Dangerous Influence (The Harcourte Vampyre Society Book 5)

by Morgan Kelley

  He greeted them.

  “We won’t trouble you long, Nathaniel, we just wish to know why I am being hunted by the Tueur,” she said, placing herself between the men in her life.

  “I wish I could help you, Jolie, but we can’t. We have a strict policy when dealing with the Tueur, and we can’t break it. When it comes to the head of the Tueur, he doesn’t allow anyone to interfere, and you know that.”

  She did.

  To lead the Tueur, the vampyre had to be one of the strongest, oldest, and most powerful.

  His identity was kept a secret from the vampyre communities. The only way you’d know it was him was when you were about to die. There was no definitive number on how many Tueur were out there.

  It was the vampyre’s police force, and they were merciless.

  “Why are they after me, Nathaniel? Why do they wish to end my pregnancy? I don’t understand how two unborn children can warrant the Tueur.”

  “Jolie, terminate the pregnancy, and you’ll live. You know there is no rationalizing with them. They’re killers and the execution squad.”

  She was horrified.

  There was no way that was happening.

  “No, this pregnancy is a gift. I won’t throw away my children. If it means fighting to keep them and myself alive, I will.”

  Nathaniel rubbed his eyes. “I’m sorry, Jolie. I can’t tell you how sorry I truly am. I wish we could protect you, but they will kill all of us for harboring you. We don’t have the power they do. No one does.”

  She was aware.

  As she was about to speak, she saw Nathaniel’s glaze advert past her and into the shadows. When she turned her head, she saw their little blonde haired messenger from Death.

  Someone was about to die.

  That was all she needed to see.

  They’d been right.

  It was an ambush.

  Jolie grabbed both mates by the shirt and pulled them to the ground. As they hit their knees, they both were missed by the silver daggers.

  Vanth wasn’t so lucky, and she roared in anger.

  Flynn and Jacques were up.

  As Detective Brogan headed straight into the fray, he glanced back at Jacques.

  “Keep her safe. I’ll slow them down!”

  Jolie’s heart pounded.

  Flynn went straight into the mess, guns blazing. Jacques knew it was time to protect his mate. As he pulled her up, he heard it coming.

  One of the daggers was about to hit her.

  Instead of allowing that to happen, he stepped in front of it, taking the hit. He hissed when it went into his back and through his chest until it poked out.

  In that span of seconds, all hell broke loose.

  The council stepped back, moving away from the four marked guests. Immediately, the Tueur started toward them. Flynn was holding off half of them, but there had to be twenty male vampyres ready to terminate them.

  Jolie had to trust Flynn’s skill.

  Everything was relying on him and Vanth. Jacques was struggling to get back to his feet.

  As three of the Tueur moved toward them, he remembered Flynn’s gun.

  This was definitely an emergency.

  Pulling it out, he took a few shots. His targets fell and exploded into dust.

  Jolie pulled the silver dagger from both him and Vanth. There was only one choice.

  It was time to fight for her mates and children.

  She didn’t hesitate.

  Jolie ignored her mates and headed right into the crowd of Tueur. She called Death, knowing that would buy them some time.

  As they tried to reach her, the black tendrils wrapped around her. As soon as one of the killers tried to touch her, it devoured him whole.

  “Fight!” Flynn shouted, yanking a silver blade from his chest. He glanced over at Jacques, and he was still on his knees.

  The vampyre looked like a pincushion with all the blades sticking out of him.

  His heart thudded in his chest as he began moving back toward his downed mate. Jolie was holding her own. He had to protect Jacques.

  “Flynn,” Jacques shouted as he saw a Tueur heading toward the man.

  Flynn turned, his eyes bled black, and his fangs appeared. He didn’t hesitate. He took the vampyre down, and tore his throat out with his mouth.

  Nathaniel and his council gasped when he glanced up, licking his lips.

  They were shocked.

  “Jolie!” Flynn shouted, as the Tueur surrounded her. “End it!”

  “Vanth! Kill them,” she hissed her eyes bleeding black. “This ends now!”

  Vanth obeyed, her eye burning red and black like coal embers. She held the Tueur as she and Flynn moved through the throngs to destroy them as quickly as possible.

  Only, they were ready for them.

  “Voodoo!” Flynn shouted, smelling it in the air. There was something foul there, and he’d smelled it before right before the shit hit the fan.

  Vanth’s hold weakened.

  The Tueur had studied their prey.

  Flynn helped Jacques to his feet and pulled all the daggers from his body. He didn’t look away from Jolie.

  She was surrounded.

  “Stay here,” he said, releasing Jacques to unsteady feet. “Flynn had to help their mate. Jolie would wear down fast, especially if Vanth was being bound by some nasty magick.

  As he bounded toward her, he saw the first one move at her chest. He shot him.

  As soon as the next one tried, he took him down too.

  His accuracy was scary good, and the vampyre’s head exploded before he could touch her.

  Then he was dust.

  Jolie used her claws and reached into the chest of the closest Tueur, as Flynn put himself at her back.

  “Fight!” Flynn stated, grabbing a dagger from her back to shove it into another vampyre’s heart.

  Jolie did what he asked, and just as she was about to be hurt, his arm came over her and he fired into the onslaught.

  The attackers were falling.

  They might just have a chance.

  Flynn discharged his clip and slipped the new one in. He was down to fifteen shots, and he was going to use them. From behind him, he heard Jolie gasp. Spinning, he placed her behind him and fought for her.

  He was brutal.

  Heads came off.

  Claws shredded chests.

  He fought as if their children’s lives depended on it because they did. As he did battle, Jolie had his back. When there was only one left, he stalked toward him.

  “You will not touch my woman,” he growled, right before he jumped, closing the distance.

  He took him to the ground, tearing through his body as if it was nothing more than tissue paper.

  The vampyre exploded in dust beneath him.

  When Flynn stood, he was covered in blood.

  He hissed at Nathaniel, forcing him to take a step back. He was angry, and it showed.

  Jolie raced toward Jacques. Vanth was holding him in her arms.

  “I’m sorry, Mistress. The spell—I couldn’t do anything more,” she stated.

  Yes, their enemy knew them well.

  This was a problem.

  “Jacques, look at me,” she said, resting his head in her lap.

  They were all a mess, but he was the worst.

  They’d targeted him.

  Jolie knew why.

  The Tueur had expected him to be their biggest threat. He was a trained guardian. They knew he could fight. What they weren’t expecting was Flynn and his stronger abilities.

  They narrowly beat this one.

  “I’m here, my love. No worries, Jolie,” he said, coughing up blood.

  Yeah, that was a bad sign.

  “Jolie, are you all right?” asked Vanth, as she guarded her and Jacques. With the Tueur dead, the spell was gone.

  “Yes, I’m only wounded a little. Flynn kept me safe.”

  “I owe Flynn everything,” Jacques said, still shocked that he’d been felled so
easily.

  This wasn’t like him.

  “They wanted you down,” Jolie said, reading his thoughts. “You were the one they wanted to kill to weaken us. They misjudged.”

  Yeah, but they wouldn’t next time.

  By now, the head of the Tueur knew that Flynn was the strongest one, besides her when it came to Death. Next time, they’d mark him too.

  They needed to find a solution, and fast.

  “Nathaniel, you’re an asshole,” Jolie said, glaring at him. The man didn’t even notice her. He was too busy backing away from Flynn.

  “Jolie, call off your human—or whatever he is.”

  Jolie didn’t intend to do any such thing. Jacques was bleeding, she was scared shitless, and Flynn was pissed.

  No, this time, Nathaniel was on his own.

  Flynn reached him and grabbed him by the neck. “You nearly got her killed. That’s unacceptable.” With his one hand, he wrenched Nathaniel’s hand until it came off at the wrist.

  He howled.

  It wasn’t enough to feed his anger.

  He needed more.

  The society gasped when Flynn took his head right off.

  Even Jolie jumped.

  “The next time, anyone here fucks with my family, they die. I will personally come to your house during the day, enter, and kill every one of you. AM I CLEAR?”

  They all backed up.

  No one wanted to mess with him.

  They were genuinely scared.

  Jolie pushed energy into Jacques’s body. “We need to get out of here,” she said, allowing Vanth to pick her wounded mate up from the ground.

  Flynn backed away from the vampyres. He tossed the dead vampyre’s head to his mate.

  She screamed in horror.

  “Come for us, and you die,” he warned, shooting two guardians in the chest.

  The vampyres scrambled to escape.

  Good.

  They were afraid.

  That would work to their advantage.

  Flynn scooped Jolie up and into his arms. As she held on, he strode through the blood soaked grass with Vanth by his side.

  “Master?” Vanth asked.

  “What?” he said, placing Jolie in the passenger seat, before he hopped behind the wheel.

  “You didn’t let me eat any of them.”

  Flynn reached into his pocket and pulled out a severed hand. “I saved it for you, Vanth. Bon appetite.”

  She squealed in joy as she began munching.

  Flynn didn’t even flinch.

  “Are you okay?” Jolie asked. Normally, that would have grossed him right out.

  “No, I’m not. They hurt my mates. I want blood. This isn’t over.”

  Jolie touched his leg, and his whole body rippled in anger.

  Yeah, this wasn’t going to be good.

  She could feel it.

  * * * H a r c o u r t e * * *

  At home, Jolie helped Vanth place Jacques in bed. He wanted to help her to the bath, but he was in no shape. Instead, Flynn sat beside him.

  “You need to feed.”

  “Flynn.”

  He knew that Jacques was afraid to take too much.

  “Jolie’s here. She’ll kick your ass if you try,” he teased. “Let me feed you. I had a snack in the field.”

  Yeah, they recalled.

  “You don’t usually do that,” Jolie stated, not sure how to phrase it.

  “Well, I was mad. If it matters, I didn’t like it. It tasted like old blood and herbs. I have a headache from it.”

  They stared at him. “What?”

  “He tasted all Voodoo-y and funky. I like my blood a little less black magick and more sexy mates.”

  Where even to take that?

  “Come on, Jacques,” he offered, pulling his mate into his arms. As Jolie soothingly rubbed her hands up and down his back, Jacques found the sweet spot on Flynn’s throat.

  Need filled him.

  ‘I have you. Don’t be afraid to be yourself around me,’ Flynn whispered into his mind.

  ‘I don’t want to lose you and Jolie.’

  ‘You never will.’

  Jacques bit down and Flynn’s blood flooded his mouth. The flavor tickled across his taste buds. As he slowly sipped, Flynn held him against his body.

  Jolie watched, hoping that the men would work out this mess. She understood both sides, but she couldn’t get involved. This had to be between them.

  As he kept drinking, Flynn watched Jolie.

  He loved them.

  While he didn’t want to dive into sex with the man in his arms, he wouldn’t mind sharing some tenderness.

  They were family.

  Slowly, Jacques released his throat, but he didn’t move away. He let Flynn hold him. The scent of mate was helping him relax.

  “Better?” Flynn asked, staring down at the wounded vampyre.

  He nodded.

  Flynn saw blood on his chin and lapped it away.

  Jacques shook.

  “Flynn,” he said surprised.

  “Don’t worry, Jacques. You need to get some sleep. I’ll stay awake tonight to check on you both.”

  “You fought well, Flynn. You’ve earned your place as one of us,” Jacques admitted.

  He grinned. “Good, because I wasn’t planning on leaving so that works for me.”

  Jolie helped him slide into place on the bed.

  When he stared up at her, his eyes were filled with emotion. “I love you, Jolie. I love you too, Flynn. Thank you for being mine.”

  He closed his eyes and released his breath.

  Then he was gone.

  “Get Death,” Jolie stated, pointing at Vanth.

  “I want to see her.”

  Vanth wasn’t sure that was a good idea.

  “The Mistress,” she began.

  “Tell her I will end my pregnancy.”

  Vanth sighed. “Very well, Jolie. I’ll get her for you. Hold on.”

  Vanth closed her eyes, and when she opened them, they were swirling vortexes. “She’s here.”

  Flynn was standing at the bottom of the bed. Before he could speak, arms wrapped around his body and the forked tongue licked at his throat.

  “Care to share a sip?” Death asked, purring in his ear.

  Jolie went to get up.

  “Sit.”

  She couldn’t move.

  “Now, Flynn, back to us.”

  “Vanth, what will happen if she drinks from me?” he asked, trusting the demoness.

  “She can kill you if she wants, but if she chooses not to, then you’ll enjoy it.”

  “I’ll let you.”

  Jolie opened her mouth, but no words came out.

  She shook her head until she found herself lying on the bed, her arms trapped beside her.

  She tried to scream.

  Flynn didn’t move. He stayed still as Death moved around his body. Her hands slithered across his flesh.

  It reminded him of the undulations of a snake.

  “You smell tasty, Flynn. I’m impressed that you’ll let me drink from you.”

  “You may, but I want a favor.”

  Jolie struggled, tears filling her eyes. She didn’t want Flynn messing with Death.

  She was evil.

  Wicked.

  Tricky.

  “What is it you ask?”

  “I know you won’t help us, but will you at least be honest and tell us why the Tueur is after our children?”

  She stared at him.

  “I can do that.”

  “Thank you.”

  Death unbuttoned his bloody shirt and pushed it off his shoulders. “I love your body, Detective. I’m impressed by the little human remaining in you. Jolie is a lucky vampyre. I admit that I’m jealous. I wouldn’t mind having you as my own.”

  He was aware.

  When she groped him through the front of his leather pants, he still didn’t move.

  Jolie was in his head, begging him to stop.

  He couldn’
t.

  They needed to know what was happening, and why they were marked.

  “Well, shall we begin?” Death asked.

  What choice did Flynn have?

  His family came first.

  This was the hell he was willing to suffer.

  ∞ Chapter Twenty-Four ∞

  To say he was scared would be an understatement. Death was rubbing against him, and Flynn was forced to tolerate it. To make it a million times worse, Jolie was watching as another woman felt him up. There were tears streaming down her cheeks as she was helpless to save him.

  They were in trouble.

  As Death moved closer, she wrapped her one long, leather-clad leg around his. Flynn immediately grabbed it, as she leaned against him. If he was going to play with Death, why not go for broke.

  As she was about to bite him, his hand slid up her back to the long red hair. As she went to sink her teeth into him, he grabbed her hair.

  She hissed.

  “You go first, Death. Why are the Tueur after our children?”

  She stared into his eyes. They immediately bled black. His fangs slipped free, and she was curious.

  “Kiss me, Flynn.”

  He didn’t move.

  She said it again.

  He still didn’t bat an eyelash.

  Death hissed. “Damn you.”

  “I’m not all vampyre. You can’t control me, can you?” he asked, licking across her throat to her pulse.

  She begged.

  He simply teased her.

  “Do it,” she hissed.

  He laughed. “First, tell me why.”

  She growled. “You don’t fear me!”

  He did, but Flynn trusted Vanth, and she was helping him in his mind. Slowly, he kissed her, hoping Vanth was right. If this got him killed, that was going to suck.

  His mouth moved over Death’s, but he was careful not to draw blood. When he pulled away, she blinked.

  “Like I said—Jolie is a lucky vampyre. I’m jealous.”

  He laughed. “Why, Death? Stop stalling.”

  “This day was prophesized.”

  Jolie struggled, and Death ignored her as she remained in Flynn’s embrace.

  “Why our children?”

  “There has only been a couple times where a vampyre has sired a child. Technically, this makes two more. You’re no longer human.”