“They can’t be beaten?” Nicole didn’t like the sound of that at all.
“Oh, they can be beaten if it’s not too late,” Kira added with a frown. “If a vampire doesn’t realize they’re dealing with a demon, it’s almost always a death sentence.”
“Why haven’t we ever heard the Warriors speak of demons?” Pam, who had remained quiet, asked.
“As I said, demons don’t usually show themselves unless there’s an agenda,” Mira clarified. “They’re content to cause chaos behind the scenes, so to speak, as they have been doing since the beginning of time. We aren’t even certain that this is a demon though. Pike only heard the word, nothing else. Though from what Vanessa said about Mr. Rosenstein, it does sound like a form of possession.”
Nicole sat down heavily in the chair, thinking over everything she’d just learned. Slowly, she glanced up at Kira and then Mira. “What do you think?”
Both women were silent for a minute. “Everyone needs to be on guard until we are sure,” Kira finally answered.
Until this very moment, Nicole never in a million years thought there was something out there that could harm or even defeat the fearless Warriors she knew so well, but on hearing talk of demons and possession, she knew that wasn’t true. The knowledge terrified her.
There was a knock on the door as Ben and Tessa walked in. Tessa stopped short, staring at the women. “What did I miss?” Tessa’s brows dipped low looking from Nicole then to Pam.
“You don’t want to know.” Fear pitched Pam’s voice high. Nicole wasn’t the only one terrified.
Chapter 17
Unfortunately, their unscheduled visit was a bust. No one was home. After repeated knocks and searches around the house, Nicole called it. She figured after Tessa’s call, they got spooked and left, which meant they knew how the system worked and an unscheduled visit was inevitable.
“We’ll give it a few days and go back,” Nicole told Tessa. Ben had stayed back to help Mitch and another agent on a separate case.
“Sounds good,” Tessa replied, seeming lost in thought. “So, is there a reason you sent me with Ben when you talked to Mira and Kira?”
The question shocked Nicole. “No.” She glanced over to see Tessa was staring out the window. “Why would you ask me that?”
With a sigh, Tessa finally looked her way as Nicole pulled into a small pizza joint. They had time to eat before meeting up with everyone at the EEPT facility. “I have the same gift as Adam, Nicole. Every single one of you was an open book.”
“It wasn’t you, Tessa.” Nicole leaned back with a sigh. “It was Ben. It was the only way I could think of to get him out of the room so I could talk to Mira and Kira. And I know you have the same gift of reading people as Adam.”
Tessa nodded, but remained quiet, which was totally not in Tessa’s nature. If she had something to say, she usually spoke freely and openly.
“You and Pam are the ones I lean on, Tessa.” Nicole reached out and touched her arm. “You two are my closest friends. I would never do that to you. What’s going on?”
“I know. I’m sorry.” Tessa laughed, but there was no humor evident. “Come on, let’s get something to eat.”
“Tessa.” Nicole tried to stop her, but Tessa was already out of the car and walking up to the door. Concerned, Nicole got out and followed her in. They seated themselves and ordered. She knew Tessa and Jared had been having problems on and off, but lately, things seemed to be going well for them. Maybe that wasn’t the case.
“Are you and Jared doing okay?” Nicole asked point-blank. It probably wasn’t any of her business, but Tessa was her friend, and if there was anything she could do to help, Nicole would drop everything to do so.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” Tessa finally said, her eyes shifting away from Nicole as if embarrassed. “One minute we’re fine and the next, it’s just… I really don’t know.”
“Tessa, Damon and I have our moments too. All of us do. One thing I do know is that Jared Kincaid loves you. He’s an ass sometimes, but aren’t they all? We mated with very strong, alpha-minded men.”
“He should have let me die.”
The words shocked Nicole to her core. “Don’t ever let me hear you say that again,” Nicole hissed as she reached over and squeezed Tessa’s hand. “How can you even say something like that? That would have devastated him. All of us. And what about Gramps and Adam?”
Tessa pulled her hand away, her chin quivering. “He never wanted to turn me, Nicole. We had some pretty wicked fights about it.” She cleared her throat, then straightened in her chair as if trying to pull herself together. “And then he had to, or lose me.”
“That’s right. And he chose you,” Nicole replied with a firm nod.
“Do you know the first thing I saw in his eyes after I woke?” Tessa leaned toward her, a sad smile tipping her lips. “Regret.”
“You’re wrong.” Nicole shook her head, not believing that for a minute.
Tessa sat back and shrugged her shoulder. “I see that look sometimes, and it breaks me,” Tessa whispered, staring out over the restaurant. Her eyes returned to Nicole’s. “I hate who I’ve become because of that look. The more he pushes me away, the more I step back. I’m not the same, Nicole, and it scares me. I don’t even know who I am or where I belong.”
The waitress brought their pizza, but neither woman moved to take a slice. They remained silent, lost in their own thoughts.
The words Tessa spoke rang true because Nicole had those same feelings. It was exactly why she was back at the agency. Nicole knew Tessa’s background—from a broken home, her father killed their mother, and she practically raised Adam. She was a bartender, a damn good one, but wanted more. “Do you think you’re going to like working at the agency?” Nicole changed the subject for the moment.
Tessa’s eyes lit up. “Absolutely.” She nodded with a smile. “I really felt like I was doing something worthwhile. Don’t get me wrong, I loved bartending, and that’s all I’ve known my whole working life, but this was different as if I, Tessa Pride, was making a difference in someone’s life. Not serving beers and calling cabs for the ones too drunk to drive home. I mean, I know it was my first day and all, but it felt good.”
“You were making a difference.” Nicole grabbed a slice of pizza and tossed it onto Tessa’s plate, then got one of her own. “You raised Adam when you were practically a kid yourself. This may be your calling, Tessa Pride Kincaid.” Nicole made sure she added Jared’s name since Tessa hadn’t.
They ate in silence. Nicole sent a text letting Damon know she was working late. It actually wasn’t a lie. She was working late. Guilt at what they were about to do ate at her though, but maybe this was the right way to do it. If she was going to be able to do her job, as well as train these women on how to do theirs, they needed to be somewhat separated from the Warriors. She felt that if they were working with anyone other than their mates, then things would be different, but that wasn’t the case. The Warriors made the decisions on what information to share with them. And after talking with Lana, who was a police officer, it was the same with her.
Nicole wasn’t so obnoxious that she needed to know every single detail, but the way things went down with Rosenstein, and how Jill was treated at times, well, it was just plain bullshit. These women, herself included, had something to offer the world they now lived in, and none of them wanted to be placed on a shelf for safe keeping. Damon could keep her safe all he wanted while in their bed, but when it came to her work, he couldn’t hold her back. But he could walk beside her, as she would do with him.
“Sorry.” Tessa chuckled, a real chuckle this time.
“What?” Nicole pushed her plate away, taking a drink of water.
“Didn’t mean to put you in such a deep state of thought.” Tessa finished too and leaned back to stretch. “I’m not the type to feel sorry for myself, but there are times I’m feeling vulnerable, you know?”
“You don’t have to explain anything to
me.” Nicole snorted, sorting through her bag for some cash. “I’ve had a few pity parties for myself, but you know what? We all deserve that every once in a while. As long as we bounce back stronger than before, pity parties can be good for the soul.”
“Then my soul should be refreshed.” Tessa laughed, also digging around for money. “I got this.” She grinned, putting down their bill money plus a generous tip.
“Thank you.” Nicole looked at her friend and smiled. “Now let’s go see what in the hell ESPN has in store for us.”
“I swear I think Steve has been hanging out with Jared and Sid too long.” Tessa picked up the bill and money, taking it to the waitress, and followed Nicole to the car.
“I think you’re right.” Nicole rolled her eyes. As they got into the car, Nicole started it, but before backing up, she glanced at Tessa. “You think Steve is going to say something to the guys?”
“Have you ever known Steve to be able to keep a secret?” Tessa cocked her eyebrow.
“Shit,” Nicole hissed, eager to get to the place and get it over with, without anyone dying.
Damon watched as two recruits sparred on the ground, each getting the better of one another at different times. Glancing up, he saw Jared and Blaze checking their phones. None of the women were here, and that was definitely a red flag for the Warriors. Nicole had already texted him saying she was working late, so maybe the other women were also. He knew some of them were going to start working with the agency.
“Hey, is it normal for Nicole to work late?” Jared asked, walking up toward Damon. Blaze followed wearing a large frown on his face.
“Yeah,” Damon replied in his usual one-word response.
Sid, Slade, and Adam walked in. If they weren’t out on patrol, they were here when their mates were training.
“They still aren’t here?” Adam frowned, looking around. “Is it normal for them to work this late?”
Damon sighed, wondering if this was how it was going to be now that their mates were working with Nicole. He damn sure wasn’t going to be their go-to when they wanted to check on their mates. Ronan walked in staring at his phone. He glanced up and stopped with a frown. He started to open his mouth, but Damon held up his hand.
“Yes, they are still working,” Damon growled. “And the next motherfucker who asks me is going to get punched in the mouth. Jesus, Steve is the only one who hasn’t asked.”
Every single eye went to Steve, who seemed unusually quiet. He stood away from everyone doing his best to act like he didn’t hear what was going on, but it seemed the pressure from all the eyes staring at him broke him. He glanced their way.
“Oh, what?” He pointed to himself. “You talking to me?”
“He knows something,” Adam said quickly with narrowed eyes.
“Where’s Mira?” Sid asked, and took a step his way. Steve automatically took a step back, then realized his mistake and cursed.
“She’s working with Nicole and the others,” Steve said without actually stuttering. If they didn’t know him as well as they did, they would have thought he was telling the truth.
“Steve.” Adam pointed at him. “What the fuck is going on?”
“Hey, dude.” Steve pointed back at him. “You don’t even want to start with me. You owe me a fucking phone.”
An uneasy feeling settled over Damon. Taking out his phone, he texted Nicole. If she didn’t text back within a few minutes, he knew something was definitely up. No matter what was going on, Nicole knew to text him back so he would know she was okay. This had never failed them.
“Stop changing the subject.” Blaze’s eyes swirled toward Steve. “Are they working?”
Steve appeared to think for a minute, then gave them a nod. “Yes.”
Glancing down at his phone, Damon growled. No text from Nicole. His eyes shot up to Steve. “You dropped Mira off at the agency. What happened?”
“Fuck!” Steve cursed with a grimace. “I promised Nicole I wouldn’t say anything. And I don’t really want to break that promise to her.”
“Steve, I’m not in the mood for games.” Damon was close to grabbing Steve and shaking it out of him.
“Shocker.” Steve snorted and rolled his eyes, then backed up when Damon started toward him. “Wait! Okay… okay! Here!” Steve held out his arm toward Adam.
“What? Break it and tell her we made you talk?” Jared said thoughtfully. “Good idea. Go ahead, Adam. Break that fucker in half.”
“Whoa, what the fuck!” Steve pulled his arm back to his chest. “No, ya fuckwaffle.”
“What did you just call me?” Jared’s eyes narrowed dangerously.
Adam stepped next to Steve and grabbed his arm. “Who the fuck is Mr. ESPN?”
Steve sighed, then chuckled. “No, EEEP. Ah, no, ESPfuck if I know. I can’t remember, but they’re an organization and are training the women.”
“Excuse me?” Sid’s head cocked to the side. “What did you just say?”
“This guy came in that Lana knows. They offered to train your mates on how to handle themselves out in the world,” Steve informed them. “Guess the women took him up on his offer.”
“Damn, they were serious about that shit,” Jared scoffed, shaking his head.
“I got one of their cards.” Steve pulled it out of his pocket. Damon snatched it from his hand.
“EEPT. Eastman Executive Protective Training,” Damon read, his voice deep with anger. Just thinking of someone believing they could train his mate better than he could set him close to the edge. Thinking Nicole agreed with that, however, sent him straight over.
“Guess they’re trying to prove a point,” Steve said, looking at each of the Warriors.
“Yeah, well let them,” Sid growled, but he didn’t sound happy about it. “If they think they need someone else, then so be it.”
Damon glanced at him, then at Blaze, who nodded, but his eyes swirled with fire. Glancing at his phone again, Damon’s blood boiled to a dangerous point.
“The guy actually invited us,” Steve threw out there, gaining all their attention. “Yeah, he said we’re welcome to come and train.”
“How about I call up Slade, Duncan, and Ronan?” Sid’s sneer slowly changed into a large grin that didn’t reach his eyes. “I sure could use some training. What about you boys?”
“It would be rude not to show up,” Jared agreed, cracking his knuckles.
Damon simply growled his agreement, crumpling the business card and dropping it on the floor. He glanced over at Jax, who had been leaning against the wall listening. “Guess Caroline isn’t part of the coup the mates have cooked up?”
“Not yet.” Jax chuckled, but his eyes were narrowed. “School’s still in session, but she wants to work summers with Nicole, but now I’m rethinking that. Go on. I’ve got things handled here. Call if you need backup.”
Damon gave him an evil grin. “Yeah, we’ll be sure to do that.”
“Now remember, after a beatdown, you had to use Adam to get the truth from me,” Steve said, hurriedly following toward the door. “I was taking this to the grave.”
“We could actually make that a true story,” Jared grumbled, moving toward their bikes.
“No, that wouldn’t work.” Steve frowned and passed Damon to get on his bike. “Come on, guys, do me a solid for once, would ya?”
“We have.” Damon glanced back at him. “You’re alive. I’d say that’s as solid as you can get.”
“Good point.” Steve started his bike, his brows dipped low. “Dammit!”
Even in his darkest moods, Steve could say something so off the wall Damon couldn’t help but grin. Suddenly, the grin fell from his face as he pulled out of the parking lot to see what Nicole had gotten herself into this time.
Chapter 18
Nicole was really having a hard time concentrating on what the guy she paired up with was trying to teach her. Plus, he was so confusing in his instruction she couldn’t quite get the takedown moves right. She had already embarrass
ed him by using the method Damon had shown her and flipped him over her head and flat on his back. But of course, she was told that was the wrong way to do it.
Mike had been nice when they first started, but she noticed his attitude was a little different since this morning when they met. She glanced at Lana who was giving her an odd look.
“You’re not paying attention,” Rob, her vampire instructor, said with a frown.
His condescending tone was starting to piss her off. She wasn’t a child, and she proved that when she flattened his ass with a flip. Biting her lip, she just stood there staring at him. Best she kept her mouth closed, because if she opened it at this moment, she would have no control over what came out of it.
“Go on and take a water break.” He shook his head as if disgusted.
Heading toward where Pam, Jill, and Lana stood, along with Katrina drinking water, she snatched one off the table and gulped it down. Tessa headed their way with a frown on her face.
“What a dick,” Tessa hissed, also grabbing water as she swiped hair out of her face. “Seriously, what the hell is his problem?”
“Sounds like the same problem mine has,” Nicole grumbled, and glanced down at Mira, Kira, and Angelina. Mike was working with Angelina while two other human men were working with Mira and Kira. “Seems like the vampires in the room have a problem with us, but those guys seem to be doing just fine.”
“Yeah, well I’m about to put mine through the wall.” Jill glared over her shoulder as their instructors huddled around. “He said everything we’ve been taught is wrong. We can give our guys shit, but if anyone else puts down our men, there’s hell to pay.”
The women nodded in agreement, but Nicole noticed Lana not enjoying their banter. “Sorry. I probably shouldn’t have called Mike, but I never thought it would be like this.” Lana frowned at the vampires who kept looking their way chuckling. “You really wouldn’t hurt my feelings if you all showed them exactly what you’ve learned so far from the Warriors.”
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