Dark Caress (The Fallen) (13 page)

Kane nodded. “I have to.
I want peace for all of us. We all want the tourists to feel safe when they come here. The newly Fallen do some really stupid things.”

“How many of you are there?” Amber asked.

“It’s just the three of us,” Kane said. “We work every night.”

“Maya runs the business end of our operations.”
Vice smiled. “There’s no vacation time for us. We also house the newly Fallen until they’re ready to live on their own. We have two here now.”

Now you understand why I need you
and the Charleston PD to stay out of what I do. My work is dangerous. I won’t have you getting hurt.

The thought waved through Amber’s mind. She loved how Kane used telepathy to communicate with her.
Her thoughts went toward the pain of her past.

“Like Galen,” Amber said.

Kane’s gaze zeroed in on her face. “He was one that got away from us. He was why we started doing all of this. We need to protect everyone.”

Amber could feel her body begin to shake
when she thought about the last time she was hurt. It wasn’t in the field. It was at the hands of the Fallen, Galen. She clenched her hands and forced her body to steady. She’d only gotten close to evil once when Galen had enslaved her.

“I want Dryden out on patrol.”

Vice nodded. “I’ll make it happen.”

Kane was deep in conversation with Vice. Their words came from far away. Two years ago, she’d gone on what was
supposed to be a routine contract job that had ended in six months of enslavement. Pell and the Charleston PD never stopped searching for her. Had they not rescued her ... no, she refused to go there now.

Confined places made Amber edgy. She wasn’t afraid. This was pure adrenaline rushing through her blood. She started to pace. She had to go before she broke something. Amber tore out of the room. Her past chased her like a thunderstorm raining down from heaven.
She had to get out of there. She ran through the corridor, burst through the doorway into the night.

Deep breaths, slow
, deep breaths calmed her down. She walked around the courtyard, going all the way down to the edge of trees that surrounded the Armory. She never heard Kane approach but sensed he was near. She turned.

Kane’s face was shadowed by the darkness.
“What’s wrong?”

Could she trust him? She shook her head and met those beautiful eyes honestly.
She knew she could trust him. She trusted him with her body and her heart.

“
I was once enslaved by a Fallen. For six months. Galen had this curse tattooed upon my body.”

“The vampire Galen is dead.”

“My coworker, Pell, killed him when they rescued me. She saw him for what he was.”

She wasn’t afraid
anymore. Cautious. Caution was healthy in her line of work. It kept her alive. She hadn’t used enough caution when she’d been kidnapped. She’d let her guard slip.“I can smell your fear. You don’t need to be afraid with me. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

Her breath was coming in and out, faster. She needed to calm down.
Amber jumped up and down, shaking out her hands. “I know you won’t.”

“What is it
then?”

“Galen took my memories of my time in captivity. It bothers me that I can’t remember.”

“I can unlock those memories for you.”

She walked toward him.
“You can?”

“Yes.”

“What do I need to do?”

Pain pooled in the crystal gray gems that stared at her. Understanding that came from hard-earned experience reflected back. Her heart ached from the unknown memories threatening to take her down again. It’d been two years. She was supposed to be over it, but now she wondered if she ever would be.

“I’ll return you to your home.
We can do it there. Wrap your arms around me.”

Kane drew near. He placed his hands on her hips. The spicy scent of his cologne made her senses spin. She clos
ed her eyes. He smelled so good and felt so right in her arms. Heat had her pulling him closer. She felt the swirling sensation take over her body. They materialized inside her bedroom. Slowly, Amber opened her eyes. Kane touched his lips to her ear. She felt the heady warmth of his breath fan outward. Calming.

“Sit down on the edge of your bed.”

Amber sat, gripping her fingers into the comforter. Kane kneeled before her. He touched her temples lightly and let go. Memories of that time unlocked, dissipating as though a fog was clearing from her mind.

“Do you remember?” he asked.

She did. Everything. Galen had kept her locked in a room. He had moved her several times as the CPD got closer to finding her. Relief poured through her body as she discovered that Galen had never assaulted her. He had taken her as a bargaining chip for Fate. When Fate refused, he had cursed her with the tattoo.

“Galen knew that Fate wanted me for you. It was why he took me.”

“Did he hurt you?” Kane asked.

Amber lifted her palm, caressing Kane’s cheek. She smiled. “No. Hi
s plan was to use me to earn favor with Fate. It didn’t work. He taunted me with threats and the curse.”

“You are not cursed, Amber.”

Kane kissed his lips over her palm. It was then that Amber discovered that Kane was crying. She held his jaw in her hands, brushing away his crystal blue tears. Her heart melted.

“I’m okay, Kane. I’m okay.”

He grabbed her, holding her tight. Kane buried his face in her hair, inhaling deeply. Amber wrapped her arms around him, loving the feel of Kane’s possessive touch. Kane kissed his way over her cheek. He brushed his lips over hers, kissing her with a powerful intensity that went on forever. Amber wanted the kiss to last longer, but she knew he couldn’t stay with the dawn chasing his heels. He got into bed with her, pulling her in close.

“
Close your eyes, and sleep well, Amber. I need you.”

Amber closed her eyes and settled back within Kane’s arms. She was falling hard for this Fallen. She just hoped she wasn’t going to get burned. A few hours later, Amber rolled over. She was asleep as she felt Kane pull from her arms. He kissed her lips.

“I have to go. The dawn is coming. I’ll see you tomorrow. Go back to sleep, my love.”

“I love you
, too, Kane.”

Amber was going
out with Pell and Chris to celebrate Pell’s birthday. They were outside Charleston’s most exclusive nightclubs, “Victim”. Trendy, expensive to buy your way into if you didn’t know the right person. Amber was not about to drop Kane’s name to get all of them through the door.

Pell led the way across
the street. “I love coming here.”

“I jus
t want to have some fun tonight,” Chris said.

“Me
, too,” Pell said. “This week has been crazy.”

Chris came up to Amber’s side
with his boyfriend, Sean, on his other side. “Ready to have some fun?”

“Yes.”

The line was halfway down the block when they headed to the front doors. Pell went to work on the bouncer to get them inside. Victim was on the wrong side of Charleston. It catered to the outrageous and the wealthy. Moments later, they were signaled past the velvet rope. Music pumped through a high tech system that lured them inside. A chill fluttered over her skin, as though a window had been left open. Kane would not be happy knowing she was going to Victim. It was something she had to do. She had to prove to herself that she could be out among the Fallen without being afraid.

Victim was a mansion converted
into an all night human buffet. Bass vibrated the floors. A square bar centered the dance floor with bartenders working all angles. Women danced in cages, using their spiked heels to climb around. More dancers were in windows carved out of the walls. Darkness played a wicked game of tag with flashes of light choreographed with the music.

Pell led the way to an open table where they ordered drinks. She indicated a Fallen across the room with a tilt of her head.

“I want that one,” she said.

Chris draped his arm over the back o
f Sean’s chair, leaning in close. “Go get him.”

“Maybe I will,” she said.

The guy she indicated looked like Pell’s type. Gorgeous. “You’re not going to leave us tonight. It is your birthday night.”

“I won’t dump you, sweetie. Promise.”

Amber didn’t believe her. The waitress brought their martinis and beers. Amber twirled the glass by the stem as she thought about Kane.

Kane was not Galen. He would not hurt her. She was sure of that. The tension between them was sexual in nature. Amber knew the longer she spent time with Kane, the higher the probability she’d end up in bed, in the shower, or on top of a table with him
again.

A zing of white-hot desire shot through her system like lightning zapping a mountaintop. Thunder vibrated through her most feminine secret places
as she thought about their sweat-slicked bodies, her legs tangled with his, and the pierce of his erection forcing her legs wide. She couldn’t ignore the pull of attraction and desire that brought them together. Sexual energy pulsed between them.

The strike of desire left her breathing quickly and
…
wanting
. Amber felt her face flush, and her blood heated. The blue satin dress was skintight across her aching breasts. Beneath the thin fabric her nipples were budded, noticeable. 
Sleep well, Elemental, I need you.

She could still feel the warmth of his breath searing her skin. Her body couldn’t help its stupidity or the way her thighs clenched together. She rubbed them back and forth trying to temper down the thunderstorm r
oaring to break loose. She wanted to forget about the club and drive over to the Armory.

It was her own damn fault for never having sex with anyone.
Now that she had had sex with Kane, she couldn’t stop thinking about it. She wondered what he was doing tonight. She had to stop thinking about him if she was going to have a good time with Pell, Chris, and Sean tonight.

After two drinks and an hour of dancing wit
h Pell and the guys, Amber had had enough of Victim for the night. She headed away from the dance floor and down the side hallway to the restroom.

Amber stopped. She could’ve sworn something lurked there
. Suddenly, she felt very alone. Tension rippled over her shoulders. For once, she wished she had the power to dematerialize like one of the Fallen. This was silly. There was nothing out there. Paranoia was not a good way to start the weekend, she decided.

There was something in the hall
, Amber realized too late. Amber turned the corner and gasped. She was trapped with no way out. The lights went out, and darkness consumed her.

Arms twisted around her waist, pulling her close. She fought hard but had no chance against the brute strength of her attacker. There was nothing she could do to stop Fate from turning over the death card. She struck out with elbows, her heels.

“Stop fighting me, Elemental.”

“Kane?”

“I won’t hurt you, Amber,” Kane said.

It wasn’t possible. He couldn’t have gotten into the club unnoticed. Then again, he was a Fallen. He could go anywhere he wanted, anytime he wanted. She turned around seeing him. She twisted her hands into his shirt as relief poured through her body.

“You scared me.”

“I’m sorry.”

His face was drawn into taut, intense lines. He towered over her, backing her deeper into the darkness at the sound of voices. Thick, broad muscles rippled as her hands clenched tighter into his shirt.

“It’s okay.”

“I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“What are you
doing
here?” she asked.

“I saw you
dancing with Pell and Chris.”

Amber swallowed hard. “
We’re celebrating Pell’s birthday tonight.”

“I don’t like the idea of you
hanging out at a vampire club.”

“I’ll be fine. I always am.”

The leader of the Fallen edged her into the darkness. His lips touched her ear. “Come with me. I want to meet your friends properly.”

What. The. Hell
?
He started to walk toward the club. “You really want to meet them?”

Amber’s voice broke from
surprise. She couldn’t believe he wanted to just talk with her friends. Lots of warning bells were going off in her head. Something was up. Their gazes locked.

“You’re jealous.”

The corner of his mouth lifted. “Truth? I want to find Chris and break his hand for touching you.”

“You don’t need to be jealous of him. He’s gay.”