Chapter Five
Her dreams seemed to be calm and relaxed at first. She drifted in that too-familiar fog and then frowned. He was there. She felt him before she saw him. She turned quickly and nearly tripped over her own feet. “You.” She swallowed hard. “How?” The demon before her wasn’t something she should be dreaming about. She should be dreaming about the two men she had met—that would be a much nicer dream than this.
“I’m pleased you remember me, child. Our last meeting was much too brief before that imbecile Apollo intervened on your behalf. But now that you’ve broken through the barrier, we can have all sorts of chats whenever you drift off into sleep. I must admit I’m amazed they haven’t attempted to get you bonded off yet. I’d have assumed that would be their first task.”
Her physical body began to twitch, her heartbeat racing, but the medical alarms she was still connected to were still silent. “I don’t know what you mean by bonded, and I don’t know who Apollo is.” She twisted and tried to find her way out of her nightmare. She needed to wake up so she could break free of this man. “Who are you? What are you?”
He stared at her and then his lips curled into a nasty visage. “So they haven’t yet told you the truth. Won’t this be interesting to see them dig out of?” Tipping his head back, he let out a laugh that sent fear racing through her body, chills over her skin, and the sensation of boney hands touching her. “As to who I am, let us save that until you return. And you will return, Rachael. You won’t be able to help it. You’re tied to me now and will be for the rest of your days. When I am free, I will reward you for your assistance.”
Hands were on her body, one on her good shoulder and the other at her hip. Vaguely, she could hear someone calling her name and telling her to wake up. The voice was Dieter’s, and he sounded frantic, desperate even.
She gasped when she woke. Tears were in her eyes, and she was whimpering. “Holy mother. What the hell?” Rach leaned back against the pillows and reached out blindly to grab at Dieter’s hand on her shoulder. “Christ, what a nightmare. He was there when I died, he was there, and he was there in my dreams as well. What the ever-loving name of hell is going on?”
“Shit,” he muttered. He settled on the edge of the bed and eased her up into his arms to rub his hand over her back. “Slow your breathing, sweetheart. You’re okay. Hades can’t get you here, he can’t cross over yet, and won’t ever, if we have anything to say about it.”
“Hades, as in the Greek god of the Underworld? Is that why I was dreaming about him talking about Apollo and bonding as well?” She was so confused, but she liked being held in Dieter’s arms. She let out a sigh of a sound and closed her eyes. “This feels so much better. Being held by you, having Wyatt touching me as well.”
“Yes, that would be the Hades I’m referring to. I won’t say much about Apollo, that’s his story to share, but we’ll get him to share it soon enough. The bonding is the close tie between three individuals, created by the gods to protect the women who are keys to the Underworld and potentially can release Hades. You are one of those keys because of the blood flowing through your veins.”
“Are you on drugs?” Even as she asked the question, she could practically feel the truth in his voice. “This can’t possibly be real, right? I mean, seriously, this can’t be true. Gods don’t exist. They’re mythology, aren’t they?”
“They more than exist—they’re in our world on a nearly daily basis and have been helping us out. We got the assignment from a god, who you’ll meet later and is our resident pain in the ass. Nice guy overall, but the whole flashing in and out is very annoying.”
“Flashing? Huh? I don’t understand. God, I’m so far over my head. The man in the dream, the monster in my dream, was talking about me helping free him. Why would he say that? I’m human, that’s it. Nothing more. I’m just me.” She was feeling decidedly sleepy and wanted to just curl back into the heat of these men and let them keep her safe so she could relax and finally sleep.
“You are human, but you are also more. You are a descendant of a god, the God of War, and the daughter of Hephaestus, as well. So a god and demi-goddess if we want to go getting super technical. We’ll clear all that up later. Hades doesn’t realize it yet, but you’re not the final, most powerful of the keys. We only know this because even if you had stepped foot inside of the Underworld, he would not have been released at that moment. However, he thinks you are the final one because of your impromptu trip to the Underworld where you caught his attention. He can only torment you in your dreams. But you need to realize he can’t do anything to you there. At least I don’t think he can. I’ll check on that part. When you face off with him, remember that it’s only a dreamscape and that you will always have an anchor here with Wyatt or myself.”
“It felt like he was hurting me,” she admitted. “It felt like he was burning me where his hands touched me. I didn’t like it at all. But I have another question. How were you two able to pull me out of that monstrosity of a dream? How could you do that?”
“I was coming to tell you that part,” he said. Gently, he eased her back down onto the bed. “Shh, I need to check your vitals, Rachael. Your heart rate was through the roof when I came back in here.” Dieter stroked her hair until she calmed enough to let his arm go. “I spoke to Mik and James. They are both bonded to women, two different women, but let’s keep this as unconfused as I can manage. Long story short is that little electric shock is the first sign of finding your chosen bonded one. I didn’t know, and they weren’t sharing the details of how they knew their specific woman was for them. At least until I asked.”
“What does a bonded one mean? Is that like what I think it is?” Was it sex? Holy shit, was that what they were talking about? Did that mean a relationship? She wasn’t sure of anything at the moment. “Bonded. That seems permanent.”
“It is permanent. If I understand and remember it all correctly, there is one woman such as yourself destined to bond with two of the men from our group. Because of our training with the gods, we were altered slightly and in ways no one understands or even can guess at. the universe figured out the combination, and the little zaps are to get our attention so that we focus on getting to know one another. Deep breath,” he said, pressing the stethoscope to her chest. “Good, and another. Excellent. The bonding happens during intercourse where all three parties are involved and connected intimately. Basically, our souls fuse together and create a bond that can never be broken even with death.”
Both men making love to her at once? She had never been certain if she was good enough for one man, let alone two. It had actually been something she had always wanted, something that she had dreamed of and if they had ever gotten a glimpse at her Kindle they would know her deepest and darkest secrets of the things that she wanted. She had wanted the things that these men could provide to her if they were telling her the truth. She knew her cheeks went red because she felt the heat rising from her shoulders and neck that went to her face. “Oh, boy.” She shivered when he pressed the stethoscope on another part of her chest. “Damn, that’s cold. And don’t you guys get a choice? Don’t I get a choice? Wouldn’t you want to be able to choose that someone for yourself instead of having it forced upon you?” Rach was still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that she was going to have two lovers and that their souls would all merge from three to one.
“Why? When it’s the perfect combination, why screw it up with choice? Okay, yes, a little input wouldn’t be wrong, but so far it seems to have worked out perfectly. Camilla is the perfect balance between Mik and Gareth. Kasper is beyond ideal for Victor and James. I’m not saying we all jump into bed together this instant and get busy. That seems a little sudden even for me. I’d much prefer if you’d wine and dine me a little. Maybe take me dancing and woo me with flowers. I like bright colors, so you know, but seriously dislike carnations.”
She had to chuckle at that and then gasped. “Hells bells, that hurts.” She lay back on the pillows they had placed behind her and closed her eyes. “Well, can we talk about you expecting me to make the first move and wine you and dine you before we do anything later? After I heal, of course. I don’t think that the doctor would like me ripping out my stitches, and while you’re all badass, I don’t believe you would like explaining to my Uncle Adam why I was hurt again. He might seem all soft and cuddly, but he’s seriously dangerous if he wants to be.”
Dieter snorted at that as he wound the cuff around her arm to take her blood pressure. “You really have no idea,” he muttered. He shot her a grin and pulled the cuff off her arm. “All your vitals are back in the norm, so I think you’re golden. Where did Hades grab you on your arms? I want to take a look and see if it actually transfers to this realm or not.”
“My upper arms, just below my shoulders.” She reached over to try to touch the area but gasped in pain at the tug of the stitches. “You can pull down the sleeve or open the snaps to look, and I’ll tell you when you get close if you don’t see anything.” It still burned and felt bruised, hurting a great deal.
“Let’s sit you up again. I’ll loosen off the back and take a look. I need to check your wound anyway and change the dressing, so we might as well get you into something that doesn’t bare your whole backside.” He eased her upright again and then shifted so he could undo the back of the gown. The sensation of his fingers running over her skin had her shivering until he reached where Hades had grabbed her. At her yelp, he lifted his hand. “There’s nothing there, Rachael. Not any sort of mark. At least not one that I can see.” He eased her back into her reclining position and pulled out his phone.
“Owen, did we bring a black light with us? No, not for that, you tool. Rachael had another run-in with Hades, and she’s reacting to where he grabbed her in her dream like she’s been burned. But I don’t see anything obvious. Sounds good, thanks.” He stashed his phone away went to the dresser and dug through for a tank top and shorts. “We’re going to get you dressed while he digs out the light, and our big-ass, heavy-duty camera. Then we’ll take a few pictures and see what we can see if there is anything to be seen.”
“Sounds like a plan. I hope there’s something there just so that I don’t have to think that I’ve lost my ever-loving mind.” If he couldn’t see the bruises she certainly felt, then obviously there was nothing there. She was imagining the pain, and that bugged her.
“You’re not losing it,” he told her. Stopping at her side, he passed her the tank top. “If you can slip that over your head, I’ll undo the back of the gown. Then we’ll draw it down, and you can hold it while I help you get it over your one arm. Hopefully, we don’t flash all the goodies at once.”
It was painful, but she was soon dressed and sitting on the bed. He didn’t let her lean back, though, since Owen had wandered in with Wyatt.
“Get the drapes, and then we need to shine the light on her upper arms and shoulders. Hopefully, we can get something with the black light alone,” Dieter told the other men. “If not, we’ll have to take a couple of photos and put it through the magic machine.”
“What happened?” Owen asked with a frown as he hefted the large, hard case up onto the bed. He opened it and pulled out a handheld black light. Wyatt was pulling the drapes to block out all the daylight they could.
“I went to sleep, and someone who called himself Hades said I was going to lead him out of hell. He grabbed me and shook me. If not for Dieter waking me, I don’t think that I would have survived whatever he had planned for me. I still feel the pain from where he touched me, but there’s nothing visible.”
Wyatt frowned while Owen nodded. “Well, let’s see what shows up under the light.” He waved a hand to Wyatt who turned off the overheads. “Holy shit,” Owen muttered a few seconds later.
“Holy shit? What do you mean holy shit?” Rach craned her neck as she tried to see what they saw and gasped at the glowing handprint around her upper arm.
“Geez,” Wyatt whispered. He was at the bed now, leaning in. “There are definitely handprints on her arms and gouges from what look like claws. How the fuck does that happen?”
“It was in the dream,” Owen said. “And they are gods. Fuck if I know how it works, but we need to find out what all he can do in there. It’s not like we can keep her awake for the rest of her life.”
“If she bonds, the connection would break, or at least be shielded from Hades,” Dieter put in. She caught the look he and Wyatt shared in the bluish light surrounding her. “I don’t think there’s any other way to keep that bastard off her.”
“That’s what he said, too. Pass me the camera. I want to get a few shots of this. The others are not going to believe this shit, and we have to warn them for whatever might happen in the future. Go ahead, you two, explain everything to her.” Owen grinned at her and snickered.
“Don’t snicker. It makes me feel as if I’m the butt of someone’s joke, and this hurts too damn much to be a joke of any sort,” she grumbled.
Dieter and Wyatt shared another look, and Dieter nodded. “As much as he should be the one explaining it, we all know he can’t come here with the warding we have in place. It’s why we did it—we didn’t want anyone to know her location.”
“Then how’s Hades getting to her? Shouldn’t the wards protect her in her dreams?” Wyatt asked.
“No, remember what Ares said. Since she was pulled into the Underworld, she now has access to it. So all Hades has to do is put out a call when he figures she’ll be sleeping, and she just drifts on in. Lean forward a little, please, Rachael,” Owen said.
“He can’t find her physical location, but she could very well tell him in her dreams. If she hadn’t been asleep when we got here, it would be a concern. We definitely don’t need his acolyte popping in to take her out again.”
“See, that’s what I don’t get. Why did he have her shot in the first place?” Wyatt asked.
“I think it was a mistake or a judgment call. Not sure which, and it’s not like Hades will be sharing. It had an unintended side effect, though, one he’s going to use. But we can discuss that with Ares later, and figure out that god shit when we get back. For now, we need to tell her everything we know up to this point. I already explained the bonding to her. Once I cornered Mik to tell me, I shared that. But we need to dish on the rest of this, Wyatt.”
“Agreed. As soon as we kick Owen out of here. No need for an audience witnessing us fumbling around on the explanation of things.”
“I’m hurt you guys, really. Where is the love?”
Rach would have giggled if not for the looks that the men were shooting each other. There was something big going on, so it was time for her to listen. Really listen. She waited until Owen was gone and took a deep breath. “How about we sit on the couch and chat? I can hold some pillows under my arms to help with the pressure, and that way you guys can be close and I don’t have to look up at you all the time. Deal?”
“Might be an idea, actually,” Dieter said. “It’ll get her into a different position for a while and off the bed, too, which isn’t a bad thing.”
She knew that this was going to be painful but also knew that Dieter would make her hurt as little as possible. When they began to move, she was grateful it was a slow shuffle. “Thank you for going slow. It’s much easier.”
“I don’t want to slam your knees into the couch, either. You really don’t want me tumbling over and landing on top of you.” At the couch, he lowered her into a sitting position and had Wyatt put a pillow on either side, then another on her lap so her arm rested at a slight but comfortable angle. “You good?” he asked, eyeing her up and down.
“I’m good.” She took a deep breath. “In a few minutes, I might take a few pain pills, but right now I want to be clear-headed so I can understand whatever it is you’re telling me.”
Nodding, he settled down next to her while Wyatt eased in at her other side. “I guess we should remind you again of the big elephants in the room. You’re the descendant of Ares, God of War, and your Uncle Adam is actually Apollo, God of the Sun.”
“What?” She twisted hard at that and whimpered at the pain that shot through her. “Okay. Wait. What? So that’s why Hades was talking about Apollo? But he’s my uncle. He’s been in my life for a long time. He’s always been Uncle Adam. Are you sure? And how can I be descended from a god?” She remembered them telling her something about this now, when she had woken from her nightmare. Rach had wanted to believe it was a dream, but it wasn’t. It had been real.
“You’re descended from a god and a demi-goddess, actually,” Dieter said. “I did mention that before, but it was in a blur of other information at the time. And it’s not as farfetched as you think. There are a lot of folks running around down here that are related to one of the gods or goddesses. They weren’t exactly all that caring about who they knocked up back in the day. They were assholes, but most have mellowed. Hades never mellowed, if you haven’t figured it out.”
“Understatement of the year there, bro,” Wyatt said. “This guy’s been tied to the Underworld for millennia with no end in sight and barred for all intents and purposes from Olympus. He can do that weird location thing, projecting himself there, but his body stays in the Underworld. It’s taxing, so he apparently only does it when he knows he can fully ruin Zeus’ day.
“Apollo was assigned as your guardian when you were born to watch over you and ensure that Hades’ little minions never messed with you until you became an adult. As children, we’re very malleable, so it’s a major no-no for any interference by the gods. Hades isn’t what one would call a guy who will play by the rules. Basically, if one’s been made, he’s broken it a few thousand times over. It’s why he was eventually trapped in the Underworld because he was up to no good and taking humans with him. The other gods have all done their fair share of messing with us, but Hades liked to tempt and turn people into acolytes. Very bad shit.”
“Sounds like he’s evil. Seriously, more than just the devil, he’s freaking evil. He’s also ready to get out of the hell that he’s held in,” Rach said.
“Well, from the story we heard, he played a pretty nasty trick on Zeus. What you need to know is the god-king does not, never has, never will, have a sense of humor. Don’t know the details on it, but it took a lot of the gods to haul Zeus off Hades. What the gods say and do have consequences, something else you need to keep in mind. They very rarely, if ever, make a promise to anyone because their very word is law,” Wyatt told her. “To break their word is to sacrifice their own lives. They’re all way too vain for that shit, so no promises from them that they know they couldn’t, or possibly may not be able, to keep.
“Zeus spoke a proclamation that forever bound Hades to the Underworld by making it a part of him. Zeus also banished him from Olympus and Earth, unless he found the key to his prison. He’ll still have to keep the Underworld running so he doesn’t die, but if the key to his prison is found, used, and held by his side, then he’s free to do what he wants, where he wants. The key was an add-on after Zeus made his proclamation. Because they can amend certain things they say, but they can never eradicate them. Unfortunately, at the time Zeus never had an idea that the key would exist. But the Fates are not run by the Olympian gods. They come from a time before them. They are Primordial progeny. They were born of those who created time, space, the earth, and everything in between.”
“And they hate Zeus, and most of the other gods, too,” Dieter told her.
“And the keys are the women that are descended from the gods’ proclivities, right?” She took a deep breath. “And Hades thinks that I’m this final key. Please, God, tell me that you all know who the final key is so that whoever she is can be bonded right now so he never gets his freaking hands on her?”
Wyatt shook his head. “No one knows who the final key is. Not even the gods do. Hades thinks it’s you because of you being shot and traipsing through his realm. But you’re number three on the list. We’re working on figuring out who the others are, but the Fates have tied the hands of everyone with a lot of rules for this fucked-up game they are playing to get back at Zeus. We all have an equal chance to win, but we also have equal chances of losing, too.”
“Damn, that is so not good,” she grumbled. “But you have two of the keys already, now a third one in me. Right?” She closed her eyes and sighed. “And you said that bonding happens when we are intimate. I guess that means that you boys need to get to know me to see if you would even like to spend time with me, let alone the rest of your lives. Right?”
“Three more,” Wyatt murmured. “I don’t think there will be a problem with us liking you, Rachael. You’re damn impressive from what I’ve seen so far. Though the fact you are related to Ares is a bit of kick to the nuts. He’s so going to ride our asses.”
“He did warn us,” Dieter muttered.
“I don’t even know him. If I’m supposed to be related to him, why is it that he hasn’t been in my life? Why Uncle Adam—Apollo, whatever you want to call him?” She waved her hands. “Why would he stay away?”
“Because they can’t interfere with anyone that’s a descendant. They can pop in to check on them but are forbidden to be a permanent part of their lives. Everyone with a descendant swapped so that they are watching over each other’s descendants. Except for two gods, I think. I can’t really remember who all’s involved. It was the week Ares was kicking our asses, and I could barely stand, let alone process what he was telling us,” Dieter said. “We’ll ask him for more details when we get to the farm.”
“The farm? Where is that? And I hope we’re going after I’m able to move without feeling like my shoulder is about to fall off.” She smiled as she spoke. “Because I have to admit, it would seriously suck to have to go on a long ride right now. I kind of like being here so that the two of you can surround me like you are.”
“Nothing is strange if you like it and are okay with it. Trust me, you haven’t even started to see weird and strange. Although the Hades bit does fall into the weird, it’s more of a freaky category item than anything. We won’t be going to the farm until you’re more mobile. Not entirely healed, but much closer to the finish line. It’s a bit of a plane ride, plus a long car ride to survive.”
“Good plan.” She sighed and closed her eyes. “Right now, just being stashed between the two of you is perfect. I enjoy being able to simply sit here with the two of you and know that there’s nothing more expected of me other than me telling you if I hurt. That means a lot to me.”
“If you’re hungry, you should also say something,” Wyatt said. “Or cold, uncomfortable, have to use the bathroom, or any number of things. It’s not only limited to being in pain you know. You could also tell us a little bit about yourself. I mean, we are aware of your work, and about the attack, of course, but other stuff would be good.”
“A blanket over my legs would be nice. I don’t necessarily want any food right now, maybe later. As for my work…” Rach continued to avoid the more personal issues by going over stuff that they already knew. “A lot of what I do is confidential, so please understand that. Essentially, our government pays me a shit ton of money to make them the latest and greatest gadgets, and I’m very, very good at it.”
“Don’t worry about your work. We’ve already read all your files on what you’ve done there,” Dieter said. At her look, he shrugged. “We got Top Secret clearance when we started the new program with Ares. We get to read shit even the president doesn’t. So you don’t need to go over any of that stuff, sweetheart. Tell us about growing up, what you were like during the early and teen years. All that fun and embarrassing stuff.”
She laughed. “I’ve been a geek all of my life. I’ve made weapons from the time I was in diapers, I swear. I would take anything that I could find, the most innocuous of things, and weaponize it. I was the only four-year-old with a Big Wheel that shot marbles at people and left an oil slick in its wake. I loved it, though. Then Uncle Adam stepped in and helped me create more. By the time I was ten, I could easily create a gun out of PVC piping, match flint, and a projectile. A few other things, but you know what I mean.”
“He was helping you to channel the gifts you have through your blood,” Wyatt said. “Both from Hephaestus’s line and from Ares. The double whammy of shit to have to deal with. Ares will be able to give you more of the history. I’m still working on trying to remember it all.”
“I had a good childhood, except when I had to go in for transfusions. Sometimes I wouldn’t have to go in for a year or more, and sometimes I had to go monthly. The doctors can’t figure out my type of anemia. It’s as if it’s got its own little brain about when my blood thins and weakens.”
“It’s not anemia, not in the sense they think it is,” Dieter told her. “Because you are a descendant of the God of War, you have the ability to make a wound lethal. A simple scratch can be turned into a gaping hole. Because you were never taught how to turn the ability away from yourself, it attacks your own body when you’re under high-stress situations. Mainly if you feel threatened, angry, or generally just want to rip someone’s throat out. Ares warned us about it so we can keep an eye on your stress levels and hopefully keep from having to give you a transfusion. We’re set for it, but we’d prefer not to need to do it.”
“Ah, that makes a lot of sense then.” As she thought about it, the times she needed blood had been when she had been pissed off to the nth degree or had been hurt, or someone near her had been injured. That was when she typically needed transfusions. “Great, so keeping me nice and happy will keep me from having to go in for a transfusion. I can live with that.” She felt instant relief with the idea that her illness was more of a side effect of an ability. She could deal with that.
“Precisely, at least until Ares can figure out a way for you to do damage without doing damage. He won’t know what’s possible until we get to the farm, though, so you’ll need to be patient and calm. Now, more about your childhood. What besides weaponizing everything in sight did you like to get up to?”
“I was a quiet child, actually. School came easily to me, and I was bored quickly. I was the girl who sat in the back and slept but still managed to pull out straight As. I graduated top honors in high school two years early and then from MIT, and directly after MIT I was drawn into working for the dark suits.”
“They do so like their geniuses,” Wyatt said. He adjusted the blanket Dieter had collected for her and tucked it in next to her legs to keep her warm. “Gotta say that they do have some pretty cool toys, a few of which we were even blessed with out in the field to use, but they always kept the really nifty stuff out of our hands.”
“Likely because Owen and Mik always wanted to take them apart to figure out why and how they ticked,” Dieter said with a chuckle.
Shaking his head, Wyatt opened one of the bottles of water for her. “Drink up. You need to keep your fluid intake up so our resident medical expert doesn’t freak. You really don’t want him coming at you with a needle. Ever.”
Rach looked up at Dieter and grinned. “I don’t know. There are some things that he could come at me with that I wouldn’t be all kinds of upset about.” She blushed. Hard. “Crap, so didn’t mean to say it like that. You know what I'm saying, though.”
“Oh, we definitely know what you're saying.” Dieter reached around her and retrieved a bottle of water for himself. “Don’t worry about the runaway mouth syndrome. Apparently, it affects every woman that comes into our sphere of influence.”
“Camilla doesn’t count. She was mouthy before she met up with Gareth and Mik,” Wyatt said.
“There is that. At least according to Ares. Camilla tells it a little differently. Can’t imagine why.”
“I think that I’m going to enjoy meeting Camilla. She sounds like she’s lots of fun. Then again, if she’s part of a relationship with that sniper, she would have to be a fascinating person herself.”
“She’s definitely interesting and has Mik by the balls.” Wyatt sounded awfully giddy about it. “Camilla and Kasper are great, too. A little weird, but definitely lovely women.”
“Women are strange,” she stated simply. At their gasps and looks, Rach shrugged. “Hey, I’m not going to candy coat it. We women are weird and twisted and change our minds at the drop of a hat. So yes, we women are very strange ducks, but you men love us. Overall, at least.”
“Here I thought it was some deep, dark secret you all took some oath to protect until your dying days. Now you’re outing the entire gender in one fell swoop. Oh, the repercussions are going to be horrendous.” Dieter let out a moan.
“Nah, they just didn’t swear me in or something. We’ll go with that. I’m the odd man out, so to speak.” She had no issues telling them just what her malfunctions and problems were. “I’m a strange duck as well. I have to have something to work on and weaponize at least once a week.”
“Well, you’re going to have to take a break. No working for the next while. You’re on downtime, period.” Dieter brushed a finger across her cheek lightly. “Stress-free the entire time. We might let you write down ideas and have discussions about such things, but no actual work. You are on bed rest.”
She sighed. “Okay. I can do that. As long as you guys will at least let me make notes and discuss designs with you, that would be wonderful. Maybe I’ll be able to get one of you take my laptop and put the information into it for designs. Deal?”
“I think we can arrange that,” Wyatt said. “Maybe tomorrow, definitely not today or tonight. You need to relax for at least a few hours so you build up some strength. You nearly died, so I think you’ve earned a few hours off the clock.”
“Relaxing does sound good. Sleep sounds good. Seems as if that’s all that I want to do at the moment. Even with whatever Uncle Adam did to help me, I want to sleep.” Having these men watching over her while she slept didn’t seem like such a bad idea, either. “Will I see you guys in the morning?”
“Getting rid of us already, are you?” Wyatt asked with a grin. “If you’re tired, we can leave you be to rest. Or we could put a movie on and sit here together for a time. You’ll probably drift off, but that wouldn’t be all bad.”
“I like that idea a lot better than being alone,” she admitted. “I would rather spend as much time getting to know the two of you. So pop a movie in and settle in with me.”
Dieter leaned forward to grab the remote. After turning on the TV, he got into the menu and pulled up the list of movies. “Pick your genre, any genre you want,” he told her. “Even if it’s a RomCom.”
She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “I like action movies, actually. It makes me giggle when I see the poorly done explosions and stuff like that.”
“Here're your action choices. Make the call, Rachael.”
Rachael selected one of the latest releases she hadn’t seen yet and then snuggled in beside the men that evidently were hers to watch it.