To Hell and Back (League of Guardians 1.50)

“Bad idea.” Always the protective one. He made no apologies for it either.

She watched Darius lift his suitcase onto his lap and wheel toward the ramp he’d installed for wheelchair access to her front door. “Well, what was I supposed to do, turn him away? I don’t like it either.”

“I’m coming over.”

“There’s no need . . .” She looked at the screen, blinking to indicate he’d ended the call. “. . . to come over,” she finished anyway.

She got out, feeling like her feet weighed fifty pounds each, and trudged to the door. All she wanted was to be alone, a quiet evening trimming her bonsai to clear her mind.

There would be no mind-clearing tonight. There’d be friction between Greer and Darius, just like there had been before she’d moved out. Tuck had eased her into the reality of Darkness, he and Greer morphing into black beasts only after she’d accepted the idea. Tuck told her it also made them fiercely, and insanely, territorial about their so-called mates. She hadn’t thought twice about that until Darius and Greer both took a different kind of liking to her. She was afraid they’d tear each other’s throats out, and she wasn’t either of their mates.

“Two days,” she said, unlocking her front door. “I like living on my own. Being alone.” Most of the time. It was strange, but she’d sit at her table in the mornings having coffee (not as strong as Greer’s k iller brew) and be happy about being alone. Then she’d get hit with a wave of sadness about being alone.

See how messed up you are.

“You might like having me around,” he said. “If that guy who’s been creeping around makes an appearance, I’ll kick his ass.”

“Well, he’s too much of a coward to knock on the door.” She didn’t want to think about her stalker. He hadn’t left any of his icky letters or “gifts” in a few days.

She figured out where Darius could stash his suitcases and was hunting down extra sheets and a blanket when the doorbell rang. Before she could even set the extra pillow down to answer, she heard Darius’s voice: “Well, look who’s here. What a nice surprise.”

Not by the tone in his voice. Damn, this was so not cool having them both here. They’d been like snarling dogs the day everyone had helped her move in here. She hadn’t had them over since.

She walked out holding the pillow to her chest like a shield. Greer’s eyes went right to her, giving her a clear Is everything all right? look.

She wasn’t in danger. That’s as far as she’d commit.

Greer closed the door and sauntered in, as though he always stopped by. “Thought I’d check in on you. After what happened, figured you might be on edge.” There he went again, sinking her into the depths of his eyes. They were rimmed in gray, brown in the middle, the most unusual eyes she’d ever seen. And they were assessing her.

“She’s fine,” Darius answered as she opened her mouth. “I’m staying here for a couple of days, which will work out nicely . . . in case she’s on edge.” His unspoken So you can go now was clear.

Greer moved closer to her, putting himself physically between her and Darius. He was a damned wall of a man, too, way tall, wide shoulders, and just big. He purposely blocked Darius’s view of her.

She’d done this, sparked them into hostile territory. Which was laughable, considering what she looked like: baggy pants and shirt, cap over her head, no makeup. She’d done everything she could for the last six years to squash every bit of her femininity. Her sexuality. Then Greer had blown that to bits.

He hadn’t knocked, just barged into the bathroom, a towel loosely held in front of his naked body. She was drying her hair and suddenly he was standing there gaping at her.

“Jesus, Shea, you’re beautiful,” he’d said, obviously in shock.

She couldn’t move, spellbound herself, which was ridiculous because she wasn’t interested in anyone sexually. But there stood six feet four of olive-skinned Apache with muscled thighs and a scant bit of towel covering him. And the way he’d said those words, with his typical passion, and his looking at her like she was beautiful and he wanted her, woke up something inside her.

Breaking out of the spell and wrapping her towel around her, she’d yelled at him for barging in, stepping up close to him and jabbing her finger at his chest.

And what had he done? Lifted her damp hair from her shoulders, hair she never left loose, his fingers brushing her bare shoulders. “Why do you hide yourself from us?” he’d asked.

“Don’t say anything about this to anyone.” Would he tell them how oversized her breasts were? Would they wonder why she hid her curves, talking behind her back, speculating? “Leave. Now.”

He’d shrugged, his dark brown eyebrows furrowing. “No need to get mad or freaked out. It was an accident. We’re friends.”

He left, finally, and she looked in the steamy reflection. She didn’t see beautiful. But she did see hunger, and even worse, felt it.

“How’s your big job coming?” Greer asked now, pulling her out of the memory. He was leaning against the back of the couch, which inadvertently flexed the muscles in his arms.

He remembered, which touched her even if she didn’t want to be touched. Still, she found herself smiling. “Great. We’re putting the finishing touches now that the hard-scaping and most of the planting is finished. This is my biggest job yet. My business has kept me sane through all this. Gotta keep working on the customer’s jobs.” She glanced to the window. If the sun weren’t going to be setting soon, she’d come up with some job she had to zip off to right then.

Dammit, she missed Greer. Hated having to shut him out. Now, things were odd between them. He looked at her differently, heat in his eyes, and hurt, too, because he didn’t understand why she’d pushed him away. Like he’d said, it was an accident that he’d walked in on her.

“Do you want to stay for dinner?” she asked, not sure whether having them both there would be better than being alone with Darius.