|
|
Post by Kaden Kingston on Jan 19, 2017 18:11:39 GMT -5
The last thing Kaden needed was company. The whole point of moving away from the estate was to keep his sister and mother safe from his 'work'. From the outside it merely looked like post traumatic stress, and perhaps that was true on the inside as well to some extent. But he couldn't pass up Derek's request when he learned the identity of his new guests.
Diana Crawford.
Crawford industries was deeply steeped in illegal trade deals, trafficking, laundering, drugs, murder, and on and on the list went. It was a name he knew well. A name he intended to extinguish and fate was lending him a hand so it would seem.
He didn't know much about the heiress. Just that she was the current CEO of Crawford Industries after her father passed away two years ago. Since that time the business had been on the decline and the Board Members took control over the assets. Diana then disappeared. He wondered if she was familiar with her father's work or she was ignorant of it the way he had been ignorant of his own father's dealings. In either case he had no time for a gentle hand, and having Diana nearby would give him some answers.
When she woke up that is...
Derek had pounded on his door an hour ago with a devil's grin and a smooth tongue asking for sanctuary for him and his friends. Kaden had been reluctant, but good friends were hard to find and he considered Derek to be a trusted ally if nothing else. He recognized Diana from a file he kept in a secret office where other tidbits of information was kept concerning his current mission. He did not recognize the physician or the man Derek was levitating behind him, except the strange sense of danger he could sense from the larger man.
He allowed them entry and showed Dr. Hanley a room to use to take care of Diana, while Derek dragged Christian to another nearby room.
Derek then left to go check on Diana, and Kaden was stuck babysitting Christian. He read while he waited for the man to wake, which Derek assured him should be soon.
|
|
|
|
Post by Christian Ward on Jan 19, 2017 19:20:29 GMT -5
Not soon enough. Once Christian learned that Derek had entrusted not only his life, but Diana's and her unborn son's lives in the hands of someone whom Christian had not vetted, there would be hell to pay. If he had woken sooner he could have stopped it all, or at least had some say in the matter. Christian didn't like not being in control. As it were, Christian and his wife, girlfriend, prisoner, whatever Diana was to him now, were unconscious in a stranger's home. The awakening would not be pleasant.
Christian felt as though he was being pushed out of a deep hole. He had no control over it but he was getting closer to the opening. Closer to safety.
He stirred and blinked his eyes as he looked around the room. It didn't register that this was not his house. The only thing he saw was a stranger sitting in a chair, reading a book. Christian turned quickly, the wound in his shoulder burning, and reached for his wand on the bedside table. Only there was no wand, or bedside table. This wasn't his house. Where the f*ck was he?
|
|
|
|
Post by Kaden Kingston on Jan 19, 2017 20:07:56 GMT -5
Kaden didn't even blink. He was keenly aware of the man on the bed, but thus far the appearance of indifference had served him well and he wouldn't give away a hand if he didn't need to.
"Derek has your wand." Kaden said turning the page and not bothering to look up, "I suppose he didn't want you hexing first and asking questions later. I also suppose I'm grateful for that, by the look in your eye."
He sized Christian up now that the man was conscious. Kaden could hold his own, but he would not want to fight with what appeared to be a seasoned warrior either.
|
|
|
|
Post by Christian Ward on Jan 19, 2017 20:41:31 GMT -5
Christian wasn't grateful for anything at the moment. He stood hastily, an imposing stance as he glared threateningly. "Who the f*ck are you?" he asked with a sneer.
There were other questions in his head. Where is Diana? Is she okay? How is the baby? These questions he would not be asking this stranger, even if he did know Burke.
And still there were questions that he was sure no one had the answer to. What was it that he had seen when Silas tortured him? How could he feel such love for a daughter he had never met? And where the f*ck did Diana learn to fight like that? Not to mention, does she still have that outfit? That last one he would be asking her later, but first thing's first. Who was this man, where was Christian, and what the bloody hell was Burke playing at by bringing him here?
|
|
|
|
Post by Kaden Kingston on Jan 19, 2017 22:26:09 GMT -5
"Kaden." He smiled unphased, "Kingston." he finished, "The owner of this humble abode you now find yourself in." he added.
He stood nearly matching Christian's height. Their builds were comparable, and while Christian had thirteen years on Kaden neither lacked for experience. There was a subtle confidence that lingered despite the relaxed expression on his face.
Derek arrived in the next moment, "Easy Ward. Kaden's a friend."
|
|
|
|
Post by Christian Ward on Jan 20, 2017 0:31:00 GMT -5
Christian sized the man, Kingston, up as he stood to meet Christian. He was sure he could take this little punk even without a wand. Christian took a menacing step forward when Burke joined the room.
"He's not my bloody friend," Christian sneered at Kaden once more before turning his attention to Derek.
"Where is she?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Derek Burke on Jan 20, 2017 0:52:13 GMT -5
Jesus, Diana really knew how to pick him. King of the hostile giants award goes to...
Derek had to avoid rolling his eyes at Christian's bravado. He understood the situation, but hell Derek had literally just fought through an entire hit squad protecting the man, and Kaden had generously offered shelter to the pair. Christian could stand to be a tiny bit grateful, if nothing else he could at least avoid getting them kicked out.
"She's with Dr. Hanley down the hall." he answered, "She's asleep. The baby is fine. Come on." Derek gave a nod toward Kaden and turned to leave the room.
|
|
|
|
Post by Christian Ward on Jan 20, 2017 1:09:53 GMT -5
Christian felt a weight lifting from his shoulders as Derek gave him the rundown. Hanley had made it in time. Diana was safe. The baby was okay. His mouth twitched and he nearly almost smiled at the news but kept his strong appearance otherwise.
He followed Derek into the hall. "Where the bloody hell are we, Burke? Who's this bloke?" Christian's head jutted in Kingston's direction.
|
|
|
|
Post by Derek Burke on Jan 20, 2017 1:24:18 GMT -5
"Ever heard of Kingston Global?" Derek asked. If Christian had been impressed with Diana's wealth, he would have been staggered to see Kaden's personal assets.
Derek paused at Diana's door, "He's the owner. And this..." he gestured to the nice, but overall underwhelming house for someone as wealthy as Kaden was, "...is some kind of PTSD induced phase. But it's a safehouse for now until we figure out where to put you two."
|
|
|
|
Post by Christian Ward on Jan 20, 2017 1:31:59 GMT -5
Kingston Global? Everyone had heard of Kingston Global. He looked around at the house they were in and was about to comment on the unproportionate accommodations to wealth when Burke explained. Christian raised his eyebrows and nodded once in understanding.
"So all you billionaires just hang out together," Christian commented snidely. The Burkes, the Crawfords, the Kingstons. Throw in a few Blacks and Malfoys and you had yourself a party fit for a queen. Christian moved past the comment with little time for Derek to remark. "Can we trust him?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Derek Burke on Jan 20, 2017 1:52:31 GMT -5
There were varying degrees of wealth, Derek put a hand to his chest. He wasn't a billionaire by any means, of course his family's name was more respected in the wizarding community for the sole fact that they were proprietors that dealt strictly with other wizards and witches. The Blacks and Malfoys also were strictly 'limited' to the wizarding community. Kingston Global, Montgomery Enterprises, even Crawford Industries all dealt with muggles and wizards alike. Business was business after all.
"Yes." he answered simply. Derek stepped out of the way letting Christian get to his wife, maybe that would make him less hostile.
|
|
|
|
Post by Christian Ward on Jan 20, 2017 2:10:11 GMT -5
Christian had his doubts, simply for the fact that he hadn't been the one to suggest this move. He knew they couldn't stay at his house until Silas was taken care of but he hadn't been conscious at the time to have any say in where they hid. He disliked it, but trusted Derek nonetheless.
As Derek stepped aside, Christian pushed open the door. Diana was on the bed. She was in bad shape but Dr Hanley was tending to her and that put Christian at ease. He stepped inside. "How is she?" he asked the man.
"She is a strong one," Hanley said with a kind smile. "As is your son. The Wards are always strong, though, eh?"
Christian nodded. The Wards. He didn't know what to make of that but it didn't sound awful. Christian moved to Diana's side and looked down on her. He instantly flashed to images of Diana in sexy underwear taking out three men with nothing but her knives and a smile.
He blinked and looked down at her unconscious body. He leaned in, brushed her hair behind her ear, and whispered gently. "I remember you fighting in your panties. Seems like a good one to keep around."
|
|
|
|
Post by Derek Burke on Jan 20, 2017 2:25:05 GMT -5
"Stubborn." Derek corrected, "The Wards are all too stubborn to die." he teased leaning in the doorway.
"Well now that you've decided to get out of bed. I'm going to get something to eat. I swear taking care of you lot is a full time job." he said his voice trailing away as he complained.
|
|
|
|
Post by Christian Ward on Jan 20, 2017 2:42:57 GMT -5
Christian ignored Derek's good natured teasing, though the man was correct. Christian was certainly stubborn and the little time he remembered being with Diana proved her to be equally so. He put his hand on the bump that housed his son and hoped the stubbornness was genetic; the baby had already been through so much and he hadn't even seen daylight yet.
"The baby is doing better," Hanley commented as he saw Christian press his hand against Diana's stomach. "She is eating more, the baby is very happy." There were concerns, yes, but Christian needed to hear the good news right now. Hanley noticed the dried blood on Christian's shirt sleeve. "Oh, dear boy, let me look at your arm."
"Don't worry about me," Christian answered gruffly. "Take care of her first. I've had worse than a bullet in the shoulder."
"I do think your friend was right. The Wards are stubborn." Hanley was talking mostly to himself at this point but made sure to speak so that Christian knew he was being spoken ill of.
|
|
|
|
Post by Diana Ward on Jan 20, 2017 2:56:59 GMT -5
Diana was out for a couple more hours. Magic was a wonderful thing otherwise she would have been out for days, and in bed much longer than that. Not many people lived through a bullet in the lung. Twice for that matter. But Diana was stubborn. She wanted to live. She had hope, even if she couldn't recall where that hope had come from she knew she had to fight to stay alive.
It was night when she started to stir.
|
|
|
|
Post by Christian Ward on Jan 20, 2017 3:24:11 GMT -5
Christian was there, he had been sitting with her most of the day. Hanley had badgered him into getting his shoulder tended to and Burke found him a clean shirt to put on instead of his blood soaked one.
Christian was pretty sure the gesture was some sort of payback as the shirt he was given was a green t-shirt with a large cartoon pickle with the words "I'm kind of a bill dill" beneath it. The pun made Dr Hanley chuckle for several minutes. He kept quieting down and then suddenly he would remember, then repeat the phrase and laugh again. He would have gone without a shirt but they were in someone else's home and while he clearly hand't shown much manners to Diana as of late, he did have them.
Christian saw her moving slightly and heard her soft moans. He moved from his chair to sit on the edge of her bed. Something popped into his head and he wasn't sure why but it seemed fitting. "Hello stranger," he said gently.
|
|
|
|
Post by Diana Ward on Jan 20, 2017 3:29:33 GMT -5
She laughed, then winced, but damn it was good to hear his voice. Her eyes blinked open, "Hiya back." her voice was hoarse.
She took a deep breath, "What happened?" for a moment she wasn't sure of herself. She wasn't sure of anything. She didn't remember that Christian wasn't 'her' Christian, and yet in some ways he was hers again, still, always. She just saw his eyes, those beautiful green eyes that stopped her heart and made all in the world seem right.
Images and memories flooded through and she tried to sit up to make sense of things only to feel a sharp pain in her chest.
|
|
|
|
Post by Christian Ward on Jan 20, 2017 3:52:20 GMT -5
"Lie down," he told her as she started to move. For all her exploits she should have known better than try to get up in her condition. Especially since she'd been through this situation before.
"What happened is you nearly killed us." He looked to her chest then back up to her eyes. "You were shot, but Hanley patched you up." He smirked at her then. "I think he's sweet on you. Kept saying how strong and brave you are. Called you daft for falling in with me, though."
|
|
|
|
Post by Diana Ward on Jan 20, 2017 3:56:36 GMT -5
"Liam?!" she asked with a sudden mask of worry that transcended all her know how about wounds and recovery. She had to know if her baby was alright. But then if Christian was teasing her Liam had to be alright.
|
|
|
|
Post by Christian Ward on Jan 20, 2017 15:47:11 GMT -5
"Hanley says he's fine," Christian said reassuringly. Strangely, it had been one of Christian's initial worries as well. Although, was it so strange? It was his child after all. His son.
"Burke thinks its the Ward sense of stubbornness in him that he's refusing to get hurt. Whatever it is, he's pretty damn lucky considering his mum thought she should jump in front of a gun." He touched her belly absentmindedly. Talking of his son made him want to be nearer him, and of course nearer to Diana.
Emotions were flooding back to him now. Some he could relate to the memories he had seen while Silas tortured him. But others he wasn't sure of where they had come from. He remembered but at the same time he couldn't, like waking up from a dream and knowing whether or not it had been a pleasant one but being unable to recall what had happened.
Maybe it was simply part of the anchoring spell they had done. But if Christian couldn't remember any of it, did it really work? Did he really need to be unconscious? If he hadn't been, Diana might not have gotten shot. They might have been able to more easily fight off the intruders if both Derek and Christian had been conscious.
|
|
