Chapter 2.

ROSE.

I was so nervous my hands shook as I picked up my cup of tea and brought it to my lips. Despite what everyone else said, I still blamed myself for bringing this hell down on all of us. If only my dad hadn't married that evil woman.

"Does anyone else worry about the guys?" Angelique asked. "I mean... you know, they're so vulnerable during the day."

"Oh, I hate it." Bella said, shuddering. "They tried to kill Rafael while he was in gargoyle form. He had PTSD for ages afterward. Still does sometimes."

"I couldn't imagine it." I said, wrapping my arms around myself. "Being frozen but awake. Unable to move."

"Like some sort of sleep paralysis," Angelique said, then shivered.

Chrissy slumped further in her chair. "What do we do if they attack during the day? Do we have enough security to protect the guys?"

"We'll make sure we do," Angelique answered. "I'll speak to Bill today and let him know he can hire whoever he wants. I'll pay."

"The guys have more money than they know what to do with," I said with confidence, "Don't worry, Bill will do whatever's necessary to protect the guys. He loves them."

Angelique stood up, stretching her back for a moment before saying, "I'm still going to go have a chat with him. And I want to check on the kids as well."

"I'll come with you," Chrissy said. "I told A.J. I'd play cards with him this afternoon."

Angelique and Chrissy left the beautiful glass roofed conservatory and I stayed with Bella. With Nate asleep I wasn't sure what to do with myself. We moved over to the large sofas and sprawled out.

I began to yawn, loudly, covering my mouth with my hand. "Maybe we should go have a nap after all?"

"Hey Rose," Bella said, ignoring my suggestion. She was leaning back against her chair and running her fingers through her hair as though bothered by something.

"Yeah?" I asked, pulling my legs up and tucking them under me on the floral sofa.

"What would you do if someone came to kill Rafael?"

Images flashed in front of my eyes. I'd already seen it happen more than once. "I'd fight," I said. "Or I'd try to protect him I suppose, I don't really know. I hate that we ran away at the apartment. You were so brave to stay."

Bella pressed her lips into a thin line. "It wasn't brave. I just couldn't leave Rafe. I was scared, trust me. But you did the right thing. Sometimes you've gotta run away so you can fight another day."

"You're right." I lifted my hand to cover my mouth as another yawn tugged through me. "God I'm tired. I'm still not used to this weird split shift thing we do with sleep."

Bella stood up and groaned as she moved. "You and me both. I think a nap is in order."

I got to my feet and linked my arm with Bella's. "Do you really think it would work if I contacted my stepmother and offered to give her half the company's holdings?"

Bella shrugged as we began walking back towards the stairs. "I don't know the woman, so I can't say. Rationally speaking, it should work. I'm sure half of your family's money is still more than any one person could spend in a lifetime. But..."

"But what?" I asked.

She was right, of course. I didn't even know how much my parent's assets were worth in total, that had always been kept from me. But my stepmother was always dripping in diamonds and surrounded with staff.

"But... if your stepmother is willing to kill you over the money, then she isn't just your normal gold digger. She's evil. Like... a sociopath type of evil. Who would kill anyone for money? Let alone a stepdaughter they helped raise. You're like the sweetest person in the world."

"You're right... I mean, yeah." This was so confusing. "If she was willing to take less than all of it, she would have talked to me years ago. I would have given her whatever she wanted really. I've never liked the spotlight, or the pressure. I would have been happy with just our country house where we used to spend our summers. She could have kept the rest."

I had so many amazing memories in that old house. My mother reading books on a blanket outside in the sunshine. Swimming in the lake. Happiness and laughter surrounding me.

"Do you think we should ask Bill about it as a possible strategy?" Bella asked. "I know he's desperate to keep the guys safe."

"And that will at least get rid of one lot of bad guys." I said, shivering. "I still can't believe we're dealing with two different lots of killers."

"And I can't believe they haven't run out of assassins yet!" Bella said with a wave of her hand. "They've been attacking gargoyle families all over the country and our guys have taken them out so many times. Between the security team and our men, I'm sure they've killed a hundred of them. Where do these shooters keep coming from?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. The military maybe?"

My personal bodyguard Anthony was ex-army, and they were trained to kill.

"Well, they need to stop." Bella said with the annoyed tone of a mom talking about her teenagers. "They damaged my Rafe beyond repair, and they've been so close to killing them all. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to him."

We'd walked all the way back to my room, so we stopped in front of the door. "I'll speak to Bill tonight. If I can get my stepmother to stop, maybe that will afford us the time to get more protection for the rest."

Bella let go of my arm and used her free hand to brush her hair off her face. "Yeah, this place is beautiful, but I know Rafe is worried about the windows not being bullet proof, and there's no safe room. No weapons. Minimal staff for the size of the property."

I glanced around at the worn rugs and beautiful tapestries. "I know, but I love it here."

Bella grinned. "Feels like a home, doesn't it?"

I nodded, unable to speak due to the lump in my throat. Other than my country home, I'd only ever lived in high raise apartments and chic accommodations. Nowhere that had ever been safe to make a mess, play or just... enjoy. Everything was for show.

"Yeah, it does."

"Well, I'm going to go see Rafe, and if I can't sleep, I'll go find the others."

I grinned at her. "I never thought we'd get to raise kids. If everything works out, we'll have seven of them running around us all the time.

Bella laughed. "Well, there's eight of us, so technically we outnumber them. So that's a good thing. See you later."

Bella walked off down the hallway and I pushed open my bedroom door. Nate was crouched in his stone form, surrounded by gentle sunlight streaming through the window.

"Hello, my love," I called out, knowing he could hear me. "It's just me."

I wandered over to the window seat and sat down on the comfortable cushions. "I like having you in our bedroom rather than in the living room, or on top of the library. I can see you whenever I like."

I rested my head against the cool glass pane. We were on the second level of the main house, so they were safer from attack. "Everyone's worried about the future. About your safety, and my stupid stepmother. And the kids. I can't believe we've got kids to play with. It's super cool."

I was only twenty-five, but I loved little kids. A wave of tiredness passed over me and I got up to press a kiss to Nate's stoney cheek. "I think I'll have a bit of a nap to make up for some of the lost sleep we've had over the last couple of days."

I slid between the cool sheets and shuffled into my sleeping spot. The last few days had been so crazy, and my birthday was only a couple of days away now.

The day I turned twenty-five, the lawyers would sign my entire inheritance over to me, taking away my stepmothers control, and her money.

If she was going to make another move, it was going to be soon. And I didn't even know how to be ready.