Chapter Eight
Eve raced into the house and up the stairs, checking over her shoulder for someone who’d try to stop her from doing what she needed to do. Just as she came to the top of the stairs, Rhiannon came walking down the hall.
“Hi Eve, seems we both had the same idea.”
“What?” Eve replied, not sure what she should do.
“Marcus!” Rhiannon told her, but she could see that something was bothering Eve. “What’s wrong? Oh gods, did something show up in Marcus’ blood test?” Rhiannon asked, suddenly very worried about one of the men that she thought of as family.
“Rhiannon, how long have you been treating Marcus?” Eve questioned.
“I don’t know, about a week I guess, why?”
“Who was treating him before that?”
“No one in particular, they didn’t think it was important. Eve you’re scaring me, what’s wrong?”
“Rhiannon, I think we need to get Marcus out of here. Who has the best security?”
“Marcus.”
“That does us no good, who after Marcus and Roderic?”
“I don’t know. They all have top of the line security systems, I guess the next in line would be Caleb’s place,” Rhiannon told her.
“How about we take Marcus for a visit to Caleb’s,” Eve suggested.
“I’d prefer my own home. I have things to take care of, my brother’s home is fine, just not my taste,” came the voice from the doorway.
Eve glanced at Marcus. His colouring was better, he appeared stronger, and she wanted to keep him that way. “How are you feeling?” she asked.
“Better since you gave me that shot, much better,” Marcus stated. “I’m well enough that I should be checking in with Niall?”
“Nice try buddy, but no go. You may feel better, but you’re still a long way from being a hundred percent.” Eve shot at him, “Get dressed, we’re going for a drive.”
Rhiannon watched Eve, “What did you find out?”
“What?” Eve asked, not looking at her.
“I can see it on your face, you found something, and you’re trying to avoid telling me it’s not good news.”
Eve stopped and looked at Rhiannon, “Look, I don’t know you, but something in my gut is screaming that I can trust you, so I’m asking you to trust me for the moment. My car is outside the front door, but it is too small for all of us to be comfortable in. Can you get us a vehicle?”
“Sure, Marcus’ Bentley is in the garage, but why are you ...”
Eve cut her off, “Later okay, I’ll explain it all later, but I need directions to Caleb’s, can you do that?”
“Of course,” Rhiannon told her, “but why are you acting like anyone would stop you from taking Marcus out of the house?”
“Won’t they?” Eve questioned dumbfounded.
“Eve, Marcus is awake and lucid. He’s not a prisoner, so why would anyone try to stop us? What’s with all the cloak and dagger stuff?”
Eve stepped back, surprised she hadn’t thought beyond getting him out of the house without being stopped. Now, she was starting to rethink her perception of these men.
“Excuse me,” they heard from Marcus’ room. They entered the room, to find him sitting on the bed, a pair of pants in his hands. He looked up as they walked in. “It would seem that I’m not quite as capable as I usually am.”
“Want some help?” Eve questioned.
“As much I dislike saying this, but yes, I would very much appreciate any assistance that you could supply.” Eve smiled at the frustration on his face.
Marcus clearly was not used to being so weak and helpless. The fury boiled behind the weakness, and that frustration had him wanting to lash out, but he held a tight rein on his emotions, no matter what. These women were only trying to aid him, and he would not make an ass of himself by taking out his anger on them.
“Rhiannon, give us a moment, please?” She nodded, stepping out of the room to give Marcus and Eve some privacy, “You really hate having to ask for help, don’t you?”
“Yes,” Marcus ground out.
Eve could hear his suppressed frustration, “We all do at some point or another, you know.”
“I don’t,” he told her.
“Well, Mr. Tough Guy, it looks like today’s your lucky day. I think we’ll forgo the slacks and maybe try these sweats.” She pulled grey sweats from the closet, turning to see the grimace on his face.
“I do not wear sweats,” he informed her. “It is not dignified to be seen in public in a pair of sweat pants, and I will not do it.”
“Well buddy, get over it, because if you want my help today, it’s either sweatpants, or you head out wearing what you are wearing now. It’s your choice,” she explained to him, hands on her hips, her voice negating any argument.
“You really are the most unreasonable person, aren’t you?”
“You grow up with the personalities of my sisters and cousins, and you either learn to stand up for yourself pretty quickly, or you fade into the woodwork. I don’t fade.”
“Yes, I can see that. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She knelt down beside him, guiding his feet into the sweats. Beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead with only a few minutes of struggle. Exhaustion wasn’t far behind, and they still needed to get down the stairs and into the car.
“What the hell is wrong with me?” he demanded.
“This is not the time or place. Let’s just get you dressed and to your brother’s place.”
Marcus grabbed her arm, “What aren’t you telling me?” Eve admired the man’s perseverance; it reminded her of Kaitlyn’s dogged determination.
“Trust me,” she told him touching his arm, “I’m giving you my word that in two weeks you’ll be feeling more like your old self.” He studied her face for a moment. “I know that you have no reason to listen to me, or even trust me, but I’m a damn good doctor, and I promise that as of today, you will only start feeling better. All I want you to do is trust me.”
Marcus paused for a moment, before he nodded his agreement, lack of deceit in her eyes convincing him that she really believed she would follow through on her promise, and he would hold her to it.
“Fine, Dr. Cameron. I have no other options than to trust you,” he pointed out. “I detest feeling like this. How do you humans deal with this feeling of helplessness?”
“I think that was supposed to be a compliment, and I am going to take it that way. I’ll do the best I can for you Marcus, now let’s get you dressed and ready to go.”
He touched her arm and looked directly into her eyes, “Thank you.” Eve could see his gratitude; she had learned quickly as doctor that a touch of kindness went a long way with a patient it didn’t matter if they were mortal or other.
Niall stood in the hall outside the den, waiting for Caleb to show his face. He didn’t go in to join him, trying to give Caleb time to absorb the information that Kayne had relayed not long ago. After a few minutes, Caleb came out of his office, running into the waiting Niall.
“Are you still pissed?” Niall questioned, looking at the man who had been his friend for thousands of years.
Caleb ranted, “Why the hell didn’t you tell me that you knew them?”
“Because I didn’t know that I knew her … or that Kevan was one of Daphne’s missing heirs.”
“How could you not know?” Caleb threw at him.
“Caleb, we’ve lived for thousands of years, and you’re not stupid. It’s a big world out there, with how many billions of people, and you think that I should have known a woman I befriend is one of the missing heirs. Talk about living in a dream world.”
“You could not sense that Kevan might be one of them?”
“Just because I’m a Prince, doesn’t give me the power of foresight. No one could sense them after they disappeared. If it was that simple, we’d have found
them long ago.” Caleb knew what Niall was telling him was right. “Here’s what I do know. We met when I took those classes for a couple of years at Oxford, in England. She had the flat next to mine. I knew she was special, I could sense from the moment we met. As a potential to be one of them, be serious, we didn’t know anything about them, including their last name; besides, we really didn’t talk about our families. We bonded as friends, brother and sister. She’d ask my advice regarding guys, and I’d hear about what terrible taste I had in women, that kind of thing.”
Caleb looked to Niall; he couldn’t believe he was jealous that Niall had known her first. “Caleb, if I had known I’d walk in on you with your tongue down Kevan’s throat, I would have gone another way.”
“You’re a liar, my friend,” Caleb told him. “I know you, Niall, the last thing you would have done was walk away.”
Niall gave him a smirk, “You’re right, I wouldn’t have walked away. I’d never thought about Kevan in that way, until I walked in on you two about to do the horizontal mambo.” He had a reflective look about him. “It’s your fault, my friend, I have a picture in my head, and baby oh baby, if you ever want to share, I’d be more than happy to be your third.”
“Shit! I can’t believe the things that come out of your mouth,” Caleb smacked his forehead, “Oh yeah, we’re talking about you, and you would say something like that.” Niall laughed, as Caleb shook his head.
“You’ve known Kevan a whole day and you’re acting like she’s the best thing since sliced bread. It’s not like you to act so possessive over a woman, especially one you just met. Is it love or lust, enquiring minds want to know?”
“What are you, a teenage girl trying to get a second hand thrill?” Caleb accused Niall.
“No, I’m a horny warrior who has been without a woman for a week,” Niall told him. “Seeing you about to do the nasty with Kevan, what can I say, it turned me on.”
“We were not ...” Caleb stopped. He couldn’t deny that if Niall had walked in five minutes later, he would likely have had Kevan stripped, and the world would have disappeared from their minds. Caleb didn’t want to think about how mortified Kevan would have been, and promised himself that he would have more control in the future. “We are not in love, we just met,” Caleb stated, “I don’t know what this is.”
Niall smiled as he watched Caleb’s realization. “Don’t lie to yourself Caleb, you like her a lot,” Niall told him.
“Fine, I like her a lot,” he admitted to Niall.
“Thank the gods, at least you admit it, which is more than your brother would. All I ask is that you don’t hurt her,” he told him, becoming serious, which wasn’t like Niall.
“Niall, it is not my intention to hurt Kevan,” Caleb promised.
“I understand that, but she’s my friend and I really do care about ...” their conversation halted when Kayne walked into the room, concern overriding manners.
“What’s wrong?” Caleb inquired.
“I just received a disturbing call from Baron. Rhiannon and Dr. Cameron took Marcus’ Bentley and left Roderic’s with Marcus,” he informed them.
“Okay, why?” Caleb wanted to know.
“I’m not sure, they didn’t talk to any of the guys, they just loaded him up and left,” Kayne stated.
Caleb suddenly felt the same concern that Kayne was feeling, and then started to get angry. As warriors were usually calm, cool, levelheaded men, which was asset in their positions, but it was as if everything was unraveling more quickly than they could keep up with. How was it that a few women would prove to be such a handful and this only after one day of knowing them? He was starting to worry about what the future would bring; this did not bode well.
“Was Marcus conscious?” Caleb questioned Kayne, as he brought his attention back to the situation at hand.
“Yes.”
“Then I wouldn’t worry. Even as sick as Marcus is, as long as he is conscious, neither one of those women could make him do something he didn’t want to do,” Caleb stated. “We just have to trust that.”
“What about the GPS?” Niall asked, “We spent enough money having them installed in all our vehicles.”
“Baron’s checking,” Kayne informed them. Eve’s strange behaviour started a seed of suspicion.
“Let’s back up a few steps. We’re far too accustomed to assuming the worst. Marcus is with Rhiannon and Eve.”
Niall stopped when Kevan questioned from the top of the stairs, “What about Eve?”
“Nothing,” Caleb muttered, running his fingers over his short hair. His action spoke volumes.
“Don’t tell me nothing,” Kevan demanded of him. “I have eyes, I can see that you’re worried about something, and it involves one of my sisters. You would be better off to tell me what’s going on.”
Caleb stared at her determined face. “You’re going to prove very stubborn, aren’t you?” Caleb accused her.
“You have no idea,” she warned him.
“Fine, your sister borrowed Marcus’ Bentley and has taken him and Rhiannon somewhere without informing anyone.”
“And you’re thinking what?” Kevan questioned, “Did Eve have them at gun point?”
“No,” Kayne told her.
“Then they went with her willingly,” Kevan continued.
“So it would seem.”
“Then what’s the problem, you can’t be thinking that Eve would do something to hurt them?” She watched their faces. “Oh my gods, you are! Eve’s a doctor, who has taken an oath to do no harm, which she takes very seriously.”
“Then why leave Roderic’s? Why not tell someone, why the secrecy?”
“I don’t know, maybe she’s trying to protect him?” Kevan conveyed her rising anger.
“From what,” Caleb asked, “what would she need to protect him from at Roderic’s?”
“I don’t know, I don’t read minds,” Kevan spat back at him. “I just know that if she took Marcus away from Roderic’s, she’s taking him some place safe.”
“There is no dispute she took him,” Caleb threw at her, worry for his brother evident.
“Fine, then where is the next safest place?” Kevan questioned him.
“Here,” Caleb stated.
“Then that’s where they’re headed,” Kevan told them.
“You don’t know that,” he argued with her.
“I know my sister,” Kevan stated.
“You can’t read minds,” Caleb growled, “you just told us that.”
“I don’t need to read minds. I know, if she took him from Roderic’s and she isn’t taking him to the hospital, then she’s coming here,” she told him.
“Maybe yes, maybe no,” Caleb argued.
“Stop acting like she’s done something wrong. She must believe that there was a concern with regards to Marcus’ health or safety, and she did what she had to do to protect her patient.”
“You have no idea what you are talking about,” Caleb growled at her. “Roderic has a top of the line security system. What could be safer? You’re making an assumption that she is bringing him here.”
“And you’re making an assumption that Eve taking him from Roderic’s is for nefarious reasons. I know my sister, she won’t hurt Marcus.”
Niall interrupted them, “Would you two stop acting like children, we know Eve’s not going to harm Marcus, we’d just like to know what’s going on.”
“Eve, it seems we may have to continue our journey to safety. It’s apparent we have walked into a war zone.” Marcus stood in the doorway with Rhiannon and Eve standing on either side of him, holding him up. “Now the next question is why are they acting like children?”
“Kevan, what are you doing here?”
Kevan ignored Eve’s question and looked to Caleb, “I told you,” she told Caleb, who just stared at her.
“Yes you did,” he stated before going to his brother.
“Get in here! What’s going on? Why did you take him from Roderic’s?” he demanded.
“That can wait for a bit, Marcus needs a …” Eve was cut off by Marcus’ roar.
“Don’t you dare!” Marcus warned her. “I am not going back to bed again.” He took a few steps into Caleb’s house, looking to his brother. “I want someplace where I can get some fresh air. I will not be shoved back into a bed, I need to relax and talk to people.” He started to walk, but stumbled into Caleb. Marcus gave his younger brother a look. “Don’t even suggest it, lying in a god damn bed is not going to aid my recovery.”
“You’re one stubborn man,” Caleb grunted, as he took most of Marcus’ weight.
“You’re just realizing this now?”
Caleb put his shoulder under Marcus’ arm and helped him to the patio. Marcus collapsed into the chair Kayne had commandeered, not wanting to let on how much this expenditure of pride had cost him.
“It’s a beautiful evening; I want to enjoy some fresh air and good food.” The thought of Caleb’s housekeeper’s cooking had his stomach growling. “Is Martha cooking?”
“She had to leave early, but she left all the makings for steaks, we were just getting ready to fire up the grill. We can definitely throw a few more steaks on the barbeque.”
Marcus looked to Eve. He knew that she was trying to help him; he just couldn’t stomach being back in a bed just yet. “Acceptable?” he wanted to know.
“Acceptable,” she told him, “for now.” She warned, “But no argument when I tell you it’s time to rest.”
“We’ll see,” was all the challenge Marcus could muster.
Caleb looked to Niall and Kayne. They all wondered at the unusual behavior; it wasn’t like Marcus to give in so easily, and it spoke of how ill he really was. “It would seem we are about to have an unplanned dinner party,” Caleb said, looking to Kevan. “Please feel free to call anyone you would like to join us.”
“Thanks, but there’s nobody,” she pouted, walking away before anyone saw the wash of emotions that swamped her.
“Kevan,” Niall called, but she ignored him and kept walking. He looked at Caleb, “I have someone I will be inviting.” Then turning to Eve, who was staring at him, “Hello again, Eve.”
“Nigel?” she asked with surprise, as it finally registered who was standing in front of her. When she had seen him earlier, she hadn’t really looked, focusing more on getting Marcus’ blood so she could run the tests; besides, they’d only met a few times on video calls when Kevan had been in England.
“Actually, it’s Niall,” he informed her. “It is very nice to finally meet you,” he stated.
Rhiannon looked to Eve in shock, “You know Niall?” she questioned her. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because I had no idea that your Niall, is Kevan’s Nigel,” Eve stated dumbfounded.
“It’s certainly a small world,” Rhiannon remarked.
“You can say that again!” Eve muttered.