“Are we there? Are we there?” she asked.
“Look,” Camille said.
She pointed at the three coming their way. Cari was out of her mother’s arms and racing toward them.
Jolie grinned when she saw the little imp. Cari jumped, and Jolie caught her, resting her against her body. She covered Cari’s face with lots of kisses.
“Ohhh, I’ve missed you so much, Cari! I could eat you alive with all that sweetness and hair.”
The little vampyre giggled. “I missed you too, Jolie.”
Flynn stole her away. “My turn,” he said, tossing her in the air. When he caught her, she laughed. He then kissed her and chucked her through the air to his mate.
Jacques caught her. “You saved the best for last,” he said, tickling her. Cari giggled wildly.
Camille met her mistress on the path. “Oh, Jolie, look how big the babies are getting.”
“Yeah, you’re getting huge,” Tommy stated.
Camille hit her mate. “You NEVER tell a woman that. Are you insane?” she teased. “You certainly never tell a vampyre that.”
“I’ll make a mental note,” he said, rubbing his arm.
Tommy hugged his partner. “I missed you, Flynn.”
“I missed you both too. How was the trip here?”
He laughed, and not a good one.
“I was tailed all day yesterday. When I lost them or they finally got bored, I got us to the airport.”
“Anyone tail you when you landed?”
“Not that I know. Camille scanned, and I kept an eye out. I know that no one followed us down that road. It was like twenty miles of nothing but dust and testing the shocks on the rental.”
He was well aware.
Flynn hugged Camille. “How are you?” he asked.
Then he felt it. He placed his hand over her very flat torso and sought out that spark.
“Someone’s doing really well. Congrats.”
Tommy glanced over. “How did you know?”
Jolie was confused.
“She’s with child,” Flynn stated. “As how I knew, that, my friend, is a very long story, and you’re going to need a few drinks and to sit down before you hear it.”
“Uh oh.”
Jolie was too focused on the news. “Are you?”
Camille nodded. “We’re having a baby. I’m pregnant, too, Jolie!”
She hugged her, and then led her into the house. “We have to go talk. So much has happened in the last four months. I want to hear everything about back home, the family, and your pregnancy.”
“Oh, crap. They’re going to start talking sex and baby booties,” Flynn said. “It’s going to be a long day.”
The men laughed.
Jolie stuck out her tongue.
When the women were inside, Tommy stopped them. “How much trouble are we now in?” he asked. “How bad is it?”
Flynn wouldn’t lie.
“We’re three days past screwed.”
“Oh, shit!”
Jacques agreed. “You can say that again.”
So he did…
∞ Chapter Twenty ∞
Kiera’s Apartment
In Town
In her dream, she was walking through her home. As she was doing the normal things, she could hear his voice calling to her.
It was low, sexy, and filled with so much pain. It was begging for help, and it made her heart race.
Last thing she knew, she was in her apartment, taking a nap on the couch. She was exhausted from all the spell work, and she needed a break.
As he whispered to her, the flesh on her arms rose in tiny goose bumps.
‘Who are you?’ she silently called back.
There was no answer.
There was only so much pain and the scent of his blood filling her senses.
Her heart raced.
‘Who are you?’ she begged.
‘Please help me. They’re killing me.’
Then she heard his scream. It was that of a man being tortured, and it tore her from her dream state back into reality. She was now awake, and she could feel her heart thundering in her chest.
This wasn’t good.
She could smell his cologne in her apartment over the store. Unless he’d been there or in her dream, she shouldn’t pick it up.
This rattled her.
Kiera didn’t know why, but she was compelled to help him. There was something about the sound of his voice that resonated with her.
It called to her.
She had to find out more.
The only way that was going to happen was if she tried to read it in the cards. Kiera knew reading her own cards would be hard. Most witches couldn’t do their personal readings.
It was too confusing.
“Okay, Mr. Mystery Man,” she said, the Irish lilting her voice. “Help me find you, and more importantly, help me figure out why me. What do you need from me?”
She grabbed her deck, cleared her coffee table, and got to work. She had some questions to answer.
And soon.
* * * H a r c o u r t e * * *
Harcourte Rental
Cork
As they had gone into the house, Jacques had an email come in. As he read it, he reached for his mate.
‘I need to talk with you privately in the office.’
Flynn didn’t hesitate to follow him out. Jolie was involved with the woman and the pregnancy, and she’d stay distracted.
In the office, they closed the door.
“What?”
“I have someone tracking Alexzandre. He’s really good at his job. We were guardians together in our youth. He’s the only other one like me left.”
“Okay, and?”
“The Tueur definitely has him. It’s confirmed. He’s been tracking their scent.”
“Is this safe?”
“Henri doesn’t shy away from danger. He’s really good at tracking, and he’ll help us find him.”
“Yeah, if he’s not dead.”
“Has she mentioned him?”
“Nope. She’s deeply under the compulsion.”
He knew they were going to be killed by an angry, pregnant vampyre.
“I hope you know what you’re doing or this is going to get both of our asses kicked. I’m already in hot enough water with what I did. I’d like to stay in this mating.”
His mate grinned wickedly. “Jolie and I are constantly connected. She’s in my mind right now.”
“Shit! Then she just heard us.”
“Nope.”
“How?”
“Rinnon.”
His eyes went black, and his fangs appeared. When he glanced over, he blinked, focusing on his mate. “Part of the fun of having two entities in one detective shell is that I also have compartments she can’t reach.”
“She’s going to hurt you.”
He laughed, and it sent energy into the room.
Jacques shivered.
“I’m keeping her mind busy. Technically, she’s all over Flynn’s thoughts. She hasn’t thought to look at mine.”
Jacques moved closer, sniffing his mate.
It was true. Flynn smelled like water and warm delicious things, but now…he smelled like forest and Ireland.
It was odd.
“She won’t look, and Flynn, technically, isn’t doing anything. He’s aware, but…”
“Is he in there?”
Flynn’s eyes morphed back to the blue. “I am him, and he’s me. It’s complicated. We’re one, yet we’re not.”
“I see.”
He didn’t have a clue.
“I wanted to tell you something, and I’d like to keep it between us.”
Jacques put away his phone. “Yes?”
“After she has the babies, I’m going to convert her into a demon.”
He stared at him. “I see.”
“I’m not going to give her a choice. She’s my mate. I want her to be safe. She can be killed now. She won’t be able to
be when I’m finished.”
“Oh.”
Flynn could see it in his eyes. “The reason I’m telling you is I want to give you the choice. With her, she’ll let me do it because I’m dominant. With you, we’re equals. I would like to make you into what I am, but you get to decide.”
He thought about it. “Does it hurt?”
He laughed. “Oh, it’s not going to feel all that great, and it involves Death.”
Her laughter rolled though the room.
Jacques looked around.
“It’s normal. Where Rinnon is, she likes to hang out. We had a past.”
“Oh.”
“It’s complicated.”
“Is this Flynn offering or you, Rinnon?”
His eyes were still blue, so it was confusing as hell. He wasn’t sure who to address.
“We’re the same person. We’re just both cognizant at the same time. The longer I have this shell, the stronger I get. Eventually, Flynn will…”
He stared at him.
“He’ll what?”
“We’ll simply be one. We’ll combine. There will be no seam.”
He wasn’t sure how he felt about it.
“Don’t worry, I’m still me, Jacques,” Flynn offered. “I’m good with it. Our babe digs demon.”
“I’m in. Do us both at the same time. If we’re going to have to penis around with Death, it might as well be a united front.”
“Dick.”
“Pardon?”
“Dick around. Not penis around.”
“Whatever.”
Flynn shook his head. “Keep this to yourself. I’m not sure I’m going to tell her.”
The fangs slid back into his mouth, and Flynn’s body rippled with power. He was a big man to begin with, but with Rinnon in him, he was a powerhouse.
“We should get back to the fun. I’ll keep Henri on the trail, you keep Jolie oblivious. We don’t need her doing anything valiant.”
“Stupid,” Flynn corrected. “Alexzandre chose his path, and I will not have Jolie sacrificing herself for him. We’ll save him if we can, but not at the cost of Jolie’s life.”
“When we leave Ireland…?”
“I know where our home is. I’ll give you the address, and you can have your father check it out. I don’t remember it. I get pieces from Rinnon’s memories, but that’s it. Death thinks more will come back when I’m there.”
Jacques was good with that. “He’s looking for a backup plan.”
“Good. You can always use a plan B.”
The men headed out of the office, both working on things in their head. At the top of the list, as always, was Jolie.
They had to keep her safe.
In the end, she was all that really mattered.
* * * H a r c o u r t e * * *
Jolie was so glad to have some of her family with her. She hated leaving them out in the world without her protection, but they were safer without her.
For now.
At some point, she’d reclaim them all, and they would be with her. The Harcourte family was powerful, and she wouldn’t let that fall away.
Then again, once Flynn became head of the Tueur, how was she supposed to deal with a family, work, and that? She’d have to work on that at some point.
Truth be told, she’d sacrifice her society for her mate. They’d both do it. To be with Flynn and raising their children was an important thing.
Still, there were a few she wouldn’t sacrifice.
These three were at the top of the list.
She loved them.
“So, what’s been going on?” Jolie asked. “Other than sex? We know you didn’t get pregnant by osmosis.”
Tommy blushed. “Shit! Where are the men? I need backup!”
Flynn strolled in. He was amused.
“We’re here. We had to work on a few things like locking down a homestead in Paris and other trivial things.”
Both men sat. Jolie crawled into Jacques’s lap. She loved feeling all safe and protected.
“I was just about to tell them about the things that had happened in our lives.”
Flynn got the clue.
Here came the Rinnon talk. He hoped his friend and partner on the force didn’t freak out. He was a human, and demon possession had a totally different meaning to them.
“Well?” Tommy asked. “You three look good.”
“There’s more than three of us here,” Jolie began.
Tommy laughed. “Yeah, two babies. The five of you.”
“There’s more than five of us here.”
He looked confused. “Unless one of them is pregnant, I don’t see where this is going. Oh Jesus. Tell me you didn’t knock Flynn up,” he teased.
“Well, Flynn died. Again. Only this time, he was reaped by Death.”
Camille’s eyes went big.
“I don’t get it.”
They told him the story. They started at the beginning and ended with the who—the body squatting part about Rinnon. At the end, Tommy stared at him.
Then he started laughing.
“Okay, that’s funny. Nice one. Screw with the newbie mate. The game’s over.”
Flynn called Rinnon.
The room had a darkness to it. He pulled death from Jolie, and it crept toward him. As the tendrils licked past Camille’s feet, she pulled them beneath her to keep from being touched.
All the while, she stared. “I can feel something here, and it’s not a vampyre,” she stated.
They weren’t shocked. When you were the undead, you could pick out the other things like you. Flynn had been half human, half vamp, and then half vamp and half demon, and with time, he was losing the vampyre part all together.
He was dark, deadly, and wicked.
Tommy still didn’t get it.
“What are you trying to tell us? I don’t get it. You can control her Harbinger stuff?”
“I’m Rinnon too.”
Camille gasped. She dropped to her knees and bowed her head. Tommy stared at her as if she’d lost her mind.
“What the hell is a Rinnon?”
“He’s the father of our kind or so the legend says,” Camille whispered. “He created us along with Death.”
Tommy was still confused.
“I’m a demon. I died, Death converted me, and now I have a tenant,” he said, touching his chest.
“Jesus Christ. If your Catholic mother wasn’t appalled by the whole undead thing, she’d really shit a rosary and bottle of holy water over this.”
Flynn laughed.
He was probably right.
“It is what it is.”
“Why would you do this to yourself, Flynn?”
He glanced over at his mate. “Demonstration, please?”
Jacques moved so fast, grabbing one silver blade from his boot. When he threw it, the dagger landed straight and true, right through Flynn's heart.
He howled in pain, and then he died.
Sort of.
Tommy jumped up and gasped. “You just…you just killed him,” he said, pulling Camille to her feet and away from Jacques.
“Pull out the blade,” Jolie suggested.
Tommy glared at them. “Why would you do this?”
“Tommy, pull out the blade,” she said again. “Trust me. Okay?”
He moved toward Flynn, and his chest wasn’t moving. He wasn’t breathing, his eyes were dead, and he appeared to be empty. There was no pulse.
Carefully, he slid the silver dagger from his friend’s chest. All the while, he wanted to be sick.
The second it was out, Flynn’s eyes flickered, and he gasped his first breath.
“Shit! I don’t know why that has to hurt,” he muttered.
Tommy dropped the blade.
“Jesus.”
He began pulling Camille with him from the room. Cari was in the kitchen playing with Mina, and he needed to get them the hell out of there.
“Stop.”
They couldn’t move.
&nbs
p; “What the hell?” Tommy fought.
Flynn got up. “Camille, come to me.”
The death licked from his body, wanting to feed. The female vampyre moved toward him.
“Please don’t do this, Flynn,” Tommy begged.
When he glanced over at his friend, his eyes went deep dark black, and they swirled with power. His fangs slid out, and Camille gasped.
“Please don’t hurt her!”
When she stood in front of him, he touched her arm. “You can feel him, right?”
“Yes.”
“Do I feel like I’m going to hurt you?”
She shook her head. It was the only part of her that she could move.
“Cari, come here,” he whispered.
Immediately, they heard her running that way.
When she entered the room, she ran right at Flynn. He caught her in his arms.
Tommy went to speak, but Flynn silenced him.
“Hey, Imp. I missed you. How’s your kitty?” he asked, taking a seat.
“He’s good. I couldn’t bring him. Our neighbor is watching him. I miss him.”
“I bet you do, baby.”
He glanced over at a fighting Tommy. “Relax.”
Tommy had no choice.
“Camille, have a seat. Tommy, join her,”
They obeyed.
“You feel different, Flynn,” she said. Cari sniffed him. “Your fangs got bigger. Will my fangs get that big? They’re cool. I want big fangs.”
He loved this little vampyre. He hoped his daughter would be just like her or at least friends.
“Do I feel differently to you?”
She shook her head, transfixed on his fangs.
“You can touch them. They’re sharp.”
She reached out and did just that.
“Your fangs will be more like mommy’s. My little girls will be like this, and Vanth’s. She’s a demoness, and I’m a demon.”
The little girl didn’t seem to care. She cuddled into his lap and rested her head on his shoulder.
“I love you, Imp.”
She giggled. “Can I have two kitties?”
He laughed. “Yep.”
Jolie laughed. “So, are you afraid of Flynn because he feels a little different?” she asked.
“He doesn’t feel bad. He feels like Flynn. I can smell him. His chest is harder. He’s not as squishy.”
Dangerous Sacrifice (The Harcourte Vampyre Society Book 6) Page 24
