Free Hale: Love Me Harder - Alien Paranormal Romance by Serena Simpson Page B

going to put a bell on him. A big fat cow bell. The picture allowed her shoulders to relax some as she laughed silently.
    “Hale.” Her voice was tight. She needed more than a cute mental image to make everything ok again.
    “I was hoping we could take a walk and talk.”
    She lifted her eyes up to meet his; she had been focused on his abdomen where he’d been knifed. She couldn’t tell but he looked fine to her.
    “Should you walk? What about your wound? He put a knife in you and twisted it.”
    “I’m fine.” He lifted his shirt to show her his flat stomach. There was a line where he had obviously been stabbed, but the skin was together and it was healing at a rapid rate.
    He’s alien, Tori, did you forget that already? Her inner voice chimed in again and she shushed it.
    “I would like to take that walk.” She clenched her hands.
    He turned and led her out the back door walking away from the outdoor kitchen. They walked in silence for a while until she could barely see the house or hear the sounds of laughter. They stopped when they came to the edge of a small lake.
    “The lake is what drew me to this property.” He sat down on the edge after taking off his shoes to allow his feet to dangle in the water.
    Tori followed suit. The unclenching of her hands was painful. Her nails pressed deeply into her palms kept her from giving into the desire to accuse him of murder as well as the desire to touch him all over to assure herself he was truly ok.
    “It’s beautiful out here.”
    “I’m sure that was a lot to take in. Sorry you had to find out that way.”
    Sorry? Really? A sensation climbed her spine whispering if he could kill so easily what made her think she was exempt. Guilt made her lower her eyes. How could she still want him? Her voice of reason reminded her of the fate they had in store for her, still she was brought up to believe two wrongs didn’t make a right.
    “That’s the thing, Hale, I’m not exactly sure what I found out. You killed six men with your bare hands. Why aren’t I panicking? Of course’ that’s the easy stuff so let’s stick to that for now. Why did you kill them? I mean couldn’t you have incapacitated them somehow?”
    “I could have. Except they would have kept coming for you and they wouldn’t be alone next time. They would add more men to their ranks. They would avoid me and wait to catch you alone or maybe with Lorali or one of the others. Even now it’s not over. Eventually, John will come for you. That’s who I want.”
    “But why? What did I ever do?”
    “Tori, you don’t have to do anything. Most violence is senseless. The strong pick on those who they think are weaker than them. You were picked because of the way you look. No one looked below the surface to see the woman I see. They looked at your face and your body and targeted you. It’s not fair, but often that’s life.”
    “Are you going to kill John?”
    “Yes.”
    Tori tried to feel remorse, to dredge up some words to make him reconsider. She’d been living in fear because of John for over a year. There was no remorse in her. Maybe she deserved a man like Hale. He’s not a man her inner voice whispered.
    “I guess that brings us to the other thing I saw in that alley way.”
    The silence stretched between them. Each lost in their own world.
    “Tori, I am not from this planet.”
    “Really! How could I miss that?” His lips trembled with suppressed laughter.
    She tried to keep a serious look on her face, but couldn’t manage it. She laughed with him.
    “Hale, I’m pretty sure I figured that part out. It’s the missing pieces I need you to explain.
    “Fair enough. My brothers and I are part of an experiment. We call ourselves the Created. We come from a planet of scientists. They used to be warriors, but over time they became so interested in developing their brains they let their bodies go. It took more years than I know, but eventually they couldn’t defend themselves or their