by Marie Harte
Leaning forward, he gripped the metal rail at the end of his bed, squeezing so tight his hands went white. “No.” He wouldn’t believe that, she had to be alive. She was strong, a fighter, plus she had the Sinclair tattoo. She had to be alive, she had to be safe. But what if she wasn’t? What if Miles was hunting her, what if he had her?
A low growl vibrated through his body and the room began to shake. He couldn’t save her. He wasn’t able to save her because he was stuck in this fucking place. The idea had him moving his head back and forth in denial as the force of the vibration grew.
He remembered hearing Miles running towards the shed, had heard the gun shots. Eve. The idea of her lying dead in the forest by his parents’ cottage flashed before his eyes. “No!” he roared lifting the bed and slamming it back down, the force rocking his body in the bed.
“Easy, big guy. No need to trash the place.”
He whipped around and saw Justine emerging from the corner. He stalked over to her, blinding fury coursing through him and for the first time since she first appeared to him, the grin disappeared from her face. She backed away raising her hands. “Hey, calm down.”
“Where is Eve?” he roared. “I need to know, now!” He clamped his hands into fists, frustrated by his sudden lack of control.
Justine lowered her hands but still kept her distance. “She’s fine. She spent four days here and was released a couple of days ago when she healed faster than expected.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “No surprise there.”
“Four days?” Alex snapped. “How many days have I been gone?”
Justine smiled sympathetically. “It’s been a week.
A week!
“Miles?”
“Oh! He’s dead.” Justine grinned. Then, looking up, she rolled her eyes.
Alex looked up too, now used to the interruptions from above. “What are they saying?”
“That I’m not supposed to be so happy that Miles is dead,” she huffed. “They consider him a wounded soul and will heal him before he goes back out there.” She dropped her voice and leaned into him. “I don’t care. I’m still happy Trevor shot that prick.”
Alex straightened. “Trevor?”
“Yup. Cade told you he was a good guy. You should have had more faith in people,” she teased.
Relieved, he took a breath. Okay, Eve was alive, Miles was dead, and Trevor had shot Miles. “Where is Jillian?”
Justine’s smile turned warm. “She’s here. Down in maternity. The doc’s are nervous about letting her go because of everything that has happened. But Trevor has been great, taking care of mine and Cade’s funerals and coming to visit her every day. I think there might be something there,” she sighed. “God I hope so. I hate to think of Jillian being alone.”
Now that Jillian and her baby were safe, his job was done. He could move on! Fan-fucking-tastic! He thought sarcastically. Except, he could not just move on. He couldn’t go anywhere, he was still stuck being a median. What the hell was he going to do? He couldn’t do this anymore, he wanted a body. He wanted his body. “Now what?” He opened his arms. “I find Eve and have her merge me? I don't know if I can put her through that again.”
“Put her through what?” Justine snapped. “You dumped Eve, remember? Wanted her out of your life.”
He stared at her. Felt the guilt turn his stomach. Eve’s face filled the light and dark places in his mind. Her love filled his heart and her soul had healed his without him even realising she was doing it. He could breathe because of her. How could he want someone as precious as Eve to walk out his life? He knew now that he couldn’t live peacefully without her.
But even that wasn’t a possibility right now because he was a fucking median again.
“I remember. I was…”
“What?” Justine snapped. “You don’t deserve her if you plan on treating her that way.”
“I only…”
She cut him off. “Let her go and find someone who will treat her right. It may take time but she will get over you.”
Her words hit him hard and he rebelled at the idea of another man loving Eve. “No.” He gritted his teeth. “I can’t let her go.” He lowered his voice and admitted, “I know I don't deserve her but I can’t live without her. And this feeling I have for her, it’s only growing stronger. It’s been this way since you first sent me to her. I don't understand it, but I know with my entire soul that I cannot live without her. I can’t let her go not when I know she loves me.”
“And you’re so sure Evening loves you?” Dawn asked as she stood in the doorway of his room.
He nodded, unfazed by her sudden appearance. “Yes.”
“I knew she did.” Justine drew his attention, giving him a stunning smile. Pointing her thumb towards Eve’s grandmother, Justine said, “But the old bird needed to hear it from you.”
Dawn entered the room and closed the door behind her. “Watch it young lady,” Dawn snapped.
Justine gave Dawn the worst salute Alex had ever seen. “Yes, ma’am.”
Confused, Alex asked Dawn, “How did you get past the guards?”
Dawn tossed her large bag onto the bed next to his legs. “A grandmother is allowed to visit her only grandson.”
Alex shook his head. Incredible.
“Alex,” Justine began. Her voice had dropped in tone and her normally mischievous eyes held a serious glint in them. “I would like to ask you one more question, before we can begin.”
Alex narrowed his eyes. “Begin what?”
“Do you love Evening? Enough to spend the remainder of your life with her?”
The question was ridiculous, but his answer was instantaneous. “Yes.”
“Evening will outlive you. You will grow old, but Evening’s aging will be slowed by her…” The Being in Justine laughed. “By her family’s tattoo.” Old and wise eyes studied him. “Would knowing this change your feelings towards her?”
“In the beginning when I first found out, but not now. The only thing that bothers me about all of this is what will happen to Eve and Noelle when I’m dead and buried.” Alex sighed, “I don’t like that they will be alone. I’ll have to figure something out for them.”
Apparently, the question was answered to the Being’s satisfaction because he received a slow but genuine smile.
Gracefully crossing to Dawn, the Being controlling Justine nodded to the older woman. “Nice to see you again, Dawn. Did you bring the address?”
Dawn smiled back like they were old friends. “I did.” Both Dawn and Justine looked over at him. Dawn winked knowingly.
“This has turned out better than I could have hoped for.” Justine placed her hands on her hips and stood, looking very masculine. “He will be good for her don’t you think?”
Dawn agreed then added, “And she for him.”
“Very true.” There was another approving nod before a serious expression crossed Justine’s pretty face. “I certainly hope you understand how precious the gift is I’m giving you? I would hate to regret my decision.”
“I understand and there will be no cause for regret,” Alex said with conviction.
The Being glided the short distance between them and glared at him. “Good. I would hate to come back and deliver my own personal form of justice.”
With that said, the Being moved back and stopped. Justine blinked several times before looking back to Dawn. “I really hate that. Everything better be cool?”
Dawn laughed. “Everything is cool. Now stop complaining, you agreed to it.”
“I know.” Justine rubbed her shoulders and wiggled her arms. “I don’t like when my soul is used like a sweater.”
Sighing, Alex joined the women. “Who was that who just threatened me?”
Dawn answered the question, “That was Raphael.”
Alex raised his eyebrows, surprised by the answer. He narrowed his eyes and clarified. “As in…?” He couldn’t finish, it seemed so unearthly.
“Yup! That’s him.” Justine grinned.<
br />
“Okay.” Dawn sighed, pulling a large leather bound book from her bag. “Let’s get moving before the nurses do their rounds.”
Alex stared down at the book. It was Eve’s book with the poem to merge him back with his body. “So that’s why you’re here.” He shook his head. “Eve said you were too old to merge.”
“She lied. But she only did it to protect me, so don’t go getting all mad at her.”
Of course, she was only protecting Dawn. He understood that now about Eve. She protected the ones she loved.
“Oh!” Dawn called pulling a chair next to his bed. “Before I forget…” She stepped next to him and pulled a card from her pocket. “You’re supposed to memorise this address.” She held it up for him. He read the address and knew exactly where the building was located.
“What is this place?”
Dawn turned the card over. “Ask for Ralph, he already knows why you’re coming.”
Alex grinned like a fool. He laughed reading the name on the card. “A Little Piece of Heaven Tattoo Parlour.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
A month had passed since the shooting and Christmas was fast approaching—so was Noelle’s birthday. Eve sipped her tea as she huddled under the heavy blanket she’d brought out to the front porch with her. She needed to be out here, the house had felt stuffy since she got back from her brief stay in the hospital.
She wasn’t a fool. She knew it was more than the house feeling oppressive. She just didn’t want to be in there. There were still too many memories of Alex. Alex in her office, Alex in the studio, Alex closing the fridge in her kitchen. She even hated going into her own room because the memory of Alex making love to her was still so fresh, even after four weeks. Her chest would begin to ache and then it became hard to breathe—that was when she came out here. The very same thing had happened after her mum had died, so the routine was easy to slip back into.
She pushed her foot off the floor boards, setting the swing into motion. Resting her head back she sighed and closed her eyes. Maybe the rocking would calm her enough to want to go up to bed.
“It’s getting cold, why are you still out here?”
Eve’s snapped her eyes open when she heard the voice. Quickly turning her head, she sucked in the cold night air. Tears came to her eyes and goose bumps formed on her skin.
Alex. Her throat closed up on her.
“Oh my God,” she exhaled the words. She turned away, out into the dark, her body remaining perfectly still. What should she do? She couldn't be scared, it was Alex. But was it? The dead were different, or so Gran said.
She pulled in a choppy breath when she realised she had been holding her breath.
“Evening, I need your help.” Was he closer? He sounded closer. The swing stopped and she hadn’t been the one to stop it.
When Alex had first died and she had been lying in the hospital, she’d prayed every night that he would come to her, so she could see him again. She knew what that meant. It not only left her open to seeing Alex but others who were dead as well. And at that time she hadn’t cared, she’d only wanted to see Alex. Then she went home to Noelle and she’d realised what she’d been praying for might not be Alex. It hurt, the idea of not seeing him ever again. She loved him, she still did. But she could do nothing for him now. He needed to move on.
“I c-can’t do anything for y-you now. It’s t-too late.” She shivered under the blanket.
“Calm down. It’s not what you think.”
Still focusing into the dark, Eve tried again. “It’s too late, Alex,” she whispered because her throat was closing up again. “I really can’t help you now.”
“Eve, honey,” he pleaded. “Look at me.”
When she didn’t, he asked again. “Please Evening, look at me.”
She didn’t want to, she wanted him to go away so she could cry and start grieving for him again. But despite what she wanted, she looked at him anyway.
Alex was staring at her. Not Alex in Cade’s body or Alex before she had merged him, but Alex. He was sitting on the bench, only an arm’s reach away from her. His black hair was short and neat, the beard she had seen on him in the hospital was gone. But the scar running through his left eyebrow was there and so were his blue eyes. She blinked and looked at the rest of him. He was wearing a black wool coat that hung open with a pair of jeans, buttoned shirt and a pair of black casual shoes. It was a completely different outfit. Not the covert pants and shirt he had been wearing when she first saw him.
She gawked at him as he held a soccer ball, wearing regular clothes, she couldn’t help it. He was so handsome and normal, how would she ever block him out now?
Leaning over, he placed the soccer ball—which was still wrapped in cardboard packaging—on the floor next to his feet. “You think I’m dead, don't you?”
Soccer ball?
She held the cup tightly in her hands. “Yes.”
He sighed and reached for her. She jerked back moving her head back and forth and pulled her legs up close to her chest.
“Eve,” he commanded her attention. “I know how scared you are of the dead. And, even if I was dead, which I’m not,” he pointed out. “I would never come here knowing I would scare you.”
She wanted to believe him, she really did. She just couldn’t. He sighed again and reached out for her. She clamped her eyes shut, squeezing into the arm of the bench, waiting.
The cup in her hand was taken and the blanket was tugged away before a warm hand locked around her wrist. It didn't pull at her like she was expecting it to do. It simply held her in place. Eve opened her eyes and stared at Alex’s hand when she felt a warm soothing heat seep into her skin. At that moment he moved his thumb and lightly stroked the sensitive skin on her wrist.
He began to tug lightly on her wrist but she snatched her hand back. This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be.
“I-I felt you die. This c-can’t be.”
“It’s me Eve. I’m not dead. I’m alive.” She looked to his face—saw his intense blue stare. But she just couldn’t believe…
He tore off his jacket and ripped open his shirt, buttons flying everywhere. Suddenly, he was sitting next to her with a bare chest. He grabbed her hand and dragged her across the bench. He placed her hand on his chest over the small round scar by his heart and covered her hand with his. “Close your eyes and feel my heart beating.” She froze, not knowing what to do. “Do it,” he ordered.
Flinching, she followed his command. She felt the heat first, then the scar the bullet caused and the crisp hair on his chest, and finally a…heartbeat. And another one, and another. She squeezed her eyes shut and felt the tears roll down her face.
Alex pulled her closer. “You can feel it, can’t you?”
Opening her eyes, she focused on his bare chest and placed her other hand on it. “Yes.”
“I’m not dead.”
She ran her hand up his chest to his neck, his face. Touched his cheek. She felt her face crumble just before he hauled her up against him. She curled up on his lap, buried her face in his neck and let the tears fall. He held her tight, probably tighter than she was holding him.
When she was finally calm enough, Alex sat back and set the swing into motion, gently rocking them. Eve rested her head on his shoulder and shivered. Instantly, they were both covered by her blanket.
They sat for some time together, doing nothing but holding each other. “Better?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “I’ve missed you.”
His arms tightened around her. “I’ve missed you too.”
She gripped his shirt. “I don’t understand. I felt you die.”
He kissed her forehead. “Can I answer that question after I make love to you?”
She laughed lightly.
God he had missed that sound. That light, musical laugh. It warmed his heart and calmed his soul.
“Okay.”
Lifting her off his lap, he clasped her hand, quickly bent and picked up the new soccer
ball.
“What’s with the ball?”
He shrugged as he pulled her in the house. “I picked it for Noelle.”
“To play soccer in the park…” Alex had just turned from locking the door when Eve stopped in mid-sentence. He sighed. Eve was staring in shock as Justine sat on the steps blocking them from going upstairs.
Curling his arm around Eve’s waist, he pulled her stiff body close. “Easy. Justine is harmless. Although, quite annoying at times.”
There was a snort from the stairs, “Well, that was uncalled for.”
Alex shook his head. “What’s going on Justine?” he asked dryly. He wasn’t in the mood to chat.
There was only one thing he was in the mood for and the only female he required was Eve. It had been weeks since he had held and kissed Eve, the time away from her had seemed like torture, as he’d spent time doing what he needed to do in order to get back to her. There wasn’t one minute of every day that he hadn’t thought about her, and now that they were finally together he wanted nothing more than to explore her body with his own hands and mouth. Hold her and talk to her, tell her how much he loved her. But that wasn’t going to happen while Justine was here.
Eve shivered.
“Eve, honey.” He pressed his lips to her head. “If you are beginning to see the dead then we will deal with it together. I’m here, Eve, and I will never let anything hurt you, dead or otherwise.”
Eve exhaled a shaky breath. “Okay.”
“And I would never hurt you,” Justine added sincerely. “I just wanted to catch you before you became indisposed for the night.” Justine gave them a knowing wink.
“What for?”
“To say thank you.” The smile she gave him was genuine. “You got shot and lost your best friend to save my sister.” She looked to Eve next. “I’m sorry you were hurt and that you were away from your daughter, but you helped Jillian too. She says you visit her every day.”
Eve took a deep calming breath. “I like Jillian, we’ve become friends.”
Alex kissed her head again. He knew she was still scared but she was making an effort and he was proud of her for that.
“See.” Justine stood and walked down the few steps to stand in front of them. “The only way I can repay you is by saying thank you. So thank you.”
