Dark Guardian

Chapter Five

The moment Jaxon stepped out onto the grounds and inhaled the fresh air, the terrible weight threatening to crush her dissipated. The air was cold and crisp, the rain having ceased for a short time. Clouds swirled overhead, dark and ominous, blocking out any moonlight, yet it was a beautiful sight. She loved storms and the sound of rain. She loved the cloud formations and the scent of the air after a downpour.

She was aware of Lucian’s powerful body moving close to hers as they emerged from the house. Jaxon raked carelessly at her hair with one hand, sending it into further disarray as she surveyed the acres of forest that lay behind the mansion. “This is a bodyguard’s worst nightmare, Lucian. Drake would love this. He could be here right now, up in the trees somewhere. This is his element.”

“You worry too much about my safety, honey.” His fingers tangled in her hair on the pretext of taming it into some semblance of order. “I would know if a human approached my property. It is well protected, not by a security system such as humans use but by ancient safeguards, powerful and dangerous. Tyler Drake cannot get through them. As long as you are on this property, you are perfectly safe from him.”

“What about from a sniper’s bullet? He doesn’t have to be on the property to shoot you, Lucian. All he has to do is perch on a hilltop somewhere and get you in his sights.”

“I am not so easy to kill, angel. You only pretend not to know what I am because you do not want to think too closely about it.” He was in her mind. She was avoiding the idea of their sharing blood, mainly because it brought up dark, erotic memories she didn’t want to touch. And she was definitely having trouble with the idea that she had taken his blood. It bothered her far more than she wanted to admit, yet she was turning it over and over in her mind.

Lucian looked down at her. Jaxon had tipped her head back to look up at him, her large eyes dark with such mixed emotions it turned his insides to molten heat. More than anything he wanted to taste her soft lips. The need was fierce and urgent and this time he gave in to the demand without a fight. He simply wrapped his arms around her small waist and pulled her to him, his head descending to take possession of her mouth.

Time stopped. Beneath their feet the earth itself shifted and rolled. Burning heat erupted everywhere, electricity arcing between them. Still, his mouth was slow and gentle, coaxing her response rather than commanding it. His hands moved to cup the back of her head, holding her so that he could explore, lose himself in the silken heat of her mouth. She was everything to him. A secret world of light and heat and color and emotion and magic. He never wanted to be anywhere else. He wanted this perfect moment to go on for all time.

Lucian lifted his head slowly, almost afraid to stop, afraid the moment couldn’t be real, it was such perfection, afraid she would vanish and leave him alone once more. His hands tangled in her hair. “I thought there were few secrets left in this world for me to discover, angel, but the mystery of how I came to deserve one such as you, I will spend eternity unraveling.”

Her fingertips touched his perfect mouth. The truth was, Jaxon was in awe of him. She had known if he touched her that way, if his mouth found hers, she could never be truly free of him. She would crave him for all time. His taste, his power, his scent. Everything. “I shouldn’t have let you do that, Lucian,” she whispered. “Now what are we going to do?” He had said she could leave anytime, she wasn’t a prisoner, but she knew it wasn’t the truth. She was locked to him in some way, bound by something far more powerful than she had ever imagined. Her eyelashes lifted, and she looked up at him with tremendous sorrow. “What are we going to do?”

Lucian caught the nape of her neck in the palm of his hand and drew her against him so he could hold her. “When you look at me with such sadness, Jaxon, you break my heart.” The wind provided a soft music, and he moved in perfect rhythm to it, moving her with him so that they were one. She rested her head against his chest and seemed to melt into him, pliant and soft when she should have been protesting.

“Our fate is sealed, honey,” he said as gently as he could. “There is no Lucian without Jaxon, and there is no Jaxon without Lucian. We must find a way to merge our two worlds together. We have no choice. It was written long before either of us was sent to this earth. We are fortunate that we were able to find each other, when there are so many who have been unable to remain hopeful.”

“You think that, Lucian? You really think that we’re lucky? I’ve brought you into a sick world where someone is stalking me and killing anyone who matters to me. You’re bringing me into a nightmare world where creatures out of horror stories exist.” Jaxon sounded very sad, her voice muffled by his white silk shirt. “I don’t even know if I want to be with you. I don’t know if you’ve got me under some black-magic spell or not.” Their bodies were swaying together, as close as they could get, with only thin layers of clothes between them.

He found himself smiling again. He was more than likely the most powerful creature on the face of the earth. He could command the heavens. She was not much more than five-foot-one, probably didn’t weigh in at a hundred pounds, yet she didn’t think anything of standing up to him.

The truth was, Lucian was used to complete awe and respect. Even among the more powerful males of his race, he had always been treated with deference. No one had defied him in centuries. He mused over that. No one other than enemies he had to destroy had

ever

defied him. Not once in all those centuries did anyone ever disobey his will. Lucian was used to having his way in all things. In his arms Jaxon felt so small and fragile. He was suddenly aware of his strength, of his power, something he had always taken for granted. He inhaled her scent; she was already the very air he breathed. The bond between them was growing stronger with every moment that passed.

A sound intruded, a soft cry, music on the wind. The wolves knew he was out on the grounds and had come close to visit him. Seeing he was not alone, they were in the woods, dark shadows watching him, waiting for a signal. Attack or stay back? He touched their minds, sending images to them. Jaxon was a part of their clan, their pack, his female, a leader right alongside him. She was under his protection.

Under their protection. They must at all times look out for her first.

Jaxon raised her head. “They’re out there now, watching us, aren’t they? Where did you get them? You have to secure all sorts of special licenses to have a wild animal. I would have thought, even for you, it would be difficult to attain the permits when you live so close to the city. How did you manage it?”

He shrugged his wide shoulders carelessly. “I simply told the gentleman he was going to give me the permits, and he did so.”

Jaxon sighed and stopped dancing with him. “I need to get away from you. I really do. I can’t believe someone so perfectly logical and down-to-earth as I am is falling for this fantasy world you’ve created. Lucian, you can’t just go around getting your way by crawling into people’s minds and hypnotizing them into doing whatever you want.”

His black eyes glittered with what could have been amusement. “Jaxon, I have been doing just that since the beginning of existence.”

“What does that mean?”

“Centuries. I have been doing it for centuries.”

Jaxon held up her hand. “Just stop saying

centuries

. Don’t use that word anymore. Something about it makes me crazy.” She pressed a hand to her stomach. “Give me back my gun before you call those animals to you.” She could see the wolves, their eyes reflecting in the dark. Without realizing it, she moved back beneath the shelter of Lucian’s wide shoulder for protection. “I’d just feel better, you know?”

“The wolves are my brothers. They would never seek to harm me or mine,” he said quietly. “They are noble creatures, Jaxon, with a strict code. They would give their lives for us. Do not fear them.”

Her heart was beginning to pound. Right away she noticed his heartbeat match hers, and then both hearts slowed to normal. She glanced up at him. “What

are

you?”

“Not vampire, little love. Never that.” His every instinct was to scoop her up and run off with her, claim her body and tie her to him irrevocably. Lucian’s mind was a shadow in hers; he knew she would be unable to resist him, but it was not what she wanted. She was still struggling to accept his existence and their strange bond. With a sigh he circled her slight body with his arms and dropped to one knee.

Come to me, brothers and sisters. Come and meet my lifemate

.

The wolves raced from the woods, eager to welcome her into the pack. Lucian held her tightly, reassuring her physically as well as mentally. In her head his voice was soft and soothing; his heart and lungs directed hers so that she could remain calm in the midst of the large pack. The animals pushed against her legs, rubbed along her thigh, sought to have her hands in their fur. When she was reluctant to do so on her own, Lucian’s hand guided hers, so that her palm was immersed in the thick dark coat of one of the larger wolves.

Jaxon found a smile curving her mouth, joy in her heart. She almost felt as if she could see into the minds of the animals. Images of what they were thinking and feeling. Their fur was incredibly soft and thick. It was amazing to be so close to a wild animal, to be touching one, having it accept her. She turned her head to look up at Lucian. “This is so wonderful. Have you been doing this all your life?”

“I would say for

centuries

, but I know how much you dislike that particular word,” he teased her. She made a face at him. “You are so bad.”

He ruffled her hair, trying to treat her like a child instead of the woman he knew her to be. She was tired. He could sense her exhaustion. Her wounds were not completely healed. She needed nourishment, though her mind shied away from that particular need. Lucian sent the wolves back into the woods, scooped Jaxon into his arms, and glided back into the house, cradling her against his chest.

“I’m quite capable of walking,” she pointed out.

“It is faster this way. Your legs are short.”

“They are not!” She was seriously offended. “I can’t believe you even said that.”

He laughed and tossed her into the deep cushions of the sofa in his den, where it was warm. “I have to go out for a short time this evening. You will, of course, remain indoors and out of harm’s way.”

She looked up at him with wide-eyed innocence. “Where exactly did you think I was planning on going at this time of night? Out dancing? I can wait a few days.”

“Promise me you will try to eat something.”

“Absolutely.” She nodded solemnly. Lucian regarded her through half-closed eyes. “Why is it I am not certain I can trust you?”

“You have the longest, darkest eyelashes I’ve ever seen,” she replied, trying not to stare at his eyes. “You should be locked up. It’s not safe to have you around women.”

“I have not noticed

you

falling all over me, angel.”

“Thank God for that.” Jaxon snuggled deeper into the cushions and smiled up at him. “Notice I’m not even asking you where you’re going. I’m just happy to be rid of you for a while.”

“That is not nice.”

“Keep it in mind when you’re thinking about this lifemate stuff. I’m not a nice person,” she said smugly.

He laughed softly. “I do not have to reinforce my request that you remain indoors with a little help, do I?” Her dark eyes flashed fire. “You wouldn’t dare!”

“Try me.” His voice was as soft as ever. Jaxon did her best to look demure. “Do I look in any shape to go running around like an idiot? But you need a couple of bodyguards. Take the chauffeur. He looks as if he can handle himself in a crisis. Not that I have any intention of worrying about you.” His white teeth flashed at that blatant lie. “If you need me, honey, just reach for me with your mind. We can talk to each other anytime.”

She held up a hand. “Go away. It’s the only safe thing for you to do. And leave my gun while you’re at it. I don’t want to be here alone unarmed.”

“You have a complete arsenal upstairs in your bedroom. I never saw so many weapons. It made me wonder just what type of woman I was getting myself involved with. There will be no shooting me when I come home this night, no unfortunate accidents, I trust,” he teased as he put her gun on the table beside her chair. He bent to brush her temple with his warm mouth before he walked away from her, laughing softly.

Lucian made certain he had stepped out into the darkness before his tall frame shimmered into transparency, slowly dissolved into millions of tiny droplets, and streamed out into the mist rising from the ground. He moved fast, traveling at preternatural speed, moving straight toward the city.

The three men sent to murder Jaxon had all worked for the same person. Samuel T. Barnes. The man was a banker, wealthy and very social. He was seen at all the prominent parties, supported the local mayor, the congressman, and the senator. He did not appear to have any drug connections, yet he had ordered all three assassins to get rid of Jaxon. She had been far too successful in slowing the drug traffic in her city. Her team had virtually put a stranglehold on the incoming routes. She found and took away shipment after shipment.

Lucian found Barnes’s condominium in an exclusive neighborhood. The stream of mist circled the house, testing the defenses. Each window was sealed, every door bolted. Lucian returned to the front door, shimmering once more into solid flesh and blood. He stood tall and straight, a faint smile touching his mouth, although his eyes were completely expressionless. He listened for a moment, noting the position of all people in the house and what they were doing. His knock was sharp and authoritative and brought an instant response.

A young man in a suit, the poorly concealed bulge beneath his jacket indicating he was armed, opened the door. Lucian nodded politely. “I am Lucian Daratrazanoff, here to see Mr. Barnes. I do not have an appointment, but I was in the area and thought I would take a chance.”

The man blinked several times in surprise. He obviously recognized the name. “Please come in, sir. I’ll tell him you’re here.”

Lucian didn’t move. “I would not want to disturb him if he has settled in for the evening. After all, it is quite late. I will wait out here.”

“Mr. Barnes wouldn’t like that, sir,” the man insisted. “I’ve heard him speak of you often. Please come in.”

“You are certain you have the authority to invite me into his home?” Lucian’s voice was soft, his accent very much in evidence.

The man nodded. “Yes, sir. Please come in. Mr. Barnes would have my job if I kept you waiting on the doorstep.”

Lucian graciously allowed the man to talk him into entering the foyer. He stood quietly while the man hurried off to get Samuel Barnes. He could clearly hear the whisper of conversation in the room above him.

“Are you certain it’s Lucian Daratrazanoff? My God, where’s my jacket? Quick, Bruce, mix a couple of drinks, and bring them into the library. No, wait. Escort Daratrazanoff into the main sitting room. I’ll make the drinks myself.”

Lucian remained quite still, waiting while Bruce hurried back to him. “Mr. Barnes said to bring you right up,” he announced, indicating the staircase.

Lucian moved up the stairs without hesitation. He had not used his voice to persuade or enthrall. He had not needed to do so. His name, that of the elusive foreign billionaire, was enough. To a man like Barnes, he would have celebrity status. He moved silently, remaining aware of the location of all those in the house. There were four men, including Barnes. Bruce was right behind him, and two others were playing pool in a recreation room on the first floor toward the back of the house.

Samuel Barnes met him halfway across the room, his right hand outstretched. He was a slim man with a quick, practiced smile and thinning hair. “Lucian Daratrazanoff, this is quite a surprise. What can I do for you?”

Lucian’s black eyes were hard and uncompromising. “I believe we have some private business to discuss.”

Barnes indicated the door with a nod to Bruce. The man immediately went out, closing the heavy oak door behind him. Barnes crossed to his leather bar. “What can I get for you?” He poured himself a scotch and water.

“Nothing for me, thank you,” Lucian replied softly. He waited until Barnes was seated comfortably across from him before leaning toward the man and fixing his black eyes on the other man’s gaze. “We have a small problem, Mr. Barnes,” Lucian said very gently. “I know you will be more than pleased to help me with it.”

“Of course, Mr. Daratrazanoff. Anything at all.”

“I would like you to tell me quite frankly why it is you wish Miss Jaxon Montgomery and her partner, Barry Radcliff, dead.” Lucian’s voice had dropped an octave, so that the tone wrapped around the other man, every bit as mesmerizing as those empty black eyes.

“My partners and I have made several attempts to pay off her or some of those in her unit, but they’re all very loyal to her. She seems to know where every shipment is before it even arrives. She’s putting a stranglehold on our cash flow. I told my partners that we couldn’t hit a couple of cops, but they said we had to or they would find a more agreeable partner. I had no choice.”

Lucian nodded seriously, as if they were simply discussing the weather. “And who are these people who are insisting upon her death? Because, you know, you do not really want such a thing.”

“Dennis Putnam and Roger Altman. They have big connections in Colombia and Mexico.”

“And where would I find these two men?”

“It’s hard to get to them. Bodyguards surround them all the time. I think they’ve got one of their men planted here, but I can’t figure out who it is. They always know what I’m doing. They have a base of operation in Miami.”

“Write down the address for me.”

Barnes complied immediately. Lucian rose with his casual, fluid grace. “The men in this house—how many of them are aware of the fact that your partners want Miss Montgomery dead?”

“All of them.”

“Thank you. I appreciate your help. I want you to wait until I have left this room, and then you will suddenly cease to be able to breathe. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Mr. Daratrazanoff.”

Barnes walked him to the door and held out his hand. “It’s been a pleasure doing business with you.”

Lucian took the hand offered to him and stared directly into Barnes’s eyes, ensuring his instructions would be carried out swiftly. “I cannot say the same for you, but, then, you are a deceiver and a murderer, are you not?”

Barnes frowned and rubbed his temples.

Lucian’s white teeth flashed. “Good-bye, Mr. Barnes.”

Bruce was waiting just outside the door. “Please follow me, Mr. Daratrazanoff. I’ll show you out. I trust everything went well.”

Lucian put a friendly hand on the man’s shoulder. “Please show me to the pool room. That would make me very happy.”

Bruce blinked rapidly several times. “Of course, sir. This way.”

As they descended the long stairs, they heard a faint noise from the upstairs sitting room. A strangling, a gasping, and then a thud, as if someone had fallen to the floor. Bruce turned quickly. Lucian merely smiled. “You will not go to his aid, because I do not wish it. Take me to the pool room.”

Bruce nodded and led the way down the hall to a set of double doors.

Lucian waved a hand, and the doors opened wide. The two men looked up from their game, both putting their hands on the weapons in their shoulder holsters. They relaxed visibly when they saw Bruce.

Lucian walked directly up to the first man. “I want you to get into your car and drive very carefully, obeying all traffic rules, until you come to the entrance to the cliff road. You will go up that road and drive straight off it. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, sir.”

“You will do so immediately.”

Without replying, the man picked up his jacket and car keys and left the room.

Lucian turned to the second man. “You have killed many times.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You feel bad about that, do you not? It is a very difficult thing to live with, the taking of innocent lives. I have never done so in all the long centuries of my existence. Those I have condemned to death have always been murderers such as yourself. You are evil. You know that you are, and you no longer wish to continue your pitiful existence. Go to your residence, and end the misery you bring to others. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.” The second man picked up his jacket and left the room without a backward glance. Lucian studied Bruce. “You have not killed.”

“No, sir.”

“Why would you work for such a man as Barnes?”

“When I was fifteen I got involved in a car-theft ring. I served time, and once I was out, no one but Mr. Barnes would give me a job.”

“You do not like Barnes or the things he does.”

Bruce couldn’t look away from those mesmerizing eyes. In any case, the sound of that voice demanded the truth. “He disgusts me. He’d murder his own mother for money. I have a wife to support. We’re expecting twins any day now. I have to make enough money for them to live, and no one is going to hire a felon.”

“You will go home and stay there for a few days thinking about your future. You will get rid of the gun, tell your wife you are getting a legitimate job, and you will call this number. The man there will interview you and give you honest work. Do you understand me? You will remember nothing of my presence in this house, and you will not remember that Miss Montgomery and her partner were ever on a hit list.”

Bruce took the small piece of paper, folded it carefully, and slipped it into his jacket pocket. When he looked up, he was alone in the pool room, and he couldn’t remember why he had gone there. He was sick of his job, sick of Barnes. Mary was due any day now. She hated his working for Barnes and begged him all the time to quit. Maybe now was the time. Maybe he should just quit and think things over while they waited for the babies to be born. There had to be something better out there for him. Something legitimate. Bruce went upstairs to tell Barnes he was finished. He found him on the floor, his features gray, tinged with blue. Immediately he called 911 and started CPR. All the time he worked, he knew it was too late for Barnes, and he couldn’t find it in his heart to be all that sorry.

Jaxon waited until she was certain Lucian had left his house and was off his property. At once she sought a telephone to call Don Jacobson, her childhood friend.

“Don, I want you to do some looking for me. Drake called me.”

“Good God, Jaxx, what did you expect? It’s all over the news that you got yourself engaged to some big-shot moneybags. That would be like a slap in the face to Drake. What were you thinking? If you were going to run off and get engaged, you could have stayed here and married me.”

“You would have divorced me inside of a week.” Jaxon laughed. “I can still kick your butt, and your macho ego would have a hard time with that.”

“What about moneybags? Can you kick his butt?”

“I wish. Anyway, I need information. Put an ear to the ground, ask some of the guys to look around, and see if there’s any sign that Drake has been out on the range somewhere. You know how he is—he haunts those hills. Maybe you’ll get lucky.”

“Be careful, Jaxx. Drake’s insane. He’s just as likely to turn on you.”

“I’m always careful. Unfortunately, I don’t think Lucian comprehends the extent of Drake’s training. He won’t take me seriously when I tell him how dangerous it is to deliberately draw Drake out.”

“Trust you to find an adrenaline junkie worse than you.”

Jaxon made a rude sound and gave him her number. “Call me if anyone so much as finds a sign they

think

might be his.”

“Sure thing, Jaxx. But you promise me you won’t do anything dangerous.”

“Careful is my middle name,” she said softly and hung up the telephone. In the upstairs bedroom she found her things. Jaxon dressed carefully, pulling on dark clothes and a dark hood to cover her blond hair.

She was grateful Lucian had brought her weapons, including her sniper’s rifle with the night vision scope. She scooped it up to put it over her shoulder and filled her pockets with shells. She added a couple of knives, her handgun with extra clips, and a rope. Lucian didn’t believe Drake was a real threat to him, but she intended to scout the entire neighborhood around his property to find every spot where a sniper might lie in wait.

Jaxon was suddenly aware just how fatigued she was. Her wounds were mostly healed, but she was not as strong as she would have liked. The rifle seemed much heavier than she remembered. She stood just inside the front door, staring at the intricate pattern in the stained glass. It was not only beautiful, but there was something else, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. The pattern seemed to beckon, to soothe, to draw her in. She could have stayed there forever and simply stared at it.

Shaking her head to clear her mind, Jaxon opened the door and went out into the night. It was drizzling again. No hefty storm, but the fog was thick, and mist was rising like steam from the ground. The wolves were confined to the woods behind the house, so the courtyard and the front were free of wild animals. She had felt safe with Lucian holding her, commanding the wolves, but on her own, she feared she might have to destroy the beautiful creatures.

Jaxon continued down the front drive. She found she was having difficulty walking. The air felt heavy and oppressive. Each step she took seemed to be through quicksand. She was breathing hard, the weight in her chest giving her the illusion she couldn’t breathe.

Illusion

. This was some sort of illusion. Or maybe it was part of some security system Lucian had that worked on the human nervous system. Whatever it was, Jaxon had no intention of allowing it to defeat her. She had to secure the area for her own peace of mind.

Jaxon treated her distress as she would any other discomfort she might experience in the midst of a mission.

She pushed it out of her head and moved forward, one step at a time. There was no question she would make it out; there could be no other outcome. Jaxon had been trained to overcome all obstacles. Sweat broke out on her forehead, but it didn’t matter. She made her way to the gates and pushed them open.

Once out on the street she could breathe more easily, and the heavy weight in her chest lifted.

A bodyguard’s nightmare

. She had named Lucian’s home such, and it was true. In this exclusive neighborhood each estate had several acres; thus, few houses were near by. Most of the surrounding area was covered in trees and heavy brush. Tyler Drake would love that. And the high bluffs a mile or so down from the house worried her. What a perfect place from which to observe Lucian’s house and grounds.

Jaxon sighed as she moved swiftly along the road, keeping in the shadows of the trees. A moving target was easier to spot than a stationary one, so Drake had all the advantages if he had already started scouting the area. She didn’t want to think about Lucian and what he had revealed to her. Vampires. There was no such thing. There just couldn’t be. Maybe what she had witnessed was some weird trick. But she was the one who had shot the thing. And she never missed. Never. She saw the bullet hit him squarely in the center of his forehead. It hadn’t even slowed the creature down.

Jaxon inched her way as she approached high ground. She didn’t want to skyline herself. If she was hunting this night, Drake could be, also. She began a meticulous study of the ground, quartering each approach for a sign that Drake had passed this way. She would recognize his work. The cold air was getting through her clothes. Jaxon found herself shivering despite the fact that her movements should have kept her warm. Still, her night vision was so improved, she now had a wonderful asset. She tried to concentrate on that thought to block out the numbing cold.

She was scanning the ground, her eyes searching restlessly, back and forth, for one thing out of place. Only one. That was all she would need to know that Drake was in the area. The first few years Jaxon had tried to hide from him, until she realized it was impossible. Now, she stayed out in the open, where he could come after her if he desired. But he never tried to harm her, only those around her. Only those he perceived as a threat to him. Lucian had set himself up as a target. Where he lived was common knowledge now, with the press following the story of their engagement.

She dropped to her stomach and slithered through the wet grass to the top of a knoll. There, she used her rifle scope and surveyed the property. From this angle one had no real shot. Thick foliage and trees protected the entire side of the house. Even the balconies there were completely hidden from view. She studied her surroundings carefully, picking out the next high point where Drake might go.

She was halfway up the bluff when she began to get that peculiar feeling she always did when she knew trouble lay ahead. It was more than instinct. A gift. A curse. Whatever it was, Jaxon knew Drake had been here before her. She slowed her pace and was careful to keep utterly silent. Not even her clothes could whisper of her presence. She took particular care to study the rocks as she climbed. She found a scuff mark, faint but there. Farther up, near the top, was a distinct rope scrape deep in the dirt, the impression of a thumb near by. She had seen that mark before. She had spent her childhood training with Drake. She knew the way he moved, the way he went up a rope, and the way he tied off. The knuckle of his thumb always brushed the dirt when he tied off.

Her heart was pounding now. He could easily be at the top, making her position extremely vulnerable. She hesitated long enough to drag a knife from her boot and clamp it between her teeth before making the last effort to mount the top of the bluff. She lay quietly, waiting to catch her breath, listening to the sounds of the night. She could hear insects singing, suggesting to her that she was alone up there. She didn’t move, wasn’t fooled. Drake would never stir up the insects enough to silence them. He was a professional; he knew exactly what he was doing. He would never give away his position by making careless movements.

When Jaxon moved, she did so inch by inch, on her belly, keeping low to the ground, using her elbows to propel her forward. She covered the open ground and found relative shelter in some heavy bushes. Very carefully she slipped the rifle from her shoulder. It felt solid and safe in her hand, but it was meant for distance shooting, not hand-to-hand combat. This might her one chance to rid the world of Tyler Drake. If he was up there, she was determined that only one of them would go back down. And Drake would never submit to arrest.

She covered every inch of the cliffs. Tyler had spent time here; she knew he had. She could smell him everywhere. Actually smell him. It brought back so many nightmares, that smell. The signs were fresh enough that she knew Tyler must have been scouting the estate while Lucian was at the hospital with her. He hadn’t shot at them, and she’d had no premonition of danger, so he must have left before they arrived. When she was satisfied Drake was no longer on the cliff, she allowed herself a moment to rest. With so many unwanted memories crowding in, her stomach was in hard knots. Just being this close to Drake made her sick. Taking a deep breath to settle her nerves, Jaxon scooted across open rock to the edge of the bluff so she could once more scope out the house. Here she had a better view.

Dragging her scope out, she took aim. Dense foliage mostly obscured the front of the house, but the upper stories rose above the trees. She could partially see into two windows despite the stained glass. She wasn’t familiar enough with the layout of the house to know which rooms she was seeing, but neither appeared to be her bedroom. Drake could conceivably get a shot off from here and score a hit if Lucian entered either of the two rooms. Rolling over, she pulled out a small notebook and meticulously entered each calculation.

It took longer to make her way back down the cliff and around to the far side of the house. The forest was thick, and bushes grew everywhere. Her rifle was becoming more and more cumbersome. Jaxon realized she was far weaker than she had thought. The wounds she had been certain were healed were now throbbing. Her breath was coming in gasps. As a child, training on the base, she had been drilled to overcome all obstacles, including pain or discomfort of any kind. She took inventory quickly, assessed the damage to her body, and dismissed it. Protecting Lucian was all-important. He refused to believe her when she said Drake was dangerous to him, a pro, a chameleon when he needed to be.

The estate was immense. Lucian had been right in that, even from high ground, Drake would not find a decent shot. But there were other ways. She began to walk along the massive stone wall around the grounds. It was very high, very thick. On the other side, the wolves paced. She couldn’t see them, but she sensed they were there. It was odd, but in her mind she thought she could hear them calling to her. Drake had come this way. She put a hand on the wall. Would he poison the wolves? That wouldn’t pose much of a problem to him. Was that the security Lucian was counting on so heavily? Wolves wouldn’t even slow Drake down.