Forbidden Love Series Book 4: From The Ashes

by Danielle James

  Frankie returned the embrace and breathed the wonderful smell of Jessica’s shampoo. It was the same sweet pea scent she had always used and it reminded Frankie how much she missed her best friend.

  “I missed you too,” Jessica whispered. Had Frankie said it aloud? Or maybe her friend just knew her that well.

  “I’m starving,” Frankie said and Jessica released her from the Kung-Fu grip she was holding her in. But Jessica didn’t let go completely. She held Frankie’s hand in her own and stepped back to look at her.

  “You’re too skinny,” she remarked. “And look at your eyes! When’s the last time you got any real sleep?”

  “Thank you Jess, you look beautiful too,” Frankie laughed. “I know I look rough lately,” Frankie told her without answering the question. Who knew what would come out of Jessica’s mouth if she knew Frankie hadn’t been sleeping since she ran off. A couple of hours here and there did not constitute restful sleep and she knew by the baggage under her eyes that it showed.

  “First things first,” Jessica continued, “Come, meet Leigh and get some food.” She dragged Frankie over to the booth.

  Brea immediately stood and smiled. “Hey girl,” she said as she put an arm around Frankie. “Your hair has grown out! I love it.” She rubbed a strand between her fingers before letting it fall.

  “Thank you,” she replied.

  “I would ask you how things have been but I’m sure you’re not going to tell me,” Brea continued. “Besides, if it’s anything for you like it has been for Jacque, I’m sure the answer is miserable. Where have you been? We missed you.”

  “Ya know, around,” Frankie answered. Her heart instinctively kicked up a notch just at the mention of Jacque’s name. She squashed it right back down before it got any crazy ideas.

  Brea moved aside and held out her hand for Leigh. The woman took it and hefted her very, very pregnant self out of the booth. She moved in front of Brea and held out her hand to Frankie. “It’s nice to meet you, Frankie, I’m Leigh.” Frankie took her hand and shook. Now she got a real look at the dragon. She was shorter than Frankie with super long black hair. It was so long that if she weren’t careful she would sit on it, and it shined like black onyx. Her features were very nondescript. Frankie thought if not for her hair and strange, cat-like yellow eyes, Leigh would have been described as plain. She was pretty though. And the very round belly she was carrying made her absolutely beautiful. Her face glowed with the life she carried inside her.

  Very deceptive to the powerful creature Frankie knew she was.

  “I’m honored to meet you,” Frankie told her, “You are beautiful.”

  The dragon blushed like any normal woman. “A dragon, huh?” Frankie continued.

  “Yeah, a dragon. The last of my kind,” Leigh said sadly.

  The women all sat back down in the booth. “So what about the baby? Isn’t he or she a dragon too?”

  Leigh shrugged as she pulled her hair around so not to sit on it. Frankie smiled.

  “We really don’t know,” Leigh answered. “Jacque has been running tests, but the results are out there in left field. The baby has genetic markers of mine and Rebel’s. We really don’t know what we’re gonna get.”

  Frankie could see the worry plain as day on the woman’s face. How could she not worry? A baby that was half dragon and half vampire… hell it could be any combination of the two. For all anyone knew it could pop out with a whole set of fangs and wings. But worry wasn’t what the soon to be mommy needed and Frankie knew that so she kept her thoughts to herself.

  “I know exactly what you are having,” Frankie offered.

  “Yeah?”

  “A baby.” All eyes stared at Frankie for a moment, and then Leigh burst out laughing.

  “And you are exactly right,” she said.

  “A beautiful baby,” Jessica added.

  “One that we can’t wait to welcome into the world!” Brea said.

  Right about that time the server came over and asked for their order. All four ladies ordered enough food to feed an army. The woman brought drinks and left with a smile.

  “So I know we need to discuss business, but I really want to know what’s been going on with my best friend lately,” Frankie said. It was a delay tactic, but true at the same time. She had missed Jessica like she would miss her right arm. And that was what their friendship was to Frankie, an extension of herself. One that she had been missing for too long. “How goes the dreaming? Did you see me coming?”

  Jessica rolled her eyes. For as long as she could remember she had dreams about things. Things that usually came true. “No, I didn’t. In fact, I keep dreaming that I am a weather girl.”

  “A weather girl?” Frankie asked, choking back a laugh.

  “I know! Every night I hope to dream of something that can help us with Antonio, and every night I dream that I am some insane weather girl who talks to herself and freaks out on air.”

  “So you’re dreaming about some girl? Did you try to find her?” Frankie asked.

  “No, you don’t understand,” Jessica said, “In my dream, I’m me. I am giving the weather report, calling for snow, by the way, and I start yelling at someone who isn’t there.”

  “Wow, I’m sorry,” Frankie said.

  “We tried to research meteorologists who had mental days on air but came up empty,” Brea added. “Not sure what else we can do.”

  “Give it time,” Frankie answered. “Her dreams usually pan out in one way or another.”

  “I don’t see it snowing any time in the near future,” Leigh added with a roll of her eyes. “It hasn’t snowed in LA in who knows how long! I think it’s just a dream.”

  “Hello Ladies, sorry I’m late,” a male voice interrupted. A voice that Frankie was sure she knew. She looked up, way up, and into the eyes of Leigh’s husband.

  He was wearing a black cowboy hat and a long leather coat and it was sunny outside. What the hell was he doing out in the sunlight? Surely her mind was playing tricks on her, but there was no mistake, it was definitely Rebel. Well, shit.

  Jessica had told her about how Rebel had taken on some of Leigh’s magic when they mated, and apparently immunity to the sun was one of them.

  “Hi honey,” Leigh smiled up at him. He bent his tall body to fit in the booth next to her then leaned in to kiss her lips. Frankie could feel the love coming off of them and it made her heart break all over again. That was what she wanted. That was how she wanted things to be with her and Jacque, and that was how she knew it would never be.

  “It’s nice to see you again,” he rumbled at Frankie.

  “Hey Rebel,” she said sheepishly.

  “Young lady,” he narrowed his eyes at her, “you’ve got some explaining to do.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Macy knew it was only a matter of minutes before her alarm clock would go off. She could tell by the way the light infiltrated her still closed eyelids. She had been so tired the night before that she just fell into bed without bothering to close the curtains. She hated it when she woke up early, even if it was just a couple of minutes. Sleep was a precious commodity in her life and she wanted every single second of it! She always woke up feeling cheated in some way.

  At least, she thought, her visitor hadn’t shown up yet today. Her room was as quiet as a morgue. Ha, funny analogy since a dead man had been frequenting the joint.

  Might as well not fight the inevitable, she thought as she cracked one eyelid open. Yep, it was daylight. Although she could only see a sliver of her room, she appeared to be alone. She opened her eyes all the way. The bright morning sun stung her still sleepy eyes, but it was bearable. Without moving her head, she checked out the rest of her room. Nothing by the dresser, nothing by the door. Nothing that she could see in the hallway. She didn’t want to get too excited about being alone just yet. That ghost, that MAN, could still be hanging around somewhere. He usually was.

  It was just then that her alarm clock made itself known. The rude
beeping blared beside her and scared the crap out of her. She jumped and slammed her hand on the silly thing like it was on fire. When it finally shut up, she rubbed her eyes with both hands.

  “Good morning sunshine,” said a voice she had heard entirely too often lately. Hell, she had come to expect it. She had grown accustomed to living with the spirit. It was almost like having a roommate, but this one didn’t leave his dirty clothes around on the floor and didn’t eat all of her ice cream. He was just about the perfect man, except the horrible singing and of course, the being dead part.

  “Don’t you have someone else to haunt?” Macy asked without looking up.

  “Nope,” came his reply like soothing ripples across the ocean. “I like haunting you.”

  Macy prayed silently that she was still asleep and dreaming; that if she truly opened her eyes and looked in the direction of that wretched voice, he wouldn’t really be there. She turned her head and looked. Sure enough, he was there; sitting in the chair by her desk like he belonged there.

  “Not today,” she told him as she shoved the covers off and swung her legs over the side of the bed. “I got a big day at work today and I really don’t need your drama Ghost Man.”

  “Antonio,” he said.

  “What?”

  “My name. It’s Antonio. I would appreciate it if you would call me by it,” he told her.

  “I don’t see how it matters what I call you,” she said as she made her way to the bathroom. “In case you didn’t notice, you’re dead. I can call you anything I want. What are you gonna do? Irritate me to death?”

  Antonio smiled. He supposed he could keep irritating her, but so far that hadn’t worked. He needed her to contact his family and he was going to have to try another route to get her cooperation. “No, I’m not going to irritate you anymore,” he said.

  “Oh good, so you’re leaving?” she called from the bathroom.

  “No,” chuckled. “I still need your help, but I’ve decided that we started out on the wrong foot.” He thought about going to the bathroom door and in an instant, he was there. He leaned his body against the frame and kept talking. “I don’t really know how much time I have or how to go about getting my family’s attention, but it’s imperative that I get a message to them.”

  “Imperative?” she laughed. “Who talks like that?”

  “So glad I could make you laugh,” he said, rolling those deep brown eyes. “At least it’s better than you yelling at me.”

  She opened the door with her toothbrush in hand. “Look mister,” she started.

  “Antonio,” he said.

  “Ok, Antonio, I have no idea how to help you. I can’t just walk up and tell security that I am seeing their dead friend. I would be laughed off the property. I have my own life to think of. I want to help you, but seriously, I can’t. You may be dead and have nothing to lose, but I, however, am still very much alive. I won’t ruin my reputation, not for you, not for anyone.”

  Antonio could certainly respect that. He had a reputation at one time, but not anymore. His family was the most important thing to him and he wouldn’t quit until he made sure they were safe.

  “What if I told you it was about the dragon?” he asked.

  “What’s about the dragon?” she asked after she spat toothpaste in the sink.

  “What I have to tell them. It’s about the dragon.”

  “No,” she said. “Not my problem. I’m sorry.” And she really was sorry. She would help him if she could, but that just wasn’t going to happen.

  “You are forcing my hand,” he warned her. He seemed, almost, sad?

  “Oh no, don’t sing to me anymore!” She threw her arm across her forehead. “I don’t know if I can take any more of that!”

  “You little sarcastic ass,” he said, “You have no idea what I can do and what I will do to save them.”

  “Oh are we threatening now?” she glared at him. “Go ahead. I’ll just go and find me a priest to exorcise your ass.”

  “Macy,” he warned. “Could you just send an email?”

  “Yeah like they’re gonna open an email from someone that they don’t know, claiming to have a message from their dead family member. Like that’s gonna happen,” she snarked.

  That woman was going to be the death of him, well, if he weren’t already dead. If he were alive… He would kiss some sense into her. He would spank her ass. Oh the things he would do to that little woman if he were alive.

  He gave himself a mental slap for getting off course. How pathetic was he anyway? He had not only been stalking a previously perfectly sane person, but now he was having ghost hard ons for her.

  “And anyhow, what makes you think they don’t know,” she continued. Antonio realized that she had been talking the entire time, and he even felt bad for not listening.

  “Don’t know what?” he asked.

  “Ugh,” she grumbled as she poured her coffee. “What makes you think they don’t already know what you know?”

  Was he losing his mind or was her voice getting farther away? “Trust me, they don’t know this.”

  “I’m just saying, they have the best of the best working for them, surely to God they can figure it out,” she continued talking, but Antonio couldn’t hear her anymore. It was like listening under water for a while and then her voice winked out completely. He knew what was going to happen and he tried to grab on to anything to hold him back, but as he concentrated on her lovely face, the darkness crept in and overtook him once again.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Jacque paced the foyer steadily. He concentrated on the sound his boots made against the marble floor with every step he took. Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. How long could it possibly take to eat breakfast? Rebel told him that they would definitely bring Frankie back to the house.

  That was an hour ago. What the fuck was taking so long? He scrubbed his hand over his face and sighed. He had already showered, shaved, changed his clothes, and changed his clothes again. He had taken all of his jewelry out of his face, only to put it back again. He wanted to look his best when Frankie got there, even if she didn’t care. He finally settled on leaving in the earrings and the eyebrow rings, but he took the bullring out of his nose and left only one hoop in his lip. He wore a pair of worn jeans and a black t-shirt that stretched over his chest just tight enough to show off the piercings in his nipples through the thin fabric. Of course, he shouldn’t be surprised at the amount of time that was slowly inching by at a snail’s pace. Ever since Rebel and Leigh officially mated, Rebel could eat regular food, among other things that would make any vampire green with envy.

  And eat was something he did well and often.

  But still, shouldn’t the fucker have the common courtesy to bring that woman back home first? Couldn’t he get a doggy bag or something?

  Another hour passed before Jacque heard the sound he had been waiting for. The garage door was opening. Jacque’s heart stopped beating, jumped into his throat, did a little hey what’s going on with his brain before settling back into his chest and beating again.

  “You ain’t nervous are ya?” Gage asked from beside him. When the fuck did he get there?

  “No,” Jacque answered.

  “Oh,” Gage said and parked his ass on a chair in the sitting room. Jacque followed him.

  “Why would I be nervous?” he asked as he tried to sit casually on the other side of the room.

  “No reason,” Gage replied and popped the top off a bottle of O Neg.

  “I have no reason to be nervous,” Jacque continued.

  “None at all,” Gage agreed.

  “Do you think she came with them?” Jacque asked as nonchalant as he could manage.

  “Oh I’m sure Jessica wouldn’t have it any other way,” Gage reassured him.

  “Because I need her here,” he said, and then corrected himself quickly. “We need her here to help with Antonio.”

  “Of course,” Gage answered.

  “You want me punch your fucking face in
, brother?” Jacque said, leaning forward and sitting on the edge of his seat.

  “Hey, hey,” Gage said, putting his hands up in a defensive pose, “I was only agreeing with you.”

  “I know what you were doing,” he snarled. “Stop it.”

  “Stop what?”

  “Stop placating me,” he demanded.

  “Uh, need Prozac much?”

  Jacque considered making good on his threat but he heard the back door opening and before he saw anything, he smelled it. Her scent. It was all sunshine and flowers and all kinds of girly things that he couldn’t make his brain describe at that point, but he knew it was hers. Frankie had come home.

  “Honey, I’m home!” shouted Rebel as they came through the door. “What’s for dinner?”

  Gage and Jacque looked at each other and rolled their eyes. “We’re in here,” Gage called out as he drained his bottle.

  Jacque didn’t know whether to stand or stay sitting. The gentleman his mother had beaten into him as a child wanted to stand. He wanted to meet her at the door and bend down to kiss her hand. The ass he was wanted to sit and pretend she wasn’t there at all. He wanted to pretend that he couldn’t hear every beat of her heart or sense every move she made. He wanted to pretend that she didn’t matter to him the way he didn’t matter to her.

  In the end, it was the years of being smacked on the back of his head by his mother on the streets of Paris that won out and he stood to greet his family as they entered the sitting room. “Welcome back ladies,” he said with a slight smile. Jessica shook her head and smiled as she strode to the couch to have a seat, Leigh rolled her eyes and waddled to the same couch. Jacque watched his sisters, and that’s what they were to him, adopted, but still. Jessica had to support Leigh’s back while Rebel held her arm and they lowered her to the couch together. Rebel immediately sat beside his wife and began subconsciously rubbing her leg.

  Brea had gone to tell Angel that they were home so Jacque figured they would be down soon enough in tandem. The only person left standing was Frankie. Well, she and Jacque. She was almost hiding behind the door frame like she was afraid to come in. As well she should be, he thought. After all the shit she had put him through, it was only fair that she feel a little apprehensive.