The Sacrifice (12 page)

Riana exited the building, and Cy
headed in her direction. The moment she saw him, a dazzling smile lit her face.

That
’
s a good sign.
At
least she wasn
’
t ignoring him like last night when she got out of
the Hummer.

“I
’
ll
meet you back at our place,” Elle said as Riana stopped in front of him.

“Thank
you for the beautiful roses. You really shouldn
’
t ha—”

“No, I really
should
have,” he interrupted softly. “They pale in
comparison to you.”

Oh
my God, could that line have sounded cheesier?
Why do I turn into a rambling idiot when I
’
m around her?

Riana
’
s
cheeks turned a light shade of pink. “Well, thank you.” She hesitated and drew
a slow breath. “
I was wondering
…if the offer for dinner is still on the table.”

Cy
’
s
brows popped. Had he just heard her right? “Yes, it most
definitely
is.
Nothing would please me more.”

Well
there is one thing, but I better keep that to myself for now.

“What time should I pick you up?”

“Is seven all right?”

“It
’
s
perfect.” Cy tried to keep from grinning like an idiot. “Are you finished with
class for the evening?”

“Yes,
but I have to go back in a couple of hours for a one-on-one session with Kyra.
She says it
’
s to evaluate our skills. Personally, I believe
she intends to give us a beat-down to put us in our place. She was a little too
excited about it for my liking.”

“Yeah,
since her little sister came to live with her, she doesn
’
t
get to fight in the field very often.” He might need to have a talk with Kyra,
make sure she wasn
’
t being too rough with the trainees.

An idea popped into his mind. “I was
headed down to the stables on the other side of the lake. We use horses to
patrol the periphery of the compound. Would you like to come along to keep me
company?”

She smiled, and her full, pink lips,
drew him in. He wanted to pull her in, brush his lips across them and feel
their softness.

“Do I get to ride a horse?” Riana
asked.

“Have you ridden before?”

Light
danced in her eyes. “I
’
ve ridden a few times.”

“Okay,
we have a mare that
’
s gentle. You can ride her.” He would have
preferred to have her ride with him, her arms wrapped around his waist,
snuggled close to his back. He pushed the thought from his head.

What
am I thinking? I can
’
t even look at her without becoming hard.
Riding a horse in that condition is probably not the smartest move.

They walked past the lodges, and then
past the lake.

“This place is beautiful.” Riana said,
looking up at the high mountains.

“Yes.
I
’
ve enjoyed living here. People are more laid back
than some other places we
’
ve been. Because of the feeders in town, we
’
ll
probably have to change our location sooner than I
’
d
hoped.”

“How often do you change locations?”

“If
undetected, we
’
ll stay between ten to fifteen years. That
’
s
why we build the compounds like a resort. It
’
s easier to sell when
we move on.”

They
strolled across an arched, wooden bridge over a creek, and a large barn came
into view. As they entered the stables, the scent of hay and horses mixed with
a hint of manure filled the air. Cy went past several stalls before reaching
the mare he had in mind for Riana. She had stopped at a stall holding a large
stallion. Cy wasn
’
t surprised. The animal was one of the most
beautiful he
’
d ever seen, golden brown with white socks and a
white star between his eyes.

Riana
’
s
arm reached through the gate and stroked the horse
’
s
neck. “Hey, boy,” she whispered. She glanced at Cy. “Can I ride this one?”

“Tonka
has a bit of a stubborn streak…
doesn
’
t
always do what he
’
s told.”

She
looked at him from beneath long, thick lashes. “I guess that
’
s
something we have in common. We should get along splendid.”

Great.

How could he deny her anything when
those emerald eyes sparkled? Hell, how could he deny her anything, period?

“Okay, but you need to stay close, in
case he decides to act up.”

Riana
’
s
entire face lit to match her eyes. He
’
d do anything to keep
that expression there. The veil of darkness that had surrounded him for
centuries began to lift, allowing in a long forgotten light.

Cy
saddled the horses and led them outside. He was about to ask if she needed help
mounting her horse when she put a foot in the stirrup and slung her leg over.
God, she looked good sitting up there. Her body was relaxed and confident, like
she
’
d done this a thousand times.

“You look like a natural.”

“
Elle’
s uncle owns a horse ranch in Wyoming. Every summer we spent several
weeks with him. We could barely pry ourselves from the horses long enough to
eat and sleep.”

“You and she must have been friends a
long time.”

“Since
we were children. My mother worked a lot, so I spent most of my time at Elle
’
s
house.”

Cy
mounted the black stallion he
’
d chosen to ride. “We
’
ll
take this trail over to the rock wall circling the compound. There
’
s a
wide path that follows the fence.”

They
rode at a slow pace. Cy pointed out a family of rabbits scurrying inside a
hollow tree, different birds and wildlife. When they reached the straight away
at the back of the property, Riana flashed him a devilish grin. She leaned
forward and dug her heels into Tonka
’
s sides. The horse
pitched forward and took off like his tail was ablaze.

Every
cell in Cy
’
s body went on alert and he followed suit. What
was she doing, trying to get herself killed? With his eyes trained on her back,
he attempted to catch up. She was leaning over the horse with her rear in the
air like a professional jockey. The wind whipped her long hair behind her. The
sun glistened through rippling strands of gold. She turned and glanced back to
see if he was gaining, her face a picture of delight.

Oh,
she is so enjoying this. While I
’
m practically
paralyzed with fear she
’
ll get hurt.

Cy smacked the stallion on the rear
and it responded, increasing his speed.

Before long he pulled up beside her.
“Slow down,” he yelled over the sound of pounding hoofs.

Riana sat back and pulled the reins.
The horse slowed to a trot.

“What was that all about?”

“What?
You
’
re not up for a little race?” Her full lips held
an adorable smile, and her tone a bit of a challenge.

Even
though his heart pounded against his ribs as if trapped inside a prison, Cy
enjoyed seeing her fun side. He reined in his emotions, afraid she
’
d
think he was a control freak. “You didn
’
t mention being a
horse jockey.”

Riana
burst into laughter. His body immediately reacted to the sound. What was it
about her laughter that made him want her even more? Maybe he
’
d
developed an addiction to her pleasure? A grin lifted his lips. He
’
d
really like to explore that theory at length.

Once
back at the stables, Cy dismounted and walked over to Tonka. He reached up and
circled Riana
’
s waist with his hands. She brought her other leg
over the saddle, and their bodies made contact as she slid down the length of
his six-four frame. The air around them sizzled with electricity. Every cell in
his body came to life. As he sat her feet on the ground, a blush crept over her
cheeks and a sensual expression covered her face. As if suddenly realizing what
was happening, she stepped out of his arms, leaving them bereft. Riana took
Tonka
’
s reins and led him inside the stable.

Cy grinned, adjusting the tightness
inside his jeans. That time, he had confirmation. She felt their incredible
connection. This was no mere attraction. She craved him just as much as he
craved her.

Riana
changed her clothes before her fight session with Kyra, still hyped from
horse-back riding with Cy. He was without a doubt, the sexiest male she
’
d
ever met. Her womb had practically seized when she
’
d
dismounted and slid down the length of all those hard muscles. At that moment,
Tonka wasn
’
t all she
’
d wanted to ride.
What would it be like to spend an entire evening with him? A smile quirked the
corners of her mouth. It would be fun finding out.

The
front door slammed and Riana went into the kitchen. Elle was bent over the sink
guzzling water from the faucet, her face pink from exertion. She
’
d
just returned from her fighting session with Kyra. “How did it go?”

Elle
wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Well, I didn
’
t
take her down. But, she didn
’
t take me down either. I definitely gave her a run
for her money. She
’
s tough. She
’
s been doing this all
afternoon and no one has put her on the mat. If you or the girl who
’
s
with her now doesn
’
t, she
’
s going to be hard to
live with. I can hear her running her mouth now.”

Dread
curled in Riana
’
s gut. If Elle couldn
’
t
beat Kyra, there wasn
’
t any hope for her. In the past, when she and Elle
sparred, Elle could beat the crap out of her without breaking a sweat.

Riana put on her tennis shoes and left
for the gym. When she entered, Kyra sat in the middle of the mats with her legs
crossed, drinking a bottle of Voss water.

“Come
on, Martin, let
’
s get this over with,” Kyra said.

Riana
’
s
stomach somersaulted. What Kyra probably meant was, “Come on in. Let me beat
you down so I can go home.”

“Are you still undefeated?”

Kyra
’
s
eyes narrowed. “Yeah, why? You plan to change that?”

Riana
squared her shoulders. If she let Kyra know how nervous she was, or how much
she despised fighting, it
’
d only make her draw this out longer. Fear seemed
to boost her ego. When it came to fighting ability, Kyra
’
s
tenacious ego needed no extra fuel. Riana pinned her with a determined stare.
“I guess we
’
re about to find out.”

Riana crouched, flexed her fingers,
and they began circling each other.

As Kyra lunged, Riana sprang to the
side, barely escaping a blow to her stomach. The padded mats squeaked in
protest under their weight. “Do you really think this training will be enough
for us to defeat a feeder?”

Kyra
continued circling her. “No, it won
’t. We don’
t expect
you to defeat someone with a life-time of fighting experience after only four
weeks training. Our goal is to teach you enough skills to avoid capture. Your
best hope is to always stay conscious of your surroundings, and not put
yourself in the position to be attacked in the first place.”

Kyra
kicked out, and her foot made contact with Riana
’
s
thigh. A jolt of pain shot through her hip. She resisted the urge to shake away
the pain and shifted her stance, readying for the next attack.

“What
have I been telling you girls all morning? Focus! Focus! Focus! If you
’
re
engaged in a fight, it requires all of your attention. Not chatting-up your
attacker about…what if
’
s. Now come on, Riana, get in this fight and let
me see what you
’
ve got.”

Before
the last word came out of Kyra
’
s mouth, she jumped up with both feet and nailed
Riana in the stomach. She grunted as the breath left her body and staggered
back several feet before regaining her footing.

A
devilish glint settled in Kyra
’
s eyes. “Come on, little girl. You can lie down
now, and we can go home. Or, I can continue this dance until the sun comes up. Your
choice.”

God,
she wanted to knock that smirk off Kyra
’
s face. The last
thing she
’
d do was lie down and make it easy. No wonder she
doesn
’
t allow the other girls to watch these sessions.
With her attitude, Elle would have already jumped in and attempted to beat the
crap out of her.

As
Kyra circled her, Riana stood still, tensed and ready to strike. When Kyra got
behind her, the sudden squeak of the mat alerted Riana that she
’
d
sprung forward. Riana dove out of the way, twisted around and lashed out with
her foot. The blow connected hard against the back of Kyra
’
s
leg. It buckled. She staggered and almost hit the mat.

A
wicked smile crossed Kyra
’
s face. “Not bad,
now
you
’
re
taking this seriously.”

Riana
blew out a tired breath, lifting strands of loose hair from her face. Kyra
’
s
back was to the door when the airlock broke and the door slammed shut. Riana
glanced over Kyra
’
s shoulder, but kept her in her peripheral vision,
and waved.

Kyra twisted, looking toward the door
to see who had the balls to enter her forbidden session.

As
hard as she could, Riana side-kicked the back of Kyra
’
s
knees, they buckled and her body hit the mat with a loud thud. Riana burst into
laughter. “Gotcha!” With her hands high above her head, she did a victory dance
around the mat. If she
’
d had a camera to capture the shock on Kyra
’
s
face, the moment would
’
ve been perfect.

Kyra got to her feet and shook her
head. “I guess you did. But you will
not
be able to trick a feeder during a fight.”

“I
didn
’
t trick you. It
’
s not like I persuaded
the janitor to walk through the door. You, my dear, are the one who lost
focus.”
Throwing those words back at Kyra was almost as satisfying as winning.

Kyra glared at her with one arched
brow. “You may have taken me down this time, but just remember, we still have
two more sessions before you graduate.”

Oooh,
she is so going to make me hurt after this.

On the bright side, no one else in the
class defeated her on the first try. At least she had bragging rights, for now.

Riana went home to get ready for her
date with Cy. She showered and noticed a few light bruises across her hip and
ribs.

I
bet there are no lingering marks on Kyra
’
s body.

She dried her hair, and applied some
blush and mascara. She hardly wore make-up. But Cy was so dang handsome, she
needed the help.

Riana
entered her bedroom, pulled open her closet and starred at the compound
uniforms and two outfits she
’
d brought from home. She glanced at Elle lying on
her bed. “How can someone dress for a date with only two choices…and he
’
s already
seen one?”

“That should make your choice easy,”
Elle mumbled, not looking up from the romantic suspense novel she was reading.

“What
would make it easy is if I
’
d brought something decent to wear.” It would do
no good to borrow something from Elle. Her two outfits consisted of a pair of
jeans and workout clothes.

“Riana,
just calm down. The guy
’
s so taken with you he wouldn
’
t
notice if you were wearing a potato sack.”

“Yeah,
right.” She pulled her only option from the closet, a pair of black casual
pants and cream sweater. As she zipped the pants, the doorbell rang. Riana
’
s
heart jumped and accelerated at the same time, going from sixty to one-twenty
in under a second.

“He
’
s
here,” Elle sang out as she slid off the bed and went to answer the door.

Riana took a calming breath.

He
’
s just a man, like any other man.
She rolled that phrase over and over in her mind.
But deep inside, she knew it was far from the truth. Cy affected her on a level
she
’
d never experienced…from anyone.

She slipped on a pair of flats and
headed down the hall. As she caught sight of Cy, she drew a breath. He wore a
pair of black dress slacks and a light gray, V-neck, cashmere sweater that
emphasized his glacial-blue eyes. The sleeves pushed quarter-length on his
muscular arms revealed a light dusting of dark hair. She wondered where else on
his body it might be?

I
thought he was sexy last night, but tonight he is absolutely, lascivious.
Good Lord, how will I ever make it through
this night with my clothes on
?

Cy held a single white orchid. “You
are beautiful.”

As he handed her the flower, their
hands brushed, and her body came to life.

Really?
Again with the womb seizures?

Riana
cleared her throat to regain composure. “Thank you. I hope we
’
re
not going somewhere fancy. My wardrobe choice was severely limited.”

He
flashed a sensuous smile. “
You
look perfect.
”

“So
do you,” she replied, feeling like nine kinds of stupid. What was it about him
that made her sound as if her I.Q dropped ten points every time she opened her
mouth? If she didn
’
t get a grip, by the end of dinner she
’
d
be spouting incoherent babble.

They left her building and walked to
the underground parking area where the Protectors kept their vehicles.

A
beep sounded as Cy hit the remote on his keys, followed by the purr of an
engine. She turned to see which car had started. Her mouth gaped as she focused
on one of the sweetest rides she
’
d ever seen—
a shiny, black, Audi R8 Spyder.

“
Nice
,” Riana said.

Cy stepped closer and opened the
passenger door. A devilish grin crossed his sensuous lips. “And, fast too,” he
whispered, as if it was for her ears only. Goose-bumps crept up her neck, and
warmth pooled low in her stomach.

As
he walked around to the driver
’
s side, Riana ran her hand across the soft, camel
leather seats. She knew for a fact the car cost a small fortune. Being a
Protector must pay really well. Her intern
’
s salary barely kept
her above poverty level.

They left the compound and headed down
the mountain. “So, where are we going?”