Day (Stronghold Book 4) Read online

  “If Bruno Day stops by again—and he will, I know men well enough to see the interest he had in you—you’re telling me that you’re not going to make a move on him?” Her mom snorted. “I raised you better than that.”

  Amy gave in. Sort of. “Okay, so I think he’s cute.” She tapped her fingers on her arm and stared at the ceiling. Huh. Might need to repaint soon. A corner of the drywall near the window had a water stain on it.

  Her mother scoffed. “Bruno Day? Cute? Are you serious? He’s cute like a shark. Or a wolf. There’s nothing cute about that man. He’s a predator. A handsome predator, but still.”

  Amy shrugged. “He seems really kind.”

  Her mother blinked at her. “What did he tell you in your room? Because I’ve seen him on television, and kind isn’t the word I’d pick. Scary. Confident. Powerful. Those are words that describe him.” She inhaled. “Not cute.”

  Amy looked away. “I don’t know. He seemed tired. And worried. And he was very nice to me.” She shrugged. “I don’t think he’s interested in me.”

  Her mother stepped closer and pried her arms open, then pulled Amy into another hug. “Honey, if I know one thing, it’s when a man is interested in someone. That man, that very powerful and unique man, is interested in you. You may not believe me, but I could tell.” She kissed the side of Amy’s temple. “And if he comes back, which I firmly believe he will, you should let him in. He looks like the kind of man who needs a good woman to lean on.”

  Amy returned the hug. Her mom might drive her nuts, but she was also the best, most steady woman she knew. Her mother always had her back. And it’s time I had hers. “You really think so?”

  Her mom stepped back. “Yeah. I do.” She cupped Amy’s cheek. “And if he needs help, it’ll be your duty to give it to him.”

  Amy made a face. “Duty. As if I could help him do anything. I’m just a girl.”

  “Duty is important,” her mother said, abruptly serious. “And even if all you do is give him a hug, it will be enough.”

  “I know, Mom.” Amy would rather talk about anything else. The word duty always reminded her of her father. She swallowed. “I think you should go on this cruise and have a hell of a good time, by the way.”

  Her mother dropped her hand and smoothed her long brown hair, so different from Amy’s short blonde locks, over her shoulder. “I intend on it.”

  ****

  Two hours later, Amy paced the living room, wishing she had something to occupy her mind. The thought of Bruno Day being interested in her made her heart race.

  “Ugh. Stop it,” she told herself, heading for the kitchen. “He’s the leader of the Sentries. He’s not interested in you.” She’d go out and pull some weeds from the back garden. Maybe the fresh air would help stop the thoughts ricocheting through her brain. Thoughts like how good he looked in that soft sweater. Thoughts about his piercing blue eyes. Thoughts about him maybe kissing her.

  She put her hand on the back door, but before she could twist the knob, the front doorbell rang. “The hell?” she muttered, frowning. It rang again. “Shit,” she muttered, annoyed. “It better not be someone selling cookies, because I really do not need that temptation.” She smoothed a hand down her jeans as she hurried through the living room to the front door. She pulled it open. “Can I help you?” Her voice trailed off when her gaze landed on the man standing on the front stoop. What. The. Hell. I don’t understand my life. She forced herself to take a breath. “Bruno?”

  “Hello, Amy. Can I come in?”

  Amy blinked, and then stepped back, waving him inside. She couldn’t believe that her mother’s prediction of his return had come true so quickly. She eyed his expression. Bruno looked tired. Worried. She frowned as he closed the door behind him. This is the second time in a day that I’m confronting Bruno Day in front of a door, she thought nervously.

  “I am not quite sure how to explain why I’m here,” he said, running a hand through his hair.

  Amy stepped back. “Do you want your ring back?” She started to pull it off her finger.

  “No. Definitely not.” He put his hands on top of hers, stopping her. “That’s the last thing I want.”

  Amy couldn’t think clearly with him this close. He smelled good. His hands were so warm. She wanted to dive into his chest and snuggle up. With more effort than it should have taken, she shrugged off his touch and stepped back. “Um. Okay.” She took a deep breath, thinking of her mother’s words about help and duty. “Do you want a drink?” She gestured to the kitchen. “We have water. And lemonade. Or I could make coffee?” Stop talking and let him answer, you dummy, she berated herself mentally.

  He nodded. “Lemonade would be fine.”

  “Okay,” she said, leading the way. She pointed to the stools at the breakfast bar. “Have a seat.” She very carefully did not think about the weirdness of Bruno Day sitting himself at the small bar in their tiny kitchen. His presence dominated the room. Amy nearly tripped over her own feet on her way to the refrigerator. She could tell he was looking at her, and that made her clumsy. She took a deep breath and forced herself to concentrate on her task. Jumping on top of him will be counterproductive. Focus, girl.

  “Here you go,” she said a moment later, sliding the glass in front of him. She stared at the second cup she’d poured for herself, then downed half of it in one swallow. For some reason, her mouth was dry as a bone.

  “You’re probably wondering why I’m here. Again,” he said, looking somewhat uncomfortable. He sipped at his drink.

  Amy stared at his throat as he swallowed. He had just the right amount of stubble. She wanted to run her fingers across his jaw, but instead, she merely nodded as she leaned back against the counter. Behind her, the sink’s edge dug into her lower back. She knew the view outside showed the yard spangled with late afternoon sunlight shining down through the trees. She almost wished she were out there, instead of in the kitchen having a weird and awkward conversation with an insanely handsome Sentry. Almost. He’s really, really hot. I should be plotting ways to ask him to dinner, not stuttering like a little girl. “Yeah. Kinda.” She straightened up suddenly as a terrible thought hit her. “Wait, you’re not here because of Saige, are you? Is she okay?”

  “No, no. Saige is fine,” he said, then paused. “I think.”

  “Wait. What do you mean, you think?” Alarm raced through Amy. She put her glass down on the counter.

  Bruno sighed and ran his hand through his hair again. He didn’t look like the composed man she was used to seeing in press conferences. He looked like a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders. “This is more difficult than I anticipated.” He looked up at her. “Saige and Isaac aren’t exactly on a honeymoon.” He grimaced. “Well, they are, but they combined it with some much-needed reconnaissance of a Spider infestation out by Alpha Centauri.”

  Amy frowned. Why is he telling me this? She knew what the Spiders were. She knew where Alpha Centauri was. She also knew that Saige had been looking forward to learning how to pilot a starship. Spiders plus Alpha Centauri plus Bruno in her house meant… Shit. Her brain put the pieces together. “The Spiders are swarming.” She put a hand to her throat. Bile churned in her stomach. She thought about her mother who’d just boarded a cruise ship. No way to warn her, and even if I could, what could we do? There’s nowhere to go if the Spiders swarm the entire planet.

  Bruno’s expression went from worry to approval. “Yes. I received word just a few hours ago. Isaac and Saige are on their way back to Earth after placing sensors along the Swarm’s path.”

  “That still doesn’t explain why you’re here,” Amy said, mind racing. Duty indeed. If there was anything she could do to help, anything at all, she would. She’d scrub his floors. She’d file his memos. Anything. It would help keep the terror at bay, at the very least. “What do you need from me?” She had no idea what she could do. She was nobody. She didn’t work for the government. She didn’t have any power. She was a jobless fresh-out from
college with a useless degree in politics.

  “I need you to come back to Manhattan with me.”

  Chapter Four

  Bruno watched surprise chase across Amy’s face. He knew he’d shocked her, but when she frowned, then slowly shook her head, he sat up straighter. He waited for the inevitable question.

  “I don’t understand.” She wiped her hands on her pants. “I’m nobody.”

  He inhaled, then let it out again, debating how to frame his answer. He didn’t want to be here. He didn’t want to drag her into his life where every move she’d make would be scrutinized. Where she might die simply because she’s with me. “Because your presence soothes me.” The moment the words left his mouth, he knew they were the wrong ones to use. But they are the truth.

  Amy blinked. “Come again?”

  Bruno pushed his glass away. She has no idea who she is to me, he reminded himself. “I need your help to deal with the crisis.” He wanted to smooth down the stray wisps of hair that floated around her face. He wanted to take her in his arms and assure her that he would protect her with his life. He smothered the urge to touch her, but he couldn’t completely suppress the desire he felt for her. He needed to tread carefully.

  Amy frowned. “Don’t you have tons of minions running around, helping you with things?”

  He shook his head. “I only have one assistant, Eileen. She’s wonderful, but I sense that I’ll need more help in order to deal with this threat.”

  Amy clasped her hands together. “I don’t know what I could possibly do for you. I’m not trained as an assistant.” She took a deep breath. “I mean, of course I’ll help if I can, but…” She trailed off. “I have no experience.”

  “You have a political science degree,” he pointed out. He had his empathy locked down tight, but some of her confusion filtered through. He’d never be able to completely block out this particular woman, especially not when her emotions were so turbulent. He also sensed arousal, and fear. He smoothed his face into a neutral expression. The last thing he wanted to do was frighten her. His desire for her went bone deep, and he absolutely could not dwell on their mutual attraction right now.

  “So do a thousand other new college grads,” Amy retorted.

  Bruno shifted his weight. “You already know more about Sentries and the Stronghold tech than any other civilian, save Eileen.”

  Amy bit her lip.

  Bruno almost held his breath. He could sense her hesitation, but he also felt her strong sense of duty. He knew that if he could just convince her that she was needed. That she was necessary.

  “This is a very strange request,” she said, twisting his ring on her finger.

  Bruno stared at her hands. She was a tiny little thing, but he knew that her small stature was merely a mask for the strength she didn’t yet know she possessed. He stood up and walked over to her, giving into his desperation. He wanted to touch her skin. “Amy, I need you to help me.” He reached out and untwisted her hands. “I know you don’t understand, and I don’t want to frighten you.”

  “You’re doing a crappy job of explaining this, Bruno,” she whispered, eyes going dark.

  She wasn’t frightened. Bruno felt her arousal suddenly spike like a punch in his gut. He inhaled sharply. His brothers never mentioned the insane need that came with being in the presence of one’s paired mate. He’d thought it was bad earlier, when he’d given her his ring, but the attraction seemed to increase with every moment in her presence.

  “I know,” he replied, sifting through a dozen explanations in his mind and discarding all of them. None of them mattered. He needed her for the power she would add to the Stronghold net when they paired, yes, but he needed her for himself even more. Suddenly, all the years he’d spent alone felt like an unbearable eternity.

  “Just tell me the truth. It can’t be as bad as all that,” Amy murmured.

  Bruno brought her hands up to his lips and kissed the backs of her fingers. She sucked in a breath. “This is the truth.” He slid his hands up her arms and took a step off the cliff he’d been holding himself back from for centuries. “I saw you in my dreams two hundred years ago.” He leaned down, watching the black of her pupils swallow the sweet brown of her irises. She smelled like roses and sugar. He licked his lips, desperate to kiss her. He’d never felt so overwhelmed with desire, not once, in his long life.

  “Are you saying that you can tell your future?” she asked, voice barely above a whisper. “And I’m in it?”

  “I can see this future,” he murmured, then leaned down and kissed her.

  ****

  When his lips touched hers, Amy gasped. She couldn’t move. Couldn’t think. He kissed her gently, and then he gathered her up and pressed in harder until she couldn’t do a damn thing except cling to his shoulders like some damsel in a romance novel. He tasted like spice and fire, and she must have made a sound in the back of her throat, because he groaned and dipped his tongue into her mouth. Amy shuddered, not understanding how she could go through life thinking that what she’d experienced before this moment was anything at all. Nothing could have prepared her for how it felt to kiss Bruno Day.

  Amy dug her fingers into him, and then he abruptly broke away, panting as though he’d run a race. She wasn’t doing much better. She sucked in air, hands still locked around his biceps. “What just happened?” she asked, bewildered. Heat coursed through her bones. She couldn’t let go of him. If she did, she’d fall to the floor in a ridiculous heap.

  Bruno swallowed. “What do you feel?” He slid his arms back around her waist, drawing her into his body.

  “Confused. Hot.” She frowned at him even as she let him cradle her between his thighs. “This is insane.” She didn’t tell him that she’d dreamed of him kissing her since she was a teen. She didn’t want him to think she was some crazy fangirl. She lifted her hands to her cheeks. Her skin felt like it was on fire.

  “Do you know what a paired mate is?”

  Amy sucked in a breath. “What are you saying?” She thought about her friend Saige. When she’d eloped with Isaac, the connection between the two of them had been palpable. Amy didn’t quite understand it when Saige first explained it to her. But I think I understand it now.

  “Sentries can sense things about people. Emotions,” he said.

  That means he can sense my arousal. God. Amy licked her lips nervously. Bruno stared at her, obviously waiting for her to say something. She took a deep breath. “I know. Saige explained it to me. And she’s always been very intuitive, so I believed her, even though I didn’t understand. It’s easy to see how connected she is with Isaac, too.” She tilted her head, trying to ignore the heat of his body. She was so hot she ached, and trying to hold a rational conversation while she buzzed with need was proving difficult.

  “We have the same kind of connection, Amy,” Bruno said, sliding a hand up to cup her cheek. “Can you feel it?” He kissed her gently.

  Amy trembled. He thought she was meant for him? That they were meant for each other? “I don’t know.” She felt something, but lust had a way of confusing a person. She’d been down that road before.

  Bruno lifted his head. “I can sense your emotions, Amy.”

  Amy felt her skin flush hotter. If he could sense her emotions, he knew exactly how much she wanted him right now. “We don’t even know each other,” she said, wondering why she was arguing with him. Bruno Day had just kissed her! She had to be an idiot to keep protesting. I should just go for it. It’s not like I haven’t hooked up before, right? And he said he needed my help. It doesn’t have to mean anything.

  Even as she thought that, she knew she was lying to herself. She’d had a thing for Bruno since the first press conference, when the Sentries had finally come out in the open and publicly explained who they were. She flexed her fingers against his muscles. He felt like a mountain: strong and immovable. “This isn’t how I expected my day to end,” she muttered, looking away from the intensity of his gaze for a moment. She couldn�
��t look away for long, though. Something compelled her to glance back up at him.

  Bruno’s blue eyes bored holes in her composure, but then he closed his eyes and visibly gathered his control. “You’re right, of course.” He stepped back. “Come with me to Manhattan. Help us deal with the Spiders. You will learn all there is to know about me, and I you.”

  Amy shivered at the sudden loss of his body heat. “Wait, are you offering me a job? Or a date?” She wrapped her arms around herself. She wanted to rub her lips. They felt raw. Needy.

  “Yes. And more. I need your power, Amy.”

  Power? What is he talking about? She stared at him as disappointment crashed through her. She wasn’t sure why. They hardly knew each other. What could he possibly want from her? “You’re crazy.” She had no power. Did he want to just hook up with her? Did he want someone he could just put aside when he didn’t need her anymore? More importantly, did she care if that’s all it could be between them?

  “I can sense more than emotion. Sometimes I can see motivation. And I have visions of future events. I saw you two centuries ago, in a vision, Amy.” Bruno’s eyes held shadows. “I hate to ask this of you so suddenly. I thought we’d have more time.” He sighed. “My gift doesn’t always show a complete future.”

  “That’s impossible,” she said flatly. “No one can tell the future.”

  “Not impossible, just improbable,” he replied, as if he hadn’t just admitted to having strange, paranormal powers.

  But he’s a Sentry. They’re not quite human, are they? she reasoned, mind racing. She could go to New York. What could it hurt? “What exactly are you asking me?” Amy wished he were still kissing her. Kissing meant she didn’t have to grapple with explanations. Explanations she wasn’t sure she’d understand. But if he saw me in a vision, surely that means something.