Into the Light (The Admiral's Elite Book 2) (29 page)

She’d felt the obstruction, her limbs so petrified by pain and fear she’d been unable to do much to protect herself when she struck it a second time. She backed up and then there was another long lick from the fire and her body convulsed. Becca lost contact with the ground somehow and was surrendered to the flame for one horrible moment. When it stopped and her body returned to her, she moved as rapidly as she could manage, intent upon finding the maker of all the promises. If there were a way of being free from this pain she would do anything to find it. Anything to be free of the fire demon’s constant torment at last.

The inside of what she guessed to be a movie theatre from the reek of old snacks and popcorn was dark. The lights were off until it opened in a few hours for the staff to get ready for the matinee. Limited already, Becca was completely blind in the low light. Her steps slowed to a rushed shuffle; urgent to reach her goal yet scared she would stumble unwittingly down a stairwell.

The voice called to her from up ahead, off to one side. Her fragmented thoughts collected long enough to tell her this was the hallway leading to the theatres. She followed the call; lights above each theatre entrance offered limited glimpses of doorways that disappeared from her limited field of vision the closer she got. When she reached the end of the hall the call came again, guiding her to turn into a door on her left. A grateful whimper that this would all end soon and she walked through the door, thankfully open to her.

The floor tilted down and, after the first stumble, Becca leaned a shoulder against the carpeted wall and used it to guide her. Gradually it sloped down as well until only her elbow touched it and she searched the relative dark for a glimpse of her savior. Her eyes settled on a tall figure standing on the far side, across the red fabric seats from her. His form was hard to decipher and she widened her eyes as much as she could, making out the outlines of a long coat with lines of faint light coming from where a suit of armor would have its chinks. Her breath caught and she attempted to back up quickly, crashing into something in her hurry. She didn’t have the chance to wonder how something else had gotten in there. The moment she bumped into whatever was behind her, the constant burning flames that had refused to take a backseat in her tortured mind flared and her mouth opened. If she screamed she didn’t hear. All there was for her was agony.

Michael was ready for the demon when he saw Becca turn toward the last theatre door. Quickly opening the door as soon as she faced it, he avoided having her strike this one bodily and cause herself further damage. The bruising under her eyes had spread until they reached her paling cheeks, the blood loss from her lacerations wasn’t helping her any though the heavy scent of popcorn was helping to mask the scent infiltrating her blood.

Walking beside her down the sloped aisle to the front of the theatre, Michael soothed his vampire, busily gnashing its teeth.
As soon as she’s clear you can have it.
The scratchy cackle in his head was jubilant. He felt his lips pulling up into a cruel smile.

He hung back to use Becca’s focus as a means to pinpoint the demon’s location and keep surprise on his side as long as possible. The moment Becca rounded the end of the wall and he watched her eyes attempting to capture the details, he knew enough. His hands flashed, wrapped around her and yanked her back to safety on the other side of the wall. The wail that rattled her throat took a piece of him with it, knowing it was his touch that caused it. That last push was more than enough to send him flying over the top of the wall to land in a crouch facing the creature that had taken the town and members of his unit, including his love, hostage. Blood filled his mouth as his fangs broke through and Michael allowed his monster roar to the surface.

His scent wafted to her through the cacophony of other smells; popcorn, salt and doughy pretzel, helping her when glimpses were lost in shadow. His smell, one she’d only known as a human, came back to her in sharper detail with her more sensitive olfactories.

It hadn’t been long after Luc and the rest of his squadron had been lost to a bomb in the North African deserts of Algeria near the town of Biskra that she left the service. The only reason she’d been saved was due to the fact that she’d been on a supply run outside of the camp at the time. Her role as nurse with their small crew had been considered necessary given their remote outpost and dangerous task of stopping any inroads the Muslim opposition forces were attempting to make into the larger city of Algiers against colonial French rule. Luc had asked her to stay, to spend the day with him in the bazaar. But Gabrielle was asked by the doctor heading the clinic if she could accompany him to the depot in Constantine and restock what they needed. The supply clerks never got the list right and they’d run dangerously low on several items. It took all day on the rough roads and by mid-morning, when they returned, all that remained were the smoking ruins of tents and a bomb-pitted airstrip. Together they buried the dead and left the ruins behind.

The tears she’d wept, the forgiveness she’d begged of him for leaving, digging his grave and burying him with her own hands, none of it had been enough to assuage her guilt. The next few years after she deserted her post, spent on her own, had exposed the parties responsible for her lover’s death and her knowledge of medicine had allowed her to poison all but one, known simply as The Almohad, The Unitarian. The night she confronted Almohad, Gabrielle learned why he’d been so impossible to kill when he passed on his curse to her.

She had promised herself that the day would come when she would see The Almohad burn for what he’d done to her beloved. Her allegiance with Admiral Black had not yet given her that satisfaction, but she knew that it would come. Intelligence continued to circulate about a ghost among terrorist camps preaching unity in fighting a common enemy. The few glimpses the cameras had caught told her it was him. Since her joining his ranks, Black had encouraged her to use her talents to continue to take down such monsters and save the Lucs of the world. It wasn’t enough. Guilt rode on her shoulders since that day with no reprieve.

A flash of Luc disappeared through a metal door painted dark blue to match with the walls at the end of the long hallway. Without hesitation, Gabrielle grabbed the silver-colored handle and heard Ryan catch the door over her head. Whispers of Becca’s vision, confessed only to her, streamed through her head and she let her grief turn to anger.

“You can’t come in here. This is personal,” she whispered harshly, all passion gone from her eyes.

“One might argue what
we
have is personal.” His expression failed to reflect the light-hearted teasing in his tone.

Her eyes remained flat. “I don’t want you here, Ryan.”

“It isn’t him Gabs, it isn’t Luc,” he told her softly, reaching out to touch her arm. “Luc’s dead.”

Jerking her arm away quickly, her elbow hit the door with an echoing konk and she barely flinched. “Don’t you think I know he’s dead?” Tears welled up in her eyes and she ignored them. “That doesn’t mean he isn’t in there.”

It took a minute for Ryan to understand what she was saying. “A ghost?”

Not blinking, she waited, wishing he would leave.

“Are you shitting me?” He took a menacing step toward her, “Does this thing have you so messed up that you think handing yourself over to a demon you think is your dead ex is a good idea? What the hell is that supposed to prove? He’s dead, Gabs, not you. Not yet.”

Amber eyes flashing, Gabrielle’s hand hit his cheek and Ryan never made a move to stop her. “Leave it, Ryan. I have to do this.” The quaver in her voice belied her sure demeanor and she set her jaw. Becca’s vision said the others would be harmed; she couldn’t take the chance that Ryan would be among the injured.

“Have to do what, Gabs?” His expression softened, the warmth in his eyes tugged at her. “Have to do what?” he repeated, voice cracking. “There’s nothing in this world that says you need to go in there,” he paused, swallowing, “and there’s nothing in this world that’s going to keep me from going in there with you.”

“Please don’t do this.” Gabrielle felt her cheeks moisten as her tears spilled over. “I can’t do this with you.”

But Ryan had something he needed to say. Wrapping both large hands over her upper arms, he held her firmly enough that she couldn’t easily wriggle free without hurting her. “Gabs, you are the singlemost frustrating, distant, cold-hearted person I have ever had the pleasure of working with.”

She heard him swallow and he glanced away, down the hall toward the foyer, collecting his thoughts for a moment before he returned vibrantly green eyes back to her. Her throat worked and she closed her eyes, more streams started down over her lower lids and she opened them again to see him still staring.

“You are also a warm, loving person who would do anything for your unit. And, like it or not, we would do anything for you.”

Ryan’s eyes wetted and Gabrielle flared her nostrils, taking a deep breath trying to avoid a full out breakdown. That wasn’t what she did. Not in Black’s unit. That was the safety here; cold, clear cut cases involving bad guys she could destroy. No confusion. This was getting confusing and she couldn’t have that. Wouldn’t have that. It was exactly what she’d been running from when she found Black. Or he found her.

Before she could get herself under control enough to respond, Ryan went on. “Gabs, we’ve been doing this thing for two years now. You might be okay with the friends with benefits thing but I’m not.”

Her eyes widened, she knew where he was going and opened her mouth to stop him.

He told her anyway. “I love you Gabs. I love you and I’m not sending you in there against who knows what without me fighting right there by your side. It’s how we’ve always done things, just now you know I love you.” The side of his mouth pulled up and he shook his ample auburn hair. “And no amount of bitching or slapping’s going to change that.”

Raising her hands and rolling her shoulders, Gabrielle was able to free her arms from his grip. Due in large part to the fact Ryan let her. “Ryan, I wish things could be different, I really do.” Her insides were cold. Gabrielle fought the urge to shiver. “But I’m not the person you think you love.”

“Don’t try to tell me how I feel,” he told her simply.

Forcing herself, she went on. “Things change us.
I’ve
changed.” She willed herself to make him see her as unworthy. “I can’t love you.”

His white teeth flashed in amusement. “Well, I wasn’t born this tall and I sure as shit didn’t have a tail when I was in Boy Scouts.” Smile disappearing, Ryan leaned in close enough Gabrielle could feel his breath on her skin and hers prickled in response. “We all come from somewhere and no one ends up
here
after a stint with the Mouseketeers, Gabs. I don’t care about what
was
. This is the you I know and this is the you I love.”

Her eyes searched his, expecting him to go on. Holding her breath, she waited for him to throw in a “but” or somehow negate what he was telling her. It didn’t come. Instead she watched his face come down and let her eyes close, breath coming faster before his lips touched hers.

To that point, theirs had been a straightforward relationship: sex on the road, not a lot of personal conversation, surprisingly few kisses. So when she closed her eyes, waiting for him to kiss her, Gabrielle was stunned to feel her stomach flutter in anticipation like it was all new. It was, she thought fleetingly, just before his warm, generous mouth pressed to hers.

Not the few hurried, need-filled kisses they’d shared during their passionate sessions, this one was more. And left her wanting more. The very things that brought Gabrielle to Ryan’s bed; the lack of commitment, his impressive figure and independent spirit, all were gone. In their place was this man, declaring his love, no matter what she’d done before him, and offering forgiveness if she’d allow it. Finding herself in a foreign place, she let him set the pace. And Ryan, unhesitating, reached up to cup her face as he continued to show her how he felt. When their lips parted, she was tempted to follow their retreat and demand more. Her chest rose and fell in rapid succession and her blood rushed in her ears while she panted to catch her breath. The cloud in his darkened gaze and matching pulse told her he felt the same. Then, before anything more could be done, there was an ear splitting scream from within and the moment was gone.

Ryan’s hands fell from her when Gabrielle whipped around and hauled the door open, barely waiting for the opening to be wide enough before shoving her thin frame through.
I’m too late
kept running through her mind. Just the same as he’d done hundreds of times on countless missions, Ryan followed directly behind her and they both crept wordlessly down the ramp toward the sound.