by Erin West
He grunts. “I’ll be back shortly. Think about me while I’m gone, mo bhriar.”
I open my mouth to ask what he just said at the end, but he’s gone in a swirl of gray smoke.
Male voices draw me further back into the house. I find Drake and Eli in the kitchen having a heated discussion. The conversation ends when they sense me standing in the doorway.
Drake’s glowing amber eyes soften when they lock on me. “You should eat before we leave. I doubt there’s going to be food at the vamp’s place.”
Eli snarls at the statement. “Of course, there’s food at my house, but you should eat before we go. My contact will be waiting for us when we arrive.” He holds his hand out to the chair at the island and pulls it out for me to sit.
Since when did Eli become a gentleman? I take a seat and he pushes the chair in closer before sitting down beside me.
Drake’s head pops out of the refrigerator. “What would you like? Rosa left a tossed chicken salad in here yesterday.”
My stomach growls at the mention of food. It has been longer than I thought since I ate. “Yes, that sounds delicious.”
A white ceramic bowl and bottle of vinaigrette dressing is placed on the counter while Drake grabs two plates and forks from the cabinets before taking the other seat beside me. Lifting the tongs out of the bowl, I place a healthy amount on his plate, knowing how much he eats, then drops a smaller amount on my own plate. I toss the lettuce, chicken, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, and croutons in the dressing. Both men watch me as I take the first bite.
My head swings between the two of them, stopping on Drake. My eyes go from his plate to his face. “Aren’t you going to eat?”
He nods and picks up his fork.
Eli watches me with intensity. “Shouldn’t you clean yourself up before we leave? We don’t need you looking more like a Neanderthal than you usually do.”
At first, I think he’s talking to me, and I open my mouth to tell him he can shove his opinions, but Drake’s grunt stops me. Thank God. I was about to make a fool of myself.
After we eat, Drake stands, rinses off our plates, and puts them in the dishwasher. “Yeah. Don’t leave without me.” He places a sweet, tender kiss on my mouth, making my toes curl before disappearing around the doorway.
Something I can’t explain pulls me toward Eli. He’s still watching me, and his hand reaches up to caress my cheek.
I lean into his touch. “How long has it been since you fed?”
“Are you offering?” His fingers wrap around my hand, bringing it to his mouth, placing a sensuous kiss on the back. His tongue peeks out to taste the skin.
My breath hitches in my throat, need coiling through me. My body calls out to complete my last bond with him.
“I can wait a little longer.” His voice is husky with need.
Is he referring to feeding or my thoughts about completing the bond? I straighten my shoulders, creating some distance. “Tell me about this contact.”
Both of his eyebrows raise up. “There’s not much to tell. Just follow my lead and everything should go fine.”
“So, you’re saying it could go bad?” My tone of voice increases at the end.
He chuckles. “Any situation has the potential to go bad. But I will be there to protect you, no matter the cost.”
Did Eli just make a sweet comment? I think so. I’m not going to make a big deal out of it, though. Who knows when I’ll hear another one from him. “Where are we meeting your contact?”
“At my house. Although Drake will not be able to accompany us to the actual meeting, he can stay in the house.”
I nod, thinking. “Did you drive here?”
“No. We’ll take one of Drake’s cars there.”
His head turns toward the doorway as Drake enters, clean-shaven and dressed casually in jeans, a fitted slate blue t-shirt, and tennis shoes.
I can’t keep my eyes from roaming over his body from head to toe. My cheeks flush when he catches me eye fucking him, and the smile and wink he sends my way has butterflies taking flight in my belly.
Eli cuts the moment short. “Let’s get on the road. It’s about a forty-five-minute drive.”
I walk into the garage sandwiched between the two of them. Eli opens the back door of the Tesla for me and I climb in. The door closes behind me and Drake slides into the driver’s seat. I lay my head on the back of the seat, taking a deep breath from the roller coaster that has become my life.
My skin tingles, and I find Drake’s eyes searing into me through the reflection in the rearview mirror.
Getting into the car, Eli shuts the door and buckles up. “We are going to head to North Atlanta near Palisades.”
Putting the car in gear, Drake pulls out of the garage and we are on our way to Eli’s house.
The car is silent for a while, the only sound the quiet hum of the engine. I bet Eli’s house is as big as Drake’s, but top of the line quality. He’s a designer type of guy.
Drake glances over at Eli. “So, who is this contact?”
“Now, now.” Eli sighs. “You know I can’t tell you that, but I can promise you that they are trustworthy and very informative. I wouldn’t just trust anyone in regard to Rose.”
Tightening his grip on the steering wheel, Drake’s knuckles turn white. “I believe you, but why didn’t you tell us about you meeting with her while she was in the Underworld?”
Ohhh, this I need to hear, and I wonder who the hell helped him.
Leaning his head back against the headrest, Eli groans. “I guess it was too much to hope you’d forget that.” He rubs his eyes. “Look, it wasn’t anything personal, but Rumple was still watching us. We had to act the worried, concerned part, or they would become suspicious and think something was off and begin thinking Rose was here. They would have gone after people who were close to her, thinking they could draw her out, that she was on Earth.” He turns his head so he can meet my eyes. “They would think she was hiding on Earth if you and Oren still weren’t acting distraught, and they would have hurt Mia and anyone they thought would affect her.”
Oh, thank God. “I’m sorry, Drake. But I’m glad he didn’t tell you, if that’s true.”
Growling, Drake runs a hand through his hair. “I hate to agree, but I will. But I’m still not happy. I’m just glad you’re back.”
My heart flutters. “Me too. I don’t plan on going anywhere.”
A small smirk spreads across Eli’s face. “As touching as this is, I need you to turn right up here at the light.”
For the next several minutes, he directs Drake down roads to get to his home. After going down a road a long ways, we pull up to the largest house I have ever seen. It’s made of brick, with a huge circular driveway in the front and a large walkway up to the main door. There are bushes and flowers of orange and purple lining both sides of the stairway, and lights for when it is night.
Motioning for Drake to stop, Eli unbuckles. “Leave your car here and I’ll get someone to pull it into the garage.” He opens his door and then mine, helping me out. He grins. “You can close your mouth now.”
Oh, dear lord. My mouth’s been hanging open. “Your house is huge and gorgeous.”
The driver door shuts and Drake nods. “I’m impressed, too. I figured you’d live in something nice, but you’ve outdone yourself.”
Eli shakes his head. “If you’re going to live somewhere, might as well make it worth your while. Come on, mutt. Let’s go find you a room.” He walks off, heading to the door.
Turning around, I find Drake smirking.
He looks my way. “Some things never change.”
Laughing, I walk over and take his hand. “Yes, I think, no matter what happens, your pet name will always be mutt with him.”
We walk in the door behind Eli and stop in our tracks.
The room is huge and has two staircases on opposite sides of the room that come together at the top to merge into a hallway. On the bottom floor, you can go in three directions
: left, right or straight.
Emerging from the hallway upstairs, Eli looks down at us. “Are you guys coming or not? We have things to do today.”
I move to the left and walk up that staircase, and Drake follows behind me. I feel his eyes focused on my ass and hide a smile.
Once we reach the top, we follow Eli down the hall and enter the first door on the left.
It’s a massive room with light green walls. There is a large chest of drawers, nightstand, and a huge king-sized bed with green sheets. An end table is positioned on one side, and a tv stand with at least a fifty-two-inch television for Drake’s viewing pleasure on the other wall. A walk-in closet is on the side wall and in the back corner is a huge bathroom.
Walking into the room, Eli turns around. “Does this suit you?”
Drake sets down the small bag he brought. “Yes, this is fine. Thanks for letting me stay.” He looks down at his watch. “When are we meeting with your contact?”
Oh, crap. Eli hasn’t informed him yet. This might get interesting.
Eli shakes his head. “I already told you, you can’t meet with the contact. Only Rose and I will. It was hard enough for me to get them to agree to meet with her.”
Eyes glowing, Drake growls. “I don’t like this.”
For once, Eli appears sympathetic. “I get it, but we need this. We need help, but more importantly, we need to understand what he wants and what we’re up against.”
Rubbing his hand down his face, Drake sighs. “Fine, but I want to know when you guys get back.”
I reach out and touch him. “Of course. The second we do.”
His eyes soften at my touch. “I can’t lose you again.”
Standing on my tiptoes, I press my lips against his. “You won’t have to.”
Interrupting our moment, Eli comes over and opens the door. “Come on, Rose. We need to get prepared. Let’s change and get prepped for tonight.”
In all reality, I want to argue and not leave Drake, but there are more important things that need to be addressed. I give him one last kiss and follow Eli out.
He turns right, heading back down the stairs and underneath the hallway we just came from. As we walk down it, I walk past glass windows, seeing beautiful views of the gardens on the left side and the pool on the right side. “Holy shit. This place is so much more than I expected.”
Glancing back, he gives me one of his rare smiles, sending butterflies fluttering through my belly. “I’m glad you like it.”
Hell yeah, I love it. We keep walking, and soon, we’re stepping into a main area where a huge fireplace, TV, and couch and chairs fill the space. The room is all white, including the furniture. How the hell is one able to keep this room clean?
At the end of this room, there are stairs to the left that we walk by and then we come to where the house ends, but there is a door to the right. The lock has something on top that you slide back, and it reveals a needle and pad.
Eli pricks his finger on the needle and smears his blood on the pad. Then something blinks green and clicks. He turns down the handle and the door swings open.
The room is awe-inspiring. Filled with antique furniture, the blue walls match the color of my eyes. I walk in further and my jaw drops as I take in the large canopy bed in the center of the room, with dark blue covers and sheets. There are two large walk-in closets side by side, both filled to the brim. But what catches my eye is that one of them is filled with women’s clothing.
I point to the closet and turn my body to face Eli. “Whose are those?”
Leaning back against the wall, he crosses his arms. “Does it matter?”
His words hurt me, and for some reason, I thought we had gotten to a better place than this.
Pushing off from the wall, he pulls me into his arms. “I was trying to joke. I’m sorry, it came off wrong. It’s weird having someone here.”
Pulling back, I blink. “What do you mean?”
He sighs. “Those clothes are for you. I hope you like them.”
What? I turn back to the closet. All of the clothes are my style. There is a short black dress, one that dips low in the front but is classy. There is a dressy skirt and top that are my size. “You didn’t have to do this.”
“I know, but this is a first for me, so let’s not make a big deal about it, okay?” He’s staring at the ground, not meeting my eyes.
So, he’s very uncomfortable about this, and that is sweet. I’ll let it go… for now. “Okay, thank you.”
I turn to the bathroom and walk in. It’s massive with a huge, stoned, walk-in rain shower. I wish this was my room.
Heading back out to him, I find him messaging on his phone. “Hey, where is my room?”
He glances up at me. “You’re in it.”
That doesn’t sound right. “I thought this was your room.”
Nodding, he puts his phone down. “It is.” He gives me his full attention. “We’re sharing a room.”
“Isn’t that something a girl should be asked?” I cross my arms.
“Maybe.” He shrugs. “But you have a ton of people trying to kill you, and my room is the safest in the house. Only I have access in and out, so therefore, you’re safest here.”
Ha. He thinks he has it all figured out. “Bet Bael could get here.”
He rolls his eyes. “What kind of fool do you take me for? Of course, he can’t.” He smirks, his arrogance back in full swing. “It’s heavily charmed. Even the son of Satan can’t get in here.”
I’m so tired of being ignorant and not knowing stuff. “How is that possible?”
“By a strong witch.” He leans back on the bed, propping himself up on the pillows.
Holy shit. “Is that your contact?”
Sighing, he pinches the bridge of his nose. “No, it’s not, but we do need to talk. You do realize that who we meet with tonight must stay between you and I?”
I shake my head. “No, we have to tell the others what is said.”
He holds a hand up. “Yes, we will tell them what is said, but we can’t tell them who said it.” He reaches out, taking my hand. The gesture is rare and sweet. “Okay? I’m risking a lot by taking you there.”
Squeezing his hand, I nod. “I promise, as long as we tell them what is discussed.”
Letting out a breath, his shoulders relax. I guess he was worried about if I would agree to that or not.
Swinging his legs over the bed, he stands. “Let’s find you something to wear. We need you to look like a vampire.”
My heart feels as if it skips a beat. “Is that your way of saying we are meeting with another vampire tonight?”
Turning to me, he reaches out and caresses my cheek with his hand. “No, that’s my way of saying we are meeting with the entire vampire council tonight.”
In less than twenty-four hours, I will have met with both Satan and the vampire council. When did crazy become my norm? Oh yeah, when I realized I was destined to be mated with four guys.
Chapter Eight
As we dig through my new outfits, we come across a red silk dress that stops at the top of my knees. The sleeves are loose and have cutouts that tie around the arm above the elbow and then around my wrist, leaving skin showing down the sleeves. The neckline cuts out into a V and connects to the fabric right above my belly button. It’s revealing but sexy as hell.
Also in my closet are five-inch, nude high fuck me heels that have peep toes. I put dark charcoal eyeshadow on to make my blue eyes pop, and a nude lipstick. After checking everything out in the mirror, I add the final touch by pulling my long, honey blonde hair into a French twist, leaving a few loose pieces on both sides.
Walking out of the bathroom, I spin in a slow circle for Eli. “How do I look?”
Eli groans. “You look delectable.” His feet carry him closer and he reaches out, placing his hands on my waist and drawing me closer. “We should go before I can’t hold myself back.”
I take in his eyes that darken with lust and something else… Hun
ger. How long has it been since he fed?
Other than his sunken eyes, he looks dapper in a three-piece charcoal gray suit, with a black shirt and tie. My body sparks from the electricity shooting through the fabric of my dress where his hands splay against my body. I reach up, placing my hands on his forearms, drawing myself closer to his body.
“Do you need to feed before we go?” My voice comes out huskier than usual.
Fingers tighten on my waist and I watch every nuance of his face.
He looks at his watch and shakes his head, looking back at the bed. “We really should be going.”
I tilt my neck to side, tempting him with the vein on the left side. My pulse picks up tempo until he can’t pull his eyes away.
His fangs peek out of the sides of his lips, and my core tightens in anticipation. He leans down, placing a kiss on my jugular.
I prepare for the ecstasy of his bite, but then he pulls away, and I stiffen as I begin to fall forward. His arms band around me to keep me from falling on my face. I straighten, pulling out of his hold, and glare at him with pinched lips.
“As tempted as I am, we don’t have time for what I have planned. Come now, we must be on our way.” He straightens his tie and suit jacket and walks over to the door we came through.
It slides open as he approaches, and I follow behind him as we emerge from our room.
We pass a few doors in the corridor, stopping in front of a set of double doors. Eli opens one and waves me in first.
I step into a home office. A masculine power desk sits in the middle of the room, facing a grand marble fireplace on the opposite wall. Warm reds, browns, and tans make up the decorations with dark wood furniture.
There are no additional doors here. “What the hell? I thought we were in a rush?”
Making his way to the fireplace, his fangs elongate and he pricks his finger on one. He smears his blood across the front marble slab of the fireplace. “We are.”
As the blood absorbs into the marble, the walls and ground vibrate as the freaking fireplace shifts and moves to the left, revealing a lit staircase.
