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

An Unexpected Guardian 18.1

The grocery store wasn't crowded this time of night and Alex bought five pounds of boiled crawfish, a stuffed artichoke, boudin, and four containers of pancake batter. She stomped into the brothers' carriage house apartment.

"Where are y'all?" she demanded. "I brought your dinner and your breakfast for the next few days."

"How's Gabe?" Cale asked.

"How are you?" Rile asked.

"The hero who was hurt helping me is fine," Alex said. "He has a chest tube and as soon as it's out, I'll spring him from the hospital. I'm fine. Now please eat: y'all need your strength." She laid out newspaper on the table. "Here. Crawfish. Can you peel them or do I have to do it for you?"

Anger is an anesthetizing emotion.

Alex told that calm part of her brain to shut up.

Rile struggled off the couch and Cale hauled himself out of the recliner. Alex watched them, hands on her hips.

They were healthy and whole when they met me and now look at them.

"Sit down. I'll pour the drinks," she said.

Once they sat down, she slammed the mismatched plastic tumblers in front of them. "Sure you don't need me to peel the crawfish for you?"

"What has your back up?" Rile took a handful of crawfish from the center pile.

"Babysitting heroes stupid enough to rescue me and get hurt in the process," she retorted. "Let me eat my stuffed artichoke in peace."

"Don't push us away with angry words. I'm sorry, Alex," Cale said.

Fire truck it, he's onto me. Quick, do something!

"Aaaaaa!" Alex held up both hands. "No apologies. Please just eat. I'll go over the edge if I have to listen to some fire truck apology." She ripped the leaf off the artichoke and savagely scraped off the bread crumb goodness with her teeth.

Morgan is dead thanks to the brothers and one is in the hospital thanks to me. They saved me and it's so hard not to hug them and love them and tell them how much it means to me. I must must must push them away so they don't get hurt anymore.

The brothers peeled and ate their crawfish with care. Halfway through her stuffed artichoke, Alex stood up. "Martini. Chocolate martini. I'll be back. Try not to get shot while I'm gone."

Maybe liquor can burn away the feelings I have for them. I'm not a weepy drunk and maybe I can just drink enough to pass out.

She stomped out the door and up the stairs, into her apartment, and back down the stairs. She had a box in her arms and unloaded it in the kitchen.

Don't hug them, don't love them, don't think about their puppy dog eyes and soft hides and heavenly leathery scent. Just snap at them so they back away and won't get hurt anymore.

"Either of you able to drink a martini? Or will that kill the mighty Guardians of the universe in your condition?"

"I want one," Rile called back.

"Pass," Cale said.

Alex walked out of the kitchen and handed Rile a frosted green triangular glass. She sat down and drank out of its mate.

"Liquor is proof that God loves us," she said.

"There is plenty of other proof," Cale said.

"Shut up," Alex said. "That was not an invitation to wax eloquent on theology."