Night Betrayed (26 page)

She pulled the shirt on and Theo gently tugged her over to the large, wide sofa he’d claimed as his bed and covered with sheets and blankets. “Come here,” he said. “Stay with me?”

Selena smiled and patted the sheet. “I don’t know. I thought you were keeping me at arm’s length so I didn’t wear you out.” She tossed him a slanted grin.

“Let’s see who wears who out,” he said as his own insides gave a little jerk of interest. He reached for her and she fell onto the couch bed, dragging him with her.

But instead of diving into another long, hot embrace, Theo lay next to her, propped up on his elbow. He just wanted to look at her for a minute; and with a long forefinger, he gently traced a line down from the curve of her collarbone, down around her wrinkling areola, and along the curve of her torso. Settling his hand, palm flat on her thigh, he caught her gaze.

She was watching him; and in the dark he could see only that her gaze was fastened on him, that it was heavy and strong. He leaned forward and kissed her gently on the mouth.

“Tell me about Sage,” she said.

Out of the fucking blue.

Theo gave a little laugh, feeling very light. He hadn’t thought about Sage in ages. “Nothing like a mood killer,” he joked.

“Is it? I wondered,” she said. Her eyelids fluttered a bit, and he realized he’d better clarify.

“I don’t mean—well, it’s a mood killer because it was just the two of us, and now there’s someone else here. It wouldn’t have mattered who. You know? I was enjoying being with you. Just you.”

“Did she hurt you badly?”

He shifted a little. He had to think about it, he realized. “It sure as hell felt bad at the time—a lot of asking why—but it’s clear she wasn’t right for me any more than Jennifer is. Aside the fact that she never cared for me as more than a brother.”

“I’m sorry,” Selena said.

“Well, if it had worked out,” Theo reminded her, “I wouldn’t be here with you now. And there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.” He realized as he said it that, not only was it true, but that he didn’t think it would ever change. That wanting to be with her, that level of comfort and connection. The intelligent conversations. Wanting to have his hands and mouth all over her rich, golden body.

She smiled and reached over to touch his cheek. “Thank you. You know, I don’t know very much about you, Theo. You seem to have as many secrets as I do.”

You have no idea.

He wondered about telling her more about what happened during the Change, but pride made him hesitate. Couldn’t she accept him for who he was, regardless of what she assumed was his age?

“Have you ever been married, then?” she asked.

“No. Never.” He’d always thought he’d have time—before the Change. And since then, he’d been trying too hard to figure out who the hell he was, why he was resurrected and altered, to think about sharing that life with someone else. And then there’d been the two or three years when the only woman in his mind was Sage, worshiped from afar, as she was.

“You must have children, though.”

A wry smile shifted his mouth. “No, can’t say that I do. Though it’s not from lack of trying,” he added with a full-fledged grin.

“What?” she exclaimed. She sounded truly horrified and actually shifted away.

“I’m kidding. Really, I’m kidding,” he stressed, still grinning, cupping her shoulder to bring her back. “I’ve been careful not to let that happen.”

“Some people would say that was morally wrong,” Selena said a moment later, when she’d obviously decided to believe him. “Preventing pregnancy when we need to reestablish our race.”

“What do you say?” he asked, moving a lock of hair from her face, brushing it over the top of her head.

“I say that parenting is hard enough when you’re doing it with someone you love, when you’re ready for it. But it’s even harder when you aren’t. So, I don’t advocate for people to have babies just to populate the world. My view might not be the most popular, but that’s it.” She shrugged. “That’s another thing I used to ask why about—why I only have Sammy.”

“That wasn’t your choice?”

Selena shook her head and that lock of hair fell back down. She pushed it away, then let her fingers slide gently against his chest. “I’ve had five pregnancies, possibly more.”

“But . . . any ch—” he started, then stilled. “Five?”

Her mouth drew down a bit at the corners. “At least three miscarriages, one little girl that died as an infant, and of course, Sam.”

“Oh . . . Selena,” he said, his voice low. “I’m so sorry.”

She nodded, her face sideways, her eyes holding his in the low light. “Me too. But . . . it was a long time ago, the last one. And obviously . . . Well, for whatever reason, Sam is my only surviving child. I always wanted another baby, though. So . . .” Her voice trailed off. “If it happened again, even at my advanced age, I would be happy.”

Theo’s mind scattered into little pieces of shock, panic, curiosity, and warmth. And one big question: How did he feel about that?

But Selena, as she often appeared to do, seemed to understand his quandary. “As much of a stud as you are . . . and you definitely are,” she added with a meaningful smile, “don’t worry that I’m using you to father my child. I’m definitely not.”

“I wasn’t worried about that,” he interrupted. “I just . . . well, becoming a father isn’t something I’d take lightly. I’d want to be married first, to a woman I knew I’d want to be with for the rest of my life. Which is why I was angry when I wasn’t prepared—even though I should have been.”

Selena sighed. “I wish Sammy felt that way. I don’t know if he and Jennifer are having sex, but— Well, what do you think? What are the chances?”

“Uh, pretty good. I’d assume they’re moving bookshelves,” he replied with a grin at the euphemism. “Seventeen-year-old boy and a girl who looks like Jennifer? Done deal. Sorry,” he added when she looked at him with displeasure.

“Ugh,” Selena replied. “That is not a thought I’d like stuck in my mind.”

“Then let me take your mind off it,” Theo said, reaching for her.

She slid close with an eagerness that heated him up again.

This time, everything was long and slow and easy. Body sliding against body, pausing to feel the way they fit, looking at the way the different shades of skin matched up in the faulty light, the texture of hair-roughened flesh against smooth, silky skin. He couldn’t seem to get enough of tasting her, sliding his fingers through her heavy hair, of the little sounds she made when he did something pleasurable, of the now-gentle tracing of her nails on his shoulders.

When he lifted himself over to cover her, to fit into her, he made those strokes last, allowing the threads of pleasure to weave slowly, in soft little waves, until he felt the change in her breathing and the pumping of her heart beginning to match his own. And even then, they moved in that sensual rhythm, holding back as comfortable lovers do, knowing that the end would come and taking their time getting there.

And when they did, they matched that too. It was as if he slipped over the top of the Ferris wheel, arching and then sweeping down in a long, rush of pleasure that ended in a bubble of heat that burst through him just as she tensed and shuddered beneath on her own ride.

Wow, he thought as he uncurled his toes and rolled his eyes back into position some time later. His body slowly came back to earth.

Once again, shifting a bit, he gathered her against him and curled an arm around her shoulders. Tucked under his chin, she sighed and he felt her relax into slumber.

But Theo didn’t sleep.

He didn’t dare. He lay awake, holding Selena, wondering about all of the variety of emotions barreling through his otherwise exhausted body.

He’d succeeded in keeping her in tonight. Keeping her safe.

The very thought of her going out there into that wildness again was enough to thrust away all of the pleasure and satiation of the last hours. He was still angry that she’d lied to him, or changed her mind, or whatever. Whether he had the right to be or not, he couldn’t dismiss the feeling—it was a fury driven by fear and confusion.

He had to find a way to stop her. To keep her safe.

To convince her that it wasn’t worth the danger. That she was needed here, for her patients. For people who came to the Death Lady and needed her peace and guidance.

And that she had a responsibility to those who lived, those who loved her. Vonnie, Frank, Sam.

And, Theo considered, very likely himself.

He was a very different person since he’d awakened from this second resurrection. Or maybe he’d just reverted to who he was before.

Maybe that was why.

He realized as he felt her comforting presence next to him, as the sun just started to light the sky beyond the window, that he could do this every night. That he would.

So much for staying away from her until she got to know him.

Theo awoke to the sun blasting with great force through the easterly window. Selena was gone, but the stab of worry that had him vaulting from his bed lessened when he remembered that he’d remained vigilant until the danger of night was past.

She couldn’t have gone out after those zombies; she was safe somewhere.

Nevertheless, he dressed quickly and thought about going down to the kitchen to see what Vonnie was cooking . . . and to see how Selena was.

Now, in the light of day, did he feel uneasy about manipulating her into staying in?

No.

Mayyybe.

He knew it was for her own good. But would she see it that way?

Hell, he’d seen and felt the resistance and apprehension in her as she approached the gate last night. Whatever it was she thought she was doing helping the zombies to die a humane death, it wasn’t something she wanted to do. He hadn’t had to work hard to convince her to spend the night in his arms.

Theo told himself all of those logical arguments, but he couldn’t quite dismiss the fact that she was gone. That she’d left without waking him.

His thoughts, circular and greedy, were interrupted by the sound of footsteps on the stairs and a dull rapping on the side of the door.

Theo pulled to his feet from the couch when he saw Sam. “Hey,” he said, shaking off the last vestiges of worry.

The kid had a tray with food on it—Bless Vonnie!—and he set it on the table next to the monitor that was still lit up. So much for a screen saver, because the image of the Cult of Atlantis still glowed there. Was probably burned onto the screen forever.

“Brought this for you,” Sam said, gesturing to the food. But he was looking at the monitors. “I want you to teach me about these. What you’re doing. Hey”—he froze, and his eyes goggled as he looked at Theo; suspicion, and maybe a little fear, glowed there—“I’ve seen that before.”

He was pointing to the labyrinthine symbol.

“You have?” Theo asked casually, taking a drink of sweetened tea for his dry mouth, and doing a quick glance around the room to make sure Selena hadn’t left any signs of her presence. This sleeping with a mother had definite complications. “Where?”

“The Elite. When they come here, they have it sometimes on their list. I think I saw it once, inked on someone’s arm.”

“Do they come here often?” Theo asked, trying the thick hunk of bread. Slathered with butter, just a bit warm, it tasted like heaven. Zucchini bread. And scrambled eggs. Vonnie was a goddess. He could marry her.

“Yes. Once or twice a year. What are you doing?” Sam had moved forward and looked as if he wanted to touch the keyboard. Fascination warred with apprehension and he hesitated.

“Go ahead. Try it.” Theo came over and shoved the keyboard from the second computer toward him. Right onto the spot the kid’s mom’s bare rump had been only a few hours ago. He nearly blushed at the memory, and had to pull his thoughts back to the present. Yep, he had it bad if he was fantasizing about the kid’s mom while the kid was here.

“I don’t know what to do with it,” Sam said. But he sank onto the chair and tapped one of the keys.

“Why do the Elite—or the bounty hunters—come here?” Theo asked.

He had heard a variety of horror stories about the Elite—or Strangers—and their visits to settlements. Sometimes they were uneventful, but other times there were repercussions later. Only two months ago, he and Elliott Drake had been trying to save a group of teens about Sam’s age from being taken off into slavery for the Elite. The Strangers had tricked the teens into becoming addicted to grit, the post-apocalyptic version of crystal meth, and had lured them away from Envy with the promise of more. “You should stay away from them.”

“That’s what Mom says,” Sam replied. He was pecking at the keys, typing nonsense on the coding screen. Theo let him get a feel for it.

“Listen to her. I’ve seen lots of bad things happen with them.”

Sam paused and looked up at him, his eyes wary. “You seem a lot older than you are. I mean, than you look.”

“I am,” Theo replied. Not that the kid would believe him, but lying was never a good policy. “What do they do when they come?”

But Sam didn’t get a chance to reply, because they heard the sound of footsteps, followed by his mother’s voice calling for him. The kid bolted from the chair faster than Theo had ever seen him move, and was across the room trying not to look at the pinball machines and video game consoles when Selena appeared.

“Vonnie said you were up here,” she commented, looking at both of them, but speaking to Sam. Her glance over Theo had been impersonal, but she generally was all business in front of her son. It didn’t necessarily mean anything. “Sammy, you and I are overdue for a chat, I think.”

Theo tried not to ogle, but it was hard not to. She just looked so good, so casual and warm and feminine with her dark hair long and loose, and in a deep-vee pink shirt that buttoned down the front. Her legs were bare beneath dun-colored shorts, long and golden, and—Oh boy—she was wearing something around her ankle. A woven cord with little beads on it, low and sagging just slightly over the curve of her ankle. Just loose enough that he could slip his little finger beneath it, slide it around the tender skin of her foot.