Page 11 of Peacemaker

Chapter Four

The Power of His Sex

Angus called, and I hesitated before I answered. I wasn’t sure I wouldn’t break down as soon as I heard his voice.

I took a deep breath, let it out slowly, then answered the phone. “Angus.”

“What’s wrong?” he asked, immediately.

“They attacked Rhys,” I whispered.

Somehow, he heard me. “Is he alive?”

“He’s healed himself.”

“Come home.”

“We’re almost there.”

He hung up, and when I pulled into the way station driveway, he was standing in the yard, waiting. He strode to the car, yanked open my door, and pulled me into his arms. “What the fuck did they do to you?” He was shaking with fury and maybe a little fear.

I blinked back tears. “It’s Rhys’s blood.”

Before Rhys could get out of the car, Angus, one arm around me, pulled open the back door. Rhys was okay, true enough, but he was bloody, messy, and unsteady.

It didn’t matter what a person had experienced in life, getting beaten nearly to death by a raging, hate-filled crowd while cops looked on…that was going to be a little traumatic.

The two men stared at each other for a few thick seconds, communicating something that I was not really part of. Clayton came to stand at my right side, then wrapped his fingers around my free hand.

Now that he was free, he couldn’t seem to get enough physical contact.

Angus reached into the car and pulled Rhys out, and I flinched when Rhys gave an almost silent moan.

Leo stood on the porch, watching as we approached. “Everybody okay?”

“Yeah.” Angus’s voice was cold, and we all knew that coldness wasn’t directed at Leo. “We’re good.”

“Dinner will be ready in half an hour,” Jin said, sticking his angular head out the doorway.

I thought food would be the last thing anyone wanted, but Rhys walked a little faster when the smell of cooking meat wafted toward us. In the beginning, I’d thought no one would allow a flesh-eating Jikininki to prepare their food, but I was wrong about that, as well.

It had taken me a few days to eat anything Jin touched, but the guy appeared careful in the kitchen. And he washed his hands.

Rhys patted his back pocket, pulled out his cell phone, and grimaced. “I’m afraid I’ve smashed another phone.”

Clayton handed him his phone. “Calling someone to pick up the cars?”

I hadn’t even thought about the fact that both their cars were still in the city. “I don’t like either of you going into the city,” I said. “It’s not safe. Whatever you need to do there can wait until…”

They just looked at me.

There was no until, really, was there?

Rhys put the borrowed phone to his ear. “Alejandro. I need a favor.”

Angus and Clayton stood together discussing what had happened, and I silently watched them all. Worried about them all.

“I’m going to clean up,” Rhys said, after he gave Clayton back his phone. He hesitated, then held his hand out to me. “You need to clean up as well.”