Tangled Bliss (5 page)

Chapter Seven

Chelsea walked down the hallway of Ash Floral Supply’s main
offices. The week after the incident with the delivery van, she’d been pulled
out of the field. It surprised her that it had taken that long.

The creamy yellow walls were trimmed with blue and gave a
cheerful atmosphere to the boring office setting. She hated being stuck here.
The walls around her trapped and stifled her, keeping her away from the sun and
anything growing.

She needed to be outside caring for plants. That wouldn’t
happen until the stalker was caught. Her family, her mother and father in
particular, weren’t budging on the matter.

She could do a little work in the product development
greenhouse which attached to the main office building. It wasn’t enough though.
The desire to feel the sun beating down on her or take a walk through the
fields thrummed through her.

Thank God, the work day was almost finished. She hadn’t
watched the clock or prayed for Friday since her first months at on the job.
They’d tried her out in various positions in the company to find a balance
between her talents and the work that needed to be done.

Although she did paperwork in her normal position, she
relished being outside and interacting with the plants. Her normal job she
enjoyed. This drudge, though, she couldn’t wait for work hours to finish.

She paced into the office she’d been given. Her shoulders
ached from tension that had been building all day. She used almost any excuse
to wander down to the break room or simply amble down the hall. The small
windowless room which was her office didn’t help. She couldn’t even feel the
sunshine on her skin. It was driving her crazy.

They’d given her an interior office for safety reasons. Alex
didn’t want to risk either external access to her or for the person to be able
to hurt her from outside if things went that far. He demanded she work in an
area with cameras on the hall.

Chelsea knew the stalker hoped she’d back away from Alex or
that Alex would distance himself from the danger. Not going to happen either
way. She was more concerned for Alex. He might be more in danger than her. If
the stalker wanted Alex out of her life, he could try to kill Alex. Not that it
would

What would she do if Alex was hurt because of her? She
wouldn’t stand by and watch it happen. She’d rather disappear than put him in
danger.

Joy, Chelsea’s sister opened her office door. She stood in
the doorway, leaning a shoulder against the frame.

“Just got a call, sis. Alex will be here in about ten.”

“Great! I’ll get ready to leave.” She spun on her heel and
almost skipped to the desk.

“He’ll come in for you so no running out to meet him this
time.” Joy shook her finger at Chelsea.

Chelsea bit her lip to hide her grin. Alex had not been
happy about that. He’d lectured her all the way home about how someone could
have swept in, jerked her into a van, and sped off with her before he could
have stopped them.

She’d been torn between anger at being lectured and
amusement. She’d hidden the amusement though, because it would make the lecture
worse. He hadn’t even tempered his speech when she told him that she had looked
out before she left the building.

There hadn’t been a vehicle other than his moving in the
parking lot. She wouldn’t have gone if she’d seen anything suspicious. That
didn’t soothe him. Alex didn’t believe she knew what would be suspicious
though. She knew the stalker, at least casually. Their vehicle might belong in
the lot.

She still had a difficult time thinking that someone
familiar to her would do this, but she worked on that problem. Even though she
hated it, she couldn’t hide from the truth.

“Are you ready to go over to Mom’s tonight?” Joy strolled
into the room.

Chelsea began to pack her things into her shoulder bag. Her
brow furrowed. Joy’s question caught her off guard. For a minute, she couldn’t
remember why she’d go over to her mother’s home.

She hadn’t made any plans to go there. Her mother hadn’t
called her recently. After a little time, she remembered her dad’s birthday.
Over a month ago, her mother said they’d get together and plan a party on his
monthly poker night.

“Thanks for reminding me. It slipped my mind. We’ll be there
after we stop off at Alex’s house.” Chelsea looked at the top of the desk and
in the side drawer to make sure she hadn’t left anything. They hadn’t gone
straight home in the last few days. They’d made stops off at the police station
a couple times and at a friend’s house on another.

“I thought it might have. You’ve been a little stressed over
the last few weeks.” Joy edged over to the desk and sat on the edge. “You and
Alex doing alright?”

“Yeah, I think we worked through a few issues. He is talking
more.” Chelsea sat down in the chair behind the desk.

“That’s good. You were worried that he was hiding
something.” Joy messed with the adjustable light on the desk.

Yes, the silence had fired her imagination. She didn’t want
to be only a small part of his life. A couple’s life should be tangled together
like vines, separate, but intertwined. After their talk, she was more
confident.

“We’re good on that front. I want to wait until all the
drama of this stalking crap is finished before we make any decisions about the
relationship.” Chelsea bit her lip.

The waiting for the stalker to be caught stretched her
patience, which was already a little thin anyway. She wanted to talk to him
about the future and their relationship. She hoped he wanted something
permanent. He’d implied he did earlier. She longed for a future with him.

“I understand. You don’t want him to think you’re committing
to him because you need his protection, right?” Joy’s head tilted.

“Yeah, that’s a big part of it. The man’s a protector. It’s
natural for him, but what’s between us doesn’t have anything to do with that.
It’s all about him as a man and how he makes me feel.” Chelsea drew circles on
the desktop with her fingers.

“The protector is part of him so I’m sure it’s part of it.”
Joy grinned and held up a hand. “I know you mean it’s not one of the reasons
you’re in love with him.”

Chelsea looked toward the door. Thankfully, Alex wasn’t
there. She sent a scowl toward her sister. “I haven’t even told him that. You
could try not to blurt it out when he might walk in the door.”

“You didn’t tell me either. I just know you.” Joy shrugged.

“Yeah, keep your knowledge to yourself. I want to be the one
who tells him that.” Chelsea shook her head. She didn’t want those words coming
from anyone but her.

“No problem. I’ll be careful about it.” Joy smiled. Her head
tipped to the side and a brow rose. “You plan to tell him soon?”

“Joy, don’t you have a love life to worry about? You were
dating someone recently.”  Chelsea gave her sister a long look and sighed.

Joy waved her hand. “No, that ended. He was looking for too
much too soon. Three dates in and he mentions marriage. It made me wonder why.”

“Well, did you learn why?” She leaned forward in concern.

“Yes, I did.” Joy grimaced.

“Well, why was he pushing so hard for it? Did he want
connection to the family business or something?” Chelsea frowned. It wouldn’t
be the first time someone had approached one of them for that reason.

“No, nothing like that, although I’m sure that didn’t hurt.”
Joy shrugged. “His mother caused some significant trouble. You know the fires
and the letter that hit that human paper. The mayor had decided that two of
their family needed to serve to make up for what was done. He thought that he
wouldn’t be chosen if he had recently married.”

The position of mayor here wasn’t the same as it was in a
human town. He led the city’s Aelfir. They didn’t hold elections for the
position. He was selected and marked by the Goddess when the last mayor’s rule
ended. Sometimes with death, other times through divine termination. Normally,
when a new leader was selected, the old one stepped down. There had been a few
instances where the old leader tried to keep his place.

Chelsea had heard that the person behind the fire was sick.
Most of the time, that didn’t lead to service. The family must have done
something. Maybe they tried to keep her crimes a secret.

 “How are you? How do you feel about this?” Chelsea put her
hand on Joy’s arm.

“Well, he kind of creeped me out with the sudden press for
marriage. So I had drawn back from him.” Joy sighed.

“I’m sorry he tried to use you, Joy.” Chelsea squeezed her
sister’s hand.

“Yeah, he didn’t get out of it and the mayor learned of what
he was trying to do. I wasn’t the only one that he tried to rush into
marriage.” Joy shrugged.

Her sister felt more upset about it than she would admit.
Stress or maybe anger had tightened the skin over Joy’s cheeks and jaw. Chelsea
wouldn’t push anymore. Her sister would talk when she was ready. It had to hurt
that the man had tried to use her, but also that he attempted the same with
others to make sure that he didn’t have to serve.

Joy stayed with her until Alex arrived. Chelsea smiled when
Alex strolled into the room. He still wore his uniform with the lighter blue
shirt and dark black pants. Damn, he looked handsome. He strolled around her
desk and took her in his arms.

“Hey, Chelsea, have a good day?” Alex leaned down and
dropped a kiss on her nose.

“Ugh, boring. Tonight, we have to go to my mother’s. I
forgot about it until Joy reminded me. We’ll need to go there after we stop by
the house. The good thing is she’ll feed us though.” Chelsea smiled. She hugged
him tight.

“Hey, I’m always ready to eat your mom’s food. Let’s go.
I’ll change clothes and we can go straight over there.” Alex nodded. “Do you
have everything?”

“I was ready a few minutes after you called.” She released
him with a last hard squeeze. She’d love to kick Joy out, lock the door, and
enjoy the privacy of the office for a little while.

Alex brushed her hair back behind her ear. “We’ll catch this
man as soon as we can, baby. I know you’re not fond of staying in the office.”

That was an understatement, but she didn’t to say anything
about it. She’d seen the guilt on his face at times. It wasn’t his fault. She
didn’t want to make him feel any worse. They couldn’t make the stalker reveal
himself. She’d find the patience to wait.

“I can deal with it. There is a plus. I get to spend time in
the development greenhouse.” She tightened her arms around him, hoping to
reassure him. “Let’s go so you can change.”

He guided her out to his car. She noticed the tension in his
shoulders and his back. He settled into the driver’s seat. When he started the
car, he took a deep breath before beginning the drive. They headed home.

Chapter Eight

Chelsea talked about her day, as well as two new flowers
they were trying to develop. He talked a little about his day. By the time they
pulled up to his house, he’d relaxed a little.

“Stay in the car. I’ll come around for you.” Alex glanced
over at her.

She hadn’t even moved. She’d gotten used to his insistence
to get out first to check for any danger. He slid out of the car. She watched
his smooth strides. He rounded the front of the vehicle. His eyes never stopped
moving. He looked over the yard, searching for anything out of the ordinary.

When he got to the passenger side of the car, she saw a dark
streak flash through the air. Alex flinched and went down. She ducked down in
the seat. With one hand, she grabbed her shoulder bag and the other pulled the
door handle. She had to check on Alex.

What the fuck hit him? How badly was he hurt?
She
didn’t know and had to get to him.

Nothing except the sound of her racing heart reached her
ears. She couldn’t chance looking out the window. Her throat tightened. Tears
pricked the back of her eyes as the possibilities bombarded her.

She eased the door open and slipped out of the car. When a
hand grabbed her leg, she almost screamed. She looked down. Alex had crawled
over to the door. She eased out knelt beside him.

An arrow shaft stuck in his arm. A red stain oozed out
around the shaft of the arrow. Her throat tightened and her stomach
constricted, as if a fist had knotted around it.

“Get your phone and call for help. Mine’s on the damn stand
in the car.” Alex braced his back against the car.

She reached in her bag and fished out her phone. Her hands
shook as she pressed 911 and waited. She explained what had happened and that
Alex was injured. Her muscles tightened as she looked around.
Will the
stalker come find us and try again?

Alex had his gun drawn. He knelt and kept looking to each
end of the car. It didn’t take a genius to know he stayed on guard, protecting
them both. Her mouth dried as fear swelled. She didn’t want the man to sneak up
on them either.

The whoop of sirens reached them. She rested her head back
against the car door. Just the sound boosted Chelsea’s spirits. Help would be
here soon. She reached out and ran her hand over Alex’s leg, seeking a little
reassurance.

“Are you all right?” She looked up at him.

He didn’t glance at her. His eyes still swept from the front
of the car to the back. His lips compressed. The edges had turned white from
the pressure. She wanted to take away his pain. For the first time, she wished
her talent encompassed something other than plants.

“It hurts like a bitch, but I don’t think it hit anything
except muscle.” Alex’s voice was tight.

“The sirens are getting loud.” She didn’t know if it
comforted him, but it helped her.

“It won’t be long. The man who shot me is probably gone, but
I won’t relax until they arrive.” Alex did glance at her, but his attention
turned back to his search of the yard.

Police cars pulled into the driveway. Officers cautiously
got out of the squad cars, using the car and doors as shields at first. Most of
them fanned out, searching. One officer came over to Alex and Chelsea. Chelsea
had never been so relieved in her life.

Alex handed over his gun so that they could finish securing
the area. Now that others had come to help, Chelsea turned her attention to the
wound. She could check it without fearing someone would attack them.

The arrow entered on the fleshy part of his arm. It hadn’t
gone through.
Had it hit bone?

She bit her lip. This shouldn’t have happened to him. She
ran her hands through her hair. Her eyes cut to him and she shook her head.
What if they had to keep him in the hospital because of this?

“Do not go crazy on me, Chelsea.” Alex squeezed her
shoulder. “This will be fine after they get the bolt out and stitch me up.”

“I think you’re minimizing matters too much. You just got shot
with an arrow.” She blinked to fight back tears.

“It could be worse. He could have better aim or used a
higher powered bow.” Alex grinned.

“You’re not funny. That could have killed you.” She scowled
at him.

“No, ma’am, he isn’t funny. He has a definitely skewed sense
of humor. Can you move back so I can see the wound? The ambulance is almost
here. The healers at the hospital are ready and waiting for him.” An officer
stopped beside them.

Chelsea moved away. Alden Glen’s hospital wasn’t simply a
show of normalcy for humans. At times, wounds or sickness required medical
intervention beyond the work of the healers. The occasional human also
sometimes needed medical attention while they were in town.

“Do you feel alright?” The officer asked. He put a hand on
Alex’s shoulder.

“It’s not spelled or tainted as far as I can tell. I’ve had
both occur before and it doesn’t take this long to take effect.” Alex took a
deep breath.

With spelled or tainted wounds, healing magic blocked and
removed the spell. After that was done, the healers treated the injury as a
human doctor would. Healing took energy. Tainted wounds took a lot of energy.
Even with multiple healers on staff, the hospital had to be careful of how they
used them.

“That’s a good thing. The healers will check it to make
sure, but you should be almost healed by the time you leave the hospital.” The
officer nodded. “The chief will meet you at the hospital to ask you a few
questions.”

“I thought he would.” Alex nodded. “She has to go with me.
The person who did this has tried to separate us.”

“She’ll ride with you in the ambulance.” The officer assured
him.

Alex relaxed. His shoulders slumped a little and he leaned
against the car. The officers secured the scene and were certain the attacker
had fled. The ambulance arrived with lights flashing. The EMT’s rushed forward
as soon as the officer’s waved them through. They put Alex on a gurney.

He reached out and grabbed her hand. His firm grip kept her
right by his side. She had to stay with him when they walked to the ambulance
or chance being dragged. He released her when they lifted him into the back.
The EMT told her where to sit. With a sigh of relief, she climbed up to take
that seat. Alex smiled at her.

She sent a quick text to Joy about what had happened. Joy
texted back. She’d tell Mom and Caleb and come to the hospital. Chelsea smiled.
Exactly what she expected. When trouble happened to one of them, her family
came together.

“Did you tell Joy or your mother that we wouldn’t be there?”
Alex asked.

“I told her what happened. Joy said they’ll meet us at the
hospital. They want to make sure you’re alright.” Chelsea glanced from Alex to
the EMT. The EMT monitored Alex’s vitals.

“They could wait for a call.” Alex lifted his head and
frowned at her.

“Alex, they like you. My mom became a definite fan the
moment she met you. It’s what they do. They come to check on someone who has
been hurt.” Chelsea shrugged. She wouldn’t want them to change that. “This is
part of being in a serious relationship with me.”

“I don’t want them putting themselves at risk.” Alex relaxed
back onto the gurney.

“None of us know what the stalker will do.” Chelsea sighed.
“Would he try again so soon after escalating to this?”

“Probably not. He’ll regroup. I don’t think this is
something he’s accustomed to.” Alex’s fist clenched. “I want you to stay with
me though, because I don’t want to give him an opportunity at you.”

“I’ll stay with you.” She didn’t want to cause him any worry
while they treated him.

They arrived at the hospital. Chelsea followed, but kept out
of the way. She glanced around the cheerful blue and white entrance. Two
healers waited near the emergency entrance.

One was a nurse, the other the doctor. They took charge,
guiding the gurney back to a room. Chelsea kept pace and found a seat off to
the side. In moments, they had Alex where they wanted him and started their
assessment. The healers began to work.

Their hands moved on his arm. She knew they probed the flesh
with their abilities. Chelsea did something similar with an injured plant, to
check the extent of the damage. The healers talked to each in a soft tone
Chelsea could barely hear.

They brought in a portable scanner to check what the arrow
might have hit and if any bone was involved. She grimaced when they removed the
arrow. Alex groaned. Chelsea was sure she’d be cussing and screaming if they’d
done that to her.

“It’s not tainted and there’s no spell. You’re a lucky man.
No stitches today.” The doctor smiled down at Alex.

“That’s always a bonus.” Alex grinned. “Stitches take a
while to put in.”

“We still need to clean this out the conventional way before
we heal it.” The nurse pulled over a tray with bottles of antiseptic, tubes of
ointment and pads.

“Let’s get to it, then.” Alex nodded.

It didn’t take too long to clean the wound. Once they
finished with that, the two healers put their hands on Alex’s arm. They
channeled their abilities into him. The bleeding slowed and the wound began to
heal.

When they finished, a thin red cut remained on his arm. The
bleeding had stopped. It looked as if he’d been sliced, not had a deep
penetrating wound. The healers closed it with steri-strips to keep the skin
together until the healing completed. The strips might not be necessary. When
Alex twisted his arm, the wound remained closed without them.

They walked out into the emergency waiting room. Joy, her
mother, and Caleb sat in chairs, but stood as soon as they noticed them. She
saw Gallagher Stark stroll into the room as if he’d known they’d be out about
now. The chief of police headed straight for them. It surprised her that he’d
just arrived.

“Alex, good to see you in one piece. Let’s go to the
department. I have a few questions about what happened.” Gallagher stopped in
front of them.

“Alright, let me just thank Chelsea’s family for coming to
make sure I’m alright,” Alex said.

“I’m not going anywhere without you.” Gallagher nodded.

Chelsea walked with Alex over to her family. They talked for
a few minutes. Caleb had brought clothes for Alex just in case he needed them.
Alex gratefully took the shirt since his other shirt had been cut to treat the
wounds.

Chelsea promised to call Joy and her mother later so they
could talk about the party plans. They left the hospital and Gallagher drove
them to the police station. Alex held her hand. When they arrived, he tugged
her out his side of the vehicle.