The first touch of his tongue along her slit sent Charlie’s eyes closing in pleasure, but nothing prepared her for the feel of his lips sucking her overly sensitive flesh into his mouth. He lashed her with his tongue without breaking the suction he currently had.
Charlie wasn’t sure how long Kash worshipped her with his mouth, pushing her to the point of orgasm once more, before releasing her and rising up.
He stared down at her through glassy, unfocused eyes. “You taste so damn good.”
Moving in closer, Kash gripped his erection and guided himself forward. “I’ve never wanted anyone as badly as I want you.”
Charlie felt the same. She opened her mouth to tell him as much when the head of his overly thick shaft penetrated her. All thought fled but the feel of him stretching her.
He came down over her, his great length entering her slowly…gently…until he was seated as deep as her body would allow.
Tears sprang to Charlie’s eyes. Tears of regret over what could never be, but mostly for what she’d begun to feel for the man in her arms. She could never truly have Kash LeRoux. Even if Celia somehow managed to heal her, Kash would never be able to trust her…or forgive her.
She wrapped her legs around his waist. “Kash…”
He rose up on his elbows, his gaze locking with hers. “I can’t let you go, Charlie. Ever.” He pulled back slightly, and then thrust. Deep.
Charlie could only hold on as Kash ground against her, driving into her depths again and again. She could feel herself climbing, seeking that oblivion she knew would come.
Kash jerked up onto his knees, his thumb once again finding her sensitive spot. He applied the right amount of pressure, his hips thrusting forward in a steady rhythm that drove her over the brink.
“Oh, God,” Charlie gasped, her back bowing off the cot. “Kash!”
His lips peeled back over his teeth, and sweat popped out on his forehead. With a roar, he threw back his head, his hips jerking forward in short, powerful bursts.
Charlie could feel the warmth of his seed entering her body as her own orgasm overtook her.
Kash suddenly swayed above her, his eyes unfocused and wild. “Charlie?”
“I’m so sorry,” Charlie whispered, unable to stop him from falling forward.
Chapter Twenty-One
Kash groaned with the pain throbbing inside his skull. He carefully lifted his eyelids, surprised to find himself naked and on the cot in the basement.
“What the hell?” Memory came flooding back with a vengeance. Charlie.
A smear of blood on his hand caught his attention. He lifted it closer to his face, noticing a cut along the tip of his finger.
Throwing his legs over the side of the cot, Kash snatched up his clothes and dressed as quickly as he could with the pounding headache. Charlie had somehow drugged him.
A small knife lay on the floor next to the cot. The knife she’d obviously used to get the blood she needed for Celia.
Kash pulled on his boots and stormed from the basement, angrier than he’d ever been in his life. He had allowed his emotions to get in the way of his common sense and, in the process, let Charlie escape…with his blood.
The knob turned on the front door, catching Kash off guard. “Charlie?”
Mauve appeared in the now open doorway, a strange look on her weathered face. “The girl is gone.”
Kash felt his teeth begin to extend. “I realize that.”
“Let her go.” Mauve blocked the doorway when he would have stepped around her. “She will not make it back alive.”
His stomach turned over at Mauve’s words, but he ignored it. “She took some of my blood.”
“It matters not, my son. For it is not your blood that Celia will take.”
Kash stilled, taking in the implications of Mauve’s statement. “You mean, Charlie’s? What the hell would she want with her blood? She’s only human.”
“But the child forming in her womb is not.”
The room tilted beneath Kash’s feet. “How can you know that?”
A deep sadness appeared in Mauve’s eyes. “I saw it, Kash. Celia no longer needs either of our blood. She has the girl, and the child she carries belongs to you.”
Memories of the night he’d spent in Charlie’s bed at the Bickford house rushed through Kash’s mind. They had created a child together; a child that was even now on its way to the den of Celia Battiste.
Kash could feel his beast rising to the surface even as he lifted Mauve off her feet and set her aside. “I’m going after her.”
Mauve’s boney fingers wrapped around his forearm with a strength that surprised him. “If you step foot on Celia’s property, you won’t make it out of there alive.”
“I don’t care,” Kash snarled, yanking free of Mauve’s hold. “I can’t let that Charlie die at Celia’s hands. She’s pregnant with my child.”
The older woman’s eyes grew misty. “I’m so sorry, my son. But I’m afraid it’s too late for them.”
Pain shot through Kash’s chest, and breathing grew more difficult. “What did you see?”
“The same vision as I saw before. Only this time, the girl lay in the circle, her lifeblood spilling from her body.”
Kash took off in a run. He shifted so fast, his feet burst through his boots and his shirt ripped down the sides. The scene Mauve had laid out before him haunted his every step as he flew through the woods at a high rate of speed.
A howl of denial ripped from his throat. He remembered Charlie’s sky-blue eyes staring up at him as she’d come apart in his arms. If she died, he would have no one to blame but himself. If he’d only kept his guard up, been more vigilant, Charlie and his child would be with him now.
My child.
The thought of a pregnant Charlie in the clutches of the Voodoo priestess sent a fury unlike any he’d ever felt before racing through Kash’s blood.
He ran faster, pushing himself harder; Mauve’s words tormenting his every step. “The same vision as I saw before. Only this time, the girl lay in the circle, her lifeblood spilling from her body.”
Another howl wrenched from his chest; one full of sorrow, regret, and pain.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Charlie docked Kash’s boat in front of Rhett’s Country Kitchen, relieved to see her SUV still parked on the premises. Apparently, the place hadn’t reopened since the tornado, giving them no reason to have her car towed.
She climbed over the seawall with her purse slung over her shoulder and hurried toward the SUV.
Unlocking the doors, she slid behind the wheel and put the key in the ignition. Thankfully, it started right up.
More than a little relieved, Charlie set her purse on the passenger seat, shut the door, and drove around to the stop sign. She would arrive at Celia’s place within five minutes.
A howl split the night.
Charlie floored the gas, her heart in her throat. Kash was awake, and if the sound of that howl were any indication, he was furious. Which meant that she had very little time to do what she had to do before he found her.
Mere minutes passed until Charlie arrived at the old wooden bridge on Celia’s property. That yellow porch light reflecting off the racks of Mason jars was like a dim beacon into the devil’s den.
Once the SUV rolled to a stop, Charlie put it in park and reached for her purse. Yet, she couldn’t find the courage to leave the car.
The howl came again.
Charlie’s stomach flipped. She looked up in time to see a fire ignite to the right of the shack. Celia’s cloak-covered silhouette stood in front of the fire, her eerie image accented by the light of the orange flames dancing behind her.
She lifted a hand, motioning for Charlie to join her.
“It’s now or never.” Reaching into her purse, Charlie pulled the vial of blood free and exited her car.
The feel of something dark surrounded her, reminding her of a nightmare she’d had as a child. It wrapped around her chest, making breathing
difficult.
“I knew you would come,” Celia rasped, standing in the center of a large circle.
Charlie moved closer, realizing the circle was made up crows. Her steps faltered.
“Come to me, Charlene Howard.”
Charlie swallowed hard, forcing one foot in front of the other. The fear of knowing she wouldn’t make it out of there alive became debilitating. But Kash would live, and that was all that mattered to Charlie.
She stopped in front of the circle. “What now?”
Celia’s gaze flicked to the vial Charlie held in her hand. “Is that the blood?”
“It is.”
The cloak-covered Celia remained on the opposite side of that circle, her hand extending outward, palm up. “Give it to me.”
“Not until you do what you promised.”
The old woman paused, as if surprised by Charlie’s show of bravado.
“Very well.” Celia reached inside her cloak and pulled a small bottle free. She held it out to Charlie. “A deal is a deal.”
Charlie took a step toward the circle, horrified to see the crows part for her entry. She took the dark colored bottle from Celia’s grasp and then handed the priestess the vial of blood she’d brought with her.
Celia exhaled an eerie sound, part sigh, part laugh. She popped the cork from the top of the vial and lifted the small, glass bottle to her lips. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this moment.”
After finishing off the vial’s contents, Celia flicked a wrist in Charlie’s direction. “Drink up, girl.”
Charlie tossed the vial into the fire. “I don’t think so.”
“Why did you do that?”
“You never had any intention of helping me.” Charlie glanced at the dancing flames of the fire. “What was in that bottle, poison?”
Celia pushed the hood of her cloak back, a dangerous light gleaming in her eyes. “Probably the same thing you brought to me…animal blood.”
Fear slithered through Charlie, but she held her ground. “Did you honestly think I would hand over Kash or Mauve’s blood to you?”
“Of course not. But I don’t need their blood,” Celia’s mouth turned up at the corners, reminding Charlie of the Grinch, “when I have you.”
More than a little confused by Celia’s statement, Charlie inched back a step. “Why would you need mine? It’s riddled with cancer.”
“Oh, I don’t need yours, you simpleton, but rather…the child you carry.”
Charlie’s breath whooshed from her lungs. She staggered back another step, too shocked to speak.
Celia stalked forward, her Grinch-like smile still in place. “You didn’t know? Of course you didn’t or you wouldn’t be here.”
“You’re lying. I can’t be pregnant. The chemo and radiation ruined any chances of me having children.” Charlie turned to run but found she couldn’t move.
A hideous laugh burst from the priestess. “Going somewhere?” She reached into the pocket of her cloak and pulled a knife free.
Terror unlike anything Charlie had ever felt slammed into her. Not even the knowledge of brain cancer scared her as much as Celia did. She tried to lift her foot, but it seemed glued to the ground by some unseen force. “W-what are you doing?”
“Genua,” Celia murmured, forcing Charlie to her knees.
Charlie recognized it as the Latin word for kneel.
Celia spoke another word, but Charlie was too terrified to hear it. A roaring began in her ears and both of her arms lifted out in front of her against her will.
The priestess reached inside her cloak once more, this time brandishing a small animal skull. She stepped in closer, lowering to her knees in front of Charlie.
Unidentifiable words began to spill from Celia’s lips as the flames of the fire grew in strength, licking at the sky in a raging inferno of power.
Tears of denial sprang to Charlie’s eyes. She had walked right into Celia’s trap. Not only would Kash have to pay for her terrible mistake, but their unborn child would die as well.
Charlie had created a life with Kash. Unimaginable pain squeezed her heart. She would never have a chance to tell Kash how she felt about him; never be able to apologize for deceiving him.
The fire suddenly lost some of its heat; the orange and blue flames visibly weakening.
Celia’s eyes took on a glassy appearance, her words beginning to slur. She stopped chanting, falling forward before she jerked upright. “What did you do?”
The force holding Charlie’s arms out in front of her weakened slightly. “The blood was drugged.”
Celia’s body tilted to the side, but she righted herself, shaking her head in an effort to fight the drug.
She abruptly grabbed onto Charlie’s arm and slid the knife across her wrist.
Charlie cried out, unable to pull free of Celia’s hold.
With an unsteady hand, Celia guided the animal skull to Charlie’s wrist, holding it below the blood flowing from the open cut.
Once the skull became half-full, Celia removed it. She stared at it for a second and then began to raise it toward her lips.
A roar split the night, signaling the arrival of Kash.
Charlie threw her head back, the scream trapped in her throat releasing with every ounce of feeling she had for Kash—for their unborn child. She would die in that circle tonight, but Kash would live.
With every bit of strength she had inside her, Charlie lunged, knocking the blood-filled skull from Celia’s hand.
Celia screeched, scrambling forward to reach the skull. She fell on her face, her boney fingers digging into the dirt in an effort to pull herself along.
The fire glinted off the blade of the knife Celia had dropped in her haste. Charlie reached for it, her fingers wrapping around the cool steel of the hilt. She blinked to clear her blurred vision as her lifeblood continued to pour from her wrist.
Forgive me, Kash. Charlie reared up with what little strength she had left and buried the blade in Celia’s back.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Kash arrived at the border of Celia’s property in time to see Celia slice open Charlie’s wrist.
He roared in fury, pushing with everything he had to reached Charlie’s side. But Celia’s magic held true. He’d been forced to his knees the moment he burst onto her land.
Another cry ripped from him with the evidence of Charlie’s blood that was pouring from the wound Celia had inflicted into a small, white animal skull. Not only would Charlie die, but the Voodoo priestess would gain the power to destroy Mauve as well.
Kash no longer cared what happened to him. Everything he cared for sat in that circle, about to die at Celia’s hands.
Charlie abruptly broke free, knocking the small skull from Celia’s shocked fingers.
Straining to get to his feet, Kash watched in helpless rage as a bleeding Charlie threw herself forward, grabbed the knife that Celia held, and buried it into the priestess’s back.
He wanted to scream Charlie’s name, but the beast had control, and a thunderous howl wrenched from him instead.
The bands holding him hostage suddenly broke, freeing Kash from their hold. He shot to his feet, blasting through the woods as hard as he could go.
He skidded to a stop next to the crows surrounding Charlie. Wing-to-wing they stood, majestic beings with glowing yellow eyes.
The circle parted as the last of Celia’s magic died with her.
Kash rushed forward, dropping to his knees next to Charlie. He gently turned her over to find her barely breathing, her face pale as a sheet.
He ripped Celia’s cloak from the lifeless body, and wrapped Charlie in its warmth.
Mauve’s vision floated through his mind. “As I drew near, the crows parted to allow me entrance into the circle. Celia rose to her feet, pushing the cloak’s hood back as she stood. Gone were the black eyes, the wrinkles. In her place stood a blonde-haired beauty with sky-blue eyes.”
The vision made sense to Kash now. What Mauve saw ha
d not been through her own eyes, but Charlie’s. Only, Charlie had managed to do what no other had been able to do before her. She’d destroyed Celia Battiste.
He lifted Charlie’s limp form into his arms.
“She is dying, my son.”
Kash spun to face Mauve. He locked his massive teeth together and roared in her direction. He wouldn’t let Charlie die.
Mauve moved in closer, her love for Kash swimming in her ancient eyes. She held a piece of paper in her hand. “I found this on your nightstand. She has brain cancer, Kash.”
Another howl ripped free. Man and beast fought for dominance, with Kash emerging in the end. He staggered on his feet for several heartbeats before dropping to his knees in the sand.
He ripped off a piece of Charlie’s shirt and wrapped it securely around her bleeding wrist. “We don’t have time for this. I can change her, just as you did for me.”
Mauve kneeled before him. “She has lost a lot of blood. If you attempt this now, in all likelihood the baby will not survive it.” She nodded toward Charlie. “Her either.”
Kash’s heart cracked. “It’s a chance I’m willing to take!”
“Bring her inside, and hurry.” Mauve rose gracefully to her feet and strode in the direction of Celia’s shack.
Kash stood in one fluid motion, rushing to that shack as if the hounds of hell were following him.
He burst through the door ahead of Mauve and glanced around for a place to lay Charlie.
“Put her there.” Mauve pointed to a pallet in the corner near the unlit fireplace.
Depositing Charlie’s slight form onto the pallet, Kash turned to Mauve. “Tell me.”
Mauve’s gaze bore into his. “The saliva or the blood. Either will work. If you can get her to ingest the blood…it would be a lot less painful than a bite.” She handed him a small knife.
Kash quickly slid the blade across his wrist and lifted Charlie’s head into his arms. He pressed his wound against her partially open mouth. “Drink it, Charlie. Come on, baby, you can do it.”
Mauve reached up to massage Charlie’s throat, but the blood began to trickle out the side of her mouth. “She’s not swallowing it.”
Heroes Among Us: A Paranormal Romance Collection Page 18
