by Deanna Chase
Sighing, I closed my eyes and wondered if this was a good idea. Allcot was a big-ass deal in my reality. Would that give this one ideas or make him want to try to find a way into the other realm? I didn’t see how he could though, unless he found a way to get the other Allcot to cross over. If he was stuck here, what was the harm in a little information? The sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach told me I should keep my mouth shut. Or at least say as little as possible. But when I glanced at Dax again, all I saw was a good man who was just on the other line of absolute freedom, and I knew I was going to say yes. But first there had to be a negotiation.
“All right. I’m inclined to tell you what you want to know, but I need a few things first.”
Allcot let out a loud laugh. “Of course you do. Fine. Name your terms.”
“A bonus for Dax because he kept an eye on Phoebe for four years. Enough that it equals pay for the eight years that he worked here. Bouncer wages.”
“What else?” he asked.
“Willow gets her bonus early and doesn’t have to work here anymore. I know there’s a new one-year contract, but I want her out of here and going to culinary school full-time.”
“Fine. Done,” Allcot said as if he didn’t have to even think about it.
“There’s one more thing,” I said.
“Of course there is,” Allcot muttered. “There’s always something.”
I ignored his snark and tried to sort out what I wanted to say. This was a tricky one and I started to sweat, wondering if I would go to hell for making the request. Seth would probably like to send me there. But everything in me told me he could not stay in this reality. That Allcot would burn him when Allcot and Pandora ended up together somehow. I sucked in a sharp breath and said, “After your Phoebe comes back and I leave here, I assume you’ll be finding a way to reseal those portals, right?”
“Yes. It’s dangerous to leave them open. Anyone or anything can crawl through,” he said, giving me the side-eye.
“Right. Okay then. I need you to make sure Seth and Heather, your employee from Baton Rouge, cross back into my realm before you reseal the portals. They both belong in my reality.”
Surprise lit Allcot’s once-passive face. “You want Seth to leave his son?”
“No,” I said with a squeak. “But when I fill you in on the details of your other life, you’re going to understand why I’m asking for this.”
He leaned forward just enough to invade my personal space and offered me his hand. “I think we have a deal, Kilsen.”
Nausea roiled in my gut, but I placed my hand in his, closed my eyes, and tried to pretend I hadn’t just made a deal with the devil.
22
“Good morning.” Phoebe’s voice was the first thing Dax heard when he woke from his dreamless slumber.
He blinked, clearing the sleep from his vision. She was standing in the doorway, holding a mug with both hands, smiling at him. Warmth filled all his empty spaces, and he smiled back. “Morning, gorgeous.”
“It’s about time you woke up. I was starting to think my sleeping spell had malfunctioned. And you’re no use to me incapacitated.”
“What?” He tried to scramble into a sitting position, but as soon as he moved, he heard the clink of chains and was thwarted by his restraints. He glanced down the length of his naked body, noting the shackles at his feet. Groaning, he glanced from side to side and grimaced at the matching restraints around his wrists.
Fuck me, he thought. He hadn’t woken in her bed, and it hadn’t all just been a nightmare.
“Sorry about that,” she said sweetly, sitting in a wooden chair right next to the bed. “I couldn’t have you running off before we had our chat.” The aroma of coffee filled the room, and when she saw Dax staring at the mug, she took a slow sip, never breaking eye contact. “I’ll get you some if you call into the Void and have them release those two shifters.”
“Forget it,” he growled.
She shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
He glanced around at the barren room. The gray walls were void of any decoration, while the bed and chair were the only two pieces of furniture. There wasn’t even a window. “Where are we?”
“Does it matter?” She got up and moved back to the door. “I’ll tell you when you’ve given me what I need.”
“What’s that, Phoebe?” he ground out.
“The freedom to settle the score.” She disappeared, leaving him alone on the double bed and struggling to pull the restraints from the wall.
When it became clear the restraints weren’t budging, he closed his eyes and willed himself to shift.
Nothing happened.
He tried again, felt the pull in his belly, but just lay there panting. He closed his eyes and let out a frustrated growl. She’d spelled the restraints. It was the only way his shift could be blocked. Hatred rose up from deep in his gut, and he started to wonder how he’d never seen this side of Phoebe before. He was also pissed at himself for getting into this position. He should’ve known better. Should’ve realized she’d stop at nothing to get what she wanted. But he’d be damned if he gave in. She’d have to kill him first.
Dax lay there, staring at the ceiling for what seemed like hours, replaying the events of the evening, berating himself for falling victim to Phoebe, all the while knowing he couldn’t have seen the brimstone angle coming. In the time that he’d known her, she’d never used forbidden magic. It hadn’t occurred to him that she would now. He wasn’t sure how long he lay there, listening to the settling of the house and Phoebe’s footsteps, wondering when she was going to finally grace him with her presence again.
Sleep took him again, and this time when he woke, Phoebe was standing over him, holding a tray of food. “Sit up.”
He tested his restraints and realized they’d been loosened enough to let him prop himself up against the headboard. After he pushed himself up, she set the tray over his lap. Eggs, bacon, and toast were on a paper plate and steaming coffee filled a paper cup. No utensils. He didn’t care. His stomach rumbled with hunger, and he finished off the food in record time. Once the plate was empty, Phoebe handed him a paper napkin.
“Now that you’ve been fed, I hope you’ve decided to be helpful.”
“Why are you doing this?” he asked, his eyes narrowed. “What did those shifters do to send you over the edge.”
“I told you. They killed my brother.”
“No. They didn’t. He was spotted looking for you just a few days ago,” Dax said carefully.
“Yeah, so he can force me back into the clutches of Allcot,” she said with so much derision that she actually shook.
Allcot? He stared at her with curious confusion. “What do you mean?”
She fisted her hand in her hair and started to pace. “It’s his idea of a better life. His way of saving me from a life of indentured servitude. Only I traded one master for another. I’m done, understand? Done.”
She was mad. He was sure of it. Nothing she said made sense. Seth dead? A servant to Allcot? Neither was true. And she thought the shifters had killed her brother. She needed help. Maybe he could convince her he’d help, get her to undo his restraints. If he went along with her story, pretended to believe her, she might start to trust him. He didn’t have anything to lose.
“Sure. No one wants to be under Allcot’s thumb. I can see why that wouldn’t sit well with you. What does he want you to do?”
She snorted. “Have his child. There’s no way in hell I’m carrying his offspring. He thinks I want to. I’ve made sure of that. It’s the only way to survive that nightmare. But that’s over. I’m tired of making him feel like he’s the center of my world. He’s not and never has been.”
Dax blinked. That was impossible. Vampires couldn’t father children. “That’s… quite the ask. How does Pandora feel about it?”
“She thinks it’s great. Then Lex would have a cousin. But then I’d never get away from that controlling asshole. I can’t let my brother’s imposter t
ake me back. All he cares about is his actual sister. Not this fake one. I’m sure he’s only here to get me to help her. Well, she can have Allcot’s bastard. If being his wife was good enough for me, it’s good enough for her.”
Dax’s heart rose up and got caught in his throat. All he cares about is his actual sister? Not this fake one? Was she saying she wasn’t Dax’s Phoebe? She was his Phoebe’s double? A doppelgänger of sorts? “You said Seth only cares about his actual sister. Where is she?”
“Not here.” The fake Phoebe laughed. “And she never will be if I have anything to say about it. In this world, Allcot is with Pandora. He doesn’t want me. I’m free. But first I have to take out the shifters who killed my brother. That’s it, then I’ll leave you all alone.”
“In this world?” Dax asked. “What does that mean exactly?”
She sucked in a sharp breath. “What do you think it means? Don’t be dense, Dax. You really think there’s only one world, one timeline, one reality?”
A sinking feeling materialized in his gut as he started to understand what she was talking about. “You’re saying there’s an alternate universe and that the Phoebe I know is there while you’re here, settling some score? Is that it?”
She gave him a slow smile. “That’s right, Dax. You’re just as smart in this world as you are in mine. I’m glad to see it. I hope that means you’ll get with the program sooner rather than later.”
He felt sick. She’d either gone insane from the brimstone or his Phoebe was stuck in another universe. He vehemently hoped for the latter even if it did sound crazy.
“What do you say, Dax? Are you ready to call off the dogs?”
He swallowed hard, trying to wrap his head around her revelation. It certainly would explain a lot. “Are Prim Masterson and Lincoln Frost from your reality?”
“Of course they are,” she said, giving him a look of pure disbelief. “Why else would I target them?”
“Okay.” He blew out a long breath, having trouble picturing Maci Masterson as a cold-blooded killer. But he hadn’t met her in person, had he? He’d only talked to her friends and family. “Is the entire Masterson pack from your reality?”
She shook her head. “No. Just the four of them. To make a long story short, Maci came through first after her doppelgänger had a freak accident. She picked off the other three so her gang could follow. Once they were here, they slipped into their doppelgänger’s roles and carried on as if they hadn’t just taken over someone else’s lives. They’re disgusting, horrible people, especially Maci. I’m glad I found that bitch first. She’s the one who took my brother down. They were dating, and she turned out to be a real black widow type.”
Dax just blinked at her. Her story seemed so fantastical, and yet… he felt like it was the first time she’d been truthful with him in days.
“So, big guy. Are you going to pull through and help me out, or am I going to have to twist your arm?” She gave him a wicked little smile and scanned his body with her hungry gaze. “My Dax always did like it when I got a little rough with him.”
“Your Dax? You mean my doppelgänger in your world?”
She nodded. “The one and only. It’s a well-known fact that parallel worlds mirror each other. Dax Marrok is the only person I’ll miss. But knowing him, he’ll just be glad I’m finally away from Allcot. Free for the first time in eight years.”
Dax was stunned, overwhelmed by the information she’d just dumped on him. It was a lot to process, but mostly he was just surprised that he believed her. She was coherent, and her words had the ring of honesty. But that still didn’t mean he could turn two shifters loose for her to exact her revenge. If they had killed her brother, they should stand trial. “Don’t you think it would be better to let the law take care of Prim and Lincoln? We already have them in custody.”
She raised one eyebrow. “My experience with the law is less than encouraging.”
“I’m the law,” Dax said, realizing she hadn’t gone into detail about the specifics of the world she was from, but it sounded oppressive… for her at least.
“I won’t negotiate, Dax. It doesn’t matter how many of those imploring looks you give me. I’ve seen too much. Release them and I’ll let you go. You’ll never have to see me again.” She crossed her arms over her chest and stared him down.
“What about my Phoebe?” he asked.
She shrugged. “She stepped into my world. Don’t ask me how. That’s not how it’s supposed to work. Doppelgängers aren’t supposed to be able to occupy the same world. But she did, and that’s not my fault. I saw my chance and took it. I won’t go back. Besides, I don’t even know if I could go back. Not unless she dies anyway.”
Dax felt the blood drain from his face.
“I’m sorry. But like I said, the two worlds do mirror each other. It seems as if being separated from the one you love is in the cards.”
He wouldn’t accept that. He couldn’t. If the Seth that was roaming this world was her actual brother, he knew the pair of them could team up and force this Phoebe back into her world and bring his back. But first he had to get out of those damned restraints. He stared her directly in the eye. “Let me free and I’ll help you.”
The faux Phoebe narrowed her eyes at him. “How can I trust you?”
“Do you trust the Dax in your world?”
“Yes.” The response was instantaneous.
“Then there’s your answer.”
She seemed to contemplate his response for a long moment. Then she gave him a curt nod and said, “Don’t double-cross me. Trust me when I say that just because you look like the one person I’ve ever loved, it won’t stop me from doing what I have to do.”
“You mean you’ll kill me too?” he asked, raising one eyebrow.
She gave him a slow nod. “I won’t want to, but I will.”
He stared at her determined expression, the one he knew so well, and understood that she was telling the truth. This would be war, and he was going to have to be prepared for it. “All right. Let me go and I’ll make the call.”
23
I sat at the dinner table at Allcot’s plantation home and watched as Allcot eyed Pandora. I’d noticed before the way he stared at her, but now it looked a lot more like raw hunger. My gut was a mess. I’d told Allcot everything. How he was the most powerful vampire in the city. That Pandora was his consort and they were madly in love. That he’d turned her years ago. That he had an adopted son named David. And that I’d never met a Lex.
Where did Seth’s little boy fit in the parallel universe order?
Allcot speculated that there was only one. That because Seth had hopped universes, there was no way for him to exist in both realities.
The theory made sense. I just didn’t know if that meant that the kid could hop between the two or not. I guessed yes. He had no double keeping him stuck in one place. But if Seth took him back to our world, it would mean taking him away from his mother. And if I knew Seth, he’d never do that.
My head started to throb. What had I done? Allcot was now openly coveting Pandora. And she was smiling at him as if she was eating it up. She didn’t even glance in my direction once to see if I cared.
I didn’t, not for myself anyway, but I did feel bad for Seth. I’d walked into his reality and completely fucked up his life. Of course, an argument could be made that because he hadn’t been honest with me, he’d fucked up mine, but it wasn’t the same, and I knew it. He hadn’t actively tried to keep me away from the one person I loved most in the world.
Dammit! I pushed away from the table, no longer caring about food. Instead, I climbed the stairs and found my way into Lex’s room. The young boy was sitting in the middle of his bed, playing with a stuffed dog and a small green tank. The dog was riding on top, literally barking orders to the tank operator.
“Hey, cutie pie. Mind if I join you?” I asked from the doorway.
Lex looked up and grinned. “Hi, Auntie Phoebe. There’s another puppy right there.” He
pointed to a larger stuffed dog that had zero chance of fitting on top of his tank.
I strolled in and sat cross-legged on his bed, holding the puppy and chiming in with barks here and there as Lex revved the engine and made squealing sounds, indicating the vehicle was rounding corners.
We sat there together, innocently playing until Lex’s eyes got droopy and he let out a giant yawn.
“Hey, little buddy. Looks like you’re getting tired. Wanna lie down? I’ll read you a story.”
He nodded, pulled back the covers, and climbed in. I positioned myself beside him and draped an arm around him, cuddling him close as I read him a book about a talking alligator. He knew all the words and recited them with me, his gentle voice both soothing and breaking my heart at the same time.
When the little boy’s breathing turned heavy with sleep, I slipped off the bed, tucked him in, and tiptoed out into the hall. Normally I’d retreat to my studio and hide out for the rest of the evening. But after spending the past hour holding my nephew, I knew there was something I had to rectify. I couldn’t let Allcot kick Seth back into his realm. Not when his son was here. I’d been out of my mind to suggest such a thing.
I still believed that this world would break Seth’s heart in many ways, but those were his choices to make. Not mine. Steeling myself, I descended the stairs, prepared to retract the final demand I’d made Allcot agree to in exchange for knowledge. I’d leave it up to Seth to decide.
The grand staircase creaked under the weight of my feet as I made it back down to the first floor. Everything else was silent, as if I were the only person in the house. But I knew that wasn’t the case. I’d left Allcot and Pandora at the kitchen table when I’d bolted, unable to stomach their blatant attraction.
I wondered if Seth ever saw it. If he did, I suppose he just looked the other way. He knew as well as I did that the two had something explosive in our own world. The fact that he’d chosen to marry her anyway was a puzzle. I hadn’t thought to ask. Of course, I’d been worried about other things since arriving, and his business was his business.
