Dead Ink(Karma Series Book 4)(23)

"Are you doing something to me?" The pain was fading, the hurt and  worry, as if she'd merely shrugged them off like a bad chill that he was  warming. Logic dictated that he must be doing something to her but she  couldn't muster up any alarm. She felt as incapable of worry.

"Nothing bad," he said, and she could feel his voice vibrate through his  chest where her body was pressed against him. Each sweep of his hand  down her back lulled her deeper into bliss. She couldn't remember  feeling this content and secure since she'd been a child, and maybe not  even then.

"Lars?"

She heard Cutty's voice yell out to him from the main room.

"Gimme a minute," Lars replied.

Lars rose, lifting her with him as he stood. She wrapped her arms around  his neck as if it were completely natural, like she belonged with him.  Faith knew this might appear strange to Cutty but she simply didn't  care. Didn't feel the need to try and stand, or even worry about where  they were heading, as he walked in the other room, carrying her with  him.

Cutty looked at her and she nodded. "Hi, Cutty."

"Hi," he said, sounding not nearly as cordial as her. "Lars? Why does she look all fucked up?"

"I think I am," Faith responded. "I think he did something to me."

"Come upstairs," was the only answer Lars gave.

They climbed the stairs to Lars' place and she felt the bed underneath her.

"Rest," Lars said as he tucked the covers around her.

She nodded. "Sure. That sounds good."



***



Cutty looked over to the bed as he stood beside Lars at the opposite end of the apartment from where Faith was sleeping.

"We won't wake her. She'll be out of it for a while," Lars told him, seeing the concern in his gaze.

Cutty took a few steps away from Lars and then took another one back to  him, as if he were torn about something. "Tell me you didn't do what I  think you did? Tell me this was something else."

Lars crossed his arms, feet shoulder width apart. "I can't. This is  exactly what you think it is." And he'd do it again. He had no regrets,  or at least not yet. He wouldn't rule out the possibility that they  wouldn't come slamming back at him.

"That's fucking creepy." Cutty looked over at Faith and did a little shudder.

"You didn't see what she was like," Lars snapped back.

"If she wasn't dying, I stand by what I said. It's. Fucking. Creepy. You said you didn't do that shit anymore."                       
       
           



       

"I don't. It was a one-time thing."

Cutty took another couple steps away from Lars, as if he needed to get a  better visual on him. His eyes squinted and he shook his head. "She's  got you all twisted, worse than I even realized if you're doing this  crap." He kept shaking his head as if he still didn't believe what he  was seeing.

"No. She doesn't. I did what the situation required." Lars dropped his  arms to his side and shrugged off Cutty's words, even as the first seed  of doubt started to plant itself. But he'd had to do it. "I was stuck  with her. What else was I supposed to do?"

"Walk out, like you always do when some chick is having a meltdown, and then send me in after?"

Lars walked away from him and went to the fridge and grabbed a beer. He offered one to Cutty.

"Beer ain't cutting it for me. You know that." Cutty reached into his  cabinet and grabbed a bottle of Cutty Sark whiskey, which he was so fond  of that it had become his nickname after he quit the agency.

"I didn't have time. You didn't see what she was like. She was going to  crack." Or was he the one cracking? He took a long swig of the bitter  brew, trying to erase the caramel flavor that using the death voice  always left, not because it was unpleasant but because it was too  tempting. It was exactly the way he remembered, addictive as ever. The  beer seemed to accentuate the taste of the voice and Lars motioned a  hand towards the bottle of whiskey. Cutty poured him a glass. Lars took a  sip and let it sit on his taste buds, hoping to burn off the other  taste.

"I've seen some serious messes you've left me to clean up. Don't tell me  she was worse than some of those. Don't give me that bullshit. You  haven't done that kind of mojo since you left the agency. You've never  said why you stopped doing it but I know there's a good reason."

Finding some relief, Lars took another sip of whiskey and leaned against  the counter, not wanting to discuss why he stopped using most of his  talents and the urges that came with them to take a life.

"Drop it. We've got bigger problems." Lars didn't need someone else  telling him what he already knew. "Did you find that kid or, more  importantly, pick up any lead on Keith?"

"I found the kid. He was a waste of time. Some loser just looking to  score a couple of bucks to get high. A man meeting Keith's description  had gotten to him a few blocks away but he was long gone. What happened  here that had her so freaked out that you needed to do that?" Cutty  jerked his thumb toward where Faith was across the room, the irritation  still thick at the mention of it.

"Drop it, will you?"

Cutty refilled his own glass and then leaned against the counter near  Lars. When he started talking again, some of the edge was gone from his  voice. "You going to tell me what happened before you … ?" He made a  circular motion near his head, indicating how he'd screwed with Faith's  mind.

"You mean besides receiving the bloody possessions of dead family  members?" Lars said. "A package got delivered today. It was her  brother's ring covered in dried blood. It smelled suspiciously like the  blood the other day in your guest room. We looked up the guy's name.  There were pictures of his mutilated body leaked online. It looked like  they'd had a field day with him."

"So, the blood that was on my ceiling?" Cutty made a sour face. "The shit dripping down on her?"

"Was probably her brother's," Lars added. "And don't tell her. She's  already a mess. Let her think it was pig's blood or something."

"You think she's not going to put that together? Really?" Cutty did a  subtle shake of his head and took another sip of whiskey like he was the  one with a taste in his mouth he couldn't get rid of.

Lars' eyes shot over to where Faith was snuggled deep in his covers, in  his bed, only her small face peeking out as if he needed to reassure  himself she was safe.

"Maybe you should just fuck her, already. It's obvious you want to," Cutty said, following Lars' line of vision.

He pulled his eyes back to Cutty. "I don't know … " Lars' words trailed  off as he looked at Faith, alarmed at what might happen if he did act  upon his desires. But what if it would get him to stop thinking about  her? "Maybe," he said, after they'd both been standing there a minute or  so in silence. Hell, who was he kidding? It was going to happen.

Cutty was right. He'd crossed a line today that he'd never thought he  would. He had to get this strange fascination with her out of his system  or he'd be useless to everyone. Might as well just do it. He'd sleep  with her, and she'd be like all the other chicks he'd slept with. He'd  be back to normal. "On to bigger issues, we should probably get everyone  up to speed. Can you get the guys downstairs in an hour?"                       
       
           



       

"Not a problem. What are you gonna … never mind. I've got enough headaches  with Fate, Karma and the world falling to freaking pieces around us and  you doing the walk-to-your-death-all-nice-and-happy voice." He put his  glass down and walked toward the door. "I don't need any more info."

"Real nice. It was your suggestion and now you're cutting all responsibility?"

"Don't act like I'm the actual reason it's going to happen." Cutty waved  a hand, as if trying to disassociate himself with whatever was going on  between Lars and Faith. "See you in a little bit." He shot a final look  toward Faith before he walked out of the apartment.

Cutty shut the door, leaving Lars and Faith alone.

Lars crossed the room to where she lay in the center of his large bed,  curled on her side and hugging the corner of the blanket to her. Her  hair was covering almost the entire pillow her head rested on.

He never held back and here was someone he wanted to sleep with more  than any woman he'd ever met. And he knew she wanted him as well. Why  not?

Cutty was right. He was going to sleep with her sooner or later but he  wouldn't do it right now. Not when she was like this. But that didn't  mean he wouldn't once she was more aware.

He yanked his shirt over his head but left his jeans on. Just because he  wasn't going to do it now didn't mean they couldn't get a bit more  acquainted with each other. He eased in beside her, pulling the covers  over them both. With an arm around her waist, he pulled her closer to  him, fitting her back to his front and wedged a leg in between hers. A  contented feeling slipped over him just from lying beside her.