Everlasting (Descendants of Ra: Book 2)

by Tmonique Stephens

  “Enough,” he barked and appeared. “Excuses are unnecessary. Alexis does not want me by her side. I will honor her request and not shame her with my presence.”

  Five feet and four inches, younger than him, but older than the average human, Mrs. Kelly ripped off her gloves. Her gnarled hands stretched up, grabbed hold of his lapels and pulled him to her. Aged, milky eyes looked deep into his core. “She needs you, in there by her side. Can you do that? Or will your doubt end you before you’ve even begun?”

  She took his hand but didn’t sift him or use her gifts to force him to her will. She held him. Her warm hands were soft as worn leather but strong. Their heat and strength seeped into him, staving off the ice coating his heart. Chaos receded as he focused on her words.

  The old woman was right. He needed to do this final act. But the longer he stayed, the more danger Alexis faced. Killing Alamut would solve the problem, make everyone happy, and keep her safe.

  Even though it meant returning to Nephythys.

  “I will do what you ask. Then I will find Alamut.” Tonight, he would stand by her side—if you could call one hundred feet away at someone’s side—whether she liked it or not. And never see her again.

  “Care to escort an old lady inside?” She grabbed his arm. Together, they walked up the remaining stairs and into the spotlight.

  ***

  Alexis peeled the cloak from her and handed it to an attendant. She paused in the entrance of the ballroom, scanning the room for her family. She wondered if they’d missed her, ask why she hadn’t attended a mandatory family function. Probably not. Whatever lie her mother concocted would have been accepted without discussion.

  Where was the unconditional love? Hell, nothing was unconditional about Gloria Lever. Everything she did, wanted, loved, came with conditions. Lots of them. Either way, it ends tonight. She strode into the room.

  A few appreciative glances came her way from a nearby group of men. Nervous, she smoothed a hand over the lacy strapless dress. A black sheath underneath the intricate lace stopped mid-thigh while the lace skimmed her knees. This was the dress she had sent for her mother’s approval a month ago. Gloria’s response was to send that horrible blue gown still hanging in her closet. Luckily, Gloria hadn’t tossed it out.

  People milled about, gossiping in the guise of networking, foreplay in the guise of dancing. She spotted her brothers in their dress uniforms exactly where she thought they would be, tossing back drinks at the bar, not at the center table with their wives, rowdy children, and their parents, who were missing. She scanned the crowd again, looking for Gloria’s telltale upswept hairdo, but didn’t spot her.

  She skirted the edge of the room and made her way to the bar. George, John, and Thomas, so named after the first three presidents of the USA. She would’ve been James if God hadn’t intervened and made her a girl. Their buzz cuts left just a hint of brown hair, bushy eyebrows, no neck, and thick shoulders. Scowls clung to the arrogant features, so close in appearance they could pass for triplets. Army, Navy, and Marines, the armed services were well-represented in her family. Twenty-four months separated each of them. Dad loved deployment and didn’t believe in withdrawal. Thank God for birth control, yet ten years after Thomas, she showed up.

  “Hey.” She gave her brothers a quick glance, then pushed Thomas out of the way and waved at the bartender. The only woman at the bar, he spotted her and glided over. A week ago, his boyish grin and weak chin would’ve been enough to pique her libido. Now…

  She noticed the absence of her cold companion. Maybe she shouldn’t have asked him to stay invisible, but what else was she supposed to do, have him escort her here dressed in leather pants and work boots? Bad enough she bucked tradition and showed up in a mini-dress instead of the long flowing gowns her mother preferred.

  “A-Alexis?” George stuttered.

  She waited for the accusations to begin. None of them would bite their tongues to spare her feelings. If they knew of her predicament, they’d drag her over the coals and hang her by her entrails for the enjoyment of the rest of the Lever clan. When the tirade didn’t come, she ordered a drink.

  “Bourbon, please.” In the mirror behind the bar, a stylish woman met her stare. Her tamed fiery mane was swept to the side and coiled on one bare shoulder. Her grandmother’s diamonds glittered in her ears and the gold snake bracelet wrapped twice around her gloved wrist. With her drink in hand, Alexis saluted the woman in the mirror before turning around. Three pairs of stunned eyes glared at her.

  She wanted to toss her bourbon to the back of her throat and let the smooth liquid slide down and pool in her stomach.

  “Yes, George. It’s me.” She took a very ladylike sip. Though they had seen pictures, none of her siblings had ever seen her in anything but slacks, jeans, and a tee. By the time Gloria started her on her pageant quest, the boys were gone, George and John in the military, Thomas in college. They left their tomboy sister at home.

  “You look—” John started.

  “Fucking hot,” Thomas finished. “I was about to hit on you.”

  “You’d hit on anything,” George said.

  “Including my sister.” Thomas grimaced.

  She gulped the rest of her drink and slammed the upturned glass onto the bar.

  “I thought you weren’t coming,” John’s eyebrows knit together, confused.

  “Why are you dressed like that?” Thomas still stared.

  “Like what?” she snapped and looked down at herself. “A grown up? A dress and some heels, a little makeup. You three act like you didn’t know I was a girl.”

  All three blinked stupidly at her until George finally said, “We knew you were a girl, we didn’t know you were…feminine.”

  Her fists clenched. God, she’d give anything to slug all three of them. Was that a compliment or an insult? She couldn’t quite tell which one. Ten light years separated them from her. Why was it so hard to say she was pretty?

  “Alexis? Is that you?” With a southern twang, Kimberly, George’s second wife, a petite blond with store-bought boobs and lipo-ed abs, led the other two wives to join them. “Wow, I mean, wow, you look…uhm—”

  “Beautiful, she looks absolutely beautiful.” A few feet away, her father stood outside the family circle.

  “Daddy.” It took everything she had to walk up to him and dutifully brush her cheek against his when all she wanted was to throw herself into his arms and bury her head in his broad chest. He smelled of whiskey, cigars, and cologne. More salt glinted in his hair and more wrinkles lined his face. His stocky frame had thinned a bit since the last time they were together. Still, the hand patting her back felt strong. How could her dad be anything but strong?

  He tilted her chin up. “I’m happy you made it, though you're a little late. You’ve missed dinner.”

  Not my fault. “Work kept me busy.”

  “You’re still a cop?” Kimberly giggled, her shoulders shaking.

  “She’s a detective.” The proud note in her father’s voice caused her eyes to well. “And a good one from what I hear.”

  “Thanks, Dad.” The lump in her throat prevented her from saying more.

  “Now, where is your Mother?”

  They both scanned the room, but her gaze didn’t land on Gloria. A man filled the doorway. Conversation abruptly ended as both men and women paused to appreciate the predator in their midst. He studied the room until his gaze leveled on her. Desire flared in his blue eyes, turning his hard impersonal stare into a smoldering caress that left her charred. Everyone and everything faded, leaving only him.

  He bent and whispered something to Mrs. Kelly. Her neighbor smiled and went in the opposite direction while he approached Alexis. Crowds parted. Men pulled their women closer while other women gawked, whispered to their girlfriends, and tried to intercept him. He paid them no attention. His gaze never wavered as he threaded his way to her.

  He stalked her, moving smoothly between the tables and the dance floor until he stopp
ed inches away. The tuxedo didn’t hide the perfection of his body. Clean-shaven, his chiseled face held no softness except for his newly cropped, wavy hair curling around his ears and nape, tempting her. Different clothes, different hair, same eyes. They were still deep, ocean blue. Those orbs drained her will and left her remembering their only night together.

  “Apologies for my delay. Mrs. Kelly needed my help.” He held out his hand to her and without a thought, she took it and he pulled her closer. “You are the most stunning woman I have ever seen. You steal my breath, Amori. If I knew you shielded this,” his gaze swept her from head to toe “beneath that cloak, I would have held you captive in your bedroom.”

  “Y-you cut your hair,” she stuttered and couldn’t resist reaching up and threading her fingers through the waves. “And your beard. I liked your beard,” she breathed. Especially when he brushed his chin across her nipples right before taking them into his mouth.

  “For you, Amori, I will grow it back.” His lips were inches from her. All she had to do was lean in to taste him.

  “And your clothes? What happened to your jeans and boots?” She fingered the lapel. Dangerously delicious in regular clothes, in a tux, Reign was a thousand sins to anyone with an ounce of estrogen.

  “Mrs. Kelly. She showed me a picture in something called a magazine, Vogue.”

  The word sounded strange on his tongue and made a laugh bubble in her chest.

  “That woman was a warrior in another life.” A smile teased the corner of his mouth. She leaned closer to his hovering lips.

  “You did this for me?” She couldn’t hide the hope in her voice.

  Reign nodded. “I would do anything for you.”

  A tingling awareness spread from her chest to her limbs and shot up to her brain, leaving her lightheaded and swaying toward him. His hand rested on her waist and drew her into the shelter of his body. She didn’t resist the craving need to feel his heat, share it, and share hers. She didn’t suffocate beneath the glare of his smoldering blue eyes. She breathed, she lived, she— Oh…shit! She couldn’t bring herself to even think the word.

  Her throat had dried to sand, but she swallowed the dry lump and opened her mouth to speak, though she had no idea what words were about to leap out.

  Someone cleared their throat, ending her trance and reminding her they weren’t alone. Behind her, her father and brothers glared at Reign while her sisters-in-law struggled to hide their interest.

  “Everyone, this is—” Oh God, what can I say? “Reign Nicolis, my…” lover “escort,” she said, and refocused on Reign. His eyes darkened and his lips compressed into a tight, grim line. She tried to pull her hand away, but he had placed her hand in the crook of his arm and pulled her to his side. She went around the semi-circle introducing everyone and cut the group off before the interrogation began.

  “I haven’t seen Mom yet. Anyone know where she is?”

  “She went outside to get some air,” her father said before being distracted by an Army buddy calling his name.

  Questions came from every direction, bombarding Alexis. Who was he, where did he work, how did they meet, were they a couple? A quick and ready answer for each didn’t relieve the growing tension she felt radiating from Reign. She ran her hand down the inside of his arm and ended by lacing her fingers through his and squeezing tightly.

  She didn’t need the skin on skin contact to feel his uncertainty. Facing her family was a daunting prospect, even for a two thousand-year-old man. He wanted their approval. But why? Why would he care?

  His fingers grazed her elbow and instinctively she used her power and sifted through his emotions. When she found the answer, her body jerked. Her gaze shot up to his and found his eyes had turned molten with need. A need she couldn’t possibly fill. Maybe another woman could, but not her. She wasn’t capable of that kind of commitment. That’s what loving Reign meant. And she couldn’t do it. It would take more than she was willing to give.

  Her gaze skated to her dad. After all this time, she still sought his approval. By the set of his chin, she could tell he was slightly impressed with the polished package Reign displayed. What would he think when he knew the truth that she, an officer of the law, aided and abetted a criminal. Her career was over. He’d never forgive her.

  Alexis tried to pull away again. Reign’s hand tightened around her and a wave of hurt slammed into her before he released her arm.

  “Your mother, we need to find her now,” he prompted, cold and precise. The unspoken passion between them had vanished, leaving her twisted and sorry for not saying the words burning her throat.

  “Uhm, yeah.” She glanced at her brothers. “We’ll be back, guys.” She swept past Reign and led the way through the gallery to the veranda. The palpable tension between them, not the cold, made her shiver as they walked the length of the porch, darting between smokers and lovers until they reached the end.

  “Could she be out there?” He nodded toward the golf course. Orange and red leaves tumbled along the greens and fairways, propelled by a stiff, October breeze. Winter wasn’t far.

  Reign shrugged off his jacket and draped the silk over her shoulders. She couldn’t help burying her nose in the collar and drawing a bit of him into her.

  “No, but the pro shop and clubhouse are just down the path.” She struggled down the walkway and wobbled a little in her four-inch heels. Reign’s hand landed on the small of her back, steadying her. He matched his stride to hers and she moved closer to his side.

  “Thank you,” she murmured. Warmth from his hand stole up her back, making her limbs languid. She had to say something, anything to stop the growing void between them. She could tell him how much she wanted him but feared that wouldn’t satisfy him. Most men would settle for a woman wanting them. Reign’s emotions ran way deeper than that. They ran Marianas Trench deep. A girl could find herself smothered by those emotions and tossed up against a rocky shore afterward. Or, she could find herself the most loved woman in the world. She started to speak when she heard Mrs. Kelly’s sharp voice.

  “How could you, Gloria? You have failed your daughter miserably,” Mrs. Kelly yelled.

  “I did what was best,” Gloria said.

  Reign and Alexis found them arguing near the pro shop.

  “For you, not for Alexis!” Sixty-two inches of fury, Mrs. Kelly had a finger pointed in Gloria’s face.

  “How dare you. You didn’t have to raise her, be terrified every day of her.”

  “You selfish woman. Fate blessed you with a daughter. Not a handbag you waited too long to return and now you’re stuck with.”

  “I never wanted a daughter. I had sons.” Her mother answered with that haughty tone she used when dealing with anyone she deemed beneath her.

  The air whooshed from Alexis’s lungs. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t already known, but hearing it aloud still stunned her.

  “And with sons, you didn’t have to worry about your lineage,” Mrs. Kelly added.

  “I believe we should leave, Alexis.” Reign took her arm and pulled, but she wouldn’t budge.

  “Gloria? What are you two talking about?” Alexis stepped forward.

  Gloria spun, her face startled.

  “Only females are Eidos or nulls. The gift is passed from mother to daughter, though in her case,” Mrs. Kelly pointed a thumb in Gloria’s direction, “it didn’t take, and until Reign came along, I thought it had passed you too. I thought your lineage had died with your grandmother.”

  “It should have died—it would have died—”

  “—if I hadn’t been born.” Alexis finished her mother’s sentence. “I’m living proof of what you don’t want to be.” All the questions she had her entire life settled and brought a cold clarity she’d always lacked.

  Gloria glanced at Reign. “I had hoped you would’ve had enough sense not to come and especially not to bring your fugitive lover with you.”

  Alexis’s shoulders stiffened. “You heard.”

  “It’s all
over the news, though they haven’t released your name yet. Chief Roberts called your father. Luckily, I answered his phone. Do you know what you’ve done to the family?”

  Explaining would do nothing but make her seem nuts, but still, she tried. “It’s not what you think.”

  “I think you’ve thrown away your freedom and respect for a man you don’t know. And dragged the family into the gutter with you. Have you thought about how any of this sordid business will affect your brothers’ careers and their families? Representatives from the RNC are here to speak to your father about a possible run for state senator, maybe something bigger. Now all of that is ruined.”

  “Is that all you care about? Your daughter is in trouble and you're worried about politics?” Mrs. Kelly shook her head.

  “Mrs. Kelly, please!” Alexis had enough. “My mother’s right. I’ve let her and my family down. If there was a way I could make this up to you—to Dad—I would—” she pleaded.

  “The only way you could make this up is by leaving. Right now, before anyone else sees you and him, and calls the police. Really, Alexis! What were you thinking?” She glanced at Reign. “Then again, I don’t think much thought occurred between your ears at all.”

  “I—I wanted to say goodbye to Dad,” she whispered. This would be the last time she would ever see him, all of them.

  “No, absolutely not. Do not drag him into your mess. He must stay above this. By tonight, we’ll have formulated a story to give to the press and RNC. Now, leave and do not go through the clubhouse.”

  Alexis spun and took off across the golf course. Her heels flew off after the first few steps and she dashed across the grass. Directionless, she ran until her lungs burned and pain stitched her side. She ran until her legs ached and her knees buckled.

  Strong arms scooped her up before she hit the ground. He took the brunt of the fall, skidding on the grass while sheltering her with his body. One hand held her waist. The other palmed the back of her head as she gazed down at him.

  “I’m sorry, Alexis.” His hand trailed from her nape to cup her face. His thumb brushed away the tears coating her cheeks. She rolled off him and sprang to her feet. She wanted to run again but only made it to a lonely tree standing nearby. Hugging the rough bark, she wept, sharing her despair with the night. The tears were more than from the caustic words of her mother. They stemmed from a culmination of all the events in the past few weeks. All the emotions she’d bottled up since putting on her detective shield, she released in a torrid stream.