Rangers: Silver-Star Seductions: A Two-Book Box Set (14 page)

“I’m gonna fuck you with everything you see on the wall.”

Cia had already seen the blades and torture implements hanging from pegs on the wall. She couldn’t let herself think about them. She had to somehow coax Vacher from the man’s body. Disincarnate, he was weak and maybe she, Butch and Travis could banish him.  Or maybe the help she really needed came from another source, she realized.

I need your help. 
She called to the spirits of the women whose lives Vacher had taken.
Please
.

“You ready to scream, whore?” He started toward her.

In the car, Kade had heard as much as he could stand from the speaker of his phone. He’d muted the phone so that Vacher wouldn’t know they were listening. At least he and Delilah were listening. Until Cia had called, Travis was quietly relating what was happening from his and Butch’s mental link with Cia.

“I’m going in.” Kade opened the car door.

“The door is of two-by-tens, bolted and padlocked,” Travis said quietly. “You’ll get her and that family killed if you try.”

“Well, we can’t just sit here and do nothing.”

“I’m calling Brett,” Delilah announced and pulled out her phone.

“We don’t have time for talk!” Kade spat and got out of the car. He paced down the driveway a few yards. He had to do something. Suddenly it came to him.

“Joe? Are you here? I need your help. Please.”

Silence met his pleas. Kade felt helpless. And scared. “Joe, please.”

“I can’t interfere.”

Kade whirled at the sound of Joe’s voice. “I didn’t ask you to. Just get me in there. Can you do that?”

“And then what? You’ll die to save her?”

“If that’s what it takes.”

Joe smiled and suddenly Kade was inside the shelter, standing behind the man. Cia was a yard away, in front of the man, taunting him. Her eyes widened ever so slightly, not much of a reaction but enough that the man noticed.

Kade went into motion, diving at the man as he turned. They both went down, grappling for control. Kade managed to roll so that he was on top. His fists were like jackhammers, raining blows.

Vacher bucked and writhed, dislodging Kade. Kade fell back and Vacher dove on him, wrapping his hands around Kade’s throat. Retaliating in kind, Kade went for Vacher’s throat with as hard a punch as he could throw.

Vacher gagged, his eyes bugged out and he reached up for his own throat. He tried to rise, fell and rolled over on his back, clawing at his crushed throat. All at once, he went limp.

Cia dove for Kade, pulling him to his feet. “Are you okay? How did you get here?”

“The remote.” Kade ignored her questions. “Find the remote.” Vacher’s vessel was down, but for how long? Could Vacher force the nearly dead man back into motion? They had to make sure the people in the house were safe.

Cia dug through his pants. The remote was in the right side pocket, along with a key. She held them up. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Right behind you.”

Cia scrambled up the ladder, unlocked the padlock, threw the bolt and shoved at the heavy door. Just as it swung up and fell open, she was jerked back down. The fall wasn’t gentle. She landed at the base of the ladder and looked around.

The room was filled with dark swirling energy, accompanied by a foul smell that made her gag. Kade was on the floor a few feet away, looking stunned. “Get up!” She ran to him, trying to pull him to his feet. “Kade, get up!”

He got to his feet at the same moment the energy rushed them. It encircled Cia. Pain like nothing she’d ever felt permeated every cell of her body. She could do nothing but scream.

A laugh competed with the sound. Vacher.
You wanted a face-to-face, whore? Well here it is.

Kade screamed at it, “Take me, you bastard. Only a coward fights a woman!”

A shape began to coalesce. Vacher.

Kade dove at it. Cia felt the force release her and fell. Vacher turned on Kade. She struggled to stand, she had to help Kade. He fought Vacher, his blows meeting nothing of substance as his body was tossed and buffeted.

Suddenly Kade flew backward across the room, hit the wall, and slid to the floor. The energy descended on him. His body arched as if in terrible pain then stilled. At the same moment, the energy vanished.

Cia scrambled toward Kade. She had to get him out of there. Vacher must have depleted his energy, at least for the moment. Now was their chance to escape.

“Kade!” She tugged, trying to pull him up. “Wake up. Come on, Kade.”

His eyes opened. “Thank God,” she gasped. “Come on. Get up.”

He smiled at her and she screamed. This wasn’t Kade.

He laughed and grabbed for her. She scrambled back on heels and hands like a crab as he sat. “Perfect,” he said with a smile that chilled her blood. “Poetic, don’t you think? I’m going to make you suffer for a long time and do it with your lover’s hands.”

“Kade.” She tried to keep the fear from her voice. “Kade, listen to me. You can fight him. You’re not evil. He can’t hold you unless you are. You can beat him. Can you hear me, Kade? Fight him. Force him out.”

He laughed again. “He’s not so pure, whore. Didn’t you feel his hate? I did. He wanted me dead. Wanted to murder me. You did this to him. Gave him to me. And using him, I’m going to make you the masterpiece of my work. Then, when you’re dead, I’ll leave him and his guilt will kill him.”

Cia felt something behind her and realized it was a gun. She grabbed it as Vacher dove at her. He missed landing on top of her and she scrambled to her feet. He rose and started for her.

“Freeze!” She raised the gun, pointing between his eyes.

“Go ahead, kill your lover,” he taunted.

Cia couldn’t. Killing Kade was what Vacher wanted.

Get out, Cia.
Travis' voice came from inside her mind.
Get out and let us help you.

“There you go again, displaying your weakness, your ineptness.” She taunted Vacher as she inched toward the ladder. “Not strong enough to do your own dirty work. You’re such a joke, Vacher. Not a man, not even an effective demon.”

“Fuck you, bitch!”

She laughed, watching his face. “I bet you can’t even get it up. That’s why you have to use torture. You’re dickless, not even able to fuck.”

He took a step toward her, an unsure step. She saw his expression change, saw Kade. And she used that moment to run.

Cia heard the howl of rage as she clambered up the ladder. Vacher was on her heels as she ran toward the car.

Travis, Butch and Delilah met her at the corner of the house. There were weapons in each of their hands, all aimed at Vacher in Kade’s body.

“Back down!” Cia screamed at them then turned to Vacher. “Coward! You’re too fucking scared to take me on yourself. You hide in him because you don’t have the balls to face me. You know I’ll beat you. Just like I did before. You’re pathetic!”

Vacher screamed and broke free of Kade’s body. A black mass of energy like a dark cloud rushed at her.

Cia felt her team join with her, Travis and Butch on either side of her, their hands clasped with hers. Delilah joined hands with Travis, the four of them united against the evil that streamed toward them.

Light of the divine protect us. 
She heard Delilah’s voice, joined by the others.
Light of the divine protect us.

Out of nowhere, a wall of light appeared before them. The black energy rammed into it, spreading out like spilled chocolate on a table before it gathered and attacked again.

Over and over, it flew at the light, battering it. The wall began to dim, their combined strength failing. The dark energy started to take form. Vacher. He paused and laughed. “Now let’s see who’s weak. I’m coming for you, bitch.”

Vacher approached the light, drew back one fist, and struck. Sparks flew and the light flickered.

Give it all you’ve got.
Delilah’s voice sounded in their minds.

Cia knew it wouldn’t be enough. She could feel them weakening. Vacher struck again and the sparks that flew were dark and red, carrying a sting with them like acid, burning whatever it touched.

She heard a yell and realized that Kade had regained consciousness. He was on his feet and running toward Vacher.

“No!” She broke free, running forward. “Kade, no!” She dove at Vacher at the same moment as Kade.

“Cia!” Delilah screamed as Cia and Kade disappeared into the churning darkness that bore the face of Vacher. “Cia! Oh god, Travis, we have to do something.”

The dark mass of energy grew larger, swirling like a tornado, the insane howl of Vacher’s laugher overpowering every other sound.

“Travis!” Delilah clutched his hand in a white-knuckled grip. “Do something!”

Before Travis could respond, light flared. When the flare died, Joe stood before them.

“They’re trapped!” Delilah screamed.

Joe smiled, turned, and stepped into the darkness. It twisted and writhed, swirling with even more force, forcing the three people watching to retreat.

“What do we do?” Delilah yelled to be heard over the roar of the wind.

“Pray?” Travis shouted in response.

That’s exactly what Delilah did.

“Look!” Butch threw his arms out in an encompassing gesture.

“What the hell?” Travis exclaimed.

From all points around the writhing miasma, ghostly lights moved from the distance like streaks of incandescent mist, all headed for the darkness.

“Spirits!” Delilah gasped when four of the trails of light sped by.

As one, the lights penetrated the darkness. For a moment, all sound ceased. Then a roar like a great beast erupted. The darkness swelled, whirling with increasing speed, its force so strong they had no choice but to retreat yet again. Travis pulled Delilah, running for the car.

“No, we can’t leave them!” Delilah broke free to turn back in the direction of the dark force.

The sudden explosion of light blinded all three of them, knocking them off their feet. When it faded, Cia and Kade lay on the ground, unconscious. There was no sign of Joe.

Delilah jumped up and ran to them as Travis called in the sheriff and Butch went to work searching them for the remote to disarm the explosives in the house. Cia and Kade were both breathing but unconscious.

“Cia?” Delilah crouched beside Cia. “Can you hear me? Cia, come on, wake up!”

Cia opened her eyes and Delilah fell back, sitting down hard. Cia’s eyes were so pale a blue they were almost white.

“Kade?” Cia whispered.

“He’s alive. Joe saved you.”

“Yeah. He did. ” Cia smiled and promptly passed out.

Her first reaction was fear. The moment she realized she was conscious, Cia started to struggle at whatever held her immobile. Where the hell was she?

“Shhh.” Joe’s voice soothed from beside her.

“Joe! Where am I?”

“Hospital. Now settle down, child. Unless you want that mob of doctors and nurses running back in here.”

“Why am I strapped down? Get this shit off me!”

“Okay, okay, just settle down.” Joe quickly unfastened the padded cuffs that had her strapped to the bed.

“Thanks.” She rubbed her wrists even though they did not hurt. “Kade?” Sick dread bubbled in her gut.

“He’s fine. A bit lighter in the eyes but fine.”

“He’s blind? Oh my god. I have to see him!”

“He’s not blind.”

“Then what did you mean?”

Joe’s mouth twitched into an expression she’d often seen when he was trying to decide the best way to explain something to her. He suddenly smiled, snapped his fingers, and hurried to rummage in the drawer on the stand beside the bed.

When he handed her a small mirror, she was hesitant to accept it. “Is my face all fucked up? Just tell me, Joe. I don’t think I can handle the surprise.”

“Your face is fine, Gracie.”

Cia accepted the mirror and angled it to look. The eyes that stared back at her were not her own. Blue so pale they didn’t look real, the pupils a shocking contrast to the lightness.

“What happened?” She brought the mirror closer.

“Call it an aftereffect.”

Cia lay the mirror aside and reached for Joe’s hand. “I remember what happened in there, Joe.”

He nodded and squeezed her hand. “You did good, Gracie. You and Kade both. Vacher is gone. He won’t be hurting anyone else.”

“I know. We couldn’t have done it without you, Joe. I know that. You saved us.”

“Naw, just added…moral support.”

Cia felt tears welling in her eyes. “I know I’ve been a pain in the ass, Joe, and I don’t know why you’ve stuck with me, but I want you to know that I’m grateful. Without you…without you I don’t think I’d have survived.”

“You’re stronger than you think, Gracie.”

“No, not alone. I realize that. It’s something you’ve been trying to teach me. I’ve been so afraid that I deliberately shut out everyone who tried to get close. But you didn’t let me, did you? You stuck with me even when I was a total bitch.”

“Well, I admit there’ve been times when you’ve been a handful.”

She chuckled. “That’s a nice way of putting it. Look, I’m not good at this, but I want you to know that whoever or whatever you are or wherever you come from, it doesn’t matter. You’re my best friend and I don’t want to imagine life without you. I love you, Joe. And I need you.”

“I know, child. I love you, too.”

Joe sat on the bed and gathered her in his arms. She let the tears come, clinging to him as she cried. When she was spent, she remained in his arms. Why had she never noticed that he was the one person in the world who made her feel safe and loved? He was more than her friend. He was her family.

“You feeling better now?” He gently released her.

“Yes. No. I need to see Kade.”

Joe looked toward the door then at the IVs and monitors attached to her. “I think we might stir up some trouble if we take this stuff off.”

“Trouble’s what I’m best at.” She gave him a smile and started disconnecting herself. “Come on, help me.”

By the time they made it to the door they were met by two nurses and a man who was obviously a bodyguard.

“You shouldn’t be up,” one of the nurses announced.

“I’m fine. I need to see Kade Lawson. Now.”

“I’m sure the doctor will let you see Officer Lawson when he thinks you’re strong enough,” the man announced and added, “I’m Agent Rogers. Director Wade assigned me to watch you until your release and told me to advise you to do as ordered.”

“I’m plenty strong enough.” Cia pushed past them, directing her next words to the agent. “What room’s he in?”

“Not until the doctor clears you.” He stepped in her way. “Shall I contact Director Wade?”

She definitely didn’t want to get into an argument with her boss and knew it would be fruitless. Still, she protested as the nurses started herding her back to the bed. “I’m okay. I have to see him.”

The nurses tucked her back into the bed and reattached everything she’d removed under the watchful eye of Agent Rogers.

“No, please.” She pleaded when one of the nurses took her hand and started to fasten the restraint. “I’ll behave.”

“I’ll make sure of it.” Agent Rogers came to her aid then gave her a pointed look. “I’ll be just outside the door.”

“Fine.” Cia lay back and closed her eyes. When she heard the door close softly, she opened her eyes. Joe stood beside her.

“I need to see him, Joe.”

“You will, Gracie. But for now, sleep.”

“I’m not sleepy. I don’t want…” She never got to finish the sentence. Joe smiled, laid his hand on her forehead and she was gone.