The Price of Possession by Dakota Brown (universal ebook reader txt) 📗

Mal chuckled. "Safer with us than you are withthe people summoning demons, anyway."

His statement rang with truth, though I found hisphrasing very interesting.

"I don't want to impose. I can find a hotel. It'llbe okay, now that I know someone is after me."

"Naw, I have a guest room. If Mal thinks youshould stay with us, he's probably right." Chris downed the last of herginger beer and stood. "Unless you really want to argue, let's get back tomy place so we can relax and finish cleaning up. Mal, maybe you want to beef upthe wards?"

He nodded, and I gave in. The situation felt right,and I also thought I might learn more once we were no longer in public. Maybe I'deven tell them my secrets. It would be interesting to know if they could shedsome light on my abilities, because I had no idea what to make of them. I'dlearned to trust my instincts, and they said I would be safe with these three.Not to mention, Chris Price was very intriguing.

Chapter 12

Price

I wasn't sure if it was Sabian's influence or somethingabout Aaron, but I was really having a hard time keeping my mind off of all theinteresting things we could be doing in the bedroom as I studied him while hewandered around my living room. Damn Sabian and his pull on my ovaries, anyway.If I was going to keep him around, I'd have to get used to the constant arousal,but did it have to hit me with Aaron, too?

As soon as we had gotten back to my place I'd shownAaron the guest bathroom and then we'd all cleaned up. Then I'd collapsed onthe couch. Sabian and Mal were currently working on the wards, and Aaron hadsat down for a few minutes, but then he'd gotten up and started to pace.

"You know, if you want to make some phone calls,or anything, feel free. I can give you some privacy. Figure there's a fewthings you need to take care of."

Aaron stopped pacing and turned to look at me. "No.Sorry. I'll take care of all of that in the morning. I already sent a messageto my boss and he gave me a few days to manage stuff. They've got to build anew laptop for me, anyway."

I frowned. "Where do you work?"

"Over at Los Alamos."

I raised my eyebrows. "What do you do there?"

"Particle physics research."

"Holy shit, that's intense." I supposed Imight enjoy listening to a physics lecture if he was the one giving it. Damnhis voice was fine.

Aaron smiled and shrugged. "I enjoy it. I alsocoach soccer clubs for part of the year. I'm pretty vanilla and boring, really."

"Apparently not, mate, or the bad guys wouldn'tbe after you." I grinned at him.

He shook his head and crossed his arms over his chestas if hugging himself before folding himself back into the loveseat. He wasreally damn tall, and muscular, but he managed himself gracefully. I suspectedhe played a lot of sports by the lean but well defined muscles. He probablykept very active.

"You want to talk about it?" I prompted,hoping he would open up a little.

I felt the atmosphere in the house… tighten, wasreally the only way I could describe it. It had been sealed before, butwhatever Mal had just done to my wards had blocked us off solidly from anyoutside influence.

Aaron looked around, frowning.

"Mal just tightened the wards. I'm good, but he'sway better."

"Wards?" Aaron enunciated the word as if hewasn't familiar with it.

"Protections on the house against thesupernatural," I explained.

"Ahh. I guess I don't know a lot about thesupernatural world. I wasn't even completely sure it existed." Aaronhunched his shoulders and stared at his hands.

"Well, it does. Tell you what. It's been a crazyday and I'm sure we're all tired. Why don't you get some sleep, and we can talkmore in the morning?" I stood and Aaron did the same.

I wasn't especially tall, but I didn't normally feelshort. Aaron made me feel short. Really short. Next to him, I didn't hate thefeeling. I kind of wanted to wrap him around me and... Head out of the gutter,Price. You've got two guys already.

Aaron followed me down the hallway to my parents'room. The guest room was across from theirs. My room was on the other end ofthe house, which, was good because I didn't intend to be celibate while we hada visitor, and I didn't want him to hear us. I didn't typically mind anaudience, but he might not want to hear it. Not to mention, I hadn't exactlymentioned I was shacking up with both of them. Figured if he wanted to know hecould ask. Otherwise, wasn't his business.

Why was I even worried about what Aaron thought? I'dnever cared in the past. This was a new and uncomfortable feeling.

"Here you go, mate. Make yourself at home. Mightbe here for a little while if you can stand us."

Aaron smiled. "Thank you, Chris."

"Yeah, no problem."

He went into the room and I took a breath and headedfor mine. I shed my clothing once I was inside and headed for the shower. I'djust rinsed off before with three of us sharing this shower. I wanted to standin the hot water for a few minutes and really wash my hair. The little dog thatI was ignoring as best I could followed.

"So, what do you get out of all this?" I glancedat the tiny puff ball hellhound.

He woofed at me.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Whatever thatall meant. At some point I was going to have to name him. I had no idea what tocall a hellhound shaped like a poof, though.

I turned on the tap, waited until the water wassteaming, and then got in. Freaking hell, I was tired. And my face hurt fromgetting hit by that crazy bitch. No one had said anything, but I was certain Ihad a bruise. I wasn't ready to look in the mirror, however.

My phone chimed, interrupting my shower. Damn it.Though I was tempted to ignore the intrusive piece of technology, it wasprobably Darius and I suspected he and