Tamping down her emotions, she forced her attention to Patrick. His lips were moving, but no sound emerged. "I think he's trying to say something, Darius," she said.
Several seconds passed before Darius loosened his hold. "Have you something to say?"
"I-" Patrick sucked in a deep breath. "Just need-" deep breath "-a moment."
"You're supposed to be looking for my brother," Grace told him. "Why aren't you in Brazil?"
"He's dead. Alex's dead. We found evidence right after you left. I'm sorry."
Had Darius not shown Grace proof that Alex lived, she would have sank to her knees and sobbed. Of all the things to say, of all the things to feign remorse about, that was the crudest.
Her eyes narrowed. "You may kill him, Darius."
Darius flicked her a startled glance, staring at her lips as if he couldn't quite believe what they'd proclaimed. He grinned slowly, then turned that grin to Patrick.
"What the woman wants," he said, "I give her."
Both of Patrick's palms pushed at Darius's chest, but the action had no effect. "I can't tell you anything. I'll lose everything, damn it. Everything!"
"So you would rather lose your life?"
Darius increased the pressure. Patrick gurgled, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to suck in air. Grace snapped out of her murderous inclinations. Thinking about a death and actually witnessing it were two totally different things.
Not knowing what else to do, she laid her hand on Darius's arm. "Perhaps I spoke too hastily," she said. "Let's give him one more chance."
Darius glanced at her hand, then brought his gaze to her face, never releasing Patrick. The blue in Darius's eyes had faded substantially, making them appear almost completely white.
"Let him go. Please." Her hand inched upward, and she stroked her fingers over his cheek. "For me."
She didn't know why she'd added those last words and didn't expect them to work. Yet color began to return to Darius's eyes, not ice-blue but gorgeous golden-brown. The color she was coming to love.
"Please," she said again.
He released Patrick in the next instant. The gasping man collapsed on the dirty concrete, wheezing as he tried to fill his lungs. Red handprints encircled his neck, changing to a blue-black as she watched. She and Darius waited side by side, silent, as Patrick breathed life back into his body.
"Why were you following Grace?" Darius demanded. "I will not give you another chance to answer, so consider your words carefully."
Patrick closed his eyes and leaned his shoulders into the wall. His fingers massaged at his throat. "The medallion," he said, his voice hoarse, broken. "I followed her for the medallion."
"Why?" Every muscle Darius possessed stiffened. "What did you hope to do with it?"
"My boss… he wants your jewels," Patrick choked out. "That's all."
"How do you know what I am?"
"You're like the others. The ones we… " His words trailed off. "I was only to keep track of Grace's whereabouts, to record where she went and who she talked to. I wasn't to harm her in any way. I swear."
"Give us a name?" she said sharply, though she was beginning to suspect the answer.
His shoulders slumped, and he laughed, a humorless, I-can't-believe-this-is-happening rasp. "I'll tell you, but you know what? You'd better be prepared to wade nose-deep in shit because that's what he's going to throw at you. He's the greediest son of a bitch I've ever met, and he'll do anything, anything to get what he wants."
"His name," she insisted.
"Jason Graves." He paused, adding gruffly, "Alex's boss. The owner of Argonauts."
A cold shiver of dread attacked Grace. Argonauts. Jason. Bits of information began to piece together in her mind. Trembling inside, Grace bent down until she and Patrick were eye-to-eye. She cupped his chin with shaky hands and forced him to face her, to stare her directly in the eyes. "Is Jason Graves holding Alex captive?"
Patrick nodded reluctantly.
"Where?" The word lashed from her. "Here in the States? Brazil?"
"Different places. Never the same place for long."
"Was he in Brazil while I was there? Is that why you guys were so eager to send me home?" Why hadn't they hurt her? Why hadn't they threatened Alex with her life? There had to be a reason.
"We wanted you out of there so you wouldn't hinder our search for the medallion. Other than that, I'm as clueless as you as to where he is," he added. "I'm told on a need to know basis, and I don't need to know that."
"How long has he been a prisoner?"
"A few weeks." Patrick wheezed, then coughed. "You were supposed to find the e-mail we sent you and stop searching. Why the hell didn't you stop searching?"
His question was rhetorical, so she didn't bother with a response. "What does Jason plan to do with him? Kill him? Release him later?"
"Who knows?" he said, but the truth was there in his eyes. Alex would never be released. Not alive. "Last I heard, he was fine."
Shoving to her feet, Grace looked up at Darius. "We have to go to the police," she said. "We have to tell them what's going on."
"What are police?"
When she explained, he said sharply, "No." He shook his head, causing black locks of hair to brush his temples. "We will involve no one else."
"They'll help us. They'll-"
"They will only hinder our search. I would be unable to use my… special skills. I will find your brother on my own."
He was asking her to trust him absolutely, to place her brother's life in his hands. Could she? Dare she? Her gaze fell to her hands.
"What will you do with these police of yours?" Darius demanded. "Will you tell them the myth of Atlantis is true and your brother hoped to prove it? Will you tell them you have traveled there? Will you bring more of your people and heartache to my land?"
Her eyes closed for a brief moment. She mentally sighed. Did she dare trust him? she asked herself again. Yes. She dared. No man was more competent. And no other man possessed the magical gifts that Darius did. He could do things the law couldn't; he could take her places the law couldn't. "I trust you," she said. "I won't go to them."
He nodded as if her answer had meant little to him, but she saw the flood of relief in his eyes. He whipped his attention to Patrick. "If you come near Grace again," he said, his tone harsh, lethal, "you'll find no more mercy from me. Do you understand?"
Slowly Patrick nodded. The action caused him to wince.
Eyes glowing ice-blue, Darius bent down and retrieved his blades. He wavered suddenly, but righted himself. Grace gripped his arm to help steady him. His skin was pale again as he secured his weapons inside his pockets. He wound his arm around her waist and curled his fingers possessively on her rib cage.
"Let us pay this Jason Graves a visit."
CHAPTER 16
Argonauts was housed in a towering building of glass and chrome, and as Grace rode the elevator up to the forty-third floor, she brooded, thinking the company should have been housed in a hut of shame and greed.
Did Jason Graves actually think he could lock her brother away and go unpunished? Her hands fisted at her sides. Underneath her anger, however, were tendrils of fear that refused to leave. She remembered how cold and sick Alex had looked.
"I'm scared, Darius," she whispered.
He remained curiously silent. Solemn, actually.
Grace turned toward him and blinked. Though some color had returned to his cheeks, the lines around his lips were taut, and there was a new hollowness to his cheeks. She didn't like to see this hard, strong, extraordinarily capable man weakened in any way. Not because it made him less able to help her, but because she cared about him. Darius. About all the things that made up who he was. Seeing him distressed was worse than experiencing it herself.