“Stop it! Fiona!”
A warning round of bullets sprayed near his feet as he took another step forward. Some of the stray rounds punched holes in the floor near her face.
“Enough,” Smithwick shouted as he held up his hand. “I believe our friend understands the point. Relax. It was only a little jolt.”
Dhavin’s chest bellowed as hard as Fiona’s by the time the noise faded. The only benefit to Smithwick’s taunt was the death-warmed-over look on her face was gone. The drawback to her regaining consciousness was now her terror flooded his senses, choking him with the bitterness.
“Fiona, love, look at me.” Eye contact. That was all he needed. To have her look him in the eye and confirm she knew he was going to get her to safety.
She lifted her head and her eyes were full of fear and a hopelessness he didn’t know how to ease. To his horror, she scrambled closer to Smithwick and pressed her face to the side of his leg.
“Obedient as well as beautiful.” Smithwick ran his fingers though her tangled curls. “I will enjoy having her by my side. Let me make myself clear, Chameleon. You leave me be and Fiona is treated like a queen. You interfere and she will bear your punishment. Do you understand?”
“Fine. Now let her go.” At this point he’d sell his soul to get her out of there. Let the police take care of Smithwick. Once she was safely away, not even an army had the strength to get past his defenses to cause her harm.
“You don’t understand. She will stay with me to ensure your compliance. Forever.”
Fiona issued a little squeak of distress and rested her hand on Smithwick’s thigh as he massaged her scalp. Her red-rimmed eyes pleaded with Dhavin from between the twisted locks.
“SWAT is on the scene, Chameleon.” DeWinter’s voice came across the earpiece. “Hold steady. We’re going to cut the power in two minutes.”
Two minutes. His muscles tensed, ready to sweep Fiona into his arms and out the nearest window.
“Do not think I’m playing games with you, Chameleon.” Smithwick rubbed his thumb over the fob in light circles. “I see your mind working, planning an avenue of escape for your lady love. If you remove her from my sight, you condemn her to excruciating pain, and I don’t need this device to administer it. Believe me, I have her on a short leash.”
The flare of fear from Fiona confirmed the threat. She looked back up at him and narrowed her eyes as she drew a deep breath. He felt a steely jolt of determination straighten her spine a second before she turned her head and sank her teeth deep into Smithwick’s thigh. As he howled in pain, she reached up and grabbed on to the chain around his neck. At that moment the lights went out, plunging them into darkness.
Dhavin didn’t hesitate. He streaked to her side and scooped her up as she screamed in pain. There was a slight lurch as the chain snapped.
“Keep running,” she panted against his neck. “I have the button.”
Gunfire erupted behind them as the SWAT team stormed out from the stairwells. Dhavin never looked back. He rushed for the gray rectangle of the window and tucked Fiona closer to his chest. Leading with his shoulder, he burst through the glass with her clutching on to his tunic and letting loose another scream. His legs pumped hard in the air as they fell the five stories so when they hit ground he was in motion.
“Captain, I’m on the move,” he said. “Racing up Front Street. Fiona’s hurt. I need a medic immediately.”
“Copy that. Hang a left on 15th. I have aid waiting.”
“We’re almost there, sweetheart.”
Flashing red and blue lights lit up the street corner like a Christmas parade and the sight of the ambulance gave him his first moment of peace in hours.
He laid Fiona on the waiting gurney. “Fiona, still with me? Help is here. Where are you hurt?”
“No!” She slapped at his hands with more strength than he thought her capable as he reached for the collar. “Don’t touch it. It will explode.”
“What?” he shouted as the waiting medical personnel all took a step back.
“If you try to take it off without the key, it will explode.”
“Where’s the key?” He took the chain from her hand. “Is this it?”
“No. This powers the electric shocks. The key’s with Smithwick. In his pocket.”
“Damn it. Captain, did you hear that? Tell me you have Smithwick in custody.”
“Sorry, no sign of him. He disappeared into the tunnels under the building and none of his men are talking, yet. Sit tight. I’ll have a bomb tech to you asap.”
“Cam! Fiona!” Brett rounded the corner and stopped at his side. “I heard about the bomb. Let me take a quick look.”
“Sheriff, I appreciate the offer, but I’d rather leave this to the professionals.”
“I’m going to forget you said that. Pay attention to Fiona.” She ran her fingers along the collar, lifting and prodding at the device.
Either the cold winter air, the adrenaline racing through her bloodstream, or a combination of the two made her body tremble and the gurney rattled a macabre beat under the death grip she had on the mattress. Her teeth chattered a tarantella and her legs jerked like a marionette controlled by a violent handler. Seeing her struggle brought tears to his eyes, knowing it was he that led her to this misery.
“Why are you standing there?” he bellowed at the medics. “She needs help.”
They jumped at his shout and crept toward the stretcher. All of them had their wide-eyed stares trained on the collar.
Brett stepped back. “Relax, guys. The explosives are secure for now. Treat what you can, but wait to administer any IVs until after it’s been removed. I don’t want any metal or saline anywhere near her until the power in the device is off. Fiona, can you hear me, sweetie? We’ll get you out of this. I see the tech coming now.”
The tech plodded into Dhavin’s view, his gait slow from the weight of the hood and heavy armor covering his entire body down to his thick-soled shoes. Sweat broke out along Dhavin’s forehead at the visual reminder of the severity of the situation.
“Howdy, folks,” the tech’s voice was muffled behind the protective visor. “I need everyone to stand back at least a hundred feet.”
Dhavin reached for Fiona’s twitching hand and pressed it between both of his. “I’m staying with her.”
“Sir—”
“I’m staying!”
The tech’s eyes widened. “Okay. Keep her calm and stay out of my way. I don’t know what we’re dealing with yet and I don’t want to rush.”
“Fine.” He kissed the back of her hand and leaned close to her ear. “Fiona, look at me.”
Her eyes squeezed tighter shut and she flinched when the tech covered her in a protective blanket. “I-I can’t,” she stuttered. “Sorry. I-I’m scared.”
“Don’t be sorry. Listen to me.” He reached under his cowl to remove the earpiece and tossed it into the street. These words were for her alone. “You are so brave. I am in awe of your strength and am so proud of you right now. I’m the one who is sorry. I failed you. You mean so much to me. I never wanted you hurt by my actions.”
She remained silent. Only the slight flex of her fingers encouraged him to continue.
“You have no idea how lost I felt when I arrived on this planet. Everything was new and different and lonely. Then I saw you. You were in your shop, helping customers and smiling that beautiful smile of yours. Your aunt said something and you laughed. Your joy reached out to me and enveloped me like a hug. I didn’t know how cold I was until I saw you. From that moment on I wanted you for my own, no matter what I had to do to gain your affection. It was selfish of me, and I’m sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am, Fiona.”
He pressed another kiss to her hand. “I love you, Fiona. By any name, masked or unmasked, I love you, and I always will.”
A tear trickled out from her tightly shut eyelids, but she did not make a sound.
“Shit.”
Dhavin looked to the tech. Nothing good ever followed that expletive. “What is it?”
“I nicked a wire.”
“What does that mean?”
Fiona’s spine arched off the mattress, her jaw clenched tight against a scream.
“The bomb’s defused but the power’s on. I can’t turn it off.”
“Get it off her! Get it off!”
“Almost got it.” The collar popped open and the tech whipped it out from under her neck.
She collapsed back onto the mattress, her body limp and her chest heaving.
“Fiona.” His hands hovered uselessly over her. He didn’t know where to touch to offer comfort. “Fiona.”
A medic rushed in and attempted to push him aside. “Sir, please move.”
“Cam, come on.” Brett used two hands and some muscle to pull him far enough away to allow the medic to squeeze in.
“I’m going with her.” He sidestepped around her as Fiona was lifted into the ambulance.
“Not yet. DeWinter needs to talk to you. We’ll get to the hospital soon. I know you have shadows. They’ll follow her.”
“No.” He ran after the ambulance, pounding on the back door with enough force to shake the hinges loose.
The truck gained speed, and he stuck to its bumper, ignoring the blare of horns and shouts of surprise as he paced the vehicle as it shot down the freeway. A few blocks from the hospital, he was suddenly jerked off his feet by the back of his tunic and carried up the side of a nearby building. His arms and legs flailed in shock as he was tossed onto the rooftop and a giant, booted foot planted its heavy weight on his chest.
“Dhavinllanos, hold your position,” Lucian ordered and pressed down harder. Kristos stood with him, dressed in the royal uniform, and the firm set of his lips said he was ready to assist with his restraint if needed.
“I have to see her.” He pushed against his cousin’s leg.
“I understand, Dhavin, I do, but you can’t go in there just yet.”
“Fuck off, Lucian. I need to be with her.”
“Not like this. You are in uniform and you’ll only be in the way. The commotion will cause more harm than good.”
“I need her.”
“Soon, cousin,” said Kristos. “Let them care for her and when she’s alone, go to her.”
Damn all to the depths of hell! He hated when they were rational.
“Fine. Let me up. They have fifteen minutes. I can’t give any more.”
Lucian moved his foot, but Dhavin lacked the strength to stand. The events of the day replayed in his mind, making him sicker by the minute. What good was it to have incredible superpowers when they did no good to protect those he loved?
“This is all my fault.” He lifted the cowl and wiped at the sweat on his brow. For the first time the royal uniform constricted around his body like shrink-wrap. Suffocating him like a hindrance instead of the honor it was. “If I never was the Chameleon, she’d never have been kidnapped and tortured. What was I thinking? I can’t be the Chameleon and be with Fiona. As long as I wear the mask, she’ll always been in danger. If not from Smithwick, then someone else.”
“We all face that possibility,” said Lucian. “We faced it as
Llanos
as well.”
“This is different.”
Kristos laughed without humor. “No, it’s not. The only difference is now you have someone to lose.”
“And I almost lost her tonight. I can’t ask her to place herself in danger by being with me.”
“Then what is the solution?”
He looked down at his chest, his fingers touched the rough scales of the tunic as the protective fabric weighed on his shoulders like never before. The whole of his life centered around protecting the people. Whether he wore the mask or not, his nature was to throw himself into the line of fire and defend those who lacked the strength. It was intrinsic, embedded in his DNA and what made him the
Llanos
warrior he was. Despite any good intentions he may have to let others run into danger first, he doubted he could stand on the sidelines. For as long as he lived, he’d do whatever it took to offer his protection.
In this case the one who needed protecting was Fiona.
“There is only one solution.” His breath caught as he truly understood the choice he had to make. “I’m going to have to end things with Fiona.”
Fiona kept her gaze on the slice of pie before her and swirled the tines of her fork in the velvety concoction as her stomach revolted at the thought of taking another bite.
Betty Sue’s chocolate cream pie was the only recipe Fiona conceded was better than hers, but even the sinfully rich goodness was tasteless on her tongue. Perhaps it was due to the fact her taste buds had yet to recover from the electric shocks she took to the head.
Or…maybe it was because every person in the café watched her from the corner of their eye and whispered behind cupped hands.
News of her kidnapping and relationship to the Chameleon had been the hot topic around town during the two days she spent in the hospital. According to Aunt Bridget, business was booming at the shop with people wanting to ask her questions and hoping to see the masked superhero.
Good luck with that. The man professed his love at her sickbed then disappeared without a trace. No note. No coded message. Nothing. If not for the fact that every terrifying minute from the moment she bit into Smithwick’s leg to when the bomb tech set off the collar was burned into her memory, she might have chalked up the pretty speech as a delusion.
And if he did suddenly appear before her, what the hell would she say? Thanks for saving me? You’re an ass for placing me in danger? You love me, great?
God, perhaps it was for the best that she had this time to attempt to sort out her feelings. At this point she was just as likely to jump into his arms as she was to run screaming in the other direction.
“Fiona.”
She started and looked over at the sheriff as her cheeks burned hot with embarrassment at being caught not listening. “Sorry, Sheriff. I didn’t mean to zone out there.”
“Please, call me Brett.” She smiled and took a sip of her coffee. “Actually, I think I’d be concerned if you didn’t have a million thoughts running through your head right now. You’ve had a lot to deal with lately.”
“Yeah, I guess you have been in my shoes. Sort of.”
“That I have, but I didn’t invite you out to put you on display. If all the stares are making you uncomfortable, we can leave and talk elsewhere.”
“No.” She straightened in her seat and squared her shoulders. A few stares were not going to prevent her from living a normal life. “I’m fine.”
Before the Chameleon entered her world, it was not unusual to see her sitting in the diner and enjoying a slice of pie. There was no reason for her not to indulge in a treat with him gone. May this small scoop of deliciousness be the first in the road back to normalcy.
“Good.” Brett licked the last of the cream from her fork and placed it on the table. “Fiona, I want you to know that I’m here to answer any questions you may have. You and I are members of a very secret club. For a while I was the only member, and I wished I had someone to talk to. Loving a
Llanos
isn’t easy, and believe me, I fought it every step of the way, but the reward…man, totally worth the leap. Most days.” She winked. “From what I’ve seen is that when a
Llan
os loves, it’s with their entire being. I think it’s in their genetic wiring, but whatever it is, I’m grateful every day I have Kristos in my life.”
“But Kristos isn’t…him.” She gave a quick glance around. Who knew who was eavesdropping.
“True. True. But I do know that while he didn’t have the best of plans, he did have the best of intentions. Now I can’t promise he won’t do stupid shit in the future, but I can promise the make-up sex is amazing.”
Fiona laughed and her cheeks heated further. “That’s nice things worked out for you and Kristos, but we’re different. How do I know if I fell in love with the man or the mask?”
“What does your heart tell you?”
That at times coincidence was a wicked bitch.
Or was it coincidence that at that precise moment the door to the diner opened and the Kilsgaard clan entered. The sight of all that masculinity sucked the oxygen from Fiona’s lungs. Lordy, but they were a handsome group of fellas and she wasn’t the only one staring as they took their seats in a booth across the room.
Since he wasn’t on duty, Dhavin was dressed in jeans and a formfitting Henley t-shirt that somehow made his muscles appear larger than she remembered. He looked so rugged and manly, and she realized this was the first time she had seen him not in a uniform. Well, besides being naked, of course. She didn’t even know he owned a pair of jeans. How insane was that? Beside the bedroom and her shop, they had spent practically zero time together in a setting that included a touch of reality. How could she be in love with someone she knew so little about?
But she was. Heaven help her, she loved him to the point of physical pain.
Yes, he lied about his secret identity. Compared to the malice she recently experienced, he was forgiven for the hurt to her pride. Yet it was her time with Smithwick that hammered home the dangers he faced daily with not one, but two jobs he took obvious pride in. If the stories she heard about his home planet were true, being a
Llanos
warrior was more than a job but a birthright passed from generation to generation because of the honor and strength passed through genetic code. Dhavin’s happiness stemmed from his ability to protect. To ask him to stop would be pure selfishness on her part.
She sneaked another glance in his direction. Though he had a menu in his hands, he watched her from beneath his lashes. The furrow in his brow silently asked about her well-being and she swore she felt his concern as if she were the one with empathic powers.
If this had been a movie, there’d be millions of women screaming at the screens for her to run to him. Hell, she’d be one of them. But the burns around her neck kept her butt in her seat and the taste of her own cowardice burned her tongue.
She buried her face in her hands and choked back a sob. “I have no idea what to do.”
“Why don’t you ask him?”
“I can’t. He’s part of the problem.”
Brett tapped her on the arm. “Not him.
Him
.”
Fiona looked up and in the direction Brett pointed. Her jaw dropped and the noise in the café faded away as one by one the other diners turned toward the big picture window.
The Chameleon stood on the other side of the glass. Tall and imposing with a jaw as hard as granite. Light from the café played with the scales of his tunic, reflecting the stunned faces of the patrons. When she met his gaze, he beckoned her to come out with a crooked finger. Her head whipped back to the booth where Dhavin sat with his two cousins. He nodded an encouragement for her to go.
“What are you waiting for?” Brett asked with a knowing smile. “Go.”
“I don’t understand.” Who the hell was this guy?
Brett waved at her in a shooing motion. “Just go.”
Jell-O invaded her trembling legs as she slid over the bench seat and walked with halting steps across the room. A cold breeze slapped her windbreaker against her body when she opened the door and the shivers grew when he motioned with his head and crossed the street to the park where he waited for her under the bright streetlight.
As she drew closer, she noticed this man was taller than Dhavin, but much leaner. The uniform still stretched over his shoulders, but the pants didn’t cling to his thighs in the same way they hugged Dhavin’s and his waist was much smaller in circumference. She almost wanted to run back inside and get him a sandwich. Tragic was the word that stabbed her in the heart as he peered at her with eyes so dark, she wondered if their black color was natural or a byproduct of his internal pain. If she were to ever see him again without the mask, she was certain she’d be able to recognize him. Such melancholy was unforgettable.
“Who are you?”
“Play along,” he murmured, barely moving his lips.
He looked over her shoulder and her gaze followed. All of the diners from the café were pressed against the windows and some spilled onto the sidewalk. Even some of the customers of the nearby stores had joined the gathering crowd.
The rolling of her stomach grew into a tsunami-sized tidal wave. What fresh hell had she stepped into? Thank goodness she hadn’t eaten a lot of that pie.
“Fiona, I was hoping to see you tonight,” the Chameleon said in a booming voice certain to travel all over the neighborhood. He glanced down at his hand and she saw writing scribbled across his big palm. “I can no longer be romantically involved with you.”
“What?”
“Now, now, do not cry. Your tears will not move me,” he continued in a stilted cadence. “I know you have another in your lite. Life? Oh, fuck me. Look…” His posture relaxed but the intensity in his expression remained fierce as he spoke low and for her ears only. “There is a price that comes with wearing this uniform, and I’ve paid it. As long as I’m in your life, you’ll always be in danger. It will be best for everyone if the Chameleon retains his solitary existence.”
His gaze shifted to over her head, and when she looked back, she spotted Dhavin in the gawking crowd. The tension in his stance made him appear like a statue amongst the locals who jostled for a better view. One hand covered his mouth while his free arm banded across his chest as if to hold himself back from interfering.
“He loves you,” the Chameleon said with a wistfulness that brought tears to her eyes. “And you’re terrified.”
“I am not.”
“Liar. I sense you. Here.” He touched his chest. “Believe me, I don’t blame you. To entrust all that you are to another takes a courage I don’t think I’ll ever possess. In fact, I think it’s blessed only upon the insane. But he does love you. That’s why he’s willing to give up the mask. If you were harmed again because someone wanted to lash out at him, he would never recover.”
“But I can’t ask him to give it up.”
“You don’t have to. He does it willingly. Look, woman, I’m the last person to give advice on relationships, but I am an expert on regret. The next step you take is your choice. Do not base your decision on fear.”
“I think that’s easier said than done.”
“And I think you’re stronger than you believe. So, what say you?”
Butterflies beat a frenzy in her stomach as she clenched her teeth and took a deep breath through her nose. The Chameleon had said the one word that made all her doubts fall into place. Regret.
What was that saying? You can try and succeed, or you can do nothing and fail for certain. Relationships were about give and take, and if what this man said was true, then Dhavin had given up a huge part of himself for her. The least she could do was try.
Fiona lifted her chin and shouted, “You know what? I don’t need all this drama. You’re more flash than substance anyway. If you want to break up, fine, so be it. I never want to see you again.”
The corner of his mouth lifted into a tiny grin. “Goodbye, Fiona. It was fun while it lasted.” He turned to leave then stopped short. When he turned back to face her there was a light in his eyes that sent a tingle down her neck. “Before I go, here’s a little something to remember me by.”
In two steps, she was in his arms, his lips pressed to hers. After the flare of surprise faded, she realized the kiss was actually quite pleasant. Was it a perquisite that all who wore the tunic be a good kisser?
She swayed on her feet when he stepped away. The smile on his lips softened the carved lines around his mouth.
“Good luck, little human.”
One second he was standing before her, the next, he was a streak across the square, scaling the side of city hall before disappearing into the light of the moon.
Holy cow, he had powers too.
With the Chameleon gone, Fiona felt the weight of over forty expectant stares boring into her back. A peek over her shoulder confirmed that some of the biggest gossips in town just witnessed her breaking up with a legend. How is one supposed to react?
Brett waved in her direction and pointed to her cheek with a frown. Fiona caught the hint and began to cry, scrunching her face tight to hide her dry eyes. The only man she ever cried over was Dhavin, she didn’t have any experience in this situation.
“Fiona, it will be okay.” Brett jogged to her side and patted her on the back. With a comforting arm across Fiona’s shoulder, she led her back across the street. “Guys like the Chameleon can’t commit. They’re adrenaline junkies.”
Several of the diners nodded their agreement.
“Okay, people, break it up. Nothing to see here,” the sheriff shouted. “Dhavin, why don’t you see Fiona home? She doesn’t need all of us gawking at her humiliation.”
“I’d be happy to.” He held out his hand. “May I escort you home, Fiona?”
She stared at his outstretched palm, knowing there was more to the simple request. Ah, now this was the big test. Did she have the courage to take his hand and take a step toward the future?
Dhavin’s hand trembled the longer she stared. That little tell gave her the strength to take his hand. The warm press of his fingers and the huge sigh he released made real tears cling to her lashes.
He held tight to her hand as they walked in silence down the street to where her car was parked behind her shop. She reached out to open the door, but he stopped her with a soft grunt. His hand shook with a fine tremor as he fingered the scarf around her neck. “May I?”