Out of Reach (11 page)

“Alright, I admit it - you are pretty
smooth,” I tell her.

“That was a lot of fun, and Pete’s a good
dancer,” she explains. “Did you see all the dirty looks I got when
I headed over there?”

“Yes,” I chuckle.

“You gotta be more like that, Gwen.”

“Uh huh,” is my only response. Not ready to
concede I’m not as badass as I think I am when it comes to the art
of flirting, I prepare to pull the last trick up my sleeve.

“You about ready to call it a night?” I
ask.

“Sure,” she says. Grabbing the pen from my
purse, I quickly jot something down on the back of a business card
and fold it in half.

“Okay, meet me by the door; this will only
take a second,” I tell her.

Shaking out my hair, I assume my most
confident stride and head straight across the room to my fireman.
Without any hesitation, I lean down close to him at the table where
he’s currently engaged in a hand of poker and slide the business
card into the front shirt pocket of his uniform in full view of the
table. Then, assuming my sexiest smile and angling to face the rest
of the table, I say, “Goodnight, boys,” before waltzing away toward
the exit.

Melanie is all smiles when I get there.

“Well played girl, well played.”

Smiling back, I reach for the door, holding
it open for her.

“Are they watching?” I ask.

Tilting her head to see around my shoulder
she answers, “Every one of them.”

“After you then,” I say, gesturing to the
door.

* * *

After dropping Melanie off at her place, I
head home. Sometime later, after starting a load of laundry and
picking up the kitchen, I find myself reading a book in bed with
the covers snuggled tightly around me. I’m so engrossed with the
story I almost miss the tapping sound.

Looking up from the page I’ve been reading,
I intently listen, waiting to see if I’ll hear it again. Sure
enough, a few seconds later it begins again. What I mistook for a
tapping sound is actually a knock at the front door.

Climbing out of bed I wrap my bathrobe
around myself and silently tiptoe to the entry. I hold my breath
and peer through the keyhole to see who could possibly be outside
my door this late at night. The tension quickly drains from my
body, and I release my breath as I recognize that the person
standing outside isn’t an axe murderer. Unlatching the deadbolt, I
slowly open the door to the uniformed man standing on my porch.

“Sorry to disturb you, ma’am, but we got a
call down at the station about a cat stuck up a tree.”

“You did!” I exclaim. “Well, I’m sure it
can’t be mine.”

“Why is that, ma’am?”

“Well, I don’t ever let her outside. She’d
freeze, I’m afraid.”

“San Diego has a pretty mild climate. I
doubt any cat would truly freeze to death, even at night,” he
responds.

“Yes, that’s probably true for your run of
the mill tabby cats, but my kitty is bare.”

A fluttering heartbeat is all I get before
my fireman has crossed the porch and has me in his arms, crushing
me to his chest and kissing me deeply. My lips quiver under the
intensity of his attentions. I pull back slightly, and he smiles
down at me. Running his fingers through my hair and supporting my
head, he continues kissing down my neckline while his other hand
slides under my robe and up my thigh. Gently walking us back into
the house, he slams the door before hitching my legs around his
waist and carrying me into the bedroom. Setting me down next to the
bed, I stare as he shucks his shoes then quickly unbuttons and
removes his shirt. My eyes traverse the planes of his chest as he
reaches for my robe, releasing the tie and exposing my naked
body.

“Gwen,” he whispers into my hair as he
slides the robe from my shoulders and lays me back on the bed.
Leaning down over me, he claims my mouth again while my hands roam
across his muscular frame, getting hung up on the external
obliques—those muscles that make smart girls dumb.

Like
kryptonite
, I think to myself, outlining
them again with my fingertips before moving along his beltline and
becoming completely lost in Ben.

Chapter 16

Kade

Slamming the helmet on my head I rev the
bike’s engine and floor it. Feeling a little better with my quickly
increasing speed and every mile I put between me and the bar, I
smile, embracing the sting of the wind on my face. What I wouldn’t
give to be astride R’ad racing across the countryside. Alas, the
stallion, my old friend, died over a century ago and, with
mankind’s advances in automotives, the days of horseback-riding are
long gone. I still own several of the majestic creatures at my
ranch house, but I haven’t been to visit in months. The motorcycle
is a poor substitute for the noblest of God’s creations, but it’s
the closest thing I have these days.

Hitting the highway I head north for no
particular reason and try to channel Halim. I could use his clear
head and wisdom right now.

“Fuck
me!
” I shout, venting my anguish into the
night and catching a bug in my mouth for the trouble. Spitting I
dislodge the insect. It’s been almost two years since it’s hit me
this hard. Priding myself on being dispassionate and controlled I
have no recourse when my emotions decide to knock me flat on my
ass. Halim had been there for me the last time, a desperate,
late-night phone call from some rest stop outside of Los
Angeles.

I’d returned to work at Preston-Ward after
having been gone on Wanderer business for over three weeks. I’d
hoped to steal Gwen away for lunch. When I reached her office I
hesitated, hearing voices inside. Melanie was going on about a
ring, what sounded like honeymoon details, and a wedding or
elopement, I wasn’t sure which. The way she was carrying on I
expected congratulations were in order because the peppy little
blonde had decided to take the plunge. Knocking and then opening
the office door my congratulations turned to ash in my mouth and
the smile died from my face.

Melanie was indeed admiring an engagement
ring, but it was attached to Gwen’s finger. When she saw me Melanie
popped up off the desk and enthusiastically pulled me into a
hug.

“Isn’t it great, amazing even!” she rambled,
face buried in my stomach. Turning her exuberance up a notch, she
turned back to Gwen. “I can’t believe you’re married! How cool is
that.”

Stunned I tore my gaze away from Melanie,
meeting Gwen’s eyes for the first time. They looked greener than
ever before and sparkled, illuminated with inner fire.

She’s happy, breathtaking.

“Yeah, uh, I just wanted to let you girls
know I was back. Maybe we can do lunch tomorrow?” It’s all I could
get out.

Both agreed before Melanie plunged into
conversation again. Capitalizing on the distracting little blonde
chatter-box, I took my leave of the room. Somehow I made it out of
the building and onto my motorcycle. Dazed, overwhelmed,
emotionally charged, fueled by feelings I didn’t even know I
possessed, I drove away.

Twilight had descended before I noticed how
late it was, having become trapped inside my own head. Noting the
upcoming off-ramp, I exited the freeway into a rest area. I parked
the bike and began to pace until the few other travelers began to
eye me warily, at which point I stalked off toward the tree
line.

Limbs shaking with exhaustion from the
posture of my ride, I was forced to stop. I sat on the top of a
picnic table with my head drooped, hanging over my knees. I wrapped
my fingers around the cell phone in my pocket.

Sighing I pulled it out and called
Halim.

“Kade.”

“Gwen … I lost her.” The heart-wrenching
fear I’d been running from all day crashed over me, flooding my
voice with emotion.

“What are you talking about, my brother?”
Halim asked.

“She’s married.”

“Where are you?”

Genuinely looking around for the first time,
I rattled off the name on the only sign I could see.

“I’m on my way.”

Turning my phone off, I set it down on the
table beside me and waited. A handful of heartbeats later Halim
materialized before me in a wisp of green smoke. Loving concern was
etched on his face as he came to rest beside me on the picnic
table.

“You finally figured out that you love
her.”

Whipping my head up, eyes raw with pain, I
met his gaze, taken aback by the callousness of his statement.

“I didn’t know.”

“Yes you did, my brother. You just didn’t
recognize it within yourself.” Resting a fatherly hand on my
shoulder, he continued. “Love for us is confusing. It wasn’t in our
nature when we were Sylph. And now ...” Halim sighed mid-sentence.
“As immortal beings, it is not something many of us have embraced,
given the short mortal existence of everything else on this
planet.”

“You did,” I reminded my brother.

“Yes and I’m better and worse off for having
done it,” he replied, eyes filled with compassion.

“It hurts.”

“Yes, Kade, it does. Let me ask you this: If
you had known sooner, would you have done anything about it?”

Leaning back I looked up at the stars,
pondering his question. “I ... I don’t know.”

“I think you do. But realize this: Unless
your answer is yes, you have no right to stand in the way of her
life and any happiness she can garner from it.”

A short bitter laugh escaped my lips. “That
doesn’t make me feel better.”

“It wasn’t supposed to,” Halim answered.

Together we sat in sweet silence, gazing up
at the heavens until I whispered, “What am I supposed to do
now?”

Not lowering his eyes, Halim replied, “Now
that is the million dollar question.” Smirking at him, I responded,
“And I suppose you aren’t going to tell me.”

Meeting my eyes, he answered, “It’s not my
place to do so—that you must reason out for yourself.”

I shake the memory free and channel the
emotions coursing through my system into rage.

No, I won’t be calling my
brother tonight
, I tell myself. Oh how I’d
love to hate the guy who swooped in out of nowhere and stole
everything that was important to me. But I can’t because, in
actuality, it’s my own damn fault. Fuck. Recognizing the “Welcome
to Los Angeles” sign I smile and get ready to pull off the
highway.

* * *

My body is being tossed into the back of a
familiar vehicle as dawn breaks. With my one good eye I try to lock
onto the driver’s seat of the Yukon, but I can’t—the room is still
spinning. Squinting with one eye isn’t helping either so I give up
and shut my eyes completely. The slice just below my left eyebrow
is throbbing and the hastily applied bandage itches. Thankfully
it’s also preventing me from bleeding all over the leather
interior.

The driver’s side door slams shut, and I
hear the ignition turn over and the engine coming to life. With a
lurch, the vehicle moves forward. A groan escapes my lips; the
sudden motion jostles my aching body and threatens to throw me to
the floor. Bracing myself with my arms as best I can I try to lie
still, battling back a wave of nausea.

“I’m not stopping for you
to vomit and don’t fucking
think
about doing it in here!” Z yells at me. I chuckle
from my bench.

“Shit. What the fuck were you thinking? I
thought we were past this!” Z says, slamming a palm against the
steering wheel. He’s completely enraged but in my current state of
inebriation everything is funny so I laugh.

“Fucking asshole,” Z mutters. Eyes shut,
stomach clenched, I hear Z using the Yukon’s hands-free feature to
make a call. Moments later Halim’s voice comes through the
speakers.

“Z?”

“I need you at Kade’s place. I need you to
be there when he wakes up. I can’t fucking go through this
again.”

“Whoa, slow down. What’s happened?” Halim
asks.

“I just pulled him off of a guy at Crash
Palace. He’d practically beat the poor son of a bitch to
death.”

“He’s fighting again!” Halim exclaims,
shocked.

“It would appear so.”

“Z, tell me everything.”

“I stopped by his office today to collect a
sphere and he was investigating some nonsense about a co-worker
that went crazy for no apparent reason. He was really fixated on
it.” Taking a deep breath he continues. “I stopped by his place
tonight to check on him, maybe grab some food. He wasn’t there but
according to his calendar he was going to The Spotted Dog. Ya know,
that bar his girl’s fireman frequents.”

“I know the place.”

“So I thought I’d drop by there. He and Adil
had gotten into it on the phone the other night about Gwen and the
resealing, so I was worried about him.” Sighing Z pauses. “When I
got there he’d gone, but Gwen was there and so was her fireman. The
little blonde told me he’d all but stormed out about an hour
earlier. So I cheated. I called Kade’s credit card company and
spelled the agent to tell me his most recent activity. When I saw
he’d purchased gas just outside of L.A. I assumed he was headed for
Crash. Fuck.”

“When will you be home?” Halim asks.

“About 8 a.m. Hal, he’d been there awhile.
He’s pretty beat up.”

“How is that possible? We heal almost
instantly.”

“I don’t understand it, it’s like he’s found
a way to turn it off. He wants to hurt, Hal.”

“I’ll be there, Z.”

I’m right here, I’m not a
child!
I want to scream at them; the
caring sentiment in both their voices is nauseating. But all I can
do is laugh as the roof continues to twirl and blackness pulls me
down into the void.

Chapter 17

A warm trail of sunlight spilling through
the curtains shines directly into my eyes, rousing me. Not wanting
to relinquish the night and acknowledge the day, I squeeze my eyes
tighter together. This only buys me a couple minutes before I’m
forced to accept the inevitable: it’s time to get up.