Chapter 11

Austin sighed as he walked back into the house. Every muscle in his body ached with overuse. He had sent Lysander and Alex back to the Manchestor brothers with word of what had transpired then headed home.

He looked at Paycen as the older man yawned. He was able to hide how tired he was after healing when he was around enemies. It was his best tactic but he always crashed when he got home. Sometimes Austin wished he would just let them know when he was tired but then again, Austin was the same way. Never show your weaknesses or it gets you killed.

"We're back," he announced as they opened the door and walked in. Paycen immediately made his way to his room in the west corner.

Emery looked up from the book he was reading on the couch. His smile faded slightly. "I hoped against hope that you had Carter and Petey with you."

"Nope, but we know where they are." Austin looked around. "Where's Bryony?"

The second oldest man in the room smiled. "She's in your room asleep. The last few days have been hard on her but I think she's taking it well."

Austin shook his head and plunked down on the coffee table. "What am I going to do with her?"

"Do you still like her?" He noticed Austin turned his head quickly to look at him. "I may not have known you as long as she has but I do know you very well. When you suddenly get all quiet I know something's going on. So I'll ask again. Do you like her?"

He took a few moments to formulate his answer. "I've liked her since I was in high school. For a few years I didn't think about her but then Aiden told me to come here to protect her. I don't know what to do now."

"Do what your gut says." Austin made a face. "Not that. Get your mind out of the gutter."

Sighing, the Sector leader rubbed his head and stood. "I'm going to bed. I should be fine since the bed is a queen. If Aiden calls, tell her I'm asleep."

He watched as Emery waved his hand in acknowledgement then turned and walked to his bedroom. Just as his friend said, Bryony was curled up in his bed. One of his drawers was opened so she must have stolen one of his shirts.

Not really caring, he walked to his bathroom for a quick shower. Usually he reveled at being under the hot water but this time he really didn't care. He was just ready to fall into bed and go to sleep. Especially after every muscle loosened up and the tension was washed down the drain.

Stepping out of the warm room, he walked briskly to his dresser and pulled out underwear, basketball shorts and a t-shirt. There was no way he could climb into bed in nothing but his boxers like he normally did, not with someone else sharing it with him. He pulled his clothes on and looked towards the bed.

Bryony was asleep on the left hand side wrapped around his pillow. That was good for him since he always slept on the right and had since he shared a bed with his brother when they were younger. She was curled up in a little ball to keep warm. He groaned at the thought. He was always so hot because of the constant current of electricity around him that he kept the thermostat in the room at sixty-five year round. If he had known he would be sharing his room, he would have turned it up.

Too tired to move across the room to adjust the blasted contraption, he climbed in his bed and pulled the sheet up around his waist. He wrestled his pillow from the sleeping woman, adjusting her so she didn't wake up when he took it. He looked at her a moment longer before putting the pillow behind his head. As soon as his head hit it, he was asleep.

***

When her phone went off, Bryony awoke with a jerk. For a moment she forgot where she was. Then remembering she was in Austin's home, more importantly in his bed, she sat up quickly.

Looking around she remembered the layout of the room. Her hand felt warm so she looked in that direction. Austin's arm had obviously been curled around her as she slept. She must have rolled towards him because he was so warm. The last thing she remembered was being so cold. When he got in the bed, he warmed it so it was natural for her to gravitate towards the source of heat.

She looked at him even more closely. He looked vulnerable asleep. His mouth was partially open and his eyelashes formed dark crescents against his cheeks. If his hair had been longer, it would have flopped in his face.

Going further down, she realized he was topless. As she leaned over the bed she found his shirt carelessly thrown to the floor. He must have gotten too hot during the night and had stripped it off. At least she could see the waistband of his shorts.

Her phone rang loudly, startling her once again. She stared at it, annoyed that she had forgotten to turn it off before going to sleep. Usually she did so no one would disturb her after a long day at work.

"You can't just let it keep ringing like that."

She yelped as Austin's voice filled the quiet room. She slapped his shoulder, listening to him grunt at the impact. "Don't scare me like that."

Austin yawned and sat up, rubbing the hand print on his skin. "Sorry. Sudden noises wake me rather easily." He reached across the bed to grab her phone, scowling as he saw the Caller I.D. "Damn bastard."

Bryony snatched from him and turned a couple shades of gray. "It's Brad. What should I do?"

"Answer it."

"What if he has a trace on it?"

Austin shrugged. "Petey's got this place wired down to the earth's crust. No one can find us. Even if they tried, we'd send them on a wild goose chase. Just answer it."

With shaky hands, she pressed the call button. "Hello?"

"Bryony? Oh, thank God." Brad sounded frantic.

She looked up and locked eyes with Austin. He nodded. "What is it, Brad? What's happened?"

"It's your brother. They found him dead in the Hudson River around eight this morning. They said it looked like the work of the mob but they're not sure. The police went to your house but said you weren't there. So they called and told me. I told them I could get in touch with you. Are you okay?"

A tear slipped down her cheek. Her brother was dead all because of his gambling debts. That meant the mob was going to come gunning for her because she was his next of kin and the one with the best means to pay them back.

Austin watched the emotion playing across her face and scooted up on the bed. He pulled her to him and pressed her cheek against his shoulder. He knew exactly what was going on and was planning retaliation of the worst kind.

"Bryony?" Brad asked on the other end. Austin swore the man was nervous about losing her. It didn't make any sense. What would he gain from her? She didn't have much of value.

The woman sniffled. "I'm here."

"They'll need someone to claim the body after the autopsy."

"I'll be there."

"Okay. I guess I'll leave you alone. I'm so sorry, Bry." He cut the line.

They sat there in the silence for a few moments. Austin rubbed her back gently, his cheek pressed to the top of her head. He was going to kill the men who did this to her. They were scum, attacking the heart of an innocent woman.

"You should check with Emery to see if…"

The door flying open silenced Bryony's sentence. Emery stood there, his eyes light with something akin to nervousness. His fists were clenched so hard his knuckles were white and the tendons were about to pop out.

"Damn it, Em. What have I told you about knocking?" Austin demanded.

"There's no time for a lecture, Boss. The boys are back," the other man said.

Austin scrambled from the bed, ignoring his discarded shirt as he made his way to the door. He saw Paycen kneeling beside Carter. Petey was sitting on the coffee table with his head down, blond hair falling in his face. There was a gash over his left eye and he favored that side.

"What happened?" Austin asked.

Petey lifted his head. "They killed him right in front of us. We were following Brayden when they snatched him from the curb. No one saw a thing. They took him into New Jersey where they tortured him. They wanted where she lived. He didn't say a word. Finally they got tired of playing with him and drove the knife into his kidney. He died slowly. Then they threw him in the Hudson."

Austin heard Bryony gasp behind him. Turning, he grabbed her and pulled her to him so she didn't collapse on the floor and give Paycen someone else to heal.

"What happened to you?"

"They found us," Carter said. Paycen grabbed him to hold him still so he could finish. Carter winced. "We were heading back here when they shot at our car. I was hit. I barely had time to grab him so we could get out. We couldn't come back here immediately so we hid out in one of our safe houses."

"That was stupid," Paycen said. "You knew it was this bad and yet you didn't contact anyone. We may be immune to most diseases but sepsis isn't one of them."

"It could have led to our deaths if we used our phones." Carter swatted at Paycen's hands but the Healer held them in one while he used the other to heal his wounds.

"You didn't think of telepathy?" Neither one answered. "That's what I thought."

"Don't patronize them, Payce. Just patch them up and send them to bed," Austin said. He looked at Emery. "Call my brother and tell him to get his ass over here now. Then call Aiden."

With Bryony still clinging to him, he walked into the kitchen. Opening the fridge he pulled out a bottle of water and handed it to her. She took it and cracked the lid, taking a tentative sip. Her hands shook with the effort but she didn't let anyone see it. He watched her until Keldin stepped out from his bedroom.

"Aiden's on the line," Emery stated a few moments later.

Everyone looked to the big screen above the fireplace and Bryony gasped. Aiden hadn't changed in the years since she had left high school. Her hair was longer and she just looked older but other than that, she was the same.

There was a man sitting to her right and he was extremely good looking. There was a look of intelligence in his eyes that matched Aiden's. He had to be her husband.

"Hey, Aiden. Clint," Austin said as he sat on the arm of the couch.

"We've been briefed on your predicament," Clint said, lifting his eyes to the screen. "Austin, this isn't good."

The auburn ran his hand through his hair. "Tell me about it. For the last three days I've been trying to figure out why anyone would go to the lengths these guys did to get their money back. I still haven't figured it out. The Elves have and possibly the Moon Called, but I haven't."

"The Elves?" Aiden asked as her eyes widened in shock. "I haven't seen an Elf in New York in ten years."

"Apparently, they've been a part of the normal world for centuries, Your Majesty," Paycen said.

Bryony didn't miss the note of respect in his voice or the fact that he had used her honorific when Austin had just simply called her by name. It said a lot in the way of this world.

"Don't worry, Bryony," Aiden said suddenly. "Austin calls me by name when it's just us talking. Paycen calls me what he does because he was raised to respect his elders or those in charge."

The other woman gaped. "How did you know what I was thinking?"

Aiden smiled. Austin cursed. "Damn it, Aiden. Stay out of my head. That's not fair to her."

"I wasn't in your head. It was all on her face." He looked at the normal woman then back at his Queen, frowning deeply at her. Her smile faded as she leaned forward. "Have you told Jacq and the Manchestors about the Consulate?"

Austin nodded. "Yeah, I told them. Lin and Col will be there. Jacq is another thing."

Clint caught the meaning immediately. "What did you do?"

Paycen snickered as Austin cast him a murderous look. "I may have shaken him up."

Aiden shook her head. "Austin, the first rule of negotiation is to never rile your opponent, especially one who is a vampire."

"Then you should have sent me," Keldin chipped in.

Clint looked at the younger twin. "You're not even supposed to be there. It wouldn't have made any sense to send you. Besides, Jacq would have thought Austin incompetent to handle his own business."

"Dear, don't yell at him," Aiden said as Keldin shirked back into the shadows. "Hey, Kels. Do you think you can get the Elves to the Consulate next month?"

Keldin's face brightened a little. "I can try. I don't know what they'll want in return for helping us, though."

"Let me know and I'll be happy to oblige. Can you do it now?" Keldin nodded and disappeared into the shadows he was taking refuge. "Aussie, we'll discuss your brother at a more opportune time. Right now we have to figure out a way to get Brayden Parker's body without getting his sister killed."

Emery snapped his fingers. "I got it. Paycen, do you still know the coroner?"

Paycen nodded. "Yeah, Jim's a good friend of mine. He says he's going to let me intern with him once I get into medical school."

"See if he can discharge the body to us without us having to come see him. None of us want Bryony to go out alone."

Austin watched as the woman walked to his bedroom. She was taking this well but she was ready to break. He could see it in the way she held her shoulders.

"Go to her, Aussie. We'll handle this," Aiden said.

He looked at her then and saw the look of compassion on her face. He nodded. She had always had a soft spot for those she care for, and she would bend over backwards to make sure they got what they needed and deserved.

"Thanks, Ace." He waved at her then followed the other woman to his room. He closed the door softly as to not scare anyone else.