Invisible Warrior (The Protectors Series) Book #11

by Teresa Gabelman

  With a sigh, Ronan stood up. “Listen, no disrespect, but I don’t believe in curses so—”

  “But you have to help me.” Kira tried to stand, but her legs got tangled in her skirt Ronan reached out, steadied her, and kept his hands on her smooth bare arms. “Please. Just listen to me.”

  Ronan knew he was screwing up, but he nodded. “Go on.”

  “After Orjyll broke my cousin’s heart, she put a curse on any man who dared fall in love with a Grail woman.” Kira’s eyes were wide. “My sister has never been in love, not real love. She knows the curse, and still, I think she is falling for him. If he dies because she loved him or he loved her, it will kill her. I can’t let that happen.”

  “Curses only have power to those who believe in them.” Ronan frowned down at her. “And I don’t believe in them.”

  “But I do,” she whispered, her eyes wide with desperation.

  “So what happens if someone falls in love with you?” Ronan had no idea why those words left his lips, yet he wanted to hear her answer.

  She stared up at him for a long moment, searching his eyes before she pulled away, shaking her head. “That will never happen.”

  “You can’t know that.” Ronan reluctantly let her go.

  “But I do know that,” Kira replied as she took another step back.

  “How?”

  “Because I’m unlovable. I made sure of it.” Kira finally looked away from him to pick up her bag. She held it to her chest, turned, then walked into the darkness toward the entrance on the far end of the compound. He stood rooted until she was safely inside.

  Glancing up once more at the moon, he let his gaze go back to the door she’d disappeared through. “There is no spell on this earth that could make you unlovable,” he said to the night before turning around and heading inside, not realizing he had just admitted to believing in magic.

  Chapter 12

  Steve paced outside the room Mira was staying in. He had been back for two hours, had showered, tried to eat, and now he paced quietly, stopping every so often to put his ear to her door like some creepy-ass stalker. Jesus, he was pathetic.

  He had called Leda, but she hadn’t answered so he’d left a voice mail hoping she would call him back. Stopping, he pulled his silenced phone to check any missed calls. He hated the way he’d left and wanted to make sure she was okay. He felt like a dick and needed to apologize.

  He also realized on the scary-ass drive home, ’cause Jill’s driving sucked worse on the way back, that even though he wanted to beat Taz’s ass, it wasn’t because of jealousy. And that said it all. Because if he was truly in love with Leda, wouldn’t he want to tear Taz’s throat out? Instead, he had an urge to punch him in the mouth a couple of times but only because he had been an asshole.

  Shoving his phone back in his pocket, he stared at the door then leaned his head toward it until his ear pressed against the timber.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” Adam’s voice whispered behind him.

  Steve jumped straight up in the air with a squeal that could wake the dead and banged his knee on the door. “Dammit!” Steve turned his hand against his forehead as he stared wide-eyed at Adam. “You scared the shit out of me!”

  “Good.” Adam frowned at him, then at the door. “That is just fucked up even for you, dude.”

  Opening his mouth to deny everything, Steve sighed instead. “I know, man. I’m a freaking mess here.” Steve grabbed his hair with both hands, pulled and then let go. His hair was now sticking straight up in a crazed fashion. Adam watched him closely with an odd look on his face. “I don’t know what to do. Should I knock? Should I just go to my room and do nothing? Does she need help? Is Drew okay? Why are all these questions coming out of my mouth? Why can’t I shut the fuck up and just be the cool guy?”

  Adam chuckled with a shake of his head. “You broke it off with Leda?”

  Steve nodded, throwing his hands up in the air. “Yeah, and now I’m standing here with my head up my ass, listening through her door like some creeper, and my best friend is looking at me like he doesn’t know me. Seriously, I’m fucked here, man. Totally fucked. What should I do?”

  “First, calm the fuck down,” Adam replied, then grinned. “Then think of something to say real quick.”

  “Huh?” Steve’s face changed from waiting for some good advice from his buddy to looking confused.

  Adam lifted his hand and knocked three times loudly with an evil grin. “Got ya, fucker.” Adam hurried away pointing at Steve. “I finally got you!”

  Steve’s stomach dropped to the floor as he glared at Adam. “You suck dick!”

  “Excuse me?” Mira stood in the now open door, her hair a mess around her head, her eyes red, and looking more tired than he’d seen her.

  “Not you.” Steve shook his head, then pointed down the hall. “Adam.”

  Mira stuck her head out the door to look down the empty hallway before looking back at Steve. “There’s no one there, Steve.”

  “He’s fast.” Steve promised himself he would get Adam back real good for this one. Again, he noticed how tired she looked. “Hey, you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” She yawned, covering her mouth. “Just tired. Drew doesn’t seem to want to sleep at all. Not even a nap.”

  “Is she okay?” Steve peered over her head into the room to see Drew wriggling on the bed safely surrounded by pillows.

  “She’s fine. I just think she has her days and nights mixed up.” Mira yawned again. “I need to get on her schedule.”

  “I can watch her while you get some sleep,” Steve offered, hoping she took him up on it.

  “No, you don’t have to do that.” Mira shook her head, her eyes closing for a long minute then popping open. “I’m sure she’ll sleep soon.”

  “Mira, you can hardly keep your eyes open.” Steve frowned. “You aren’t going to be any good for her if you run yourself down. And I don’t sleep. I promise she will be safe with me.”

  “I know that, Steve.” Mira stepped inside, welcoming him in. “And I totally forgot about you not sleeping so yes, I’ll take you up on that offer, but only for an hour.”

  Steve noticed a lot of baby things and smiled. “The mates went shopping I see.”

  Mira picked up Drew and glanced at all the stuff. “They did, and I can never repay them for their kindness.”

  “Believe me when I say you did them a favor.” Steve took Drew from Mira and watched as she packed up some diapers and wipes in a bag with a colorful elephant on it. “Vampires can’t have babies, so little Daniel is the only one who’s been here. They are definitely eating this up.”

  “Well, I appreciate every bit of kindness they’ve shown us.” Mira slipped the bag over his shoulder. “And I appreciate you doing this, but you know you don’t have to.”

  “I want to,” Steve replied with a nod. “If I didn’t, I wouldn’t offer. Plus, me and Drew have some talking to do about boys and stuff. She needs to learn early and I’ve got plenty to teach her.”

  Mira laughed then kissed Drew on the forehead. “Just an hour then bring her back, okay?”

  “Just get some rest. We’ll be fine.” Steve headed for the door. “Won’t we, Drew Boo? It’s me and you, kid. Let’s see what kind of trouble we can find around this place.”

  “Oh Lord.” Mira chuckled and rolled her eyes. “Bottles are in the fridge just in case she gets fussy.”

  “Rest!” Steve ordered again as the door closed softly behind him. “We got this.”

  ******

  A half an hour later Steve was rethinking the “we got this” comment as Drew wailed her little heart out. “Holy hell, you got some pipes on you.” Steve walked around the kitchen after setting the half-finished bottle on the table. He had burped her, rubbed her back, sang to her, told her a few jokes, cried himself, and still she wailed. “Please, Drew Boo, stop crying.”

  “What in the hell did you do to her?” Sid walked in, cringing when Drew’s cry became an ear-pier
cing squeal.

  “Nothing!” Steve said over the cries. “I’ve fed her, changed her, burped her, sang to her, and told her my best jokes. Nothing is working, man.”

  Jared headed in, followed by the whole crew of Warriors. “Your jokes suck, dude.”

  Steve frowned, not wanting to go wake up Mira, but he was close to doing that because he was afraid Drew was going to make herself sick with all her crying. He felt helpless, and it pissed him off. He was right in the middle of telling her how he would kick any guy’s ass if they ever broke her heart and her little legs drew up to her stomach, and the dam burst as tears began to flow. She hadn’t stopped crying since.

  “Is she hungry?” Damon growled, glaring down at Drew. “Maybe have Sid whip something up.”

  “Babies don’t eat food, dumbass.” Sid glanced at Damon with a shake of his head, walking over to grab the bottle. “Here, try to see if she wants this.”

  Steve took the bottle and tried to feed her, but she just spat the nipple out and cried louder.

  Duncan stepped up. “Hold her with her belly against your chest and rock back and forth like this.” Duncan demonstrated what he meant as all the Warriors watched.

  Steve tried that and for a second, she stopped crying, but only a second. Another loud wail broke free, making them all wince and groan.

  “Maybe you should take her back to her mom.” Jax walked past, looking down at Drew with a worried frown.

  “Mira hasn’t had any sleep, and I told her I’d watch her.” Steve bounced up and down making sure he secured her head against his shoulder.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you if she drank half of that bottle,” Duncan warned, but it was too late. Baby puke exploded from Drew’s mouth down Steve’s shoulder and back. “Yeah, learned that the hard way.”

  Everyone remained silent as Drew stopped crying, but then she stiffened and started again.

  “Where’s Slade? He probably knows what to do.” Blaze grabbed something out of the fridge then sat down at the table.

  “Mira’s sister might know,” Ronan added as Sloan entered the kitchen.

  “What in the hell did you do to her, Steve?” Sloan growled, his face full of annoyance. “I can’t even think with all that crying going on.”

  “I didn’t do anything.” Steve rolled his eyes, not really caring at the moment that Sloan was annoyed, and that was saying something. He was worried something was wrong with Drew, which scared him more than he cared to admit. “Where’s Pam or Nicole? Where the hell are the women?”

  Adam stepped in, his eyes going to Steve, the baby, and then around the room. “What’s up?”

  “Me kicking your ass, asshole,” Steve hissed, trying to keep his voice down so he didn’t upset Drew any more than she already was.

  “Hey, I didn’t do that.” Adam threw his hand up. “Nope, I just did what you were too chicken shit to do.”

  “And I swear you better watch your back, bro, because this payback will be hell,” Steve warned. Then his eyes went wide with relief when Drew finally quieted. “Oh, hey. She’s stopped,” he whispered.

  Every Warrior in the room became quiet, even Sloan as they all looked at Drew. A loud, long fart broke the silence followed by a coo and soon after, the smell hit.

  “Holy fuck!” Sloan stepped back, his eyes narrowed. “Did she do that?”

  “Damn, girl!” Jared stepped away also. As a matter of fact, some of them left the room quickly; Sloan was the first out the door.

  “Drew Boo, you sure know how to clear a room.” Steve chuckled, then wrinkled his nose. “Man, this is going to suck.”

  Sid grabbed a towel and put it on the counter. “You can change her here.”

  “Thanks,” Steve said, surprised Sid wasn’t chasing them out of his kitchen. He and his kitchen rules didn’t seem to apply to Drew.

  “Have you done this before?” Duncan asked with a frown.

  “Once.” Steve gently laid Drew on the towel, but he forgot the diaper bag. Damon reached for it and handed it to Steve. “Thanks. Maybe this time it will be a little easier.”

  Duncan snorted, but stepped back and stayed in place. Sid came back over with a towel wrapped around his nose and mouth, a pair of tongs in one hand and a garbage bag in the other.

  “What?” Sid looked around. “Hey, that is some toxic shit, but I’m not one to run.”

  Steve appreciated the ones who stayed behind, but he was nervous. Once again, he found himself changing Drew’s shitty diaper with almost a whole pack of wipes on the floor around his feet. Before he could hand off the dirty diaper, Sid was there with the tongs grabbing it, holding it as far away from him as possible. Steve heard him gag and grinned. Actually, the only one who hadn’t gagged was Damon, but he figured someone who decapitated people on a regular basis could take a lot of shit, even baby shit. Duncan even had a moment.

  “Goddamn, there is just no getting used to the stench, no matter how many times you smell it.” Duncan swallowed hard with a shake of his head.

  “What are you doing?” Pam’s voice echoed in the room.

  Steve looked up to see Pam along with Tessa, Katrina, and Nicole all staring at them. “You’re changing her dirty diaper in the kitchen, on the counter you cook food on?” Nicole’s disgust was evident.

  “We used a towel and I’ll bleach it,” Sid said from behind his towel mask still holding the dirty diaper with the tongs. “Duh,” he finished as he dropped the tongs and dirty diaper in the garbage bag.

  “You got this, Steve?” Pam smiled at him as she stood next to him.

  “Yeah, I think so,” Steve replied in full concentration. Pam gave him some pointers, which he followed, and then smiled down at Drew who watched him. “I think I did better than the first time.”

  “How in the hell can something so cute smell so fucking bad?” Jared asked, sounding truly puzzled.

  Steve picked her up and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Don’t listen to mean old, Uncle Jared,” Steve said down to her. “You don’t smell.”

  “The hell she doesn’t,” Jared replied. Then a grin slipped across his face. “Uncle Jared calls bullshit on that.”

  Chapter 13

  Mira had woken not knowing what time it was, showered as quickly as possible, and then headed to find her baby. Even though she had just met these people, she felt safe here. Her motherly instincts were relaxed, but she still wanted to see her Drew.

  Hearing voices coming from the kitchen, she headed that way, opened the door and stopped. Steve stood in the middle of the kitchen talking while holding her daughter, who was sound asleep. He looked so natural standing there as if he and Drew belonged together. Her heart quickened its pace, her stomach squeezing painfully at what would never be, and still, that picture right there was something she wanted more than she wanted her next breath.

  She didn’t know how it had happened or when it had happened, but there was something strong between her and this Warrior. He was funny, even goofy to a point, but his care and protectiveness toward Drew grabbed her heart like no other. And she knew it would end.

  Her eyes shifted, meeting her sister’s who watched her closely. Mira threw Kira a narrowed look before coming fully into the room.

  “That was longer than an hour,” Mira said, then smiled when Steve gave her a busted look.

  “Actually, I did come back, but you were sleeping so well that Drew made me leave you to sleep,” Steve said with such seriousness it almost seemed true. “So blame her. Actually, if I were you, I’d put her in time-out because she didn’t listen to you like I tried to do.”

  Mira laughed, then cleared her throat when Kira cocked her eyebrow at her. The smell of something delicious cooking was finally getting to her, making her stomach rumble noisily. “It smells amazing in here.”

  A few of the Warriors snorted. “Well, you wouldn’t have said that a couple of hours ago.” Steve’s nose wrinkled. Then he shook his head in disgust. “This little one can put a grown man to shame with he
r stinkers.”

  “Stinker my ass,” Sid grumbled. “She shit a diaper full, almost filled up a whole garbage bag.”

  “She might be a little colicky.” Pam walked over to look down at Drew. “Steve said she kept raising her little knees into her chest. You might want to change her formula to see if that helps her.”

  Mira didn’t want to seem uneducated about being a mother, so she nodded. “Oh, okay. Thanks.” Truth was, she had no idea what colicky meant, and she also didn’t have any clue on what formula other than what the hospital sent when she couldn’t breastfeed. She glanced up to see Steve who stared down at her with a knowing look.

  “So what in the hell is colicky?” Steve looked away from Mira to Pam. “Sounds like a nasty vegetable that I don’t want to eat.”

  “It’s gas buildup. It’s painful and makes them irritable and fussy,” Pam replied, giving first Mira a look and then Steve, as a proud grin tipped her lips. “There are some drops you can give her. I’ll pick some up for you,” she told Mira.

  Steve snorted. “Get a few extra bottles, and I’ll sneak some into Sloan’s drink. That mofo must have some major buildup as irritable as he is.”

  “You sneak anything in my drink I’ll kill you.” Sloan’s voice came from the doorway.

  “Shit!” Steve hissed, his eyes narrowed down at Mira. “Please warn me anytime you see Sloan so I don’t say stupid shit.”

  “Is this a habit of yours?” Mira chuckled, taking Drew from him.

  “You don’t even know,” Steve whispered dramatically. He then turned toward Sloan, putting on his best and more familiar confused face. “Oh, hey! I said Sloan? Damn, man. I meant—”

  “Shut up!” Sloan growled, his eyes searching the room.

  “Yep, okay.” Steve nodded quickly then gave Mira a quick relieved look. “If he heads this way, run the fuck away with Drew.”

  “Steve!” Sloan’s voice indicated that was Steve’s last warning.

  “Shutting the fuck up.” Steve nodded and acted like he was wiping sweat from his forehead.

  Mira watched as all the Warriors seemed to change their demeanor when Sloan walked in. She even felt a little on edge and didn’t understand why. She jumped when he slammed down papers on the kitchen table.