Read Online Return to Me (Storm Lords) by Nina Croft - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Nina Croft
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chest, her cheek pressed against smooth silk so she could feel the rapid thud of a heart. Breathing in, she recognized Torr’s distinctive scent, musk and heat, smoky spices. She waited for panic to engulf her. Instead, a sense of comfort wrapped itself around her. As though he could stop the world from breaking through the protective barrier she had built to shut out the night’s events.
His hands tightened around her as though he sensed she was awake. “Bella?”
The word was whispered close to her ear, and she moved her head slightly in acknowledgment. His tight grip loosened and she almost protested as he lowered her gently onto a bed.
She tried opening her eyes again, this time the pain was manageable and she peered out through her lashes as Torr moved away from her.
The room was strange; she wasn’t in the apartment. At a guess, she must be in Torr’s room. It suited him, monochrome, white walls, and black furnishings. She was lying on a crushed black velvet cover on what had to be the biggest bed she had ever seen. And her cheek now rested against a black silk pillow.
Torr filled a glass from a jug on the small table and came back to her. He sank down on the bed beside her and held out the glass and a couple of tablets.
“They’re just Tylenol,” he said when she hesitated.
Ignoring the jolt of pain, she pulled herself up so she was leaning against the headboard. She held out a shaking hand and he dropped the pills into her palm. She put them in her mouth, then swallowed as he held the glass of water to her lips. He was being so kind, as though she was fragile, and that scared her.
After placing the glass on the bedside table, he turned to study her. “How do you feel?” he asked.
“Like I’ve been hit over the head with a baseball bat.” She ran her fingers over her skull but she could find no lumps or bumps to explain the pain. “What happened?”
“You fainted. I presume you hit your head on the ground, but there doesn’t appear to be any damage.”
She frowned. “I’ve never fainted in my life before.” Closing her eyes, she concentrated. She’d gone to meet Justin. The bar. Under the railway bridge. Then it came back to her.
Justin!
For a brief moment, she clung to the idea this was some nightmare. That Justin wasn’t dead. But she’d never been much good at self-delusion. Behind her closed lids, she saw his lifeless body, his face full of whatever final horror he’d been subjected to. When she opened her eyes, Torr’s face was filled with pity.
“Justin’s dead, isn’t he?” she said.
Torr nodded, and the last flicker of hope died away. “I’m sorry.”
Grief ripped through her mind, quickly overwhelmed by a tidal wave of guilt. “I called him. We were supposed to meet at a bar, but he wasn’t there. Somebody took him. But who?” She had a vision of blood-red eyes, a mouth dripping with crimson. Maybe the question she should be asking wasn’t who took him, but what? She glanced up at Torr; would he think she was crazy? Maybe she was. Her head hovered on the brink of exploding.
“I should have got there sooner,” Torr said, interrupting her thoughts.
“It’s not your fault. If I’d not called him…if I hadn’t asked him to meet me then he’d still be alive.”
However, something didn’t make sense. Her brows drew together as she tried to get it straight in her mind. “How did you even know where I’d gone?”
For a moment, she thought he wasn’t going to answer.
“When I realized you’d left the building, I accessed your phone records.”
She should have felt fury at the invasion to her privacy; instead, she was impressed. “You can do that?”
“Of course.”
“Why come after me? Why am I so important to you?”
“You are unique.”
“Yeah, right. My ‘powers’.” It was odd; Justin had referred to them that way as well. He’d thought she should learn to use them, but by that point, all she had wanted was to stop feeling other
His hands tightened around her as though he sensed she was awake. “Bella?”
The word was whispered close to her ear, and she moved her head slightly in acknowledgment. His tight grip loosened and she almost protested as he lowered her gently onto a bed.
She tried opening her eyes again, this time the pain was manageable and she peered out through her lashes as Torr moved away from her.
The room was strange; she wasn’t in the apartment. At a guess, she must be in Torr’s room. It suited him, monochrome, white walls, and black furnishings. She was lying on a crushed black velvet cover on what had to be the biggest bed she had ever seen. And her cheek now rested against a black silk pillow.
Torr filled a glass from a jug on the small table and came back to her. He sank down on the bed beside her and held out the glass and a couple of tablets.
“They’re just Tylenol,” he said when she hesitated.
Ignoring the jolt of pain, she pulled herself up so she was leaning against the headboard. She held out a shaking hand and he dropped the pills into her palm. She put them in her mouth, then swallowed as he held the glass of water to her lips. He was being so kind, as though she was fragile, and that scared her.
After placing the glass on the bedside table, he turned to study her. “How do you feel?” he asked.
“Like I’ve been hit over the head with a baseball bat.” She ran her fingers over her skull but she could find no lumps or bumps to explain the pain. “What happened?”
“You fainted. I presume you hit your head on the ground, but there doesn’t appear to be any damage.”
She frowned. “I’ve never fainted in my life before.” Closing her eyes, she concentrated. She’d gone to meet Justin. The bar. Under the railway bridge. Then it came back to her.
Justin!
For a brief moment, she clung to the idea this was some nightmare. That Justin wasn’t dead. But she’d never been much good at self-delusion. Behind her closed lids, she saw his lifeless body, his face full of whatever final horror he’d been subjected to. When she opened her eyes, Torr’s face was filled with pity.
“Justin’s dead, isn’t he?” she said.
Torr nodded, and the last flicker of hope died away. “I’m sorry.”
Grief ripped through her mind, quickly overwhelmed by a tidal wave of guilt. “I called him. We were supposed to meet at a bar, but he wasn’t there. Somebody took him. But who?” She had a vision of blood-red eyes, a mouth dripping with crimson. Maybe the question she should be asking wasn’t who took him, but what? She glanced up at Torr; would he think she was crazy? Maybe she was. Her head hovered on the brink of exploding.
“I should have got there sooner,” Torr said, interrupting her thoughts.
“It’s not your fault. If I’d not called him…if I hadn’t asked him to meet me then he’d still be alive.”
However, something didn’t make sense. Her brows drew together as she tried to get it straight in her mind. “How did you even know where I’d gone?”
For a moment, she thought he wasn’t going to answer.
“When I realized you’d left the building, I accessed your phone records.”
She should have felt fury at the invasion to her privacy; instead, she was impressed. “You can do that?”
“Of course.”
“Why come after me? Why am I so important to you?”
“You are unique.”
“Yeah, right. My ‘powers’.” It was odd; Justin had referred to them that way as well. He’d thought she should learn to use them, but by that point, all she had wanted was to stop feeling other
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