Atone in Darkness Page 21

Finally she was close enough that he could feel her warmth. His body was awash with hormones and hunger, but he fought to control the primitive urges that demanded to be satisfied.

  “I’m here, Chase.”

  Her hand fluttered down to rest on his chest, the featherlight touch the first real connection he’d felt in this uphill battle to regain his hold on his humanity.

  “Good.”

  When he didn’t fight to break free, she used her other hand to stroke his cheek. He risked opening his eyes, hoping they wouldn’t scare her into bolting for the nearest exit. She winced, but at least she stood her ground.

  “I’m sorry this happened to you. If you hadn’t been talking to me—”

  He jerked his head in denial, ignoring the surge of pain the motion set off. “Not your fault.”

  Her pretty mouth crooked up in a small smile. “That’s what one of the other Paladins said, but I’m not sure anyone else agrees. They know I worked for the Cadre.”

  It was difficult to string the right words together, but he tried. “Doesn’t matter to me. Don’t listen to them.”

  Marisol’s dark eyes were so shiny right now. Tears? He hated tears. Hated that she felt guilty. Hated his friends for blaming her. His anger burned hot. If only he could get off this bed, he’d show the bastards what happened to anyone who threatened his woman. Then he’d take her someplace more private where the two of them would—

  An angry voice derailed that thought. “What the hell is she doing here alone with him? We never agreed to that.”

  Having Marisol there had helped ground him in reality. This time he didn’t doubt it really was his brother-in-law standing there and being a major jackass. He managed to capture Marisol’s hand in his before she could stage a hasty retreat in the face of all that anger.

  “It’s not your call, Jarvis. Until Laurel says otherwise, Dr. Riggs stays.”

  Chase turned his head to look at the newest member of the crowd ranging around his bed. It was Devlin Bane himself stepping in to defend Marisol’s right to be there. He wasn’t sure if Jarvis or Marisol looked more surprised by that fact.

  Gwen glared at Marisol as she joined the discussion. “They said she helped torture him all this time.”

  Chase’s temper went from a constant simmer to a full-rolling boil as a wave of pure rage washed away the small amount of control he’d had. His chains clanged against the metal table as everyone danced back out of reach. Everyone but Marisol, who got right in his face.

  She jerked free of his grasp and then used both hands to capture his head, forcing him to focus solely on her. “Stop that right now, Chase Mosely. You’re worrying your family and your friends.”

  Her dark eyes held his captive as she continued to talk in a calm tone. “You heard the man. I’m here. I’m staying, so quit being a jerk to the people who love you.”

  The orange haze clouding his vision faded a little and with it the volatile mix of emotions that had been riding roughshod over his control. “Keep talking. It helps.”

  Marisol nodded. “I’ve met several really nice people since I got here. Dr. Young and Brenna Trahern for two. Blake Trahern has been particularly sweet to me.”

  Chase was vaguely aware of Jarvis snorting and then saying, “Is this the same Trahern I know? Because sweet and Trahern don’t belong in the same sentence.”

  Everyone laughed a little, but his keeper ignored them and kept right on talking. “We were right about being in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve never been to Seattle before, but it’s a beautiful city.”

  Devlin’s deep voice entered the conversation again. “Doc, here’s a stool. Sit down. Can we get you anything to eat or drink?”

  Marisol seemed surprised that he cared about her comfort. She briefly looked at the Paladin leader. “Thanks, I’d love a soft drink. A diet cola if possible.”

  Then she was right back with him 100 percent. No matter how many people were in the room, right now the world had narrowed down to the two of them. The rest could squabble among themselves. Marisol was all that mattered, even if he was so damn tired that he couldn’t quite follow what she was telling him. Something about a helicopter landing on a skyscraper. Devlin and Trahern. Laurel and Brenna. The Space Needle and being in Seattle.

  Was she repeating herself? He didn’t care. All he knew was that her voice tethered him to this world even as he drifted off to sleep.

  • • •

  A FEMALE VOICE whispered, “His eyes looked almost normal right there at the end, didn’t they?”

  Marisol glanced up long enough to identify the speaker as Chase’s older sister, Gwen. “I thought so, too.”

  At least he seemed to be resting easy for now. Although Dr. Young had him hooked up to a monitor, she wanted to check his vitals for herself, needing that small connection with him. Chase’s breathing was slow and regular, his pulse well within the normal range for him. She rested her hand on his forehead and found it cool to the touch.

  Laurel moved up beside her and offered her a stethoscope. “I thought you might want to take a listen for yourself.”

  “Thanks.”

  It did her own heart good to hear his thumping away so loud and strong. Now if only she could curl up next to him with her head on his chest and hold him close.

  “His lungs are clear, and his heart sounds good.”

  As she looped the stethoscope around her neck, a diet soda suddenly appeared in her peripheral vision. She accepted the offering and turned to thank whoever had brought it. To her surprise, it was Larem, who looked a bit unsure of his welcome.

  She managed a tired smile and held up her drink. “Thank you.”

  Then she patted Chase’s hand. “And for whatever it was you did for him. I don’t understand what happened out there in the woods, and I won’t ask for any explanations. Just knowing that it helped is enough for me.”

  He tilted his head just a little to acknowledge her message was received and understood. “My wife is expecting me at home, but Dr. Young knows how to reach me if I’m needed.”

  “Good to know.”

  Even if she really hoped they never had to go to that extreme again. He backed away and disappeared from sight. Chase stirred restlessly as the remaining people looked on in silence. She tightened her hold on his hand and resumed talking. As soon as she spoke, he turned his head in her direction and relaxed once again.

  She was dimly aware of Jarvis and Gwen both staring at her. It was awkward talking nonstop to Chase while his family looked on. Finally, she acknowledged their curiosity. “Did you want to ask me something?”

  Gwen bit her lower lip and then shook her head. Jarvis wasn’t quite so shy. No surprise there. “Just how well did you get to know Chase while he was locked in that cell?”

  Was he asking what she thought he was? She snapped, “He was my patient, and I took care of him as best I could. I know him well enough to know how special he is.”

  If Jarvis didn’t like it, too bad. After all, chances were that she would disappear from their lives just as quickly as she’d entered it. What she and Chase had shared together was their own business.

  She resumed her one-sided conversation with the man she loved. After a few minutes, Laurel spoke up. “I think it’s time for everyone except for the medical personnel to leave for now. Gwen, go eat something better than fast food and then get some rest. We’ll keep you posted if there’s any change.”

  When Marisol made no move to leave, Jarvis crowded close. “You heard the lady. Get out.”

  She tried ignoring him, but he wasn’t having it. “We won’t leave him alone with the likes of you.”

  Laurel moved up beside Marisol again. “Maybe I didn’t make myself clear, Jarvis. I said everyone except the medical personnel had to go. For now, that group includes Dr. Riggs. She has valuable data to share with me, so I need her to stay.”

  “No.”

  The doctor definitely had her game face on now. “It’s my call, not yours.”

  “Then
I’m staying, too.”

  When he didn’t back down, Devlin joined the party. “Jarvis, I get that you’re worried about Chase and that you don’t trust Dr. Riggs. However, what Laurel says goes in here. She said she needs Dr. Riggs and that you should leave. Do I really need to ask the guards to escort you from the building?”

  Gwen didn’t look any happier than her husband did as she tugged on his arm. “Come on. You know Laurel won’t let anything happen to Chase.”

  Neither would Marisol, but they wouldn’t believe a word she said. She kept her focus on Chase and ignored the drama playing out around her. Finally, Devlin succeeded in herding Jarvis and Gwen out the door. Then he walked back over to where his wife stood beside Marisol. When he slipped his arm around Laurel’s shoulders, the woman relaxed into his embrace. The stress of the past few days showed on both of their faces, but they took obvious comfort from each other. It was hard not to be jealous of their relationship.

  She tried to picture her and Chase like that but couldn’t. For one thing, both Laurel and Devlin were both part of the same secret world as Chase and his friends. Marisol wasn’t, and they’d made it all too clear that she would remain an outsider.

  She’d been alone and looking in from the outside most of her life. But after experiencing the special connection with this one man, the thought of resuming that solitary lifestyle again was so much worse. Meanwhile, the three of them stared down at the man sleeping on the steel table.

  Devlin kissed his wife. “I’m going to go stretch out in the testing room for a while. Let me know if there’s any change.”

  Before walking away, he looked at Marisol. “We’re protective of our own, Dr. Riggs, and we have good cause to be extra worried about Chase. We’ve been rough on you, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t grateful for what you’ve done for him, both here and back in that hellhole. However this plays out, we’ll help you get settled somewhere safe.”

  He walked away before she could figure out how to respond. Finally, she mustered up a small smile for the other doctor. “Chase does seem to rest more easily when he hears my voice, but I’ve run out of things to talk about. If you want to take notes, I can fill you in on what kind of tests I was running and why. I can also tell you a little about the other test subjects, although I don’t know their names or where they are right now.”

  No, that was wrong. There was one she could identify. “Actually, that’s not true. Edgar was killed by the other guards up on the mountain. He said he had been test subject Number Three.”

  Laurel started taking notes while Marisol held Chase’s hand and told the Handler every fact and figure she could remember. They were about thirty minutes into the discussion when Chase jerked awake with no warning, his eyes wild and faintly tinged with orange. His hands and feet flailed about within the limits allowed by his restraints.

  She captured his hand in hers and fought to stop him from reinjuring his wrist. “Chase, stop it. You’ll hurt yourself.”

  As soon as she spoke, he focused his eyes on her and slowly relaxed. His voice was sandpaper rough as he whispered, “Sorry, sorry, sorry.”

  She brushed his hair back off his forehead. “No apologies necessary. Would you like something cool to soothe your throat?”

  When he nodded, she gave him a spoonful of ice chips. “Feels good.”

  Laurel made some notes in his chart. She patted Chase on the shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

  “Like death warmed over.”

  Marisol winced. If that was an attempt at humor, she didn’t much like it even if the description was an apt one.

  He blinked up at her, his eyes appearing more normal. “How bad was it this time?”

  It was Laurel who answered. “You were able to regain control much faster.”

  Did that mean he’d turned the corner? The sudden resurgence of orange across the whites of his eyes answered that question. His body tensed as if ready to explode in violence again. Out of desperation, Marisol did the only thing she could think of—she kissed him.

  23

  * * *

  The sweet taste of Marisol’s lips converted all of Chase’s anger into an entirely different kind of energy. When he thrust his tongue into her mouth, she hesitated briefly before kissing him again with a great deal more enthusiasm. When she finally broke it off, they were both breathing hard.

  He grinned up at her. “That’s some bedside manner you’ve got there, Doc.”

  “Ahem.”

  Okay, so they weren’t exactly alone right now. No wonder Marisol looked so flustered. Judging from the twinkle in Dr. Young’s eyes, she was amused by Marisol’s unorthodox effort to drag him back to normal.

  “Sorry about that, Laurel. It was all I could think of to try.”

  The other doctor laughed. “No apologies necessary, although I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention what just happened to any of the others. Devlin wouldn’t appreciate it if the guys started demanding I kiss them to jump-start their healing.”

  She made a quick check on his vitals. “Having said that, you’re definitely responding well to Dr. Riggs’s care. Your latest bloodwork shows a marked improvement, and you snapped out of the craziness incredibly fast this time.”

  Laurel nodded toward an instrument tray sitting on a nearby counter. “The good news is that I can put that syringe away for now.”

  Marisol looked confused. “What syringe is that?”

  Chase didn’t want to be the one to tell her, but Laurel had already picked up the tray and walked away. “The one with the toxins that would put me out of my misery. You know, permanently.”

  Her faced paled as his meaning soaked in. “Don’t blame her, Doc. It’s the way things are for us and for good reason.”

  She shuddered. “Devlin said it would be a mercy.”

  How to explain? All of the Paladins had a ticking time bomb hardwired into their DNA. There was nothing they could do to change that. On rare occasions, someone like Edgar broke under the strain and ran, but most picked up their sword and did their job day after day.

  “I can’t change what I am, Marisol, and I wouldn’t if I could. All I can say is that I’m proud to stand next to men like Devlin and Jarvis to protect this world. You still don’t know the truth about what we do and why this organization even exists.”

  She sighed softly. “You’ll understand that I’ve learned to be leery of supersecret organizations full of heavily armed men.”

  Yeah, he got that. “Will you be here when I wake up?”

  “Yes.”

  She didn’t sound too happy about that. He struggled to keep his eyes open long enough to tell her one last thing. “I need to talk to Devlin first, but then I’ll tell you everything. I promise.”

  He squeezed her hand to further affirm his vow. After a second, she squeezed his in return. His gut feeling was that slight hesitation meant something, but right now he couldn’t hold on to consciousness long enough to figure it out. Still, she’d promised to be there when he woke up. They could talk more then.

  • • •

  MARISOL STIRRED AND stretched. She’d remained by Chase’s side through the long hours of the night. As some point, someone brought in the suitcase she’d packed back at the compound, and Laurel showed her where she could shower and change into clean clothes. Meals had been delivered on a regular basis, and one of the orderlies had finally dragged in a cot where she could stretch out while Chase slept.

  It had been hard to shut off her brain long enough to fall asleep. Too many spinning thoughts about what the future held for her—and what it didn’t. She’d need to find a job, a place to live, maybe even a new identity. At least Chase would get his life back. His wasn’t an easy world to live in, but clearly it meant everything to him. She was happy for him.

  Really.

  She checked her watch. This time, she’d managed to sleep for almost two hours.

  “Hey, Sleeping Beauty, I wondered when you were going to wake up.”

  Beau
ty, her foot. She probably looked like hell after everything that had happened over the past few days, but then Chase looked pretty scruffy, too. On the other hand, his blue eyes were bright, clear, and alert.

  She threw back the thin blanket and stood up. “How are you feeling this morning?”

  “Definitely better, and Dr. Young says I’m officially back.”

  “That he is.” Laurel came around the end of the curtain twirling a key ring on her finger. “Dr. Riggs, would you like to do the honors?”

  Her sleep-fogged brain was slow to make the connection. “I’d love to.”

  Her hands shook as she unlocked the shackles that had held him chained to the table. After releasing the last one, she offered him a hand to help him sit up. “Go slow. You might be dizzy.”

  Stubborn man that he was, he immediately turned to dangle his legs over the edge of the table and dragged her into his arms for a celebratory kiss. She was dimly aware of Laurel laughing and the sound of the privacy curtain being dragged back into place. As she walked away, she murmured, “Make it quick, kiddies. You won’t be alone in there for long.”

  Did she mean what she thought she did?

  From the way Chase’s hands were wandering right now, he clearly thought so. She slapped them away when he tried to unfasten her slacks. “Chase, we can’t do this here.”

  He grinned. “Sure we can if we don’t waste time arguing about it.”

  Unfortunately for him—or maybe her—the sound of the main lab door opening was accompanied by loud voices. No doubt Chase’s fan club had arrived. The curtain was nearly torn off its hooks as Jarvis yanked it out of the way. Gwen was right behind him along with a variety of other familiar faces.

  No one said a word to her as they concentrated all their attention on Chase. That was as it should be, but it was surprising how suddenly feeling so alone hurt. As Chase tried to comfort his sister while exchanging good-natured insults with Jarvis and the other men, she slowly backed away, finally breaking free of the crowd. What now?

  Then she spotted Tyson, relieved to see one friendly face. She picked up her suitcase and hurried to where he stood by the lab door.