Page 57 of Alien Mine

Miguel grunted. “He bargained for you, too. Thought the man there would be enough.”

Juan’s expression clouded. “I’m sorry, Rach. I tried.”

“You—” She swallowed down the bile clogging her throat and nearly spit it at him. “You sorry son of a biscuit eater. Wait ‘til your mama finds out about this.”

Juan’s cheeks flushed red. He glanced away and shuffled back a step. “I did what I had to,” he repeated, but it was a poor explanation and Rachel suspected he knew it.

An odd squawking sound came from the front yard. “You’re surrounded,” an amplified voice said. “Put down your firearms and come out slowly with your hands up.”

Miguel cursed low and long under his breath. Dyuvad spun around, pivoting on one knee, and tossed a small, black disk at the other man. It hit him in the chest, clinging to his shirt. Miguel glanced up, and Dyuvad grinned.

“Want to take your chances with me or them?” he asked. “Or maybe you’d like another demonstration like the day Fate and I came to visit?”

Miguel glared, but he slowly lowered his firearm and yelled, “Don’t shoot! We’re coming out.”

After that, things got kinda fuzzy. Rachel distinctly remembered witnessing Ramirez’ men dropping their guns onto her floor and filing out in a much more orderly fashion than they’d entered. The Sheriff came in, hitching up his pants as he walked, and explained how they’d worked with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to catch Miguel in a criminal act,anycriminal act. Juan had apparently given them the perfect opening when he’d approached one of the deputies and asked him to repay a favor by bringing Juan here.

Everything else was a bit murky. Checking on the girls and finding them safely hidden in Tiny’s closet. Fate bursting through the door, muttering something about hearing what happened on the scanner, and why hadn’t she called him? Dyuvad gathering her close and murmuring to her as he held her snug against thesurprisingly flexible armor covering him from neck to floor.

“I love you,” she whispered into his chest.

His arms tightened around her and his face brushed the top of her head. “Really?”

“Yeah, but I think I’m gonna pass out now.”

And she did.

Dyuvad tucked Rachel into her bed under a threadbare sheet and smoothed wisps of hair away from her face. She loved him. Had she really said that? Had she meant it?

He frowned and backed away from the bed, crossed his arms over his chest, and studied her still form. In all the night’s confusion, had she even known what she was saying?

Her chest rose and fell against her t-shirt, pressing her breasts into the thin, worn fabric. Outside, crickets and frogs chirped madly, seemingly oblivious to the frantic scenes that had played out on Rachel’s property earlier that evening.

The law enforcement officers were leaving and taking what Fate calledthe riffraffaway with them. Ramirez was no longer a threat. Juan would be returned to prison. All was well in Rachel’s world. Safe, secure. Dyuvad no longer had a reason to linger on Earth.

Except for the love he felt for this woman and her family. Did she truly love him in return?

A soft knock interrupted his musings. He twisted halfway around and attempted a smile for Fate. “She’s still sleeping.”

Fate grunted as he leaned a thin shoulder against the doorframe. “Probably tuckered out.”

Dyuvad hummed agreement under his breath, and couldn’t quite stop himself from turning back around and watching her sleep.

“So, ah.” Fate cleared his throat, coughed, then let out a wheezing chuckle. “I reckon you’ll be hightailing it out of here soon.”

He really should, shouldn’t he? One corner of Dyuvad’smouth turned down. “I’m no longer needed.”

“I wouldn’t say that, ol’ son.”

Dyuvad’s arms dropped to his sides and he inhaled slowly. “My job is finished. I’ve done what I was supposed to do.”

“Is ‘at so?”

“There’s no reason to stay.” Was there? “Rachel will want her life to be normal again.”

Fate let out a short bark of laughter. “I reckon Rachel is gonna want a say in that.”

Dyuvad glanced over his shoulder and arched an eyebrow. “What if I don’t want to give her a say? What if I want to take her and the girls home with me? What if I want to take them where no one will ever threaten them again?”

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