by S. A. Gibbs
“Do you like it?”
I spun to face Mitch. “What?”
“Do you like what you see? Choose anything you like. They’re all yours.”
I gulped. My God, there were more clothes in this room than I’d ever be able to wear in a lifetime.
He walked over and hooked his arm through mine. “Your bath is ready.” I let him lead me through the door at the far end of the closet and into the marble bathroom. The heated floor beneath my feet warmed my toes. Mitch held my arm and closed his eyes. “I promise I won’t peek.”
Slipping out of the T-shirt, I tossed it on a stool by the towel rack and then pulled my underwear down until they slid to the floor of their own accord. I held onto him, supporting myself on the edge of the bath with my other hand while I stepped into the luxurious heat of the tub. Lowering myself beneath the bubbles, I let go of him and relaxed back.
“Can I open my eyes now?”
The soapy foam covered me from neck to toes. “Yes, you can.”
He smiled at me. “You’re a sight to behold.”
“A battered woman in a tub is nothing to cherish.”
“I’m sorry. We should have been there sooner.” His smile disappeared, and the jovial tone in his voice vanished.
I instantly regretted my words. “I didn’t mean it like that.” I’d hurt him. An emptiness swelled in the pit of my stomach. “It was my own stupidity that caused this mess.”
“They’ll never stop looking for you, Amberleigh. And there’s nothing I can say or do to change that fact.”
He pulled over the stool and sat his huge bulky frame by the tub. “You need to decide.”
I lifted my arm and pointed a finger at him. “You’re asking me to believe the impossible.”
He glanced at my arm and then rubbed his chin. I quickly ducked it beneath the water. The mark on my skin was irrefutable proof. Did I really need more? Well, there’d been the ghouls in the park; I couldn’t deny that either. There’d been something else there too. I was sure of it. I just couldn’t quite remember.
I scooped up a handful of bubbles. “Tell me what I should do.”
“I can’t, Amberleigh. You need to decide on your own.” His somber voice turned the empty pit in my stomach into a cavernous hole.
I timidly looked up into his eyes. They were exactly the same color as Lucas’s. A deep brown with golden flecks. “Do you mind if I have some time on my own?”
“Sure.” He gave me an encouraging smile. “I’ll come back in a while and wash your hair if you like?”
I nodded. He turned and walked out.
How the hell did he have exactly the same colored eyes as Lucas?
I MUST HAVE DOZED OFF in the tub because the water running woke me. I smiled at Mitch.
“I’m just warming it up.”
“Thanks.” My body didn’t ache like it had before. My nipples tingled in the cool air above the water’s surface, and I realized most of the bubbles had disappeared. I closed my eyes against the dull throb in my head. I no longer cared if he saw me naked. He’d done nothing to indicate he was a marauder of women. Besides, at least one of them had already seen me naked when they’d put the T-shirt on me.
“Don’t worry; I didn’t look.” He grinned.
Would it be such a crime if he had?
“I brought you some more pain relief. I figured you’d need it by now.”
“Thanks, Mitch. You’re an angel.”
He chuckled. “Well that’s a change for the books. I’m used to being call much worse.”
He passed me the pills, which he’d broken into quarters. I popped them into my mouth and took the plastic cup. Drinking slowly, I managed to get the medication down without too much trouble.
“Spin around, and I’ll wash your hair.”
I did as he asked so that my back was facing him.
“Tip your head up.”
I scooted against the side of the tub, and closing my eyes, I tilted my head toward the ceiling. The plastic cup splashed, and then the warm water flowed through my hair. He dunked the cup again, making sure he wet as much of my hair as he could. The cold shampoo sent a shiver down my spine. He laughed, and his strong fingers gently massaged the shampoo into my scalp. His warm breath tickled my neck, sending tingling waves across my skin. I wanted to arch my back. It was heavenly. He took particular care in avoiding the lump on my head. When his hand lingered close by my ear, I wanted to turn and nip the tips of his fingers. But I didn’t. Heat throbbed between my legs. How could something as simple as having your hair washed be such a turn-on?
He scrunched yet more shampoo through the length of my hair and then rinsed it out. With a final squeeze of my hair, he was done.
“Once you’ve finished, I’ll spray conditioner in your hair. It’ll be easier to comb out the tangles.”
“Thanks, Mitch. I think I’m ready to get out.”
He ducked into the closet and came back with a robe. Holding it up, I carefully stood in the bath and slipped it on. With my hand holding on to his, he assisted me from the tub. “I think I’ll be okay on my own from here.”
“As you wish, madam. The conditioner is in the cupboard, under the sink. I’ll be in the kitchen preparing dinner. If you need me, just call.” He bowed low, retreating from the bathroom.
I giggled at his antics. There was much more to these guys than I’d originally thought.
I found a baggy long-sleeved top in a drawer and some casual pants in another. I pulled out several more drawers, and I finally found some underwear. They had certainly fulfilled all my requirements and more. There were earrings and necklaces. Hair clips and handbags. All the likes I could never afford. Even the bras had the right sized cups. It was a little overwhelming to say the least, especially when I happened upon the drawer of feminine-hygiene products. I shoved it closed and leaned against the drawer. Was it creepy or apt? I still couldn’t tell for sure. Grabbing some canvas flats from the shoe rack, I sat on the soft ottoman and slipped them on.
I’d made my decision.
I needed to know more about my so-called destiny.
Chapter 14
Amberleigh
Easing down the stairs, I followed the bluesy jazz music to the kitchen. Beneath the archway entry, I stopped and watched Mitch sway to the music while he chopped vegies. He must have sensed me standing there because he looked up. I grinned, and he waved me over, ushering me to the stool opposite him. The song ended as I slipped onto the seat.
“What do you want to listen to?”
“This is fine.” I smiled as Nina Simone roared to life.
“Can I get you a drink?”
“Sure.”
He winked at me and put down the knife. “What can I tempt you with?”
“Any chance of bubbly?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Champagne is out of the question for you at the moment, but I can offer you a soda.”
I slapped my hand on the marble counter top. “Done!”
Opening the refrigerator, he pulled out two cans. “Lemon or lime?”
I giggled. “Lime, thank you.”
Putting the other one back, he opened the freezer, taking out a tall glass. After pouring the drink, he plucked a straw from the jar on the far counter and popped it into my drink. “Your beverage is served.” He grinned, and then, picking the knife back up, he continued with his vegetable dissection.
“I see you’ve started the party without us.”
I looked over my shoulder to find Lucas striding toward me with a big fat grin plastered across his face. Behind him, Ryle stopped, his smile vanished, and he quickly left the room. I looked down, fidgeting with my hands in my lap. Was he angry with me because Lucas had stayed the night in my room? Or was it the hideous disfigurement of my face he found repulsive?
Lucas placed a comforting hand on my back and whispered in my ear, “Don’t pay him any attention. He has a tender heart. He needs to compose himself.”
It didn’t make me feel any
better, but at least I knew he wasn’t pissed off. I cared what he thought. In fact, what all three of them thought mattered to me.
“I’ve actually made a decision.”
Mitch turned down the music.
“I want to know more about what’s happening. But I don’t want to hear anymore—” I raised my hands and wiggled my fingers—“‘the queen’s coming to get you’ crap.” I rested my arms on the cool marble top. “I actually want to know what it is you all expect me to do.”
Lucas picked up my glass and took a drink. He screwed up his nose. “Ugh. That is disgusting.” He wiped his mouth and put the glass back down. “It’s pretty simple, really. You need to go to the underworld and cut off the queen’s head. It’s quite straightforward.” He winked at me and grinned.
My head lolled back in disbelief. “Fuck, Lucas. Why can’t you ever give me a serious answer?”
“I just did!” he said sharply. He moved to the refrigerator and pulled out a beer.
“So I just waltz up to her and slice her head off with a sword?”
He glared at me. “Who’s the one being ridiculous now?” Twisting off the cap, he took a sip of his beer. “It will be a fight to the death. Esme won’t just give you the throne, and it won’t be a sword. You’ll need Hades’s trident.”
“Oh, well there you go.” I raised my hand. “I hadn’t realized I’d be needing a god-fearing weapon.”
“He’s telling the truth, Amberleigh.”
I looked over my shoulder. Ryle stood there with his hands shoved in his jeans pockets. He walked over to me. “You need Hades’s trident to defeat Esme. But we won’t be able to find it until you believe in your heart and soul that it’s your destiny—until you want to kill her more than you value your own life.”
“And how do I do that? You saw me at the park yesterday. I just stood there. I did nothing to protect myself. I can’t fight.”
“We can train you. And once you’ve made the decision to challenge Esme’s rule, we’ll find the trident. I don’t know how or where, but we will.”
Mitch slammed a pan on the stovetop. “I think that’s enough sharing for now. Amberleigh’s dealt with a lot since her birthday. She needs time.”
But would time ever be enough?
THE WEEKS I NEEDED to recover seemed to stretch on forever. Two days after the attack in the park, the lump on my head and the bruised eye were less swollen, but the purple-red bruising had turned black. I knew it would take time before I could face the world again, but waiting for the bruises to fade was killing me.
I needed to know Jed was okay, and so I asked Tracey to stop by and see him. She called often, checking up on me, and each time, I had to tell her the same gut-wrenching lie.
I’d had enough of being cooped up by Wednesday. If I didn’t get a move on and find a job soon, Mrs. Evans might think I was never coming back.
After a steaming-hot shower, I searched through the makeup drawer for a tube of concealer. I finally managed the knack of good coverage. Adding a little eyeshadow, lip gloss, and mascara, I was satisfied. I dressed and hurried downstairs.
Mitch clacked away on his computer at the dining room table; he stopped his rhythmic pace as I entered the kitchen.
“Morning. I’m making coffee. Do you want some?”
He looked up and smiled. “Sure.” He cocked his head to the side. “You look different.”
I poked out my tongue. “Well that’s one way to put it.”
Closing his laptop, he came over. “Ah, now I see. Makeup.”
I winked at him.
“So what’s the occasion?” He walked around the island counter and sat on a stool.
“I thought I’d go home today.”
He sighed. “Amberleigh—”
“Mitch, I need a job. I already owe Tracey two hundred bucks. Not to mention my last month’s rent to Lucas and the bills are probably piling up in my mailbox as we speak. I need a job. I want to go home.” I passed him his coffee, and, picking up mine, I walked around and sat next to him. “I understand you think I won’t be safe, but I do have a life. Or at least I did.”
He wrapped his huge hands around his cup. Staring into the creamy hot coffee, he frowned. “You could always come work for us.”
“As what? Your housekeeper?”
“No, we have someone for that. She just hasn’t been in while you’ve been recovering.”
I hadn’t noticed them going to work. In fact, not one of them had worn a suit since I’d been staying with them. “So what is it that you guys do?”
“We deal in antiquities.”
My mouth dropped open. Was it coincidental?
Air rushed from his nose as he suppressed a laugh. “You seem surprised.”
I poked my tongue out at him. He watched me from the corner of his eye.
“Amberleigh, we’ve lived here for hundreds of years. Our antiquities dealership is one of the oldest, founded back in the 1600s.”
My God! How old were they?
“Originally we dabbled in art. Once we gained notability with the elite classes, we were able to entrench ourselves within other circles.”
“Such as?” I sipped my coffee, hanging onto every word he said.
“Coveted auctions.” He smirked.
“So do you think that’s how we’ll find the trident?”
He shrugged. “Maybe. I’m not sure. There’s been whispers of an impending auction. The hearsay makes us believe the sai’s twin could be for sale.”
I gawked at him. “Really?”
He nodded. “Lucas and Ryle are attending to a business exchange. They’re putting the word out that if a certain artifact was to come on the market, they’d like an invitation to the event.”
I couldn’t believe it. It was just like in the movies. All the wheeling and dealing of an underground antiquities trade. My heart beat faster. “What would my role be?”
He laughed at my excitement. “You’d be answering phones and making appointments. Sourcing collection houses to fulfill client orders.” He chuckled.
My shoulders slumped. Great! All the boring stuff.
He placed his arm around me and gave my shoulder a squeeze. “All the important things that keep a business running. How about it? Do I tell the guys you’re in?”
“Sure.” I picked up my cup, and he clinked his against mine.
But if I knew what I was getting myself into, I might have thought twice.
MITCH WOULDN’T GIVE up his relentless hounding until I caved. If I’d walked out, he’d have been at my heels, so I agreed to let him move in with me. He’d get sick of sleeping on the lumpy couch pretty quick. He packed a bag, phoned the guys, and we were on our way.
The rhythmic click-clack of the wipers and the warmth of the SUV made me relax as we hummed along the rain-soaked streets. On the sidewalk, people huddled for cover, waiting for the downpour to ease while others bravely battled the weather. Their colorful umbrellas bobbing up and down as they hurried along in the rain.
Mitch turned down my road and slowed the car to a crawl. There was a police car parked in front of my place. I glanced at him, and his worried expression sent a shiver up my spine. He pulled the car up behind the officer’s vehicle. The front door to the house was wide open. The rain had eased to a drizzle, and I left the warmth of the car and hurried up the path. A stern-faced police woman with a clipboard stepped out onto the porch and halted me.
“What’s going on?”
“A break-in, ma’am. And you are?”
“Amberleigh Shade.” I peered past her. Mrs. Evans’s door was closed.
She pointed her pencil past me, and I glanced over my shoulder. “And who’s this?”
“A friend of mine.”
“Miss Shade, we’ve been trying to call you.”
Shit! I’d had my phone on silent. “Is Mrs. Evans all right?”
“She’s a little rattled, but other than that, she’s fine.”
“Can I go in?”
“Sur
e.” She stepped aside. My landlady’s tearful voice had me taking the stairs two at a time. I reached the landing, and she wiped tears from her eyes. “Oh, Amberleigh. Thank goodness you’re home. You’ve been broken into.”
I moved passed her and froze. Jesus! It wasn’t just a break-in. My place had been ransacked. What the hell. Who would do such a thing?
I paused at my bedroom door. My bed covers were heaped on the floor, and my mattress was torn to shreds. Clothes dangled from the drawers of the bedside chests. Mitch placed a comforting hand on my back, and we continued down the hall to the lounge.
A burly officer carefully picked his way through the debris littering the floor and headed toward me. The white fluffy stuffing from the couch cushions hindered his treacherous walk. “Ma’am, do you have any idea who could have done this?”
I stared at him dumbfounded. “Really?”
“Yes, Ma’am. No one goes to this extent unless they have a vendetta or are searching for something.”
I shook my head. Surely, no one could hate me this much. Whoever it was hadn’t even stolen my crappy laptop, and now the bloody screen was smashed.
The officer handed me a piece of paper. “You’ll need the report number for your insurance company.”
“Thanks.” I shoved it in my pocket. My stuff wasn’t insured.
“We’re done here, Ma’am. If you find anything missing, let us know.”
I nodded. Stepping over the last of the mess, he left.
Mitch walked up behind me. “Don’t worry. I’ll organize someone to clean up.”
I could have crumpled against his chest when he squeezed my arms. He was the rock I needed now that everything around me had been destroyed. “Amberleigh, if they didn’t find what they were looking for, they’ll be back.”
The thought sent a shiver up my spine. If I hadn’t been staying with Mitch and the guys, I’d probably have been home. My stomach churned and I swallowed, pushing the sickly feeling back down. This little place had been my first true home. I’d skimped on meals and gone without new clothes so I could decorate it. Staring at the sea of destruction, nothing seemed salvageable. “I can’t stay here, Mitch. Can we go?”
