Rock Bottom (The Gifted Realm #4)

by Jillian Neal

  A broad grin formed on Emily’s features. She seemed delighted over his enthusiasm.

  “A normally aspirated engine is much crisper, more precise. It’s essentially perfect,” he vowed reverently.

  The sheer power of the two engines and the double-clutched automobile worked through him as he drove it down the gravel driveway.

  “I’m really so relieved you love it. I was a little bit scared that I would pick wrong.” She bit her lip; then it slid through her teeth as she grinned.

  “This is more perfect than anything I ever would’ve picked. You know me better than I know me.” Sam’s advice on letting her help him had been right on. His advice always was.

  Occasionally letting the image of her splayed out on the hood sear through his mind, he also thought about Sam’s promise that there would be good memories in his new car as well. He chuckled out loud as he decided the memory of taking Emily on the hood of his new Porsche was a hell of a way to add a little of his soul to his new ride.

  As he pulled onto the highway, he picked up speed and felt the engines rev as he lightly pressed the accelerator. The feeling was intoxicating. The Porsche moved at the speed of his thoughts. It was the perfect car, picked out by the perfect woman, both for him. How had he gotten so lucky?

  “Ok, is it stupid that I really want to go to Waffle House?” Emily’s face colored again. “I haven’t had an omelet in weeks.”

  Rainer shook his head. “Why would that be stupid, baby? I was hoping that would be where you wanted to eat. I don’t guess you’d want to, say, visit a Waffle House, maybe, in Florida or anything?”

  She cracked up. “Uh, I’m happy you love your new car, babe, but I’m gonna want to eat before tomorrow, sometime.”

  After parking and casting the Porsche, as he would never leave either his or Emily’s automobile uncasted ever again, he wrapped his arm around her and escorted her into the diner. Rainer allowed the all-encompassing emotion of having her tucked up beside him once again to fill him with utter elation.

  “Ok, so Vindico found out about Ferg and Tilly,” he admitted as he gestured for the waitress to refill Emily’s coffee mug.

  “He’s not going to tell Governor Sherman, is he?”

  “No, but when I tell you what Logan and I have to do because we didn’t tell him, you may wish he would.” Rainer decided to go ahead with the story. He warded off the guilt before it set in.

  “What do you have to do?” Disappointed hesitation became her predominant expression.

  “Remember I told you that Vindico has to go to Berlin, for Pendergrath’s trial, the day after Thanksgiving?”

  Emily’s expression changed to regret.

  “That’s awful. Won’t he miss his family? I bet holidays are really hard for him after Amelia.” Her deep concern pricked Rainer’s heart.

  “I didn’t get that impression. He kind of seemed glad to be leaving. Anyway, he can’t really leave the country and leave Bridgette unprotected. He says some weird stuff is going on with her at The Tantra. The, uh, guys aren’t sitting at her tables anymore. You know what she’s doing for us.” He glanced around nervously, but no one was near enough to their back booth to have heard him. It still wasn’t safe to say too much in a public place. Emily nodded as her brow knitted. She knew he was stalling.

  “Just tell me what you have to do, Rainer.” She cocked her jaw to the side and narrowed her eyes.

  “Em, come on, I missed you so much. Just listen.”

  She softened slightly. “Please just tell me. You’re freaking me out.”

  “Your mom told Vindico that Bridgette could stay at the farmhouse Thanksgiving night until Saturday when he gets back, and,” he braced, “Logan and I have to stay there, too. I was really hoping you’d stay with me there as well. We have to take her to work and bring her back. Keep an eye on her. I won’t be going into The Tantra,” he vowed immediately. “I can’t.

  It was different when the only Interfeci guys around here didn’t know me, when Lo and I were new on the force, but more and more come into the country every freaking day. So…” he shrugged not certain what else to say.

  “Well, you’re definitely not staying there with her and not me.”

  “Baby,” Rainer shook his head, “I have the most beautiful, wonderful woman in the entire Realm sitting across from me right now. I don’t deserve her, but she’s here, and I would never ever do anything to risk the most precious thing in my entire life. So, other than the fact that I don’t want to be anywhere that you aren’t, whether or not you’re there has nothing to do with it.”

  He watched as Emily melted before his eyes. He winked at her and reached across the table to hold her hand.

  “You know Dad’s not gonna let us stay in my room together,” she fussed sweetly.

  Rainer nodded his lament but then gave her a wry smile. “Well, our house isn’t that far from your parents’, and it’s on the same farm, so…” he wiggled his eyebrows, “…If you need to be taken care of, baby, I can arrange that,” he flirted shamelessly as she giggled and shook her head at him.

  “I did notice that you didn’t tell me this until after I laid out on the Porsche for you.”

  Rainer cracked up. “Uh, I’m not an idiot.”

  “All right, I guess, but only to keep Fergus from getting fired.”

  He wondered how long Emily’s patience with Fergus and his moronic stunts would last. They weren’t kids in school anymore, and Fergus was playing with fire.

  As they crawled back into the Porsche, a smile formed automatically on Rainer’s face as he cranked the engine.

  “This is just awesome. Seriously, I don’t ever need another present, ever.”

  21

  Killer Curves

  After breakfast, they headed to Sam’s, and Emily signed the check for the Porsche. Sam quickly informed Rainer that he was a lucky, lucky man, to which Rainer adamantly agreed.

  “So, will you take your fiancée, who totally just bought you this kick-ass car, on a drive up the ridgeway?” she giggled as they returned to the car.

  “Uh, absolutely! Hop in, baby.”

  They drove in peaceful contentment for several long minutes as the road began to narrow and climb. It was much too cold to put the top down, but Rainer was deliriously happy just to have her with him, with nowhere to go.

  “Do you know what you’re going to have Uncle Tad engrave on my ring?” Emily asked suddenly.

  “I think so.” Rainer was still considering a few options. He thought about the inscription on his parents’ rings, but he didn’t want something quite so overdone. That just wasn’t them.

  “He’s bringing down the ring cases with him for Thanksgiving, so maybe we could look.”

  “Sure, baby. I’m ready to get this show on the road. I told you that. I’m counting the days ‘til April.”

  Emily beamed. Her rhythms trilled in elation as they drove up the mountain roads.

  “I can’t wait either.” She let her eyes close, and Rainer wondered what she was envisioning.

  She’d been planning their wedding since she was barely out of diapers, but all Rainer had ever wanted was to meet her at the end of the aisle. The details were important to her. He understood that, but all that mattered to him was that she was his forever.

  They talked about her not wanting to wear a veil, and Mrs. Haydenshire’s disapproval of that. He told her about having to sit through Sub-Freshman Sex Ed. again. He reveled in her infectious giggles. Every stupid, silly detail that wove themselves into every facet of their lives composed the stories of their time apart.

  Rainer realized during that drive that it was the little, seemingly insignificant things that he’d missed the most. Those were what made life worth living.

  They discussed which soup kitchen they would be working at on Thanksgiving. The Haydenshires always served Thanksgiving dinner to the needy and homeless around D.C. and Arlington, while Mrs. Haydenshire and Nana worked tirelessly to produce a large meal for them
when they finished up their serving duties.

  Emily had gotten the Angels in on the act this year, and they were all working at the largest soup kitchen in D.C. It was one that served hundreds of people on a daily basis.

  Rainer and Emily had always thoroughly enjoyed giving back, and were looking forward to the tradition again this year.

  Adeline had volunteered to work all day Thanksgiving, so that other Medios could eat the meal with their families since the Haydenshires wouldn’t be eating until well after eight o’clock.

  It was getting late when they headed back down the gravel path to their home. Frustration worked through him as Rainer saw that the Accord had returned to the driveway. They’d had a near perfect day, and he was planning on keeping that going well into the night.

  “I thought we got the whole weekend alone,” Emily huffed.

  “Me, too,” Rainer was trying not to be irritated with Logan and Adeline.

  They entered the kitchen and heard Logan huffing, “Uh, no, Adeline. I’m sorry, but it will be a cold day in hell when I let some over-muscled, macho thug named Rocco rub hot oil all over your naked body.”

  Rainer’s eyes goggled as he turned to Emily, whose mouth was hanging open in shock.

  “Logan,” Adeline sighed. “He wasn’t an over-muscled, macho thug. He was a massage therapist. That’s what they do, and I’m sure I didn’t do anything for him. You’re being ridiculous. I mean, he sees people undressed everyday.” She was on the brink of tears. “I’m sure he has clients with way better bodies than mine. I’m not even pretty.”

  Logan eyes flashed in fury. “Stop it, now!”

  He spun to Rainer and ordered, “Tell her how gorgeous she is. She never believes me.”

  While staring at Logan like he’d lost his mind, Rainer shook his head in utter disbelief.

  “It will be a cold day in hell when I get involved in this argument. We’re going out for dinner,” he informed them as he grabbed Emily’s hand and led her back to the car.

  “You could have told her how pretty she is. I wouldn’t have minded.”

  “Sweetheart, your brother came completely unglued when I inadvertently saw Adeline in lingerie, and I didn’t even really look at her. My saying something like that would have eventually driven him insane, again. When it comes to her, he pretty much overreacts about everything,” He pointed out the inherent problem with Logan, not that the same couldn’t be said for him when it came to Emily.

  She nodded her hesitant agreement. Logan and Adeline argued more often than she and Rainer ever had. They’d argued even before they’d moved in together, though it was almost always about her mother.

  It drove Logan crazy that Adeline would give her mother her paychecks and tips from the pizza joint where she used to waitress. Since Candy Parker inevitably used Adeline’s money to buy more illegal substances instead of paying their bills, Rainer had typically taken Logan’s side.

  “There was no good way out of that,” Rainer continued his explanation as he steered the Porsche quickly back toward the road.

  “Do you think Adeline’s pretty?” Emily quizzed once they’d reached the highway.

  “Em,” Rainer huffed. “Please, baby, don’t do this,” he pled for the second time that day. Which of her friends he found attractive was not a discussion he was interested in having.

  “Come on, Rainer,” Emily huffed, “I won’t get mad. I just want to know.”

  Rainer wasn’t worried that she was going to be jealous. He was worried that if he answered truthfully, she would think he was being unkind.

  He watched her customary performance. She pushed her long, auburn hair behind her right ear as determination set in her eyes.

  “Where do you want to eat?” he tried feebly to distract her.

  “Mexican,” she informed him quickly. “Now tell me.”

  Rainer drove towards Los Carenos, the Mexican restaurant that was their favorite.

  “You want the truth, and you won’t think I’m a jerk?”

  “No, of course not, and yes I want the truth.” She looked rather confused by his question.

  “Fine,” he quipped. “Em, baby, I don’t know why you don’t believe this, but to me you are the definition of gorgeous, and you and Adeline look nothing alike.” he hesitated and felt like a heel. “I mean, she’s not hard to look at or anything, but to me she just isn’t all that attractive.” Guilt settled uncomfortably in his stomach.

  Emily seemed to consider. “But, I mean she’s so tall, and thin, and she has beautiful eyes, and she’s so sweet, and that gorgeous jet-black hair,” she argued.

  Rainer smiled at her. “She is very sweet, and she’s perfect for Logan, which is all that really matters. She does have pretty eyes,” he allowed, “but, baby, to me, when I look into your eyes, I see so much more than how beautiful and emerald-green they are. I see your soul. I’ve never really even noticed Adeline’s hair.” He pulled into the parking lot, turned to her, and gazed into the very windows of her soul.

  “I want my gorgeous, redhead with killer curves. I need my beautiful bombshell, who’s not afraid to tell people what she thinks. I want that fiery temper, as long as I’m not the recipient of it,” he teased. She laughed as her cheeks took on the shade of her hair.

  “The girl who lays out on my Porsche, after telling me to meet her in the garage, and the one who goes to Brazil and cries over the kids there that she doesn’t think she’s helped enough.”

  “I want you, baby. To me, you’re absolute perfection. You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever set eyes on; wild in my bed when that’s what I want, and slow and sweet when that’s what I need. I somehow got all of that in the same woman. I don’t know how I got so lucky, but if I’d responded to Logan’s question, truthfully, it wouldn’t have done anything to help Adeline’s self-esteem.”

  “Rainer,” Emily swooned, “you’re just amazing.”

  “That’s you, baby,” Rainer vowed as he opened her door for her. “Now, let’s go get my fiery redhead some salsa, because whether they’re home or not, I still have three weeks to make up for.” He waggled his eyebrows as she beamed at him delightedly.

  * * *

  When they returned home, Rainer assumed Logan and Adeline had made up. They were locked in their bedroom. Rainer and Emily scooted to their room quickly, after hearing the mattress squeak and several rather loud moans. Emily cracked up as soon as Rainer closed their door.

  22

  The Giving and the Taking

  Sunday evening, Rainer escorted Emily into the farmhouse, where she was embraced heartily by all of her family.

  However, she only had eyes for the tiny bundle of joy, which was sound asleep in the bassinet in the kitchen. Nana Anderson managed to give her a long embrace before Emily eased over to the cradle.

  “Oh, please let me hold her,” Emily begged Will. He laughed and did look rather exhausted.

  “Of course. She’ll probably want Brooke when she’s hungry, but go for it,” Will encouraged.

  “Hi Lily Ana, I’m your Aunt Emily.”

  Everyone watched with adoration as Lily Ana’s eyes blinked open to study Emily.

  Will and Brooke had quickly decided to name their little girl after both of their mothers, and Rainer was certain both grandmothers were delighted.

  Emily kept Lily Ana cradled to her chest while everyone else set the dining room table for dinner.

  “Well, baby girl, you certainly look much happier than you did at the airport,” the Governor chided.

  Emily giggled. “Well, food, sleep, and showers do make me happy,” she soothed her father’s slight discomfort over what he suspected had made the biggest difference in her mood.

  A harsh knock sounded on the front door. Everyone grimaced, save Garrett. He smirked.

  “Ah, Grandpa’s here.”

  Rainer would never understand how Garrett managed to put up with the Governor’s father, but he never seemed to let Grandpa Haydenshire get under his skin.
r />   “Garrett,” Grandpa Haydenshire grinned as he stepped inside the farmhouse. “How’s life, son?”

  “S’good Grampa. Can’t complain.”

  “You got a girl?” Grandpa Haydenshire grinned.

  “Got several.”

  “That’s my boy.”

  Emily rolled her eyes and continued to gaze at Lily Ana as everyone found a seat at the table.

  “That yours?” Grandpa huffed as he took his usual seat.

  “No, Grandpa. This is Will and Brooke’s little girl,” Emily rolled her eyes.

  Brooke looked highly annoyed. Lily Ana did resemble Will, but she had her mother’s beautiful Brazilian coloring and jet-black hair. She certainly looked nothing like Rainer or Emily.

  Governor Haydenshire sighed as he carried a platter of delectable pork chops to the table. Mrs. Haydenshire issued in from the kitchen, right behind her husband. She was carrying two huge bowls of roasted potatoes. Patrick and Lucy had rolls and Mrs. Haydenshire’s delicious coleslaw.

  Everyone settled in and began eating. Rainer was impressed with Emily’s ability to hold her new niece and eat at the same time. After deciding that he had nothing better to do, he again indulged his fantasy of her pregnant. A slight grin formed on his face as his mind constructed the imagery, Emily swollen, full of their baby, his hands and mouth on her bump. His eyes slid to the side as he stole a quick glance at her kissing Lily Ana’s tender head.

  “Well, son, you’ve landed in the most powerful seat in the Realm. Now what are you going to do with it?” Grandpa Haydenshire demanded abruptly.

  Weary exhaustion etched the lines beside Mrs. Haydenshire’s eyes. She rubbed her temples for a long moment.

  “I feel certain that however I respond will not be what you want to hear, Dad, so why don’t you just get wherever it is you’re going,” the Governor challenged.