“It’s Saturday,” she whispers against my chest.
“I know.” I rub her back.
“We should stay right here, in bed.” Her voice sounds sleepy.
I smile. “I like the way you think.”
“We should have lots more sex.” Much less sleepy.
“I love the way you think.” I put my arms around her. She feels good. This feels good. Too good. I have this horrible feeling that everything is about to fall apart. I can’t shake it. “We can order Chinese food for lunch.”
“Eggrolls and fortune cookies. That sounds nice.” I feel her stiffen. “I should go out there.” By ‘out there’, I know she means her look-out point.
“You can take one day off,” I say, putting my arms around her and stroking the top of her head.
“I took yesterday evening off.”
“Yes, you did.” I kiss her on the shoulder and then on her neck.
Morgan giggles. I know she’s thinking back to last night. She had dinner with me, and then we ended up fucking on the dining room table. Only, it isn’t really fucking with Morgan. It’s so much more. I can’t get enough of her. She’s been sleeping in my bed. It feels right. It feels real.
“Let’s have a pajama day,” I say. “You can watch me from on top of me, or under me.”
She chuckles softly. “I don’t really own pajamas.”
“One of the many things I love about you.” Fuck! Did I just say that? I don’t want to push too hard. Morgan is liable to run if I do. At least, that’s the feeling I get. “You can wear that shirt,” I quickly say. “It’s yours as long as you never button it up.”
“Deal.” I can hear she’s smiling. I cup her face in my hands, lifting her a little so that I can look into her eyes. I kiss her. Her lips are soft.
Her phone starts to ring. “Leave it,” I say against her mouth.
Morgan pulls away and reaches for her phone. She mutters a curse when she looks at the caller ID.
I frown. “Who is it?”
“Andy’s mother.” She swipes the screen and puts the phone to her ear. “Morning, Mrs. Golding. Is everything okay? How’s Andy?” I can see the worry in her eyes. She listens for half a minute. “I see.” Morgan’s eyes fill with tears. She blinks. “Please can you wait?” Mrs. Golding talks some more. “You’re right. I do understand, but please, just a couple more days.”
I’m trying not to listen in, but I pick up a word here or there.
Morgan rubs her temple. “I want to say goodbye to him.” Mrs. Golding says something. “I would appreciate it.” She nods. “Thank you. Okay, then.” They say their goodbyes. Morgan looks at the screen of her phone long after Andy’s mother ended the call. I see her chest heave. When she locks eyes with me, her face crumples and tears course down her cheeks. I put my arms around her and pull her in close. Morgan’s shoulders shake. Her breathing is labored. I rub my hand up and down her back. I fucking hate seeing her like this. It tears at me. I don’t say anything. I’m there for her.
“I can’t remember the last time I cried,” she finally says, her voice choked. “Actually, I can, it was at the hospital when I first saw Andy. Before then…” she shakes her head. “Point being, it isn’t me.”
“It’s good to get it out.”
“Crying doesn’t help anything.” She shakes her head.
“Such a hard-ass.” I kiss her forehead. “Crying can make you feel better.”
“They want to switch the machines off.” She hiccups, then pulls back and wipes the tears from her face. I gathered as much. I hear her out. “His mom doesn’t want him to suffer. She said that he wouldn’t want to live this way. They say…they…” her lip trembles, “that he’s braindead.” She makes this sobbing noise and puts her hand over her mouth. It takes her a few seconds to pull herself back together. She drops her hand. “I hoped and prayed he would get better. I can’t believe this.” She sniffs.
“I’m sorry,” I say. “I know that the two of you are close.”
“He’s like a brother to me. He trusted me, and I let him down. Here I am…living life…happy.” She gives me a watery smile. “I have no right to be happy. No right to be here…with you. I—”
“Andy sounds like the kind of guy who would want you to be happy.” I take her hand, thankful when she lets me.
She nods once. “It doesn’t make it right. He saved me, and look where he is.” She wipes another tear away. “Mrs. Golding gave me a couple of days. I need to get out there. I need to find her. I have this stupid notion that if I bring Lilith down, Andy will come back. It’s a stupid concept, and yet I can’t let go of it. He can’t die while she still breathes and lives.” I see her eyes flash with anger. “If nothing else, I have to make that right.”
“Maybe you’re right about being able to save Andy,” I say. It’s a thought that I’ve had a couple of times now.
She frowns. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“The harpy stole my powers of healing. If I could get them back…” I lift my brows.
She sucks in a breath, realization filling her gaze. “You could help Andy. Why didn’t I think of that? I guess I had it in my head that you fixed hearts.” She almost speaks to herself.
“I haven’t said anything before because I don’t know if I would be able to help someone like him. Someone who’s braindead. Fixing a valve or stopping a bleed…repairing tissue. All of these things are easy. I’m not sure about Andy, it might not be possible to save someone who’s already gone.”
“He’s not gone.”
“His body is still here.” I squeeze her hand. “We don’t know about his mind, but I would be willing to give it a try, if I had my power.”
She smiles, and my heart clenches. “You’d help him?”
I nod. “Of course, I would.”
Morgan sighs, her body relaxing some, her eyes getting this determined look. “We’ll find her. We’ll make her give you your powers back, and then you can save Andy.”
“I can try.” I would hate for her to get her hopes up.
“I know you’ll do it.”
Shit! This is what I was worried about. Why I didn’t say anything sooner. She swallows thickly. “We only have a few days. Mrs. Golding is willing to wait but not too long.” She shakes her head. “I’m going to hit the shower.” She leans forward and kisses me, soft and quick. “Thank you.” Her eyes soften as they look into mine.
“What for?”
“Everything.” She holds my gaze for a moment longer and then shrugs out of my shirt and hands it to me.
“I told you it’s yours,” I say.
“I would have to button it up to go outside, and you said I could only keep it if I left the buttons open.”
“That’s true.” I grin at her.
“We can share.” She kisses me again and then she’s jumping off the bed and walking to the bathroom. I hold the shirt to my nose and inhale her scent. If I still had my power, my teeth would sharpen. Shit! That can only mean one thing.
I fall back on the bed. There’s no way of knowing whether I’ll get my powers back. She’s expecting me to save Andy; what happens if I fail? I hate to think along these lines, but it is a possibility.
18
The next day…
Morgan
I put down my coffee cup and grab a banana from the fruit bowl on the island and a water from the fridge. I jog down the stairs. The shower is still running. I walk into the bedroom and stick my head around the bathroom door.
I thank the lord for glass. I’ll have to ask Lyre who invented it later. I’m sure he knows, as well as some or other useless but awesome fact about the material. Right now, I’m just glad it exists because Lyre showering is a magical thing to watch. His hair is wet and just past his shoulders. He’s rinsing soap from his chest. I lean against the jamb, tempted to stay until he is done. If I do, there’s a chance we’ll end up having sex. We can’t seem to get enough of each other. It’s like my body wants me to make up for all the sex I
have missed over the last couple of years.
Nope!
That’s not it.
The reason is standing in front of me. It’s Lyre. I think I might be falling for him. I can’t! Not right now. I can’t move forward until I catch Lilith. I need to stay strong. Time is running out for Andy.
“I’ll see you later,” I say, projecting my voice.
Lyre turns slightly towards me. “I was wondering how long you were going to watch me, you perv!” He switches the water off.
I giggle. “You’re absolutely right! I need to be watching over you.”
“Come home for lunch,” he says as he steps out of the shower. His body is covered in droplets of water, and he’s sporting a semi. It’s nice to know I affect him just as much as he does me. He reaches for a towel and wipes his face. Then I think about what he just said.
Home.
I know he doesn’t mean anything by it, but I can’t help but think that it has a certain ring to it. “I need to stay out there.” I point out front. “I packed a lunch.” I hold up the banana.
He chuckles. “That’s nothing. Not nearly substantial enough for you.” His eyes connect with mine and hold me ransom. I want to say yes so badly.
I laugh. “You’re too much.”
He walks over to me and kisses me, slanting his mouth across mine. Then he’s deepening the kiss. I pull away. “None of that.” I put on a stern face. “I need to get to work. I’ll see you later.”
He frowns. “I hate that you’re out there.”
“It’s the only way to catch her.”
He nods once but still doesn’t look happy. “You text me the moment you see or hear anything.”
“I will.” I want to kiss him again, but I don’t dare. “Later.”
“Can’t wait.” He has this intense look that does things to me, none of which are sexual.
I turn away from him, partly to get the heck out of there but also so that he doesn’t see my smile. It has to be about a mile wide. It’s all so confusing. I’ve never been happier – or sadder – than I am right now. It’s like I’m being torn in two.
I’m about to head out the back door when there is a knock at the front door. I turn around. Lyre isn’t dressed yet. I decide to go and see who’s there.
I look through the peephole.
Shit!
Tall. Built. Good-looking. This guy is checking all the boxes. I think he might be one of them. I don’t think he’s human.
He knocks again. “Lyre. Let me in,” he says. He can probably hear me on the other side of the door and is assuming I’m Lyre. “I’m home a day early.”
This is definitely one of his friends. He’s a sitting duck. I go from hoping Lilith will turn up to hoping she isn’t out there, because this guy is in danger. I yank open the door.
“Who are—?” he begins, confusion evident on his face.
I grab hold of his arm. “Get inside,” I say, pulling him in – or trying to since he won’t budge.
His eyes have gone wide. Then his jaw tightens and his eyes narrow. He looks angry. Seriously pissed off. “Lyre!” he yells into the house.
Then he grabs me by the throat, pushing me against the wall at the entrance. His hold isn’t enough to bruise. His chest is against mine, so I can’t reach for my gun. Stupid of me to have let him in like that. His face is an inch from mine, and he has murder in his eyes.
“What the fuck!” Lyre growls. I hear footsteps. “Stephan…don’t…” He gives the guy a shove, and he staggers away from me. “Are you okay?” Lyre cups my chin. His voice is soft, his eyes are darting about my face. He tilts my chin up. “Did he hurt you?”
“I’m fine,” I push out, feeling shaken. That should not have happened. I let down my guard.
Lyre lets go of me, he pushes the front door closed and turns to the other guy. “What the fuck, Stephan. What were you thinking?” He has a towel around his waist.
After what just happened, I need to double-check that Lyre knows this guy, even though I can see he does. “You know him?” My hand on my gun.
“Yes.” Lyre doesn’t turn back to me.
Why the chokehold? I rub my throat even though I’m fine.
“I don’t know who she is to you,” the new guy sniffs the air, “although I can guess. This house smells like a—”
“Don’t you dare,” Lyre growls. I see every muscle thicken and rope as he clenches his hands into tight fists.
“I saw something. I had a vision. She touched me, and I saw it.” The guy looks from me to Lyre and back.
I’m not sure what he means by that. He saw. What does that mean? A vision. As in he saw the future?
“I don’t know what you think you saw,” Lyre starts.
“It was a jumble. Happened fast, but I know exactly what it is that I saw.” He looks at me like I’m the enemy.
“I’m listening.” Lyre folds his arms. He turns to me. “Stephanus is one of us, he can see the future.
The future.
Okay then.
“You told her about us?” Stephanus growls. His gaze is outright violent when it turns back to me.
“Don’t look at Morgan like that.” Lyre actually steps in front of me. Using his big body like a shield. It both touches and annoys me.
“You’ve been gone,” Lyre goes on. “You’ve missed a couple of things. What are you even doing here? You and Jarrod are supposed to be hiking in the middle of nowhere. Bolt said he left you a voicemail.”
“We did the hike in nine days instead of eleven, and we…” He stops talking, putting his hands on his hips. “It doesn’t matter. What is going on? Bolt’s voicemail was a minute of silence. Something went wrong, and it didn’t come through clearly.”
“Morgan is helping me catch Gabby. Turns out Gabby is a harpy.”
“A what?” Stephanus frowns and folds his arms. He doesn’t look like he’s buying it. Lyre fills Stephanus in on what’s happened since he left. His friend listens, glancing at me with distrust in his eyes.
When Lyre finishes, Stephanus steps forward. “I hate to tell you, but your girlfriend over here is going to save the harpy. She’s going to shoot Bolt in the process.”
“Forget it!” I shout. “I would never—”
“Save it,” Stephanus says. “My visions are never wrong. You shoot Bolt to save that woman…that creature. The harpy is on the floor behind you and you shoot Bolt. Morgan – if that’s even your real name – is using you, Lyre. She must be working with Gabby.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.” Lyre looks at me, his eyes are filled with confusion. “I don’t believe it.” He steps back and puts an arm around me, giving me a tight smile. He turns serious, his eyes blistering me with their intensity. There is a softness there as well. “I know I can trust you,” he reassures me, making my heart clench.
“You can. I swear,” I whisper. I can’t fathom hurting one of Lyre’s friends. Bolt is arrogant and a pain in the ass, but I would never shoot him to protect Lilith. Forget that!
He leans in and kisses me, a quick brush of the lips that means so much to me.
“How fucking romantic.” Stephanus paces away from us before turning. “I’m telling you, she’s going to shoot Bolt to save that bitch. You do remember that Bolt is one of us? One of your friends? She’s playing you. Why aren’t you listening?”
“I’m not going to hurt Bolt or any of Lyre’s friends!” I practically yell. He’s getting on my last nerve. “I wouldn’t do that. I hate that harpy bitch.” I pull away from Lyre, taking a step towards Stephanus. I hold out my arm. “Do it again. Read me again.”
Stephanus shakes his head. “Once was enough.”
“You said it was blurred and quick. Do it again. I would never shoot Bolt to save her.” I turn back, and our eyes lock.
Lyre turns his gaze to Stephanus. “Your visions are sometimes half-truths. They aren’t ever set in stone,” he says to his friend.
“They’re half-truths because I can’t always see what ha
ppens leading up to the incident, but she does shoot Bolt, bro. She does it to save the harpy. You can believe what you want, but I’m telling you not to trust her.” If looks could kill, I’d be blown into a million pieces.
“Take her hand,” Lyre says. “Look again.”
His throat works. Stephanus shakes his head. “I’d rather not. It was bad enough seeing it the first time.”
“Please, Stephan,” Lyre asks.
I keep my hand outstretched. I see Stephanus’s jaw tighten. His eyes are hard and filled with malice. He pushes out a hard breath and grabs me by my wrist. His face fills with revulsion, and he lets go of me like he’s been stung.
“What is it? What did you see?” Lyre asks. He is standing next to me, his hand on my back.
“The two of you have a healthy sex life.” He makes a noise of disgust. “That’s one of the reasons why I don’t like reading people…ever.”
Lyre chuckles.
“This is no laughing matter, you asshole!”
“Try again,” Lyre says.
“Fine, but step away from her,” Stephanus instructs Lyre. “I really don’t want to have to see that again. I can’t exactly wash my brain out with soap,” he mutters to himself.
Lyre nods once and moves away from me.
Stephanus takes hold of my wrist. His grip is tight. He keeps his eyes on mine. It feels intrusive. It feels wrong, but I let it happen. I accept this for Lyre. There is no way I would ever hurt him. He holds my arm for a good long while and then drops it. He looks like he ate something sour.
“I see the harpy behind your girlfriend, who is protecting her,” he says to Lyre. “I don’t see you right away, but I do see Bolt. He’s angry. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so pissed off.” He gives his head a shake. “You have a gun trained on Bolt.” He looks at me like I pulled myself out of the sewer. “You shoot him…three times.”
“Three times?” Lyre sounds shocked. My mouth falls open. I can’t believe what I’m hearing. This is insane.
“Three fucking times. I see you once,” he says to Lyre, “trying to save Bolt. You try to drag him away so that your girlfriend over here doesn’t shoot him again. After she,” he narrows his eyes on me, “shoots him a third time,” he looks back at Lyre, “you try to stop the bleeding.” He stops talking, pushing out a breath through his nose.
Lord of Life (The Dragon Demigods Book 4) Page 16
