Beauty and the Beast (42 page)

Devin’s voice was soothing as he answered, “Yes, Elisia?”

She spoke quietly. “I’ve never even been kissed by any man before.”

Devin smiled happily as he answered her. “Then, we are equally unschooled, because I have never kissed any woman before.”

Elisia looked up into Devin’s face. Her eyes were huge, and her cheeks were flushed with emotion. “I want to kiss you, Devin, and I need for you to kiss me.”

Devin saw a boulder a few yards ahead. He walked to it and sat down with Elisia on his lap. He returned her love-filled gaze as he said, “Elisia, I am deeply in love with you. Whatever you need is my sole purpose in life right now to provide.”

Sensing her fragile emotional state, Devin waited for Elisia to initiate the kiss. His heart was beating wildly with anticipation as she wrapped her soft arms around his neck, and she gently touched her lips to his. Devin’s eyes

closed with rapturous pleasure as her tender kiss became more intensely passionate. His embrace tightened, and then he heard her sweet voice in his mind as their kiss deepened. “Devin, I love you so much!”

He answered her telepathically. “Oh, Elisia, this is heavenly!”

As they continued kissing, Elisia took Devin on a telepathic journey of the mind. He found himself floating with her locked tightly in his arms, high above the earth, surrounded by clouds of every hue of pink, blue, and purple. It was a sweetly intense intimacy that Devin had never imagined could be possible with a kiss. As he held his beloved Elisia in this passionate romantic embrace, he felt all of the terror and pain caused by the brutality of Adrian’s thug draining out of Elisia’s body. It gave Devin a powerful feeling of masculinity to know that this sensitive feminine little woman he was in love with really needed him, and that he was capable of healing her with the strength of his love for her.

When their lips finally parted, and they were seated quietly on the boulder together, Elisia gave Devin an angelic smile and said, “I’m so glad you gave me my first kiss! That fulfilled all of my fantasies about what a man’s kiss might be like.”

Devin hugged her tighter. “Elisia, that left all of my fantasies in the dust! I never imagined anything as wonderful as that kiss. It is a real treat to be in love with a sexy little telepath!” Elisia giggled. Then Devin asked her, “How is it that a little beauty like you has never been kissed before? Surely, men have been lined up throughout the tunnels all of your life waiting for that opportunity!”

Elisia answered simply, “Not one of them was the man I wanted!”

Devin nodded, “I didn’t know what I wanted until I laid eyes on you!”

Devin stood up with Elisia still in his arms. Elisia was smiling, “Devin, I can walk now.”

Devin gave her an enraptured look. “I’m sure you can, but I am really enjoying carrying you. Is that all right?”

Elisia giggled, “Perfectly all right!” She wrapped her arms around Devin’s neck, laid her head on his shoulder, and nuzzled and kissed his neck. Devin sighed with pleasure as he held her tighter and carried his precious Elisia through the tunnels.

When Devin and Elisia arrived back in the cave, the women, except Mary and Susan, were all kneeled around Catherine’s bedroll, and Sarah was helping Catherine to nurse Little Jacob. Charles was standing guard at the mouth of the cave as they entered, and he looked very relieved to see Devin. “Dev, I am so glad to see that you are OK. Is Elisia all right?”

Elisia gave Charles a warm smile, and he smiled back as he handed her the retrieved stunner. “Devin saved me, Charles, and I am just fine now!”

Mary and Susan were kneeled beside a bedroll with Joe on it. They had been checking his vital signs regularly, and Mary had a small flashlight with which she had been checking his pupils every hour. Joe was still unconscious.

Gideon then announced, “Our troops have arrived!” Right away, they all heard a furious flurry of gunfire outside the cave in the larger cavern. The gunfire continued for about half-an-hour, and then there was silence. Gideon reported the progress of the Tandins. “All of Adrian’s men in the cavern have been stunned and captured. After our newly arrived troops have eaten, they are going to comb the tunnels and collect the rest of Adrian’s army with the exception of the four guards he has with him and Jonathan Pope in the cave where he is holding Diana.”

Gideon paused for a few minutes, and Father’s people had learned to recognize when he was communicating telepathically with the other Tandins. Finally, he continued. “Tanimus says that he and Vincent don’t feel that it is safe to try to rescue Diana where she is. They say that Adrian has decided to come here looking for Vincent to complete his plans. So, Vincent and Tanimus are now on their way back here. The Tandin troops I originally had are going to shadow Adrian and try to pick off his guards from behind before he arrives here. Then, we will finish our plan to neutralize Adrian permanently.”

Dresden was faithfully providing his anxious little charge with updates as everything occurred. Jamie was tied up in knots while the guns were firing below, and Dresden kept a steadying hand on her shoulder as he stood behind her, while she was watching the battle scene down below them in the cavern from the mouth of the cave. When it was all over, and he informed her that the Tandins had prevailed, she whirled around with a joyful look on her face and threw her arms around him.

Dresden hugged her tightly as a thrill swept through his body. All too soon, she pulled away from him and ran out to the ledge to look below.

Dresden stepped outside of the cave and stood beside her. He said, “Vincent and Tanimus are on their way back. The final conflict with Adrian is going to take place here, right below us. They have asked us to keep watch from up here until this is all over.” Jamie gave him a look of fear that wrenched his heart. He put his hand back on her shoulder again. “It will be all right, Jamie, I promise you. They will be safe, and this will be over with very soon.” Then Dresden took his stunner out of its holster and got down on his stomach to watch covertly over the side of the ledge.

Jamie ran back into the cave, came back with her loaded crossbow, and got down beside him to begin the vigil. She still looked worried as she said to Dresden, “I am so glad that Vincent put that Kevlar vest on!”

Dresden brushed Jamie’s hair out of her eyes and

swept it behind her ear as he replied. “Yes, I saw him put that on when you first got here.”

When Tanimus and Vincent arrived, Vincent looked at everyone in the cave. “Tony, please stay with the women and help them protect Catherine and Little Jacob for me, OK?” Tony was bravely trying to control his fear as he nodded at Vincent and kneeled down with the women by Catherine. Then Vincent looked at Charles. “Charles, please continue to guard the entrance here with Gideon.” Charles nodded his head.

Vincent looked at Father and Peter, and Father said, “Well take care of Joe. Please be very careful, Vincent. Adrian is clearly insane to be trying something this desperate when he is obviously outnumbered. It is evident that he isn’t any more stable than Gabriel was. That makes him very dangerous and unpredictable.”

Tanimus looked at Father. “Don’t worry, Father. Vincent will not be in any danger. We have a plan that will take care of Adrian permanently, and no one will be hurt.” Then Tanimus looked at Vincent. “Vincent, just keep Adrian talking and distracted. We will take care of the rest of our plan.” Vincent nodded at his uncle.

Pascal approached them and put his hand on Tanimus’ arm as he looked up at him. “Please bring them safely back to us! I don’t even want to think about what life would be like for us without Vincent and Diana. We can’t lose them!”

Tanimus smiled and nodded at Pascal. “They will be safe, Pascal, I promise you!”

Just then, they heard a loud angry voice calling to them from outside the cave. It was Adrian. “Vincent, I’ve got one of your women out here, and she is dead if you don’t come out here now!”

They all watched in trepidation as Tanimus and Vincent left the cave to face Adrian. Vincent felt a growl rising in his throat at the sight of Adrian. What he was horrified by, though, was the sight of Diana. Now, he understood why Tanimus had taken the position watching Diana through the crack in the tunnel wall, even though he could remotely view what Diana was seeing. Tanimus didn’t want Vincent to see what Adrian had done to Diana. Diana’s face was badly bruised, and her upper lip and cheek were cut and swollen. Her hands were tied in front of her, and Adrian had Diana by the hair with one hand and was holding a gun to the back of her head with the other hand.

Adrian spoke in his usual commanding tone. “You know what I want, Vincent. Maxwell made sure that everything I had built up in America is now destroyed, so I have nothing left to lose here. If you don’t do what I want, this one dies. She should die anyway because of what she did to my brother. I’m willing to let her live, though, if you turn yourself over to me and my men. Your other woman is as good as dead, from what I saw, because of what Gabriel did to her. Well, this one killed Gabriel for you,

and I know you care about her, or you wouldn’t be hiding her here below with you. This doesn’t have to be unpleasant, Vincent. This one will do to produce more of your offspring, and you will both live, if you cooperate. Obviously, when you mate with human women, it produces children who are genetically superior but still look human. That suits my purposes perfectly. Then, I can have my scientists isolate their enhanced immunity factor to market and raise those children to be loyal to me. Their superior intellect will advance and expand my financial empire dramatically. I have a ship waiting to take us out of the country.”

Vincent felt the fury of his avenging Demon rising within him over Adrian’s cruel and brutal treatment of Diana and his callous crude words describing her future fate at his hands. He was growling under his breath, but he also felt Elisia keeping a firm grip on his emotions.

With her help, he managed to maintain control of his Demon—for the moment. Vincent stepped forward as if to surrender himself to Adrian. His eyes were locked on Diana’s, and she showed no fear whatsoever.

Then Adrian raised his voice. “All of you can come out now.” Adrian looked around, expecting all of his armed men to appear and back up his threats. Instead, around seventy-five very big Tandin men appeared, carrying Adrian’s four unconscious guards and Jonathan Pope, whom they then deposited on the cavern floor around him. After putting the men down, they all looked at Adrian.

Adrian gave Vincent a vicious look. What they had not seen until now was the remote detonation device that Adrian was holding in the same hand with which he was holding Diana’s hair. With fury in his voice Adrian said, “Vincent, I have nothing more to lose! All of us will die now!” With that, he pressed the remote device—and nothing happened.

Mouse stepped out of the cave and walked over by Vincent. He pulled the detonator caps out of his pocket and held them up. “No kaboom? Too bad!”

Adrian yanked Diana back against him by her hair and put the gun to the front of her throat as he shouted, “Vincent! I’m warning you—”

Diana had finally had enough. She pulled her roped hands up sharply, knocking Adrian’s gun hand away from her, while at the same time raking the heel of her hiking boot down the inside of his leg and then stomping his foot. Adrian screamed in pain as Diana broke away from him and ran toward Vincent. Adrian raised his gun again and pointed it at Diana. Vincent raced forward, wrapped his arms around Diana as she reached him, quickly grabbed her up, and whirled around with her shielding her with his own body. Adrian shot Vincent in the back, and Diana gasped as she felt the impact of the bullet through Vincent’s body.

Vincent set Diana carefully down, and then he turned around to face Adrian. Adrian took aim again, and Vincent emitted a furious roar and charged at Adrian. He raked Adrian’s arm with his claws which knocked the gun out of his hand, and then he raised his hand to deliver a fatal blow to the cowering man. Vincent heard two women he loved scream his name simultaneously, “VINCENTF Diana screamed it verbally and Elisia telepathically. Once again, their gentle grip on the Beast’s leash was enough. With great effort, Vincent regained control of himself and lowered his hand. He turned around to go back to Diana. Behind him, even though his arm was shredded and bleeding profusely, Adrian’s malicious vengeful look returned as he took Diana’s gun out of his jacket pocket and aimed it at Vincent’s head.

Up on the ledge, Jamie screamed, “NoF She leaped to her feet and took aim at Adrian. Dresden jumped up and put his hand on her arm, and then she was amazed by what was happening below. She lowered her weapon and stared.

A look of absolute horror had come over Adrian’s face. He began shaking, and then he dropped Diana’s gun. His trembling hands dropped to his sides as his mouth dropped opened, and he began screaming. He threw his arms over his face as if trying to shield himself from some unseen monstrous threat. Finally, he collapsed on the floor of the cavern and curled up in a fetal position. He was now sobbing uncontrollably.

Tanimus had already untied Diana’s hands. She had held herself together through the entire ordeal, both here and during the weeks of hiding from Adrian in Father’s

world. Now, as she witnessed Adrian being disabled by utter terror, she was overcome by relief. At the same time, she was sick with worry over Joe’s injury and Vincent’s bullet wound. Diana became dizzy, and the cavern started spinning. She felt herself falling to the floor when a pair of powerful arms caught her, and then everything went black.

Back up on the ledge, Jamie exclaimed, “Poor Diana!” She gave Dresden a stricken look as she said, “Adrian beat her, and now she has collapsed! Can you ask how she is, and make sure that the bullet Vincent was hit with didn’t hurt him?”

Dresden had picked up Jamie’s hand, and he kissed it as he spoke telepathically with Gideon. Then he looked into Jamie’s worried eyes and smiled. “Gideon says that Diana’s injuries are not serious and that she has only fainted. She will be just fine, and Vincent wasn’t hurt at all by that bullet.” Jamie closed her eyes in relief.