“Before the two of you tear each other apart, can we get some information on the female,” Mekhi asked making sure not to step between them.
“I will give you information on Mila, and then you will stand back and watch me kill this one.” Me’akal nodded his head in Slade’s direction.
“Sure,” Mekhi told him. “We’re created honorable to the core.”
“You’re lying.” Mekhi rolled his eyes; Brandi was wearing off on him. “I like it.” Me’akal turned to look at Slade. “Maybe you’ll do after all.”
“Fight or talk, I don’t care which one you choose,” Slade growled his chest expanding until the seams of the shirt he wore were fighting to stay together.
“Mila is here to kill the big bad.”
“The what?” Slade’s chest deflated as he looked at Me’akal like he might have a screw loose.
“The big bad, it’s what she calls the monster who has haunted her since the day she died.”
“That’s absurd, there is no…”
“The created has decided to use his brain and not his muscles.”
“Quiet hellhound. How is that little slip of a female supposed to kill anything?”
“Little slip of a female… interesting. It’s her story to tell, not mine.”
“The so-called big bad is not here. I think she’ll have to look somewhere else for it.” Slade met Me’akal’s glare with one of his own. After a few minutes, he indulged in a round of cussing that included words from across the galaxy.
Slade’s brothers were watching him. He thought back to his conversation with Phoenix when he wanted to leave or have his brothers, and their families leave. He now understood better. Mila’s big bad was coming not just for her but for him. His brothers and their mates would be considered collateral damage.
When he looked up, there were five created lined up in a row. Their legs were spread wide with arms crossed over their chest. His brothers looked like a wall, and their very stance said they weren’t going anywhere.
“I take it; you're not planning to leave hellhound?”
“And miss the show?”
Slade grunted he had a crazy, insufferable, absolutely adorable female to talk to.
Chapter Five
Six pairs of eyes glared at Slade when he walked into the kitchen. He ignored them all except the pair of brown eyes. It felt like the warmth of a hand encircled him when he looked at her. If there was ever an embodiment of mother earth Mila was it. Her beautiful smooth brown skin with her brown eyes promising that spring, summer, and fall were right around the corner. He couldn’t wait to see her in winter when she would pull back and allow the snow to cover the land as she took her much-needed rest in order to rise up once again.
He shook his head, the hair he kept in a leather tie sliding against his back. Was this the sickness of twins they spoke of on his birth planet? It didn’t seem to matter because he couldn’t clear his head. For a moment, all he could see was Mila swollen with his child. His hand covered his heart. Dreams he never indulged in attacked him making his knees shaky.
“I owe you an apology,” she said as she cautiously approached him.
“I agree,” he nodded to emphasize his words. He might have let it go with that, but he didn’t like seeing this strangely vibrant female, meek and mild. “I wonder whether I will get one.”
Her eyes flared; he bit back a smile. That was the female who walked into the door screaming of demon minions and the big bad.
“I apologize,” she gritted out. Her eyes promised he would pay for that. He was looking forward to the challenge. “I realize you are not the big bad, and your brothers are not your demon minions.”
He nodded, for once in his life, he wasn’t sure how to proceed.
“…I will be leaving.”
He had missed most of what she said. The leaving part caught his ears. “Where will you go?”
Her brown eyes darkened almost going black as confusion crossed her face.
“I don’t know. I thought, I was almost sure that he would be here.”
“Then the likely hood of him showing up here is great.”
“What do you mean?” She was looking at him from under her lashes.
“If your job is to kill the big bad and your instincts brought you here, then more than likely he will come here too.”
“I just beat him here.”
“That makes sense,” Quinn told her. “Which means you need to stay.” Quinn’s excitement was barely contained as she flashed smiles around the room.
“Where would I stay? I could sleep in the car.”
“Why would you do that?” Slade hated to say that he didn’t always understand human females or females in general. She was standing in a mansion but wanted to sleep in her car. It had to be a female thing that he didn’t get.
“I don’t want to be any trouble.”
She should have thought of that before she entered his home accusing them of using their mates as demon seed breeders. He wisely kept those thoughts to himself. He would need to watch her though. She was much too unpredictable to be allowed to run around free.
“There will be no trouble. You’ll be staying with me.”
Mila’s mouth dropped open allowing him to see a glimpse of her teeth and the pretty pink tongue she had been keeping to herself. Sputtered sounds that he assumed were meant to be words came out.
“I can’t, what about Me’akal?”
“I’ll be roaming the grounds keeping them safe. That way, you can secure the interior.”
Slade was impressed with the glare she gave to her hellhound. His body stiffened immediately, Me’akal was not her hellhound. Now he gave the male a glare of his own. The smile on Me’akal’s lips was enough to make him want to pop a few claws and gut him.
“I’ll walk out to the car with you while you get your bag.” Me’akal walked over to the kitchen door and held it open for Mila to pass through.
“She will be staying with you?” Phoenix asked. He walked over to a stunned Slade, who was watching the window and the car parked outside of it.
“Do any of you have room for her to stay?”
“Grumpy. She’s my sister; she can stay with me.” Slade turned lethal green eyes on Quinn. “Or she can stay with you because I know you’ll never hurt her. But if you do, I don’t care how big or bad you are I’ll use something from Mekhi’s book of tricks to cut you down at the knees, and then I’ll gut you slowly. Think of how Brandi lovingly cooks the Thanksgiving turkey. I’ll take that much time on putting you out of your misery.”
Slade snorted but took a careful step backward. The one thing he had learned over the last couple of years was don’t piss Earth females off, it’s not for the best.
“I want to keep my family safe. Since Mila is your sister, that makes her family.” Every family has a nut in the closet, or so he had been told.
“Brandi, what are you doing?” She was sticking her camera in his face snapping.
“Your face is giving me inspiration. I have to make a suit to fit it.”
“What?” Piper asked her.
“He looks like he’s about to take the room apart. I need a suit for the gangster to express his lethal disdain before he kills everyone.”
“Jabari,” Slade called.
“Come on baby, I think we should take a nap.” Jabari took Brandy into his arms.
“I’m not sleepy.”
“Who said anything about sleeping?” He whispered in her ear. The flames in her cheeks gave them away. “Watch the kids for us.” They entered the elevator.
“That must be nice,” Mila said from the door.
“What?” Quinn asked her.
“Having someone who gets you.”
“Did you hear what she said?” Slade demanded.
“Yeah, I can’t wait to see what it looks like. I can only imagine a hot dude in a suit that screams lethal and dangerous. Mmmm.”
Slade found himself stepping back again. This time to resist the
desire the reach down and adjust himself.
“Is that all you brought with you?” She had a duffle bag thrown over her shoulder with a pair of shoes hanging from her fingers.
“Doesn’t take much to defeat the big bad.”
“You will retrieve the rest once you are successful?”
“There is no rest. I doubt I’ll need anything after the fight.”
His gut tightened while his face remained calm. He knew if he could see himself the storm in his eyes would call the stillness of his body a lie. How many battles or confrontations had he gone into with no guarantee he would come out alive?
A change of clothes and a second pair of shoes was all he owned for a long time. Many thought he was pampered because Brie had saved him from death. His own kind had looked at him as if he were some exotic pet, living in luxury. That didn’t stop the scientists around him from using him in experiments and having him fight without the safety or security of his brothers. That he lived was a miracle until the day Brie died. Now this female whose eyes held the galaxy’s in them was preparing to die.
“Follow me.” He turned on his heel and led her through the kitchen, then the living room until they were on the other side of the house. “Each wing has an elevator as well as a staircase.” They stepped into the elevator.
He pushed three, the top level.
“Looks like you’re in the penthouse.”
“Penthouse?”
“The very top.”
“It’s easier for me to spot trouble from here.” The door slid open revealing a wide-open area.
“It’s beautiful.” There were plants that made the inside space feel more like the outdoors. On the right, there was a kitchen space. In front of that was a place she assumed was his living room. On the wall to the left was a series of doors.
Slade strode to one of the doors on the left opening it with a flourish. “This is the guest room. You can sleep in here.”
She nodded and stepped in. It was done in neutral colors, not dedicated to a male or female. There was a big bed in the center.
“Thank you, this is acceptable.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll give you time to put your clothes up. Come out when you’re finished.”
“You realize I won’t be here long? I could have slept on the couch, but I truly appreciate the bed.”
“Is killing the big bad that important to you Mila?”
“The world is depending on me. I have to do it for them.”
“What have you ever done for yourself?” Slade closed the door softly behind him.
*~*~*~*
He didn’t understand. They never understood. She jumped on the bed delighted when she bounced. The mattress was soft; she could close her eyes and lose herself in it. She had no idea what to expect when she walked through those doors. It amazed her to see the variety of humans and aliens on display. Not only did the females differ in color, but also in body size. It could have almost been a melting pot. Quinn had never looked down on her for not being the typical skinny teenager, but others had. So, she wasn’t sure what she was going to find here.
She had been so sure that they were being used. These females who were standing up and smiling at her without guile. Something in her chest broke loose with the need to protect them. That’s when she committed to the mission. Her whole life she lived and breathed the need to rid the world of the big bad, but when she thought Quinn and the others were being used, she was willing to lay down her life to give them a chance at life.
She jumped up and grabbed her bag. There wasn’t much in it, but she put the clothes away before going into the attached bathroom. There she took out three pictures of women she never met. They had been caught on the battlefield by a reporter who must have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Each of the women was willing to lay down her life to defend what she believed to be right.
She hung the pictures up on the mirror. When she needed inspiration or a reason to train one more day, she looked at those pictures. Then she took out the picture of a teenager clutching it close to her chest. The tears no longer came; she gave them up a lifetime ago. Gently she kissed the face of the girl, then placed it on the mirror. When she wondered what she was fighting for it all came down to the girl on her mirror.
She had learned a long time ago both of them couldn’t live. In the end, she was willing to give up her right to live so the other one could.
Chapter Six
“Slade?” Mila walked out of the room expecting him to be somewhere she could see him. The area felt empty like he left her alone. She gave a grumpy sigh and began to check the place out. The kitchen was small but beautiful. For a moment, she allowed herself to think of intimate dinners and a seductive breakfast. It only took a moment to push thoughts like that to the background. Some women got that, others like her were only made for the fight.
She walked around until she realized that the wall at the far side of the room was glass. Not only glass, but it was a wall that could be moved. It was open enough for her to get through. There must be a balcony there.
She slid outside to find a balcony that overlooked a beautiful garden. The seasons were changing and soon snow would be on the ground. She could picture a winter wonderland complete with snowmen and angels in snowdrifts and snowball fights. The wonder of what could happen lit her eyes before the fire dulled with a splash of reality.
Slade wasn’t on the balcony but there were steps that went upward. She would have never seen them if he hadn’t left a light shining for her. Maybe it wasn’t for her? She shrugged, there was no way she wasn’t going to climb them. She got a firm grip on the banister and placed her feet on the first step before she closed her eyes and felt for the next step. Yep, she was afraid of heights, but she was determined nothing would stop her, as long as she lived.
There was a good chance she wouldn’t live long climbing these steps to what had to be hell.
“Get off me!” She screamed and thrust herself backward as she felt something curl around her body.
“Stop resisting.” The sound of Slade’s voice took all the fight out of her. She slumped into his hands. “Why are you climbing with your eyes closed?”
She waited until her feet touched solid ground not that he took his hands away. Tilting her head up she peeked from under her lashes. Yep, he was frowning. His lips looked savage with the frown, but she was dying to taste them. She imagined them hard, then soft. The killer was when she imagined skin as smooth as silk over lips while being as hard as marble. He would nibble at her giving her a taste of the hotness he kept within chased by the coolness.
“I’m waiting.”
She hit him with her killer smile. The one she pretended would disarm a villain.
“I’m afraid of heights?” She phrased it as a question hoping he would let it go.
“We’ll have to work on that.” He ran his hands up and down her arms several times before he let her go.
She shivered when he took the heat of his hands away. “Um… what?” His words were just making sense to her.
“You can’t beat the big bad with your eyes closed.”
“No… yes… I mean you’re right but wait. As long as he’s on the ground it won’t be a problem.” He confused her, and she wasn’t sure she liked it. He was too close with his scent of vanilla, nutmeg and pumpkin spice. He smelled like a pumpkin pie when it was being made from scratch. She hated pumpkin pie, but she loved how it smelled when all the ingredients were being combined. He smelled like that. She could roll in that smell like it was freakin’ catnip.
Back up Mila. Stay away from the dangerous male.
“What happens if the big bad is in the air?”
What the hell was he talking about? She chewed the inside of her lip as she tried to make sense of his words. Right the big bad. They were not talking about the alluring scent wafting from his body.
“Why would he be in the air?”
“Your enemies will always use your weakness against yo
u. He won’t stand still and wait for you to kill him.”
She knew that, but in all the years she had trained, it never once crossed her mind that he would be airborne.
“It doesn’t matter. I'll defeat him on land or in the air.”
Slade gave a slight nod to his head. “You’re a warrior, I would expect nothing different.”
Warmth bloomed in her chest. She knew that she didn’t look like a warrior. She had curves upon curves. She was thick and wished she had the slight almost too skinny body of a model. She’d run faster and be harder to kill, but it didn’t seem to matter what she ate she was just bigger. It didn’t help that she had an inordinate passion for donuts.
“What’s this place?”
“This is where I come when I want to drown out my brother’s voices and the noise from the house.”
“You can hear them from your penthouse?”
He shook his head and motioned for her to walk in front of him. He had the roof set up like a living room. This looked like him more than his home did. The furniture was done in dark blues and vibrant greens giving a contrast that was startling as well as beautiful.
The blues reminded her of the deep ocean and the green of his eyes. She sat on the overly plush love chair. He took a seat next to her.
“I hear them here.” He pointed to his head. “We’re family and it is how it was meant to be. It’s just harder… now.”
She thought back to the scene in the kitchen. She met all five of his brothers. She knew them even if no one told her their names. Mekhi was Quinn’s mate. She talked about him enough. Then there were Brandi and Jabari. Quinn told her once that Brandi died. After that was Piper and Thrice, then came Serenity and Akron. Recently, there were Rylee and Phoenix. She had listened to them all wax poetically about the male that they claimed as a mate.
Her plans were to kill their mates and set them free, but what did she know. Now they all had children. Slade was still himself free and unencumbered. Did that make him happy or sad?
“Is it strange to see them happy with mates?”
Slade Page 3