Edge of Danger (38 page)

 
He groaned.
Working here!

 
Her lips curved in a smile.
Take your time. I like it.

 
He lifted his head, his eyes dark and glittering. “You would.” He combed his fingers one last time through her hair, then took his hands away.

 
Her brain felt—lonely. But she didn’t. Eden struggled with the jumble of thoughts and images that weren’t her own. A slide show flashed in her mind and it took her a few seconds to realize what she was seeing. Gabriel. Or more accurately, bits and snippets of Gabriel’s life.

 
The development of Rex had taken her six intense years. With Marshall’s help, as well as, at least in the beginning, Theo. Now Gabriel had what he needed. In less than a minute.

 
Mind boggling. “I’m seeing some—”

 
“Don’t worry about it,” Gabriel said dismissively as he rubbed his hands over his face. “Just stragglers from your subconscious because of the extraction.”

 
“But they aren’t my—”

 
“Rest,” he cut in, clearly distracted.

 
It seemed as though the longer she was around him, the more questions she had. And she’d ask them. Eventually. But for now he seemed a little too testy for her to batter him with the full force of her curiosity. “Did you get what you need?”

 
“Christ. I hope so. No,” he said getting up quickly and moving away when she reached out to stroke the lines bracketing his mouth. He walked halfway across the room. “Don’t touch me right now.”

 
This time, Eden knew why. Rex 2 had to be built. Now. Tonight. And touching made him burn and forget anything, everything, else. She knew exactly how he felt. She felt the spiraling desire, the heat, the
want
—from both of them.

 
Sliding off the high mattress she staggered, surprised to find herself already wearing her pink, strappy, peep-toe Miu Mius. “How long will this take?” she asked curiously.

 
“If I have everything?” Gabriel rubbed his shadowed jaw. “Couple of hours.”

 
She yawned, suddenly realizing just how tired she was. “Can I help?”

 
“Sure. But I’ve got to get set up first. That little exercise is going to knock you on your ass for a while. You’ll want to sleep for a few hours. I’ll wake you when there’s something tangible.”

 
Eden plopped back down on the side of the bed and kicked off her shoes. Exhaustion came over her like a bank of dense gray fog.

 
“Don’t fight it,” Gabriel told her, the corner of his mouth kicked up as he came toward her. She wanted to lick that small half smile on his lips. The depth of her feelings overwhelmed her. “Sleep’s not a bad thing, you know. I promise. You won’t miss anything.”

 
As always Eden’s pulse raced, and she felt the familiar flush rise to the surface of her skin the closer he came.

 
He rubbed the back of his neck and came to stand beside the bed, his eyes dark and unreadable.

 
She
knew
he was trying not to reach for her.

 
“Lie down.”

 
Holding his gaze, she swung her legs back onto the mattress and lay down, snuggling the pillow under her cheek. Her lids seemed to weigh ten pounds apiece, and she had to close her eyes. Just for a minute. “If I can help with anything”—she yawned—“wake me u—”

 
She didn’t hear his answer. She was out like a light.

 
Gabriel was relieved that he’d retrieved the data necessary to reconstruct the bot. But he’d gotten far more in those few seconds that they’d been of one mind. Eden’s residual memories would stay with him forever. Part and parcel of the Joining was retaining some of the subject’s memories.

 
Through Eden’s viewpoint he’d experienced the pain of her adolescence. The emotional conflicts of her parents’ tempestuous marriage. Her love for her grandmother, Rose. And the humiliation of her marriage to Adam Burnett.
The son of a bitch.

 
Gabriel gently stroked Eden’s warm cheek, then brushed aside the dark curling strands of her hair covering her neck. He didn’t have the power to heal like his brother Caleb did, but he sent energy through his fingertips as he stroked the dark bruises on her slender throat.

 
“Nobody is ever going to hurt you again,” he promised. Then knew that for the lie it was.
He
was going to hurt her. He had no choice. Hurt her, or be responsible for her death.

 
He strengthened the protective spell over the castle, over his bedroom, and over his woman. That, coupled with the magic from the others, would keep her safe.

 
Nothing, and nobody but himself, could get near her.

 
Then he left the room to go to the lab and build the robot that had started the whole chain of events.

 
“Wake up, you stupid bitch.”

 
Eden woke with a vengeance. More from the hand violently shaking her shoulder than from the less-than-loving words. Her eyes flew open to see Gabriel looming over the bed. She’d never seen that expression on his face. Distorted and dark with rage. Her heart kick-started. But not in a good way. With her brain still sleep-fuzzy, she blinked and struggled up on her elbows.

 
“Gabriel? What—?”

 
He backhanded her so hard her head bounced on the mattress. So shocked she didn’t have the breath to scream, she saw him through the resulting sparkling silver fireworks obscuring her vision. He pulled back his fist and she managed to roll aside and avoid the hit. Not wasting time or energy demanding explanations, she scrambled to the other side of the bed, cheek hot and throbbing, breath coming in painful gasps.

 
She flung her body over the side of the high poster bed, then screamed because, God help her, he was right
there.
Waiting for her.

 
“What the hell is
wrong
with you?” she demanded as he grabbed her by the upper arm, yanking her body flush against his. His fingers felt like claws of steel digging into her bicep and she bucked and twisted, struggling to get free. He tightened his grip, holding her hard enough to break bones until she stopped fighting.

 
Sweet breath fanned her face as he grabbed her other arm, and pulled her up on her toes so their faces were mere inches apart. A twinge of memory struggled to surface, then was gone as fear took precedence over everything else.

 
“Look into the eyes of the man who’s going to kill you.”

 
She looked into his soulless black eyes. Yes. This was a man who could kill her. But he wasn’t Gabriel. He looked like Gabriel. But, thank you God, he was not the man she loved.

 
Gabriel. Wherever the hell you are, help!

 
Dread, like she’d never felt before, saturated her body as whoever this impersonator was tightened his grip until she gasped with pain. She had a thought, and shuddered with sick fear that this might be her one shot at self-preservation.

 
She held his eyes. “Then kiss me good-bye first.”

 
It took everything in her not to flinch as he gave her a chilling smile before lowering his head the last few inches separating them. Ice seemed to permeate her body as powerful waves of revulsion buffeted her until she felt physically ill. Eyes open, she stoically parted her lips despite the rising nausea.

 
Lifting her off her feet by her upper arms, he forced his tongue inside her mouth like an assault weapon. She gagged. He ground his mouth against hers. God, it hurt. She tasted her own blood and the bitter flavor of terror. As he raped her mouth, he grunted his satisfaction.

 
Keep doing that, you sick bastard. Gabriel? Someone? Anyone?!

 
Although everything inside her screamed to get this over with,
now
! Eden waited for just the right moment. When she knew she couldn’t stand it one more second, when she hoped,
prayed
that he was totally focused on assaulting her, she bit down on his tongue as hard as she could, at the same time bringing up her knee to strike him solidly in the balls.

 
He reared back with a garbled scream, shoving her away from him with both hands. They both dropped to the floor. Hard. His screams were animalistic, blood-curdling and terrifying, and made all the hairs on Eden’s body stand up as she tucked and rolled out of his way. Clearly he was too preoccupied with his own problems to notice where she’d landed, thank God.

 
Face contorted, blood smearing his mouth and chin, he clutched his groin with both hands and was curled up tightly on the floor. Oblivious to all but his own agony.

 
Not taking her eyes off him, she clawed her way up the velvet bedspread, holding on to the side of the mattress, as she staggered to her feet.

 
She swiped his blood off her mouth with the back of a shaking hand.
GodohGodohGod.

 
He was screaming almost silently now, clearly in such agony he could barely make a sound.
Good.
The horrific and terrifying rasping noises continued as he rocked himself back and forth, both hands cupped between his legs, eyes squeezed tightly shut.

 
Move it,
she told herself.
Move. It! Now!

 
When he recovered he was going to kill her. She freaking didn’t have time to stand there enjoying her temporary victory.

 
Gabriel! Damn it, where the freaking hell
are
you? MacBain? Wizards? Oh, God—Anybody?

 
Frantically she looked around the enormous room for a weapon. Anything she could use to defend herself. The only weapons were the gleaming crossed swords mounted to a shield hanging above the bed. They were almost bigger than she was. God—

 
How the hell did one defend herself against a
wizard
? How did one kill something that shouldn’t even exist?

 
Scared out of her wits, she blinked back the tears induced by his blow to the side of her face. The room danced and wavered as she tried to clear her vision. No. The effect wasn’t just her tear-filled eyes, the figure on the floor was shimmering as well.

 
Thank God. He was leaving…

 
No.

 
He was
transforming.

 
Now!
she thought, light-headed with terror.
Hit him with something now!
He was vulnerable, hurt, distracted.

 
His guttural moans were music to her ears. While he was doubled up in agony he wasn’t getting up. But she was pretty damn sure he wouldn’t be incapacitated for long.

 
Clambering up onto the mattress, she reached up with both hands for one of the enormous swords on the wall. It came off the shield it was affixed to with surprising ease, but the weight of it literally brought her to her knees. The damn thing weighed a ton.

 
The silver steel glinted gold in the lamplight as she stumbled to her feet. Positioning both hands on the enormous leather hilt, she braced the point on the bed as she adjusted her hands for a better grip.