Cecilia's Mate by April Zyon Read Free Book Online

know when I’m not doing
so well so I can make it better. Deal?”
    “Now
that I know I can discuss anything with you at any time, yes, we have a deal.
Just don’t be surprised when I tell you absolutely everything there is to know
about everything. I want you to be a part of my life, all of it.”
    “Cecilia,
little one, you can tell me anything you want at any time. I want you to
talk to me.” He planted a kiss to her temple. “Drink some more of your water,
and then settle down in the bed. You need to get some real sleep. No more
little catnaps for you. Lots of rest, plenty of food, and all the loving you
can handle.”
    “I
like how you think.” She finished off her water and passed it back to him. Once
he had disposed of both bottles she yawned and shrank down into the bedding.
“Stay with me? I feel safest in your arms.”
    “Of
course.” He slid under the sheets with her. Reaching over their heads, he
pressed a button to turn the lights off in the room, leaving only a soft glow
around the perimeter. Then he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in
tight to his body as he curled around her. “Sleep well, Cecilia.”
    “I
will,” she whispered. Then, with a yawn, she was sound asleep for the first
time in far, far too long.
     
     
     
     
     

 
    Chapter
Five
     
    Draven
looked up when she wandered out of the bedroom, but held a hand up to stall
her. “Anything else?” he asked. He nodded a couple of times, then sighed. “Keep
us updated. No, it went smoothly. We’re not at three-quarters ready. There’s
another two deliveries coming out today. The perishables will be tomorrow and
then we’re set to leave. The crew will begin returning to the ship tomorrow
morning so that we can leave the following day on schedule. I will, you too.”
Pulling the device from his ear, he dropped it on the table before standing and
coming toward her. “Hey, you. Did you sleep well?” he asked softly, wrapping
her up in his arms to hug her close.
    “Fabulously.”
She closed her eyes as she leaned into him. “I have never, ever slept so well
in all of my life. You utterly amaze me, you know.”
    “I
didn’t do all that much,” he said. Laughing, he squeezed her close and she
could feel him rubbing his cheek to her hair. “Just held you while you slept. I
am sorry I wasn’t there when you woke, but I had promised your brother I’d report
in by the end of the day on things here. Plus I wanted to find out what was
going on planetside.”
    “That’s
okay.” She rubbed her cheek to his and sighed. “And what is going on
planetside? What has my mother done now?” It was probably something horrendous.
She was so bad and that made her hurt that she came from that woman’s womb.
    “She
tried to start a fight at the marshal’s office when she was told that you were
no longer her or your father’s concern. That all guardianship rights had been
suspended pending a full investigation into serious allegations of flesh
trafficking, prostitution, and a few other things I won’t even mention. They
tossed her out on her ass, so she headed off to find Bracken.” Draven stopped
there, just plain stopped. There was more, she knew there was, but he wasn’t
giving her anything.
    “Okay,
what happened when she found Bracken? And don’t say nothing because I
see on your face already that there was something and whatever it was, it was
big. What did that woman do to him?”
    “She
went off on Sadie, and Bracken popped her one on the nose. Broke it, from what
I heard, but considering the things she was screaming he was actually very
restrained. He then had the local authorities haul her away and had her tossed
in lockup for the night. She’s still in there until the bail hearing that,
given Bracken cut off all monies to the family, they can’t actually afford.” He
said it all in bursts, really fast and only pausing long enough to take a
couple of breaths.
    “Oh
my. Well, I’m very glad she never knew that I