“Don’t be a fool.” His tone would have had her scowling if she weren’t drowning in fear. “I didn’t just save you so you could hurt yourself again.”
Her back pressed into the windowpane, she whispered, “I saw what you did. You tore off the car doors—you—you killed those men.”
His pale eyes roamed over her face. He didn’t deny her accusation, merely said, “No, I didn’t kill them, which is a pity. They hurt you.”
“How did you do that? The car—the windows?”
A brief pause before those powerfully built shoulders lifted in a shrug. “My abilities. My mind.”
“Oh, God.” Darci rubbed a trembling hand over her face. “What did I walk into?”
He stepped closer. “My life.”
She clutched the dagger with both hands and thrust it at him, her heart in her throat. “Stay away from me.”
“I don’t hurt females. As for those men, the laws of your world prevent us from killing them, but it will be a long time before they think of hurting another again.”
How did he get so close? Trapped by his gaze, she breathed in his disturbing scent that clouded her mind. The heat from his body a soothing warmth around her.
Something warm and wet coated her fingers. She glanced down. Blood? She reared back in horror.“Oh, dear God—I stabbed you!”
“It’s just a scratch.” He brushed it off, but the flicker of pain on his face didn’t escape her notice. Remorse surged like wildfire. He pulled out the obsidian dagger embedded in his stomach, wiped it on his shirt and tossed the weapon on the bedside table. “I’m a fast healer.”
Fast healer? The man must have lost his mind. Blood, dark and glossy soaked the material. She looked around for something to stop the flow when he grasped her hands, grabbed the hem of his shirt and started to wipe the blood off them.
Her mouth dropped open. He was cleaningherfingers when he was the one injured?
“No. Stop—stop!” She yanked her hands free. “Let me help you—you’re bleeding.”
Before he gave her another one of his unbelievable excuses, she pushed up his shirt then stared in confusion. Blood smeared his lightly tanned stomach, but the wound had closed—just a pink line remained. She gently traced the mark on his abs, and the rock-hard muscles beneath her fingers clenched. How was that possible? She glanced up. Faced with his rigid expression, she forgot her questions and hastily dropped her hand. Her face burned in embarrassment. “Sorry.”
A rap sounded on the door. Blaéz pulled his shirt down and went to answer. Had she lost her mind, touching him so intimately?
A slender, attractive woman with honey-gold features and a shallow dent in her chin entered the room. Her short, spiky black hair brushed her nape and fell across her forehead into unusual bi-colored eyes. One a pale gray, the other a fiery amber, they glowed warmly at Darci.
“I thought you might like something clean to wear.” She set the clothes on the bed then crossed to Darci, slipping her hands into the pockets of her cargo shorts. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I’m Echo.”
“I’m Darci—Darci Callahan. I didn’t mean to be an imposition.”
“Oh, no, you’re not,” Echo reassured her, but a frown creased her smooth brow. She played with one of the stones of a diamond chain she wore around her neck. Darci had the strangest feeling she was studying her.
Uneasy, Darci glanced at Blaéz and became trapped by his unwavering stare. Heat spilled through her veins, warmed her face and pooled lower. She tore her gaze from his and sucked in a shaky breath. So not the path to take after she’d nearly dissected him.
“If you need anything else, let me know,” Echo said, smiling. “I’ll be down in the kitchen.”
Blaéz closed the door behind the woman and walked back, stopping a short distance from her. Darci could read nothing from his expression. She watched him warily.
“You should rest. You’ve had a bad experience.”
At his words, her horror came racing back. The attack and what could have happened. She could still feel the man’s rough hands pawing her breast. Her knees gave way.
In a move that made her dizzy, Blaéz picked her up and sat her on the couch. He crouched in front of her, his gorgeous face calm, reassuring.
“I’m fine—I’m fine.” She rubbed her arms and knew he didn’t believe her, not when she was practically tearing at her skin. “It’s just… recalling it again…” She shook her head, took another deep breath. “My bag? Did you see it?”
“I have you now, you’re safe,” he said quietly. “No one will get a chance to hurt you again.” Then he rose and walked through the doorway near the fireplace.
Darci pulled her gaze away from him, and for the first time noticed the massive bedroom. A huge bed with a solid cherrywood frame and matching end tables took up space on the far side. A series of tall windows on one wall led to the circular, turret style sitting room where she sat on one of the leather couches.
