Becoming Calder (A Sign of Love Novel)(110)

I laughed. "I don't know what a 'rakish fashion' is exactly, but if growing my hair gets me more of what we just did, then . . ."
Eden laughed. "I think it just might." She put her head back down on my chest and I felt her smiling against my skin. I almost jolted from the wave of protectiveness I felt as I brought my hand up to run through my hair. Sometimes my love for her was almost too much for me; it made me feel I was bleeding inside. My beautiful girl, I said in my head. I will protect your sweet and hopeful heart. I vow to shield you from any ugliness in this world, and always be your shelter in the storm.
"What should we do for dinner?" Eden asked.
"Are you hungry?"
She nodded. "I worked up an appetite."
I smiled again. I had liked how she worked up her appetite. "Then let's get you some food. Kristi should be home soon, too. Hopefully she was able to sell our gold." I paused. "I feel like a pirate every time I say that."
Eden laughed. "I think Kristi had a book with a pirate in it out there. That'll be next on my reading list."
I grinned. "I support that plan."
She laughed back. We remained lying there enjoying the feel of being in each other's arms, the quiet around us, the knowledge no one was going to try to separate us, and that we would sleep tonight and every night from here forward, just like this.

**********

An hour later, Eden, Xander and I had all showered. Xander was turning television stations, showing us how it worked. It was loud and bright and too much seemed to be going on for me to focus. "Turn it off," I said, grimacing and turning away.
"You don't like it?" he asked, incredulous, pressing buttons on the controller again.
"No."
The door opened and Kristi walked in, smiling happily at us. "Hey guys," she said, closing the door behind her. "Good news. I have cash for you. Over a thousand."
"Holy hell. You're kidding," Xander exclaimed, clicking the television off and standing up.
"Yup. Here you go." Kristi grinned, handing cash to Xander.
"Well, let's celebrate," Xander said. "Dinner is on us." His face went serious. "Wait, how much is dinner?"
Kristi laughed. "We'll go somewhere very affordable."
"Okay, and hey, we don't need your money now."
"Well, you're getting it anyway," Kristi said, winking. "I just wish I could give you more. Let me freshen up and we'll get going."
Xander, Eden and I grinned at each other. Things were falling into place. "What do you think, Lady Flowervale?"
Eden grinned. "I think we're gonna be just fine, Lord Darkhaven."
"Ready?" Kristi asked, coming out of her room.
"Yup," I said, taking Eden's hand in mine.
We walked down Kristi's stairs, chatting and laughing. When we turned the corner to the parking lot, a police car rolled slowly to a stop. A police officer stepped out of the passenger side to our right, his hand on the gun at his belt. I squeezed Eden's hand more tightly, adrenaline streaking through my system. "It's okay," I breathed, "just follow my lead. Maybe they'll help us."
I looked behind me. There was nothing except a solid, concrete wall.
Eden nodded, her eyes filled with terror.
That's when the officer driving the car stepped out and turned toward us.
It was Clive Richter.




CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE


Eden



"We've been looking for you, Eden," Clive said, smiling. The smile didn't come anywhere near his cold eyes.
"Clive," Calder said, sounding incredulous, his voice hard and raspy. "She's fine. She doesn't want to live with Hector."
"Well, unfortunately, son, Hector's her guardian and she doesn't have a choice." He squinted at me, resting his hand on the gun at his waist, just like the other officer. "You do, though. You're free to do as you please. You're eighteen. Hector doesn't want you back anyway."
Clive Richter was a police officer! I tried to wrap my mind around what was happening.
"No way I'm leaving her," Calder said, squeezing my hand tighter and pulling me against him. My brain reeled. My body swayed. I felt vomit rise up my throat. How had we been laughing and joking just minutes ago, and now my whole world was crashing down? Clive looked pleased somehow at Calder's words. Why? It's what he had wanted him to say.
"Do you know the man you're bringing her back to is a cult leader?" Kristi said, her voice rising.
The other police officer lowered his sunglasses and looked at her. "You call it a cult, he calls it his religion," he said. "And regardless, he's still her guardian."