Enhanced: Brides of the Kindred 12 (The Brides of the Kindred) by Evangeline Anderson Page A

he nodded for her to follow.
    Against her will, Mei-Li found that she
was doing exactly that.
    Oh my God, am I really doing this? Am I
really going with him after seeing what he just did?
    But what choice did she have?
    Well, you could run, whispered a little voice in her head. You’ve still got
your purse with your phone in it. The minute you get clear of the porch you can
just take off. Hide somewhere and call for help.
    It seemed like a good idea. Six was ahead
of her, already striding down the front sidewalk to where his invisible car was
supposedly parked. All she had to do was break right and run around the hedge
that separated her front lawn from Mrs. Hurley’s property. Then she could hide
in the bushes or bang on a neighbor’s door and call 911 and say she was being
abducted.
    Mei-Li took a deep breath, determined to
try it. No matter how good his reasons were, she couldn’t go with Six after seeing
him calmly and methodically break someone’s arms and legs. He hadn’t even shown
a speck of remorse—it was as though crippling people was no big deal to him.
    Her heart was pounding as she hobbled down
the last step. Her knee was still throbbing but that was okay—she could deal
with it later. Six’s broad back was to her and there was never going to be a
better opportunity. She turned and dashed to the right—
    And her leg gave way completely.
    With a cry of pain, she went down on the ground,
feeling like someone had jabbed a rusty wire into her knee. Her purse went
flying, spilling its contents everywhere, including her cell phone, which she
could see glowing on the sidewalk.
    “Mei-Li?” Six was at her side in a flash.
He knelt to examine her knee and when he looked up, his face was grave. “This
requires immediate attention and you should not have attempted to run on it.”
    “I…” Mei-Li bit her lip, uncertain of what
to say. Did he know she’d been trying to get away from him? “It really hurts,”
she whispered at last. “Maybe…I think you should take me to a hospital.”
    Six shook his head. “I can mend this
injury on my shuttle once we are out of your planet’s atmosphere. I have the
latest in Tolleg medical tech in my stores.”
    “But—” Before she could protest further,
he swung her up into his arms and was striding towards the street.
    “Hey, what’s all this? What’s going on?”
    Suddenly, Mrs. Hurley, her next door
neighbor, came around the side of the hedge that separated their property. She
was wearing a flowing muumuu with big purple flowers on it and her hair was up
in pink plastic curlers.
    “Mrs. Hurley!” Mei-Li made frantic shooing
gestures at the old lady. “Go on, get out of here!”
    “What? How dare you speak to me like that,
young lady? And what was all that screaming and carrying-on I heard coming from
your place a minute ago? I’ve called the police, I’ll have you know.” The old
woman put her hands on her hips. “This is a nice, quiet neighborhood and we’re
not putting up with whatever kind of sex and drug parties you’re having over
here.”
    “Mrs. Hurley, I’m not having drugs or
doing sex,” Mei-Li gabbled. “I mean, doing drugs or having sex,”
she amended.
    “Oh, yeah?” Mrs. Hurley frowned up at Six.
“Then what is he doing here and why is he carrying you like that?”
    “He’s taking me away.” Mei-Li made her
eyes wide, trying to get the message across. “He’s taking me with him and I
haven’t even been able to call anyone and tell them. Like my father or my
friend, Claudia…” She cut her eyes at her cell phone which was still glowing
peacefully on the sidewalk like a discarded part of a life she would never see
again.
    “Oh…” Mrs. Hurley took a step back, her
hand going to her chest. “I see.” She eyed the stoic Six mistrustfully. “Is he
taking you without your consent? Is he kidnapping you, dear?”
    “Please, just go,” Mei-Li begged her.
“Just leave. It’s not safe.” She hoped the old lady would go