by Mary Abshire
"Oh, you were with him." She grinned. "Good for you, girlfriend."
"I've got to wash up before I go."
"Uh, yeah. Please do. And don't worry, my lips are sealed."
I shut the door and quickly cleaned up. As I zipped up my shorts, a muffled buzz from my purse caught my attention. I ignored it, knowing it was probably Jeremy. Yes, I knew I was late. I didn't care. Clean and ready to fight, I emerged from the bathroom.
I scurried past Dani. "I'll be home late."
"See you later." She stood a few feet from the television. I suspected she was analyzing every little detail and replaying the video over and over again as if she wanted to commit it to memory. I'd seen her do the same with recordings from other investigations. Biting my tongue from commenting, I dashed out of the apartment with my purse in hand and closed the door behind me.
Drake waited in his dark SUV. Just seeing him added a few beats to my heart. I hurried to the vehicle, then hopped inside. "I'm ready."
Drake pulled out of the parking spot while I strapped the seatbelt over me. One fun-filled night of pain was coming up. My life contained way too much amusement. Maybe I was being a little sarcastic.
On the way to the karate school, my phone buzzed again. Annoyed, I dug inside my purse and withdrew my cell. A glimpse at the screen showed the caller was Sean. My heart jumped a beat at the pleasant surprise of his call.
"Sean?"
"Am I bothering you?" he asked, sounding exactly like George Clooney.
"Of course not. I'm always available to talk to you."
Drake took his eyes from the road and gave me a brief smile.
"Have you found out any more details about your trip?" Sean asked.
I bit my lip as I thought of a response. The day after I got home from Phoenix, I had informed Sean about the meeting. He didn't take the news well and wanted to know specific details, such as when we were arriving in Europe and what day we were meeting with the VETOV. I'd been so busy training with Jeremy I had forgotten to ask Drake.
"No, but I'm with Drake right now," I said.
"Let me talk to him," Sean said.
I looked at Drake. "You…want to talk to him?" His request sounded like a demand. He'd never asked to speak to Drake before. Why now?
"Yes, let me talk to him," Sean repeated in a firm voice.
I extended the phone to Drake. He took it without hesitation.
"Hello," Drake said, returning his gaze to the road. There was a short pause. "Yes." Then a longer moment of silence. "The latest information I have been given is we will fly into Paris Saturday night and take another flight to Alderney."
Alderney? I gave Drake a questionable gaze. Where was Alderney?
"It is a channel island, part of Guernsey," Drake said. Sean and I must have been thinking the same thing. "The meeting will begin Monday night at Fort Clonque."
A fort on an island? Sounded exciting and a bit scary. Why a fort?
Drake faced me. A hint of a smile touched his lips. "Yes," he said into the phone. "You have my word." He returned to watching where he was driving. "I understand."
My pulse quickened as I wondered what Sean was telling him. I imagined his words were something a father would say, even though I wasn't his child. My mother, God rest her soul, had gone to him for help with spells. He was the only person on this earth she’d trusted. When she committed suicide before my thirteenth birthday, she’d left me with him. Though we weren't kin, he treated me as if I was his daughter. He’d taken good care of me until I left for college and even then, he continued to offer support. The warlock had a genuinely kind heart. I wondered if he still thought of himself as my guardian.
Drake handed the phone to me.
"Sean?"
"If anything changes, make sure to call me," he said in an authoritative tone. "And I want you to let me know when you settle in at Alderney."
"I will. Don't worry."
"Jessie, we may not be blood related, but you hold a special place in my heart. This meeting is serious. I am very worried about you."
The father and protector tone spoke volumes. My heart pounded. If he was more than worried, I definitely needed to be.
"All right," I said, and tried to remain calm. "I'll call you. I promise."
"I have to go. Please be careful."
"I always am," I said. Well, most of the time.
"Bye, Jessie."
I lowered the phone. An unsettling feeling in the pit of my belly stirred—the kind when something bad was about to happen. God, I really didn't need any more trouble in my life.
Drake parked the SUV in front of the karate school. Light glowed from behind the glass door. The thought of fighting Jeremy all night long lowered my motivation to do so. I wanted to stay with Drake instead of getting broken bones.
"He cares about you," Drake said.
"Sean's a good man. He took care of me when he didn't have to. He supported me and put me through college. I owe him."
"I wouldn't want him as my enemy," he said.
I chuckled at the odd comment. "Did he give you a warning?"
"He is concerned." His gaze fastened onto my mouth. A rush of excitement ran through my veins, wondering if he would press his pink lips to mine. I so wanted him to, even if only for a few seconds. As if he could read my mind, he leaned toward me. I shifted closer to him.
"I believe there is someone anxiously waiting inside for you," Drake said.
"He can wait a few more minutes." I licked my lips, hoping to entice him.
The corner of his mouth twitched. "You are irresistible." He kissed me with the same gentleness he'd shown earlier. I melted like butter, leaning into his kiss and losing all my control. When the tingling desire rose, it was time for me to leave. I couldn't keep Jeremy waiting forever.
"I better go." Before he could try to stop me, I shoved open the door.
Muggy air instantly warmed my body as I stepped onto the pavement. The empty parking lot was dark and had one other vehicle besides Drake's. I recognized Jeremy's car easily. The only light beaming came from the entrance of the karate school. I headed inside.
The scent of sweaty socks perfumed the air. I wiggled my nose, trying not to sneeze like I normally did when I first arrived. At the back end of the school, Jeremy bounced on top of the blue mat. He wore a pair of Bermuda shorts and nothing else. No shoes. No shirt. A layer of sweat glazed the fine muscles of his chest. I couldn't pull my eyes away.
"What took you so long?" he asked, sounding irritated.
"My date took longer. Sorry." Yes, I lied. I was dealing with a tricky demon, so I felt no remorse. I dropped my purse near the corner of the mat, then unstrapped my sandals.
Fists clenched, he strode toward me. "What is he doing here?" He directed his ferocious gaze behind me.
I glanced over my shoulder. Drake sauntered in.
"I would like to see your training." Drake stopped a few feet from me.
A devilish grin spread across Jeremy's face. "Feel free to watch."
Jeremy stepped back. Directing his gaze to me, he smacked his fist into the palm of his other hand. "I hope you're prepared to fight because I'm not taking it easy on you tonight."
Chapter Eight
My temper flared as Jeremy's words repeated in my head. “I'm not going to take it easy on you.” Did that mean he had been merciful with me the other times? Fists clenched and nails digging into the palms of my hands, I stepped onto the cold, squishy mat. Oh, how my blood boiled under my skin.
"What's wrong with you?" I asked.
"I think you're breaking the deal," he replied as I circled him.
I tossed up my hands. "How am I breaking it?"
"You haven't been spending all your time in training—"
"Are you fucking serious?" I all but yelled. "I've spent all my time with you, except for today."
We ambled in a circular pattern, face to face, like two wolves ready to attack at any given moment. It reminded me of watching Alan fight at
his challenge in Arizona.
A bead of sweat trickled down the side of Jeremy's face. "The investigation was not part of our deal."
"You didn't complain, and you didn't ask to renegotiate. Try again."
"I think you didn't break up with Drake."
I stopped and glared at him. "I didn't lie to you. We broke up. Ask him if you don't believe me." I extended my arm in Drake's direction.
Jeremy approached with a vicious glare. He stopped within an arm's reach of me. Intense heat radiated from his body. "I don't know what game you're playing, but I'm going to prove you really didn't break up."
I stood firm, confident, and ready to fight. "I'm not playing any game."
"If I'm right, you're going to owe me a full year's worth of dates. And just to make sure you honor the deal, I'll personally come visit. Hell, maybe I'll get an apartment and move here. I want dates during the week, weekends, and holidays."
"You're fucking dreaming."
Wrath consumed me and I let it loose. I swung my arm fast at him.
He leaped back. "Nice try."
A millisecond later, he thrust his fist straight at my face. I shifted to the side, missing it. His other arm shot at me so fast I didn't have time to react. He hit my jaw and I stumbled sideways. The taste of blood filled my mouth.
There wasn't time to deal with pain or injury. There was only time to fight. I straightened and threw a punch. He caught my arm and hit the back of my elbow. The bone snapped like a thick twig. I fell to my knees, moaning in pain. He let go of my broken arm and threw another punch at my face. The fierce blow to my eye blurred my vision.
"Stop!" Drake yelled.
Jeremy paused. Seizing the opportunity, I shoved my shoulder into Jeremy's legs. He staggered backward, tripped over his feet, and hit the mat on his ass with a solid thud.
I rose, holding my elbow. My broken arm burned, which was a good sign the bone was healing. Jeremy's gaze fixed on me as he quickly jumped to his feet.
"We're not done," I said.
An amused grin showed up on his face. "Good."
We kept distance from each other, but never stopped sidestepping. Clenching my teeth, I flexed my injured arm. The ache was still too intense. I couldn't swing it yet.
"You got lucky," he said. "I won't hesitate next time."
"You're wrong, Jeremy. I didn't break your stupid deal. It's not my fault you didn't specify exact details."
I walked in a large circle, wanting to delay him to give my arm more time to heal. I needed both arms to fight if I wanted to win. And I most certainly planned on it.
Slowly, he drew closer and closer. "We'll see."
He threw another punch at my head. I blocked it with my good arm and shoved my foot into his stomach. He bent forward and tottered back a few steps, but he was back up in seconds. He rushed at me and took another shot at my face. I lifted my sore arm, hoping to block a direct hit. He struck my arm instead of my eye and I winced in pain.
For the longest time, we played the same song and dance, throwing punches and kicks. I struck him a few times. He smacked me more. Sweat poured out of both of us. My bones ached. He was stronger and faster, but I had beat him once before. I had confidence I could do it again.
I hit his mouth, splitting open his bottom lip. A small trail of blood rolled down. He took a few steps back and swiped his hand across his chin.
Our eyes met. "Darling, I can't wait to spend so much time with you."
Gathering up all my anger, I rushed toward him. He headed my way, kneeled, grabbed my legs, then flipped me over his shoulder. I hit the mat and landed flat on my back. My spine stiffened, slowing my movements. As I stared up at the ceiling, I knew I was in big trouble.
Jeremy acted fast. He kicked me in the ribs. Sharp pain exploded inside while air expelled from my lungs. I curled over sideways, only to receive a blow to my lower spine. A cry of agony escaped me.
I rolled over onto my back. Jeremy stood over me, grinning. I blinked and, just that fast, he'd vanished. Several feet away, I heard the squeak of something sliding across the floor. I tilted my head and found Drake standing nearby. Jeremy was on the floor, several feet away from the mat. If I had to guess, Drake had shoved him.
"This has gone too far," Drake said.
"No." My chest and back ached with every breath, but I refused to give up the battle.
"If you touch her or interfere, I win," Jeremy said as he rose.
I rolled onto my side. Painfully, I pushed myself up to a sitting position.
Drake squatted near me. "You don't have to do this." The tips of his sharp teeth were visible from his lip. "Let me handle him."
"No!" As much as I would love to get away from the pain endured from fighting, truth was, I wanted to kick Jeremy's ass again. Plus, I didn't want Drake to put his existence in danger if he intervened. The two would destroy each other. Sometimes, the thought entertained me, but deep down, I didn't want to be without the man I loved. "Get back. I can handle this."
Drake moved away, making a low, throaty grunt. I got to my feet, feeling a powerful burn in my back and ribcage. But determination to beat Jeremy empowered me. I refused to give up the fight.
Jeremy approached with a cocky grin. "I do so enjoy our little brawls. By the way, did you tell Drake you're letting me sleep in your bed?"
Rage rushed in my veins and poured out in buckets of sweat. I dug my nails deep into my hands. "You're a motherfucker. I will never sleep with you." I was glad I'd told Drake earlier so the news didn't shock him. Still, Jeremy pissed me off royally.
I ran toward him, then kicked at his ribs. He knocked my leg away, but I came around with my fist and aimed it at his face. I struck him so hard his head jerked sideways. I threw another quick punch at his chest. Bones cracked and they weren't mine.
Jeremy grimaced, but he didn't slow down. He shot at me and hit my jaw. The force of the blow jarred me a few steps to the side. I delayed turning back to face him. Bad move. Those few seconds allotted him time to grab my hair. Holding me by the back of my head, he turned me, thrust his leg up, and shoved my face into his knee.
Needlelike pain shot straight from my nose into my brain. My knees gave out and I crashed onto the mat. Blood spilled out of my nose, running over my lips and down my chin. Still, he gripped my hair tightly, limiting my movements. I reached behind me and gripped his forearm. Another bad move. He snatched my wrist and twisted my arm back, snapping it out of the socket. An uncontrollable cry of agony left me.
Jeremy let go of my head as he shoved me face-first toward the mat. I caught myself with my good arm. But a blow to the side of my ribcage sent me flying onto my back. Pain overwhelmed me. I lay still, staring up at the ceiling. I didn't want to quit. I needed a few seconds to breathe and for my arm and shoulder to heal. But seconds counted and Jeremy was not in the mood to be nice. He sat on top of me, then pinned my arms above my head. More pain flooded me as the flame in my shoulder increased a million times over.
He lowered his face over mine. "Do you know how much I love your zeal when we fight?" His warm breath tickled my lips. "You and I are meant to be together."
Unable to move my arms, I braced my feet on the floor and bucked like a wild stallion.
He laughed. "Darling, this is exactly what I like to see from you."
I grunted and thrust my hips up with as much force as I could. "Get the fuck off me."
"Now, now." He pressed his hard chest over my breasts. "Think of this as a test. If you pass, you have proven you broke up with Drake. And if you fail, I get you for a year."
My heart pounded wildly, fueled by anger and fear. I had no idea what test I had to pass in Jeremy's eyes. All I knew was that I had to pass it. I could not tolerate a year with the demon. My life would become a living hell.
I wriggled beneath him. "Don't you dare touch me!"
"Calm down, I'm not going to touch you." He brushed his mouth over my bloody lips. "But I am going to give you a taste of the power."
; He pressed his lips to mine. Energy flowed from him into me, spawning a raging flame deep within my soul. His heated energy was nothing like I'd felt before. It was fierce, more passionate, empowering. It was a force I couldn't ignore. His tongue rolled along mine, exploring and teasing. Every nerve in my body awakened with fervor, tingling, buzzing, and growing stronger from his energy. I stopped resisting him. The need for his strength all but consumed me. I wanted it. My soul craved it. My body yearned for it.
Jeremy pulled back his kiss, taking his energy with him. A part of me withered from the loss of him—no, from the loss of his power. Oh how I yearned for more of it. He awakened something deep within me and it felt so good. It made me feel so alive and in want of an intense orgasm.
"More," I said in a soft voice. His power, his energy was all I could think of—all I wanted. The anger, the fear, the need to fight all vanished in his one kiss.
A wide grin splayed on Jeremy's somewhat bloody face. "I've been waiting a long time to hear you say that."
The smashing of glass jarred my attention. I twisted to see Drake was nowhere in sight. The front door was gone, leaving the entrance open to the outside.
Drake. Oh, my God. What have I done?
Chapter Nine
I cradled a mug while I stared at the wavy lines shifting on the monitor in front of me. The caffeinated drink did little to perk me up, but the sweet aroma smelled incredible. Rain battered the windows at the front of the building. Another mid-summer storm rolled through in waves. The steady patter along with the soft voices of my co-workers stimulated my drowsiness. Three hours of sleep before my job was simply not enough. Add the misery since Drake had walked out days ago and I felt as if I was drowning, literally. I missed him so much my heart continuously ached and I wanted to cry every minute of the day.
"Hey, Jessie," Mark said. The warlock stopped beside my cubicle. After a few weeks on the job, he finally fit in with the regular male staff, having ditched the tie and wearing a button-down shirt tucked inside his slacks. He peered at me from behind black-rimmed glasses. "You look beat."
"Guess I look as bad as I feel." I set the cup on my desk and twisted my neck, cracking a couple of bones. Sleeping on the sofa wasn't half as comfortable as my bed.
