Harcourte Vampyre Society 01 Dangerous Revelations

by Unknown

  His hands went to his boxers as he stared at Jolie. “Um, I’m going to get naked here, and I don’t know if I really need an audience right now.”

  She smiled sweetly. “I’ve sat in your lap and seen a few naked men in my time. Do you really think I’ll be surprised at what you’re hiding in your drawers?”

  It took a second for that word to register, then he shook his head. “Fine,” he said, accepting her challenge. If she thought he wouldn’t drop his pants while she sat there, well hell, she was wrong.

  Brogan accepted the dare.

  He slid the boxers down his strong thighs and stared defiantly in her eyes. He noticed that she ran her gaze up and down his body, taking in everything, including his response from the feeding. Where it should have embarrassed him, it made him more excited and aware of the woman in front of him.

  When she licked her lips, he fought to not respond. All he could do was glance over at Jacques. Fortunately, the man’s eyes never left his face. He wasn’t sure he wouldn’t have peeked himself.

  You know, to check out the competition…

  “Nice,” said Jolie, smiling at Brogan as he snapped out of it and began pulling on the pants. “How do they fit?” she asked.

  He was trying to be irritated, but it was the same thing he did to her whenever she was naked.

  He heard her voice in his mind.

  “Exactly, but I don’t mind.”

  “Touché,” he said, acknowledging the grin on Jacques’s face. “Are you enjoying her torturing me?”

  “Mon ami, she hasn’t started torturing you yet. Be grateful.”

  Flynn pulled on a cotton T-shirt in black, and his double gun holster. He popped out the clips and slid them back in smoothly. Throwing a black shirt with red flames over it, he finished dressing.

  Jacques grinned. “That’s an interesting shirt.”

  “Yeah, well I like color. All this black is depressing. What vehicle are we taking?” he asked, changing the subject, because his face was still burning from Jolie’s close scrutiny.

  “We’re taking the Interceptors. I hope you like a rough ride, Flynn,” she teased as she stood.

  No one missed the innuendo. “Yeah, I absolutely do.”

  The three walked into the garage, and toward the two bikes. Jolie put on her helmet and tossed one to Brogan, then Jacques. She swung her leg over the black bike and slid into the back to make room for her mate.

  Brogan hopped onto the red one and both bikes roared to life. He couldn’t believe that in just a few days, life had changed so drastically. First there was an H2, and now a sleek bike.

  It was all too funny.

  As the garage door opened, Jolie immediately scanned and could feel the disturbance before she saw it. She reached out to both men’s minds.

  “We have company.”

  “Who is it?” asked Brogan.

  “Your partner is across from the property. He’s watching us. He’ll see you leaving the house. It looks like you’ll have to explain yourself real soon. He’ll wonder where you’ve been all weekend.”

  “When I scheduled my sick time, I didn't think he was going to buy it,” he stated, now seeing that he was right.

  “Apparently not,” stated Jacques.

  “We can’t let him follow us.”

  Jolie’s laughter filled their heads.

  “I hope that you can handle that bike going really fast, Detective,” added Jacques. “The last time I had it up to one hundred to catch Jolie. Please try to keep your ass from getting road rash.”

  Now, his laughter echoed through all their minds.

  “Come on, both of you. I want to get there before sunset,” said Jolie, impatiently.

  Both bikes jumped forward and screamed down the driveway. They tore down the street and as predicted, the detective’s car was on them.

  By mile one, they were ahead of him.

  By mile three, they were zipping down the roads, weaving in and out of traffic like maniacs.

  By mile five, Gress had lost them and was sitting in his car, pissed off.

  “Shit. What the hell is going on?” he muttered, as he watched them tear down the streets. He didn't miss that one form looked vaguely familiar. Detective Gress honestly hoped whatever Flynn was doing, that he wasn’t in over his head.

  “Where the hell are all the cops when you need them?” he asked himself, as he began dialing his partner’s cell phone to get some well-deserved answers.

  Like what was he thinking?

  ∞ Chapter Nineteen ∞

  Saturday Just Before Dusk

  Jacques was glad they were finally there. Parking, he found a place to hide the motorcycles a block from the club. The entire time on the bike, it was incredibly hard to concentrate with his mate behind him. She loved to tease, and this ride had been no different.

  “Nice job, Flynn,” said Jolie, as the detective pulled up and turned off the engine.

  “Yeah, well there’s nothing like the feeling of dying by going ninety miles an hour with nothing but a shirt between you and road rash,” he said, getting off his bike.

  Jacques could relate. “We need to move fast. He’ll be rising soon.”

  All three crept toward the club, staying in the shadows as much as possible. Since it was before dusk, Jolie didn’t have as much power as she would have liked. At that point, she was saving everything she had for their adversaries inside.

  When they made it to the door, Jacques looked over his shoulder at Brogan and nodded. Granted, they could easily use their minds to open the lock, but they wanted to make the detective feel included in their adventure.

  Brogan pulled a small zippered case out of his pocket and knelt to work on the lock.

  When it popped, he stood and grinned mischievously.

  No one spoke as Jacques stepped into the dark room to lead the way. His first priority, as Jolie’s mate, was her protection, despite no longer being her guardian.

  “Shit! It’s dark in here,” stated Brogan, only able to view a little of his surroundings. It was more than he normally would see if he wasn’t bonded, but it was still difficult.

  Jolie took his hand as the three moved through the dark. Reaching for their minds, she warned them of what was waiting for them. “Let me go first. There are guardians ahead.”

  “Be careful, mon amour.”

  Jolie slid into the darkness and before long the men heard two thumps. As quickly as Jolie had gone, she returned.

  “Are you okay?” asked Brogan.

  “Yes, but they aren’t. Well not for a while, anyway.” Her laughter caressed them warmly and reeked of unfamiliar energy.

  It appeared that someone stopped for a snack.

  “Will they remember us, mon amour?”

  “No, I fed well,” was her only reply.

  Instinctually, Brogan moved closer, simply because he wanted to do his job. That, and the energy pulsing from her was calling to him.

  “Feed, Jacques,” she said in a whisper.

  Brogan was intrigued as they fed in the dark. He swore that he could pick up little moments where energy was passed between them. When they pulled apart and Jolie glanced over at him, he swore her eyes were completely reflective, like that of a cat.

  “You two are scary in the dark,” he said, laughing in their minds. “Although, I’ll admit that Jacques is scary in the light, too.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  “I can’t feed you, mon ami. We’ll need the energy since it’s before dusk.”

  “I’m fine from before. Let’s get in there, and then get the hell out of here.”

  Jolie approached the door cautiously. When she turned, her eyes flashed again. “He’s with two females. They’re not our kind.”

  Jolie lifted her hand, and there was the click of locks opening. “Enter on my invitation,” she grinned, grateful that Sergei had brought her to his room the other day.

  It made all this possible.

  “Grab the women and g
et them off the bed.”

  As both men walked into the room, they could sense the energy brush them as they crossed the doorframe.

  Jacques hissed and flashed his fangs at the brief flash of pain it caused.

  It didn't take long for the men to do what she asked as Jacques only paused to drain the women. “Come here, Flynn. I’ll feed you.”

  “No way man, you’re not kissing me,” he whispered back.

  “Thank you for pointing out the obvious, Detective, but again, I must remind you that you’re not my type,” he reassured, placing his hand on Brogan’s chest. He felt the energy pulsing into his body. When he was finished, he broke away. “There, and no kissing. Look at that.”

  Already, Jolie was on the move.

  She slid onto the bed and pulled one of her daggers from the sheath. She pointed it right over Sergei’s chest and if by magic, it floated in the air, ready to take his life.

  As he took his first breath, he must have sensed something was wrong, because he looked around nervously, searching out his companions.

  Trying to hide his fear, he finally spoke. “Well, this is a delicious surprise Jolie. I never thought I would wake with you in my bed. I will admit that I have thought about it many times though,” he smiled, lifting his hand as if to touch her face.

  It was then that he felt the knifepoint press harder into his chest, followed by a growl from across the room. “I see that you brought your mongrel.”

  “Sorry, Sergei, but you’re not my type. Although, I’ll say that I’m thoroughly enjoying being here in your bed,” She stared into his eyes, “Don’t try it, Sergei. Even if you manage to get into my head, Jacques over there will drive this knife straight into your heart. If for some reason you stop him, Detective Brogan will then pump your chest full of bullets,” she added, motioning toward the men as they stepped from the shadows.

  He glanced over in fear. “What do you want, Jolie?”

  “I want to give you some payback for your little visit to my home and bedroom.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Sergei, I feel your stress and fear. Oh, and if you think that you can contact anyone outside this room, you can’t. I sealed this room with the energy that I sucked out of your guardians. No one will ever know that we were here.”

  He looked nervous all of a sudden.

  “Tell me about why you sent those vamps of yours to my home.”

  Silence.

  “See, I found Medea and ripped her mind to shreds to find the answers I needed. Funny thing is, it was your face that I kept seeing. Since she frequented your club, it wasn’t hard for you to help her lure innocent women to their deaths.”

  “I had nothing to do with that. I swear! I don’t feed on unwilling donors.”

  Jolie reached out and entered his mind, searching for the truth. She saw that he was innocent of the killings, but guilty of attacking her in her home.

  “Sergei, Sergei, Sergei. You did send those guardians to kill us. You were a very bad boy. You would have killed me too, except you didn’t account for Detective Brogan. He saved our asses, and in the process, your little helpers almost eviscerated him. I had to bond him to Jacques and myself. It pisses me off, because you forced my hand. Now, he’ll never have a normal life. For that one sin alone, you’re going to die. The only thing that I’m not sure of is how to end your existence.”

  “You won’t get away with it.”

  “Really, you think so? You seemed to think you could get away with killing us, so I’m here to return your little attempt. At least I’m letting you see me kill you. I have integrity as an assassin. Never send someone to do your dirty work, Sergei. It’s the first law of living for centuries.”

  “Jolie, please! Can we make a deal? Maybe I could take you as my mate, and we could be twice as powerful and control the city, societies, and the council,” he crooned, as he touched her face.

  “I don’t deal with the devil, Sergei, and I would never mate with a snake like you. My life is complete. The men at my side are the only ones I trust.”

  He looked even more scared now.

  “I don’t know who is killing them. I swear!

  “I know that, Sergei, and after I shred your mind to find out what you do know, I’ll let you know how I plan on killing you,” she reassured, flashing her fangs.

  “Now, where to begin?” she asked, slipping into Sergei’s thoughts. It wasn’t hard to find the pain, hate, and anger. It didn't take long for the next piece of the puzzle to be found. As he bowed in pain, she patted his shoulder. “Thank you, Sergei. I appreciate your help with finding the killers,” she said, moving away from him.

  Brogan fully expected her to bury the knife in his heart, and when it floated across the room to them, he was confused.

  Jolie could hear his thoughts. “Flynn, I need your gun,” she said, putting out her hand. “I wish to not have to touch him anymore.”

  Part of her was sure that he was going to protest, but when he simply reached under his shirt for the weapon, she was pleasantly surprised.

  “Do you want me to do this, Jolie?” he asked, bringing his palm to her cheek. “I’ll handle him.”

  Jolie knew that Jacques was burning through his energy, as he concentrated on keeping Sergei immobile on the bed. “No. I would prefer that my heart and soul stay clean from this entire thing. Besides, you’re a detective. I don’t want this touching you more than it has to.”

  He handed her the gun and turned to walk out of the room. Brogan knew she was hesitant to be herself with him looking on, so he cut her a break.

  “Jolie, please,” begged Sergei. “We can be allies.”

  “Lesson number two. Never invite anyone into your personal quarters. You never know who they’ll bring with them to kill you.”

  “Jolie, do it now. We need to leave soon.”

  “Sit him up, Jacques,” she stated, watching as he did just that. Lifting the weapon in her hand, she stared at him. “May whoever created us, Sergei, have mercy on your lack of soul.”

  With that, she squeezed the trigger four times and watched as his body jerked.

  “Let’s place the women back in his bed, and get the hell out of here,” she said to Jacques.

  Immediately, he headed out to the hall and the sleeping women.

  “Is he dead?” asked Brogan

  “Well, he was always dead, Detective,” Jacques replied, as he lifted the women in his arms. “She had good aim, and he won’t rise again.”

  Jolie said nothing the entire time. She handed the detective his gun and started walking away.

  “Come on. Let’s get her home,” Jacques said softly.

  It was a successful night. They found the next part of the vampyre killer’s circle and eliminated an evil who wanted them dead. They could head out and not worry.

  No police would be called.

  Sergei’s clan would deal with the body quietly. It was the way of their people.

  They crept silently back out of the club, avoiding the few staff who were just starting to arrive. Once outside in the alley, Brogan wiped the doorknob off to remove any trace that he was ever there. They walked in the shadows to the bikes and mounted up.

  “Jolie, are you okay?” asked Brogan.

  “Yes, Flynn. I’m just tired.”

  Jacques’s priority was to get her home. Already, he could see what had just happened was beginning to weigh on her.

  All that Jolie really wanted was a shower and some hot tea.

  Jacques reached for her mind. “Je t’aime.”

  “I love you too, Jacques.”

  “Are you feeling alright?”

  “I’m not sorry that I had to kill him, Jacques. He tried to take our lives. I’m just tired tonight, and want to be where I’m comfortable. In my head, I know it was important, but in my heart, I loathed destroying one more of our own. We’re already dwindling in number.”

  “Let’s get home, mon amour, and I’ll draw your bath.�
��

  “Thank you, my love. Our detective did well this evening.”

  “He did, and I’m very proud of him.”

  “Me too,” she said, before closing off her mind. For now, she had earned some well-deserved silence.

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  The ride home had her more than worried. As hard as she tried to relax, one thing kept messing with her mind. What if they missed something? Yes, Sergei was dead, but who else had he invited into their home? Would his guardians try to enact revenge on her family?

  Something had to be done. It looked like her bath and silence were going to be put on hold as Jolie called for a family meeting as soon as they arrived.

  Neither man questioned it, because it had to be important.

  “Sit everyone,” she said, scanning the twenty faces watching her cautiously. “I’ve made a decision. Tonight, we must all leave the house. The more I think about it, the more I believe that we’re not safe here. We’ve taken care of the individual who attempted to kill us, but they may strike back. I can’t risk losing any of you, all because I neglected to be cautious. Instead of staying here, I’m going to ask that you all head to your small hiding places. Go to your apartments, your cabins, and your private residences. We have them for an emergency, and I believe this is definitely one. When this mess is cleaned up, we’ll all return back here.”

  Balzac stood. “It is that bad, Mistress, that we must go to extremes?”

  Jolie didn't want to divide them up, since there was safety in numbers, but this was the least dangerous risk, in her opinion.

  “It’s one step past that to worst-case scenario,” she replied, standing. “Everyone must be out by dawn. I want you all in your standby homes and away from here. If there’s going to be retribution, it’ll happen when we’re our weakest, and this time, they’ll know we have Detective Brogan. We’ll be sitting ducks once they move to take him out first.”

  There were whispers and murmurs, but no one argued. If their mistress believed they were in danger, they would listen to her.