traveling. She couldn’t stop thinking about him after she heard that he’d had a run-in with a powerful demon. Elizabeth knew that Matt could take care of himself under most circumstances, but this was one that had undoubtedly tested his abilities. He opened the door, and she ran to greet him with a hug.
“No more playing with the devil,” she ordered as she embraced him.
He laughed. “I hadn’t intended to. But he ran, so it’s all good.”
“No,” she insisted, backing away from him. She had a very serious look about her. “This isn’t funny. He caught you there, and he would have killed you if you hadn’t had that knife.”
“He didn’t kill me—that’s the point.”
“We can’t take risks like that, again,” she retorted. “We can’t afford to lose anything—or anyone.”
He dropped his bags and collapsed into a recliner. “I’ve fought demons before. And I like how you say ‘we’ when I was the one in danger. Don’t take this the wrong way—because I know what you’re thinking, and I’m not saying that you could have done anything to prevent the situation. I’m not blaming you in any way. I’m just trying to explain to you that this is my area of expertise. It may be a little scary sometimes, but it’s what I do. You should trust me more. What’s done is done, and we will just have to be a little more prepared in the future.”
Her eyes began to tear up. She turned away from him. “I’m not trying to tell you what to do. I’m just scared.”
Matt recognized his insensitivity at once. Of course she was scared too. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it to sound like that.”
“I know,” she said as she tried to smile. She wiped her eyes. “I don’t want to fight. Listen, you’ll be happy to hear that I’m almost done with Alex’s new life. He grew up around Las Vegas, in a suburb. Almost everything about him has changed. I kept his middle name for fun, and I guess it might make things a little easier for him. His family’s rich, which is going to explain how he has all the toys I’m going to need to give him.”
“Like what?” Matt asked, intrigued.
“Well, he’ll need the necessities: a cell phone, laptop, nice car, apartment, and stylish clothes. He’ll have to have contacts. I’ve enrolled him at UNLV, and if all goes well, everyone around him should believe his cover story.
“Then, he’ll have things that no one knows about. There will be tracking devices, voice-activated alarms, cameras, and a security party of twelve—under your command, of course.”
Matt grinned. She loved the way he smiled. On the few occasions she got to see a smile, Elizabeth noted how innocent and happy he could look. It looked as though Christmas came early. She smiled back, unable to help herself. He was so beautiful to her sometimes that it hurt.
She continued, “I’ve even got the perfect father for Alex, though I doubt that we’ll ever need any kind of parental unit for him; the goal is that he’ll be almost completely independent. We’re even going to have to keep our distance.”
Matt’s smile left. “I thought it might be better if I acted like I was his brother or something, for safety reasons. He might find himself in a position where he needs someone there at that moment, and I don’t know if I trust hired hands.”
She shook her head. “Safety? I’m never going to change you, am I?”
He looked down; something had become very interesting on the floor. He looked back up at her, shrugged, and smiled again in that heart-breaking way. “Doesn’t look like it,” he confessed. “Anyway, we need to get going. We’ll be expected in Amarillo before long.”
She nodded tiredly and began packing up her things. More than anything, she just wanted to go home.
***
Alex awoke in a car he didn’t recognize.
“No more playing with the devil,” she ordered as she embraced him.
He laughed. “I hadn’t intended to. But he ran, so it’s all good.”
“No,” she insisted, backing away from him. She had a very serious look about her. “This isn’t funny. He caught you there, and he would have killed you if you hadn’t had that knife.”
“He didn’t kill me—that’s the point.”
“We can’t take risks like that, again,” she retorted. “We can’t afford to lose anything—or anyone.”
He dropped his bags and collapsed into a recliner. “I’ve fought demons before. And I like how you say ‘we’ when I was the one in danger. Don’t take this the wrong way—because I know what you’re thinking, and I’m not saying that you could have done anything to prevent the situation. I’m not blaming you in any way. I’m just trying to explain to you that this is my area of expertise. It may be a little scary sometimes, but it’s what I do. You should trust me more. What’s done is done, and we will just have to be a little more prepared in the future.”
Her eyes began to tear up. She turned away from him. “I’m not trying to tell you what to do. I’m just scared.”
Matt recognized his insensitivity at once. Of course she was scared too. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it to sound like that.”
“I know,” she said as she tried to smile. She wiped her eyes. “I don’t want to fight. Listen, you’ll be happy to hear that I’m almost done with Alex’s new life. He grew up around Las Vegas, in a suburb. Almost everything about him has changed. I kept his middle name for fun, and I guess it might make things a little easier for him. His family’s rich, which is going to explain how he has all the toys I’m going to need to give him.”
“Like what?” Matt asked, intrigued.
“Well, he’ll need the necessities: a cell phone, laptop, nice car, apartment, and stylish clothes. He’ll have to have contacts. I’ve enrolled him at UNLV, and if all goes well, everyone around him should believe his cover story.
“Then, he’ll have things that no one knows about. There will be tracking devices, voice-activated alarms, cameras, and a security party of twelve—under your command, of course.”
Matt grinned. She loved the way he smiled. On the few occasions she got to see a smile, Elizabeth noted how innocent and happy he could look. It looked as though Christmas came early. She smiled back, unable to help herself. He was so beautiful to her sometimes that it hurt.
She continued, “I’ve even got the perfect father for Alex, though I doubt that we’ll ever need any kind of parental unit for him; the goal is that he’ll be almost completely independent. We’re even going to have to keep our distance.”
Matt’s smile left. “I thought it might be better if I acted like I was his brother or something, for safety reasons. He might find himself in a position where he needs someone there at that moment, and I don’t know if I trust hired hands.”
She shook her head. “Safety? I’m never going to change you, am I?”
He looked down; something had become very interesting on the floor. He looked back up at her, shrugged, and smiled again in that heart-breaking way. “Doesn’t look like it,” he confessed. “Anyway, we need to get going. We’ll be expected in Amarillo before long.”
She nodded tiredly and began packing up her things. More than anything, she just wanted to go home.
***
Alex awoke in a car he didn’t recognize.
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