A mystical connection…
Loud screams ripped through the silence of the night. Antonio turned, listening, and then ran in their direction. He rounded the corner, looking up and down the street. Light spilled from an open doorway on a corner lot. Shouting and more screams reached his ears. He sprinted for the house, gaining the yard just as the loud pop of a gunshot ripped the night. His heart stopped briefly, but he tore through the front door coming first upon two men beating on what appeared to be a teenage boy. Without hesitating, Antonio grabbed the shorter one, lifting him up and then body-slamming him to the floor.
Joker howled in pain as a fist connected with his open mouth, knocking out teeth.
Antonio kicked him aside and rose, confronting the second man who was taller than the first and muscular.
Sam knocked Roberto aside and faced the new threat. “Who the hell are you? This ain’t your business, Vato!”
“It is now,” Antonio snarled. He launched into a roundhouse kick catching Sam’s jaw. A loud crack filled the room. Antonio reached out grabbing the now injured Sam by his t-shirt, gripping fistfuls around the neck and then forcing the thug’s head down as he brought his knee up, slamming it into his face and breaking the man’s nose. Blood spurted, and Sam screamed, dropping to his knees.
“You broke my nose, you son of a—”
“Shut up and stay down if you know what’s good for you!” Antonio kicked him over and directed his focus on the third man who was struggling to pin a terrified girl to the floor. Fury filled him and he dove across the tattered sofa, landing on the back of the tattooed thug.
He wrapped his arms around the man’s thick neck and rolled, slipping a leg around his lower body. Antonio flexed, bowing the thug’s spine, and cutting off his air all at once. Like a boa constrictor, he applied steady pressure as the man twitched. He tried to fight, throwing elbows and reaching back unsuccessfully, but slowly lost the battle. The sleeper hold did its job, and the thug passed out cold.
Antonio knew it wouldn’t last long. He rolled out from under and stood, looking down at the girl. Large, dark eyes locked with his. Her torn shirt exposed the white lace bra beneath. It was then he realized she wasn’t a girl at all, but a woman – a petite, lovely young woman. She was lying on her back, panting hard, angry tears in her almond-shaped eyes. That’s when it hit him. It wasn’t terror on her face, but a fury that matched his own. Even so, she was small, and there was no way she would have fought her way out of this. He leaned down and scooped her up in his arms.
“We have to get out of here. He’s going to wake up soon.”
“My brother—” she began.
“I’m here.” Roberto stood on shaky legs by the front door, blood dripping from a split lip. “Let’s go.”
Antonio stepped over the unconscious Alejandro and glared at both Sam and Joker. “If either of you moves, I’ll kill you both. Do you understand me?”
They nodded, backing away. Joker crawled to Alejandro.
‘Jandro? Holy Moses, dude. Alejandro!” He shook him.
“Move, now!” Antonio directed Roberto while still carrying the young woman in his arms. They ran out, down the stairs, and across the street disappearing into the night.
***
“You can put me down now,” Blanca said as Berto unlocked their front door.
Antonio had no idea where they were heading when they ran. He led the way across the road, but then the boy took the lead, and he followed. Through it all, one thought blasted inside his head–protect the girl. She weighed less than the gear he was used to carrying across a hot desert for miles on end, but she was softer. He’d noticed her arms around his neck, and the subtle scent of jasmine mixed oddly enough with Mexican food odors. That’s when Antonio remembered he never made it to Rosario’s. He supposed it didn’t matter now. The hunger in his gut was tamped down by adrenaline.
He looked down into her eyes. “Yes, ma’am. Sorry.” He lowered her feet to the ground, keeping a hand on her back to steady her.
Blanca found her balance, her eyes still locked with this stranger’s. They were an unusual shade, somewhere between green and blue with specs of amber surrounded by a fringe of long, dark lashes. She wondered why men always seemed to get the good eyelashes. As the moment passed in thick silence, she swallowed, clearing her throat.
“You saved my brother. Thank you…” She held out her hand.
Glancing down, he wrapped his hand around hers. “Antonio,” he said. “Antonio Diaz. My pleasure.”
Roberto stood just inside the doorway watching them. Upon hearing his name, he said, “Old Eugenio’s son? The Marine?”
Antonio tore his eyes away from the young woman and locked onto the teenager. “Yeah, you knew my dad?”
Roberto nodded. “I did. I mowed his lawn for him. Hey, man, I’m sorry…” He scuffed his foot.
“Thanks.” Antonio took a deep breath. “I think I remember him mentioning you in one of his letters, said he hired a nice kid to help out. I think he called you Dr. Doolittle though. I don’t know what that was about.”
Blanca chuckled. “Well, Antonio Diaz, let me show you.” She stepped inside, tossing a quick glance over her shoulder. Her expression said, ‘follow me.’
“Aw, come on, Blanca,” Roberto whined. “Don’t wake Hercules. You know he gets cranky.” He closed and locked the front door and brought up the rear as they all headed through the kitchen and out the back.
Blanca. Antonio repeated her name to himself. It suited her. He looked back at the younger man only a few years his junior, and yet he seemed still a boy. “So, what’s your real name, Doc?”
“Roberto Ramos, and my sister, Blanca, of course. Most people just call me Berto.”
“Nice to meet you, Berto.” Antonio stuck out his hand, shaking the boy’s. He noticed the swelling on Berto’s cheek, eye, and busted lip. He’d really taken a beating.
“These are my brother’s pigeons,” Blanca pointed at the homemade bird cage. It had an open side where the birds could easily get out.
Antonio studied it a moment, a perplexed look on his face. “What’s the point of a cage if they can get out?”
Blanca laughed. “That’s the thing. They won’t leave. I mean, yeah, they go for their flights, but they always come back to Berto. It’s weird, but they love him. All birds do, and all animals too.”
“I see.” Antonio crossed his arms over his chest.
“No, you don’t,” she countered, eyeing him.
He shook his head. “No, I don’t. You’re right.” He shrugged. “But what I do see is that you need some First Aid and some ice for that face.” He looked at Berto again. “They got you good. Come on, I’ll fix you up. Nothing I haven’t seen before in the field. Then maybe you two can tell me what I ran into back there.”
“Trouble. And I’m afraid it’s only going to get worse now.” Blanca’s eyes fixed on the house as she led the way back inside.
Over the next hour, she was impressed by the Marine who took charge, cleaning up Roberto’s wounds and applying a homemade ice pack to his face. He was calm and capable, and it hadn’t escaped her notice that he was also strong and incredibly handsome. There was something about him that was both steady and wild. It didn’t make sense, like he was two people. One was the hero, and the other a feral animal that took down three tough hood rats. He took his time talking to her brother, listening as Berto told him stories about Eugenio. He was nice to him, making sure every injury was addressed. That could’ve been his military training or might’ve been his personality. Either way, she liked it, she liked him, and that was weird because she didn’t like many people. She had trust issues.
Antonio glanced up catching Blanca watching him. She quickly looked away, stuffing her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. A blush stole up her neck, settling into her cheeks giving them a rosy glow. Heat zinged through his veins causing a pleasant feeling to suffuse his being. The odd sensation that had been pulling at him mellowed when he looked at her. It was like she was some kind of healing balm to his soul. The thought made him smile.
Jasmine tickled his nose, and he knew the smell was uniquely her. Funny, he’d never noticed scents like this before, especially since she was standing at least five feet away. It must be the adrenaline, he thought, amping up his sense of smell.
“So, what are you going to do now? Are you home for good? I can help you if you need anything, can still do the lawn.” Roberto’s words cut through the connection between Antonio and Blanca who both shook themselves before returning their attention to him.
“I’m not sure yet, about the first two, and yeah, any help with the yard is appreciated, but you need to take it easy for the next couple of days.” Antonio stood up. “I should go. I’m supposed to meet with Pop’s lawyer tomorrow.”
“I’ll walk you out,” she said.
Antonio stepped out onto the porch. Turning, he looked down at the petite woman. He didn’t want to leave her. That thought confused him. Then he remembered. “Hey, you never did tell me what the hell happened earlier. Who were those dudes? Why were you there?”
Blanca bristled. She didn’t like anyone questioning her, even if they had a good reason. “Local drug dealers hassling Roberto, that’s all.” She didn’t feel like spilling her business. It was her problem, after all, and she relied on herself to solve her own problems.
“He doesn’t seem the type to do drugs.” Antonio knew she was holding back.
“He’s not.” She crossed her arms over her chest in a defensive stance. “Thanks for helping.”
Antonio knew she wasn’t going to tell him any more than that. He’d interrogated a lot of tough men, but this woman was a different kind of tough, topped with a heaping helping of stubbornness. He saw it in her body posture, and it was blasting loud and clear in her eyes, her beautiful brown eyes. He snapped back to reality.
“Goodnight then.” He turned and stepped off the porch, glancing back once to see her still standing there, watching him go. He liked that she was watching. Feeling wolfish, he unleashed a dimpled smile in her direction.
Blanca bit her lip hard to hold in the air he’d just knocked out of her. Antonio’s smile was miles more trouble for her than Alejandro and his sidekicks. Heat rushed through her veins and settled low in her belly. She turned and ran inside, locking the door behind her. In the distance, a low but satisfied masculine laugh reached her ears.
Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE now for FREE so each episode lands in your inbox every Monday!
Last Week’s episode: Click here.
All Episodes: Click here.
Reminder, the first 4 books in the Angelic Hosts series will be presented here FREE! We are now in book 4, Nephilim Rising. This is an epic fantasy/paranormal, action-adventure romance. And there will be more books beyond book 4… (Announcement)
All you need to do is subscribe. New episodes every Monday.