Players (Lessons by Loki)

by Ross, Aubrey

  Immortality wasn’t as rewarding as mortals thought. Even with all the abilities at their disposal, many immortals buckled beneath the monotony of it all. They spread themselves on the wind and allowed their beings to disperse until there was nothing left. There were times when Loki had been tempted by oblivion. Instead he returned to Earth, to the tempestuous mortals who fascinated and sustained him.

  He smoothed the damp hair back from Katie’s pale face and guilt jabbed into his heart. He hadn’t meant for her to take the brunt of this particular bit of mischief, but he hadn’t expected her to run toward danger with quite so much enthusiasm. Her lesson with Josiah had been scheduled for late evening. Loki had planned to calm her and prepare her for the confrontation. Instead, she’d gone directly to their house and indulged in a series of events Loki had been powerless to interrupt. Well, Loki was never truly powerless, but the emotions those three produced had been so delicious, Loki hadn’t wanted it to end.

  But it had ended and ended badly. And now Katie was heartbroken.

  Rocking her gently, he waited for her outburst to run its course. Once rationality returned, he’d help her understand that the mission hadn’t just been successful, it had been triumphant. Josiah and Chase had been well and truly bested at their own game.

  Katie wiped her eyes with her fingertips then crawled off his lap. “You need to leave. I’m finished with all of this.”

  Her bitterness surprised him, as did the surge of anger driving the words. “Are you angry with me?”

  “Why wouldn’t I be?” Carefully overlapping the edges of the robe, she stood up then turned to face him. “You used me just as much as Josiah and Chase. Well, I hope it was worth it because I want you out of my life permanently. I better never see or sense you again.”

  “Katie, there is no reason for your anger. Our goal was clear from the beginning. You were pulled in a bit deeper than I’d intended but—”

  “You think,” she snapped then shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. It happened. I survived and now it’s over. So get the hell out of my life!”

  “As you wish.” He inclined his head and faded from view.

  Katie threw herself on the bed and buried her face in a pillow, sobbing once again.

  “Are you proud of yourself?”

  Loki spun toward the speaker and fought back a groan. Freya. Why her? Why now? He did not need this particular female screwing with him while his control was malfunctioning. Unless she was willing to literally screw him, then he’d reassess his displeasure.

  “What are you doing here?” he grumbled. They were undetectable to Katie, yet visible to each other. It was a balance not many could manage. Freya had chosen her human form as she often did. Hip-length golden hair framed her lovely face, which was dominated by feline green eyes. Her lush red lips, however, pressed into a disapproving line. “It’s been ages.” As her clothing emphasized. He’d never seen her in jeans before this moment.

  “This isn’t a social call.”

  It never was with Freya, at least not anymore. “I’m not going back. The austerity laws are intolerable. I will not live like that.” To conserve the depleted energy in their home dimension, strict conservation programs had become necessary. The standards kept everyone on the verge of starvation, so most had simply fled to other dimensions.

  “I wasn’t sent to drag you back.”

  “Then why are you here?” He wasn’t sure how to react to her. They had interacted on so many levels down through the centuries. They’d been lovers and they’d been friends. They’d been enemies and rivals. More often than not their attitudes aligned, but when they disagreed, the enmity was bitter, even violent.

  “This dimension is restricted and you know it. You don’t have permission to be here.”

  He shrugged. There was no way the auditors could track down everyone who’d fled to a restricted dimension. Too many had defected and more dimensions were restricted than not. “You didn’t answer the question.”

  “The auditors couldn’t agree on what to do with you. Your antics have started wars and resulted in horrific destruction, yet you can be just as heroic when you choose to be. They argued for weeks and couldn’t come to a consensus, so they dispatched me to—”

  “Babysit me until they make up their minds?” He couldn’t decide whether to be insulted or amused.

  “The word they used was ‘supervise’, but babysit is more accurate.” She strolled toward him, a lazy smile teasing the corners of her mouth. Damn she was beautiful. And he’d missed her far more than he was willing to admit. “You can’t really blame them, now can you? You’ve always refused to play by the rules.”

  “I’m not the only one.” He couldn’t touch her in this form and it was driving him crazy. Snug jeans showcased her curvy hips and long legs, while her simple top hinted at rather than displayed her round breasts. It had been much too long since they indulged their mutual desire.

  Obviously guessing the direction of his thoughts, she passed through him, disrupting his energy as she made her way toward the bed. “So what did you do to upset this poor creature?”

  “Scan her mind. All of her emotions are dangerously close to the surface. A fact I was hoping to help her with, but she deviated from my original plan.”

  “You’re blaming this on her? Typical.” Obviously insulted, Freya looked at Katie and then back at him. “Oh my. What a tangle. I thought you’d tired of these games.”

  “Never.” He winked at her. “And don’t sound so disapproving. You taught me these games.”

  She finally smiled, the simple change elevating her appearance from beautiful to breathtaking. “So I did. This round was clumsily handled however. You can’t mean to leave it like this.”

  “I don’t. She ordered me out of her house, so I allowed her to believe I’d obliged her.”

  “I want to see these men for myself.”

  Without further warning she vanished.

  Loki propelled himself across the street, easily anticipating where she had gone. Josiah paced the living room dressed as always in jeans and a T-shirt. Chase hadn’t bothered with a shirt, but he’d also pulled on jeans. He sat on the sofa, forearms resting on his legs, looking utterly forlorn.

  “How did Vanessa find out about the bet?” Chase sounded as lost as he looked.

  “She didn’t find out, she was just being her bitchy self. She told Katie about the bet, knowing she’d be insecure enough to at least wonder if she was our target.”

  Chase rubbed his eyes with his fingertips. “We have to fix this.” He spread his arms in helpless frustration. “How the hell do we fix this?”

  “Are her scrubs still upstairs?”

  The question snapped Chase out of his stupor. He shot to his feet and crossed the room, blocking Josiah’s path toward the stairs. “You are not going over there tonight.”

  “I’ll just give her the clothes and explain that the bet was called off before tonight.”

  “And you think that will make everything okay? We started flirting with her as part of a bet. We can’t escape that fact.”

  Josiah sighed and pushed his fingers through his hair, raking it back from his face. “I’ve never seen anyone so shattered. I have to at least check on her.”

  “No. We have to give her a day or two. Let her calm down and then we can try to explain.”

  Josiah pivoted on the ball of his foot and strode to the front windows instead. He opened the blinds and looked out, squinting into the darkness. “Her car is still in our driveway. Maybe I can catch her in the morning when she—”

  “Give her some space. We can’t reason with her until she calms down.”

  “But she’s not going to calm down until she understands that what happened during her lessons was not part of the bet.”

  Chase shook his head. “She’s not ready to hear it.”

  Freya looked Josiah up and down then drifted toward Chase and looked him over just as thoroughly. “They’re adorable. It’s hard to beli
eve these are the same two men that had her tied up downstairs. Her memory paints a very different picture.”

  “Josiah has a dark side,” Loki explained. “Katie coaxed it to the surface without realizing what she was doing.”

  “I don’t think it was the darkness that scared her.”

  “I was there, Freya. She was definitely afraid.”

  “Yes, but she wasn’t afraid of Josiah. She was afraid of how exciting she found him even in that mood. Have you even looked beyond Katie’s surface emotions? Their helpless little kitten has a dark side too.”

  Freya had always been better at reading people than Loki. She was also better at manipulating them. Not only could she purge memories, she could alter them.

  “Is Chase right?” Loki asked. “Does she need time? I could encourage Josiah to go see her tonight.”

  “No. Make him wait until tomorrow. I need a little more time with Katie before I’m sure how best to proceed.”

  She disappeared again, but he didn’t follow this time. His “supervisor” had just taken over and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

  * * * * *

  Chase pushed his remote and unlocked his car door with a heavy sigh. Three long, tedious days had passed since their lesson with Katie. Josiah had tried several times to get her to open the door for him, but he’d received no response. They’d even gone over there together, but she’d ignored that as well.

  Slipping in behind the wheel of his Accord, he stuck the keys in the ignition and heard his phone beep. He activated the message screen and smiled. Josiah never minced words when he texted. The message was clear and precise: Need milk, apples, two dozen roses, red and yellow mix.

  So he was ready to try again, apparently. Chase wasn’t convinced that flowers would have any impact on their stubborn neighbor, but he was more than willing to pick up the bouquet. He went to the grocery store first then put the groceries in the trunk while he walked to the flower shop in the same strip mall. He’d used the shop several times in the past and had been satisfied with the quality and service.

  The sweet scent of flowers greeted him along with a blast of cool air. The clerk behind the main counter smiled at him, but she was already with a customer. He strolled toward the walk-in cooler, absently looking at the arrangements on display.

  “Chase? I didn’t realize Josiah was the flower type.”

  Vanessa. He cringed, schooling his expression before he turned around. “There’re for Katie, as I’m sure you know.” She was dressed to the nines, as always. Not a hair out of place. “What lured you away from your ivory tower?” There was no way in hell he was telling her the flowers were an apology.

  “My nail salon is across the street.” She wiggled her freshly sculpted nails as best she could while holding a colorful arrangement of mixed blossoms. “Mom’s birthday is tomorrow and I thought she’d enjoy these.”

  He made a noncommittal sound, hoping to end the unwanted conversation.

  “You look tired. Is the two-for-one deal wearing you out?”

  “What do you want, Vanessa. I’m not in the mood for your venom.”

  Her saccharine smile melted and genuine concern flickered within her dark eyes. “Are you all right? You really do look like shit.”

  “I’m fine, just in a hurry.” He tried to brush past her, but she neatly blocked his path.

  “I know you better than that. What’s going on?”

  “We’re not friends anymore. It’s none of your business.”

  “We’re not lovers anymore. That doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.”

  Vanessa didn’t have friends, she had admirers, fans. Even the females who she deemed worthy of her presence were more like staff than actual friends. He crossed his arms over his chest, really not in the mood for her bitchiness. “Why did you tell Katie about the bets we’ve made in the past?” He knew the answer. He just wanted to see what she’d say.

  Vanessa paled and her gaze darted away from his face. “Was I right?” she countered. “Had you two bet on that poor girl?”

  “‘That poor girl’?” He shook his head, amazed by her cruelty. “She was devastated, just like you knew she would be. You broke up with me. Why did you have to be so vindictive?” She tried to say more, but he’d heard enough. “You’re a selfish bitch. I hope someone breaks your heart the way you helped break Katie’s.”

  She gasped and he rushed past her, refusing to give her another thought.

  Loki watched the exchange from the shadow realm, fascinated by the emotional undercurrent. Whatever love these two had for each other was officially gone. Chase still found her physically pleasing, but her cruelty was unforgivable. Besides Chase’s entire being was now fully engaged. His connection with Josiah was rock solid while his connection with Katie was fragile yet stubborn. He knew they were in serious trouble, but he wasn’t willing to give up without a fight. All of the twisting threads fascinated Loki.

  Chase told the clerk he needed two dozen roses then remained by the front desk as she prepared his order. Vanessa lingered for a moment then sighed and left the flower shop.

  On impulse Loki followed the leggy brunette, not sure why he was bothering. As Chase had said she was selfish and mean, not the sort of person who generally interested Loki. Still, there was something about her, something that made him curious enough to push deeper into her mind.

  Pain and loneliness assailed him as soon as he reached beyond her surface barriers. Despite her outward perfection, Vanessa was shockingly insecure. She had wealth, beauty, and a large social circle. Why was she still so miserable?

  “Finish one project before you start the next,” Freya said from behind him.

  He chuckled and turned around, knowing he could easily find Vanessa if he wanted to study her some more. Preferably in the shower. “A momentary distraction. I’m back on track.”

  “Good because Josiah is on his way over to Katie’s house. He’s going to break in and wait for her to come home from work.”

  Loki shook his head though he couldn’t help but admire the human’s spirit. “That foolish mortal is going to get himself shot.”

  “I think we should let it play out. She’s ready for this confrontation whether she realizes it or not.”

  “Then do we need to be involved?”

  “They shouldn’t need our assistance, but I sure as hell want to watch.”

  Finally understanding the reason for her appearance, Loki laughed and followed her toward Katie’s house.

  * * * * *

  Katie gripped her steering wheel and waited for the garage door to close behind her. All she had to do was look at the house across the street and her composure crumbled all over again. She’d cried until she had no more tears, railed about the selfish cruelty of men in general and her neighbors in particular. She’d even indulged her temper and smashed a figurine. Of course, she’d never really liked it in the first place, but that wasn’t the point. All the venting in the world hadn’t eased the gnawing ache in her heart.

  Her heart didn’t seem to care that a bet had set things in motion or that Josiah and Chase had played their cruel games before. She’d never felt so alive as she had while she was with those two men. And it wasn’t just the sex—or the daring foreplay if she wanted to be specific. She’d enjoyed their playful conversations and wanted to know everything about them. She felt comfortable and accepted whenever she was with them, and she wanted them to feel secure with her.

  Pulling her keys out of the ignition, she grabbed her purse and headed into the house. If it hadn’t been for work, she would have gone completely insane. Peace and quiet were her enemies. Without something to occupy her time, her mind filled with images and echoed emotions that wouldn’t allow her to hate.

  She put her keys away then dropped her purse onto the kitchen table. Then she crossed the room without bothering with the light. Maybe a long, hot bath would help her relax. She’d reached the stairs and flipped on the light when something moved in her peripheral v
ision. Gasping, she spun around then raced for the phone. Josiah stood in the middle of her living room as if he had every right to be there.

  “Get. Out.” She held up the phone as if it were a weapon. “You have ten seconds then I’m calling the cops.”

  “I brought back your scrubs.” He motioned toward the neatly folded garments on the coffee table.

  “Thank you. Now leave.”

  “Katie-cat—”

  “Don’t you dare call me that! In fact don’t call me at all.” Emotion gripped her throat, making it hard to speak. She would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry, again.

  “Five minutes.” He moved forward, yet left plenty of space between them. “I just need five minutes of your time.”

  She lowered her arm, but kept the phone in hand just in case she changed her mind. “Nothing you say will change anything. You toy with other people and it’s wrong.” The only light in the room was behind her, which allowed her to see his face while keeping her in shadow. She was thankful for the tiny advantage. God knew, she needed any help she could get.

  He looked tired and scruffy, as if he hadn’t slept well for several days. Good. Why should she be the only one tossing and turning all night?

  “I agree, for the most part, but there are several things you need to know.”

  “‘For the most part’?” She shook her head, aghast at his arrogance. “In what way do you disagree?”

  “The other people we’ve bet on were sexually adventurous. They frequently had casual affairs and wouldn’t have, sometimes didn’t, find it insulting that they had been the focus of our competition.”

  “That doesn’t make it right.” She should kick his ass out of her house. Why was she bothering with any of this? The mission was over. She should be focusing on putting her life back together. “How many times have you done this? What does the winner get?” She didn’t really care, but the questions she really wanted to ask were too damn painful.