Melanie poked out from behind Green. He tried to keep her behind him but she wasn’t having any of that. “Peren? Missy?”
Peren locked gazes with her friend and sighed. “You’re okay.”
“Of course, she’s okay,” Green said, skimming his hand over Melanie’s bare back and then desperately wishing he hadn’t as his cock began to throb with need. “I’d never harm her.”
Peren shook her head. “Green, I never in a million years thought you would. It’s just that,” she bit her lower lip and glanced at Missy, “we kind of… is everything okay out here?”
Missy rolled her eyes. “Fuck this bullshit. Do you guys sense anything freaky going on or are we the only two getting a bad vibe?”
Roi snorted. “Trust my wife to cut to the chase.”
“Your wife?” Melanie asked. She put her hand up fast. “Don’t answer that. In fact, don’t answer anything else. They’re listening to us right now and the less they know about us the better. I can block the humans from sensing or seeing what’s going on, but I can’t block whatever is listening from hearing us. It’s hard for me to explain. Please don’t ask me to right now. I’ll answer questions later. Right now, I think we should go.”
“Huh?” Missy asked, stealing the very word from Green’s lips. “Melanie?”
Peren touched Missy’s shoulder and locked gazes with Green. When she spoke, she directed it at Melanie but never looked away from him. “Melanie, why don’t we take you home to get some rest? You haven’t been acting like yourself lately.”
Chapter Six
Ignoring Peren, Melanie tipped her head, listening to the tiniest of buzzes as it rode the air. Something seemed to press in on her, making it harder to breathe than it should. She gave in, doing her best to figure out what, if anything, her body was trying to tell her. A clear image of men, dressed all in black, hit her. She saw them inching their way around, armed to the teeth, reeking of evil.
What are they hunting?
Closing her eyes, Melanie concentrated. She gasped. “The females.”
“What?” Green asked, sliding his hand down her back.
Her gaze went to her best friends.
Peren’s brow furrowed. “Mel, hon?”
“I-I, umm, don’t feel very well. I want you and Missy to get away from…er, I mean could you take me home?”
“Mel?” Missy asked, moving toward her slowly as if she were afraid Melanie would bite. “What’s going on? Do you want Green to drive you home?”
Peren gave Missy a hard look and Missy shrugged. “What? I happen to disagree with you, Peren. I think he can and will have a future with her.”
Melanie’s eyes widened. “No! I want you and Peren to come with me now! We have to go!”
Green was on her in an instant, wrapping his arms around her. “Melanie—” the very sound of her name falling from his lips helped to calm her, “—you can tell them anything and I do mean anything.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, doing what she always did when she needed to hide who and what she was—she played dumb. It had worked wonders all her life. She played into what people’s perception of her was—blonde bimbo.
He pulled her tighter into his arms and pressed his mouth to her ear. Her entire body lit as she wrapped her arms around him. “Melanie, don’t hide from us—from me.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to tell Green all her secrets. She held back. Whoever was listening didn’t need to know her life history. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
Hugging him tight, she readied herself to be something she didn’t want to be to him—a bitch. Drawing back, she ran a hand through her hair, squared her shoulders, and let her inner vixen persona out to play. “I’m tired. I don’t feel well and I’m bored out of my mind. Can I just get some support from my best friends, please?”
“Bored?” Green asked, barely above a whisper.
“Yeah, you’re not exactly the most outgoing guy, Green. I can’t believe I gave up a night of drinking and partying at the bar for this place.” The pain that flashed in his eyes hurt her. She clenched her fist in an attempt to concentrate on anything but the urge to run to him, beg his forgiveness, and wrap her arms around her Thaddy.
My Thaddy?
“You just stood in front of an entire dance floor shouting about how misunderstood Green is. I’m not buying you think he’s boring in the least.” Missy said, covering the distance between them quickly. “And you friggin’ love this place. Every third time you’d run away when we were in high school, we’d find you here. Why are you pushing him away? Melanie, what’s going on?”
“Nothing.” She had to fight not to look at Green. “I just want to—” She gasped as she felt a surge of evil around them.
Missy drew in a sharp breath. “I feel Fae power around us.”
“What?” Melanie asked, unable to believe her lifelong friend had just referred to something as Fae. How the hell did Missy know about Fae?
Eadan.
It hit her then. Melanie’s brother, Eadan, and Missy were close, but Eadan had sworn that he’d never revealed their family secret to her. Had her brother lied?
“Are you doing it, Melanie?” Missy asked, never missing a beat. “Is that what you’re trying to hide from Green by being so mean to him? That you can do what your brother can?”
Melanie shook her head as her gaze locked on Green. “No, it’s not me. It’s someone else. Someone powerful. We have to go now! I’m not at full strength. Whoever this is could level me with one—”
A bone-crushing amount of power slammed into Melanie, causing her to stagger. Missy and Peren went down, both clutching their heads. The pain increased, feeling as though someone was driving nails straight into their skulls.
Peren screamed and Missy followed close behind. The men converged on them, surrounding them in a protective manner.
“What the hell is happening?” Lukian yelled.
Green dropped down next to Melanie and cupped her face. She blinked up at him as pain continued to stab through her skull. “Melanie, honey, talk to me. What’s wrong?”
She tried to focus on him, but the stench of evil was so great and the pressure in her head so powerful that she felt it might burst. Her power raced around her immediate area, sensing similar magik in both Peren and Missy. She sensed something else in both of them as well—babies.
She gasped.
“Pregnant,” she bit out, reaching for them.
Green sighed. “I know you are, honey. That isn’t causing this. Tell me what’s happening.”
She shook her head and pointed at Missy. “Not me. Pregnant. They’re coming for the females because they…know they’re…ouch…pregnant.”
Roi growled out and took hold of Missy. “They are not touching my wife or child!”
“Peren, baby, talk to me,” Lukian said, wrapping his arm around her.
“Hurts,” Peren said. “Head hurts.”
Knowing that whatever was happening could and would leave permanent damage if it continued, Melanie did the only thing she could think of. She decided to kick her power into high gear. She looked at Green. “Kiss me or move so Wilson or Jon can do it. Now!”
“What? They are not touching you!”
Lukian shoved Wilson toward Melanie. “If Green doesn’t do it right this second, shoot him in the leg and kiss her. She’s got Fae in her. So does Peren. Sexual stimulation of any kind cranks that part up.”
Wilson’s brows rose. “You want me to screw Green’s mate? I’d give my right nut for a night with Melanie, but Green would kill me. Need I remind you the guy took out an RPG dude with one friggin’ shot while Roi was driving like a bat out of hell in the opposite direction? Uhh, thanks, but no. I was a little too present when he reminded me of his massive intellect and his ability to invent new torture techniques.”
“I will kill you if anything happens to any of them,” Lukian said, glaring at Wilson.
Melanie glanced at Green. “Please.
”
“I can’t,” he said, moving back and closing his eyes. “Jon, you do it.”
Jon gasped. “Captain?”
Seeing it was pointless, that the men would just continue to bounce it back and forth, Melanie pushed to her feet and rushed into the other room. She grabbed hold of the first man she spotted and yanked him into the outer lobby area with the rest of the team. He wasn’t bad-looking, but he wasn’t a certified stud like the ones behind her. Still, he’d do.
The man stared down at her with a shocked look upon his face. He was familiar. She’d seen him before.
“I know you, you’re the girl who sings when the place closes,” he said, his eyes wide. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Melanie captured his lips with hers and thrust her tongue into his mouth. Her power surged as their tongues locked. His hands went to her sides, and with the dress she’d chosen, her sides were bare. As much as she needed stimulation to take her power to another level, she didn’t want sex from this man. She wanted it from the man who had refused her—Green.
Taking hold of the man’s wrists, she used her supernatural strength to pin his hands above his head and she continued kissing him feverishly. Melanie knew the man was aroused. She didn’t need the confirmation of his erection pressing against her lower stomach.
Green growled and she ignored him. He’d blown his chance. Vaguely, she heard him shouting something and then the sounds of Wilson and Jon talking about how they couldn’t hold him back much longer.
Her power went to full force just as she sensed the evil blanketing them increasing its force. Melanie let go of the man and he stayed pressed to the wall, looking stunned and stupid. Smiling, she winked. “Sleep.”
His eyes closed and he slid down the wall slowly. Jon cleared his throat. “Damn happy she didn’t kiss me. Green would have had an easy kill, considering I’d have been unconscious.”
Racing toward Peren and Missy, Melanie glanced at Green as Jon and Wilson released him. She gave him a hard look. He glanced away. She dropped down in front of Peren, cupped her face and pressed her mouth to Peren’s. She let her power out. It flowed into Peren.
Melanie crawled to Missy and did the same thing, thrusting power into her as well. Both women stopped holding their heads and stared at Melanie. She smiled. “Guys have been waiting for us to kiss like that forever.”
They let out shaky laughs.
Roi grabbed Missy to him. “The baby?”
Melanie let her power run out and over both women. She nodded. “Their babies are fine.”
Peren shook her head. “I’m not pregnant.”
Melanie gave her a droll look. “You sure? Because I’m sensing a baby boy in there.”
“A son?” Lukian grabbed Peren. “I thought your scent had changed but I didn’t want to say anything until—” He looked up at Melanie. “Thank you.”
Peren grabbed Lukian’s arm. “Men. Lots of men are moving in around the outside of the building. I think Melanie could sense them, that’s why I can now.”
Missy nodded. “They’re armed to the teeth and she’s right, they’re coming for us—the females.” Covering her stomach with one hand, Missy shook her head. “They know we’re expecting and want us alive. They want Melanie too for other reasons.”
Melanie’s power wavered for a second and the glamour she’d tossed around them so the humans wouldn’t sense anything dropped momentarily.
“Like hell!” Roi shouted, drawing the attention of other patrons to the lobby.
Wilson waved at all of them. “Sorry, he’s a huge fan of the big band era. Gets him all excited. Plus, he’s been drinking so he might start trying to sing Sinatra soon. Go on back to your fun. We’ll get him out of here.”
Tossing her power back up and around them, she masked them from the humans once more. Melanie’s hand picked then to cramp up on her. She hissed as she cradled it to her chest.
Green made a move to come to her, but her glare stopped him in his place. She flicked power at him, assuring he couldn’t get any closer. “Don’t even think of touching me now, asshole.”
Wilson came toward her, not seeming to care that she looked as if she wanted to spit nails. “You’re in pain.”
“I’m fine. Peren and Missy need to leave here now.” She went to take a step and staggered. Pain took hold of her just as Wilson caught her.
“Mel?”
Coughing, she winced as her insides hurt. The taste of blood filled her mouth and she touched her lips gingerly. When she pulled her hand back, it was red. Wilson drew in a sharp breath. “Oh shit, Mel. Captain, she’s coughing up blood.”
“Melanie?” Green made another move to come to her but she shook her head.
“I said I’m fine.”
“Honey, no. You’re hurt.”
“Mel, let him look at you,” Peren said, her voice laced with concern.
“It’ll go away. It always does.”
Something hissed and the lights flickered. Raw energy shot out and around them. Melanie knew without looking that the humans in the other room would be rendered immobile by it. The power was familiar somehow. It was also evil.
“What the fuck is going on?” Roi asked, backing Missy up and staring around the large lobby.
Suddenly, men dressed in black and carrying enough guns to take out a small army appeared from the shadows. All their weapons were trained on the men in the group. Three of the men in full black garb stepped forward. One removed his mask and Melanie’s breath caught. It was a face she’d seen in her nightmares growing up. A face that struck fear in her.
Green, Wilson, Roi, Jon, and Lukian all went to attack. It was a blur. A shot went off and one of the bad guys dropped to the floor. Out of the corner of her eye, Melanie was sure she spotted Lukian snapping a man’s neck. She gulped and felt the force of familiar, old Fae power charging up around them. In an instant, all of the good guys were ripped back by an unseen force, leaving Melanie, Missy, and Peren standing between them and the bad guys. Wilson staggered and bumped into her. It was oddly comforting to know at least one of the men ended up close to her. Though she would have preferred Green.
“What the fuck? I can barely move?” Roi asked, sounding strained and pissed.
“Same here!” Jon shouted.
“Here too,” Wilson said. “Feels like I’m in quicksand.”
Lukian snarled. “Fae magik.”
“You fucking son-of-a….”
Melanie glanced back at Green, shocked by his outburst. He was able to move a foot or so but seemed locked in a tiny area. His gaze was tight on her and something akin to worry filled his eyes. His gaze shot to Wilson,who was the closest good guy to Melanie. “Protect her.”
Wilson nodded, skimming his hand over the back of Melanie’s arm. Unable to bear the thought of Green hurting, she turned and stared up into the face that had haunted her dreams for so long and shook her head, not wanting to believe her own eyes.
“You’re not real,” she said, moving into Wilson’s arms. The bizarre sound that came from Green told her that he wasn’t pleased with her actions, but she was too caught up with the man before her to care.
The man stared out from blue-gray eyes. His jet-black hair hung to his waist and his skin seemed to shimmer. He laughed and the sound sent chills through her. He stared down at her and smiled. He was sexy in a dark, mysterious way, but she knew better than to fall for his charms. He was pure evil.
“Melanie. My, how you’ve grown since our last meeting.” He licked his lower lip and adjusted his cock through his black pants. “Mmm, you certainly are all woman now, aren’t you?”
“You know this guy?” Wilson asked.
Green growled again.
She could do little more than stare at the man who she’d come to believe was nothing more than a figment of her imagination.
The man glanced around. “Hmm, Daddy isn’t here to come rushing in and protect his baby girl, is he? And we’ve established,” his hot gaze raked over
her, “that you aren’t a baby anymore. I believe I will be spending more time in your bedroom now.”
“Like hell you will!” Green shouted.
The man with black hair ignored him, keeping his gaze trained on Melanie instead.
“Ferdian, grab her and be done,” the man to the right of the newest threat said. “The objective is to retrieve the females, not toy with one and risk it all. Krauss will rip our hearts out if we blow this.”
Ferdian?
It couldn’t be. He was a figment of her imagination. He wasn’t real. He couldn’t be.
Ferdian glared at the man next to him. “It is my power that holds them in place, or do you forget who and what I am? I shall do as I please. Krauss is not my master. I answer to no one. If anything, he should fear me. He is but a lowly human. Melanie and I have quite a history. Don’t we?”
“Guess we know which asshole to kill first then,” Roi bit out.
“If he lays one hand on her, I’ll rip it off and cram it down his throat,” Green said, his voice deeper than normal.
She shook her head as she stared up at Ferdian. “You’re not real. You’re the result of an overactive imagination. A manifestation I used to help me cope with power I was too young to control. That’s all you are. I’m hallucinating. That’s it or I’m crazy. Either way, you aren’t real.”
“That’s your father talking, Melanie. I’m sure Medrawd thought it best to tell you it was all just a bad dream.” He laughed wickedly. “I have not seen you since you were but a child, darling. So tiny. So scared of the man who you thought came out from under your bed. Tell me, did Thaddy ever come to save you? I know Daddy did, but what of this imaginary friend of yours? The one you told me would bite me for scaring you?”
Green made a slight choking sound. Melanie echoed it, shocked by Ferdian’s words.
Wilson grabbed her arm. “You talked about Thaddy, uh, you-know-who when you were little?”
She shook her head and did her best to ignore the pain that continued to move through her. “No. I don’t think I did, but since I didn’t think the crazy guy standing before us was real, we might not want to take my answer to heart.”
Radar Deception Page 6
