The Seven: Four tales of passion, danger and love (49 page)

Chapter Seven

Walker parked his truck beside her car. “So what time do you get off tonight?”

“The club closes at one.”

“I was going to ask if you wanted to come over after work, but my shift starts at seven in the morning.”

“We could do lunch or dinner,” she suggested with a sexy smile.

“Do lunch or eat lunch?”

“Depends.”

He chuckled. “An offer I can’t refuse. Say around one?”

“Works for me. Text me and I’ll give you directions.”

“Be happy to if you give me your number.”

She laughed and took his phone when he offered. She programmed her number into it and returned it to him. He pulled her to him for a long kiss. “See you tomorrow.”

“Can’t wait. Oh hey, can you wait for me to go in and grab my stuff? I don’t want to take the puppy inside.”

“Sure.”

Walker watched as she slid out of the truck and ran to the door of the club. The dog stood up with his front paws against the window, whining.

Walker reached over to give it a rub. “It’s okay buddy. She’ll be—” He jerked his hand back as the puppy turned on him snarling and snapping. “Whoa, dude, chill. She’ll be back.”

The puppy hunkered down, growling low in its throat. Walker watched it and the longer he did, the more uncomfortable he felt. It was weird. It was just a puppy. Not like it could do him serious damage. Yet he felt like he was watching some fearsome beast, waiting for it to pounce on him.

Grace returned and the puppy was all short happy yips and wiggles. She scooped it up and ran around to the driver’s door to give him a kiss. “Don’t forget. Lunch tomorrow.”

“I’ll text you.”

She kissed him again and hugged the puppy. “Say bye, Phobos.”

The sound of the name made goosebumps rise on Walker’s skin. He tried to dismiss it, gave Grace a wave and smile and watched as she got in her car. As he pulled off, he thought about it again.

What was it with that dog?

*****

It had been the best month of her life. Grace was in love. Completely, madly in love. Every minute she was with Walker was like a dream come true.

The only friction between them was the puppy. She still called him Phobos because he wouldn’t answer to anything else. Phobos hated Walker. She had to lock him in the laundry room when Walker was at her house and had stopped taking him to Walker’s.

Phobos didn’t like Mr. Friendly either. Grace had taken him to show to Mr. Friendly and had Phobos nearly bitten him. She wondered if the treatment his previous owner had given had made him mistrustful of men in general.

She and Walker had made arrangements to meet at Grace’s apartment after she got off work at 1AM on Friday. She couldn’t wait. She wanted it to be special and had made a special trip to the local bed and bath shop to get scented candles. When she got off work on Thursday, she went straight home, intending to give the apartment a good cleaning in preparation.

To her surprise, when she arrived, Walker was standing outside.

“What are you doing here?”

“We had a date.”

“Not tonight. Tomorrow.”

“No, it was for tonight.”

Grace was sure she had not gotten it wrong, but wasn’t going to get into an argument about it. She turned toward the door, but before she could get her key in the lock, he took hold of her arm and pulled her to him. Grace felt that initial thrill that his touch always evoked, but when their lips met, the thrill was overshadowed. The kiss felt different. Passionate enough to have her body heating up, but somehow not right.

She tried to pull away, but his arms tightened almost painfully around her. Not even her dragon nature responded and that gave her a start. Something was wrong.

Grace got her hands between them and shoved him back.

“What’s wrong?”

“Just…” She waved her hand in dismissal and turned to unlock the door. “Nothing. Just tired I guess.”

When she opened the door and he walked in behind her she was a little surprised. Walker was one of the most considerate people she’d ever met. She’d halfway expected him to suggest she get some rest and head on home.

Instead, he slammed the door closed behind him, grabbed her and backed her up against the wall, claiming her lips again. Phobos, danced around their legs, yipping for attention.

That distracted her a bit but after a moment, it hit her. His taste was different. Not bad—in fact, downright intoxicating—but different. She tried to dismiss it and give herself over to passion but it nagged at her and she broke free.

“I’m sorry. I’m really tired.”

“Then let’s go to bed.”

Now she was really confused. Why was his behavior so different? He was acting like a man only interested in a quick lay. “I think I just want to go to sleep, okay?”

“We’ll sleep,” he said with a sexy smile. “Later.”

“No.” She stuck out her hand and planted it against his chest as he moved toward her. “I’m serious. I’m tired and I just want to take a shower and go to sleep.”

Walker put his hand around her wrist and moved her hand down his body, making sure she was aware of the erection that strained the fabric of his jeans. “Right now I’ve got something for you.

Grace didn’t get it. Walker was a physical man, but so far he hadn’t behaved this way. She wasn’t turned on by the way he was acting. What was going on? Had she been that wrong about the kind of man he was?

The yipping of the puppy increased in volume enough to distract her and she looked down. Phobos was jumping up on Walker’s leg, begging for attention, his little stump of a tail wagging like mad.

What the hell?
Now that was definitely weird. Phobos hated Walker.

Grace jerked her hand free. “I’m sorry but I really am tired. Let’s wait until tomorrow night like we planned.” She scooted around him and opened the door.

Walker stood there for a moment then shrugged and moved to the door. He leaned over as if to kiss her again but she out-maneuvered him and placed a kiss on his cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” She said and stepped back from him.

“I love you.”

God, she’d wished to hear those words come from his lips. So why was she not flinging herself at him? Was it him or was it her? She didn’t know. All she knew is that nothing about this moment felt right and she was confused as hell about it.

“Tomorrow. And maybe Saturday we can go to the beach and have a picnic.”

“Absolutely. Tomorrow,” he agreed and left.

She closed the door behind him and leaned back against it, troubled and confused. Was he acting strange or was she just perceiving things wrong? She didn’t know. Maybe she really was just tired. A hot shower and eight hours of sleep and she’d probably realize she’d just overreacted and nothing was wrong.

At least she hoped so.

With her mind made up to hang onto the positive, she hurried through a shower, then climbed in the bed with the puppy snuggled up against her.

Her next conscious thought was the sound of her phone ringing. She fumbled around on the nightstand and located it. It was then she realized it was light. Her eyes moved to the clock on the nightstand. It was nearly one in the afternoon.

“Hello?”

“Hey beautiful.”

“Walker, hi.”

“Did I wake you?”

Now this was the Walker she knew and loved. She felt relief wash through her. “I kind of overslept.”

“Want me to let you go?”

“No, no I need to get up.”

“You have class today?”

“I did, but I apparently slept through it.”

“I guess you were tired. We still on for tonight? I’m off this weekend and I promise not to wake you early tomorrow.”

“Of course, I told you we were last night.”

“Huh? Honey, you must still be half-asleep. I didn’t talk to you last night.”

Suddenly, like the proverbial bolt from the blue, it hit her. Walker showing up unannounced, his odd behavior and the way the dog reacted to him.

Chills slid over her skin, prompting her to pull the bedcovers up. “So you still want to do the picnic at the beach on Saturday?”

“Still? I didn’t know we’d planned to, but sure, if that’s what you want.”

Grace almost felt sick. Whoever had been there last night, it was not Walker.

What the hell was going on? Was she losing her mind?

That question brought back a memory. The night she met Nyah and she felt even colder. “I need to go. Let the dog out. Can I call you back after I do that and get awake?”

“Sure. Talk to you later.”

“Okay, bye.”

She hung up the phone and lay there for a few minutes, trying to make sense of things. The whine of the dog prompted her to get out and throw on some clothes. She was barely aware of anything around her during the walk, her mind so caught up in trying to make sense of things.

“Phobos! Come here, boy. Time to go outside.”

When she didn’t hear a yip or the sounds of his feet, she got up. “Phobos?”

Still, he didn’t come. Concern swelled inside and she hurried through the apartment searching for him.

Twenty minutes later, she was in a full-blown state of panic. She threw on some clothes and threw open the front door to head out and look for the puppy.

And ran smack into
him.
He held Phobos in his arms. Grace retreated inside the apartment as he took a step toward her. Fear rose bitter and scalding in her throat. “Why do you have my dog and what are you doing here?”

He handed her the puppy. “Grace, you’re about to make a terrible mistake. I implore you to—”

“Get out. Get out of my place. I mean it. Get out or I’ll call the police.”

“Oh, I don’t think you will.” He took a seat on the sofa.

“I will. I’m going to.” She looked around for her shoulder bag. It was on the sofa. Right beside him. And her phone was in it. “What do you want?”

“Simply to make you understand that it’s a mistake to be with Ellis Walker. He’s not what he seems.”

“Well, it’s not your decision or your business so get the hell out!”

“Not just yet.”

“Yes, now!” She felt anger start to eclipse the fear and with anger came that sensation. Her dragon was awakening.

The man seemed to sense the change. He rose and started toward her. Something sparkled in his eyes, something frightening. It dampened her anger, made the fear take control again.

“Stay away from me.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t do that. Especially not after last night.”

“Last night?” Her stomach suddenly churned with nausea.

“You came so close to cheating on the man you profess to love. You would have, but you sensed it. Sensed that it was not him and you were correct. It was not Ellis Walker, but a changeling who wore his face.”

Shock and disbelief sent Grace stumbling back. “No. No.” Her stomach rolled, clenched, and bile spewed from her mouth. Grace bent over, hands propped on knees, retching. When there was nothing left to release, she wiped her mouth with her hand and straightened.

He watched her with that smirk on his face and knowing in his eyes. She wished she had something left to vomit—some way to get the sickness out of her that the knowledge evoked. She had kissed him—whoever he was. Cheated on Walker.

She fought tears, calling on every reserve she had for strength. “Get out.”

“It was someone she sent to test you, Grace. Please, let me help you.”

She hated the way she felt the lure of his voice clear down to her sex. God, how was it possible to hate someone so much and be so sexually affected at the same time?

“I hate you. Get out. GET OUT!”

He shook his head as if her shouted demand was of no consequencel. “I will help you, Grace. I’ll help you to see the truth. All you have to do is listen to me. Let me explain, tell you the truth.”

“Go to hell. I’ll never believe you.”

He didn’t move and his stubbornness had anger buzzing in her head like an enraged hive. “GET OUT! Get out of my house and out of my life. I hate you and I’ll tell him the truth and he’ll believe me.”

He still didn’t move, and for a few moments they merely stared at one another.

“I feared as much and so hoped it would not come to this. You’ll resist as long as he’s in the picture. Grace, listen to me. If he’s that important to you, she’ll use him against you and I can’t allow that. Please don’t force me to dispose of him.”

That spiked her fear to heart-racing levels. “What do you mean
dispose
?”

“I mean die.”

“No. No, you can’t do that.”

“I will have no choice if you will not listen. Grace, you’ve heard of The Seven, haven’t you?”

“Well, who hasn’t?”

“I am one of The Seven. I hold a seat on the Council. I am Severin of the Daemons of the Path of Light.”