His Sun And Moon

Chapter 23

RIVER

Despite my promise, I'm not exactly sure I can protect her from her own troubled mind. Glancing outside, into the dark night once more, I scowl in confusion when I see a slight movement.

Under the streetlight twenty feet ahead of us, a tall shadow slinks quickly back into the darkness.

Horror shoots through me as I realize that he must be the "him" that Thia was referring to.

Sh*t! D*mn it!

Heart pounding heavily, I reach over the seats and retrieve a gun from the glove box. Determined to keep Thia next to me, I drive forward, following the dick that scared my baby.

"Ooh," momentarily distracted from her current episode, Thia's eyes take in the sight of my gun curiously, "What're you gonna do with that?"

"What do you think I'm gonna do," I ask, running a gentle finger up her spine. However, after the inquiry leaves my lips, I know that it's the wrong question to ask my imaginative little monkey.

Taking a deep breath, she launches into an overzealous play-by-play of what she thinks my plan is. Naturally, this lifts my spirits slightly, but I'm only half paying attention to her entrancing voice.

"And then, you'll say, 'I eat spiders for breakfast'," she lowers her voice in attempt to imitate me, but then she scowls and begins lecturing me on the health benefits of ants as opposed to spiders. "Really, River," she sighs in exasperation, sitting up straight in my lap, "What if you accidentally ate a poisonous spider? You could die! You can't die on me!"

A smile starts to lift my lips and I try to remain focused on my task.

"Is that why there was a spider in your room?!" Sounding absolutely appalled, she gives me an outraged look, "River! How could you?!"

As I scan the darkness outside for the pest, I scowl in confusion, having forgotten what it was that I've allegedly done to offend my princess. "What did I do?"

Out of nowhere, I hear a heavy thud on the roof of my car.

Thia catches her breath as she's brought back to the present. Utterly horrified, she gapes up at the ceiling with a rather pale complexion.

"Get down," I order, forcing her over to the passenger seat floorboard. Heart pounding wildly in my chest, I remove my jacket and carefully cover her precious little head so that she isn't visible. "Be very quiet, angel," I growl anxiously, slamming on the gas, "And hold on tight."

I know that she should have her seat belt on, but I refuse to let her get shot again. Luckily, I've always been a good driver--oftentimes, I'm the getaway driver because of this fact--but still, my knuckles are white as I grip the steering wheel.

"Princess," I begin calmly, contemplating whether I should fight him now, or attack on my own terms, "What's the man's name?"

If I can get his name, I know that I'll be able to find him again after I get Thia to safety.

"I--uhh..." Sounding as if she's thinking hard, her muffled voice trails off.

Glancing in the rear view mirror, I clench my jaw as I notice the figure standing beneath a street light, slowly drifting farther behind us.

Suddenly, Thia yelps, "Owe!"

My heart lurches into my throat, making it difficult to breathe. Reaching over, I rip the jacket off of her and drop it onto the seat.

Thia's clutching her head, her adorable face contorted in pain.

"What's wrong, baby?!" Horrified, I consider stopping the car, but quickly decide against it. I need to get her far away from that creep as soon as possible. "Talk to me, princess!"

As her gorgeous blue eyes fill to the brim with tears, my heart breaks in two. Pain, white and searing, curls inside my stomach, forming a tight, sickening ball.

Eventually, I can't restrain myself any longer and pull over.

Limbs pounding with the overwhelming urge to comfort her, but not knowing how, I gently scoop her up, onto my lap.

"Tell me what's wrong, Thee," I plead, cuddling her securely to my chest.

Whimpering softly, she trembles in my arms and tries to bury her head in my shirt. "My brain hurts..."

"Sh--shit!" Hands trembling, I gingerly cup the back of her head and tilt her face up to mine. "Look at me, Angel."

Her glazed-over blue eyes meet mine and her dark eyelashes flutter over her flushed cheeks. "It's gone," she blurts suddenly, her eyes clearing.

Still confused, I ask softly, "You're headache's gone?"

Bobbing her head, her dark curls bounce around her tiny shoulders. "It was here one minute," she explains, quite confused herself, "And just gone the next."

Gradually, releif seeps into my bones, loosening my gut and easing my pounding heart. However, I'm still greatly unsettled by her spontaneous migrane.

I need to bring her to a hospital.

Grinding my teeth, I snuggle her little body closer to my chest. I press a chaste kiss to the top of her head and inhale deeply. "You gave me quite a scare, princess," I growl tenderly, tucking her head under my chin.

"I'm sorry," she mumbles quietly, wiggling her bum in my lap. Adorable and sensual at the same time, she buries her head into the crook of my neck and sighs sweetly.

Smiling in content, I ask gently, "Are you tired, baby?"

"No no no," she giggles, in a daze. "River, you're so warm."

Concern grows larger in the back of my mind, urging me to start the car and drive her to the hospital.

"Princess." Reluctantly, I give her a small shake and start peeling her off of me. "I'm taking you to the doctor's, okay?"

And just like that, she loses every last piece of sanity that she had.