Redemption - A Darla Gray Novel Page 5

  Quinn could feel his blood pumping through his veins, racing towards the throbbing discomfort below his belt. If it wasn’t for her being a Goddamn breather he had to admit he wouldn’t have hesitated in making a move on her. Hell, there was no denying she is one hell of a beauty with a body made for all manner of pleasures, but Jeez’ mating with a human? That was one prospect that Quinn was certain he would never let happen.

  Darla’s mocking laughter filled the air around them. “Now who’s flattering themselves?”

  Before he could reply, her free hand quickly snatched inside his jacket and latched onto the source of her discomfort. Removing it from his pocket she lifted the object up for them both to see. Curiously it resembled some form of firearm although nothing the like of which she had ever seen.

  “Oh... right... yeah...ah, I’ll take that.” Looking slightly bashful Quinn quickly stashed the gun into a pocket on the other side of his jacket.

  Realising that Darla was trying her hardest to suppress her laughter, he turned his attention back to the harness as if inspecting it for safety.

  “Everything’s fine here, shall we get a move on? I ain’t got all night,” he snapped annoyed at the situation. If she hadn’t wriggled around so much getting him so turned on he would never have over- reacted the way he had, he thought to himself. The damn woman was a liability and one he couldn’t wait to be rid of.

  “Are you sure?” She asked raising her arms hesitantly pausing before wrapping them around his neck. “Because I wouldn’t want you to get the wrong idea again now would I?”

  Was she laughing at him? Quinn could read the humour playing in her eyes. The little witch could do with being taught a lesson, see if she found it all so amusing then. Recalling her earlier apprehension at the idea of travelling down on the archaic zip wire he dug his heels in hard and raced hard towards the edge of the crater.

  Darla felt the immediate change in his body, his muscles pumping beneath her touch as he spurred into action, his imminent intent now abundantly clear. Her face paled in response and her grip tightened.

  “Yeah that’s right, laugh it up sweetheart,” he cruelly mocked into her ear seconds before they plunged over the edge.

  The zip wire jolted adjusting to the sudden weight increase of the entwined pair. A startled squeal of terror escaped from between her lips much to Quinn’s satisfaction. With no solid ground beneath her feet, her legs automatically wound around his hips and she nestled her face into the dip at the base of his throat to avoid watching the rapidly approaching buildings.

  An irresistible urge to wrap her in his arms and protect her from harm kicked him full force in the gut. Powerless to do anything but hold fast to the harness they continued flying through the darkness, increasing in speed with the natural force of gravity kicking in. All too soon the ground rushed up to greet them as they drew closer to the bottom of the crater.

  Knowing Darla would be in no fit state to respond to any instructions regarding their landing, Quinn knew it would inevitably be all down to him to land them safely and in one piece. Her body was now pressed so tightly pressed to his that she almost felt like a second skin. With that in mind he swung his legs high; releasing the harness at what he could only hope was precisely the right moment. Gripping her tight he sent their bodies free-falling the last 10 feet of the ride into a huge pit at the base of the anchor that held the zip wire in place.

  Landing on his back amongst a mass of shredded tyres with Darla -still firmly attached- he found himself unable to move. Slightly winded from the force of their landing he took the opportunity to suck the air back into his lungs.

  Ordinarily the shredded rubber pit- designed with the purpose to break the impact at the end of a long fall- performed exceptionally well; unless of course you had someone else using your body to break their fall.

  With the air in his lungs slowly returning to normal Quinn became acutely aware of the position they now found themselves in and the seductive manner in which her body was moulded so intimately to his. In no particular hurry to move he lay back and allowed himself the full pleasure of the moment.

  Tension and fear drained from her body as Darla slowly recognised that they were once again on solid ground and in that instant it struck her that she was sprawled the length of Quinn’s body, her head resting trustingly against his broad chest with the faint tempo of his heartbeat echoing in her ear. Her arms remained locked around his wide shoulders and her legs clasped tightly astride his hips.

  Something stirred within her. A long forgotten feeling she had believed lost to her forever, buried deep within the emotional barriers she had erected in order to protect her heart from any further pain or destruction.

  Cautiously she lifted her head and met his intense stare. A slight flutter coursed through her body making her feel more alive than she had in years. Moistening her dry lips she became increasingly more mindful of the intimacy of their situation. Her skirt having ridden high during the short trip down did little to protect the most sensitive part of her from resting intimately against his leather clad hips. The sensation of the fabric against the soft skin of her inner thighs was pure decadence in itself.

  In pure desperation she raised herself up onto her hands- so as to alleviate the pressure of her body on his –and in doing so noticed how Quinn’s eyes drop automatically to the neckline of her blouse. Awareness struck! Her top had fallen away from her body- and with the absence of any underwear -now revealed everything to the watchful stare of the man pinned beneath her thighs, a man who evidently had no intention of looking away.

  With as much finesse as she could muster in such an embarrassingly awkward situation Darla leapt to her feet, smoothing her clothes into place whilst discreetly watching Quinn out of the corner of her eye. Curiously he was once again cursing beneath his breath. Evidently Mr Angry was back!

  “I suggest we make a move,” he snapped. The grim look on his face spoke volumes, his repulsion towards her a tangible barrier between them.

  What the hell is his problem? She hadn’t actually intended for her top to fall forward. And even when it had it would have been just as easy- not to mention polite- for him to have looked away. Any decent man would have. But then again from what she had seen of the man chosen to ‘guide’ her safely to some unknown destination, decency was not a word that readily sprung to mind.

  There were however many others words that aptly described him. Angry, rude, arrogant, insufferable…..the list was endless. And for that reason alone she could only but wonder at why- for oh so brief a moment- she had responded to him in a way in which she had responded to no other in more than two years? Not trusting herself in being able to form a civil reply Darla simply nodded sharply before falling in beside him as he guided them towards the entrance of the city.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Hurrying to keep up with Quinn’s long angry strides as he effortlessly navigated the dark labyrinth within the mysterious city, Darla became transfixed by the wondrous sights that surrounded her. Gone was the image of the mystical wonderland that she’d pictured from high on the ridge above. Down below the city was much more real, earthy with a sinister edge to it. Central was not a decadent playground begging to be savoured and explored but instead a dark haven, brimming with unleashed malevolence.

  Heeding his earlier words of warning Darla followed close on Quinn’s heels. Moving swiftly through the endless twists and turns of the intricate maze of alleyways, she looked around in wonder, her eyes constantly moving, devouring the sights of the strange new world. Narrow, dimly lit pathways running between bizarre, yet uniquely designed structures created dense and sinister shadows in which she could almost feel the presence of hidden eyes watching, boring into her soul.

  The noticeable absence of vehicular noise synonymous with a sprawling metropolis such as the size of Central, only served to enhance all other surrounding sounds. The echo of footsteps falling on a hard stone floor, the ripple of whispers from unknown sources and the occasio
nal shrill cry, all emanating from deep within the bowls of the city.

  Lost in her musings, Darla was only vaguely aware of the endless stream of figures that brushed against her as they hastily rushed on by. Mesmerised by the weird and bizarre concoction of resources that had been utilised in building such an extraordinary city, she found herself lost in a sea of sensation, captivated by its macabre beauty. Walking beneath a low baring structure she gazed up in awe at the sight of the bus suspended above her, straddling the two storey buildings on either side. A childlike urge to laugh bubbled inside her.

  Turning slowly she edged backwards in order to catch one final glimpse of the unusual construction stopping dead as she came up against a brick wall. Hastily pivoting in a bid to find Quinn a gasp of shock fell from her lips at the discovery of no wall but instead a living breathing person.

  Raising her head to apologise to the person she had affronted, Darla was momentarily silenced by a pair of glowing yellow eyes peering down at her from a heavily shadowed face, obscured beneath a hooded cloak.

  “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was going,” she hurriedly explained, her voice barely above a whisper.

  A deep rumbling growl resonated from the enormous figure, the intending threat more than obvious. Tentatively, Darla took a slow and cautious step away, careful to make no sudden movement but knowingly to putting distance between herself and the daunting figure.

  In an instant her arm was brutally gripped in Quinn’s large hand as he unceremoniously spun her around placing her directly behind him, using his body to shield her from the imminent threat resonating from the imposing figure. Squaring up to the giant of a man that towered above them, Quinn appeared to be totally unfazed by the sheer overwhelming size of his opponent. “The lady is with me so you just might wanna rethink this.” His voice was deep and laced with menacing intent.

  As relaxed as he appeared with his jacket pushed back and his hands resting idly on his hips, Darla was close enough that wasn’t the case. Supressed tension emanated off him. Anticipating trouble in view of the predatory malevolence that permeated from the cloaked figure, she waited with baited breath for the unavoidable conflict.

  To her utter astonishment the dark figure sharply inclined his head at Quinn before stepping aside and silently continuing on his way. Releasing a sigh of relief Darla watched the cloaked figure drift away until it had completely vanished from sight.

  “What was that?” She asked, her heart steadily returning to a normal tempo.

  “Trust me, you really don’t wanna know.” Quinn hissed angrily. “We need to keep moving and perhaps this time you can do as you’re goddamn told and stay with me.” Clamping a firm hand on her upper arm he pulled her alongside him.

  Her initial reaction was to pull away from his iron grip but begrudgingly realising how easily she had placed them in danger, she silently conceded and kept pace with his long angry strides.

  Moving further inside the city she couldn’t help but notice how there was a general dress code amongst the inhabitants of Central, one which swung heavily towards anything dark. In light of the pastel shades she was wearing it was hardly surprising the amount of attention they seemed to attract making her feel as if she were a beacon flashing in the darkness.

  The deeper their journey took them into the intricate network of the city’s streets the more strange and exotic smells assailed her senses. Rich spices were intermingled with pungent smells that almost made her eyes water and decadent flavours that she could almost taste.

  Buildings were more compact, some starting smaller at the bottom, widening towards the top, making her wonder at how they managed to stay upright and not topple into their neighbour. Occasionally a small pocket of space would open high above them, in between the numerous structures. These spaces- gradually becoming fewer the further they travelled in- were filled with intricate networks of interlocking rope bridges with figures scuttling back and forth causing them to sway and dance under the constant pressure of the commuters. The volume of people on the ground steadily increased and with the buildings rapidly becoming more condensed, Darla began to suspect that they were fast approaching the hub of the sinister metropolis.

  Turning one final corner she was struck dumb by the largest building she had seen so far. Its red brick façade was brightly lit by several hanging wall lights. A row of illuminated windows filled the upper levels, whilst the ground floor remained a wall of unbroken red brick aside from an oversized plate glass revolving door at its centre. A door which for some reason seemed very welcoming in contrast to the sinister shadows of the dimly lit street in which the building stood. Nestled in-between the hanging lights were four large gold letters.

  “C.A.O.S.” Reading the letters aloud Darla looked to Quinn for an explanation.

  “Central agency for otherworldly species,” he replied not bothering to slow his pace.

  With his hand still gripped firmly on her arm Quinn dragged her through the door into an impressive foyer. Marble tiles buffed to a high shine covered the floor. Stark white walls led up to open balconies which overlooked a thirty foot long desk on her left, manned by three large men garbed out in security uniforms, each one studying a different screen on the vast array of monitors covering the wall behind their workstation.

  Not one of them paid any attention as Quinn dragged her across the foyer and yet from the volume of monitors being intensely scrutinized Darla had the feeling that they had already been registered and logged before stepping foot inside the building.

  Finally releasing her from his grip, Quinn stormed ahead down one of the many corridors leading off of the main entrance hell bent on a specific destination. Arriving at a door identical to all the others in the extensive hallway, he threw it open with such a force that it crashed against the wall behind, sending a large boom ricocheting around the room and down the corridor behind them.

  “Maisey!” Quinn’s voice bellowed out. As if remembering she was still there he backtracked into the hallway grabbing her arm once more and dragged her through the door. Crossing the room he all but threw her into a chair in the corner before ordering, “Stay here!”

  Striding angrily across to the high desk that ran from wall to wall, dividing the room into two, Quinn slammed his fist down on the wood surface. “Maisey! Goddamn it girl, you better haul your ass out here. Fast!”

  Rising from behind one of the smaller desks on the other side of the divide, a tall, stern looking woman approached him. Her hair -pulled back so tightly into a small bun at the back of her head- made her features appear slightly slanted and with gold rimmed glasses perching precariously on the bridge of her nose, Darla immediately envisioned her as an old fashioned school ma’am. Her tweed skirt and fitted navy velour jacket only serving to enhance the overall image.

  “Now Mr Quinn, I suggest you lower your voice and perhaps we could discuss what exactly it is that is bothering you in a more calm and civilized manner.” Facing off bravely to the irate Quinn her voice carried a classic English lilt, the likes of which would be heard amongst the scholars of Eton.

  Darla tried to suppress a smile while admiring the woman’s bravery and tenacity at confronting the overbearing man.

  Quinn however did not feel the same.

  With eyes flashing in anger he leant forward looming menacingly in the woman’s face. “Now you listen carefully darlin’. I don’t do civil and I’m about three seconds away from showing you what ‘pissed’ really is so unless you wanna get caught in the crossfire I suggest you take your pious attitude and your patronizing tone and shove them right up your skinny a……”

  “Quinn!”

  Interrupted mid-sentence his focus flew from the seriously flustered secretary to the stunningly beautiful redhead who had just entered from a doorway on the other side of the counter.

  In a sudden burst of action Quinn cleared the wooden divide in one fluid motion sending the English secretary scuttling back behind the safety of her desk, clearing his pat
h directly to the redhead. Covering the distance between them in the blink of an eye his hand lunged for her throat. With his prey now firmly in his grasp he let the momentum of the attack carry him forward, the young woman’s feet barely grazing the floor beneath her until he finally came to a dead stop, slamming her up against the wall at the back of the room.

  Holding her in place with a single hand locked around her throat Quinn leaned in closer. His face inches from hers, radiating with deadly menace.

  “I thought I told you. NO. GOD. DAMN. BREATHERS.” The force of his breath stirred the mass of red curls silhouetting her face as he enunciated each word. “Now what part of that sentence did you not quite understand?”

  The quiet tone of his voice only served to highlight the extent of his barely contained fury.

  Seemingly unaffected by his aggressive display and making no effort to free herself from a hold that held her completely immobilised, the stunningly beautiful woman’s eyes flashed angrily at him, the only indication that anything was amiss. “And need I remind you where you are and who it is that I work for?” She asked her face a mask of calm serenity. “Now why don’t you use your head and take your hand off of me. Maybe then we could try and resolve this issue.” Her voice- steady but firm - cut through his anger fuelled rage, bringing him back to his senses. Slowly he removed his hand releasing her gently.

  Darla, having watched the exchange from her location in the corner couldn’t help but wonder who the woman’s boss could be to have made such an impression on Quinn by a mere mentioning.

  Although freed, the redhead remained in place until Quinn had backed safely away to a satisfactory distance. Finally, when she did move away from the wall, her stare remained locked on his, and as if having all the time in the world – instead of rushing to comply with an angry man of considerable size- she began to put to rights an appearance that was already impeccable in every way.