Redemption - A Darla Gray Novel Page 3

  Those very same features that she had just rudely perused were now starring back at her with a mixture of anger and annoyance.

  Still unable to hear him she watched carefully as he pinched his nose between his thumb and forefinger and mimicked blowing his cheeks out with force. Pointing towards her Darla was quick to copy and in doing so the intense buzzing noise immediately ceased.

  “Now perhaps you wouldn’t mind telling me what the hell you are!” The man had stood once again, his large frame towering above her, causing her to shield her eyes in an effort to look up at him.

  “I’m sorry, what did you say?” she asked thinking she had misheard. Struggling to her feet Darla swayed slightly, her stomach once again rebelling at the sudden movement. Leaning forward she rested her hands on her knees sucking back a couple more dizziness curing gulps of air.

  I said what are you?” The tone of his voice now matched the anger on his face “What species?”

  “Are you kidding me?” Shocked and confused she stood upright. Staring into the angry man’s face she could tell he was deadly serious, a sudden feeling of dread settling over her. “What the hell is this place? Where am I?”

  “Goddamnit!” Swinging out furiously with his foot, he kicked at a small rock sending it skimming across the uneven ground. Resting his hands on his hips he turned his back to her. “Great! A Goddamn breather! That’s all I fucking need. How many times do I have to tell them? NO FREAKIN’ BREATHERS! It’s not rocket science for crying out loud.”

  Watching the angry man continued to curse and mumble to himself as if she wasn’t even there, his mini temper tantrum now in full swing- Darla took the opportunity to study him further. Figuring it was probably best to let him get whatever problems he had out of his system, maybe then he would be more amiable to giving her some much needed answers.

  Taller than her 5’7” height Darla figured he had to be hovering somewhere round the six foot mark maybe a little bit more. Broad shoulders, quite muscular from what she could see had to weigh him in at 240 maybe 250lbs, although the three quarter length brown leather jacket that he wore made it hard for her to be more precise. Dark brown hair hung loosely across his shoulders in a slightly messy but natural looking array. Evidently he was not the sort of man that took his time preening in front of a mirror, not that he needed to, the guy was hot! Dressed head to toe in soft brown leather the clothes had surprised her, looking slightly more tailored to his size than the usual off the rail. Finishing off his ensemble was the sturdiest pair of biker boots she’d ever seen.

  “Maisey’s sure as hell gonna pay for this,” he said finally turning to stare at her.

  Darla could tell from his expression that for all his cursing it had done little to improve his mood and whoever the ‘Maisey’ was that he had referred to, she almost felt sorry for her. With his eyes boring into her and the muscle in his jaw twitching she waited patiently for him to speak not wishing to antagonise him further. At least not until she had got the answers she needed.

  Before he could speak the silence surrounding them was disrupted by an ear-piercing screech which resonated through the air. Darla jumped, instinctively spinning around, eyes searching everywhere, trying to locate the source of the unearthly sound.

  “Oh well that’s just great!” Angry man huffed, leading Darla to believe he was going to start ranting once more. “This day just keeps getting better and better.”

  “What was that?” Edging closer to him Darla felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand.

  “Trust me darlin’, you really don’t wanna know,” he sneered. “It’s just another pain in my fucking ass.”

  Reaching inside his jacket he produced a small black object. With a quick flick of his wrist it opened out into what was clearly a telescope. Raising it to his eye he searched the rough terrain behind her.

  “Thirteen…..no wait a minute. Fifteen! Fuck! Can this day get any worse?” Snapping the telescope to a close, he quickly returned it to the inside of his jacket. “Well, I sure as hell hope you’re stronger than you look cause we need to high-tail it outta here a.s.a.p. and I’m not hanging around for any reason, so let’s move it.” The man turned, heading in the opposite direction from where the scream had originated, towards what Darla had previously assumed to be mountains.

  “What! ... Wait! No! I’m not going anywhere with you, at least not until you answer my questions and tell me what’s going on here!” She snapped, finally allowing her frustration to break free. “I need to know, is this is Heaven?”

  The man cleared the distance between them in the blink of an eye. His hand reaching out and griping her forearm in a fierce lock, drawing her in close, his face inches from her own.

  “Now you better listen up sweetheart,” he hissed from between clenched teeth. “This isn’t Heaven and before you ask you sure as hell ain’t no Dorothy so don’t be thinking you’re in Oz either, I will try to make this as simple as possible so that even you can understand. I don’t have the time or frankly the inclination to give you the lo-down on the where’s, why’s, what and who.” His menacing glare tore into her. “But what I will tell you is this; in less than thirty minutes, fifteen or more blood crazed, starving Rippers are gonna be all over you like a rash. Now unless you wanna be the main course in their all-you-can-eat buffet, I suggest you haul your ass and keep your mouth shut because honestly darlin’, I really don’t need this shit... ‘Specially from a fucking BREATHER!”

  Releasing her arm the man took off in the direction of the mountain ridge. “Make your choice, but make it fast. It’s your funeral.” He called without looking back, the distance between them steadily increasing with each step he took.

  A second ear piercing scream ripped across the barren plateau spurring Darla into action, the decision made for her. She would rather face the anger of the stranger than whatever was at the source of the terrifying noise. So far he had shown no inclination towards harming her and with so many unanswered questions swamping her mind, following him seemed the best and the most logical course of action.

  * * * *

  An hour had passed before Quinn chanced a look back at the female following behind, somewhat surprised at how rapidly she was closing the distance between them. Angry at the discovery of her being a human, he had deliberately pushed her hard keeping up a strong solid pace in a selfish desire to demoralise her. Now, as he stood watching her draw near, he begrudgingly experienced a slight twinge of admiration at her dexterity.

  Having received an incoming message from the agency earlier that morning he had had no difficulty in locating the specified co-ordinates. The message had been straight forward and direct as usual; the time of the drop-through and follow on instructions to deliver the package direct to central for processing. Not once had there been any mention of the delivery being a Human.

  Arriving within seconds of the fracture closing Quinn had found the female hunched over, no doubt due to the nausea caused by the rough ride through. Always was a real bitch of a side effect, kinda leaving you with a cross between a heavy hangover and a mild touch of food poisoning.

  Slowly approaching her so as not to startle her, Quinn had caught his first real glimpse of her, and what a kicker that was. With her jet black hair and stunning ice blue eyes he had at first mistaken her as a vampire, the effects of her penetrating stare causing an involuntary tightening in his groin. In that one brief moment it had seemed as though she had read him inside out. What shocked him more however was not only the lack of female hysterics-he really hated when that happened – but also no outward sign of fear, and damn if he didn’t find that a real turn on in a female, ‘specially one as hot as her. But suddenly realising just how disorientated she really was the truth had hit him like a ton of bricks – Breather! Any thoughts of hot vampy sex dissolved instantly.

  Should’ve noticed it sooner, vamps always handled the ride in so much better.

  Sweeping the length of her body with a primal glance as she jogged ever nearer, Qui
nn couldn’t deny that the immediate idea of leave her where he’d found her had been tempting. Some jobs just weren’t worth the pay! But with the scream alerting him to the close proximity of the Rippers even he hadn’t been heartless enough to abandon someone to that kind of fate. Not even one of her kind.

  Managing to drag his eyes away from the female’s considerable attributes- made more noticeable from the gentle swaying motion of her body - he looked beyond her with the help of the telescope to the fast approaching enemy following hot on their tail.

  Damn it! He may have been pushing her hard for the last hour but there was no denying the Rippers were steadily gaining on them.

  Cursing beneath his breath he realised they had run out of time. There was only one choice now available to them and as his eyes flicked back to her something told him she wasn’t gonna like it.

  Finally having caught up, she bent forward her hands resting on her thighs; head slumped as she inhaled deep mouthfuls of air. Quinn caught himself absently staring at the sensual arch of her neck, entranced by the way her hair clung to the moist skin.

  Freakin’ hell! What’s up with me? Keep this up and I’ll be writing her poetry next! He silently cursed, annoyed at where his train of thought had led him. Sooner he was rid of her, the better.

  “We got trouble.” He snapped angrily. “They’re gaining on us way too fast. No way we’re gonna outrun them. I figure I can take down nine…. possibly ten if we’re lucky but I don’t imagine you could handle the rest which leaves us pretty much screwed. I’ve got no choice but to transport us out of here.”

  Darla snapped her head up not believing for a second that he was serious. She was almost tempted to laugh if she hadn’t felt so damn tired. Is he insane? Transport us out! Like ‘beam me up Scotty’?

  This had to be a dream, and with that another thought stuck her. Maybe she had survived the fall from the bridge and was lying in a coma in some hospital bed wired up to machines. Maybe this was all just some coma induced reality, a well-constructed and extremely vivid dream. It definitely seemed viable.

  The noise from the creatures following had become increasingly louder and more persistent, causing the hairs on her arms to rise. Not knowing what it was that trailed them had only added to her fear. The only thing she knew for certain was that nothing human could make such a spine tingling sound; which gave rise to the question that plagued her mind, if this was all a dream why would her unconscious mind create such a thing?

  “Okay let’s go then,” she relented. “I’m ready when you are.” Whatever this situation was that she had found herself in, going with the angry man had to be a million times better than confronting the source of that stomach churning sound even if it was just a dream.

  “Not quite sweetheart. You’ll be needing to remove your clothes first.”

  Darla’s eyes flew open wide. “You’re kidding me right?” She chuckled in shocked disbelief.

  “Do I look like I’m joking?” He asked his face a stony mask. “I can assure you I’m deadly serious.” With a huge sigh he rested his knuckles on his hips in an exasperated manor. “Look, when we transport, clothes disintegrate. Don’t ask me why, I didn’t make the rules, it just happens. So unless you wanna spend the rest of your day in your birthday suit you’re gonna have to remove them. And I don’t mean to rush you but times-a-ticking and those Rippers aren’t gonna wait around forever.”

  Chewing nervously on her bottom lip Darla hesitated, trying to determine the sincerity of the man before her. Glancing quickly over her shoulder she could now just about make out the hazy outline of the group of whatever it was that was making the horrendous screeching noises.

  “Fine.” She snapped reluctantly. Turning her back to him she began removing her clothes. Pausing briefly to glance over her shoulder she immediately noticed that Quinn was making no move to do the same.

  “Why aren’t you undressing?” She asked indignantly.

  “No need. Kevlar coated.” Grinning broadly he ran his hand smoothly over his jacket. “Only thing that survives the transport. Wouldn’t pay for me to be walking around naked every time I needed to go somewhere now would it?” Making a clicking noise with his tongue Quinn winked at her. “I never leave home without it.”

  “So how do I know this isn’t some kind of sick, twisted fantasy of yours?” She asked her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

  Taking a menacing step closer Quinn stared down at her, his hot breath sweeping her face. “Trust me Darlin’ if this was one of my fantasies I’m damn sure there wouldn’t be any Goddamn BREATHERS in it. Now the way I figure it we’ve got about five minutes, six tops before it’s all over for you. I’m leaving here regardless, so if you’re coming you might wanna hurry it along a little.”

  Coming up against his steely determination, Darla conceded that now was not the time to push him any further. Quickly removing her blouse and skirt she was determined that nothing was going to make her remove her panties or bra, she didn’t care what he thought. Using her gathered up clothes to shield her body she stood nervously awaiting his next instruction.

  “Give them to me,” he barked holding out his hand. Taking her clothes he rolled them up into a small ball and stuffed them into one of the inside pockets of his jacket. “Shoes too I’m afraid.”

  Hesitating for only the briefest of seconds Darla did as instructed and passed her shoes to Quinn watching as they too vanished inside his jacket. She now stood with her arms crossed over her chest consciously aware of the fact that she was out in the open, precariously balancing on rough, uneven ground wearing nothing but bra and panties with a complete stranger.

  Quinn’s eyes flicked briefly in her direction, but in that moment he had seen just exactly what it was she’d been desperate to hide with her arms crossed defensively over her chest. Fuck this woman is carrying one hell of a rack on her. And with her clothes off it was evidently clear to see just how she had managed to keep up with the harsh pace he had set earlier.

  Her body although not overly muscular was perfectly toned. Firm sculptured thighs led up to curvaceous hips that were enhanced by her well defined flat stomach. And as for her breast- the modest pose of her arms had done very little to hide the more than generous bounty. A body like hers was designed to give all kinds of pleasures many of which Quinn was imagining right now. Darla tensed as he stepped closer.

  “Like I already said darlin’, you ain’t my type,” he lied reading the subtle but distinct movement. Fuck! Who was he kidding? With a body like hers, she was everybody’s type! “I need to be holding you for this to work, so try not to scream or faint on me,” he snapped more aggressive than necessary.

  Accepting her silence as okay, Quinn moved closer taking a firm hold of her and almost groaned out loud at the sensory overload as her body made contact with his. The feel of her soft skin beneath his hand shot a tingling bolt straight through his body causing an instant tightening in his groin.

  What the! He thought to himself, angry at the involuntary and unexpected response. She’s a breather for crying out loud. A GODDAMN BREATHER! Get a hold of yourself Quinn.

  Darla hesitated before reaching up and slipping her arms around his neck in a bid to hold on, not knowing exactly what to expect. Quinn responded by immediately jerking away from her.

  “What’s wrong?” She asked confused by his response.

  Realising what he’d done Quinn felt more than a little foolish. “Nothing! Just remembered your kind tends to be puker’s, so face the other way if you don’t mind.”

  Stepping forward once more Quinn slipped an arm around her waist, feeling the pressure of her body as she leaned back into him. Shit, why does this feels so damn good, he wondered to himself, the feel of her skin warming his hand, the way her body fit so perfectly to his?

  “Ready?” He snapped more eager than ever to be free of her.

  Darla nodded in response.

  “Close your eyes then.”

  Doing as ordered Darla closed her eyes. Almo
st immediately she felt the air change around them. Her hair and skin tingled as if charged with static electricity.

  “Here we go,” Quinn whispered his voice so close to her ear that his lips gently grazed her skin in the process.

  Her breath caught in the decadence of sensation wrung from her body but before she could process the thought in her mind the shrill scream of a Ripper so close to where they stood made it impossible for Darla not to respond. Her eyes flew open. With sudden clarity she was confronted with the gut-wrenching sight of one of the creatures that had pursued them and her blood ran cold.

  No amount of warning could have prepared her for what she saw. The creature nearest to them sped up and lunged forward in hungry desperation, reaching out in a final bid to catch its prey. A scream of pure terror caught in Darla’s throat and her arms rose in defence just as a massive surge of energy vibrated throughout her body swiftly followed by a sharp snapping sound like Chinese fire crackers. In the blink of an eye the hideous creature vanished from sight. Within seconds Darla was once again on her hands and knees, her body violently retching against the disorientation inflicted upon it for a second time that day.

  * * * *

  Quinn stood over her feeling strangely affected by the way her body dry heaved on what was clearly an empty stomach. Her suffering disturbed him. But as vulnerable as she was right then he couldn’t help but stare at the naked perfection of her body. The underwear she’d foolishly, but understandably opted to retain in order to protect her modesty was now gone as he’d fully expected it to be. Now, all that remained was perfect, flawless honey gold skin. His eyes trawled the length of her back to the point at which it widened on the curve of her hips and his cock involuntarily leapt to life.

  Fuck! Is this day never gonna end? He thought to himself. Clearly the need for some female company would be in order tonight but definitely not the human kind. Removing his jacket he gently laid it across her back removing the tempting visage from his sight.