Chapter 218

Louisville, Kentucky

The chair slipped and the cheap door, along with the facing it was attached to, crashed inward. Justin, accompanied by a bloody mouth and an all-consuming rage, stormed into the bedroom. Angel didn't know whether it was crack rage, his anger at her, or a combination of the two, but she had never seen him like this – not this bad.

What little her father had taught her about a quarter staff happened when she was fifteen years old and far more interested in boys than in learning the moves he wanted to teach her. As she hastily brought the clothes rod up, she knew it was far too light, but it was all she had. As her body fell into position, she hoped she would remember enough to save her life.

"You're going to hit me with that, Bitch?" he sneered as he stepped over the door and suddenly charged her.

She telegraphed a strike to the left side of his head, as her father had taught her, then when her husband brought his arms up to block her blow, she swung the other end of the staff around. She was off balance because of his rush, and the strike, consequently, had little force behind it, but it went in under his arm, striking him in his short ribs.

He grunted and tried to trap the rod under his arm, but that was a difficult move at best, at least under the circumstances. Before he had time to lock down on the rod, Angel snatched it back and brought the makeshift staff around in an arc that caught his left arm a few inches down from the shoulder. This time, the blow had her strength behind it, causing a "whap" as the rod hit and an accompanying grunt of pain as Justin staggered into the wall.

"You bitch," he yelled as he bounced off and faked coming back at her, but he was much more wary of her this time. Just before he thought he was in range, he stopped. "You broke my arm!" he screamed at her.

"I doubt it," she screamed back at him. "But I'll break your damn head if you come any closer."

From the look on his face, she assumed he was going to lunge, and thrust out the end of the rod to strike him solidly in the solar plexus. He staggered back onto the downed door, gasping. "I'll get you for this, Bitch," he threatened in a broken breath, bent over from the blow to his solar plexus, while still holding onto his upper arm. After glaring at her for a second while she stood in position, obviously ready, he backed through the doorway and on out of sight. She heard his footsteps as he went on down the hall.

"Get out!" she screamed. "Get out of the house. Go suck on a crack rock somewhere. Get away from me."

"Fuck you!" he screamed back, from the kitchen, she supposed. He didn't immediately return, so Angel, keeping the clothes rod near, put the door upright and tried to jam the molding it was still attached to back into place enough to keep the door from falling in, then shoved the chair back under the doorknob. I need to get to the hammer that's in the storage shelves so I can drive these nails back in, but I dare not go now; he might be waiting for me.

Oh, fuck. Why didn't I listen to Mom and Dad? They saw this coming before I married this prick, but I was in love, she sarcastically derided herself. Yeah, love, or lust, that lasted about six months. Ever since he got kicked out of the army, things have been going downhill. Showing my parents I was right – boy, is that a joke – has reaped me nothing but misery. But my pride wouldn't let me go whining home.

I've done everything that a woman can do for a husband – everything. But my pussy and mouth can't compete with booze and crack, let alone meth. Unconsciously sighing, she continued her thoughts, It's time I swallowed my pride. Time to get my ass back to people who love me – time to start over. I need to find a phone and call, but ... my darling husband did something with my cell, the few pay phones around here are trashed, and the regular phone in the convenience store where I work, won't call long distance – not even collect. I need to get to Wal-Mart and buy one of those disposable phones so I can call Mom and Dad.

When I went back for Mom's funeral, I wanted to stay with Dad or even my brother, Rob, but oh no, I had too much pride. Now – somehow – Mom is back. She and Daddy have tried to explain it, but strange as it is, she has to be Mom. She's told me things that only she and I know, but...

A little later, Angel heard the front door slam. Not trusting that he wouldn't fake leaving, she peeked out the window to see him walking down the street. I need to get my money and get out of here while he's gone, she thought as she hastily moved the dresser back, then the chair from under the doorknob.

In the kitchen a moment later, her heart skipped a beat. The loose piece of molding was lying on the floor – her money gone.

The Retreat

Diana walked into the living room and motioned for Jeff. When she had him to the side, she stood looking up at him, her hands on his hips. "I love you," she whispered.

"Me, too," he responded.

"Me, too?" she teased. "You love yourself, too?"

He poked his fingers in her sides, tickling her. "No, Smarty, I love you."

Giggling, "Okay, that's better."

"So, did you come in here just to tell me you love me?"

Diana chuckled. "Nope, at least, not entirely. We have a problem. Annie (the old Marine's wife) called and asked if she could bring their friend, Rose, with them."

"So, why ask? She's been here for a wedding or two."

"Yeah, but Rose never stayed for any length of time, or really been involved with us, and ... she hasn't been blocked or enhanced. Annie wants Rose to have the treatment just like they have. It's obvious Annie has accepted Rose as another mate for her husband. We haven't seen them in a while, so no telling how they look now that they've had the enhancement for some time, but Rose, although younger than Annie and Jeb, isn't that much younger. Jeb and Annie couldn't tell Rose about the blocks or Little One, but Rose obviously knows something has happened to them, and Annie wants it for her friend. We need..."

"You think she knows enough to make a logical decision to accept the blocks?"

"Well, Annie says she'll do whatever Jeb tells her to do."

"They coming for breakfast?"

"No, they're going to eat in Winter Park, and will be here around nine to help with our meal."

"Okay. Put Rose in a suite with the understanding that I'm going to help her. And Annie and Jeb need to stay with us, I think. I'll get Rose blocked and leave Little One to enhance her. Everything should be done long before our Thanksgiving dinner. You still shooting for one p.m.?"

"Yeah, dinner should be ready by then." His clan Queen put a hand behind his head, pulling him down as she leaned up for a short kiss, her lips as inviting as ever. "I'll call Annie back so they'll be prepared."

Van and Jeremy arrived. Shortly, the men were summoned to breakfast. The women, preoccupied, ate with them, but soon returned to the kitchen.

With their meal over, Jeff got up to begin gathering dirty dishes. By the time the younger wives came back in to clear the big table, the men had everything loaded on the serving carts. Delighted, the wives gave the appropriate husbands a kiss and thank you.

"You guys need to disappear until dinner," Arlene advised her father.

"Yes, Ma'am," Jeff laughed as he and the other Alphas headed for the living room.

Jeb, Annie and Rose arrived, and Diana whisked them into the sitting room of the suite she had chosen. Nicki brought coffee and soft drinks for Jeb and Annie, since they were going to wait while Little One did her thing with Rose.

Rose, younger than her partners, looked about sixty, while Jeb and Annie, thanks to Little One, now appeared to be a very healthy fifty. Although Jeb and Annie couldn't tell Rose exactly what was going to happen, she obviously had some idea, because she readily agreed to the blocks. When he sat her on the couch, she told Jeff to do whatever he had to do.

When she was out with the block apparatus on her head, Jeff turned to Jeb. "Any problems with the two of you looking younger?"

Jeb, an old Marine, always took his coffee black, the stronger the better. With his freshly poured cup, he sat next to his wife on the other couch. "Well, it was time to have our driver's licenses renewed, and since both of our birth dates are in October, we went down together. There were a number of people in line, and the lady who processed us was a bit harried. Annie and I began kidding each other and got the gal to laughing. Apparently, she didn't pay any attention to our pictures on the old license, just took our new pictures, did her thing, and we were on our way with our temporary renewal. A few days later, we had our new licenses with pictures that look like us now. Most times I've had to use my driver's license, no one really paid any attention to my birth date, just entered the license number in the computer when I paid with a check or the like. I think we're pretty much set to go. If someone does notice, like a trooper, or the police, we might have some problems, but we have a copy of our birth certificates in the glove compartment. What are they going to do?" he laughed. "I figure, at worst, they'll just think we used a good plastic surgeon and dyed our hair."

Annie put her cup on the coffee table in front of her, then locked eyes with Jeff. "We owe you so much. You've made us young again; you've put us in a house that's ten times better than anything we've ever lived in before, and..."

"Hush," Jeff quietly admonished. "We have more money than we'll ever spend, and God seems to keep blessing us with more. Now, let's change the subject. What about Rose? I assume that you three..."

"She's our wife now, too," Annie spoke up. "My man has always deserved more than he's gotten out of life. He deserves Rose, and she's a great person. We had a simple ceremony – just the three of us. We're just like your wives here, now. We're sister-wives. Besides, with this enhancement thing you've done for us, there's no way I could take care of Jeb by myself," she finished, taking her husband's hand and smiling at him, her blush obvious.

"I'm damn lucky," Jeb told the Prime.

Jeff removed the helmet, then turned away as Little One flowed out of his collar into his hands. When he turned back to Rose, she looked intently at the small alien. "That's what does it? That's what makes Jeb and Annie look so young?"

"Yep," Jeff responded, and told her about the enhancement.

"I trust Jeb and Annie. If they say this is the thing to do..."

Jeb interrupted to say, "It is, Rose. You need to do it."

" ... then let's get started," Rose finished, her demeanor matter-of-fact.

Jeff had to grin a little at her attitude. "Okay, just stretch out."

Rose didn't hesitate in the slightest, just turned and laid back on the couch as the Prime put the Healer on the woman's chest. The blue beams came on, "You'll be asleep in no time," he belatedly said. She was already out.