Drake Sisters 07 - Hidden Currents

dominant and submissive thing and I didn’t real y understand it.â€
    â€œI doubt it, baby. From what I’ve heard, a true dom loves and appreciates his woman. He wants her happy and satisfied. A submissive gives him or herself to her partner. No, he was breaking you, forcing dependency. Tel me what you know of his brother.â€
    A seagul cried and another answered. He glanced up at the sky. The fog was beginning to thicken, coming in off the ocean, misty fingers trailing along the shore, moving toward them.
    â€œHis brother came into the room once and he real y frightened me. There was evil in his eyes and in his aura. Stavros is right to fear him. He likes hurting people, not just women, but anyone. And he looked at Stavros with the exact same look he gave me. Cold. Calculating. He told Stavros how to ‘break’ me to his wil . When he talked, he made certain I heard every word. He showed me the whips and cane and described each instrument in detail and how it would hurt. He described the bruises or wounds each would make and how to teach me to serve him sexual y. He said he enjoys breaking in the women for their clients.â€
    Jackson tugged at her hand. “You’re shivering. Let’s go into the house.â€
    El e shook her head. “Not yet. I like being out in the open where I can see something coming at me.â€
    He didn’t like the look of the fog, dark and damp and much heavier than usual. He glanced at Bomber, noting the dog was alert, staring out toward the choppy water, his body between El e, Jackson and the incoming fog. The Shepherd was standing, his ears up, his eyes focused, his hair up and tail down, poised and ready, stretched toward an unseen enemy.
    El e’s fingers crept up to her throat. Jackson caught her hand. “Why did you do that?â€
    She swal owed. “I don’t know. Just for a moment, my throat closed. I think talking about Stavros puts me in a state of panic. I’m sorry, Jackson. I don’t mean to be such a baby.â€
    â€œYou’re no baby, El e.†He leaned down and brushed his mouth over the top of her head. He was beginning to get a bad feeling and every single time in his life he’d had that same churning gut, something bad had happened. “Your home is safer than mine. I’ve got the room where I stash my weapons, and you’l be relatively safe there if we get you in it, but your house eats people. It actively protects you. And there’re more people to look after you.â€
    â€œI have to be with you right now, Jackson. I know no one else understands it, but I know I won’t be safe without you.â€

    He couldn’t pul out of her mind and he didn’t want to think too much about the why of El e’s belief that she was safer with him, not until he could be alone with his thoughts. Something wasn’t right and El e had more psychic gifts than most people. If she didn’t believe she was safe without him in the Drake house, with Ilya and Jonas and Matt to protect her, then whatever threatened her had to be more than physical—and he had a real y bad feeling about who was behind that threat.
    â€œJackson?†El e’s voice quivered.
    â€œWe’l be fine, baby. You want to stay with me, then you’l stay. I’ve got a couple of friends—the woman I told you about who trained Bomber, and her husband—who can give me a few tips on keeping you safe. She’s sending me the two dogs I told you about as soon as they’re ready. I’ve already made the arrangements. One in particular is for you.â€
    El e slid her palm over Bomber’s head. “He’s comforting.â€
    Bomber gave a short bark. Jackson’s hand slid smoothly inside his jacket. “Show me.â€
    Bomber started toward the trail leading to the beach just below the house.
    â€œIt’s my sisters,†El e said. “They’re on the beach.â€
    Jackson cal ed the dog back to him and Bomber instantly responded, coming to heel, sitting at Jackson’s side. Man and dog shielded El e while Jackson peered through the thickening fog, trying to make out the figures taking shape on the sand.
    The six women looked ethereal. He could just make them out in their long, flowing skirts, bare feet and loose hair. He could hear feminine voices rising on the wind and the crackling of a fire as