Tigress (Night Hawk Series) (11 page)

“We haven’t seen everything,” Naomi said and pointed toward the hallway.

“By all means.” I waved her forward and she didn’t hesitate but Valerie hung back.

“Aren’t you going to give us the grand tour?”

“No. I think you two should explore. Besides, I’ve got to cook something for dinner, so...” She looked at her watch. “If you could bring her back to reality in a half hour, I should have our dinner all set.”

“Will do,” I said and Valerie disappeared back up the stairs.

I followed the curve of the hall and found two closed doors facing each other. I had no idea if Naomi slipped into one or the other or if she continued down the short hallway that dipped down a staircase. I sniffed the air and caught her scent, continuing down the hall instead of exploring either room.

The staircase descended to a small platform and another keypad. The door was still open, so I imagined Naomi had ventured into the darkness beyond. I blinked, letting my eyes adjust and took a step.

“Boo!”

The sudden
volume in the small space gave me a start and I spun, the growl already purring in the back of my throat until her laughter followed.

“Jesus, Naomi,” I whispered and stepped back, gaining control over the sudden shadow mentality that almost took over.

“Sorry, sweetheart, but I couldn’t help it.”

“I would think by now you’d know not to jump out of dark corners
at me,” I said trying to sound stern, but the fact that she actually got my heart pumping pulled a smile to the corners of my lips.

The light from her cell illuminated her grin and then she nodded toward the opening of the rough-round tunnel. “What do you suppose is down that way?”

I rubbed my chin contemplating the direction and then shook my head.

“Michael said there weren’t any underground tunnels.”

“He also said the place down here was small,” she said and I actually laughed.

“You think?” I stopped and looked into the blackness.

“Only one way to find out,” she said and started into the darkness with only the light from her cell as the guide.

Chapter
Twenty-Three

We stood staring at the wall of dirt blocking the end of the last pipe. Naomi’s phone winked out and a moment later the light returned.

“I guess Michael was serious when he said they didn’t do the underground tunnels,” Naomi said.

I bit my lip, contemplating, mentally calculating the distance. If memory served me correctly, we were very close to where my original tunnel system dropped us under the garage. I turned and looked into the darkness behind me, rubbing my forehead where I had clocked a jut in the ceiling. Naomi had found that hysterical, her lovely five-foot-five form just waltzed right under the outcrop without touching the ceiling, the seven inch difference in height benefitting her for a change.

My guess was that outcrop was the foundation for the fence. If so, this was where my original
doorway was that led to the inside of the garage. I spun back toward the dirt and started digging with my hands.

“What are you doing?”

“This is the remains of the original tunnel to the garage. I’m betting he didn’t know what to do when he hit the steel door. Especially with the angel hex.”

After three handfuls of dirt, my fingers hit the solid barrier and I grinned. “I’m surprised this door didn’t blow inward from the blast,” I mumbled as I uncovered more of the solid steel.
The top half of the door was intact, but as I made my way lower, the metal became more deformed, like a boulder hit the center and bent it inward.

It took close to a half hour to uncover the doorway and I stepped back, aiming Naomi’s phone at the door. The outer edges seemed to be fine, but the center was bent inward and I exchanged a glance with Naomi before I stepped forward and felt along the edges.

The latch was stuck and I sighed. I’d need a wheel barrow to clean up the mess and I’d need a crowbar to pry open the door. I had time. Naomi’s stomach rumbled in the dark and I chuckled. I had forgotten Valerie’s instructions.

“I’ll get the rest of this later, we need to get you back so you can eat,” I said, wiping my dirty hands on my thighs.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’ll have the rest of the night and all day tomorrow to clean
this up and get this section reinforced before I open that door.”

“Reinforce
d?”

I met her gaze. “This could collapse and I’d venture to guess, we’re at least eight feet below the grass. That’s a lot of dirt and we don’t want that falling on our heads.”

I pressed my lips together to stop the smile that wanted to form at Naomi’s worried glance and her hasty retreat. I followed, trying to study the construction of the tunnel, but the lack of light made any close inspection impossible. I’d have to bring a more illuminating light down when I returned. I knew the concrete cylinders were normally used for water channels and these looked dry enough, so it was obvious nothing was getting through the seams. I just wanted to make sure if I opened the steel door, it wouldn’t do anything to disrupt the landscaping.

We stepped into the kitchen a few minutes later and Valerie’s eyes narrowed in my direction.

“What in god’s name happened to you?”

“We went exploring,” Naomi said and glanced at me. “And he decided to dig at the end of the tunnel.”

“I see.” A dimple appeared in her cheek as she slowly appraised me. “He’s something all dirty like that,” she said in a tone I never heard from her before.

One that left me speechless and I trade
d a glance with Naomi. Hunger reflected in her eyes and I had to blink because Naomi’s expression mirrored Valerie’s and just the thought of Valerie finding me hot gave me an awful chill. It was as bad as having my own child wanting to bed me and I shifted my stance, meeting Naomi’s gaze.

“Does it make you uncomfortable that I notice you?” Valerie said and put two plates piled with pasta on the table.

Naomi answered for me. “I’m pretty sure it does,” she said and slid in the seat next to Valerie. “You do know that I’ll kick your ass if you ever make a move, though,” she added with a smile and picked up her fork.

Valerie grinned. “I assumed, but it’s still fun to make him all uncomfortable like that.”

She pointed at me and both women nodded, grins playing on each of their lips.

“What did I ever do to you?” I muttered and headed to the garage without waiting for an answer. The wheelbarrow and a shovel sat in the corner and I picked up both, hauling them through the living area without a word
but both their gazes burned into my back. After depositing them at the entry of the tunnel, I climbed back to the kitchen and took a seat across from Valerie and waited for a break in the conversation.

“
So you lived in the mountains for the last five years?” Valerie directed the question to me instead of Naomi.

“Yes,” I answered. “Do you have some flashlights?”

“Michael put some down in the walk in storage area across from the bedroom downstairs. He said most everything you’d ever need is in there.”

“I haven’t finished looking around down there.” I shrugged and went to stand.

“Stay and visit,” Naomi said and it was presented in such a way that I couldn’t refuse without offending them.

“What? So the two of you can gang up on me?” I allowed a smile to form despite the discomfort grating on my nerves. I didn’t want to think of Valerie as anything but a little girl and her less than subtle stare was driving me nuts.

“No, so we can talk and be good guests before Valerie has to run out and pick up Michael and her Uncle Ted.”

“When we finish dinner, maybe we can play a game of chess before I have to leave,” Valerie said. “It will give me a break from studying.”

“What specialty are you studying?” Naomi asked and finished the last bite of spaghetti.

“
Pediatrics. I love kids,” Valerie said as she stood to take Naomi’s plate, but I stopped both of them.

“Let me get the dishes, while you two talk,” I said and reached across the table, pulling the plates from Valerie.

“Is he for real?” Valerie asked while I went into the kitchen.

“Yes,” Naomi said and I could tell she wore that proud possessive grin without even turning. “He doesn’t mind cleaning up
. Which is all the better for me because I hate to clean.”

I snorted a laugh from the sink. That was an understatement. Naomi would rather do anything else, and had resorted to some really creative bribes to get out of cleaning. Not that I minded at all, especially since her bribes were usually worth every ounce of sweat I shed.

“Are you laughing at me?” she called and I sent a grin her way before focusing on cleaning up the pots and pans in the sink.

Silence filtered over the room and I shifted, looking out the window in front of me at the woods and then at the reflection in the window pane.

“Oh, for Christ’s sake, stop looking at me like that,” I said to the reflections of both Naomi and Valerie staring at me. At my ass in particular.

“You sure you’re not willing to share?” Valerie posed the question to Naomi and I almost dropped the plate in my hands.

Naomi’s head tilted as she studied me and the breathless sigh that came sent a heated tingle through me. “Yes. I’m quite territorial. Besides, hawks mate for life. Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”

I met her gaze in the reflection and offered a s
ingle nod. Even if she had been willing to share, I couldn’t conceive of it.

Chapter
Twenty-Four - Naomi

Damian disappeared after he finished the dishes. Valerie chuckled at his obvious discomfort and as soon as I thought he was out of range, I stared her down.

“I hope like hell you’re just having fun at his expense.”

Her jaw dropped and I leaned back, crossing my arms. She had no clue how territorial I was where he was concerned. Hell, I pretty much had him all to myself for the last five years so the idea of sharing him in any way irritated me.

Her mouth popped closed as she dropped her gaze. “Naomi, I wouldn’t dream of sleeping with him.” When she met my glare, I softened at the sincerity in her eyes. “
Besides my uncle, Damian’s the only family I have.”

“So you’re yanking his chain for the pure joy of seeing him squirm?”

The slow smile that spread across her lips along with the glint of humor in her eyes made me laugh. Valerie had a way of disarming me that no one else had and I could tell in time we would be the best of friends.

“You know, I’m family, too.”

“I know,” she said and stretched, looking at the clock. “Since Damian disappeared on us, did you want to play a game?”

I bit my lip, contemplating whether to hang with Valerie or go see what Damian was up to.
A quick glance at the clock told me she had some time to kill before she headed out to pick up Michael and Uncle Ted. “I’m not a big chess player. Damian tried to teach me and I just don’t have the patience for it. I do play cards though, so if you’re up for a game of rummy or canasta, I’m game.”

“I’m up for a game of Rummy-five-hundred,” she said and stood, retreating to the living room and coming back a minute later with a deck of cards.

We played Rummy until a little after eleven. I beat her two out of three games and the last one was a draw because she had to get ready to go pick up Michael and her uncle.

“Did you want me to come?”

Valerie shook her head. “Michael was very clear, he didn’t want either of you leaving the house for a few days or until he could deem the place safe.”

“Oh, so I’m just as much of a prisoner as Damian?” I asked. I didn’t like the thought of being sequestered inside, especially during the day
, now that I had that kind of freedom.

“You’re not prisoners,” she sighed. “He just wants to make sure it’s safe for all of us.”

The reality that we were putting Valerie in as much danger as us settled and I nodded. She was as much a child of the light as I was and I didn’t want Lucifer to target her. If one of his minions reported that we were back here, then both Valerie and her uncle would be in danger.

I gave her a small hug. “Be safe,” I said and she smiled, heading out the door and once the garage closed and the headlights faded down the road, I turned, heading down into the basement to see what Damian was up to.

The bulkhead to the basement was open and I shivered in the cold draft before heading into the living space. Halfway down the dark hallway, a form appeared in the dark. I waited with the light of my cell as company until he stood in front of me.

“This is the last of the dirt,” he said and poked his chin toward the mound on the wheelbarrow.

“Ah,” I answered and started following him back toward the apartment.

“What have you two been doing?”

“We played some cards before she headed out. I offered to go with her, but apparently, Michael has us on lockdown.”

“I understand his discomfort,” Damian said and trudged across the living area and out into the basement. For a brief moment, I wondered how he’d get the heaping wheelbarrow up the stairs but then he bent down and slid his hand under the bed, lifting it without so much as a strain in any of his muscles. I sighed, it had only been a week, but I missed that raw strength.

He disappeared into the night and a few minutes later came back with the empty wheelbarrow, closing the bulkhead doors and latching them before he came back in the basement and closed the door, engaging those locks as well. He wiped his cheek, leaving a streak of dirt and I smiled. His rugged good looks wore dirt well.

“What?”

“You look sexy when you’re all grubby,” I said and received a flash of white teeth and a chuckle before he skirted by me.

“The gloves are upstairs in the bedroom,” he said. “Feel free to grab them and when I’m done getting the tunnel supports in place, you can do some exploring of your own.”

He winked at me and I considered high tailing it upstairs, instead, I followed him into the dark tunnel.

“Michael did an exceptional job putting this together,” he said as we walked toward the glow at the end of the tunnel. “He sealed the concrete connectors almost like a welder connects pieces of steel. I don’t have a clue what he used, but the likelihood of water getting in is slim and I think the base is set up like a curtain drain anyway, so water will flow away from the pipes.”

He rattled on about the construction and when we approached the end of the tunnel, the pile of dirt had been replaced by a stack of thick wood planks and a crowbar. Damian glanced over his shoulder at me.

“Do me a favor and just stay in the pipe until I can get the door open, okay?”

I glanced at the dirt ceiling and the bent door before I stepped back into the security of the concrete pipe. Damian picked up the crowbar and I took another step back when he carved the hook into the crease of the door.

The only time I ever saw his muscles strain was when he was chained in the warehouse but the moment he leaned on the bar, the fabric of the shirt pulled taut across his shoulders and the ripple of muscle across his back and arms left me hotter than hell.

His gaze turned away from the door and a crease appeared between his eyes.

“Really?”

“What?” I shrugged.

“The strangest things turn you on,” he answered and
focused on the crowbar, putting his back into it. The tearing of fabric masked the creak of the door and I was so focused on the frayed seam encasing his shoulder that I didn’t see the fruits of his labor until the metal swung open and smashed into the dirt wall, creating a plume of dust.

When the air cleared, Damian stood in the opening, his gaze locked on the top of the stairwell and his chest rising and falling in the pattern of excitement. He glanced at me and smiled, both his teeth and his eyes shining amidst the grime.

He looked like a little boy who rolled in dirt and I couldn’t help but grin back.

The moment he turned back, he vaulted up the steps two at a time and I scrambled after him, catching up to him just as he pushed the hatchway open. It banged into the undercarriage of the truck and his smile faded.

“Flat tires,” he said and held the hatch so I could crawl through.

Once I rolled out of the way, he crawled out from under the truck and stood, scanning the garage from floor to ceiling, sighing at the tall platinum covered plates blocking all entry and exits. He opened the driver’s door of the truck and put the vehicle in neutral, rolling it away from the opening before resetting the brake and taken a closer look at his undisturbed stock.

I shivered in the cold room, drawing his attention.

“You’re more than welcome to go wait in the house where it’s warm,” he said and glanced at the dark room.
“This is going to take me the rest of the night.”

“Can I help?” I asked and rubbed my hands together, blowing on my fingers to warm them.

I could see the slight rise of his eyebrow as he met my gaze. He glanced around again and then shook his head. “Not tonight. I have to figure out what I need before I can enlist your help. I’m sure all the cars will need oil changes, batteries and new tires, but I won’t know what else until I clean the place up and tinker under the hoods.” He glanced up at what was visible of the windows. “And I don’t have unlimited time.”

I glanced around at the shadows of the cars before turning and climbing back down the stairs into the well lit alcove. When I passed under the jog in the tunnel ceiling, I had to use my phone for lighting. The warmth of the apartment penetrated the dark and by the time I got back upstairs into the heart of the house, the chill biting my skin in the garage had all but vanished.