The Witch, The Wolf and The Vampire Series Boxed Set

by A. K. Michaels

  Peri looked closely at him and didn't see the harm in giving his name. “Jim...Jim Jeffries, yeah that's his name.”

  Josef nodded his head, that asshole was gone. He picked up his phone and dialed a number. It was answered on the first ring. “Yes, can you do me a favor? Jim Jeffries, fire his sorry ass and tell him he’s lucky that’s all I’m doing to him. He’ll understand. Do it now please.”

  At the name of her contact coming from the Vampire’s lips, Peri stared wide-eyed. Shit, he had just fired her contact. How the hell was she going to get any fucking money, and who the hell was this guy, Josef?

  “What the hell! Who are you, and how the hell can you do that? Just make a call and sack someone?! And why did you do that?! I told you, he’s my only way to make any money. I need the cash – I need to stay under the radar – he was my only way to do that!” Peri’s voice had risen in panic, as her only way of earning was taken so quickly away from her.

  Josef had tried to stay calm, as Peri’s words had rocketed towards him. Rarely, no scratch that, never did anyone speak to him in such a tone.

  “Peri, you said so yourself, he’s a lazy son of a bitch. He has no right to place you in those situations without backup. He could at least go with you and make sure you are safe. He is not someone I want working for me, even indirectly. I own the bounty business he works for, I've seen him around the office a few times and never liked him. However, his stats showed a good rate of finding guys who nobody else could, so his boss talked me into keeping him on. Now I know how he was doing that, he was using you, Peri, plain and simple.”

  Gabe was looking between Peri and Josef, a smile on his lips.

  “He might be lazy, but you’ve just taken away my only means of getting any cash! What the fuck am I going to do now?” Peri was near tears. She needed money for food. She could sleep in her car, she did most nights, but she needed to eat.

  “Please calm down, Peri, I have made my decision. However, you are welcome to stay here for as long as you like. You have a room, bed, and as much food as you want. I may even ask you to help in locating people from time to time, if that seems amenable to you?” Josef had no idea why he had just done that. Why was he asking this young woman to stay?

  Gabe’s grin was now huge, and he still hadn’t spoken, only listened and watched what was going on between Peri and Josef. Shit, Josef had just asked her to stay – here – in their place.

  Peri’s eyes widened. What? She could stay here? “Why? Why are you doing this?” Peri was sure there must be an ulterior motive.

  “Because my dear, I can. There’s plenty of room, and I do not like to see a lady in distress. It’s the gentleman in me.” Josef actually gave a small smile.

  When the Vampire smiled, even if it was a small one, it completely changed his face and Peri gasped at his beauty. Jeez, he was gorgeous.

  “So, Peri, what do you say to my proposal?” Josef needed to know she would stay. He had to find out what he wanted to know. Why would she not use her full abilities? Whom was she running from? It was obvious she was running and scared, but from who and why? A puzzle, one he was going to make sure he solved.

  Peri looked to the Wolf, his smile wide and genuine. Shit, she could stay for a few days. “Okay, but I need to get my car off the street. I can’t have it towed, I don’t have the money for a ticket.”

  Josef did the half-smile thing again and Peri smiled back, she hadn’t intended to, it just happened.

  “Give me your keys and registration. Where is it parked? I’ll have it brought to our parking area.” Josef stood up, his hand out and Peri reached into her jeans pocket. She pulled out a single car key, an old car key, no other keys, just the single car key. She told him where her jalopy was and registration.

  “Oh, could you get them to bring up my stuff, it’s in the trunk.” Peri now had to look up towards the Vampire, and she realized how large he was. He wasn’t as muscled as Gabe, but tall and lean. His body, she knew, would be hard and cold, but she wondered what it would feel like to touch it. Fuck. What was wrong with her mind tonight?

  Josef’s smile got a little wider and Peri wondered if he could read minds. Surely not. She didn’t think Vampires could do that, wasn’t that only in the old movies? She hoped so, as her face blushed scarlet.

  Josef moved to the internal phone, buzzed the concierge, and gave him the details of the vehicle. Five minutes later, he was at the door collecting the key. Now that was service. Peri realized that these two lived in a completely different world to hers.

  She looked down at her clothes, realized just how bad they were. Thought she might treat herself to a couple of new things, seeing as she didn’t need to buy food now.

  “So, Peri, tell us a little about yourself?” Gabe asked, in an altogether too damn sexy voice, Peri thought.

  “Uhm, why don’t you two go first?” Peri returned and gave the Wolf a small smile.

  The one he gave in return had a profound effect on her. She began to have feelings down there, feelings she had never experienced before.

  “Okay, well as you know, I’m Gabe, Gabriel, but I use Gabe. You know Josef’s name, and I’m sure you know he’s a Vampire and I’m a Wolf. We’ve been friends for over a hundred years now and to be honest, he saved my life. Sounds dramatic, I know, but it’s the truth. When I was young, I just couldn’t fit in with my Pack. My father was dead and my mother, well, she didn’t cope well with his death and more or less gave up. I had nobody to talk to and got kinda outta control. I didn’t like the rules the Alpha had for the Pack and was always getting into some kind of bother or another. Anyways, long story short, I downright defied the Alpha and we got into a fight. Silly, shit, it was stupid, and he left me for dead. I managed to crawl away, but I was hurt bad. I ended up near a road, though I had no idea it was there. I was out of it by then. Josef here was passing through and he smelled my blood, you know a Vampire can smell fresh blood for miles...”

  “Don’t exaggerate, Gabe,” Josef cut in with a slight smirk.

  “Anyway, as I was saying, Josef smelled my blood and found me. He carried me back to his car and looked after me. We’ve been together ever since.” Gabe was still smiling at Peri, and she was finding it more difficult to listen. She had got the gist of it. Josef rescued a hurt Wolf and looked after it? He didn’t seem the sort.

  Josef smiled again. Dear lord, Peri was now thinking things about him, too. What was going on?

  “As you are aware I’m a Vampire, a very old one. I had lived my life on my own until Gabe, and I still don’t know why I stopped that day. God knows he cost me a fortune to get my car sorted. Blood all over the back, I had to have it completely refitted. Anyway, the little bugger got under my skin, so I kept him around. We’ve lived in Vegas for a long time. I got in when it was first being built, though, I have many businesses. One of which is the bounty business, as you now know.”

  Josef was reading this girl well, but some of her mind was closed off to him, and he couldn’t quite understand it. One more part of the puzzle.

  “Your turn.” Gabe smirked with an eyebrow raised, and Peri almost squirmed in her seat.

  “I don’t usually talk to folks. I don’t like people knowing my business. As you’ve both helped me tonight, I’ll give you a little. I’m a Witch as you know, I’m twenty-one, I ran away at fifteen and been on my own since then. I don’t have a bank account, driver’s license, or any other paperwork. I don’t leave a trail. The car I have, I won in a card game, though to be honest, I used magic. I never got it changed, so any tickets I get are sent to the guy I won it from, that’s why I lied about not being able to pay if I got one. I try to get work for cash, but that’s getting harder and harder. Everywhere wants social security numbers and bank accounts, so that’s how I ended up doing the bounty thing. He was in on the card game I got the car from, and he knew I had done something. So he followed me outside and asked me outright if I had rigged the game
and how. I told him I dabbled in Witchcraft and he asked if I could find folks. I said yes and that’s what I’ve been doing for a while now.”

  Peri stopped and realized how much she had said. What the hell did I do that for? Her thoughts were spiraling. The wine...must’ve been the wine that loosened my tongue.

  “Peri, please don’t panic, we won’t breathe a word of what you have just said. Please trust me when I say we won’t let any harm come to you. Nevertheless, it would be nice to know what we’re up against?” Josef tried once more to get some more information from the girl, but she closed down tight.

  “I think I’ll go to bed, I’m tired.” Peri jumped up and ran for the bedroom. Terrified she would let something more important slip.

  Gabe and Josef’s eyes followed her. Both had a look of fascination on their faces and Gabe’s lust was plain to see. Josef shocked himself, when he realized he felt some of that lust, too.

  There was a knock at their door and Gabe got up to answer it, it was Peri’s things. A suitcase and a backpack, both well-worn and old. Gabe took them and made his way to the bedroom, knocking on the door before entering.

  As he did, he caught a glimpse of Peri, minus her top. Only a small sports bra covering her pert little breasts. Oh jeez, he was hard again and it was painful.

  Peri grabbed her top up and held it in front of her, a blush spreading across her face. Shit, she was sure Gabe had seen her in only her bra. Nobody had seen her like that, nobody. Well not since she had escaped.

  “Here’s your stuff. I did knock, sorry.” Gabe carried her things in and set them onto the bed, a sheepish look on his face.

  “Uh, it’s okay, thanks, for my stuff I mean.” Peri was still blushing, and she felt all hot and bothered. Not having a clue what was going on in her body.

  She had never got involved with anyone in the past six years. Didn’t talk, didn’t get to know folks. She kept to herself for a good reason, and she was like a child in social circumstances, especially where males were concerned.

  As Peri moved to the side a bit, Gabe caught a glance of her back. “Shit, Peri, what the fuck happened to you!” Gabe’s voice had risen, shocked at what he had seen.

  Josef appeared at the door. “What’s wrong?” he asked coldly.

  Peri was desperately trying to get a piece of clothing on, but Gabe was having none of it. He strode over, grabbed her top, and pulled it away. His hands moved to her shoulders, turning her around.

  “Gabe, what do you think you are doing?!” Josef was shocked, Gabe was gentle and caring. Why was he grabbing the girl like that?

  As her back came into view, Josef saw large angry-looking scars. They covered most, if not all, of her back. Dear lord, who had done that to the girl?

  “Leave me alone. Please, please, leave me alone!” Peri’s voice shook. Gabe and now Josef had seen her scars. Shit. She didn’t want to talk about them, about what they meant. She was too scared of ‘them.’

  Gabe’s hands gentled, and he pulled her into his arms, gently rocking her. “Peri, what happened to you? Who did that?”

  Peri’s mind was whirling around, what could she say? Anything, anything but the truth. “I was in an accident.” It was the only thing she could think of.

  Gabe moved her so he could look into her eyes. “Peri, sorry honey, but that’s not an accident. Those are knife marks. I’ve seen plenty in my time to know about them. Someone did that to you. Who and why?”

  Josef moved further in, his eyes scouring across her back. The pain must have been incredible. Some of the cuts were very long and deep, and none seemed to have been treated properly, stitched up or such. No, it looked as if she had just been left to heal as best as her body would do.

  Who the hell would do such a thing?

  “Please – I can’t. I can’t talk about it.” Peri was getting hysterical. If they found out, then they could either be in danger or turn her in. Neither option was a good one.

  Josef walked closer still, lifted his arm, placed a finger under her chin, moving her face so he could look into it. “Peri, we will not force you to talk tonight. You are obviously in distress. However, in the morning you will tell us. Do you understand me?”

  The Vampire’s tone was not as cold as it had been previously, but it didn’t leave any room for argument. Josef could see the fear in her eyes and he was damn angry at whoever had put that there.

  “Trust me, Peri, we will look after you. Nobody will be able to harm you and I mean nobody!” Josef removed his finger, about turned, and walked back out.

  Gabe was angry, too. The scars were old, she must’ve endured them in childhood. No wonder she ran away at fifteen.

  “Peri, listen to Josef. He’s very powerful, plus, he has loads of folk that work for him. Security and other stuff, real badasses, he won’t let anyone hurt you. Go to bed, Peri, try and get some rest.” Gabe couldn’t resist placing a little kiss on her forehead and then pulled away and forced himself to leave her alone.

  He wanted to stay with her, have her body held close to his. Show her he would look after her. The fear in her eyes made him go. She didn’t trust him – yet.

  She would though, he would make damn sure of it.

  As he returned to the living area, Josef was pacing. Josef never paced or showed any kind of upset.

  “Josef, are you okay?” Gabe asked quietly. Seeing the Vampire like this kinda scared him.

  Josef whirled around, his ice-blue eyes as cold as Gabe had ever seen them. Gabe had seen those eyes, when Josef did some terrible things. Things that neither of them spoke of.

  “No, indeed I am not, Gabriel!” Josef was talking quickly and Gabe was shocked. Firstly at his use of his full name, and secondly by the emotion that he clearly heard in Josef’s voice.

  “She’s running, Gabe, has been for years. Whoever did that to her, they’re the ones after her, and I aim to find out who they are and make them pay. Did you see those scars Gabe? Did you?!” Josef’s voice had risen and bloody hell, he was downright fucking scary.

  “Yes, Josef, I did. They’re old scars, she must’ve got them as a kid, Jo, a kid. Someone did that to a fucking kid!”

  Gabe’s own voice was low and cold, and at his own use of Josef’s shortened name, the Vampire looked at him. He could see and feel the anger rolling off the Wolf. He was pretty sure Gabe could see and feel the same anger rolling from him. His body thrummed with it. He wanted to find these folks and fast.

  He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. He never lost control. “Okay, so I think I’ll stay out here tonight. I don’t want our little Peri trying to fly the coop. She may think that’s her only option, but we need to make sure she knows that it is not.”

  Gabe nodded at Josef’s words. The same thing had been going through his mind. “I’ll keep you company, for a bit.”

  The Wolf moved to one of the sofas and lay down, stretching out full length and staring at the ceiling. Whoever had done that, if they found them, shit, they were going to get hurt. Real bad. And Gabe would enjoy doing it.

  Josef sat in his armchair and placed his feet on the coffee table, straightening the knees out on his expensive trousers. His mind was in chaos, and he had not felt like that in a long, long time. He was always in control. Gabe called him OCD and he supposed he was. Fuck, he was one of the richest people on the planet. He could be fucking OCD, if he wanted.

  Plans started forming in Josef’s mind. He was going to get his best people on this. Bring in extra security for this floor and the parking area. Get the cameras in the penthouse up and running again, in case they weren’t here.

  Persephone? An unusual name, shouldn’t be too hard to track down. He stood up and went to the office area and opened his laptop. Technology, wasn’t it great? He pulled up his emails and started typing. Before long several were sent, and the wheels had been set in motion.

  The extra security would be in place within the h
our, and he had put his best man, an incredible investigator, on the case. He usually used him on his own personal dealings and he was also a Witch. He was sure Liam could get him some information. If he didn’t, he would bloody sack him.

  With the emails sent and things set in motion, Josef relaxed slightly and moved back to his armchair. Gabe was now snoring lightly, but the Vampire knew if the bedroom door opened, Gabe would be on his feet in seconds.

  Josef once again placed his feet on the coffee table and rested his head on the back of the chair. His eyes closed and he dozed, not a full sleep. Oh no, he wasn’t letting Peri out of his sight.

  Chapter 4

  Peri was pacing the bedroom floor, and her anxiety was high. What was she going to do? She could run. She was good at running.

  She looked around the bedroom, saw how elegant and beautiful it was. God she wished she could stay. Even for a little while. She had been sleeping rough in her car for so long, she had forgotten what it felt like to sleep in a bed.

  She knew Josef would get some more information out of her in the morning. She knew it as well as she knew her name was Peri!

  Think, Peri, think. Her mind whirled, a spell. She could cast a small spell and see if these two were a danger. See if they would turn her in. If she had that information, she could decide whether it was worth it to stay, just for a short while.

  Peri leaped up onto the bed again. Why would anyone have one as big? She made herself comfortable in the middle and crossed her legs, her palms lying on her knees, facing upwards.

  Breathing in and out to calm herself, Peri concentrated, getting the spell right in her mind before uttering the words. Slow and quiet the words spilled from her mouth, she sent it outwards. Felt it reach out to the two in the next room. Knowing that was where they were.

  The spell floated along and reached Gabe first. The knowledge she got from him made her blush. He liked her in ‘that’ way.

  There was nothing that showed he would hurt her. No, in fact, she felt his protectiveness invade her being. He would look after her, she had no doubt of that.