The Vigilante & The Dragon - Book 1 of the Guardians Saga [COMPLETED]

An Unexpected Guardian 18.1

Poor sweet Cale, the kindest of all the brothers, thinking the best of me. If I had rescued him instead of Gabe, he'd probably be dead now. Surely even he has limits that I can push him past so he wants to pack up with his brothers and leave.

"I've never heard you tell Cale to shut up," Rile said in awe.

"First time for everything." Alex sipped her martini. "Keep eating. Y'all need your strength."

"You too," Rile said.

"Whatever." Alex resumed attacking her artichoke.

You're in danger, too, strongest of all the brothers. You are waaaayyy too interested in me. Your warrior skills won't save you, just like they didn't save Gabe.

*****

When they finished, Alex rolled up the newspaper and threw out the garbage.

"Off to bed with y'all," she said. "Need each other's body heat. Shoo."

"What about you?" Rile asked.

"Y'all be fine," she said. "I'm going out."

Screw anesthetizing emotions. I'm gonna pound some thugs, save some victims, and stop being useless.

"You can't go out," Cale said with distress and clacked his claws. "You're hurt and tired."

"I'm fine and a lot better than you two," Alex said.

"Don't be stupid," Rile tapped his dagger hilt with his claws. "Morgan had you in his grip for two days. You're in terrible shape. Stay here and rest."

You two need me resting here like you need a nuclear warhead on the couch between you.

"We need you here." Cale hauled himself to his feet and touched her arm. "Remember what the Portal Guardian said."

Fire truck it all, that makes sense. Maybe I'll storm Hermann's lab and take out as many of them as I can. Death in a blaze of glory was always my ambition...

Knocks resounded from the door, the sound of something hard hitting it. The brothers hissed and drew their daggers while Alex lit her hand.

"Stay back, you two," Alex said. "I'm the hero this time."

Rile hissed but Cale said, "You're always a hero, but this time we're back up."

The knocks sounded again and Alex inched toward the door.

"I know you're in there," a familiar cracked voice called. "Open up or I'll punch my cane through your window."

"Mrs. Bonifay?" Alex asked and peered through the small rectangular window by the side of the door.

Sure enough, the old lady stood there in all her frizzy-haired glory, ugly aluminum cane resting on the door. A large tote bag slumped at her feet, containers of Tony Chachere seasoning and Community coffee spilling out.

"It ain't Santa Claus. Open up! I know you're in there with those creatures!" Mrs. Bonifay rapped on the door with her cane again.

Alex opened the door and Mrs. Bonifay stepped up to her and examined her closely through her Coke-bottle bottom glasses. She reached up a gnarled hand and stroked Alex's cheek. Astonished, Alex froze.

"Chere, you need someone taking care of you while you take care of them." She glanced over at the equally astonished brothers. "You two look like dead gators." She waved her cane at them. "Sit on the couch. Alex, you're between them. Something about body heat."

When none of them moved, Mrs. Bonifay whacked Alex on the shoulder with her cane. "I'll lay you out if you don't obey me!"

Alex retreated to the couch and the brothers huddled around her, wide-eyed gazes fixed on the little old lady in her flowered house dress. Mrs. Bonifay hauled up her bag and slammed it on the table.