Steel Dominance (6 page)

“No? You’ve already given me power over you while we are in Byzantium.”

“Only in public. And only so that I can do my job.”

“What are you afraid of then? Kneel.” He gave her the palm-down signal.

If her eyes hadn’t flared red-hot, they should have. Damn him. She wouldn’t do this just to please him. “Learn to trust me.” He smiled. “There’s a limousine coming.”

Past his shoulder, she glimpsed the oncoming dust cloud and the glint of gold metal. He signaled to her again as it rolled closer. She sank to her knees.

“Better.” Casually, he patted her head. When she glared back beneath her eyebrows, he shook his head. “Angry? You know, I like seeing that. Angry means you haven’t given in.” He fished inside his coat. “Giving in means you have no fire. Fire to me says passion. And passion, now that is—”

Two vehicles approached. The first was a pale blue half-track truck with MAINTENANCE written in Greek along the side. The doors slammed open. Five large men in overalls spilled out. Carrying clinking packs, they ambled to the ramp, exchanging crude jokes in Ottoman. Curiosity spiked, and she observed them out the corners of her eyes. This was the first time she’d heard the language spoken outside the university.

Next, the limousine pulled up beside the truck—a long gold-and-white vehicle with four steam funnels curling off the back like misplaced horns. Each window bore a frosted-glass logo—an engraving of a saint’s head with a halo. The driver’s door opened, and a gray-clad chauffeur stepped out and smoothly swung out the passenger door.

“Sir? Dankyo of House Kevonis? Emperor-Bey Constantin XXV sends his regards and summons you to court.”

“Thank you.” Dankyo nodded to him. Then he turned to Sofia and let a silver chain unfurl, clinking, from his hand. The clip at the end opened at the press of his thumb. “Present your neck.”

Her stomach dropped.
No. He didn’t mean this
. But he clearly did and merely waited quietly.
Bastard
. She leaned forward and extended her neck. The
snick
as the chain clicked shut and the jingle of the chain affirmed he’d leashed her.

“Come, Sofia. Crawl to the car.”

Calm. You can do this. Why, though, why is he doing this to me?
It seemed unnecessary, humiliating, and silly.

Two yards and an eternity of wondering if they were staring at her butt, while going
ouch
at the rocks poking her knees, and then she climbed into the dark interior of the limousine.
Floor or seat?
Reluctantly she chose to be careful and knelt on the floor.

“Well done.” Dankyo settled onto the cream leather seat.

With a subtle tap of his hat, the driver saluted. “Sir. The passenger section is private and soundproof. If you need to speak to me, the speakerphone is there. I’ll go load your cases.” He shut the door, busied himself at the trunk, then slipped behind the wheel.

A memory flicked across her thoughts. Something about the maintenance men irked her, but then the thought zipped away. Things like that had a habit of annoying her again. Her subconscious never played fair, but the thought would come to her if she waited.

As they drove over rocks, the tires crackled before falling quiet on the asphalt. Dankyo put his hand on her head and left it there a moment.

As a hint, she eyed the seat and the blue velvet cushions, then raised her eyebrows.

“You know”—he leaned in to whisper to her—“you’re asking permission. That is good. Now show me some fire again.”

He was telling her to get angry? Could the driver hear if she shouted? Almost ready to burst out with a swear word, she sucked on her bottom lip instead.

“I see the cat has got your tongue. Come, sit beside me. Let’s talk. Whisper in my ear.”

Sedately, she sat next to him. A thick glass divider separated them from the front. Outside the window, green trees whizzed past.

Talk? Boy, did she have something to say to him. “Why did you make me crawl?”

He said nothing.

“You have to answer this. Can’t you see that I need to know? Okay, so I have to obey you in public, but I’ve agreed to nothing else. You did it to get me unhappy with you?” Now she’d started, her thoughts ran onto her tongue without anything filtering between them. She
was
angry. “What do you mean, fire and passion? If you get me deliberately angry and I do something wrong in public, that’s not just my fault, it’s yours too! Where’s all this
we must be careful or others will get hurt
?” She stopped, panting, finally out of words, yet still brimming with confusion. “Why?” She slumped back on the seat.

Dankyo had turned to face her properly, and though he’d still said nothing, a small line creased his forehead. Slowly, he exhaled through his nose. “You’re right.”

“What? Excuse me?”

“I’m sorry.”

“You are?”
Oh my God
. “Then why’d you make me crawl?”

One eyebrow tilted; then he sat forward and said conspiratorially, “Because I wanted to see you fire up. And because I wanted to watch your ass.” A smile broke across his lips.

“Oh. Damn you. Don’t smile! Do not smile.” She frowned.
How dare he want to see my butt, yet hell, that’s so sexy—knowing he looked.

“I lost control, and I never do that. We do have to be careful in public. However, I won’t guarantee not to look at your ass, especially in private.” A challenging glitter sparked in his eyes.

This was getting too personal. She shook her head. “You do not have permission to
look
at my ass.”

“Not yet.” His voice dropped even deeper. “Tomorrow you will tell me yes. After that I promise to do far more than look.”

The rumble of the car under her body seemed to drum his words in deep.

God. That again.

She looked aside. “I’m not… I never said—”

A rocket trail fizzed past the window.

An explosion ahead sent fragments rattling onto the metal skin of the vehicle. A tiny frosted star cracked in the front windshield. Flames blossomed, and they shot through a cloud of smoke. The car went by the two businessmen frantically clapping their heels to their horses’ sides to urge them to gallop faster.

Cold dread crackled through her. She watched openmouthed as the men and horses went past, then dwindled in the rear window. “Won’t they…mightn’t they get hurt? Can’t we stop?”

The chain clinked, and she realized Dankyo had freed her from the leash.

“The attackers will be aiming for us, not them.”

“What?” She stared at him and clenched her fingers into the curve of the leather seat. Her heart hammered into overdrive.

Something whirred, and metal shutters clattered down on all sides, darkening the interior even more. The divider slid down, and they could see blue and yellow blinking lights on the dashboard. An unarmored slit along the front windshield left the driver able to see. A periscope sight dropped and unfolded from the ceiling.

“Could sir check for hostiles?” the driver inquired.

“Of course. Armaments on this vehicle?”

“Just a Gatling miniturret linked to the periscope, sir. It pops up on the back section of the roof.”

All the military efficiency left her unsure what to do. Her mind whirled through the terrible possibilities of this attack. Was there something
she
should be doing?

With the efficiency of ingrained training, Dankyo sighted through the periscope, winding it around in a full circle with a purr of meshing cogwheels. “Just one man on foot heading north by north-west. Half a mile off. Departing the scene. He has a launcher.”

“Thank you, sir.” The driver unhooked a radiophony microphone and reported the finding before hanging up. “A landship patrol will check him out. Nothing to concern oneself about. The zealots never hit anything.”

With Dankyo manning the periscope, she had no one and nothing to hang on to except her own hands. Until they reached the city wall and drove through the enormous set of gates, Sofia sat upright, waiting for something to hit them. When the gates boomed shut behind the car, she sagged back onto the cushions.

* * * *

Safe at last—the zealots might have hopeless aim, but it never hurt to stay alert. His eyes would have circles around them from the periscope’s sight. The window shields slid away, and the internal opaque divider purred up into place. Dankyo relaxed back on the seat, blinked, and gave each socket a last rub before glancing at Sofia.

The woman looked terrified. Though she’d swiftly opened her eyes when he rocked the upholstery with his movements, the paleness about her mouth, and her stiffness betrayed her.

“Sofia. There’s nothing more to be afraid of.” He frowned.
What do I do with a scared woman?

“I’m sorry.” She screwed up her mouth. “This is so stupid. I’ve just never been shot at before.”

“Ahh. You get used to it, in a way. Though fear is always there. That is natural.”

“Yes. I suppose.” Then she swallowed and looked fixedly out the window. “Palm trees are everywhere. Almost tropical?”

The talking was to distract him from her fear. Clear as crystal. He’d been in charge of enough soldiers to know.
Can’t tell her to shape up or send her off to do field drill.

And he itched to touch her. She hadn’t said yes to him yet—though that other matter was simply mutual sexual attraction. This desire seemed different. He wanted to grab her and hug her until the little shakes in her hands died away.
Damn. I’m being stupid. This is just sexual, and I shouldn’t make her think otherwise.

He sighed. “Come here.”

Her eyes narrowed. “What?”

Doing was easier than saying. Besides, she was so obstinate, she’d likely say no. He reached out and pulled her into his side, then wrapped his arm about her shoulder. After a few seconds, he patted her. She relaxed into him. Another few seconds, and he began to rock her.

“Stop,” she said in a growly voice. “I’m not a baby.”

“Hmm.” He stopped.

“This is nice, though.” She snuggled in closer, and her next words came out muffled by his coat. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Her hair smelled like flowers, and he rested his nose near the top of her head, then inhaled softly.

“Are you sniffing my hair?”

He hadn’t been that obvious? “No.”

“Huh. You’re sure?” She wriggled and got more comfortable. “How long have you been with Lord Kevonis?”

“Fifteen years.” He didn’t have to think, knew it automatically.

“And you don’t have a girlfriend, back there?”

“No.” A little piece of serenity settled over him. Sitting with Sofia seemed to match something inside him perfectly, and his prickly state of alertness faded into the background for once.

“What’s my hair smell like?”

“Flowers.”
Damn
. He stared down at her.

Sofia shook with silent laughter. “Sorry. Couldn’t resist. You’re so proper sometimes, and sniffing my hair is odd. Cute, but odd.”

“Odd!” He pinched her butt where it met the seat.

“Ow! Ow, ow! That’s”—she squealed when he did it again, and squirmed frantically—“enough!”

“You are too clever for your own good.” To show he’d forgiven her, he gave her a quick hug. A last suppressed giggle made him grin.

Then her fingers curled up within his, and a strange lump formed in his chest.

“If you’re so afraid at this first small danger, why are you here?”

She didn’t answer.

The car bumped onto some rougher surface, then cruised through a crowd of people of many races and countries. There was a mix of multicolored wraparound tunics, dresses, veils, bare faces, beards, turbans, trousers, and small caps. Byzantines and Ottomans mingled freely here. Faintly, the Greek and Ottoman languages filtered through the glass in the singsong cadence of traders announcing their wares.

Sofia turned her head and peeked up at him with those sea-green eyes. He recalled his first sight of her at the airfield. So attractive, and now she was in his arms. The glossy brown waves of her hair spilled over her back and his coat. At the same time that he wanted to just hold her close and comfort her, his groin stirred.

Concentrate on her words, not her body…and not on how her breasts swelled like soft hills from the yellow silk top.

He’d chosen this garment from a pile at the clothes shop. Taking it off her would be glorious. Making her take it off would be better.

“You’re not listening to me, are you?” she asked drily.

“I am now.” He smiled down at her. “Go on.”

“Hmph. You smile a lot more than I thought you would, Mr. Dankyo. Anyway…why am I here? Because I have to be. I don’t think you’ll understand, but this is something I
have
to do. I can taste this puzzle, I’m so close.” Her eyes lit up, and she lifted her head. “An ancient puzzle that no one can solve. No one! But I can do it. I can!”

“I think I do understand. There are some things in life you simply have to do. I understand that. Like I have been…”
By Theo Kevonis’s side for all my adult life—his protector and sometimes confidant. Thank God, Byzantium is temporary
. “I do understand.”

For a moment he cruised his gaze along her body and down to her thighs. She did a little wiggle with her legs as if something had made her uncomfortable, and he looked at her face. Their eyes met. Pinkness tinged her cheeks.

Is she blushing?
“What are you thinking, little Sofia?”

“Um.” Squirming, she slipped from his arms, then adjusted her clothing. “Nothing. Nothing I’m saying to you anyway. Tell me. Are there many real dangers out there?” She gestured as if the dangers lay just beyond the windows.

Nothing she would say to him? What he wouldn’t give to lay her across his lap and smack her right there and then until she squeaked it out. Having her withhold something from him seemed wrong—tantalizing, and so very wrong.

He kept his arm lying along the top of the seat. If she wanted to get away from him, she had to squeeze up against the opposite door. Though her brow furrowed the tiniest amount, she stayed put. He toyed with a lock of her hair that had strayed across his fingers. If he tugged, he could haul her to him.