With that idea never far from her thoughts, she’d worked long and hard with her goals in mind: to improve conditions for the Paladins, to make their lives better, to find a way to stop the mental deterioration that ended their lives far too soon. And yet, here she was with her heart aching for a man who should be her enemy.
Sasha had watched Larem talking to the barista inside the coffee shop with his usual quiet dignity. The woman had handed him his change with a smile that was a few degrees too warm to make Sasha happy, not that she could blame her. He was certainly handsome enough, but there was so much more to him than that.
The other problem was that Larem was a man without real ties to this world. Yes, he had friends, but it was obvious that he missed his home. Given the opportunity, she suspected he’d bolt back across the barrier. What had held him here this long? He’d yet to share his story with her.
Which left them where?
Now, walking along beside Larem, she was acutely aware of his every movement. It was as if something inside her was hardwired to respond to him differently than she had to any other man she’d ever met. He moved with a warrior’s grace and wore the same easy self-assurance that Paladins did, as if he were the toughest thing on the block, ready and able to handle whatever life threw at him.
She hoped that was true. She really did.
Larem smiled at her. “You’re thinking awfully hard about something, Sasha. Is everything all right? Devlin’s not driving you crazy, is he?”
“No, Devlin and I’ve actually made real progress on a few things this week. I don’t know where he got such a reputation for being uncooperative.” She grinned. “Of course, it probably helps that I’m the one with the checkbook.”
“That might be part of it, but maybe not. Devlin swears he’s always dealing with idiots and fools. I suspect you confuse him since you don’t often fit in either of those categories.”
“Thanks.” She shot him a sideways look. “I think.”
The corners of his eyes crinkled, confirming he was teasing her. Damn it, why did he have to be so perfect in so many ways? She’d really been hoping that seeing him again would prove to her that the heat they’d generated had been a fluke, or if not, at least that that’s all it had been. Unfortunately, the attraction she felt for him was more than hormones.
So that settled one question but left so many others unanswered. As long as she was walking beside him, she’d never get her head on straight.
She stopped at the next corner. “Well, I’d better leave you here. All that work on my desk won’t finish itself.”
Rather than risk looking at Larem—fearing he’d see the confusion written in her expression—she knelt down to take her leave of Chance. “You take care, big fella. Next time maybe we’ll go to a park and play fetch.”
The big dog’s tail instantly drooped, and he whined before licking her hand. Darn it, did she have to like the dog as much as she did his owner?
“There won’t be a next time.”
She tore her attention from Chance back up to his grim-looking companion, her pulse doing a fifty-yard sprint. “Why? What’s going on? Where are you going?”
Please not back to Kalithia. Not yet. Maybe not ever.
“I’m not going anywhere, but Chance doesn’t belong to me. He’s from the shelter where I volunteer. Now that his injuries are healed, the vet has listed him for adoption. It’s only a matter of time before Chance finds a new home.”
There was no mistaking the pain in Larem’s voice. She put her hand on his sleeve. “Can’t you adopt him?”
“I would if I could, but I don’t have my own place. I live with Lonzo, and the apartment is barely big enough for the two of us. Now that Chance’s leg is getting stronger, he needs a big yard and a family.”
The dog deserved a little happiness in his life, but what about Larem? It was clear he had developed a strong attachment to the dog. So had she, for that matter.
“Listen, I just moved into Laurel’s condo, and I’m rattling around in all that space. Maybe I could keep Chance for you until you have a place of your own. I know it’s not a perfect solution, but at least you’d still be able to see him whenever you wanted to.”
And her, too. Though that could be a problem. Some secrets have a way of revealing themselves. She’d have to tell Larem the truth and soon, but not out here on the street.
Larem studied her for several seconds. “Are you sure? Adopting a dog is a big commitment, and my situation is unstable. Besides, I thought your stay here was only temporary.”
“Not if I can help it. Besides, Chance would really be yours.” She hesitated. “And I’ll have to check with Laurel to make sure it’s all right.”
From the way Larem was looking at Chance, he was definitely wavering. “Let’s do this. You check with Laurel and think about it overnight. I’ll ask Dr. Isaac to take Chance off the list for the next couple of days. If you’re still interested, call me and we’ll make the necessary arrangements.”
He still didn’t look entirely happy, but she knew she really didn’t need the extra time at all. If Laurel was okay with Chance moving in, this time tomorrow she’d have someone to share her new home with.
She patted Chance one more time. “Well, I’ve got calls to make and work to do. I hope to see you tomorrow. Both of you, that is.”
“We’ll look forward to it.”
Larem nodded good-bye and tugged Chance’s leash, pulling the dog in the opposite direction. Sasha allowed herself to watch Larem as he and Chance made their way back toward the shelter. When Larem stopped abruptly, she quickly turned away, not wanting to be caught staring.
Okay, it was time to get her head back in the game. She really did have more work waiting at the office. Later she’d think about all the implications of seeing Larem and Chance again tomorrow. At least, it had felt good to get out for a while.
Except she was suddenly being crowded. She inched forward, trying to put some room between her and whoever was hovering just over her shoulder. She was already standing on the edge of the sidewalk when someone jostled her, almost causing her to lose her balance. Before she could say something, everything went to hell.
One minute she was waiting for the light to change, her thoughts churning as she tried to make sense of her life, and the next she was flying forward to the tune of squealing tires and honking horns. The pavement came up hard and fast as she instinctively wrapped her arms around her abdomen, leaving her head unprotected. The last thing she remembered was a dog barking and a pair of strong arms muscling her up off the ground.
Larem ignored the crush of people gathering around. Thanks to Chance, they were keeping a respectful distance. Larem cradled Sasha against his chest before setting her down. Yeah, a couple of helpful individuals mumbled something about not moving her, but did they really think he’d leave her sprawled out in the street, giving somebody a second try at killing her?
If he hadn’t given in to looking back at her one last time, he would’ve missed the whole thing. She’d been waiting for the light to change when a man in a dark sweatshirt with the hood cinched down over his face had given her a shove out into traffic before taking off down the street at a dead run.
Chance had led the charge back down the block, barking and clearing the path for Larem. He didn’t need to tell the dog to stay close while he dropped the leash to deal with Sasha’s injuries. Chance gave him room to work and glared at anyone who got too close. Larem left it up to others to call the authorities. He had more important things to do.
He ran his hands up and down Sasha’s arms, chanting softly under his breath. For once he was able to focus his gift, pulling in the healing warmth of the early afternoon sun and blending it with the magic of his ancestors. He found bruises and scrapes but no broken bones. Using the lightest of touches, he threaded his fingers through her hair, searching for the cause of her continued unconsciousness.
She jerked in pain when he came into contact with a large lump on the back of her head. His hand came away slick with blood. He paused to slow the bleeding and reverse the swelling, taking comfort that some of the tension eased in her facial expression. Next, he passed his palm over her chest and on toward her stomach. No bleeding. Her ribs weren’t fractured but badly bruised. He sent another surge of energy to soothe them.
As he concentrated, hurrying to do what he could before the medics arrived and took over, he continued to pour everything he had into healing the damage. The sirens were growing louder. Knowing he had seconds left at best, he made one more pass over her, paying special attention for possible internal injuries.
And found something. His blood ran cold and his skin flushed hot. He checked one last time and then surrendered her care to the medics after pulling Chance back out of the way. At least the dog sensed that the uniformed man and woman were there to help his Sasha.
As the EMTs ran through their protocols, they kept up a steady stream of questions. A police officer had joined the party, jotting down the information Larem provided before moving on to take witness statements.
“Sir, we’re going to transport her to the trauma center now. Is there anyone who should be notified?”
Larem, still reeling, nodded. “She has no family locally. Her father lives in St. Louis. I don’t have his number with me, but I’ll see that he and her personal physician are contacted.”
That last was a stretch of the truth, but would give Laurel a chance to intervene if necessary.
“Does she have any allergies that you know of?”
There were so many things about her he didn’t know, and that was one of them. “I have no idea, but there is one thing the doctors should know.”
The EMT paused, waiting for Larem to finish.
“She’s pregnant.”
Chapter 16
Sasha’s head felt as if someone were using it for bongos. Where was she? She focused her energy on listening for any clues she could pick out over the banging inside her skull.
Judging by the sounds and smells, she was at the hospital, most likely in the emergency room. It made sense considering her last coherent memory was fighting a losing battle against a very big car. Well, it had looked pretty darn big coming straight at her, but she’d been in no real position to judge for sure. How had it happened?
Yeah, she’d been a bit distracted over her encounter with Larem and Chance, but she knew for a fact she hadn’t stepped out in front of that car.
As she tried to clear her mind, other worries rose up to demand attention—one in particular. Her eyes finally opened enough that she could look around to see who could answer her questions.
A familiar figure hovered at the edge of her vision, just inside the curtain that surrounded her bed in the chaotic world of the emergency room. She was hoping for a doctor or even a nurse, anyone other than the man standing there.
