Tears filled her eyes and she had to force them back. Now wasn’t the time to cry, but she really couldn’t remember the last time someone had looked after her. Mr. Angelo gave her a smile before turning and walking over to the freezer. He pulled out a tray of ice, then grabbing a towel from a cupboard and poured some ice into it.
She forced herself not to flinch as Liam came closer, holding a cup of coffee
“Here you go. Sorry about scaring you before,” Liam said with a smile as he sank into a chair across from her. She looked down at the brown sludge in the cup and thought about asking for cream and sugar, but then figured it didn’t matter. It was hot and strong and she could use something to help clear the fear from her brain.
With a hand that shook, she reached out and grasped hold of the cup, bringing it up to her lips. It burned her tongue and she took in a sharp breath.
Marc walked back into the kitchen and smacked his hand over Liam’s head. “Idiot, did you think to offer her some cream and sugar?” He opened the fridge and put some cream on the table next to her then grabbed a small container that obviously held sugar. “Here you go.”
“Sorry about that.” Liam grimaced.
“It’s okay,” she said quietly. “Thank you for helping me.”
“Here you go, Crista.” Mr. Angelo carried over the make-shift ice pack. “You put that on your face.”
She winced as she placed the cold towel over her bruised face.
“Thank you. Really. For everything. If you hadn’t come along…” She took in a shuddering breath.
“Hey, none of that now. Everything worked out fine.”
She tried to pull herself together. She couldn’t cry. She didn’t have time to indulge in tears. She glanced up and saw the panic on Marc and Liam’s faces. She had to smile. Men.
“Thanks so much again,” she told them all. “I really appreciate your help.”
“I’m only sorry we didn’t get there earlier,” Pops told her.
“I would have liked to have gotten my hands on them,” Liam growled in a dark voice. “Parasites, going around preying on people smaller and weaker than they are.”
“I called the cops, they should be here soon,” Marc said.
“Right, thank you. I don’t suppose there’s much they can do anyway. Those guys are likely to be long gone.”
“Good riddance,” Liam said darkly. He leaned forward, his face growing firm. “You want to tell us what you were doing in that alleyway in the middle of the night, Crista?”
“Oh, God, I forgot about Mom!”
* * *
By the time she’d answered the police officer’s questions then explained about her mom disappearing and how she had dementia, Crista felt like the walking dead. She was exhausted, completely spent.
“Nearly there, sweetheart,” Marc murmured at her, hovering close without touching her as they walked down the hallway towards her apartment. He’d offered to see her home. Well, it was more like he’d insisted and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Not that she wasn’t grateful.
She knew she should get back out there and search for her mom, but she honestly didn’t know if she had the strength. Or the courage. As it was, she could barely put one foot in front of the other.
But she couldn’t leave her mom out there on her own. Not with dangerous criminals like those three dickheads hanging around. Oh, God, where was she? Was she okay? Please let her be okay.
“Thank you,” she told him quietly. “I really appreciate everything you’ve done tonight.”
He grinned down at her. “Most fun I’ve had since leaving Navy.”
“You were in the Navy?” She looked up at him. Yeah, she could see it.
“I was a SEAL. Liam was a Jarhead.”
Jarhead? Marine?
“I’m lucky you were both around tonight.”
“Pops needed some help. He’s getting on in years, not that he lets it slow him down much.”
“You help with the baking?”
He let out a laugh. “No, ma’am. We were moving some stuff around in the storeroom for him.”
“In the middle of the night?”
“Well, we might have started playing some poker afterwards. We’d just finished up and were helping Pops clean up.”
“Here I am.” She stared down at the open door in confusion.
Marc pulled her gently back from the door. “Did you lock the door before you left?
“I, ah…” God she couldn’t remember. “I’m not sure.”
Marc sent her an incredulous look. Yeah, she was making wonderful decisions today. She knew that. She was an idiot. He wasn’t going to get an argument from her.
“Stay here,” he warned.
“Wait—” But she was talking to herself. He’d already stepped inside. Shit. Had someone entered her apartment? Would they still be there? What could they want? She didn’t own anything of any worth. Maybe she should follow him in. He might need help. Before she could make up her mind, he poked his head back out.
“Crista?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve found your mom.”
Crista entered the apartment in a rush, looking around her frantically.
“She’s in the bedroom. I’m guessing she’s the one who left the door open since the place doesn’t look like it’s been robbed.”
Crista ran into the bedroom, ignoring her thumping headache and the pain in her arm and face. Relief filled her as she spotted her mom lying in the bed, sleeping peacefully as though she didn’t have a care in the world. Crista sat at the end of the bed, her legs giving out on her. She couldn’t keep going on this way. She just couldn’t. Her shoulders slumped. It felt like she was being weighed down by so many worries that she couldn’t breathe. What was she going to do?
“Crista?” a soft voice whispered.
She jumped, wincing as her body protested. Jesus, what was she going to look like in the morning? How was she going to go to work with a bruised face? Oh well, she’d worry about that tomorrow. She glanced over at the clock on the bedside table.
2 a.m.
Well, shit. She had to be up in four hours. She stood and moved to the bedroom door where Marc hovered. She guessed he was in his early thirties, about her age. Except most days she felt like she was carrying an extra thirty years around on her shoulders.
“You okay?” he asked, watching her with concern.
“Yes, fine. I’m just so glad she’s here.” She forced herself to smile up at him. “Thanks again.”
“Welcome. Need anything else, you go see Pops. He’ll take care of you. Make sure you lock your door after I leave, okay?”
She nodded. Yeah. She wouldn’t forget that. Trouble was, she didn’t think a few locks were going to do much to make her feel safe again.
Maybe she needed to think about pepper spray or a gun or just a new life. She let out a small bark of laughter. She definitely needed a new life.
2
The blaring of the alarm shattered his sleep.
Nax swung himself over the edge of the bed and grabbed his blaster from where he kept it on the bedside table and took off at a run. Sleep faded away as adrenaline raced through his veins. He swung over the bannister and dropped to the floor in a crouch.
Invader.
“What’s going on? Nax? Where are you?”
He looked back up the stairs to find Eden and Frankie looking over the balustrade at him. Frankie looked concerned, Eden terrified.
He pointed his finger at them. “Stay there. Do not move. Understand?”
Eden nodded but Frankie frowned.
“If you’re gonna open the door you need to get rid of your wings,” Frankie told him.
Shit. He’d learned that swearword from Frankie’s brother, Brand. He took a deep breath, forcing his wings back. The slid into his body.
He turned away from them, moving towards the door. If Frankie didn’t do as she was told then he was going to tell Sacaren to take her in hand. Didn’t these human fema
les know how easily they could be harmed? Why the hell had Ioin left him in charge of their safety while the others went off on a job?
Their mates should be the ones taking care of them, not him. He’d rather take on half-a-dozen Jurgens than watch over two females.
He reached the security monitor and studied each of the cameras. No sign of an intruder. He turned off the blaring alarm. It was the front door alarm that had gone off.
“Thank God for that,” Frankie muttered from behind him. “That was giving me one hell of a headache.”
He turned his head to glare at her, noticing that she held a heavy, elaborate candlestick over her shoulder. It had been one of the items left here from when they purchased this place. Eden stood a few steps behind her, holding the matching candlestick.
“You will get back on the staircase and stay there,” he ordered them.
Frankie shook her head. “Nope. We got your back.”
“Get back on the stairs. Now. Or after I tell your mates about your reckless disregard for your safety, I will cheer them on as they turn your asses red.”
Eden gasped while Frankie just scowled up at him. “You know, I cannot wait until you find a mate. I’m going to send the poor girl a condolence card. And maybe a vial of poison. She’ll need it.”
He growled at Frankie. Human females were very frustrating creatures.
“Stand to one side. If someone is on the other side, they could hit you with their blaster fire,” he snapped.
“News flash, the only blasters on Earth are the ones in this house,” Frankie muttered, but she moved, placing Eden squarely behind her. “Eden, you should do what the grouch says and go back to the stairs.”
“You should both go,” he snapped, but he didn’t have time to argue anymore. He checked the camera view from the security panel. Didn’t look like anyone was there. But they could be hidden, waiting. He opened the door suddenly and aimed his blaster around the yard. No movement. No sign of anyone around. He stepped out, looking left then right, searching for danger. Nothing. He turned to study the door. There were scratch marks on it. Sitting on the doorstep was a long piece of black metal. He picked it up.
“Crowbar,” Frankie said, peering around him. She’d put the candlestick down. “Someone tried to pry the door open? What the hell were they thinking? This door is solid.”
He stepped inside and placed the crow bar on the side table that Eden had bought for the foyer. “Both of you remain inside, I’m going to do a patrol. If anything happens, you yell for me. I will hear you.”
Frankie nodded. “I’ve got things handled, you go see if you can see any signs of this asshole. Got a spare blaster?”
“No,” he snapped.
That was the last thing he needed, for the females to be armed. They would probably mistake him for an intruder and blow his head off.
Eden stepped closer to Frankie, her eyes were wide, her face pale. Stars, females who were pregnant should not be stressed. What could he say to calm her? He wracked his brain for something reassuring. Marcun would murder him if any harm came to Eden or their baby while he was in charge of their safety. Physical safety he could deal with but emotional wellbeing was a whole different ballgame.
He smiled at her. She gasped. He quickly stopped, worried she might faint. Was a smile not reassuring? “Do not worry, Eden. When I find who did this, I shall squish him until his brains become pulp and his insides are pulverized to mush and spill from his orifices.”
Eden grew even more pale and she placed her hand over her mouth before rushing off for the downstairs toilet.
He looked down at Frankie in puzzlement. “Was it something she ate?”
Frankie shook her head, staring up at him in amazement. “You really are completely clueless, aren’t you? There have been times where I’ve wondered if it was an act. But nope, this is just you.”
He didn’t understand what she was talking about.
A siren sounded in the distance and Frankie sighed. “Great. What do you want to bet that the old bat called the cops?”
The old bat was Frankie’s nickname for the lady who lived next door. He had no idea how she knew that she was old or why she called her a bat, but he did know enough not to take that bet.
He sighed as he opened the door. “Stay inside. I must check the perimeter. And see that Eden gets some of those crackers to help her illness. I thought she was past the morning sickness.” He didn’t understand why they called it morning sickness when it seemed to strike at any time. “Something must have upset her.”
“Yeah, no idea what that could have been,” Frankie replied, rolling her eyes.
No, neither did he.
* * *
“Get out of my way before I turn you into a eunuch, asshole.”
Nax was not certain what a eunuch was. But he could tell by the anger in Frankie’s voice that it wasn’t a good thing.
“You are not leaving.”
He stood in front of the door, facing down the two furious females. He crossed his arms over his chest and glowered at them.
“We’ve been stuck in this house for three days!” Eden told him, her hands on her hips. “We’ve going fucking insane.”
Eden was usually the calmer one of the two. He was in trouble if she was this upset. Not that he was afraid of two puny females. But if he wanted to restrain them then he had to use care. He didn’t want to harm them. His only option would be to lock them in their rooms.
“Move, Nax.”
“Female, you need to calm down. Both of you need to settle yourselves.” He gave Eden a look filled with disapproval. “This is not good for the baby.
“What’s not good for the baby is being cooped up inside here with her mother going crazy because you decided to turn into an overprotective ass.”
Frankie pushed her finger against his chest. “Move.”
He just stared down at her. “No.” He was tired of arguing with them. There should be no argument. He was left in charge of them and they should obey without question.
“You can’t watch us all the time,” Frankie warned. “You have to sleep sometime.”
He raised an eyebrow. Was that a threat to harm him while he slept? These females were far more bloodthirsty than he’d realized. He could almost admire that.
“I can go days without sleep.” And had since someone had tried to break in. He was aware that the lack of rest was making his temper a bit shorter than usual. “If you do not calm down and obey me then I will be forced to lock you in your rooms for your own safety.”
And then maybe he could have some peace and quiet. He had not worked on his projects these past few days, something else that was making him short-tempered.
“We’re not children! You just try to lock us up and see what happens.” Frankie threw her arms up in the air and turned away from him. “He’s a nut job. He can’t be reasoned with.”
“Nax,” Eden said calmly. “Don’t you think you’ve taking things a bit far? It was just an attempted break-in. Whoever it was, was scared off by the alarm. He’s not going to come back.”
“You do not know that.”
“But it was just a robbery. Why would he come back now that he knows there is an alarm? He’s long gone and keeping us cooped up in here for our own safety is ridiculous. This person isn’t a threat to us.”
“I am in charge of your safety until your mates return, and you will obey me.”
“Obey this!” Frankie raised her middle finger at him. He knew it was an insult although he did not know why exactly. She turned and strode towards the back of the house.
Eden sighed. “You’ve done it now.”
Done what? He had done nothing except give them orders to keep them safe. The three days he had spent in the swamps of Borgen chasing down a thieving Mastadorm had been more enjoyable than trying to deal with these human females. He heard the back door open then a female scream.
“Nax! You bastard! Get me out of this right now.”
He move
d quickly to the back door, Eden at his heels. She gasped as she spotted Frankie floating upside down in the air. Her face was red, her t-shirt had slipped down to her arm pits and her hair was close to brushing the floor as she bobbed around.
“Frankie! Shit!” Eden rushed forward, but Nax reached out an arm to hold her back.
“Careful or you will get caught up in the force field,” he warned. He didn’t know if that would have an adverse effect on the baby, but he didn’t want to risk it.
“Get. Me. Down.”
Nax stared at Frankie. Her eyes spat fire at him, and her hands, which were caught above her head, had clenched into fists.
“Not until you agree to obey me.”
Her eyes widened and she spat out a number of anatomically impossible suggestions. He waited until she quieted.
“Nax, let her down.” Eden tugged at his t-shirt. “What if she falls?”
“She will not fall. Not unless I turn the force field off.”
“Since when have we had a damn force field around our back door!” Frankie cried.
“Since I turned the security settings on high. It’s set to catch anyone coming through the door without the proper code.”
“You should have told us,” Eden told him.
“Why? You were told not to leave without me. It is Frankie’s fault that she has been caught.”
“Urgh! You are so fucking infuriating! If you don’t get me down in the next thirty seconds then I’m going to find the biggest, sharpest knife I can and—”
“Frankie!” Eden interrupted quickly, stepping forward between them. “Nax, let her down.”
“No.”
“No?” Eden gaped at him.
“Not until she calms down and agrees to obey me.”
“You cannot leave her there.”
“It is not harming her.”
“I’m going to harm you as soon as I get out of here,” Frankie promised. “You better watch your balls, asshole.”
Watch his balls? Why would he wish to do that?
He sighed. “If you had just obeyed me then you would not have been caught in the force field.”
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