Within the Realm (The Gifted Realm Book 1)

by Jillian Neal

“We have to get all new appliances, and Em, we will need to get the electricity hooked up unless you want to hold a permanent cast on the refrigerator and water heater,” Logan reminded her as Emily nodded her acceptance of that, as well. “It’ll be a lot of money man. Are you sure?”

  Rainer nodded; that was the one part he was most excited about. As he began considering turning this into a place that could actually be inhabited, he thought of a few other perks.

  He knew, deep down, Emily didn’t actually want to leave the farm. She loved it there. The gates surrounding all of the land did keep the press at bay, and her parents didn’t even want them to move out of the farmhouse. Moving on the same property had to be better than moving downtown or out into Arlington.

  “I’m in if you are,” Rainer grinned.

  Logan laughed. “Hey, if that’s what she wants, then I’m all in.”

  Adeline glowed as she swooned over his pledge.

  “And you’ll get rid of all the snakes?” Emily shuddered.

  Rainer pulled her to him, wrapped her up in his arms, and grinned.

  “Yes baby, I promise. Can I make one request-slash-offer? If it’s ok with Em, then I thought maybe we could take the smaller bedroom if we could put the Mustang and the Hummer in the garage.”

  Logan chuckled and shrugged.

  “Sure, I don’t care, but we could expand the garage. It’s open on one side, so it wouldn’t be hard.”

  Rainer nodded; he was perfectly willing to do whatever was necessary to keep his convertible out of the rain.

  “All right, well, we have two weeks until we start at Iodex.”

  “Is it just me and you or can we call in a few favors?” Rainer wondered aloud.

  “I’m sure all the Haydenshire brothers will help us out. We’ll just be forever indebted to them, so consider that,” Logan chuckled as Rainer nodded his agreement.

  “What about furniture?” Adeline pondered.

  “Mom and Dad have a lot in the storage barn, and we could buy a few pieces once we all start getting paid,” Emily suggested. Rainer immediately offered to fund that as well.

  “No, we can all chip in on that,” Logan’s tone bordered on offense, so Rainer backed down.

  Rough Terrain

  “Here,” Logan threw Rainer the keys to the Hummer as they headed back outside. “I’m gonna call in a few favors on the way home,” he winked at Adeline. He was perfectly happy to do anything that she wanted.

  “You mind?” Rainer held the keys up, and raised his eyebrows hopefully as Emily shook her head.

  “I don’t mind, and,” she drawled, “since my car isn’t a stick, you can hold my hand while you drive us.”

  Rainer laughed, and opened her door for her. Logan was already on the phone with Levi, or Rainer was certain he would’ve teased them for Emily’s comment.

  “Yeah, man, that’d be great. You sure you don’t mind?” he inquired hopefully. “No,” Logan shook his head. “Em thinks Mom will be able to talk him into it,” he chuckled and tousled Emily’s hair from the back seat.

  Rainer eased the Hummer over the rolling hills back towards the farmhouse. He smiled at how well it handled. After another round of thanks, and promises that Rainer and Logan would help Levi move Sarah in with him, perhaps without advertising this to the Haydenshires, Logan hung up.

  “We’re gonna owe so many favors it’s not even funny.” He touched Will’s name on the contact list of his phone. Rainer chuckled as he pulled the Hummer into the barn beside his Mustang.

  “Well, if she’s sick,” he heard Logan lament. “No, man, don’t do that, it’s ok.” There was a long pause. “You sure?” Logan shrugged. “Yeah, I mean, that‘d be great, but I don’t want you to...” his concern was drowned out by Will. “Maybe see how she’s feeling in the morning,” Logan offered kindly. “I really appreciate it.”

  “We,” Rainer corrected loudly as Logan laughed.

  “Ok, we really appreciate it,” Logan amended. “Yeah, if you’ll call Garrett and see if he and Chloe plan on surfacing anytime soon, then I can go listen in on Mom and Dad’s conversation,” Logan explained. Emily and Adeline giggled as everyone exited the Hummer. “Great, thanks,” Logan finished and then ended the phone call.

  He placed his index finger over his lips, and hushed everyone as they approached the side porch steps near the kitchen door. The Haydenshires were still seated at the kitchen table, absorbed in discussion. Logan cupped his hand, and closed his eyes in concentration.

  “You catch it; I’ll amplify it,” Rainer whispered as Logan nodded. What they were about to do was rather difficult, and also on the darker side of using Gifted energy; not that it had ever stopped them before.

  Logan leaned in, and placed his hand on the door. It took several minutes until he was able to catch the frequency of vibrating arcs of the sound energy of his parents’ conversation.

  After nodding to Rainer, Logan waited as Rainer cupped his hand until a faint pink glow appeared, and then he placed the back of his hand to the back of Logan’s hand. He projected the conversation tentatively, and they all leaned in to listen.

  “We could use Emily’s room as a nursery for the twins, or as a guest bedroom,” Mrs. Haydenshire sounded insistent. Emily pulled her face into a shocked pout, and Rainer shook his head at her adoringly.

  “Were you planning on leaving me and coming back home to live?” Rainer mouthed. She shook her head as she scoffed, and then leaned in. Her father was talking.

  “Or, we could put the twins in Will and Garrett’s room just like we’d been planning, and they can stay here where they are safe.” Governor Haydenshire argued. He sounded weary. Mrs. Haydenshire sighed.

  “They are going to move out, Stephen, trust me; but if we let them do this then they’ll still be here. We can make certain that they’re safe. I’m scared too. I cannot lose another child, Stephen. I need to know that all of them are safe and sound. They are not going to stay here in the house with us. I haven’t slept in weeks, just thinking about Logan and Rainer working for Iodex. Now, please.”

  Everyone, sitting on the porch listening to the conversation, felt like they’d been sucker punched. Tears sprang to Emily’s eyes as she laid her head in Rainer’s lap.

  “They’ll be fine, Lillian. I truly believe that.” Governor Haydenshire soothed. “Daniel will train Rainer and Logan. Emily will be fine, and we will take care of Adeline.”

  “You just keep telling yourself that. That it couldn’t happen to us again.” Mrs. Haydenshire spat as Logan and Rainer shared a quick, uncomfortable glance.

  “Fine,” Governor Haydenshire conceded. “Can I please just have tonight to think it over? Then we can tell them in the morning. The house is in disrepair. If they want it, then they’re going to have to work for it.”

  “That will be good for them, and when have Logan and Rainer ever not done whatever needed to be done, Stephen? Give them a little credit.”

  Silence loomed, and Logan closed his eyes again to make certain he hadn’t lost the frequency of the fluxing sound waves.

  “Lillian,” The Governor’s voice was pleading and haggard. “I know that, all right? All I’m asking for is a little time to consider this. I know what fine young men they are, and I couldn’t be more proud of Logan or Rainer. I’m working on this, Lillian, but every time I see him kiss her, or touch her, and I see that look in her eyes when she sees him, right now, what I see is the guy who took away my baby girl, who took away her innocence, and who has her in his bed. And I don’t care what an extraordinary young man he is, or what an extraordinary family he comes from, or how much he loves and adores her,” Governor Haydenshire paused as Rainer reeled from the gut-wrenching confession. “And you know I love him like he was my own, but this is difficult for me. Harder than with any of the boys. She’s my little girl.” His tears were evident in his tone.

  Rainer felt the air squeeze forcefully from his lungs. He was unable to draw in renewed breath as tears spilled down Emily’s face
, and he held her, not certain what else to do. Logan gave him a sorrowful gaze, and slapped Rainer on the shoulder with the hand he wasn’t using to channel his parents’ conversation.

  “Stephen,” Mrs. Haydenshire urged, “I know that. I know she’s your ‘baby girl,’ but she isn’t a little girl anymore. You couldn’t ask for a finer man than Rainer Lawson to be the one she gave that to, which was, by the way, her choice. He certainly didn’t force her into his bed, Stephen. She asked to go there.” Her tone told everyone hearing it that she wasn’t to be argued with.

  “And if you’ll just give him an ounce of the credit he deserves,” Mrs. Haydenshire demanded, “you’d realize that he proposed to her the next day. He’s not some playboy like Garrett. He has only ever been with Emily, and will only ever be with her. That’s the man we helped raise, Stephen. He will be true, and good, and faithful to her for the rest of their lives. And you should really just get over her being your baby girl, and get down on your hands and knees and thank the Lord for him. Because as much as this hurts you, and as hard as I know this is… she isn’t your baby anymore; she’s his.”

  Mrs. Haydenshire’s diatribe drowned out as they heard the infuriated click of her footsteps as she exited the kitchen.

  Logan released the cast. No one spoke. No one knew what to say. Emily sobbed quietly on Rainer’s shoulder. He knew it wasn’t a lamentation of what had happened; it was a release of what she was letting go.

  Logan touched Adeline’s shoulder, and gave Rainer a sorrowful look.

  “Why don’t we go get some milkshakes from Mae’s? We’ll bring you some back,” Logan offered.

  Rainer didn’t respond. He tightened his grip on Emily, kissed her forehead, and wiped away her tears.

  As Logan’s Accord cranked and drove away, Rainer pulled Emily up to the porch swing.

  “Are you ok?” He set his shield out over her.

  She nodded, though he knew she wasn’t. He continued to wipe away her tears, not certain what he could say to take the pain away.

  It was just like the first night he’d ever been with her. He couldn’t heal her, because then it would hurt the very same way the next time. His heart ached that she had to go through the pain of growing up, of letting go, of leaving the security and certainty of her childhood, to step out in a world that was often cold and cruel, one that he knew all too well.

  “I will always be there, Em. You don’t have to do this on your own.” He held her tightly and soothed her with the gentle glide of the swing. She raised her head and gave him a forced smile. She shook her head suddenly.

  “Rainer, I’m not crying because I don’t want to marry you, or move out and be with you. I want all of that more than you’ll ever know. I just hate that it hurts him so much. I can feel what it’s doing to him.”

  He wrapped his arms around her tighter and just let her cry. He began consoling her with whispers of how much he loved her, and how much her father loved her. He promised her that they wouldn’t do anything until she was ready.

  Though he meant every word he’d said, he knew that she was ready. It was her father who wasn’t, and he knew how hard that must be for her.

  “You want me to take you to bed, baby?” he finally offered. He hoped sleep would bring her solace and peace. She rubbed her eyes as she shook her head.

  “No, Logan’s bringing me a milkshake,” she explained with a hesitant smile that made him chuckle. “But then I want you to, and I want you to hold me all night.”

  “Of course. There’s nowhere else I would be,” his words seemed to bring her a modicum of peace, which soothed his soul.

  By the time Logan and Adeline returned, she’d stopped crying, and was cradled on Rainer’s chest on the swing.

  “So, we still wanna do this?” he handed Emily a small vanilla shake and Rainer a large chocolate one.

  “Thanks, man.”

  With a begrudging chuckle, Logan sighed. “I guess, I should really lay off, and be thankful that it’s your ring she’s wearing, and for how you take care of her.”

  “Thank you, Adeline,” Rainer laughed. He knew where that must’ve come from. Adeline smiled sweetly.

  “At least he listened,” she pointed out as they all laughed.

  “You got me extra cherries!” Emily rejoiced.

  “And I’m not even gonna make a dirty comment about that,” Logan remarked, which kept the laughter going.

  “Surely our moving on the farm is better than us moving to Arlington or into the city?” Emily sighed.

  “Well, after all that Mom said, I’m sure Dad’s gonna go along with this, so maybe we should hit the sack,” Logan considered. “Garrett called me to ask me if I was crazy, but then agreed to be here early tomorrow morning, so we have a crew, I guess.” He seemed shocked by his brothers’ willingness to help, but Rainer wasn’t.

  That’s what the Haydenshires had always done, especially since Cal’s death. If one of them needed something, they were there to help; no questions asked. They were a family, one Rainer would never feel worthy of joining; though he supposed he was going to be doing that very thing.

  “Come on, baby,” Rainer helped Emily off the swing as she finished her milkshake.

  “I’m sure Mom and Dad are already in bed, so are we...?” Logan hemmed.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow, Logan,” was Rainer’s reply as to where everyone was going to sleep.

  A broad grin spread across Logan’s face. “I guess once we finish the house, we won’t have to ask that anymore.”

  “Yeah,” Rainer nodded. “And I’ll actually be able to sleep past five AM.”

  Emily gave him an appreciative grin as she grasped his hand.

  “You don’t have to sleep in there with me if you don’t want to. You could stay in Logan’s room so you can sleep in.”

  “Yeah, but you’re so much prettier than Logan; and he never lets me get to second base.”

  Everyone laughed quietly as they tried not to wake the Haydenshires.

  “Night,” Rainer whispered as Logan and Adeline turned to the left to proceed to Logan’s room, and Rainer and Emily tiptoed into hers. After pulling off his shirt and shorts, Rainer studied Emily.

  “Feeling better?” he soothed, and she wound her arms around his chest and sighed contentedly.

  “Now that I’m in here with you, yeah; I’m perfect.”

  “You had kind of a huge day.” He began running his hands through her hair trying to soothe her.

  “Do you honestly want to move into the guesthouse, or are you only going along with all of this for me?” She pulled away and studied him intently.

  “I kind of think it’s perfect, as long as your parents don’t pop in all the time. I want you to be safe, Em, and this farm is pretty damn safe. I really do want to do something for your parents, and this seems perfect.”

  She nodded and tucked back against his bare chest.

  “Yeah, that’s what I was thinking, and not paying rent will be good for Adeline; until she starts getting a paycheck, anyway.”

  Rainer kissed her forehead tenderly, and let his hands rub up and down her back. Occasionally, he dipped them lower.

  “Let’s go to bed, baby. I have a feeling tomorrow’s going to be a long, hard day.”

  Emily giggled, and then with a deliciously naughty smirk, she sassed, “I like it when you’re long and hard.”

  He growled quietly, grabbed her backside, and kneaded it hungrily.

  “Your parents are right on the other side of that wall,” he pointed to the wall separating the Haydenshires’ bedroom and Emily’s.

  “I know,” she lamented as he continued.

  “And you’ve kind of had a hell of a day. So, why don’t we go to sleep, and maybe we’ll try out the back of the Hummer tomorrow night?” He listened to her sweet laugh.

  She seemed to consider something as he brushed a sweet kiss across her cheek. After whispering that he was going to brush his teeth, he promised that he’d be right back.


  The Best Laid Plans

  As he dug in a drawer in the bathroom Emily shared with the twins, Rainer located the toothbrush he’d hidden there. He returned to Emily’s bedroom a few minutes later.

  He found her laid out on the bed on her side. She was wearing an emerald-green, silk top with black lace detailing and matching shorts that were so short they may as well just have been panties. Her breasts were only slightly obscured by low-cut black lace, and the sides and back of the shorts were nothing but lace, as well.

  As she was lying with her back to him, pretending to flip through a magazine, he took in the criss-crossing, black lace ribboning that wove from the perfect dip in her back to the center of her shoulder blades. He shuddered, and tried to remember to close the door quietly.

  “Wow,” he groaned. She grinned deliciously, and turned over. Her eyes were eager and inquisitive. “You plan on sleeping in that, baby?” He moved quickly to the bed.

  She scooted away from him as his eyes flashed in heated desire. She shook her head, and shot him a look that told him if he wanted her he just needed to say the word, but that he’d have to catch her first.

  “You’re gonna get me in so much trouble, Miss Haydenshire,” he panted as her lips formed a naughty grin.

  “I want you, Rainer,” she whispered in a heated plea. He slid into bed beside her.

  “Baby, I want you so bad I ache, but you have to be quiet for me.” He slipped his hand to her backside. He massaged under the shorts, and then moved his fingers to the slick wet heat between her legs. “You have to be absolutely silent for me.” He watched her skin flush, and her eyes darken under his prodding touch. She shuddered, and nodded as her eyes begged him.

  He kissed her to keep from moaning loudly himself. As he slid the satin and lace crotch of the shorts aside, he slipped his fingers slowly inside of her. Her mouth fell open in a moan that he cut off quickly with his lips.

  “Shhh, baby,” he soothed as he plunged deeper, and she writhed. “Just feel it. Just feel me touching you,” he ordered; her eyes flashed with untamed desire that drove him wild. “That feel good, baby?” He used the hand that wasn’t stroking her to lift up the top of the lingerie. He grasped her breasts as he began massaging her and pulling her towards him. Then he moved to cover one with his mouth.