by I. T. Lucas
Perhaps this could be the blueprint for future joint endeavors. From time to time, they could meet up in a neutral place and discuss either business or strategic cooperation. The rest of the time they could stay out of each other’s way.
Well, except for arranging meetups between his clanswomen and Kalugal’s men. But that was a discussion for another time.
“We should toast Jacki and Kalugal’s engagement.” Kian handed the bottle to Anandur, so he could serve those sitting on the other side of the table.
Brundar opened a bottle of wine and poured for those who didn’t want whiskey, meaning all the ladies except for Carol and Syssi.
Cradling her soda water between her palms, Syssi looked wistfully at everyone else’s glasses. “I don’t even like whiskey, but it feels strange to toast with water.”
“Would you like a little wine?” Kian reached for one of the bottles.
“No, it’s fine.” She glanced at Jacki and then leaned to whisper in Kian’s ear, “This is such a nice dinner. We can turn it into an engagement party.”
Jacki hadn’t heard her, but Kalugal had.
“Thank you, but I wouldn’t want to celebrate without my men. They are like brothers to me.”
“Celebrate what?” Jacki asked.
“Our engagement.” He took her hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss. “Syssi said that we can celebrate it over this beautiful dinner, but as lovely as the sentiment is, I can’t do that without my men.” He looked at Kian. “I would love to invite you all to our wedding, but how are we going to manage that?”
Kian shook his head. “If you want to celebrate with us, you will have to choose which of your men can participate. I can only allow one of yours for one of mine.”
Kalugal arched a brow. “How many men do you still have in the area?”
Holding his glass, Kian leaned back. “How many men do you have?”
As they stared at each other, Syssi waved a hand between them. “Stand down, you two. We were supposed to drink to Jacki and Kalugal’s future happiness.”
“Of course.” Kian pushed to his feet and lifted his glass. “I’m not great at speeches. The best I can wish you two is to be as happy together as Syssi and I are.”
“Or Wonder and I,” Anandur raised his glass.
Even Brundar lifted his. “Same here.”
Pushing to his feet, Lokan turned to his brother. “May the bonds of love hold you two together as snugly and as securely as they hold Carol and me.”
That was a nice one. Lokan was a good politician.
Bridget got up and raised her glass. “To eternal love and happiness.”
That was a good one too.
Kian made a mental note to remember both for the next time he had to salute someone’s upcoming nuptials.
Once the glass clinking and drinking was done, Jacki rose to her feet. “I want to thank you all for being so wonderfully supportive of me. You’ve taken me under your protective wing even though I came uninvited. Basically, I’m a stowaway, and yet you’ve shown me kindness and offered me friendship for which I’m grateful. In the short time that I’ve known you all, you’ve become like family to me.” She choked up a little. “The only one I ever had. Thank you.” Jacki sat back down.
Kian was moved, but he didn’t know how to respond. Luckily, Syssi compensated for his shortcomings.
“The moment I saw you, I knew you were one of us.” Syssi smiled at Jacki. “I hoped that you would find your fated mate among the clan’s single males, but you didn’t like any of the men we sent to woo you, and now I know why. You were waiting for Kalugal to snatch you up.”
Jacki blushed. “I guess it was meant to be.”
Kalugal frowned. “You didn’t tell me about the clan males who wooed you. How many tried?”
Jacki waved a dismissive hand. “The three burly bears, and William. But they were all very polite and didn’t cross any boundaries, so you can stop frowning.”
“I’m frowning because I’m still trying to figure out who the three burly bears are. Am I missing a movie reference?”
Jacki laughed. “Close. Jin said that I was like Goldilocks, and the three Guardians who originally came with us were like the three bears. But since they were all big, muscular men, she called them the burly bears.”
48
Kalugal
Kalugal didn’t like thinking about three handsome clansmen chasing after his Jacki, but he was glad to hear that she’d rebuffed them all. Apparently, Rufsur wasn’t the only one who’d been disappointed.
Wrapping his arm around Jacki’s shoulders, Kalugal kissed the top of her head. “I feel flattered. My future wife has uncompromising taste. She doesn’t settle for anything less than the best.”
Jacki elbowed him in the side. “Can you not say things like that? Let others sing your praises.”
He pretended to pout. “But no one does, so I have no choice but to do it myself.”
Syssi chuckled. “You take self-reliance to a whole new level.”
He nodded. “I admit to having a tendency for extremes. I don’t do anything half-heartedly.” He glanced at Kian. “Which brings me back to the issue of our wedding. I want to have a big party, with tables and food and music, and all the bells and whistles. I know that you are wary of joining with all of my men present, but I have an idea for how you can feel safe doing that.”
“Go ahead.” Kian waved a hand.
“We can do it the same way that we exchanged Jin for Arwel. I can have my men set up the party outside in the backyard, and you can have drones hovering above, ensuring your safety. And that’s in addition to this.” He lifted his hand and pointed at the cuff. “I’m sure it can be activated remotely by someone observing the party through the cameras mounted on the drones.”
Kian shook his head. “What’s in the cuff is not lethal and you know it. You might be okay with suffering a temporary discomfort while your men overcome my people.”
The guy was really paranoid, but then if Kalugal’s wife and unborn child were at risk, he would have been paranoid as well.
“The drones are armed, correct?”
“Yes.”
“So, if my men make an aggressive move you can shoot them down.”
“True.” Kian crossed his arms over his chest. “And I also have Guardians in the area who can be stationed nearby.” He pinned Kalugal with a hard stare. “But I’m not going to tell you how many I have if you don’t tell me how many you have.”
Letting out a breath, Kalugal reached for the Macallan bottle and poured himself another shot. “It doesn’t really matter. I know as well as you do that my men and I are outnumbered. I’m not going to make a move against you, but I understand your wariness. If I was bringing my pregnant wife into the house of a potential adversary, I would be super suspicious and careful too.” He paused, letting his words sink in. “And yet, I’m inviting you and your people to my wedding because I trust you.” He lifted his cuff again. “And to ease your mind, I’m allowing you to put this thing on me. I’m also agreeing to armed drones hovering overhead during the happiest moment of my life, just so Jacki can have her friends at her wedding. What else do you want me to do?”
Uncrossing his arms, Kian leaned forward and reached for the Macallan. “How many men are we talking about?”
It was pointless to keep resisting. Kian wasn’t going to budge until he told him. Eventually he would have to disclose the number anyway for his men to get access to the clan females.
“Forty-seven. How many do you have?”
“In this area, twelve in addition to Brundar and Anandur.”
“Including Turner?”
“Turner is not a Guardian. But you are right that he needs to be included. He has plenty of fighting experience, just not with immortals.”
“He took me down,” Lokan said. “Pulled the trigger and shot me in both knees before I knew what was happening.”
“What?” Kalugal frowned. “And why?”
“Th
at’s a long story. I’ll tell you all about it some other time.”
Kalugal shook his head. “The people I’m inviting into my home and to my wedding shot my brother. I need to know why.”
“I tried to kidnap two Dormants that were under Kian’s protection. I thought that I had the perfect plan in place, but Turner outsmarted me, saved the women, and I ended up in the clan’s jail. That’s where I met Carol.”
Emptying the whiskey down his throat, Kalugal refilled his glass to give himself a moment to think and then glared at Kian. “So, let me get this straight. Lokan tried to kidnap your clanswomen, got shot, spent time in your jail, and yet you trust him more than you trust me?”
Kian glared back. “Who said I do? It’s still a work in progress. Besides, Lokan bonded with Carol, which means that he would never do anything to harm her, and that includes her family, meaning the entire clan. Also, he is not nearly as powerful as you are.”
“That’s where you are mistaken. If Lokan wishes to deploy an army against you, he has the means to do it. He has the Brotherhood at his disposal. I have forty-seven men who haven’t seen battle since WWII.”
“Kalugal makes a good argument,” Syssi said. “We've all gotten sidetracked by suspicion and mistrust. We are talking about a wedding, people. Get real.”
That was surprising. Apparently, his first impression of Kian’s wife was wrong. She wasn’t meek at all, just reserved, and she definitely had Kian’s ear.
“When do you want to have the ceremony?” Kian asked.
“As soon as possible.” Kalugal took Jacki’s hand and gave it a little squeeze. “I can have my men organize everything by Tuesday night. All you have to do is decide whether you and your people attend the celebration.”
“Someone is in a hurry,” Anandur murmured under his breath.
Kian, who was the only one other than Jacki who knew the real reason for the rush, stifled a smirk and pretended to frown. “Let me sleep on it. I’ll give you my answer tomorrow.”
49
Jacki
Jacki’s head was spinning with how fast things were moving. It was exciting and a little scary, but she was beyond ready.
Well, that wasn’t entirely true.
She had one day to write her pledge to Kalugal, which was the scariest part since she’d never been good with stuff like that. Birthday cards had always been the worst, especially when it was for a close friend. Every time she’d had to write one, Jacki had spent hours searching the internet for something original.
Maybe she could do it this time too.
Except, she’d done pretty well with the thank you speech, and that hadn’t been rehearsed. She’d just spoken from the heart. So maybe instead of writing her pledge, she could record it on her phone and then write it down.
“Jacki?” Syssi nudged her.
“What?”
“I asked what you are doing about a wedding dress.”
“Oh, I’ll order something online.”
“You don’t have enough time,” Bridget said. “You need to tell Kalugal to postpone the party.”
Jacki glanced at him through the opened French doors. The presidential suite Kian had rented occupied the entire top floor of the boutique hotel, and it came with a generously sized balcony. After dinner, Kian had gone out to smoke a cigar and all the other guys had followed.
It was nice to see Kalugal chatting with the men, looking at ease and charming the hell out of everyone. Even Kian was starting to soften toward him.
“I don’t want to wait. If I can’t get a dress in time, I’ll wear these white slacks and pair them with a white blouse.”
Syssi huffed. “That won’t do at all. Maybe Stella can make you a dress.”
“Who is Stella?”
“She is a costume designer.” Syssi leaned closer. “And also, a new prospect for Richard. Ingrid is out of the picture.”
“What happened? The two of them couldn’t keep their hands off each other.”
Syssi shrugged. “It wasn’t meant to be. Anyway, a wedding dress shouldn’t be difficult to make for someone who makes elaborate dresses for theatre productions.”
“She can’t,” Bridget said. “And she also bailed out on Richard. Stella, Hildegard, and Sharon are volunteering in a homeless shelter.”
“Poor Richard.” Jacki sighed. “He has no luck with the ladies. First Jin, then Ingrid, and now the costume designer.”
Syssi patted her knee. “Don’t worry, we will find someone for him. What’s important now is getting you a wedding dress.” She pulled out her phone. “Let’s see what we can get.”
“Maybe I can order a dress from Amazon,” Jacki suggested. “They have everything.”
Bridget snorted. “Even if they do, it might not get here by Tuesday even with expedited shipping.”
“Right.” Syssi put her phone on the coffee table and leaned back. “What size do you wear, Jacki?”
“Eight or ten.”
“Then maybe my wedding dress will fit you.” Syssi lifted her phone off the table. “I’ll show you a picture.” She scrolled until she found it and handed the phone to Jacki.
“It’s gorgeous. Where did you get it?”
“Amanda had a designer friend of hers make it for me. With a few minor alterations, it might fit you.”
Jacki looked at the dress wistfully. “Are you sure? It’s so beautiful, and it’s a precious souvenir.”
Syssi smiled. “It’s just hanging in my closet and accumulating dust. I’m never getting married again, so it’s not like I would ever need it. You will look gorgeous in it.”
“Hold on.” Bridget pushed to her feet. “I’m going to get my measuring tape.”
Syssi laughed. “Why on earth would you have a measuring tape with you?”
“I take my doctor’s bag everywhere with me, and it’s one of the things I keep in there.” She looked at Jacki. “I should take your measurements regardless of the dress. When you transition, there is a chance you’ll grow taller.”
That was news to Jacki. It made her realize that she didn’t know anything about the process and what was going to happen to her.
“Can you explain what the transition involves? Kalugal only knows what happens to men, and I hate going into it without knowing what to expect.”
“I’ll explain everything. But first, I want to take your measurements.”
When a moment later the doctor returned with the tape, it occurred to Jacki that one day might not be enough to make alterations or get the dress to her either. And if it needed dry cleaning, it was a lost cause.
“It’s not going to work.” She sighed despondently. “There isn’t enough time to have it altered, cleaned if necessary, and get it here.”
Syssi chuckled. “Leave it to Amanda and me. It will get here on time.”
50
Kian
“What time tomorrow?” Kalugal rubbed his wrist after Kian had removed his cuff.
Instead of escorting them all the way to the car, Kian had opted to do it on the stairwell landing. “Same as today.”
“Thank you.” Jacki lifted on her toes and kissed his cheek. “I enjoyed myself very much.”
“Yes, me too.”
“Good night.”
Listening to Jacki and Kalugal’s footsteps going down the stairs, Kian and the brothers waited until the emergency door opened on the lobby level and then headed back to the suite.
Even though it had been a surprisingly pleasant evening, Kian felt the tension leave his shoulders only after Kalugal had left.
“That was fun,” Carol said when they walked in. “Let’s repeat it tomorrow.” She took Lokan’s hand and led him out the door. “Good night, everyone.”
When the door closed behind the two, Syssi rose to her feet. “I need to call Amanda. I hope she can cajole Stella into at least altering my wedding dress for Jacki.” She cast Kian a sidelong glance. “I hope you don’t mind.”
He did, but not enough to forbid it. He liked seeing S
yssi’s wedding dress hanging in their closet next to his tuxedo. Both were encased in see-through protective garment bags, and they made him smile every time he happened to look at them.
“Will she give it back?” He pulled Syssi into his arms. “I think of your wedding dress as a keepsake, just like my tux.”
“I know.” Smiling, Syssi stretched up on her toes and kissed him softly. “I’m only loaning it to her.”
“But it will get altered.”
“Probably just the length because Jacki is taller than me. It’s not a big deal.”
“Fine. I won’t say no.”
“Good.” Syssi’s tone implied that she would have loaned the dress with or without his approval, but he’d known that, which was part of the reason he’d agreed.
It was not worth fighting over.
“I’ll call her from our bedroom.” She pulled out of his arms.
Pouring himself another drink, Kian joined Turner and the brothers at the dining table. “So, what do you think, is he trustworthy?”
“We should test him,” Turner said. “He seems genuine, but in my opinion, he is too amicable. When something or someone seems too good to be true, it’s usually because it isn’t.”
The same thought had crossed Kian’s mind once or twice. Kalugal was getting under his skin, and he found himself thinking of his cousin more and more like a family member rather than an adversary.
Except, because he was aware of it, Kian was exercising even more caution, not less.
“How do you suggest we do that?”
“Tomorrow at the meeting, you will ask him to put the cuff back on, and then we will remove the earpieces as a gesture of goodwill. If one of Kalugal’s men tries to jump me and take hold of the remote, we will have our answer.”
Anandur snorted. “He is not stupid enough to try it. Brundar and I would take his guy down in a blink of an eye.”
