“I am sure you will achieve it.” She ran her fingers over his chest, drawing little designs there.
Her eyes caught the clock and she began to mentally prepare herself. “I need a shower.”
“Stop it doll. There was no way to help Dee any sooner than the arranged meeting. I am sure she would not begrudge you time spent with me.”
She nodded her head and went to get cleaned up. When they walked into the game room, they had an hour to get to the rendezvous.
“What’s the plan?” She looked around the room looking for Niko who seemed to be calm.
“We will drop you off, park on the side and meet Dee when she comes out.”
“That’s it? What am I supposed to do?”
“Walk into the bank. He will not kill you in front of witnesses. Don’t worry. We will get you out.”
“You really need to change your approach. All I heard was walk in front of that speeding car and stand there, I will get to you before it hits you. Not very comforting.”
“Doll, do you trust me?”
“Yes.”
“I will not let him hurt you.”
“Let’s do this.”
They got into a huge SUV with Dante at the wheel.
“Are all of you coming?” They nodded their heads and said nothing. “Aran, what happens if he sees all of you?”
“He will never see us doll. Believe me. We were trained for this our whole lives. You and Dee will be safe.”
She nodded her head and tried to look calm, even though she was sure they could hear her heart racing.
Her heart beat sounded like a herd of elephants as they came closer to the bank. Aran squeezed her hand tighter, getting her to look at him.
“Take a good look at me doll. We will be there, even if you don’t see us.”
Aran’s body began to blur at the edges, then seemed to shift and he was no longer there.
“He’s still there. You just can’t see him.” Dante’s voice calmed her down and helped her hold onto reality.
“He’s still here?”
“Yes, but he will stay invisible until this is over. These boys got some good things when they were created.”
Sergey looked at Dante. “I am sure we didn’t get the best toys.” Then he disappeared.
The brothers disappeared one after the other. Soon she felt like she was sitting in a car with just Dante, but some sixth sense she couldn’t identify knew they were still there.
Dante let her off at the corner before turning down the street and parking. She had felt several of the brothers get out with her. The exchange was going to happen at the end of the banking day.
Taking a deep breath, she walked in. Dee was standing by Mr. Harris.
Chapter Twenty-eight
How could it be him? She had trusted him. Heck, she had worked for him. She approached as he motioned her closer. She stopped with the banking workstation between them and gestured for Dee to leave.
He leaned down and whispered something in her ear, then sent her towards the side door. Rena may have tried to run, but she had caught the flash of a gun. There would be no running for her.
She walked over, looking at the people still in the bank. She couldn’t put their lives in danger.
“We are going to walk out of here and you’re not going to do anything to draw attention to yourself or I will kill you.”
“Please tell me why.”
The hard look in his eyes softened for a minute.
“Let’s broadcast it. Lars Colum found out about my youth and began to black mail me. Nothing I couldn’t come back from at first. Then what he wanted became more dangerous as he became dangerous. Then he fixated on killing you. I refused to do it and then he took my wife. A life for a life he said. She is all I have left. I can’t lose her.”
Rena nodded her head and walked out of the bank, not calling any attention to them.
“Ask him where they took his wife. He may know.” She almost stumbled, hearing that voice in her head.
“Do you know where they took her?”
“Why?”
“Please, Mr. Harris tell me.”
“North side, 224 Winter Street. There’s an old abandoned house there. That’s where the exchange will be happening.”
They turned the corner. Dee and Dante were still standing there. Mr. Harris stood still.
“They won’t hurt you. He simply wanted me to see that she was free.”
“Get into the car.” He gestured to the black Audi.
“Open the back door like you’re getting in.”
“Get in the front.”
“Are you sure?”
She closed the back door, hoping that had been long enough. She nodded her head at Dee before she got into the front.
“Why did you torch my place?”
“I wanted you to run. I thought if I threatened you and you lost your job, you would leave.”
“That’s why you missed the other day.”
“That’s why my wife’s life is in danger now.”
She just nodded. She could tell him that he should have turned over Lars the minute he tried to blackmail him, but that would do neither of them any good now.
She spent the rest of the ride trying to figure out who had gotten in the back seat. Soon they were there. Even with the beginning of rush hour traffic, it had not taken long.
She climbed out and looked at the house. It looked like one that would have been in a horror flick, which was why she never watched horror flicks.
She climbed the creaking stairs, hoping she wouldn’t fall through them.
“Lars, where are you?”
Nothing greeted them, but silence.
“Maybe he’s not here.”
“Attic, he’s in the attic. Why? Because he knows it creeps me out.”
He led her through the house and up the first set of stairs.
“What are those noises?”
“Don’t know. I don’t look in those rooms.”
He pushed Rena past the open door and towards the attic stairwell.
“You first.”
She felt the hard steel of the gun touch the small of her back and started climbing. They reached the top and went in.
“Lars?”
“No one’s here.”
“He has to be here.”
“Maybe he sold you out. Maybe he really didn’t take your wife and she just went off on a trip.”
“No! He has her. He has to be here somewhere.”
The white paper sticking out under a rock caught her attention.
“Could that be a note for you?”
He went over and picked it up reading it. When he was done he crumpled the paper and threw it.
“He changed locations. Wants you brought to a different spot.”
“Seems like Lars likes to play games.”
She moved in front of him, trying not to bring any attention to herself. Mr. Harris was now sweating. His eyes had gotten smaller as if he needed to squint to see things clearly. His hands shook just a little.
They left the house quickly, going back to the car. She noticed the door open and close before they got to it. She gave a small sign of relief. She wasn’t alone.
“Where are we going?”
“A park not too far from here. He wants the exchange in a more open place. I guess he wanted a set-up like the bank to protect himself.”
“So you will hand me over to him and he will get the pleasure of killing me?”
“I don’t know what he will do. All I know is that when I get my wife back, I am done. I would rather spend time in jail than be under his thumb again.”
“Doll, the park is a set up. They don’t intend for anyone to walk out alive. When you get there, you will see lots of young males looking like they are having a party. Ignore them. They are on the hunt and if you look at them, they will focus on you as the target. Right now, they are still waiting to see who the main kill will be. We will get you out of there.”
&
nbsp; “Mr. Harris, do you trust Lars?”
“No.”
“How do you know he won’t betray you? Set you up and have you and your wife killed?”
“I am doing everything he asked.”
“You’re a loose thread, like me. Doesn’t it make more sense that he would want all of us dead?”
“Shut up.”
“Mr. Harris.” She lowered her voice, becoming as non-threatening as possible. “Think about it, that’s all I ask. When we get there, we have to rely on each other to stay alive and make sure your wife stays alive also.”
“You want my wife to live?”
“Yes as much as I wanted Dee to live.”
“That’s why I always liked you. Yes, if there’s a way to keep the two of you alive, I will do whatever it takes.”
“Funny thing, Mr. Harris I always liked you too.”
He parked along the sidewalk. The park was empty of children, but filled with young adults partying.
“Whatever you do Mr. Harris, do not look at them. No eye contact. We are here to find Lars, remember.”
He nodded and cast around for Lars. They spotted him on the other side of the park in the tree line.
“I see him in the trees.”
“I see him, too. Let’s walk around the partiers.”
They skirted the perimeter, never looking to see exactly what was happening in the middle of the park, until they heard a scream.
They held a woman in the middle of the park with a knife to her throat. A bloody knife.
“That’s my wife.” A roar came from Mr. Harris as he tore down the hill, heading for his wife.
She saw someone raise a gun and point it towards Mr. Harris. She ran after him, screaming and tripped. Her run became a roll. She bowled over him right before that bullet would have taken off his head.
Chaos broke out. The brothers were no longer cloaked, but going after men who were now running as well as shooting.
She heard Mr. Harris cry out and looked up in enough time to see the man holding his wife swipe the knife across her neck.
She watched as Ash took him out. She would know that red hair anywhere. She looked around for Aran, to find him in a fight with three men. He looked more like he was exercising than fighting.
They all looked that way. The men were screaming and cussing, reaching for weapons while the brothers were systematically taking them down.
Once again, she thought of a hive mentality. They worked so well together. Could they talk to each other like she and Aran could?
They soon had all of them on the ground. She crawled over to Mr. Harris who was crying. He had not moved.
She watched as Nicolas came over, carrying the body of his wife. He stopped in front of Paul.
“Excuse me, Paul. Your wife would like it very much if you would hold her now. She is scared.”
He looked up with unbelieving eyes to see his wife with a small smile on her lips.
“Paul?”
He reached out to her, cradling her in his arms.
“Thank you.” His voice shook.
“You’re welcome. Thank Rena. She made it clear she wanted all three of you to walk out alive. Thank her mate, Aran. He would never disappoint her.”
“What happened to that bastard Lars?”
“He will never bother you again.”
Nicolas reached over and helped Rena to stand.
“We don’t want Aran to find you on the ground.”
“Where is he?”
“He took out the trash.”
Chapter Twenty-nine
Clean up was easy, too easy in Rena’s opinion. After a call to the cops, they came and found a park full of unconscious men and lots of fire power. The park wasn’t empty. The brothers were still there watching until the police got there.
Now they were all back at headquarters as she fondly thought of Aran’s home. Dee was sitting on a loveseat, covered in a blanket, although it wasn’t cold. She was letting her get away with that, because her nerves had to be frayed.
Niko was in the corner, trying not to hiss and stare at Dee. She was letting him get away with that one too. Who was she to stand in the way of true love?
Everyone else, besides Aran, was taking a minute to rehash their victory and complain about the fact that it wasn’t much of a fight.
“There will be another fight.” All eyes turned to Aran.
“What do you know?” Sergey asked.
“Lars wasn’t working alone. He was working with one of us.”
The room went silent. Dee stiffened.
“One of you?” Dee asked.
“Yes. We are a specialized group of individuals. Whoever this person is, he has our training or training like it.”
Heads nodded slowly.
“Someone is hunting us?”
This came from Dante, who Rena knew was not a brother per se, but she was betting money he was like them.
“Yes.” Aran nodded his head and left his perch by the door. He walked over to Rena and picked her up, then sat placing her on his lap.
He kissed her slowly not really caring who was looking. She kissed him back.
“I thought I lost you when you fell.” His hands skimmed her body, assuring himself for the hundredth time that she was well.
“I wasn’t the one who disappeared to take out the trash and didn’t reappear for several hours.”
He smiled at her. “They were informative hours.”
“I want to go home.” Dee stood with the cover still wrapped around her like a shield.
“Why don’t you stay here for a few days? I would love to have you around.” Rena asked in a quiet voice.
“Rena!”
“Dee.” She got up and walked over to her. “The fact that you are bellowing at me, lets me know you need to stay.”
“Fine, I will spend the night.”
“Three days at the least.”
“Two Rena and no more.”
“Ok Two.”
“I’m going upstairs.” Dee reached out and hugged Rena. “I love you woman.”
“Love you too, Dee. You’re my bestie. I will always take care of you.”
They wiped their eyes on the sly and Dee left.
Rena stood until she heard the soft click of the bedroom door upstairs. “I am worried about her.”
“I know.” Aran opened his arms and she walked into them.
“What now?” She hugged him tight.
“Now we wait.”
“We will let the two of you have some privacy.” Sergey announced, as they headed for the door.
“Rena will you stay with me? Live here with me?”
“You want me to stay?”
“Yes. You can unpack everything you brought and put it wherever you want. If you want to change out the furniture, you can. I want this to be our house.”
“We are not married.”
“I know what married means and we are so much more. We are mates. I will love you forever. No separation, ever.”
She reached up and caressed his face. “Yes, I will stay with you.”
He reached down and picked her up. He kissed her and headed for the stairs.
Back Matter
I hope you enjoyed Aran and Rena’s story. I truly enjoyed writing it and getting to know them.
Please leave a review at the site you purchased this e-book letting others know what you thought of it.
How to find me
You can find me at my website
I am also on twitter at @serena789books
My author central page
Niko – Book 2 Excerpt
Chapter One
He had tortured her. Not on the outside, she could have handled that. It wouldn’t have been the first time she had been hit or kicked or well other things. Physical torture was so blasé now. She took it in stride.
No, he had messed with her mind. She had nightmares seeing his fangs hanging, feeling his hot breath on her neck. The more she bottled them up, th
e worse they became.
She was becoming scared that someone might commit her, that someone of course was Rena, her best friend. She tried to avoid her nowadays. It was better for both of them this way.
She flipped the covers off, getting up. The pretense of sleep was long gone. She slipped on her work clothes and went out. It was only four a.m., but she would spend the rest of the night walking or riding around the dark streets.
After what she had been through, the streets no longer scared her. She knew that there were real monsters out there and they only looked like men.
She felt the hair on her neck vibrate. He was following her again. She knew if she looked over her shoulder, there would be no one there. There had been no one there for months, but he was there somewhere.
She refused to say his name, as if saying it would make him appear. SB it was, her little slice of comfort complete with great coffee. If she was inside, he would protect her from the outside. If she chose to walk, he would be so close she could touch him, even though she couldn’t see him.
She shook her head. These were the things she couldn’t tell anyone. They sounded insane. She was scared to even tell Rena and she told Rena almost everything.
She walked into SB, smiling at the two familiar faces. They were there most nights when she came in. One was a writer she knew, because they had talked several times. She said she got some of her best writing done at night.
The other was a friendly, elderly gentleman. His wife had passed a couple of months ago and nights were the hardest for him. The bed was too empty he would say.
She went up and greeted Jim, the barista. He was a twenty something college student who was working his way through. He was smart and nice. She always enjoyed talking to him.
“What brings you back, Dee?”
He had called her Mam more than once when they first met. She had found it imperative to stop that. He was making her feel old. She had finally convinced him to call her Dee.
“I couldn’t sleep again.” She looked into his bright blue eyes, sky blue. He made her feel like she was outside. His dirty blonde hair fell into his eyes. If she was ten or fifteen years younger. She would consider going after him.
Aran: Love me Harder - Alien Paranormal Romance Page 14