Even the little imp was happy. “He’s going to be my daddy forever and ever and ever,” she lisped.
That made Jolie’s heart happy. “Yes, little one, he is, and Tommy is a good man. I know he’s going to make you and your momma very happy.”
Camille crossed to her mate. “Yes, he will.”
When Tommy tucked the petite vampyre under his arm, it showed how much he was already attached to her.
Finally, the abused vampyre had found her ray of sunshine, and it was with one of the few humans she trusted.
“Well, then I’m here in time. I have the perfect gift for you,” she said pulling out an envelope. “Merry Christmas. This is from the three of us. I know Flynn will be happy to hear about your mating,” she said, waiting for them to open it.
Camille gently tore back the flap and pulled out the paper inside. When she looked up it was with tears in her eyes. “I don’t understand,” she said handing the paper to her mate.
“It’s land behind the house?”
“Yes, it is. We thought you would like to build your own home. Sometimes, it’s difficult for humans to integrate into a shared environment. I would like to offer you a home close to ours, so you both can be part of us, and yet have something of your own. In the envelope is a cashier’s check to build the house.”
“Mistress,” said Camille. “I don’t know what to say.”
Jolie shrugged. “I need you near me, Camille, since you’re to be the nanny for our children. I hope you have as wonderful a life together as I am with my mates.”
Mathew didn’t say anything.
Here was one more person finding their mate, and he was still alone.
It made him angry.
Cari started bouncing up and down. “My own house? Can I have a swing set?”
Tommy grinned at the little girl. It was clear he was in love with her too. “You can have whatever you want, Cari. I’ll build it myself.”
She bounced around the room.
“Jolie, thank you,” Tommy said, “for so many things beyond this. If Flynn didn’t find you, and then save me, I’d never be this happy. It was worth it all—every second of it.”
Jolie was happy for them.
When Tommy moved toward her with no fear, she wanted to weep from it all. He was healing, and they were all a family.
“I need to do this.”
Jolie laughed when Gress pulled her into his arms. “My partner doesn’t deserve you,” he said, kissing her on the lips.
A male cleared his voice.
Mathew jumped, and began moving into the shadows of the room to hide in plain sight.
“Uh, can you please stop kissing our mate? Jacques gets territorial,” said Flynn, heading toward his woman.
Jolie went into his body and nuzzled against him. His scent gave her so much peace.
“Miss me?” he asked.
Jolie did.
“I see you liked the gift.”
“Yeah, and the best part is we can still carpool in the morning.”
Flynn found that amusing. “In order to be a carpool, Gress, you would have to drive once in a while. I’m more of your taxi,” he said, grinning.
Jolie looked at Cari. “We have something for you,” said Jolie taking the box from Flynn’s hands to place it on the floor. “Go ahead.”
“Jacques and I picked a last minute gift up for the imp,” Flynn added in amusement as Cari attacked the box with the fervor that only a child could muster.
When she had the top open, she started bouncing and jumping. “It’s a kitty,” she said running right at Flynn full force.
He caught her against his large chest and cuddled the little vampyre child.
Jolie wanted to kiss the man.
Had she not already been his mate, this would have sealed the deal. Her big softie remembered that Cari had once had a kitten until some mean vampyre killed it.
“What can I name him?”
“Anything you want, little one. Jacques and I saw him and thought he would make the perfect Christmas cat.”
Suddenly she went serious. “You won’t take him away will you? If I’m bad, he can stay, right?”
He lifted her chin. “Cari, you can never be bad enough that I’d take away your kitten. He’s yours and we want you to have him.”
She hugged him.
“A swing set and a kitten. Yay!”
They all laughed.
This was what Christmas was all about.
Cari grabbed her kitten and hopped up on the bed. She started playing with him, and the adults enjoyed seeing her happy.
“Thank you, Master,” Camille stated.
“Flynn. If you’re mated with the man I consider one of my closest friends, you can’t call me Master.”
“Thank you, Flynn.”
“Wait! How did you know we mated?” Tommy asked. “Did she tell you?”
He laughed.
“You have a hickie on your neck, and it’s right next to some healing bite marks. Call me crazy, but I’m taking a wild stab at it.”
Camille blushed as Tommy wiggled his eyebrows.
“Welcome to the family, Tommy,” Flynn said, holding out his hand for Jolie.
“Merry Christmas. We need to go give Mathew his final gift now, and then we can relax for the evening,” Jolie stated.
Flynn focused on Mathew. He was trying to disappear, but that only worked on people who he could fool. “Come on, Mathew, we want to give you something.”
Jolie led them toward the kitchen where she pulled a silk scarf from the counter. “I need to blindfold you, Mathew,” she said smiling.
“I would prefer you didn’t,” he stated. “I’ll close my eyes, Mistress.”
She was a little surprised by that.
“Oh, okay.”
When Flynn opened the garage door, heading in from the kitchen, there stood Jacques.
“Are you ready?” asked Jolie, leading him to his gift.
When they were in front of it, Jolie touched his arm. “Open your eyes, Mathew.”
When he did, he could hardly believe what sat in front of him. Jolie had purchased him a silver H2 to match Jacques and Flynn’s.
He started toward the vehicle and stopped. “Wow.”
In his heart, he wanted to weep. He was betraying them, and they were still being nice to him.
It was a violent tug-o-war, and he was helpless to choose a side.
Jolie went with honesty. “We had purchased this a while ago, and we still want you to have it.”
Yeah, even though he wasn’t her guardian anymore.
That hurt.
“It’s great, Mistress.”
Jolie’s lip quivered at the blasé response. She really thought he’d be happy to be included with a matching ride.
Instead, he was cold.
She needed to escape.
“You’re welcome, Mathew. I think I’ll head up to our room,” she said, hurt by his iciness. “I’ll see you upstairs.”
When she was gone, Flynn was irritated.
“What the hell, Mathew?” he asked. “She gave you something special, and you don’t even thank her?”
He stared at him. “Sorry, Master. I forgot my manners.”
Flynn went to move toward him.
Jacques stopped him.
“You should go, Mathew.”
He handed him the keys.
They both watched as he headed out of the garage, stopping at the board where they kept all the keys to the vehicles.
He hung them there.
When he was gone, Jacques called for Percy. He was now second in command in their home after Jacques and Flynn.
When he appeared, he was smiling.
He stopped. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
Both men liked Percy. He was strong, loyal, and took orders like a soldier. That’s what this family needed.
“We have an issue.”
Jacques told him about the scent of a strange vampyre on Mathew.
&
nbsp; “You don’t think he’d betray us, do you?”
Flynn did.
Jacques hoped not.
“Watch him. If he leaves the house, follow him. I want to know what he’s doing.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Since he was removed from guardian, he seems off. I hope I’m only being paranoid.”
Flynn did too.
“I’ll handle it,” he said.
With that, he went off to find his prey.
“Jacques, we need to be on our toes.”
He was well aware. “Let’s find Jolie.”
“Are we going to tell her?” he asked, following his mate from the garage.
“No. For now, we keep this to ourselves. It’s our job to protect her, and we will—our way.”
Flynn agreed.
Still, his gut was screaming.
This was bad.
He could feel it.
* * * H a r c o u r t e * * *
Day After Christmas
Dawn
It was time to get to Jolie Harcourte.
As they stood outside the house, they waited for their way inside the fortress. When the garage door opened, one of the Tueur crept closer.
A few words were spoken, and he was invited in. As the vehicle backed out, leaving the scene, the Tueur entered the Harcourte home, ready to follow their orders.
They moved silently through the house.
Few were awake, and when they encountered one who was, they simply killed them, dumping the body in a room.
This was too easy.
“Let’s get her. We’ll remove her from the house and end her and the pregnancy.”
The three with him agreed.
There were too many vampyres here.
At the door, he used his mind to open the lock. When it clicked open, he knew it was time.
* * * H a r c o u r t e * * *
Mathew drove away from the house in the vehicle they had given him.
He wished he didn’t have to go to the extremes he did, but he truly believed that Jolie’s mates would end up hurting her. With the Tueur, they would kill the pregnancy, but she’d live.
When the men were gone, he could be happy and safe with her.
That’s all he wanted.
Mathew wanted to belong.
As long as Detective Brogan and Jacques Degaul were alive, there was no way that could happen.
They hated him.
They turned Jolie against him.
He had lost the only mother and woman he loved.
Mathew had no choice but to get her back.
It was sad that it had to end this way.
As the sun prepared to come up, he prepared his day. He would head back later, saying he was out getting art supplies.
His lie would hold.
He knew it.
∞ Chapter Nineteen ∞
Flynn was a light sleeper.
What ended up saving them was the fact that he didn’t drink to celebrate the holidays.
He was sober when he went to bed, and he was sober now. When they had gotten back to their room, Jolie had been with Death. She was hiding from the pain, and he understood that.
That choice was going to be what saved them.
Her going to death early meant he went to sleep too. He was well rested and not sleeping deeply.
As he was in bed, it was her moving away from him that woke him.
They were the dead.
They didn’t move or roll over. Where Jolie rested was where she stayed.
Jacques too.
Jolie was sliding down the bed, as if someone was pulling her from beneath his body.
He immediately scanned the room.
They weren’t alone.
Flynn didn’t hesitate.
He was up and out of bed so fast, that he surprised two of the guardians. One was picking Jolie up, throwing her over his shoulder.
Flynn became a monster.
The anger welled up, the fangs descended into his mouth, and his eyes bled black.
As the strange vampyre, who had Jolie, headed toward the door, the other three tried to take him down.
Only, they were off their game.
It was nearly dawn, and he smelled like a human.
It was what would help him save Jolie.
With his mind, he locked the door and went after the three of them. He took one down with very little effort, taking off his head with his claws.
He exploded into dust.
“You’re touching my mate,” he hissed, barreling into the second one.
The vampyre’s claws tore into his chest, barely missing his heart, but he didn’t give up.
He couldn’t.
Flynn called for Vanth, praying she would arrive in time. As he did battle with the second vampyre, he ripped out his heart and it went to dust in his hand.
The third one pulled a knife and whipped it at him. Flynn slid across the floor, and grabbed the first weapon he could find.
It was Jacques sword.
Flynn hoped it wasn’t just for show.
He needed it.
As he charged at the vampyre, the fourth one with Jolie began beating on the door with his booted foot.
When that didn’t work, he threw Jolie down and prepared to eviscerate her.
Flynn couldn’t let that happen.
He fought harder, taking off the third vampyre’s head.
As the blood filled the room, he wanted to kill the last one for even touching Jolie.
As he charged him, Flynn saw the dagger.
It hit him in the chest.
With one hand he tore it out, and with the other he swung the encrusted sword.
It hit it’s mark.
As soon as the vampyre exploded in dust, Flynn was on his knees. Gently, he scooped Jolie up.
She was a mess. There was blood all over her, but Flynn could tell it wasn’t hers.
Their children were safe.
Vanth appeared in the room.
“The place was warded. I couldn’t get to you, Flynn,” she said. “Someone is using voodoo.”
He understood. “Wake Jacques.”
Flynn held Jolie in his arms, his body oozing blood. They’d come close.
They’d nearly lost her.
When Jacques pulled from death, he hissed. The stench of stranger was in their quarters and Vanth was there.
That was never good.
Rising, he saw his mate across the room.
His heart pounded.
“Jolie.”
Flynn remained holding her in his arms. “She’s safe. They’re gone.”
He couldn’t stand.
Flynn was depleted.
Jacques pushed energy into Jolie’s body. He only had so much, and he knew Jolie might have to help him.
When she pulled from death, she looked around.
“Flynn!”
He lowered her to the ground. “That was close,” he said, right before he closed his eyes and fell.
Vanth was beside them.
She sniffed Flynn. “He smells of herbs. They used something.”
Jolie didn’t like that.
“What happened?”
Vanth told her. While she couldn’t enter the room, she could see it through Flynn’s eyes.
Jolie held his head in her lap. “Will he be okay?”
Vanth called for Death.
When she opened her eyes, she nodded. “He’s okay. He’s only asleep.”
Jacques touched his mate’s neck. “His heart is barely beating.”
Jolie ran her fingers lovingly over his rough cheek. “How did the Tueur get into our home?” she asked.
There was no doubt who it was. The blade on the floor had the insignia.
Jacques already knew the answer to her question.
When he woke, he smelled it in the air. That strange scent was back.
“Mathew betrayed us.”
She stared at him. “Jacques.”
He picked Flynn up f
rom the floor and gently carried his body to the bed. They had a serious problem on their hands. One of their own betrayed them, and Flynn was out of it.
First things first…
He called for Percy.
While he talked to the man in his head, Jolie began cleaning Flynn up.
He was a mess.
Gently, she touched his rough cheek. “Oh, my love, you saved us.”
Vanth helped her mistress. “He fought off four Tueur by himself.”
Jolie kissed him gently on the lips.
“He’s our hero.”
Jacques focused on his mates. “Percy is following Mathew. He left the house right before they attacked. He had to let them in, Jolie.”
She motioned to Vanth. “Search the house. Make sure everyone else is safe.”
The demoness disappeared.
“Jolie.”
She stopped him. “I know, Jacques, I know. If he did this, he needs to be destroyed.”
It hurt her to say it.
Jolie loved Mathew, but if he’d go to this length, letting the Tueur into their home, he couldn’t remain.
He betrayed them.
Nearly got her killed.
Flynn had been hurt.
There was no choice.
“Prove it to me, and I’ll not fight it. If you can prove that he had something to do with this, then I’ll let you and Flynn handle it.”
He touched her cheek. “My love, I wish it wasn’t like this, but...”
She understood.
“Help me clean him up. I don’t want to look at him like this. He saved our children. I want him to wake up clean and safe. I need that right now.”
The first tear plopped onto his big hand as she held it.
Jacques knew this was going to hurt her. No matter what came from here on out, he knew that Jolie’s heart was going to pay the price.
For that, Mathew deserved to die.
* * * H a r c o u r t e * * *
Mid-Morning
When Flynn finally woke, he was clean and surrounded by the vampyres he loved. Jolie was tucked against one side of him, and Jacques was on the other.
He was pressed between them as they shared energy and warmth with him.
Flynn’s head was pounding.
“What happened?” he asked, looking around. The last thing he remembered was killing vampyres in their room.
Dangerous Influence (The Harcourte Vampyre Society Book 5) Page 23
