Part 29 (1/2)

She pulled in a long breath, hoping it would ease some of this tension burning inside her. Knowing Tori was still out there sc.r.a.ped her insides, making her temper shorter than normal.

”We need to find her, Madoc. We need to bring my baby sister home.”

He took the suitcase handle from her fingers and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling her close. ”We will.”

”You said yourself I'm not strong enough.”

”But you're not alone. We'll have a small army with us when we go. Those f.u.c.kers don't stand a chance.”

Nika buried her nose against his chest, pulling in the scent of his skin. The fabric of his s.h.i.+rt was in her way, so she shoved it up until she could press her cheek against the hard contours of his chest. Beneath her ear, she could almost hear the creak of living wood as his lifemark swayed at her touch.

Madoc cupped the back of her head in his big palm, holding her close, like he actually wanted her there. She was so used to him pus.h.i.+ng her away, she didn't know what to make of it.

She tried to look up and read his expression, but he held her still, so she sent a tiny tendril of her mind through their link, hoping to figure out what was going on inside his head.

l.u.s.t slammed into her, ruthless and clawing, hungry and desperate. She reeled back from it, shocked at the intensity.

”Sorry,” he muttered. ”You weren't supposed to see that.”

”What was that?”

”I think it's kind of obvious. I want you.”

”That was more than want.”

He shrugged, and she felt the powerful bunching of muscles against her cheek. ”I'm used to it, I guess. Don't worry. It's under control. We should get to work.”

He let her go and she pulled away, shaking. Her nerve endings were sparking, tingling from just that brief contact. She had no idea how he could stand ita”how he could be so nonchalant about something like that.

”Work?”

He tapped his temple. ”You know. We need to puzzle out those images Tori gave me.”

Right. She knew that. ”O-okay.”

Nika was still shaking, but he was right. If he could ignore that writhing l.u.s.t while it was inside him, she could ignore the tiny little brush she'd had with it.

”You should sit down,” he said. ”You look a little shaky.”

”I'm fine. Let's just do this.”

Madoc pulled his s.h.i.+rt down and sprawled on the couch. He patted his knee. ”Want to sit on my lap again?”

She did, but only if he was naked, which wasn't going to get them very far at all. ”I think I'll sit beside you.”

”Suit yourself.”

Nika sat and took several deep, calming breaths. ”Close your eyes and try to keep your thoughts on the job, okay?”

”Yes, my lady. Anything you like.” He closed his eyes and sat there, all relaxed.

Now he was compliant. Why hadn't he been like this seven months ago?

Maybe because his soul was no longer dying. That could have something to do with it.

Nika lifted his hand to her throat until the two parts of the luceria connected. They locked together and power seemed to pour into her. She s.h.i.+vered at the sensation, loving the feeling of so much strength after years of weakness.

”Here I come,” she warned him before she slipped out of her body and into his.

He let out a deep moan of satisfaction. ”That's nice. We should do this more often.”

Nika ignored the compliment and went right to work. ”Show me.”

Madoc felt like he was sunbathing. On the inside.

Everywhere Nika touched him, he was warm. He'd managed to tuck his l.u.s.t for her away in a dark corner, but he felt it seething inside him, wanting to be set free.

Later. Much later, after Nika had healed from before.

The thought of her blood was enough to reinforce the barricade and ensure he behaved like the gentleman she deserved for as long as he was allowed to stay with her. And there were other, more important barricades he had to put in place now that she was inside his minda”things he didn't want her to know.

Tynan held their future in his elegant hands. As ruthless as the Sanguinar were, Madoc had no doubt that Tynan would take the first chance he got to crush him. He was going to stay away from the leech for as long as possible, delaying the inevitable. And until then, he would not allow what might happen to taint his time with her.

”Show me what Tori gave you.” Nika's voice reverberated in his mind, a soft caress of sound and light.

Madoc recalled Tori's memories, playing them in what he thought was the right order. Most of them were dark and distorted by her childlike perspective. Many of them were blurry with tears. ”Everything's too big,” he said to Nika. ”It's hard to match anything up to the way I see things.”

”Hold on,” she said; then a moment later, he felt Nika's presence weave sinuously inside his mind, as if searching for something. He had no idea what she was doing, but the feel of her there, a part of him, was both disturbing and erotic. He felt smarter, more aware of his surroundings.

The graze of his clothes against his skin was amplified. The hum of the ceiling fan overhead tickled. The scent of the leather sofa seemed sharper, while the womanly scent of Nika's skin made him break out in a sweat. He swore he could almost taste her skin on his tongue.

”I can see why the sgath like this,” he said. ”You're nice to have around.”

”Don't you dare distract me. I'm working here.”

”Right. Working.”

Something inside Madoc's head s.h.i.+fted and the images Tori had given him all changed. Everything shrank to normal size. The giant images of Tori's childlike perspective righted themselves. The trees no longer loomed overhead. Even the stars looked closer.

Stars.

”That's it,” he said, excitement rolling through him. ”They let her see the sky.”

”Will that help?”

”We know the date and time she was taken, right?”

”Yes.”

”Show me the rest of the images.”