He released a heavy sigh, weighted with three months of tortured searching. She was here. She was safe. She was home. Tears touched his eyes.
He resisted the impulse to draw her closer, to hold her tighter still, to see if he could press her into his skin so that he would never part from her again. She felt so right against him … but how did she feel about being here?
Earlier she had pushed him away and he had felt her distance, her profound withdrawal from him. She hadn’t said a word and he hadn’t asked, but he’d understood her without needing to ask the question: It was too soon to be this close, this intimate.
He was in trouble in more ways than one, and he suspected she was as well.
His warrior phone buzzed. He slid the card off the marble surface of the nightstand where it always rested, rubbed the front, and murmured, “Medichi.”
“Thorne wants to patch in.”
“Thanks, Carla.” He spoke as low as he could, but Parisa stirred beside him. She lifted up on an elbow, and he ran a hand over her damp hair. “Sorry,” he murmured. “Thorne.”
She nodded.
“You there, Medichi?” Thorne barked.
“Give.”
“We went back. Thought you should know, the whole place was cleared out. But shit, all that equipment was still lit up like they’d just drained someone.”
“That’s what Parisa said.”
“The rumors were right. That place was a death and resurrection facility. We found bags of blood, tubing, defibrillators, a modern-day torture chamber.”
Medichi closed his eyes. Something inside his chest gave way. “Was there any kind of data? A computer? Anything?” His voice sounded almost as gravelly as Thorne’s.
“Not a damn thing. There wasn’t even a trace. There were vehicles parked out back. A van or two. We suspect Rith drove off with his slaves, then probably folded the whole lot to another secure location. Tell me you’re not surprised the place was empty.”
“No. Rith is one clever motherfucker.”
“Sorry, Medichi.”
“Thanks for going back.”
He heard a faint rumbling that might have been a you’re welcome, but he couldn’t be sure. The line went dead. Thorne wasn’t exactly a talkative man.
He pressed the card-like phone to his chest.
“What happened?” Parisa asked.
He looked down at her and hugged her. “The warriors went back to Mandalay but everyone was gone. I’m sorry.”
He felt her sigh, but for a long moment she didn’t say anything. Finally, he asked, “You okay?”
“I want to see Endelle.”
“Sure,” he said, but he felt uneasy. “Tomorrow. Maybe give you some time to settle in?” Of all the things Parisa might want right now, so soon after leaving Burma, he hadn’t expected a request to see the Supreme High Administrator of Second Earth.
“No,” she said, her fingers playing with his chest hairs in the center of his sternum. “No, I really think I want to see her today, right away. There are some things I need to get settled.”
He didn’t like the sound of that. “Okay. If that’s what you want.”
“That’s what I want.”
He nodded several times, but he could feel that he was frowning. He wanted to argue with her but how could he?
He released a sigh. “I’ll set it up.”
He called Central and had Carla patch him through to Her Supremeness. She agreed to see Parisa in an hour but barked, “Make sure she has some clothes on this time.” Her laughter rang in his head as he swiped the phone. Endelle shared Parisa’s preternatural voyeuristic talent; either she’d witnessed Parisa’s rescue or Thorne had shared the details with her when he reported in. Either way, Endelle had the worst sense of humor, not to mention timing.
Parisa rose. “All set?”
“Yes. One hour.” She reached a half-sitting position on her knees, which unfortunately put her quite magnificent br**sts at eye level. His body responded with one giant leap.
Her eyes widened. “All that sage,” she murmured.
He licked his lips. He reached for her but she rolled off the bed, landing on her feet. She jerked the black top sheet to her, wrapped herself up good and tight, then waggled a finger at him. “I want to. I do. But we don’t have time. I need to get dressed.”
He nodded in rapid-fire motion. “Of course.” But the sheet she’d taken had left him completely uncovered and he now stood at full-mast. So he folded his hands behind his head and smiled “Sorry. Can’t really help this.”
She covered her eyes and started walking mummy-fashion in the direction of the doors. “Are my clothes still in the other bedroom? All my toiletries?” The last week she’d been in his house, Havily had taken her shopping. There was practically a full wardrobe in the guest room waiting for her.
He wished he’d had the foresight to move everything to his room, but all his thoughts had been focused on bringing her home. “Yes, everything’s as you left it.” He sat up and drew the comforter over his lap. “I’m decent now,” he said, but he was smiling. Was decent the right word when all he could think about was what the hell he was supposed to do with a raging hard-on?
She lowered her hand and looked back at him. She gasped.
“What is it?”
“You … you look so beautiful like that, with your hair over your shoulders. Antony, you’re so beautiful.” Her gaze drifted down his chest, and he flexed his pecs for her. This time she moaned softly.
When he growled low in his throat and started to throw the cover back, she gave a little yip then scurried out of his bedroom. He flopped back onto the bed. So this was how it was going to be. All she had to do was compliment him, give him a look or two, and he was ready to grab her and throw her on her back.
Jesus H. Christ.
The greatest reward
Comes to the heart capable of love.
—Collected Proverbs, Beatrice of Fourth
Chapter 8
Jean-Pierre returned from Burma to the Cave in Metro Phoenix Two with the rest of the brothers. He said good-bye to one warrior after another. When only Kerrick remained, he yawned and said he was headed to his home in Sedona for the remainder of the day to sleep. That was a lie.
He did fold the distance to the front yard of his home and stood for a moment beneath the fragrant Arizona sycamores, but not for long. He wasn’t sure exactly what had gotten into him, but he felt a pressing need to return to Rith’s home, if only for a few minutes more.