I laughed. “Didn’t take him long to forget me.”
“Yes, it did. He was still pissed about me sending ‘some women’ to him with the scent of his mate on her a year ago. In fact, he’d make snide remarks about it often, reminding me just how much I’d played with his emotions.” She winked. “He wanted you, Karri, not a woman with your scent. I never told him it was really you.”
“Why didn’t he ever come for me then? I mean, if he really did want me, why didn’t he come? I can’t believe you’d stop him again after having spent all that time with me.”
She waved her hand in the air and an image of me appeared. It was when I was in the dark side garb, meaning I was playing for their side--or pretending to anyway. My hair was sleeked back from my face and wrapped in a tight bun. It looked so much darker than it was. My eyes were black as was my barely there outfit.
I watched, seeing myself in the middle of a fight with the good side, the side I was really working for but had to pretend not to be. The minute I spotted Riston in the image I gasped.
“What was he doing there?”
“Looking for you,” she said, smiling, “you were so busy concentrating on staying in character, pretending to be evil but not hurting your own team that you let your natural guard, the one you erected the night you met him when he was chained to the bed, down. The instant it lifted he could sense you. The man rushed out of a picnic and went to you. But he couldn’t find the Karri-Lynn he remembered and found himself being thrust out of there before he could register that you were you.”
“Opps, I did the thrusting. Umm, think he’ll forgive me?”
PJ snickered. “Well, you did save his life so I’m thinking that’s a yes. Had he stayed he’d have been killed.”
I thought about something that I didn’t think would ever come up before my time was up. “PJ, is there a spell I can do to keep him from claiming me?”
“Why?”
“Because I’m scared to death that I might take him with me when I go. My dad mentioned once that he’d follow my mother wherever she went and I got the feeling that it was already set up to be so. Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me that Riston will be fine regardless what happens to me.”
She put her head down and sighed. “I can’t, Karri. You’re right. He’ll follow because he can.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that once claimed, he can always find you in life or death, Legs. He no longer has to rely on you letting your guard down. He will forever be able to locate you.”
My breathing quickened. “Give me something, anything that will prevent him from wanting to claim me. Anything. I’ll leave tonight if I have to. Hell, I’ll leave now. He was there, he knows about the attacks coming. I’ll have Seger and Branson stay to get him up to speed on what we’ve found out.” Pushing past, PJ, I went to the closest and snatched a bag out.
On my way past her, she grabbed my arm, bringing me to a fast stop. “PJ, you should be helping me not stopping me. He’s your brother. Do you want something to happen to him? I know I don’t.”
“Karri.” She held firm.
“No, don’t take time to lecture me about fate. You and I both now how very close my body is to giving out. Even if it keeps going by some miracle, the darkness has spread to the point that I have little control over it, PJ. I refuse to let him suffer because of that.”
“Why?”
My eyes widened. “What do you mean why?” I tried to break free but she kept a hold on me. For a little thing she was strong. I felt something else touching me then.
PJ tipped her head. “Tell me why you don’t want Riston to suffer, Karri. And tell me the truth.”
Taking a deep breath, I faced what I didn’t want to. “Because I love him.”
She smiled. “Karri, Riston has already claimed you. In the eyes of lycans and the majority of the supernatural world, he’s your husband.”
I dropped the bag as second before I went down too. The room seemed to spin and I fought hard not to pass out. Somehow, I knew that I would fail.
“Riston, stop lurking and show yourself. Your wife just found out she’s married and isn’t taking it so well. Maybe you should have told her that by exchanging blood with her while you were making love to her and biting her meant you were claiming her. Ya think?”
I opened my eyes just in time to find Riston staring at PJ. “She said she loves me.”
“Yes, she did, dipshit. Now, pick her up and love her like you know you do.”
“Riston?”
He dropped down next to me fast, only making the dizzy, uneasy feeling I had worsen. I wasn’t able to get anything else out before I gave in and closed my eyes.
Chapter Nine
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Seger asked, adjusting my ear piece just so.
I glanced down at the custom I was wearing and shrugged. “Ready as I’ll ever be. Hey,” I touched his forearm lightly, “did Matty find anything about where Riston and his team are?” I’d woke to find myself alone when all I’d wanted was my husband. Amber had told me that he and Eric raced out of the house so I knew it was work related, I just didn’t know where or exactly what he was doing.
“No, Karri. I know you’re worried about him. If I turn anything up, I’ll let you know. Now, you need to get into character, go out there and give your ‘husband’ a great performance for his new role as general to the underworld.”
I pulled myself together and stood tall. I walked out onto the stage and took my place. Nodding to Seger, I let him know that I was ready. The music started and I followed the haunting chant with long fluid moves. My cover was that I was the wife of a now general and had once been an entertainer. The story was that he found me dancing in a club and claimed me for himself. They seemed to believe it so we went with it.
The lights hit me and the entire underground club went silent. The beat went on and I followed it, extending my arms, letting the straps of the silver gown I wore to flow about in a tempting fashion. The upper portion was a silver corset that thrust my breasts up and almost out. I was made to seductive men and it worked well.
I skated along the edge of the stage, the lights bright, making it hard for me to make out the crowd. This was when I was at my most vulnerable. I trusted Seger, Branson and Jean-Paul to keep me safe through the stage portion of our act.
Seger had told me once that I looked like a dark temptress, beautiful yet untouchable when I was on stage playing this part. I wasn’t so sure about the beautiful part but I had to admit that I enjoyed it. Too bad it was a production for the bad guys.
I dropped down, tipped my head and let my eyes narrow as I zeroed on where I knew Jean-Paul would be, center table right before the stage. When I spotted him sitting there dressed in a dark gray silk shirt, designer black pants and shoes I locked gazes with him. His chin-length black hair hung into his pale face just enough to cover one of his blue eyes partially. He sat there with an ankle on his other leg. The famous legs crossed with several buttons undone on his shirt to show off his muscular, alabaster chest was a signature move for Jean-Paul. One that he’d not only perfected, but did just to tempt me.
I leaned down, off the stage just a bit and he put his hand out towards me as his jaw dropped slightly. Up until about three months ago I’d never been sure if he really did get off on my performances or he was just acting. Turns out, he really did get off on them.
I felt his pull on me and knew that the rest of the patrons did as well. It was a necessary part of the act. They needed to believe that I was his mate, his wife and that he maintained complete control over me. Keeping with my pre-choreographed routine, I stood quicker than a human could without assistance, knowing it made it appear that Jean-Paul had yanked me up like a puppet on a string.
The beat increased and I began to sway to it right before I interrupted the chants by singing out hard and loud, providing the perfect contrast to it all. The lyrics were dark, about immortal love and dying for it and made s
ure to keep my voice at a level that suited the piece. A fallen angel, that’s what Jean-Paul said it sounded like and in truth that was what it was. I let just enough of the darkness up to help it be different from my normal singing but keeping it darker, seductive, the voice of a siren.”
It also provided a valuable gift to us. It let the men move about freely and read the others in the club to find out their intentions. It’s how we’d been so good at remaining one step ahead of the enemy. It was also how I’d learned about the possible attacks on Riston’s team. Often, the men who frequented the clubs of the underground would drink, loosening their natural defenses and then when they heard me, my call to them to pay attention, to respond, they’d slip tiny details.
I concentrated on Jean-Paul as I continued on. The lights dimmed a bit and I let my glance flicker over the others at the table with him. The minute I found Riston staring back at me my breath caught, stopping my singing in its tracks. A worried look moved over Jean-Paul as the patrons began a low hush of whispers.
Jean-Paul stood, in an elegant manner and came to me, stepping onto the stage in one fluid movement. “Lynn, my love,” he said, loud enough for the patrons to hear him. “Does my new guard frighten you?”
Say yes.
I stared into his eyes as I heard his voice in my head. “Yes.”
“Fear not, fair-haired one, he is here to assure you are not harmed. A creature of such beauty full of such a wicked little dark streak is sure to be something in high demand.”
When a series of whistles, growls, snarls and howls sounded, Jean-Paul flashed his fangs and ran his hand down the front of me slowly, as he used his other hand to guide my head back enough that my neck was there, offered up to him on a platter. They stopped making noises instantly, knowing that Jean-Paul was powerful enough to kill them should he decide to do so.
As he leaned in to kiss it, he took a deep breath and locked gazes with me, looking confused. You smell of another. Why?
Having a fight over me smelling like another man wasn’t what I wanted to do now. In fact, it was the absolute last thing I wanted to do. I touched his cool cheek and stared into his royal blue eyes. I didn’t hesitate. No. I immediately began to sing again, this time to him. As much as I wanted it not to be aimed at him for real, I found that wasn’t the case. Problem was, Jean-Paul knew it.
He took my hand in mine and held me at arms length. A sly smile played over his entirely too handsome face. I spun until I was wrapped tight to him, tipped my head back and finished the song so close to his face that if he wanted to kiss me, he could. The second I finished, he did. Normally, Jean-Paul kept it simple yet seductive. Not this time. No. Now he made sure to kiss me so that no one in the room could think I was anything but his.
As he pulled back the place erupted into applause. “I think you will all understand that I wish to have my wife to myself for a bit. She can return to entertain you after I have had my time.”
No one argued at that. I didn’t think they would. Jean-Paul took my hand and led me gracefully down the front of the stage towards the table. Carefully, I offered the men at the table a cool, sexy smile, never once breaking character. I skimmed past Riston’s face fast, knowing that he alone held enough control over me to cause me to fuck up big time.
I took my seat, which was, of course, next to Riston’s. Thankfully, it was angled towards the stage so my back would be facing him. Jean-Paul bent and kissed my cheek before moving to his own seat on the other side of me.
There I was, sandwiched between two men that meant the world to me. One for his commitment and his help for the last nine years of my life and the other for simply being him--being my mate.
Jean-Paul lifted a strand of my curled hair and smiled. “Mmm, I do so love it when you wear it this way, Lynn.”
Different, thumping dance music began to play, drowning out the rest of the club. Jean-Paul turned to his right and gave Branson a questioning look. “Did someone forget to fill me in on all the details?”
Branson looked to me for help and I nodded slowly giving him permission to answer Jean-Paul. His eyes widened. “Well, I can hardly tell you what I don’t know, asshole.”
Jean-Paul cast him a sideways glance and smiled. “You are no longer under my direct command, Branson but do not let that fool you into a false sense of security.” He looked at me. “My apologies for not briefing you on the matter of having company this fine evening, ma chéri, but as you know, things change at a moments notice.”
Glancing around the room, I spotted Eric near one of the exits appearing as though he were engrossed in conversation with another. When I realized it was Seaton, the life in the fast lane guy, I knew that they were on a mission. Unfortunately, our missions crossed paths.
Jean-Paul leaned forwards and caressed my cheek gently. “Ah, to have a quiet moment to ourselves, ma chéri. I wish to tell you exactly what it is that you did to me while you were up there.”
I could take a hint. I threw my magik up and around us, locking our conversation in and all others out. “Talk, they can’t hear you now.”
“Who is he?”
“Who is who?” I asked, cupping my hand over his doing my best to keep up appearances for any one that may be suspicious and watching us.
Jean-Paul’s temper began to rear it ugly head as his jaw tightened and his fangs showed. He did his best to hide them from me but I saw them there and knew how very pissed off he was. “It is common courtesy to inform your significant other that you are fucking other men, Karri or do you not feel those small things apply to me.”
“Correct me if I’m wrong but we,” I leaned in and stroked his inner arm tenderly, “are not a couple, Jean-Paul.”
“That is odd,” he said, maintaining a smile. “I seem to recall finding you, unarmed and sitting in the center of a hotspot not caring who or what showed up to kill you, Karri. You were naked, shivering and in a mental place that even I could not reach.”
Branson pushed his drink aside in disgust. “Christ, Jean-Paul, what the fuck does you finding Karri the day after Tripp was killed have to do with anything? It could have been anyone of us who found her naked. You cover her up and get her to safety. You don’t throw it in her face eight fucking months later.”
I knew exactly what Jean-Paul was telling me and at the moment, I hated him for it. I went to pull my hand away from his but he held tight. “Careful, Karri. One wrong move and you will put all of our lives in jeopardy. I am sensing at the moment that you would stake me yourself if given the chance but know that your precious little boys are here.” He cast a sideways glance at Branson. “You would not wish harm to come to them. Do not forget that your Matty and Seger are among the crowd as well. They will not fade away if they sense you are upset. No. They would sacrifice all to assure your happiness. As would any of the men you call your own.”
“Do you have a point or do you just like hearing yourself talk?” Branson asked, clearly disgusted with Jean-Paul.
The soft chuckled that came from the now livid vampire sent chills down my body. “My point is that if Karri simply bats her lashes any one of you would do anything she asked.”
“And?”
“And now,” Jean-Paul ran his fingernail over my wrist slowly, tracing each vein carefully, “it would seem that Karri has allowed the tables to be turned. She has given someone the power to simply bat his lashes and she will do whatever he asks.”
“Oh, sort of like what you do to her? Gottcha, dead boy.” Branson didn’t back down and for once I was happy with that.
“Do I force you to do things you do not wish to do, ma chéri?” Jean-Paul asked, his French accent thickening as it often did when he was upset. “Do I make you come to me when you are at your most dire points? Did I force you to seek me out when you knew what would happen if you healed Amber, who was on her deathbed? Did I make you select me to entrust yourself with during the fourteen days that you lay lifeless because you took her death upon you? Did I make you select me to keep away
the demons that surged forth to torment you mentally the entire time, tugging on your essence, your very soul, to claim it for their own?”
I didn’t buckle. I sat there smiling at him with one that told him exactly how I felt at the moment--deadly. “No. You didn’t. But don’t sit there and pretend to be holier than thou, Jean-Paul. I distinctly remember having to sign my life away on a contract with the powers for a four year period to get the assistance that I came asking someone who I thought was a friend. It’s not like I didn’t pay a high price for your help.”
“That is neither here nor there, ma chéri. The fact of the matter is that you came to me. You did not call upon the assistance of the porcelain doll, PJ, and you did not call your pathetic excuse for a mate. You called me.”
“Whew, I don’t know about anyone else but I’m so happy that lecture had a point.” I curled my lip slightly. “For a moment I was afraid that you’d go on and on and begin mixing French and English because you’re too pissed off to pick one or the other.”
Branson laughed. I just smiled. Jean-Paul picked then to do just what I’d teased him about. “II y a quelau’ un d’autre?” He narrowed his blue gaze and let his eyes begin to swirl with flecks of black. “Are you, ma chéri?”
“What the fuck did he say? I hate trying to guess,” Branson said, not helping Jean-Paul’s mood.”
“He wants to know if she’s seeing someone else,” Riston bit out.
I did my best not to focus on Riston but hearing him voice exactly what Jean-Paul asked only made what I had to do all the more difficult. I had to lie. “No.”
“No?” Jean-Paul arched a brow just as I felt Riston’s energy wrap around my waist.
I nodded. “You heard me right. I said no.”
“Ma chéri, you smell of another man. You have been marked by him.” He laughed. “More than marked. He has claimed you, taken you for his mate. It could not have been an easy feat since you are already powerful and bore my mark.”
Wicked Lucidity Page 28
