Stealing Cupid's Bow (19 page)

If it weren’t for Cole, she could see that some of those men probably would have tried to break the door down if they could have. Cole was distracting them by talking, asking them questions.

His brow furrowed. “Why did you shoot so many? What were you trying to do?”

She felt sheepish. “I don’t know. I was waiting for Scott to show up, the one that seemed interested in her, and I shot the first few as practice.”

“Practice?” he echoed. “At such close range you had no chance of missing whatsoever.”

She blushed; he was right. “Well, after those ones, I just thought that it would be nice for the others to fall in love, too. I didn’t know how it all worked. I assumed they would fall in love with someone; I didn’t think they would all fall in love with Jane. I know there were some women that came to that shop that I shot as well. And then after that, well, I already told you what happened.”

He tsk’d at her but he seemed more amused than angry now. “My men will get to them all. We’d better handle this before it gets worse.”

They landed a bit away from the crowd and walked toward the shop. Cole came to meet them. He seemed surprisingly chipper despite the situation.

He smiled at Alexander. “Boss. Good to see you in action again.” Giving Raine a wink, he said, “Doesn’t pick up his bow much anymore. Has to be direct orders from above. In fact, I’m surprised you stepped in on the other case,” Cole teased.

“Since you guys bungled it I had to do the job myself,” Alexander said. But his tone was light and joking.

Cole looked at Raine. “Great shot on the Blake Jordan matchup,” he said. “We should make her an honorary archer,” he said to Alexander. “Since she passed initiation already.”

She looked questioningly at Alexander.

“They have an initiation challenge for new trainees,” he told her. “They get visiting celebrities to fall for someone.”

“You get bonus points for a wedding,” Cole said.

Raine felt that she should be appalled at the information but instead she was kind of amused. At least now the number of Vegas elopements made sense.

“Anyway, we’ll have to see if Alexander’s aim is still good,” Cole joked to her.

Alexander shoved Cole with his shoulder. “You know I can beat your ass any day.”

Cole laughed.

“Where’s Jane?” Rained butted in.

“She’s fine. She locked herself in the pantry and refuses to come out. I got here just in time. They were about to try and break down the door, but I was able to distract them and get them to come outside. They did cause some damage in there but it’s not too bad. You should probably go talk to her.”

She started toward the shop, but Alexander stayed her with a hand on her arm. He was looking at the crowd of men.

“We’d better do something about that first,” he said to Cole.

The assortment of men seemed to be consulting with each other. They were standing in a group muttering and eyeing Alexander and Cole darkly. Probably sizing them up as new competitors Raine guessed.

“See it?” Alexander asked Cole.

Cole nodded.

Raine looked again at the men but could not understand what they were talking about.

All of a sudden the group broke out in a run toward them with a yell. Fists were waving and she could see the intensity of their eyes from where she stood.

Before Raine even had a chance to react the wind gusted around her in a tight funnel lifting her off her feet and high in the air where she stopped and floated about thirty feet off the ground. From there all she could do was watch the action below, helpless to do anything else and terrified to move much lest she fall.

“She’s ours! We were here first!” shouted the man in the lead.

Alexander and Cole did not seem very alarmed. They both lifted their bows calmly from their shoulders. Cole’s crossbow already had an arrow loaded. Alexander had three ready to go. The tips of the arrows sparkled in the sunlight like crystals and she could tell that these arrows were very different from the gold and lead ones she had used earlier.

Both Cole and Alexander released their arrows at the same time. Cole’s struck one target, and then he quickly reloaded and shot another. All three of Alexander’s struck his targets squarely in the chest. The men in the lead stumbled to the ground with the impact and the ones that had been right behind them tripped and fell over them. Alexander and Cole targeted the remainder as they tried to get back up. It was over in seconds.

The men groaned and started to rise, shaking their heads in confusion. “What’s going on? What happened?” echoed from the group.

Cole moved forward to help them up starting first with the old man who’d had the cane. “Wow, you guys really should get home. It’s getting late,” he said to them.

Suddenly the wind supporting Raine ceased and she let out a piercing scream as she fell from the sky. The scream cut off as she landed in Alexander’s strong arms. He was chuckling.

“That was not funny!” She kicked her feet and pummeled him on his shoulders with her fists, but it didn’t wipe the smile from his face. Then she had to grab onto him because he suddenly released her legs. She circled both of her arms around his neck and her feet dangled as he held her just off the ground with the remaining arm and her breasts were pressed up against him. She could feel the warmth of his bare chest through the thin material of her shirt and remembered the feel of his their bodies together.

He looked like he was about to let her go but then amusement left his eyes to be replaced by and intensity and his other arm wrapped around her waist. She was trapped in the heat of his eyes, her anger evaporating. He lowered his head to hers and captured her lips in a passionate kiss. The very touch of them released a cascade of chemical reactions in her body, which unraveled beneath her skin, awakening instantly to his touch just as they had last night. His tongue entered her mouth, and she felt heat blossom from deep down within her.

Enraptured, she gave back as much as she received, oblivious to their surroundings. She didn’t think she could ever get enough of him. Her fingers had tangled themselves in his hair and she was pulling him, pulling him closer….

“Ahem.” Cole cleared his throat a few feet away from them.

It registered in Raine’s mind, but she was too captivated by the kiss to break away. Alexander continued to kiss her a bit longer, then slowly drew back. He brushed a strand of hair from her face. “I think it’s time for you to go and get Jane.”

“What?” she said. Then the fog lifted from her mind. “Oh, right. Jane.”

He had enfolded the two of them in his wings, giving them privacy while they were kissing, and she was glad that he had done so. He eased her back and tucked them behind him once again.

“I, uh, better go in. I can’t believe I did that,” she said.

“You wanted to,” he said.

“No I didn’t.” She shook her head.

He lifted an amused brow at her. “You’re forgetting that I can see it in your aura.”

If he could see it, then Cole could too, she remembered. It embarrassed her but thankfully Cole seemed to be checking something on his bow, not looking at her at all. She turned her back on them both and headed for the bakery to hide the redness in her cheeks.

The inside of the store was a mess. One of the front windows was broken and tables and chairs were overturned. The business cards and brochures that had been on the counter were scattered on the floor. Raine was astonished. When she had set out to help her cousin find love, she’d never expected anything like this. A stone seemed to settle in her gut when she thought of her parents and what must be going on at the house.

She went behind the counter and through the double doors to the kitchen. At the back of the kitchen she knocked on the brightly colored pantry door.

“Jane? Are you in there?”

“Raine! Raine, is that you?” Jane called back. The door was flung open, and Jane threw herself into her cousin’s arms. She had tear tracks on her face and tendrils of hair had escaped her ponytail. “Oh thank God! Thank God! I was so scared. My car was stolen and then those men were acting crazy and my cell phone wouldn’t work in the pantry.” She heaved a couple of breaths.

Raine hugged her back. “It’s okay. It’s okay now. Everything is fine; all the men are gone.”

Guilt flooded into her. It was all her fault. She had done this to her cousin. It was because of her that Jane had had to lock herself away from violent men.

“I’m so sorry, Jane. This is all my fault.”

“What?” Jane asked in confusion.

“I’ll make it all up to you I promise. I will help you fix your store and pay you back for the broken window and…your car wasn’t stolen. I borrowed it. I left you a note, but I guess you didn’t see it. It’s safe and sound right now at the Palazzo.”

Jane let out a breath. “Well at least that’s something. But I still don’t see how you are responsible for the behavior of a bunch of maniacs. What was wrong with them? Scott was here and he was acting strangely, too.”

“I know.”

“I saw him right before I locked myself in the pantry. He was shouting that I had to marry him in this horrible voice. It was so scary.”

Remorse twisted Raine’s gut.

He was the one man that she’d really wanted to hit with an arrow for Jane. She’d thought they would live happily ever after, but instead it had turned him into a psycho. Everything had happened so fast that she hadn’t had a chance to make sure he was left alone. And now…now he would feel nothing for Jane at all.

“He’s gone now. Don’t worry,” she said for lack of anything better. “I’ll explain it all to you later.”

Alexander and Cole came in the kitchen door. Alexander had hid his wings once again and had seemed to have found a shirt somewhere. Their bows were hidden by their glamours. Jane jumped at the sight of them.

“It’s okay, Jane. You remember Alexander from the other night? And this is Cole. They helped get the men to leave. You’re safe.”

But it really wasn’t fine. She knew it would take a while before her cousin felt comfortable alone in her shop again. She might even be frightened of men all together for a while. It was Raine’s fault as was the end of any feelings Scott had for Jane. Regret and culpability pressed down on her, making her feel lackluster. But she didn’t have time to process them. There was still more that had to be repaired.

“You’re sure none of them are still out there?”

“Yes, they’re all gone,” Alexander said.

“Okay.” Jane wiped her face. Suddenly she looked at Raine, her gray eyes wide. “Oh my goodness! We’re going to be late to your parent’s anniversary party! That’s what happened. I was locking up and heading home to get ready, but all the men seemed to appear at my door at once and I couldn’t get out.”

Raine gasped. “What time is it?”

“Almost seven,” Cole said looking down at his watch.

“Oh no! My parents. The party!” She looked at Alexander, panicked. “We need to go right now!”

Alexander turned to Cole. “Cole, why don’t you drive Jane wherever she needs to go? I’ll take care of Raine.”

Cole’s eyes lit up, and he showed Jane out the door to his car. He was interested in Jane, Alexander could tell.

“Before we go, you’ve got to do something,” she whispered to him earnestly. She looked to make sure Jane and Cole were gone and then back toward him.

“About what?” he asked, taken aback.

“About Scott!”

“The man that you came here to shoot on behalf of your cousin? Which one was he?”

“He had a red cap on,” she said.

“There’s nothing that can be done now. He’s already been shot.”

“Well, can’t you reverse it or something?” she pleaded.

He’d actually never tried to do such a thing. But he knew his equipment and his job very well. It would be impossible to reverse now. There needed to be something to work with. He shook his head. “His feelings for her are gone now.”

She moaned. “He’s going to feel nothing for her now, and it’s my fault.”

“It’s okay, you’ve actually done her a favor….” he started to say.

Her eyes shot daggers at him and before he could explain she launched into a litany of how he was mistaken about love, that it was the most wonderful thing in the world and that he, the god of love, needed to get involved again.

He watched her in fascination. Her speeches were getting more and more energetic and her aura was brilliant as the shades denoting anger and frustration alternated with eager hope and absolute conviction.

Her green eyes sparkled with the energy and she became more radiant than usual. Her cheeks were flushed and her hair was in disarray from their flight but it all just added to her beauty.

“Are you even listening to me?” she poked him on the chest with a finger. “You don’t care at all anymore do you? I’ll bet last night didn’t mean anything to you.”

Anger came suddenly over him. She had no idea what she was talking about. The fact was that he did care; he cared very much.

“That’s enough,” he said firmly. “Scott was obsessed with Jane; he wasn’t in love with her. I could see it in his aura. He was a sick man. That’s why I said you did her a favor.”

Surprise registered in her eyes. “Oh,” was all she said, looking embarrassed.

“Now, if you have nothing further to berate me for, we’d better get to your parents’ party before all hell breaks loose. I’d rather the other gods knew nothing about this incident.”

She nodded and looked down at herself. “I’m not sure how I’ll be able to get changed fast enough, but if you take me home, I’ll do it as quick as I can. If I show up looking like this, everyone will start asking questions.”

Looking her over, Alexander thought he’d never seen her look more gorgeous. “Shouldn’t you be more worried about us getting there quickly so they don’t tear each other apart?”

“The party still has to go on. It’s what my parents wanted. I’m supposed to make a speech.”

She probably didn’t deserve it, but he went ahead and gathered his power and snapped his fingers anyway. In the blink of an eye they were both clean and dressed.

Raine gasped in astonishment. The emerald-green dress she now wore suited her perfectly. She ran her hands over it and then reached up to pat her hair, which had been arranged into an elegant updo with tendrils framing her face. She extended a foot forward and exclaimed at the stunning shoes on her feet.