Defeat the Darkness (33 page)

“Ms. Justice!”

She jerked her attention away from the blinking cursor on the screen. Judging by the aggravation on Kincade's face, it wasn't the first time he'd called her name.

“I'm sorry, Mr. Kincade. Do you need more hot water?”

“No, I just wanted to let you know that I'm going for a walk.”

He started out the door, then turned back. “I hesitate to ask, but if my friend is delayed and gets in very
late tomorrow, would you mind if we stayed a second night? I don't expect that to happen, but I'll need to make alternative plans if that will be too much of an inconvenience.”

Since it sounded unlikely that they'd actually be staying, she nodded. “I suppose so, as long as it is just the one extra night for the two of you. I'll fix adjoining rooms for you.”

“Thank you. While I'm gone, I would appreciate your asking that employee of yours to carry my bag upstairs for me. You should really teach him some better manners. He wasn't at all friendly.” Then he walked out, yanking the door closed behind him.

She managed to hold back her laughter until her crotchety guest was out of sight. What had Hunter done to offend the man?

For now, she'd better leave her heroine to her own devices and get the rooms ready. She'd forgotten that Mr. Kincade often had another man or two with him. And now that she thought about it, those extra guests were unusual in some way. There was something different about them, but what was it?

Oh, well, it would come to her eventually. She picked up the suitcase and headed back upstairs.

“D
amn it, man, get your head in the game!”

Penn deliberately blocked Hunter's view of Tate's house. Normally he would've shoved the jerk out of his way, but the man was right. They had to make plans and needed Hunter's input. It wasn't their fault that his mind was two blocks away in Tate's bed.

“Sorry.”

He turned his back on the tea shop and focused instead on the three other men. “Where were we?”

D.J. rolled his eyes. “We know where we are, Hunter. The question is, where were you last night? When we came back up the trail, we almost ran right into Mabel and one of her sisters. They were talking about you taking a walk and debating whether or not to leave the light on for you.”

“Where I was is none of their business—or yours, for that matter.” He glared at each man in turn, making sure
they understood that this particular discussion was over. “Okay, now that that's settled, how did it go last night?”

D.J. acknowledged the change in subjects with a nod. “We posted signs both down on the beach and at the back of Tate's property that the trail is closed for repairs, hoping that will keep the locals and any tourists from stumbling into the middle of our business. To make it look legit, we tore up part of the trail right above that sharp switchback.”

“Good thinking.”

“Thank Larem. It was his idea.”

Larem only shrugged. “While they were doing that, I checked out the cave a few times. No sign of any activity, but the barrier was fluctuating off and on all night.”

Now that was interesting. “Was it doing that on its own, or was someone trying to bring it down?”

“Impossible to tell for sure.” Penn sipped his coffee before continuing. “But when we checked in with Devlin this morning, he said there were no reports of problems anywhere else in the area. That makes us think someone was screwing with it from the other side.”

Hunter struggled to keep his mind on Paladin business. He had a bad feeling about all of this. “So tonight might be the night we finally catch the bastards.”

Which also meant these could be the last few hours that he could spend with Tate. Was he a selfish bastard for wanting to prolong their final good-bye? Probably.

“Are you all right?” Larem frowned and pointed at Hunter's hand.

He was crushing the oversized cup of coffee Penn
had brought him with a white-knuckled grip. It took some effort, but he forced himself to relax, at least on the surface.

“I'm fine. Look, why don't the three of you go get some rest. I still have the key to the apartment. Tate won't care if you use it for one afternoon.”

Penn peered at him over the brim of his cup of coffee. “Yeah, and what are you going to do while we're snoozing?”

What Hunter wanted to do was drag Tate back upstairs for another bout of brain-rattling sex, but that wasn't going to happen. When D.J. yawned so wide that his jaw cracked, Hunter laughed.

“God, go lay down before you
fall
down. I'll head over to the bluff and keep an eye on things. If someone's trying to break through to our side, there's no telling when he'll succeed.” He checked the slide of his sword. “I'll be ready for him.”

“Sounds good.” Penn pulled a revolver from the back of his waistband. “Take this, too. Shoot off a few rounds if you need help, and we'll come running. Otherwise, we'll catch up with you right before dark.”

The two Paladins headed for the car to pick up their gear, but Larem hung back. When D.J. shot him a questioning look, Larem waved him off. “I'll hang out with Hunter for a while.”

Hunter didn't need a babysitter. “That's not necessary.”

Larem dumped the dregs of his tea out on the ground. “After what happened the last time, I don't think any of us should be alone down there. And before you ask, I'd feel the same way if it was Penn or D.J.”

Hunter believed him. “Okay, let's go.”

Actually, he appreciated the offer of company because he was in no mood to be alone with his own thoughts right now.

They hadn't gone more than a handful of steps when Larem broke the silence. “I don't meant to pry, but are you really all right, Hunter?”

Okay, so maybe he would've been better off alone, but he couldn't bring himself to tell Larem to kiss off either. After all, the Kalith warrior had shed his own blood to jump-start Hunter's return to the living. He owed the man.

“As all right as can be expected. I don't understand exactly what you did, but all my newest crop of injuries healed up fine.” He slapped his bad leg. “Even this has improved a lot, so no complaints here.”

He hoped that was enough to satisfy the Kalith warrior, but he wasn't surprised when Larem gave him a disgusted look. “Do I look like your Handler? I thought you'd foresworn spending any more time with Tate. Has that changed?”

“Do I act like I want to talk about this?”

Larem had the balls to laugh. “That doesn't mean you don't need to. Perhaps an outsider's viewpoint would help prevent you from screwing up big time.”

Like he hadn't already. He should've kept his pants zipped, and they both knew it. With a derisive snort, Hunter asked, “And what makes you an expert? I don't see a parade of women chasing after you.”

For the first time Larem's alien nature showed in his expression. It was as if he'd only been pretending to be
human, and his real self briefly peeked out from behind the those pale eyes. That didn't make his pain any easier to witness.

“A man doesn't need a parade, Hunter. One female is enough, as long as she's the right one.”

Damn, Hunter hadn't meant to rip open an old wound. “Sorry, Larem. I'm guessing you left someone important back home.”

“And you'd guess wrong. She came with me.”

Son of a bitch, could it get any worse? “Barak's sister? The one who's living with a Paladin?”

Larem nodded and kept walking. “I never got up my nerve to let her know how I really felt. Funny how you think you have all the time in the world, only to find out that it has slipped away.”

“That really sucks.”

“Indeed. I would ask you not to say anything. It would only hurt her and make things even more awkward for me.”

“You have my word, and I'm sorry.”

“Thank you. Maybe she would've accepted my suit, but perhaps not. But either way, I'll never know. However, it is not yet too late for you and Tate, Hunter. Think hard before you walk away from what she can offer you.”

“Believe me, I know how much she can offer me.” Even now the scent of her skin and the memory of her touch were driving him crazy with the need for more of the same.

They'd reached the edge of the woods. Somehow it was easier to spill his guts in the shadowy sanctuary of the
towering firs. “The real problem is how little I can offer her. Hell, after we plug up this leak, I don't know where I'll be sent next. She's already seen me die once. How can I ask her to go through that again?”

“That doesn't seem to have affected her too much. Pardon my frankness, but I'm guessing that if she was totally freaked out by the experience, she wouldn't have invited you back into her bed last night.”

Hunter's face flushed hot. “Uh, we were saying good-bye.”

His new friend didn't even try to hold back his laughter. “That sure beats a handshake, doesn't it?”

Before Hunter could decide whether he should punch Larem or if perhaps the Kalith might be on to something, he realized they weren't alone. Someone had just disappeared around the bend in the trail just ahead.

Larem looked disgusted. “So much for the signs keeping the locals out.”

“Or else he's got pressing business down below and doesn't give a damn what the sign said.”

“Do you think—”

Hunter laid his hand on Larem's arm and put his finger across his lips. The sound of voices carried softly on the breezes from the bluff below where they stood. With a slow nod, Larem drew his sword from the harness strapped to his back under his coat. When both of them were armed and ready, they started forward.

With luck, the long-awaited battle was about to begin. Once the enemy was defeated, Hunter would figure out what to do about his future—and what role Tate might be willing to play in it.

• • •

Tate stood at the window in the back of her house, watching Hunter disappear into the woods with Larem.

She said a soft prayer for their safety before making up the bed for Mr. Kincade. Once she brought in some clean towels, she'd get started on the second room in case his friend showed up. Why hadn't she just said no? The last thing she needed right now was the added stress of houseguests.

As she tucked the sheets in, she frowned. What was it about Mr. Kincade's associates that was bothering her? She could only remember him having guests a couple of times when she'd visited her uncle, but there'd been something different about them. It probably wasn't important, but she knew she'd keep thinking about it until she figured it out.

Straightening up, she walked back to the window again. There was no sign of Hunter or his companion. Immediately, her mind pictured Larem and Barak with their accents and Old World mannerisms. Or, according to Hunter, the more accurate description would be alien world mannerisms.

A chill raced through her as the dots began to connect faster than she could follow. When she'd first met Larem and Barak, she'd been too upset by their effect on Hunter to realize why something about them was so familiar. She'd never met them before that day, but she
had
met others of their kind.

Had Mr. Kincade been bringing Kalith into this world, into her home, for years? Uncle Jacob couldn't
have known the truth about them or he would've said something. How often had it happened? Maybe she should take a quick peek back through the ledgers and see if she could find something concrete to show to Hunter.

She tossed the towels on the dresser and headed for the small office she kept off the kitchen. Uncle Jacob's old-fashioned ledgers were lined up on a double row of shelves above the desk. She picked a book at random and opened it. The familiar sight of her uncle's nearly illegible scrawl tugged at her heart. How many nights had she played on the floor by his feet while he'd labored over the books?

But now wasn't the time for reminiscing; it was time to hunt for proof. No sooner had she sat down than the shop bell rang. Sighing, she selected two more books and headed out into the shop to see who'd come in. It was with some relief that she saw one of her regulars there to pick up the special blend of green tea that she'd ordered. After a quick transaction, Tate was again alone.

Rather than retreat to the office, she spread the books out on the table that gave her a clear view of the garage apartment and the route Hunter had taken to the woods. With a cup of her favorite chamomile tea to help calm her nerves, she opened the most recent ledger and started scanning the pages for a mention of Mr. Kincade and his mysterious companions.

Sure enough, at least once every few months Mr. Kincade showed up for a two-day stay. Only about half the time did he end up with one of his special guests joining him. She made note of each date and whether
or not he'd been alone. There didn't seem to be a regular pattern, although he rarely went longer than three months without a visit.

That had remained true until a few months ago. What if he had already known about Jacob's death? Could that have forced Mr. Kincade to find a new way to operate, like prowling around town at night? What was he really up to?

She sat back and stared at the ledgers scattered across the table. It would be nice to have Hunter come back so she could discuss this with him. Maybe she was jumping to conclusions. After all, she was basing all of this on the vague memories and a personal dislike for an irritating customer.

The lights were on over at the apartment, which probably meant that D.J. or one of the other guys was using it. Maybe she should go talk to them. It wouldn't do to leave the ledgers out, not with Mr. Kincade likely to show up any minute. She also didn't want to risk carrying them over to the apartment in case she ran into him on the way.

She finished marking the pages with slips of paper and stashed the ledgers behind the counter. Then she hurried out the door to see who she could talk to over at the apartment. Failing that, she'd head down the trail herself and see if she could find Hunter and Larem.