Going Under

by Lauren Dane

  Molly gasped. “They shot Jellybean? Is she all right? Is Rosa all right? Was anyone hurt? When did this happen and why didn’t anyone tell me?”

  “Jellybean is dead, honey. I’m sorry. Rosa is physically fine. She’s staying with Anthony Junior for the time being. It happened last weekend. She didn’t want you to know because she knows how stressed you already are. She did decide to take the offer of early retirement, so that’s a relief to her at least.”

  Molly tried very hard not to cry. “And you? How’s your job?”

  “The union isn’t going to let them screw me over. Not until or unless they have no choice.”

  “I read about the proposed new rules.” There was a new law moving its way through state legislatures across the country, barring Others from holding teaching jobs at public elementary, secondary and postsecondary schools without a waiver. All Others had to declare their origin and agree to an entirely different set of employment rules before they’d be hired. Molly knew it was a way to fire teachers whose positions were protected from this sort of nonsense.

  “I’m thinking of coming out there. With your grandparents. There’s not much left for us here. I was going to ask Rosa too. We can help you with house hunting while you’re working and though I know you’re busy, I’d get to see you.”

  Molly ached for them. For all they were losing. Because of what she was. The unfairness of it left her struggling against bitterness more and more often. Each time she wrestled it back, it got harder.

  “I don’t want you to have to give up everything you’ve worked your whole life for.”

  “It’s not worth much if I have to keep fighting for it at my age. Come on, Molly. I can teach lots of places. I can go into the private sector. I can work for a number of policy organizations. Your grandparents are getting too old for this shit. At least in Seattle they could be anonymous.”

  “Don’t be too sure. We’ve got PURITY there too. They leaked my hotel to the media and now there’s always a picket. One creepy guy with an orange ski hat who has these signs about the whore of Babylon and the other is a woman who looks like her face would break if she smiled. At least it’s just two on a rotation I guess.”

  She got herself on track again. “Outside work too. It’s . . . I can’t even explain what it is to have to run a gauntlet of people who hate me and want to harm me multiple times a day. I don’t want you to have to face that here. Maybe you guys should go to Maine to be near Uncle Andrew. Then you’d be far away from me and you could have some peace where people only know you as humans.”

  She should want that for them. It was the best thing. The safest. But it made her sad to even imagine her mother being so far away. It made her sad such a thing was even an option. Powerlessness was not something Molly liked, not one bit.

  “I don’t like to hear tears in your voice. That settles it. I’m going to start making plans to move. Do not argue. I’m your mother and you’re supposed to respect me.”

  She laughed, feeling so much better she should have felt guilty. Her mothers and grandparents had lives in Chicago.

  But having them close? That would be . . . marvelous.

  “I don’t like them in my voice either. I’m trying to keep my game face.” It slipped a little more and a sob threatened.

  “You can cry in private. I hate that you have to. But I understand it. I’m your mother, I’ve wiped your bottom and cleaned up your vomit. You can always cry in front of me. I wish I was there with you right now. I hate being so far away. Just hang on.”

  The words made it better and a million times worse at the same time. But she was happy to have them anyway. “It’s enough that you’re with me over the phone right now. I needed it.”

  Her mother’s laugh had its own tears. “I’m glad I can help at least that much then. So tell me about the rest of your life. The good parts.”

  “I’m making friends. Since I have full-time guards it helps that I like them both. Faine is this huge guy, former military, um, well, he was in the military a long time.” She didn’t want to say he was Lycian over the phone. They couldn’t risk PURTY figuring out there were even more places beyond the Veil, and phones of various Others had been tapped several times in recent weeks.

  “Anyway. He’s good with magick and his hands and he’s cute too. He makes me pancakes in the mornings. Sweet huh? And then Gage, he’s the other one who guards me. He’s the boss though so I see him less. He’s really gorgeous as well as being a bad ‘mamma jamma,’ as Pops says. Plus he’s really funny. I like the people I work with. I . . . I have to admit I had some preconceptions about what witches in a clan would be like, but I’ve been wrong. They’ve welcomed me.” Most of them anyway. “I’ve been so busy every minute of the day but they stop in to teach me things to hone my magick. Gage makes me go to the shooting range. Shooting stuff is really fun. I had no idea how much fun it would be. That’s my social life now.” She laughed, but it was real. “Anyway, I like Seattle, even with the crazy anti-Other people around. They like good food, good coffee and good beer, you really can’t fault that in any way.”

  Her mother laughed and they shared some more small talk until Molly hung up.

  It wasn’t all the way better by any stretch. She was still raw and shaky from what had happened earlier. But there wasn’t much in the world your mom couldn’t make at least a little better.

  And for right then it was enough to get her through another day.

  Chapter 14

  SHE looked ridiculously beautiful.

  Despite the stresses earlier in the day. Despite the crowd they had to drive through to get to the home the dinner was being held at, Molly moved as if she was waltzing. Or some other sort of dance where the women look like they’re on air. Or whatever. She was full of grace and femininity and his gaze continued to return to her over and over as she set about charming everyone she met. She laughed with them and listened to their stories and then she told her own. Educating them even when they probably didn’t know it.

  Her pretty blond hair had been swept up off her neck, held up with sparkly things that caught the light as she moved. The dress was simple. No frills or bows or anything. Navy blue, it swept over her body like a caress. Hinting, but not overtly broadcasting the body beneath. The only real skin was at the back where the dress draped into a vee. She wore necklaces backward there, several of them. She was elegant and lovely and he hungered to possess her.

  He wasn’t the only one, that was also clear. Gazes lingered on her as she put out that magick of hers. It was personal magick that she gave off, so much more than any spellwork. You simply liked it when she spoke to you. Or he did anyway. And it was clear Sato did too.

  Gage withheld an annoyed frown as he kept his eye on the room from a far corner. He wanted to stay out from underfoot, to let her enjoy the evening without the constant reminder that she needed a bodyguard. Even if it was pretty much all he wanted to hear her voice and smell that perfume of hers.

  The dinner was pretty rockin’, he had to admit. Some sort of fish with a fancy sauce he probably never would have ordered in a restaurant, but it was really good. Swanky dessert. All kinds of wine and stuff, though he noticed that even though she had a glass of wine, it was the same one all evening.

  She gave a speech. Heartfelt, of course. She gave credit to everyone else, thanked people by name, remembering bits and pieces she’d most likely learned from all the research she did on people. She put a human face on the plight of Others. That was important, he knew. Even as he wanted to argue that they didn’t need to beg humans to not persecute them, he knew it was integral that they unite with those humans who cared about their basic civil rights.

  When it was over she said her good-byes, handed out a lot of business cards and he gathered her up at the cloakroom, helping her into her wrap.

  She held his arm as they made their way to the car that’d been brought out.

  “How you holdin’ up?” he asked, never taking his gaze from the road, though
always totally aware of her there next to him.

  It wasn’t until they drove away from the house, through the neighborhood and out the other side that she turned to him with a smile. “Maybe I’m adjusting to this insanity as the new normal. In any case, I’m so hungry. I can never really eat at these things.”

  “Too bad. It was pretty awesome, though I’m really hungry now that you mention it.”

  “We should totally get a burger. And some beer. Yes, a beer would be so good right now.”

  “I know where there’s an In-N-Out and there’s beer in the minibar in my room.”

  “Score. Double-double with cheese. I’m also having a milkshake. I will, however, eat the fries first, on the way back to the hotel. They’re best hot. And really it would be un-American any other way.”

  He laughed. “Do they have In-N-Out in Chicago?”

  “No! Travesty isn’t it? But every time I come to California or Las Vegas I make a stop. Maybe lots of stops but we don’t need to examine that too closely.”

  “I’m going to have to take you to Red Mill when we get back home. They have rings to die for.”

  “You’re on.”

  * * *

  WHEN they got back to the hotel he took her up the service elevator. They had a suite, which meant he was just in the bedroom next door, not a whole different hotel room.

  She wasn’t the kicking off her shoes type, but she did pause in the entry to toe the delicate heels off with a sigh. “Man, these hurt.”

  She had great feet. He wasn’t a foot guy usually, but hers were as lovely as everything else about her. “They’re pretty though.”

  “Indeed they are. I’ll be right back out. I need to change so I don’t get cheeseburger on this.”

  While she was in her room, he dashed to his to change out of his shirt and tie and into something way more comfortable. Namely anything that wasn’t a tie.

  He’d finished putting the burgers on plates and opening the nine-dollar beers from the minibar by the time she finally emerged. He still wasn’t used to the change in her when she wore casual clothes. One minute she’s buttoned up and the next, even in nothing sexier than yoga pants and a long-sleeved shirt that was open at the throat exposing some mighty fine cleavage, she was a far more relaxed Molly.

  “I’d be so happy if I never had to wear anything with a waistband or a zipper.” She sat, tucking her feet under her ass as she took the plate he handed her.

  They ate in silence for a while until they’d both filled up a little.

  He knew the day must have set her on her ass. Hell, he’d had more than one day like that over the last year and it still got to him.

  “You had a rough day. How are you?”

  Her gaze met his. “This hasn’t been my favorite day ever. But I think we made some significant friends. The dinner was a rousing success. I’ve been asked to hook people up with local Others who’d be willing to share resources and information. The hearing? Well, that was bound to be less clear. We have enemies too.”

  “Good to know who they are.”

  “Yes. And to figure out if any of them can be swayed to our way of thinking or if they’re never going to change.” She patted her belly. “Oh my god, that was so good. Now I want to nap for a million years.”

  She avoided the subject, he noticed.

  “You have a look. Should I be worried?” She quirked a smile.

  “I don’t know.” He wondered if he should push it or let it be. “Do you want to be worried?”

  “If that’s your way of suggesting you might be offering up some more kisses, yes.”

  He put his plate aside and moved closer. He’d wanted her pretty much every second since he’d left her room the night before.

  “This is totally inadvisable.” Which may have been a tiny part of why he had to do it.

  Her smile was far more sexy all the sudden. “I know. That’s what makes it so hot.”

  He brushed his lips over hers and she sighed, relaxing into him.

  “I’m totally glad I didn’t get onions on my burger now.”

  He couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t stop me from wanting your mouth.”

  She leaned in and kissed him quickly. “That’s good to know.”

  Molly’s breath caught at the way his pupils grew. So intent, his expression, that shivers of delight and anticipation broke over her skin. She was fairly sure she’d never wanted to be kissed more desperately than she did right then.

  His mouth, at first, took over hers slowly. His lips were warm and soft as he tasted her. He didn’t crowd her, but she wanted him closer so she was the one who moved to close the gap between them. The satisfied sort of growl he made flowed into her and she swallowed it eagerly.

  Then he took it deeper, his arms wrapping around her body to keep her close. As if she’d go anywhere else. His tongue slid across her bottom lip and then dipped into her mouth. Hers danced along it, tasting him in return. He was so good at this. Good enough that she wondered what he was like naked and horizontal.

  She arched into his body, needing more contact and he broke away from her mouth. Her disappointment was dashed when that mouth of his made its way across her jaw and then down. He paused just below her ear, kissing and nibbling until she was boneless.

  “Damn, you taste awful fine, Molly,” he whispered into her ear before he nipped the lobe and went back to work.

  She swallowed hard as she slid her hands up under his shirt. Oh sweet baby Santa, his skin was hot and taut over muscles she really wanted to taste.

  He hissed when her nails scored up his side.

  “Careful there.” When he lifted his head, his eyes had gone all sleepy and sexy.

  She caught her bottom lip between her teeth as she considered whether or not she should just take this for a nice make-out session and go to bed . . . alone.

  She ended up snorting at the very idea. “I’ve been very careful in my life. Careful is great and all. But right now, I’m feeling distinctly un-careful. Right now I’m thinking about you naked. With me. In my bed.”

  He paused for long moments and she prayed he wasn’t trying to find a way to let her down easy.

  And then he stood and held a hand out.

  She took it and he hauled her to her feet.

  When they reached her bedroom door he paused again. “You sure? Now’s the time to speak up. Otherwise I’m going to be far too busy ravishing you.”

  She grinned. “Oh, thank goodness.”

  But once they were in her room he got very serious.

  “I want to see you. Take your clothes off.”

  Molly pulled her hair loose, shaking it out as she grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it up and over her head. She’d been cold earlier back when she changed out of her formal clothes but carbs, beer and the promise of sex had warmed her up just fine.

  But it was the way he stilled, like a predator looking at his prey, that sent a burst of heat through her. Her nipples beaded as she shimmied from her bra.

  He closed the gap between them, his hands sliding up her belly to cup her breasts. “These are fucking magnificent.”

  She couldn’t even joke at that point. Instead she wanted to preen at the roughly spoken words. She arched into his touch like a cat, wanting more.

  He bent to kiss the side of her neck. “You’re so much more than I’d imagined at first glance. Each little thing reveals more of you. And each time I learn something new I want you even more.”

  Who’d have guessed this man was so capable of compliments like these?

  “You have your clothes on.”

  Smiling, he stepped back and whipped his shirt off. Her mouth dried up at the sight. Holy crapdoodle.

  “Wow.” She flapped a hand in his direction. “You have pierced nipples and tattoos. That’s, wow.” Molly moved to him to kiss his chest as she toyed with the bars through each of his nipples.

  “I know the feeling.” He thumbed across her nipples until she mo
aned.

  “Pants.”

  He stepped back and she watched, unable to move as he popped open his jeans and slid them down revealing a trim waist and powerful thighs. Oh and that too. Shew! Once he shoved his boxers down his cock sprang free, clearly as invested in the encounter as he claimed he was.

  She got rid of her yoga pants and underwear and circled him. The tattoos on his belly and chest were nothing compared to his back, which was covered by a very large pentacle with detailed Celtic work. In the center was the tree of life.

  “Astounding work.” She drew a fingertip along the edge.

  “Runes and protective sigils are woven through it.” Strain left his voice a little hoarse and she smiled, loving the way she affected him.

  “I really love it.”

  He turned and slowly backed her to the bed. But he didn’t immediately follow her down. Instead he simply took her in from head to toe. “You’re unbelievable. So beautiful and feminine. Your body is . . .” He shook his head and blew out a breath. “Amazing. Gorgeous. Your tits make my mouth water and your hips, good lord, you’ve been hiding this bounty under those clothes this whole time.”

  She smiled up at him, flattered and flustered.

  “Like a delicious secret only I know.”

  Then he moved to the bed, at her side. “I’m torn between wanting you all right this very instant and taking it slow and savoring every last inch.”

  “You can do both. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Thank God for that.”

  And then he rolled her on top of him and she set to kissing along his jaw and then down his neck. He kept his grip on her ass though, which was pretty hot so she wasn’t about to complain.

  “You throw off magick like pixie dust when you’re turned on,” he murmured as one hand broke free and his fingers tiptoed up her spine and then across her shoulder. She’d never considered such a thing sexy, but however he was doing it sent warm pulses of sensation through her system, dizzying her.

  “I do?”