Unknown Protector

by Maggie Mundy

  “I’ll go and have a shower. Thanks for the drink, it really worked.” Nicole made her way to the bathroom but left the door ajar and heard Sara’s comment as they left the room.

  “Don’t go falling for this one. She’ll either be dead or moved on. Plus you’re a real ass to work with when you go all mushy.”

  “My mind’s on the job, and I’m well aware what the options are gonna be. Last night she was ready to run again and I’m tryin’ to keep her keen to be here.”

  “Just keep your dick in your pants, you know the rules.”

  The door to the bedroom shut, and Nicole glanced down at the green toothbrush in her hand. She hadn’t wanted his affection so she was surprised as a sigh escaped her lips. She needed to stay focused, which meant staying out of Ridge’s head and away from his lips.

  Chapter 12

  Back to Pergor

  Ridge wolf whistled as Nicole strode in the room. He was aware she looked good out of her clothes, but the last few days she had just worn jeans and baggy T-shirts. He saw her style was classy, in smart pants and a fitted jumper. Damn, but her ass was great. He couldn’t help himself as he patted her behind as he strolled passed her. “Well, you ready to go to your apartment?”

  Nicole turned and grabbed his hand. “Don’t touch what you can’t have.”

  “Fair enough, little lady, it was worth it. Yeah, I always liked a tight ass.” He winked.

  “You have such a romantic way with words, but after the last few days I’ll decide if anyone is going to touch my ass.”

  He wasn’t sure how she would cope with returning to her apartment? She chatted about her shopping trip, and how much Carrick had hated it. When they drove up and she saw the gaping hole in the side of the building she gasped as her hand went to her mouth. A large tarpaulin did little to hide the destruction beneath. “You don’t have to do this.” He took her hand in his.

  “I know, but I want to. I need to see it to believe it’s real. It was the same when Ben died. I didn’t want his dead body to be the last picture I had in my mind of him, but I needed to see his body to know he was really gone. It took a long time to replace his dead appearance with the one of when I first met him, but I did it.” She squeezed his hand back.

  They strode in the building and a little old lady stopped them as they were about to go up the stairs. She grabbed Nicole and hugged her like she couldn’t believe she was real.

  “Nicole, the police said you were alive but I thought they were lying. I told them you were home all night but they didn’t believe me. I know I’m an old soak and you’ve been so kind to me, but I saw things that night. I saw people go upstairs before it blew up. I’m sorry, what will your friend think of me?”

  The little old lady gave him the once over and he got the feeling she didn’t approve.

  “Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

  “Mrs. Spencer, this is Ridge. He’s my fiancé.”

  Ridge shook the woman’s hand and steered Nicole up the stairs before either of them could discuss impending nuptials any further. “You can’t tell people about us. We don’t know how this is gonna end. If she talked about me so many minds would need to be cleansed.”

  “You mean, if I’m dead and all, as you people from down South would say. You know the usual way you deal with things isn’t going to work, so you better get with the program and move on. My brain’s in meltdown and I’m working this out as we move. You can do the same too. If you wanted me to introduce you as John Doe, you should’ve said. By the way, when do I get the ring?”

  Her apartment or what was left of it still had the crime scene tape up, but no cops about. She wasn’t dead, and they probably had more pressing issues to deal with. Nicole stopped inside the door and he heard her sharp intake of breath. He tried to imagine what it would be like to see Heaven’s Gate like this. The Angelics held the majority down here on Earth, but the balance could change.

  He remembered the Barbary Coast when he first came to San Francisco. He liked sex and booze, but he saw there what happens when the Demonics are in full control. They dehumanized the humans. The first whorehouse he helped clear out set a new low. Row upon row of bunks stacked three high with women drugged and men fucking them. The sound and the smell still haunted him. So many people had come to California for a new life; instead they had found a living death.

  Then there were times people made you laugh when you didn’t think you could anymore. They helped strangers and sometimes not to their own advantage. They needed to be rid of his sort and work it out for themselves. His race didn’t belong here. He couldn’t change things on his own. He decided once Nicole had a new guardian he would go back to Homeworld and cease to exist. He couldn’t be part of it anymore.

  Nicole knelt on the floor in the middle of the room. Sobs would have been helpful, he could cope with them, but she didn’t make a sound. She just knelt staring at the mess in front of her. He touched her shoulder and she looked up. The sadness in her eyes touched him and he felt a physical ache in his chest. He hardened himself to emotions, but hers were breaking through the barriers he constructed around himself.

  “Ridge, would you hold me?”

  He knelt beside her and took her in his arms and the tears started. He rocked with her through the pain until the tears stopped. Pulling a handkerchief from his pocket he gave it to her. She dried her eyes and blew her nose. He had no right, but was glad she wanted him near.

  “Thanks.” She took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s get on with this, because I don’t want to stay here longer than I have to.”

  He helped her up and stood back as she made her way around what was left of her apartment. The living area was a mess with wooden furniture broken into pieces. Anything material based appeared like it had gone through a shredder or been burnt. All metal items were melted and any ornaments she owned were in pieces.

  The kitchen area hadn’t fared much better with crockery and glass smashed all over the floor. Ridge followed her into the bedroom. Her wardrobe and dresser had been opened and the contents burned. Nicole knelt down beside her bed and reached underneath. She tugged out an old case that was blackened but still intact. Inside was a photo album. Nicole grabbed it and held it to her. She turned and beckoned for him to look.

  “It’s our wedding album. I used to keep it in the wardrobe. Each time I got dressed it was there in my face and I couldn’t cope. I put it under here so I didn’t need to see it.”

  She turned the pages and he saw in the photos a woman so happy it showed in every smile. He was jealous. Ben had made her happy; all he had brought her was chaos.

  “We had a small wedding. Only about twenty of us. We went to his favorite restaurant on Clement Street for the reception. A Russian couple owned it and I think they saw Ben, as the son they never had. I didn’t know people could drink that much vodka and stay upright, a bit like you and your whiskey. I think you worked out last night I can’t hold my liquor.” Nicole closed the album and stood up. “We should go. I’ve seen enough.”

  As they made their way through the main room Nicole stopped and moved over to the window. She knelt down and picked something up. Turning back towards him he saw a pure white feather in her hand.

  “How can this be? She wasn’t real. I mean she always felt sort of real to me because I could see her, but you told me they’re not actually here.” Nicole shook her head.

  “I don’t know, but I’ve an idea who might. I think I need to pay them another visit, and before you say anythin’ you’re not comin’ with me. I nearly lost you last time and I’m not gonna risk it again.” Ridge crossed his arms over his chest and hoped she got the message.

  “You’re not going all chivalrous on me, are you?” Nicole said with a smirk on her face as they left the apartment, or what was left of it.

  “I have a reputation
to uphold and if you don’t believe me, ask Sara. She says I don’t have any romantic or chivalrous bones in my body, just lots of horny ones.” He snickered.

  “I can’t believe you said that, no hang on, yes I can. I still want to come with you. I deserve answers more than anyone else. I don’t want things secondhand. It’s not how I do things,” Nicole said as she stopped on the stairs.

  Ridge turned to her. “This ain’t your detective agency and they don’t care up there how anyone down here does anythin’.” She didn’t stop to listen, but marched passed him and out to the car.

  Ridge held the car door open as Nicole got in still clutching the feather and the album to her chest. The bonding was beginning to take effect. He wanted her to want him, and it was a weakness he couldn’t afford. He drove too fast. One thing he didn’t care about was if he got a ticket, but there wasn’t a cop in sight.

  “You need to tell me a lot more. I accept the fact I don’t know what’s going on. What really troubles me is that you seem bewildered, too. You’ve been dealing with this shit for hundreds of years haven’t you? How old did you say you were?”

  What could he tell her? She was right, and he didn’t have a clue. “Three hundred and twelve, and my birthday or the day I came here is next Thursday. Feel free to arrange a party, and make sure there’s lots of booze. Maybe when I get back we can discuss this more.”

  She didn’t seem too pleased with his answer and stared out the window the whole time it took to drive back to Heaven’s Gate. Every traffic light had gone against them, heightening the tension. So much for her ever wanting him.

  There was fat chance of that, which was probably a good thing. When they got back to Heaven’s Gate she went to her room and slammed the door. Someone laughed behind him.

  “Everything going well for the loving couple then?”

  “Shut up, Sara. Where’s Peter?” Ridge opened his humidor and retrieved one of his Cuban cigars. He sniffed it, admired it, and lit it up.

  Frieda stood behind the counter and shook her head at the pair of them before she headed off towards Nicole’s room.

  “He’s downstairs in the club learning how to make cocktails. I thought it would keep him out of trouble. You know it’s a good thing she’s not into cigars, or this lot would be gone too. Hear your Chivas Regal went down the drain last night. You were lucky she didn’t get into your McAllen. It’s your birthday next week so I think it would be nice if you shared some.”

  “At $10,000 a bottle you can buy your own, and there’s no love, and we’re not a couple.” All he could think about was the way she stared at Ben in the photos. It brought back too many memories of a painting of his first love Jade. He had destroyed it long ago because he could not cope with the pain. “Watch over her while I go somewhere.”

  “I’m not a baby sitter, and Carrick says he’ll kill you if you make him go shopping again. What do you mean, going somewhere? Don’t use your cryptic shit on me, Boss.” Sara stood with arms folded.

  “I need answers,” Ridge said, knowing that wasn’t going to be enough for her.

  “You’re going to Pergor. Why? It’s not like you’ve another human getting a new host. You still have the same one, and they don’t want her. You know as well as I do there are two reasons we can go there. One is to get a new guardian, and the other is as a route home to die. What is it this time?”

  Kaylie strolled in and gave Sara a kiss on the cheek. Sara was only sixty years old though she appeared a hot twenty-five. She hadn’t lived through a lover dying in the ceremony. It also meant she didn’t know what she was talking about as far as he was concerned.

  “I’m after answers, but if I don’t come back with any, or if I don’t come back at all, you have to promise me you will make it easy for her.” He kept a straight face but the words gave him an ache in his chest as he said them.

  “What’s he on about?” Kaylie asked.

  “He wants to go and interrogate an angel, like that’s going to work. It’s like you don’t even know the rules any longer. She shouldn’t be here without a guardian, and that aside, I saw what she did to you. There’s too much strange shit going on here. We also have Sayell up to something, and I hate it when his lot knows more than we do,” Sara said.

  Ridge puffed on his cigar and tried hard to appreciate its aroma. It didn’t work. Sara was right, things were changing. He was their boss and they were looking to him for answers and what was he giving them? Confusion. He had been in contact with Enclaves other than Kyle’s, and they weren’t having any problems. It appeared to be limited to San Francisco. He was in charge of his section and wouldn’t let them down no matter what.

  “I’m goin’ over.” He could be stubborn too.

  “So let’s be clear in what you’re asking me to do. You don’t come back, and you want me to kill Nicole, so a Demonic can’t attach to her.”

  Ridge didn’t look at Sara when he answered. “Yes. I believe it would be what she would want.”

  “You two are idiots. Why would anyone appreciate being dead?” Kaylie yelled.

  “Because there’s worse. Sayell has a Demonic lined up for her and he’ll make her do unbelievable things, and she won’t be able to stop it. She’ll be trapped in her head knowin’ she’s a killer,” Ridge said.

  “Plus I don’t like the idea of their lot getting hold of her powers,” Sara said as she walked over and kissed Kaylie on the forehead.

  Kaylie pushed her back against the fridge.

  “Don’t do your patronizing crap with me. I love you Sara, but the woman in there is suffering. Her past isn’t your problem but what’s happening now is. You two should stop bickering and sort it out. It’s like everything has been played on your terms. Humans didn’t need your lot to screw ourselves up, we were crazy enough. So stop trying to sort us out and fix up this mess.”

  Seeing Kaylie blowing her cool while in hippie pants, a tie-dyed top and her multi colored dreadlocks was amazing. He understood why his second in command loved this woman.

  “I should talk to her before I go. She wanted to come and I said no.”

  “Well that’s one decision I do agree with,” Sara replied.

  Ridge left the two of them alone. It would appear he wasn’t the only one with partner problems.

  Kaylie touched his arm and stopped him. “Yes you should talk to her, and a kiss wouldn’t be a bad thing. That’s if she’ll let you near her smelling of those things you smoke. You’re just lucky she loves the smell of them. You may not know it but you need her. You’re one of the saddest people I’ve ever met. She’s made you come alive again, even if you’re too stupid to see it.”

  Ridge put out his cigar and took a deep breath as he headed for the bedroom. Kaylie was right, but he also knew caring for Nicole would bring pain. She was sitting on the bed with Frieda. They were looking at the photos in the wedding album. Frieda gave him the raised eyebrow stare as she got up and left. Nicole glanced up and smiled. He’d expected a scowl.

  “You’re going there now, aren’t you?”

  Ridge nodded and sat next to her on the bed.

  “You will come back, won’t you?”

  “I don’t know. I’m not just sayin’ that to avoid the question. I really don’t. Which is probably not what you want to hear.” He couldn’t look at her as he spoke, but continued to peer at the floor.

  “What do you think I would want to hear? I kind of figured things aren’t going so well. Seems like we’re stuck in this situation, but it doesn’t mean we can’t change it. I know you don’t want to tell me everything, and I realize you’re trying to protect me, but you can’t. We’re all doing what we can. Me, I’m still waiting to wake up.” Nicole laughed and shrugged her shoulders.

  Ridge rubbed his hands up and down his leather pants. He was never scared, yet his chest tightened to be with
her. She meant he had to be real, or as real as he could be. He peeked up. “Kaylie reckons I should ask you for a favor before I go.”

  “And what would that be?” Nicole crossed her arms across her chest.

  “I’d like a kiss, Nicole. Not one taken, but one asked for and given willingly, and not imaginary this time.” Ridge’s heart pounded at the thought she might say no. He had kissed so many women over the years and yet this one kiss seemed more important than all the others. She had to want it as much as he did, and he wanted it so much. Her pupils dilated, and her lips parted slightly as she took a breath. Did she have any clue how seductive she was? He was a fish caught on her hook and she was reeling him in without even knowing it.