Merrick's Maiden (16 page)

Addie glanced around her clean apartment. For the past five days since her return to Portland, she had hidden away in it. The first two days she had cried. The third day, she had laid around like something the cat had dragged in and left under the mat. By the fourth day, the silence in her head had been about to drive her insane.

“No more,” she growled in a low voice. “I won’t ever,
ever
let anyone close to me again. I’m better off alone. He got what he needed. He’s gone home, Addie girl. Anyway, he thought too much. There’s a reason humans can’t talk to each other telepathically—it’s called privacy! If I get involved with some alien mind-talking, never-stays-out-of-my head guy, he’ll know everything! Just think about the problems that would cause! First of all, I could never win an argument, because he would know what I was going to say. Second, I could never surprise him because he would know the minute I thought of a gift and what it was going to be. Third, I couldn’t just think dirty, nasty, hot and horny, how-good-his-ass-looked thoughts without him…. without him… Damn it all to hell! I am
not
going to cry again.”

And she hadn’t. Instead, she had cleaned her bedroom closet, then under the bed and her dresser drawers. Not stopping, she tackled the dust behind her dresser and even cleaned the blinds. And when she was done with that, she moved on to the tiny bathroom. She continued on to the sitting room and kitchen. Now, she was out of rooms to clean and rubbing her damn left hand on her jeans again when it began to itch.

Glaring at the intricate pattern, she scowled. She needed to get out of her apartment. What she could really use was a walk down to the local coffee shop where she would treat herself to one of their pastries filled with gooey, sugary, delicious cream that melted in her mouth.

Grabbing her black, nylon jacket off the back of the dinette chair, she put it on. She picked up her wallet and keys off the end table by the couch and slid them into her jacket pocket. Starting to pull her long hair out, she paused and glanced out the window.

Her nose crinkled up when she saw that it had begun to rain. With a shrug, it didn’t matter. It wasn’t like she would melt. Opening the door, she stepped out into the hallway, pulling the door shut behind her. Turning, she slid her key into the deadbolt and turned it.

Her eyes instinctively glanced toward Ted and Pam’s empty apartment. Ted had left the day after she got home. He told her that after what happened at Keiser, he and Pam had talked. They were going to go stay with her parents for a while in Seattle. He was going to look for a job near them.

“I’m sorry, Addie,” he said, glancing at her. “With a baby on the way, we can’t afford to take chances. It could have easily been me instead of Crawford, who had been murdered.”

“I understand,” Addie had signed. “I’m happy for both of you.”

“Have you ever thought of moving further north?” Ted signed, the words flowing from his hands, as well as, his mouth. “I know you have family here, but you never seem to see them all that much, and well, both Pam and I would love it if you wanted to come stay for a while with us once we get settled.”

“I’m good,” Addie signed. “Still, I’d love to come visit you both. I’m happy for you. You know I love both you and Pam. You two were the only ones who really kept in touch with me after I was sick.”

The tears had come again when Ted pulled her into his arms and held her close. It seemed that just when she thought her life was finally working out, fate threw a monkey wrench into it. Now, it felt like it was spiraling out of control.

Addie pushed the depressing thoughts away. Taking the stairs, she pushed open the door to the apartment building and stepped out. Turning left, she pulled up the hood of her jacket to protect her face. Her head bowed, she quickly walked down the sidewalk.

*.*.*

“Is that her?” The man standing under the awning across the street from the apartment building asked.

“Yeah,” the short man next to him replied, watching Addie as she hurried down the street. “Let’s go.”

The tall man nodded. “I’ll call Weston. He said he wanted to know when we found her.”

“Fine, I just want to get out of this damn rain,” the shorter man mumbled. “I hate this fucking constant cloud-pissing.”

The two men squeezed between two cars and jogged across the road. Within seconds, they had slipped into the apartment building. Taking the stairs up to the third floor, they stopped to watch as an elderly woman passed them. It didn’t take them long to locate Addie’s apartment based on the information Weston had given them. Picking the locks, they both silently slid into her apartment to wait for her.

*.*.*

“Merrick,” Core started to say before he growled in frustration.

“No,” Merrick replied.

“You have only been on your feet for a few hours. Let me go with you,” Core said in aggravation. “If something happens to you again, the council will go to war with Earth.”

“Nothing will happen to me,” Merrick snapped. “I will only be gone long enough to get Addie, no longer. Besides, you know the council would not agree to let me return. They are trying to restrict the use of the Gateway devices.”

“That is all the more reason I should go with you,” Core pointed out. “We can be in and out before the council knows we are gone.”

“I need you here, Core,” Merrick replied quietly. “There is hope for our clan. I need you to convince the council that we must be able to use Cosmos’ Gateway between our worlds. I have found my bond mate. If I can find the one meant for me, it means hope for the other warriors. I will not let the council decide the fate of the Eastern Clan. I made a promise to our people. I will not fail them.”

“And if the council still denies us?” Core asked in a strained voice. “What then?”

Merrick looked into his cousin’s eyes, just as he had looked into the eyes of the men of their clan the day he had taken over as their leader. He had sworn he would do everything in his power to protect the clan. Part of that promise was the hope of finding more women. He now knew that it was a promise he could keep.

“We only have one device,” Merrick murmured. “I need you to keep it safe. I’ll have you open the Gateway so I can go through.”

“How will I know when to open it again?” Core asked in frustration, running his hand through his hair. “You will be trapped there without one.”

“I will do what Addie did before,” Merrick replied, sliding several weapons into the pockets of his black pants. This time, he was taking weapons he knew how to use. He would not be caught unprepared again. “I will use her communication device to contact RITA. She will find us, and lock on to our location and pass the information onto RITA2, who will notify you so you can open the Gateway.”

Core looked skeptically at Merrick. “How do you know RITA and RITA2 will cooperate,” he asked.

“Because, darling. I love a good romance,” RITA2 stated, materializing in Merrick’s room. “Just to let you know, the council will be convening in three days. You need to make sure you are back by then. Your name was mentioned.”

Merrick grimaced. He knew there would be a review of what happened and how it could be prevented from happening in the future. He hated that part of his position. Nodding, he slid several more sharp blades into the sheaths on his boots. Grabbing a long, black leather jacket, he slid his arms into it.

“I am ready. You have it set for Addie’s apartment?” He asked, turning to look at RITA2. His lips curved at the corner when he saw that she was wearing a sparkling green fitted dress today with a matching lab coat. “How many warriors have walked into walls today?”

RITA2 chuckled as she processed what he was asking. Since she had first started appearing this way, she had discovered that the unattached Prime warriors, especially the younger ones, had a tendency to try to follow her. While she could pass through walls and unopened doors with ease, they could not. Last night, one of the male nurses attending Merrick had tried to follow her out into the hallway. Unfortunately, he forgot to open the door before he tried to go through it.

“Six, if you count two of the council members,” she replied with wicked delight. “DAR is working on his image now. I do believe he is a touch jealous.”

“Thank you, RITA2, for your assistance,” Merrick said. “My clan will thank you, as will the warriors when they are able to find their mates.”

“Be safe,” RITA2 replied affectionately. “I’ll let my twin know you are coming through and to expect your call.”

Merrick nodded. Turning, he grasped Core’s forearm and gave a sharp nod before letting go. Soon, soon he would be with Addie again and the painful ache inside him would disappear along with the loneliness.

I’m coming for you, Addie,
Merrick thought as the Gateway between the worlds shimmered.
Never again will I leave you alone.

*.*.*

Merrick stepped through the Gateway into the lower basement area of the apartment building Addie lived in. RITA2 felt it would be less likely for him to be seen. He rolled his shoulders, and glanced around. A single, dim light lit the interior of the room. There were a series of large metal cabinets along the far wall. Long lists of numbers were printed out and taped to the front. The equipment looked like it might be a heating source. Turning back around, he stepped up to the door and listened before pulling it open.

The door opened under a stairwell and into a small, dim foyer. He had only taken a few steps forward when the door leading into the building opened. His breath caught in his throat when the figure reached up with one hand and pushed the damp hood off her head.

Addie,
Merrick whispered.

Addie’s blonde head snapped up and her eyes searched the dim interior with a combination of shock and confusion. The moment their eyes connected, a dark scowl swept across her face and her eyes turned a stormy green.

What are you doing here?
She demanded, clutching the small plastic bag and a cup of coffee in her hand.
I thought you had returned to wherever you came from.

I did,
he replied, taking a step forward.

Well, you should have stayed there,
she muttered, turning away from him and stepping toward the stairs.

Merrick watched in shock as Addie walked away from him. It was not the reception he had been expecting. Following her, he reached for her before grimacing. She had erected a firm wall around her thoughts, closing him out. Taking the steps two at a time, he quickly caught up with her as she reached the landing.

He started to say something, but an elderly female with a small creature on a leash was coming down the stairs. Stepping to the side, he waited impatiently for the woman to pass him on the landing. He glared down at the fluffy white creature when it paused to sniff his boots.

“Mr. Potter won’t bite,” the woman assured him. “He likes to meet new people.”

Merrick grunted, his eyes moving upward to Addie’s stiff back. She was moving up to the third level. He needed to catch up with her and make her look at him. She obviously wasn’t going to allow him into her mind in the mood she was in right now.

“Are you going to see Addie, too?” The woman asked with a look of disapproval. “She already has two men in her apartment. I just don’t know about young women these days. I thought she was such a nice young girl. So quiet and all, if you know what I mean?”

“Two men,” Merrick repeated, his eyes jerking down to the old woman. He ignored her startled gasp when she saw the glowing flames in his eyes. “Addie!”

Merrick picked the woman up around the waist and moved her out of his way. Taking the stairs three at a time, he moved with an unnatural speed for a human. He rounded the top of the third floor stairs at the same time Addie stepped into her apartment. Fear boiled over inside him when he heard her loud scream.

Fury boiled inside Addie as she climbed the steps leading up to her apartment. She had spent the last five days,
five very long frigging days
, coming to terms with the fact that she would never see Merrick again. Just when she felt like she was succeeding, he waltzes back in like nothing had happened, filling the silence in her head back up with his deep, rich voice.

It reminded her of her sister’s loser husband and the games he used to play. For three years, Mick would come and go, saying he needed time to discover what he really wanted in life, and for three years, Angie waited. It had almost killed her sister, loving a guy who would treat her so badly. Addie could never understand why her sister would put up with a guy like that, until now.

I don’t love him,
she growled to herself.
It is lust, caused by the extreme situation we were in. I don’t think he is the bravest, sexiest, gentlest man… alien… in the universe.

Unlocking the door to her apartment, she frowned when she discovered the deadbolt unlocked. Strange, she could have sworn she locked it when she left. Shrugging her shoulders, she pushed open the door. She must have forgotten. As crazy as the last week had been, she was lucky she remembered to even close the damn thing.

She had just tossed the uneaten pastry on the table by the couch when the sudden sense that she wasn’t alone swept through her. She turned in time to see two men, one coming out of her bedroom and the other out of the kitchen toward her. A loud scream escaped her. Her eyes registered the gun in the short man’s hand as he came out of the kitchen. Not thinking, her hand rose and she threw the contents of her hot coffee at him. The burning liquid struck him in the face, causing him to fall backwards with a loud, angry curse.

Addie twisted on her heel, trying to get back out of the door when a dark, menacing shadow flew through the door. She stumbled to the side as it brushed past her. Off balance, she hit the wall and slid down into an inelegant heap.

Merrick hit the tall, thin man that had been coming out of her bedroom in the stomach. The force of his impact knocked the man backward into the wall next to the bathroom door. She watched in horrid fascination as Merrick grabbed the man’s arm when he raised it, the black outline of a handgun in the intruder’s grip. For once, Addie was thankful for being deaf when the man’s arm suddenly bent at an unnatural angle.

A startled cry escaped her when she felt hard fingers sink into her arm. Turning, she was able to raise her arm in time to deflect the brutal blow aimed for her face. Raising her other hand, she gripped the man’s other hand as he tried to drag her back into the kitchen. She grunted in pain when he twisted out of her grasp and wrapped a steel hand around her wrist.

The grip the man had on her arms forced her to roll onto her back. She started to scream again, but he suddenly released her arms and knelt over her. Addie choked when he wrapped his hands around her throat, cutting off the sound.

Struggling, she tried to claw at his arms and face. Remembering what her brothers told her, she raised her knee in an effort to slam it into his groin. The tight hold on her throat lessened for a brief moment, allowing her to draw a desperate breath of air into her starving lungs before the man on top of her trapped her legs and began choking her again.

Dark spots edged her vision momentarily before the weight of the man was lifted off of her. Rolling onto her side, she held a shaking hand to her tender throat even as she pushed up into a sitting position. Horror gripped her when she saw Merrick twist the man's head between his hands. Even though she couldn't hear the sickening snap of his neck, she could see the odd angle of his head as he collapsed onto her sitting room floor.

Another short scream escaped her when Merrick suddenly knelt in front of her. Tearing her eyes off the body of the dead intruder, she looked at him with dazed, frightened eyes. It took a moment for her to realize he was speaking to her.

"Are you hurt?" He asked.

Addie shook her head and gripped his arm as he helped her to stand. Her eyes moved back to the man with the broken neck and over to the taller intruder. He, too, was dead, a knife stuck through his chest. Turning, Addie rushed to the kitchen sink when her stomach rebelled at the sight. She shook her head when Merrick rubbed her back. Right now, she needed a moment alone.

There is not time, Addie,
Merrick said in a voice filled with regret.
I hear the sound of alarms.

Addie didn't answer him. Turning on the water, she quickly rinsed her mouth and in the sink before turning it off. Only when she felt like she wasn't going to throw up again, did she respond.

"They can't find you," she whispered, turning to look at him. "The police.... They can't find you. If the government finds out about you, it will be even worse than Rockman."

Merrick threaded his fingers through her hair and held her tenderly, forcing her to look into his eyes. "Please, do not close me out. I need to be able to talk to you. I need you to hear what I say. These men were here for you, Addie. The other man muttered Weston's name before he died. You are in danger, as well."

Addie's eyes glanced toward her sitting room. Nodding, she hugged her jacket closer to her as a shiver raced through her body. Opening her mind, she felt the familiar touch of Merrick's presence in it. She also felt his concern.

"We can go to Ted and Pam's apartment," she said, pulling her keys out of her pocket. "They have a fire escape outside their bedroom window that leads down to the alley. My car is parked down the street."

"Let's go. There are many footsteps coming up the stairs," Merrick replied grimly with a nod.

Addie quickly picked out the key she would need to unlock the door across the hallway from her apartment. Ted and Pam had given her a key so she could feed their fish whenever they went out of town. Keeping her gaze turned away from the bodies of the dead men, she rounded the corner of the kitchen and hurried out of her apartment. Her hands trembled as she quickly unlocked the door across the hall. Slipping inside, she closed the door just as she caught a glimpse of a black hat on the staircase.

*.*.*

Merrick followed Addie as she moved through the small apartment that was a mirror image of her own. She walked through the small sitting room to the back bedroom. He watched as she fumbled with the locks on the window before trying to open it. A low, frustrated cry escaped her when she couldn’t get it to open. Touching her shoulder, he ran his gaze around the window frame. A small pin had been placed in the top, left corner. Pulling it free, he opened the window.

He carefully stuck his head out, making sure the ally was clear before he turned to Addie. The look of distress on her face tore at him. Unable to bear it, he reached out and slowly drew her into his arms. It took a moment, but she finally relaxed against him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

We must go,
he thought with regret as he released her and stepped back.
I hear more footsteps. It will not be long before they will search the alley
.

“Okay,” Addie replied. "I'll go first."

"No," Merrick said, placing a hand on her arm. "Let me."

He glanced at her pale, composed face before turning away and climbing out onto the metal platform. Nodding his head, he helped Addie through the window before turning and beginning the short climb down. Once he’d dropped to the concrete below, he turned and caught Addie around the waist.

"To the right," she murmured. "We can come up further down the street so it doesn't look like we came from here."

Merrick's admiration for Addie grew when she turned and began walking rapidly away from the apartment building. He could feel her fear and confusion, but he could also feel her determination.

You are an amazing female, Addie,
Merrick couldn't resist telling her.

Heat swept through him when she glanced over her shoulder and rolled her eyes at him. This was the Addie he knew. The one that would not give up, no matter what was happening.

Don't you believe it,
she growled back, pausing at the corner of the building for a brief moment before nodding to him.
You made me cry! I don't like crying.

A chuckle escaped Merrick when she crinkled her nose at him and glared before hurrying over to the a dark blue transport. He would have to remember that she didn't like to cry, he thought as he climbed into the passenger side.