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I woke facing away from the window and my gaze landed on the sunlight painting the walls with the outline of the windowpanes standing out like giant Braille relief map. Instead of the usual freak out, I sighed and studied the patterns that so many take for granted.
The door to the bathroom opened and I rolled onto my back, looking down beyond the foot of the bed at Naomi. Her hair glistened in the morning sun and the soft smile on her lips created a heat through my entire form. I sat up, returning her smile.
“Valerie is taking me to the doctor. Did you want to come?”
My smile faded. Neither of us had left the safety of the property since the battle with Lucifer and just the thought left me chilled. All the what-ifs hit and I stared at her. Instead of voicing the shit flinging in my head, I gave her a nod and threw the blankets aside. Any hope I had of morning sex went out the window and I headed for the bathroom, catching a quick kiss on my way by.
If she was nervous about leaving, I couldn’t tell, but that’s par for the course. She could hide her nerves better than I could. Yesterday was one of the first times I had ever seen her hesitant about anything. Naomi usually barrels along without much of a thought to her mortality. It’s both refreshing and frustrating, and one of the many reasons I love her.
The warm water of the shower didn’t quell the chill in my bones either and I wondered if we could get someone to come here instead of venturing out. Sure, I had gone to the garage, but that place is almost as secure as this one. The only saving grace was it was bright and sunny, so the monsters that hunted at night wouldn’t be on the prowl.
That left demons.
I hate demons. Those crazy fucks didn’t have any sort of moral code. They plundered, tortured and killed with glee.
By the time I stepped into the living room, I had worked myself up into a foul mood.
“What time is your appointment?” I asked with a clip in my voice that turned both women’s heads.
“What crawled up your ass?” Valerie shot back.
I leveled a glare in her direction. “We haven’t left the house since...” I stopped, pressing my lips together and shifting my stance. I knew Valerie’s motives were purely to make sure Naomi was okay, but I don’t think she considered what could happen on the outside.
“I’ve been coming to and from without incident.”
She had a point. Even with Uncle Ted off on vacation, no one bothered her. I nodded and met Naomi’s gaze. “What if demons are watching the place? We have to be prepared for the worst.”
That annoyed crease appeared between her eyes and her arms crossed. She didn’t need to speak to broadcast her irritation, but underneath the fire burning in her gaze, I saw the first hint of hesitation.
“How does one prepare for a demon attack?” she asked, opting for the snarky sarcasm that always steeled my nerves.
I shrugged. “I used to be able to smell them coming.” My hands found their way into my pockets and I dropped my gaze.
“You don’t have to come if you don’t want to.”
My gaze snapped to hers and I bit back my comment. There was no way in hell I was going to let her go without me. I turned to Valerie.
“Do you have your uncle’s pistol?”
“You don’t have a permit to conceal and carry. Besides, the hospital frowns upon firearms on the premise unless you’re a police officer,” she said.
I just stared at her because anything that came out of my mouth would have turned into a rant. Instead, I just nodded and clenched my jaw. “Fine,” I uttered after her challenging stare down.
Valerie crossed into the kitchen and opened a drawer. It slammed closed and she stepped back into my line of sight tossing something in my direction. I caught the small pouch and stared at the potpourri wrapped in sheer webbing. “There’s already one in her pocketbook. Put it in your coat pocket and whatever badass is in the neighborhood leaves you alone.”
“What the hell is this?” I snapped.
“It masks the scent of our bloodline.”
“How?” I asked, this time with more patience, bringing the bag up to my nose to take a whiff. I pulled it away fast but the sickly sweet stench hung on the air making my eyes water.
“Michael gave them to me.”
“He had a way to... hide you from...” I trailed off, looking at the small package again. The scent was repulsive, yet familiar. I blinked and the origin of that smell slammed into my brain, making my gaze snap back to Valerie. “With demon blood?”
Both Naomi and Valerie blanched at the revelation. Naomi even moved her purse farther away from her body in an unconscious reflex of disgust.
“It works,” Valerie said.
I didn’t want the thing to touch me and I put it in the side pocket of my jacket, zipping it almost the entire way closed. Wiping my hands on my jeans, I gave a nod. “So what time is her appointment?” I asked again, but this time without the edge.
* * * *
VALERIE DROVE WITH Naomi and me crammed in the small back seat of the truck. The tiny side windows were tinted and the back had a stencil of the American Flag blocking the window, so we were virtually invisible to the outside traffic. Even so, I still tensed when we got into a more populated area.
The half glances toward the truck had more to do with the rumbling engine than the occupants, and by the time we drove into the medical center in Torrington, I had relaxed enough to let my guard down. The moment the truck shut off, the nerves jumped into action.
Valerie stepped out of the truck and pushed the seat down for us to exit. I got out and my gaze bounced around the quiet parking lot before I turned and helped Naomi out of the cab. I felt like a secret service agent protecting the President in a crowd, my gaze couldn’t move fast enough over the black top and cars, looking for threats. By the time we got to the door, I was wrapped so tight I almost attacked an old woman who pushed open the doors on her way out of the office building.
Valerie and Naomi gave me that shocked expression that I was used to and I let out a small laugh. I knew my strength and speed was superior to most humans, but if we encountered a demon, I would only be as effective as a fly swatter.
In the waiting room, I sat next to Naomi and my leg bounced in nervous anticipation. My back was safe against a wall, but the office had a half dozen other women in attendance and just the proximity to anything remotely dangerous left me on edge.
Naomi placed her hand on my knee and I turned meeting her gaze.
“Everything will be okay,” she whispered pushing down until my leg stopped moving.
I covered her hand with mine and gave it a squeeze, exhaling and offering a tight smile. It was a long half hour wait.
“Anna Andreas?” the nurse asked.
Naomi didn’t respond at first, but I gave her hand a squeeze and nodded toward the nurse.
“Oh,” she mumbled and collected her purse. She gave Valerie a quick glance and stood. I followed suit and the nurse gave me that high browed what do you think you’re doing glare.
“It’s okay if my husband comes in with me, right?” Naomi asked when she caught the nurse’s less than subtle glare.
The nurse dropped her gaze to Naomi’s and it softened. She nodded, but when it drifted back in my direction, the hard lines filled in around her mouth. When Naomi disappeared into the bathroom, I started nibbling on my nail, waiting for her to return. The nurse waited patiently, but ignored me long enough for my nerve endings to tingle.
“I guess you see a lot of nervous husbands,” I finally said to break the ice but the look she sent my way chilled me further. There would be no ice breaking with this one. I peeled off my coat and hung it on the chair, crossing to the window. I did a quick scan of the asphalt view.
“How old are you anyway,” the nurse asked and I glanced over my shoulder.
When she asked my age I caught my smirk in the reflection of the glass and wondered how she’d react if I told her my real age. Instead, I turned, meeting her gaze. “I’m twenty-five.”
“Pft. You shouldn’t be thinking about a family yet. Get established first,” she scoffed at me but at least the hostility was waning.
I glanced at my coat. Maybe it was the sachet that made her act like the ice princess and the minute I took my jacket off and put some distance between me and my coat, she thawed. “We’re good,” I said and crossed my arms, leaning on the windowsill and waiting for Naomi.
“Do you realize just how much raising a child costs?” she chided.
“Yes, ma’am, I’m aware,” I said. “I’m also aware of what the projections for college are,” I added for good measure, punctuating it with a smile.
Her frown eased and she gave me a nod just as the door opened and Naomi stepped inside, handing her a cup of urine.
“The doctor will be with you in a moment,” the nurse said and stepped out with the offering.
Naomi took a seat and I stepped to her side, taking her hand in mine.
“I think those things Valerie gave us make normal people hostile,” I whispered. “Either that, or the nurse needs lessons in bedside manners.”
Naomi giggled and squeezed my hand. “Or she’s just reacting to your projected paranoia.”
The shock of her words went through me like a sound wave vibrating up my spine and into my teeth. I raised my brow. “It’s that obvious?”
“Um...yeah,” she answered. Her lips twitched into a smile. “It would be highly amusing if I wasn’t just as nervous as you are.”
“I think once the baby is born, we should start looking for somewhere else to live,” I said and her smile faded.
Before she could answer, the door opened and a tall, bespectacled man wearing a white lab coat stepped into the room. He looked from the laptop in his hands to Naomi and me, breaking into a broad grin.
“I guess you two are expecting,” he said and placed the computer on the counter before offering Naomi his hand. “I’m Dr. Wolk.”
“Na... Anna,” Naomi said, catching herself before she revealed her real name. “And this is my husband, Damian.”
Dr. Wolk extended his hand to me and I shook it, meeting his open gaze. His grip was firm but not overbearing.
“Congratulations,” he said and adjusted his glasses before bringing his gaze back to Naomi. “When was your last period?”
Naomi bit her lip and glanced at me. She couldn’t very well say five years ago and I’m not sure she had one between being shot with the cure and when I woke from my coma. I just shrugged. She hadn’t had one since I came out of it.
“Do you have a calendar?” she asked and the doctor pointed to the wall behind her. Naomi hopped off the table and ran her fingers over the dates, silently moving her mouth in thought. She tapped the date that she woke from her delirium in Colorado and ran her finger over the calendar from that point, hesitating over the day we almost died.
A couple of weeks out from that, she tapped the date.
“February third,” she said.
I woke up a week later.
“And I’m pretty sure we conceived on the tenth or soon thereafter.”
The tenth was that first day in the shower and the memory stirred my soul. I had mustered up enough energy to make love to her in the shower and then all strength left me. She dried me off and helped me pull on a clean pair of shorts while I sat on the bathroom floor dizzy and exhausted. Naomi had to enlist Valerie’s help to get me back to the bedroom. I remember feeling helpless as they changed the bed and once I was tucked into the clean sheets, Valerie hooked me back up to the IV. It took me a few days of eating and sleeping to get up the energy to make love to her again, but after those celibate days in the beginning, we haven’t missed a daily romp.
She smiled at me and climbed back on the table.
The doctor nodded and typed the information on the computer. “Well, based on that, it looks like you’re due around October 20th. He scanned the screen and a frown formed before he moved his gaze to Naomi.
“I’d like you to have some blood drawn and do a couple of tests before you leave today to make sure we have your glucose levels under control.”
“What’s wrong with my glucose level?” Naomi asked.
“It’s high enough to pass into your urine, which isn’t necessarily cause for alarm, but I’d just like to make sure we aren’t looking at a potential complication. Did you have anything to eat this morning?”
Naomi shook her head and the flash of concern in Dr. Wolk’s eyes before he moved his gaze to the numbers on the screen lit my stomach on fire.
“Is there a history of diabetes in your family?” he asked, scanning the information from one of the sheets she filled out in the waiting room.
“Not to my knowledge.”
She reached out and took my hand in a grip that I had encountered before. The one that announced her nerves jumping into overtime.
The doctor glanced up at her and offered a smile. “I’ll send Leticia back in to take some blood,” he said and stood. “It will take a few minutes to run the tests and then I’ll be back in and see if we can detect a heartbeat, okay?”
We both nodded and the moment the door closed, she turned her dark gaze in my direction. The worry there made me swallow and try on a smile.
“Everything will be just fine,” I said, and the conviction in my voice surprised me. Based on the conversation with Valerie, I had my doubts, but it was something under our control and it was my turn to be strong.
I leaned forward and planted a kiss on her forehead, smoothing her hair back with my free hand. She closed her eyes and leaned her cheek in my palm in that endearing way that squeezed my heart.
The door opened and a different nurse stepped inside. The way she glanced into the hallway and shut the door, prickled my nerves. When she turned full toward us, I knew we were in trouble.
“Where’s the other nurse,” Naomi asked, her eyes dropping to the tray the nurse set on the counter. The needle and glass vials were expected, but the glistening scalpel was not.
Her red-eyed glare snapped to both of us and she reached for the knife, but I was faster. I slapped my hand down on the corner of the tray, sending everything across the room in a loud clatter. The only thing between this demon and Naomi was me and she stepped forward, her face transforming into an angry growl.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she snarled.
A sound behind her drew her attention and her expression transitioned to embarrassment for the benefit of the head nurse now standing in the open door.
“I was just about to ask you the same question,” the head nurse asked. She glanced beyond her subordinate without any of the attitude she had given me earlier. Instead, her underling looked down at the mess on the floor and back in her direction.
“Isn’t this the room for the D-and-C?”
“We don’t have a D-and-C patient today, Clara,” the nurse said. There was a clear warning in her tone and her icy glare landed on the younger nurse. “This isn’t the first time you’ve made that mistake.” She crossed her arms.
Clara sent visual daggers in my direction before glancing back at her superior.
“Please leave,” the head nurse said in a tone that left no negotiation.
“But, Leticia,” Clara started but Nurse Leticia pointed toward the exit.
“Now.”
I stepped closer to Naomi, still buffering her from the inept demon and for a moment, I thought the bitch was going to lash out at Leticia. Her fists clenched and she shot a glare in my direction before stomping out of the office.
Leticia sighed and stepped inside. “I’m sorry about that. Clara is new and she’s been a disaster since she started.” She squatted to pick up the syringe and the vials and hesitated when her gaze fell on the scalpel. A dark shadow crossed her features and she shook her head, picking up the instrument with her thumb and forefinger, like it carried a nasty disease.
She sat back on her haunches and the crease between her eyes grew. She glanced up at me before standing. I still blocked Naomi, but when the offending knife and needle dropped into the sharps container, I stepped aside.
“I’ll need to get a clean syringe and vials,” she said and slipped out of the room, leaving the door open.
I took the opportunity to glance at Naomi.
“What the hell was that?” she whispered.
“A demon,” I answered and the remaining splotches of color in her cheeks faded.
Naomi’s hand slid over her abdomen in a protective gesture and I stepped closer, reaching for her hand.
“How’d you know?”
I smiled and glanced over my shoulder at the door before answering. “I’ve been around a lot longer than you, hun.”
She nodded and her gaze moved behind me.
“Okay, let’s see if I can get some blood for those tests the doctor ordered,” Leticia said and I yielded, letting her approach Naomi. She gave me a nod of approval and I locked my gaze with my wife’s.
“Are you okay?” I asked. She still hadn’t regained any color and when she shrugged, I followed her gaze to the needle. Reaching out, I turned her chin toward me so she didn’t have to watch the drawing of blood. It didn’t bother me in the least, hell it actually made my stomach growl and I offered her a slight grin when she tilted her head in a silent question.
The nurse finished and left the room.
“Are you serious?”
I laughed and gave her a shrug of my own. “What’d you expect?” I asked. “I’m still freaked by sunshine, so it’s not odd that the sight of blood still makes me hungry. Twenty-five-hundred years of conditioning.”
“You are too funny sometimes,” she whispered and pulled me to her lips.
I didn’t want to dampen her light mood with what I anticipated waited for us outside, but I also didn’t want Valerie to be hit in the crossfire. After Naomi pulled away, I crossed to my coat and dug my phone out of the inside pocket. I typed a quick text that I was sure would draw a tremor of fear through Valerie, but she had the sachet on her, so the demons might not take notice of her.
“Valerie?” Naomi asked when I turned and dropped the phone in my shirt pocket.
“Yes. I told her to meet us out back. We aren’t going in the way we came.”
The door opened, interrupting our conversation, and I turned to see Dr. Wolk stepping into the room with what looked like a small stereo speaker. “The initial blood tests don’t look as bad as I anticipated; however, we are sending a couple of the vials out for more tests just to make sure you are not at risk. I will want you to do the glucose screening at 24 weeks but in the meantime, I’d like to take a listen.” He slid the chair next to the bed and lowered the back before pulling up Naomi’s shirt to reveal her abdomen. He tucked a sheet in her pants, tugging them down so her entire belly showed.
I stared at her and for the first time, I saw the slight change in her stomach. It was no longer the flat washboard I was used to, and I wondered how I could have missed the nuance of change in her. Of course, I had been dealing with the strangeness of being human again after so long, but that still didn’t excuse my lack of noticing the changes in her body.
The doctor ran a thin line of clear gel on Naomi’s belly and pulled a thick wand from the side of the speaker. “I’m just warning you, it’s extremely rare to hear the heartbeat at this early stage, so if we can’t find it, I don’t want you to worry.”
“Okay,” Naomi said and I squeezed her hand as she tucked the pillow under her head and stared at the ceiling. A smile formed and I glanced up. Taped above the table was one of those posters of Anne Geddes baby gardens.
Dr. Wolk glanced up and echoed both our smiles. “I try to give my patient’s something unique. There’s a different picture in each room,” he said and the wand touched Naomi, running slowly across the path of gel.
The volume was turned to high and the noises echoing from the speaker sounded like an underwater wonderland. A slight fluttering sound came and went and the doctor retraced his path, finding the flutter again. He looked up at Naomi with a grin.
“You are one lucky girl. Six weeks is usually early for a heartbeat, but there it is,” he said and pulled the wand away from her belly, wiping the gel with a cloth and pulling her shirt down once she was clean. “I’ll want to see you next week so we can go over the test results. You can set up your next appointment at the front desk before you leave.” Dr. Wolk stood and gave a nod as he exited the room.
The reality that the woman I loved was carrying my child hit and I bit down on my lip to push the swirl of emotions away. I smiled at her and brought her hand to my lips. Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears and she wrapped her arms around me, using my height to get to her feet.
“We’re having a baby,” she said and her voice cracked. She buried her face in my chest and the first wave of tears struck.
I blinked my eyes clear and kissed the top of her head. “I love you,” I said when I was sure I had a handle on my voice. Since I met her, she was the more emotionally stable of the two of us, now it was my turn to be solid and strong.
After scheduling Naomi’s next appointment, I checked my phone; there was nothing from Valerie so I stuck my head into the waiting room. Her seat was empty and my gaze shot to the parking lot. The truck still sat where we parked it and icy dread filled my veins.
Instead of heading out of the office area, I turned toward the desk.
“We have a bit of a drive, is there a rest room my wife could use before we get on the road?”
Naomi’s lips pressed into an embarrassed smile. The girl pointed toward the way we had come.
“Down the hall and around the corner on your right.”
I took Naomi’s hand and led her farther into the office, looking for one specific thing; when we turned the corner, my nerves relaxed a fraction. Before we could be intercepted, I pulled her through the exit, into a small stairwell and put my hand over her mouth, shaking my head before closing the door as quietly as I could.
I glanced between her and the stairs leading down to a lower entrance, before maneuvering her into the darkest corner. I pulled my phone out without speaking and typed a text to Valerie, telling her they were running another test, so we would be another fifteen minutes or so.
I put my finger on my lips and showed Naomi the text before making sure my phone was on silent. She didn’t understand until I hit send and Valerie’s ringtone echoed through the stairwell.
“Fuck,” an unfamiliar voice muttered from below and Naomi’s eyes widened.
I glanced at the stairs leading up and pulled her with me, silently climbing to the next floor. The door didn’t have a handle so we continued to the third floor.
This one had a knob and I closed my eyes, saying a small prayer and turned. It gave and I opened it to another hall, moving Naomi into the carpeted stretch before shutting the door.
“What is going on?”
“Demons have Valerie,” I whispered and continued down toward the other end of the hall. I wanted Naomi out of the building before they figured out our game, but I had no idea how I was going to get Valerie away from the bastards. I stopped at the next exit and leaned against the door, running my hand down my face before meeting Naomi’s gaze.
“I wish she had let me take the gun,” I said, pushing the fear down into my already knotted stomach.
“What are we going to do?” she asked and her hand went into that protective reflex, covering her abdomen without knowledge of the move.
“We aren’t going to do anything. You are going to stay here and I’m going to take care of those bastards,” I said and I recognized the shadow that traveled over her features before they hardened into that stubborn aggravation I was used to. I shook my head before she opened her mouth to argue. “No. You’re carrying my child. You aren’t going out there until I know it is safe.”
Naomi’s lips thinned and she turned her back on me, crossing her arms and surveying the hall. She glanced over her shoulder, sending a glare at me before she marched away. Halfway down the hall sat a fire alarm box and when she reached for it, I almost laughed. Leave it to my wife to find a valid way out that wouldn’t leave us alone in the parking lot with the enemy.
She pulled down and as the alarms broke out, wailing throughout the building, she passed in front of me and pushed open the door leading to a set of stairs on the opposite side of the floor. We joined a group of people clearing the building in an orderly fashion.
We exited at the far side of the parking lot and I didn’t want to leave Naomi alone in the crowd. At least one of the demons knew what she looked like and if I left her alone, I’m sure that’s when all hell would break loose.
“Follow me,” I whispered and started to navigate the parking lot, which was easier than I anticipated, especially with all eyes on the building, including the demon bitch that sat in the passenger seat.
Valerie sat still, her gaze locked in front of her, unfocused, even as we passed her line of sight. Her waxy skin glistened with sweat and I wondered what the hell held her in place. When we were a car away, I pulled Naomi lower.
“Stay here.”
She glanced at the truck and then back to me, her eyes pleading in that way that made me hesitate, but I put my hand up and turned, focusing on the truck. From our vantage point, we couldn’t see the building and I had no idea who else was working with the demon bitch of a nurse holding Valerie hostage.
I did a quick scan and then stepped to the side of the truck, yanking the passenger door open. The bitch’s head snapped in my direction, but I reacted faster than she did. My fist connected, breaking her nose before she had a chance to remove the knife buried in Valerie’s side.
The anger that flared pulled a growl from my lips and I yanked psycho nurse from the car, twisting her neck as I turned. The sickening crunch of bone bounced off the car and I dropped the limp body, turning toward Naomi.
“Hurry,” I said and as soon as she was in the car, I closed the door and ran to the driver’s side. Without thinking, I slid Valerie to the middle of the bench seat and turned the key hanging from the ignition.
The truck revved to life and I hit the gas, tearing through the parking lot as fast as I dared. The hospital emergency room wasn’t far and I chanced a glance at Valerie. The girl still stared out the window almost like she was already...
I shook the thought out of my head. “Check her pulse,” I ordered.
Naomi’s shaking fingers reached into my peripheral vision, landing on Valerie’s throat as I took the turn into the emergency room entrance.
“Does she have a pulse?” I barked and glanced around Valerie, meeting Naomi’s frightened stare.
“I, I don’t know,” she said. I slammed the brakes, stopping the vehicle within a hair of the ambulance sitting in front of me and jumped out.
“You can’t park here,” a heavy-set officer said as he stepped out of the sliding doors.
“My friend was stabbed,” was all I said, yanking the passenger door open. Naomi hopped out and moved aside, so I could reach in for Valerie. I didn’t hesitate; I scooped her up so the hilt of the blade faced the hospital. My heart dropped when she didn’t react with even a grunt from the change in position. I marched past the cop without another look. Each step brought back a random memory of Valerie. Years of memories, of watching her grow, flooded my senses and I carried her right past the desk and into one of the exam rooms. I didn’t have to speak, the blade and blood dripping a path from the car was all the hospital needed.
The emergency room staff descended like a pack of wild eagles, pushing us aside while they assessed the damage. Naomi pulled me back against the wall as they barked commands that didn’t register. The sound of a heartbeat pulled me out of my stress-filled trance, yanking a breath of relief from my chest. The nursing staff herded us from the room, despite my protests.
“They are bringing her to surgery,” someone said and I glanced down at the owner of the voice. A petite nurse stood with her hand on my chest. The name tattooed on her shirt read Sara H, - RN.
“Is she going to make it?” I asked, my voice weak and unsteady and I cleared my throat, glancing at Naomi, who stood next to me with the same shell-shocked stare I imagined I wore.
“Are you family?”
“She’s my cousin,” Naomi said, gaining Nurse Harding’s attention. “Is she going to be okay?”
“We have the best doctors working on her right now,” she answered and I closed my eyes, finding the wall with my hand. “The waiting room is that way. I will come find you when I get word as to her condition. Okay?”
I nodded and threw my arm around Naomi, turning in the direction the nurse had pointed.
The officer waited by the door, swinging a set of keys from his finger. When I approached, the keys stilled and he crossed to me.
“What happened, son?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” I said. “Valerie came into Dr. Wolk’s office with us and she was in the waiting room last I knew. The fire alarm was pulled and we went out to the truck and found her like that.” I pointed a shaking finger toward the exam rooms.
“The police are processing your vehicle.”
I glanced around him at the cop cars and crime scene tape and nodded. “I hope they find the son of a bitch...” I muttered and glanced back at the cop.
“Did you touch the knife?”
“No. I don’t think either of us did.” I glanced at Naomi.
“I didn’t touch it. The only thing I did was feel for a pulse when you asked me to.”
The cop seemed satisfied for the time being and pointed us to the waiting room. Another staff member approached and handed us a clipboard to fill out with Valerie’s information. I stared at the blanks and then at Naomi. I had the name, address and date of birth down, but not much else and I sighed, dropping my head into my hands.
“Michael,” I whispered, calling on the power of heaven to perform yet another miracle.