High Energy, Joy, Dara [books to read this summer .txt] 📗

"Oh God, Tyber, I love you."

"I know, baby. I know." His mouth covered her own, melding with it, fusing with

it.

The culmination of their union came to them both at once, complete and

everlasting. An ending. A beginning.

Tyber slipped quietly from beneath the blankets so as not to awaken Zanita.

She had fallen asleep in his arms shortly after they made love. The events of

the day, the emotional roller-coaster she had experienced, and finally, this

last physical act had taken their toll. Her energy resources depleted, she had

fallen into an exhausted slumber.

Good. Sleep was the best healer.

He slipped his clothes back on, silently leaving the bedroom on stockinged feet.

When he reached the foyer, he picked up the hall phone, punching in a set of

memorized numbers. The call was answered promptly. Tyber did not waste time on

preliminaries.

"Where is he?"

"Who?"

"Don't play games with me, Sean. I know you would have followed him when he left

my house on Sunday. Now, where is he?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"He threatened Zanita. Scared her. Bad."

There was a brief pause, then, "He's renting a little cottage outside of Hill

Town up on Blue Ridge Road. Yellow paint. White trim. Number 109." Tyber made to

hang up, but Sean forestalled him. "Evans!"

"What?"

"Don't do anything stupid. I'll be right behind you. You'll have fifteen

minutes."

"I owe you one, buddy. Thanks."

Tyber searched out Blooey, giving him an edited version of what had happened.

Blooey was furious, threatening to take up arms himself and go after the scurvy

toad.

Tyber calmed him down, asking him to check in on Zanita while he was out,

instructing him not to wake her. Blooey knew exactly what Tyber was about. The

Captain took care of his own. Aye, he was a good man to serve with.

"Ye don't have to worry none about me, Captain. I'll take the watch for ye. Go

about yer business now."

The small house was dark except for the one light shining in the right front

room.

Tyber debated the best way of gaining entrance, finally deciding that the

simplest ways usually worked the best. He knocked on the front door first. He

didn't really expect LaLeche to answer, so was taken off guard a little when he

did.

LaLeche appeared faintly surprised to see Tyber Evans on his front stoop. He

made to shut the door, but Tyber stopped him by shoving his way into the house.

Gaining entrance, he slammed the door closed behind him.

"I want to talk to you, Xavier." Tyber's soft tone held a lethal intensity.

"Maybe some other time. As you can see, I'm a little busy right now." LaLeche

ignored Tyber, busily emptying out a bureau and throwing the contents into a

duffel bag.

Tyber ground his teeth together, resisting the urge to choke the life out of

this scumbag. "I ought to just kill you, but I guess I'm going to have to be

civilized and warn you first. Stay away from Zanita. If I ever see or hear of

you coming near her again, I'll—"

LaLeche stopped packing. He turned and faced Tyber, a knowing smirk on his face.

"You'll what? Don't jerk with me, Doctor Evans. For christsakes, you're a

physicist."

"Sometimes," Tyber responded smoothly.

LaLeche regarded him in a new light. "Interesting. I'd love to stick around and

discover all of your intriguing facets, but I really need to be going."

"I don't think so."

"Now there's where you're wrong, Doctor. Get out of my way." He made to push

past him, but Tyber slammed him against the back of the door.

"You're going away all right, and for a long time, pal. But before you go, I

intend to reach an understanding with you. I want you to forget all about

Zanita. I want you to forget about ever coming near my lady or anything else of

mine again. I want you to forget all about any twisted notion you have for

revenge. And to make sure you do"—Tyber slammed his fist hard into LaLeche's

groin—"a little something to remember me by."

LaLeche doubled over, clutching his middle. The man had a fist like iron. "You

son of a bitch," he rasped.

"You don't know the half of it. If you think you're cute with special effects,

you should see how adorable I can become with lethal substances."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm a regular MacGyver."

"What's that supposed to mean?" LaLeche tried to straighten up, gasping to

regain his breath.

"If anything should ever happen to Zanita, or me for that matter, I'll make sure

that certain plans are set into motion. For instance, have you ever seen a man

suffering from radiation poisoning? It can be a slow, painful death. First your

hair falls out; then your teeth. You bleed—"

"You're bluffing."

"No, I'm good at solving problems. Do yourself a favor—don't become one for me."

"Shit."

LaLeche believed him. Tyber shoved him roughly aside, almost causing him to fall

to the floor. He threw the door open. With a last look conveying his deadly

sincerity, Tyber quietly closed the door behind him.

As soon as he cleared the walkway, Sean and his men began surrounding the house.

Tyber got into his truck, closed his eyes, and exhaled deeply. He had been

bluffing. But like any good pirate captain, he knew when to face an enemy down.

Even when he didn't have any cannons on board. Regardless of what happened,

LaLeche would never bother them again.

Zanita was still sleeping when he crawled back into bed with her.

She immediately turned toward him, burrowing into his warmth. He enfolded her in

his embrace, rubbing the top of her head with his chin.

"Where were you?" she mumbled.

"Miss me?" She nodded sleepily against his chest. "I got a phone call. How are

you feeling, baby?"

"A little sore, but otherwise okay." A small shudder coursed through her body

with the recent memories of LaLeche.

"Are you sure?" He massaged her back.

"Yes, really. It was horrible, but the horror is already receding thanks to your

fine treatment, Doc." She smiled against his skin.

Tyber let out a pent-up breath of relief. She was going to be okay. "He's been

arrested."

"Was it on the news?"

"No." He didn't elaborate and Zanita didn't ask. "Extortion. A couple of women

identified him by his picture. Said he seduced them under the name of Marvin

Broconol, took photos, then blackmailed them by threatening to show the pictures

to their wealthy husbands. Since one woman