Glorious Victorious Darcys 01.5 - His Broken Angel Page 5

  The moment Lily realized Doc was in danger, she felt her way around the tiny cabin, grappling for clothing. She located Doc’s leather medical bag, his soft derby, and his wool greatcoat. Touching his things helped to soothe her rattled senses and when she couldn’t locate another piece of clothing she didn’t hesitate pulling on Doc’s coat. She knew he’d insist himself instead of allowing her to leave the cabin in nothing but her thin unmentionables. Time was ticking, as P.J. said, and Lily felt every second dragging them closer to bloodshed.

  Fingers trembling, she managed two buttons before grabbing Doc’s hat and bag. A memory flashed as she hobbled across the room. Fleeing her passenger cabin aboard the Britannia in order to ascertain the source of the explosion and the reason for the sirens. She’d left everything behind—her baggage, her reticule, her sketchbook. She hadn’t known what she was stepping into.

  The chaos.

  Panic welling, Lily blocked the memories and wrenched open the door. Hindered by the heavy brace, she tripped on the hem of Doc’s coat, falling forward into Jasper’s arm. He reeked of herbal-smelling smoke and acrid gunpowder. He felt strong and stable. Dangerous.

  Wrong.

  “I’m ready to go,” she said. “But not with you, Jasper. I’m with Doc.” She’d almost blurted “King.” But she’d promised to keep his first name secret. She remembered at least that small portion of her anxiety attack. And she remembered Doc’s kindness. She remembered his touch and how he’d soothed. Healed. He was a miracle worker.

  Just before she’d drifted off, she’d asked him how he came by the name King. He’d flushed and said his father had named him after a twentieth-century civil rights activist, a man he’d greatly admired. A man who’d preached tolerance and inspired hope. Ray Bluebell had believed his first-born son capable of great things. Lily didn’t doubt that prediction. She couldn’t endanger Doc’s gift or his life by allowing him to encounter this Crusher person. That Doc was willing to risk his life to protect Lily warmed her as deeply as his healing energy.

  “You said she’d be up and walking by tomorrow,” Jasper said.

  Doc relieved Lily of his bag and hat and then took her hand from Jasper’s arm and gently squeezed. “Heart and will works magic beyond my powers.”

  “Gumption,” Jasper said. “It’s about time. Although it will be difficult fitting her into the Bullet with that brace.”

  Lily nudged Doc’s arm. “Take it off.” The longer they dawdled, the greater a disastrous meeting with Crusher.

  “Too soon to stress the bone,” Doc said as he started releasing straps and bolts. “I’ll have to carry you.”

  She didn’t argue. The brace thudded to the floor and Doc swept her into his arms.

  “I’ve got your bag and I’ll lead the way,” Jasper said. “Haul ass.”

  Lily held tight as Doc whisked her down the corridor and up a set of stairs. She marveled at his strength and balance and the erratic beating of her heart.

  Besotted.

  Lily was fascinated with the sensual impulses tugging at her mind and body. She’d heard of love at first sight, but love at first touch? From the moment Doc had pressed his healing hands to her forehead, she’d been overwhelmed with foreign yearnings. Yearnings that overrode dark thoughts and good sense. Instead of focusing on their dire situation, Lily was consumed with the thrill of Doc’s possessive embrace and whispered reassurances.

  They breeched the open air and Lily winced. Frigid winds and icy rain. Even though the deck had to be slick, Doc never faltered or fumbled. Lily buried her face against his warm neck, feeling powerfully guilty for seizing his coat. He had to be freezing.

  At once she was aware of growing activity. Footfall and muffled voices. A rush of bodies. “What’s going on?”

  “Looks like the town’s breaking up and setting for sail. Could be ’cause a storm’s kickin’ up. Could be … Jasper!” Doc hurried his steps and Lily clung tighter. “Any of this ruckus due to that bounty hunter?”

  “I’m not the only name on Crusher’s list and there’s a lot of riffraff in this particular skytown. Only fair to warn ’em.”

  “So now you’re a champion of outlaws everywhere?”

  “Sometimes a man breaks the law because he has no choice. Doesn’t mean he deserves to have his head crushed like a grape.”

  Lily cringed at the image, shoved it away.

  Doc held his tongue.

  She wondered what he was thinking. She wondered how two brothers could be so different—one who fought crime alongside a United States Air Marshal, the other theleader of a gang of cutthroat Freak Fighters. Only Jasper didn’t seem like a coldhearted killer. Neither did P.J., Snoop, or Patch. Even though she knew they’d instigated the attack on the Brittania, she couldn’t reconcile the people who’d saved and nurtured her with the carnage Doc had cited via the newspapers.

  “You’ll both have to squeeze into the front cockpit, Blue. P.J. needs full mobility in the pilot’s seat, and Snoop will be riding rear shotgun.”

  “Don’t recall seeing a third seat on this dig,” Doc shouted over the mayhem.

  “It’s more like a throne on the tail. Snoop will be heavily armed and watching your backs. Give me Lily and climb in,” Jasper said. “She’ll have to sit on your lap.”

  “Freezing rain and wind,” Doc said. “She’ll catch her death.”

  “So will you,” Lily said close to Doc’s ear. “I have your coat.”

  “I’m fine, angel. Don’t fret.”

  “There’s a thermoplastic shield,” Jasper said while prying Lily away from Doc. “P.J. didn’t utilize it on your flight in?”

  “No, she did not.”

  Lily weathered a face full of wind and rain. She did not want to take refuge in Jasper’s arms. She didn’t want Jasper at all. Even though she sensed a decent heart, she didn’t trust him. She trusted Doc. Still and all, when gunfire sounded in the distance, she gasped and clutched Jasper’s coat sleeves.

  “It’s all right, darlin’.” Jasper gave her a reassuring squeeze then lowered her into a cramped space, onto Doc’s lap. “Need to blindfold you, Blue.”

  “Forget it.”

  “It’s for your own good. If you know the location of the Freak Fighter outpost—”

  “No blindfold, Jasper, and handover a weapon. Hurry up. Here comes P.J and your other man. And that gunfire’s getting closer.”

  “Thought you opposed violence.”

  “I’m against dyin’ too.”

  Jasper grunted. “Reckon you can handle my Disrupter 29?”

  “Reckon I can.” Doc slicked rain from Lily’s face then palmed her cheek, infusing her with heat. “Got a reason to make the effort.”

  Sensitive to Doc’s protective manner and the exchange of the gun, Lily’s heart pounded with wonder and dread.

  “If I don’t make it back …” Jasper looked away.

  “Make it back,” Doc said. “We’ve got unfinished business.”

  Lily’s breath caught as something snapped into place, shutting out the wind and rain. Shutting out the world. “I can’t hear anything.”

  “It’s the thermoplastic shield. Baffles the sound,” Doc said while readjusting Lily’s legs in between his own. “Can’t make out her words, but I can see P.J. giving Jasper an earful.”

  “About the blindfold?”

  “That’d be my guess.”

  “I’m sorry I got you in this fix,” Lily said, fiercely conscious of their intimate and highly inappropriate position. Arms and legs entangled. Her backside pressed against his groin.

  “I’m here on account of my own actions, angel. I promise I’ll get us both out.” He shifted and squeezed her waist, pulling her even closer. “Jasper just ran off. Guess he’s heading for the Crusader. Don’t know what that dig looks like, but she must be flashy or big. P.J. said she’d attract attention.”

  “What’s this dig look like?” Lily asked.

  “Let’s put it this way. It’s called the Bullet.”


  “Sleek and cylindrical.”

  “With wings and a tail and some sort of rocket booster. P.J.’s firing up now.”

  Lily heard the rumble clean through the shield. The cramped dirigible vibrated and shimmied and Lily braced for takeoff. “Are you scared, King?”

  “You forget I’ve been riding with your brother for the past few years. If we weren’t chasing and apprehending outlaws, we were clashing with sky pirates and ALE. This is nothing. Although P.J’s flying ain’t for the fainthearted.”

  “I’m not fainthearted.” Lily licked her lips. “Not usually.”

  “I believe you, but flying blind is discombobulating. Focus on my voice,” he said close to her ear as the vessel lurched forward. “I’ll talk you through it.”

  For a minute she was breathless, speechless. Her mind and body reeled with the forceful launch and the sudden unexpected speed as they shot through the air. Just as he’d promised, Doc described everything. The three ships that constituted skytown breaking apart and heading in separate directions, several other smaller digs shooting off every which way …

  “Ah, the Crusader.”

  “Flashy and big?” she asked, holding tight to Doc’s hands.

  “Beauty of a zeppelin wrapped in an intricate iron grill. Topside propeller and rear rocket thrusters. Gondola’s loaded with cannons and the zepp’s fitted to carry small fighter digs like this one.”

  “How … how can you be sure it’s the Crusader?” Lily asked as the Bullet lurched right.

  “The big S welded into the intricate grill work.” Doc sighed. “Caped Crusader. Man of Steel. Superman. A twentieth-century superhero. Pa used to liken Jasper to the fictional icon. Thing is Superman used his powers for the greater good.”

  “For Jasper,” Lily said as she struggled with a dizzy spell, “emancipating Freaks is the greater good.”

  “You’re a good soul, Lily Gentry.”

  Doc kissed the back of her head and the dizziness intensified. Only it wasn’t from the topsy-turvy ride. Cannon fire exploded in the distance and Lily burst with a fierce need to live in the moment. This moment. “I’ve never been kissed.”

  “What?”

  “If this ends badly, I want something good to remember when I meet my maker.”

  “Don’t talk nonsense, angel. P.J.’ll get us out of here. If nothing else, her pride demands it.”

  Ignoring the ache in her ribs and the pain in her leg, Lily swiveled round best she could. “Kiss me proper-like, King.”

  “Lily.”

  She could feel the warmth of his breath. His mouth, so close. His body tensed as she leaned in, but she didn’t pull back. She waited … and when the Bullet shook with the blast of return fire, she took what she wanted. A kiss. Though her mouth glanced off Doc’s, she tasted a hint of peppermint and slice of heaven. Bliss.

  He groaned then, cradled her face, and pressed his lips to hers—firm and true. He kissed her proper-like. The kind of kiss she’d read about in dime novels. The kind she’d seen stolen between lovers in the park. Heat radiated through her body, her skin tingled, and her blood burned. He teased the seam of her mouth with his tongue, and Lily’s lungs near about burst through her ribs.

  Inspired by their precarious circumstance and her uncertain future, she parted her lips and welcomed Doc’s tongue. The awfulness of the world faded away as the compassionate healer gifted her with sizzling passion.

  The Bullet bucked then arced, and Lily’s heart followed.

  Chapter Seven

  P.J. Darcy was every bit the ace pilot she bragged to be.

  Snoop had buffalo-sized balls.

  Doc hadn’t been in the position to witness the duo’s every tactic, but he was experienced in sky warfare and they had dodged a dog fight with impressive skill and speed. He was a mite embarrassed knowing he’d kissed his way through the mayhem. Sure and certain, he was almighty vexed at the affection he felt toward the woman sleeping in his arms.

  Talk about dangerous foreign ground.

  Sailing through the darkening skies, Doc pondered his poor judgment of late. He should have ignored Lily’s awkward peck, but no. He’d gotten a taste of her sweetness and the temptation had driven him to reckless distraction. He’d kissed her long and deep. Proper-like, then improper-like. He’d worked his hands beneath her, his, coat, and he’d sampled her curves.

  Oh, yes, he’d compromised Lily good and plenty. Even now his John Thomas was rock hard and ready. He wanted her in his bed and, even worse, in his life. He’d never been in love before, but he’d wager he was in the thick of it with Lily. The moment he’d laid eyes on her—an angel on earth—his heart had gone all soft. His brain had taken a hit as well. Because, dash it all, if he’d been thinking straight, he would’ve dodged this intimate bullet.

  Now he was in a devil of a pickle. Not just because he’d compromised her reputation, but because he was pretty sure Lily had feelings for him too. This was bad. Real bad. They couldn’t be together. Not as man and woman. Not as man and wife. He couldn’t do that to Tuck. He sure as shootin’ couldn’t do that to Lily.

  How the hell was he going to address the situation?

  First and foremost, get a grip on your lustful urges.

  Lily stirred in his arms and Doc shifted, trying to shield her from his erection.

  “Are we there yet?” she asked in a husky voice that drove him one mile closer to mad.

  “Almost.” He wasn’t sure how long they’d been traveling, but it had been a good while. Dusk had fallen and Doc had to squint to make out the outlines of the Freak Fighter hideout. “We’re coming up on the outpost now. Looks like a village built into the side of a mountain. Two and three story housing—almost Tudor-style—balanced on stone and wood foundations, jutting out of the cliff. Hard to describe.”

  “You’re doing a fine job,” Lily said while interlacing her fingers with his. “Sounds unique.”

  “It is.” He cleared his throat, knowing he should pull free of her grasp and instead tightening his hold. “There’s a waterfall gushing over the side of the cliff and running over a giant grist mill wheel. It’s pretty magnificent. Four airships are docked at intermittent bays.”

  “Do you see the Crusader?”

  “No.” What if Crusher had blown that zeppelin out of the sky, and Jasper with it? Doc palmed his shirt pocket and the photograph tucked inside. What if that tattered daguerreotype was all he had left of his brother?

  “I’m sure he’s fine,” Lily said. “Probably took that bounty hunter on a chase far and away from here. Give him time. He’ll show. If nothing else his pride will demand it,” she teased in a light voice. “Plus, you’ve got unfinished business, remember?”

  “All I want is a chance to talk some sense into him,” Doc said as the Bullet slowed and nosed toward a docking bay. “If he keeps living like this, on the wrong side of the law, he’ll end up in the hoosegow for life or six feet under.”

  “If he turns himself in, he’ll be punished for sure. What do you expect him to do?” Lily asked. “Go into hiding?”

  “That or adopt an alias and find an honest job. Seems like the only alternatives given the debacle with the Brittania. That bloodbath marked him for death. What the devil was he thinking? How could he order such senseless destruction? I don’t care how much he hates intolerant Vics, that ain’t no call for annihilating a boodle of men in cold …”

  Gasping for air, Lily doubled over.

  Son of a … “I’m sorry, angel.” He pulled her back into his arms, spoke close to her ear. “Calm down. Breathe. Did you feel that bump? We just docked. I’ll find us some warm clothes and a hot meal. I’m thirsty. You ever had ale? Or a shot of whiskey? I’m thinking we could both use some fortifying. That’s it. Breathe.” His heart hammered as he smoothed his hands up and down her arms. “Slow and easy. That’s it.”

  Someone wrenched up the thermoplastic shield, allowing for brisk winds and the sounds of groaning engines. P.J. glared down at Doc.

  “
She’s all right,” Doc said.

  Lily nodded and massaged her chest. “I’m fine. Truly.”

  A mountain of a man moved in next to P.J. and Doc instantly felt the rippling of two dimensions. A kindred Freak. “Snoop?”

  Ignoring Doc, the frowning man focused on Lily. “She doesna like to think aboot it.”

  How did he know … Ah. Snoop was clairvoyant. He was also a Scot. His accent reminded Doc of Captain Dunkirk—the Scottish Shark of the Skies. Which made Doc think of Tuck and Amelia and the betrayal.

  Snoop arched a wary brow.

  “Lift Lily out of here,” Doc prompted. “And be mindful of her leg.”

  Snoop was a big man, taller than Jasper and broader in the shoulder. He’d painted his face blue and wore his long dreaded hair in a high ponytail. Doc wondered if the intimidating Fighter could be trusted.

  “Aye,” he said, holding Doc’s gaze. “I can. Jury’s still oot on you, yeah?”

  Dash it all.

  “What’s going on?” Lily asked.

  “Nothing,” P.J. said, motioning Doc and Snoop to hush.

  Doc censored his thoughts as the big blue man gently hauled Lily from the cockpit. His own legs tingled, half asleep from the cramped ride. He massaged one thigh while nabbing his derby and bag from beneath the seat. Joining the others on a narrow gangway, Doc eyed Snoop. “Trade you my medical bag for Lily.” She feels safer with me.

  Snoop nodded, but before Doc could initiate the exchange, P.J. tugged him down and whispered in his ear. “Canoodling in a dog fight? In the words of your brother: If that don’t beat all.”

  Doc felt his color rise. An explanation escaped him as affectionate thoughts swelled.

  “Leave him be,” Snoop said to P.J. while placing Lily in Doc’s arms. Then to Doc, “We need to talk.”

  “Yes, we do.” Doc realized suddenly that Snoop was not only privy to his thoughts, but to everyone’s. Including Lily’s. What went on in her mind during those anxiety attacks? By now Doc had deduced her spells weren’t wholly instigated by her lack of sight. What panicked Lily was whatever she’d witnessed on the Britannia. Something she never spoke of. Something she didn’t like to think about. Blocking memories. Images. Surrounding herself in darkness.