Theirs to Treasure (Beyond Monogamy Book 1) (18 page)

“Shit. Stay the hell away from the windows.” He reached over and turned off the light. “Get your gun, and keep low. If the guys don’t have their own and know how to use them, give them one.”

“Everyone okay up there?” Paul called out.

“They’re fine. Don’t you dare go out that door, Paul!” Mathew looked to Paris who was grabbing the weapons she had and handing them to the men. “Don’t leave this damn room for any reason.”

Kain peaked out through the curtain and mumbled something, but all she caught was, “Because of me…”

“Kain?”

“It’s Kings. He blew up your main entrance.” He stepped away from the window and looked at the pistol she had handed him.

“Don’t think of it.” Mathew stepped into his way. “There are security guards dealing with the situation. I won’t have you risking yourself.”

“He’s here because of me. I won’t have Paris or any of you harmed because of me. Don’t stand there and tell me you wouldn’t do the same.” Kain and Mathew glared at each other.

“Kain, please…” she begged, not wanting him to get hurt because of this.

“Cody, stay with Paris,” Aiden ordered before shoving a loaded magazine into the handgun she’d given him. “We’ll be fine.”

“This is insane.” She tried to reason, to hold back the fear that was blooming inside of her. The gunfire, and screams from outside, neared the house.

“Paris, whatever happens, stay here.” Mathew left the room with Aiden and Kain on his heels.

“Don’t!” She cried out one last time but they were gone.

“Shh, love.” Cody wrapped his arms around her. “It’s going to be okay. They’ll be fine.”

“You don’t know that.” Her legs gave out from under her. If it wasn’t for Cody easing them down onto the floor, she’d have collapsed.

Two manly figures stepped into the doorway causing Paris and Cody to point their guns in that direction. “Aiden sent us.” Oliver stepped into the room, his hands in front of him.

“Shit. You could have gotten yourself killed.” Paris lowered her gun. “What the hell is going on downstairs? Is my family safe?”

“Paul and London are with your mother. Mathew said he was going to check on them.”

“What about Aiden and Kain?” she snapped when Oliver left them out.

“They were going out the front door as I came up.”

“No!” She tried to wiggle from Cody’s embrace to get to the window, in case she could see anything.

“Love, just stay here. I don’t want you any closer to the windows, it’s too dangerous.” He kept the gun in his hand but wrapped both arms around her. “Has anyone called the police?”

“A guard came in from outside and called when things started to go down. We were protecting the main entrance when Aiden assigned us up here,” Oliver explained. “Miss Nelson, I’d prefer if you’d come farther away from the windows. From where you’re sitting you could be a target for a stray bullet, and you’re in perfect eyesight of the doorway if anyone should make it this far.”

She let Cody move her across the room near the bathroom door, so they were more protected. The farther she got from the door, the harder it was to understand what people were yelling downstairs. She thought she could hear Kain’s voice but she couldn’t be sure.

“Paris…” Cody used his finger to turn her head toward him and she realized he had been calling her name for some time. “Look at me.”

“What?” She tried to focus but everything seemed to be happening in a haze.

“Love, I’ve got to go help them. You’re safe here.”

“No, please.” She grabbed a handful of his shirt. “Don’t go.”

“I have to. I can’t sit here and do nothing when they’re in danger. I’ve spent too many years as Aiden’s guard to stop now.” He pried her fingers from his shirt and kissed the top of her hand. “I promise all of us will be back safe.”

Tears poured from her eyes without an end in sight. The three men she loved with everything in her were in danger and she was unable to do anything. She clutched the gun she’d placed on the floor beside her, and pushed herself off the floor to stand. “I won’t sit here doing nothing.”

Paris took a deep breath, trying to loosen her muscles. If she needed to use her weapon, she had to be relaxed. If every muscle was tight from stress she’d be off target. Being off target was the last thing she needed.

“Miss Nelson, don’t do this.” Oliver came closer, shoving his gun into his holster.

“I’m not doing anything but going to the aid of my family. I won’t sit up here. My whole family, the men I love, they’re all downstairs.”

“I’ll keep you here by force if I have to. I have direct orders not to let you out of my sight.”

“You’ll have to knock me unconscious or kill me to stop me.” As soon as she moved, his arm shot out, wrapping around her waist. He lifted her completely off the floor with barely any strain.

“I told you, you’re not leaving.” Even as she fought, he held her tight, her feet off the ground.

“Damn it put me the hell down.”

“Do I have your word you won’t do anything stupid?”

“Since when is saving your family stupid?” she snapped.

“There are ten or twelve guards on the property since the reporters began to show up, yet they’re not enough to protect your family, and somehow you’re going to stop them. Is that what I’m supposed to understand?”

“Would you do the same if it was your family?”

“No.” He lowered her to the ground but didn’t loosen his grip around her waist. “I’d put together a plan of action before rushing off hot-headed. Otherwise, someone will get hurt.”

“Plan.” She nodded, his words finally making her think clearly. Sirens echoed in the distance, coming to the rescue.

Gunshots reverberated through the house as Oliver let go of her and stepped in front of her. The other guard, whose name she couldn’t remember at the moment, turned toward the door as if expecting someone. With the echoes of gunshots, the fear raced inside her, making her stomach turn. Screams echoed and her heart broke knowing something had gone wrong.

Without thinking, she pushed Oliver back. She must have startled him because he wasn’t able to catch her before she could make it out of the room. She checked the hall, easing down the steps with her gun pointed in front of her, ready to shoot before she could be shot. Nothing. The living room was empty, giving her a chance to make it down the steps without any problems.

“Paris, get back here.” Oliver had caught up, fear and anger evident in his whispers.

She ignored him, descended the last step, and peeked around the corner. The front door was wide open, giving her a clear view outside, and the security lights cast a yellow glow. That was when she saw it. Kain’s blood coated his white dress shirt while Aiden applied pressure to his shoulder.

“What the hell happened?” Without looking to make sure it was clear, she rushed out of the house to his side, tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Where’s…” Aiden looked behind her and his eyes burned with anger. “This is what you call protection? Oliver, you were supposed to protect her.”

“Instead of ripping me a new one, how about a status update. There’s plenty of time to chew me out later.” Oliver glanced around the room, his gun held at the ready. “Is she in danger now?”

“Kings is dead.” Cody took the gun from Paris’s trembling hand. “You two can join the guards and police outside keeping the reporters at bay. We’ll discuss this later.”

“You’re hurt.” She laid her hand over Aiden’s and pulled the towel back. “How bad is it?”

“The damn bastard is lucky, it’s just his shoulder. Kings was a lousy shot,” Aiden answered.

“You didn’t know what you were walking into. Damn it, Paris you should have stayed upstairs,” Kain bitched.

“I’m glad to see you too.” She pressed a little harder on his shoulder, making him grunt in pain. “I knew something happened and I could hear the screaming. I knew someone was hurt.”

Cody rubbed her shoulder. “We’re fine, love.”

“Fine! This is not fine.” She pulled the towel away, instantly regretting it as she could see the hole in his shirt, blood pouring from it. Her hand shook until she almost dropped the towel. Aiden placed his hand over it and pressed it against Kain’s shoulder again.

“I’m fine, Paris, really. It’s just a scratch.” Kain tried to convince her, but he was failing miserably. He slumped on the porch bench, appearing pale, as the blood seeped from his chest.

“We’re all alive, that’s what matters.” Aiden placed his free hand on her back. “Come on, beautiful, deep breaths. It’s over now.”

“Until next time.” She glanced from each of the men before looking down at the blood soaked ground. “What am I supposed to do if something happens to one of you?”

“Darling, we can’t think like that,” Kain said, his eyes closed.

“Remember, cherish every day.” Cody repeated her words from earlier.

“At least the threat of Kings is over,” Aiden reminded her.

“There will be something else to take its place.” If it wasn’t Kings, it would be the next lunatic out for blood because of her family’s reputation.

“What the fuck happened here?” Schwartz strolled toward them, leaving the cops outside and a few lingering in the kitchen. “I leave to go home to check on Mya and you not only have an explosion, but there’s blood everywhere. Paris, are you hurt?”

“It’s not my blood…Kain’s.” The last bit of her energy gone, she sank down onto the bench next to him.

“We’re going to have to answer questions. Don’t let her out of your sight.” Aiden glared at him. “Do you hear that Paris? You stay with him and listen to him. I don’t want to see you running through whatever trouble finds us next because you think something has happened to us. It’s not okay to get yourself hurt or worse yet, killed. We’ll take care of this, watch each other’s backs, and when it’s over we’ll come back to you. I promise.”

“That’s not a promise you can keep,” she whispered but the argument was cut off before it got started when a police officer approached them.

“The paramedics will be right over.” The young officer looked over each of the men. “We’re going to need everyone’s statements while we try to determine what happened here and who fired the fatal shot.”

“That was me,” Cody stated, gaining the officer’s attention. “After he shot Kain I had no choice but to return fire.”

“Very well, the detective will want to speak with you first. We’ll get to all of you.” He turned to Kain. “I’ll have an officer meet you at the hospital for your statement.”

“He’s not going anywhere.” Mathew stepped out of the house. “I have our family doctor on his way to attend to him. No one will be giving statements without legal representation, either. My partner Mr. Harmon has just arrived and he’ll sit in with everyone.”

“Mr. Nelson, that’s not necessary,” Aiden said.

“Actually, I think it is.” Mathew glanced at Paris. “You’re family now.”

“I was upstairs, I didn’t see anything.”

“The detective might still wish to question you,” the officer told her.

“I’m not leaving him.” She glanced down at all the blood covering the towel and her hands. “Dad, where’s the doctor? He can’t wait…”

“I’m okay, darling.” Kain tipped his head to lay it on top of hers.

“Sir, if you’ll come with me, we can get started.” The officer nodded toward the detective.

“Mr. Harmon,” Mathew called and pointed at Cody.

With a quick kiss, Cody was gone and she sat there wondering what would have happened if he hadn’t come to their aid. Would Kain or Aiden have been killed? Her sweet Cody, the one who seemed the most innocent of her men, had killed someone. He’d done it to protect her, the men she loved, her family, and the guards. Still, he had risked himself when he could have stayed upstairs with her and that was what scared her. What happened if they weren’t so lucky next time? How could she live without her men? Even if she only lost one of them, it would break her heart.

The fireplace crackled, sending sparks up the chimney. Even with the roaring fire, Paris couldn’t chase the chill away. It wasn’t from cold weather, but the fear she had experienced for the first time tonight. It had been hours since the attack but her thoughts wouldn’t be steered from it, at least not for long. The danger she had grown up with was different now that she was in love, because it meant it could cost her even more than before.

With a blanket around her shoulders, she sat on the edge of the sofa where Kain dozed. The pain pill did its best to knock him out, yet he fought it to comfort her. She knew he would be fine, Doctor Vander had assured her the wound would heal without any lasting damage, but still she couldn’t shake the thought she could have lost any one of them that night.

“Paris.” Aiden stood by her side, his hand on her shoulder. “Why don’t we get some sleep? Kain should be resting in bed.”

“Yeah…yeah. Help him to bed; I’ll be up in a bit.”

“No.” Kain wrapped his hand around her wrist as she started to move away. “I’m staying with you. You need all of us right now.”

“You’re not in very good condition,” Cody reminded him. “Let me help you to the bed. You can rest and we’ll comfort her. Tomorrow when the drugs have worked their way through your system, you can show her you’re fine.”

“He’s right, you need your rest.” Tears prickled behind her eyelids and she tried to blink them away.

“No, darling, I need to be with you.” Kain reached up with his good arm, drawing his fingers over her cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” She brushed the tears away with the back of her hand. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“You thought you lost us tonight, you’re allowed to be emotional.” Cody leaned forward from the chair he had taken beside the sofa. “You’re not getting rid of us, love.”

“I thought I understood what it was like to deal with this shit, but until I found you I didn’t realize it. It’s not like I don’t love Mom, my dads, or London, because I do. It’s just different with you.” She couldn’t explain it but for the first time she truly understood what terror was like.

Kain glanced up to Aiden. “I think it’s time.”

Cody nodded in Aiden’s direction as well, forcing her to turn to him. “What’s going on?”

“Beautiful, I had wanted this to be romantic but maybe they’re right.” Aiden came around her until he could kneel in front of her. “Since you walked into our lives a few months ago, we knew you were the woman we wanted to spend the rest of our lives with. We thought we’d have a bigger fight on our hands to convince you, but you were open to it from the beginning. You’ve made us fall head over heels in love with you, and none of us would change that. Paris Nelson, will you do us the honor of being our wife?” He opened a small black box, tugging out a beautiful princess cut diamond ring in white gold.

Tears freely flowed down her face, only this time they were happy ones. “Yes.” She used her right hand to cup his cheek as he slid the engagement ring on her left ring finger. “I would be honored to be your wife…all of you.”

Kain slid his uninjured arm around her waist. “We’ve waited all our lives for you and now we finally have you. Don’t think for one minute we’ll let you get away with another stunt like you pulled tonight.”

“I know you didn’t want me to leave you,” Cody began, “but Oliver wouldn’t have let anything happen to you. I couldn’t be sure about the safety of everyone else.” He nodded to Kain, who sank back against the cushions again. “See, he ended up getting shot because he didn’t have me.”

“Screw…you.” Kain’s words were slurred from the drugs.

“He shot before Cody got to us. I had my pistol aimed but he had ducked behind a car, leaving me waiting for a shot,” Aiden explained, nodding to Cody. “He came out just as Kings stood to take another shot.”

“I killed him in our defense. He’d have killed us if I hadn’t gotten him first.” The way Cody said the words it make her wonder if he was doing it to convince himself or them.

She rose from where she was sitting and went to Cody, curling into his lap, and wrapped her arms around his neck. “My love, you saved all of us tonight by taking that shot. There is nothing to be upset about. You’re my hero.”

“I killed a man…” He shook his head, as if he still couldn’t believe it.

“You saved my life,” Kain mumbled. The pills had him almost completely knocked out.