Illicit Desire: Outlawed Realm, Book 2 (27 page)

Keeping his word, Nikoli used the next few days to build another device for their, Meelo and Damir’s use. Thankfully, it kept him busy, his mind off Sheehan and Goddard. The cops hadn’t returned. Regina hoped they’d simply given up, realizing how ridiculous their accusations were. Even so, she knew they might just be biding their time as they built their case.

Late into each night, she thought about that. Many times, she heard Damir and the others speaking, no doubt making their plans for whatever came next.

On what proved to be their last evening at the house, Damir spoke for the others. “We’re leaving tomorrow.”

“We’re going to the land called Arizona,” Lukan added, his excitement obvious. “Nikoli researched it for us.”

This was news. Regina turned to him.

He explained, “The area where they’re going has the mild climate they’re used to, at least for the most part, and it’s sparsely populated. No one will bother them.”

“There’s still the sun,” she countered. “It’s not as cloudy there as it is here. What about their eyes?”

“They’re adjusting,” he said.

Regina heard the unspoken comment behind his words—they were doing great. She was the one who couldn’t wrap her mind around them leaving.

“They’ll be fine,” he assured.

Damir nodded. “Already Lukan’s teaching Arez to read.”

“And to use the computer,” Meelo offered. “She’s very good at Farmville and The Sims.”

Two of Nikoli’s favorites. Regina wasn’t certain whether to laugh or groan.

“We’ll be leaving early,” Damir said.

The following morning was Seattle dreary, threatening rain. Lukan and Arez kept smiling as though they were glad to be leaving it behind.

Nikoli patted Regina’s thigh as she drove them all to the bus station. Inside the waiting area, a mixture of senior citizens, young adults, and mothers with crying children milled about. A few in the crowd peered curiously at Arez and Lukan. They made a breathtakingly beautiful couple, like models in a magazine advertisement.

The intercom crackled. A bored female voice followed, announcing the next arrivals and departures. One of them was the first leg of the journey to Arizona.

“You have your device?” Nikoli asked Meelo.

Nodding, he patted the front pocket of his khakis.

“Call if you need anything,” Regina said, then smiled. “Call just because you want.”

“We will,” Damir promised. She hesitated a moment before hugging Regina. “Thank you so much.”

She returned the woman’s embrace. “Nikoli did it all. He’s a remarkable man.”

“Be certain to tell him that often.”

Regina laughed. “I will. You can bet he’ll hound me until I do.”

Meelo squeezed Regina’s shoulder in farewell. Damir kissed Nikoli’s cheek. Arez and Lukan stood to the side, holding hands. Adequate sleep and food during the last days had done both of them well. They looked eager to begin their new lives, undaunted by their decision to return to E4 as soon as possible and somehow rescue the rest of the slaves.

“Arez said they have no choice,” Damir had told Regina last night. “She wants the others to be as free as she and Lukan are. He agrees with her.”

Regina did too, even though she suspected that Nikoli would want to help bring Vakar down. It wasn’t something Regina liked to consider, but she couldn’t very well demand that he stand idly by at the man’s injustices.

She’d just have to deal with Nikoli’s involvement when the time came.

Along with him, she waved the foursome on their way. When they were gone, Regina leaned against Nikoli and asked, “You have your device?”

“Always,” he murmured. “It will never again leave my side.”

Hopefully, they’d never have to use it…unless he wanted to.

“Have you thought about visiting your father?” she asked, recalling the sorrow in the older man’s eyes as he and Nikoli had said farewell.

“I can’t take the risk,” he said. “I shouldn’t.”

“Whatever you want,” Regina murmured, “we’ll work it out. Okay?”

He nodded. Arm in arm, they went to the parking lot, unmindful of the drizzle, lost in their own thoughts.

Several rows from their BMW, Nikoli’s steps slowed, then stopped.

Not expecting it, Regina saw him staring at what looked to be a homeless person. The man was shaggy in appearance, wearing a wrinkled shirt and pants that fit him poorly, his brown hair long and matted by filth and the rain. He scrounged through a trash container, lifting items to his face, sniffing them as a dog might. He shoved one of his finds into his mouth and chewed.

Regina made a face.

At that same moment, the man glanced up. Intelligence and something else—something savage—blazed in his gray eyes. He reminded her of an animal, sizing up its prey.

The psychologist in Regina wanted to interpret his stare as that of a man who was starving. Maybe even a man who was strung out on drugs or was spiraling into psychosis. Her mind wouldn’t allow it. Her thoughts kept repeating one word.

Werewolf.

As though he’d read her thoughts, he backed away from the container and disappeared around a row of vehicles.

Nikoli pulled Regina towards theirs. She held back and spoke softly so no one would overhear. “Was that what I think it was? Is he a—” Regina paused, not quite ready to say the word.

“No,” Nikoli said.

“Then why did you stop?”

Beads of moisture dripped from his dark hair and long lashes. His handsome features might as well have been set in stone, he was that emotionless. “I was going to offer him some money so he could buy something to eat.”

Yeah, right.

He turned to go to their car. Again, Regina held back.

Nikoli sighed. “We’re getting wet out here.”

“You think?”

Turning back to her he said, “The man was searching for food, nothing more. You can relax, okay?” He gave her one of his most endearing grins.

She didn’t return his smile.

Nikoli exhaled loudly. “Lukan was drugged when he came through the portal. His mind was playing tricks. Arez didn’t say anything about shadows.”

“Really. I couldn’t understand anything she said. Are you certain?”

“That you didn’t understand anything she—”

“Nikoli.”

“That’s my name.” He grinned again.

Regina fought the urge to smack him. She touched the corner of his upturned lips. Grabbing her hand, he kissed her palm and murmured, “Everything’s all right.”

She hoped. “All right as in no one from your plane is looking for you, or no one from your plane will ask for our assistance again?”

His smile faded. “After all we’ve put you through, would you still offer to help?”

“In a second. I’m not afraid for myself. I refuse to let your people, mine, or any of those on the other dimensions do anything to hurt you.”

Love and what appeared to be gratitude registered on his face. “You’re not thinking objectively.”

Regina laughed. “Yeah, I know.” She ran her fingers down the opening in his jacket, over his tee, making his muscles jump. “We’re all about feelings on this side.”

“As your people would say, ‘thank God for that’.” Pulling her to him, Nikoli whispered in her ear. “Let’s go.”

He smelled so good, his heat and strength were so welcomed, she answered breathlessly, “Where?”

“Home.”

For Regina, they were already there, as long as they were together.

Epilogue

Arez stopped short of the open lane at the market. A plump older woman rolled her cart past, emptying its contents on the low table. A young man held each item up to a device, which scanned their codes, not unlike the ones on Arez’s and Lukan’s inner arms. When Arez had first seen that happen, she’d panicked, fearing the worker might scan her too.

Lukan had dismissed that as nonsense. They were free now. Had been for weeks, living in the land of Arizona.

“All he expects you to do is answer paper or plastic,” Lukan had said.

She leaned into Lukan now and whispered, “I’m not ready.”

He gave her a gentle hug. “Speak English.”

Her shoulders slumped. If he had to ask her to do anything, why that? English was such a crazy language. Too many words sounded the same, all with different meanings. You could write, but you couldn’t right. The sun, not the son, shone in the sky. When she tried to sort it out, using something called dictionary-dot-com, it only confused her further. E4’s language was so much simpler…and restrictive, lacking the vibrancy of this side.

“Go on,” Lukan encouraged. “You’ve watched me do this for weeks.”

He’d made it seem so easy during those times, leaving her to stare at the bounty inside this place. Food Arez never knew existed reached to the ceiling, there was so much of it. In the beginning, Lukan warned her not to touch or caress everything she saw. Someone might notice. She was better now, pretending to be as indifferent as the others here.

What was wrong with them? They had so much and never noticed a bit of it. Damir had taken her to a place called a mall to buy clothes. More craziness, as far as Arez was concerned. The fabric itched and chaffed, the shoes pinched her feet.

Inside the mall, she hadn’t been able to choose where to shop or to keep still. She’d walked the spacious corridors for the longest time, stunned that no one stopped, questioned or hurt her. At last, she sat in an area known as a court of food, watching the children and the women Lukan had said were their mothers.

One child handed a slice of something red and gooey to the woman holding him. She gave him a gentle smile and took a bite. He shrieked in delight, showing his tiny teeth.

Arez fought tears and an intolerable urge to cuddle him as she had the food in the market, to feel his weight against her, to make him smile and keep him safe.

She’d spoken to Damir, asking if the woman or Meelo could do something so Arez might someday have Lukan’s child.

“We’ll do everything we can to make that happen,” the older woman had promised.

Until then, Arez had to be brave. She had to get through this line.

Turning into Lukan, she whispered, “We shouldn’t have so much when the others are still slaves. We should be doing what we can to save them, rather than shopping.”

“Meelo, Nikoli and I are working on it. You know that. Now go. You’re ready. This is your right.”

The more freedoms she had, the more decisions she was required to make. Why hadn’t Lukan warned her about that?

Steeling herself for the worst, Arez mimicked the other woman’s movements, placing her items on the counter.

The young man looked her up and down, much as the guards and rulers had on E4. The smile he gave her was similar, filled with raw lust. Arez shrank back, wanting to flee.

Lukan tightened his arm around her waist and cleared his throat, the sound menacing, possessive, warning all she belonged to him, no one else.

The young man didn’t look at her again. Back at his task, he mumbled, “Paper or plastic?”

“Plastic,” she said without a bit of hesitation, even though her legs still felt weak.

He gave her what she wanted and turned to the next customer.

Outside, the day was ending. Soon, Arez and Lukan could remove their sunglasses. During the last weeks, their eyes had continued to adjust to the light.

As they walked to the home Meelo and Damir were renting, Lukan eased Arez closer and kissed the top of her head.

“Did you see me?” she said, unable to keep from boasting. “Did you hear how I demanded plastic?”

Lukan grinned. “I saw that sorry fool shake with fear that he might anger you.”

“The sound you made did that. You’ll teach our son to do the same with his woman, won’t you? That is, if we have a child?”

“If?” He stopped and enfolded her within his arms. “When,” he murmured. “Damir and Meelo know more than you could ever imagine. They created us. Now that we’re in this dimension, they’re free to fix whatever wrongs they’ve done.”

Arez snuggled into him, her cheek on his shoulder.

“We’ll have our son and a daughter too,” he promised. “Tell me you believe that.”

She trusted him with her life and happiness. He’d given her hope. “I know you won’t rest until it’s true.”

“Count on it.”

Arez grinned at the phrase he’d learned from last night’s TV program. “Can I tell you something else?”

“Of course.”

“I want to do this again. Next time, I want to ask for the food behind the glass containers in the delivery.”

“Deli,” he corrected.

She nodded. “Can I do that?”

“Every day, if you want.” He ran his hand up and down her back. “I’ll be there beside you, for the rest of our lives.”

About the Author

Tina Donahue is an award-winning, bestselling novelist in erotic, paranormal, contemporary and historical romance for Samhain Publishing, Ellora’s Cave, and Kensington
. Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly,
Romantic Times
and numerous online sites have praised her work. Three of her erotic romances were named finalists in the 2011 EPIC competition. The French review site, Blue Moon reviews, chose one of her erotic romances as their Book of the Year 2010 (erotic category). The Golden Nib Award at Miz Love Loves Books was created specifically for one of her erotic romances. Another of her titles recently received an Award of Merit in the RWA Holt Medallion competition (2011). Tina is featured in the 2012 Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market. She was the editor of an award-winning Midwestern newspaper and worked in Story Direction for a Hollywood production company.