Sound of Silence

by Lynn Hagen

  Preston might’ve been emanating power, but Aiden was angry enough that he didn’t care. He would shift and eat the smug bastard if he didn’t leave. He was also ticked off that Preston had interrupted their cuddle time.

  Preston closed his eyes for a brief moment then opened them. “He’s gone.”

  “And you need to go,” Aiden snarled. “I don’t know you, and you broke into my house. My mate is standing there, and I’ll protect him with my life.”

  Because if Preston found out what Aiden had done earlier, this powerful being just might kill him.

  Chapter Six

  Preston curled his upper lip as he took a step forward. “Who do you think you’re talking to? Don’t you dare demand anything of me.”

  Rudy had no idea what was going on but he wasn’t gonna stand there and let Preston act all righteous. The guy was giving Aiden a condescending look, and that ticked Rudy off.

  He threw his pillow at Preston, praying the winged man didn’t kill him. “Back off. You invaded our home, so you don’t get to make any kind of threats.”

  Preston appeared shocked as he stared at the pillow on the floor. Then he turned a murderous glare in Rudy’s direction. “You dare assault me?”

  Aiden stormed forward and shoved his hands against Preston’s chest. “Get out or I’ll make a meal of you,” he snarled.

  That was…the grossest threat Rudy had ever heard. He hoped Aiden didn’t really eat people. Just the thought made him want to dry heave.

  “Be warned,” Preston said in a low and threatening voice. “Harbor Gavril and you two will wish you’d been a stain on the bed sheets.”

  Before Rudy could hurl his own insult, Preston was gone.

  “What the hell?” Rudy looked around, feeling himself shake. He couldn’t believe he’d just stood up to a celestial being. Preston could’ve killed Rudy with a snap of his fingers.

  He was lucky he was still alive and standing there. He turned his anger on Aiden. “Don’t you ever go toe-to-toe with an angel again.”

  “We don’t know he was an angel,” Aiden argued, but Rudy saw how shaken the guy was. They were both lucky to be alive.

  “Why did Gavril show up here earlier?” Rudy asked. “Why did he come here? That drunken asshole just put us in the middle of whatever is going on.”

  “I need to talk to Reese.” Aiden dressed, so Rudy did, too. He wasn’t gonna be left behind, though he doubted Reese had any answers.

  Aiden stopped in the living room and curled an arm around Rudy’s back. He gazed up into Aiden’s pale green eyes, still shocked, terrified, and elated about the whole mating thing.

  Rudy wasn’t sure exactly what that meant or what it entailed. He just knew he liked the way Aiden stared at him. As if Rudy truly mattered.

  “How you holding up?”

  It was hard to focus when Aiden’s strong hand was pressed against him. Rudy also appreciated Aiden’s concern. Aside from Reese giving Rudy a second chance, no one in a long time had cared about his well-being. Over the past three years, people had sneered at him for his dirty clothes, had refused him work, or they had treated Rudy as though he were invisible.

  He’d learned hard life lessons that a lot of people were assholes when it came to homelessness. Insults had been thrown at him. People had told him to get a job or go take a shower. None of them knew of Rudy’s background or why he was on the streets in the first place. They hadn’t care to find out, either.

  Just Reese and Aiden. Rudy would never be able to repay what they’d done for him. They both had given him hope that life did get better, that he wasn’t destined to be on the streets forever

  “I’m holding up better than I thought,” Rudy said honestly.

  “I was stunned you stood up to that pretentious prick.” Aiden smiled. “I don’t care what he is or what status he holds, he invades our home again and we’ll cattle prod him into next year.”

  “I still don’t know why you have that thing,” Rudy said. “But I’m glad you did. Too bad you couldn’t have used it on Preston.”

  Aiden cupped Rudy’s jaw and gave him a thorough kiss, a kiss that made Rudy’s toes curl. He loved how dark and spicy Aiden smelled and was glad he’d given in to his physical needs.

  Aiden took Rudy’s hand and led him outside. Rudy was still glowing from their conversation and the kiss, unaware of the danger right in front of them.

  But Aiden noticed and shoved Rudy behind him as he growled. When Rudy looked around Aiden’s body, his jaw dropped and his heart kicked up a notch.

  “You rank son of a bitch,” Gavril snarled, booze bottle in his hand. “You’re gonna pay for what you did to me, bear.”

  How had Gavril found them? They’d dumped him almost forty minutes from where they lived. And the guy was still naked, as though the cold had no effect on him.

  Rudy kept his gaze focused on Gavril’s gorgeous face. He didn’t need Aiden getting mad at him again. But damn, who wouldn’t want to check out a hot, naked guy? Rudy was mated, not completely blind. He did possess a pulse.

  Aiden held up a finger and waved it slightly. “You need to take your drunk ass somewhere and sleep it off. You broke into my house, not the other way around.”

  Gavril glared at Aiden. Rudy needed to get to the car and retrieve the cattle prod. That seemed to be the only way to knock the guy out. But what would they do with him this time? Clearly Gavril knew his way back to their cabin.

  How did one throw an angel off their scent? That was a good question, but Rudy doubted he’d get an answer. Right now he just needed to knock the angel out so they could think.

  While Aiden and Gavril stared each other down, Rudy eased from behind his mate and walked slowly to the car. He reached the passenger door, but before he could open it, Gavril appeared in front of him. Simply appeared out of thin air. He scowled at Rudy.

  “Going for that prod, little human?”

  “No, why would you think that?” Rudy gave a nervous laugh. “I’m just getting out of the way so you two can hash this out.”

  A cigarette appeared between Gavril’s lips. He lit it and tossed the lighter aside before inhaling deeply and blowing the smoke out. The guy was leaning against the passenger door, preventing Rudy from getting inside the car.

  “What exactly do you want from us?” Aiden joined them, once again shoving Rudy behind his massive body. “Why my house?”

  Gavril rolled his tongue over his lips then took another drag of his smoke. He looked as though he was mulling over Aiden’s question. But then he turned, tossed the cigarette, and glowered at Aiden.

  Fuck, those eyes. Earlier they’d appeared eerily beautiful, filled with the nebula and shooting stars. Now they looked as though they were on fire. Rudy tugged on Aiden’s hand, trying to pull his mate back, but Aiden wouldn’t budge.

  “You electrocuted me and tossed me into the woods like I was yesterday’s trash. I’m gonna gut you for that.”

  “What choice did you leave me?” Aiden stood his ground, matching Gavril’s deep scowl. “I had my mate to protect, and you bleed power. I wasn’t taking any chances.”

  Gavril tipped the bottle to his lips, swayed against the car, then crumpled to the ground. He was out cold.

  Rudy looked at Aiden. “Is this a trick?”

  Aiden nudged Gavril’s shoulder with his booted foot, but the guy didn’t move. “He can’t stay here. If Preston returns, we just might have a war in our living room.”

  Rudy didn’t want to imagine what a fight between two celestial beings would be like. He doubted the cabin would survive.

  Or them.

  “Then what do we do with him?” Rudy asked. “We can’t leave him in the driveway, and we can’t take him inside.”

  Just twenty-four hours ago Rudy’s only worry had been what they were gonna have for dinner and trying not to give in to his body’s demands. Now he had a drunken angel at his feet.

  “If we dump him, he’ll only come back,” Aiden said. “And Preston can smell
if Gavril was here. I don’t want to go to Reese’s and put his family in danger.”

  Rudy hadn’t the first clue what they were going to do with Gavril, but they needed a plan, and fast.

  * * * *

  After retrieving a blanket from the house, Aiden rolled Gavril into it and stuffed the guy into his trunk. It was déjà vu all over again. But this time they weren’t going to dump him anywhere. Aiden didn’t need Gavril to sober and bring down the wrath of god on him.

  The angel looked as though he could wipe Aiden from existence. If he hadn’t been three sheets to the wind. The guy reeked of alcohol as Aiden closed the trunk and got into the driver’s seat.

  “Where’re we going?” Rudy asked when he slid into the passenger’s seat.

  “I have no idea, but far away from here.” Aiden started the car and pulled away, turning onto the back country road. “From what Reese tells me, some of the cops are nonhuman. Maybe we can get their help.”

  But that meant going into town, going around people. Aiden’s palms became sweaty as he drove toward the center of Maple Grove. They were heading for the police station, not a crowded grocery store. He could do this. Aiden could face a few cops.

  “You look tense.”

  “We have an unconscious angel in our trunk and another one who’s hunting him. I’m worried about us getting caught in the middle.” It wasn’t a complete lie. That was part of his anxiety as he hit the town limits and stopped at the first stoplight.

  They both jerked around when they heard Gavril pounding on the trunk. Shit. The guy was awake. Aiden stepped on the gas and nearly collided with a car in cross traffic. His light had still been red.

  He cursed when flashing lights appeared behind them. They were being pulled over.

  “Dang it,” Rudy said while looking over his shoulder. “It’s Deputy Hayley.”

  A human. For a split second Aiden considered speeding off. He couldn’t let Hayley look in the trunk. But he also didn’t want a police chase in the middle of downtown. There were still plenty of people out at this hour, and Aiden didn’t want any of them hurt.

  He eased the car to the curb and put it into Park.

  “Are you nuts?” Rudy asked with a high-pitched voice. “We can’t pull over. What if he finds a naked angel wrapped in a blanket? How are we going to explain that?”

  “Just relax.” The last thing Aiden needed was a panicked mate. That would be a dead giveaway that something was amiss. Aiden just prayed Gavril didn’t slam his fist into the trunk hood again. That would get Aiden and Rudy arrested faster than they could blink.

  “I’ve never dealt with a cop before,” Rudy whispered, looking straight ahead. “I’m not afraid to admit I’m freaking out a bit over here.”

  Aiden reached for Rudy’s hand and gave it a light squeeze. He wanted to pull his mate into his arms to reassure him, but Aiden could see in the side mirror that Hayley was getting out of his car and heading their way.

  He really, really, really didn’t want to have to kill Hayley if the human discovered the body in the trunk. It was one thing to shove an angel in there, another to toss a dead cop in, and Aiden would have to kill Hayley. There was no doubt in his mind. The guy was too alpha-male to let anything slide, and Aiden had to ensure the secret of the nonhumans existence stayed a secret.

  At all costs.

  Aiden knew the drill. He should stay inside the car. But he got out just in case he had to act swiftly. “Sorry about that,” he said when Hayley was close enough. “Damn foot slipped off the brake.”

  Hayley gave Aiden a wary look. Aiden was a few inches taller than Hayley and much wider. The cop was smart being cautious. “You nearly collided with another vehicle.”

  Hayley rested his hand on the butt of his holstered gun.

  “I really do apologize. Like I said, it was a complete accident.” Aiden’s heart thumped wildly as he waited to see if Gavril would give himself away.

  Please don’t make me do something I don’t wanna do. Aiden gave Hayley a tight smile. “I promise it won’t happen again.”

  Come on. Just give me a warning and walk away. Aiden felt a trickle of sweat leak down his scalp.

  “Who’s in the car with you?”

  “Rudy Braxton. He’s the cook at Tilted. We were just heading to the diner for something to eat.”

  “The diner is closed,” Hayley said.

  Crap. Since Aiden hardly came into town, he wasn’t aware of the diner hours. “Are you shittin’ me?” Aiden acted put out. “Then where can we go to score some food?”

  Hayley didn’t look convinced. “The tavern, but you should already know that.”

  Aiden was digging himself a deeper hole. “Nah, I don’t come into town too often. And I could’ve sworn my buddy told me the diner hours had changed.”

  “They haven’t changed in all the time it’s been in operation,” Hayley said. “I need to see your driver’s license and registration. I also need proof of insurance.”

  Aiden held up his hands, palms out. “I’m just going for my wallet in my back pocket.”

  Hayley narrowed his eyes. “Turn around slowly so I can make sure you don’t have a weapon tucked into your waistband.”

  He did as Hayley asked. When he was facing the guy again, Aiden pulled his wallet out then dug out his driver’s license. It was fake, of course. If it wasn’t, it would say he was over two hundred years old. He handed it over then backed toward the driver’s door. “Hey, Rudy, can you dig the registration out of the glove box?”

  Hayley moved to the passenger side and glanced in the window. The guy was edgy, and Aiden didn’t blame Hayley one bit.

  Hayley looked between them before he grabbed the mic on his shoulder and requested backup. Clearly he didn’t like handling this on his own.

  Two suspicious men, one wary cop. It wasn’t rocket science.

  Rudy handed a piece of paper out the window. Aiden glanced toward the trunk. So far Gavril had gone silent. Maybe he’d passed out again. That would be a blessing.

  Hayley moved back to the other side of the car, keeping close to Aiden but with enough distance between them.

  Gavril slammed his fist on the trunk lid.

  Aiden’s gaze shot to Hayley.

  The deputy’s eyes widened, and then he pulled his weapon, pointing the gun in Aiden’s face. “On the ground, now!”

  Aiden couldn’t do that. He couldn’t allow the human cop to see the angel.

  At all costs.

  He closed the distance with a speed so fast that Hayley didn’t have time to react. Aiden slugged the officer, knocking Hayley out cold. He grabbed the cop before he hit the ground, not wanting Hayley to suffer any injuries.

  They were in serious trouble now. Aiden used Hayley’s handcuffs to secure the human. Now what? The guy had seen his driver’s license. He knew Aiden’s name and where he lived.

  Aiden had been so distracted with Hayley that he hadn’t noticed the other cop car pull up. Before he could get into the car and haul ass, Deputy Malik Burrows sauntered toward them.

  His gaze dropped to Hayley. “What in the hell is going on, Aiden?”

  Thank goodness the deputy hadn’t pulled his weapon. Instead, he sniffed the air. “Bear shifter.” He eyed Aiden as Aiden smelled the deputy. Lion shifter.

  “Mind telling me why my coworker is lying on the ground?” Deputy Burrows looked toward the car. “He your mate or someone else?”

  “Rudy’s my mate.” Aiden was glad a preternatural deputy was there, but he didn’t like the hard look the guy gave him—like he was seconds away from arresting Aiden.

  “I was actually on my way to see you when Hayley pulled us over. I couldn’t let him see what was in the trunk.”

  Burrows’s eyes flashed to the trunk. With a sigh, Aiden opened it. Cigarette smoke billowed outward, making Aiden wave his hand as he coughed. “You’re seriously smoking in my trunk? You could’ve set the car on fire, dumbass.”

  Gavril lay on his side, his legs bent, the
blanket discarded. He had a cigarette in one hand, that damned whisky bottle in the other. He took a sip and hissed. “You should’ve let me ride in the backseat and we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

  Deputy Burrows’s eyes widened. “Does he really have feathery wings? Is he one of those winged beasts?”

  “Rudy and I think he’s an angel, but he sure doesn’t act like one.” Aiden glanced down at Hayley to make sure he was still out cold.

  Gavril crawled from the trunk. Aiden and the deputy took a step back. Aiden did so to make sure he had enough room in case he had to knock the angel out.

  “Buddy,” Gavril said as he swayed and smiled. “You have no idea just how far I’ve fallen from grace.”

  “Can you put some clothes on?” Deputy Burrows curled his lip. “And tuck those wings in. I don’t want the residents to get a glimpse of you.”

  Gavril burped. “Prudes.” He snapped his fingers, and he was dressed in jeans and a tight white T-shirt. “Admit it, you liked looking at my dick.”

  Burrows snarled as Aiden explained what had happened. “You just dumped him in the woods?”

  “He sure did.” Gavril rested his ass on the frame of the trunk. “I’m gonna kill him later for that. Right now I just don’t have the coordination.”

  Rudy got out and joined them. “But we can’t take Gavril home,” he said. “Some guy named Preston came looking for him.”

  Gavril’s head jerked around. His brows dipped as he looked at Rudy. “Did you say Preston?” The guy cursed as he rubbed his forehead, the cigarette still pressed between his fingers. “I need to get out of here.”

  “About damn time.” Aiden shoved Gavril away from the car and slammed the trunk closed. “I would say it was nice to meet you, but you can go fuck yourself.”

  Hayley groaned.

  Gavril made his wings disappear.

  Rudy looked as though he was ready to bolt.

  Aiden sighed and helped Hayley to his feet. Hayley shook his head then glared at Aiden. “You’re under arrest for assaulting a—” His gaze wandered to Gavril. “What are you doing here?”