Empath's Angel - M J Marlow (easy readers .TXT) 📗

“I said keep an eye on her, Murphy,” Peters snapped from behind his partner, “not devour her with your eyes.” He watched the girl for a moment. “Wish we could have left her out of this.” “Not cooperating?” Murphy frowned. Peters shook his headand went back into the apartment. “Pity.” He saw the girl excuse herselfand head back towards the garage. Another couple stopped herand she spent another few minutes in conversation with them. He watched as Emilia was taken over to the group by the arch that had been set upand joined the bride’s family forpictures. She certainly didn’t belong to the family; unless the Greco American Cross parents had adopted the pretty raven-haired girl. They certainly treated her like she was a member of their family, Murphy noted. There was something really special about this girl;and something very familiar. He frowned as he remembered where he had seen those eyes before. He found himself suddenly wishing he could forget why they were hereand leave Dominik behind. A girl like her should never have to know sadnessand loss. “Popular little thing.” When she finally managed to get away, Murphy had the door open for her. Emilia stepped in, frowning at the stranger who was standing there. “Come in, girl. We’d like to talk to you.” “Do I know you?” Emilia asked, confused. She looked past the two men, trying to find her father. “Ojciec?” “Your father will explain who we are to you.” Murphy smiled down at her. Emilia winced in pain as he clamped his hand on her armand pulled her inside. He closedand locked the doorand then flipped the sign to CLOSED; then he started to take her to the apartment in back. His hand moved up to her cheekand she attacked, sending him to his knees. He watched in disbelief as she ran for the door. He hesitated only a secondand then he was after her. He smiled as he yanked her away from the door; clamping his hand over her mouth to quiet the scream. She bit himand ducked as he started to slap her. His hand hit the walland he bit back the roar of pain as it connected. She was opening the door of the apartment before he caught up with her again. He pushed the door closed, but as he reached out to grab her arm, Emilia ducked under his arm. He caught her by the hair;and tears sprung into her eyes from the pain as he yanked her back into the apartment. “You’re good, girl,” he smiled as he countered her next move, now that he knew to expect it from her. “Dominik taught you well.” “You actually let a girl get the drop on you?” Peters laughed as Murphy dragged Emilia into the apartment. “She caught you a good one there, partner.” “She managed to land quite a few good blows before I stopped her.” Murphy admitted ruefully. He looked over at Dominik. “You did a good job teaching her how to defend herself, Doc.” He scowled as Emilia tried once more to break free of his hold. “Behave yourself.” “Ojciec?” Emilia asked as she was shoved into the room by the man who smelled like pipe tobacco. Mr. Petersen, the druggist at the pharmacy, smelled something like this. She heard the lock on their apartment door being engaged,and knew something was wrong. “What’s going on?” she demanded as Murphy clamped his hand on her armand propelled her forward. “Why are these men here?” “It’s all right, Emi,” Dominik told her as he looked at the man holding her. He was not the threat this bastard standing near him was. “These men are friends of mine,” he lied to herand dared Peters to disagree, “from college. Mr. Petersand Mr. Murphy were at a seminar in Trentonand they thought they’d drop inand say hello. Isn’t that right, Pete?” “Please tell me the truth, Ojciec,” she asked as she closed her eyes as they began to blur from the pain she was removing from him without his knowledge. “Co kontynuuje tutaj?” “I have spent the past six years keeping you from knowing, Mój dzieckcko,” Dominik said sadly, as he looked down into her eyes. “It’s too dangerous for you to know…” “It appears I am in danger anyway,” Emilia broke in, frowning at his refusal to tell her the truth. “Please tell me.” “You have a smart girl, Doc,” Murphy laughed. “Sit down,” Murphy hissed as he shoved her onto a seat, “and behave yourself.” Emilia had never been angrier in her life. She needed to stay calm if she was going to find a way to help her father. The man who smelled like cigars, Murphy, moved closer to herand she steeled herself. She didn’t understand why heand his friend were here. But she knew it wasn’t a friendly visit. There was just too much fearand anger in the air. Everyone in the apartment, including her, was on edge. She wanted to get away from all the unpleasantness, but knew they wouldn’t let her go. “Your daughter is a very pretty girl, Doc,” Murphy said as he looked over at Emilia. “She looks a lot like a certain woman you had the hots for at the lab.” He looked over at Peters. “You remember the one I’m talking about, don’t you, partner?” “Yeah,” Peters nodded. “The one the Professor chose for himself, wasn’t it?” Peters came over to Emilia as she was deciding how to move. She stilled as she noted his anger. It added to the scent she would associate with him; like Jason Cross from across the street, this man smelled like gun oil. Jason was a member of the Glenville Police Departmentand he used to let her handle his guns; while he explained their workings to her. Emilia knew more about guns than most people she knew. She brought her mind back to what was happening. She knew these men wanted her to be afraid, but she was too angry to care. There was no way she was going to let these strangers beat her down. There was no fear in her eyes yet, Peters noted in surprise, just determination. Fierce little thing, Peters thought, as she glared up at him with anger blazing in her brilliant green eyes. She must get that from her mother; because Sobieski was the meekest person he’d ever met. He moved back to Dominik’s side. “Your daughter is not very hospitable, Doc,” he laughed at his prisoner. “Been telling her tales about us?” “Emilia doesn’t know anything about my life before,” Dominik snapped. “Please don’t involve her in this, Peters. Take me back, if you have to, but leave my girl alone.” “We tried that earlier, Doc,” Peters reminded him coldly. “You wouldn’t cooperate. Besides,” he added as he saw Emilia’s expression, “your daughter is curious about why we’re here. It would be ungentlemanly of us to leave her in the dark.” He stroked Emilia’s cheekand she pulled away. “Like you obviously have.” “Keep your hands off of my daughter,” Dominik hissed at him. “Now, Doc,” Peters laughed. “You know I’m not the one you need to worry about.” He tried once more to touch the girl,and she slapped him. He slapped her across the faceand met her angry glare with a smile. “Be careful, girl,” he laughed as he grabbed her wristsand pulled her close. “Some men would be turned on by that defiant glare of yours.” “Some men,” Emilia hissed back at him, “are animals!” She saw the stunned look on his face. He had actually expected her to be terrified by nowand compliant. “Let me go!” Someone began knocking on the door out frontand Peters frowned. He nodded to Murphy, who yanked Dominik to his feet. “Get rid of them, Doc.” Peters said as he pulled Emilia closer to his sideand clamped his hand over her mouth. “Make it fast,” his threat was clear, “or I won’t be able to keep my hands off of your pretty child.” Dominik saw the reaction on Emilia’s faceand knew he had to hurry. She had always been oblivious to such thoughts before, but now that her empathic abilities had begun to grow, she could sense what this man felt.And it frightened her to see that he meant it. He went to the garageand opened the door to see a very annoyed Jason Cross standing there. The young man was in his uniform, about ready to go on duty. His mother had asked him to check on Dominikand Emilia when they had failed to return to the party. He saw all of this in the young man’s expression as he unlocked the door. “Hey, Mr. Marks,” Jason frowned as he shuffled his feet. Something about Dominik always made him feel uneasy. Like he was a peasant. “Mama asked me…” “I’m sure she did,” Dominik smiled warmly. “It’s all right, Jay,” he told the young man. “Emiliaand I are just fine. She has one of her headachesand I had to put her to bed, that’s all.” “Sorry to hear that,” Jason said with true feeling. “I hope she feels better.” “She should be fine by morning,” Dominik nodded, seeing that the boy didn’t quite believe his story from the frown on his face. It would have to do; he couldn’t risk an outright warning. “I was just fixing myself something. I’d better get back to it.” “Yea.” Jason nodded. He smiled in relief. “Mama was acting like you were in danger of mutilation. She said some nasty looking men were hanging around…” “Some of my old college friends,” Dominik broke in with the lie he had tried out on Emilia earlier. “They were at a meeting nearby so they thought they’d drop inand surprise me.” He laughed. “Sure did. It’s been so long since we’ve been together, I thought I was seeing ghosts.” He looked at Jason pointedly. “On your way to work?” “Yea,” Jason nodded. “I pulled the night shift this week cause of Jazz’s weddingand all.” He nodded, wondering why he wasn’t satisfied with Dominik’s answers. “I’ll tell Mama you’re all right.” Dominik smiledand closed the door. He was yanked away by Murphy, who locked the doorand checked the sign. It still read CLOSED. Jason turned back a moment after he had leftand frowned. Something about Dominik’s story just wasn’t ringing true. Dominik had been too eager for him to believe his tale.And Emilia never had the kind of headaches that sent her to bed; the girl was one of the healthiest people he knew. In fact, he could not recall one day in the six years he’d known the girl when she had been sick. He was late for his shift, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of uneasiness that filled him. He moved around backand looked in the apartment window. Dominikand two men were seated in the living room. He couldn’t see Emilia. “We’ll be spending the night,” Peters told Dominik. “As long as youand your daughter continue to behave, there should be no problems.” Peters shiftedand Jason saw the gun in the shoulder holster. Dominikand Emilia were in trouble! He knew he couldn’t do anything about it on his own, so he hurried to the police stationand told Daniel what he seen. He didn’t know who the men were, he told his superior; but their intent was obviously not meant to benefit Dominikand Emilia. Jason spent a couple of hours going over the mug books, with no luck, while other officers kept an eye on the garage. Daniel made a few calls among his friends in the FBI, unknowingly alerting Dominik’s real family. “There’s not much in the way to eat in this kitchen,” Murphy complained as he went through the refrigeratorand the cupboards. “We were going to go out tonight,” Dominik said tightly. He looked towards his daughter, who was doing her best to calm down. She was so like her late mother, he thought; remembering how fiercely