by Susan Bliler
When her mouth fell open and a startled gasp slipped free, he knew he’d blown it.
“I’m leaving.” She spun, rushing for the door, but he couldn’t let her go. Not like this.
“You…you should stay away from me,” she demanded, “and stop following me!”
Stop following her? He snorted. So, she had noticed. Tough. She was his, and he’d die before he simply let her drift away from him.
She was nearly to the door when he caught her around the waist, hauling her off her feet. Twisting her to face him, a startled scream left her, and he barely caught sight of her terror-filled eyes before his mouth locked over hers.
The taste of her was bliss, a balm to his inner beasts who’d longed for their Angel’s touch for too long. Monroe kissed her hard, pouring all his emotion into it, before he realized she wasn’t kissing him back. No, she was fighting him. Thrashing wildly and trying to break free, he heard the rending of material and a slight whimper before he pulled back to see she was crying and shoving at his chest. Her dress had torn in her struggle, and that’s how they were found when Bodi stormed the Crow’s Nest.
“MONROE!” Anger flashed in his Sentry’s eyes as he quickly approached. “Let her go!”
Monroe’s eyes darkened, and he knew the look he gave Bodi was pure murder when Eden ceased her quiet sobbing and recoiled. Looking down, he felt his gut twist with guilt and self-loathing. He was terrifying his Angel.
“Eden.” His voice came out rougher than he’d expected. “Please. Please forgive my actions. Know that I’d rip out my own heart before ever touching you in anger, or harming you in any way.”
She looked to Bodi, and when she reached for the Sentry, Monroe felt his heart shatter. Wordlessly, he handed her over.
Bodi’s dark eyes lifted to Monroe’s. “Jesus, Monroe! She needs time,” he implored. “She’ll come back to you, I know it.” With that he turned and exited the room, taking Monroe’s heart with him. Eden’s terrified eyes peeked at him over Bodi’s shoulder as she was carried away.
Chapter 14
Monroe watched Eden slowly enter the room. By the grace of the Gods she was in their quarters. Somehow, after the epic failure of their last meeting, Jenny talked her into meeting with him again after explaining that they’d been more than merely dating. One condition, though. This time, Bodi accompanied her into the room and stood at attention just inside the door with his arms crossed, his eyes fixed on the far wall.
The majority of the main Estate house had been unaffected by the attack on StoneCrow. Only the parking garage and east wing had taken damage, and for that he was grateful, but not nearly as grateful as for the fact that school hadn’t been in session. Nothing had changed in their quarters, and he couldn’t tamp down the anticipation and hope that tore through him as he watched his Angel quietly step into the room. Arms tucked up under her breasts as she rubbed her biceps, he could scent the apprehension rolling off her.
“This,” he cleared his throat, “is our home.” His eyes scanned the space as if taking it in for the first time and he wondered what she thought. He couldn’t help but ask, “First impression?”
She flashed a timid smile over her shoulder. “It’s…nice.”
“Nice?”
“Expensive looking.” She crept up to a table beside one of the large leather sofas and gently fingered the shade of the lamp sitting there. “Did…did I decorate?”
He eyed the room again. “No. It was like this when you came here.”
She nodded, and he burned to know what she was thinking, but she didn’t speak. Instead, she prowled the room quietly, touching items and looking around. The deeper she got into the room, the more he could scent her nerves, and in turn his own grew more frayed.
Finally, she stopped prowling, standing near the wall furthest from the door. Her eyes were on the sofa, but he knew she wasn’t seeing it as she blinked, appearing deep in contemplation.
“Eden?”
She blinked hard, lifting her eyes to him. “How…how did we meet?”
He crossed to the sofa and held out a hand to her. “Come and sit. We’ll talk. I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”
Eden walked to him, but ignored his hand as she carefully skirted him, sitting on the couch.
Monroe masked his pain at her rejection. “Can I get you something to drink?”
She shrugged. “I don’t… what do I usually drink?”
His jaw tensed. He hated every fucking second of having his Angel, but not having his Angel. “You prefer hot tea with honey.”
Eden sighed. “I guess I’ll have that then.”
Monroe left the room, returning a few short minutes later carrying a delicate cup on a saucer that was in direct contrast to the strong hands offering the drink to her.
“Thank you,” she murmured, then took a sip, watching him over the rim of the cup before settling it back on the saucer. “You must be very wealthy, Monroe.”
“We are.” He pinned her with dark eyes. “But it has nothing to do with money. We are rich where it matters most.”
“And where’s that?”
“In love. In family and friends. We are extremely wealthy, Angel.”
She blushed, dipping her head at the endearment.
“Sorry. It’s hard to have you so close, in our home, and remember that you don’t believe you’re mine.”
Her gaze lifted. “It’s not that I don’t believe it. I just don’t…remember.”
“Do I seem familiar?”
She canted her head. “You seem something. I’m not sure what it is. I wouldn’t call it familiar, but something else. Admittedly, you’re extremely intimidating, and regardless of what happened last time,” she droped her eyes, “I feel safe with you, and that doesn’t happen with anyone else, or anywhere else. But still, you don’t seem…”
“Seem what?”
She bit her bottom lip before releasing it. “Like my type.”
He grinned. “You hated me when we first met. You thought I was cocky and arrogant.”
She smiled.
“I was both of those things, but you put me in my place.”
Her eyes rounded, and she flattened a hand on her chest. “Me?”
“Yeah.” He leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees and lacing his fingers together. “I had two animals get loose from the refuge.” He couldn’t tell her that they were actually Walkers. “You were a game warden for the state, and you were so damn mad at me for putting those animals at risk by letting them escape. You came here and demanded access to the Estate, toured the facility, inspected all the licensure.”
Eden stared at him in awe, as if she couldn’t believe she’d actually done those things.
Monroe sat back. “You told me these were your mountains and you wouldn’t tolerate any disrespect to them, or the animals that resided here, including the ones in my own refuge.”
She started shaking her head. “I can’t believe I did that.”
“You were a sight to behold.” Monroe beamed, remembering the fire in her eyes when she’d given him the tongue lashing.
“You know, there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you, Eden. No task too great, no favor too grand. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t give you, and nothing I wouldn’t do to protect you. I’d cut off my own hands before ever hurting you.” He hoped she forgave him for their last encounter and could feel the sincerity behind his words. Quickly, he tacked on, “And, I’d gladly kill for you.” His vow faltered when she paled at the word ‘kill’, setting her cup of tea on the table between them before standing.
She turned to leave, but his strong grip caught her arm.
“Wait. What is it? What did I say?”
Turning slowly, she tilted her head back to look up at him. “Why would you need to kill for me?” Her eyes searched his. “Finally, I have the truth about who I am, but I still feel in the dark.” She shook her head. “Too many things,” she whispered, as if to herself. “Why do I feel like ev
eryone is still hiding something from me? Something really big that’s going to change everything.”
“We’re trying to protect you.”
“Protect me from what?” she snapped, losing her patience. “Everyone keeps coddling me and hiding things, and all I want is the damn truth!”
And there she was, the fired up Eden he remembered with so much love and longing.
“And you. You say you’ll do anything for me, but not what I need. They claim that you’re my husband, but you’re helping them hide something from me.”
God, he loved her like this! Fiery, eyes blazing, this Eden reminded him of the one he’d lost. “Eden, we’re not…”
“NO!” Her shout cut him off. “I lost my memory, Monroe. It doesn’t make me an idiot, and I’m not blind either. I see the looks you all exchange when you think I’m not paying attention. I’ve seen how all the other woman with these,” she clasped delicate fingers around the halo at her throat, “are referred to as Angel.” She jerked on her halo. “And why won’t it come off?”
Monroe opened his mouth, but she held up her hand to point at the mantle. “And there are pictures missing. That gap between the two pictures of us, and there on the wall.” She pointed over his shoulder. “And there’s this.” She dug into her pocket, jerking out a piece of paper. “Who in the hell is JoJo?”
Chapter 15
Monroe was taken aback by Eden’s question. “What?”
“Jenny took me on a tour of your office today, to familiarize me while you were out hoping it’d trigger something. I found this in your office. It says ‘I miss you will all my heart, beautiful, and can’t wait to be with you again.’” Her hand shook as she held it higher. “It’s written on the back of this paper, dated just a few days ago.” She swallowed hard. “You wrote this!” she accused. “I’ve seen your handwriting. You wrote several times on my chart in the infirmary. Your penmanship is unmistakable. Are you… Are you seeing someone else?”
He would have laughed if his Angel’s dismay wasn’t so thick in the air it was nearly tangible. “No, Eden. Never that.”
“Who is she? And what are you hiding from me?”
Monroe warred with his decision. Jenny thought it best to keep the truth from Eden, in hopes of aiding her recovery. She was genuinely concerned that the truth could fracture Eden’s fragile mind, but Monroe knew her better than that. Better than anyone else, he knew how strong his Eden was. She needed everything he could give her, and right now, watching her shake while her eyes glistened with uncertainty, he knew she deserved the truth. Taking a step forward, he spoke softly. “JoJo is our daughter, love.”
All the air left Eden in a whoosh. “Wh-what?” The tears that had been forming in her eyes finally slipped free as she sank to her knees. “What?”
Monroe was there to catch her and ease her to the floor, wrapping his arms around her. She pulled back to look up at him. “We have a…a daughter?”
“Two,” Monroe beamed. “JoJo and little Peyton.”
Eden sat in shock, blinking rapidly as she absorbed this newest revelation. A hand went to her stomach, smoothing her palm over it. “And sons?”
“Four,” he boasted, squeezing her shoulders.
“Four!” Eden chuffed, but Monroe couldn’t tell if it was a laugh or more an exclamation of astonishment.
“Micah’s seventeen. Cole and Ransom are both seven.”
Eden laughed then. “Twins? Oh my God!”
Monroe didn’t bother explaining. Too much information now would definitely be overload. “Roan’s the youngest, our baby at just one.”
“A baby!” She shook her head in astonishment as she continued to rub her stomach. “And…and the girls?”
“JoJo is ten and Peyton is five.”
Eden murmured, “Children. I… I have children.” She lifted her gaze. “We have children.” Then she tensed. “They are all ours aren’t they?”
“Yes,” he smiled. “Every one.” And while the youngest, Roan, was their only biological child, he and Eden both felt that the kids were all theirs in equal measure. He’d explain more fully when it wasn’t such a blow. As it was, his heart soared a little at the relief he read in her expression.
“Are,” she scanned the room. “Are they here? Can I see them?”
That would pose a problem, not just because they weren’t at StoneCrow, but because if Eden saw the children, while she and Monroe considered them theirs in every sense of the word, there’d be no denying the physical differences in each of them that clearly stated they weren’t born of Eden and Monroe.
“No, Angel.” Monroe hugged her tighter. “I didn’t want to put undue strain on you, or them. I wasn’t sure how to explain your amnesia to the children. It’d hurt them to think you didn’t recognize them or remember them. For now, they’re at our sister Estate being cared for.”
Alarm thickened Eden’s words. “By who?”
“It’s alright, Angel. We have many friends and family who care for our children as if they were their own.”
“But the baby…you said he’s just one.” Delicate brows furrowed. “He needs his mother.”
Monroe smiled. “I agree, but you’re what’s important right now.”
She shook her head in denial, and it took some convincing, but eventually Eden settled and eased back into their conversation.
Monroe and Eden talked on and on. He explained how she’d attended the law enforcement academy, how they’d met, and how she’d been injured on the job and had come to stay with him. For those several hours of discussion, knowing his children were safe at Apex and having his Angel with him, Monroe felt whole. Hell, he even laughed when Eden stifled several yawns but still refused to be deterred from asking dozens more questions, including about the necklace she was unable to remove. That one had been a little harder to explain. He told her it had been a wedding gift from him, and when she fidgeted with her halo, claiming she couldn’t find the clasp to remove it, Monroe had swallowed hard, unwilling to remove it himself.
“It is difficult to get off and back on, it’s why you never remove it.”
Thankfully, she’d seemed satisfied with his response, letting the subject drop when he told her she’d started a program at StoneCrow that brought the local town kids up to visit the stables and interact with the wildlife they were rehabilitating. Her eyes lit with that familiar fire as she listened intently.
He made himself a coffee and her a second cup of tea, and they talked more, but he could sense exhaustion tugging at her. Her blinks were becoming longer and, her body was relaxing into the sofa, but the more tired she became the more accepting she was of all he told her, as if she were too exhausted to argue. It was addictive and exhilarating. Monroe spoke until his voice was raw. He silently dismissed Bodi after several hours, and the Sentry seemed relieved to go as he slipped silently from the room. Eden was oblivious, simply nodded sleepily at the soothing tone of Monroe’s voice.
Finally, he asked, “Why don’t you stay here, in our bed?”
Chapter 16
Monroe’s question had Eden’s head snapping up, her eyes going wide.
Monroe smiled. “Alone.”
Eden eyed him warily as he continued to grin. “I know you’ve got obligations tomorrow, and trust me, when I get you into bed with me, you won’t be leaving it for days. I’ll stay in one of the kids’ rooms.”
That had Eden’s eyes drifting to the hall. “Can I… Would it be okay first, if I…”
“Stop.” Monroe canted his head. “Whatever you need, Angel, it’s yours.”
Eden slowly stood and Monroe followed, rushing to her when she swayed a little.
“Sorry,” she murmured. “A little tired.”
He held on until she was steady on her feet, fighting back the urge to do as he’d done a thousand times and pick her up. When she pulled free of him he let her, half expecting her to head for the room he’d told her earlier was theirs. Instead, she slowly paced to the hall and his heart seized. Maybe th
is was it. Maybe if she saw the children’s rooms…
He followed quietly as she made her way to the first door, slowly opening it. The first room held two twin beds against either wall. The walls were painted blue and bright yellow, and the carpet was low, with designs on it that created a small town and various winding roadways for toy cars to be pushed along. Under the window was a toy chest overfilled with footballs, Legos, swords, toy pistols, and more. It was decidedly a little boy’s room.
“Cole and Ransum’s room,” Monroe offered from behind her, and beamed when he saw her inhale, attempting to draw in their scent. Eden had always been jealous of his heightened sense of smell, and had been making a concerted effort to work on her own senses. The fact that she was doing it now gave him hope.
“The next room is Micah’s.” He stepped back to allow her to exit the room and walk to the next door down the hall.
The walls in Micah’s room were painted black and gray, and a vibrant red was used as an accent color on the curtains and bedspread covering what looked like a king sized bed. A desk with a computer sat in one corner, and the room was surprisingly clean for a boy Micah’s age.
Eden stepped to the desk, running her fingers delicately over the keyboard of the computer.
Monroe turned. “Peyton and JoJo share the next room.”
Eden turned and followed him. When she entered the last room, a pang of familiarity hit her. The room was immense, much bigger than the other two. It had plush carpet in muted lavender. Ornately carved wood lined the ceilings and perfectly matched the dressers, night stands, and bunk beds covered in satiny purple quilts. Sheer curtains covered French doors leading out to a balcony. Eden pointed a finger at the doors and opened her mouth, but Monroe cut her off.
“They no longer open. We didn’t want to chance our girls going out unsupervised.
Eden nodded and eyed the room, then turned to him. “This used to be my room, didn’t it?”
His eyes lit with excitement. “You’re remembering!”