“That makes two of us.” Cooper slid his arm around the back of Hannah’s chair. “I think the best thing for all of us to do is lock ourselves away tonight and give this guy absolutely nothing to look at.”
“That might be easier said than done if furies attack,” Hannah noted.
“I know. It’s the goal, though. If something else happens, we’ll play it by ear. Other than that, it’s going to be a quiet night for everybody concerned. Maybe that will be enough to have him looking someplace else.”
Even as he said the words, Cooper didn’t believe them. Jacob was going to be a problem, and he had no idea how to tackle that particular issue. It was going to take some thought, and a lot of strategic planning.
15
Fifteen
Hannah thought she would have a hard time sleeping with an FBI agent patrolling the grounds outside. She was wrong. Within minutes of climbing under the covers and sliding into Cooper’s arms, she was out. Her dreams were convoluted, various monsters chasing her, but when she woke to find Cooper watching her sleep, the dregs of the dream disappeared in an instant.
“Morning,” she murmured, suddenly self-conscious. Her hand immediately went to her mouth to see if she’d drooled, something that earned an ear-to-ear grin from him.
“Good morning.” He captured her hand and pressed a kiss to her fingertips.
“I was just checking to see if I drooled on your chest,” she admitted, sheepish.
“I know.”
“Did I?”
He shook his head. “No, but I don’t care if you do anyway. I happen to like it.”
She rolled her eyes. “Nobody likes it.”
“I do.”
“You do not.”
“Don’t tell me what I like.” He adopted a stern expression, although his eyes twinkled with mirth. “I happen to enjoy being drooled on. It makes me feel strong and manly.”
“You are both of those things.” She pursed her lips as she regarded his soft features. He always woke up smiling, something she didn’t fully understand. “Are you feeling okay?”
He nodded. “I am. I know that what happened with Tyler yesterday wasn’t my fault. I still feel guilty — and probably will as long as his face looks like that — but the more I think about it, the more I realize that things could’ve been so much worse.”
“They could’ve been,” Hannah agreed without hesitation. “I know you don’t believe me, but I happen to believe you managed to exert a certain amount of control.”
“Not much.”
“I think it’s more than you realize. Your natural instincts would’ve been to protect yourself at all costs. You managed to hold him off without hurting him. I believe you were still in there.”
“I think you’re just trying to make me feel better.” He tickled her side. “I appreciate the effort, although it’s really not necessary.”
“I don’t want you hating yourself,” she acknowledged. “That’s not what this is about, though. It’s about strategy.”
He stilled, surprised. “I ... what do you mean?”
“Strategy,” she repeated. “If we’re capable of fighting these furies on human terms, not just magical terms, then we’ll be better off for it.”
“Baby, I hate to break it to you, but even if you’re right and I managed to exert the bare minimum of control, I still beat Tyler to within an inch of his life. That is not the outcome that we’re looking for.”
“No, but Frank is gone now ... and so is wrath. That might mean our efforts to fight the effects of the furies will be different depending on who we’re going up against.”
Cooper wanted to admonish her for believing in something that they couldn’t prove, but in an odd way, what she said made sense. “What do we know about this magical nexus thing?”
The change of subject jarred Hannah. “What do you mean?”
“Well, from what you’ve told me — which isn’t much, mind you, because we keep getting distracted by evil monsters — this particular contingent of furies comes around every hundred years. Why, though?”
“I ... don’t know.” Hannah realized what he was asking and deflated a bit. “How incredibly stupid for me not to focus on that.”
“Hey.” He tapped the end of her nose. “Let’s not go there, huh? I don’t like listening to you talk bad about yourself. You’ve had your hands full over the past few days. You’re doing the absolute best you can.”
“Yeah, but ... .”
“If I get to believe I managed to do something right in the fight against Tyler, then you have to give yourself a break,” he admonished. “Nobody is infallible, and as far as I’m concerned, you’re way ahead of the game right now.”
“I guess.” She rubbed her cheek, rueful. “You’re kind of bossy. Has anyone ever told you that?”
“I guess that makes us the perfect couple because you’re bossy, too.”
“I’m a demure flower.”
Her instant — and spot-on — response made Cooper bark out a laugh. “Oh, I absolutely adore you.” He tugged her close and pressed a kiss to her forehead, taking a moment to bask in her warmth. In truth, they’d only been together a few weeks and yet he was already at a place where he couldn’t imagine his life without her. It was daunting to think about, and yet it was also refreshing. He had a purpose, a place he wanted to be every night. He could happily lose himself in her eyes (and arms) every single moment of the day. He honestly never believed he would find this place of peace in his life. He was thrilled to have been wrong.
Hannah buried her face in his chest, happy to have a few moments of quiet. Reality would intrude quickly and she wasn’t in the mood to deal with it. She would’ve been perfectly happy to spend the day under the covers with him ... although that wasn’t feasible.
“You’re thinking we need to get up,” he surmised at her sigh, combing his fingers through
