hoping you’d call.”
“Nettie, my life is such a mess.”
“Just come home sweetheart. We’ll figure
everything out together. Nothing is too bad for us to fix.”
Julie burst into tears. “Oh, God, Nettie, I’m
pregnant and the father took off.”
“It’s alright. I bet we’ll have the cutest
baby ever. We’ll fix up the spare room as a nursery. Just come
home, nothing else matters.”
“I can’t come home yet, I have to help
someone.”
“Julie, I’ll come get you. Don’t do anything
that will cause you to get hurt. Did the father of the baby get you
involved in something dangerous?”
Julie took a deep breath and she told Nettie
everything. Nettie asked a few questions, but she didn’t judge as
Julie had feared she might. “Julie?”
“Yes, Nettie?”
“I’m so proud of you. Terrified for you, but
proud of you for trying to do the right thing and help someone in
need. I’m going to pack a bag, take off work, and drive right down
there.”
“Don’t you dare, I know I woke you up if
you’ve even been to sleep yet. I’m going to sleep until ten and
then kill sometime until work. You go to sleep and drive down when
you get up.”
“Maybe you’re right. I’ve been tracking some
witnesses down and I was out all night but it was productive. I’ll
sleep a few hours and hit the road. I should get there before you
do to work. We’ll talk some more then. I want to meet these gods
and make sure they’ll keep you safe.”
“Okay, sounds like a plan. Nettie?”
“Yeah, Squirt?” Nettie said using the nick
name Julie hadn’t heard in forever. It was all she could do not to
cry.
“Thanks for not saying I told you so,” Julie
said softly so her voice wouldn’t break.
“You’re all I’ve got, Kid. Take care of
yourself until I get there,” Nettie said. The I’ll take care of
you then was unsaid, but understood.
“Sure thing, Sis.”
They said their goodbyes and Julie sat there
just holding the phone for a while thinking about everything they’d
said and all that hadn’t been said. The baby rolled in her stomach
trying to get comfortable? She didn’t know but she was tired and
hungry. She went to the kitchen where she fixed a sandwich and
warmed up a mug of milk. She sat at the table eating so she
wouldn’t make a mess. The place was a studio, not even a big one
but she could barely afford it. It was clean and she had even
painted and decorated ala yard sale as she could.
She felt a sense of accomplishment on what
she had done with the place, the treasures she had found in the
sales she had searched. She honestly couldn’t say she’d miss it
even though she’d been there nearly a year and tried to make it
nicer. She’d be glad when Nettie came and she followed her
home.
Chapter 3
Plans to Make
Afrod’s eyes were glazed as Hades went over
the plan for the hundredth time knowing they would land soon. They
would have an hour drive to the hotel they intended to stay at. He
planned to take Julie to the hotel with them so he could watch over
her. He was even entertaining the thought of mating with her. He’d
hoped but never really believe he would find a mate like the others
had. Odds were against him and this girl needed him. Her fearful
soft voice brought out the protector in him and he felt some kind
of attachment to her he couldn’t explain.
Had he had the slightest sexual attraction to
her or felt even the tiniest itsy bitsiest pull in a physical way,
he would have known she was his. Maybe she was his and he was
reading things wrong expecting too much when he hadn’t even seen
her yet. He knew he’d kill to protect her and the innocent life
that grew within her. It was a start, he would just play it by ear
and see where they ended up but he was open to taking
responsibility for her whether they mated or not.
Hades was winding down on his overview of
what they knew, what they needed to find out, and what they would
probably be doing in the light of the new
“Nettie, my life is such a mess.”
“Just come home sweetheart. We’ll figure
everything out together. Nothing is too bad for us to fix.”
Julie burst into tears. “Oh, God, Nettie, I’m
pregnant and the father took off.”
“It’s alright. I bet we’ll have the cutest
baby ever. We’ll fix up the spare room as a nursery. Just come
home, nothing else matters.”
“I can’t come home yet, I have to help
someone.”
“Julie, I’ll come get you. Don’t do anything
that will cause you to get hurt. Did the father of the baby get you
involved in something dangerous?”
Julie took a deep breath and she told Nettie
everything. Nettie asked a few questions, but she didn’t judge as
Julie had feared she might. “Julie?”
“Yes, Nettie?”
“I’m so proud of you. Terrified for you, but
proud of you for trying to do the right thing and help someone in
need. I’m going to pack a bag, take off work, and drive right down
there.”
“Don’t you dare, I know I woke you up if
you’ve even been to sleep yet. I’m going to sleep until ten and
then kill sometime until work. You go to sleep and drive down when
you get up.”
“Maybe you’re right. I’ve been tracking some
witnesses down and I was out all night but it was productive. I’ll
sleep a few hours and hit the road. I should get there before you
do to work. We’ll talk some more then. I want to meet these gods
and make sure they’ll keep you safe.”
“Okay, sounds like a plan. Nettie?”
“Yeah, Squirt?” Nettie said using the nick
name Julie hadn’t heard in forever. It was all she could do not to
cry.
“Thanks for not saying I told you so,” Julie
said softly so her voice wouldn’t break.
“You’re all I’ve got, Kid. Take care of
yourself until I get there,” Nettie said. The I’ll take care of
you then was unsaid, but understood.
“Sure thing, Sis.”
They said their goodbyes and Julie sat there
just holding the phone for a while thinking about everything they’d
said and all that hadn’t been said. The baby rolled in her stomach
trying to get comfortable? She didn’t know but she was tired and
hungry. She went to the kitchen where she fixed a sandwich and
warmed up a mug of milk. She sat at the table eating so she
wouldn’t make a mess. The place was a studio, not even a big one
but she could barely afford it. It was clean and she had even
painted and decorated ala yard sale as she could.
She felt a sense of accomplishment on what
she had done with the place, the treasures she had found in the
sales she had searched. She honestly couldn’t say she’d miss it
even though she’d been there nearly a year and tried to make it
nicer. She’d be glad when Nettie came and she followed her
home.
Chapter 3
Plans to Make
Afrod’s eyes were glazed as Hades went over
the plan for the hundredth time knowing they would land soon. They
would have an hour drive to the hotel they intended to stay at. He
planned to take Julie to the hotel with them so he could watch over
her. He was even entertaining the thought of mating with her. He’d
hoped but never really believe he would find a mate like the others
had. Odds were against him and this girl needed him. Her fearful
soft voice brought out the protector in him and he felt some kind
of attachment to her he couldn’t explain.
Had he had the slightest sexual attraction to
her or felt even the tiniest itsy bitsiest pull in a physical way,
he would have known she was his. Maybe she was his and he was
reading things wrong expecting too much when he hadn’t even seen
her yet. He knew he’d kill to protect her and the innocent life
that grew within her. It was a start, he would just play it by ear
and see where they ended up but he was open to taking
responsibility for her whether they mated or not.
Hades was winding down on his overview of
what they knew, what they needed to find out, and what they would
probably be doing in the light of the new
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