Bound by Darkness (40 page)

Damn, D.J. hadn't meant for Reggie to catch the brunt of the Other's death. But if he'd delayed even a second longer to see if she could get out of range, the Other could've gutted her with his sword. Why the fucker had gone after her instead of D.J. was a mystery, unless he thought to hurt D.J. in the worst way possible by taking her life.

If Reggie had to end up covered in gore, at least it was the Other's. D.J. paused to cover the body with the guy's own cloak before kneeling down to wrap Reggie in his arms. She buried her face against his chest, still keening her pain and fear.

“Shhh, honey, it's over for now. I've got you. You're safe.”

Slowly, her sobs slowed down and then stopped. But when she tried to wipe away the tears on her cheeks, her hands came away covered in blood.

She held out her bloody palms, her hysteria ramping up again. “Get it off! Please get it off!”

He'd love to accommodate her, but he had to prioritize what came next. He caught her hands in his as he looked around the Kaliths' camp.

“I will take care of this, but it will have to wait until I make sure there aren't any more of these bastards in the immediate vicinity. By the looks of things, this place was set up for more than just the two of them and you.”

Reggie looked back toward the shrouded figure on the ground with a shudder.

“Jeban said the rest would be here late tomorrow.” Her words came out in hiccups as she fought to control the sobs.

“Good. That's real good, Reggie. Okay, I'll go back and get some water. The creek I passed is some distance away, but I promise I'll haul ass. Will you be all right alone while I'm gone?”

“No, wait.” She held out a shaky hand to point in the opposite direction. “Past the tents. There's water that way.”

Better yet. “Good, we'll go wash all of that off you.”

He picked her up and carried her over to the side of a quiet pool of water that fed into a narrow stream. After setting her back down, he rooted through his pack for something
Reggie could use to clean up with. A spare shirt would have to do. He tore off a strip to use as a washcloth while keeping the rest for a makeshift towel.

Then he tested the temperature of the water with his hand.

“The water is clear but a little cold.” He considered their options, none of them good. Best to just get on with it.

“Reggie, your clothes are covered in blood, so I need you to strip them off. Afterward, you can cover up with my cloak and sit by the fire while I wash out your clothes and hang them up to dry.”

She nodded, but her hands were shaking too hard to manage by herself. D.J. reluctantly took over, starting with her shoes and then working his way up to her tunic and trousers. Yeah, he'd been wanting to get Reggie naked, but not like this.

For both their sakes, he left her bra and panties in place for her to deal with. He did his honorable best not to notice how her nipples pebbled up in the evening chill or the way her narrow waist gave way to the gentle flare of her hips. God, he was a bastard for even thinking about such things.

He held out the pieces of his shirt. “You're good to go. Use these to wash up.”

Then he noticed a dark streak caught up in the curls of her hair. When he touched it, his hand came away bloody.

“Uh, looks like you need to wash your hair, too.”

Her eyes widened in horror as the implication of what he was saying sank in. “How am I going to do that from the edge of the water?”

She was right. “Maybe a quick rinse won't get the job done. Maybe you should just go for broke and take a quick bath.”

Reggie studied the dark sheen of the water suspiciously, but finally she nodded. “All right, if you think it's safe.”

“It should be,” he assured her, mentally crossing his fingers. “Give me a second so I can see what kind of supplies I have that you can use.”

He dumped the pack out on the ground and studied the contents: shampoo, a toothbrush, a bar of soap, and even a spare tunic. Damn, Devlin and Barak had thought of everything.

He arranged the items on a flat rock next to the edge of the water. “Here you go, Reggie. I'll turn my back, but I'll stay close by in case you need me.”

He did as promised, but listened to make sure she was doing all right. The rustle of fabric sliding down skin, the almost silent plop of something dropping down on the ground, and then the splash of water, followed by a bloodcurdling squeal.

What the hell? He spun back around, gun in hand and ready to defend her against all comers. Except no one was there except a totally nude Reggie, standing thigh deep in the water and glaring back at him.

“I thought you said the water was just a little cold!”

He tried not to laugh, he really did. But she was so cute, standing there naked and absolutely furious. She had no idea how clearly he could see in the dark, so she wasn't trying to cover up. At least the little lost girl was gone, momentarily replaced by her usual feisty nature.

“Yeah, I may have exaggerated a bit on that point,” he said, trying to sound apologetic and failing miserably.

“You think, you big jerk?”

She gave him a disgusted look and then gingerly waded out farther into the water. “Remind me to get even with you for this.”