A/N: Ok, I felt bad about going so long without updating, so I'm putting
two chapers up. They way you guys have lots to read. There is one more
chapter after this, then a short epilogue, and Into The Dark is done.
Finito. *Sniff* My baby. There is a sequel, however, and it already has
several chapters written, so Lara and Kurtis' story isn't done yet.
Disclaimer: Lara Croft, Kurtis Trent, and all other characters affiliated with Tomb Raider are the property of Eidos and Crystal Dynamics. I own nothing. (Except a few pieces of dirty laundry, (damn, wash day again!) various useless pieces of crap, the identities of which are to this day unknown, and a whole shitload of books.) :D
Chapter Eleven
_____________________________________________________________________
Motel Room
Peru, August 16th, 2003
She woke to his warmth, stirring lightly in the masculine arms encircling her slender figure.
His hard body lay still against her own, a large palm curved over her deceptively fragile hands where they rested against the bed's surface. Their fingers entwined naturally, the move rendered sometime during the night, in slumber. His chest rose and fell softly against the arch of her back, the bare flesh of his chest grazing her with each gentle inhalation.
Lara stiffened, even as her body longed to nestle against him, feel the heat emanating from his strong figure. She knew she should push him away, slap him upside the head to awaken him and start the daily festivities. But something within her rebelled, and instead she lay quietly, reluctant to rouse him. There was a quiet serenity in the moment, a complacent quality that did not often present itself in her active life.
He breathed in softly, and moved lightly against her, his head shifting where it lay tucked beneath her chin, just above her chest. Dark hair rustled across the material of her shirt, long bangs tickling the tender flesh of her throat.
Full lips curved in a slight smile.
Kurtis' arms tightened ever-so-slightly, holding her to him more securely than before.
Her gaze strayed to their entangled fingers, and the sight struck her as perfect and natural, as though their hands had been sculpted for one another. She twitched her fingers lightly in his, stroking a fingertip across the rough curve of his knuckle, callused flesh whispering softly against her own.
He stirred again, and Lara froze, even her breath stilling as he inhaled deeply. Then he cradled her fingers more tightly, pulling the jumbled knot of hands up to rest against her stomach.
She relaxed, both eyes fluttering shut.
*I should kick him in the head. But this feels...nice. I suppose I'll allow him to keep all his body parts, as long as he doesn't try to pin this little...cuddling session on me. He's the one assaulting me in my sleep. This is entirely his fault. And right when I'm trying to make everything go back to being just 'business.'*
She recalled another time, months ago, when he'd returned to 'save' her after trapping her in that shaft just within the Bio Research Center, and she'd introduced herself, then proceeded to pat him down for weapons with a brief "And this is business," to explain her actions. Even then she hadn't been entirely sure that anything between them could ever be classified as 'just business.'
For all intents and purposes, he was still basically a stranger to her, and yet it seemed as though they'd known one another for years. There was a shared comradeship between them despite their many arguments and sarcastic comments. She'd never encountered someone so like herself before, and it frightened her even as it intrigued her. There was always a nagging fear at the back of her mind which kept her constantly on her toes, a thought that, would she allow herself the liberty, she could fall in love with Kurtis. It was something she'd worked her whole existence to avoid, shunning a conventional life of marriage and kids. That was something Lara had never wanted, assuming it would take too much away from her independence and restlessness. Falling in love with a man was the first step toward being tied down and suddenly finding herself in the role of a mother with six children, changing diapers and shuttling the little beasts off to school.
Remembering this, Lara untangled her hands from his, and wriggled from his embrace. Unconsciously, Kurtis tightened his arms again, and rolled closer, the sheets twisting around their entwined bodies.
Trapped within the circle of his arms, Lara began to flail, writhing against him in an effort to free herself. She struck out a hand, and heard him grunt as the impact abruptly stirred him from slumber. She felt almost panicked as she finally placed both hands against his chest and shoved hard, the knowledge of how much she enjoyed his touch a little too vivid for her taste.
Lara caught a brief glimpse of wide-open azure eyes before Kurtis slipped off the bed's narrow edge, and thunked to the floor with a muttered curse.
*Oops.*
She jerked upright, and crawled warily to the end, peering downward into his irritated gaze. "Good morning."
"What the hell did you do that for?" he demanded without rising from where he lay sprawled across thin carpeting.
"You were crowding me."
"I was sleeping."
"Yes, with your arms around me and your body smashed up against the back of mine."
He narrowed both eyes at her. "Whatever you were dreaming about must be crossing over into reality. I stayed on my side of the bed. All night." he added for clarification, though he vaguely recalled burrowing close to her sometime during the evening and falling back asleep with the sound of her thundering heart drumming beneath his ear.
"Yes, I suppose my 'dream' was so powerful and vivid that it picked up your arms, put them around my waist, then forced you to go to sleep with your head on my chest."
He returned her stare coldly, without replying.
"You're just angry that I caught you acting like a human being for once." She paused, then continued on, mocking him. "Don't feel bad that you're attracted to me. If I were a man, I'd be attracted to me too."
He propped himself up on one hand, tousling sleep-rumpled hair. "If you were a man you'd run screaming in the other direction from yourself."
"You trying to say I have a bad attitude?"
"You just smacked me in the head then shoved me off the bed for no reason. Draw your own conclusions."
"I explained my reason. Just because you won't accept it doesn't mean it's not a legitimate argument."
They stared one another down another moment, until Kurtis finally stood, muscles rippling powerfully. Lara turned away before he could spot the blush which flushed her entire face.
*I wish he'd put a damned shirt on. He's doing it purposefully, just to tempt me.* she thought angrily.
"We need to stop arguing and find Karel." Kurtis said abruptly, seating himself on the edge of the bed. "His work has to be destroyed, since we can't kill him without the Shard. With his prototypes and research all gone, he's just another crazy son of a bitch in a world full of them."
"Ironic, isn't it, that just yesterday we were escaping the bastard, and now we're planning to seek him out." *It's also ironic that I'm trying my hardest to ignore how sexy you are, and you keep wandering around shirtless with your gorgeous body on display. I suppose as long as you're not naked I can mange to control myself...and that just conjured up images that aren't helping.*
Lara coughed to dispel lingering images of bare flesh, avoiding his gaze.
Kurtis flopped backward onto the bed, lying spread spread-eagled, another move by him that didn't exactly help to ease her fierce attraction. *Don't look at it...him! I meant him.* she scolded herself, squeezing both eyes shut. "What was the 'archaeological discovery' down in Cambodia that Karel played a role in?" Lara asked, carefully keeping herself distant from his warm body. "I didn't take the time to read the article."
"Some sort of rock."
"A rock?" Lara asked, lifting both eyebrows. "Do you mind being a little more specific?"
"A tablet, I think, with some sort of inscription on it. There weren't very many details."
"I'm sure that's the way Karel wanted it. You think it might have had something to do with the underground cities in Turkey, where the Nephilim stronghold supposedly is? Maybe the tablet was some sort of map, indicating where exactly the stronghold is located."
"If Karel was taking an interest in it, the tablet must have had something to do with the Nephilim." He shrugged. "What, I don't know. If we can get our hands on it..."
"My hands. We don't know where your hands have been."
"Up your shirt." he replied flippantly.
"Excuse me?" Lara barked, shooting him a stern look.
"My hands. I was telling you where they've been." Kurtis explained, smirking.
"I'm not finding you amusing right now. And how did we, once again, stray from the original subject? If you'd keep your mind on business and not keep conjuring made-up images of your hands roaming about my body..."
"It wasn't made-up, if I remember correctly."
"Then I think you need to remember again. And again, and again, until you finally remember that your hands have never been up my shirt." Lara said coldly.
Kurtis placed both hands on either side of her body, and leaned in close, as though to kiss her, their mouths nearly grazing. Her lips parted automatically, waiting for him, even as a part of her rebelled at his nearness, a lingering scream drifting within her mind urging her to pull away. "You liked it." Kurtis whispered.
*Kiss me, you annoying idiot, even though I'll have to punch you afterward.*
He touched a fingertip to her chin, tilting her face, angling her lips to his. Then suddenly, he drew back, his breath falling warm across her features for a moment before fading completely.
Lara blinked drowsily.
They contemplated one another across the bed's span, eyes softer than usual. "Will you answer a few questions of mine?" Kurtis asked quietly.
She quirked an eyebrow. "Yes."
His lips curved faintly. "Truthfully?"
"That depends on what kind of questions they are. And only if you'll answer a couple of my own."
He thought a moment, smiled, then said: "Were you turned on by the way I disarmed you in the Louvre?"
Lara scowled, and crossed both arms over her chest. "Not answering, Trent.
Come up with a serious question if you want me to cooperate."
He smiled again. "It was a serious question."
"Then it's going into the 'I refuse to answer that' category. Next question, please."
"What happened in Egypt?"
She paled instantly, sun-darkened flesh waning to ashen pallidness. Her eyes dropped from his, and he felt his heart lurch in response, then immediately cursed himself for being weak. She dampened dry lips with the tip of her tongue, looking apprehensive.
Lara took a moment to gather herself, then looked back up, avoiding his steady gaze. "What makes you think something happened in Egypt?"
"You went pale as soon as you saw the map in my father's study."
"Egypt is...complicated. It's a long story, which I'd rather not go into right now."
He looked slightly hurt that she'd chosen not to confide in him, and his eyes hardened immediately, to cover up.
She touched his arm lightly, fingertips lingering against warm flesh. "I'll tell you someday...maybe when it makes more sense to me. Just know that it's hard for me to talk about. Lots of bad memories." They stared at one another for a long, suspended moment in time, until Lara spoke again. "My turn? Or was there something else you wanted to know?"
"No." he replied, sounding distant. "You go."
"When was your father murdered?" Her hand remained on his arm, and he drew comfort from her touch as the question delved up memories best forgotten.
"Two years ago." Kurtis responded brusquely.
"Am I stepping over a line, asking about him?"
"No."
"Then tell me what he was like."
"Kind." Kurtis answered immediately. He absently smoothed a fingertip across his ring, caressing its shining exterior. Lara waited patiently, her hand lying silently against his arm, its weight oddly calming. "He read to me every night when I was a little boy, even though affection was frowned on in the Order. Attachment, even to your own kids, was looked down on, seen as a weakness."
*I can understand that.* Lara thought. Hadn't she herself associated attachment with weakness many times? *I suppose I'm weak now, then.* She studied his profile from beneath thick lashes, and resisted the urge to reach out a hand and trail it down his face. "He must have been a good man."
"He was. He wasn't an assassin." There was a steely iciness in his voice that startled her.
"Kurtis, I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I've already apologized. It was wrong of me to accuse your father of being a killer."
He looked down, his gaze surging to her hand where it rested against his exposed flesh. Slowly, reluctantly, he slipped a large strong palm over the top of her fingers. His warmth seared her flesh, heat undulating all throughout her. Their eyes met briefly as Kurtis threaded his fingers through hers.
His face looked as hard and unreadable as always, but there was a strange softness in his eyes that she'd never seen before. He lifted their entwined hands to his lips, and planted a light kiss on her knuckles. She felt her breathing quicken, heartbeat accelerating.
Then he dropped the bombshell.
"I was the assassin, not my father."
She stared at him a moment, uncomprehending. "You were an assassin." Lara repeated numbly. "The dagger belonged to you? The story about your father passing it on to you was bullshit?"
"Yes. I lied." He kept a tight hold on her hand, afraid that if his grip slackened she'd pull away, and leave, turn her back on him.
Her eyes grew cold, the warmth swirling in them a moment before obliterated by darkness. "I don't appreciate liars. Why didn't you come clean with me from the beginning?"
"I'm not proud of my past. Just like I'm sure you're not proud of some of yours."
"Great. You mean I've been placing my trust in a murderer-for-hire all this time? I hope someone doesn't put a hit out on me. It might be a bit uncomfortable to wake up to a knife being shoved into my ribs." she retorted sarcastically.
"I'm not an assassin anymore." Kurtis snapped. *And even if I were, no one could make me kill you.*
"How comforting. Don't tell me you found religion and decided to devote your life to helping blind children."
"No. I help bitchy women who don't know any better than to shut off the power in a building full of hostile creatures."
"You have a funny definition of 'help.' Do you normally 'help' people by trapping them in elevator shafts?" She leveled him with a glare. "And why are we still holding hands?"
"You could pull away." he said, returning her icy stare.
"So could you."
"You're the one who was complaining about it."
"You're the one who grabbed my hand." She paused a moment. "Dammit, Kurtis, why are we arguing again? This isn't getting us any closer to anything." Frustration rang thick in her tone.
"Because you just found out I used to be an assassin."
"It was a rhetorical question. And speaking of questions, now I have some more for you. And if I think you're lying..."
"You'll spank me?" he asked sardonically, lifting both brows.
"No, you'd enjoy that too much. Just know that you'll be too sore to sit down for at least a week."
Kurtis smirked. "Promises, promises."
"Don't be a prick. I know it's difficult for you to deny your true nature, but..."
"Thanks. I really love the way you're so kind and warm toward me."
"Shut up." She jabbed him hard in the chest. "Why did you join the assassin brotherhood?"
"I was young, and naive. I left the Lux Veritatis at 19 and briefly joined the assassin brotherhood because they knew about my unique abilities and set out to recruit me. I didn't realize what I'd gotten into until it was too late."
"Would you ever become an assassin again, if you needed money? Would you kill me for money?" Lara demanded.
"No to both questions." Kurtis replied instantly.
She perused him closely, probing his beautiful eyes with her own, until finally the lines carved in her forehead eased, and a scowl slipped from full lips. "I believe you."
"Good."
"What happened with Boaz?"
"I shot her down, and a smaller creature slipped out of the body you saw. It attacked me and I shot it in the head a few times, then walked away, thinking I'd killed it. It stabbed me completely through the stomach. Here." He touched a finger to the scar she'd kissed two days ago. "Then I cut off its head with my Chirugai, and passed out."
"And after that?" Lara prompted him, absently stretching her free hand out to pass a fingertip lightly over the raised edge of the scar marring otherwise smooth flesh.
"I woke up and dragged myself off. Then I passed out again. I thought I was dead, until I woke up again a few hours later, lying in an alley with the wound bandaged. I used what little strength I had to heal myself. I don't know who brought me into the alley. For a while, I thought it must have been you who'd helped me."
"Our little reunion at Daniel Grosser's apartment was the first time I'd seen you in months."
He shrugged.
"I'm going to hazard a guess and say it wasn't Boaz who helped you out." Lara said dryly.
"Not after I gave her such a nice going-away present."
"Anyway, you're alive, no matter who saved your ass." *Luckily.* "Maybe you even dragged yourself into the alley, and blacked out, and that's why you don't remember anything else."
"Maybe." He quirked both brows. "Anymore of the interrogation left? Or is that it?"
"I don't know. Anything else I should know about? Your mother was a donkey? You're really a woman?"
"No and no."
"Are you interested in a long-term relationship with some sort of exotic animal-a panther or baboon for example?"
"No, and where do you come up with these kinds of questions?"
"It's a talent Kurtis. An art, you could say."
"Are *you* interested in a long-term relationship with some sort of exotic animal?" he countered.
"No, thankfully. My fetishes don't extend into that sort of thing."
"What do they extend into?"
"You already know some of my interests. Traveling, guns, weapons of any kind actually. I have a passion for antique cars. I loathe snakes and once in a while I enjoy listening to classical music." She looked at him. "And you?"
"Weapons, martial arts, motorcycles." *And more recently, a busty brunette with long hair and a don't-fuck-with-me attitude.*
"I suppose it's about time we stop talking about nonsense and make a plan." Lara continued after a moment of silence. She realized, with some embarrassment, that their hands were still linked, and attempted to extract her fingers. He stared coolly at her, his grip unrelenting.
Finally, just as Lara parted full lips to make a comment on his reluctance to release her, Kurtis let go, standing in a single fluid motion. His gaze didn't stray from her beautiful features. "Let's worry about getting to Ecuador first. Then we can figure out what to do about Karel."
* * *
His bike awaited him precisely where he'd left it, glistening beneath the rosy haze of a waning sun. He ran his fingertips over its shining exterior, relishing the feel of the machine beneath his hands once more.
Lara stepped up beside him, one slender hand skimming his hip to caress the bulge in his front pocket where he'd stored his keys. "You should let me drive." she said, a teasing smile curving full lips. Her hand lingered a moment longer, its warmth burning through his pants to sear flesh.
His throat constricted in a hard swallow. "I don't think so."
She shrugged casually. "Shame you had to leave it here, but at least no one messed with it. They must have figured it belonged to a dangerous individual." The route they'd taken to Peru, an infrequently traveled, hazardous path, had been too treacherous for his bike. He'd seemed so regretful leaving it that she almost expected him to cry.
*Men and their toys.* Lara thought with a roll of her eyes, conveniently forgetting her own attachment to certain vehicles residing in the Croft Manor garage.
"Now, about getting to Cambodia...we'll have to make arrangements to take a ship across the Atlantic to Asia."
"Too long." Kurtis said, straddling his bike. "It's faster to fly. We don't have a lot of time to waste."
"Yes, but I'd rather not be too predictable in our traveling, if Karel's keeping a watch on us. And I still say we should have gone back for the 4th Shard. There's no way of killing Karel without it."
"I don't think it's going to be a problem."
Both brows surged upward. "Not a problem? Kurtis, we're dealing with a man-creature really-that can't be killed using any mortal means. The 4th Shard is the only way we can destroy him. And you think not obtaining this item really isn't a problem?"
He dismounted his bike slowly, reaching out a hand to grasp her arm. "Come on. We'll figure it out later. Let's go find something to eat." Smiling coldly, hard eyes glinting in the fading remnants of sunlight, he drew her into the shadows. A pang reverberated throughout Lara, a brief ominous feeling. She followed a little hesitantly, some unnamed dread welling within her.
His hand traversed the interior of her thigh, fingers slowly, seductively caressing perspiration-slick flesh. She stood frozen as his touch slowly migrated, drifting across the material of her shorts to the leg holster encasing her weapon.
Her hand whipped out to grip his wrist in a bone-crushing grasp just as his fingertips grazed chill metal.
He drew his Boran X in a movement so swift she hardly realized what had happened until she found the barrel of his gun crammed beneath her chin. He crushed her hard against his chest, their bodies sheathing the weapon from any passerby's. "Come on." he whispered harshly. "Let's take a walk."
"What the hell are you doing?" Lara hissed.
He smiled without humor. "Saving your life."
"Karel." she breathed, peering upward into emotionless cerulean orbs. Her heart thumped once in shock and terror. "Get the hell off me! What did you do with Kurtis?"
"I'm not Karel. Just keep moving." he said low in her ear, and began to walk backward now, pulling her with him, keeping her body close up against his to conceal his actions.
She thrust a hand up to strike him across the face.
He took the blow with a wince. "Lara, dammit, it's me!"
She snapped a small hard fist into his solar plexus, doubling him over, thrusting a gasped breath through parted lips. He released her and she surged forward, arms pumping, easily dodging his clumsy grab as he reached for her again, still bent at the waist.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Boran X lift to target her sprinting body.
She dove behind a nearby building, both arms instinctively plunging upward to shield her head.
Kurtis' gun thundered.
Lara jerked her own weapon free of its restraints, and thumbed the safety, crouching just out of sight, waiting for Karel to materialize again.
From a building rooftop just across the street, a man plunged limply to waiting pavement, the sickening crack of his body ascending the evening sky. His head exploded on impact, splattering brain and gore over those unfortunate enough to be standing close.
Screams tore the descending night.
Lara clutched the wooden support to her right, hefting her pistol in one hand, watching the grisly scene through widened eyes.
Kurtis, or Karel, whoever the hell he was, appeared in her sights once more, but her aim wavered indecisively.
Another man sprinted from a nearby shop to join the chaos, wielding a wickedly-curved machete. He slashed at Kurtis' midsection with strength enough to cleave his muscular body in half, the blade penetrating thin cotton, just whisking by tender flesh.
Kurtis grunted, and stumbled backward, his gun coming up again.
Lara blew the man's head away.
Kurtis spun, looking stunned, trying to decipher where the shot had come from which had saved his life.
Lara saluted with her gun in acknowledgment, and their eyes met for a brief moment.
Agony exploded all throughout her, carving a vicious path through her innards, its travel lethargic and torturous. She dropped with a low cry to both knees, the Glock clunking forgotten to hard ground. She tasted the acidic bitterness of blood on her tongue, the cold dark liquid lying stagnant against the warmth of her mouth.
The world plunged to blackness before her.
His resounding yell of "No!" reverberated in sensitive ears, a moment before she pitched limply over to lie unmoving in the crimson-stained dirt.
A warm body crouched beside her, its heat thrusting away the chill that embraced her for a second. She felt strong arms encasing her, cradling her carefully, and experienced the sensation of rising, lifted easily in his secure grip. A gentle hand trailed lightly over her face, its passage curving full lips in the briefest of smiles.
Then the darkness rose as a silent demon to claim her, and his touch dissipated into oblivion.
Disclaimer: Lara Croft, Kurtis Trent, and all other characters affiliated with Tomb Raider are the property of Eidos and Crystal Dynamics. I own nothing. (Except a few pieces of dirty laundry, (damn, wash day again!) various useless pieces of crap, the identities of which are to this day unknown, and a whole shitload of books.) :D
Chapter Eleven
_____________________________________________________________________
Motel Room
Peru, August 16th, 2003
She woke to his warmth, stirring lightly in the masculine arms encircling her slender figure.
His hard body lay still against her own, a large palm curved over her deceptively fragile hands where they rested against the bed's surface. Their fingers entwined naturally, the move rendered sometime during the night, in slumber. His chest rose and fell softly against the arch of her back, the bare flesh of his chest grazing her with each gentle inhalation.
Lara stiffened, even as her body longed to nestle against him, feel the heat emanating from his strong figure. She knew she should push him away, slap him upside the head to awaken him and start the daily festivities. But something within her rebelled, and instead she lay quietly, reluctant to rouse him. There was a quiet serenity in the moment, a complacent quality that did not often present itself in her active life.
He breathed in softly, and moved lightly against her, his head shifting where it lay tucked beneath her chin, just above her chest. Dark hair rustled across the material of her shirt, long bangs tickling the tender flesh of her throat.
Full lips curved in a slight smile.
Kurtis' arms tightened ever-so-slightly, holding her to him more securely than before.
Her gaze strayed to their entangled fingers, and the sight struck her as perfect and natural, as though their hands had been sculpted for one another. She twitched her fingers lightly in his, stroking a fingertip across the rough curve of his knuckle, callused flesh whispering softly against her own.
He stirred again, and Lara froze, even her breath stilling as he inhaled deeply. Then he cradled her fingers more tightly, pulling the jumbled knot of hands up to rest against her stomach.
She relaxed, both eyes fluttering shut.
*I should kick him in the head. But this feels...nice. I suppose I'll allow him to keep all his body parts, as long as he doesn't try to pin this little...cuddling session on me. He's the one assaulting me in my sleep. This is entirely his fault. And right when I'm trying to make everything go back to being just 'business.'*
She recalled another time, months ago, when he'd returned to 'save' her after trapping her in that shaft just within the Bio Research Center, and she'd introduced herself, then proceeded to pat him down for weapons with a brief "And this is business," to explain her actions. Even then she hadn't been entirely sure that anything between them could ever be classified as 'just business.'
For all intents and purposes, he was still basically a stranger to her, and yet it seemed as though they'd known one another for years. There was a shared comradeship between them despite their many arguments and sarcastic comments. She'd never encountered someone so like herself before, and it frightened her even as it intrigued her. There was always a nagging fear at the back of her mind which kept her constantly on her toes, a thought that, would she allow herself the liberty, she could fall in love with Kurtis. It was something she'd worked her whole existence to avoid, shunning a conventional life of marriage and kids. That was something Lara had never wanted, assuming it would take too much away from her independence and restlessness. Falling in love with a man was the first step toward being tied down and suddenly finding herself in the role of a mother with six children, changing diapers and shuttling the little beasts off to school.
Remembering this, Lara untangled her hands from his, and wriggled from his embrace. Unconsciously, Kurtis tightened his arms again, and rolled closer, the sheets twisting around their entwined bodies.
Trapped within the circle of his arms, Lara began to flail, writhing against him in an effort to free herself. She struck out a hand, and heard him grunt as the impact abruptly stirred him from slumber. She felt almost panicked as she finally placed both hands against his chest and shoved hard, the knowledge of how much she enjoyed his touch a little too vivid for her taste.
Lara caught a brief glimpse of wide-open azure eyes before Kurtis slipped off the bed's narrow edge, and thunked to the floor with a muttered curse.
*Oops.*
She jerked upright, and crawled warily to the end, peering downward into his irritated gaze. "Good morning."
"What the hell did you do that for?" he demanded without rising from where he lay sprawled across thin carpeting.
"You were crowding me."
"I was sleeping."
"Yes, with your arms around me and your body smashed up against the back of mine."
He narrowed both eyes at her. "Whatever you were dreaming about must be crossing over into reality. I stayed on my side of the bed. All night." he added for clarification, though he vaguely recalled burrowing close to her sometime during the evening and falling back asleep with the sound of her thundering heart drumming beneath his ear.
"Yes, I suppose my 'dream' was so powerful and vivid that it picked up your arms, put them around my waist, then forced you to go to sleep with your head on my chest."
He returned her stare coldly, without replying.
"You're just angry that I caught you acting like a human being for once." She paused, then continued on, mocking him. "Don't feel bad that you're attracted to me. If I were a man, I'd be attracted to me too."
He propped himself up on one hand, tousling sleep-rumpled hair. "If you were a man you'd run screaming in the other direction from yourself."
"You trying to say I have a bad attitude?"
"You just smacked me in the head then shoved me off the bed for no reason. Draw your own conclusions."
"I explained my reason. Just because you won't accept it doesn't mean it's not a legitimate argument."
They stared one another down another moment, until Kurtis finally stood, muscles rippling powerfully. Lara turned away before he could spot the blush which flushed her entire face.
*I wish he'd put a damned shirt on. He's doing it purposefully, just to tempt me.* she thought angrily.
"We need to stop arguing and find Karel." Kurtis said abruptly, seating himself on the edge of the bed. "His work has to be destroyed, since we can't kill him without the Shard. With his prototypes and research all gone, he's just another crazy son of a bitch in a world full of them."
"Ironic, isn't it, that just yesterday we were escaping the bastard, and now we're planning to seek him out." *It's also ironic that I'm trying my hardest to ignore how sexy you are, and you keep wandering around shirtless with your gorgeous body on display. I suppose as long as you're not naked I can mange to control myself...and that just conjured up images that aren't helping.*
Lara coughed to dispel lingering images of bare flesh, avoiding his gaze.
Kurtis flopped backward onto the bed, lying spread spread-eagled, another move by him that didn't exactly help to ease her fierce attraction. *Don't look at it...him! I meant him.* she scolded herself, squeezing both eyes shut. "What was the 'archaeological discovery' down in Cambodia that Karel played a role in?" Lara asked, carefully keeping herself distant from his warm body. "I didn't take the time to read the article."
"Some sort of rock."
"A rock?" Lara asked, lifting both eyebrows. "Do you mind being a little more specific?"
"A tablet, I think, with some sort of inscription on it. There weren't very many details."
"I'm sure that's the way Karel wanted it. You think it might have had something to do with the underground cities in Turkey, where the Nephilim stronghold supposedly is? Maybe the tablet was some sort of map, indicating where exactly the stronghold is located."
"If Karel was taking an interest in it, the tablet must have had something to do with the Nephilim." He shrugged. "What, I don't know. If we can get our hands on it..."
"My hands. We don't know where your hands have been."
"Up your shirt." he replied flippantly.
"Excuse me?" Lara barked, shooting him a stern look.
"My hands. I was telling you where they've been." Kurtis explained, smirking.
"I'm not finding you amusing right now. And how did we, once again, stray from the original subject? If you'd keep your mind on business and not keep conjuring made-up images of your hands roaming about my body..."
"It wasn't made-up, if I remember correctly."
"Then I think you need to remember again. And again, and again, until you finally remember that your hands have never been up my shirt." Lara said coldly.
Kurtis placed both hands on either side of her body, and leaned in close, as though to kiss her, their mouths nearly grazing. Her lips parted automatically, waiting for him, even as a part of her rebelled at his nearness, a lingering scream drifting within her mind urging her to pull away. "You liked it." Kurtis whispered.
*Kiss me, you annoying idiot, even though I'll have to punch you afterward.*
He touched a fingertip to her chin, tilting her face, angling her lips to his. Then suddenly, he drew back, his breath falling warm across her features for a moment before fading completely.
Lara blinked drowsily.
They contemplated one another across the bed's span, eyes softer than usual. "Will you answer a few questions of mine?" Kurtis asked quietly.
She quirked an eyebrow. "Yes."
His lips curved faintly. "Truthfully?"
"That depends on what kind of questions they are. And only if you'll answer a couple of my own."
He thought a moment, smiled, then said: "Were you turned on by the way I disarmed you in the Louvre?"
Lara scowled, and crossed both arms over her chest. "Not answering, Trent.
Come up with a serious question if you want me to cooperate."
He smiled again. "It was a serious question."
"Then it's going into the 'I refuse to answer that' category. Next question, please."
"What happened in Egypt?"
She paled instantly, sun-darkened flesh waning to ashen pallidness. Her eyes dropped from his, and he felt his heart lurch in response, then immediately cursed himself for being weak. She dampened dry lips with the tip of her tongue, looking apprehensive.
Lara took a moment to gather herself, then looked back up, avoiding his steady gaze. "What makes you think something happened in Egypt?"
"You went pale as soon as you saw the map in my father's study."
"Egypt is...complicated. It's a long story, which I'd rather not go into right now."
He looked slightly hurt that she'd chosen not to confide in him, and his eyes hardened immediately, to cover up.
She touched his arm lightly, fingertips lingering against warm flesh. "I'll tell you someday...maybe when it makes more sense to me. Just know that it's hard for me to talk about. Lots of bad memories." They stared at one another for a long, suspended moment in time, until Lara spoke again. "My turn? Or was there something else you wanted to know?"
"No." he replied, sounding distant. "You go."
"When was your father murdered?" Her hand remained on his arm, and he drew comfort from her touch as the question delved up memories best forgotten.
"Two years ago." Kurtis responded brusquely.
"Am I stepping over a line, asking about him?"
"No."
"Then tell me what he was like."
"Kind." Kurtis answered immediately. He absently smoothed a fingertip across his ring, caressing its shining exterior. Lara waited patiently, her hand lying silently against his arm, its weight oddly calming. "He read to me every night when I was a little boy, even though affection was frowned on in the Order. Attachment, even to your own kids, was looked down on, seen as a weakness."
*I can understand that.* Lara thought. Hadn't she herself associated attachment with weakness many times? *I suppose I'm weak now, then.* She studied his profile from beneath thick lashes, and resisted the urge to reach out a hand and trail it down his face. "He must have been a good man."
"He was. He wasn't an assassin." There was a steely iciness in his voice that startled her.
"Kurtis, I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I've already apologized. It was wrong of me to accuse your father of being a killer."
He looked down, his gaze surging to her hand where it rested against his exposed flesh. Slowly, reluctantly, he slipped a large strong palm over the top of her fingers. His warmth seared her flesh, heat undulating all throughout her. Their eyes met briefly as Kurtis threaded his fingers through hers.
His face looked as hard and unreadable as always, but there was a strange softness in his eyes that she'd never seen before. He lifted their entwined hands to his lips, and planted a light kiss on her knuckles. She felt her breathing quicken, heartbeat accelerating.
Then he dropped the bombshell.
"I was the assassin, not my father."
She stared at him a moment, uncomprehending. "You were an assassin." Lara repeated numbly. "The dagger belonged to you? The story about your father passing it on to you was bullshit?"
"Yes. I lied." He kept a tight hold on her hand, afraid that if his grip slackened she'd pull away, and leave, turn her back on him.
Her eyes grew cold, the warmth swirling in them a moment before obliterated by darkness. "I don't appreciate liars. Why didn't you come clean with me from the beginning?"
"I'm not proud of my past. Just like I'm sure you're not proud of some of yours."
"Great. You mean I've been placing my trust in a murderer-for-hire all this time? I hope someone doesn't put a hit out on me. It might be a bit uncomfortable to wake up to a knife being shoved into my ribs." she retorted sarcastically.
"I'm not an assassin anymore." Kurtis snapped. *And even if I were, no one could make me kill you.*
"How comforting. Don't tell me you found religion and decided to devote your life to helping blind children."
"No. I help bitchy women who don't know any better than to shut off the power in a building full of hostile creatures."
"You have a funny definition of 'help.' Do you normally 'help' people by trapping them in elevator shafts?" She leveled him with a glare. "And why are we still holding hands?"
"You could pull away." he said, returning her icy stare.
"So could you."
"You're the one who was complaining about it."
"You're the one who grabbed my hand." She paused a moment. "Dammit, Kurtis, why are we arguing again? This isn't getting us any closer to anything." Frustration rang thick in her tone.
"Because you just found out I used to be an assassin."
"It was a rhetorical question. And speaking of questions, now I have some more for you. And if I think you're lying..."
"You'll spank me?" he asked sardonically, lifting both brows.
"No, you'd enjoy that too much. Just know that you'll be too sore to sit down for at least a week."
Kurtis smirked. "Promises, promises."
"Don't be a prick. I know it's difficult for you to deny your true nature, but..."
"Thanks. I really love the way you're so kind and warm toward me."
"Shut up." She jabbed him hard in the chest. "Why did you join the assassin brotherhood?"
"I was young, and naive. I left the Lux Veritatis at 19 and briefly joined the assassin brotherhood because they knew about my unique abilities and set out to recruit me. I didn't realize what I'd gotten into until it was too late."
"Would you ever become an assassin again, if you needed money? Would you kill me for money?" Lara demanded.
"No to both questions." Kurtis replied instantly.
She perused him closely, probing his beautiful eyes with her own, until finally the lines carved in her forehead eased, and a scowl slipped from full lips. "I believe you."
"Good."
"What happened with Boaz?"
"I shot her down, and a smaller creature slipped out of the body you saw. It attacked me and I shot it in the head a few times, then walked away, thinking I'd killed it. It stabbed me completely through the stomach. Here." He touched a finger to the scar she'd kissed two days ago. "Then I cut off its head with my Chirugai, and passed out."
"And after that?" Lara prompted him, absently stretching her free hand out to pass a fingertip lightly over the raised edge of the scar marring otherwise smooth flesh.
"I woke up and dragged myself off. Then I passed out again. I thought I was dead, until I woke up again a few hours later, lying in an alley with the wound bandaged. I used what little strength I had to heal myself. I don't know who brought me into the alley. For a while, I thought it must have been you who'd helped me."
"Our little reunion at Daniel Grosser's apartment was the first time I'd seen you in months."
He shrugged.
"I'm going to hazard a guess and say it wasn't Boaz who helped you out." Lara said dryly.
"Not after I gave her such a nice going-away present."
"Anyway, you're alive, no matter who saved your ass." *Luckily.* "Maybe you even dragged yourself into the alley, and blacked out, and that's why you don't remember anything else."
"Maybe." He quirked both brows. "Anymore of the interrogation left? Or is that it?"
"I don't know. Anything else I should know about? Your mother was a donkey? You're really a woman?"
"No and no."
"Are you interested in a long-term relationship with some sort of exotic animal-a panther or baboon for example?"
"No, and where do you come up with these kinds of questions?"
"It's a talent Kurtis. An art, you could say."
"Are *you* interested in a long-term relationship with some sort of exotic animal?" he countered.
"No, thankfully. My fetishes don't extend into that sort of thing."
"What do they extend into?"
"You already know some of my interests. Traveling, guns, weapons of any kind actually. I have a passion for antique cars. I loathe snakes and once in a while I enjoy listening to classical music." She looked at him. "And you?"
"Weapons, martial arts, motorcycles." *And more recently, a busty brunette with long hair and a don't-fuck-with-me attitude.*
"I suppose it's about time we stop talking about nonsense and make a plan." Lara continued after a moment of silence. She realized, with some embarrassment, that their hands were still linked, and attempted to extract her fingers. He stared coolly at her, his grip unrelenting.
Finally, just as Lara parted full lips to make a comment on his reluctance to release her, Kurtis let go, standing in a single fluid motion. His gaze didn't stray from her beautiful features. "Let's worry about getting to Ecuador first. Then we can figure out what to do about Karel."
* * *
His bike awaited him precisely where he'd left it, glistening beneath the rosy haze of a waning sun. He ran his fingertips over its shining exterior, relishing the feel of the machine beneath his hands once more.
Lara stepped up beside him, one slender hand skimming his hip to caress the bulge in his front pocket where he'd stored his keys. "You should let me drive." she said, a teasing smile curving full lips. Her hand lingered a moment longer, its warmth burning through his pants to sear flesh.
His throat constricted in a hard swallow. "I don't think so."
She shrugged casually. "Shame you had to leave it here, but at least no one messed with it. They must have figured it belonged to a dangerous individual." The route they'd taken to Peru, an infrequently traveled, hazardous path, had been too treacherous for his bike. He'd seemed so regretful leaving it that she almost expected him to cry.
*Men and their toys.* Lara thought with a roll of her eyes, conveniently forgetting her own attachment to certain vehicles residing in the Croft Manor garage.
"Now, about getting to Cambodia...we'll have to make arrangements to take a ship across the Atlantic to Asia."
"Too long." Kurtis said, straddling his bike. "It's faster to fly. We don't have a lot of time to waste."
"Yes, but I'd rather not be too predictable in our traveling, if Karel's keeping a watch on us. And I still say we should have gone back for the 4th Shard. There's no way of killing Karel without it."
"I don't think it's going to be a problem."
Both brows surged upward. "Not a problem? Kurtis, we're dealing with a man-creature really-that can't be killed using any mortal means. The 4th Shard is the only way we can destroy him. And you think not obtaining this item really isn't a problem?"
He dismounted his bike slowly, reaching out a hand to grasp her arm. "Come on. We'll figure it out later. Let's go find something to eat." Smiling coldly, hard eyes glinting in the fading remnants of sunlight, he drew her into the shadows. A pang reverberated throughout Lara, a brief ominous feeling. She followed a little hesitantly, some unnamed dread welling within her.
His hand traversed the interior of her thigh, fingers slowly, seductively caressing perspiration-slick flesh. She stood frozen as his touch slowly migrated, drifting across the material of her shorts to the leg holster encasing her weapon.
Her hand whipped out to grip his wrist in a bone-crushing grasp just as his fingertips grazed chill metal.
He drew his Boran X in a movement so swift she hardly realized what had happened until she found the barrel of his gun crammed beneath her chin. He crushed her hard against his chest, their bodies sheathing the weapon from any passerby's. "Come on." he whispered harshly. "Let's take a walk."
"What the hell are you doing?" Lara hissed.
He smiled without humor. "Saving your life."
"Karel." she breathed, peering upward into emotionless cerulean orbs. Her heart thumped once in shock and terror. "Get the hell off me! What did you do with Kurtis?"
"I'm not Karel. Just keep moving." he said low in her ear, and began to walk backward now, pulling her with him, keeping her body close up against his to conceal his actions.
She thrust a hand up to strike him across the face.
He took the blow with a wince. "Lara, dammit, it's me!"
She snapped a small hard fist into his solar plexus, doubling him over, thrusting a gasped breath through parted lips. He released her and she surged forward, arms pumping, easily dodging his clumsy grab as he reached for her again, still bent at the waist.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Boran X lift to target her sprinting body.
She dove behind a nearby building, both arms instinctively plunging upward to shield her head.
Kurtis' gun thundered.
Lara jerked her own weapon free of its restraints, and thumbed the safety, crouching just out of sight, waiting for Karel to materialize again.
From a building rooftop just across the street, a man plunged limply to waiting pavement, the sickening crack of his body ascending the evening sky. His head exploded on impact, splattering brain and gore over those unfortunate enough to be standing close.
Screams tore the descending night.
Lara clutched the wooden support to her right, hefting her pistol in one hand, watching the grisly scene through widened eyes.
Kurtis, or Karel, whoever the hell he was, appeared in her sights once more, but her aim wavered indecisively.
Another man sprinted from a nearby shop to join the chaos, wielding a wickedly-curved machete. He slashed at Kurtis' midsection with strength enough to cleave his muscular body in half, the blade penetrating thin cotton, just whisking by tender flesh.
Kurtis grunted, and stumbled backward, his gun coming up again.
Lara blew the man's head away.
Kurtis spun, looking stunned, trying to decipher where the shot had come from which had saved his life.
Lara saluted with her gun in acknowledgment, and their eyes met for a brief moment.
Agony exploded all throughout her, carving a vicious path through her innards, its travel lethargic and torturous. She dropped with a low cry to both knees, the Glock clunking forgotten to hard ground. She tasted the acidic bitterness of blood on her tongue, the cold dark liquid lying stagnant against the warmth of her mouth.
The world plunged to blackness before her.
His resounding yell of "No!" reverberated in sensitive ears, a moment before she pitched limply over to lie unmoving in the crimson-stained dirt.
A warm body crouched beside her, its heat thrusting away the chill that embraced her for a second. She felt strong arms encasing her, cradling her carefully, and experienced the sensation of rising, lifted easily in his secure grip. A gentle hand trailed lightly over her face, its passage curving full lips in the briefest of smiles.
Then the darkness rose as a silent demon to claim her, and his touch dissipated into oblivion.