Dark Caress (The Fallen) (5 page)

Amber shivered as she remembered the deep cadence of his voice.

There was no way she could be with Kane. She just couldn’t see a future for them. They were so different. Down the road, some day, Amber had always wanted to have children. Could the Fallen even have children? She rolled her eyes. She couldn’t believe she was actually thinking about children and Kane. Amber scrubbed away the scents of lust, sex, and fear from her skin, letting her fingers travel over the slave tattoos on her breast and belly. She had thought about getting them removed but couldn’t stomach the thought of the laser treatments or the questions that would follow.

Amber shut off the water and wrapped a towel around her body
. She dried off and then dropped into bed naked. She took a long blink. She was dozing when she sensed a Fallen nearby. She slipped out from beneath the covers and went to the window, pulling her robe on as she went. She put her hand between the thick curtains. Vice was standing on the rooftop across from her apartment.

She opened the French doors that lead to the balcony.
Hot summertime air blew in through the opened doors. Amber went to the kitchen and pulled two wine glasses from the cabinet. She opened a bottle of red wine. She carried the glasses and wine out onto the balcony. She set the glasses on the cement railing and poured the wine into both. Vice materialized on the balcony. Amber handed her a wineglass.

“I owe you a thank you for saving me from the cage,” Amber said.

The Fallen warrior inhaled the rich scent of the wine before taking a sip. “It was nothing. Kane would’ve done it himself had he not been running late.”

“I want to know what’s going on.”

“Kane didn’t tell you?” Vice asked.

“
No. I don’t have to have the ability to read minds to know that Kane is up to something. I want to know why he wants a girl like me.”

Vice paced the balcony, going to the edge to look out at the
north Charleston skyline. “He needs to learn how to love. He needs a woman to do that.”

“What?”

“He needs you, Amber.”

“He could have anyone. Why would he want me?”

Vice gave her a look. It was then that Amber noticed the unnatural blue-green hue of her eyes. “You’re perfect for him. Trust me.”

“
Your eyes are beautiful,” Amber said.

Vice startled. “Oh. They
… are the color my wings once were.”

“Do you miss being an angel?”

“No. Being a Fallen is my path.”

“I can’t imagine being
Shunned.”

“You know of the
Shunning?”

Amber sipped her wine. “I saw it tonight. I wasn’t meant to.”

“If you saw it, Fate meant for you to.” Vice laughed. “Fate needs to get a life. He’s been way too busy within The Holy City.”

“
I’ve heard of Fate. I didn’t know that he was that involved.”

Vice refilled her wineglass.
“He’s an entity who likes to stir up trouble within the world.”

Amber shivered
when she remembered the guy who had given her the water bottle. She didn’t like giving up control. “Sounds like he likes to play games.”

Vice nodded in agreement.
“Fate is playing with Kane. That is why he needs you.”

They watched as the moon rose in the sky. “I don’t know if I can love him.”

“He needs me, but he needs you more, Elemental. Don’t break his heart. Not like this.”

Vice started to move away
, but Amber stopped her with a hand on her leather jacket. “I’m not good enough for the leader of the Fallen.”

“You are perfect for him.”
Vice tilted up her wineglass, taking a sip. She lowered the wineglass to the rail. “I saved you. Now, I want you to save him.”

The Fallen dematerialized from the balcony and appeared on the rooftop across from her apartment building.
Amber now had a bodyguard. She went inside and put the wineglasses in the kitchen. Life would never be normal again. How could she keep her job as a detective with the Charleston PD and be with the leader of the Fallen? There was no way she could give up her job. She lived for it.

Amber
went to bed and tossed around, pumping up the feather pillow. She closed her eyes, but sleep wouldn’t pull her down. She felt flushed and hot. Every time she closed her eyes she saw Kane’s head between her legs, licking her pussy.

Red roses filled her bedroom. Amber sat up in bed, clutching the sheet to her chest. How the hell had Kane gotten in here? A card was propped along
side a huge crystal vase that sat upon her desk by the window. Amber got out of bed and slipped her fingers over the card. Her name was written across the front in a fancy script she knew she couldn’t copy. Amber skimmed her fingers over her name before flipping the card over and opening it.

Forgive me. Kane

She did forgive him. Deep down she knew it wasn’t his fault that she had ended up in that cage. If she was blaming anyone, it would have to be Fate. Amber pulled a rose from the vase, lifting it to her nose as she walked to the bathroom. A smile caressed her lips as she thought about Kane. He was absolutely perfect.

She showered and dresse
d for work at a fly, grabbing her coffee to drink along the way. Whatever the Fallen warrior had given her for her injuries was working. She had only a few bruises on her face this morning, which she covered with her makeup.

Amber was
almost to work when she realized that she was being followed by a black Audi. Her thoughts immediately went to Kane. Bright morning sunshine failed to reflect through the tinted windows of the car. Amber stopped at a traffic light. She sipped her hot coffee as she watched the car in her side mirror. Sunglasses hid the worry and fear in Amber’s eyes. She didn’t want to think about the ramifications of falling in love with Kane. Amber hit the gas when the light flipped to green.

Kane wasn’t the first Fallen she’d ever
been infatuated with. Two years ago, the Fallen Galen had seduced her into meeting with him. She had fallen right into the web of temptation he had spun. Amber spent months under his control before she got away from him.

She had every reason to be cautious now. She should’ve been more back then
, but she lived and learned her way through it. Amber fingered the slave tattoos beneath her shirt as her memory went fuzzy. Galen had scrubbed most of the memories from her mind. It was blessing and a curse. Amber parked her car at District Five’s headquarters. Kane’s car pulled to a stop on the street.

Her cell vibrated. The number was marked restricted. She knew even before she answered. It was Kane. “Hello?”

“Did you get my roses?”

“I did. Thank you. They’re beautiful.”

“Where are you?” he asked.

She stared at the car. “At work, but you probably already know that, don’t you?”

“My driver followed you. Can you spare a few minutes?”

Of course he would know she was still playing hard to get.
She glanced at the police station. It was a paperwork day for her. There was nothing pressing to take care of right now. “I can’t. I have to work.”

He sighed through the phone. “I know it’s a bad time.
I just want to talk. I promise I won’t keep you long.”

She dropped her voice to a seductive whisper.
“I have a feeling you’re going to break that promise.”

He chuckled, a dark, earthy noise that sent
a thrill dancing through her belly. It was the excitement of the chase. She knew it. She wanted him to chase her and seduce her to his bed. She wanted him to try to pin her into submission.

“I want to see your eyes while we talk,” he said.

Seduction could begin with a flick of an Elemental’s eyes. Elementals called eye-play entanglement, otherwise known as the first Vow of Seduction. The Fallen warrior was right to be intrigued by her golden irises. They were powerful. Dangerous. Seductive

“You’re not afraid of what I can do with my eyes?” she asked.

“I am not. As you are not afraid of me. I won’t keep you long Amber.”

She sighed
as she felt her body caving to his demand. “Okay, I can spare some time this morning.”

“I can’t wait to see you.”

The temptation to see Kane again was too much for Amber. She wanted to know more about him. She wanted to know where he lived and how he lived. Last night had played over and over on her mind. She wanted to feel him touch her again. She was going to be late for work, but it would be okay.

“
I’m on my way.”

“My driver will bring you.”

“I’ll see you soon.”

Amber
made a quick call to her partner about being late before she headed to the awaiting car. The driver stepped out. He opened the rear car door. Charleston city streets rolled into a lush landscape outside the city. Amber loved the old southern houses outside of the city, but the rich landscape wasn’t enough to distract her from her worry.

People
who had gotten too close to the Fallen tended to disappear completely. Charleston’s murder rate was higher than the national average. Amber was certain that had a lot to do with the Fallen. The car pulled to a stop in front of a stone gate. An old Armory arched with two towers, a middle lookout, and a long cathedral roof. Amber sensed that she was being watched. The place was immense and far off the beaten path. Security wasn’t visible, but it didn’t mean that it wasn’t there.

The driver pressed the intercom button next to the gate. Excitement and nerves made
Amber’s stomach a mess. The gate buzzed opened. The driver pulled through, and it slid shut behind. The long driveway ended in front of a set of huge wooden double doors. The car stopped. She opened the door before the muscle could come around.

Amber went up the stone stairs to the grand entrance.
The door opened when she reached it, but there was no one behind. The door automatically snapped shut behind, locking. Amber stepped inside, surprised by the coolness of the interior. Amber took a moment to let her eyes adjust to the simple entry. The hallway was empty and long. A runner led to another door. Amber walked to a second set of doors. They opened.

A Fallen was waiting in the foyer.

His hair was cut sharp, and everything about him was big, bad, and lethal. He looked as though he didn’t want to be here, but there was business to take care of.

“I am Dryden.”

“Amber.”

He studied her closely. “You are the one.”

Amber felt as though the world was turning
, but she was standing still. “How do you know I am?”

“Kane is never wrong when he chooses a lover.”

Amber glanced away from Dryden and moved farther into the Armory. Long ago, the Armory had been renovated into a mansion. There’d been a blurb in the
Post
about it. By the looks of things, there was nothing Old World about the Armory now. It was simply elegant and tasteful with modern contemporary furniture. She went into the living room and looked around. A chill raced over her skin as though a spirit had walked through her body. Amber clutched her belly and whirled around.

“Whoa.”

“What?” Dryden asked.

“You have a ghost.”

A vase of flowers next to Amber tipped back and forth. Amber reached out to catch the vase before it slammed to the floor, but she missed. Water rushed over the tips of her fingers. Amber centered her energy, freezing the water before it spilled all over the wood floor. Ice curved out from the table and hovered above the floor. Dryden’s eyes widened.

“Neat trick.”

Amber righted the vase that was now on its side. “Thanks. So about this ghost...”

“She hasn’t communicated with us before. She must like you,” Dryden said.

“Lucky me.”

“This way,” he said.
“Kane’s been anxious to see that you are okay.”

“I am.”

She was taken to the grand staircase, where they went up three floors. The Fallen led the way into an open corridor that stretched out before them. Opaque glass windows stretched from floor to the ceiling, protecting the Fallen from sunlight. Beyond the glass, an open rooftop garden bloomed in the sunshine. It was nothing like she’d ever seen and more than anything she’d ever owned. Her heart fluttered in appreciation. Beyond the garden, she saw a rooftop pool. She didn’t want to feel anything for Kane, but she did. Amber knew she could easily fall in love with him, and that scared her. If she fell in love with him, she would lose all sense of balance and independence.

Amber watched the Fallen warrior closely. Angels were given rein over heaven
; the Fallen were given rein over the Earth, and Elementals were given control over nature. Humans lived in ignorant bliss, and every once in a while ended up being used. Everyone had a part to play. Her grandmother had told her that the Fallen were serving out prison terms. Why else were they Shunned?