Dark (Beautiful Ashes #1)(16)

“Yup. One hell of a headache but didn’t break the skin. Should be coming to in—”

Mitch was interrupted by Tar’s deep groan.

Leith half coughed, half chuckled. “Now.”

“Step back in case he’s unsure of his surroundings. Wouldn’t want that pretty throat completely destroyed,” he teased the other man.

“Fuck you,” he replied without heat.

Tar sat up suddenly, scanning the room. “The hell happened?”

“You got a little up close and personal with Leith,” he inclined his head in the other man’s direction, “so to prevent any mishaps, my gun kissed your head.”

“Shit!”

“Didn’t give me much choice there, man.”

“S’pose I didn’t.” Tar locked his gaze on Leith’s. “My apologies.”

“No need for that.” Leith held out his hand.

Tar shook it and introduced himself.

Mitch assisted on getting the big man back to his feet as they studied the T-shirt that caused the incident. Tar’s gut told him it had once been on Keeley, but he couldn’t prove it. Mitch didn’t disagree with the speculation; however, it wasn’t anything they could go on. Leith excused himself, hoping to uncover some kind of lead. After scouring the premises thoroughly, the men came to terms—they were no closer to finding Keeley than locating the proverbial needle in a haystack.

Tar scrubbed his face, hard. “Let’s call it.”

“Copy that,” Mitch declared.

“Sorry, man,” Leith said to Tar. “I wish we could’ve found something.”

“Me too, kid. Me too.”







Shelby watched the men move in an elegant grace that was incongruent to their formidable size and unmistakable danger. Her limp kept her at a distance that was frustrating. Not wanting to holler at Tar but needing his attention, she picked up a rock and hurled it. A disturbance in the air brought Tar around in a one-eighty, catching someone in his peripheral. The sidelong glance told him who was in the shadows. Granted, if she didn’t move to the left, he wouldn’t have put two and two together so quickly. But that leg of hers was a giveaway. He acknowledged nurse Shelby wouldn’t have tracked him down for no reason. Also told him she was skilled on these streets. The team with him wasn’t known for leaving traces of their existence.

He clapped Mitch on the shoulder. “G’ahead. I’ll catch up.”

A wry gaze met his with a what-the-hell-are-you-up-to-now question.

Tar inclined his head without a word. The gesture speaking for him: none ya damn business.

Mitch shook his head and kept walking, engaging Leith in some nonsensical conversation that brought a low chuckle from Tar. Leave it to Mitch to find something downright comical to discuss in the midst of uncertainty and danger. Something Tar had always admired. Content the two men were far enough away and well out of earshot, Tar met Shelby on the side of the building she was using for cover. “Whatcha got for me, my lady?”

She actually laughed before pausing and tilting her head. “You know, fitting, since I consider you a knight.”

He snickered. “A knight, seriously?”

“Very.” Her chin jutted out. “You’re ready to slay the dragon in order to save the princess. What else describes you better?”

“When you put that way…” He smirked.

She tugged on his arm. “Come. We don’t have much time.”

Slinking through the back alleyways put Tar’s instincts on high alert. They came to an old hotel abandoned in a part of town that was once the in place to be. Los Angeles held many locations like that. The glitz and glamour moved away each and every day. Shelby pointed at a door hidden behind a dumpster. “The stairwell leads down. Hopefully your damsel is still there.” She gave a slight smile. “I can’t be seen.”

Full understanding registered as Tar took in his surroundings. The SEAL in him comprehended he should turn back and bring a team to help with the extraction. But the protector in him— no, the man in love—wouldn’t consider leaving Keeley if she was in there. That settled in his gut and silenced his training. He was no longer McNeil who was part of an eight-man team. He was Tarius, and Keeley needed him. Forcing his muscles to comply and his mind to center on his objective, he entered through the doorway and prayed he’d finally found her.

First thing Tar took in, was the strong sent of antiseptic. The stairs were in decent condition, making stealth easier. Known for his ability to ghost in and out, he slid along the walls undetected. There were plenty of people milling about, but none noticed him. Odds were in his favor on that. He was in all black and conveniently the walls were painted the same hue. It was a tactic used to delude captives from escape. If they felt there was no way out or that it was too long and risky to try, they wouldn’t. As he peeked through a cracked door, an alarm blared. Chaos erupted. What he saw wasn’t unlike warfare. Several bloody bodies were being streamed into different rooms. He deduced there’d been some kind of gunfight. A low groan brought his attention back to the doorway he’d been peering around.