Blake Blessing
SECRETS OF THE MAZZA
Copyright © Blake Blessing 2019
All rights reserved
First published in 2019
Blessing, Blake
Secrets of the Mazza: Book 3 of the Mazza series
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition, including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. All characters in this publication other than those clearly in the public domain are fictitious, and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Cover: Premade eBook Cover Shop
Editing: Heather Long
Proofread: Infinity Author Services
Formatting: Rainbow Designs
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Prologue
Chapter 1
Who is Blake?
That was one fine ass.
But right now, he didn’t deserve my attention. The bastard.
Three weeks. It’d been three weeks since I woke up in the guest suite of Cabbie’s pleasure house. To say I’d been shocked to learn of Mannos was an understatement. The guys, that I’d aptly named my Lusty Legion, were just as surprised and excellent grudge holders.
After the big reveal, Yunez shuttled us off to yet another safe place. This time, we were in a castle—I kid you not, a real life castle—with hundreds of people milling about. Only, we hadn’t talked to any of them. They gave us curious stares as we passed by, but we were too determined to be alone to indulge any of their questions or small talk. We were shown to a suite with a super-sized bed, and Nato promptly slammed the door in Yunez’s and Rand’s faces.
Every single one of us glared at the door like it was our day job.
“I know you fuckers can still hear me. We aren’t ready to talk to you after the secrets you’ve been keeping. We’ll let you know when we’re ready,” Nato called through the door. He was our unofficial leader, and in this, I was completely fine with him taking the reins.
A solid bang sounded, and then Rand said, “Fine. We’ll give you time, but you can’t hide from this forever. Issy can’t hide from us.” Rand and Yunez. Yeah, maybe I couldn’t, but they owed me some time.
Nato walked away from the door, and we all collapsed over the furniture in awkward silence, staring at each other in bewildered shock. How could Yunez have kept such a secret from the guys he practically helped raise? Rand didn’t have any obligation to the guys, but honestly, I was more upset with Rand than Yunez. Sure, Yunez would say the world would have ended and we all would have died if they told us sooner, and Rand was most likely to go along with him. But the human side of me couldn’t accept that. My feelings were hurt. Rand had spent time with me, intimate—innocent…mostly—time with me. A secret of this magnitude felt like a betrayal.
Especially after the whole deciding on a Janer mate. At Cabbies, I tore myself to pieces when Sage slammed the truth in my face. Rand had gotten hurt because I wanted to test the Mazza draw, hoping it had faded with Yunez’s glamour. It hadn’t, and then I agonized over which man would be the Janer member in my Lusty Legion. Who would be added to our family. So much heartache could have been spared.
Yunez and Rand must have realized we weren’t going to entertain any door talk because they never said anything else. Which also seemed weird. Really, we didn’t have enough time together to know what was the norm and what wasn’t, but neither man seemed the type to walk away quietly.
For the last three weeks, my LL and I had either been in our suite, or in the courtyard. We were tighter than ever, and by that, I meant there was a level of comfort among us that hadn’t been there before. The funny thing was, we hadn’t had any deep conversations or anything. Not even any nookie time.
It was merely the fact that it felt like it was us against Rand and Yunez. Us against the Shadow Society. Us against the world.
As far as castles went, the one we were at was pretty fancy and old-fashioned, while walking the fine line of modern comfort. The door from our suite went right to this beautiful courtyard with a high stone wall blocking the rest of the property from our own little slice of heaven.
Well played, Yunez. Way to butter us up by granting us complete privacy. I’d glimpsed people coming and going, especially when carts of food or clean towels were brought to our room. All the robes were white with three golden suns emblazoned on them. It didn’t take three guesses to figure out this was a Three Suns fortress.
I had so many questions.
Was everyone that was part of the Three Suns a Manno?
How did they stay hidden from society for so long?
Was anyone else I had met part of the Three Suns?
And these questions were just the tip of the iceberg. What sucked ass hard, was that if I wanted answers, I’d have to talk to public enemy numero uno, or numero dos. I hadn’t wanted any part of that just yet, and the guys seemed content to pretend the world wasn’t potentially falling into Rainer’s hands. Another factor that made it easy was Yunez’s and Rand’s continued absence.
Over the last several days, I wondered how they were going to slide back into our good graces. If a unicorn rammed me up the ass with its horn, I would have been less surprised.
On the far side of the sunny courtyard, Yunez was doing yoga. Nearly naked yoga. Was that a thing? All he wore was a tiny pair of amethyst briefs. Rippling bronze muscles were on full display as he moved from the downward dog position to the seal? Was that the correct term? I never had the money to take a yoga class. I only know the downward dog position because everyone knew that one. The point was, Yunez had a damn fine ass.
Jari made a choking sound in his throat as he slapped Egan on the chest to get his attention. As soon as Egan’s head turned Yunez’s way, a soft growl slipped from his throat.
A warm hand covered my eyes as Sage pressed against my back. Our beginning had been rough, hell, our whole “relationship” had been rough, but since the big reveal, he had been so sweet with me. “Sorry Iss, this sight is not for your eyes,” he whispered against the shell of my ear and ran light fingers down my side. “Yunez, what the hell are you doing?” The sweet tone was replaced with a harsh bark.
The heat from the guys surrounded me as they closed ranks. If Sage moved his hand, I bet I’d only see linen covered backs.
Yunez’s low chuckle reached my ear. “I arrived back less than an hour ago, and I cannot even do yoga in my private yard? That is not very nice,” he teasingly chided.
“What do you mean, private yard?” Nato said from beside me.
Sage’s hand fell away, and the first thing I saw was the back of Jari’s head. I was right. I pushed my way between Jari and Egan, and cam
e face to face with a nearly naked Yunez.
Black tousled hair fell carelessly over one eye, hiding part of his gaze from me. A barely there smirk flirted with the corners of his lips as he glanced down at me before looking back to Nato.
“Why did you think there was never anyone here? There are three suites attached to this courtyard. I have the master, and you are using only one. I put you in my private wing. You are welcome.”
Egan rubbed a hand over his jaw, letting out a deep sigh as he gazed at a particularly interesting patch of grass. My animal man. He was the least likely to cause any drama over this latest development. As a member of the House of Caen, his abilities lay in his connection to animals, and he often exhibited some of their instinctive traits. Now, he seemed weary but not overly surprised.
Nato’s mouth opened and closed like a fish. “That’s kind of you. But why did you even bring us here? We were fine at Cab’s.” He broke away and headed for a small conversation set surrounding a firepit. The dark wicker furniture was cute and inviting, with fluffy pillows everywhere. I guessed Nato wanted to be comfortable for this chat.
“Great.” Yunez beamed and clapped his hands together. “It’s about time we made up. Rand!” He twisted around and another door opened to the courtyard.
Rand pinned me with his simmering gaze that wasn’t as confident as it usually was. His white linen pants and shirt were so crisp, someone must have brought starch with them to Fennina. Three small gold suns were stitched over the breast, winking in the sunlight. My heart clenched at the sight of him. I didn’t want to admit it to myself, but I’d missed him.
Jari and Egan each took one of my hands and led me over to a loveseat. It was a tight fit, but they each took a side. Nato turned a chaise lounge sideways for Sage and him both to sit.
“Yunez. You think you could grab some clothes for this conversation?” Sage snapped, then glared at Rand for good measure.
“Fine. Fine. I don’t want to make anyone feel inferior by displaying the beauty of this body.” Yunez waved over his head as he walked toward a door on the far right side of the courtyard. Neatly trimmed shrubbery decorated the walls, but next to his door, it was even more elaborate. Why hadn’t I realized it would be something like this? That was a rookie mistake.
When he returned, he was in semi-tight linen shorts and an extremely loose fitting linen top. The neck was so wide, it was hanging off to the side. He had a very sexy pirate look going for him, but I did not notice. Or care. Nope.
Rand fidgeted in his chair before crossing his arms, watching everyone with unsure eyes.
“Okay, Lusty Legion, Rand and I gave you time, and we went on a little mission so you could process everything in peace. We are back now. I am glad to see you are finally ready to hash this all out. Your hurt feelings have been cutting into my Zen ever since you stepped into the courtyard.”
“Did you really expect us not to be angry with you?” Nato spat.
“Hurt, not angry. None of you are angry with me.” Yunez lifted his brows as he glanced from each guy to the next. He skittered over me and completely left out Rand. Which made sense. Rand was part of his secret club, knew all the handshakes and clandestine members.
A silence fell over our little group, but Jari was the first to break it by clearing his throat. “I can admit that. You were such a vital part of our upbringing. We trusted you more than anyone else, maybe even each other. You always knew what was best for us. You were always the foundation in which we built our present and future on. To know you have this whole other side? It hurts like a motherfucker. Sue me.” For once, my fun loving Levan mate was dead serious. Goosebumps rose on my arms as his hand tightened on mine.
Yunez sobered up to match the mood of my guys. “You said one key thing there, Jari. I always knew what was best for you, for all of you. That has never changed. Even knowing there would one day be a temporary break in your faith in me, I would do nothing different.” He pulled a necklace from around his neck that I swore wasn’t there when he was shirtless. A gold medallion shimmered, and I scooted closer to get a better look.
One side had a sun peeking up over the sleepy ridge of majestic mountains, and when it twisted on its gold chain, a symbol I hadn’t seen before stared back at me. I squinted, but I couldn’t quite make it out. Maybe it was a flower. It was like magic how it paused perfectly, giving us a prolonged view of the symbol.
“Everything I have done is for a future I am working to make a reality. Every decision I have made provides the best possible outcome. Believe me, you want this future to come true too.”
“Then tell us. The secret shit is over, Yunez. If you want us to stay here, tell us the truth. You want me to get over my snit, tell me the truth.” What started out as a growl from Egan, ended on a soft whine. I was the one to offer comfort now, pressing my shoulder against his in a silent show of support.
Each one of my Lusty Legion wore their heartache all over their faces like a bad spray tan. It was completely obvious and slightly painful to witness. My heart broke for them. Since they came into my life, we’d had our ups and downs, but I couldn’t imagine life without them now.
The skin around Yunez’s mouth twitched as a veil of sadness passed over his face. With a lazy hand, he flicked his hair away from his forehead so we could see both of his amethyst eyes. “I will tell you what I can now. But it is not time for all the secrets to be spilled.”
“Not good enough.” Sage stood up with such force, he would have knocked the chaise over if it hadn’t been for Nato still anchoring it to the ground.
“Sage, look at me.” Yunez stood up, just a little taller than Sage. “It is not that simple, not right now. I had thought everything would be shared by now, but something has happened and the possible futures have changed.” His gaze took on a glazed quality as his eyes flicked left to right so fast, I almost couldn’t track their motion.
“Convenient.” Sage spat. He dragged a hand through his light blond hair and spun around. “I’m outta here, I can’t listen to this fucking shit anymore.” Then he was gone, taking the door to our suite as his exit.
That snapped Yunez out of his power and he twisted to Rand. “Follow him. It is not safe out there.”
Rand, who had been silently watching the back and forth like a ping pong match, jumped up and ran after Sage.
“That went well.” I snorted as I stood. The more Yunez talked about some epic future, the more nervous energy started to flow through me. I needed to not be sitting down right now. My gaze stayed on the door where Rand and Sage had disappeared, but neither came back. That worried me.
“Looks like we need more time.” Nato pushed the lounge chair back to its original position. “Come back when Sage and Rand are here. It doesn’t feel right to hash this out without them.”
Nato and Jari walked toward the door to our suite, and Egan lingered beside me. His desire to follow the others was clear in the way his body twitched, but he seemed to not want to leave me alone with Yunez either.
What? Did he think he was going to kidnap me? Ha! They’d already done that.
The shimmer was back in Yunez’s eyes when I glanced at him, and I desperately wanted to get more answers. It wasn’t so important when we were left to ourselves, but with him here, right in front of me, I knew he was likely the only place I’d get the truth. That was, if he was willing to share.
Egan stepped closer, his front pressing into my side. Now wasn’t the time for his territorial displays. If I asked Egan to leave me alone with Yunez for a few minutes, it would feel like I was picking sides. And, right now, I was firmly on the side of my Lusty Legion.
“Come get us when you can share the full truth.” I grabbed Egan’s hand and we left Yunez alone in his sexy pirate outfit.
“Isolde, my lovely,” he called behind me.
I paused, not sure if I should turn around or not. The shadows from the tall shrubbery next to our door flickered over the dark wooden surface. The way I wanted to please Yunez, and
bask in his glow wasn’t normal, or fair. I fought it as long as I could. Curiosity won out in the end, and I slowly pivoted where I stood, bringing Egan with me.
“I will give you and the others more time. But I need you to do something for me. Something you should have been using these last weeks to do.” He shot Egan a definite Dad look. Which was a little creepy considering his hint at being in my LL three weeks ago.
I quirked a brow and waited.
“You need to work on your powers. And, your fighting skills. Or lack thereof. In both departments.”
An angry flush rushed up my neck and attacked my cheeks.
What a way to kill any attraction I was feeling. The Smiths never really scolded me or made me feel like an irresponsible idiot. Unless you counted the one time I got a bad grade in Spanish, they were pretty much absent because they were sleeping all the time.
Yunez calling out something we all should have been thinking about, rather than taking a merry fucking break, felt like my hero ruined my fantasies and figured out I wasn’t as great as I thought I was.
The tip of Egan’s ears turned pink as he nodded sharply at Yunez. “We will,” then he was gone, and we were in our suite.
This place was the most luxurious of any place I’d visited on Fennina. Or on Earth for that matter. It was understated and elegant, while flirting with homey and comfortable. It was everything I wanted in decorating my own apartment. Only my old apartment was pieced together from yard sales and thrift shops.
I blew out a deep breath and plopped into an overstuffed chair in the corner of the living room. The entire suite was three or four times the size of the room we stayed in at Cabbie’s. Nato was sitting on a fancy high back stool in the kitchenette, leaning his head in his palms. Jari walked down the hallway to join us when Egan spoke up.
Secrets of the Mazza: A Paranormal Romance (Mazza Series Book 3) Page 1
