“I went to school for business, when I graduated I realized I didn’t want to work for anyone else, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do. So I got a job and started saving my money. Eventually I realized I liked planning and I loved weddings. So I worked part time for a wedding coordinator learning the business from the bottom up until finally I started my own. Weddings by Tori.”
Tori’s smile and the sparkle in her eyes captivated Hale as he watched her every move.
“Why don’t you two go in the other room and start talking while Hale and I get the kitchen cleaned?” Sergey suggested.
Tori choked on a cough as Lorali laughed at her.
“Come on. Tori, I can’t wait to get started.” Lorali got up and walked towards the door.
“You guys are really going to clean up?” They nodded and moved towards the kitchen.
“Lorali?”
“They’re different. It took me a while to get used to it. Most days Sergey cooks and we clean up together. He could go into the other room, watch T.V. Work on something or other, but he would rather be with me. I like it. I bet you will too.”
Lorali walked into the living room, Tori followed her with a look of surprise on her face.
“It’s not that I didn’t know there were guys like that around, I just never expected to meet one.” Tori sat on the comfortable loveseat in the living room.
“Don’t these guys know anything else except loveseats?” Nicolas’s house was filled with loveseats also.
“Nope, I have been in all of their houses and they believe in loveseats. They seat two and that’s big enough for a couple. Besides they’re not the type to sit next to each other. They would say they need space. Let’s get started, have you thought of potential venues?”
“I have something in mind, but you may think it’s a little crazy as well as expensive as hell.”
“I like it already. Spill, Tori.”
“Why don’t you rent Heinz Field?” Lorali opened her mouth, but Tori rushed on. “Hear me out first. Not only do they do football games there, but they do all sorts of large noisy concerts. Everyone in Pittsburgh is used to having something going on there. The people that live close by simply shake their heads and hope it’s over soon. Then add the fact that it’s large and in the city. What more could you ask for?”
Tori watched as Lorali opened and shut her mouth.
“I would have never thought of using the field. It’s a little more central than I want, but all that means is that the boys will have to behave. That’s not too much to ask on my wedding day. What do you think, Sergey?”
Tori jumped as she realized Hale and Sergey had come into the room crowding the doorway. She never heard them move.
“It’s a good idea as long as you like it.”
Lorali beamed. “I love it.” She held out her hand and Sergey crossed the room to take it.
“First we have to see if we can secure it,” Tori said, ignoring the hot and slightly possessive look Hale was throwing her.
What was it with these brothers? She hadn’t been around them long, but even at Nicolas’s house it was apparent each of them was devoted to their woman.
“I’ll secure Heinz Field, all you have to do is keep on with the wedding plans.” Sergey told them.
“Good, the next thing we need to do is make a list of all the items you need and want. Hale, I need a piece of paper and a pen. I lost all my devices in the fire.” He went to locate those items for her.
“Tori, make sure you put down clothes for yourself, a dress for the wedding and of course electronic devices,” Lorali told her with a smile.
Chapter Nine
“Hale, I really don’t need a cell phone or a tablet right now,” Tori said looking at him in the car.
Hale’s brother’s Jeep was now sitting in his garage next to his. He opted for a car, a smooth grey Charger with red accents. It was luxurious especially if compared to the small car she hadn’t seen since the fire.
She focused in on him when he didn’t say anything. He was staring at her from the corners of his eyes. She felt her heart trip with the hot look he was giving her; at the same time she died a little on the inside. Maybe he was like all the others, all he could see was the pretty packaging on the outside.
Ever since she was little she had been told how pretty she was. You’re exotic looking, Tori. Oh my, the boys will go crazy over you. Tori, sit over here you attract boys like flowers attract bees.
Yeah she heard it all, not that she believed it. She had eyes and she was rather plain, it was Rita, with the big blue eyes and the blonde hair, who got all the boys. The rejected ones talked to Tori. Who wanted someone’s left overs?
That’s one of the things that made Hale special. He never batted an eye at Rita’s woman in distress acting. He never gave her curvy body a second look and she made sure her breast were wet enough to make that barely there shirt cling.
Her heart stuttered again this time with sadness. She wanted Hale to be different. She wanted him to see more than the upward slant of her eyes or even the bow shaped lips. She wanted him to actually see the woman.
“Why are you frowning?” Hale asked her.
“I was being a mind reader. Guessing at what you were thinking or about to say.”
“Tell me what you thought I was going to say.”
“You were going to say, Tori, you’re so beautiful. Tori, you look like an exotic, doll, woman, catch, fish. Something along those lines.” The bitterness in her voice was plain to hear.
“I was definitely going for the fish compliment.” A small smile tugged at her lips.
“Would you like to hear what I was going to say?” She nodded her head preparing herself for the worst.
“We will start with the compliment and move on from there. Tori, I was amazed when you thought of renting Heinz field. I think outside of the box all the time and yet never would have thought of that. I love how strong you are. Even knowing your life is in danger, you still have decided to help Lorali instead of running away in hopes that you may be safe there. Your trust in me, even though you don’t quite agree with my methods, humbles me. Your beauty from the inside shines out of you making you captivating. The thing that humbles me the most is that you were willing to trust your body to me. Thank you.”
Wiping at an eye, as tears threatened to spill, nothing she did managed to keep them at bay. She sniffled, so unlady-like. Then giving up she gave him a watery smile.
“No one will ever accuse you of not knowing what to say.”
“No one will ever accuse me of lying, either. I say what I mean and nothing else.”
She smiled at him. “I believe you. Now why do I need a phone?”
“Until you have another method of reaching me, you will have to settle for a cell phone. We will cancel the one you had. No sense having someone else making calls on it if it still works or using it to try and encourage you to come after it.”
Hale parked the car. Opening the door for Tori he took her hand, they walked the two blocks to the store.
Canceling her old contract was easy once Hale pulled out his credit card and paid for any cancellation fees. Getting a new phone was even easier since he simply put another line on his phone plan.
“Hale,” she hissed under her breath. The man really did think she was going to stay with him.
“Tori.” He replied in a nice even voice. The kind that said let’s talk about it later.
Would later ever come was all Tori wondered. When they walked out of the store she had a new phone in the pocket of her borrowed jeans and a tablet clutched in her hand. Life was looking up.
It wasn’t until they walked a block that she noticed the tail. “Someone’s following us.”
“I see them. They were waiting for us when we came out of the store,” he said softly.
“What are we going to do?”
“That’s the beautiful thing about being downtown. Lots of alley-ways and one way streets that don’t get a lot of traffi
c.”
“Hale, they out number us and I’m sure they’re packing. We need to find a cop or at least get in the car and get out of here quickly.”
“The numbers and the guns simply even the odds a little. The police can’t help, you know that already. If we run now they will come back in even greater numbers. If we fight and win they will also come back in greater numbers. Those numbers will be more nervous and easier to distract.”
“I’m not sure I will ever understand how you think.”
Hale gave a low laugh. “Tori, there a few minor things I haven’t gotten a chance to tell you about myself. You may see something that scares you, but remember I am still just me. Hale, the male who loves the taste of you.”
“I am liking this even less.”
“That’s because you’re very intelligent. I bet you would love working on computer games.”
Hale led her down an alley that was a dead end. She had no idea they even had alleys like this in town. There was a nice tall wall at the end of the alley. There was no way she was getting over that.
Six guys followed them into the alley.
“Hale?”
He took her and placed her back against the wall. There was a huge dumpster right next to her. An image of her broken body in that dumpster made her knees knock.
“Stay here whatever happens, don’t run.” Hale tucked her in gently and turned to face the threat.
Tori peeked out to get a better look at the thugs only to realize these weren’t really thugs. More like hired muscle. You wouldn’t catch them hanging out on a street corner. They were deadly.
“If you’re waiting for a chance to get out of this alive, you should have taken the first offer you were given. I will make you an offer though. Hand over the girl and I will make sure your death is fast.”
The one who seemed to be in charge spoke not that Hale ever looked at him. His eyes were glued to the unassuming man standing in the corner of the alley.
“I really hate when the prey tries to offer me a deal, I then feel obligated to offer one of my own. Drop your weapons and walk out of here alive or die. I’m good with whatever you choose.”
Tori’s mouth opened in a silent O as the voice from last night emerged from Hale. Her reaction was the same, her body was turned on even as her mind screamed at her to be scared.
Clutching her tablet tighter in her hand made her remember the phone in her jeans. She could call for help. If she called 911, she took the phone out and hesitated, and Hale killed one of his attackers they would take him to jail. No she couldn’t call them, but who.
She called Lorali, she had memorized her number that very morning.
“Lorali.” She answered her phone.
“Lorali, this is Tori, Hale’s in danger. There are six men and they are going to kill him. Please send help, ask his brothers to come, we are downtown in an alley.” Her words tumbled over each other as she tried to give directions to where they were.
“Calm down, Tori. I doubt six humans can take Hale down.”
Lorali called for Sergey then there was total silence on her end of the phone.
“Tori, are you still there?”
“Yes.”
“Are they coming?”
“Yeah, they said to tell you to hold on they will be there for clean-up. They don’t want to ruin Hale’s fun, or make him think they don’t trust his abilities. It might look a little scary, but trust Hale, he can handle this.”
They were all crazy and that included the females. How had she gotten hooked up with them?
The hand that covered her mouth and wrapped around her waist had her trying to scream and kick the same time. The deep voice in her ear was relaxing her even as she tried to resist. Her heart picked up as her body went slack, none of this was making sense.
She looked up to see Dante. He released her waist and placed a finger in front of his lips.
“I wanted to see the fight.” He spoke to her softly.
“Are you going to help Hale?’
His head shook no. “Believe me he doesn’t need help, and he’s about to prove it to his brothers.”
The man who had offered him a deal charged at Hale with a yell. He had a huge blade in his hand and was intent on cutting Hale. Hale side stepped it and tripped him.
“You will need to do better than that.” He put his hand in front of his mouth and yawned.
Two of the others came after him. Not charging this time they approached wearily. When they got close enough they began to circle him making him move to keep them both in sight.
The man on the ground jumped up and went for Hale’s back grabbing him around the neck as one of the two went low for his legs. Hale flipped the guy on his back over and used him to hit the guy going for his legs.
Then he dove for the ground and picked up the discarded knife and flung it at assailant number two who was pointing a gun at him. The knife hit him in the chest making him fall to the ground with a heavy thud.
“And then there were five.” Hale said in the voice of an announcer reporting the facts.
Tori was screaming, not that anyone could hear her. Dante’s hand covering her mouth muffled all sound.
“Tori, you don’t want to take his attention off of his assailants. As long as you’re quiet he knows you’re fine, I’m the only one who can get behind him. He needs you to know he can take care of you. Let’s say it has something to with his other side.”
She nodded her head. It made sense that if she screamed he would be concerned about her and miss the guy who was trying to sneak up on him as he looked at the two men on the ground.
“Never say I am not the better male. I will allow everyone who has not attacked me to leave, no hard feelings,” Hale said as he watched the two on the ground groan in pain.
“What about those two?” The one sneaking up asked, pointing to the two on the ground.
“They’re mine.”
“No deal. I suggest you fight,” the assailant said, presumably to the two on the ground as he came for Hale.
The two on the ground pulled themselves up and attacked when the other two did. Four against one, they intended to kill him.
Tori bit her tongue when she saw Dante look at her. She refused to scream, she could always cry later.
Someone got in a kick to Hale’s gut causing him to bend over missing the knife that was aimed at his back. The assailant in front of him fell with a knife sticking out of his throat. Killed by another assailant.
Hale laughed and dispatched the other three without breaking a sweat.
“Then there was one. What do you choose? To run and tell your employer to cut his losses or do you prefer to die with your crew?”
The last assailant was perched against the wall with his arms over his chest in a lazy stance. He stood silently tucking his long black ponytail inside the back of his shirt.
“I prefer not to waste time on useless words.” Hale smiled.
His final opponent walked towards him with the cat like grace of a trained fighter.
Tori’s gut tightened and her frightened eyes swung up to meet Dante’s. A shake of his head kept her silent. She wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans and commanded her heart to slow down.
The first kick started the fight. She was right, he was trained probably in some sort of martial art. Hale blocked the kicked and met him hit for hit. They seemed evenly matched as far as she could see.
Every now and then Hale would get in a lucky punch and then his opponent would counter with a lucky punch. It looked like a draw until his assailant drew a knife plunging it deep into Hale’s stomach with a twisting move.
A roar emerged from Hale as his body shifted, becoming unhuman. The beast tore open the throat of his opponent. The body dropped slowly to the ground with eyes opened in amazement.
“That’s what happens when you turn a fair fight into a dirty one.” Dante spoke up in a loud voice speaking to the man dying on the ground.
“How many times have I tol
d you not to play with your opponent, Hale?” Aran stepped out of the shadows followed by the rest of his brothers.
Nicolas walked over to him. “Change back, I need to treat the male.”
In a blink of an eye Hale stood where the beast had been.
Tori looked around with wide eyes wondering how she could escape.
“Don’t run, Tori.” Dante said softly in her ear.
All she could see was Hale’s body as he started to fall over. His warning of no matter what happens don’t run, was ringing in her ears. She took a deep breath and waited for the worst. How could they let her live after she saw their secret? They weren’t human.
“Dante.” Aran called out to him.
“I’ll collect Hale’s car with Tori and meet you all back at his place.” Aran nodded his head.
Dante took Tori by the arm and started walking before he stopped. “Where are the females?”
“They’re on their way to Hale’s.” Aran’s mouth quirked in a smile. “Even though I told them all to stay still and not move. Seems Rena wants a thick steak on the grill. Looks like we are having a cook out.”
“Of course none of the other females stopped her,” Dante gave a laugh.
“She’s about to have the baby at any moment. It seems she must be catered to. Which of course means that when all the other females become pregnant they will expected to be catered to also,” Aran replied with a light voice.
There were groans and huge smiles on the faces of the brothers who were mated. Even Hale groaned and smiled which looked more like a grimace as Nicolas started probing his wound.
Tori frowned and started walking out of the alley without Dante leading her. Looking around she realized no one was paying her attention. Why wouldn’t they stop her? Duh, Tori, what would happen if you walked into the police station to tell them you saw a fight and the person who killed six men turned into a giant monster? Strait jackets for all.
Dante seemed to be the best choice she had right now. Foolishly she took one last peek at Hale.
Chapter Ten
The house was in chaos. Everyone was there. The kitchen was full of brothers and mates making dishes and laughing when Tori finally made it to the house.
Hale: Love Me Harder - Alien Paranormal Romance Page 6
