The girl nodded, tears filling her eyes.
“Okay, sweetheart. You can go home now. The storm is getting worse, so wear your seat belt and go straight there. Tell your mom about this—I think you should come clean,” Ivar said, his gaze now on Jeremy. “No more meeting guys online and driving to bars by yourself.”
“Yeah. I won’t.” The girl clutched her purse to her chest and all but ran through the bar and out the front door. A lesson well learned without her getting hurt. Good.
Ivar grabbed a phone out of Jeremy’s back pocket and scrolled through. He winced and then growled. “Looks like you make a practice of picking up underaged girls. Is this naked one drugged?” He held out the phone to Jeremy.
“Fuck you,” Jeremy said, shrugging free.
Ivar sighed and looked at Ronan. “Give me a minute.” He grabbed Jeremy by the throat and shoved him out the back door into the rain. It closed with a loud bang.
Adare sighed. “If you don’t want to clean up a mess, you might want to stop him.”
Ronan frowned. “Why? The human deserves a beating.”
Adare barely smiled. “Ivar has hot buttons that are triggered by violated females. He isn’t just going to hit the human.”
They couldn’t call attention to themselves. Ronan rushed to the door and ran outside into the rain just in time to see Ivar rip open the human’s throat with one hand. “Ivar,” he muttered.
Ivar held the man by the lapels and looked over. “He’s a pedophile. Go back and have a drink with Adare. I’ll make sure the body is never found.” He hefted the human over his shoulder and strode into the woods.
Ronan shook his head. Benny was the crazy one. There could only be one. His thoughts reeling, he prowled back into the bar where Adare was waiting in the same place. “He killed the human,” Ronan whispered. “Is he always this reckless?”
Adare shrugged. “He’s still a’savin’ stray cats.”
“His oath was to defend and shield,” Ronan said quietly. “As was yours.”
Adare laughed now, the sound grating. Pained. “Yet I fucking failed. Now I’m just living.”
Ronan gestured at the scene around them. “You call this living? Spending time in dive bars and copulating with women who are unaware of proper dress mores?”
Adare leaned in, his breath smelling like mint and tequila. A lot of it. “Since they won’t be wearing their clothing for long, I don’t give a shit about proper.”
“You never did,” Ronan said, trying to hold on to his temper with both hands. “I’ve been gone a long time, but I felt the deaths of Jacer, Igor, and Zylo. I didn’t know who had been stricken down, but I knew I’d lost brothers. I’m sorry you were here and had to grieve without me.”
“We took an oath. Death was assured,” Adare said, a vein bulging in his neck.
“I’m sorry about your potential mate—”
Adare twisted and shoved Ronan up against the wall. His eyes blazed. “Donn’a talk about her. She wasn’t a potential. She was my mate.”
Ronan drew in air, his arms vibrating with the instinct to fight. But this was his brother. And the pain in his eyes, in his voice, could be felt. The idea of Ronan losing Faith, after just meeting her, after this short time with her, slashed through his heart like a dual-bladed sword. So he truly couldn’t imagine what Adare had gone through. Was still apparently going through. “All right. But I’m very sorry for your loss.”
Adare shifted then, and Ronan saw the punch coming. He braced for it but didn’t lift a hand to block. Pain exploded in his right cheekbone, slamming through his entire skull. Stars flashed hot and bright behind his eyes, but he remained standing. Hands at his sides.
“Are you afraid to fight me?” Adare asked, stepping back, his chest heaving.
“No,” Ronan said simply. “You are my brother. Feel free to hit away until you feel better. Then we can stop this nonsense and go fight Omar before he kidnaps and kills hundreds of innocent females.”
Adare snarled. “Fine.” He drew back and shot a punch to Ronan’s gut.
A couple of lower ribs broke and Ronan gasped, but he didn’t move otherwise. Yeah, that hurt. He sent healing cells to the jagged edges, and they moved sluggishly. Here he’d thought he was getting better.
“I will beat you dead,” Adare snapped, his hands in fists, frustration darkening his skin.
“Meh.” Ronan’s brain started to swell against his skull. “I’m hard to kill. Brother.”
Adare glared for a moment, and people scattered away from the pool tables. Then his shoulders slumped. “Fine.” He turned away. “I’ll find another fight.”
It hit Ronan then. Ivar and Benny had probably reacted much as he had—with sympathy and an effort to bring Adare back into the fold. The need to offer comfort for such a painful loss was as natural as breathing. “Adare.”
“Fuck off.”
There it was. The comfort and soft words weren’t helping. Adare was a Highlander, a powerful being even before the bonding. His heritage was in land and loss. In power and strength. What did he need? “Has nobody given you a good fight?”
Adare stilled and then partially turned, looking every inch the predator he’d always been. Stark desolation and a dark hunger glimmered in his eyes. “No.” The growl was pained.
Oh. Well, then. Ronan smiled and flexed his right hand. His brother needed his help, and it wasn’t for comfort. Just because he couldn’t heal himself as quickly as before didn’t mean he couldn’t cause some damage in somebody else. “I see. How about I give you a fight, a good one, and if I knock your ass out, you come home?”
Adare straightened. His proud heritage was evident in the harsh cut of his cheekbones. The expression of deadly warriors from years gone by crossed his face. Anticipation lit his eyes. “Deal.”
Ronan swung, hard and fast.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
After only a few hours of restless sleep, Faith dressed in clothing somebody, probably Ivar, had left by the bed and went to check on her sister. She held Grace’s hand in the makeshift hospital room while sitting in another bright pink chair. There was a similar electric blue one on the other side of the bed.
She’d turned Grace several times to avoid bedsores. It was shocking that Grace had never had one sore and her body was healthy. Much healthier than one would expect. But now her blood pressure was dropping a bit and Faith was concerned. She rested her cheek on the pillow, took a deep breath, and tried to feel her sister’s mind. She probed, imagining she could, but nothing. She opened her eyes. “Come back, Gracie,” she murmured.
Nothing. Her sister remained somewhere else. For the first time, Faith let herself look at the situation objectively. There was no brain activity. When Grace had been taken off life support, she should’ve passed on.
But she lived.
Without any illness, without bedsores, without any more complications. She hadn’t even lost that much weight. Not nearly as much as she should have after being in a coma for so long. Even her muscle tone was still present—barely.
Was it the key birthmark? Faith closed her eyes and daydreamed.
She and Grace had been Christmas shopping in Denver. Bright lights glowed from storefronts, and the snow fell gently all around them.
“One more picture,” Grace said, dropping to a crouch on the icy sidewalk for a different angle. She kept catching shoppers and their brightly-lit packages with her lens. “Oh, this is going to be a good one.” She stood, and the snow fell all around her dark hair.
Faith shook her head. “Listen. We have to hurry up. I need to get back to work.”
A couple of young men ambled over, snow dusting their overcoats. “We’re sorry to bother you,” the first one said, his power tie evident above his lapel.
Grace grinned. “Now, how could you bother anybody?” With her light green coat, she looked lik
e a fairy princess.
The first guy had blond hair and dark brown eyes, while the other one was a redhead with green eyes. Dressed professionally with nice shoes and clean-cut faces. Faith guessed they were in their mid-twenties.
“I’m Dirk, and this is John,” the blond said, his smile charming.
They were slightly dorky but kind of cute.
Grace balanced on her thick boots. “Grace and Faith.”
“Really?” Dirk asked, his eyes twinkling.
“Yes,” Faith sighed. “It’s true.” She glanced at her watch. “What did you gentlemen need?”
John grinned, his gaze running over her long trench coat. “Ladies to have eggnog with. Of course.”
Grace laughed. “As it so happens, we’re eggnog-loving ladies.” She winked at her sister. “Come on. You have time.”
Faith eyed the handsome men. “I guess I could take a moment.”
Heavy footsteps sounded down the hall, yanking her right back into the present and away from that long-ago evening. They’d just had a drink and then had gone their separate ways. She wondered what John and Dirk were doing today.
Probably not hiding in a mountain.
Faith sat up, keeping her sister’s hand. Her butt still tingled a little from the smack. Was Ronan back? Butterflies swept through her abdomen.
Benjamin Reese soon entered the room, munching on a sugar cookie. “Did you eat dinner?”
“I’m not hungry.” She relaxed. “Has Ronan returned?”
“Nope.” Benny eyed her sister and walked more quietly toward the blue chair to sit. He had metallic eyes, long dark hair, a broad jaw, and a barrel of a chest. When he sat in the chair, it groaned in protest. The guy had to be at least six-foot-seven. “She’s a pretty one.”
Faith smiled. “Yeah. You should see her eyes. They’re hazel—green and brown. Truly stunning.”
Benny perched on the seat as if afraid he’d break it. “She must be a strong little thing to have lasted this long in a coma.”
“She is,” Faith murmured, wondering again.
Benny glanced at the arm of the chair. “I wonder if Ivar got a deal on these or if he really thinks they’re fashionable?” He grimaced.
Faith grinned. “I don’t know. The pink one in my room is just as bad.”
Benny grimaced. “Pink? I have a bright yellow one with green canaries on it in my room. If I had a woman in there, I don’t think I could get it up with those little bastards looking at me.” He glanced up, red crossing his rugged cheekbones. “Pardon my badass language.”
God, he was likable. A little nutty, but tough and likable. “I’d do anything to save my sister, Benny,” Faith murmured.
He nodded. “I get that. But if you’re thinking the Kurjans can help her because they gave her a little blood, you’re wrong. They’re bad, we’re good, and nothin’ is gonna wake up your sister. I’m sorry.”
Okay. Not so likable. Faith cleared her throat. “Let’s talk about something else. Tell me about these Keys.”
He shrugged a wide shoulder. “You know the story. They’re powerful; the only way we’ll ever stop Ulric for good. We just have to find them.”
“Do they know? About their powers?” she asked, trying to sound just mildly interested.
He pursed his lips in thought. “I don’t know. You’d think the information would be passed down through the family lines, but I can see it being hidden as well, since the Keys have been hunted by the Cyst for centuries. Now that Omar is gathering the Enhanced, let’s just hope he hasn’t found any of the Keys.”
Well, at least one of them was safe right here. “Why does Omar want the Enhanced?”
Benny leaned forward. “For a couple of reasons. One, they can mate Kurjans. Two…I’m thinking there’s another ritual to be performed when Ulric comes back.” He winced.
That could not be good. For now, Faith had to concentrate on her sister. “You’re saying there might be a Key out there who has no clue whatsoever that she’s a Key. Wouldn’t there be some way she would know?” Faith asked.
Benny’s gaze narrowed on Faith. “Did you know you were one of the Enhanced? Honestly?”
“I’m still not sure I’m one,” Faith retorted.
Benny chuckled. “Yes, you are. Why are you being so stubborn about it? I mean, I understand the mating dance you all are doing, but come on. I heard you talking to your sister. Felt the change in the air.”
“Mating dance?” Faith choked out.
Benny grinned. “Yeah. The ‘I don’t feel what I’m feeling’ bull-oney. And ‘I don’t believe in mating, even though I know deep down it’s true.’” He stretched out his legs and crossed his ankles, revealing the bottom of truly humongous boots. “All that stuff you’re thinking and feeling. I’ve seen it before.”
She frowned. Why was it so difficult to get angry with him? Maybe because he just wouldn’t care. Benny had an unconcerned air about him that seemed to go bone-deep. “You’re a troublemaker and a rogue.”
“So they say,” he replied agreeably. “I have been known to steal a ruby or two from a dragon.”
She waited for the punch line. Wait a minute. “There are dragons?”
“Yep. Just another shifter—like wolves, felines, and bears.” He sighed and read the blipping monitor behind her. “How long you been able to get inside people’s heads?”
“No.” She held up a hand. “I’m not a mind reader or anything.”
His eyes twinkled. “Good thing. How awful would that be? Knowing what everyone thought.”
She smiled. “I agree.” Breathing out, she searched for the right words. “I can’t get into minds. But sometimes, with a coma patient, I can sense them. Can feel some spark of life in their brains, and somehow stimulate it.” She shrugged. “I can’t explain it any better than that.”
“Sounds like a cross between an empath, a psychic, and a mind reader,” Benny said matter-of-factly.
She made a mild sound of agreement. “Maybe.”
“How come you wouldn’t tell Ronan that?” he asked.
She shifted in her seat on her slightly tender butt. “He was being a jerk.”
“Methinks you protest too much,” Benny said, scratching his chin. “Or maybe that’s part of the dance. Hell if I know.”
She didn’t have a response for him. Plus, while she’d never admit it, she couldn’t stop thinking about Ronan. Was he okay flying? Where was he? Was it safe? He still couldn’t heal himself as he ought to be able to. She missed him. “Um, all right.”
“Can you get into your sister’s brain?” Benny asked, his voice going soft.
Tears pricked the back of her eyes. “No.” But she hadn’t given up hope. “Enough about me, Benny. Tell me why you became one of the Seven.”
“They needed me.” His grin widened. “Of course.”
Of course. While he was certainly congenial, there was an undercurrent of danger about him. An edge. “What happens when you find the Keys?” she asked.
“We protect them until it’s time for them to do the job,” he said simply.
“What if they don’t want to be a Key? Would you force them?” She again tried to sound merely curious.
He eyed her. “Yes.”
Good to know. She liked that he gave her the truth, although the fact that Grace would have no options was distressing. “Why don’t you have a mate, Benny?”
He mock shuddered. “Can you imagine how mean a woman would have to be in order to put up with me? The thought scares me outta my boots.”
Movement sounded down the hallway.
“Your boyfriend is back,” Benny whispered.
She cut him a look.
Two seconds later, Ronan filled the doorway. Faith gasped, instinctively moving to him. He had a black eye, split lip, and a cut across his temple. His shirt was in tatter
s and his knuckles appeared broken. “What happened to you?”
He smiled, showing a gap in his front teeth. “I brought Adare home.”
Benny stood and loped over. “Does he look like you?”
“Nah. I’m more handsome,” Ronan said with a slight lisp, watching Faith out of his good eye. “Come make me feel better, Doc.”
She slipped a shoulder beneath his. “My goodness. Can’t you heal yourself?”
“I am,” he mumbled, letting her turn him toward her bedroom, but not allowing any of his weight to rest on her. “My abilities are slower than usual right now but shall soon strengthen.”
She rested her hand on his ribs, nodding at his quick intake of breath. “You and Adare fought?”
“Yeah,” Ronin said. A snap sounded. “One rib back in place,” he said with satisfaction.
“Why did you fight?” She pushed open her door and helped him inside. Well, sort of. She just kind of led him.
Ronan released her and moved over to sit on the bed. “He needed to hit and get hit. Tons of grief, lots of guilt, a bucketload of anger. I’m his brother. So we hit each other.” The cut above Ronan’s temple began to mend. Then his eye cleared up, leaving only a light purple mark.
“You are getting better,” she mused. How could she get her hands on those healing cells? Certainly they could be used to help humans. Her mind boggled at the possibilities.
“Stop looking at me like that,” he said, his voice strengthening now.
“Like what?” she asked guilelessly.
He snorted. “Like I’m a specimen on one of your modern slides. I’m not a piece of meat, you know.”
She grinned. “You really have been studying current vernacular.”
“Every chance I get. Siri and I are making a lot of headway.” His chin lowered and he sat there, looking perfectly healed. With the ripped shirt and scuffed-up jeans, he held an edge of danger that made her heart thrum to life. “So. How about us? Have we made any headway?”
She blinked. “I, ah…”
“I believe I owe you a spanking.”
* * * *
Ronan barely kept his amusement in check as Faith blushed a very enticing red.