by Eliza Gayle
“Raven, enough. The entire property is protected from the inside out and your magick is not only too weak to break it, but it's actually completely useless as long as you’re here. You have been bound, sweetheart.”
She turned and looked at him. She panted from the exertion of running and fighting against his wards. Sweat covered her brow and she looked even paler than before. “I. Am. Not. Your. Sweetheart.”
“Don’t I know that.”
Jake watched the compelling dynamic between the two people in front of him. They stood only inches apart and their gazes were locked on one another, tension sizzling in the air. He needed to break this up before Denn lost control of his restraint and reached for her. As fun as that sounded, watching the two of them combust together, he wasn’t sure her health could take it yet. He strode forward and stepped between them.
“Raven, you are barely awake from a weeks long coma, I don’t think this is such a great idea.” He grabbed her arm with the intention of leading her back to bed and away from Denn. She wrenched her arm from his grip, twisting and turning.
“Let me go. I’m fine, I just need to get the hell away from here. Away from the two of you.” She pressed her palm against his chest and the heat of it nearly burned him. Her magick may be ineffective here, but her attempt at using it had really ramped her up. She definitely needed to cool down.
“You are not fine, you’re burning up.”
“What? Let me see.” Denn tried to elbow Jake aside.
“No Denn, you know you can’t touch her. Not yet.”
He growled at him. “This is getting really old, Jake. She’s awake. I need to help her.”
“Didn’t we—”
“Oh, dear Goddess, would the two of you shut up already? I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Been doing it a long time.” She lifted her chin and straightened her spine. “Now point me to a shower and bring me some damn clothes to wear.” They both looked down at her dressed in just one of Denn’s soft gray t-shirts that came to mid thigh on her. Jake swallowed. Both he and Denn knew from experience she wore nothing else under that shirt except a teeny tiny pair of white panties. Something neither of them needed to be thinking about. Jake blew out a harsh breath.
This was going to be a long damn day.
Chapter Four
Hot water sluiced over her shoulders and slid down her back, the warmth seeping into her skin. Goddess that felt good. Her thoughts wandered to just a short while ago when she had awakened to the unfamiliar sensation of a large male hand stroking her bare belly and heat pooling in her lower body in response. She’d cracked open her eyes to find an incredibly built man sitting next to her bed applying some sort of herbal lotion to her skin. His light brown wavy hair fell across his face as he bent down to his task. Thinking now, she knew waking up like that should have not only shocked her, but by every right she should have attacked him then. Yet something about him soothed her. His familiar voice lulled her, while he continued talking to her as if she still slept.
Eventually the fog in her brain his touch created dissipated and she’d realized she had to take action to get him away from her. It was either that or she was going to start moaning from the touch of a perfect stranger. The whole situation made absolutely no sense to her.
She’d heard stories about the incredible power that Cash and his brothers could wield, but when she’d gone after Cash for the Reverend, she’d miscalculated his strong moral code and found herself helpless underneath Cash’s attack.
But she wasn’t in Boston anymore, just the few glimpses out the windows as she’d ran from room to room looking for a way out had given her a pretty good view of Bourbon Street in the distance. She was in New Orleans. On vacation she would have been celebrating, as this town was her favorite to escape to, but Dennison Scott and his unknown friend were holding her captive. He wasn’t exactly unknown, though, was he? She knew his name was Jake and she had strange recollections of him caring for her the last few days. A reverent touch. Well-placed kisses to her heated skin…
Her soapy hands roamed over her body, lingering around her sensitive breasts and their hardened tips. Why did thoughts of a certain tall man with light hair and amber-colored eyes have her body burning with desire despite the obvious danger? Her fingertips grazed against her nipples where she couldn’t resist pulling and teasing them a little more. Sensation sizzled through her as the heat climbed higher in her body. A slight moan sounded in her throat at the delicious tingling in her breasts and pussy. The temptation to touch her clit and bring herself to orgasm rattled through as she fought to regain control over her traitorous body.
Stop it. What are you doing?
Her brain finally registered her lack of focus on the reality of her situation. She stopped rubbing her body. Determined to put these insane thoughts out of her head, Raven turned the water to an almost frigid temperature and quickly finished her shower. Drying off with the towel, she contemplated her options. Physical escape didn’t seem possible. Denn’s magick was far greater than hers, and as long as she was in this house she could barely even call up a wisp of her own power. Her temples pounded. Just trying it had given her the headache from hell.
First things first. Exactly how much time had passed since the fight with Cash? She walked over to the door and hollered through it. “How long was I unconscious, Jake?”
She heard muffled voices but no one answered her. She raised her fist and pounded on the door. “Can you hear me out there?”
“You were asleep for more than two weeks, Raven.” A strong but quiet voice spoke just on the other side of the door. Not Jake, though. Dennison. A chill swept over her skin, raising goose bumps and sending a shiver up her spine. She’d only seen him for a short time, but like Jake, there was something familiar about him as well. When he’d stood so close to her at the courtyard door, his clean male scent assaulted her senses and for a brief moment he’d paralyzed her. If she closed her eyes now and concentrated she could almost smell him again. Raven inhaled. What would it be like to run her naked body against his? Blend their scents together?
Oh, Goddess, she was in so much trouble in this house. What the hell was wrong with her? Her brain should be calculating every avenue of potential escape from them. The only thing that mattered was formulating a plan. She needed to report back to the Rev. What must he be thinking about her disappearance by now? And why the hell hadn’t he figured out where she was? He had said all of the brothers were under surveillance.
“Raven, are you okay in there? Do you need anything? Are you sure you don’t want one of us to help you? You’ve been very ill, you need to be careful not to overdo it.”
“Don’t worry, mother hen, I’m going to be fine.” She leaned into the door, smiling. Denn seemed to have a soft side. Perfect. A weakness to exploit. She pushed off the door and reached for the clean clothes they had provided. Really large sweat pants and another soft gray t-shirt. No bra or panties, so if she continued to get aroused around them she was going to have a damn hard time hiding it. She sighed as she knotted the corner of the overly large pants at her waist. That would at least hold them up.
First thing she needed to do was find a way to get a message to her coven or Scott. Preferably Scott. She wasn’t sure she could trust anyone in the group to actually convey a message to the Reverend. They were all scared to death of him. Hell, she was afraid of him. Not that they didn’t have good reason for their feelings. He had a habit of doling out pretty severe punishments every time one of the witches failed any of his missions. Failure wasn’t an option, and luckily they were the best at what they did—the loss of a target was extremely rare amongst them.
As she slipped the warm athletic socks onto her feet, she stopped. Would being in the house with one of the twins outweigh the fact that another had bested her? Would her failure this time finally be the last straw he’d been threatening for a good long time? A chill swept through her. She shook her head. It didn’t do a bit of good to think like th
at. She had a job to do and it’s what she needed to focus on. Getting out of here any which way she could. Raven hesitated at the door and listened intently. There was nothing she wasn’t willing to do to reach her objective. Nothing.
She quietly turned the knob, hoping the room outside would be empty so she could continue her reconnaissance around the house. If she couldn’t leave then she’d spend some time learning everything she could. Easing her body between a small opening in the door, she stopped in her tracks. Both Jake and Denn stood across the room, deep in conversation. She couldn’t quite make out what they were saying, but Jake’s hand rested on Denn’s shoulder, caressing the spot in a rather intimate way.
Oh my Goddess, are they? She stood transfixed, curious about the familiar way their bodies angled into each other. Lean muscle against dark brawn. She could almost picture their lips touching, hands roaming…Oh, my. Not wanting them to see her, she quickly eased back through the opening and pulled the door closed with little sound. She leaned forward and rested her forehead on the door.
Were Denn and Jake lovers? She thought hard about the implications of that information and figured there had to be a way to take advantage of it, but all she could focus on was the two of them standing so close to one another. If Jake had leaned slightly forward his lips would have been touching Denn’s. She groaned at the image. What would it be like to watch the two of them together? Her pussy pulsed at the thought of the two men pressed up against each other, one dominating the other. Holy fucking hell. What the hell was in that lotion that Jake rubbed on her?
Raven began to doubt what she had seen. More than likely her brain was fried from her ordeal and she’d imagined more than what was really there. Obviously the two of them were close friends. Seeing them as friends was easy, imagining them as lovers was quite a leap from a slight shoulder rub. Get a grip, Raven.
First, she pulled herself upright and forced herself to think about the Reverend and what he would do when he found her. She had to stay strong and focus on her job. She didn’t want them to know she’d seen anything so she shuffled around the door, even knocking into it a couple of times so the men would hear her coming this time. There’d be another chance to look around the house, she was sure of it.
Walking from the bathroom, she found Jake and Denn standing side by side, watching her entrance carefully. Their quiet moment was gone, and now it was her turn to be scrutinized. She stood there in her oversized clothing with the two men staring so intensely at her, she wondered if they could see through them. Goddess now she was just being silly. So why exactly was moisture gathering between her legs?
“You hungry?” Jake smiled at her.
He had no idea. “Yeah, I could eat,” she whispered, praying they wouldn’t notice the arousal roughened tone of her voice. Two seconds later, her stomach growled.
“That’s some answer. How about I cook us something?” Jake grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the door. “Cajun food is my new specialty. Got any favorites?”
She shot a look at Denn who simply shrugged his shoulders. She was on her own.
* * *
"It’s about time you showed up. You have kept me waiting for almost an hour. Considering your already tenuous situation, do you really think that was a good idea?”
Jake looked at the pompous older man now sitting across from him in the little street café. It was easy to see he was related to Denn. They had the same dark hair, similar build and a bump on his nose that nearly matched the one his lover had. Inside they couldn’t be more night and day. This man possessed a black heart from hell, although he hid it well from the public behind his religion. How the hell did he ever think it was a good idea to get hooked up with such a crooked man, and a Reverend at that? Well, it wasn’t as if he’d had a choice.
“My delay couldn’t be avoided. I have to be extra cautious these days. Your bounty hunter has more than complicated things lately.” He watched Scott’s eyes narrow at him over the mention of Raven, his hunter.
“Yes, about her. Why have I not received any reports on her status lately? Has she recovered yet? What is that nasty nephew of mine doing to her these days? It’s hard to believe the infamous healer Dennison Scott can’t help her.”
“You know, he actually does have a remarkable ability with his potions. I’ve seen him cure some things everyone was certain could not be cured, help people in hopeless situations. You ever think you don’t give him enough credit?”
“Jake, you’re not going soft on me, are you? Don’t tell me he’s starting to fool you too with all of his do-gooder nonsense.” Scott raked a sharpened nail across the table, menace dripping from his voice. “It would be a real shame to have to get rid of you, too.”
Jake leaned across the table, lowering his voice so the other patrons couldn’t hear him. “Don’t even try to threaten me again, old man. I have done more than I ever signed on to do, and I’m here, aren’t I, so don’t go giving me your melodramatic bullshit. Save it for your blind sheep.”
Jake watched the fire of anger stoke in the other man’s eyes as the atmosphere in the room changed, becoming almost stifling with a blast of power. Jake laughed. “Careful, old man, your true colors are showing. You do remember we’re in a very public place, right?”
“Enough! I will not accept such insolence from the likes of you. Either tell me what I came here to find out or deal with the consequences. Are you prepared for that, my boy?” Scott leaned close to Jake’s head. Close enough for him to smell his putrid breath. “And believe me, boy, when I am done, even the fire and brimstone of Hell won’t want the remains.”
Jake swallowed hard, remembering all too clearly why he was here. Because of that he refrained from either laughing in the man’s face or beating him to a bloody pulp right here in front of the customers. One of these days…
“Are you ready to order, sirs?” the waiter broke into their conversation and Jake decided restraint the best course of action. He glanced up at the young man and saw the drawn worry lines across his forehead and the embarrassment in his eyes. Apparently he and Scott had been making more of a scene than they realized if the waiter looked that frightened.
“I’ll take coffee, thick and black, if you don’t mind, and a beignet, warm.”
“Certainly. And you, sir?” He looked hesitantly at the Reverend.
“I’ll have a triple shot mocha espresso and some of your homemade sweet cake.” He turned a smile on the waiter, full of his trademark charm, and the waiter visibly relaxed.
“Yes, sir, right away.” He took the menus from the table and hurried off to the kitchen.
“Start talking, boy, and quit giving me a hard time. You're embarrassing yourself.”
Jake let the comment pass. “Raven is awake now and working hard to find a way free.”
“About damn time. Now tell me what you’re going to do to help her. Actually, I need to speak with her.”
“That’s going to be a little hard to do at the moment. Denn is watching her like a hawk and that house is magickally locked down tight. She is helpless against it.” Jake watched the other man's nails tap against the table as he processed what Jake told him.
“This only affects her obviously. You got here okay. I have someone who can help with that. Bring me a copy of the spells he used to ward the house and I will get it taken care of. Then you can bring her to me.”
“I-I don’t know what spells he used. Hell, I still have trouble understanding the power he can yield.”
“Don’t give me that, boy. Dennison Scott writes every thing he does in his blasted journal. He is meticulous about it, always has been, and I’m sure you know exactly what I am talking about. So get it done and done fast, I’m tired of wasting my time in this Godforsaken city. It really is the gathering place for the blackest souls.”
Jake snorted. “Then it should be the perfect place for you. Besides, shouldn’t you be out trying to convert those dark people or something? You do claim to be a missionary of God on a
regular basis.” He enjoyed taunting the old man. Especially here in a place like this when he was trying to maintain his ridiculous façade. Jake watched Scott’s eyes dart around the café yet again, but this time something caught his eye and he lingered on something over Jake’s shoulder.
He twisted a little to the side to see if he could get a look at what he was focusing on. A group of college coeds sat at a table not far from theirs, chatting and giggling and constantly sending not so furtive glances in their direction. They were the kind of girls who were always around town, probably from Tulane, looking for trouble in between classes. They must have recognized Scott. He may be in his fifties but he aged well, and his charisma was palpable when he turned it on.
Kind of scary when you thought about it.
“Here, give her this.” Scott slipped a tiny cell phone into the palm of his hand.
“I can’t—”
“Jake, I’m growing tired of your resistance. Do you need another motivator?”
Jake’s stomach wrenched. “No,” he seethed through clenched teeth.
Good. Then don’t forget your mission. There are consequences for betraying me, you might want to keep that in mind.” Scott stood and walked in the direction of the girls and Jake heard the outbreak of giggles as he approached them with his introduction.
He stood up and walked over to the bar, asking for his coffee and sweet to go. After paying for his food, he headed out the door without another glance behind him. He didn’t think he could stomach the adoration on those girls' faces for a man he knew to be pure evil.
Chapter Five
“Breathtaking.”
Denn stood at his study window and studied the woman in the courtyard. Raven had gone out there after breakfast this morning and paced back and forth for hours. She reminded him of a dangerous predator on the prowl. Jake had picked up some clothes for her when he went out yesterday afternoon, and she had chosen to wear black yoga pants and a thin matching black tank top. Unfortunately, the outfit showed off every delectable curve of her lush body. Denn had barely stifled his groan when he spied her coming down the stairs, and all through breakfast he shifted around desperately trying to find a comfortable location for his hard dick. Now, with the way her body tensed and moved with grace and fluidity every time she turned, she made him think of the warrior he knew her to be. It would do him well to remember that she was a highly trained hunter and, despite the lockdown of her magick, she could easily prove lethal if they didn’t keep a close eye on her.
