This left Ian with the responsibility of providing “food” for the two other vampires that would be coming with Chaos.
They laughed at the suggestion of bagged blood so Ian agreed to find them “willing donors” as long as they caused no harm and took only what blood was needed. Chaos and his people were prohibited from hunting anywhere in or near our town.
Housing was a simpler matter. Ian’s house was large enough to provide Chaos with his own living quarters.
Joaquín was below ground level where it was soundproof, even for vampire hearing, and would provide a safe haven for Joaquín. Ian didn’t want Chaos to know Joaquín was here. We had enough problems already without a half-crazed baby shifter thrown into the mix.
Ian still didn’t trust Chaos, which was a little more than disconcerting. While Chaos hadn’t broken any laws, the dead body with my invitation was that of a vampire, not a human being, so technically, no human laws had been broken. I trusted Ian’s judgment. I mean, Chaos was Ian’s Immortal Deity, his maker, what was not to trust?
As Chaos was the Marquis for North America, every detail was planned to perfection. The initial meeting would be somewhat of a cocktail party. The house was to be cleaned and prepped by a staff of employees who also worked at Ian’s casino.
I had spent each day with Shia or Justice; they seemed to avoid each other, never being in the same place at the same time. I wondered if there was any animosity between them but decided to leave it alone. I had enough problems and while that may sound selfish, I wasn’t the best candidate to resolve relationship issues. Ian never talked about Justice either and while that raised a few questions about their history together, I wasn’t sure I truly wanted to know and with everything else going on, the subject just never came up.
Ian was so busy every evening that I didn’t see him until a little before dawn and when he came to bed—well, let’s just say that we didn’t waste much time talking.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
The dream was so vivid I could feel the sting of the cool tiles beneath my feet as I stepped out of bed and moved across the floor. I made my way around to the other side of the bed, paused and wondered why I was there.
My gaze stretched over the dimly lit room, resting upon the partially open shutter that allowed the faint rays of sunlight to glitter upon the ornate light fixture hanging above me. The effect scattered light off the tiny crystals, lending an ethereal feeling to the room.
How odd, I thought, adding to my conviction that this was merely a dream that the shutter would remain open at all. The rays of light crept along the floor and it wouldn’t be more than a half hour before they completely illuminated the bed.
My right arm began to ache and the muscles to twitch.
It was then that I remembered the reason I was out of bed even though my body begged for sleep. I turned my head toward the bed and smiled at Ian’s sleeping form. He had woken in the middle of the morning and I could still taste him on my lips from making love with him before we both settled down to sleep together; a real sleep, not the sleep of his dawn death. His pale skin was still hidden in shadows of darkness and the fact that the shutter was allowing the sun to creep toward him was disturbing but I found myself unable to do anything about it.
My eyebrow furrowed so deeply that pain started to pierce my temples. I felt a sob work its way up from my throat as my arm raised of its own volition. My index finger jerked and I stood in awe as the sound of gunfire echoed off the walls. I felt like I was out of my body, watching the horror unfold in front of me yet helpless to do anything about it.
A dot of crimson appeared on the sheet, then another and another until they spread, combining to form an ever-growing circle of red staining the bed. The thunderous booms ceased and all that remained was the sound of metallic clicks as my finger continued its assault on the trigger of the now-empty gun.
I sensed movement around me yet was incapable of turning my head to see. My feet had planted themselves to the floor as if a great weight held them there; my limbs were frozen in a painfully stiff position.
Falcon appeared in front of me, worry etching his sleep-filled eyes. He was bent over Ian and while I saw his mouth moving furiously, I could not hear a word he spoke. Cougar arrived and began pressing the pillows over Ian’s chest. Then everything broke and I woke to the nightmare I had created.
I was not asleep.
This was not a dream. Numbness consumed me.
I’d shot Ian and he was dead.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
The sky mirrored the mood and dark angry clouds hovered overhead, spitting out bone-chilling shards of rain and bouncing off the casket as it lay poised, waiting for the earth to swallow it.
I wore a thin black dress that was in no way capable of staving off the cold of the day but it didn’t matter. I was numb.
This was my fault and no amount of comforting words from those around me could douse the flame of self-hatred growing inside me.
The oppressive grief of the many mourners huddled around the gravesite threatened to crush what was left of me. Despite the breath-stealing tightness in my chest, I still felt the hollow hole of loss growing ever-wider within me. Silent tears streamed down my face in rivers, mixing with the rain, leaving a salty taste in my mouth each time I opened it in an effort to gasp in some air.
People had come out in droves under the moonless sky, despite the dismal weather, to say goodbye to a man who affected more lives than he could have known. Alli and Wilson flanked me, each holding tightly to an elbow and supporting most of my weight. The entire Tribal Council was there along with their families. Many other prominent members of various government agencies were in attendance.
Sam Anderson and Donovan Rourke stood on the other side of the grave. Their gazes darted at nothing as if they could not bear to meet my eyes.
I didn’t blame them.
I felt a warm heavy weight descend upon me as the priest started to speak of loyalty, dedication and love.
I sucked in a deep gasp of surprise, then collapsed back into the arms of the only one who could offer me true comfort.
“Thank you for coming, Ian,” I breathed nearly silently. “I didn’t think you would come.”
“Of course I would be here, My Love.” He adjusted the heavy jacket he’d laid over my shoulders and I was grateful for the warmth.
We stood in respectful silence as the priest said the final prayers and Ben’s father and family members placed roses upon the coffin as it was lowered into the damp ground. His mother, Susan, was not in attendance and it was explained to everyone that her sorrow was too much for her to bear and she was at home under a doctor’s care.
I, of course, knew that to be bullshit.
I hadn’t seen or heard from Susan Palmer since she’d left me the packet of information. Maxwell had agreed to hold the funeral at night to save face in the public eye. Many of Ben’s friends were vampires; it would not have looked good if Maxwell excluded them, especially had they decided to make their displeasure public knowledge. This way he could say, “See, I’m a good guy” while keeping Ben’s profession as much on the down low as possible.
Alli and Wilson went to say their goodbyes to the family while I retreated to the car. I didn’t want to face Maxwell Palmer, especially with my vampire lover on my arm.
I still didn’t know what role the good Senator had played in the recent increase in vampire population and after last week’s episode where I’d tried to kill Ian by emptying a handgun into his chest, I didn’t want to discuss supernatural politics with anyone.
I winced as I thought of that night.
Ian constantly reminded me that I had been acting under compulsion and therefore was in no way to blame for his attempted murder, but I still refused to allow him to sleep in my room. In fact, I had Shia lock me in each night and wouldn’t even allow her to stay with me. I had considered leaving Ian’s and going back home, but Ian convinced me it was safer for everyone if I remained at his
estate.
We had no idea who had mind-fucked me, but I suspected Chaos. Ian insisted that Chaos was miles away and really had no reason to kill him, although he didn’t have quite the conviction in his voice that would have made me totally comfortable with the idea.
Regardless of the reasons, I had shot Ian and if Cougar, Falcon and Lucas hadn’t intervened—or worse, had the gun on my nightstand been loaded with silver instead of lead, well, I didn’t want to delve into that any further.
I’d kept my distance from all of them and had spent the last few days alone. Well, as alone as I could be in a house full of people intent on protecting me.
“You must rest, My Love.” Ian cast his worried eyes on me as he climbed into the driver’s seat. Shia had driven me here and she waited patiently, despite the rain, outside the car. “Allow Falcon to…”
“No.” I cut him off with a shake of my head. Falcon had made me “sleep” after I’d shot Ian. It was the one time he’d used his powers on me where I hadn’t complained. It was also the last time I’d slept for longer than two hours, and when I did manage to sleep, I woke up covered in sweat and trembling.
“It is not healthy,” he urged.
“I’ll rest when we get back,” I promised.
Ian nodded then motioned for Shia to join us. She climbed into the backseat as Ian started the car.
It was a silent ride home.
I climbed the stairs, shut the door behind me and peeled the soaking wet dress off. I pulled on a pair of sweatpants and an old comfortable T-shirt and fell into bed.
I didn’t hear the door open but Justice stood just inside.
“Are you all right?” She spoke gently and with concern.
“Yeah,” I mumbled.
“Ian is worried about you.”
“I know.” I sighed and shifted on the bed so my back was to her.
“It wasn’t your fault,” she told me for the hundredth time. “You could not control what happened to either Ben or Ian,” she persisted.
“I think that’s what scares me the most,” I admitted softly. “I couldn’t control it. Maybe if I had better control of my…” I waved my hand erratically above me “…whatever abilities I have, I could have saved them both.”
Her head perked up and she angled it toward the door. “Ian is coming, I’ll leave you be.”
I called her name just as she turned to leave. “Thanks for checking on me, Justice.” I offered her a weak smile. “I really do appreciate it.”
Minutes later, Ian strode into the room without so much as a rap at the door. He closed the distance between us and before I muttered a word he’d scooped me into his arms and took my lips with his. He kissed me deeply yet tenderly and I sucked in a deep breath of air laced with his scent.
“I am staying in here.” He pinned me with his eyes. “And you are going to sleep.”
“You can’t!” I said as alarm raced through my body. “What if I…”
“I’m staying. You are not responsible for what happened. Mind compulsion is a powerful thing.” He used his thumb to wipe a tear from my cheek.
“Are you sure?” I asked hesitantly.
“You were compulsed to kill me, Leah. I know the effects of compulsion can be startling under the best of circumstances. You must believe me. There was nothing you could have done to stop it.”
“Did Chaos do this?”
“I know that is what you suspect, My Love. But I do not believe it was him.”
“Why?” I demanded, my voice raising.
“Chaos would have wanted to be here to see it for himself.”
“Then who?” I sighed.
And for that, Ian had no answer.
I took the gun from my nightstand and walked it over to the closet, locking it within a safe deposit box I had Shia bring me after the “incident”. I no longer cared if I could reach my weapon at a moment’s notice, instead feeling more secure when I had to be conscious enough to retrieve it.
Ian let out a deep sigh at my precautions but said nothing as I climbed back in bed and snuggled under the covers. He spooned his body against my back, lightly stroking my hair. I slept until the moon took its place in the sky and the stars glittered above like diamonds. When I awoke, Ian was still there. Whole and safe.
Chapter Forty
The night of Chaos’ arrival finally rolled around and I was debating between two different dresses. One was very red, low cut, very sexy. The other was a shimmery blue that swept the floor. Ian was wearing a tux and would wear a cummerbund to match my dress.
“The red one,” Shia proclaimed.
“It’s too low cut,” I protested. “Definitely the blue one.”
“Fine, just put it on before you’re late,” she said with a sigh and a quick roll of her eyes. “I’ll send word to Ian you’re wearing the blue.”
My hair had already been swept up into an elaborate style that highlighted the diamond earrings Ian had bought for me. I’d refused them flat, I was never much of a bling-bling person, but he’d asked that I wear them tonight and if I still didn’t want them, he wouldn’t argue.
Justice came in while Shia was out relaying my wardrobe choices to Ian.
“I want you to watch your back tonight, Leah.” Her voice was grave.
“Always do. Why the concern?” I adjusted the top of the dress.
“Let’s just call it a ‘feeling’, okay?”
I nodded, then turned toward her but she was already gone.
* * * *
Chaos was the polar opposite of Ian. While Ian had black hair and sexy angular features that only made his blue eyes more intense, Chaos had platinum poker-straight hair and a square jaw. His eyes were so pale that the only color I could describe them as was silver. He was of average height but made up for it with sheer bulk. He wore a tasteful tux, compared to the slinky shit the woman on his arm had on, yet his face had the fierce look you’d see on bikers in a dark alley. I don’t mean the doctors and lawyers who dress up as bad boys and ride their Harley’s on the weekends. He looked like a true road hog that frequented the part of town most ordinary folks avoided, or drove through with the doors locked, even dressed in a tux.
Chaos and Ian shook hands in that manly handshake, back-patting kind of ritual.
“Lovely to finally meet you.” He brought my hand to his lips and brushed a kiss across my knuckles. His eyes locked with mine and I felt a not-so-gentle nudge on my mental shields.
I slammed my shields down tight and gave myself a small smile of satisfaction when Chaos actually blinked hard in response.
“You have trained her well, Ian,” Chaos commented with pride.
I bit back a retort but still managed to flash a grin at Ian that was more snarl than pleasant.
Chaos threw his head back and laughed. “Oh, she’s feisty. I can see what attracts you to her, Ian.” He clapped Ian on the back and brushed passed me like I was another car sitting in the driveway. A dismissive gesture I didn’t appreciate at all. It looked like Chaos was going to have to learn a few lessons about modern women.
“Excuse you,” I muttered.
He wheeled back around and gave me a long assessing look, starting at my chest and working his way down. He finally got around to my face where I met his eyes with my own deadpan stare.
“You always choose the most…” he sucked in a breath through his teeth, “…delicious pets.”
I narrowed my eyes and Chaos threw his head back in laughter. Ian pulled me a little closer to his side, whether as a possessive statement or to keep me from ripping into Chaos, I had no idea.
“She has fire in her eyes too.” Chaos’s gaze lit with excitement.
The time for polite was officially over. “Go to hell!” I took a step forward but Ian pulled me in closer to him.
“Chaos does not take directions very well, My Love.” His voice was tense.
“Perhaps I can give him a road map.” I leaned back into Ian, making sure the bulge of my gun pressed into him, reminding
him I could, and would, defend myself.
“I am simply admiring your choice in women, Ian. You should be flattered that I find her so appealing.”
His arm candy tensed, her eyes narrowing in anger.
The man behind Chaos cleared his throat.
Chaos waved a dismissive hand toward him. “Ivelisse knows how I feel about her.” He turned to the slight woman that stood just off to the side of him. “Don’t you Ivelisse?”
The statement was so void of emotion that I felt bad for her. It was very clear how Chaos felt about her; he didn’t even have the grace to pretend he gave a shit.
Ivelisse was a thin stick of a woman; all boobs and legs. The pink dress she wore barely covered enough skin to be considered semi-decent. Her heels were thin and studded with what looked like diamonds. She smiled and did that hair flip thing that they must teach in bimbo school.
“My companion,” Chaos drew Ivelisse closer to him, “Ivelisse Folia,” he said by way of introduction. “This is Ian Nightwalker and his,” he smiled, showing fang, “companion. I would offer you her name but Ian has chosen to keep her all to himself.” He pouted.
“Leah,” I brushed my hand past Chaos, purposely avoiding him, to extend it to Ivelisse, “Leah Wolfe.”
She held her hand out to me tentatively, eyes darting to Chaos as if to ask for his permission.
I grabbed her hand and shook it while opening my mental barriers enough to feel her aura. I got a quick flutter of something then her eyes glazed over and there was nothing, no emotion, just a blank slate. I let go and took a step back toward Ian, letting my eyes go back up to Chaos. “What the hell have you done to her?” I asked, a little breathless.
The Order of Chaos Page 20
