Chapter Fourteen
She’d never before found herself squeezed between two men. Sure, it might have popped into her head as a fantasy, but in those cases, Lara wasn’t fully clothed, and it sure wasn’t in the middle of a pick-up truck with two huge-ass men. The whole thing was more uncomfortable and annoying than anything else.
She leaned a little closer to Magnus, so Rem would have more room to steer the truck. Magnus lifted his arm and pulled her closer to him. That feeling, at least, she enjoyed.
They hit a bump in the road, and she winced, still a bit sore. Good sex wasn’t something she was exactly used to, and good sex three times over she was even less used to, especially with someone as attentive as Magnus.
He looked down at her and opened his mouth to say something, but she held a finger to his soft lips.
“It’s fine,” she said quietly.
She jumped when Rem let out a loud bark of laughter.
“You know, some of us have excellent hearing,” Rem said and grinned.
She blushed and looked away. Nothing like trying to say something privately only to have it broadcast. She’d have to get used to that, she suspected, if she was going to spend time around the hybrids.
Lara turned her attention to the world as it whizzed by outside. The surroundings woods slowly faded, giving way to a view of the small town of Eagle Ridge. A few days ago, her main concern was just avoiding a boring article assignment. Now she was dealing with super-soldier hybrids, mysterious cults and Lord knew what else. She only barely resisted the urge to laugh at all.
Rem eased the truck into the spot just in front of her tiny apartment building.
“You sure you don’t want us to wait?” Magnus asked.
She shook her head. It was silly to have them wait when they needed to stop by the hardware store before it closed. They needed supplies to help ensure their safety. Magnus had reacted to something in the woods, something bad enough that he felt the need to use his speed to escape.
“I’ll be fine.” She smiled. “I just want to change my clothes, and if I’m going to be working remotely, I need to grab a few things.”
Magnus pressed his lips together in worry. She sat up a little and gave him a gentle kiss.
“I’ll be fine,” she whispered.
Magnus grunted before climbing out the side. Lara turned and smiled when he placed his hands on her hips to help her down. His fingers brushed just under her shirt, and she knew he meant to do it.
“Any trouble, you call,” he said.
She nodded. “There won’t be trouble though,” she said. “They didn’t see us, and they don’t know where I live.”
He frowned. “We don’t know what they know. We can’t make assumptions. It’s better to be careful.”
She shook her head.
“I’m not important.”
He pulled her in close and whispered in her ear, “You’re important to me.”
Her heart tugged a little at the sweet words, and she blushed. He definitely didn’t seem to be only interested in having sex with her and moving on. It took her months normally to develop this kind of emotional intimacy. Scratch that. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever had this level of connection.
Lara looked way, the smile on her face hard to hide.
“Go get your stuff and come back,” she said. “I’ll be waiting.”
With that she walked into the complex. It wasn’t much, but it was home… sorta. Or at least the place she slept and kept her stuff.
Lara climbed one flight of stairs and made her way to the first door on the right. She stepped inside and looked out her window. It provided a lovely view of the relatively narrow street. Nothing special really, and not really anyone on the street at the moment.
She watched from the window as the hybrids headed toward the store. Lara fanned herself. That man sure knew what to say to get her going again.
She shook her head and walked into the bedroom. It wasn’t going to be a long stay, she hoped, and started pulling out a few casual outfits to stuff in her travel bag. Still, a part of her wanted it to be a little longer. There was just so much to learn about the man who was slowly pulling her in. She’d never had a relationship that felt so right, so perfect.
She grabbed the backup phone her work had issued her. She never really used it and didn’t see the need before. It’s not like she ever expected a situation like a giant angry hybrid smashing her phone. She sent off a text to Courtney, just to let her know about her phone situation.
Pulling herself from her daydreams, Lara went back to the task at hand. They would be back soon, and she wanted to be ready to go.
* * *
Magnus and Rem walked around the store, pulling things from the shelf. They just needed a few more things to enhance the sensor grid they were setting up around their land. The problem with being in the wilderness was that a simple motion detection or thermal system wouldn’t work. It’d be useless if they had to rush out to investigate every random rabbit or bobcat that wandered through.
“I’ll get the extender, and you get the filters,” Rem said. “We’ll have to order some parts, but these will do for now.”
Magus walked the store, loading things into the little cart that they needed. If they were ready for the worst, it was the best bet they could make. He had to make sure she was safe. Magnus never wanted her to know the sort of fear his people had to deal with.
They pooled their supplies and waited at the counter as the older man who owned the place totaled up the price.
Rem handed over a debit card, and the owner ran it.
The roar of an engine outside caught his attention. An armored truck rolled down the street as they owned it, driving at speeds well over the posted limits.
The owner frowned and clucked his tongue. “Going that fast, they’re going to hit a kid.”
“Fuck,” Magnus said and scowled.
“Now, son, I know they are being rude, but that’s no call for that kind of language,” the owner said. “I’m sure they’ll get a ticket, and that’ll straighten ‘em out.”
Magnus shook his head.
Rem eyed Magnus. “What?”
“It’s them,” he said. “Headed toward her apartment.”
They snatched up their bags and ran to the truck.
“You be careful there, boys!” the owner yelled. “If there’s trouble, let the police handle it.”
If they didn’t hurry, there was no telling what might happen to her. These men were dangerous. They knew she was snooping around and didn’t like that. What they wanted to do about her or even who they were was still up in the air. He only hoped they got there in time before things got dangerous.
Rem and Magnus slammed their doors shut, and Rem started the truck. They pulled out and drove up the street, probably breaking a few speed limits of their own.
The armored truck was parked up ahead. Lara stood outside her building, the men looming over her. Magnus could tell by the slight tremor in her hands that she was scared, but still she stood tall, glaring at the men in the most menacing way she could.
“I’ll give her this, she’s got spunk,” Rem said and gave a small laugh.
Magnus bit back a growl. He didn’t want Lara to have spunk. He wanted the assholes to leave her the hell alone and was more than prepared to show them why they should.
The hybrids hopped out of the truck just as the tattooed man placed a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes widened.
Magnus growled loudly enough that the men turned and looked. He started to move forward, so he could rip the bastard’s hand off his body, but stopped when Rem placed the back of his hand on Magnus’s chest.
“Looks like my friend here isn’t so happy with you messing with his girl,” Rem said.
Magnus peeled his lips back from his teeth in a snarl.
The tattooed man scowled at them. He sneered. “Yeah, well maybe your friend should fuck off.” He patted a bulge underneath his jacket. A gun Magnus assumed.
The man’s friend stared at him in disbelief. If Magnus had to put money on this, he’d say that the other man wasn’t thinking the same way. Magnus narrowed his eyes. If the tattooed man thought a gun was going to save him, he was in for a lot of surprising pain.
“Oh, now you’re just making my friend angry,” Rem said and clucked his tongue. “I’ll cut you a deal. You step away from the lady, and I won’t let him rip you a new asshole.”
The man looked to Magnus with concern. He knew he was a big man, and the other man had to be gauging his odds. They weren’t good, even with the gun.
“Yeah, well,” the man said and backed toward the truck. “We were finished anyways.” He shrugged.
The man climbed in, keeping an eye on the two hybrids as they did so. Once inside, the tattooed man rolled down the passenger side and peered out the window.
“Make sure you keep a leash on your bitch,” the man said. “We catch her snooping again, and I’ll make sure she finds out what a real man is.”
Magnus growled loudly and stepped toward the truck. He was going to rip that little fucker’s balls off.
Before he could even get close, the truck sped away.
“Let it go,” Rem said. “Now they know we’re involved, and so they won’t try to screw with her anytime soon.”
Magnus looked to Lara and wrapped an arm around her silently.
There was no fucking way he was letting this go. The asshole with the tattoos was going to pay.