Free Book of Love by Julia Talbot Page B

kiss on her head. “Show me around upstairs?”
    “Sure. Sure, come on up. It’s where the bedrooms are.”
    “I like bedrooms.” Liam pinched her ass, making her jump a mile.
    She chuckled softly, then headed upstairs with Elijah, the darkness on the stairway finding her reaching for his hand.
    He took her hand, his warm, square, his fingers strong. “Don’t worry, Shiloh. We’ll figure this out.”
    “I hope so. This is so weird. Completely.”
    “It’s a strange one, for sure. I would bet thanks to the hot springs this is a place for convergences, though,” Liam said.
    “Convergences? As in…places where the world is coming together?”
    “Something like that.” Liam had followed them up and was pawing through her chest of drawers. Nosy butthead. “Places where the earth’s energy flows more strongly.”
    “Stay out of my underwear drawer, turkey.”
    Something rattled downstairs, and Liam frowned. “I’ll go check it out.”
    “Be careful,” Elijah warned, pulling her against his side.
    “I will. Promise.”
    She heard steps down the stairwell, then quiet, not even wind for a second. Then someone opened a door.
    A startled shout came from outside, a strangled sound that only Liam could be making.
    “Shit!” Elijah pushed her down on the bed. “Stay here.”
    “No way. No way. I have a bat!”
    “Don’t hit me!” Elijah pounded down the stairs, making a beeline for the front door while Shiloh scrambled for a weapon.
    She barreled down after him, the storm raging, the rain so hard that she couldn’t see anything. Even at this time of year, this kind of storm seemed freakish, the howling wind raising the hair on the back of her neck.
    “Liam!” Elijah’s shout flew back at her on the wind.
    “Liam! Liam, where are you?” She held on to the rail, the wind trying to pull her off the porch.
    “Here.” He was off to one side, not out on the front sidewalk. Shiloh saw him, trying to climb to standing.
    It looked as if he’d been yanked off his feet, taken and shook.
    “Damn it!” Elijah slid around the corner of the porch and grabbed Liam, the two of them leaning hard against the wind.
    “You leave him alone!” she screamed. “Right now! You back off!”
    Liam slammed up against Elijah, both of them falling down, but the wind died out, the rain spattering gently now.
    “Boys? You okay?” Oh, God. God, scary.
    They climbed to their feet and limped together to the porch. A thin trickle of blood ran down Liam’s face from his temple.
    “Liam? Can you hear me?” Shiloh asked.
    “Helluva wind.” Liam tried a shaky grin, but it failed. “I might need to puke.”
    “Powder room is right inside the door.”
    “Thanks.” He stumbled inside and made for the bathroom.
    Elijah came to her, hand on her cheek. “You okay?”
    “Fine. A fucking terrifying demon thing is hurting people because of me. I’m great.”
    “Hey. You just happened to read the book, okay? I mean, not that I wouldn’t want you if I was a demon.”
    She looked at Elijah, just stared for a long moment, then cracked up.
    He hugged her, and Liam came out of the powder room, looking pale but okay. “What’s funny?”
    “Nothing.” She had to laugh or she’d scream.
    “Oh. Laughing hysterically at nothing is a bad sign.” Liam’s smile gained wattage.
    “No shit, man. Today’s been a lot of signage.”
    “And then some.” Liam grimaced. “Do you have any ice or frozen peas?”
    “I have both. How about a bag of peas and a beer?”
    “Heck yes.” Liam gave her a grateful look. “I like a girl who stocks beer.”
    “I’m a superhero.”
    Elijah kissed her chin. “You are. Get the stuff while I get his ass on the couch?”
    “You got it.” She headed to the kitchen, leaned over into the freezer for the peas before she dug out three beers. She stood up, turned toward the living room, and there it was.
    Clear as day in her garden.
    A huge man with the horns of a bull and a raging hard-on, legs covered