Keeper Under Fire (Graveyard Guardians Book 3)

by Jennifer Malone Wright

  The ride home was quiet. So quiet that she was surprised she hadn’t fallen asleep along the way. When Aiden pulled into the driveway and she saw her house, all she could think of was a glass of wine and relaxing in the hot tub before going to bed and then sleeping for about twelve hours.

  “We’re here,” Aiden announced, as if she didn’t already know. Then, he reached over and touched her hand. She fought the urge not to pull away as the burn sizzled across her skin.

  “I’m sorry you had to see all that.”

  She crinkled her brow. “All what?”

  “What I had to do to get information out of that Reaper.”

  “Oh. That.” Liv shrugged. “He wouldn’t have told us otherwise. You did what you had to do to find someone you cared about. I get it and I would have done worse than that if it was someone I cared about.”

  “I just … that isn’t who I am anymore, but I have done many things like it.”

  She looked up and found his eyes. Guilt and pain were buried somewhere deep within those emerald depths. “Aiden. I can’t say I like any of that at all, but you are trying to make a new life for yourself. With all the fighting and attacks, that part of you is not going to go away in the blink of an eye.”

  He nodded but didn’t say anything so Liv grasped the handle and pushed the door open. “Let’s go in.”

  He followed Liv into the house and they both went directly to their rooms. He had to change clothes something fierce. The ones he currently wore were covered in blood, wine from the mansion fight, and who knew what else.

  After changing into a pair of shorts and a thin white tee shirt, he wandered into the kitchen to see if he could find something to cook up for the both of them.

  He couldn’t find anything quick and easy to cook as far as dinner food, but he did find all the makings for ham sandwiches, so he began pulling the items out of the fridge and setting them on the counter.

  He had just finished making four sandwiches when Liv entered the kitchen. He was cutting each of the squares into four smaller squares and setting them on a plate. “Hey, I hope you’re hungry…” He glanced up and whatever he was about to say was lost to him. Liv stood there, wearing only a black polka-dot bikini. Her hair was tied up on top of her head in a loose bun and she was standing on her tip toes, reaching up into the cupboard above the coffee pot.

  “Starved,” She murmured, moving her hand around as she searched for something she couldn’t see..

  “What are you looking for?” He peeked into the cupboard. “Oh…” He reached in and extracted the bottle of red wine that was way in the back. “I bet this is what you needed.”

  “Yes! Thank you.” She went to another cupboard and took out a wine glass. “Do you want some wine?”

  He shrugged. “Sure, why not. I made sandwiches. Wine goes good with sandwiches, right?”

  “Who cares if it goes together. I’m hungry and want wine. I’d eat just about anything right now.” She used a cork screw to open the wine and set the bottle on the counter and then eyeballed his shorts. “You going to take a hot tub with me?”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Am I invited?”

  “Of course. I just need to relax. As tired as I am, I still feel all amped up.”

  “I totally know how that feels.”

  “Let’s take the sandwiches and wine to the tub.” She was pouring the wine into gigantic wine glasses. “Just try not to get too many crumbs in the water.”

  “Agreed.” He lifted the plate and followed her out the sliding glass door.

  Like the first time he’d gotten into the hot tub with her, he wondered what in the hell he was doing. She obviously didn’t have any intent for anything physical, but he was still a man, and she was still a very sexy woman in a very tiny bikini.

  And there was going to be wine.

  She set the wine down beside the hot tub and slipped into the bubbling water. “Oh, my god, this feels amazing.” She turned. “Set the plate here so we can share.”

  He did as she asked and then took his tee shirt off, throwing it down onto the deck before getting in beside her. She was already eating, holding one small square in her hand and her wine glass in the other.

  She was right. The water felt awesome after the day that they’d had. For several moments, they sat in silence, letting the water bubble up around them and polishing off the sandwiches. Then, she turned to him, her dark brown eyes wide and said, “I lied.”

  He sipped his wine and then put the glass on the deck again. “Lied about what?”

  She inhaled deeply. “About just sex.”

  He was confused. “I’m not following you.”

  “I lied when I told you that what we did was just sex. Or, maybe it was then, even though it was only last night, but… Aiden. I think I actually like you. It’s not like … I’m in love or anything like that, but even with the burn as a deterrent, you are the only person I’ve ever been with or opened myself up to who knows my secret. I don’t know why I’m telling you this, I’m babbling.”

  She … liked him.

  Most women liked him, but they didn’t know who he was. This one, she had literally just watched him torture and kill people and she still felt the attraction that had been with them since they had met. How was it possible that she could want him for more than physical pleasure?

  “And I know that you killed that guy in the basement so that I didn’t have to. You are a good person. I kept trying to tell myself that you were a bad guy and that I couldn’t let myself get attached. I tried to find every reason to ignore my feelings and I just … can’t. Can you please say something, either way, I feel stupid sitting here talking while you stare at me.”

  “I…” He reached over and took hold of the wine, brought it to his lips and drank nearly half of it before setting it back down. “It’s hard for me to decipher real feelings sometimes. But everything you said about convincing yourself that we aren’t right, is exactly how I have felt.”

  She let out a long, relieved breath. “I’m not saying that I want a relationship or anything…”

  “Maybe I do,” he cut her off. “I’ve never had any kind of relationship. There is no woman who could have ever really known me or been okay with what my job was. Same as you with your life, you’re the only person I’ve been with who knows my secret.”

  She leaned forward a little. “This is fast, right? Are we moving too fast?”

  He laughed. “That ship sailed last night, I believe. While it might be fast, it’s really not. We’ve known each other for a little while and I don’t know about you, but I found you to be one of the most interesting women I’ve ever met, right from the get go.”

  “Really? You did?” She smirked as if she didn’t believe him.

  “I wouldn’t lie about that,” he whispered.

  Never, in his whole life had he let his emotions actually take the front seat. She had been honest enough to tell him what she was feeling, so he had to show her that same respect. He found her gaze and looked her directly in the eye. “Olivia Estmond, I think you’re my weakness.”

  She set her glass down beside the tub and glided through the water toward him. “I like that.”

  “You like what?” His voice caught in his throat when her fingertips grazed across his leg.

  Her lips formed a small smile. “I like that you are tough and bad ass, but there is way more than that on the inside. I like it that I am the only one you let see that part of yourself.”

  He nodded, and her hand moved up a little bit more. He wanted her, not just sexually, but for the first time in his life, he wanted to know about a woman. He wanted to know what made her who she is.

  “Liv. I can’t make any promises about what a great man I am. Honestly, you deserve far better than someone like me.”

  Her eyebrow went up. “I am the only one who gets to decide what is good for me and what is not.”

  “I’m just saying…”

  “I know what you’re saying and you need to
shut up, what you’re doing is degrading yourself again.”

  How could he explain to her that he would never be good enough for someone like her, someone who always did the right thing? Who grew up protecting souls of people she had never even known?

  She appeared to have read his thoughts. “I have faults too, Aiden. Everyone does.”

  “Not like mine.” He shook his head.

  “Well, there is always room for redemption, and you are off to a fantastic start with that. But regardless, I’m pretty sure I would still be attracted to you even if you weren’t trying to be a better person.”

  He reached out and gripped her around the waist, pulling her onto his lap. Even through the water, the electric energy of the burn coursed over their skin. “So, you seriously want to give me a shot. I’m probably going to horribly disappoint you.”

  She lowered her face down, her soft lips stopping only inches from his. “Like I said, why don’t you let me decide that for myself.”

  Their lips met. Unlike the frantic contact the night before, this time was slow and soft. He pulled her even closer and her lips parted slightly. His tongue swept out, finding hers and grazing over it.

  He grew hard beneath her, wanting her more desperately than he had ever wanted anyone before. As if she could read his mind, she reached down and took hold of him, caressing him through the shorts he still wore.

  “Off,” she ordered as she backed off of his lap and stood up in the water.

  He had his shorts off in record time and she had stripped out of her bikini, throwing it onto the deck by the wine glasses. Before she could say anything, he had her on his lap again and her lips found his once more.

  She reached down and stroked him a few times before gently guiding him into her. Good lord, she felt amazing. No sex had ever felt the way it did with her. With his hands still on her waist, he forced her even further down onto him, thrusting his hips at the same time.

  She moaned beneath his lips and that only made him harder. He tried his best to hold back the urge to move faster, but she was making it very difficult to do.

  He felt her when she began to climax. Her core tightened around him and she threw her head back, her nails digging into the skin on his shoulders. That was all it took to send him over the edge too. He unwillingly cried out and bucked his pelvis in a hard thrust. “Holy … fuck,” he murmured as she fell limply against him. “You are amazing.”

  “As are you,” she whispered back.

  “So, you and Liv still doing okay?” Jack asked, picking his way through the graveyard beside Aiden.

  “Yeah. The whole concept of having…”

  “A girlfriend,” Jack supplied.

  “Yeah that. Having a girlfriend, is completely foreign to me. Sometimes I don’t know if I’m doing it right.”

  Jack stopped to glance at his friend. “Man, she liked you when you were a fucking assassin for the Empress. I highly doubt there is much you could do wrong. Just be yourself.”

  “What about you? How is it going with Lucy and the pregnancy?”

  “We went to the first appointment. Other than that, it’s mostly her being hormonal and sick. Honestly, I don’t know how women do that shit all the time.”

  Aiden shrugged. “Well, the Estmond kid’s mom did it seven times, imagine that.”

  “Hell to the no.” Jack shook his head. “We are having one, that’s it.”

  Both of their cell phones suddenly sounded at the same time and they glanced at each other knowingly.

  “Shit,” Aiden mumbled, reaching into his pocket and pulling his cell out.

  Jack did the same and let out a sigh. “Well, the break was nice, wasn’t it?”

  Aiden read the text, it was from David.

  Reapers are at the bar asking questions about the family. We need to go take care of it. Meet you there.

  “Dammit, I really hope Dan isn’t there right now.” Jack suddenly looked worried.

  “I’m sure that David would have said if he was.”

  “Yeah, that’s true.” Jack nodded.

  “Well, let’s get to Knight’s before he does get there.”

  Aiden texted back really quick.

  Jack and I are on our way.

  Aiden smiled as they jogged to the SUV. Even though they had to go clear some Reapers out of the local bar, life was still damn good.

  My heart pounded so loudly it echoed in my ears.

  My footsteps fell hard on the earth beneath me as I ran. I could feel the evil reaching out for me, gaining on me. Fallen branches snapped under the pressure of my bare feet, piercing pain shooting through me each time. Leaves crunched and scattered around me as I mentally pushed myself to go faster. Only the light of the moon filtering through the trees illuminated my way through the thick woods. Sweat poured off of my face and blurred my vision, making what was already difficult to see nearly impossible.

  I felt the soft fabric of my pajama pants catch on something, probably a tree branch, and tear as I kept moving. I couldn’t stop. No matter what, I had to keep moving.

  Then it happened.

  I felt the dip in the moist earth beneath me and suddenly my body was falling in what felt like slow motion. My knees hit the ground first, slamming into the dirt and leaves so hard that a jarring pain ripped through my body and a scream escaped my lips. I flailed my arms, desperately searching for something to catch my fall.

  The next thing I knew, I lay sprawled on the forest floor. The side of my nose stung and I realized that the skin had been scratched open. The coppery taste of a renegade drop of blood confirmed that I had, indeed, obtained a cut. I had only taken a second to recover before trying to push myself up

  However, that was too long.

  A laugh echoed through the night. A dark, evil laugh that haunted every moment of my twenty nine years. My fingers dug into the dirt as I tried to force my exhausted body upward.

  Then, ice cold fingers suddenly wrapped around my ankle. The prickles burned into my skin, freezing the flesh beneath and began to spread up my calves. I screamed again, trying to pull my legs from the frigid grasp that held me. Though my mouth opened, nothing sounded. It was as if I was on mute. The numbing cold crawled upward to my knees, and then my thighs.

  There was no one to hear me anyway.

  I continued to try and push myself up. Strands of my matted red hair fell down in front of my face, somewhat restricting my vision. I didn’t want to see what was going to happen anyway. The urge to give up began to tug at my will to survive.

  Suddenly, the earth beneath me transformed, what was once firm and moist, was now slippery and slimy … and moved.

  I twisted to the side and found my voice again as another scream erupted from so deep inside me that I had no idea how my body could produce such a sound. My head whipped back and I threw my hands out as I rolled fully onto my back in the pit of snakes that had appeared from nowhere.

  My legs were completely numb, as if frostbite had rotted them away. I lay there on my back, unable to move as the snakes began to slither over my arms, into my hair and onto my face. In only seconds, they were even covering my chest and crawling beneath my shirt. Their reptile skin a sickening contrast to feel against my own warm flesh.

  It was now fear that paralyzed me, not the cold that had numbed my legs into submission.

  I could hear the laughter of the creature, mocking and eerily enjoying what was happening to me. It took every ounce I had, but I lifted my head and looked up, trying to see the monster who terrorized me night after night, but all I could see was a shadow and glowing, yellow eyes.

  My eyes snapped open and I found myself screeching and writhing around on my sheets that were drenched in sweat and tears.

  Rusty was on my bed, barking like crazy. But, not at me. He was turned away from me as if he were guarding me. My screaming ceased as I realized where I was and I stilled. I knew I was safe now, but that didn’t take away the lingering fear and pain. I simply turned to the side and brought my
knees to my chest, curling up into a ball, and sobbed. The tears didn’t need to well, they were already spilling over before I even opened my eyes.

  It was never going to end … never.

  Rusty’s barking had silenced and my beloved golden retriever inched forward and began licking the moisture off my cheeks. “Stop,” I whispered, pushing him away from my face. He did stop with the doggie kisses, but lay down with his head on my side. I patted the soft fur on his head as if to say, ‘I love you too.’ You would think that he would be used to seeing me like this by now and simply ignore it.

  All my life I had been plagued by these nightmares. Every. Damn. Night. I couldn’t even find rest in the day time. If I fell into a deep enough sleep, the horrid dreams came. Ever since I can remember I had only been able to manage non-REM sleep and sometimes stage one. If I hit stage two, the nightmares took over.

  I finished crying and lay there for a while, staring at the ceiling, like I did every night, and wondering how this happened to me. My uncle had the nightmares, too. He died when I was six months old, but my mother told me that was it was almost exactly the same as what I endured, and mine began shortly after he passed.

  When I was young, mom took me to every specialist known to man, from sleep studies, to therapists, to neurosurgeons, and they all found nothing. I was completely normal. No one could find anything that would cause the disruption of sleep.

  The icy cold from the nightmare wouldn’t go away. I could feel it down to the bone throughout my entire body. The sweat and chilly, autumn nights may have also had something to do with that. Nevertheless, I forced myself to roll off the bed and staggered into the bathroom.

  I peeled off my pajamas and stepped into the shower where I let the water rain down onto me and warm my muscles once again. For the longest time I just stood there trying not to think about how tired I was and how the dreams … nightmares, were always different, but the shadow was the common factor in all of them.