Read Online Only in Her Dreams by Christina McKnight - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Christina McKnight
Ads: Link
Lucessa, cautioning her to stay where she was. He moved through the room. A man dressed completely in black searched Lucessa’s desk in the corner. The Melas flung bills and keepsakes to the floor.
Lucessa’s gasp behind him caught the intruder’s attention. Turning sharply in Maxim’s direction, the man came at him. An object clutched in his right hand. Maxim crouched, ready for a fight, thinking only of protecting Lucessa from harm.
“Run!” he shouted.
He advanced around the couch and toward the man coming at him, rage emanated through his body. He didn’t know the man, but from the look on his face the intruder recognized Maxim. He was no doubt sent by his brother. More Melas likely canvassed the house. It wasn’t like his twin to send his men on a mission without Alexander. What are they looking for? His search of the house the night before turned up nothing useful.
The man came at him, swinging a cast iron statute at Maxim’s head. The attack was a textbook combat maneuver and Maxim easily ducked under the man’s arm and side stepped his advance. A familiar shape filled the space Maxim’s body had just vacated. Clothed in tight yoga pants, Lucessa wielded a large frying pan, swinging it as the Melas fell forward, off balance after missing Maxim.
The frying pan connected with the Melas’ head. “That paperweight was a gift from my mother, you bastard,” Lucessa yelled.
The man dropped in a heap to the floor. Unmoving.
The frying pan slid from Lucessa’s hands, and Maxim grabbed the cast iron handle before it hit the floor.
Feeling confident the man would be out for a while, Maxim smiled at Lucessa and moved through the living room to the garage beyond. Two men rummaged through Lucessa’s belongings. Neither of these was Alexander, either.
Maxim rushed into the garage. He hit the first with the frying pan, and he heard the resounding crunch of a smashed knee cap. The second man turned to defend his comrade and met the sharp end of a letter opener to the chest.
One guy was crying in agony from a smashed knee cap, and the other was bleeding from the chest, and Maxim sensed that Alexander couldn’t be far away. Darius’ second in command was never far when the Melas Oneiroi were involved. He’d probably taken the opportunity to slip upstairs while all the commotion went on. Quickly surveying the garage, he moved back through the living room, passing Lucessa again as she clutched the paperweight in her hands.
He again signaled for her to be quiet and to stay where she was. Maxim pointed to the upstairs to let her know the fight wasn’t over yet. He moved through the kitchen and slowly up the stairs. As he gained the top landing, Maxim saw Alexander sliding stealthily through Lucessa’s room opening drawers and rifling through clothes. Under his arm he carried what looked like a photograph.
The moment of surprise had almost expired by the time Maxim crept into the room. Grabbing the baseball bat that leaned in the doorway, Maxim swung at Alexander. The man anticipated Maxim’s attacked and dodged the swing, rolling across Lucessa’s bed. With the bed in between them and Maxim blocking the only exit--the door--his eyes darted around the room like a cornered rat, as he looked for an escape.
“Give it up, Alexander. You don’t want to hurt me or the girl. Guy would not appreciate that. The Oneiroi guard would be sent posthaste to dispatch you and Darius,” Maxim reasoned with the Melas. “Hand over what you took. This ends here.”
Alexander continued to look around the room, gauging his options.
Too late, Maxim spied the window. Alexander vaulted through the window. Maxim rushed over in time to see the man slide down and over the ledge of the roof to the ground below. The Melas and his twin would be long gone before he made it downstairs and out the front door. He stared out the broken window as his breathing calmed.
“Who was that?” Lucessa uttered behind Maxim.
“The Melas
Lucessa’s gasp behind him caught the intruder’s attention. Turning sharply in Maxim’s direction, the man came at him. An object clutched in his right hand. Maxim crouched, ready for a fight, thinking only of protecting Lucessa from harm.
“Run!” he shouted.
He advanced around the couch and toward the man coming at him, rage emanated through his body. He didn’t know the man, but from the look on his face the intruder recognized Maxim. He was no doubt sent by his brother. More Melas likely canvassed the house. It wasn’t like his twin to send his men on a mission without Alexander. What are they looking for? His search of the house the night before turned up nothing useful.
The man came at him, swinging a cast iron statute at Maxim’s head. The attack was a textbook combat maneuver and Maxim easily ducked under the man’s arm and side stepped his advance. A familiar shape filled the space Maxim’s body had just vacated. Clothed in tight yoga pants, Lucessa wielded a large frying pan, swinging it as the Melas fell forward, off balance after missing Maxim.
The frying pan connected with the Melas’ head. “That paperweight was a gift from my mother, you bastard,” Lucessa yelled.
The man dropped in a heap to the floor. Unmoving.
The frying pan slid from Lucessa’s hands, and Maxim grabbed the cast iron handle before it hit the floor.
Feeling confident the man would be out for a while, Maxim smiled at Lucessa and moved through the living room to the garage beyond. Two men rummaged through Lucessa’s belongings. Neither of these was Alexander, either.
Maxim rushed into the garage. He hit the first with the frying pan, and he heard the resounding crunch of a smashed knee cap. The second man turned to defend his comrade and met the sharp end of a letter opener to the chest.
One guy was crying in agony from a smashed knee cap, and the other was bleeding from the chest, and Maxim sensed that Alexander couldn’t be far away. Darius’ second in command was never far when the Melas Oneiroi were involved. He’d probably taken the opportunity to slip upstairs while all the commotion went on. Quickly surveying the garage, he moved back through the living room, passing Lucessa again as she clutched the paperweight in her hands.
He again signaled for her to be quiet and to stay where she was. Maxim pointed to the upstairs to let her know the fight wasn’t over yet. He moved through the kitchen and slowly up the stairs. As he gained the top landing, Maxim saw Alexander sliding stealthily through Lucessa’s room opening drawers and rifling through clothes. Under his arm he carried what looked like a photograph.
The moment of surprise had almost expired by the time Maxim crept into the room. Grabbing the baseball bat that leaned in the doorway, Maxim swung at Alexander. The man anticipated Maxim’s attacked and dodged the swing, rolling across Lucessa’s bed. With the bed in between them and Maxim blocking the only exit--the door--his eyes darted around the room like a cornered rat, as he looked for an escape.
“Give it up, Alexander. You don’t want to hurt me or the girl. Guy would not appreciate that. The Oneiroi guard would be sent posthaste to dispatch you and Darius,” Maxim reasoned with the Melas. “Hand over what you took. This ends here.”
Alexander continued to look around the room, gauging his options.
Too late, Maxim spied the window. Alexander vaulted through the window. Maxim rushed over in time to see the man slide down and over the ledge of the roof to the ground below. The Melas and his twin would be long gone before he made it downstairs and out the front door. He stared out the broken window as his breathing calmed.
“Who was that?” Lucessa uttered behind Maxim.
“The Melas
Similar Books
