Chapter 15
These guys were really taking the cake and eating it too.
She was not their business.
Her safety was not their business. And neither was her health.
But they were acting like they thought they were her guardians.
Especially Eli.
Kellan seemed more like he was reluctantly along for the ride. Did they do most things together?
Did they share women?
“Why aren’t you sitting?” Kellan asked.
“Maybe because you guys don’t get to boss me around?” she countered.
A wave of exhaustion washed over her and she carefully sat down, adjusting the heating pad. Why was she resisting them trying to help her?
Sure, it was strange and she kept questioning their intentions. But if they were just doing it to be kind . . . shouldn’t she let them?
Why fight it? She needed the help. It was clear that she couldn’t do all of this on her own. And she had no one else.
This time it was pity that washed through her.
Jeez.
She really needed a decent night’s sleep. Something that was going to be difficult with her back.
Kellan crouched in front of her, keeping some distance between them. But she thought she saw a flash of concern in his face.
He wasn’t as removed as he pretended to be.
“What else do you need? Some more painkillers? Perhaps we should take her to the doctor,” he called over at Eli.
“I was thinking that myself.”
A boom of thunder erupted outside, sounding so close that she actually jumped. Then she moaned as her back protested.
“But not the best night to take her out,” Eli added, staring at her in concern. “Did the heat of the water in the shower help?”
Drat.
She was hoping he wouldn’t ask.
“The hot water ran out,” she confessed.
“It ran out?” Eli stared at her in confusion. “How could it run out?”
“I don’t know.”
“I’ll try to take a look at that too. Kellan, help me get her bed set up. Do you want it in the biggest bedroom?” Eli asked.
“Oh, yes. But you don’t need to do that,” she protested, shifting on the seat as she prepared to get up.
“Stay there,” Kellan told her. “We are doing this. No arguing.”
Just let them do it.
It’s not like you can manage it.
And her back was just starting to feel better. She let out a sigh of relief as the heat began relaxing her muscles.
Closing her eyes, she felt herself getting sleepy. Horse lay on her feet and she snuggled further into the chair. She’d barely slept lately between the move and the lack of a bed.
She’d been sleeping on the chair since the mattress hurt her back.
Suddenly, the power went out and she let out another cry.
Shit.
She couldn’t see anything. Panic rose as she started to feel like she was suffocating.
Her breathing grew faster and faster. She hadn’t thought that she was particularly scared of the dark, but this was pitch black.
A whimper escaped her and she reached down, feeling for Horse. “You okay, Horse?”
He licked her hand and some of that panic faded.
“Arabella?” Eli called out. “Are you all right?”
“Y-yes,” she said. Crap. Her voice sounded so shaky. “I’m all right.”
“You don’t sound all right, baby,” he said soothingly. “It’s all right. I’m coming to you.”
Sure. Okay.
She heard him bang into something and start swearing.
Shit.
“Are you all right?” she asked worriedly.
“Yeah, how is it that you’ve got no furniture and yet I found something to bang my toe on,” he grumbled.
“It’s because you’re clumsy,” Kellan said.
“I’m not clumsy. It’s pitch black. Why is it pitch black?” he grumbled.
Oh no.
He sounded really annoyed and she couldn’t help but feel guilty.
“I’m so sorry,” she said.
“You do not need to apologize,” Kellan told her. “It’s the storm’s fault.”
Yeah, but they were here to help her. If they hadn’t come here she’d have been in the dark on her own.
Shoot.
Just the thought of it made her breathing grow faster.
“Easy, baby. I’m here.” Eli sounded really close, but she still jumped in fright when he placed his hand on her shoulder.
“Argh!” she cried.
“Shh, it’s just me,” he soothed.
“I know. Sorry.”
“Stop saying sorry,” Kellan ordered.
He really didn’t seem to like the word ‘sorry.’
“Where are your flashlights?” he asked as Eli moved his hand down to hers, taking hold.
Okay, she shouldn’t like the feel of his hand around hers so much. Should she?
“Come on, baby. Come with me and we’ll try to find them.”
A light flashed and Kellan held up his phone. “Or we can use this.”
“For fuck’s sake. My phone has died, why didn’t you tell me yours had battery life left?” Eli said.
“Because I wanted you to bump your toe, of course.”
Eli started muttering as she hid her smile. Sometimes it was hard to tell when Kellan was joking or not. He just said everything in that same deadpan tone.
“You’re an ass,” Eli grumbled.
“I’ve got my phone somewhere too,” she said. “I think it’s on the nightstand by my bed.”
“You mean by your mattress,” Kellan replied. “On the floor. No one should sleep on the floor, Arabella.”
Right.
Of course it wasn’t ideal. And her back definitely didn’t enjoy it.
But what choice did she have?
“Can you get her phone, Kellan?” Eli said with exasperation. “And we need to find the fuse box and see if that’s the cause of the power outage.”
“W-wouldn’t it just be the s-storm?” she asked, her teeth chattering as Kellan disappeared.
Well, she assumed he’d disappeared since the light was gone.
Eli wrapped an arm around her, hugging her tight. “Are you cold, baby? Or scared?”
“I d-don’t know. I didn’t think I w-was scared of the dark. B-but here I am. S-shivering in the d-dark like an idiot.”
“Hey, you are not an idiot.” He turned her to face him. Well, she thought he did. A hand cupped her chin, tilting her head back.
Then lips brushed against hers.
She froze. Had he done that on purpose? Did he mean to kiss her on the lips or had he meant to kiss her forehead?
“Am I interrupting something?” Kellan asked, returning with the light. She attempted to jump out of Eli’s arms but he just tightened his hold on her.
“No. Just keeping Arabella warm,” Eli replied, taking her phone from Kellan. “We’ll head into the bedroom and get her wrapped in some blankets. Can you handle the fuse box?”
“Of course,” Kellan replied before leaving.
“The storm sounds too dangerous for him to be out in it,” she said as Eli held the light so they could see as they made their way into the bedroom.
“He’ll be fine,” Eli told her. “There’s no storm nasty enough to take Kellan out.”
“Oh wow. You have the bedframe made already?” she asked.
“Yeah, we just need to lift the mattress on and get the bed made. Where are the spare blankets?”
“I saw some in the hall closet,” she told him. “But I can help get the mattress on the bed.”
“You will not,” he told her sternly. “You’re going to stay wrapped up and warm. Kellan and I will handle everything.”
“You don’t have to do that,” she whispered. “I can manage.”
“I’m not listening to any protests. Let’s get those blankets.”
By the time he had her wrapped up and sitting on the floor, Kellan had returned.
“Not the fuse box,” Kellan said. “Power has to be down due to the storm.”
“Damn, I figured,” Eli replied. “Help me with the bed.”
The wind was making a haunting noise outside that she found creepy. She didn’t know why she was so freaked out. She’d experienced storms before.
“I didn’t realize this storm was going to be so bad,” she said as Kellan pulled the curtains and checked the windows in the bedroom.
He then helped Eli with the mattress.
“It wasn’t meant to be,” Eli told her. “I’d say it’s caught a few people short.”
“It’s not really that bad,” Kellan said. “The wind is just a bit stronger than expected. We’ve been through worse.”
Right. Of course.
Her teeth chattered.
“Where did you live before coming here?” Eli asked as they made the bed.
She should offer to help but her back was killing her
“Austin. We had a few storms. I don’t know why I’m so scared right now. Silly, huh? B-before that I was living in Los Angeles.”
“You like the beach?” Eli asked.
“Um, sure. I didn’t spend much t-time at the b-beach. But it’s b-beautiful.”
“Must have been hard to leave everyone you knew,” he said.
Why was he mentioning all of this? And asking these questions?
Maybe to distract you.
Right. She needed to get herself together. At least she wasn’t alone. Even if the guys weren’t here, she had Horse. She wrapped her arm around him. He’d stuck close to her since the storm struck.
He was shaking slightly. Poor dog.
“It’s okay, Horse,” she whispered. “I’ve got you. Um, it was hard to leave my grandfather. He’s in a retirement home in Austin. And my friend, Wilma. She helped me with my business a lot.”
“Your business?” Kellan asked.
“I make and decorate cakes,” she said. “And I make online content.”
“People follow you?” Eli asked.
“Yeah. A few.”
She’d just clocked over half a million over four sites that she loaded content onto. And she was getting some really good traction. The money coming in from her content creation wasn’t to be sniffed at. And it was her only income at the moment until she started selling her cakes again.
But those words sort of froze on her tongue.
“Come on, the bed is made. Let’s get you into bed and resting.” Eli carefully picked her up before she realized what he was doing.
Arabella stiffened, but her back didn’t protest too much. The pain had definitely lessened thanks to the muscle relaxers.
“Sorry baby, did I hurt you?” he asked, pausing.
“No, I’m fine. But you don’t need to carry me. Or call me baby.”
“I like to do both, though.”
“And do you always just do whatever you like?” she asked.
“Pretty much,” he said cheerfully. “Do you need the toilet?”
“No!” she cried. Then she realized that was a lie. “Yes, okay, I do.”
He carried her to the bathroom and set her down. For a moment, she thought he was going to insist on staying. Thankfully, he left. She checked the battery life on her phone.
Shoot. There wasn’t much left.
She used the toilet then washed her hands. How was she going to cope on her own once they left?
Or would they leave? Wasn’t it dangerous to drive in this?
But where would they sleep?
Well, she could sleep in her recliner and they could take her bed. That could work.
Mind made up, she walked out of the bathroom, letting out a small cry as her phone light hit Eli then Horse who were both waiting on her.
Horse let out a small woof. She was taking that as a doggy apology for scaring her.
“You scared me,” she said to Eli.
“You didn’t think I’d be waiting for you?” he asked.
“No!”
“She probably thinks that’s stalker behavior,” Kellan called out. “I’d agree.”
“Was that . . . a joke?” she asked.
Kellan didn’t seem the joking sort.
“Also I found a flashlight and a battery-powered lamp,” Kellan said. “I’ll set them up in the bedroom.”
“Probably not,” Eli told her. “He likely thinks I am a stalker. That’s okay if it keeps you safe. Come on. Bed.”
“Yes, boss!” She snapped out a salute at him.
“She’s getting sassy,” Eli said to Kellan as he led her into the bedroom. Horse followed them, sitting and watching them all as a low growl erupted
“It’s all right, Horse. Do you want to go to bed?” She’d bought him two dog beds, one was in the lounge and the other one was in the corner of her bedroom.
“He sleeps in here with you?” Eli asked.
“Of course.”
“Smart,” Kellan said. “He can protect you from anyone entering your bedroom.”
“Um, well, it was more in case he had a nightmare and needed me close. I don’t think I really want him protecting me. But then I doubt I’ll have intruders.”
“It’s foolish to think that way. An intruder could enter at any time. You’re not immune because you live in Haven. Bad things happen here too.”
She gaped at Kellan for a long moment as she thought about his words. Then she shook her head. “So Haven council won’t be hiring you to write the town slogan.”
Eli snorted and drew back the covers. “Get into bed. And Kellan, stop scaring her.”
“I’m just being realistic. Which is what she should be. Plenty of bad things happen here and she needs to be aware of that. To protect herself.”
Bad things like having two FBI stalkers?
Okay, that wasn’t fair. They’d been nothing but amazing tonight. And they weren’t stalking her.
“Bed,” Eli said firmly.
“I need to put some pajamas on,” she told him.
“I’ll get them for you. Where are they?” Eli asked.
“Eli, my back is sore, I’m not an invalid. And it’s feeling a lot better. Just give me a moment?”
Eli opened his mouth to say something but Kellan grabbed his arm and drew him out of the room.
Thank God for that.
“He’s pushy, aye, Horse,” she whispered.
Horse grunted.
“I know, he’s also gorgeous. They both are. Any woman of theirs would be well taken care of.”
She just had to remember the reasons that wouldn’t be her.