Dark and Light (A Kindred Tales Duet)

Nothing, Luci had to admit. But Dios, she didn’t know how in the world she was going to admit her problem to Raze…or if the big Kindred could even help her fix it.

Twenty-One

Raze was lying on his bed in the rented domicile in Lucia’s building when he suddenly got a very strong feeling that someone wanted to talk to him.

He didn’t know why he hadn’t been able to let go of the apartment, but somehow he had found himself paying the rent, even after he moved out. It had come furnished so at least he still had someplace to sleep the night after he dropped Lucia off.

Raze was careful not to let her see him following her back to the apartment building, but he had a worried feeling about her—a feeling she might be in trouble. He wanted to be certain she got to her door safely before he left her.

But once he had seen her safely into her own apartment, he found his steps taking him back to his old domicile instead of out to the shuttle to head back to the Mother Ship. Using his spare Think-me, he had called and asked for another leave—this one just for a few days. His supervisor had agreed and Raze had settled in to wait—for what he didn’t know.

Now that he was getting a Think-me communication from Lucia, he understood what he had been waiting for—her call.

“Hello?” he said aloud, opening his mind to her to let her in. “What is it, Lucia?”

“Raze?” Her mental voice sounded hesitant. “I’m sorry to bother you but, well…I need your help. Only I don’t know if you’ll want to help me after the way we said goodbye the other night.”

“Of course I want to help you,” he said gently. He was aching for her—longing to hold her in his arms again. “Tell me,” he said. “Whatever it is, I’ll do anything in my power to help.”

“Well, this is kind of embarrassing but…”

Lucia went into a long explanation of how she had followed the instructions on the scent collecting package and now she was having problems removing the device. Her mental voice was embarrassed—Raze could practically see her blushing as she stumbled her way through her confession.

“All right,” he said at last, when she came to a faltering stop. “I think you’d better come up and see me so we can get this worked out. Is your mother there to watch Frannie and the twins?”

“Yes, she’s sleeping in the kids’ room,” Lucia sent. “But I don’t know if I can get up to the Mother Ship and back down again in time to do my shift at work tomorrow.”

“I’m not on the Mother Ship,” Raze confessed. “After I dropped you off the other night, I came back here. I’m in my old domicile—I mean, apartment. So you only have to come up two floors.”

“In your old apartment? What are you doing there?” Luci asked.

“I don’t know,” Raze said honestly. “I had a worried feeling about you—that you were in danger somehow. So I decided to stay on Earth for a few days.”

She sighed.

“Well, I guess it’s a good thing you did. Do you think you can help me with this crazy scent collection thing?”

“I’ll try,” Raze told her. “Bring everything you were given at the Scent Shop and we’ll see what we can do.”

“Thank you.” There was relief in Lucia’s mental voice. “Dios, I didn’t know what to do!”

“Don’t thank me yet,” Raze said grimly. “Come up to my domicile and let’s see what we’re working with.”

“Okay,” she sent and broke the connection.

Raze went into the living area and sat on the couch to wait for her. He just hoped he could help her with her problem. Otherwise, he didn’t know what she was going to do.

Twenty-Two

To Luci’s relief, there was no judgment in the big Kindred’s mismatched eyes when he opened the door of his apartment to her. She had been here several times to check on the kittens—which were now being cared for by a friend on the Mother Ship, as Raze had explained.

But to be honest, the kittens that had started this whole thing were the last thing on Luci’s mind at the moment.

“Hi,” she said, looking up at the big Kindred uncertainly.

“Come in,” Raze rumbled, nodding at the couch. “Have a seat, Lucia.”

“Thank you but I’d rather stand.” She stepped inside and shifted uncomfortably as he shut the door behind her. The couch was right there but she didn’t want to sit down. The awful scent collection dildo was a purple so dark it was almost black now and it felt heavier than ever inside her.

“Do you think you can help me get this thing out?” she blurted. “It’s really uncomfortable!”

“So it’s really stuck, hmm?” he asked, looking concerned but not angry or disgusted, thank goodness.