Chapter Two
When we arrived back at the hotel, Luke had not said another word to me. I was quietly raging at him. Arrogant two-faced bastard thinks his way is the only way. I wasn't about to bend over and do as he says but I also had less authority then he did and for that reason, I kept my mouth shut. Partnership my ass.
I quickly occupied the bathroom a show and took a shower to wash off the slut, slime, and blood from me. After I showered, I put on my pajamas and brushed my teeth before heading to my side of the room. Luke ignored me as he made his way to the bathroom to do the same.
I slid beneath the sheets realizing this was the first sleep I had in almost twenty-four hours. Despite my exhaustion, I was in a state of restlessness. Who couldn't I trust? Why had Master Yan said that or rather thought that to me?
Luke strode past my bed and onto his shirtless, and my thoughts were suddenly cut short and quickly redirected. Was the man oblivious that I was a woman and that could be considered rude? He rested on top of the sheets with his sword at this side. His form was illuminated by the moonlight streaming through the window. His muscles tensed and then relaxed, rippling as he tried to reposition himself for comfort.
For fuck's sake, he was absolutely gorgeous and practically showing off in front of me. Bastard. I turned away, my tank top riding up and exposing my side. It was too hot to be all the way covered, and so I swung a leg out and hugged the comforter.
She sleeps like a kid.
Heard that asshole. I shook off my anger and readjusted the pillow, fluffing it and doing my best to ease into sleep. I could hear the soft breathing from the other side of the room and soon found I was having a hard time keeping my heart flutters at bay.
I should have just gone ahead and gotten two rooms.
Well that's a given you prick. I silently seethed as his thoughts became hard to ignore. I relaxed and soon felt the prickling of unconsciousness phase in around me.
Focus. Stop staring. It's too dangerous to get any closer.
I barely caught the stray thought before I succumbed to my exhaustion. What did he mean?
The sound of morning and the smell of coffee welcomed me as I opened my eyes. I could probably sleep another day and still be just barely be rested, but I was sure Luke probably had a plan by now. Rising from the bed, I pulled my shirt down and stood up to look for the tall man of my thoughts. He must be in the shower.
I worried for a second. I had a lot of bad sleeping habits, and I was pretty sure Luke probably caught sight of one or two of them. No, that's ridiculous. It doesn't matter. After we catch this demon, our acquaintance will be over, and I will be finally rid of all these confusing feelings. Lengthening my spine and standing taller, I made my way over to my bag and grabbed the clothes I would wear for today.
Luke was a moment behind me and exited the bathroom fully clad in a black t-shirt and denim jeans. He looked radiant in the light. Focus, Iris. Damn it!
"Morning," I said shortly before bounding towards the bathroom and closing the door behind me.
We entered the small cafe a block away from our hotel. Taking a table in the far corner with our two coffees and bagels, we settled in to start our planning.
"I spoke with the council this morning," Luke said as he took a sip from his mug. "They think it wise for us to do a little more digging before going after Ben. We're sure that he has many other partners and minions within this town and we would need to take them down first before we could even get close to where Ben is hiding out."
I don't trust the council especially after what Master Yan said but how to tread lightly on that with someone who reports to them...
"Have you ever wondered if there might be a mole within our ranks?"
Luke watched me warily before speaking. "Its impossible. We would have sniffed them out almost immediately. What are you suggesting?"
Very lightly. "Nothing in particular. In the recent years, it seems more demons are crossing over into our world and eluding us."
"They are hundreds of years old, Hughes, and immortal. They have had a lot of time to learn from their mistakes and sharpen their skills." Luke was watching me as if I would sprout horns any minute. Obviously this was getting us no where.
"But that's all the more reason to suspect it possible they could infiltrate our ranks...our council." Easy Iris. You don't want to insult the only person you might be able to trust.
Luke seemed to ponder my words for a few minutes. I felt the tight ball forming in my chest as he did. He is intelligent and calculating. Surely he would have started to suspect as much after all these years.
"I'll humor you and entertain the possibility," Luke's voice was ice to my ears. I could feel the electricity forming in the air around us. "What would you suggest we do to find the mole?"
"Well we would be walking on thin ice," I said almost silently under his heated gaze.
"Very thin ice."
"Master Yan said the council couldn't be trusted. Only you could be trusted." Well talk about showing all your cards at once. Of course, I've never been very good at hiding my hand.
Luke stopped moving and his face became unreadable. I kept out of his head for fear of what he might do if I were to peek, but it was so tempting that I was creating crescent markings in my palms to maintain control. Suddenly, Luke was bending forward, and his eyes were boring into me.
"Iris." His tone was deadly, and his stare was penetrating even my well-controlled calm. His hand grabbed onto mine, and I had to withhold the gasp as images and thoughts came bounding inside me, almost drowning me in them. Years worth of thoughts and images. He had always been suspicious and for years upon years he had searched. It was more deeply rooted than I could have ever imagined.
"Oh my god," I said after pulled away and going limp into the unforgiving wood of the chair.
"We can't talk here," Luke said gazing about the room. "Let's return to the hotel."
I could only nod as I continued to swim in images and thoughts he had flooded into my head. My legs were like jelly as I made to stand, and before I fell, I was held up by Luke's strong arms.
"Too much I suppose."
"I'm fine," I said trying to push away. His hold on me tightened.
"You are not fine," he said with a deep sigh. Before I could protest, he gathered me up into a princess hold and walked us out of the cafe. Talk about embarrassing! My face was aflame, and I had to hid it in my hands. So much for appearing every bit of cool he was. Luke ignored me and walked with unhindered strides towards the hotel.
"I can walk! Jesus Luke! Put me down!"
"Not until we're in our room," Luke said ignoring my struggle. Damn he was strong. I could barely budge in his hold. After years of training just to avoid being held down like this, I had failed in every form and silently surrendered as strange gazes followed us all the way to our room.
Luke put me down onto the bed gently before sitting down next to me. His face was its usual impassiveness, but there was a hint of worry in his eyes as he gazed at me. His thoughts had overwhelmed me enough that my limbs were still recovering from their state of numbness.
"Okay, now tell me what the hell is going on," I said through my teeth. "Next time you want to flood me with images, make sure we're not in public."
"I apologize. I was not aware it would come all at once to you." Luke did look genuinely sorry so I let my anger pass and waited for him to explain.
"I have suspected for years," he said softly before meeting my gaze. "I heard of you first from Master Leon, and he had told me that you and Master Yan were the only others we could trust. Of course, I wasn't sure enough to come out with it as soon as we met. Your ability to read my thoughts had me unnerved that I would give away information to the wrong hands if I was not careful."
I was watching as his eyes danced with electricity. He must give off a charge whenever he lets his emotions take hold. It was the first time since the battle that I had seen his unguarded gaze.
"This is deep Iris. Deeper than you and I could ever imagine. In twelve years, I have only scratched the surface. Both Master Yan and Master Leon have been doing their own investigation but are limited due to the ties with the council. It was only a month ago that Master Leon came clean to me about his suspicions. Though, I had already suspected as much before he did. It was why I ultimately sought you out."
I was enamored as his eyes held mine through his explanation. He must really trust me to be divulging so much.
"Its too dangerous to involve you further, but I have no other choice. I need you."
I stopped breathing at his words. His stare was unfaltering and sincere. It took my breath away. After two days with him, I was so deeply involved that pulling me away from it now would be impossible and plenty painful.
"Why?" I found myself asking after I resumed breathing.
"Its a feeling," Luke said after a short while. Well talk about a let down. After all that build up, I was sure he'd say something like it was destiny or that we shared like abilities and goals. Nope...all this amounted to was a feeling.
"You flatter me." I couldn't help the sarcasm that spilled from my mouth.
"Iris," Luke said firmly. I regarded him silently. "You need to trust me."
"That's the problem." I let my breath escape.
"You can't?"
"No. I trust you so completely that it scares me."
Luke smiled and once more stole the breath from me. "That makes two of us."
Finally I could feel my legs again and moved them gingerly before tossing over the side of the bed and sitting just beside Luke. "So what does Ben Whitefield have to do with all of this?"
"I believe he is the leader or at least one of them."
Silence grew between us as I fidgeted in my thoughts. Undertaking years of bureaucracy and a demon just as old was not something you could run right into with your guns blazing. Which reminded me...
"Why do you use swords? Don't all top members of the council's watch use a gun of some sort?"
Luke smirked and let out a low chuckle, "I can transfer my electric charge into the blade. Besides, I like the way it feels to slice into them."
"Aren't you poetic." I pulled the dagger from my sheath. "Though I can't exactly say I'm much different. I have always loved wielding my blades. However, I do use the occasional gun when I feel like daggers might prove pointless."
Luke's shoulder brushed with mine as he repositioned himself.
Dagger wielding telepath. Sexy.
I smiled as we sat once more in silence, his thoughts echoing fainting through me. Guess Luke did have a sense of humor after all.
We were back on the streets. Our footsteps echoed as we traveled through the dimly lit alley. Now that we were on the same page, I was much more willing to continue investigating before taking action. Ben Whitefield changed forms every few years to keep off the trackers. You could say that he used his bodies until they proved no longer useful. Luke had believed that after our run in with his little pet yesterday, Ben would be on the prowl for a new vessel. I agreed.
Finding Ben wasn't our goal tonight. In order for Ben to find a vessel, he would send out his most trusted men to scout out an appropriate one. Thankfully, Ben likes his vessels like he likes his women, tall, dark, and beautiful or so Luke tells me. Never imagined he had a sense of humor. Yes, he did say it with a straight face and no, I couldn't hold back my laughter.
The night was walk like a sheet of thin ice around us. A small breath fog left our mouths as we briskly stalked towards our destination. The street, in which our helpful bleached-and-limber victim had led me to just before he was decapitated, was bare of life and of thoughts. Most of the houses on this street were unoccupied and run into the ground. Perfect place for a hiding demon no doubt.
I felt the chill run through me as soon as we approached the house. I could sense Groods around the complex and drew out my trusted daggers. Twirling them between my fingers, I counted the carnal thoughts that sifted through me. Groods only ever thought of flesh and the kill.
"Nine of them."
"He keeps the place heavily guarded," Luke said as he pressed a hand to my shoulder.
Not tonight. We watch.
We crossed the street and climbed the fire escape to the rooftop. Hopefully we are far enough away that nothing could sense us out. I could hear their thoughts a mile away, giving us time to flee if they did by chance feel our presence nearby.
"Awe, our first stake out," I smiled as we watched with our bodies pressed shoulder-to-shoulder together in case we needed to relay our information silently. "We should take something home to commemorate this occasion."
Luke scoffed but said nothing. His eyes never faltered from their gaze. The hour drew on with no activity as we watched for any signs of life. I could see the Groods sniffing about the grounds but keeping to the shadows. Lucky no one traveled this street. I would feel obligated to rescuing them if they were attacked.
Another vessel. Why does he have to be so specific? I can't find someone with all of his requirements!
I stiffened against the thought echoing through me. Bingo.
Turning to Luke, I gave him a slight nod before focusing my energy on the shadowed individual walking quietly alongside the street.
He's just going to get rid of it as soon as they find him. It's like a broken record. I'm getting sick of this shit. He only gave me three days. Three days. Who the hell can do anything in only three days. Day two and I'm still coming up with nothing. Fuck. He should just change into whatever body I find and then be done with it.
The man stopped in front of the house guarded by the Groods. The group sniffed him out before returning to their posts. I tried to dig deeper into his mind, pulling up images of his day and his visited locations. Sifting through, I was able to gather enough about the specifications in which was needed for the vessel. He walked slowly into the house before his thoughts were cut off, and I felt a heaviness against my brow.
I swayed as the darkness blinded me and before I could catch myself, I limped into unconsciousness.
I could feel cold against my brow. It sounded like someone was talking to me, but their voice sounded as if I was deep under water. I could feel the brush of fingertips against my cheek, and the voice grew louder and more recognizable.
"Iris."
My eyes shot open and the greek god's face appeared before me. Icy-blue depths drowning in worry met mine.
"Luke?"
"Oh thank god,"he heaved a sigh. "What the hell happened out there?"
"I don't know," I said as I tried to sit up. Luke helped me because it seemed I was still not strong enough for lifting my weight. "I remember reading his thoughts about a vessel and then when he walked into the house, his thoughts ceased, and I guess I lost consciousness."
"I feared this might happen. Seems I was right to think he had some sort of barrier spell up on the house. Good thing you were able to pull back."
"Pull back?"
"Iris, you left your body and entered his mind while you searched. You went limp against me just as he started up those steps. Did you not know it?"
"That's never happened to me before," I said thoughtfully. It actually scared me quite substantially to know I had.
"Your powers are growing and with practice, you'll be able to control not only the thoughts and images in their heads but their body and movements. Its as Master Yan said."
"Master Yan? When did he tell you this?" I couldn't help the disgust apparent on my face. Never once had Master Yan mentioned anything close to this and yet he told Luke, a complete stranger.
"Just before we left and you were gathering your things." Luke didn't seem to pick up my growing anger. His jaw clenched as I touched his arm pulling his thoughts of their conversation.
"She does not seem aware of it yet," a hazy image of Master Yan came into view. "However, she is getting stronger, but her control is not yet there. Luke, I must ask that you watch over her. If her soul leaves her body and goes into another, it could be very dangerous without her ability to control it."
"Then wouldn't it be prudent to make her aware of it?"
"Not yet," Master Yan said while stroking his beard. "Once she becomes aware of it, she will do her best to learn to control it for her own use. However, she can severely deplete her energy by doing so without proper control of it. She will need my help in order to sustain her life force and learn to draw energy from her vessel. Until you can return, she is not to use it. Thus, you must subdue her if you ever fear she might be on the verge to."
"I will do my best, master."
"Be sure that you do. Iris is much more powerful than anyone I have encountered, and she will serve in the ultimate cause."
Jerking backwards, my head connected with the headboard, and I let out a hiss in pain. I rubbed the tender spot on the back of my head before focusing on the still individual in front of me. Luke was staring at me without one inkling of emotion giving away his thoughts.
"I told you that you would complicate things if you read my thoughts without permission again," he said evenly. His voice was low and menacing. I pulled my legs to me and did my best to stare him down.
"I had every right to know," I stated as I held firm against his powerful gaze.
"Iris, you need to trust me or we will never be able to accomplish what we need to in the future."
"I told you, I do trust you. I just needed to see if for myself." My was I stubborn. If it had been Vicky, I would have chastised her but seems I am more stubborn than I thought myself to be.
Luke moved closer, and my eyes wandered to the exposed skin around his collarbone. He had beautiful skin. The close contact was forcing my thoughts to stray to things that I had so persistently ignored.
His hand sunk in the mattress near my rear, and he leaned over to look at me silently. His eyes were truly magnificent even in the low lighting of this hotel room. I would have believed him a vampire by the power of his hold on me. It felt like his eyes were drawing me in; a incubus luring its prey with soft spoken promises.
"If you had given me the opportunity, I would have shown you myself. Instead, you did so without asking me first. Do you understand? Its dangerous and you are not fully in control of yourself in this weakened state." His voice was husky and it made my skin crawl. I felt my heart flutter dangerously in my chest as his face neared mine. I could feel the warmth of his breath against my gaping lips as he advanced barely an inch away until our noses about touched. His hair tickled my forehead, and I absently licked my chapped lips in response.
"Do you understand?"
"Yes," I breathed.
"Good." His voice ran through me. I did my best to steady my rampaging pulse, but his nearness only made the flush gather in my cheeks. It was the closest I had been to a man. And what a man he is.
Luke pulled away, smirking with an arrogant flare. "You are too easy to rile up."
"What-" I growled becoming more aware of the heat in my cheeks and pounding of my heart.
"So innocent," he joked as he stood from the bed. "If that's all it takes to make you blush."
"Prick," I threw the nearest pillow at him, and he caught it deftly before smiling in triumph. I had him pegged for the socially awkward type but here he was teasing me for my lack of sexual knowledge. I pulled the sheet from myself and stood from the bed. I never backed down from a challenge. I wasn't about to start now.
He was still laughing when I walked the short distance between us. I pressed my hands to his chest and forced images of myself naked, bathing, and touching myself when I thought no one could hear my soft moans. His laughing was cut off, and his eyes grew wider as I breathed heavily against the force of my kinetic energy. In an instant, he was pushing me away from him and scorning me with glazed over eyes.
"Why would you...what could you possibly..."
"Not so innocent now am I?" I strode away from him and perched on top of the bed. "Even I know what blue balls are and how one obtains them."
Luke gaped slightly at me before clenching his jaw and stalking to the bathroom; the door shut violently behind him.
"Enjoy your cold shower!"
My senses tickled beneath the surface of sleep, and my eyes shot open. I dodged the attack, rolling from the bed and grabbing a dagger from beneath it. Luke was already stalling the other two in their attack as they slithered towards me.
Night-crawlers, their multiple legs and glowing green with envy eyes, yearned for us. They would first strip you of your flesh, and then they would savor your screams as they ate you alive. Usually night-crawlers were scarce in these parts, but they made easy paid assassins and could crawl their way into the most secure of places. Which meant that Ben had found us and sent them after us. Too bad we weren't puppies with no sense of fight.
The centipede-like creature struck towards me, and I flipped out of its way before slicing a long opening down its front side. The high shrill of its call alerted the other two in which tried to make their way back towards me. Luke was already slicing them and electrocuting their insides before they could reach me.
"Night-crawlers...you would think he would have a more creative idea for our death," I said walking over the now dissolving bodies. Guess we'd need damage control again and a new hotel.
"He certainly thought very little of our abilities which means he is still unsure of our ranking and who we are." Luke pulled out the cell phone from the bedside table and hit speed dial. Of course, he had damage control on speed dial.
As he spoke to them briefly about the incident, I gathered up my things and pulled on a pair of jeans and a fresh t-shirt. Considering I flooded Luke's mind with images of myself naked, I figured a brief show of lingerie would be nothing new. Modesty be damned. I did catch his stalled speech though when I pulled off my pajama top and followed it quickly with my bottoms.
"Yes, I understand. We'll leave town for a few days to keep him off the trail." Luke ended the call and then gathered his things quickly, hulling them over his shoulder.
"Leaving town?"
"Yes," he said curtly. "Ben is hot on our trail and if we stay, he'll figure out who we are. So we go back to your place for a few days and take him off our scent."
"Flying?"
"Is there any other way?"
I groaned and followed him out of the hotel. After checking out, Luke and I made our way to San Francisco International Airport when he had our flight arranged. Considering that we were suppose to be dead, Ben probably wouldn't follow up until the day afterward to make sure. Luke had damage control slip a few ideas into the surrounding staff about an untimely death of one of their rooms with a hoax story on how only bones were left afterward. A strange and peculiar occurrence. Unless Ben investigated it further, he would be put off our trail, and we could resurface a few days later.
Boots greeted us as we came out of the terminal, his hand waving back and forth reminding me of a dog greeting its master at the door. I couldn't help the smile on my lips. He never changed, and in a world of good versus evil, it was nice to have something that stayed ever unchanging.
"Hey Boots," I said as he hugged me close. Luke gave him a look before Boots took his hand and shook with polite vigor.
"Good to see you again Mister Cross."
"Luke is fine," he said as we headed to the parking lot. The old boot-leg truck had a fresh paint job but squealing brakes. Guess you can't win them all. Boots pulled out and headed back up the mountainside towards the compound.
"Master Yan was hoping that he could pick you up, but he got new recruits in today and some of them are greener than green, if you know what I mean."
Luke gave me a look, and I merely smiled at him.
"Boots is an informant for the council and a personal friend to Master Yan."
"No special abilities like you kids, but I reckon I could get a punch or two in before they killed me. 'Course, I keep tabs on the travelers in these parts and make sure that I report any suspicious individuals to Master Yan. Its a pretty quiet area though, and not too many of those kind take up house here. Figure not enough people to munch on out here."
"He's crude, but he's a good guy." I laughed as Luke merely shook his head. Boots looked over his shoulder at me with a sheepish grin before turning back to the road.
"So girly, I hear you are helping track one of them demons down in California." Luke looked over at me in disbelief, and I shrugged in response.
"You don't have to worry," I said trying to ease his nerves. His shoulders looked tense. "Boots has been working for Master Yan and the council for over twenty years. He's never let us down or let any of our secrets slip."
Luke still appeared apprehensive but settled down for the rest of the drive. When we arrived at the house just beside the hidden compound, I waved at Boots and told him I would be by later. Before I could get inside, Vicky was already running out of the house followed by a girl new to me and a man about my age, also entirely new to me.
"New recruits," she shrugged when I gave her a quizzical look. "Aren't they sweet?"
Luke walked passed her and inside. I sighed as she followed him with her eyes and then she was on me, her questions blazing.
"Did you do what we talked about?"
"Oh come on Vic, I just got back and we're in front of the house for christ sakes!" She watched me for a minute before smiling.
"Oh, what's this...you did do something you little minx!" She grabbed me by both my arms and then pulled me into a tight hug. "I'm so proud of you! My little girl is growing up."
"For christ sakes! We're the same age and let go of me." I tried to pull away but she hugged onto me harder. The two recruits were trying to hold back their laughter but it was obvious that they were losing that battle. I sighed and rested my chin on her shoulder. Luke had come back after setting his stuff inside it seemed and was leaning against the doorway with a smirk at his lips. Prick.
Finally, Vicky pulled away and wrapped an arm around my shoulder as we headed inside. Luke had already wiped that smirk on his face and replaced it with his usual indifference. Yeah, wouldn't want to locals to know that you are a big oaf of a man that likes to tease helpless women until their cheeks flush red. Minus the helpless.
Master Yan was in the kitchen with Tony, one of our other Watchers and designated chef. They were talking about spices to add when I walked into the kitchen.
Tony smiled at me brightly before turning back to his masterpiece. Nothing got in the way of his cooking. Master Yan was upon me with his trademark smile and a glint in his eyes.
"Luke tells me that you will only be staying a few days."
"Yeah, we have a large web to untangle out there." I settled on a bar stool near the counter. Tony was mumbling to himself as he was adding the spice and tasted the sauce on a spoon. Master Yan came to sit beside me. His hand rested on mine and his echoing voice filled my head.
Get out of town. I have a feeling about these new recruits and we can't risk it. I suspect that you know more on your return, and we will have to discuss it at a later time. Trust Luke only. There are eyes watching everywhere.
I pushed my thoughts into his head all the while maintaining a gaze out the window.
Okay but if you need back up, you contact me straight away and we'll come back out here. Something is in the air. Luke let me in on what Master Leon had suspected. I also seem to have gone into a body out in San Francisco when I was sifting through his memories.
Master Yan paused, his hand squeezing mine before he sighed.
Then it is as I've feared. No matter. It isn't safe here so as soon as you can get out of town, do it. I will contact you as soon as I can. Now go.
I stood up and smiled at Tony as he continued mumbling. "Sorry Tony, looks like I have to head out. I just wanted to stop in."
"Okay Iris," he said his gaze still on his sauce. "I'll see you soon."
Laughing and then heading out to meet Luke in the loft, I grabbed his arm and pushed my conversation with Master Yan to him. After a few seconds, he nodded and grabbed his things. My ability had never been so useful but I was thankful as we made our way to the car. Vicky was hot on my heels.
"Heard you guys are going to be heading out," her smile said she was thinking all the wrong thoughts but I kept my thoughts to myself. Luke just gazed at her as we climbed into my ancient mustang.
"Take good care of her. She's all I got in this world," Vicky proclaimed melodramatically at him.
"Of course," he finally said. I had to bit my lip to tell the two of them to shut it. "I'll take very, very good care of her."
Didn't miss the mirth in those words, Luke. I glared at him, and he just shrugged his shoulders at me. Such a little...
"Oh I'm sure you will," Vicky said without missing a beat. Damn that girl. Oblivious in critical areas but observant in only the most annoying ones. "Have a nice day now!"
I pulled out of the drive and headed back down the mountainside. When we were clear of the compound, Luke turned to me.
"I could sense it there."
"Me too." It was very subtle but it was there. The slow electric air of evil lurking. Not to sound too overly dramatic, but you could taste it and a part of me worried for the others. I trusted Master Yan but something felt different about the energy, and I was sure he knew it.
"We will leave the state and find a hotel along the way." My hands clenched the steering wheel. I didn't want to leave the others behind and it almost killed me to do so. Luke was watching me as he always did but said nothing. I was lost to my thoughts as I drove well into the night.
The roadside motel was nothing to marvel at, but I had stayed in worst kept places. The room was without decoration, and I was pretty sure that the overhead stain in the ceiling was from bad plumbing but we would be only staying for the night. Luke set his bag onto the desk and eyed the singular bed before laying down on it.
"Sharing a bed? I thought we were just friends." His joke only received an exhausted glare from me as I too set my bag next to his. The clerk only had this one bedroom available. Hard to believe a place this run down was so popular but I guess when you have no other choice for miles and no reserves about sleeping with cockroaches, then this was as good as a Hilton.
"I liked it better when you didn't talk," I said as I settled next to him. After the last few days, sleep was the only thing on my mind. I could barely put up a fight. I was sure I would regret it in the morning and modesty would probably come as soon as the sun rose, but I was beaten from the day's drive and flight. My limbs were sore, and I would love to soak in a warm bath if I wasn't worried I would drown.
"I have an acquaintance in a town just fifty miles from here," Luke said as my eyes grew heavy. "We can stay with him for the remaining days and then head back down to San Francisco. It will give us a few days to come up with a plan."
"Mm-hm," I murmured as my eyes closed. I heard Luke grunt before the bed shifted and the light went off. The bed shifted again and the comforter was pulled out from beneath me. He covered my lax body before settling next to me.
I drifted off before I had a chance to feel embarrassed.
Strong arms held me tightly against a firm torso. The slow exhale of heat against my neck kept me from moving. I awoke before dawn feeling Luke pull me towards him and wrap around me. I had been too afraid to move in case it might wake him. For someone as guarded as he was, he certainly slept like he had nothing to fear.
My skin prickled as a hand smoothed over the skin of my stomach sliding up and underneath my top. My breath hitched as fingers drew dizzy circles over the flesh. I steeled myself against the tickling sensation. Biting my lip I tried to slide away only to hear a low chuckle from behind me.
"Ticklish?"
"Damn it Luke!" I drew away from him and turned my angry eyes on him. "If you're awake, say so."
"I was enjoying myself." Luke folded his arms behind his head and regarded me with a grin. His messy brunette locks and cool-blue eyes made him appear boyish with that grin. I almost lost all reason for my earlier anger. The white t-shirt he wore was drawn up slightly exposing a toned sliver of his belly that my eyes couldn't help but stray to. His soft-curving nose and full lips were next as I did my best to hold my glare.
"I bet you were," I finally said after taking in his finely curved jaw and perfectly smooth skin that was soft shade of beige. Shit. I was really starting to lose focus. I started to crawl out of the bed when my arm was jerked, and I fell backward back onto the mattress.
"Rest." His voice was firm but there was a gentleness to it as he held himself up on his side, resting his head on his hand. "Four hours of sleep is not enough, and we have time to kill."
"No, we have demons to kill." I corrected as I made to get up. He pushed me back to the bed with his other hand and then slid it along the length of my arm. I could feel the warmth leave a trail in its wake.
You look cutest in the morning. Don't ruin it with opening your mouth.
"You ass-" I started before he cut me off with a finger.
"Honestly, you have such a foul mouth that I sometimes forget you are this twenty-something blue-eyed woman."
"I'm twenty-two and what does it matter? I'm not in the business of making nice with my mouth." Or with you.
"Hm," Luke said with a smirk. "Making nice with your mouth? I would like to see that."
"Are all men perverts or are you just a special breed?" I watched as his eyes danced with humor. He was such a different person in times like these. It would almost seem that first day with him was a figment of my imagination.
"Joking aside." And we were back to business. "Rest is vital to our job. We have to go right back into it when we head into San Francisco so its important to rest up as much as possible in these few days."
"Goodie," I said devoid of excitement. "More investigating I assume?"
"Yes," Luke said shortly. "I am only guessing he has found another vessel by now so we'll have to redirect our focus."
"More slut outfits?"
Luke was back to his grinning. "You read my mind."
"Nope, just guessed." I smiled but my thoughts were straying once more. He was awfully close, and the air was charged around him. I was starting to guess what it meant anytime there was charge around him. Maybe my bright idea to disregard the fact that there were no two-bedroom rooms available was starting to rear it's ugly head.
Luke caught my wandering eyes and his hand jerked me from my thoughts when it rested on the side of my face.
"If you stare like that, I'm going to start getting the wrong idea." Though it was obvious taunting, his eyes were serious. He leaned toward me, and I could feel the strong draw of those blue depths as our noses touched. It was only an instant later when I felt his mouth on mine and our hot breath mingling. His mouth moved against mine in a slow and deliberate way that left me breathless. A hot tongue plunged into mine, and I clung to him in attempts at withholding my moans.
It didn't. He had me moaning like a cat in heat as he passionately swept the whole of my mouth. I couldn't think or breathe but I could hear him breathing and him thinking and it was nearly my undoing.
He slid his leg between mine and pushed them apart before coming between them and pressing into me. My neck arched to keep contact with his mouth and deepening the kiss. I could feel the tight ball in my stomach and his heat between us. It was enough to drive me mad, but reality hit like a Mozart singing brick when my cell phone went off, pulling me out of my stupor. I scrambled from beneath him and grabbed the cell from my bag.
I could hear Luke groan and drop onto the bed.
"This is Iris."
"Iris," I could hear Master Yan's voice, and my chest felt tight. "Do not return to San Francisco. Do not take a call from the council. You or Luke are no longer safe. I'll contact you soon."
The phone buzzed at the other end. I turned towards Luke, my eyes glazed over. Master Yan had never sounded so desperate. Luke was staring at me, his breathing having slowed to normal.
"What did he tell you?"
"He told me not to return to San Francisco and not to take a call from the council. He said we are no longer safe and he will contact me soon." Suddenly, the phone buzzed in my hands. The council's head office. I looked up from the phone to Luke.
"Give me the phone." I handed it over expecting him to take the call. Instead, Luke broke the phone in half and tossed it. He took out his cell phone and did the same before gathering up our things and turning to me. "We're leaving."
After paying for our stay and heading out, Luke was driving with his eyes steeled forward.
"Can we still stay with your acquaintance?" I had my doubts but he quickly quenched them.
"He is not part of the council or the Watchers. He is an old friend of my family's. Sort of like an uncle." Luke looked over to me with a soft smile. It was the first time I'd seen it, and I couldn't help but smiling in return.
"Do you think all of this has anything to do with Ben Whitefield?" I would bet my life it did. All of this was too coincidental to be chance. We could no longer trust anyone we knew aside from a handful already in on the possibility that the council was tainted and now we were having to go AWOL from the council.
"I would probably say he was one of the main contributors but there is someone else and until we know who, no one can be trusted. We will have to lay low for a little while until we can figure something out. In the meantime, we'll stay at Rick's estate and train ourselves for battle." Luke's eyes were determined, and the air was suddenly charged with is fury. We no longer had anyone to hold our hands. The only people we had was each other.