but how often is she at Dreagan? I know she visits me at least once a week. How about you? How often do you see her?”

Phelan thought back over the last few months. “More now than before. The last time I saw her, she just hugged me. I knew something was wrong, but she wouldna tell me all of it.”

“The fact she came to you says a lot. Rhi isna one to open up easily.”

“So we wait?”

Rhys nodded. “We wait.”

Phelan released Rhi’s hand and pulled another chair closer. “I’ll stay with her for a bit. Return to Lily.”

Rhys rose and strode toward the entrance. He looked back at Rhi once before he stepped through the doorway and closed it behind him.

Phelan leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling. “Balladyn, Rhi? Really? Is it because he’s told you he loves you? Should you turn to the first one who says that? After you’ve experienced the kind of love I have with Aisley, how can you settle for anything less?”

He sank down farther in the chair and laced his fingers over his stomach. “Then again, I suppose Balladyn could be another such love. I just hate the thought of him with you after he tortured you. I also hate the King who rejected your love so harshly. I hope one day you tell me who he is. I’d really love to punch him.

“No’ that you’ll ever tell me. Hell, Rhys wouldna even share the name. I’m beginning to think everyone is keeping it from me because of how I’ll react. Which means I’ve already met the wanker. Just please tell me it isna Con. The way you two hate each other leads me to think it’s him.

“But the shared loathing could have to do with your lover. Con might have talked your lover into letting you go. If you discovered that, you would turn the full force of your ire on him.”

Phelan blew out a breath. “I just wish I knew which it was.”

*   *   *

Ulrik was in the hospital a mere ten minutes before he discovered Sophie had the day off. He was on his way out when he heard a whistle behind him. Ulrik halted and slowly turned around to find Sophie’s blond friend smiling at him.

“Are you the one?” she asked.

Ulrik cocked his head to the side and smiled. “I’m a great many things, lass. Which are you referring to?”

She laughed and closed the distance between them. “I overheard you asking the nurses about Sophie. I saw you in here the other day with her. I’m wondering if you’re the one who has been rocking her world, if you get my meaning.”

“I understand you,” he replied with his best smile. “What makes you think it’s me?”

“Besides the fact you can wear a suit like nobody’s business and you’re incredibly good looking? You came here for her again.” She stuck out her hand. “I’m Claire, by the way.”

He took her hand in his and shook it. “Nice to meet you, Claire. I’m Ulrik.”

Her hand returned to her side. “I know it’s you. I just wanted to thank you for putting the smile on her face.”

“Does she come in smiling often?”

“A few weeks ago she did, and you must be doing something right, because she did yesterday as well. I’m curious as to why you didn’t know she was off today?”

“I got the days mixed up,” Ulrik hurried to lie. “I must have written it down on my agenda wrong.”

“Then you best get to her soon. I want another smile on her face the next time she comes in,” Claire said with a wink and walked away.

Ulrik stalked out of the hospital with a smile. Soon Dr. Sophie Martin would be his, and Darius would watch another woman of his die.

CHAPTER
SEVENTEEN

Darius wanted to get out and track down Ulrik himself. But he also wanted to remain beside Sophie. He wasn’t sure which one would be the best alternative to end the current situation.

Ulrik wouldn’t fight him. Not really. Ulrik wanted Con, but along the way he would hurt as many Dragon Kings as he could. As well as anyone connected to them.