“You are something else,” he breathed into her hair before releasing her just enough that she could look up at him. “That’s the part that scared you?” he asked with narrowed eyes. She pulled a ‘duh’ face at him. He shook his head and released an explosive breath. “I apologise for scaring you, Lea, but the opportunity was just too good to pass up.”
“You could’ve warned me through our link,” she grumbled, nowhere near placated.
“Controlling them all in the middle of a brawl would’ve been nigh-on impossible. I needed to keep everyone calm. I needed the leader to think he was in control. Your reaction needed to be natural, and it was absolutely perfect. This was the safest way I could think of.”
“And why the goddamned headlong rush down the mountain?” she demanded, still not ready to forgive and forget. “That nearly killed me.” His reluctant smile was grim.
“I figured they’d have Butch; I didn’t want to leave him too long in their tender care.”
She had no more energy to argue or to act annoyed, so she simply dropped her head onto his chest and allowed herself a moment to savour the feeling of sheer relief. Relief that her mom was safe and on her way home, that Butch was alive and functioning, that Fergus hadn’t been mortally wounded, and that Julius hadn’t been reduced to a pile of ash. It was as good an ending as she could hope for. The rest could wait. Even the raging desire to know what Julius had pulled from Zayden’s mind.
The helicopter flight back to the airport was short, urgent and noisy and did nothing to ease the throbbing in Gabi’s head. Night was fading and sunrise was imminent; the need to get Mac onto the plane before sunrise made them all tense. Gabi was both surprised and oddly relieved to find Sicarius waiting for them in the plane, which was already warming up and almost ready to go. He barely raised an eyebrow at their dishevelled and bloodied appearance, and he didn’t seem any the worse for wear. But questions would have to wait.
“Seats, please,” the pilot’s voice said over the intercom, and they all hurried to comply. Mac disappeared into the first sleeping cubicle, and Fergus began divesting himself of his scabbard and assorted weapons. Gabi fell into a seat and gently bumped heads with Razor as he hopped up beside her, purring. Julius handed her a bottle of painkillers and a glass of water then gave the assassin a pointed look. Sicarius sighed, saluted and went off to the same cubicle he’d been locked in on the flight here. Fergus took a seat near them after shoving a disturbingly large pile of weapons into a storage locker next to the on-board toilet and shower room. The plane began to taxi toward the runway as Gabi glanced out of the window to see the eastern sky light with false dawn. They’d made it. She popped four tablets into her mouth and washed them down with the entire glass of water.
“Sire,” Fergus rumbled, “can we troost th’ Decurian, or dae I need tae dispose ay th’ assassin?”
“Let Gabrielle call and speak to her mother first; then we will talk,” Julius told him.
“It can wait. I know she’s safe with Kyle,” Gabi said, loosening Razor’s armour as the plane turned at the end of the runway and began to pick up speed ready for take-off. “Fergus will need to sleep soon. I can call her then.”
“Nae, lass, I can stave off the sleep. Call yer mother; it’ll set yer mind at ease,” he told her.
Gabi frowned, thinking back, but she couldn’t remember Fergus being able to delay his daysleep in the past. She knew he was powerful but…
“Have you been keeping secrets from me?” she demanded, glancing from the Scotsman to Julius and back. They looked at each other, not meeting her gaze; it was almost comical to see two of the fiercest men on the planet looking sheepish. She sighed and pulled a face. “Really?” she asked, her disbelief drawing out the word. “I only gave him like a teaspoonful.” A couple of months ago she’d given Fergus a small amount of her blood to wake him from daysleep. She hadn’t given the donation much thought at the time, but now it was clear that, small as it had been, it had had an effect.
“Ye ur potent lass.” Fergus grinned.
“Fergus was only a hairsbreadth from Master level anyway,” Julius explained. “He would’ve reached it on his own within months, but your blood pushed him over the threshold.”
“Ye hae tae be very careful who ye share it with. Ye cannae dae it without thinkin’,” Fergus put in, his face serious.
Gabi grimaced. “We’ll talk about this later. I’m going to call my mom.”
“That’s a lot tae think about,” Fergus grumbled an hour later. “Naethin’ is straightforward with th’ Decurians.”
“Or with the Lucis,” Gabi added. Razor was sleeping with his head and one paw on her thigh. She stroked him, soothing herself more than the cat.
“And everything could change tomorrow if any of the major players have a change of heart,” Julius agreed.
“But for now, we can trust Eka, in as much as he needs us to educate and protect Flora.” Gabi phrased it as a statement, but it was equally a question. “If his life is as threatened as Zayden thought it was, he’s in a worse position than he painted for us.”
“Perhaps he simply doesn’t know how adamant they are about removing him,” Julius surmised.
“Ur he is confident he can overcome any attacks by bein’ forewarned,” Fergus said.
“What are the chances he will try to Turn Flora?” Gabi asked the question that had been prickling the back of her mind since they sat in the cave with the Decurian Number One.
“I think that may depend on how desperate he becomes.” Julius was thoughtful. “Tabari is the only Vampire of African blood that any of us know of. The chances of Flora being successfully Turned are so slim as to be non-existent. He would have to be insane to try it.”
“Well, I don’t think anyone could accuse that Vampire of full sanity,” Gabi muttered.
“I’d heard that Vampires start tae go a wee bit off after th’ first half millennium,” Fergus said. “It’s lookin’ like that’s true.”
“And beyond that, he’s developed strong emotional ties to a young human girl. He may have started off taking care of her purely because of her value as a tool to further his own ends, but I have no doubt that he feels every bit as strongly about her as he implied, perhaps more so. Having such overpowering emotions for one person is a major shift in mindset. Even I didn’t cope well when I first met Gabrielle,” Julius pointed out. Gabi didn’t like being reminded of the time Julius had withdrawn from her, pushing her away, refusing to see her. Alexander had been the one to explain that Vampires over a certain age didn’t deal well with unfamiliar emotions or major shifts in psychological viewpoints. Falling for her had not been part of his game plan, though apparently seduction had been. Hmm…she dragged her attention back to the conversation.
The pilot’s voice over the intercom woke Gabi from a fitful doze. They were coming in to land. They were home.
And her mom was home; she’d been due to land about an hour before they did. Gabi dragged herself upright in the seat, her neck and back muscles begging to know why she hadn’t retired to the far more comfortable bed in the sleeping cabin. She rubbed her eyes and tried to finger comb her hair into some semblance of control. Razor purred next to her and then yawned hugely, stretching out his enormous paws and arching his back before beginning to groom himself.
“I should have taken you to the cabin,” Julius murmured, coming into her line of sight, “but I didn’t want to wake you. You were restless as it was.”
Gabi gave him a half smile and put out her hands. He took them and pulled her upright, bringing her body close to his and wrapping his arms around her. She breathed in the masculine scent of him; there was still an undertone of damp forest and blood. She growled very softly as she pressed her fingers to the dark stain and the tear in his shirt where the knife had entered his chest. She had already checked the wound site twice since they boarded the plane, but she felt the urge to check again, even though the second check had revealed perfect, unblemished skin, without even a s
car to mark the spot.
“I’m fine, you know that,” he said, but his voice was soft and husky. He bent his head to kiss the tip of her nose. “You have about five minutes to freshen up and grab some coffee; then we’ll be heading in to land.” He stepped aside to give her room to move. “I spoke to Kyle a short while ago. They’re at the airport. Evan met them there, and they’re waiting for us to arrive before Evan takes your mother home. She wants to see you.”
Gabi nodded even as a tight knot twisted in her stomach. Her mom had sounded cheerful and unfazed when they’d spoken on the phone. She wanted to see her mom too, but she dreaded the inevitable conversation. They’d only just managed to find some kind of common ground about Gabi’s ongoing involvement in the supernatural world, and now elements of that supernatural world had kidnapped and dragged her halfway across the planet. There was a high likelihood that they’d be back at the same impasse they’d been at for so many years. She sighed as she traipsed down the aisle to the tiny on-board bathroom; as long as her mother was safe, that was all that counted. At least that was what she kept telling herself.
The plane came to a stop inside the private hangar and the engine noise dulled to a quiet hum. Gabi caught herself toying with the ring on her left hand. Usually she wouldn’t have allowed herself the outward sign of stress, but her only companions were Julius and Razor. They could both sense her tension anyway.
The time zone shift meant it was late afternoon in the City. Mac was still in daysleep and Fergus had chosen to retire several hours ago. Sicarius was still in his cabin, though she’d heard him use the bathroom and seen Butch take food in to him. Butch had taken a couple of hours to rest and was looking no worse for his ordeal. Fucking resilient Werewolf. He was back in the co-pilot’s seat and would help unload the two Vampires into waiting vans for the trip back to the Estate and keep an eye on Sicarius, though Gabi wasn’t expecting any trouble from the human. Julius hadn’t tried to talk her stress levels down, but had been a quiet strength next to her for the last few minutes.
She was unbuckling her seatbelt when Butch opened the cockpit doorway and made his way to the main door. He unsealed it and released the stairs as Gabi gathered her jacket and Nex; she knew the rest of her belongings would be transferred to a waiting car. Razor trotted ahead of her, eager to be back on terra firma, and Julius followed behind as she emerged into the stiflingly hot afternoon air.
Five other private jets brooded quietly in their allotted positions in the hangar, and a large, sectioned-off lounge area huddled at the far side, away from the plane entrance. Her mother and Kyle would be waiting for her there. Julius touched her arm as she paused at the bottom of the stairs.
“I’ll get the car and wait for you outside,” he said, his tone giving nothing away.
“No,” Gabi said after a short pause. “You need to meet her. She needs to meet you. I’ve put this off for far too long.” In for a penny…
“Lea,” he turned her to face him, and she looked up into sympathetic sapphire eyes, “you don’t need to do this now. It can wait.”
“No, it can’t.” She returned his gaze resolutely. “Besides, Kyle might not be enough backup; I might need the extra protection.” She forced her lips to curl into a smile, but she was only half joking. She resisted the urge to take a deep breath, threaded her fingers through his, and marched determinedly towards the hangar lounge just as a dark van pulled up beside the plane and Rory emerged from the driver’s seat.
Her mother was seated in a lounge chair, with a steaming cup of coffee on the table in front of her. She was dressed in fresh clothing, and her hair and make-up were perfect as usual. Evan sat beside her, his hand linked with hers, just as Gabi’s now threaded through Julius’s. In stark contrast to her mother, Evan looked haggard, his clothing rumpled, dark circles under his eyes and uneven stubble marring his normally clean jawline. Kyle and Derek were in seats across from them, both in dark pants, camo shirts and well-worn boots, looking lean and dangerous. Gabi could see two men and a woman outside the tinted windows of the lounge, clearly on sentry duty. Derek spotted her first and gave a wave, deftly adjusting his prosthesis so he could come to his feet. Kyle rose with a relieved grin and her mother swivelled towards them.
“Gabi,” her mother breathed, standing and letting go of Evan’s hand. Her smile was bright and crinkled the corners of her eyes. She held out her arms and hurried forward. Gabi let go of Julius and handed him Nex just in time to catch her mother’s hug. Evan had risen as well, but hung back, his eyes wary.
“Are you really okay, Mom?” Gabi put her hands on her mother’s upper arms, pulling back a little to peer into her mother’s face. “I’m so sorry you got caught up in—”
“Hsst, I’m fine, Gabrielle.” Her mother cut off her apology and put her hands on either side of Gabi’s face. “I already told you that on the phone. I’m absolutely fine. It was like an unexpected holiday, really. I just wish I could’ve taken Evan with me. Who would’ve known that Transylvania was such a beautiful place?”
Whoa, Gabi was momentarily stunned into silence. This was not at all what she’d expected from her mother. Her mother patted her cheek.
“Now I believe you have an introduction to make?” She peered around Gabi to Julius’s tall frame standing quiet and breathtakingly beautiful a few feet behind her. Gabi turned her body to reveal all of Julius and heard the tiny intake of breath from her mother. She wasn’t sure if the gasp was surprise or awe or a combination of the two.
“Mom, this is Julius. He is the Master Vampire of the City,” she said formally, inwardly bracing herself.
Julius stepped forward and held out his hand. Nex had vanished and she wondered where he’d hidden the sword.
“Mrs Harper,” he said, “it is a pleasure to meet you. I wish it could’ve been under less stressful conditions. I hope your trip back was comfortable.”
“Oh, call me Vivian, please,” her mother responded, reaching for his hand, but instead of shaking it, she pulled him closer for a hug.
Gabi knew her eyes were bulging, but she couldn’t help it. Julius leaned down to return her mother’s hug very gently, but his gaze caught hers. For a brief second Gabi wondered if he was using Vamp mind control, but quashed that thought, she could always sense when he used it.
“I trust you are the one responsible for putting those rocks on my daughter’s finger?” she asked, releasing Julius and stepping back to look at Gabi with a wry lift to one eyebrow. Trust her mother to notice the ring in five seconds flat.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Mom.” Gabi self-consciously twisted the ring. “It’s not exactly what you think it is.”
“Well, it looks like some kind of intention to me.” Her mother’s lips formed a thin line and her gaze fixed on Julius, undaunted by his formidable presence. “I know your father isn’t here to say the kind of things that need to be said, so I need to say them.” Gabi tried to interrupt, but her mother held up a hand to silence her. And she turned to Julius. “I know that my Gabrielle can take care of herself; she doesn’t need a man in her life for that. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the last few years with Evan,” she held out her hand to her husband, “it’s that being happy makes life worth living. So I ask you, Julius, will you do everything in your power to make my daughter happy?”
Gabi prayed to every god listening that the City would experience its first earthquake right about now. She didn’t dare look at Julius.
“Vivian.” Julius’s voice was smooth and confident, and when Gabi finally looked at him, his smile matched his voice. “I have many responsibilities in life, but making Gabrielle happy makes me happy, so there is no question that I will eagerly accept your charge. And, as incredibly difficult as it is, I will also do my very best to keep her safe.”
Her mother kept her gaze locked with Julius’s for another moment before she nodded slightly and the stern line of her mouth softened.
Razor chose that moment to intervene, twining through her mot
her’s legs and rubbing against her, looking for attention.
“Oh my goodness, hello, Razor,” her mother said, reaching down automatically to pat the huge cat’s head. “What are you doing here?”
And just like that, the tense spell was broken. Gabi released the breath she’d been holding for far too long. Evan stepped forward, shaking hands with Julius before pulling Gabi into a hug, relief and gratitude evident in every nuance of his body language. Kyle loped to the outer door of the lounge to relieve another Werewolf of a tray of steaming coffees and a large box of pastries. In moments they were all seated in an informal circle, chatting and eating like any large dysfunctional family.
Out of the corner of Gabi’s eye, she saw Kyle reach into his pocket for his phone. He swiped the screen and held the phone to his ear, and his face turned serious. She strained to hear what he said, and caught the words “I’ll tell him” before he disconnected and returned the phone to his pocket. He stood and allowed his easy grin to slide into place. “Sorry to break up the party, but duty calls. Vivian, let me get you and Evan home.” As her mother stood and began to gather her things, Kyle stepped to Julius’s side and said quietly, “Turn your phone on. Patrick is trying to reach you.”
CHAPTER 14
There'll be Hell to Pay (Hellcat Series Book 6) Page 18
