Scarred Protector (Midworlder Trilogy Book 2)

by Mundy, Maggie

  He held his breath, unsure of how to answer. He had thought it had been a trick of his imagination, but he would not lie to her. “Elizabeth was someone I knew a long time ago.”

  “Did she die because you couldn’t save her?”

  “Why do you ask that?” It wasn’t Evie’s fault, but his blood ran cold and made him shiver at the memory of Elizabeth’s death and that she would ask such a question.

  “You kept saying you were sorry.”

  “I did fail her, but I’ll not make the same mistake again.”

  Evie smiled at him, but then screwed up her face as if she could smell something bad. He had considered it would not take long for Charles to do a search and find this place. In fact, if he wasn’t mistaken, it was too late already. Heath sniffed and sighed.

  “What the heck is that stink? It’s like someone just poured honey all over the place. For the record, I hate honey.”

  “It means we have visitors, and not my friends.”

  Evie put down her drink and cradled her arms about herself and started to rock.

  “Shit. Well you still look awful. What do I have to do to keep him away? I’ve got mace in my bag over there, but I’ve a feeling that’s not going to be any good, is it?”

  “The truth is, there’s nothing you can do against him. Unfortunately, I can’t stop them physically in my current state, and he won’t be on his own this time.”

  “You just said you wouldn’t fail someone again, so what’s your plan? Because I’m assuming you have one other than sitting on my couch and hoping.” Evie stared at him and then the door. He could tell he wasn’t filling her with confidence.

  “There is a way I can stop him from touching or hurting you.” Heath rubbed his temple as he considered what he was contemplating.

  “Why do I have a feeling I’m not going to like this?”

  “A friend of mine stopped a woman from being taken by Demonics. They did it by bonding with each other.”

  “Bonding? You’re not expecting me to have sex with you when we have people about to break down the door? I’ve had a few one night stands, but I can’t say almost being killed has ever worked as foreplay for me.”

  There was a loud bang which was probably the front door being broken. Evie jumped and wrapped her arms back around her waist and moved closer. Not that he could offer much protection.

  “I can assure you, it does not involve sex. It means they can’t touch you. Then I can try to take you back to Pergor to get a guardian. I’ll need you to move closer to me and unzip your jacket.” She skeptically raised an eyebrow but sat next to him anyway. He couldn’t blame her for her reaction, considering what had happened with his erection when they were flying. Heath knew he was probably being a fool to do this, but he could not see any other way out of their situation. Once back with his group, he would get one of them to take her to Pergor while he got a healer to help him repair his body.

  He hesitated for a moment as he held the palm of his hand in front of her chest. He had seen Ridge fall hard for Nicole after the bonding. He had also seen the desperation Ridge had shown when he thought he had lost her. He looked into Evie’s eyes that were full of keenness as she nodded. She thought he was the better option than Charles. Wasn’t he? He had been making up for letting his beloved down for two hundred years, and now he was giving this woman false hope. He might save her tonight, but it was likely she would be dead in a month. She grabbed his hand and held it against her chest.

  “Whatever the hell you’re meant to do, get on with it,” she whispered. “You’re bloody scary, but that creep is worse. I may be mad, but I trust you and believe you’ll do what you think is right.”

  Raised voices could be heard from the front of the house as doors slammed. They would find them soon enough. Before he could change his mind, Heath said the words of bonding. Words he had never had the chance to say to Elizabeth. Now he was saying them to a stranger.

  His hand glowed with a blue light that illuminated both their faces giving them a ghostly appearance.

  “That’s different. I was expecting something a bit more spectacular, like I might have gotten superpowers. I could do with some enhanced strength with those guys banging on the door and . . .”

  Evie didn’t get the next word out. She started to scream and clutch her chest. His calming blue light was now replaced with a black fog forming around her chest. Heath placed his hands on either side of her face to try and send calming thoughts to her. They connected instantly, but her face was so cold. He didn’t think the bond would be so quick, and yet he was in her mind. There were words she was screaming in her mind as he tried to get her to slow her breathing down to match his. Help. It’s going to kill me.

  Their minds were joined, and he tried to take the agony from her. Let me in, Evie. We are one now. Tears streamed down her face as she stared into his eyes, pleading for relief. He concentrated on where the pain was emanating from. There was a dark space around her heart, but he could see it tracked like a dark link to her brain. There was an area that had been overtaken by some sinister force. Malice emanated from it, as if it saw him as a threat. He had a feeling he would have to remove it, or else it would destroy them both.

  Heath closed his eyes and sent his thoughts into the darkness within her. He knew instantly this was the same entity that had attacked him when he had tried to cross over to Pergor. The evil was coming from Evie, but she wasn’t the one controlling it. He would not let that stop him. It just made him more determined to support her. But then the pain hit. The darkness was trying to attack and debilitate him from the inside out. How Evie had lived with this chilled him. Before he could stop it, whatever was within her leached into his body. One thing he was sure of as he clutched Evie: this creature within her was incredibly powerful and would use both of them to get what it wanted.

  Chapter 3

  Annoying Bond

  Charles was unimpressed when they had pulled up outside of Evie’s home. It was a boring little suburban house in a new estate on the outskirts of Bristol. He had hoped for something a bit more grand and unusual, considering she was a female without a guardian. He still wondered how she had managed to slip under everyone’s detection until her father’s death. Maybe her father’s Angelic could be spoken to, to see if it had an explanation.

  His men smashed in the front door with ease. If any of the neighbors came out, he would simply clear their minds. He couldn’t afford to waste any more time by entering quietly. They made their way down the corridor to the back of the house, checking rooms as they went. He sent another two men upstairs to inspect the bedrooms. He was sure Heath, and the woman Evie, were here. He could sense them.

  When he opened the next door he discovered a scene he could not have imagined. Heath played the refined Mr. Darcy type, if somewhat darker and more sinister than the one from a book written more than two hundred years ago. Heath writhed on the floor next to the woman they had both been after. Charles stood next to them and tapped his polished patent-leather shoe and wondered what to do next. Decisions needed to be made as their lips were starting to turn blue. Dead people didn’t bother him, but explaining a dead Midworlder would be bothersome. One had never died before down here, more’s the pity, as there were definitely a few he would have topped off a while ago.

  He hated this planet and hoped the Elevated found somewhere else soon for their races to live. How long did they plan on staring out into the void? He also didn’t like the fact he didn’t know what was going on here. Someone somewhere would know. That annoyed him, as he was usually that person. That was what he did to others. This was not the time to show confusion when his people were watching. He looked around to see his men gazing down at the bodies on the floor. Most of them had only been down here fifty years or so. He needed to give the impression he had seen this all before.

  “Stop
looking like you were about to meet the heavyweight fighter of the world. Get them out of here before any of Heath’s irritating people show up. Do you think you can manage that?”

  Whether it was his expression or his tone, his men burst into action. When he had walked into the room, his captors had been screaming while they embraced one another. Now they were like two limp corpses as they dragged them away.

  Evie and Heath’s color was improving, which was saying something. Perhaps they would not die after all. As they walked out of the house, his men supported Heath with his arms around their shoulders, and Charles picked up Evie. He peered at her and tried to make out what had happened. She didn’t appear special, and yet something was going on here he didn’t quite understand. Her top was undone, and he could see the rise and fall of her breasts as she leant against him. Had Heath been undressing her when they entered? That didn’t match the irritatingly honorable man he knew.

  Charles sent thoughts into her mind to see if he could read anything. Humans tend to be boring and predictable. Heath would be more difficult to drain of knowledge, but it was possible. Damn. He was blocked, as his thoughts bounced back from her. He would get them to his home to investigate further, even if it meant a little torture, which he always enjoyed. Maybe there was going to be a benefit to this little escapade after all.

  The street outside of Evie’s house was empty. So he hoped no one would notice as they dumped the two bodies in the back of the van. He had two of his men travel in the back in case Heath got his strength back. It could be messy. He wanted to get away from here before any of Heath’s enclave turned up. They could beat them, but if he could avoid the fight he would.

  It would take at least forty minutes to get to his headquarters, and he would not feel safe until he did. He had chosen well when he converted the top floor of an old granary warehouse down by the docks. The humanity below had no idea what was above them, which was a good thing. The roof was a great place to take flight from, and he could see if anyone was coming.

  He glanced into the back of the van to see neither of their captors was moving much. Occasionally they let out the odd groan as they gripped their middles. He could understand Evie being in pain, but he was unsure what was causing Heath’s discomfort. Whatever injuries he might have attained when they fought earlier would have healed long ago. Charles found himself clicking his fingers. It was something he did when puzzled. He had to be missing something.

  They pulled in through the large doors at one end of the warehouse. The whole ground floor housed people’s cars, but he had a third of it cordoned off for him and his people. There was a selection of fast cars and bikes. He glanced at his Alfa Romeo and decided he would change it soon. It was becoming boring to drive. Maybe he would get a Maserati instead.

  His men took Heath and Evie out of the van and made their way across to his private lift. When the door opened at the penthouse, he advised his people to take Evie and Heath to his investigation room. His men manacled Heath to the wall by his hands and feet. If the foolish Angelic Midworlder tried to break out of the manacles, he would receive an electric shock. The more he resisted, the higher the voltage. The thought made Charles smile. He really hoped the irritating Midworlder would put up a fight.

  Evie, he had strapped down on the large marble table with legs spread and he would have been turned on if they were alone. He didn’t always use this room for torture; sometimes, he used it for pleasure, though he tended to combine the two quite often. It was surprising how many humans, both male and female, enjoyed the pain he inflicted on them. He had trained himself in the rules of BDSM. It was a delightful side of the human psyche. He actually admired people who could be so honest with their needs. He would not let that feeling take control and make him weak.

  Two of his men stood guard while he walked over to Evie. He placed the palm of his hand against her cold cheek, but she tossed her head from side to side and tried to move away from him. She appeared delirious, and he doubted whether he would get anything from her. But he would try.

  He closed his eyes and sent his thoughts out to her. Her mind was jumbled, as if there were several different voices talking all at once. He wondered if she had the human condition where people have split personalities, but it didn’t feel quite like that. He had been in one such mind before. It was the only time he had felt sorry for a man on this planet. He found the person help and even paid for it. He never went back to find out if it had worked in helping the man.

  He peered again into Evie’s mind and found a shadowy area. It swirled like dark smoke trying to hide something. He reached out with his thoughts to probe it. His thoughts hovered above the darkness, but an intense pain formed in his temple region and he withdrew. Travelling with his thoughts through her body, he sensed another presence he knew only too well. Her mind and body was now connected with Heath. The crazy fool had bonded with her. Charles opened his eyes and pulled her top open. He could almost still see the faint blue glow where the connection had been made. Damn this Midworlder and his interference. Charles stood back and pondered what to do next. He had always supposed it was impossible to break the bond unless either partner decided to do it willingly. Of course, they never did. Bonded couples would rather die than be split up because they believed in that foolish notion of love. Heath had only just met Evie, but it seemed unlikely she would give him up. Charles considered he had probably not made the best first impression in the hospital room when he had thrust his hard-on against her back.

  He had heard of rumors recently of an Elevated who would kill a bonded person. She wanted to use a fetus to gain access to Earth in the form of a human. It all seemed a bit gross and barbaric to him. The idea of being paired with an Elevated would have its benefits though. They would have so much power and be able to do almost anything they wanted on Earth. It might even make this awful world more bearable.

  He would take her to Pergor to find out. First, he needed to get some more information from Heath. There was a groan from behind him and Charles turned to see Heath lift his head. Charles moved aside so Heath could see Evie and her bare chest. Heath’s eyes opened wide as he pulled away from the wall only to receive a shock. When his scream and the crackle in the air disappeared, Charles approached him.

  “Stop overreacting, Heath. I haven’t touched her. Well, not yet anyway. I see you’ve been very foolish and bonded with her. From the state of you, I’d say it didn’t work out too well. Do you want to tell me what happened?”

  “Go to hell,” Heath spat out between gritted teeth.

  “Now, we both know hell doesn’t exist, so how do you expect me to do that? You’re just wasting your breath.” Charles let out a long sigh and raised his eyes as he shook his head. If Heath could have killed him with a glare, then he knew he would be shriveled up on the floor. The fact was Heath was in his power right now but needed to be convinced to share his knowledge.

  “Let her go. You know you can’t do anything. She agreed to connect with me to stay away from you. It seems you had already made a bad impression on her.”

  Charles grabbed a stick from the table beside him and whacked Heath’s leg. It caused his victim to make contact with the cuffs around his ankles. The crackle of electricity made Heath’s body start to shake again. He had to give him kudos for not calling out in pain. He would eventually, of course. They always did. Charles had been playing this game a long time. The pain he inflicted on others made him hard. Maybe he would be able to get this woman under him after all if he made her break the bond with Heath. She had a little waist and hips he would enjoy thrusting himself against.

  He walked back across to the table where she was strapped down and laid his hands on her breast and squeezed. They were a decent size. He liked big-breasted woman. Heath growled behind him but obviously didn’t move, as there were no more sounds of agony. Charles needed to push him further. He grabbed Evie’s chin and ki
ssed her, forcing his tongue into her mouth, but before he could enjoy its moist interior she bit him. He pulled away and slapped her face. He would enjoy putting her in her place later. It frustrated him that now she was choosing to regain her consciousness. He ran his hand across his mouth, wiping away the blood from his tongue. It would heal quickly, but the bitch would pay for it later with bruises he would inflict.

  The guttural groan of Heath behind him made him consider that maybe he had succeeded. He turned back to see Heath standing rigid as he tried to stop the contact. “So are you ready to tell me what happened when you went to Pergor? I assume everything didn’t go as planned, or you would have brought her back with an Angelic instead of bonding with her.”

  “Don’t tell the bastard anything,” Evie shouted.

  Charles turned back to her and waved his finger. “Now behave, or I’ll hurt your newfound partner even more.”

  “It’s all right, Evie. It won’t make any difference. He can’t do anything now we’re bonded and he knows it. We didn’t make it to Pergor, because there’s something in the link that stopped me making a connection.”

  “One of my men has just come back and found the link was working perfectly. That would indicate it is something to do with one of you. It’s most inconvenient because he has given me a message that someone is interested in meeting her. This particular Elevated doesn’t care if she’s bonded.”

  “You can’t touch her,” Heath said.

  “Why, because you’ll kill me? In your present situation I don’t think that’s about to happen. Or perhaps because you’re bonded to her? I’ve never cared for obeying the rules−up there nor down here. In fact, I find this whole situation rather exciting. It breaks up the monotony of dealing with this ignorant race.”