by Tena Stetler
“So what does it show you?” Bruce wondered aloud, his eyes bright with interest as they darted from screen to screen and finally back to the center screen.
“She will show us any place you’ve been. Track down any place or person I want to keep tabs on. Alish, show us The Wycked Hair.”
The luminous almond eyes faded in a swirl of sapphire as the main floor of the salon swam into view. Tobi appeared on screen, bright pink streaks in her auburn hair that matched her smock. She was putting a client under the dryer with foil folded over sections of hair. Owen smiled as he talked on the phone scheduling another customer into the computer. The view panned to the construction area, the plastic sheets replaced by a gold cord strung between silver toned poles. A sign delicately painted in warm rich hues stood in front of the rope announcing the opening of the newly expanded area and addition of The Krystal Unicorn next Saturday.
Irritated that his father had been spying on him for possibly years, he shoved that thought away for now, intrigued by the whole system and its usefulness in the current situation. “Find Angie,” Bruce commanded experimentally. The salon slowly faded from view as Angie appeared sitting with her feet still resting on the table chatting and giggling with his mother. Amazed he turned to Andre. “How is this possible?”
“That’s a bit of magic.” Andre jerked his chin toward the screen. “The rest is lot of computer savvy and connection to world wide security cameras.”
“You have security cameras in our bedroom?” Bruce roared.
“Definitely, not. Only the sitting room, wanted to keep an eye on the workers while they remodeled your living area. We deactivated the camera before your arrival, but I guess Tane didn’t have a chance to remove it. The device apparently reactivated at your request to locate Angie. I’ll have Tane remove it immediately.” Andre narrowed his eyes examining Bruce’s tanned upper body. “Have you blood bonded with her?”
“W—what… No. That’s a barbaric practice and I have no intention of subjecting Angie to that.” But hadn’t he fought against doing just that as he took her to his bed that first night, desire so strong, so primal that his demon nearly broke free. At the last minute, he gained some semblance of control and reined it in concentrating on her pleasure as well as his own.
His father arched a brow and the corners of his lips turned up slowly. “Don’t you? Not even in the throes of taking her as your mate? What about her?”
“What do you mean what about her? Don’t be so cryptic, just spit it out.” Disgusted, he shook his head. “Never mind, it’s none of your business anyway.” He flexed his hands and rolled his massive shoulders deflecting the tension that was threatening to overpower his good judgment, again.
“She can remain here and track your progress with Alish. Personal communications over long distances will be an issue without a blood bond,” Andre said matter-of-factly and began walking toward the door.
“Since I took Angie as my mate, we are in each other’s minds. Are you telling me there is a limit to that ability?”
“Yes, over short distances it’s great, but over longer distances it’s unreliable without a blood bond.”
Bruce raised his scarred hand rubbing his jaw with the roughened pads of his thumb and forefinger. “Ah, so there’s more to the blood bond than barbaric ritual.”
“Yes.” One corner of Andre’s mouth curled up in a slight grin.
“You and Mother?”
Andre’s eyes sparkled at the chance to make Bruce uncomfortable. “Of course. At our first…”
“That’s enough. Don’t need the details.” Bruce winced slowly shaking his head.
Trepidation showed over Bruce’s face, Andre steered the discussion another way. He shrugged. “Maybe you’re right. Let’s join the women and discuss keeping Angie safe while she assists you in neutralizing Rezar forever.”
“She can’t be involved.”
“So you’ve said. I’m not sure she agrees with you.”
“Shit,” Bruce muttered under his breath, this doesn’t bode well at all. He scanned the room and jerked his chin up. “Secure?”
“None better.”
Bruce slid the lock across his cell phone screen and touched #1—auto-dialing Owen.
“Bout time you checked in.”
“Yeah—well, I’ve been busy. Mobilize the teams and have them stand by. We’re going after the bastard within seventy-two hours. He’ll probably be on U.S. soil by then.”
“You got it. Assembly point?”
“Not sure yet, I’ll call you back in a couple of hours.”
“Wait Bruce, we talking about Rezar? So you know his location? His condition? How many are we looking at?”
“Don’t have all the answers yet, but Angie may.”
“Great. What? How? Angie? Are you both coming back?”
“No. Anything I should know?” Bruce asked.
“Nope, everything here is running smooth and on schedule. We’re really busy.” Owen paused a moment. “Only…”
“What?”
“A couple of new customers. Came in a few hours apart. I got a weird feeling about them. Nothing I can put a finger on.”
“Tobi, she feel the same?”
“Yeah. Both asked for you specifically, as if you were in the habit of working the floor on a daily basis.”
“And.”
“Said you weren’t taking appointments this week, you were meeting with suppliers. They acted almost irritated then did an about face and booked with Tobi, but neither showed.”
“Human or other?”
“Not sure, but probably other category. Definitely female, but masked their signatures. Since so many do the first time they come in here, I didn’t think much about it until they didn’t show a couple of hours ago. I was just getting ready to call you.”
“Don’t like the sound of that. Did the surveillance camera catch them?”
“Maybe. I was about to check the feed on the computer when you called. Let me finish and get right back to you?”
“Do that.” Bruce touched the screen of his phone and ended the call. “I need to wait here for a bit, if you don’t mind.”
“Alish, should be able to access the video right now. She could directly pull it off the hard drive.” Andre nodded toward the video swirling into view.
Bruce could see the individuals standing on the counter as he waited for Owen to return to the phone.
“Yep, got em on video,” Owen confirmed smugly.
“I can see them and I don’t recognize either one,” Bruce said slowly.
“But…how did you? That was fast.” Owen finally said.
“Father has very sophisticated computer equipment. We’ll update ours when I get back,” Bruce said matter-of-factly and rubbed his chin considering the situation. “I don’t like it. Station security indiscreetly at the entrances and exits of the salon. Have security teams patrol the perimeter. The teams are to report anything unusual to you immediately. Keep me in the loop.”
“Of course.” Owen frowned and looked at his watch. “I’ll have security in place within thirty minutes.”
Chapter Seventeen
The morning hadn’t gone as she wanted. However, with him it rarely did. Their fiery tempers, strong will, and passionate desires created chaos as often as not. A wry grin spread across her face as she considered, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Matiah’s soft chuckle brought Angie’s thoughts back to the present.
“His father was the same, stubborn, proud, and determined. Not to mention much more controlling than…” She broke off mid-sentence.
Bruce pushed open the door to their rooms and leaned his wide shoulder and tall tanned body against the door jam. “We aren’t breaking up this little female meeting of the minds, are we?” The corner of his mouth kicked up in a devilish grin that was sexy as hell.
Excitement rippled through Angie reminding her exactly what she was dealing with. Angel, demon, lover, mate, he was the best she’d ever had and didn’t i
ntend to give him up. Ever. “Not at all. We were just discussing a few ways to correct the many irritating faults in the male species,” Angie said, voice sweet as sugar. She dropped her feet from the table to the floor, angled her face toward him, and batted her long eyelashes.
He glared at her for a moment, then looked around the room and his gaze locked on the cart his mother brought in earlier for Angie. Coconut bread in a woven basket and fresh fruit in an iced bowl remained on the top of the cart, fragrant sweet rolls in the warmer below the top shelf. “Well I see you didn’t invite us for breakfast.”
“You were more than welcome but your timing wasn’t good,” Angie said a wicked grin spreading across her face.
Andre shoved Bruce aside and strode into the room. “Ladies, sorry to interrupt but we’d like to show you something.” Before he motioned them out the door, he reached for a slice of coconut bread and poured himself a glass of orange juice, just as Bruce grabbed a sweet roll and took the glass of orange juice offered by Angie. Matiah, Angie, and Bruce trooped out the door. Andre stepped up behind Bruce and whispered, “Pick your battles son. This is one you won’t win.” He nodded toward Angie. “She’s strong willed and as protective of you as you are of her. There’s middle ground here, find it.”
Jaw clinched and hands fisted in his pockets, Bruce opened his mouth prepared with a sharp retort, but thought better of it and followed the others back to the room behind the falls. He thought about his father’s words. He disliked being told what to do but damn he hated it when his father was right. Andre’s smooth baritone voice reiterated the same information to the women that he’d given Bruce in private a short while ago. Bruce relaxed and began to consider the alternatives available to him that would still keep Angie safe, but involved.
His phone buzzed in his pocket, he checked the screen before putting the phone to his ear. “Owen, what you got?”
“We showed the video to the staff and Riki thought she’d seen each one on separate occasions walking in front of the salon, didn’t think much of it at the time. But now…”
“Upload the video to my phone. I’ll take a closer look.”
****
Catching Angie’s hand, Bruce closed the door to their rooms with his foot and murmured, “Can we reach a compromise, considering what you’ve just seen?” Brushing her hair aside, His thumbs massaged in tiny circles at the base of her neck easing the knots there then moving over her soft shoulders using his entire hand to sooth away the tightness he felt there. After a few moments, he moved his hands slowly down her arms to encircle her small waist and bent to nuzzle her neck flicking his tongue at the delicately pulsing vein. The desire is definitely there, but am I ready to go through with it?
“Maybe.” She tilted her head hesitantly and lowered her shoulder to allow him access.
“What are you doing?” He grasped her shoulders and pushed her away just enough to look at her face.
Staring into his eyes, she raised her hand to his cheek caressing it. “Making it easier to do what you need to do. I’m not going to let you track down Rezar without giving you every weapon available to win.”
“How? How did you know?” Releasing her, he turned and paced to the sliding glass doors, putting his hands on the metal frame he leaned against it watching the sea birds swoop and dive into the ocean for their dinner.
“I don’t see the big deal. “She shrugged and stepped toward him. “Your mother explained the bite merely creates a blood bond between us so we can communicate telepathically over great distances.”
“And can act as a locater beacon both ways. So you’re willing?” Amazed he twisted to look at her over his shoulder.
“Of course. I could see the desire in your eyes when you almost marked me at the estate, that first time. It scared me then, but now, I’ve learned what it means to be the mate of an Overlord.” Pausing she said softly, “You didn’t tell me that a demon taking a witch as a mate was forbidden.”
“What does it matter? Anyway, that was long ago. Things have changed.”
“Not so much, according to your mother.” Angie pressed.
“And she would know, since a demon taking an angel for a mate was so accepted.” He snorted, staring at the wall as if he could find his mother and pin her with his stare. “She should stay out of my affairs.”
Ignoring his last statement, Angie continued calmly. “No, she said the situation made it much harder for your father, but like you he was stubborn and did as he saw fit.”
“Some things are worth the trouble. You and I were meant to be together, we feel the connection, the fact that you’re a witch just makes it that much more interesting.” Determination glittered in his eyes as he turned to embrace her. “There’s been enough talk.” With that, he took her mouth with his and lifted her easily into his arms carrying her to their bed.
A muffled scream woke Bruce out of a sound sleep, he watched Angie struggle for a moment then still, she moaned softly, then silence. He tried to awaken her without success, she went limp, the edges of her body blurred and she didn’t respond to his efforts.
Chapter Eighteen
Angie awoke to a feeling of nothingness. Muted sounds penetrated her mind. She sensed there were others in close proximity. Movement from the adjoining room vibrated through the walls and floor. Something was very wrong. Opening her eyes warily she took in her surroundings, she wasn’t in Tahiti and Bruce was nowhere to be seen. She was floating in some kind of bubble. There was no one around, so she moved over a bit to reach out and touch the crystal-clear substance. As she pushed her hand through it, an excruciating pain shot up her arm. Yanking her hand back inside the bubble she let out a silent breath of relief as the pain subsided.
Footsteps vibrated just outside the door, she closed her eyes and returned to the floating position she’d been in when she awoke only with her back to them. She could see what was going on in the reflection of the bubble.
“She’s still out,” a gruff male voice announced from just to her left.
“Are you sure you didn’t kill her when you captured her? A damaged witch ain’t gonna do me any good, no matter who she is.”
This strained wavering voice she recognized from her nightmares. Was she still dreaming?
“You didn’t give me much time to weave the damn spell. I guess something could have gone wrong and suspended her between this world and the dream world. But that’s highly unlikely.” The man scrubbed his hands over his weary face and ran his fingers through his short black hair. Eyes hollow and cheek bones sharp, he looked as if he’d not eaten or slept enough to fuel his once strong muscular build.
“Can’t we reach in and shake her or bring her around somehow? She looks normal enough, but that’s only her spirit?”
“Absolutely not. That would kill her. You damage that phosphorescent bubble she is contained in and her spirit, which is what you captured, will die immediately, whether it looks normal or not. I told you that when you demanded she be snatched from the dream world and brought here. This was a bad idea.” He shook his head, shoulders slumped.
“I didn’t ask for your opinion. You are to serve as my spell caster until I decide your debt is paid. Need I remind you of our agreement or whose lives hang in the balance?”
“It didn’t include this. You can’t just take someone out of the dream world without consequences. The rest of her body is somewhere and you can bet someone is looking for her.”
“She shouldn’t have been seeking me. Besides, I didn’t capture her. You did. So the consequences will be yours to pay.” He snorted and drew in a raspy breath. “We are so close now, I can smell their fear.”
His breath rattled in and out reminding her of the night wind rustling through dead leaves. She bit back the fear that was clawing inside her. This wasn’t the time to lose control. If she wanted to survive this, she had to be strong and think.
Bruce’s image swam into her mind along with his deep voice tinged with worry. Angie where are you? Can you hear
me? Was this an illusion used by her captors, her mind playing games, or real? It didn’t matter, she couldn’t respond, not until she figured out what the hell was going on. Her intense fear melted into a simmering anger, which didn’t help matters at all, angry outbursts always led to bad decisions and regret.
The raspy voice commanded vehemently, “Confirm who she is so I can decide how to use her for our benefit. And, I am tired of all your excuses.”
Suddenly she felt heat and electricity snap across the room. A scream resonated through the air then a heavy thud and silence. The door slammed and the raspy voice cursed loudly from farther away.
Remaining still she listened for movement for several minutes, then opened one eye The short once stocky wizard lay sprawled on the floor about six feet from her. His breathing was labored; his face blackened and eyes swollen shut. The collar of his shirt was singed and whiffs of black smoke curled around his neck. The smell of scorched flesh made bile rise in her throat, she closed her eye and turned slowly so her back was again toward the door. The reflection on the bubble of what was happening behind her was distorted, but better than nothing.
The doorknob turned and the door creaked opened. “Malic, won’t you ever learn?” A sympathetic voice said softly. “John, give me a hand, we need some medical magic here and quickly.” Shoes scuffed the floor and she heard a low moan as they drug the wizard out of the room, closing the door with a bang.
Silence fell over the area again and icy fingers of panic gripped her. The only way out of here was her mind connection to Bruce she had to risk it. I’m here and alive but a prisoner. Don’t respond…yet.
Bruce’s voice slid carefully into her mind wary of detection. We’re looking. Any idea where or who?
She breathed a sigh of relief thankful for the blood bond. Stateside, I think. It’s him. I’m sure of it. Someone’s coming.
Footsteps hesitated outside the door. A sliver of light crossed the room as the door opened silently and closed with a quiet click. A male voice whispered, “If you can hear me, don’t acknowledge it. Your only chance for survival is to remain unresponsive. We’re just outside D.C., set for attack as soon as the Overlord shows up at his salon. The warriors have gathered, so it’s only a matter of time. Tell him to stay away and to scatter his legion before it’s too late. Rezar has stolen…” His voice faltered a moment. “Someone’s coming. I won’t get another chance to talk to you, so I hope…this is enough.”
