by Maggie Mundy
At the moment she didn’t know if it was guilt or affection she felt. She rinsed the towel and placed a cool one on his forehead. Taking a deep breath she drew the sheet down to his waist, and bit her bottom lip to hold back the tears. The bruises on his chest had turned black, his arms weren’t much better and his face was so swollen it didn’t even look like him. She wiped down his skin with the cool water and whispered.
“I’m so sorry.” She had hardened herself this last year just to survive, and now Ridge had come along and risked himself to save her. It meant a lot and she would do what she could to help him get better. Maybe he wasn’t such a bad guy after all and was honorable underneath? What was obvious was they still had a lot to learn about each other.
Someone came in and stood behind her. Nicole turned around to see a white haired lady. She had a vague recollection they had met before. “I am Frieda, his housekeeper. We met before when you were unwell. I think you should rest. I have seen him worse and unfortunately he always returns to what he was before, a foolish boy, who drinks and fights too much.”
Nicole couldn’t keep the smile from her face at the comment anyone could think Ridge a boy. Where on Earth did he find Frieda?
“Go and rest. I will stay here. If he wakes up to me I will give him what for. He will want to go back to sleep again.”
A bath and two-hours’ sleep later, Nicole lay on her bed considering what she had done. Protecting yourself with a gun or self-defense was one thing, but she was using magic and hurting people. She didn’t like being out of control, especially when those close to her got hurt. What would happen if it was Peter next time? He wasn’t a Midworlder who could heal? She went back into Ridge’s room to find Frieda sitting there reading. She thought Frieda’s accent sounded German, but wasn’t sure.
“The fever’s broken; he is over the worst I think. I will go sleep now. He will be hungry when he wakes from this. He always is.” Frieda hugged her and left.
Nicole shook her head. He should be in an intensive care ward, but Sara had made it clear Midworlders don’t ask for the help from the medical fraternity. After the past two days, Nicole wasn’t surprised. She also had no idea how she could explain his injuries or the fact she caused them.
His chest moved rhythmically. His breathing was slower and deeper. Maybe the ribs were healing, or maybe she was imagining it so she would feel better. She lay beside him not quite touching his body and drifted off to sleep again.
Nicole squinted and tried to open her eyes. The bedside light was on. She peered at Ridge’s profile on the pillow next to her. His long hair was spread out on the pillow in a tangle, matted but smelling distinctly of him. A musky smell that was becoming familiar. Getting attached to people wasn’t a good idea. It always led to disappointment or sadness. If she really believed that, then why was she twiddling a piece of his hair in her fingertips and raising it to her lips.
Someone forced a polite cough.
“Hi, I’m Kaylie.”
Nicole sat up and gazed at the person standing on the other side of the bed. She looked like a hippie with blonde dreadlocks tinged with pink, blue, yellow, and purple. Nicole also noticed the sheets were completely drawn back and Ridge was naked, and still black and blue from her assault. She didn’t consider herself a prude but she didn’t want another woman peering at him, even if his body was covered in bruises.
She moved the sheet up so it covered him to his waist. Kaylie grinned and leaned over Ridge and gave her a hug, before sitting cross-legged beside him on the bed. Then she put a hand up to Ridge’s face and smiled.
“That’s so sweet. I think if I woke up next to Sara, I’d do the same. He can be such a pain. I’m pleasantly surprised someone wants to protect his modesty. I didn’t think he had any. He gets to you though with the whole down-South-Rhett-Butler thing. Sara hates the fact I adore his accent.”
That was enough as far as Nicole was concerned. If yet another individual was going to be propelled into her life full throttle, she needed to have some kind of heads up as to what they were on about.
“I know you said your name was Kaylie, but who are you?”
“Oops, I’m Sara’s partner, not mate yet, but I’m working on trying to convince her to bond with me. I’m a witch, and a healer. I thought I might be able to help a bit. Sorry, I didn’t mean to come in while your intended was naked. If I was that way inclined his kit is pretty good. Good job you didn’t hurt it.”
Kaylie giggled and the sound made Nicole smile.
“It’s true, he might be an angel but they’re like most men when it comes to their privates,” Kaylie said and shrugged her shoulders.
Nicole had a feeling they would get along. It was surprising because she found Kaylie’s partner, Sara, chilly to say the least.
“Do you understand how you did this to him?”
Nicole glanced down at his bruised body and bit her bottom lip. “I was attacking the snakes and Sayell. Then Ridge came, and I couldn’t pull it back in.” The lump came back to her throat at the thought of what Ridge experienced rescuing her. He would be regretting the whole bonding thing if he were conscious.
“Would you mind if I read your aura?” Kaylie asked.
Nicole nodded considering she had nothing to lose. Kaylie waved her hand in front of her.
“Your aura’s completely messed up. Don’t roll your eyes. You need help and I’m here. Believe me you’ll be a long time waiting for one of the other Midworlders to help. They love a battle, fighting, and they’re brilliant in the sack. Looking at the real issues is somewhere they don’t want to go.”
Nicole’s interest was piqued. “What do you mean by the real issues?”
“They’re sad stuck down here alone and denied the acceptance of their own kind. They constantly fight the battle between good and evil, or what’s portrayed as good and evil, but they don’t belong here so they don’t fight with any sense of ownership.” Kaylie glanced at Nicole and took a deep breath and sighed. ”They also want to love, but hate the fact the person they love will grow old and die while they live on. You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve asked Sara to make me her mate, but she won’t risk it.”
Nicole tried to absorb what Kaylie said. This was a mad situation. She had been angry at Ridge for not giving her a choice, but she hadn’t considered he didn’t have one either. They might be incredible creatures with wings, but they were open to the same doubts most humans had but on a bigger scale.
Kaylie smiled and tears came to Nicole’s eyes. She could cope with anger from people more than a simple act of kindness. A part of her still wanted to run away from all of this and pretend it wasn’t happening, but she wasn’t a quitter.
She had dealt with facts all her life. The facts of her life at the moment were far-fetched, but she would accept what she was given and do her best.
“So do you want to help me heal him?”
“Okay, I don’t believe in all the aura stuff, but I hurt him. If I can help you heal him I will.”
Kaylie held her hands palm down above Ridge’s chest. “Put your hands on top of mine. We’re not going to do anything scary, just send out soothing power to heal.”
Nicole stared at her own hands. She taught self-defense, and if it came to it she could kill an attacker. Now she needed to heal Ridge with the same hands that broke his ribs and beat him black and blue. Kaylie lowered her hands so they rested on Ridge’s chest.
She started humming again and closed her eyes. Nicole glanced down at Ridge’s face. His eyes were so swollen that even if he were conscious he wouldn’t be able to see out of them, and his lips were twice their normal size. She remembered how those blue eyes had offered her comfort once before. Kaylie opened her eyes and shook her head.
“I think we’re losing him.” Kaylie’s eyes were watering as she sat back. Ridge clenched
his fists as his body bowed off the bed. His breath rasped through his swollen lips and blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth.
Nicole took his pulse. It was weak and rapid as she expected. She didn’t understand the physiology of Midworlders, but maybe Ridge could die. Even in the short time she had known him she considered him invincible. She couldn’t live with herself if she let this happen.
“Sara said someone is coming from LA who helps speed up their healing, but I don’t know if he’ll last that long. They just thought he would rest and get better like they always do.”
Nicole had a power inside her, so maybe she could use it to heal as well as maim. Fear and anger had activated it before so she could protect herself. She had to find an equal emotion to force it to work now. Her fingertips tingled as she placed them on his temples.
“Damn you, Ridge. You can’t leave me here alone. I didn’t ask for this and you’re my only way out.”
He flopped and lay still on the bed. Nicole closed her eyes and tried to imagine her thoughts going out to him. Somehow she could sense his heartbeat. It was slowing and stronger, but his breath was still shallow. She fought to stem the rising panic inside her. She needed to be calm and get him back. Kaylie kept chanting away but Nicole couldn’t make out words. The tingling in her fingers was getting worse. She opened her eyes. Her hands were glowing. In fact all of her body had a red haze around it, and the glow was spreading onto Ridge. Where it touched, it healed. The bruises, the split lips, and swollen eyes were all healed like magic. His breathing became deeper and his chest moved up and down in a steady rhythm.
She had brought his body back and she needed to bring his mind back too. She needed to say sorry. She hadn’t asked for what had happened, but neither had he. Closing her eyes, she reached out with her thoughts to heal the pain. Images flashed in her mind like before, only this time they weren’t violent images. He was thinking of her in a much more intimate way.
Nicole tried to pull back from the image but it was too late. This was way too real, and a part of her wanted it so much. There was no Kaylie. They were alone and she was naked and astride him. His hands were on her breasts cupping them as his thumbs gently rubbed her sensitive nipples and a groan escaped her lips. His glorious hard on filled her, but she wanted more. She would never get enough of him. He moved his hands down her side so they rested on her hips encouraging her to move with him. Nicole leant forward and kissed him. Her tongue exploring his mouth as she moved her body slowly up and down on his magnificent cock. She felt so hot, so wet, and could taste whiskey as he searched every corner of her mouth. His hand moved from her hip to between her thighs. His finger delicately touched her clitoris and she felt the trembling increase until her body shuddered with release. A yell escaping her lips. He kept moving triggering a crescendo of sensations until the guttural sound of his own release joined hers.
As she gazed down at Ridge her core pulsated with his. She needed to get out of this sex-crazed man’s head, but he sent her one last message as he smiled at her with those captivating blue eyes of his.
One way or another you’re gonna be the death of me, little lady, but what a way to go.
Pulling her mind back she sat up next to Ridge. His body was healed, even if his mind was still a sewer.
“That’s certainly a different way of healing someone,” Kaylie said, stifling a giggle.
“What do you mean?” Nicole asked. She blushed and had a feeling she wasn’t going to like the answer.
“You both sounded like you just had the best orgasms ever. What the hell were you doing? Hey, I don’t need to know,” Kaylie said, waving her hands.
“I made the mistake of trying to go into his mind to say sorry for hurting him.”
Kaylie laughed. “You’re brave. Can’t say I’d want to go in there. I mean if he’s not drinking, fighting, or playing poker, with a female in his head there was only one other thing he’d possibly be thinking about,” Kaylie said as she raised an eyebrow.
“When he wakes up I intend to inform him he can have someone else in his fantasies.” Nicole still felt hot in areas she hadn’t felt hot in for a long time. The truth was it was her fantasy too. The imaginary sex was way too real, and from the way she still throbbed between her legs, there was nothing fake about the orgasm she'd just experienced. She needed to get some space between her body and this man. “I’m hungry.”
Kaylie stood up. “He looks like he’ll be fine and one of the guys can watch him. Frieda will be happy to cook up a meal. The woman is a genius with food.”
Nicole glanced back at Ridge as she moved away, and for one moment thought she saw a slight smirk as the corners of his mouth curled up.
Chapter 10
Unexpected Friendship
Gabriel bit a fingernail and paced back and forth in his study. It had been hours and they should have been back. He hated the brothers. He called them the brothers Grim, even though their name was Grimes. They had been useful when things had not gone well in the past with one of his victims. Sometimes he took too much blood and they disposed of the bodies for him.
Someone knocked on the door and he jumped. He took a deep breath as he opened it to find Mrs. Bales. She was overweight, badly dressed, and grumpy as usual. She was also devoted to him, and had been since he was small. He still remembered the day she arrived from England to be his Nanny. This was her home too and they would both protect it, but he didn’t need her nagging right now.
“One of those brothers has returned. He came back in a cab. Says the other ones in hospital and it’s going to cost you. Don’t know why you put up with them. Your mother wouldn’t have approved. He’s in the hall and says he won’t be back again, and that’s good if you ask me.” Mrs. Bales crossed her arms under her ample bosoms and glared at Gabriel.
“I know how you feel, but we need them. Don’t concern yourself. I’ll sort this out. If you could take Jane some food for me. I know you’ll convince her to eat. You seem to be the only one who can.” Mrs. Bales gave him a smile of acknowledgment and turned away.
Gabriel found Isaac in the hallway. From the thugs aggressive stance things had not gone well. “What happened? I expected you back with the girl hours ago,” Gabriel said.
Isaac shook his head and put his hands up. “I like a bit of fun as much as the next man, and if you want to believe in angels and demons I don’t care. What you sent us after today was dangerous. If you want us to deal with that we need to renegotiate.”
Gabriel was well aware what would have happened. These two and their friend had lost someone else before, and told him the woman had been killed on the freeway. It would have been more likely they had thrown her onto the freeway themselves after being too rough.
“I asked you to treat this particular package with care. The fact your brother and friend are absent meant they couldn’t control their urges yet again.”
“She gave him a fucking heart attack, and she wasn’t even touching him. She’s like bloody Star Trek, with some god damn force field around her.”
“Calm down and listen,” Gabriel said through gritted teeth.
“Fuck off”.” Isaac held his fist to Gabriel face.
“You will listen to me if you want to hear how you could have more power and money than you’ve ever dreamt of.”
Isaac folded his arms across his chest and glared. “I’ll listen, but if my brother dies, she’s mine, sliced up and fish food in the bay.”
“You’ve all been of great service to me, and today you’ve seen the powers we could tap into. I’m so close to understanding what’s happening, and she is the key. Leave her for now, but go to the agency and find out everything you can. I promise you all double what we agreed on.”
Isaac hesitated, but then nodded. “I’ll do it, but if you’re messing with us, I’ll kill you and the girl, and your silly old bitch o
f a housekeeper.”
Gabriel smiled and held out his hand. “Do we have a deal?”
Gabriel watched Isaac drive away and turned back to the house. The sky changed color as sunset approached. He would go to Jane. Mrs. Bales picked up the tray from Jane’s bed as he entered the room. The time drew near when he would truly be able to help. He had to make sure she could survive long enough.
“Is she here?”
Jane’s voice seemed hardly more than a whisper. Even her enthusiasm for seeing her mysterious savior, Nicole, could not make her lift her head from the pillow.
“No, but I’ve not given up and neither should you. Sometimes it is in our darkest hour we see the light. God will not have forsaken us. You will be strong again.”