Aran: Love me Harder - Alien Paranormal Romance (12 page)

“I take it we are having company?”

“Dee does what she wants. You should know this by now.”

“Keeps me from searching her out.”

“Whatever. I should get ready and go to the apartment. The police are probably looking for me. I need to let them know where I was. They may think I was a suspect.”

“What you need to do is stay here where you are safe until we can figure this thing out.”

“Excuse me?” He was about to get told off when her phone rang.

“Doll, are you alright? Is Dante there yet? I assume you have already seen the news.”

“Yes to all three. What is happening?”

“Not sure. Someone has you in his cross hairs. Don’t know why yet. I went to your apartment and yes I know you are capable of taking care of yourself, but you have me now and I want to take care of you too.”

Damn she wanted to argue. He was so sincere and so non-dominating and she knew the man could dominate.

“What about the cops?”

“I told them I would bring you down to make a statement. They didn’t like it, but since I already provided you with an alibi, this is just procedure. Besides, a male was seen leaving the crime scene, so they are wondering if it was the work of an unhappy ex.”

“Yeah no, not in anyone’s dreams. There is something else going on. I just don’t know what.”

“I agree with you, doll. Could it be something you are working on?”

“All I am working on is the board of directors from my previous place of employment. What could any of them have to hide that would make them want to kill me?”

“Don’t log on to your laptop until I have you added to my network. It is untraceable. Then you can investigate and maybe we can get somewhere. I will be there soon.”

The line went dead and she was left watching a smiling Dante. How could someone so hot look so evil?

Chapter Nineteen

She would bet the world summits where quieter than this. Dee had arrived with a suitcase, making it clear she would be staying for a while. Dante had greeted Dee with a truly wicked smile.

Aran rushed in soon after and grabbed her, squeezing her tight and kissing her. A man, her man, distraught over her was a definite turn on. So sue her.

Then the rest of the brothers managed to make an appearance within minutes of each other. She was beginning to wonder if they could pop in and out of places.

Now they were all giving their opinions, loudly. Dee included. She would actually be having a breakdown if all this wasn’t because they wanted her safe. In their world, safe meant alive and happy.

She was one of the family. It looked like Dee was also, whether she realized it or not.

Rena looked at the stairs, wondering if she could sneak away. Hale had come and hooked her up to Aran’s network. It was a work of genius. She had never seen anything that sophisticated. Now, all she wanted to do was probe deeper into the board and Brad.

The ringing of her phone silenced everyone.

“Put it on speaker.”

She nodded and picked it up. It could be nothing, but the number came in unavailable.

“Hello.”

“You really do have nine lives.”

“Or you’re just not smart enough to catch me.”

“Forget catching you, bitch, I am going to kill you.” The singsong quality of the voice had taken on a definite sound of hate.

“I am going to hunt you down. I will turn over every rock until you crawl out. You just signed your death warrant.”

The click on the other end left the room in silence.

“Hale set her phone up so every call she gets is traced until we find this killer.”

Aran took the phone out of her hand and handed it to his brother. She got up and left the room, not acknowledging anyone.

She headed up the stairs when she heard Dee say “trouble in paradise.” She punctuated it with laughter.

Walking past the bedroom door, she came to the office and went in. Opening her laptop, she booted up.

She knew he was behind her, even though she hadn’t heard him move. She felt him in her bones and yeah, she knew how weird that sounded.

“Doll?”

“What?” Her voice was curt.

“What happened?”

What happened? That was a good question. She was upset. She knew all he wanted to do was help her, but to assume he could trace every call on her phone without her permission. Where did he get off?

Sure they had good sex. Excellent sex, actually. Darn it. The best sex of her life. Still he didn’t have a right to act like he owned her. It was her fault, right? Staying here, thinking there could be a couple and not just him and her.

“What makes you think that you can just have my phone calls traced without even asking me?”

“Your life is in danger. I will do whatever I have to in order to keep you safe.”

“No. Actually, hell no. You can’t just think you make the rules and I follow them. That won’t fly. Like you said, it’s my life and if you want something to change, you need to consult me first.”

“I will consult you on everything, as long as your life is not in danger.”

“Get out!” She screamed the words, not caring who heard her. She pointed towards the door and stared him down. He needed to move. Right Now.

Looking puzzled, he turned to leave. Looking back, he opened his mouth, but she wrapped her arms around her chest. He turned and left.

The nerve of that man thinking he could do anything he wanted. What did she look like to him?

Did she look like a frail human unable to take care of herself? Or did he see something different? Did he see the person he made holler all night, the one he called doll with such adoration in his voice.

She had a right to be mad. She took care of herself. She didn’t need a bossy, pushy man to do it for her, except he wasn’t bossy or pushy and he wasn’t a man.

He was a fighting machine, designed that way. His job was to protect and he had centered that feeling on her. She was talking herself out of being mad. She wouldn’t tell him yet, though. He had to understand. They were either together or apart. He couldn’t run over her, even if he didn’t like her answers.

She sat in the chair checking her e-mail. Several letters had hit her quarantine box as suspected virus laden. She was sure by the subject line that they had all come from the person out for her blood.

If she could open them without subjecting her computer to a deadly virus or giving away her location, she might be able to follow them back to where they originated.

Smiling, now that she might have something to work with, she called Hale.

***

He hated coming here. This old abandoned house sat on a dead end street all alone. It reminded him of a house in a horror flick. He could almost hear the audience screaming at him not to go in.

He had no other choice. The steps of the wooden porch creaked and rattled every time his weight settled on one. The house looked like it was bleeding in the darkness. It was just the paint peeling, he reminded himself.

How had he allowed himself to get caught up in all of this? He stood on the porch looking for a way, anyway, to get out. Nothing came to save him. He pushed open the door.

The inside was worse than the outside. The smell of death was in the air. He was sure that there had to be bodies somewhere in the house. He had never smelt a stench this bad in his life.

He crept up the stairs. His boss, the man who tortured him, liked to meet in the attic. He was sure that was on purpose. That man knew how terrified he was of this place and made him suffer.

He never looked in any of the rooms he passed. He walked swiftly past, hoping nothing or no one jumped out at him. He was on the steps to the second floor now.

He walked past the three rooms with half opened doors. He thought he heard moans coming from them and walked faster. He reached the steps to the attic on the other side of the hallway and took them two at a time.

He hated this room the most. It was dark, barely providing him enough light to see the shadow in the corner. He knew a man stood there, but his mind insisted there was an animal behind it.

“You’re late,” the man said.

“Sorry, I wanted to make sure I wasn’t followed.”

“She’s still alive. I saw your fireworks display. Pretty, but ineffective.”

“I never saw her leave the apartment. I was sure she would go up in flames with everything she owned.”

“No more fire. Do the job, or I will show you how it is done.”

“I understand.” He shook where he stood. It wasn’t the man that had his bladder ready to explode, it was the shadow of a beast looming ever taller over the man speaking.

Its body had changed, growing taller and thicker. Sharp claws had erupted from its fingers and fangs now ordained its mouth. It threw its head back as if it were going to roar.

He turned around and jumped down the attic steps. He hightailed it out of the house. It was him or her and he wasn’t going to die.

“Why did he run like that?” The man who had been doing the talking turned to the man hiding deeper in the shadows.

“It’s hard to tell why humans do anything.” He shrugged.

The man laughed. “Why do you insist on acting like you are not human? We are all the same under the skin you know.”

“You just ordered a woman’s death. Do you feel that you are like every other human?”

“We all have some evil in us. Some just have more.”

Chapter Twenty

“The General called. He’s ready for his little problem overseas to be dealt with.”

Aran walked into the security room where Sergey and Dante sat. He would rather be with Rena, but she was giving him the silent treatment and it was killing him.

He had reached for her last night and she had stiffened. The look on her face read ‘touch me and die.’ His beast had howled. Who was he kidding? He had howled too.

“I can take care of that.” Sergey volunteered.

“No, after what happened last time I am going to go. If there is a problem, I want to be present for it.”

“You’re willing to leave your mate alone?” Dante asked stirring the pot.

“Seems she’s not that interested in me right now. Either way, I have to go. I am the face I want associated with this, if there is trouble.”

Dante started to reply, but held his tongue as they heard Rena approaching.

“Hi.” Her otherwise warm voice was cold as she entered the room.

They acknowledged her, but were tense, like she might be infected with something.

“Hi doll.” Aran was still warm, but weary. “I have to go away to take care of one of our overseas contracts. I will be back as soon as possible. Dante, Sergey and the rest of my brothers will make sure you are safe.”

She turned to face him, not liking the fact that he was leaving. Her eyes rounded just a bit and she could feel her heart beat pick up.

“How will I get in touch with you?”

He handed her a package with a sad smile. “With this.”

She opened it up to find a phone identical to the one she had given him. Looking at it, she noticed it was the newest model. Definitely not her phone, but it had the same case. In fact, other than the upgrade, he had made sure everything was the same.

“I programmed my number in, but did not do anything else to it. It is your phone. It is untapped. No one will know who called you or why. I do ask that you continue to answer the other one if it rings, in case your pursuer should call back.”

Aran leaned over and hugged her while she stood there with her mouth hanging open.

“Sorry doll. I never meant to walk all over you. We have to go. I will be back as soon as possible.”

She listened as he went up the stairs going into the bedroom, she presumed, to pack. Then he came back down and left, not saying another word. She waited until there was total silence, then she sat in the chair, put her head in her hands and cried big fat tears. The kind that made your body shake and were accompanied by moans of pain. The real kind that made parents drop everything to run to their child.

The tears didn’t stop. She had been so hurt in her previous relationships, so untrusted by men. She had also not trusted. If it was a man, he was out to hurt her.

She hadn’t always been that way. She could still here the mocking of her first boyfriend’s voice as he got together with his friends. He thought she had gone, so when they called her a whale, he had laughed and joined in with the name calling.

Today she knew better, but at sixteen she had been devastated. She had never really had anyone special, not that she hadn’t tried. When he took her phone, she waited for the same stuff to happen again.

She cried harder as the face of the few men she had thought she loved crossed her mind. They hadn’t been worth her, but try telling her heart that at the time.

What had she done? She had let the best thing she ever had walk out the door, thinking she was still mad at him when really it was her stubborn pride that refused to tell him she understood.

She had wanted to hug and kiss him because no male had cared for her like this since her father passed away, but she had been afraid of being vulnerable. Now he had gone overseas. What if he never came back?

“Rena, why are you crying?”

Dee’s words brought on a fresh torrent of tears.

She felt Dee’s arms go around her as she started to rock her. She took comfort in her friend’s arms, until her tears finally dried up.

“I screwed up Dee.”

“Girl, whatever it is, we can fix it.”

“Maybe, I am not so sure.”

“Is this about Aran?”

Rena nodded her head afraid, to trust her voice.

“Girl, that man loves you. Whatever it is, you can fix it.”

“What makes you think that?”

“You need to open those eyes. I watch him watch you. He thinks the sun and the moon rise and lower on your command. I think he would kill for you and I am not just saying that.”

She nodded her head. “I think you’re right. How could I have messed up so badly?”

“Relationships go through ups and downs. You two are still getting to know each other. It was bound to happen. I am sure it will happen again. Next time, think first, spout off second.”