Bedmates Soulmates

Her voice was quiet.

Austyn strained to catch her words with the storm raging outside.

"My parents used to fight a lot when I was a kid. Every time they got into a shouting match, they would lock me in the bedroom. I know Dad was trying to protect me, but it was a small apartment and I could still hear their raised voices through the door. I would haddle up in bed and wait for their fight to be over."

Kira's voice shook. 'It was worse in the summer. Storms would cause a blackout. The entire house would be thrown into pitch

blackness. Sometimes my parents would light a candle and continue arguing. Can you believe it? Other couples have candlelit dinners. My parents had candlelit fights."

She stretched her lips into a bitter smile. 'There was tall camphor tree right outside my bedroom window. Lightning flashes would cast all sorts of strange shadows on the wall. Sometimes I thought the tree had come to life and was going to eat me. The roar of thunder sounded like the roar of a monster.

Kira pulled up the quilt over her chin, shuddering at the memory.

'I'm all grown up now. I know there's no monster outside the window, but every time there's a thunderstorm, I still couldn't help shaking. My heart would start racing, I would be sweating. Sometimes I can't catch my breath. Sometimes I can't move a muscle. Her words made Austyn's heart ache.

He wanted to reach out to her and draw her into his arms, but he didn't want to scare her.

So he just listened quietly.

'I'm not a coward, you know,' Kira said with a wan smile. 'I just wanted to tell you this so you'll know, thunder is my kryptonite. Other than that, I'm indestructible.'

Austyn's voice was hoarse when he spoke. "You don't have to be indestructible. You don't have to be afraid of thunder, either.' He cleared his throat. 'From now on, I'll be there for you for every thunderstorm." Thunder Is Scarier Than Thugs

'I was.. It was just an idea. Jesse stammered. "Fine, it was stupid. Forget I said anything."

P

Austyn spoke up. 'Cane is not just a layabout. He's the man behind Revency. It's an entertainment company. You know what a circus showbiz is. He has to rub shoulders with all kinds of people. Some of them are not so nice."

There was a cold glint in his eyes. 'If he steps on the wrong toes, what do you think will happen to him? There are certain fates that are worse than death'

Jesse shuddered when he saw the look on Austyn's face.

Damian set down his beer bottle with a loud thud.

He straightened up and looked Austyn in the eye. "Don't go down that road."

Liam Cane was still a member of the McCarthy family, a brother to Austyn.

If Austyn did what he just suggested, he would be selling his soul to the devil.

Austyn smiled.

He stood up. "I was just thinking out loud. Don't worry. I'm not actually going to do it. I'll go upstairs and check on Kira.'

He left the living room

Jesse was sprawled on the sofa.

He heaved a long sigh. 'Cane is trouble. I'm worried Austyn is going to do something drastic."

"Cane is not the biggest trouble,' Damian said calmly.

Gideon Garner was.

"Huh?" Jesse didn't understand. 'He's not? Then who is?!

Damian's phone rang before he could answer.

Only his task force members knew this number.

Damian went to the balcony before he answered the call 'Mike

'Cap, the thing you asked me to do, I have the results."

"Go ahead."

'Seven years ago, there was a power struggle within the Garner family. Members fought for control. Gideon Garner was supposed to be the legitimate and only heir, but he was just sixteen and out of his depth. He got kicked out of the family without a penny to his name. He lived on the streets for a while before someone took him in. He stayed with the family for four years."

Damian connected the dots. The family that took him in, is their last name Hewitt?"

'How'd you know?'

'so that's a yes.

'Yes, Gideon stayed with the Hewitt family. If you already knew all this, why did you ask me to do the digging?'

"I didn't. It was just a bunch.'

Serms like there

there's more to the story."

'There is, but that's not important right now. How's the stake-out going?"

You know, same old, same old. Bad guys doing bad stuff. Nothing exciting."

'All right. Keep an eye on the gang. Anything happens, call me.'

'Will do, Cap.

Damian hung up.

He stared at the curtain of rain, lost in thought.

So he had not made a mistake.

Kita Hewitt kirw Gideon Garner.

It was her photo in Gideon's wallet.

Damian tapped a finger on the balcony railing

He had dealings with Gideon in the past.

The man was ruthless.

No underhand tactics or dirty tricks were beneath him.

Once he set his sights on something, he would get it, one way or another.

If Kira was the girl Gideon was looking for, Damian was worried about what the man might do

Damian looked back to the living room.

Should he tell Austyn?

Austyn paused in the doorway when he saw Kira sitting up in bed.

Jesse said she should be resting

Kira was huddled up, with the quilt pulled all the way over her chin.

Her eyes were wide open, glowing with reflected light from the window.

Austyn flicked on the lights.

Kira's head jerked up when sudden light flooded the room

As soon as she saw Austyn, she flung the quilt aside, jumped out of bed, ran barefoot to him and threw herself into his arms.

The impact knocked him back

Austyn almost hit his head against the wall.

"What are you doing?" He stared down at the petite figure burying her face in his chest.

Her voice quivered. 'Where did you go?'

I was downstairs."

'Please don't go.' Kira hugged him tightly.

Austyn hesitated, then he raised a hand to stroke her hair.

'I'm not going anywhere," he said in a soft voice. 'You shouldn't be up.

He led her by the hand back to the bed.

Kira grimaced.

"What's wrong?"

'My foot hurts.'

Austyn poked her forehead with a finger. 'Serves you right. Who told you to jump out of bed, hmm?"

'I forgot about the cut on my foot."

'Just sit. Don't move. Austyn was about to bend down. 'Let me take a look at your foot."

Kira refused to let go of him. "No."

"I'm not going anywhere. I just want to check on your wound.'

'No.' Her voice was muffled, 'I'm scared."

Austyn felt her shoulders trembling.

He recalled what Damian told him.

When Damian found Kira, she was being harassed by ty

two drunken louts.

Thunder to Shariar Thun Thugs

Her clothes were all wel

Her flimsy cotton t-shirt had turned translucent.

She was curled up on the soggy ground, shaking, helpless.

Austyn felt a tightness in his chest at the image.

He kissed the top of Kira's head. 'There's nothing for you to be scared of. Those bastards can't do anything to you now. They're gone."

Kira shook her head. 'I'm not scared by that. I'm scared by the thunder."

What?

Austyn thought she was joking.

"Are you serious?"

Before she could reply, a bolt of lightning flashed outside the window, followed by the loud rumble of thunder.

Kira screamed and burrowed her head into his open suit jacket.

Austyn didn't think she was joking anymore.

Who would have thought thunder was scarier than thugs?

'It's okay.' He stroked her hair. "The thunder's gone now. You're okay."

Then he remembered something and pinched the nape of her neck 'If you're so scared of thunder, why did you run out into a storm?"

it wasn't raining when I left the house,' Kira said in a small voice. 'By the time the storm came, I was already lost.."

"That'll teach you. See what happens when you do something without thinking it through first? Don't do it again."

"No."

""No what?"

'I would do it again even if I knew a storm was coming.' Her voice was gentle but firm. 'If I didn't, you wouldn't be here with me right

now.

"You would be with Kayleigh,' she added in her heart.

Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Warmth spread through Kira's heart.

She had brought up her phobia to salvage her pride; she didn't want Austyn to think she was chicken.

Il not for the thunderstorm, she could have taken care of herself tonight.

She might not be able to overpower those two thugs, but at least she could outrun them.

But every peal of thunder was like an Immobilisation Spell

Il transfixed her.

She thought Austyn was going to laugh at her only six-year-olds were scared by thunder.

But he didn't.

Instead, he said 'I'll be there for you,' a phrase only slightly less potent than the most powerful three little words 'I'm here

It made her heart swell with happiness.

He had not looked down on her.

She couldn't help but smile.