Phillip: Lanning's Leap - Paranormal Erotic Romance (8 page)

“You have no idea.” As she put the blanket down, she put out her hand to shake his. “I’m not sure how this works. But I have learned that touching hands will give us both something in return. Am I correct?”

“Yes. If I touch your skin to mine then smell it, your scent will forever be mine. And you will in turn be able to contact me, track me, as well as read my mind.” She looked at Phillip, and he nodded. “You’re new to this.”

“Yes. In more ways than one.” When James took her hand, she felt the connection immediately. And she could see that his wife was expecting their second child and that James was very happy. She could also feel his worry. “I’m sure that she will be just fine. And I’d love to have you guys come around. Anytime you wish.”

As soon as he left, she went into the living room with the rest of the family that had come to her aid. She thought about having a large dinner in this house, and smiled at Murph when she came to sit beside her.

“You should know that they love to eat.” Charlie just looked at her. “The dinner idea. I could see it working in your head. I can read your mind too, but I didn’t. But I am hungry, and I’m pretty sure the rest of them would love to come and see the new house. I’ll even have someone go and get Jackson to help you get the food ready. But you will need to get yourself a cook. It will be imperative to have someone here to protect you, as well as have all the supplies on hand in the event that we just show up out of the blue.”

“I see. And this cook…will I need his help? Even if I was just thinking of steaks on the grill? I mean, I don’t even know if I have a grill here or not.” Murph said that there was one, that Misha had it in the back of his truck. And yes, she would always need a cook’s help for a house this size. “Another housewarming gift, I take it?”

“Yep. And so you know, in addition to a cook, you’ll need a staff. Not just for when we come over, which is a lot, but because you never know when one or all of us are going to get called away. And usually someone has to keep an eye on Max for me. He’s my son. Max doesn’t really need us to watch over him, but he’s a great kid and needs to have someone around to keep him busy. He’s a genius and bores easily.”

Charlie had no idea why that one little boy would need staff around when he stayed with people, but she did ask if they wanted to stay for dinner. Charlie didn’t even know if there was food in the house, but as soon as Linyah’s mom and dad showed up with a tall man, things started to appear around the house. Charlie decided that this family could be very helpful and scary at the same time. As the rest of them arrived, all of them with bags of food, Charlie stood out of the way. She’d been alone for much of her life. Even when she’d lived with her parents, she’d spent as much time in her room as possible. It was a little overwhelming to have so many people in one place at one time. Then Hannah came to talk to her.

~~~

“This is Rocco. He’s from the castle. And while I’m sure you have a handle on all sorts of stuff, Sina and Nildale have asked that you use him in your household. I guess he can cook like you’ve never tasted before, and he’s here to keep you safe.” Hannah watched Charlie’s face and knew that the other woman was slightly nervous around her. All of them were, she supposed. What she didn’t understand was why. A lot of them were way scarier than she was. “Rocco has magic that can keep—”

When Charlie raised up her hand, Hannah had to smile. She’d done that a lot, too, when she’d first come to this family, and there hadn’t been as many of them then. As she waited for Charlie to get a grip, she looked around the large kitchen area.

It was bigger than theirs, hers and Misha’s. And the refrigerator was bigger too. Wider than a side-by-side and taller as well. There were cabinets everywhere and she knew that, like hers had been, they’d be full of everything needed in a new home. As Rocco stood at the big butcher-block, directing the two women that had come with him that were helping with dinner, Hannah got up to brew some tea. And just where hers was at her own house, the tin was waiting for her.

“This house, all of this. Is it really ours? I mean, Phillip said it was, but I don’t know if he was kidding or not. It’s much bigger than we need, don’t you think?”

Hannah looked around before answering Charlie. “Not really, when you think of this family. I mean, there were the six of them. Their mom, and then I came along. Now there are four women, including us, the rest of them as well as Kendra, Nic, and their parents. Max is also added in, as well as the son I’m having. Then there are my mother and a few others that I’m sure I’m forgetting.” Hannah handed her a cup of the tea that had become an everyday part of her routine, and sipped hers as Charlie absorbed this. “You should have seen us at Christmas. It was amazing. Everyone came to our house, and we opened presents for what seemed like hours. Then we ate. All day. It was the first Christmas that I’d ever had. Max too.”

“I heard about your life.” Hannah nodded. She had been embarrassed at first to know that so many had known about her horrific childhood, but not so much anymore. She was better now, not just in health but with love as well. “This is more than I ever thought would be mine. I mean, not just the healthy part, because that’s really great, but being in love. With a leopard man.”

“You’re going to be just fine. I know it. But we do have to talk about some things. Misha asked me to talk to you while things are being put together in the other room. I guess that in addition to the couch, there was an entire truckload of things in the garage that Phillip had had his mom help him order for you guys. Furniture, as well as linens and things for the rest of the house.”

Charlie nodded and played with her cup of tea. When Rocco put a tin of cookies in front of them, Charlie took one and stared at it as she sat there. Hannah waited. She’d been good at it before when she’d lived with her abusive so-called
mother,
and now she’d gotten really good at waiting until a person was ready.

“The book. Did you know about it? The one that got me into this mess in the first place?” Hannah told her that everyone knew about it, including the great wolf that roamed the property. “I guess that’s what he meant when he said he was going to keep the criminal elements out. I’m guessing he means the men that are after the book.”

“Yes. We have more information on that should you want it.” Hannah watched as Charlie thought about her question. “You don’t need all of it now, but I do want you to know that two men have been arrested in the last three days trying to hire someone to come and kill you. They’ll never hurt you…well, maybe hurt you, but not kill you. You’re an immortal like us.”

“I think someone told me that before. I might have been a tad overwrought to have remembered it, but what do you mean by that? Immortals live forever. Is that what is going to happen to us?” Hannah told her it was. “And how do I…I don’t know, is there a way to kill me? Us? I mean, I’ve read some books that talked about immortality, and there is always something to kill them off.”

“Removing your head.” Charlie nodded but said nothing. “You should know, too, that it’s not as easy as it sounds. You have a great deal of magic on your side that will prevent that from happening. And there are certain things, rules, which have to be applied before someone can do it. There is only one kind of steel that would work, and it has to be a sword and nothing else. Kendra told me that a few weeks ago. There are other things that you can do as well. Magic that will help you in your everyday life.”

“You mean like dressing without needing to go to my closet?” Hannah grinned and nodded. “What else can I do? I’m assuming that having clothing appear and disappear isn’t going to keep someone from killing me.”

“No, unless you use it to distract them. Then that will buy you some time. But you can shift too. Your cat is more powerful than a normal shifter cat. Not just because of you having this little extra, but because you’re a part of the royal family. When Thomas married Linyah, the rest of us got their magic too. As well as part of the estates that the family owns. We’re an extremely wealthy family.” Charlie said she wasn’t sure normal even came into the equation now. “You’re probably right, but you can also hide in the open, blend in where no one can see you. Also, you can read minds. Most of the time we stay out of each other’s heads, but there are times when it’s necessary. Like when we can’t find someone, we can search someone’s head to see what they know. And the men use it to gather information about a job they’re on. It’s saved them a great deal of time and accidents being able to do that.”

Charlie was calmer now but no less overwhelmed, Hannah could see that. While she was being told what everything was, Hannah knew also that in a few hours, when it hit her, Charlie was going to have a million questions. Rocco was moving food around to suit himself, which was good, and he only asked Charlie a couple of questions before he realized that he was in charge of this area. When she sat down again, Hannah watched her face.

“They’re coming for me, aren’t they? Not me, per se, but the book. I know you said that men were arrested in an attempt to come for it. There will be more, won’t there?” Hannah nodded. “And if I said that I should go, lure them away from this family, you and your baby, I’d meet with resistance. Not just from Phillip, but I’m thinking the entire family.”

“No.” Charlie looked relieved for all of a second. “You’d not be able to leave with the intentions of luring them away. No one here would let you. We are family now, and we protect each other.”

“But….” Hannah waited. “But I have not just these people after me, but that loony woman too. Sonya. I don’t think she’s going to just quit because Phillip and I are together, do you?”

“No, but I think Kendra is working on that one. Along with her staff. And I’ve not known her long, but I’m betting she’s not one I’d want to fuck with when she’s pissed off.” Hannah knew there was more, but again she watched her new sister. “Charlie, you’re going to be just fine. I know this. If they can protect me from the people in my former life, you’re going to be just fine with us as well. And if, as you said, you know about it, then you understand when I say, these people, your family, is kick assed.”

“So I keep hearing.”

Charlie sat down, then stood up again. Hannah wanted to reach into her head and figure out what had her so stressed, and almost did before Maribel walked in the room. She moved around the kitchen like she’d spent her entire life in this one. And when Charlie got in her way, she told her to have a seat.

“Now. I’m your mother-in-law. Did you know that?” Hannah nearly laughed at the expression on Charlie’s face, but one look from Maribel had her stopping that. “As I was saying. I’m your mother-in-law and I expect you to listen to me over everyone else. Including Phillip. He’s my baby so I do tend to give him a little more wiggle room than I do the rest, but I wanted to talk to you. It’s about your business.”

“My business?” Charlie was clearly confused. Then when it hit her, she started shaking her head. “I don’t know if I still have one or not. I’ve not been able to work it for some time now. Even if I did have a few orders, I’m pretty sure that the people who put them in are no longer interested. I’m more than likely bankrupt as well.”

“Nonsense. You’re going to be extremely successful. I’m sure that you’re going to have some people that will be slightly upset, and they’ll come around soon enough. But about the business. I was wondering if you get a discount on the things you buy. Like those pretty soaps and things I saw in one of the baskets online. By the way, you took some very good pictures of your things. I have a long list of things I want you to make me for the Memorial Ball that’s in May. It’s a big thing and I’m in charge of gifts for sponsors.”

“I make those. Well, I make a lot of the little things in the baskets that I couldn’t get wholesale.” Both Hannah and Maribel looked at Charlie. “It really isn’t that big of a deal. I looked up how to do it, got the stuff to do it, and there you go. It was cheaper than buying them. No one wants to have normal soaps, so to make a little extra money I started making some of the things in my baskets.”

“Good heavens. What else? Please tell me you make those adorable little bears and things for the baby baskets. The ones that look like they’re made from an old quilt?” Charlie nodded and looked decidedly embarrassed. “And those little washcloth animals? You make those too, don’t you?”

“I try to make as many of those things myself as I can. Like I said, I needed to save money. And what I can’t make on my own, I buy in bulk. There is still a lot of inventory in the barn out back of that house I lived in. I’ve been paying the rent on it, so I know that he hasn’t sold it off.” Maribel asked her if she’d made plans to build here to work. “Well, yeah, but I have to wait until this thing with the book is over. And the loony woman. Then I’ll have to find me a place to work. I’ll need something to put them together in, as well as a place that will be easy for pickup and deliveries.”

“Oh honey, all of this will be done soon enough. The looney woman included. Sooner now that I’m involved.” Charlie looked at Hannah and she could only shrug. “You’ll see. In no time, this entire thing will be over and we can get to raiding your shelves. This is going to be so much fun. Why, I might even come and work with you. How much fun would that be?”

Hannah had to hide her smile. She was sure that Charlie was thinking the same thing she was. Maribel could be a force when she wanted, and Hannah had a feeling that she and Charlie were going to butt heads all the time if they tried working together. But she was right on one thing, Hannah was sure it was going to be fun.