Accidentally...Over?(16)

"I think you are lying," Roberto said in an irritated tone.

"Where's the fun in the truth? Hey, got any bad people hanging around? Minky's getting hangry."                       
       
           



       

"You mean hungry?" Roberto cocked a brow.

"No. Hangry. That's when you're angry because you're hungry. She needs  her afternoon snack. Preferably anyone who wears a mullet."

"Cimil!" Máax barked. "You will cease this conversational detour and  tell me what you know about Ashli. Why does the Universe want to kill  her?"

Cimil's turquoise eyes glowed with mischief, and her lips curled into a  giant smirk. "I have told you; Ashli will be the one to prevent us from  fighting each other. She will broker peace if you save her and she is  allowed to live out her natural life in her natural habitat. Or  Ashli-tat, as I like to call it. If not …  well, at least we can all enjoy  this family time together."

"There is more. I know you're hiding something," Máax said bluntly and  then looked at Roberto who also had the expression of a man trying to  figure out a very complex puzzle. "The Universe wants her dead. Why?"

Cimil shrugged. "If I had the answer to every question, do you think I'd be locked in here? Okay. Maybe I would. It's cozy."

Máax slammed his fist against the glass. "I'm not fucking around, Cimil! We've had five earthquakes. Five!"

"He is right, my evil dove," Roberto agreed. "You must tell him what you know."

Cimil crossed her arms and turned away.

"Very well." He was on his own. What was new, really? That was the way  it had always been. Máax did everything in his power to save everyone's  bacon, and they turned their backs on him in his time of need. Again and  again and again.

No more. He was done saving everyone. Except for Ashli.

Now he had no choice but to figure this out on his own. Something  greater was at play. But what? Why would the Universe want her head?

Well, the Universe cannot have her. She is mine. She always will be.

He took a mental step back; his possessive thoughts stunned him.

He already knew he wanted her on her back, in his bed, maybe more, but  he'd already settled on the fact he wouldn't continue on this path.  However, it seemed with each passing moment, the temptation to fantasize  about a different destiny, one with Ashli in it, grew stronger.

Well, he wasn't going to give in, and he had to stop letting this mate  garbage cloud his judgment. His one and only task was to stop the  apocalypse. Perhaps if he dug deeper and found out what miracle Ashli  would perform, what made her special, he'd uncover why the Universe  wanted her dead. The two had to be linked.

"I will return shortly," Máax said.

"Wait! No! Let us out!" screamed his brother Kinich who looked very much  like himself-long honey-brown hair with streaks of gold, built like a  tank, and a deadly look in his turquoise eyes. "If you let us out, we  can lift the curse. Make you whole again."

Máax glanced at Cimil, who shook her head and said, "Not until you save Ashli."

Fuck. Only a unanimous vote would reverse his current state and return his powers. Cimil would hold back the final vote.

On my own.

"Remember this moment, Cimil." Máax marched back to the conference room and prepared for another trip to 1993.





Nine





Two days after release from the hospital


Ashli sat in her living room, curled up with a book and her favorite  raspberry tea, trying her hardest to focus on the story. Usually  anything with a drafty castle and a warm kilt sucked her in, but today?  Not a chance. Her thoughts were fixated on the mysterious man. Why  hadn't he returned? What was he really? Where did he come from? Were  there others? Where did they live? What did they eat? Did they have  powers? And that business about him saying she was his soul mate, but  the universe wanted her dead?

How can someone just say those things and then …  leave?

Or perhaps she'd imagined the entire thing? Rubin, or Dr. Ruiz, said  he'd given her some sort of drug for the pain. And it wasn't unheard of  for people to hallucinate after a head injury.

Ashli's stomach did a sickly little polka dance. She didn't want it to  be a dream. She wanted the man to be real. The way he made her feel when  he touched her was …                        
       
           



       

Magical.

Magical? Do you know how lame that sounds? We're not talking about a damned unicorn!

But what other way could she describe it? Sexy, delicious, blissful?  None of those words came close to the magnificence of what transpired in  that hospital room.

There was a loud buzz from the intercom at the front gate.

Ashli sprang from the sofa and looked out the window.

Rubin. She looked down at her clothes, a little yellow sundress, and  determined she was presentable enough, and then hit the release switch  to the front gate. She opened the front door and watched him approach,  carrying a brown paper bag.

He was a lean, nice-looking man, that was for sure, but hallucination or not, he didn't hold a match to …

A guy you can't even see? You do get why that makes you nuts, right?

"I came to check in on you," he said as she closed the door behind him.

"That's really thoughtful, but you didn't have to. I'm fine, I promise."  Ashli returned to her cozy white couch. "Other than my head still  hurts."

Rubin sat next to her and the scent of fresh pastries filled her nostrils. "I brought you these. Fernando sends his regards."

Ah. Yes. Fernando was holding down the fort. She looked inside the bag  and saw her favorite Mexican pastry, conchas. They kind of looked like  perky boobs rolled in sugar.

"I stopped by for my morning coffee and didn't see you," said Rubin,  with his thick accent, "so I thought I'd come by to check up."

"That was very thoughtful, but I'm sure I'll be fine." Hadn't she just said that?

Rubin scooted closer and slipped a penlight from his pocket. "May I take a look?"

She shrugged. "Sure."

Rubin flickered the light across her pupils. "Looks good." Then he  simply stared at her. "Has anyone ever told you that you have the most  beautiful eyes? They are a very, very unusual shade of green."

Hitting on her again?

"Thanks. My mom used to say that I have my grandmother's eyes." She  moved back just an inch, and that's when she noticed it. The smell in  the air.

He's here. Oh, my …  I can't say God. That sounds weird. Okay, but he's  here! She tried to hold in her excitement. And slight irritation. She  wanted to ask where the hell he'd been, or if he had any idea what she'd  gone through, wondering if she'd lost her mind. The questions would  have to wait until Rubin was gone, which needed to happen ASAP.

Ashli feigned a yawn. "Well, thank you for stopping by, Dr. Ruiz."

Rubin chuckled. "I am Dr. Ruiz now?"

Ashli smiled politely. "I didn't get much sleep last night. I think I'm  going to take a nap." Yawn, yawn, yawn. See how sleepy I am?

Rubin stood. "I get the hint, but I'm not leaving until you agree to come to my home for dinner."

She just wanted him to go. "Sure. Love to. Sounds good. How's next week?"

A strange energy vibrated through the air. It made the hair on her arms stand up.

"Saturday then," he said. "I will prepare my famous chicken mole," he  said proudly. She found it hard to believe he could cook anything. She  already knew that his housekeeper prepared most of his meals.

"Mole. Love mole." She smiled and went straight for the door. "Thanks again for stopping by."

Rubin gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Of course, if you need anything, you must promise to call?"

"Absolutely." She smiled sweetly, shut the door behind him, and pushed  her back against it, holding her breath. She peeked out the window and  watched him disappear out the front gate.

"Dammit! I know you're there," she barked.

No response.

"Why were you gone for so long?" she called out.

Silence.

She shook her head and went to the kitchen. "Unbelievable. Doesn't  matter what species, men are the same." She continued her mumbled rant,  grabbing a small plate and filling up a glass with milk. She knew he  watched her. She felt his eyes all over her body, and she sensed that  weird, angry vibe in the air. Why did he insist on torturing her like  this? "Like I care what a stupid invisible guy thinks anyway. He doesn't  even wear underwear. What kind of guy walks around naked-"