Free Eternity of Vengeance : Book 7 of the Heku Series by T.M. Nielsen

with you.”
    “Why not? Chev’s gone for
a while, and I work a lot. You’d be here alone most of the
time.”
    He looked over at her and sighed, “You
have no sense of danger do you?”
    “Why do you say that? You sound like
my husband.”
    “You pick up a beaten and
bloodied stranger, bring him to your home, nurse him back to
health, and then offer to let him stay. Does that not seem
dangerous at all to you?”
    “I told you… I can take
care of myself.”
    “I’m half tempted to stay here just to
watch over you,” he chuckled.
    “I don’t need a
bodyguard.”
    “Not right now. You got
lucky, and I don’t plan on hurting you… but you have to admit,
you’re a pretty girl, and small. I’m sure you could land yourself
into trouble without even trying.”
    Emily blushed and grabbed
a blanket, “Do you not have any friends you can stay
with?”
    “Nope, none at all.”
    “Why did you stop
bodyguarding and go into vampire hunting?”
    “I lost a charge to a
vampire. I never looked back,” he said, and watched out the
window.
    “Oh, I’m sorry.”
    “Bloody undead. They keep
eluding me, and it’s pissing me off.”
    “Maybe they aren’t worth
pursuing.”
    “Oh they are.”
    Emily grinned and grabbed
her glass. She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and
screamed when she saw a mouse, and then quickly scrambled to her
feet on the couch. Kralen and Silas both burst in, crouched and
ready to attack. Robert stood up to face them and his eyes
narrowed.
    “Mouse, Silas, get it!”
Emily screamed, and pointed toward the wall.
    Silas walked over to
appear human, and once he bent out of sight of the mortal, he
blurred and caught the mouse easily in his fingers. When he stood
up and walked out of the room, Emily got down off the couch and
smiled slightly at Robert.
    “Sorry… um… this is
Kralen. He’s a friend of my husband,” Emily said, and Kralen nodded
at Robert.
    “Friend or bodyguard?”
Robert asked, and eyed Silas when he returned.
    “What do you mean
bodyguard?” Emily asked, and sat back down.
    “I spent enough years as a
bodyguard to spot one from a mile away. Both these guys are here to
protect you, that’s obvious,” Robert said, and stayed standing,
facing Silas and Kralen.
    “They are just friends. I
don’t need bodyguards… sit down, please.”
    Robert sat down, but kept
a close eye on the heku, “They are bodyguards, damned good ones I’d
gather, and very protective of you.”
    Kralen smiled slightly and then he and
Silas left, shutting the door behind him.
    “You sticking with the military
story?” he asked her.
    “It’s true.”
    “Military wives don’t need
bodyguards, and military paychecks don’t buy houses like
this.”
    “I said military, sort
of,” she reminded him.
    “Oh, that’s right. So what
are they protecting you from?”
    “I have no idea. They just
hang around and do nothing all day.”
    She heard Kralen chuckle from outside
of the door.
    Robert stood up and
stretched, “Again, I appreciate all you’ve done, but I should be
going now that I’ve healed.”
    “The offer still stands
for you to stay. It’s cold enough out there that I don’t really
want you sleeping under a bridge.”
    “I won’t stay and take advantage of
your hospitality.”
    “Fine then. I’ll hire
you.”
    “To do what?”
    “Well… I need some work done on the
house.”
    “You want a live in handyman?” he
asked, amused.
    “Sure, why not?”
    “For room and board?”
    “Yes”
    “Let me be one of your
bodyguards, too.”
    She laughed, “You don’t think those
two can handle it?”
    “Who watches you while
they sleep… or take a day off?”
    “I don’t even need them.
Why would I hire another?”
    “Fine then… Let me be your
vampire bodyguard.”
    Emily frowned, “So you do
handy work in my home and protect me from vampires?”
    “Yes”
    “For room and board.”
    “Right”
    Emily thought for a moment. She knew
Chevalier wouldn’t be happy