"You aren't responsible for him," Judith said.
Rikki was startled by the belligerence in her voice. As a rule, Judith was open and caring. Just the bandage on Lev's head should have produced her usual empathy.
"Actually, I am," Rikki countered. It was true. She was captain. She'd pulled him out of the sea. Her code made her responsible. "Everyone, this is Levi Hammond. Levi, my sisters. You know Blythe already. This is Judith, Lissa, Airiana and Lexi."
"So you brought him home with you because you feel responsible," Airiana clarified, ignoring the introduction.
Rikki scowled at Judith and Airiana. "Why are you being rude? He's a guest in my home. I may not have social skills, but in your homes, I'm always polite to your guests." Okay, that wasn't strictly the truth. She usually backed out and left the moment she saw company, or she simply didn't speak. But she kept her dark glasses on and that could be considered polite. Her throat felt funny, a strange tickle.
Lev put his hand on her shoulder. "It's natural for them to worry about you, Rikki." Even as he said it, his head whipped around, looking toward the trees.
"His aura," Judith broke off, gasping, one hand going to her throat. She began to cough.
Airiana leapt to her side. "What is it?"
Judith shook her head and held up her hand as she tried to breathe. Lexi rushed over to her. Rikki went still. She pulled her glasses off and her gaze locked with Lev's. She knew she was giving him the death stare, but if he was responsible, she was never going to forgive him. She couldn't tell by his stony expression or his eyes. He was completely inscrutable.
Judith coughed again and Rikki hurried to get water, her mind racing. Lev was telepathic. He'd admitted to other gifts as well. His strongest drive was self-defense. Would he see Judith as a threat to him? She should never have brought him anywhere near her family. It bothered her that she had even conceived the idea that he could be a threat to Judith, but she couldn't get the nagging doubt from her mind.
She handed Judith the water. Lev hadn't reassured her. And she had observed him enough to know he had some healing abilities, but he wasn't rushing to assist Judith. He stayed quiet, out of the way, standing over near the railing where she'd been sitting. He was looking out toward the sea or maybe up to the road, but he wasn't looking at Judith.
Judith managed to get water down, and she slumped in her chair, gasping for breath. Lexi put calming hands on her and Judith drew in more air. "I have an allergy to something, I think."
"Has this happened before?"
The suspicion in Lev's voice startled Rikki. He was still looking out toward the road. A chill went down her spine. What did he sense out there? She couldn't stop herself. She stepped in front of her sisters, all huddled around Judith, and she faced the road as well, trying to make herself larger, even going so far as to spread her arms out.
"What is it?" Lissa whispered, coming up behind her.
"I don't know. Something. Can you feel anything?" Rikki murmured back in a low tone.
Lissa was a warrior woman. If something was wrong, she might be able to feel it.
"Go in the house," Lev snapped. "Now. All of you."
Horror was a metallic taste in her mouth. All of them together in her house? She shook her head. Lev didn't argue, he simply caught her arm and thrust her inside. "You fucking stay there, you hear me? The rest of you get inside and stay away from the windows. You keep Rikki inside and out of sight."
She felt the push in her mind, knew he was using some sort of strong compulsion along with his command. He didn't need it. His demeanor and voice alone would have stopped her sisters from going outside against his wishes. He dragged her through the kitchen into the living room.
Rikki couldn't breathe. The temperature in the house was extraordinarily hot. She broke out in a sweat, she was dizzy and weak. Her panic was full-blown and she couldn't talk, couldn't get the words out. Lev strode past her into the bedroom and began strapping on weapons. She could see him from where she was, but her sisters were oblivious, all peering out the windows. Airiana started to protest, but Lissa stopped her.
"He's right," she agreed. "I feel something out there."
"Call Jonas," Blythe said, all practical.
"Stay the hell away from the windows," Lev snapped, as he stood in the doorway of the bedroom. "Keep Rikki in here." He crossed to her side and bent down, his face close to hers, his hands on her upper arms as he pulled her against him. "I know you're worried about fire, lyubimaya, but no one is going to get past me to get to you. Just breathe this away and I'll be back soon." He brushed a gentle kiss across her upturned mouth and abruptly strode away, leaving her in shock.
Blythe, Judith, Airiana and Lexi stared at her with open mouths, obviously not believing what they'd just witnessed.
Lissa followed Lev through the bedroom to the back window. "I can help."
"He'll be long gone. He's watching the house. He's up on the high ridge to the north. I caught the flash of his binoculars. Could be nothing, but then again, I don't want a pervert lurking around either."
"Rikki can't have us all in the house," Lissa advised, hanging on to the windowsill. It was impossible to see the northern tree line from where they were--which meant whoever was watching couldn't see Lev as he went out.
"I know. You can get her through it. Better a panic attack than a bullet"
Lissa went to catch his arm, but as fast as she was, he was out of reach, his eyes were flat and cold. "Just watch over her until I get back."
Rikki tried to make her feet move, to follow him. She didn't want him going out alone, not with a concussion. He was sick and dizzy, but he was functioning. That made her feel worse, guilty even. He managed. There was nothing wrong with her at all, but she was so upset over her sisters gathered under her roof that she couldn't move.
Lissa put a hand on the nape of her neck and pushed her head down. "Breathe, honey. We're by the door. If the house catches fire, we'll all get out safely. No big deal."
"Lissa's right," Blythe's tone was brisk. "Judith, have you had this happen before?"
"No. Never. But I do have allergies," Judith answered. She took another swallow of water. "That man is very, very dangerous."
"He's out there trying to protect us," Lissa reminded.
Airiana shook her head and stepped close to Rikki as if to protect her. "Judith is right. We both can see auras and his is very strange. He carries many colors, but the colors are layered and surrounded by a deep red and then covered completely in black. The man lives with death and shadows. Whatever is inside him is eclipsed by his violent nature. I've never seen a man so dangerous."
Judith nodded. "The only two people who even come close to date have been Elle Drake's husband, Jackson, and even more dark is Joley's husband, Ilya Prakenskii. This man, this Levi Hammond, honestly, Rikki, he scares me."
Rikki forced air through her lungs, anger welling up in spite of her belief that they were right about Lev. She didn't like that they were saying aloud what she was thinking. He was violent. She couldn't argue with that, but that wasn't all there was to him--and they had given her a chance. Lord only knew if she was worthy of it. They were all convinced she didn't start fires, but who, besides her, had four homes burn down, two with people she loved in them?
Lissa put a gentle hand on Rikki's shoulder. "He went out the window like a pro. He's fast and silent, and I'm betting very efficient, but he was definitely in protection mode. He'd be handy out in her boat, or any other place for that matter."
Rikki shot her a grateful look. "If we're going to stay in this room, all together, I have to open the front door." There were beads of sweat dotting her forehead and her chest felt on fire, as if she was already desperate for air. She swore she could smell smoke.
"I'll get the door," Lissa assured. "You sit down before you fall down. Maybe Blythe can get you water."
Rikki shook her head. "Everyone should stay together." She looked around. "Do you smell smoke? My eyes are burning."
Judith passed the glass of water to Lissa. "There's no smoke, Rikki. Take a drink. You'll feel much better."
Rikki inhaled deeply, trying to draw in air, terrified that she was reliving a nightmare that would never go away. Her feet and calves burned, a fierce, bone-wrenching pain. The scars had seemed a little less tight, but now they hurt as if newly formed. Usually they ached when she walked, the tight skin resisting stretching. Underwater she didn't have the problem--she even forgot about the scars until she was back on land.
Her house had been purposely designed so that she could look from the kitchen door, straight through her house all the way through the bedroom door that led to the back of the house. There were doors in almost every room leading to the outside, a safety net should there be a fire. She had wanted sprinklers, but with her penchant for nightmares and calling out for water, her house would have been destroyed in the first few months of occupation. She chose the chair she'd placed in her living room where she could see every door. The kitchen had only the screen door closed, so she had a good view of the outside.
"Lissa, open the front door and the back bedroom door, please," Blythe said. When Rikki started to protest, Blythe put a gentle hand on her. "She'll be in sight the entire time and she's very safe around fire. Your screen doors are dark so no one can see in but we can see out. You'll feel so much safer with the doors open. We'll all watch for anyone close to the house."
"I'll call Jonas," Airiana announced, reaching for the phone.
Rikki shook her head. "No. Not yet. I don't want to talk to him. I'm too stressed and I don't know if I could handle it. Let Levi see what's out there. Maybe it's my imaginaton." She huddled in the chair, drawing her feet up off the floor, rubbing at her burning scars.
Lissa opened the back bedroom door and stopped to get Rikki's weighted blanket. "Take this, honey."
Rikki didn't see how cowering under her blanket was going to stop her from feeling guilty. She should be outside, helping Lev.
"He shouldn't be out there alone. He's hurt, Lissa. He really hit his head. He's had a terrible concussion. That's why I let him in the house. Someone had to take care of him."
The women exchanged relieved glances and Rikki realized that made sense to them, that she would bring him home to take care of him.
"You should have told us," Blythe said gently. "We could have helped you."
"I didn't want anyone else in the house," she muttered. That would make sense to them as well. They knew she was extremely leery of having anyone inside her house.
She looked around her at the faces looking back at her with so much open affection. "You thought he was using me, didn't you?"
There was an awkward silence. "He's gorgeous," Blythe said. "Any woman would take one look at him and fall at his feet."
"You mean like Judith and Airiana did?" The scent of smoke was fading as her mind cleared, slowly releasing her from the grip of a full-blown panic attack. She turned her gaze back to the outdoors. She wouldn't--could'nt--be comfortable with the people she loved gathered under one roof, so she would have to pull herself together in order to keep them safe. "Or just me? I'm not desperate for a man, you know. I'm quite happy here without one."
"Rikki, no one is saying you're desperate for a man," Judith objected, her voice every bit as gentle as Blythe's. "There are predators in this world, and they look for certain traits in women so they can use them."
"Certain traits?" Rikki sat up straighter, the scent of smoke dissipating altogether as her temper kicked in. "Just what are you saying?" She glared at them all. "No man is going to want to be with me because I'm so different? You think I don't already know that?"
"That's not what I said," Judith replied. "Nor do I think it's true."
"Yes, you do," Rikki said. "I think it, so why shouldn't you? I don't care. That's the important thing here. I honestly don't. I'm happy. I have a life. I don't like other people around touching my things. He used my dishes this morning. He doesn't eat peanut butter. Sheesh. He wants on my boat."
Blythe folded her arms and sat back in her chair. "Let's think about this."
"Let's not," Rikki said. "As soon as he's feeling better, he's gone. No one has to worry about whether or not I'm going to be so desperate for a man's attention that I let him use me." She glanced up at Judith. "Or abuse me, if that's what you're implying."
Judith shrugged. "You can get as angry as you want with me, Rikki, but if you think I'm going to back off from protecting my sister from a predator, you can just get over it. That man is no lamb. He's got teeth, and he's dangerous. It's not some small shadow surrounding him. He lives with violence."
Judith always managed to disarm her with affection. And Rikki couldn't very well deny that Lev was a violent man. He'd put a knife to her throat and he was a walking weapon. But they'd given her a chance, and she saw something in him that apparently Judith and Airiana couldn't see. She saw past those shadows to something altogether different. But how could she explain what she didn't understand?
"I know what he's like, Judith. You have to trust me this time. He's much more than the protection he's wrapped himself in." Rikki looked up at the one person she knew she'd have to convince. Judith always amazed her with her insight into people. She was calm, where Rikki was stormy. She chose her words carefully, while Rikki often blurted out a response, if she bothered at all. "I'm asking as a personal favor to me that you give him a chance, Judith."
Judith sank down in front of Rikki and took both of her hands. "Tell me why you feel so strongly about him, honey. Make me understand."
Rikki shook her head. "I'm not like you. I'm not good with words. But I know him. I know him better than he knows himself. I see him. I can't tell you how, but I do. He needs us. All of us. We have to help him. He's lost--just like I was."
The women exchanged wary looks.
Judith sighed. "You were never violent, Rikki."
"You don't know that. You don't. You took it on faith that I didn't start those fires, but even I don't know for certain. It makes sense. Everyone else believes I did. And don't think Jonas Harrington hasn't had his suspicions about me. He watches me. I've seen him. You gave me a chance when there was no reason to and I'm asking you to do the same for him."
"And if you're wrong?" Blythe said.
"I'll keep him away from the rest of you. I'll be the only one in danger."
Judith shook her head. "Absolutely not acceptable. I'm sorry, baby, but if you take the risk, we all do."
Rikki looked around her. Each of the others nodded solemnly. There was no dissenting vote. It was up to her. How strongly did she feel about Lev? She barely knew the man. She rubbed the pad of her thumb over the center of her palm.
"Why are you doing that?" Airiana asked.
Rikki frowned. "What?"
"You're rubbing your palm. You've never done that before."
Airiana was frightening in her observation of detail. Rikki shrugged and turned her palm over, pressing it against her jeans. "No reason. I'm just confused about all this. I want to give Levi a chance."
Blythe glanced at the others and then nodded. "We're with you then."
10
LEV opened the window in the bedroom, grateful it slid up silently. Whoever was watching Rikki--and how the hell had they found her?--had some kind of psychic power. He'd felt the shift in energy. It hadn't been particularly powerful, but he noticed the two women who he had determined were the most sensitive to psychic forces had been the only ones really affected. Rikki had been with him all week, holed up in her house, so if this was about her, there had to have been a trail leading to her. And if it was about him ... Well, no one was going to hurt her or the others because of his dubious past.
He did a rolling somersault, coming up on one knee, allowing a couple of seconds to orient himself in the surrounding terrain. The few minutes he'd managed to stay up he'd spent studying the house and the immediate acreage around it. He'd committed the map of the farm to memory so he was
fairly certain he could find his way around, but it was imperative he scout Rikki's five acres as soon as possible. He needed to know every shrub and tree, every hollow. Where the tall grass was that might conceal someone. Everything. Especially if he was going to make his home here.
That brought him up short. What was he thinking? Living here? With Rikki? Men like him didn't have homes. They didn't have loved ones. Those things were liabilities to his kind. He'd been trained to move, to shed his identity fast and assume another one just as quickly. That was life. Trying to be someone was a certain road to death.
He moved as fast as his pounding head would allow him. Each jolt sent a dagger through his skull. His stomach lurched. He knew his head injury had been worse than he'd first imagined, but it was healing. He was speeding the process along as best he could, and now he needed to be at full operating capacity. He made his way up the terraced flower beds and began working his way over toward the northern side of her property up toward the tree line.
Sid Kozlov was dead. Did that mean Lev Prakenskii was as well? An image of Rikki's little frown filled his head. A few times, when he couldn't sleep and he just lay there beside her, aching, wishing, he fantasized that she was his. That the world he was in was real. Maybe this was his one chance. It was a miracle he'd survived the sinking of the yacht. Another miracle, that although he'd been slammed into the rocks by a powerful wave, he'd lived through it. And Rikki. She was the real miracle, with her quirky ways and her eyes that could see beyond his armor and straight to something he'd thought long gone.
Damn. He wanted her. He wanted this life. He wanted it to be real. Were there second chances? It was possible he'd have to walk away, but before he did, Rikki Sitmore was going to be safe. She would know that she didn't start fires in her sleep. She would know she hadn't killed her parents or fiance, nor had she burned down the homes of her foster parents.
As he made his way through the trees, he tried to figure out what it was about her that appealed to him so much. Passion. She was passionate about everything she did. Everything she was. Who she was. He was fairly certain she had some form of autism, yet she had carved out a life for herself in spite of all the odds and she made it her own. She was the sea she loved so much, moody, joyful, playful, and at times stormy and wild. He was ice-cold, a passionless floe out in the arctic seas, alone and struggling for survival.