by I. T. Lucas
“I’m not.”
Syssi arched a brow. “Really? You never tried anything?”
Amanda shook her head. “No. I don’t even like alcohol. I can tolerate huge quantities of it until I get drunk, but I have no wish to. I value my brain too much to do anything to compromise it.”
“I was so sure you did. You’re such a rebel.”
“Well, thank you. But I chose to rebel in different ways. What I want to know, though, is what brought it about? I was under the impression that you hated your visions, that they were always gloomy and dark and put you in a bad mood.”
Syssi sat back down. “Not all of them. I predicted Andrew’s daughter.”
Aha, the puzzle pieces fell into place. Ever since Phoenix’s birth, Syssi had been pining for a baby of her own. She’d been downplaying her craving, but Amanda had seen right through it. Her sister-in-law had it bad. Real bad if she was considering taking hallucinogens to induce a foretelling of her and Kian’s future child.
“Is it about you wanting a baby?”
Syssi blushed. “Yes, but I started thinking about it even before that. What if I can predict when and where to find Dormants?”
That was an interesting idea. “Go on.”
“Think about it. The Oracles of Delphi inhaled toxic fumes to induce their visions. What I think happens is not that the chemicals alter reality, but that they open the spigot to what the brain allows in. To process outside stimuli, the brain must filter most of it out; otherwise it would not be able to handle it all. The drugs change the filtering properties of the sieve. Things that are normally allowed in are blocked, and other things that are normally filtered out are allowed in.”
It wasn’t a new idea, Amanda had read the theories before. But unlike those long-winded and overcomplicated essays, Syssi’s simple explanation made sense.
“When Kian finds out, he is going to lock us both in the dungeon.”
“I can’t help the feeling that the Fates can use me to guide us in our search. I feel compelled to try it.”
“Are you going to keep it a secret from him?”
Syssi shook her head. “No. But I’m not going to say anything until I’m ready to try. Less time for him to build up steam.”
“Good idea. I’m going to call my mother and ask her if any of the gods or immortals of her time messed around with hallucinogenics. It’s not like they are a new invention.”
Syssi got up, walked around the desk, and hugged Amanda. “Thank you. I knew I could count on your help.”
Amanda hugged her back. “Always.”
Chapter 16: Bhathian
How are my precious girls doing? Bhathian texted Nathalie, hoping she’d invite him over. He hadn’t seen either of them for days. He even missed Andrew. It had been fun hanging out with his son-in-law, even when the dude had been medicating himself with booze. Andrew was a happy drunk.
But there was no more need for him to watch Andrew, and while Nathalie was recovering from surgery, she wasn’t letting anyone other than Eva see her or the baby.
He missed her.
We are good. Phoenix is doing much better since we switched her to formula. She is not as fussy and sleeps longer between feeds.
When can I see her?
A moment passed with no reply, and then his phone rang. “I’m so sorry, Bhathian. I know I’ve been crappy about it, but I’ve been so exhausted all of the time. Give me another day. Okay?”
“No problem. Tomorrow then.”
“Tomorrow.”
With no classes scheduled for the evening, he had nothing to do, and he’d already done his workout in the morning. Normally, he would head out to Eva’s, but she was working late today. A local assignment by L.A.’s standards, somewhere out in Orange County.
Perhaps he could head over to her house and wait for her to come back.
Bhathian had gotten so used to sleeping over at Andrew’s or Eva’s that staying in his own place felt weird.
For several consecutive nights, he’d spent the night at Eva’s, but he had a feeling she was growing uncomfortable with that. Getting used to sharing her bed was proving more difficult for her than it was for him. It seemed she still needed her solitude, while he was ready to toss it out the window and not miss it for a second.
Bhathian was ready for the next stage in his life.
Eva wasn’t. Not yet.
Not that he was going to let her retreat into her shell. He was going to push and push some more until she got used to him being part of her life.
With that in mind, he stuffed a change of clothes into his duffel bag and headed toward her house.
Nick opened the door. “Hi, Bhathian, Eva is not back yet.”
“I know. I’m going to wait for her.” He walked in and joined Nick in front of the dumb box.
“What are you watching?”
“A surfing competition.”
“Any hot surfer babes?”
“Unfortunately not today.” Nick took a swig from his beer. “You want one?” he asked.
“I’ll get it.”
Bhathian got up and walked over to the kitchen. Regrettably, the only beer left was Corona. It was piss water, but he’d forgotten to restock the Snake’s Venom.
Bottle in hand, he returned to the living room and sat on the couch. “Where are the girls?”
Nick’s eyes remained glued to the screen. “Tessa is in the office, and Sharon is upstairs.”
Unlike football or some other competitive team sport, watching guys surf was boring as hell. “I’ll go say hi to Tessa.”
Nick waved him off. “Okay.”
The office was at the back of the house, in a room off the kitchen that was originally designed as maids’ quarters. He found Tessa sorting through a pile of receipts and punching numbers at the adding machine.
“Accounting stuff?”
She lifted her head. “Yeah. Hi, Bhathian. Eva is not back yet.”
“I know. How are things going for you?”
“Good.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Why are you asking?”
“No reason. Just making conversation. I’m bored.”
“Oh. Surfing is not your thing, huh?”
He shook his head. “Not unless it’s hot babes in bikinis.”
She chuckled. “Don’t let Eva hear you say that.”
“Why? Is she the jealous type?”
“I don’t know. You’re the first guy I’ve seen her dating. But I wouldn’t have liked it if my boyfriend made comments about other babes.”
Eva had mentioned something about Tessa seeing a lot of Jackson lately. Were the two a couple?’
“Do you have one? Should I warn him?”
“No, I don’t have a boyfriend. I have a friend who is a boy, but it’s not the same.”
“I guess not.” He wondered what the deal was with that. Jackson wasn’t the type of guy who had platonic relationships with girls.
He heard the garage door open, and a few moments later Eva came in. “Hi, Bhathian, Tessa.” She dropped her keys on Tessa’s desk. “If you’re going out to see Jackson tonight, can you take my car and fill it with gas on the way? I was too tired to stop for a refuel.”
“Sure.” Tessa pocketed the keys. “In fact, I’m heading out now.”
“Say hi to him for me.”
“I will.”
As soon as Tessa was gone, Bhathian pulled Eva into his arms and kissed her. She seemed tense, her back muscles feeling tight under his palms. “A tough day?” he asked.
She pushed away from him. “Just tiring. And I’m hungry. Come with me to the kitchen?”
“Sure.” He followed after her.
Eva pulled the fridge door open and cursed under her breath. “There is nothing left.” She turned around. “Nick! Did you finish all the Chinese?”
“Sorry!”
She shook her head. “Damn selfish kid.”
Bhathian reached for her hand. “Let me take you out to eat.”
“I’m too tired.
All I could think of while driving back home was digging into the leftovers from the Golden Palace and taking a long bubble bath.”
“I’ll tell you what. You go upstairs and take that bubble bath, and I’ll order us takeout.”
Her eyes softened. “Sounds wonderful.”
“Chinese?”
“Yes please.” She grabbed a banana from the fruit bowl. “This will tide me over until the food gets here.”
As Eva headed upstairs, Bhathian placed the order, but instead of waiting for the delivery, he went to get it himself. Not only would it be faster, but he could stop by the liquor store and buy some decent beer to go with it.
When he returned, Nick and Sharon were gone, and Eva was still soaking in the bathtub.
Good. They had the house to themselves.
“Food is here, sweetheart.”
“I’m getting out.”
“I’ll set up the table.”
“Thanks.”
It was a shame he couldn’t have joined her in the large tub, but feeding his woman took precedence. Sex could wait.
Not for long, though. Eva came down wearing one of her fancy silk robes and looking good enough to eat. He pulled her into his arms. “Feeling better?”
“Much. But I’m starving.”
“Let’s dig in.”
Chapter 17: Eva
“Want to talk about it?” Bhathian put his chopsticks down.
As usual, he was attentive and caring, and it was difficult to get mad at him for just being there. But since the baby’s arrival, he was staying over at her place every night, and Eva needed her space back. A few hours of alone time were crucial for her wellbeing. Especially after a tiring day of detective work.
“Nothing particularly interesting. A cheating husband.” For some reason, those were the cases that got to her. She loved finding the suspected spouses innocent and hated to prove the suspicions right. Most of the time, the spouse hiring her hoped to be proven wrong. She loathed the devastating effect her proof to the contrary brought. It was like delivering news of a loved one’s impending death. Though in that case, the soon-to-be deceased was the marriage.
“Did he give you the slip?” Bhathian got up and walked over to the fridge, pulling two cold beer bottles from the freezer.
“I chased him and his floozy all over town. First, they went to eat lunch, then they went shopping, and then they stopped for coffee. But there was no handholding and no kissing, so I had nothing to show the wife. But from the way the girl was laughing at all of his stupid jokes and hanging on his every word, it was obvious he was banging her.”
“Did you get them?” He put a tall glass in front of her and poured half the beer inside.
“Of course, I did. They ended up in her house, and I didn’t need my super-hearing to hear them going at it. I snuck into the backyard and took a few pictures through the window.”
Bhathian didn’t bother with a glass, drinking straight from the bottle, then put it down and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “It doesn’t sound as if you’re enjoying doing that.”
“I’m not.”
“So why did you take the case?”
She snorted. “The money, why else? I have bills to pay, and there isn’t enough of the corporate stuff to cover all of my expenses. I need to make a reputation for myself in L.A.”
Bhathian frowned. “Maybe I can help. I know a guy, or rather Andrew knows him, who might send some work your way, or at least recommend you to his clients.”
“Who is he?”
“Andrew’s old boss from Special Ops who retired and now runs a civilian operation.”
“Why would he want to send business my way?”
“The kinds of things he deals in are big and complicated. Maybe he gets requests for smaller stuff too and has to turn them down. It won’t hurt to ask.”
“Are Andrew and he good friends?”
Bhathian chuckled. “Not at all. Turner is nobody’s friend. But he is a businessman. If it’s a good deal for him, he’ll take it.”
It could be nice to have a local contact, and even nicer to dedicate all her time to corporate stuff instead of chasing after cheaters. “Do you have his phone number? Should I call and introduce myself?”
Bhathian shook his head. “No and no. The request needs to come from Andrew or Kian.”
Eva grimaced. “I see. He is that kind of a guy.”
“You got it. Full of himself doesn’t begin to describe it. But apparently the guy is a genius. Even Kian was impressed with him. In fact, he paid a hefty sum for Turner’s help in finding Carol.”
“Speaking of Carol. What’s the deal with her and Robert? Are they still together?”
Bhathian shrugged. “Who knows. At times they look as if they can’t stand each other, and at other times they seem cozy. They still share an apartment, so I guess they are. Why?”
“I think Sharon would like Robert. Naturally, I don’t want to suggest anything until it’s clear he and Carol are no longer a couple.”
“Matchmaking is not my thing.” Bhathian got up and started clearing the table.
Eva yawned. “Mine neither. I’m so tired.”
A month ago, the hint would’ve gone unnoticed, but Bhathian was getting better at reading her. “Do you want me to go?”
“I’m sorry. But I need some alone time to recoup my energy. I’m nasty when I’m tired. I’d rather be sweet for you.” She batted her eyes.
Bhathian brought a dishrag and wiped the table. “You don’t need to be sweet for me. Just be yourself. But if you need me to go, I will.”
Damn. She hated hurting his feelings. “Make love to me first?” That should soften the impact of her dismissal.
He smiled. “I can do that.” Walking over to where she was sitting, he bent down and picked her up. Cradling her in his arms, he held her against his hard chest. “I’m a full-service kind of guy.”
She appreciated that climbing up to the third floor with her in his arms was no problem for her big guy. “You’re so strong,” she murmured into his neck.
Tired as she was, mentally more than physically, Eva wasn’t in the mood for games tonight. Simple and sweet was what she wanted.
As always, Bhathian picked up on her mood and delivered exactly what she needed. Laying her down on the bed, he helped her out of her robe then undressed quickly and got under the covers with her.
For a few moments, he just held her, caressing her back with his large warm palm. She lifted her head and kissed him, inviting him to kiss her back. His tongue swept gently into her mouth, entwining with hers in a slow dance of desire.
As he cupped her ass, she reached for the hard length trapped between their bodies. By now she was so familiar with the feel of it, warm and velvety, soft on the outside and hard on the inside, that she felt like she owned it. It might have been attached to his body, but belonged to her. Eva shimmied down Bhathian’s body and took him in her mouth.
His powerful arms wrapped around her, and he lifted her on top of him, her entrance at his mouth. “That’s more like it,” he said before treating her to a long lick.
Bhathian was the most selfless lover she’d ever had. Most men would have been happy to let her please them while they did nothing, but not Bhathian.
It was an interesting angle, and the added sensation of getting her butt cheeks massaged while her sheath and her clit were getting expertly tongued hastened her climax. As she moaned around Bhathian’s shaft, taking him deeper than she’d ever done before, he snapped, erupting inside her throat and sinking his fangs into her inner thigh.
So deliciously wicked.
They’d made love a couple more times, with Bhathian poised above her and thrusting gently. There was something to be said for the simplicity and closeness of that traditional position. Looking at the face of her magnificent male, feeling his smooth skin on hers, and knowing he would do anything for her, chased the shadows of her hard day away.
Sated, they lay in each other’s
arms, and Eva fell asleep feeling content. Bhathian could stay. She no longer needed time to unwind. He’d done it for her.
When she woke up, Bhathian was gone. He must’ve left sometime in the early hours of the morning because his side of the bed was still warm. For a moment, she entertained the hope that he was in the bathroom, or maybe making coffee downstairs, but he wasn’t.
Disappointed, she went about getting ready for her day.
Confused? You bet.
Chapter 18: Kian
“The Doomers are too quiet, which worries me. It can only mean that they are planning something big.” Kian opened the Guardians’ meeting. “Someone should’ve replaced Sharim a long time ago.”
Andrew was the first to respond. “Nothing suspicious was reported by airport security.”
“How about Turner? Have his sources heard anything?” Bhathian asked.
Kian shook his head. “With Turner it’s never a straight answer. He says there is too much going on locally for him to investigate everything. He doesn’t know if any of the moving pieces are related to us.”
Anandur snorted. “If you pay him, he’ll make it his business to find out. The guy trades in information. He doesn’t give it out for free.”
“I did. He told me to keep my money because it wasn’t worth it. As soon as he has something that he thinks relates to us he will let me know.” Kian drummed his fingers on the conference table. “I wish the Malibu project was ready for move into. Our people are going to be safer there.”
“It’s almost complete,” Onegus said. “But we have a few problems no one has foreseen.”
That was news to Kian. As far as he knew everything was going fine and ahead of schedule. “What are you talking about?”
“Gardeners, window washers, trash collectors. Who is going to do all of these things? Not our clan members, that’s for sure. And we can’t bring in humans because it’s supposed to be a secret location.”
