Catch Me When I Fall (28 page)

I stared after him. Was he being dodgy? If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was hiding something. Forcing down the unease in my stomach, I zipped all the files into one massive folder and transferred the documents onto my flash drive. Then I joined the others in the living room. Each Catcher held a box full of books, papers and other trinkets that might be of value to our cause.

“Where’s Giovanni?” I asked.

Ivan shrugged. “Who knows. He left us ten minutes ago. Said to come back when we were done.”

With a frown, I nodded that it was time to go. We evaporated to Rome.

When I re-appeared in the foyer, Lian was on the bottom step of the staircase. I tucked the flash drive into my pocket and joined her. She wiped her almond eyes.

“They took his body to be burned. I can’t believe he’s gone.”

“I’m sorry.”

She sniffed. “It’s not your fault. I should’ve warned him not to throw that dagger.”

My heart squeezed like someone trying to burst a water balloon. “Don’t blame yourself. I’m your leader. I should’ve been the one to warn everyone about using weapons against them.”

Lian dropped her face into her hands and spoke into her palms. “I hope Kayla and the other two can figure out what they’re doing. Because if they can’t, we’re all dead.”

My lungs forgot how to breathe. “Forgive me, Lian,” I said before disappearing.

In the artillery in the basement, I stared at our weapons. We had guns, knives, swords, maces, spears—a hundred different types of weapons collected over the centuries. And none of them would truly be safe against magic. We got lucky in Kansas with the guns, for with a flick of their hand, a witch could turn even our own guns against us. The only safe way to take down a witch was with another witch.

Which meant I couldn’t protect Kayla.

Hot bile rose in my throat. I glared at the weapons as the room blurred. My hands shook in anger, and my jaw clenched. Finally, the rage took over.

I flipped the tables of guns, sending them crashing to the floor, the sound of metal on concrete deafening. I knocked over the display of spears and swords, and overturned the table of daggers. One of them sliced my arm, but I didn’t care. For two hundred years, I’d protected humans. My record was flawless. And now I couldn’t protect the
one
person I cared about most in this world. I’d never felt so weak.

Blood ran down my forearm, dripping off my fingertips into a small puddle on the floor. My chest rose and fell as I tried to catch my breath.

“Daniel?” Kayla said from behind me.

I hung my head, not wanting her to see me like this. Hearing her voice was a reminder of how hopeless I felt—how much I didn’t want to lose her. Gripping the edge of one of the remaining tables, I focused on my breathing.

“Tabbi said I might find you down here. Did you do this?”

I sighed, picking up one of the tables, and started to put the daggers back. Giovanni would be annoyed if I left the room in shambles. Besides, it gave me something to do other than think about how much I wanted to hide her away to keep her safe.

Kayla quietly approached and helped pick up the tables and the weapons. She didn’t quite put things back the way they were supposed to go, but I doubted anyone would care. Together, we worked in silence until the room was tidy, then I dug my hands in my pockets and looked straight ahead.

She gingerly touched my wounded arm. “You should get this looked at.”

I glanced at the wound. The blood had clotted. “It’s fine. I’ll clean it later.”

We stood there for a minute or so, until finally Kayla had had enough. “Talk to me.”

“I don’t have anything to say.” My voice came out colder than intended.

She dropped her hand, nodded and stepped back. “Well, I’ll be in my room if you change your mind.”

I closed my eyes and sighed. Turning, I grabbed her wrist before she had a chance to leave. “Wait. I’m sorry. I just… can’t.”

“Why? Because you’re afraid you’ll look weak?”

“More or less.”

She placed a hand on my chest, her eyes glassy. “Daniel, you don’t have to be all macho around me. I already know that you’re strong and courageous. You’ve done nothing but fight for me, protect me, comfort me. But we’re in this together, which means I want to be here for you, too. So don’t put up a wall between us, please.”

Her words filled me with warmth from head to toe. She had so much faith in me.

I was still angry, still scared for her future. But pushing her away was not going to make things any easier. She had dug herself into my heart. I wasn’t going to let her go. Not now. Not ever. God help me—she was not going to die while I existed.

Wanting to be close to her, to feel her, I placed my hands on her lower back and pulled her to me. I kissed her like it was the last chance I’d ever get. She returned my advances with such passion that my heart ricocheted in my chest. Her arms linked around my neck as our mouths opened and closed in insatiable hunger. Her touch, her want for me, was enough to push me over the edge. Holding her tight in my arms, I evaporated us to my room.

As soon as we landed, Kayla grabbed the bottom of my shirt and, breathing heavily, lifted it over my head. I raised her lips back to mine and slipped my tongue into her mouth. Running her fingertips down my chest to my stomach and around my back, she let them linger just under the top of my trousers. The way she caressed my body sent a shiver down my spine. I wanted to touch her, to kiss her body, to feel her every surface. Gently, I pushed her against the wall. Again and again, we’d been interrupted. It was not going to happen this time.

Holding her hands against the wall so she couldn’t reach out, I nuzzled her neck, nibbling softly until she began to moan. Then I kissed down her chest to where her breasts peeked out the top of her tank top. She whimpered and fought to get her hands out of mine.

Aching for her, my hands released hers to tear off her shirt. I returned my lips to her mouth and ran my hands down her back, stopping only to pull her sports bra over her head. Her chest naked, she arched her back, and her breasts pressed against me. I shuddered and moved my hands down the back of her gym shorts, giving her bum a squeeze. Then I pulled her hips against mine, and she moaned into my mouth.

God, I wasn’t going to make it much longer.

I carried her to my bed, laying her down on her back, and undid my trousers, sliding them off with my boxers in a single motion. Her cheeks flushed as I joined her on the bed. I fought the insecurity that wormed its way into my stomach. I’d never felt more vulnerable with a woman than I did right now.

I kissed her stomach, up between her breasts to her neck. Goose pimples rose on her warm skin, and her entire body shook. I smiled at her involuntary reaction and took her breasts in my hands. Her pulse raced in her neck beneath my lips as she dug her fingertips into my back and moaned loudly.

Pulling off her gym shorts and underwear, I took in the sight of her lying naked on my bed. My heart jumped in my chest.
Holy shit.
She was so beautiful, so curvy, so perfectly sculpted. I swallowed, my throat dry. Never had I wanted so badly to make someone happy.

“Do we need, you know?” she asked.

Protection?
I shook my head. “Catchers can’t procreate.”

She grabbed my face and kissed me hard, and I lost myself in ecstasy.

knock on my door startled me awake. Kayla hid under the covers. The TV was on in the background.

“Did I fall asleep?” I asked.

Kayla nodded. “We were talking and the next thing I knew, you were snoring.”

Burying my face in my pillow, I tried to apologize, but the words came out muffled. “Smrwy.”

She squeezed my arm and laughed. “Yeah, you should be.”

Someone knocked on the door again.

“You gonna get that?” she asked.

I rolled off the bed, putting on my trousers, and opened the door just enough to see who was there. Seth.

“Hey, man. I need to talk to you.”

“All right?” The last thing I wanted was for him to come in when there was a sexy, naked girl in my bed. I also didn’t want that sexy, naked girl to put any clothes back on. Hopefully this would be quick.

“It’s about Giovanni. Can I come in?” he asked. “I don’t wanna talk in the hall.”

I sighed. “Yeah, hang on a minute.” Closing the door in Seth’s face, I shot Kayla an apologetic look. “Put your clothes on.” I grabbed a clean shirt out of my dresser while she dressed. When she was ready, I opened the door and ushered him inside.

“Did I interrupt something?” Seth smirked.

I closed the door, clearing my throat and fighting the heat in my cheeks. “What about Giovanni?”

Seth looked at Kayla, whose cheeks had also reddened, and chuckled. “I can come back later.”

“Seth, just talk.”

He held up his hands. “All right. Look, when we were in the house searchin’ for clues, Giovanni seemed like he was nervous being there. I think he’s hidin’ something.”

I held out a hand to stop him. “Wait a minute. You thought he was dodgy, too?”

Seth’s eyes widened. “You mean—”

“Yeah, I saw it.”

“No way. And you weren’t there when Bartholomew figured out Kayla was the real target in Paris. It was like he was annoyed. And then, when we found out about the other three, he rushed us out the door because he needed ‘to think,’ but it was like he wanted us to get away before we figured anything else out. You don’t think he’s in league with this warlock dude?”

I shook my head and ran a hand through my dirty blond hair. “I don’t know. Maybe? But then why would he send us all to war against the warlock?”

“To cover his tracks,” Kayla replied.

I turned around to face her. “What?”

She stood and walked over to us. “Tabbi was talking to me this morning about this warlock—how he’s controlling the Nightmares, how he wants the four of us to help him murder people, how a war between the Magus could be catastrophic. If Seth is right and Giovanni really is in league with this guy, wouldn’t he want to make it look like he was on your side?”

“Yeah, I guess. But why would Giovanni make a deal with the guy in the first place? Doesn’t that violate what he is, the oath he took?” Seth asked.