“I should be insulted,” Jolie said, once they were outside and climbing into the SUV.
“Why?” Flynn asked.
“Well, you flirted with another girl and let her kiss you in front of me.”
He laughed. “She was four. I think you’re safe.”
“Well, then there’s the way all the female vampyres were staring at you.”
He laughed. “It’ll keep you appreciative of the fine masculine specimen you have in your life.”
She laughed, but hid her fear.
There had to be a way to keep him hers forever. Jolie had to lock him down.
“We should get home and deal with Jacques,” Flynn stated, incredibly distracted by their mate shouting in his head. “He’s pissed.”
She was well aware.
Jolie could hear him.
“He’s going to want to fight.”
Flynn was well aware. “No matter what, you let me take the heat for this one. Am I clear?” he asked.
“Flynn.”
“Jolie, am I clear?”
When he stared at her, piercing her with that icy gaze, she couldn’t think, let alone argue.
“Yes, my love.”
“Good girl. Maybe you’ll be over my knee yet tonight. Want to call me Daddy?”
“Flynn!”
His laughter filled the vehicle.
Only on the inside, he knew the shit was about to hit the fan. He hoped he could stay calm.
Once again.
∞ Chapter Eighteen ∞
He was so damn angry. Jacques couldn’t think straight, and his emotions were putting him over the edge. He battled nonstop with the need to erupt and destroy something—anything.
Only he didn’t know why he was so furious. Then he heard them in the garage, and he remembered.
They’d betrayed him.
Left him behind.
They were scheming against him.
Heading out there, he came face to face with Jolie and Flynn. She was between his legs as he leaned against the wall. It looked like she was about to feed.
The cozy little scene added fuel to his already out of control fire.
“How dare you!” he raged.
Jolie’s mouth dropped open at the tone of his voice.
“What?”
Jacques couldn’t control his fury. He wanted to breathe, but something was choking him. He felt like he was suffocating. With each breath, he couldn’t fight the need to kill.
He wanted to hurt them.
He wanted their blood.
It felt wrong, but it was right there.
“You left without me!”
Flynn stayed calm, but he did push Jolie behind him. When they arrived home, he knew there would be anger, but this was something he’d never seen before from his mate.
This was an uncontrolled storm.
He was out of his mind with rage, and that was a very dangerous thing.
As Jacques approached them, he took the opportunity to sweep everything off the counter and onto the floor with a metal pipe he’d found.
Flynn began backing up.
‘If you can get into the house, go. I want you to get away from him.’
Jolie was afraid.
She’d never seen his face contorted like that before.
The veins in his neck were bulging, and he looked about ready to have a stroke.
“Jacques,” Flynn warned, his eyes never leaving that pipe. “Put it down. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You already have. You’ve stolen what was mine. You came into our relationship and have taken my mate. Don’t think I don’t see what’s going on here,” he hissed, his fangs slipping into his mouth and his eyes going black.
Jolie tried to calm him down.
“Jacques, you’re being irrational.”
“Shut up, whore. You have no right to speak. I’ll teach you a lesson as soon as I’m done with him. It’s about time someone punished you.”
She gasped.
Flynn glared at him. “If you want to pick a fight, you pick it with me. Don’t you dare call her names or I’ll come over there and kick your undead ass back to Death.”
“She was mine! Six hundred years of fighting to get her attention, and you stole her. I realized something—she wasn’t worth it. I can see that now. None of this was worth it!”
There was a crash and scream from inside the house. It sounded like Mina.
‘Baby, I want you to go inside and check on Mina. I’ll handle Jacques. Something is wrong. I smell evil.”
‘Please don’t kill him, Flynn. God! Please contain him until we figure this out.’
There was more crashing.
Flynn backed them toward the door. When he was sure Jolie had a clear shot, he gave her the chance to run.
Jacques was enraged when she took off into the house. Immediately, he lunged for his mate, slamming the pipe into his shoulder.
Flynn hit the wall, but he stayed on his feet.
When Jacques headed toward him, blood in his eyes, he knew this was going to be a bad situation.
Jolie didn’t want him to kill Jacques, but the man was so far-gone, he was going to have to inflict injury. He had to slow him down.
“Don’t make me hurt you, Jacques,” he said, as he tried to evade the pipe.
It clipped him in the ribs.
It hurt like hell, but he’d heal. It wouldn’t be as fast since it was iron, but he’d live.
He swung again.
“I’m going to kill you for taking my mate!”
He raced at Flynn, ready to pummel him. Flynn only hoped he’d be able to hold him off. Eventually, Jacques would wear down, and if he could get to his throat, he’d drain him enough to send him to death.
Jacques swung again.
The iron pipe landed on his ribs and Jacques reached for his heart with his free hand. He was trying to rip it from his chest.
Flynn barely evaded it.
Would he die?
He wasn’t sure. He didn’t plan on risking it.
“You’re going to pay!”
And then he really began his attack.
Flynn had to hold on.
Jolie made it inside in time to see Mina trying to get away from Percy. He was bashing things all over the room, calling his mate horrible names.
He was so angry.
This didn’t seem right.
Why were the two vampyres in the house over the edge? This wasn’t like either man. Percy, like Jacques, had a deep well of patience. That’s what made them really good protectors in life.
Now they were both acting erratically.
As Mina raced toward her mistress, Jolie ducked as a chair hit the wall above her.
“You need to die!” Percy hissed. “I have to hurt you both and make you bleed!”
Jolie knew she didn’t have much time. She moved out of Percy’s way and called for Vanth.
When the demon materialized, Percy hit her with a frying pan.
It knocked her down and bruised her face, but she got back up again.
And she was pissed!
“Stop him!” Jolie yelled.
Vanth sent out enough energy to take him to his knees. When Percy went down, Vanth was on him.
“Watch him and check on Mina. I have to see if Flynn is…” She didn’t get to finish. There was a horrible crash and the sound of someone grunting in pain.
Oh God!
Flynn!
Jolie raced back out. When she got there, Flynn was on his back, his body embedded in the hood of the one vehicle. It looked like Jacques had tossed him there. Jacques was standing over him beating the hell out of him with the pipe.
Flynn was taking each shot, trying to calm the man down. Granted, he couldn’t die, but he could get damaged, and he was a mess.
“Jacques! Stop!”
Her shout got his attention.
“There you are,” he growled, as he crossed the room toward her. “I’m going to teach you to never disobey me
again!”
Jolie stepped back.
There were waves upon waves of negative energy coming off him—just like with Percy.
This was way off.
“How dare you leave me behind for him? I know you love him more, and I know you’re only with him because of what he is,” Jacques said, his face red with fury.
Jolie was startled.
As Flynn began struggling to get up, Jolie glanced over at him.
“Look at me—not him!” he ordered. “I was your mate first! I came first, whore! You betrayed me!”
Jolie was scared.
Of him.
Of the situation.
And of the look on Flynn’s battered face.
Jacques was so furious that she was worried about the other man that he wanted to shake some sense into her.
So, for the first time ever, he put his hands on her in anger. He couldn’t stop himself.
Jolie gasped in pain as he grabbed her.
“I can’t believe that after six hundred years I had to chase you around like a spoiled child,” he spat in anger, as he violently shook her.
Jolie yelped.
Flynn growled from the hood of the SUV. “Don’t touch her!”
Jolie tried to pull away and escape, only Jacques’s grip was like he was on some drug. Jacques was never violent, and he never once put his hands on her in anger.
Hell!
He couldn’t spank her in sexy bedroom games.
This was way out of character.
“Admit it! You love him more!” he shouted, shaking her like a rag doll. “Be honest and tell the truth, whore!”
Jolie hadn’t fed in a while, and she didn’t know if she could take him—especially in this rage.
Her mate was way off.
Jolie pushed his chest in an effort to be free, but it further enraged him.
“Stupid woman,” he hissed and then swung out, hitting Jolie with his hand.
The crack of skin against skin echoed through the room as did her startled shout.
She flew so hard, she landed against the wall, her bones crunching and crackling at the contact.
“Rinnon, I need you,” she sobbed. This was out of control, and she was afraid for her life, and that of their children.
Flynn didn’t hesitate.
He was off the vehicle, slamming Jacques to the wall. He picked up the metal pipe and took a few swings of his own.
Jacques’s body took the hits, and for his sake, he hoped he stayed down.
Flynn was furious.
He wanted blood.
The demon in him wanted to kill the man for touching Jolie like that. He wanted to make him bleed.
As Jacques tried to get up, Flynn needed to keep him in one place. Jolie wasn’t getting up, and he was worried about their children. With the pipe, he slammed it through his mate’s body, and into the wall behind him.
It stuck out of his torso, a reminder that Flynn, when being ruled by Rinnon, wasn’t one to screw with like this.
Immediately, Flynn was across the room. Jolie was on the floor, her hands on the baby bump. She was talking to the children, her voice hysterical.
“My love, are you okay?” he asked, gently touching her.
“I can’t feel them, Flynn,” she sobbed, trying to get them to move. “I can’t feel them.”
Flynn placed both his hands on her belly. Slipping into her mind, he sought out the children.
They weren’t moving because they were stunned. They simply needed some blood and reassurance.
Flynn took her in his arms and bared his throat. “Drink and they’ll be okay, my love. They’re demon. They can’t die that easily.”
Jolie sobbed as her fangs found his neck.
Flynn was covered in his own blood, and his body was a mess. He crackled and popped beneath her hands as his own injuries healed.
‘I don’t know what happened to him,’ she whispered into his mind. ‘Jacques wouldn’t hurt us, Flynn.’
He was aware. ‘We’ll figure it out. Give me some time to do some investigating.’
He sent a silent message to Vanth and waited for her reply. She was working on it, and they’d find an answer.
‘It’s okay, baby. I’m here.’
Jolie drank, and her body quickly began healing. When she was done feeding from her wounded mate, Jolie set him free.
“Oh, Flynn, you’re a mess.”
“Yeah, well, he’s worse.”
The vampyre pinned to the wall was trying to get the metal post from his body. Because it was iron, he was stuck.
Small miracle there.
Vanth popped into the room.
“Master, I think I know what’s going on.”
Jacques raged, hissing insults and profanities at the demoness.
Vanth snapped her fingers and Jacques went to sleep.
“What the hell is going on?” Flynn asked. He could feel Rinnon in him, and he was edgy, angry, and after blood.
Flynn needed to stay in control.
“When I was sitting on Percy, I smelled it.”
“What?” Jolie asked.
“Magick.”
Flynn rolled his neck. “What kind?”
Vanth wasn’t sure. “I can’t tell you that, Master. I can smell it around the house. Someone’s been here, and they left us a spell.”
Well, that explained the vampyres acting crazy.
“Why didn’t it bother me?” Jolie asked, using a tissue to wipe some blood from Flynn’s face.
“Death,” Flynn stated. “It didn’t bother us because we’re carrying it in us. You’re the Harbinger, and I’m the Reaper. Black magick is going to affect us differently. Whoever left this spell didn’t know that.”
She understood.
“What do we do?” Jolie asked.
“We lock Jacques and Percy up tonight in a room, leave Vanth to babysit, and pray that we don’t get another wave of this bullshit dumped on us.”
Flynn got up.
His body ached.
Everything hurt.
Then he focused on his mate.
“I’m going to put Jolie in a hot bath and care for her. Watch them. If they wake, and they try to leave the room, kill them.”
“Flynn!”
“He touched my mate. He hurt you. I’m furious, Jolie. Then add to it what he called you, and said to me. Jacques needs a babysitter, and you and I need to rest.”
Well, she did, but he’d stand guard.
She didn’t fight.
“He didn’t mean it.”
Flynn wasn’t so sure of that. What if that spell just magnified his anger and feeling?
They had to have a talk.
Only it could wait.
Flynn swept her up in his arms and headed into the house. They weren’t getting their deposit back on this place, that was for damn sure.
Inside, Mina was already cleaning up the kitchen.
She stopped them.
“Please don’t hurt him, Master. He didn’t mean it. Something had to make him snap. Percy is a very loving man. I know he wouldn’t do this without something bad behind it.”
He was aware.
“It’s okay, Mina. Vanth will babysit them. We’ll get to the bottom of it tomorrow.”
She relaxed.
“You’re a mess, Master. Do you need help?”
He was fine. As soon as Jolie was safe, cared for, and cleaned up, he’d worry about him.
She came first.
“I’ll be fine, thank you.”
As he carried her up the stairs, he used his mind to turn on the water so it would be nice and hot. As they entered the bathroom, Flynn put her on her feet. Gently, he helped her get free of her clothes.
“After this, we’ll climb into bed and rest.”
She nodded.
“It’ll be okay, Jolie. Don’t worry.”
She climbed into the water. As she sank down, Flynn dumped her bath oil into the claw foot tub.
“Thank you.”
She sank beneath the fragrant water to feel the heat soak into her body. Fortunately, she healed with Flynn’s blood.
When she surfaced, he was getting undressed.
“Oh God!”
He glanced up.
“Flynn! Your body.”
He ran his hands over his ribs. Already, there were big black bruises, and they were going disgusting shades of yellow and green.
“He has quite the swing.”
She started sobbing.
Flynn knelt beside the tub and held her hand. “Baby, it’s okay. Shhhhhh, Jolie, It’ll be fine.”
“I’m so scared. Now they’ve managed to find a way to hurt us in the safety of the house. What’s next?” she asked.
He couldn’t answer that.
“We’ll be okay. We’ll find a way to protect us. I promise you.”
She wiped her eyes.
“What can I do to make you feel better?” he asked.
“Hold me.”
He stood and slipped into the tub. The water sloshed over the side as Jolie curled into his lap. He barely fit, but he didn’t care. Jolie needed him.
This was his duty.
She stared into his eyes. “Thank you for having control.”
He laughed. “Oh, I barely did. The demon wanted his head on a platter.”
Jolie was glad he was stronger than that need to kill.
“I love you, Flynn,” she said, bringing her mouth to his. The second their lips touched, something amazing blossomed between them.
It was healing, it was magic of its own, and it was perfectly them.
Flynn moaned.
It felt like years since he’d touched her.
As she sat on his lap, he wanted nothing more than to have his mate in bed.
‘Go ahead,’ she offered. ‘I need you to touch me.’
He stood in the water and snapped his fingers. They were both dry and clean.
‘Handy,’ she whispered into his mind.
‘Yes, it is.’
To their bed they went, and when they got there, Flynn rested her safely in the middle of the pillows. As he stared down at her, she looked like a fallen angel to him.
His heart kicked in his chest.
He wished Jacques could be there, but he couldn’t take the chance.
Tonight, they would rest alone. In the morning, when she was safely with death, he’d figure out what the hell had happened while they were gone.
Dangerous Sacrifice (The Harcourte Vampyre Society Book 6) Page 22
