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He wouldn’t. Even if he had to cut his own dick off. There was no way he was going to have any kind of fun with a woman that Sorrel had cut to pieces, then fucked with whatever was close enough to do it with.
Shivering, he made his way out into the sunshine and was startled to see Grant leaning against his car. Ignoring him as best he could, Harlin saw Sorrel off before he went to get into his car. Grant got in the passenger side without saying a word to him. When he put out his hand, there were three trackers in it, and he just stared at him before Grant finally laughed and told him where he’d found them.
“They were on your car. All three of them were hidden in the same place as if whoever put them there was afraid one of them wouldn’t work. I don’t know. How the hell are you, buddy?” Harlin asked him how he knew he was going to talk to him later. “I’ve got a bit more magic than I did before. Besides that, we have someone watching over Sorrel and his family. When they started to do a check on the man with him, I saw it was you and decided to come see you. You do know he’s on the list of beings that need to be killed, right?”
“I’m working with the Feds on this. I hate it, to be honest with you. But it’s a good job. That little extra you gave me when we were in college has made me a good asset to them. I can see things differently than a person could. Their inner self, I guess you could call it.” As he explained to his friend what it was he could do, Grant gave him directions to a place he was staying until this thing with Sorrel was finished. “Why are you involved? If you don’t mind me asking.”
“My wife—” Harlin nearly pulled off the road to find out if what he’d said was true. “Yes, I’m married. She’s amazing and one of the birds I told you about. Piper is a Phoenix. She’s the most beautiful creature you’ve ever seen, Harlin. I can’t wait for you to meet her. I’m here with one of her sisters.”
“The vulture.” He asked him how he knew that. “Sorrel was hiding in the bushes at his parents’ home when she showed up and showed herself. I guess it scared his mother so badly that she fainted. How much do you know about Sorrel and his family?”
“He’s not someone to fuck with if you’re not at least able to heal yourself. How long have you been on this case?” He told him. “Then you’re probably going to be able to help us with what we need more than anyone. Right now, we’re not interested in Sorrel. However, after I tell the others, they might well be. But the parents we have a lot on. They nearly killed the king of my kind with iron.”
“Iron kills you over a period of time, right?” He told him it did. They pulled up in front of a very nondescript home that looked too small for the two of them to turn around in if they were inside together. “I’m assuming that looks aren’t exactly how they appear.”
Grant was still laughing as he made his way to the front door. When he opened it, standing aside for him to join him, Harlin got out of the car. This was going to be epic. Grant had the smallest apartment on campus. Yet as soon as he let you cross over the threshold with a simple word, you could see that he was living in luxury that Harlin had never seen before.
When he stepped into the house, he was taken aback at the sheer size of the place. Not only was there a huge kitchen, but there was a living room that he could see in his own home—if and when he could afford to ever get one. Still, Harlin didn’t think it would be nearly as lovely as this one, as this sort of look would cost money.
“This is my wife, Piper.” He shook hands with the woman and could see that she was indeed one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen. “This is my sister-in-law Remi. She’s cooking us dinner. So don’t be surprised if you have to— What’s wrong?”
For a few moments, Harlin couldn’t move. Not just his body, but his mind once again ceased up. Looking at the woman, all he could think about was she was far more beautiful than Piper was and that she had a magic about her that made him see she hated being stared at. Dragging his eyes from her was difficult, but he did it. He heard her let go of her breath when he did.
“Remi? What is it?” She said he was her mate. “Really? That’s wonderful. You couldn’t be getting a better guy than—”
“Grant, hush before you get yourself killed.” Harlin looked at him, then at Remi. They were staring at each other as if they were looking for flaws. So far as he could see, Harlin didn’t find a single thing wrong with the gorgeous woman. “Come on, big guy. Let’s leave the two
of them alone for a little while. I don’t know what’s going to happen here, but I have a feeling we don’t want to be witness to it.”
While he had no idea what Piper meant by that, he was glad for the time alone with Remi. When she turned her back to him to work with the stove, he moved to the other side of the table where she was working and leaned against the counter. Just far enough away that she couldn’t hurt him if she was upset about this.
“I’m not. Upset, I mean.” He asked her why she was reading his mind instead of talking to him. “I’m not sure of a great many things right now if you want the truth. Not that I could lie to you, but I don’t.”
“You’re one of the queen’s birds. Grant told me all about you when I was recovering in the hospital. I was there for a month, so he told me a great many stories. You’re the vulture.” She nodded, then asked him what had happened to him. “Grant was forever working with the community on projects like gardens and such. One afternoon I went with him to hang out. We shared a couple of classes, and that was how I knew him. Some man came with a shotgun that afternoon and started firing at whoever was in his sights. He thought his wife was there growing a garden instead of home taking care of him. Grant killed him and saved my life.”
“He could have healed you fully, did he tell you that?” He told her he had but couldn’t because of the press. “I understand that. So he gave a little of himself to you so that you’d not die. I guess I should thank him. I don’t know what to do with you. That didn’t come out right.”
“I understand. I don’t know what to do about you either. I have a job, one that I don’t like but could be dangerous to you should someone I’m working with decide you’d be prime bait to use against me.” She told him she’d be able to get out of whatever they had her in. “Good to know. Are you going to look at me at any time? I’d love to see your eyes. Your face, too, if you’d just turn this way a little.”
She looked at him, and he saw tears in her eyes. Pulling her into his arms, he was glad that she came willingly. However, he didn’t think either of them expected the surge of power that rolled over both of them with such force it blew out all the windows in the room they were in, as well as shattering anything else made of glass. Then Harlin simply passed out.
~*~
Piper couldn’t help but giggle every time she thought of the damage done to the kitchen. Well, all of the house had been rocked, but the kitchen where they’d been had suffered the most damage. Right now, the couple was out in the yard talking. Piper would love to know what was being said between the two of them. Christ, they were epic.
“You shouldn’t find this so funny. Not that I blame you, but they’re just as new to this as you and I were.” Piper let Grant hold her as she told him what she’d been thinking. “I would as well, but I think they need to work this out on their own. What I do find amazing is that not only did Harlin get a mark on his arm, but his entire right side must be covered in sigils. Other than Joel, the rest of us weren’t marked.”
“I think that has to do with the fact that Joel wasn’t human at the beginning. Even Bryson had a little magic before he met Blaze. But he was wholly human.” Piper looked at the couple in the yard. “It could and more than likely does have to do with however much blood you gave him. Perhaps there is a greater purpose to him coming to this family at this time. To think that, I thought the hardest to be mated would be Remi. And there she is, holding hands with her mate and laughing. She isn’t upset at all.”
“No. She seems to be having fun. I didn’t see her smiling nearly as much as the rest of you do. Even Esme smiles and laughs a great deal, even without a mate.” She looked at her as Grant continued. “I think her hair is brighter too. Like it’s no longer just silver, but it’s a sharp silver that would and could cut into you.”
“She’s glowing.” Grant asked her what she meant. “I guess it would be called falling in love, and it’s making her magic shine through. I know she has a great deal of magic—a lot of it she’s kept hidden. For instance, I had no idea that she could teleport herself from one point to the other until she did it today. Also, you might have noticed this as well, she can fly without being her bird. That is something none of us can do.”
“I thought I’d just been thinking it had been a trick to the eyes. Do you suppose Harlin is going to be all right?” She turned and asked him what he meant. “He’s working with the Feds to get Sorrel arrested. He’s heinous, from what Harlin’s got in his head. When he does kill, he makes the suffering worse than anyone Harlin has ever seen. I’ve seen worse, I hate to admit, but it was done during the war with the kings and queens. Sorrel seems to be mimicking their way of killing with more violence.”
“Harlin will be an immortal now, so that will help him should it come to that. But you’re right. We’re going to have to talk to him about a few things that are going on.” Nodding, she made her way to the office they’d put in their home so that they’d be able to work on projects while working on this for Basil.
Grant stopped her by saying her name. “I’m worried about him, to be honest with you. He’s had a very difficult life up until now. I don’t want him hurt anymore.”
