She would never know what he heard. One minute he was standing by the passenger side door. The next he had her flattened to the jeep as his body grew bigger behind her.
She would always remember the sounds of the silent bullets slicing into him. His body jerked against hers as he held onto the jeep to keep from losing his balance. She counted six bullets by the way his body bucked each time it was hit.
Silence. She turned around to look up. His eyes were lit up with pain.
“Sergey?” No answer, no response. She could see his other side taking over, making him seem terrifying even with bullets holding him down.
“I know you’re scared.” She whispered. “I’m scared too. You’ve got to help me get you into the back of the jeep. The male is out. You’ve got to do this for both of you. I’m going to inch down until I can get past the back door. I’ll open it and lay you down on your stomach. We can do this.” His eyes flashed with pain, but he never moved.
She inched down, taking one painfully slow side step at a time. She prayed that the shooter was gone, while mumbling words of encouragement. She wanted to turn him. Her heart pounded at the thought of that shooter hitting him again.
He’d planted his feet and refused to move when she tried. She got the message and stopped, taking more small steps to the side. The feel of the door handle sticking into her rear made her want to cheer. Almost there.
“We’re going to be fine, both of us. You just hold on. I’m going to get you help.”
She cleared the door. Stretching her arm out, she opened it. She tried to step away so she could angle his body to get him in. He wouldn’t move.
“You have to let me up. Sergey?”
Panic started to set in. She suppressed it. She would panic and scream later. Why wouldn’t he cooperate?”
She tilted her head up and looked into the eyes that roared with pain, protection and vengeance.
“You have to trust me. The shooter is gone. I can feel it in my bones. We have to get you to safety. As long as you aren’t safe, I won’t be safe either. Trust me.” Her voice had lowered, asking him with her heart not her logic.
His body moved, each step causing him pain as he made it to the open door. Together they got him into the jeep, laying curled on his side.
She shut the door and ran to the get in. She started the engine, wondering where to go. Once again the need to panic slapped her in the face. She took it and shoved it into the back of her mind. She needed a hospital stat.
Pulling out her phone to call nine one one, realizing she had something better, she hung up. She dialed Rena’s number.
“Rena.” The woman answered as if she was one of the brothers. Lorali would’ve laughed if she wasn’t on the verge of panic.
“It’s Lorali. Sergey has been hurt.”
“Where are you? Aran’s going crazy trying to pinpoint him.” What was that loud noise she heard in the background?
“He’s hurt bad, I need a doctor. What hospital can I take him to?”
“You can’t take him to a hospital.”
“I have to.” Lorali felt the panic creeping back in as she raised her voice to Rena.
“Lorali, this is Aran, you can’t take him to a hospital. You have to bring him here. If a doctor got a hold of him, not only would they not know what to do, they may try and harm him.”
“He’s dying.” Her voice broke and she fought the tears threatening to incapacitate her.
“Listen to me.” The whip of command in his voice had her spine straightening. “He isn’t going to die because you aren’t going to let him. You are going to get him here as fast as possible. Nicolas will have everything set up when you arrive. Rena is going to give you special directions. Do as she says.”
Rena took the phone from Aran as he began to feed her mental directions to give to Lorali.
“Lorali. Come out the lot and make a left. Turn over the Rankin Bridge.”
She started the jeep making every turn she was given. She didn’t hesitate when she was ordered to take the jeep off road.
“Believe me, that jeep can handle this. If the makers knew what the brothers had outfitted their jeeps with, they would hire them to design their next model. Lorali, Aran wants you to try something. Usually you could only do this if Sergey had bitten you. Keep your eyes on the road. You’ll be coming to a fork soon. Take the right one, the more dangerous looking one. He says look to see if there is a door in your mind. Something that Sergey or his other side would want to go through.”
Door? She searched, humoring Rena, until she saw it. Tall, she couldn’t see the top of it. It was brass with intricate scrolls on it. That was definitely a Sergey door.
Walking over to it, she opened it. It was better than focusing on his breathing that was getting shallower with every passing minute.
She opened it, but couldn’t walk through it. That was alright. She saw them. His other side was cradling him in its arms.
“Sergey?”
“Mate?”
“Yes, mate. Where are you going?”
“Hurt.” He looked at her with sad eyes.
“Yes, hurt. I’m taking you to Nicolas. He’ll help you.”
Sergey shook his head. “Love you, mate.”
“I love you too. You have to hold on.” She reached her hand out until she touched the invisible barrier. “Take my hand. Let me help you hold on.”
He shook his head. “Mate must have a choice. Can’t violate your choice.”
“I choose you. If I was asked to choose a hundred times, I‘d choose you. Take my hand Sergey. I want you forever.”
He walked over to her, examining her with those sad eyes that were making her heart break. She drove and waited, not knowing if this was happening or if she was delusional. She prayed for the first.
They reached out for her together. Their hand touched the barrier, unable to get through.
“I need you Sergey.” Her voice was soft and wistful. “I can’t lose you. I just found you.”
He reached through the barrier and took her hand. He was a solid presence in her mind. She grabbed him tight, refusing to let him go.
“You‘re going to be alright. We‘re almost there. Remind me to kill Rena for this trip through hell once you’re well.”
His laugh was weak and shaky, but it was there. She would take it.
They came up to the back of Aran‘s house. Standing on the porch was the whole family. She felt tears of relief fall as Nicolas and his brothers raced to the jeep to carry Sergey inside.
Chapter Twenty-two
Lorali was pacing the hallway. They had taken Sergey upstairs as gently as possible, trying not to shake his already abused body. Nicolas and Aran had walked into the room that had been turned into an emergency trauma area, closing the door behind them.
She‘d been left in the hall, afraid to ask questions, not wanting to divert their attention away from Sergey.
Rena and Dee had taken a seat on either side of the door, silently waiting with her.
“What‘s taking them so long?”
Rena grabbed her phone and checked the time. “It’s only been fifteen minutes.”
“It feels like it’s been forever.”
“I know. Aran was shot once, not as bad as Sergey. Still, I thought I’d go crazy,” Rena said.
“He saved my life. I’d never have been able to withstand all those bullets.”
“He loves you, Lorali.”
“I know. Why did it take me so long to figure it out?”
“We‘re programmed, almost from birth, to think love must come a certain way.” Dee spoke up. “We think we aren’t worth loving, so it will take a long time for the right male to see our worth, even longer for him to love us. When it’s just there. When they love us, faults and all, we balk. It must be a mistake or a gag we tell ourselves. Not with these guys. When they say they‘re in love, that‘s what they mean.”
Rena nodded with a small smile playing on her lips. “It‘s going to b
e ok. I know that Nicolas is the best doctor on Earth. He’ll save him.”
Lorali nodded and kept pacing. “I wish it had been me.”
“Stop it.” Dee came to stand in front of her. “He would‘ve lost it. Devastated doesn‘t describe how Sergey would be, if you had been killed. Under restraints might come close. His brothers having to hunt him down may paint the picture you need. Never underestimate your value to him.”
Lorali dropped her head and allowed the tears to come with noisy grief. She should‘ve told him long before tonight that she loved him. She cried harder as Dee and Rena held her close.
“Mate?” She looked up, only to realize she was hearing his voice in her head not with her ears.
“Are you alright mate?”
“Yes.” Her mental voice was as shaky as her physical one. “Are you alright?”
“Nicolas is working on us. He knocked the male out. He’s sleeping.”
“Why are you awake? ‘
“One of us has to be able to communicate with him.”
“You can talk to him and to me too?”
“Yes. The male. He can’t talk to you yet. He’ll be able to soon.”
“Did Nicolas say it was ok for you to talk to me?”
“He insisted I talk to you. He says you’ll keep me grounded.”
“He’s right. I will. I like having you in my mind. Can you read it?”
“No. Can only see what you allow me to see.”
“That’s even better. How did you know that I was in danger?”
“I just knew. I had to protect you.”
“Thank you.”
“I‘ll always protect you. Remember? I told you at the park?”
“I remember.”
He gave a groan of pain.
“What‘s happening?”
“He took out a bullet. They’re close to my spine.”
“Tell me about yourself. Something from when you were little on your planet.”
“I used to wake before Aran so I could sneak outside to see the sun coming up…”
***
The door to the room finally opened and the three of them fell backwards. They had sat leaning against the door and each other for support.
Aran looked down and gave them a confused male smile.
“Don‘t ask.” Rena said, lifting her arms to him. He reached down and lifted her up, tucking her in his arms.
Lorali and Dee got up, looking into the room for Sergey.
“How is he?”
“I think he’s going to be fine. Come in.” Nicolas smiled at Lorali, but motioned them all in.
They walked into the room to see Sergey laying on his stomach with his back covered in bandages.
“The hardest part will be getting him to lay still for the next twenty-four hours.” Every head turned to see Dante standing in the corner of the room.
“Don‘t ask him how he got into this room.” Rena commanded, still cradled in Aran‘s arm. “If we don‘t ask, we can pretend he was always in here.”
“Lorali, get used to it. Dante will show up everywhere, except your bedroom.” Dee said.
They turned their attention back to Sergey. He was laying on the makeshift operating table not moving a muscle. The tension in the room rose as they focused on him.
The brothers with Dante‘s help lifted the portable table Nicolas had used, bringing it closer to the bed before they moved him.
Lorali stood biting her bottom lip and clenching her hand as she watched them. The sigh she let out as they finished was echoed by the others in the room.
“Why does he have to lay still for a day?” Lorali asked, looking between Nicolas and Dante.
“It will take that long for the muscles and nerves in his spine to heal. If he moves and causes damage to the areas I repaired, I’ll have to operate again.”
“How will he relieve himself?” The concern in Lorali‘s voice made the males smile.
“He can hold it.” Aran answered. “We were created with the ability to lay still for days, if needed. He’ll be fine for a whole earth day.”
“Lorali, are you going to stay with him?”
She looked at Nicolas. “Will that be ok?”
“Yes.”
“I don‘t want to hurt him.”
“As long as you don‘t jump on him or lay on him he‘ll be fine. You can lay next to him. Don‘t worry about shaking the bed. He’ll be fine.”
She nodded. “I‘ll stay.”
“I‘ll come check on you both later,” Nicolas said.
Dee walked back into the room and handed Lorali some clothes. “We keep clothes at each other‘s houses. You never know when they will come in handy. These should fit you and will be more comfortable than what you have on.”
Lorali looked down at her first date clothes. She had on a short skirt paired with a cute blouse. “Thank you, Dee.”
“You‘re welcome.”
The three of them hugged before Dee and Rena followed the males out.
“Looks like it is just the two of us.” Lorali changed her clothes into the sweats and tee Dee had given her. She walked into the bathroom to relieve her own bladder. She was washing her hands at the sink when she finally read the words on the t-shirt. Aliens do it better.
Loud laughter poured out of her as the tension and the uncertainty of the day melted away. Sergey would be alright. Pulling herself together, she climbed on the bed, taking hold of his hand.
“You‘re going to be ok. Nicolas said so.” She needed to talk to him, even though he couldn’t hear her.
“Rena was a rock when she was giving me directions. She said that Aran was feeding them to her. I didn’t understand, but now I do. He was talking to her mentally. That is so cool by the way. When you‘re well, think of all the things I‘ll be able to say to you when you‘re surrounded with people. It will be so much fun.”
“I met your other half. Not sure what to call him. Animal or beast doesn‘t feel right. Sentient humanoid is a mouth full. Maybe you’ll be Sergey and he can be Serg.”
Lorali snuggled closer to him, rambling on about trivial things. She said whatever came to mind, as long as she was talking.
“I love you, Sergey. When you wake up I’m going to tell you. Then I‘ll tell you the next day and the day after that. I realize you can’t time love. We never could. I don‘t know when it happened, when I fell. It may have been the first day when you made sure I was hidden from the General. I may have fallen then, or maybe when your fingertips sprouted claws and you climbed a tree with me on your back.”
She rubbed her free hand along his arm and listened to his deep slow breathing.
“I love you, mate.” She closed her eyes and fell asleep.
Chapter Twenty-three
Lorali woke to a find herself being scrutinized by a pair of brown eyes.
“Hi.” She smiled at Sergey. “Don‘t move. You have to lay still for twenty-four hours.”
“Eight hours.”
She shook her head. “Its twenty-four believe me, I checked.”
“It was twenty-four I only have eight left.”
“That’s impossible! That would mean I slept for sixteen hours.”
“For the most part. You did eat though. Nicolas and Dante came to check on me. You were restless, crying out in your sleep. They woke you and forced you to choke down a few bites of something. Whatever they gave you had something in it to relax you. It took a while, but you finally sank into a peaceful sleep.”
“Did you yell at them? Tell them to never do that again? How can I take care of you if I’m out of it?”
“I said thank you. No one has left since we got here. We‘re protected. If I remember correctly, it is my job to protect you.”
She shook her head. “We protect each other.”
He smiled at her. “How do you feel?”
“I feel fine. You‘re the one laying on your stomach, unable to move. How do you feel?”
“Much better. The muscles are knitti
ng together and the nerve endings are mending, allowing me to feel the muscles knitting. It could’ve been much worse.”
“I don‘t know. It looked like you were dying to me.”
“I wasn’t. At least not yet. My body wanted to go into a type of hibernation, where everything not needed slows down to a barely functioning level. I wouldn’t let it and thus the battle began.”
“Why would you put yourself in danger?”
His eyes looked up at her, while his body lay prone on the bed. “Lorali, did you really think I‘d leave you unprotected?”
“No.” She responded, shaking her head.
“I thought you were going to die,” She said.
“I might have, without you. You were really brave.”
“Nah. I always drive off the side of the road, down the ditch from hell, and up the cliff going straight to heaven. Then I take the road labeled dead end and crash through mountains of rocks. It was no big deal.”
“Aww they brought you that way.” She reached out and stroked the side of his face.
She nodded vigorously, trying to look unfazed.
“You were much braver than I gave you credit for.” He said softly.
“Just a walk in the park to an army girl.” She gave him a blinding smile.
Her smile disappeared. “Who would want to kill me?”
“No one. They wanted you alive. In order to do that, they had to get me out of the way.” Concern for her safety laced his voice.
There was a knock at the door. Aran and Nicolas walked in after Lorali said enter.
“Sergey is right. We may have eaves dropped a little,” Nicolas said giving Lorali a big smile. “The created wanted you alive. We think he was doing a favor for the military. Sergey was shot in a specific location in order to induce him going into stasis. That would‘ve left you alone and vulnerable, giving the created enough time to grab you before we arrived. It was only his fight to stay alert that kept you safe.”
She reached out and stroked his arm. He had made sure nothing would happen to her even though his body needed to shut down. How could she not love him?
“Why does the military want me?”
“I asked the same question. I took the liberty of taking some blood from you while you were sleeping.” Nicolas gave her his winning smile.
Sergey: Love Me Harder - Alien Paranormal Romance Page 11