Merrick’s eyes widened and Core, who had been about to sit back down in the chair he had been sitting in earlier, twisted with a loud curse. Both men stared in disbelief as a gorgeous, human redhead that looked suspiciously like an older version of Tansy Bell, only slightly translucent, appeared in the room with them.
Merrick stared back into RITA2’s dancing green eyes. She was wearing a white lab coat that hid the dress she was wearing underneath it, and a pair of dark green heels. Her dark red hair was piled on top of her head and she appeared to be holding some type of medical tablet. He shook his head and ran a weary hand down over his face as he tried to wrap his brain around how a computer program could suddenly have a body… of sorts.
“DAR, the Baade’s newly reprogrammed Defense, Armament, and Response system, and I have been working on developing a four dimensional holographic image. I think we’ve just about got it figured out,” RITA2 chuckled as a pair of dark green glasses with tiny jewels on them suddenly appeared. “Do you think glasses make me look more professional?”
“Glasses?” Core muttered in confusion. “What the hell is going on?”
One of RITA2’s delicate, perfectly created eyebrows rose. “I’m checking in on Merrick, of course. I’ve been added to the medical server. I think the doctors here are just interested in how a human female likes to have sex, that seems to be the most asked question. But, who am I to complain. I usually just direct them to Tilly, since that was not part of my original programming.”
Merrick leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He wasn’t sure if he was up to dealing with this right now. Opening his eyes, he stared at RITA2 for several long seconds, thinking.
“Do you know what happened to a female named Addie Banks that was being held with me?” He asked in a husky voice.
RITA2’s perfectly detailed face went blank for a fraction of a second before she blinked at him. He would have missed the unusual pause if he hadn’t been so focused on her answer. A serene smile curved her lips before she answered.
“She was seen at Reno Regional Hospital by Doctor Calvin Hampton, the ER physican. Accessing medical records…. Thank you, RITA, I have them uploaded. Addie Banks, age twenty-two, female, Caucasian, non-smoker, non-drinker,” RITA2 blinked and chuckled. “She isn’t very exciting.”
“RITA2,” Merrick growled in annoyance, sitting forward.
“Oh, yes,” RITA2 murmured. “According to the records, she was fine except for some slight bruising to her right cheek and slightly elevated blood pressure. The doctor stated her blood pressure may be due to the circumstances of her captivity. She was released with a prescription for a mild sedative and ordered to take it easy for the next few days. The hospital security cameras recorded her getting into a cab. The cab records show she was taken to a local rental car agency… Oh my,” RITA2 murmured.
“What?!” Both Merrick and Core demanded, sitting forward when she paused and a devilish grin curved her bright red lips.
“She lied to the attendant and on the paperwork about her age,” RITA2 stated. “The attendant must not have verified it against her driver’s license, otherwise they would never have rented her the car. Perhaps, she is more exciting than I originally profiled from her medical records. Mm, I’ll have to analyze that later to see if I can reduce the percentage of error.”
“RITA2!” Merrick snapped. “Where. Is. Addie?!”
“Oh, she stopped at a motel for the night, used her credit card to fill up three times on the way back to Portland, delivered the rental the next morning, and picked her car up from Keiser the same day,” RITA2 finished in a burst of information. “I have no other records of her whereabouts since then.”
“I need a Gateway device and the location of her dwelling,” Merrick ordered, throwing the covers off of his legs and jerking the small, round micro-injectors from his arm. “I…”
Merrick’s words slurred when he stood up and everything tilted to the side. He would have fallen if Core hadn’t been so quick. With a low moan, he sat down on the edge of the bed and bowed his head, trying to breathe through the dizziness that clouded his vision.
“Rest for tonight,” Core advised. “Why is it so important to get to this female? Did she do something?”
Merrick uncurled his left hand, turning it palm side up. Slowly lifting his head to stare back at Core, he fought to keep from passing out. He needed to get to Addie, but in the shape he was in now, he would be no use to her.
“She is my bond mate,” he replied in a drained voice. “She has also captured my heart.”
Chapter 19
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 work
ing 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 t
he 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.
Chapter 20
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.