“I can’t sit here and do nothing.” He lifted her, his hands on her hips, and set her to the side.
She opened her mouth to yell for Devin or Kade. They had to be close. The sight of Mira approaching from behind stopped Jazz’s bellow.
In one quick move, Mira yanked the car keys out of Josh’s hands, then wrapped her arms around his waist.
Josh spun and grabbed her upper arms but didn’t squeeze them. He used them to hold her in place while he leaned close, nose to nose.
“Mira, let go.” The order in his voice was clear.
Mira shook her head. “I can’t let you go. Jazz is right. Your parents will be dead by the time you get there. And if Jon’s close by, he’ll kill you too. Going out there by yourself is suicide.”
He eased back, putting space between them, but Mira’s hold on him didn’t lessen. Agony etched lines on his face. “I have to do something.”
“Devin or Kade will go. Be realistic, Josh.” Mira looked imploringly at him. “What are you going to do? You’re only human.”
Josh pushed her away, then strode to the window. “Call them.”
Mira hurried to where her cell phone sat charging on the end table.
“Mom, is everything okay?” Seth asked from the top of the stairs. “We heard yelling.”
No. Everything was not okay. She glanced from Josh, who held his head in his hands, to the front door, then back to where Seth stood at the top of the stairs. Once again, she was forced to play two roles—protector and nurturer.
“Yeah, kiddo. Just grown-up stuff. Put on another movie, and I’ll bring some popcorn up in a few minutes.”
“Okay, Mom.”
She waited until his bedroom door clicked before turning to Josh. “Please stay here while I take care of the kids. Don’t run off and do something stupid.”
“Right. Nothing stupid. I am only human.”
“I mean it. You get yourself killed, and Megan will be devastated. She loves you.”
He nodded but didn’t say anything else. It was the best she’d get. She hurried into the kitchen, made popcorn and breathed a sigh when she found Josh sitting on the couch.
Jazz ran up the steps.
She delivered her snack and spent longer than she wanted assuring the kids everything was fine. It was a lie, but how was she supposed to tell them the truth? Already they knew there was a dangerous man after them. They didn’t need any more stress.
Once they were settled, she made her way to the living room afraid she was going to find it empty since she’d left Josh alone so long.
Rafe’s booming voice rang out. She smiled and hurried to greet him, but the sight of him alone stopped her halfway down the stairs.
“Where’s Cindy?”
Rafe didn’t say anything. He opened his arms. She stared at him for a minute while her vision blurred. His silent offer of comfort could mean only one thing.
Cindy was dead.
Jazz blinked several times until Rafe’s strong features came into view before she went to him. Wrapped in his embrace, a sense of rightness settled over her, despite the horrible circumstances. No matter what life brought them, he’d be there for her. Her anchor. She grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer.
“How?” She couldn’t bring herself to say more.
“A dresser that was stored in the storage unit toppled on her.”
“You couldn’t save her?”
“No, but she told me to call the cops. That her lover pushed the dresser on her, and that you were in danger.”
“Cindy was trying to help Molly.”
“So was Tony. They just didn’t know the danger they were in.”
“I don’t understand.” She tipped her head back to meet his gaze. “Jon killed two people and hurt another. Why? To get the kids?”
Rafe smoothed his hands over her back. “I know this isn’t the best time, but we need to talk. You need to know what you’re getting yourself involved in before things go any further between us.”
She glanced over her shoulder. Mira and Josh stood close by, watching them while Devin’s multi-colored hair was visible through the open window.
“Let’s go upstairs.” Her bedroom was the only place guaranteed to offer them privacy.
With the door closed behind them, Rafe faced her. “I told you the first Royals were the offspring of the goddesses and their favored warriors. The Royals were sent to live with their fathers because they couldn’t remain in the heavens. They’d never grow. At some point, though, the warriors realized their children weren’t just stronger than them. They were immortal.”
Jazz gasped. “You’re…you’ll live forever?”
Rafe slowly nodded, never breaking their gaze. “Unless I lose my head, I will live until the world ends. A Royal will even regrow a limb if we lose one. Thankfully, in my five centuries of life, that’s never happened. I’ve been told it’s quite painful.”
He was five hundred years old. The fact settled over her, leaving her cold and shaky, but it was the consequence of what that meant that left her weak-kneed and sick to her stomach.
They’d never grow old together.
Her dreams shattered around her. She lowered her gaze to the floor. She didn’t even know how to react. Happy that he still wanted to be with her or saddened that they’d eventually be separated by her death.
Rafe cupped her face in his hands and leaned close. “But if you mate me, you will live as long as I do. You’ll be stronger than other humans. Retain your youthful appearance. Never get sick. You simply won’t be immortal. You’ll share my immortality. Does that make sense?”
Did it? She let his words repeat in her head.
“So if I lose a limb, I won’t regrow it.” She gave him a small smile.
He pressed his lips to hers. “Correct, but if you get hurt, you’ll heal. It’ll just take you longer as you borrow my strength to mend your body.”
Because she would be tied to his soul and he was
