McGrady’s heart was beating rapidly underneath his shirt, and I looked up into his beautiful amber eyes, trying to calm him as best as I could, knowing it may not do any good.
“What if this is our only option?” I asked him, making sure my voice was low enough so Eshu couldn’t hear us.
“It can’ be th’ only option, loove. Thur has tae be somethin’ else.” He pushed my hair behind my ear and wrapped his hand around the back of my neck, making me continue to look into his eyes as I could barely consider any other option as we wasted so much time. Someone else could be dying while we weighed the options.
“Yeah, but how much time are we going to waste? Five minutes for a dance or all night trying to figure out how else to get the information we need?” I asked as his face fell, seeing the point in my logic. His eyes glistened with tears, and I knew exactly how he felt. I would be the one objectified while people died; playing a game that only Eshu was winning. But what other choice did we have? “You have to let me do this. What if someone else is dying while we talk this over? I couldn’t live with that on my conscience. It’s our job to save people, right?”
Tears streamed down his face as he nodded. He knew I was right, and we could’ve lost at least one more of ours to the enemy while we argued.
“Okay. Okay. Ye make a guid point.” He lifted his eyes to mine and took me into his arms, kissing me so deep and so passionately it made my legs weak.
I fell into him, tangling my fingers in his hair and not caring who was watching whether it be Agent Stephenson or Eshu. I just didn’t care anymore. I heard laughter coming from the other side of the room, profound and resonating as it bounced off of the crimson walls. Eshu knew he had won. There was no argument about that. I pulled away from McGrady and breathed him in, closing my eyes as he breathed me in deep.
“It’ll be quick. With one blink it’ll be over,” I assured him as I pulled away, letting my fingers leave his as slowly as possible. He followed on my heels as I approached Eshu, making sure my rage was apparent enough to make him as uncomfortable as he made me. “You get what you want, Eshu. Now, let’s get this over with.”
Eshu grinned up at me, taking another puff from his cigar. “You can stay or go; it’s up to you.” That was to Stephenson and McGrady, and I was certain McGrady would stay to ensure my safety even though he would have to fight the urge to tear the man limb from limb.
Stephenson looked uncomfortable, crossing her arms over her chest as she left the room. McGrady didn’t follow her, and I couldn’t take my eyes off of him, so raw and vulnerable.
“You sure you want to stay for this?” Eshu asked as he motioned to his bodyguards who took their new stations by the doors, the lights turning down and decorative lights coming on, different colors moving over my body as I stood there staring at McGrady as he took a seat on the desk and Eshu transferred to a chair that one of the guards had moved to the center of the room.
“Aam sure.”
I was only hoping that he knew I was thinking of him as I moved. This was something I had only done for him until this moment so it had deeply hurt him that I would be alright with it, but if it meant saving lives, I would offer Eshu almost anything. Almost. There were certain lines I wouldn’t cross.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes as music started, and I recognized it instantly. It was the same song you heard on the trailers for that “Fifty Shades of Grey” movie. A song I had found sexy and titillating until this moment, if I ever did again after this. When I opened my eyes I only saw McGrady, watching me intently, the love in his eyes palpable in the air as I started to move, pretending he was the only one in the room. The song was slow and rhythmic; my hips flowing to the music easily and sensually as I thought about only one man in front of me instead of two, one being one I had never had a reason to hate before.
My breathing sped up as I moved, running my hands through my hair as I somehow managed to remove both boots sexily one at a time. I moved to the shirt that I slipped over my head as I arched my back and flicked my eyes toward McGrady who was watching with rapt fascination, his lips slightly parted just like Eshu’s were. I lowered myself to my knees on the floor, crawling on the soft and supple back carpet, making sure my back arched in such a way that any man would drool over. I rose to my knees and flipped my hair back over my shoulders, rippling my scarred belly that neither man seemed to notice. I slowly rose to my feet, unbuttoning and unzipping my black jeans, pulling them down slowly as I swiveled my hips. I pushed them down to my ankles, stepping out of them and toward Eshu whose hands gripped the armrests of his chair. I didn’t touch him, refused to touch him, so this wouldn’t be a lap dance of any kind. Not even close.
I placed my knee between his parted legs, not once taking my eyes off of the man that I loved, and thrust one hip out like a wave as the rest of my abdomen followed like a waterfall flowing in sensual ripples. As Beyoncé sang the last few notes, I placed my hands on either side of his head on the back of the chair and looked him in the eye, letting him know full well how angry I was.
“Looks like your sadistic little show is over,” and with those words, I grabbed my clothes and rushed to McGrady whose arms were outstretched and waiting for me. Always waiting for me.
Chapter 14
There was only one thing to do now that the embarrassing display was over. I couldn’t even force myself to look Agent Stephenson in the eye even though I was now fully dressed again, waiting with McGrady and her in a back room behind his office that was filled to the brim with all things Voodoo. Stephenson touched my shoulder, and I looked at her, at least avoiding her eyes as I zipped up the only boot I had left to put on.
“Are you okay?” she asked, whispering it to me as McGrady took my hand in his, squeezing it so hard I thought he’d break it, but deciding it didn’t matter.
I nodded and countered, “Yeah, embarrassed mostly. I just want all of this to be over and not to see that man ever again.” I let out an uncomfortable chuckle, and McGrady’s eyes lifted to look at my face, a weak smile spreading over his gorgeous lips. “If this man weren’t there I would’ve fallen apart.”
Stephenson smiled at me and patted my knee as I rubbed my hand over my tired face, wishing Eshu would hurry up already so I could go home and then prepare for something even more sinister tomorrow. She got up and moved to another part of the massive room, pretending to inspect a painting in the far corner that depicted a Voodoo woman raising the dead. I leaned into McGrady as he wrapped one muscled arm over my shoulder, both of us taking a collective breath to calm ourselves. He kissed the top of my head and stayed there, breathing in my scent that was slightly tinged with sweat.
A door opened, and Eshu walked in, all suave arrogance and joy at seeing a woman he had only met once prior half nude, but felt attracted enough to to ask of such a thing because she would be lost without the answers he could give her.
“Aam so sorry. If Ah knoo he woold’ve asked fur that we woold’ve ne’er come hur fur his help,” McGrady whispered as Eshu neared us, his suit coat moving smoothly with his body as he took us in and smirked.
“It’s okay.” I turned my face up to look at him and kissed him, pulling back just enough to speak those three special words. “I love you.”
He repeated the words back to me and blinked back a couple of tears that I wasn’t sure were from fear, sadness, happiness, or fatigue. We both stood and followed Eshu toward Stephenson’s position as she inspected the painting even closer, standing upright once she realized we were coming closer.
“So, Mr. Eshu, what exactly is the plan here?” she asked in that official tone that all FBI agents seemed to be born with, adjusting herself and shifting uncomfortably.
He barked a laugh and answered, “The name is Eshu, Agent. Just Eshu. Nothing else.” He looked at me and then averted his gaze quickly back to her. “I will take Miss Van Helsing beyond the vei
l where the spirits roam freely. This is where she will be able to see Richards’ true self, gaining the proof she needs to solve the killings.”
“And she’s going in alone with you?” Stephenson asked, shocked that I would subject myself to this man more than once in one night.
“Yes, I can only take one soul with me at a time, and she is the one who needs to see it as part of the Extermination Sector. Only she can legally investigate in cases of the supernatural, so she has to come.”
“I thought you were above the law, Eshu,” Stephenson prodded as she smiled widely at him.
Picking up a bottle of rum off of a nearby table he grimaced at the tone of her voice and shifted uncomfortably, “I may be Agent, but there are even lines I won’t cross, and that’s one of them. If I take you or McGrady here beyond the veil that could also get Miss Van Helsing into a lot of trouble, and that is something we do not want. Am I correct?”
McGrady scoffed at his admission and scuffed his shoe on the concrete floor, his penetrating stare not leaving Eshu once since he came back into the room.
“What do I have to do?” I asked as I stood, McGrady’s hand never leaving mine as I spoke to the man in front of me. “I’ve never been across the veil before.”
He smiled, his bleached white teeth contrasting in a scary away against his nearly dark as night flesh, and laughed. He waved his hand at us, signaling for us to follow him and we did so. He took us all the way to the back of the large space which just happened to be the darkest corner of the entire place, paintings of Voodoo ritual littering the room and the walls along with other Voodoo trinkets I was trying hard to ignore. He picked up something silver off of a small table; the tension in his muscles visible as I watched his back.
“These have been blessed in a way that’ll keep us tethered once we cross the veil,” he said, his tone smooth. It didn’t give away anything he may be feeling at the moment. It wasn’t every day someone came to you asking you to take them to the other side and bring you back to catch a killer. Of course, he had probably been asked the question more than most.
My heart fluttered in my chest when I saw what was in his hand when he turned to look at me, holding them out in a show of trust, even after what had just happened between us. A pair of silver handcuffs glared at me, and my head began to shake involuntarily. An aggravated grunt came from McGrady beside me as he clamped his hand around mine even harder, almost nearing the point of pain. I put one hand up to protest.
“Eshu, don’t you think you’ve already crossed enough lines tonight?” I asked, taking a quick glance at McGrady, his jaw clenching and unclenching as he stared the man down. I swallowed hard, letting my glance drift back toward Eshu and his outstretched hands holding the intimidating cuffs.
“It’s this or I magically bind you to me so we don’t get separated. I figured this would be the least uncomfortable option for you, Miss Van Helsing,” Eshu explained, his eyes never faltering. He was serious. Damn. The realization made me want to vomit, but I swallowed it down.
“I guess those are the lesser of two evils, considering…” I let the words fall away. Everyone knew what I meant without me having to say it.
“It’s funay hoo after whit she did up thur yoo’re finally worried about whit she is uncomfortable wit. Hoo is that fur morals?” McGrady snorted, his disdain for the man blatantly obvious even if he was attempting to hide it. Which I could tell he wasn’t.
Eshu’s stare shot to McGrady then, two emotions in them, one he was trying to keep hidden. The one that was the most detectable was pride and the one underneath, which even I had trouble detecting at first, was anger. Anger at the love of my life for being enraged by something so trivial I was guessing. Of course, it was trivial to Eshu, but not so much for us. It was something intimate and personal that he had taken for himself, and that was what had McGrady so angry he could break something. McGrady had wanted to hit him, but had held himself back for the sake of myself and the case, which I was grateful for even if I wanted to do the same thing.
“I would say that was something I feel terrible about,” Eshu admitted, pausing, “except that would be a lie.”
I let out a breath in a huff and moved toward Eshu, letting McGrady’s hand fall from mine. I wasn’t angry with him, just tired of all of this.
“Let’s get this over with. The sooner we do this, the sooner we can get out of here and be done with all the bullshit.” I rushed, looking at Eshu as he held the bottle of rum out to me. I looked at him quizzically, not taking the bottle offered to me until he explained himself since the cap was missing. I would say I trusted him if it weren’t for the vulgar display inside of his office.
“You seem nervous,” he stated.
“Yeah well, it’s not every day you go beyond the veil, Eshu. This is a first for me, and I can’t say I’m very happy with you at the moment.”
“You have only met me once before now, but even you know that I have a price. It may not be favorable to you, but I am selfish and could not resist,” he explained as he pushed the bottle toward me again, the liquid inside sloshing its welcome to me. “If it helps, this will ease the transition from the world of the living to that of the dead. I haven’t found anything that works better than this for a Van Helsing.” He tilted it up and took a long pull of the liquid, holding it out to me once more.
I glanced at my companions and, when McGrady nodded, I took the bottle and swallowed at least two or three shots worth of the liquid, handing the bottle back to Eshu as it burned its way down.
“Good girl.” He set the bottle down on the floor beside him. “At least you’re not fully human. I’d have to ruffee you to ease the transition.”
I swallowed hard past the lump that formed in my throat as McGrady cleared his and Stephenson shifted her feet. She wasn’t comfortable with that statement, and I had to say I wasn’t particularly thrilled about it either. At least I wasn’t fully human. There was a silver lining somewhere in our situation, and that just happened to be it.
“Be careful, Izzy. An’ ye…” McGrady said as he glared at Eshu and pointed a finger at him to emphasize his next words, “brin’ ‘er back ur I’ll hunt ye doon.”
The alcohol was beginning to warm me as Eshu placed one cuff on my wrist, closing it as loosely as he could so he didn’t hurt me and putting the other around his own. A smirk was playing at his lips, and I resisted the urge to slap it away, knowing that if I did that what I had just done was for nothing.
“Now, I must warn you. What is beyond is like nothing you have ever seen before. It will frighten you, and it will rip at you, but if you turn to run you will attract them, and they will follow you. You have to remain as calm as possible and keep your wits about you.”
My heartbeat picked up, threatening to climb up my throat and jump out of my mouth as I stood there staring into the deep eyes of the man who would take me into the unknown. My breath caught in my throat, and my body went rigid even though I knew the best way to do this was to remain as calm as humanly possible. My body refused to cooperate.
“What’s next?” I asked swallowing the lump that had formed my throat, it settling in my stomach like rocks.
“Ignore everything around you, breath, and look into my eyes.” I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding and let my shoulders sag, rolling my head around on my shoulders to work out any tension, and looked into his dark brown, nearly black eyes. “It’s not too late to back out. I can give you the answer you seek without all the theatrics.”
I shook my head and answered, “No, I want to see it, Eshu. Seeing is believing, right?”
He nodded and replied, “Absolutely,” flashing a brilliant smile. “Now, just relax,” he whispered as he took my hands in his.
That was when I felt the pull like I was being tugged underwater by the ocean’s current never to be able to reach the surface again.
I would’ve panicked if it weren’t for Eshu’s comforting presence when it had previously been so facetious that I was reluctant to go anywhere beyond anything with the man. My heart rate and my breathing slowed, my body relaxing one muscle at a time as my mind opened, pulling me to cross the veil without effort. It had to have been the rum I downed just seconds before. Eshu had said it would make the transition easier, but I didn’t expect it to be painless. And it was.
I closed my eyes and felt a cold shiver run through my body as I moved through something thin, almost like tissue paper that had been slightly dampened by mist. I hadn’t even moved my feet, but I felt as if I had walked through it, it leaving a residue on my skin that was highly unpleasant. A slight stinging sensation pulled at my skin, moving down to my very soul where it felt like it was being ripped from within me, but as quickly as it came about it was gone and I felt like I was floating. I had almost cried out, but felt a reassuring squeeze of my hands, causing me to relax just as I had been instructed. My breath left me in a rush, and I opened my eyes to find something I had never expected, Eshu standing before me with a scene behind him that I didn’t think was possible. And it felt quiet, too still to be real. And a pungent odor that reminded me of decay and death stung my nostrils, almost causing me to gag. Eshu placed his hands on either side of my face, the one shackled to his following his movements as he made me look at him.
“Breathe in through your mouth and stay calm. It’ll help,” he reassured me.
I did as he suggested, no longer being able to smell the odor, barely noticing a hint of it on the back of my tongue as I breathed in and out, in and out. My eyes drifted from his to take in my surroundings, a thick ghost-like fog rolling over the ground and covering our feet. There was an underlying smell underneath the rot, like rotten eggs. Sulfur. Demons.
Chasing Shadows (The Initiative Book 1) Page 15
