They can break out the windows, Maxim reminded.
Exactly, they'll get the hell out of your house. Thomas and I will be waiting for them, Levi said.
Not a bad idea.
Don't want that sister of mine to be upset over a little blood, Levi teased.
Hey! Have you ever tried to get blood out of something? Anything? It just doesn't want to come out, Airiana justified. And the children don't need to see anything like that in their home.
Both Thomas and Levi laughed at her, an affectionate, gentle laugh that helped to ease the tension. Maxim and Airiana waited while the two mercenaries made their way back down the stairs and cleared the first bedroom, Siena and Nicia's room. It took only a few minutes and the two men were back in the hall before slipping silently into the recreation room that separated Lucia and the younger girls' bedroom.
Together, Maxim and Airiana slammed the door closed, and sucked the air from the room. The two men reacted exactly as Levi predicted, throwing a chair through the window the moment they couldn't breathe, and diving through to the yard below them.
Thomas and Levi were on them immediately, two shadows, dealing death. All clear, Thomas reported.
Maxim once more felt the air outside to make certain no other enemy was near. He put his arm around Airiana. Everyone is safe. I'll call Damon and let him know we need a cleanup crew out here now. It's been a long night. Thank you. All of you.
We're just protecting our own, Blythe said.
Maxim glanced out the window to see Thomas with his arm around Judith, and Levi holding hands with Rikki. Lissa and Blythe were on either side of Lexi as they walked toward Lexi's home. No one looked at the bodies scattered around the garden.
"It's over," Airiana said softly. "Thank God."
Maxim didn't reply. It would never really be over, not until Evan Shackler-Gratsos was dead and gone, but there was no real way to get to him--yet. They'd just have to keep building up their security and watching over one another.
"What was that password I gave to Benito? The boy's so trigger-happy he might shoot us both," Maxim said. "You know, baby, we can't let them out until the cleaning crew has removed all the bodies."
"Max"--she shook her head--"they're probably scared to death. You're so . . . bad."
"They're sleeping in our bed at night. I'm desperate."
She laughed softly. "If I'm honest, I have to say, so am I, just a little bit, but we have to go reassure them."
"This parent thing is killing me," Maxim said.
21
MAXIM woke with the moon shining on his face. He could hear the children breathing softly, surrounding him, a familiar sound he was beginning to enjoy. His body was hard and uncomfortable, almost painful. He shifted his gaze to look down at the woman tucked beside him.
She was awake and she had her open hand pressed to her mouth, her blue gaze on him while she licked and bit and even sucked on the exact center of her palm. The breath slammed out of his lungs as he felt her tongue on his cock, curling around him, her mouth hot and moist and the edge of her teeth ever so gently nibbling down his shaft.
What the hell do you think you're doing, woman?
Waking you up. I'm feeling neglected. You do have a job to do and you've been falling down on it recently. You promised I'd always be happy.
We're surrounded by the enemy. He pointed out the obvious, feeling a little desperate. Children everywhere and they won't leave us alone! Not for a minute.
Be inventive.
He glared at her. She just smiled and slipped from the bed, and padded on bare feet across the room to the window. She had to skirt around Lucia, but she made it without waking any of them. She was dressed in thin shorts and a tank, neither of which could possibly keep her warm, but allowed her to be modest in front of the children in their bedroom. Airiana flung the fire ladder out the window, gave him a seductive smile, and climbed out.
Maxim lay there for a moment, a smile on his face. His woman was wonderful. Crazy. Ingenious. He was madly in love with her, there was no doubt about it. He breathed deep, trying to get his cock to cooperate. If it would just ease up a little, he could follow her, because right at this moment, if he moved, he was certain precious parts of his anatomy would shatter.
There was no stopping his smile. Airiana was teaching him how to enjoy life. She was just plain fun. Her laughter was contagious, and when he was overbearing with the children, she managed to turn the situation into something altogether different. He still couldn't figure out how she did it without undermining his authority, but it didn't matter, he'd get it eventually, and in the meantime, she had his back.
He sat up carefully. He wore only a light pair of sweatpants, and his chest was exposed, with all the scars as well as recent wounds.
"Wow," Benito said. "That's so cool. You never told me you had all those scars."
"Shh," Maxim cautioned, putting a finger to his lips. "I'm going out for a while. You watch over the girls, but if I catch you sneaking out after us, I'm going to shoot you. Really shoot you. And scars aren't that cool, so do what I say."
Benito laughed. "Airiana wouldn't like you telling me you're going to shoot me."
"Probably not, but that won't stop me from doing it. Stay here." Maxim rose and carefully skirted around Lucia. "And stop threatening to blackmail me. There's an entire forest out there, kid. I'm not afraid to use it."
Benito laughed again. Maxim liked the sound. The children rarely laughed, and he couldn't really blame them. They were still getting to know one another, trying to form a family, and in the middle of it all, they were securing the farm as fast as they could, which meant workmen coming and going continually, disrupting them.
He grinned at the kid as he slipped out the window. "You're coming along, Benito. I'm proud of you."
His last glimpse of the boy told him he'd said the right thing for a change--the kid lit up like a Christmas tree.
Halfway down the ladder Maxim jumped to the ground, landing in a crouch, pausing to listen to the sounds of the night and let the air tell him exactly where she was. He didn't really need it, she'd left a trail of flower petals for him to follow. The woman was a romantic at heart--a good thing when he didn't have a romantic bone in his body.
The soft petals were silvery white, and she'd strewn the path liberally so he had no trouble finding his way to the gazebo. He saw her through the screens, standing with her back to him, staring out into the forest, surrounded by dozens of lit candles. Her fall of platinum hair looked like spun silver and gold tumbling down her back. He knew how soft that silky fall really was.
The thin shorts clung to her bottom as lovingly as material could possibly cling. Her bare legs looked firm and strong, her muscles clearly defined. He took his time looking at her, drinking her in, allowing the intensity of his love to wash over him.
She turned then, her eyes meeting his through the mesh of the screens. For a long moment, she held his gaze, and then she smiled at him. He loved every single feature on her face, from her large eyes, small straight nose, to her full, generous mouth. Her cheekbones were high and her lashes very long. When she smiled, he was fairly certain the sun rose in the sky.
Maxim stepped up the two brick stairs and opened the screen. Airiana gestured, her arms wide, indicating the setup waiting for him there in the gazebo, the mattress on the floor, the scented candles and the bottle of oil. She'd planned every detail, arranging their secret getaway.
"The boy has binoculars," he greeted her, because if he said anything else, the lump burning in his throat might find a way to reach his eyes. He had wanted her to show him what was love was, and she was continuously doing so.
She laughed softly. He felt that soft melodious sound go down his spine just like the touch of her fingers, and his entire body came alive. There was something about her that made his spirit soar high, and it always disconcerted him.
He cleared his throat. "You gave them to him and I remember I was adamant that it was a really bad idea."
"He loves them," she pointed out, laughing.
"He spies on everyone."
She stepped close to him and ran her hand up his bare chest, from his flat belly to his left nipple. "He's you, Maxim, and we have to shape him carefully. He needs to become the man you are. We can't lose him. The binoculars occupy his mind right now." She leaned forward and pressed a kiss into his belly button.