In Darkness Transformed Read online

  Mike’s eyebrows rode low over his eyes. “When he pushed back, he got told pretty damn quickly that smart people pretended the bastards were invisible, but he didn’t much like the idea of my name being bandied about without me knowing about it.”

  Eli cut loose with a string of curses that had Jamison grinning in appreciation of his creativity. “Damn, Sarge, you must have been practicing.”

  “Screw you, Doc,” he said with no real heat. All of his anger was aimed at the men who might prove to be a threat to all of his friends. Turning his attention back to Mike, he reiterated what he’d told him the first time he’d come up to the cabin. “Throw me under the bus if something like this happens again.”

  Mike had obviously honed his own ability to string together colorful expressions. Jamison almost choked on his muffin. Laughing, he sputtered, “God, Major, I don’t think some of that is physically possible.”

  Eli could only agree. “And even it if were possible, it would be damn painful.”

  “Can the crap, both of you.” Mike gave them both a disgusted look before zeroing in on Eli. “Do not presume to insult me or my honor like that again, Sergeant. I wouldn’t turn you over to those bastards even if it means I spend the rest of my military career behind bars.”

  “So what do you suggest I do? I don’t want to live constantly having to look over my shoulder.”

  In fact, what he really wanted was his life back, but that wasn’t going to happen. It was also time to share a little of what he’d learned from Safara with his friends, but without outing her or her people.

  “I may have some idea why they’re suspicious about what happened that day. It could be something as simple as them not finding enough physical evidence to verify I died in the explosion. But I think it’s something more than that.”

  He held up the hand he’d slashed open to remind Mike how quickly his body could repair itself. “I’ve been doing some research, and I suspect I’m not the only one who has this ability to heal. So far I’ve only found vague hints, but no hard data. I will keep digging until I do. These guys could be hunting not just me, but others like me.”

  Mike looked doubtful. “But how would they know? Granted, you’re a total badass, especially when under fire, but Special Forces is chock-full of men like that. There’s nothing about you that stands out in a crowd. And it’s not like you have a tattoo on your forehead announcing your ability to the world.”

  Jamison gave Eli a considering look. “You could carry some kind of marker in your blood. Maybe a particular gene sequence. If your DNA is otherwise close to normal, the sequence wouldn’t stand out unless someone was specifically looking for it.”

  Mike stalked to the far end of the porch to stare at the snow-peaked mountains in the distance. “No one is supposed to have access to the military DNA records unless that’s the only way to determine someone’s identity.”

  Eli joined him at the railing. “Yeah, that’s true, but these guys don’t play by normal rules. If someone figured out there were people out there who could come back from otherwise lethal wounds, it would only make sense that they’d want to recruit them for the worst missions.”

  Jamison followed them, his slight limp more evident than usual. “They’d also want to find out how it all works. You know, in case it’s something they could use to create some kind of super soldier.”

  He clapped Eli on the shoulder. “I hope I’m wrong about that, but I wouldn’t count on it.”

  “Don’t sweat it, Doc. It’s nothing I haven’t thought about myself. Even when my head was still ringing from the explosion, I knew there was no way I could explain surviving when no one else did. I did toss pieces of my bloody BDUs into the fire, hoping they’d find enough of my DNA in the fabric to assume I’d been killed. Maybe that was a mistake.”

  Mike shook his head. “No way to know for sure what triggered their interest. Maybe they keep an eye out for any anomalies when someone is injured or dies in combat. If there are others with your ability, you might not be the first one to have popped up on their radar.”

  First or not, how could he defend himself against an enemy with no name and with no obvious agenda?

  “Any suggestions about what I should do?”

  Mike turned to lean against the railing. “You mean short of turning yourself in, don’t you? Because if you’re thinking that would be the simple answer, think again. If they get their hands on you, there’s no telling where you’ll end up or what they’ll do. You might never see the light of day again.”

  Eli wanted to punch something. They were just spinning their wheels now. Meanwhile, Safara had to be wondering what was taking them so long.

  “Why don’t you guys sit down while I check on the coffee?”

  Doc headed for the chairs, but Mike hung back. “I brought each of us a burner phone. I want you to call one of us daily. If we don’t hear from you, we’ll come running.”

  “Make it every other day. I don’t always get reception up here, and I don’t get to town every day.”

  “Fine, but if one of us doesn’t hear from you for seventy-two hours, don’t let it be because you forgot to check in. I’d have to do some serious ass kicking.”

  “Seriously? Why would I forget?”

  Mike’s smile turned sly. “Maybe because you and the lovely Safara picked up where you left off before we got here this morning, which could definitely cause a man to lose his train of thought.”

  Damn, he thought they’d put up a better front than that. “What gave us away?”

  His friend laughed. “Nothing, but you just did. I wondered if you would admit it if my suspicions were on target. I’m happy for you.”

  “Yeah, well, don’t get too carried away. I’m not exactly in a position for happily-ever-afters, and Safara has her own reasons for not wanting anything beyond the short term.”

  Mike crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head in disbelief. “I’ve gotta tell you, Eli, you don’t look at her like she’s just a good time on a weekend pass.”

  What could he say to that? If he denied the truth of Mike’s words, he’d end up lying to his friend and himself while insulting the special connection between him and Safara.

  “Go take a load off. I’ll go see what’s keeping the coffee.”

  “Sorry I brought it up.”

  “Don’t be. Someone should know that the two of us are involved. If those guys come after me, she could get caught in the crossfire. If you don’t hear from me, promise you or Doc will check to make sure she’s all right. I’ll send you both her contact information.”

  The major’s shoulders snapped back as if he were standing at attention. “You have my word on that, Sergeant.”

  It would’ve seemed weird to salute when they were both out of uniform. Instead, he held out his hand and said, “Thank you, sir.”

  Mike’s stance softened just a hair. “I’d do the same for any of my men, Eli. You might not be on active duty right now, but our bond goes deeper than the uniforms we wear.”

  Which was why Eli wouldn’t hesitate to lay his life down for this man and so many others like him with whom he’d served. When battles raged and lives were on the line, a soldier fought for those who served side by side with him. That kind of loyalty couldn’t be bought; it had to be earned.

  “I’ll go get that coffee now.”

  “I like cream and sugar in mine. And Sleeping Beauty over there will take his any way you want to give it to him, preferably cold and full of grounds. After we drink it, we’ll head back down to civilization.”

  Then his friend smiled and wandered back over to where Jamison sat dozing with his feet up on the railing and his baseball cap pulled down low over his eyes. As Eli headed inside, Mike started giving Doc hell for sleeping on the job, a little taste of normalcy in a world that had gone crazy.

  15

  Where had the time gone? Yesterday, Mike and Doc had hung around with her and Eli until after lunch before finally heading back home. I
t had been fun watching the three men taking potshots at each other with stories laced with good humor and insults. She envied the depth of their friendship. Thanks to both her job and her ancestry, Safara knew very few people with whom she could drop her guard and let it all hang out.

  Trust normally came slow to her, yet Eli had somehow crashed through all of her carefully constructed protections to take up residence in her heart and her bed. Well, technically, she’d ended up in his bed, but even that was out of character for her. That wasn’t to say she had regrets about her impulsive behavior other than how bad it was going to hurt to walk away from him.

  After Mike and Doc left, she and Eli had explored the mountainside, enjoying their time together even if their hunt for the missing rogues was unsuccessful. They’d returned to the cabin for a leisurely dinner, and then spent the night in each other’s arms. The sex had been great even if a bit desperate at times. Both of them were painfully aware of their precious few hours together flying by, this private interlude drawing to an end.

  That didn’t mean she was going to waste a single second on regrets. She opened the oven to check the cookies. She set the tray on the stovetop to cool and turned off the oven. “I meant to tell you how much I liked your friends.”

  Eli looked up from the gun he was cleaning at the kitchen table. “They’re good guys, both of them. You can trust them to do right by you.”

  Something in his voice made her think he wasn’t talking in generalities. “Is there a reason you think I’ll need to trust them?”

  The lines of his cheekbones and jawline looked sharper than usual, as if recent events had worn away the last vestiges of softness in his face. “I hope not, but maybe.”

  He set the gun aside and joined her by the counter. “They think those men I told you about are still hunting for me. I’ll deal with whatever they lob in my direction, but I won’t risk you getting caught up in my mess. Mike wants me to check in with him or Doc at least every other day. If they don’t hear from me, they’ll come running. I asked them to make sure you’re safe.”

  Before she could say a word, he put his fingers over her mouth. “And, yes, you have all those kickass moves and can defend yourself. But these guys aren’t like anything you’ve ever encountered. They’re black ops with deep pockets and powerful friends.”

  “They have no reason to come after me, and I hate that they want you.”

  “Me, too.”

  She shivered in response to his grim acceptance of the situation and leaned into the warm strength of Eli’s bare chest. He whispered near her ear, “Let it go for now. I’ve got other things on my agenda at the moment.”

  “Like what for instance?”

  “Like picking up where we left off right before breakfast.”

  The heat in his smile sent a whole different kind of shiver through to her core. Neither of them had felt the need to get fully dressed when they’d finally rolled out of bed. He wore a pair of flannel pajama bottoms, while the soft cotton T-shirt she’d stolen from his closet was the only thing she had on. It meant for a lot of skin-to-skin contact and easy access for wandering hands to explore.

  His fingertips traced an intricate pattern on her back before moving on to tug up the hem of her shirt. “So what do you think? Unless you have other plans for the morning, I suggest we adjourn to the other room.”

  Safara did a little exploring of her own, slipping her hands beneath the elastic waistband of his pajama bottoms. When she gave his ass a hard squeeze, his hips flexed forward, pressing his burgeoning erection against her belly. “I like the way you think.”

  One kiss led to another and another before they finally moved out of the kitchen. She was pretty sure he originally intended for them to end up back in bed, but they only made it as far as the couch. The space was cramped, not that she was complaining. It just led to more creativity on both their parts, along with a lot of giggling, a few curses, and potentially a bruise or two.

  When they both finally collapsed in a boneless heap, Safara was limp but strangely energized at the same time. When Eli didn’t seem inclined to move off of her, she tugged on his hair. “You need to move.”

  He didn’t budge an inch as he muttered, “Why?”

  “Because I need to breathe sometime today.”

  It took him several more seconds to make any effort to comply with her request. Finally, he pushed himself up to his elbows, giving her lungs the room they needed to work. He appeared fascinated by the movement of her chest. “Um, my eyes are up here, Eli.”

  “I know that.” Not that he apparently cared.

  When he finally rolled to the side, his main motivation seemed to be to use his free hand to capture one of her breasts. He began kneading it gently, smiling as his eyes drifted shut. If she didn’t get moving, she’d be stuck there on the couch with him snoring softly in her ear. There were worse fates, but she did need to get moving.

  With some determined wiggling and a few hard shoves, she managed to make her escape. After retrieving her T-shirt, she picked up Eli’s pajama bottoms and tossed them on his head. “I’m going to take a shower.”

  He mumbled something in reply that she didn’t quite catch. She launched one more salvo as she headed toward the bathroom. “You’re welcome to join me. I promise to make it worth your while.”

  She must have scored a direct hit. Eli charged up off the couch and swept her into his arms before she made it halfway down the hall. Together, they cranked the shower up to steaming hot.

  FOR THE SECOND time in two days, Eli’s pleasant morning was interrupted by the sound of a vehicle approaching the cabin. Who could it be this time? Not Mike or Doc, for sure. They’d call first.

  It seemed doubtful that the black-ops guys would come driving up in broad daylight, which didn’t leave a whole lot of other possibilities. In fact, he could think of only one likely suspect. Praying he was wrong, he peeked out the front window. Yep, that was Jakes Dennell’s cruiser. Damn. He hustled back to rap his knuckles on the bathroom door. “Safara, your father is pulling up out front.”

  She popped open the door, her eyes wide with panic. “Are you sure it’s him?”

  “It’s his car. I didn’t think you’d want to be running around the cabin naked right now. Not that I personally would mind, but I have a feeling he might have a different opinion on the subject.”

  Safara rolled her eyes. “You think? Stall him for as long as you can.”

  He laughed and got out of her way as she bolted for the bedroom to get dressed. “I’ll try to entertain him for a few minutes, but somehow I don’t think he’ll be okay with that for long.”

  After fumbling with the buttons on his shirt on the way back to the living room, he stopped to pick up the couch cushions he’d knocked onto the floor in his haste to take Safara up on her invitation to share the shower. When he finally opened the door, Chief Dennell was already sporting a pretty unhappy expression. That was nothing compared to the one when he got a good look at Eli. His hand held a rolled-up newspaper, which he patted against the side of his leg. Eli suspected he’d rather be pounding him with it.

  “I need to talk to my daughter.” He gave Eli’s chest a pointed look. “That is, if she’s not too busy right now.”

  Confused, Eli glanced down at his shirt only to realize he’d buttoned the damn thing crooked. Well, shit, now what should he do? Her father hadn’t been all that fond of Eli to begin with, and being confronted with some pretty damning evidence about how he and Safara had spent the morning clearly wasn’t helping.

  “Would you like to come in to wait? She should be along any second.” If there was a God in heaven, anyway.

  Jakes sighed, looking much older than he had the last time Eli had seen him. That prompted him to ask, “Is your father doing all right?”

  “Yeah, other than he’s getting more cantankerous by the minute. By the way, he’d like to thank you personally for helping him when you can spare a minute from . . .” He stopped midthought, probably re
alizing there was no good way to end that sentence. “Anyway, when you get a chance to stop by to see him, he’d appreciate it. Meanwhile, I could use a cup of coffee if you have one.”

  “Sure thing. Come on in.”

  Jakes headed straight for the kitchen. He tossed the newspaper onto the table and sat down.

  Meanwhile, Eli plated up Safara’s cookies and poured them each a cup of coffee. He was painfully aware of the muffled noises Safara made moving around in the next room. What the hell was taking her so long? Suddenly he was flashing back to the previous morning and their mad dash to hide any evidence they were more than just friends from Mike and Doc. When it came to Safara’s father, that boat had sailed.

  At this point, the silence between them had grown awkward. He reached for another cookie only to bump hands with Jakes, who was doing the same thing. It was hard not to laugh. They were both trying to avoid conversation by keeping their mouths full of cookie crumbs. Obviously the man wasn’t happy to learn his Kalith daughter had spent the past two days holed up in a remote cabin with a human male.

  Eli considered telling him that wasn’t exactly the case. Well, the spending time with Eli was true enough, but he wasn’t completely human. The trouble was that in Jakes’s estimation, he might be exactly the worst possible kind of almost human he could be—a Paladin. He suspected pointing out that he and Safara knew they had no future together wouldn’t make her father any happier. Fine. It didn’t make Eli happy, either.

  The extended silence had become unbearable. “More coffee?”

  “I’m good.”

  Wow, they’d managed a whole four-word conversation without ripping into each other. Under the circumstances, that was a victory. To celebrate, he reached for another cookie.

  The sound of the bedroom door opening had both men sitting up and staring toward the living room. By that point, Eli didn’t know which of them was more anxious for Safara to put in an appearance. He got up to pour her a cup of coffee, more to give himself something to do than looking as if he was about to pounce the second she came into sight.