IK3 (20 page)

her scent as her warm, pliant lips touched his.

Templar training be damned. Gavin crushed her to him, his tongue probing

her mouth, tasting her sweetness as she swirled her tongue around his. He

deepened the kiss, his hands splaying down her back, tucking her bottom

firmly against his aching shaft. Chloe made a little mewling noise and fitted

herself more fully to him. Gavin stroked her back, his hands finally cupping

her head as his mouth left hers to trails kisses along her chin and down her

throat. He felt his fangs snap.

He only wanted a little sip.

Gavin jerked back. God’s Blood! What had he almost done?

Chloe looked dazed. Had she felt the needle prick of his fang point before he

retracted it? He couldn’t tell. From the passionate way she kissed him—his

groin tightened painfully at the memory—he didn’t think she was hurt, but

he still asked.

“I’m fine,” she answered as he helped her up.

Her eyes lingered on his mouth and Gavin wondered if she was going to kiss

him again. He was not at all sure he had the will power, Templar training or

not, to withstand another onslaught of her deliciously sweet, hot mouth. She

took a shuddering breath and looked away.

“I’m just not sure what happened. I don’t think motorcycles are allowed on

these trails.”

He was pretty sure they weren’t either—and he didn’t think those two riders

were out to enjoy the park. One of those jerks had tried to pick Chloe up.

Had they meant to abduct her? Was it part of Balor’s master plan? Perhaps

to hold her hostage to get to Genievre? If she were immortal, Balor would

want to know.

Unfortunately, the riders’ faces had been completely shielded by dark visors

and they’d worn plain leather jackets and jeans, so there were no identifying

marks Gavin could make. He’d gotten the license number of one of the

cycles, but he’d wager they were rented.

He should have paid more attention to the hair on his nape rising. His

instincts rarely let him down, but he’d been distracted watching Chloe’s

pretty rump bouncing in the saddle.

Mistakes like that could be dangerous, even for a vampire. For a mortal

woman, they could be fatal. Gavin would not let his guard slip again.

“If you are feeling better, Miss Whitney, I would suggest we get these horses

back to the stable. Do you think you can ride?”

Chloe rolled her eyes at him. “Of course I can ride. The first rule after being

thrown is to get back on. It wasn’t the horse’s fault anyhow.”

Gavin had to admire her spunk, even if he planned to keep his distance.

Chloe had more spirit than any woman he’d met in centuries. “I would

suggest we collect your things from your mother’s and get started then.”

“Can’t we wait until morning?”

He hesitated, not sure how much he wanted to tell her. The sooner they

were away from her mother, the safer both of the women would be. “Do you

remember the reason I brought you with me was because I thought you

might be in danger?”

Chloe frowned. “Yeah. You never said why, not that it mattered. I was going

to come along anyway.”

“It matters, Miss Whitney. I have reason to believe what just happened was

no accident. I am not sure why, but I think Adam Baylor is very much

interested in abducting you.”

“Abduct—you mean kidnapping? Me? Why? I’ve never even done a story on

the guy.”

Gavin could hardly tell her he suspected it was because of her mother. “All I

have are theories at this point. However, it is possible that those bodies the

dragon left were meant to lure you out.”

Chloe’s eyes rounded like saucers. “But—you mean I might be his next

murder victim?”

“Doubtful. I think Baylor wants you alive.” Gavin helped Chloe mount and

vaulted onto his own horse before he was tempted to let his hands linger

where they shouldn’t. “But that doe not make the situation any safer. The

man has trained terrorists. He is a master of torture. Whatever information

he wants from you, he would get.”

“And you’re going to protect me from this monster?”

“Yes.”

She rode up alongside him and gave him a long look. “Why?”

Gavin clenched his jaw and avoided looking back. “Because I may have led

him to you.”

****

man could kiss that passionately—Ha! She had known there was fire under

that icy façade—and then calmly return to addressing her as “Miss Whitney”,

acting as though nothing had happened, she didn’t understand. Geez. He’d

curled her toes just kissing her. Luckily, she’d been sitting on the ground

and didn’t need to use them to stand on.

But that wasn’t the only enigma Gavin represented. After making the

statement about leading the Baylor guy to her, Gavin had refused to

elaborate all the way back to her mother’s. Nor had he explained what this

guy—much less a dragon—would want with her in the first place. Chloe

hadn’t done any articles on organized crime. She wasn’t famous—or

infamous—and she certainly wasn’t wealthy.

Nor had Gavin been willing to stay for a late lunch. For someone who usually

preferred to stay inside during the afternoon because the sun was stronger

then, he’d been in an awful hurry to get on the road. It was almost like he

thought someone was chasing him. Chloe barely had time to get her duffel

and leave a copy of the poem-clue for her mother to meditate on when she’d

been propelled through the doorway.

Now, as the car approached Sutter Creek, she glanced sideways at him.

“You can’t just not talk. Why won’t you tell me why you think I’m in

danger?”

“The less you know, the safer you are.”

“That makes no sense. How can I protect myself if I don’t know what I’m

supposed to be looking out for?”

“There is very little you can do to protect yourself. Not from evil incarnate.”

“That’s pretty purple-prosy, even for a Halloween story,” Chloe said, “except

it’s still a week away.”

He glanced toward her. “Purple prosy?”

“Yeah. You know. A little over-the-top? Like I’m supposed to be all scared

and shivery because some terrifying, inhuman monster is lurking out there?

The man may be vile and immoral and even a heinous villain, but ‘evil

incarnate’? Give me a break.”

“Adam Baylor is all of those things, Miss Whitney. The reason so many of the

world’s dictators were able to rule with iron fists for so long was because

Adam Baylor provided their power bases.”

“The guy must be ancient then.”

Gavin grimaced. “Age has nothing to do with it.”

“Well, if he’s so powerful, how come so many of these dictators have fallen?

Maybe the old guy is losing his touch.”

“Do not jest, Miss Whitney. If Adam Baylor finds even one of the Celtic

relics, he will have enough power to rebuild any empires he may have lost.”

Chloe was about to tell him how ridiculous that was, but he was being so

serious, she held the remark. “You really think a thing—even if it is a solid

gold platter from ancient times—has power? Cool as it sounds, it’s pretty

hard to accept.”

“Why? The platter is an energy force. There are people who know how to use

that, for good or evil.”

“Still. It’s hard to believe.”

“Did you believe in dragons before the sightings?”

“Well—no, I guess not.” Chloe took a deep breath. “So you’re saying this

guy is like a sorcerer?”

“Not a sorcerer, Miss Whitney.”

“Well, what then? A devil?”

“Not in the sense that the Christian world views it.” Gavin hesitated as if

searching for the right words as he parked the car along the historical main

street and shut off its engine. “Adam Baylor is a demon.”

****

Probably the only thing that prevented Chloe demanding to know about

demons was that they were surrounded by tourists.

“We’re getting ready to close,” the young man at the information desk said,

“but I can give you a brochure and sign you up for the Gold Mine Tour

tomorrow or maybe you’d rather try the wine-tasting? The vineyards in this

area produce great wines.”

“Thanks,” Chloe said as she took the brochure, “we’ll need to talk about

what we want to do.”

Gavin had a hunch Chloe did not mean tourist traps, although she was quiet

as they drove to a nearby motel to secure rooms for the night. It wasn’t until

after they’d finished dinner that he noticed the determined look in her eye.

“Let’s walk,” she said, “because I want to talk.”

At least she hadn’t asked him to go to her room. After that kiss, he wasn’t at

all sure he possessed the self-control he’d always prided himself on. This

woman got to him like no one had since Guinevere. And, like Arthur’s queen,

the attraction was not merely lust. Chloe had the same quality of spirit and

independence that was both admirable and foolhardy enough that Gavin had

the urge to protect her. Of course, trying to protect Guinevere had led to all

sorts of problems. A wiser man would put as much distance as possible

between himself and a woman who brought out all kinds of emotions that

had been packed away for centuries. But he couldn’t leave Chloe with Balor

and his minions loose. Gavin just hoped that she thought his posed

indifference to her was real.

“What do you want to talk about?” he asked as if he didn’t know.

Chloe looked heavenward as though asking for patience in dealing with

someone who obviously was none-too-bright. “Demons. Spill.”

“Spill?”

“Tell me about demons,” she said as though addressing a dimwit child.

Some American slang took getting used to, he thought, as they walked

down the street toward Bryson Park. Tourists still strolled around, but Gavin

found an empty bench near some cottonwoods. She shivered in the rapidly

cooling night air and Gavin fought the urge to draw her close and put his

arm around her. Instead, he forced himself to keep a respectable space

between them and offered Chloe his jacket.

“You’ll freeze,” she said.

Little did she know vampires were immune to weather. “Scotland stays cold.

I’m used to it.” Gavin swirled the jacket over her shoulders. His heart gave a

strange lurch as she drew his jacket closer and sighed contently, enveloping

herself in his scent.

“Now,” she said and broke his train of thought, “no more delay tactics. What

are demons?”

Where to start? “They are entities who are the driving forces behind all that

is wrong in this world— envy, avarice, pride, gluttony, anger, sloth—”

“Are you talking about Dante’s Seven Deadly Sins?”

“Dante only summarized them, but yes,” Gavin answered. “All wars that

have been fought have had one or more of these causes behind them. All

the inhumanity that has been wrought on mankind—indescribable

annihilation, torture and degradation—can be contributed to these “sins” as

they’ve been labeled. Demons have been behind each and every

movement.”

Chloe studied him. “So you’re saying demons are the devil’s helper, but not

the devil himself?”

Gavin shook his head. “The notion there is a “devil” was inspired by

Constantine in the fourth century when he decided the best way to unite all

the conquered countries of the Roman Empire was to establish a new

religion called Christianity. And, for the most part, it has been effective, but

evil is a force that has been in existence long before then. Demons are

entities that control that force.”

“And you’re saying these…demons…take human shape? That’s kind of far

out, even for my imagination.”

“I guess “far out” is another American expression,” Gavin said, “but I gather

it means “hard to believe”? He went on as Chloe nodded. “Look at it this

way. The best-selling books and top-grossing films have to do with wizardry,

vampires, and werewolves. Why do you suppose there is such an interest?”

Chloe started to laugh. “Those are for kids.”

“Young adults. Our future,” Gavin answered. “Perhaps they know their

battles may involve the paranormal.”

She sobered. “Oh, come on. You don’t expect me to believe vampires and

werewolves are running around?”

Chloe must not have seen Gavin’s supernatural response to the

motorcyclists. He should feel relieved, but a part of him wanted her to

believe in what he was. And that thought almost stopped him cold. He had

never wanted to share that information with anyone. He shrugged. “You did

not believe in dragons, either, if you recall.”

“I—” Chloe opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again. “Maybe there

is another explanation. Captain Johnson thinks there is. Anyway, for the

sake of argument, if this golden platter is maybe in a church, how would a

demon get it? And wouldn’t it, like, incinerate something that evil touching

it?”

“A church would offer good protection, which is why we are stopping at

some of the more likely places, but there is nothing in the clue that indicates

a church was used. In any event, the platter contains neutral energy which

can be used for either good or evil, which is why Adam Baylor wants to get