When I pulled into the drive and parked Flynn’s baby, I recalled the purpose of this whole experience. It was after three in the morning. Flynn had fallen asleep and hadn’t awakened when I stopped the car.
Getting out of my seat beat, I crawled over to him. His head was back and he looked so young. His mouth was open. Without touching him, I moved as close as possible. Leaning over with my hands pressed on the seat, I gave him the breath of life. I gave him what he needed without him even noticing. Then I felt McKayla who’d been silent all night begin to stir.
Chapter Twenty Three
Being thrown out of the driver’s seat, it felt like I was yanked back by the shoulder. My vision slipped into a vortex of sight through another’s eyes. I felt before I saw that she pressed her mouth to his. The connection was instantly hypnotic.
Our lips melded against his. I could feel the exchange. We were doing all the giving and he was doing all the receiving. Flynn’s eyes popped opened. His hand clamped on our arms. But she pushed more of us into him. Our tongue under her instruction snaked across his lips before he joined the dance that bewitched us both.
I struggled for purchase in the mist trying to right myself as I continued to feel like I was pulled down into quicksand faster than possible. His hands slid down our arm and to the small of our back. My intentions to help him, to heal him had been thwarted by my demon. Not in control of my body, I knew my eyes blazed black. Yet, Flynn, who had to have seen, did nothing to stop this.
My demon was right. Flynn was her best hope at achieving her goals.
~McKayla~
Biding my time had been well worth it. With him, we could be stronger. Pulling back a little, I said, “Aren’t you lovely.”
He grinned. His eyes flashed neon blue. Kindred demons, we were more than connected. “And you are the prettiest of them all.” With his hands on my hips, he pushed me away. “Mercy, that is.”
I frowned. Frosty waves of contempt filled me. “Can she hear me?” he asked.
Those words built up anticipation. Would he, could he, if he knew she wouldn’t. “No, she’s out of the picture. No one has to know what we do here.”
Leaning forward, I made my move. Pressing my mouth back to his, the bond strengthened between us.
I waited for him to take my lead. But cupping my face, he broke the connection. “That’s the thing, I’ll know.”
He closed his eyes as if he was in pain. Grinding my teeth, I said what needed to be said. “You’d die for her.” It was true; his demon was starving inside. It was only a matter of time.
“That’s the thing about love. You’d do anything for the people you care about,” he said, solemnly.
“As if they care about you. They can never be. You and I both know it. Your sacrifice will be for not.” He had to see reason. He and I could be great together. Sex with him would be legendary. I moved to touch him.
He clasped my wrist. For someone so weak, he was strong with determination. “Don’t,” he gritted out.
Snatching my hands from his grasp, tongue in cheek, I pulled one final move. Seizing the hem of the shirt I wore, I pulled it over my head. The force of it spilled my hair from the ponytail. It fell over my shoulders. I took control of his hands while his mouth whispered an ‘Oh Shit’. I gave him a hand full of my chest. “Isn’t this what you’ve wanted to do since seeing us?”
He pulled his hands away, puzzling me more. He was rejecting me? Opening the door, he snarled, “Look, if you couldn’t get Sebastian or Luke to do what you wanted, why do you think I would.”
Humans, I thought. His wounded expression told me he was disappointed in me. “Fine, Go. I’ll find someone.”
Leaning over in a move worthy of vampire speed, he snagged the car keys from the ignition. Rolling my eyes, I pulled out Mercy’s phone. “I’m sure there is someone here—” But he took that from me too.
“You will not do this to her,” he commanded.
Biting my tongue, I said, “Well, then you’ll just have to give me what I want because I have legs. And you don’t have enough strength to chase me all night.”
Closing his eyes on a sigh, and gripping the keys rattling them in the process, he said, “What do you want?”
“Take me to bed,” I said, watching him stiffen as if he didn’t expect me to say that. “Or I’ll let someone else do the honors.”
My smile was broad but toothless. I knew I won when I saw defeat hunker down on his face. “Fine.” Then pointing at my shirt, he added, “Put that back on.”
Pouting, I said, “Why?” And I flashed him a wicked grin.
“Because if your mom is up, she’ll kill us both.”
Though Julie wasn’t my mother, I saw his point. I pulled the shirt back over my head and scooted closer. He yanked me out of the car none to pleasantly. Then I was up and over his shoulder.
“Hey, you brute,” I protested, but it was kind of hot.
Not answering me, his combat boots clomped on the driveway until we were inside the house. The chain on his belt loop jangled around. “The chain is—” my words trailed off when he stepped on the stair. The movement dislodged his shirt. Skin. Peeking below the waist band of his jeans I caught ink. “You have a tattoo.”
Still not speaking to me, I checked out other parts of him. “Your ass is perfect. Has anyone ever told you that?”
“Yes,” he said, flatly. I grinned; vanity might be the key to this puzzle.
“As one not easily impressed with men, you were well created. But then your father is a masterpiece himself.”
Before I knew it, I was tossed on the bed. My head swam. That was an odd sensation. My human body was withering under Mercy’s control. “Hey,” I said, thinking Mercy would have protested if she had been man handled. I angled to be more like her if that would help his conscience. Then my hands
were caught at the wrist. The brute’s denim clad legs scissored around mine, holding me in place. “Look, don’t you think spooning would be a better preamble?”
“Spooning is for wusses.”
“Why? That’s what Luke does to Mercy,” I said, turning my head to him, wondering when we’d get down to things.
Huffing out the barest of laughs, he said, “More power to him. Personally, I don’t want a mouthful of hair. The only winner in that is the girl. If you knew anything about me, you’d know that I’m all about me.”
“Well, I hoping that would be the case.”
Producing a phone one handed, he made a call instead of pressing my buttons. “Luke, you need to come here now.” His words dashed my hopes. I’d gone about this all wrong. Next time, I would choose a complete stranger.
In a matter of moments, two figures materialized a small distance from the bed. There he stood. My body stiffened at the sight of those blue eyes, dark and powerful. The seductive lips turned ever so slightly at the recognition of me. Sebastian. Behind that muscular frame stood the blonde goody two-shoes, Luke.
Bucking, I tried to leverage myself out of Flynn’s grip.
“What the F—” Luke started to say until I met his blue eyes with equal disdain.
“This is like the exorcist. Get your girl before her head starts spinning,” Flynn blathered, still trying to restrain me.
“McKayla,” came the dark sultry voice. Immediately, I went still. My will attuned to his voice.
“Sebastian.”
Flynn and Luke stared at him as the fight left me. I had no choice but to listen.
“You can let her go,” Sebastian told Flynn.
He untangled himself from me and scooted away like I was radioactive. All my systems were go but there was no one to turn me on. Spitting, I said, “Bastards.” That was all I could do.
“How did you get loose?” Sebastian asked.
Letting my eyes roll to the back of our head, unable to stop myself, I huffed out, “The lack of sleep. She was too tired to hold me back.”
“Free her,” Sebastian commanded dispassionately.
“N
o,” I said even though the cord that held her bound was loosening. “You can’t stop me forever.” I eyed them each one by one. Their disgust fueled my words. “That’s okay. Flynn, did you get off having your hands on me?” And I shook my breast at him and watched as Luke turned purple.
Chapter Twenty Four
Heaving in a breath, I sat up on my elbows trying to get my bearings. I’d been with Flynn in the car last I remembered. Now I was in my room with Flynn, Luke and Sebastian. What the hell happened?
“Dude, I didn’t do it. She pulled her shirt off,” Flynn was saying, shaking his head. “I was blindsided for a second, then she—” He demonstrated cupping his own hands towards his chest.
Sebastian strong armed Luke who looked like he wanted to pummel Flynn to the ground. I put it all together. Leaping to my feet, I punched him in the stomach. “You asshole.”
I heard laughing behind me as I wailed on Flynn who stumbled and fell. I straddled his hips to knock him in his head. He covered it by crossing his forearms though he didn’t fight back. He obviously knew that he was at fault.
Raising my hips and moving my legs, I went for the coup de grâce. Large hands cinched me around the waist and my knee made contact with nothing but air. “Kayla, lass, you know she did that, not him.”
Sebastian was so strong he held me one handed, while preventing Luke from going in. “Here, take your girl.” He flung me, though smoothly, into Luke’s embrace. Sebastian went to Flynn and took his wrist. A second later, they were both gone.
I stood there, Luke’s arms around me, letting it all sink in. But after a long moment, he released me as I slid down to the floor. Realizing I was fully dressed, and with the echo of Sebastian’s words, remorse washed over me. Flynn hadn’t given in to my demon.
“He’s right. Flynn called me. He didn’t have to. But he did.”
Still searching the ground for a hole that I could crawl into, I said nothing but watched Luke’s feet turn away. I watched them move in front of my bed where I heard the bed sheets shift under his weight. “Come here,” he said quietly.
My head hanging low, I walked over to him. As soon as I was in front of him, he peered up between the curtain of my hair. “It’s not your fault.” His words were patient and kind. This was my Luke. “Or his either,” he added hastily.
Nodding, I let him draw me on his lap. “I haven’t been sleeping. I’m trying but it’s not the same without you.” I mumbled.
“Is your mom home?” he asked.
Shaking my head, I thought about how my mom wasn’t doing shift rotation. She seemed to be taking more and more evening shifts and not day shifts. I didn’t get it. It was like my punishment was on the honor system.
“I’ll stay the night,” he said and pressed a kiss on my forehead.
Feeling guilty, I said, “I don’t want to take you from research.” There wasn’t a reason to say more. We both knew what he was doing.
“You are more important,” he said before he ever so tenderly kissed me. Then we were falling. Falling more into each other. Turning my body, I laid myself parallel on top of him. I longed to shed every last item of my clothing. Losing control only reminded me that left to my demon’s devices, I wouldn’t have a choice in my destiny.
“Please,” I said.
His eyes bugged out for a second registering my request. “Mercy.”
Even I heard the double meaning in my name, but didn’t care. “Luke, I want it to be you.”
Rolling us on our side, his hand stroked my hair as he kissed me. “You have no idea how hard it is to deny you.”
“Then don’t,” I said, staring into the murky depths of his blue eyes, I wanted to clear his indecisiveness.
I knew he warred with giving me what I wanted and his convictions that I be treated like glass. “I won’t break.” I promise.
When his eyes opened, conflict in them, he said, “But maybe I will.”
Now I felt like an infection. Slowly, I was poisoning the one boy I loved. Ashamed once again, I turned away from my heart wondering when I’d finally break him and not in a good way. I’d already damned him. And he had his reasons for not taking my virginity. Maybe he feared further damnation. But I was too embarrassed to ask.
Luke pulled my back into his chest, pushing my hair over my shoulder. Mumbling in my hair, he said, “Marry me.”
We’d been down this road and I was too tired to fight about it now. He was here and I needed rest. Diverting the conversation, I asked, “Did you get my voicemail?” He pulled out his phone, looked at it and shook his head. “Then how did Flynn get in touch with you?”
“My phone,” he said. He connected the dots because he added, “I got my phone unlocked because I knew I would be out of the country frequently. I guess I just missed your call.”
“Were you with Sebastian?” I asked.
Shaking his head, he said, “I called and he answered for once.”
I said nothing more instead opting to squeeze his hand. It was late. The act of closing my eyes pulled me into a dreamless sleep.
~
Waking up late in the morning wasn’t so pleasant. “Mercy McKayla Moore,” my mom’s voice trilled. Sitting up straight, I looked around but Luke wasn’t there.
“Mom,” I said.
“You can’t sleep all day,” she said. “Don’t you have homework and chores?”
Since moving to Flynn’s house, I hadn’t had to do many chores. They had a housekeeper that came in three times a week. The only thing I was responsible for was my own laundry and only because I turned down the offer for her to do it for me. It just seemed, I don’t know, wrong.
“Okay,” I said to my mother hoping to appease her. She left without further comment. Then I looked around before I was tugged down by an invisible force. Just when I started to giggle, an invisible mouth was crushed to mine.
“Shh, your mom might come back,” Luke chided.
Whispering, I asked, “How did you know she was coming?”
“I heard the knob turn,” he said, quietly. “How did you sleep?”
“Better,” I admitted. “Probably the best sleep I’ve had in a while.”
“Good,” he said. “I got some things to do, but I can come by tonight.”
“You’re not going back to do more research?” I asked.
I could tell he was worried about me and I was worried about him. “There’s some stuff I can do around here.”
Selfishly, I didn’t want him leaving the area so I didn’t argue that I’d be fine. “Did you ask Sebastian about Sara?”
“No, I forgot. So much other stuff on my mind.” He shook his head. I knew the feeling. It had taken me a couple of days to tell Luke about Paul being awake. With that human girl’s death and everything else it had gotten lost.
Wanting to trust him, I didn’t voice the concerns of the tiny devil on my shoulder who was telling me that Luke had way more feelings for Blondie than he wanted to admit. He was quiet and I knew he was thinking about her. I decided that I would ask Sebastian on my own. Luke and Flynn were entirely biased when it came to her.
Wanting to draw his attention back to me, I said, “I’m going out with Maggie tonight.” I’d already agreed to go with her. “With this moon thing coming up, I think she needs some girl time.”
“What are you both up to tonight?” he asked making himself visible again. It had been a little weird talking to air.
“Um, we’re going to her brother’s St. Patrick’s Day party.” Biting my top lip, I waited. Originally, I’d planned to ask him to come with me, but I thought more about spending time with just her. Plus, I still felt a little guilty about pulling Luke from his research.
“A Frat party?” he asked with an arch of his brow.
Biting my lower lip at the corner, I nodded.
His hand came up and touched at my hair. “It’s okay. I trust you.” The problem was, I didn’t trust myself. Well, I didn’t trust the demon that shared my body. “And you did get enough sleep
last night.
When he got up, I wasn’t totally sure of his mood. “I’ll see you later,” he said.
I nodded. Now if he was human, it would have been odd to see him step out of my window and disappear. But he wasn’t. And my life would most likely never be normal again.
Chapter Twenty Five
After Luke left, I followed my mother’s instructions. I did my laundry, my homework and even prepared dinner. What I hadn’t notice before was that the strain in the house extended not only from my mom to me, but between her and David as well. She said little things, but they barely spoke.
With Flynn no longer on tied to the house, he wasn’t at home for dinner. That left the rest of us eating the meal I prepared in silence. The little bit of conversation revolved around the food I prepared. The two seemed to try to outdo themselves by complimenting me.
“Mercy you prepared a wonderful dinner,” David said.
Mom countered, “She’s self-taught but she cooks like a chef in a five star restaurant.”
Things like that were traded back and forth. All I could do was nod. I didn’t have that natural charm Flynn had. If he’d been home, I’m sure he would have lightened the mood.
When Mom finally left for work, the tension dissipated. I hated to think it, but she was the instigator of all the bad feelings in the house. David headed upstairs and I hung out in the den. As soon as David went out, I immediately called Maggie who was on standby. While she headed over, I worked on my make-up, which I was getting better at. By the time she showed up, I was ready to go.
“Where’s Amber?” I asked.
She hadn’t been hanging around us very much anymore. “She’s dating—” Maggie told me about some guy on the basketball team. “Plus she’s still not over Paul.”
That name brought a frown to my face. He’d steered clear of me ever since he got back to school. And I gave him space. If ever we caught each other’s glance, he’d look away. And I really couldn’t blame him.
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