Captivating Melody

by Katherine McIntyre

  “You need to get out of here,” he said, trying to warn her. As much as their departure would slay him, he didn’t like the idea of Jessa running into Liz.

  “Shut up, you stubborn bastard,” she said, her voice low and hoarse. Leaning in, she pressed her lips against his. She brushed them against him in a soft way, a nectar he’d become addicted to. And as she dipped her tongue in to stroke his own, energy trickled through him. Her lips caressed his mouth with a melody he couldn’t try and emulate, a healing sweetness that was all her own. As she deepened the kiss, her body trembled against him.

  “Is this all about healing, or some pleasure too?” he murmured against her mouth, trying to distract her.

  “You idiot.” She delivered one more fierce kiss before pulling away.

  Trevor reached for his manacles, his lockpicking kit in full use. If anyone understood the humiliation and pain of being chained up, his best friend did. One of the manacles dropped to the ground, and at once, his hand slammed down to his side. Kieran winced at the flare of the raw skin exposed. Trevor passed him a sympathetic look as he set to working the other hand free.

  Liz held up the butterfly knife. “Looks like you didn’t even need rescuing, Rambo.”

  “Next step would’ve been strangling Jessa with her own manacles when she came back down.” He shrugged his free arm, rolling the stiff shoulder. A second later, Trevor freed the other wrist, allowing him full range of moment. A knot unfurled in his chest at the freedom. He hadn’t even been imprisoned for long, but folks rarely got the one-up on him—Kieran didn’t give them the chance. He’d fought the chains of his parents and the chains of his birthright for too long.

  Pins and needles flooded his arms, and he flexed his fingers, rolling the joints to get the blood moving faster.

  Liz handed over his knife. “Better if you’re armed. Is she up above?”

  “Not sure. She was on the warpath for you.” Kieran passed her a glance. “One of the perks with hooking up with me includes jealous exes. Aren’t you overjoyed?”

  “Thrilled. Can I shoot her now?” Liz’s gaze burned with a deep rage. She hadn’t been trembling out of fear but molten anger.

  “Love this new fiery streak in you, babe. What’s next post jailbreak? Arson?” Kieran’s lips curled into a smile. A deep ache resided in his chest at her overflowing concern and at how she’d hunted him down. Her care shone on her face. The normal Liz O’Brien would’ve taken efforts to hide her emotions under a cool veneer, but as she stood in front of him, trembling with rage, her raw feelings for him were on clear display.

  “Don’t let her deny it, she spent the entire time over muttering about burning this joint down,” Trevor said, a smirk on his face.

  A creak sounded from outside, followed by a rapid pounding of footsteps from above. Kieran clenched the handle of his butterfly knife as the groan of floorboards traveled in the direction of the door.

  Jessa was coming.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  When she said she’d burn this place down, she never spoke a more serious truth. Especially after finding Kieran chained up, mutilated, and tortured. Heat burned behind her eyes, and rage scorched her soul at seeing the burn patches along his arms and the long, ragged slices of red. At the soaked red patch in his shirt, the dirt and scratches marring his features, and the ugly bruises. And she’d never loved him more than when he’d brushed all of it off like what he endured was nothing—teasing her to bring a smile to her face.

  The door slammed from the top of the stairwell, and not one, but two familiar figures appeared at the top. Jessa strode down the steps, followed by the worker they’d seen behind the counter the other day.

  Liz pulled her Beretta forward and aimed the pistol in the direction of the women.

  Except, Jessa had thought ahead, and she turned the muzzle of her own gun their way as she took her time creeping down the steps. “Oh look, the prey made my job easier by coming to me,” she said in a low purr, the same coldness gleaming in her eyes as the first time they’d met.

  The woman hadn’t intimidated her then, and all her haughtiness didn’t now. “You know, the humans-are-beneath-me shit is old news. I mean, thank god you have powers—who the hell would hook up with you if you couldn’t force them into it?” The words left her mouth before she thought about them. She wrinkled her nose and glanced back. “Sorry, Ky.”

  He shook his head, a grin on his face. “We’ve all made our mistakes. She’s her family’s.”

  Jessa’s gaze darkened. He’d hit a sore spot with his comment, making it all the clearer why she might’ve kidnapped him. As much as Liz wanted to rush out of the place, she needed to keep them occupied while Jett and Renn headed their way. If they did. She hadn’t checked her phone since they’d arrived, and though Jett would’ve preferred the scene preserved, she refused to let Kieran hang in those chains a moment longer.

  “You’re outnumbered, Jess,” Trevor said, lifting his gun in the process. Kieran brandished his knife, and based on how his jaw tensed, he was more than ready to use it.

  “Yet we’ve both got targets at the ready, and you know I’ll shoot.” Her muzzle pointed at Liz, to no one’s surprise. “You haven’t been introduced to my employee, Eira—one of the huldafolk.”

  Liz’s forehead creased with her frown, all the while keeping her Beretta focused on Jessa. “Is that supposed to make me shake in my boots or something?”

  “Not like a human would know,” she said the word as if she’d uttered cockroach, “but out of everyone in the room, succubus, incubus, and banshee, she’s the one with external offensive abilities worth a damn. Worth more than the little pistol you keep clinging to, girl.”

  “See if you’re still saying that when my pistol’s shoved up your holier-than-thou ass,” Liz spat, ready to fire, damn the consequences. She sucked in a deep breath, tapping into the composure and survival instincts that kept her alive all these years. A level head was less likely to end in death, death, and more death. Kieran might be the lunge in and start slinging type, but he could also indulge in a hot make-out session to heal wounds. From their brief kiss, the ribbons along his arms had begun to seal.

  Eira smiled beside Jessa as she lifted her palms. Flames blossomed on both of them, which spelled all sorts of bad news for their crew. With guns loaded, flames at the ready, and some mighty mean stares flying around, the tension thickened in the air like smog.

  Liz waited, watching.

  The first person to move would be the idiot who everyone targeted, and with the way everyone focused on each other’s weapons, the bubble of violence expanded and expanded until it was ready to burst.

  Jessa’s finger twitched like she itched to pull the trigger, and those dark eyes fixated on Liz with an intensity veering on obsession. Well, after the way the bitch left Kieran, she jumped at the bit to pull the trigger too. However, the second the woman’s eyes narrowed. That confirmed it—she was going to shoot first.

  Except Liz wasn’t the only one who noticed.

  Kieran dove in first, his butterfly knife at the ready as he lunged for Jessa. Making himself the idiot who everyone targeted.

  “Fuck.” Liz let out a low curse, ready to strangle Kieran for always trying to put her safety first. With the way he leapt into her line of vision she couldn’t shoot, and Eira whipped in his direction, those flames burning bright as she reared her hands back, ready to toss them forward.

  Trevor didn’t sit idle though. His finger squeezed the trigger as the first shot fired, the bullet zooming straight for Eira.

  At the last second, the fae noticed his attack and whipped around in his direction, her aim sloppy while she lobbed those fireballs. Since she moved from her initial spot, the bullet didn’t score her in the vitals, but instead, burrowed into her shoulder, causing a low growl from her in response.

  The fireballs landed on either side of him, crashing to the ground to hiss on the packed earth before extinguishing. Trevor circled around to a different vantag
e point as those orbs sparked to life in her palms again.

  Though she hated how he put himself in danger, she had to admit Kieran went for the smart play. Jessa might hurt him, but he was the one person in the room she’d hesitate to kill. He thrust the butterfly knife forward, aiming for her stomach as she kept her muzzle trained on him. When he got close enough, she whipped the pistol toward his face.

  He’d been waiting.

  His hand darted out as he grabbed hold of the muzzle and yanked forward, causing Jessa to struggle with her grip. Not letting go, he used the distraction and sliced in with the butterfly knife.

  Jessa let out a low hiss when the blade scored flesh. With a fierce tug, she snagged the gun out of his grip and staggered back a few paces, her one hand popping to the fresh slice in her stomach.

  Kieran pivoted, moving lightning fast out of the way. Liz didn’t miss the look he shot her either. She was ready.

  Liz squeezed the trigger, aiming for the woman’s shoulder. Right as the bullet cracked from her pistol, Eira skidded into the way, trying to evade a shot from Trevor. Kieran lunged to the ground as said bullet whizzed overhead. It grazed Eira’s shoulder before continuing on to plunge into Jessa’s arm, farther down. There, it wouldn’t incapacitate, just make things real annoying.

  The graze sparked Eira’s attention—literally.

  Before Liz could switch focus and pull the trigger, one of those fireballs came hurtling her way. She dove to the ground as it soared toward her, the crackling resounding in her ears. Sliding forward, she pulled herself out of the trajectory.

  At least, until the other one followed.

  Liz rolled away as fast as she could manage but not fast enough. White hot pain radiated through her when the blaze crashed onto her left leg. She slammed it to the ground at once to snuff out the flames, but even after, her nerves screamed, and she gritted her teeth to keep from howling.

  Before Eira took another step forward, Trevor kept her in check, sending a bullet whistling through the air toward her.

  The woman let out a low grunt as it thudded into her hip, but she switched her focus to Liz a second later.

  “This the one you want dead, boss?” she called out to Jessa who struggled against Kieran’s relentless attacks.

  “And buried,” Jessa hissed while she fended off a swing from the butterfly knife.

  Like hell. Liz rolled onto her back, ignoring the searing pain of her left leg. She might not be able to stand fast, but she could do one thing.

  She only needed one second to line the shot as the woman lifted her palms in the air, ready to sling.

  “Left yourself wide open, bitch.” Liz squeezed the trigger.

  The bullet sailed through the air, burrowing into Eira’s chest. Fluid burst from the huldafolk woman as Liz’s shot hit bullseye. Eira staggered back several paces, the fire in her hands snuffed out. A second later, the woman dropped to the ground, her jaw working while she tried to summon fire in her hands once more.

  Trevor came to the rescue, rushing in for the double tap.

  Liz pushed herself from the ground, ignoring the burning sensation all along her skin. Focusing on what an ugly, charred mess her leg was right now wouldn’t help anyone. Right now, she had a succubitch to kill.

  The second Eira went down, Liz’s gaze flicked to Jessa. The succubus realized they outnumbered her, and she wouldn’t win against them. Jessa soaked in her surroundings with a cold calculation, her focus on Liz.

  Her stomach sank when their eyes met, because she knew what desperation did. It made people unpredictable, and it made them dangerous.

  Kieran thrust the blade forward, scoring along her arm, but Jessa didn’t bother to defend. Her focus narrowed to taking Liz out.

  Before Liz lifted her Beretta, the succubus hurtled toward her at top speed, pistol out and finger leaping for the trigger.

  However, Kieran had been paying attention.

  The second Jessa began to move and her finger latched onto the trigger, his expression darkened, his amber eyes vicious, and his jaw clenched tight. She didn’t get a couple paces before he spun around and stabbed her in the back. Right beside the already leaking shoulder blade.

  Her arm dropped from the sudden attack, and the gun tumbled out of her hand.

  Kieran kicked the pistol away from her reach, stepping in front of Jessa.

  “You don’t ever touch her,” he growled. “Ever.”

  A slam sounded from above, coming from the coffee shop, followed by the heavy tread of multiple sets of footsteps.

  Trevor approached, aiming his pistol mere inches away from Jessa. “Don’t even think of moving.”

  Jessa stared at him, chilling hatred in her gaze while she balled her hands into fists. Her neck grew taut as she tensed, looking for an opportunity.

  Liz limped up to them, her finger on the trigger. “Game over,” she murmured as the door to the basement creaked open.

  “Hope we’re not interrupting a party.” Jett’s familiar voice called from the top of the steps. Relief cascaded over her in a fierce wash. Although from where they stood, holding their gun to Jessa, she appeared more the victim than Kieran. Renn approached first, his brows crinkling as he surveyed the damage. Jett trailed behind him, and after that came a taller than average satyr packing enough muscle to put the whole band to shame. The man wore street clothes, but the pure gold adorning the vest over his button down and the tailored way his threads fit suggested money.

  “These gentlemen have explained the situation and handed over the financials,” the satyr said to Kieran as he approached. “However, I find it hard to believe this defenseless woman could have done so much damage.”

  Trevor stepped in front of them, handing over his phone. “We freed him. Here’s what we found upon entering. Only one who would’ve known about this place is the owner and proprietor of Perfect Percolation, Jessa Sauderton. While I know unaligned aren’t under Court protection, the fae mercenaries that Blackmore and Sauderton money bought were in your care.”

  “Go to hell.” She spat on the floor as she glared at them.

  The satyr gave a slow nod of appraisal as he looked at the picture Trevor snapped while Kieran hung, and then over at Jessa. “You realize this is a grievous charge, yes?”

  “My family required it of me,” she said. “To enter into their good graces, I needed to force Kieran Blackmore’s allegiance.”

  “In the wake of this new threat against us, we require the noble families to bring their unaligned into the fold. You failing to do so isn’t our problem. The fact you wasted viable soldiers in a time of war is.” His incredulity broadcasted clear as did his insufferable arrogance. Liz came to the decision she didn’t like him, another stuffy representative of the type of fae she hated.

  “And my brother collaborated with her. Jay Vandermere was funneling him money, and in return, Lars and Jessa bought out their employees to kidnap me.” Kieran jumped in with surprising composure given the hellish day they’d all had. The steel grit in his eyes told that he wouldn’t allow his brother to weasel out of this one. Not this time.

  “The Blackmore family has gained another black mark on their record due to Larsen’s dealings with the Rembrandt company,” the satyr confirmed. Kieran’s brows shot up in surprise. “Danica of the Maslanka family has surfaced the records of the finances used to fund the assassination attempt on the King. They came from Jay Vandermere with the Rembrandt company, working in conjunction with Larsen Blackmore. The arrangements with Jessa Sauderton must have been enmeshed in this attempt.”

  “What will you do with Larsen?” Kieran asked as his hands balled into fists. Liz bit her lip, the anxiousness welling inside her as well. If they let the bastard roam free after the hell he’d put them through, she’d lob a fist through the drywall.

  “Larsen Blackmore and Jay Vandermere will be imprisoned for some time, or at least until the King has grown bored with them.” The satyr didn’t blink, but Renn shuddered. Liz could imagine whatever pla
ytime the leader of the fae had arranged, it would be nightmarish.

  “What will happen to me?” Jessa dropped the rage and attempted to play the pity card, trembling lip and all. Liz let out a groan of annoyance.

  “You’ll join your partners in crime. You understand in a time of war, punishments meted out will be harsher for those risking our soldiers in the fight.” The satyr continued in his low monotone. He must be a roaring delight at dinner parties. He snapped his fingers and glanced to Jessa, the expectation clear.

  To Liz’s surprise, the woman obeyed, rising with a whimper.

  The man surveyed them before continuing. “I take it you lot can excuse yourselves? I’ll send a detail to clean this mess later.”

  “We’re good, cousin. Thanks,” Renn said, giving the man a lazy salute.

  He regarded Renn with a nod before marching towards the stair, as if he were in full military uniform.

  Jessa trailed behind him, but not before shooting daggers at Liz.

  Liz rolled her eyes, since the woman couldn’t do anything to her behind bars or in the Fae King’s personal torture chamber.

  “Who’s ready to get the hell out of this shithole?” Jett asked, wrinkling his nose as he scanned over the blood splatters and Eira’s dead body on the floor.

  “Think you guys are up for playing the gig still? You might be able to slide in, just in time,” Liz said.

  “Cruel taskmaster. I was tortured. Tortured! And you’re going to make me head up there and strut my stuff?” Kieran teased her, a glint in his eyes. Liz leaned against him, her leg aching as she tilted her head up. He met her lips with a kiss that made her spine tingle, the exact sort to leave her breathless.

  “I’ll make sure you’re well healed up before then,” she said, her voice husky with need.

  “Does that mean you’ll wear a nurse outfit?” He winked, squeezing her tight to his side. “What about your leg?” he asked, glancing to where her calf began to blister in an ugly way.