Destined for Time (17 page)

She bit the inside of her lip nervously then said, “This is
Jimmy and he was just leaving.”

Jimmy’s face darkened with anger as he took in my shirtless
appearance. “Who the hell is this Angie?” His hand flew out towards me but he
took a step towards Angela.

I didn’t move because if I did I’d probably kill the
bastard, and since he was Rachel’s father I didn’t want to do that just yet.
But I did say, “I believe Angela asked you to leave. I suggest you do as she
asked before this gets out of hand.”

“Who the hell do you think you are telling me what to do in
my own house?” Jimmy roared.

Still leaning against the doorframe like his anger didn’t
concern me I told him, “I’m the man that slept beside Angela last night and the
night before that. I’m also the man that will be sleeping with her tonight and
every night yet to come.” He needed to understand that Angela wasn’t free to be
his punching bag any longer. “I’m the man she invited to breakfast, and I’m the
man you’ll have to go through to get to her. Now, unless you want to escalate
this situation further you should leave. Now.”

Jimmy stood on the other side of the table clenching his
fists while his eyes looked me over calculating his odds of taking me down.
When he decided they might not be in his favor he glared at Angela and bit out,
“I want to see Rachel, today, where is she?”

“She’s staying with some friends. I’ll talk to her after
breakfast and ask if she wants to see you. Write your number on the chalkboard
behind you and go.”

I wanted to cross the room and pull her into my arms. She
was putting up a brave front but I knew her well enough to know it was a bluff.
Angela was truly frightened of Jimmy and I had a feeling that he wasn’t going
to go away now that he knew about me. Some men were just like that. They got
all bent out of shape when the women they’d abused finally got around to moving
on without them.

Jimmy wrote his number on the chalkboard next to Angela’s
grocery list and Rachel’s note saying she’d be at Emily’s for the night then he
left. Angela sank into a chair and I crouched down in front of her.

“Are you okay?” I asked softly brushing my fingers down the
side of her face. She closed her eyes and sighed at the gentle caress.

After a moment she opened them and said, “I will be. I’m
glad you were here. I’ve learned a lot about self-defense over the years but
when it comes to Jimmy everything just flies right out of my brain and I’m that
scared defenseless girl he used to smack around.” A tear slid down her cheek
and I rubbed it away with my thumb. “Why couldn’t he just stay gone?”

“We can make sure he goes away for good if you want him to,”
I promised her.

She shook her head. “I don’t want him dead Rook, he’s Rachel’s
father.”

I grinned at her. “Well that’s the option I’d vote for
because any man who would lay a hand on a woman in anger deserves to die. But
that wasn’t what I was suggesting. We could have one of the nightshifters
convince him to leave town permanently. I don’t think Rachel needs his
influence in her life. She has enough bad people affecting her judgment right
now.”

She bit the inside of her lip while she considered it. “I
think we should let Rachel talk to him at least once and see how it goes, but I’ll
keep the offer in mind.”

“As you wish, but remember Angela, I’m not human. I know the
rules of human society and what your views of right and wrong are, and I agree
with most of them. Just because I’m a demon doesn’t mean I’m a savage. But if
he lays a hand on you or Rachel I will kill him. I won’t hesitate for your sake
or for hers.”

She looked into my eyes for a moment gauging my sincerity,
then she nodded. “I understand Rook, and I can’t blame you. Every time I’ve
been called to a scene of domestic violence gone horribly wrong, I’ve stood
over the bodies of the broken females and thought, one bullet in the asshole’s
head a long time ago and we could have avoided all this tragedy. But that’s not
how the law works for humans.”

I shrugged my shoulder. “I don’t think of you or Rachel as
human any more. I think of you as my family, and I would kill anyone that
harmed a member of my family.”

“That kind of attitude is going to take some getting used
to.” She rose from the chair and I stood with her. “Why don’t you have a seat
in one of the chairs while I finish making breakfast?”

I bent down to kiss her briefly then I did as she asked.
After breakfast I helped her clean up then we packed some of her things and got
ready to head back to the resort.

“Your house is still under surveillance but last night it
was some cop I didn’t recognize. Today it’s your partner, Quen,” I informed
Angela.

She shook her head. “He’s not my partner any more. I told
Lieutenant Taggert that if she didn’t give me a new partner I would file sexual
harassment charges against Quen. Tony, Detective Vaccaro, the one I brought
with me when you skipped out on our appointment is my new partner.”

That was good to know. Quen was an asshole and I never had
liked the way be looked at Angela. Whenever she brought him to the resort I
made sure one of the nightshifters sidetracked him so I could get Angela alone.

“It’s time for you to make a decision. If I walk out that
door with you, he will see me and I don’t have the ability to alter his mind.”
Last night she’d given herself to me freely, without reservation, but was she
really ready for everything a relationship with me would mean?

“It doesn’t matter anymore Rook. I’ve made my decision to be
with you and I don’t want to hide you like a dirty secret. You deserve more
than that from me. Whatever happens as a result of my decision I’ll deal with
it.” She sounded very sure which was a good thing because the second we walked
out that door her career would be over.

“Be sure Angela because there is no going back after this.”

She framed my face with her hands and kissed me softly. “I
know where I belong now, and I don’t care who else knows it as well.”

I hugged her hard, lifting her off her feet as I held her to
my chest. Goddess, it felt so good to hear her say that. She laughed and we
kissed some more then I set her down and we loaded up her Mustang and drove to
the resort. We took her things to the suite she’d stayed in the night before,
but if I had my way, her and Rachel would be moving into my place as soon as
possible. Of course, I’d learned over the years that wanting something to
happen didn’t always mean it would happen, especially when it involved Angela
Ruby.

Things back at Myths and Legends were a bit chaotic so I
walked Angela to her suite and asked her to meet me in my office once she’d
gotten settled in. My security staff was well trained and should’ve been able
to handle anything without me or anyone else there to supervise them. Yet when
I returned to the resort I found Dragon practically pulling his hair out with
frustration.

“What happened,” I asked as we strode down the hallway
towards my office.

“What didn’t happen would be a better question. We’ve had a
small fire, a reported case of food poisoning, a couple of idiots trying to
break into a slot machine, an attempt at armed robbery and a missing child.” He
ran his hand through his hair. “And those are just the problems that come to
mind first.”

I had to bite my lip so I wouldn’t laugh as we entered my
office and Dragon fell onto the couch. Some of the events he listed were
concerning, but they were also commonplace at a busy resort like Myths and
Legends.

I leaned against the front of my desk and said, “I’m
assuming the fire has been extinguished, someone has been sent to wipe the
minds of everyone involved in the food poisoning accusation since we know it’s
bullshit anyway, and the idiots have been dealt with appropriately.” If they
were human they would’ve been expelled from the resort with the thought never
to return planted firmly in their brains. If they were supernatural, they would
suffer for the insult to discourage others from making the same mistake. “Did
anyone find the missing child?”

Dragon nodded yes and I asked, “What kind of weapon was used
in the attempted robbery?”

“A gun,” He replied and I raised an eyebrow. “I know;
Solomon is on his way here now to explain how someone was able to get a gun
past his ward.”

“That question aside, you seem to have everything under
control. Am I still on vacation or do you need me to come back to work?” I
grinned at him already knowing the answer to my question. He’d never give up
that easily.

“I think I can handle it but don’t go too far. How are
things going with you and Angela?”

“Better than I could’ve hoped,” I told him with a smile
stretching from ear to ear. “We have a few hurdles to make it over but we’ve
made a lot more progress than I would’ve thought possible just a couple of days
ago.”

“I’m happy for you Rook. No one deserves happiness more than
you do,” Dragon said sincerely.

There was a knock at the door then Solomon came striding
into the office. “I wasn’t clear enough on the definition of harm when I
created the ward. We don’t want it to block anyone who means us any kind of
harm from coming into the resort because that would include people who just
want to say nasty things to us or one of the guests. So I tried to narrow the
focus a bit. Intentions of physical harm are stopped at the door but apparently
the magic doesn’t consider monetary loss to be harmful.”

“But what does that have to do with bringing a gun onto the
property to commit armed robbery?” Dragon asked, confused.

“I get it.” They both looked at me for an explanation. “If
someone brought a gun in here with the intention of showing it but not using
it, then that person might cause emotional harm or monetary loss, but they
wouldn’t intend physical harm. Therefore, the ward wouldn’t stop them.” Magic
always had loopholes you just had to find your way around them.

“Exactly, but it’s not like I can set the ward to keep all
guns out because that would include our friendly neighborhood police officers.”

“Can you set it so that anyone who wants to rob us would be
kept out?” Dragon sat forward trying to figure out how to close this gap in the
ward.

“I don’t think that will work either,” Solomon answered. “Unfortunately
that might keep people out who just want in to gamble, because let’s be honest,
they come here with the hopes of cleaning us out.”

We were still discussing possible scenarios and ways to
prevent them when Angela joined us about an hour later. She glanced at me when
she came into the room like she wanted to come to me but then she changed
directions and sat in one of the oversized arm chairs. I guessed she wasn’t
sure what the boundaries were for public displays of affection so I crossed the
room and lifted her from the chair. She yelped and I sat down with her in my
lap.

“That wasn’t really necessary,” she chided but her smile
ruined the effect.

I smoothed my hand over her hair and down her back thinking
I would never get tired of touching her. “Sure it was, I haven’t seen you for
over an hour,” I teased making her cheeks warm when Dragon and Solomon both
chuckled.

“So have you learned any new time travel tricks since you
hooked up with a conduit Rook?” Solomon asked with a devious grin and I could
picture him and Doyle placing odds on something like that.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” I couldn’t resist baiting him
and the eager expression on his face was priceless.

“What’s a conduit?” Angela asked glancing from one of us to
the next.

“You still haven’t told her about that?” Solomon asked
incredulously.

I frowned at him and he put his hands up in a
no offense
gesture. Turning to Angela I said, “Maybe we should try that walk on the beach
again.”

She titled her head thoughtfully. “Okay, that sounds like a
good idea.”

We stood and I told Dragon, “Call me if you need me, and I
mean that.” He inclined his head and I turned to Solomon, “So far I can stop
time in the immediate area for everyone except me and Angela for a few moments,
but only when she’s with me. It’s pretty cool actually because we can still
move around while everyone else is frozen. Once, I slowed time down so that
everyone was moving in slow motion except for me. That time even Angela was
affected by my powers but I’m not sure why. If you give me a cut of your
winnings I’ll keep you updated on any new developments.”

Dragon chuckled and Angela shook her head, but Solomon was
excited by my decision to be forthcoming about my new powers. “You bet, even
with you taking a cut this is going to make me a lot of money.”

We started for the door but Angela stopped and asked, “Was
that why Danarius thought I was more than I seem? Because you stopped time to
get Rachel away from him and you didn’t have that power before?”

“Danarius is aware you’re gaining new powers?” Dragon asked
sharply.

I nodded grimly to him and explained, “I couldn’t think of
any other way to get Rachel away from him safely. He was holding her head in
his hands and he would’ve snapped her neck had I taken one step towards her.”

Angela flinched and I pulled her into my arms and hugged
her.

“It’s unfortunate, but you did what needed to be done,”
Dragon said. “Angela, I’m not sure if you understand just how dangerous
Danarius can be. We can try to protect you and Rachel outside of Myths and
Legends but I urge you to consider staying here at the resort on a permanent
basis.”

“I’ll consider the option,” she told him sincerely.

To me Dragon said, “Keep an eye out for trouble. It won’t
take long for Danarius to come up with a plan and put it into action.”

“I always do,” I told him with a shrug.

Angela and I said our goodbyes then we made our way through
the crowded hallways of the resort to the back entrance that led to the
beaches. The place was crawling with spring-breakers but we eventually found a
quiet section of the beach. We sat close to each other on the sand just short
of the point where the surf was rolling on shore. It was early evening and the
setting sun cast an orange and red glow over the Gulf. I’d always liked coming
to the beach. Whether it was to run in the sand, swim through the waves, or to
just sit and let the salty air wash over me, it was always something I enjoyed
doing.

“Before I forget, I talked to Rachel about Jimmy and she
wants to see him. I called the number he gave me and tried to get him to come
here to see her but he said he didn’t want any part of this freak show.” Angela
shook her head. “I told him he was lucky she wanted to see him at all and if he
wouldn’t come here then she would meet him at my house tomorrow afternoon. I
figured at least that way she’ll still be safe behind Solomon’s wards.”

I nodded. “I’ll assign a few people to escort her there and
back.”

“Thank you Rook. I’m not sure how I’m going to explain the
need for security but I’m sure I’ll think of something.”

“We could have Solomon make her believe it’s necessary
without any explanations.” I reached out and combed my fingers through her
hair. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back with a sigh.

“That’s probably for the best, at least for now,” she
agreed.

After a few quiet moments Angela asked, “So do I finally get
to hear how I enhance your time travel abilities now.” She turned her head and
smiled at me then added, “After all, I think I’ve admitted there is something
very personal going on between us.”

I grinned back at her. “Yes you have, and I can’t tell you
how relieved I am about that.”

“Oh I think I have a pretty good idea,” she said with a
heated glance over my body that had me instantly hard. “Six years was a long
wait for me too.”

“Keep looking at me like that and we won’t be talking about
anything except how fast we can get up to my apartment,” I warned her.

Her answering laugh was full of promise. “I’m sure we’ll get
to that, but first I want to know why I can travel through time with you when
no one else can. Every time I’ve asked someone to explain that to me they said
you should be the one to fill me in.”

All teasing fled my mind as the weight of what I was about
to tell her settled on my shoulders. Not because it frightened me, but because
I thought it might frighten her, or give her the wrong idea about why I wanted
to be with her. Reaching out I brushed my fingers down the side of her face.
She was so beautiful with the gentle breeze lifting her white blonde hair in
the light of the fading sun.

“Before I explain how my powers work I want you to know that
I fell in love with you long before you ever fell through time with me,” I told
her softly.

She pulled away from me drawing her knees up to her chest
and wrapping her arms around them. “Please don’t say that Rook, it would hurt
too much if you said it and it wasn’t true.”

“You felt my love for you last night Angela, just as I felt
yours for me. There’s no reason why hearing how I feel about you should scare
you more than feeling it. The words are only an affirmation of what you already
know is true.” I wanted to reach out to her but she remained closed off hugging
her legs tightly to her chest.

“Why are we talking about love anyway?” she asked a little
desperately. “What does love have to do with time travel?”

“Probably nothing, but possibly everything. Right now I just
want to make sure you don’t think I only want to be with you because of how
powerful you could make me. I had no idea you were a conduit until the night of
the bombing and you know that I wanted you long before that.”

“Okay, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. Now, explain
exactly how your power works and why I have any effect on it at all.”

“Time demons all have a certain amount of inherent power
that they’re born with. It can be depleted but it will eventually replenish
itself naturally. With that amount of power we can travel backwards through
time like I did with you, but only to a time and place we’ve already been. Once
we go back, the original timeline is erased and we can never return to it. How
far we can go back depends on how powerful the demon is and whether or not
there is any magic in the environment that we can draw in and add to ours.
These days there’s very little magic in the world so we mostly have to rely on
our own abilities. Training can help us use our innate power more effectively,
and practice can make that power grow.”

“So, as a Guardian who was forced into a rigorous training
program from birth you should be pretty powerful all on your own,” Angela noted
teasingly.

“That’s true; I am one of the most powerful time demons
alive today. If we were only talking about innate power then I’m more powerful
than most of our Elders.”

“Then why the hell do you follow their rules?” She demanded
to know, throwing her hands in the air with exasperation. “The night of the
bombing Dragon made them sound so powerful. He said you weren’t allowed to save
anyone but him and Serafina once they were slated for death because your Elders
would punish you if you did. Then they would reset time and the people would
die anyway. All those people died that night and if it wasn’t for their stupid
rules you could have saved them. If you’re more powerful, why do you listen to
them at all?”

“Do you remember when I told you that the River of Time was
once a source of power for any time demon strong enough to access it?” She
nodded hesitantly and I continued, “In the old days, long before I was born,
the power of the River flowed freely allowing the most powerful time demons to
harness that energy and use it for time travel. With the power of the River we
could truly manipulate time, move backwards and forwards along the same
timeline, go to any time and place not just where and when we’ve already been,
slow time, stop time, the possibilities were almost endless.

Then came a chaotic period when many time demons were using
their powers for really evil purposes. Our Elders made the decision to restrict
the flow of power from the River so that only they have access to it. I’ve
argued that they should loosen their hold on the River but they won’t budge.
They say the potential for chaos is too great and they’re doing it for our own
good.” I couldn’t help the bitter snort that escaped me with that thought.