“Glad I could help. If you need anything else, I’m a phone call away.”
Elias’ departure seemed to suck the energy out of the room. Fatigue pressed in on Tori with ruthless persistence. She blinked and blinked, barely able to keep her eyes open.
“What now, Commander?” Dekker asked.
“Everyone except perimeter sentinels needs to get some shut eye. You’re all exhausted.”
“Don’t say that as if you’re not included in the observation. Your mate is basically asleep on her feet.” Dekker nodded toward Tori.
Lor looked at her and smiled. “I should probably take you home.”
“If you don’t, I will.” Blayne grinned.
The three soldiers laughed then Dekker said, “We’ll work out a guard rotation. Go. Get some sleep.”
“Oh, they’ll sleep—eventually,” Blayne teased.
Tori blushed to the roots of her hair. “Can we go now? They’re only going to get more obnoxious the longer we stay.”
Lor pulled her into his arms and she pressed her face into the warmth of his throat. “We’ll see you tomorrow.” Without further ado, he flashed them to Tori’s living room.
Chapter Thirteen
Tori rolled her shoulders then rubbed the back of her neck. “You’re the one who’s done all the work, so why am I so tired?”
Lor moved behind her and brushed her hand aside then began a firm massage of her tense muscles. “I’m used to stressful situations. This is still new to you.”
“In other words, I’m a wuss?”
He laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I didn’t say that.”
She turned within the circle of his arms then looped hers around his neck. “We did good tonight. Didn’t we?”
“We did good, but this is only the beginning. Things are going to get much worse before they get better. We cannot allow ourselves to become complacent.”
“I know, and I agree.”
“And you are much better prepared to deal with what’s to come now.” He leaned down and kissed her. “I can’t believe how much you’ve grown since I first met you. You faced down both the hunters without fear. I was proud of you.”
“The barrier between us might have helped a little.” Still, tenderness swelled as she thought of all she’d learned about herself since encountering Lor. It felt like they’d lived a lifetime in a few short weeks. Of course most humans didn’t have the advantage of looking into their partner’s soul and feeling everything they felt each time they made love. Apparently Blayne was right, she had a serious thing for Mystics. Or one particular Mystic at least.
She intended to enjoy this lull while it lasted, savor every moment she and Lor could steal.
As if to mock her determination, her cell phone rang and her heart skipped a beat. If she knew for a fact that Angie was all right everything would be perfect. She would be free to build a future with Lor without any reservations. She closed her eyes as she pulled the phone out of her pocket. It rang again and she made herself look.
Jillian. She sighed and activated the call. “Hey, you. What’s going on?” She worked hard to keep disappointment from bleeding through in her tone.
“Want to catch a movie tonight? I haven’t seen you in weeks. Are you avoiding me?”
“I’m not avoiding you. I’ve just been busy and tonight won’t work for me. Give me a couple of days to tie up loose ends and I promise we’ll do something together.”
“Do you have a new contract already? I thought you were going to take some time off.”
It was almost inevitable that Jillian and Lor cross paths. Tori seldom left his side. She knew she couldn’t tell Jillian the truth about his origins or his mission on Earth, but she didn’t have to pretend he didn’t exist. “Will you forgive me for neglecting you if I tell you I hooked up with the gorgeous blond we saw in—” Jillian’s happy cry cut her off.
“It’s about freaking time! I’d about given up on you ever trying again.” She paused. Tori could picture her suspicious expression as she asked, “You’re not just saying this so I won’t be pissed, are you?”
“His name is Lor and he’s amazing. I can’t wait for you to meet him.”
Lor held out his hand expectantly.
“In fact, he wants to talk to you.” She handed him the phone.
“Hello, Jillian,” he said into the phone. “I apologize for monopolizing Tori’s time. I will try to be more considerate in the future.”
She couldn’t hear what Jillian said, but it made Lor chuckle. Then he held out the phone and made a face. “It’s making an odd noise.”
Tori looked at the screen and tried not to panic. “Jill, Utah State Police are ringing through, I need to get this.”
“Call me back whenever. Love you. Bye!”
Jillian hung up and Tori accepted the other call. “This is Victoria Logan. May I help you?”
“Tori, oh thank God! I was so afraid I’d get your voice mail.”
It was Angie. Tori was thrilled to hear her voice, yet loath to ask the next question. “Why are you in a police station?”
“Jordan abandoned me.”
“Is Jordan the bouncer?”
“Yeah, but he turned out to be a world-class asshole.” She sounded weepy, which sent a chill down Tori’s spine. Angie stumbled through life with a wink and a smile her only defenses. If anything she was too nonchalant about most things. Definitely not weepy.
“Are you okay? He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
“No. He just took off in the middle of the night without paying the bill. I didn’t have any cash and all my credit cards are maxed, so the bitch that runs the motel called the cops. So here I am in the middle of nowhere, no ride, no money and a three-hundred-dollar bill hanging over my head.”
“Give me the address and I’ll come get you.”
“But what about Naz? Is it safe to come back to Las Vegas?”
“Leaving you out there on your own isn’t an option. I’ll have to make other arrangements. Now tell me exactly where you are.”
“Okay. Don’t get all bitchy. I was just trying to do what you told me to.”
“I’m sorry. Please give me the address.”
Angie must have handed the phone to someone near her because a well-modulated male voice rattled off the address. It took two tries, but Tori finally created a memo in her phone with Angie’s location. “Does she have somewhere safe to spend the night? I’m not sure how fast I can get there.”
“I can lock her in one of the cells,” he offered cheerfully.
“That’s not funny.”
Apparently he disagreed. After a rumbling chuckle, he said, “I’ll find somewhere safe to stash her until you come pick her up.”
“Thank you, Officer?” She paused, expecting him to fill in the blank.
Rather than oblige, the cop just hung up. Tori shook her head, feeling a little sorry for the man. Angie had that effect on a lot of people.
“Well, now we know why the bouncer didn’t pick up for me. The jerk could have told me they’d split up.” She blew out a ragged sigh. “Wanna go for a ride?”
“I can’t leave right now and you’re not going alone. I’ll send one of my men to go get her.”
Tori didn’t like the idea, but all she said was, “I hope my sister has better sense than going anywhere with a stranger.”
“So record a short message for her on her phone so she’ll know you sent him.”
Tori sighed, not relishing the idea of a road trip with Angie. Yet her baby sister needed rescuing. What choice did she have?
“You need to stay here,” Lor stressed. “Nazerel will be looking for a way to strike back at us. It will be less obvious if one of my men goes. It will be safer for both of you.”
“Which one deserves that sort of trouble?” She sighed, feeling like she’d just been freed from a corset. Worrying about Angie had hung over Tori like a thundercloud, oppressive and inescapable. “I am so glad she’s only in her usual sort
of trouble.”
A slow, calculative smile parted Lor’s lips. “I think I’ll send Blayne. Odintar would lock her in the trunk.”
“Does it have to be one of the Mystics?” Often Lor acted like there were only three members on his team. It was easy to understand how people with his sort of power would dismiss those without, but it still bothered her.
“Who would you pick?”
“Blayne is probably the best choice, but you seem to go to the Mystics first for almost everything.”
“Do I?”
“Yes, you do.”
He paused and she could sense his introspection. “I was unaware. I’ll work on it.”
“Good.” She took his hand and smiled. “Why don’t you see if Blayne—”
The Mystic flashed into the room, mischief shimmering in his silver-blue eyes. “Threesome?”
She slapped at him. “You are impossible.”
“No, a threesome is impossible,” Lor insisted.
“I have personal experience that says otherwise.”
Tori couldn’t help but chuckle. Blayne loved to embarrass her and the brighter she blushed the more outrageous he became. “Can you drive?”
“I’ve never heard it called that before, but I prefer it when I’m—”
“A car,” she cut in. “Human automobile?”
“Yes. I can, but why do you ask?”
“We need you to run a very important errand,” Lor told him.
“Does it involve naked females?”
“It better not,” Tori stressed. “I need you to go pick up my sister.”
“You’ve located Angie?” All playfulness fell away and he smiled. “That’s wonderful.”
Tori grimaced. “You might not think so after you’ve spent a few hours in a car with her. Angie can be…difficult.”
“I welcome the challenge.”
“I hope you still feel that way when you get back.” She reached over and squeezed his upper arm. “You can take my car. Hopefully that will make Angie a little less suspicious. Also, I’ll give you her phone after I record a quick message so she’ll know I sent you.”
“You must be as tired as we are,” Lor said. “Let me pass some energy to you.”
“I’d rather take it from Tori.” Blayne’s smile was suddenly devilish again.
“She’s not offering.”
“Then fine. But keep your lips to yourself.”
Lor took Blayne’s face between his hands and a subtle, shimmery glow flowed from Lor into Blayne.
Tearing her gaze away from the energy transfer, Tori pulled Angie’s phone out of her pocket. She activated the camera and made sure it was in video mode. “Hey, sis. Sorry I couldn’t come get you, but I sent this hunk instead. Somehow I don’t think you’ll mind. He’s got a mouth on him, so don’t get him started or he’ll twist every word you say. I’ll see you tomorrow. Behave yourself!” She blew a kiss to the camera then ended the video clip. Then she entered the address of the police station into the GPS app and switched the phone into navigator mode.
Lor had finished by the time she handed the phone to Blayne. “When’s the last time you were behind the wheel of a car?”
“It’s been a while, but I have no doubt I remember how everything works. Does your car have a clutch? I love shifting gears.”
Apparently the fixation with shifting was universally male. She shook her head. “Sorry. No clutch, but it’s got an awesome stereo.” She went to the dining room and dug her keys out of her purse, which was still on the table where she’d dropped it two days before. She had a bad habit of leaving her purse behind when Lor teleported her places. Maybe she needed to reassess her accessory choices.
She took Blayne to the garage and gave him a quick quiz before she handed him her keys. “Be careful and stay under the speed limit. You cannot afford to be pulled over by the police.”
“Yes, mommy. I’ll be a good boy.” He opened the door and slipped in behind the wheel. “Shit, woman, do you even have legs.” He reached down and found the latch that released the seat. “Much better.”
She reached in and triggered the garage door from the opener on the visor. “According to your GPS it should take about five hours to get where you’re going.”
“Are you always this clingy? Shoo, female. Give a man some room.” He motioned her back and slammed the door then fired up the engine. “I’ll see you when I get back. Stop worrying.” He waved at Lor, who loitered in the doorway then backed the car out of the garage.
“I think I should have gone myself,” Tori lamented as all the possible calamities scrolled through her mind.
“Get in here.” Lor moved down a step then dragged her toward the house.
She paused long enough to close the garage door then followed him back into the kitchen.
“You will not worry any more until your sister returns. That’s an order.” He rested his hands on her hips and kissed the tip of her nose.
“I don’t respond well to orders.”
“Depends what you’re being ordered to do.” He leaned down with a sexy chuckle and nipped the side of her neck.
Knowing how easily he could convince her to surrender control, she tried to be assertive. “I’m going to take a bath. You’re welcome to soak with me or you can sit on the floor and rub my feet.”
He laughed. “Those are the only two choices?”
“The only two I’ll allow.”
“When you get mouthy like that it makes me what to kiss you into submission.” He swept her up in his arms and looked at the bedroom, the bathroom, then the bedroom again.
“And what’s stopping you?”
“Nothing,” he whispered. “Nothing at all.” His mouth captured hers in a consuming kiss then he made a beeline for the bedroom door.
Read on for a taste of
Cyndi Friberg’s Rebel Angel series
Rage and Redemption
When the couple gets together, wow. I am looking forward to seeing what Cyndi Friberg comes up with for her next story; she is definitely an author to watch.
-- Angel, Romance Junkies 5 stars!
Rebel Angels, Book One: Proud and rebellious, Gideon is banished from the Light. His own words define his punishment, transforming bloodlust into literal hunger. Living by his sword, he wanders the land of mortals, embittered and alone.
Naomi works in secret, illuminating manuscripts for the Knights of St. John. Gideon is drawn to her beauty and fascinated by her innocence. She stirs the shattered remnants of his nobility, intensifying the conflict already raging within him.
Gideon is unlike anyone Naomi has ever encountered before. His passionate kisses and intoxicating caresses leave her restless and wanting. Still, she senses the bleak loneliness he tries so hard to deny. Responding to his seduction with tenderness, she is determined to help him rediscover the beauty in life.
The battle lines are drawn. Gideon must seek redemption or Fall. Naomi must lead her Rebel Angel back into the light before the forces of darkness destroy them both.
From Cyndi: The concept of angels and demons has always fascinated me. I couldn't help wondering how the angels felt when they were ordered to throw one third of their ranks out of Heaven. Obviously they obeyed, but how did it make them feel? I've been a fan of Historical romance for years, so I chose the Crusades as a backdrop for this exploration. I originally set out to capture the emotional struggles of an angel left behind by the rebellion. But, as usual, my muse decided to twist my concept. I don't want to say too much, but suddenly my angel had fangs and I was powerless to stop the influx of paranormal elements. I hope you'll find the resulting love story as entertaining as I did. I learned long ago not to argue with my muse. Enjoy!
Chapter One
Krak des Chevaliers
County of Tripoli, Palestine
March 1148
Fidgeting upon the wooden stool, Naomi pushed a lock of long hair behind her ear and concentrated on the manuscript page spread before her. Dust motes danced pla
yfully in the rapidly fading sunlight but she couldn’t allow herself to be distracted. The familiar scent of ink and sandalwood soothed her, helping her focus. She shifted the precious vellum folio to a slightly different angle, catching what was left of the light.
To achieve true illumination, a scribe must release light from within the text, not just decorate the margins. Her design was intricate and interesting, but there was no spark or inspiration. No illumination.
Naomi focused on the entwined figures centered on the page and set her quill aside. Eve’s long hair concealed everything but her slender limbs. Adam, on the other hand, had only a strategically placed fig leaf to protect his modesty.
“Perhaps without the leaf I could find illumination,” Naomi muttered with a mischievous smile.
“I’d be willing to serve as your model.”
Naomi twirled about so suddenly she nearly toppled from the stool. Stifling a startled gasp, she stumbled to her feet, pretending the movement had been graceful.
Raising her gaze to the stranger’s face, Naomi forgot her clever rejoinder. She forgot to breathe. She forgot everything except the man standing near the doorway.
His features were harsh and angular yet so incredibly beautiful he didn’t seem real. Bright with amusement and speculation, his strange golden eyes captured her gaze completely.
“Shall I disrobe?”
The smoky quality of his voice made Naomi tingle. Sleek black hair had been pulled straight back from his face and secured at the nape of his neck. Naomi wanted to trace the slash of his black eyebrows and smooth the faint creases that framed his extraordinary eyes. She wanted to test the resilience of his mouth with her fingertips and…
What was wrong with her?
Shaking away the strange stupor, Naomi forced herself to speak. “I’m not the scribe, my lord, so I require no model.”
He walked toward her, his stride long and lazy. “If you aren’t the scribe, what were you doing when I arrived?”
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