Enigma, Maine, Bundle 2

by Iris Abbott

  Jessica’s instincts were more and more confident that this was not the hitman trying to track her down. That didn’t mean they could become cozy and familiar with each other, however. She didn’t want to leave behind anyone who might be able to answer questions about her if someone came snooping around. More importantly, she didn’t want to endanger anyone by putting them in the sights of a killer. She shivered at the thought of more innocent blood being spilled.

  “My name’s not important.” She turned to walk away, but the stranger put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

  “Where are you running off to in such a hurry?”

  Jessica swept her hand down her body and then gave him a pointed look. “I’m going to the Halloween party. Where else would I be going dressed like this?”

  The man’s midnight black eyes narrowed slightly. He crossed his arms and stared her down. “It’s by invite only,” he pointed out.

  Jessica shrugged. “I have an invitation. I don’t know where it came from, but I’ve got one.”

  ****

  Lucian did not like the sound of that. Something about the situation was fishy as hell. He shut down everything but his enhanced senses. That’s when he finally caught the subtle stench of fear that simmered just below the surface. This woman was scared of something. He didn’t know if she was afraid of him or something else, but he was going to find out.

  She had a faint glow around her too, like a witch, but much fainter. It was one more thing for Lucian to ponder about the woman. He wanted to know everything about her there was to know.

  “May I see your invitation please,” Lucian requested. Usually, he would just take it, but he wanted to play nice, at least until he knew exactly what he was dealing with. The woman intrigued him. He didn’t want her to run screaming into the night.

  She widened her stance and propped her hands on her narrow hips. She glared at him. “What are you, security?”

  Lucian arched a brow. “For this party? No.”

  However, some would call him the supreme being of protection, enforcement, and justice. Of course, they weren’t the ones he hunted. Those didn’t say anything because they were dead. It was no coincidence that he was the longest living cat shifter in the world. And he still had seven of his nine lives left. He was revered, an anomaly, even amongst his own kind.

  He gave his head a hard shake. He needed to focus on what was happening in front of him. “You’re not getting any closer to your destination until I’ve seen that invitation.”

  Jessica huffed. “I haven’t done anything wrong!” Her full, luscious lips formed a pout. She reached inside a small orange pumpkin purse, pulled out the invitation, and thrust it at him. “Happy now?” she demanded to know.

  Lucian took the thin piece of vellum and scrutinized it thoroughly. It looked exactly like the one he received. The invitation he planned to ignore until he got that call from Brianna requesting, no begging, for his attendance. “Okay, so you have an invitation.” Now it was time for him to get more information. “Where did it come from?”

  She snatched back the invitation in question and stuffed it into the ridiculous looking purse. “Someone slid it under my room door. I thought maybe everyone at the inn was invited.” She rubbed her hands down the costume, straightening it.

  “Well, I’d like to say it’s been nice, but why lie.” She spun around and marched her way up the drive.

  “Wait!” Lucian demanded in his most commanding voice. He was pleased to see the lady halt in her tracks. Good to know he wasn’t losing his touch. “This drive is at least another two miles long.”

  Jessica groaned. “Two miles! I’ll never make it,” she grumbled. “The cab driver dumped me out at the start of the driveway.” She confessed.

  She tilted her head. “It was bizarre actually. He seemed agitated and refused to go any further. I didn’t think the house would be this far off the main road or I would have just gone back to the inn.”

  Her shoulders slumped. “So much for that night out on the town,” she muttered.

  A fleeting second of panic followed by staggering loneliness poured from the woman. The desolate feelings tugged at Lucian’s heart. The organ he thought was turned to stone a long time ago. You didn’t see all the evil he saw over the centuries and execute so many villains without losing something. Up until that moment, Lucian was sure it was his heart.

  Alessandro Russo, the host of the party, and the most powerful vampire on the east coast probably guarded his home with a strong compulsion to keep curious humans away. Why he wondered, hadn’t it worked on the feisty redheaded woman? “I’m here, and we’re both going to the same place. It would be remiss of me not to offer you a ride.” He gallantly bowed at the waist and presented her an arm.

  She hesitated for only a fraction of a second. “Might not be the best idea to get in a stranger’s car, but why the hell not? She wrapped her arm around him and allowed the man to lead her to the passenger side of the low-slung sports car. “Thank you. You don’t know how much I really need this night,” she admitted in a whisper most people wouldn’t have heard.

  Lucian’s curiosity increased another notch. Not only was the woman beguiling, but she was also an enticing mystery he longed to solve. He cautioned himself to rein in his interest before he pounced. After all, curiosity had indeed killed many a cat. He planned to keep the rest of his lives intact for as long as possible.

  Lost in thought, both were silent until the castle came into sight. The woman gasped. “Wow, is that for real? I’ve never seen anything like it, ever. Well, except for maybe in a magazine.”

  She stared wide-eyed at the large and intimidating castle with its stone walls and turrets. “It’s amazing! What a perfect place for a Halloween party! I’m so glad I didn’t give up and go back to the inn!”

  Lucian stopped the car and handed his keys to the valet, who was actually a wolf shifter from the Gannon pack. The Gannon’s owned the best security company in the state of Maine, maybe even the country. They handled the safety measures for most paranormal get-togethers. He stared at the man who quickly lowered his eyes, definitely not an alpha then, Lucian noted. “Where’s your boss? I need a word with him right away,” Lucian demanded in a voice laced with power.

  The shifter could undoubtedly feel the power that rolled off Lucian and took an involuntary step back. “Sir, Mitch and Scarlet are here as guests.” He nervously cleared his throat. “Justin is in charge. I’ll let him know you’re here and looking for him right away, Mr. Petrakos.”

  Mitch Gannon, the alpha and head of the local pack of wolf shifters, recently mated and married Scarlet Valentine. Scarlet was very close friends with three of the local witches. They bonded while teaching Scarlet how to protect herself from a vile piece of humanity who stalked her. One of those witches was married to the vampire hosting this party, Alessandro Russo. So it made sense that Scarlet would be there with her besotted wolf in tow.

  “Let Justin know I’m here and that I need to see him immediately.” Lucian’s tone of voice and clipped precision of words left no room for doubt. The valet started talking into his earpiece. Lucian nodded and turned away from the man. He looked at his little hitchhiker and stopped dead in his tracks.

  She was utterly fixated on Russo’s castle. Her eyes were open wide in wonder, and her mouth formed a little O of surprise. She turned in a slow circle, taking in her surroundings.

  ****

  Jessica wasn’t paying attention to the intimidating stranger or the valet. All her attention was focused on the architectural marvel in front of her. A wave of sadness washed over her. It fought with the elation she felt at the opportunity to view such an extraordinary building. She had no idea anything like this existed in the United States. She just finished her Master’s degree in Architecture from the University of Texas and started her first job when her world was turned completely upside down.

  “Magnificent, isn’t it?”

  “Definitely,” she agreed. “I wish I was
going to be here long enough to study it.” Jessica bit her lip. Stupid, stupid, stupid! She couldn’t go around giving out clues about her past. There could not be that many redheaded female architects on the run.

  “So you’re just passing through Enigma?”

  “Maybe, I don’t know yet.” No harm in that little tidbit of information she decided. And it was the truth. She didn’t know what she was going to do.

  They walked through the open double doors. Jessica stopped and turned in another slow circle. Her gaze darted from one corner to another as she tried to memorize every detail. The place was a masterpiece. She didn’t understand why it was never featured in any of the architectural magazines she used to read.

  The house was decked out for the party. There was a thin mist drifting around the vast open space that added to the ambiance. Most of the light came from pillar candles placed in large five armed candelabras strategically placed throughout the castle. Gossamer webs were artfully hung and spread around various corners and walkways. She felt as if she was standing inside a medieval castle filled with ghosts and goblins.

  ****

  Lucian watched his companion’s interest grow and then bloom into something much more profound, excitement and wonder. His little redhead was positively entranced by this castle. If he didn’t know any better, he might think she’d waggled an invitation just to get a look at the building. But that would be impossible. Alessandro Russo went to great lengths to keep its existence a secret. It would never do for the location of a vampire’s lair to be known by general outsiders.

  He was reluctant to disturb her intense perusal. Plus he wanted some time to study her. He silently watched and took in every expressive feature of her lovely face. The intriguing mystery woman was so lost in thought she didn’t notice Justin Gannon when he stalked up to Lucian.

  Justin, the tall and deadly second of the local wolf shifter pack, strolled up to Lucian and gave him a firm handshake. “I heard you were here and wanted to speak with me.”

  Lucian jerked his head to the side to motion the second in command of the pack away from the woman. Justin gave her a quick appraisal. Lucian’s inner cat arched its back. The cat shifter actually hissed at the wolf. Justin gave him a smug smile. Lucian narrowed his eyes and walked over to a deserted spot by the wall. He made sure the mysterious guest was still in his sights.

  As soon as they were out of earshot, Lucian took over. “Don’t ogle my guest. This cat has some very sharp claws, as you well know.”

  Justin had seen him in action. He was a killing machine when the need arose. All the guardians were experts in several forms of hand-to-hand combat and martial arts. Their agility, grace, strength, and magic from the Egyptian gods made them practically unbeatable in battle. “You summoned me, Lucian. What do you need?”

  “I found her walking up the driveway.” He motioned toward the woman. Both men seemed to be having trouble keeping their eyes off of her. Distinctive red hair framed a heart-shaped face that made her look like a pixie, a very sexy pixie.

  Lucian could picture the woman’s chin tilted upward in determined defiance. The thought of her being hard to handle should have been a deterrent, but it was actually more of a turn on. It made his already overheated body burn hotter.

  A toned, lithe body was showcased in the thinnest silk. The slinky material clung to her slight curves and hugged her body. Lucian’s inner cat wanted to get naked and rub his body all over hers. Then he wanted to join their bodies and bury himself deep inside her moist heat.

  His cat wanted to stake a claim too. A well-placed love bite on her neck would take care of that. Lucian reined in the cat that sometimes worked on instinct alone. He needed to find out who the woman was and why she was in Enigma, most specifically why she was at the party.

  The lady had fire in her blood. He could feel the attraction of the flame from where he stood. No doubt, Justin could too. Wolf boy was practically drooling. Lucian felt the need to warn him off. “The only interest you need to be taking in her is professional. Otherwise, she is completely off limits to you.”

  Justin arched a brow. “You know Alessandro and Mitch don’t want interlopers at the party. I can’t believe you just waltzed in here with her.”

  “She’s in possession of an invitation. She claims someone slid it under her door at the inn. If you have the invitation can you figure out where it came from?” He glanced back at the redhead. There was something familiar about her. Not being able to figure it out bugged the hell out of him.

  “There’s a printed number on the back of the invitation that can only be seen with a UV light.” Justin narrowed his eyes. “Keep that to yourself. Until now only Alessandro, Mitch, and I were in possession of that piece of security information. Get me the invitation, and I can tell you where it came from.”

  “Stay here,” Lucian ordered before walking away. He didn’t do jealous, but he really did not want the single and attractive wolf shifter sniffing anywhere near the redhead. His hackles rose at just the thought. The cat already declared she was his.

  She edged closer to the wall and looked lost in thought. She visibly started when his hand settled on her shoulder. She whirled around and came face to face with him. “Hi, Luc. Whoever crafted your friend’s home is a real artist. This place is amazing.”

  Luc? No one in the long history of his existence ever dared shorten his name, not even Brianna. He found he liked the shortened version of his name as long as it came from her lips. He shook his head. He was not the emotional type. He couldn’t afford to be distracted either. Protection was the name of the game. The lives of many paranormal beings, some of them friends, could be in danger. He had to focus.

  “Justin needs your invitation. It’s just a formality,” he reassured her when she looked like she might argue. The lie rolled easily off of his tongue. Her presence could be perceived as a threat until he and Justin figured out why she was there. It was his responsibility to stop threats. Anyway he could.

  ****

  Jessica opened the pumpkin shaped purse she and pulled out the invitation. She watched Lucian pass it to a man that was almost as intimidating as he was. Both men were about six feet tall and in perfect shape. Lucian’s muscles were thicker, but the other man wasn’t a slouch. They really knew how to grow men in this town.

  Too bad she couldn’t enjoy that aspect of Enigma. It wouldn’t do to become involved with anyone while her life was so dangerous. She’d never forgive herself if she caused someone’s death.

  Hottie number two took her invitation and disappeared down a back hallway. She turned her attention to the man at her side. “Well, thanks for the ride. It would have taken me forever to walk all the way up the drive.”

  She let out a wistful and breathy sigh. “It would have been worth the hike to see this place.” The reverence and admiration were evident in her voice. “I’m sure you have other people you want to say hello to. You don’t have to stay by my side all night. Now that I’m here, I want to take advantage of this lovely surprise and see as much of the castle as I can.”

  “I know the owners quite well actually. I could arrange a private tour for you if you’d like.” He flashed her a smug grin.

  Jessica lightly chewed on her bottom lip. She would love to be able to see more of the place, but she didn’t want to be a bother. A personal tour by the owners would also put her on someone’s radar. She should probably pass. “I don’t want to be a burden,” she finally said. “I’m sure the owners want to spend their time friends and family, not catering to a complete stranger.”

  “It’s no trouble at all. Alessandro has been promising to give me a private tour forever. He and his lovely wife are right over there. You stay here, and I will find out if it’s convenient for them to show us around in the next few minutes.”

  Jessica was enthralled enough with the idea of seeing more of the architectural masterpiece that she didn’t argue when Luc stepped away. Instead, she continued to admire the angles and lines that ma
de up the castle. She had hopes of designing something this grand once. Now those dreams were on the backburner, probably forever. Her career along with everything else in her life was stalled.

  ****

  Lucian cornered Alessandro and Julie Russo. They were engrossed in an in-depth conversation with Phillip and Selena Saint John. “I picked up a stranger on my way to the party.” He inserted himself into the discussion without bothering with a greeting.

  Lucian could be abrupt, and most of his acquaintances were aware of that fact. They accepted him as he was. Besides, no one had enough guts to take the legendary cat shifter to task. If he was a tad rude, well, they just learned to deal with it.

  Alessandro looked over Lucian’s shoulder. He stiffened and subtly shifted his body in front of Julie. He was now firmly located between his wife and the stranger with the fiery red hair. “I don’t recognize her. Are you sure she should be here?” His voice vibrated with power but was laced with concern for his mate.

  Alessandro Russo and Phillip Saint John were powerful forces in their own right. They were both several centuries old. And with age came power. They were not as ancient and powerful as Lucian was, but they were still formidable. He could feel their need to protect their mates. He felt an answering need to protect the woman on the other side of the room.

  It was time to take back control of the conversation. He squared his shoulders. Then he pinned both vampire and cat shifter with a warning glare. “She has an invitation. She claims she doesn’t know who gave it to her. Justin has it now, and he’s trying to determine the origin as we speak. Anyway, she seems fascinated with the castle. I promised her a private tour. If you could do it now, we would be able to keep her isolated from the other guests until we know why she’s here.”

  Julie finally spoke up. “I think we should do it, Alessandro. At first glance, something about her seems familiar. I’d like to spend a few minutes in her company and see if I can figure out why.”

  “You know you’re right,” Selena Saint John agreed with her friend. “I’m drawn to her for some reason. I feel like I should know her.”