Chapter 8 #3
“I do have those on occasion, you know,” she said lightly, taking the edge off her sarcastic reply. Then she was back to planning. “How long do you think we have before he makes a move?”
“I really don’t know. We’re trying to get more information about him, but right now, the ball is in the mage’s court.
” He took her hand in his, meeting her eyes and trying to impress on her how seriously he was taking this threat to her.
“Bree. If this gets real, I need you and your dad to be safe before anything else. We need a plan for you two, to keep you both out of harm’s way. ”
“But if this could come to a head at any time, then planning for it is almost impossible,” she pointed out.
“Not really,” he disagreed. “You spend most of your time in the store. We can plan for that and for other likely contingencies. If something happens while you’re here, you lock the doors and head for the basement.
Hide down there until it’s over. It’s not ideal, but it’s likely the best you can do in that situation. ”
“And just how do I explain to Dad that he has to go down to the cellar all of a sudden? I mean, we did put in a stair lift on that staircase too, but he doesn’t go down there all that much anymore,” she explained, tugging on her hand so that he released his grip.
She reached for a map on the shelf above and spread it out on the desk.
It was a map of the town. She studied it as Pax sighed heavily.
“We’re going to have to brief your dad on the situation.
At least parts of it. He has to comply if things turn ugly.
I don’t want or need to be worrying about you two while fighting for my life and the protection of my family and Clan.
Everyone needs to stay as far away from the battle as possible.
My family already knows what to do, as does the majority of the Clan.
When it happens, I’m hoping it’ll just be me and Ari facing down the mages. ”
“We can tell Dad, but he won’t handle it well,” she warned. “It doesn’t matter how old he is or how slow he moves. He is a protector, through and through. He’ll object to being told to hide until the danger is over.”
“Then we’ll convince him that he has to protect you, Bree.
I need you both tucked away somewhere or I’m afraid they’ll try to use you against me somehow.
We’ve been watched for more than a week.
I’m pretty sure the watcher realizes you’re important to me.
” His voice dipped lower as he talked about his feelings, which wasn’t something he did easily or often.
Bree’s eyes widened, then softened and his inner jaguar just about purred out loud. She wasn’t unaffected by his words, or by him. Both sides of his nature liked that a whole lot.
She met his eyes, speaking softly. “You’re important to me too, Pax. And I’ve known this might happen since we were kids, you know. I knew there were people who’d hunt you if they could. I made a choice about that a long time ago. I’ll do whatever I need to do to help keep you safe.”
The office was quiet. Outside, the town was settling down for the evening, the day’s heat bleeding out of the walls. Somewhere down the street a dog barked twice and went silent. Pax reached out and put his hand over hers where it rested on the desk.
She turned her hand over and grasped his hand with hers. They stayed like that for a while. Not talking. Not needing to. His thumb moved in a slow arc across her knuckles and she watched their joined hands with an expression he wished he could interpret.
Then she let go and went back to the map she’d pulled out earlier.
“All right. So, if we’re in the store, you want us to hide in the basement. What if I run over to the diner to grab lunch?”
Pax turned his mind to planning her various hiding spots and escape routes, hoping to cover as many contingencies as possible.
The plans they devised were good, but there were still way more vulnerabilities to her situation than he liked.
Still, there was little he could do about it.
He’d have to put some thought and research into ways to protect the Leelands.
They were both important to him, but he was beginning to understand that Bree was important to his future.
Without her, he didn’t really see one for himself.
When all the plans had been made as completely as they could for now, he finally stood. She walked with him to the back door, and at the threshold he turned and kissed her. It was a soft kiss where he cupped one hand on her cheek, her mouth warm and willing under his.
When the kiss ended sometime later, he drew back and stepped outside. He tapped on the door with one hand.
“Lock this,” he said.
She pressed her lips together, containing a laugh. “You realize I’ve been locking this door every night for years without instruction.”
“Humor me.”
She rolled her eyes and shut the door in his face, grinning all the while. She bolted it, and through the door he heard the click. He stood on the back stoop in the evening air and thought about rare things and how you held them. Then he went to find his brother and make even more plans.