Free Fire & Ice by Alice Brown, Lady V

understand just how close these two women are. There was no way to disappear with Evangelina without Angel causing all sorts of problems. We decided it would be in our best interest for her to come along. Besides, I think her being here will help our mate when she comes around and we have to explain everything,” Aiden replied.
    The king nodded in understanding. “I must say, you boys took a huge risk, but it looks like everything is going to work out just fine.”
    Movement on the bed brought all of the men’s eyes down to Evangelina, who was thrashing her head from side to side and mumbling incoherently. While they were overjoyed her back and head injuries seemed already healed, they didn’t care for the fact she was so upset. King Thoran nudged Adrian out of the way and gently placed his hands on both sides of her head.
    “You are safe, little one. You have nothing to fear. You are in a safe place and no one is going to hurt you. Sleep, child. Go into a deep, healing sleep, and you will wake in the morning feeling refreshed.”
    The king kept his hands on the sides of her head as he willed his power into her. Within a minute all her thrashing movements stopped, her breathing evened out, and she fell into a deep, healing sleep. Moving his hands, the king murmured to his sons, “Try to get some rest, boys, because you are going to have your hands full explaining everything tomorrow morning when she wakes up.”

    Evangelina’s head felt groggy as she began to wake up. She tried to shift slightly, her body feeling as if she had been lying in the same position for far too long, but stilled when a bolt of soreness raced through her. She winced and lay still, trying to remember what might have happened to cause her to be so sore. What had happened to her? She remembered Angel waking her, saying that she needed to be off to work soon but that if she hurried she could drop Evangelina off at her car. Her car. That was the last thing she remembered. She had been walking across the street toward her car and clicked the remote start button, when all of the sudden she was thrown backwards as she watched her car explode before her eyes. She even remembered the searing pain of the hot flames scorching her skin just before blackness engulfed her.
    Oh…My…God… she thought, her breath starting to come hard and fast now at remembering everything that had happened. Angel! What about Angel? What happened to her? Is she okay? Where am I now? Am I even close by her? Oh God, what has Gerald done now? Does his selfish, delusional mind really know no bounds? She felt hot tears stinging her eyes as everything swept over her. She wanted to cry, and to be held and comforted. She wanted to rewind the clock back to the years before she met Gerald. Her mind went back to the night her apartment had been broken into and vandalized. How long had that been? It felt like years, even though she knew it couldn’t possibly be that long. She remembered breaking down and crying in Adrian’s arms. He had felt so good when his huge biceps had engulfed her and she cried on his chest, just letting out all the pent-up frustration and fear that had been building. Even though instinct told her Adrian had more of a gentle side than his twin, she had felt safe and cared for by both brothers, and right now she wanted both of them with her.
    She squeezed her eyes shut hard, trying to hold back the tears as long as she could, a light half-whine, half-groan of sadness escaping her.
    “Shh, sweet one, everything is all right,” a man’s voice said softly from somewhere near her right side, his hand gently cupping the side of her face as his thumb stroked lovingly across her cheek.
    Evangelina froze in place, recognizing the voice instantly as belonging to one of the twins. But why were they here with her? Surely they had better things to do like, maybe hunt down Gerald? Though it would be all right if just one of them was there, while the other was out working.