“It won’t be exact, but we can do something kind of like that.”
Ram marshaled every bit of the example of control Storm had set for him so that he could pin Deliverance with a level look and calmly say, “Then will you do that please? Wherever he is, I’m certain he’s wishin’ he was here instead. So, I’m thinkin’ sooner is better than later.” He glanced at Litha and back to the demon. “Do you understand me?”
Ram noticed Javier behind Elora. He’d been inching closer and was now leaning in to smell her hair with a dreamy look on his face when Ram stopped him with a pointed finger.
“Step away from my wife now, motherfucker!”
Following Ram’s finger, Elora turned around and bared her teeth. She was utterly without patience for adolescent shenanigans. “I suggest you do as my husband says quickly unless you want to end up with another ruined blouse.”
Javier looked down at his chest as if he was remembering a flagpole protruding from his front and took a step back. Baka gave him a dirty look. Javier shrugged in response as if to say, “You cannot blame an immortal vampire at the height of his sexual urges for trying.”
Ram turned back to Deliverance muttering something that began with, “Great Paddy…”
The incubus nodded his agreement with the plan and started around the room letting the searchers get a fix on Storm by his shirt. He then began giving assignments and calling them out to Glen so he could write it on the board.
Ram’s voice carried over the room. “Be sure to check in with Mr. Catch or myself every so often. When you find Sir Storm,” Ram was careful to say ‘when’ rather than ’if’ for Litha’s benefit. “…report here right away. One of us will be here.”
In a short time there were four left. Rammel, Glen, Litha, and her father. Baka had left when the vampire were given their search parameters after extracting a promise that someone would call him immediately when there was word. Elora had gone upstairs to take over looking after Helm and Rosie.
Litha turned to the demon, feeling exhausted, but determined to ignore it.
“Give me an assignment and tell me what to do.”
Ram sat down next to her and spoke quietly. “Litha, we have…” He looked at Glen. “How many are out searchin’ right now?”
“Thirty-nine.”
“Would it no’ be better to take care of Rosie?” He lowered his voice so that it was soft and comforting. “I hear she’s growin’ up pretty fast.”
She looked into Ram’s face. She wondered if her husband really knew how lucky he was to have so many people who loved him. Tears welled in her eyes and overflowed without warning. Rammel immediately moved closer to offer a shoulder, which she took, gratefully.
“He didn’t want to miss anything,” she said. “I could hardly get him to go to sleep. He wanted to just sit by her bed at night and watch her.”
Ram felt his own breath catch in his throat and curled his fists tight when the overwhelming emotion threatened to overtake him as well. He blinked rapidly. He wouldn’t allow himself to entertain the possibility that Storm wouldn’t be back. That outcome was just too impossible to imagine. Through all the years of close, close calls, he’d accepted that each of them would probably end up like Lan. Not like this. Not this!
When Litha began to quiet and pulled back, he said, “Come upstairs. Have some dinner with us. My wife is beside herself with worry about you.”
Litha narrowed her eyes. “Nice try. She’s worried about Storm.”
He cocked his head to the side a little. “She loves you, too, Litha. Do you no’ know that?”
She nodded. “I do. I’m just cranky. I’m too anxious to have dinner and wait. I need to do something. I’ll go out for a while. If I don’t find him, I’ll come get Rosie and take her home to sleep in her own bed.”
“Whatever you want.”
When Litha and Deliverance left to pursue their separate hunts, Ram heaved a weary sigh. After a short pause he looked at Glen.
“Let’s take twelve hour shifts. I’ll be back at nine. I can sleep on that couch over there.”
“You sure about that, old man? You might get a crick in your neck.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
At eight thirty, Elora had just put Rosie’s little white nightgown on her. She was too beautiful for words, with Litha’s stunning emerald-green eyes set into a feminine version of Storm’s face. It was the latter that loosened Elora’s tear ducts, not that it ever took much to harvest tears from Elora. Rosie, who seemed to have a wide streak of empathy, immediately started to cry along.
Elora swiped at her face. “No. No. Precious baby. Auntie just loves that you look so much like your daddy.”
“Daddy.”