Darkness Calls by Caridad Pineiro

Author:Caridad Pineiro
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2004-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

Ryder was pounding away at the punching bag again, trying to work out the anger from his earlier run-in with Diana. He might have to see her later and he wanted it to go peacefully between them. Somehow he had to contain the emotions raging through him. He was, after all, an animal adopting the veneer of human civility. An animal all too eager to take her on, and in more ways than she could possibly imagine.

He drove away those thoughts and was just finishing up his workout when Danvers came into the room. She stopped in surprise. “I thought you would be long gone. I’m headed to a lecture over at Hunter tonight and then to the hospital.”

Ryder stopped and steadied the heavy bag as it swung toward him. “I’m waiting for a call from the agents on the case.” Even to his own ears, the explanation sounded strained.

Danvers walked over and held the bag for him. “She’s coming, is that it?”

“Do you have a problem with this, Danvers?”

“Melissa.”

He muttered a confused “Huh?”

“Melissa. My name is Melissa. You used to call me that all the time when I was a kid, but ever since…” She didn’t need to say more. From the day her mother and father had died a few years ago, she had stopped being Melissa and become the latest Danvers. He hadn’t realized that she might resent that change in their relationship.

He jabbed her arm playfully with his gloved hand to try to lighten her mood. “Come on, Melissa.”

She yanked away from him. “No. Things haven’t been the same since…” She stepped away from him and walked out the door onto the patio. Ryder followed and stood by her until she sighed and quietly said, “I’ve known you all my life, Ryder. You were always there to listen to me. Hear what I had to say. But lately…”

“I’m your friend, Melissa.”

Melissa glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. “You were my friend, Ryder. Now I’m not quite sure what we’re supposed to be. Or what my life is supposed to be or if I’m even supposed to have a life of my own.”

Ryder regretted that in all the time since she had become his companion he had never noticed how uneasy she was with her new role. “I’m sorry we haven’t talked about this before.”

She shrugged. “What’s there to talk about? One Danvers dies and another is chosen.”

“It’s not that simple—”

“No, it isn’t. Because being the next one involves not being able to have a normal life,” she shot back angrily.

“There’s no reason why you can’t—”

“Be involved with someone? The way you’re involved?”

“You know my being involved with a human—”

“Could never happen?” she parried, and faced him, her gaze penetrating and challenging. “Then why is she coming over?”

“She has questions to ask.”

“Seems to me you’re headed for trouble having her here, especially with the way you feel.”

“And maybe it’s time I took the chance. The same way that maybe you should think about what kind of life you want.

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