The Keepers: Declan

“According to her, they’d protect me.”

“From Harper?”

“From everyone.”

He nodded, not bothering to challenge her comment.

“Is that why you sought him out?”

When she didn’t reply, he discarded his mug. Closing the gap between them, he turned her to face him. Her instincts yelled at her to step back, out of the reach of the man who could rewire her senses, but she fought the urge and met his gaze.

“Why are you holding back from me, Kate?” he asked, his gentleness in stark contrast to his previous ferocity in fighting off their attackers. “I won’t harm you.”

“But you won’t let me go either, will you?”

“You know I can’t.” His words were barely more than a whisper, tugging at her defences. “But you’ll be safer with me than with Harper.”

She stared at him in silence, caught by the urge to trust him but knowing she shouldn’t. Her mother had ingrained it in her as a child. Trust no one. Depend on no one. Especially if they were from the supernatural world.

He dipped his head, his brows drawn together in a frown. “You really think you can take on Harper alone?”

“Declan, this is my mess. My problem. We’re not exactly on great terms and I don’t need a White Knight to sweep in and fix this.”

“Honey, you have the wrong brother. There’s nothing White Knight about me. But Harper supports the Brogans, and if he’s after a Null, it means he’ll use you to destroy us.”

“Is that why you want me? To use me to destroy him?”

His brief flinch hinted that she’d struck a chord. Declan placed his hands on her shoulders as she was about to step back. “We protect the innocent. We don’t hurt for the fun of it like Harper. You saw what he did to that witch because she wouldn’t join his cause.”

“I refuse to be the pawn in this game.”

“It’s not a game and you have no choice. Your magic has made you the most powerful weapon in this damned war. I’ve lost too many people in this fight.” His expression hardened, resentment flickering in eyes coloured with sadness. “You’re in a whole lot of shit, Kate Carrigan, but either way, you’re coming with me.”

She shrugged off the flash of fear sparked by his statement. “Fine,” she replied in a casual tone. She hoped like hell she’d used enough herbs. “You win, Declan.”

Right.

****

Declan didn’t reply and blinked in an attempt to clear the fog in his head. Damn, exhaustion had ripped through him like the Road Runner on a mission. Considering he was with a gorgeous woman, albeit a thief, sleep should be the last thing on his mind.

He must be losing his touch. If Kate couldn’t keep him awake, then not much else would. She was a real beauty, and a tough one at that. With her sheen of dark hair, big brown eyes, slender curves, and the flush of temper that reared in her cheeks when she was angry, Kate was incredible.

And he was having a hard time reminding himself that he was still mad at her.

“Where did you get the scroll?” he asked, giving a quick shake of the head.

“The scroll?”

“Yes, witchy. You left it behind when you attacked me.”

“You attacked me. And don’t call me witchy.”

“I call it like I see it. Either way you left behind a scroll that has Sienna in a frenzy. What does it mean?”

“I have no idea.”

“Do you …” He paused, frowning as his senses prickled the way they always did when something wasn’t right.

“Declan?”

He held out a hand to silence her and moved toward the sliding door. Stepping out, he did a quick scan of the area, his heightened hearing straining for something that didn’t fit.

Silence dulled his suspicions and he turned back to her, only to grab onto the door as the room began to tilt.

Shit.

Dizziness took over and he drew in a ragged breath, blinking as everything went blurry. What the hell?

“It’s okay,” Kate said, coming closer. “You’ll be okay.”

“What did you do?” he grumbled, stumbling toward the couch.

She dropped to his side, a hand on his arm. He wanted to throttle her. Every deceitful, beautiful damn inch of her. “It’s a sedative.”

“Bitch!”

When he reared forward, the room began spinning and she pushed him back down. “Easy, warrior boy. Sleep it off.”

“You roofied me? Like a damn drunk sorority chick?”

“I had no choice.”

“If you wanted to have your way with me, all you had to do was ask.”

A brief laugh escaped her but she was quick to reel it in. “That’s not what this is about!”

Declan’s reply was forgotten as his instincts bristled. He turned away, staring at the porch outside.

“Declan?”

He shook his head again, focusing on the noise. What was that? Declan looked at her, grimacing against the black cloud that threatened to swallow him. “You’re insane, you know that?”

“I have to leave and I can’t have you following me again. This was the only way.”

“I’m going to hunt you down, Kate, and when I find you, I’m going to feed you to Harper myself.” His instincts rumbled a clear warning to him, this time unmistakable in its strength and accuracy. He knew when to trust them and he knew trouble when it was brewing. His hand shot out and gripped her arm. “Kate, you have to run.”

She flinched, a frown creasing her brows.