Back together again, at last...

Manny heard the screams of a woman as he looked down at Moosey who was out cold at his feet. Stepping over his prone body, he sprinted toward the warehouse. It was completely boarded up, but when another piercing scream reverberated in the warehouse he backed up and ran slamming his massive frame into the planked door. They gave immediately under the force of his body and fell away flooding the dim lit warehouse with daylight. He ran within covering not ten feet when he encountered Wilkes’ body pierced through by one of the boards from the fallen floor, a sharp splintered end standing up from his chest. Manny could see he was obviously dead as the lifeless eyes seemed to stare back at him. He turned his attention to finding Rory's mother. The further he went into the burned out shell, the darker it was, the only light shined down through the gaping ceiling further ahead.

Toward the light he carefully stepped when he heard a whimpering moan. He stood still to hear it again. Slowly he turned his head viewing the area around him but saw nothing. His brow pinched in puzzlement trying to discern where the sound was coming from. Then he heard it again, this time it was a panicking cry that seemed to be coming from over head. Slowly he looked up, hanging there from the wrought iron rail was a woman, obviously Rory's mother. He could only see her feet dangling from beneath her tattered gown, amidst layers of frilly slips with only one shoe on, the other lay at his feet.

Lena's head lay resting against her arm, her teeth tightly clenched against the pain, as she strove not to faint with her head swimming in a dream like state. She groaned as her eyes rolled back, she couldn't hold a moment more, her arm was going numb and her fingers could no longer hold on, accepting her finality, she knew the end was there.

Before Manny could think of what to do, he heard her whimper, crying out, "Ohhh Go-o-od." Followed by a trapped scream deep in her throat, all he could do was brace and position himself beneath her to try to catch her. Her skirt and slips billowed out and up covering her upper body, with her silk bloomers and stockings covering her lower. Down she came, her skirt making a flapping sound as she dropped right into Manny's waiting arms, his massive chest absorbing the impact as the momentum staggered him, her weight brought him to one knee, his other leg braced, bent as she landed there with his arms holding her.

With his heart pounding in disbelief, he held onto her and slowly pushed himself up with the woman still in his arms.

Lena's head swam and rolled dropping to his shoulder as he shifted her higher to make it easier to carry her. Immediately, a familiar fragrance alerted Lena's senses making her breathe in deeply. She felt light as a feather, as if she floated on air, her head still buzzing. A solid, strong warmth so familiar brought a contented smile to her face as one arm hung, yet she wrapped her other to the strength she found there, clinging. She gasped as a sharp pain made her wince. A shiver raced through her, trembling she curled into the warmth surrounding her as her nose encountered Manny's neck. She inhaled and exhaled and could only wonder at the painlessness of letting go. She had no idea of whose powerful arms she lay in, perhaps an angel sent by God to lessen her fall to death. Had she known it would be like this, so easy to give in, pain free, she would have given into it minutes ago. With her eyes closed from exhaustion, uncaring of the next moment, she held onto this tower of strength with the front of her body just about wrapped around his chest as he held her securely.

Manny held her with his heart pounding glad that he'd gotten to her when he did. One second all he saw were skirts and bloomers, the next she was wrapped around him in a hold that even he could probably not break. With soft whimpers, she brought her other arm up, forcing it around him, needing to hold in tighter. He could feel the shivers in her small body and the warm moisture of her breath, mixed with tears against the skin of his neck.

Holding onto her slight form brought to mind a feeling of familiarity. So much so he found he didn't want to have to put her down and so for that moment, as they stood in the dark shadows of the dimly lit warehouse, he held her, and reassured her.
"Shhh, it’s okay, it's all over, you're safe now. I swear to you, no harm will come to you now." He spoke to her softly to ease her fears, wishing he could see her face. At first he thought that she’d fainted but he knew that was not the case, because she moved to draw closer to him. So many crinolines and silk surrounded her; she seemed swallowed up in the fabric. He also noted the instant she heard his voice, her body stiffened as she sucked in a quiet breath as though she sensed something strange.

Lena knew that she was awake, knew that she was aware, the pain in her arm as she tried to use it, said – she was alive. Yet was unsure of what was happening. That she was in the arms of a strange man in the most intimate position was apparent and unsettling. Slowly she loosened her hold as if by doing so carefully he would not notice. His voice sounded kind enough but there was something about it that sent chills down her body as she clung to his wide shoulders. She could feel the vibration of his deep voice from his chest and the rumble in his throat as he tried to soften it to ask her.

"Did he hurt you ... are you all right?"

Lena swallowed with her heart stopping and starting anew for a different reason. Her heart beat so strongly, Manny could feel it against his chest. "Don't be afraid, calm down, come on, calm down, I won't hurt you, I swear, I’m not one of them, they can’t hurt you, nor will anyone else." He soothed as he began shifting her to move the yards of material covering her up. Surprising him was a powerfully protective instinct that swelled and overcame him. He hadn't felt this protective over anyone since Lena. Yet this woman, Rory's mother brought that out in him. He wanted to know who this little lady in his arms was, determined that after today he would. Unable to restrain himself, he turned his face to her, breathing in her delightful scent of wild flowers. He loved that fragrance and found himself closing his eyes to inhale the pureness of it. It was such a pleasure compared to the sometimes harsh and heavy perfumes that assailed his senses from women he had encountered before. This one, reminded him of Lena. Lena always smelled like a fresh burst of spring after a rain shower. He also noticed that she was even small and fit against his chest much like Lena, who used to cling to him this way when needing his strength to hold onto.

Lena could not talk. Could not bring herself to move.

Accepting this, Manny continued. "Are you wondering how I found you? Your son, Rory, he called for help, we came. I'm his boss, he works for me on my ship. He was so frightened for you."

Lena closed her eyes and swallowed, slowly she began lifting herself up and away from his neck, pushing away from his shoulder until her eyes lit on the pale color of his blonde hair at his nape. As if by its own will her hand went up to touch it, her palm smoothed over the back of his head, over his hair.

Manny froze, a shiver ran the course of his spine, he felt his breathing disrupted by a touch so stimulating were it not for the circumstances he found them in, he would be on the verge of arousal, to his manly instincts, the gesture stirred him to the core. At that moment, both slowly turned their heads to face the other.

They were so close that only a couple of centimeters of air separated their noses from rubbing. Her eyes locked in on the mustache of tan mixed with strands of gray. She felt an increase in his heartbeat. She felt her breasts tingling from being held so tightly against his hard chest, now that the pressure was off. Manny's eyes were on the smooth brown color of her skin, grappling with the wonder of what his eyes took in his heart jumped so hard he grew short of breath. Swallowing convulsively, Manny snatched his eyes from her soft cheek to her eyes. Eyes that were wide and staring right into his, eyes that were unmistakably ... gold.

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ISBN: 978-1-4092-1305-5

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Book Three
~ Family Reunion ~

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