Blood Revolution (God Wars, #3) (28 page)

"I think it won't be a problem. Give me a few minutes; I'll get back to you."

"Thank you," Wlodek said. "I'll be waiting."

* * *

Breanne's Journal

"We're going to this address," Gavin handed a slip of paper to Winkler. "It was pointed out to me that the ones we wish to avoid may know of your home there. This one they will not suspect."

"I know this place—I've tried to buy it a couple of times. Realtor says they don't want to sell. Ever."

"Here's your chance to see it, then," Trajan grinned as he studied the address over Winkler's shoulder. "It's huge."

"Are we ready?" I watched as Opal herded Kathleen and Trina into the kitchen. I could tell Kathleen wasn't keen on moving again, and she looked tired to me.

"Hank, will you check on Kathleen when we get to the coast?" I asked softly, touching his sleeve. "She looks tired to me."

"I'll check her," he agreed quietly. "This hasn't done her any good, that's easy enough to see."

"I hope this house is big enough for all of us," Jayson said.

"Trina and I can share," Kathleen said. "If that's all right with Trina."

"Ms. Rome, you know it is," Trina said.

"Trace and I can bunk together," Trajan offered. Hank pulled me against him, so I knew where I'd be sleeping. Gavin didn't seem to care either way, I think, as long as he could block sunlight completely.

"Can you take all of us plus the luggage?" Winkler asked me.

"Yeah. No trouble," I shrugged. Hank let me go, and I studied those around me. Winkler, Trajan, Trace, Weldon and Jimmy made up the werewolf contingent. Gavin and I represented the vampires. Bill, Jayson, Kathleen and Trina were the humans making the trek, while Opal represented the shapeshifters. Hank, as a High Demon, was likely the first of his race ever to set foot on the Gulf of Mexico.

"Let's go, then," I squared my shoulders. I should have seen it coming. I should have. I have no idea what blocked it from me. Bullets sprayed through Winkler's kitchen windows as I folded everybody away.

* * *

"I've had a lot worse," Winkler attempted to wave Hank away, but Hank insisted on treating the graze on Winkler's arm. He was the only one who'd gotten hit, and I figured he'd been the target. I felt shaky, but didn't want to point that out—Kathleen was as white as cotton, and shaking harder than I was. Jayson was doing his best to calm her down while Hank tended Winkler.

"Mom, just breathe slow, okay?" Jayson soothed.

"Ms. Rome, we're not about to let you go," Trina said. "You do not want to see what might happen if you dare to have another heart attack."

"Hear that? Trina will yell at you," Jayson smiled gently at his mother.

"We can't have that," Kathleen's voice trembled.

"Good. Breathe with me," Jayson said. "We'll be all right, I promise. Nobody knows we're here."

* * *

"Honored One, I'm asking your permission to travel to Texas." Charles was back inside Wlodek's office.

"Charles?" Wlodek lifted an eyebrow in surprise. Charles never asked or volunteered for any assignment. Wlodek had considered sending Radomir or Russell, but Charles was offering instead.

"Rad or Will can cover for me while I'm gone, and I can work with Breanne while I'm there," Charles pointed out.

"I am willing to allow this, as you seldom ask for anything," Wlodek nodded. "Pack and call for the jet."

"Thank you, Honored One."

* * *

Breanne's Journal

"Charles will arrive tomorrow evening," Gavin said, pocketing his cellphone.

"What?" I blinked at Gavin in confusion.

"Wlodek wanted to send another vampire, and Charles asked to come."

"But," I said.

"Baby, it'll be all right," Hank soothed. I hadn't told him about Charles, but then Hank and Gavin may have had conversations I didn't know about.

"Charles is just as capable as any Enforcer," Gavin said, misinterpreting my worry. I didn't want a showdown between a vampire and a High Demon. That's what I worried about.

"Bree, we'll be asking you to shuttle us between Dallas and here," Bill interrupted my side trip. "We may ask to be taken other places as well. Hank says he can help, so we don't wear both of you out carrying us around. I need to be in D.C. the day after tomorrow, for a meeting. Think you can handle that?"

I turned to Gavin. "That is fine, as long as she has a guard," he said.

"I'll make sure of it," Bill said, sounding as if he were offended that Gavin might think he'd leave me unguarded.

"You're having a meeting on Saturday?" I asked. Honestly, I thought the government shut down on Friday afternoons.

"This is a meeting with the President and the Joint Chiefs, and this was the time when we could all get together," Bill said.

"Then I'll be happy to take you on Saturday," I nodded at Bill.

"Can I get a kiss with that?" Bill asked.

"I, uh, guess," I said.

"Yeah. I've missed that," Bill stepped forward and took my face in his hands. "We've had too many things going on lately. I haven't thanked you for getting us to Tahoe in time." He leaned in and gave me a tongue-scorcher.
I love the way your eyes look after I kiss you like that
, Bill sent.

Bill
, I replied, and then went silent. Is it possible to be tongue-tied in mindspeech? I was. There wasn't an ounce of fat anywhere on Bill, and for a forty-something guy, he looked damn good.
You're not still worried that you're too old, are you?
I asked.
Because you're sure as hell not
.

I don't give a damn, anymore. I just want you, sweetheart. That's all
.

That's what I wanted to hear
, I leaned in and kissed him, this time.

Get a room
, Jayson complained. Well, could I mist or what? I misted Bill into the bedroom he'd selected.

"Is this real?" Bill's hands clutched my waist and pulled me against him once we were corporeal.

"If you want it to be," I said.

"You think I don't? An old guy like me shouldn't have a constant hard-on," he mumbled against my mouth. "It's probably bad for me or something."

"Bill, I've only had one lover," I said, pulling away from him.

"Hank explained that," Bill said. "And don't be upset that he told me—we didn't discuss details—and we won't unless you want it."

"Well, I guess that's not exactly true. Does having a climax with the vampire bite count?" I asked. I might as well tell Bill all of it.

"I hear the bite lesson is mandatory," Bill leaned in for another kiss while his hands wandered beneath my top. "I just want to touch this," a hand covered one of my breasts. "I want to take that bra off and taste it, too. Then, I want to put my mouth on you and make you scream."

"Where?" I asked.

"Right. Back. Here." He walked me backward toward his bed, then coaxed my body to relax and sit on the end of it. "Lean back on the bed, sweetheart, I'm gonna undress you. Let me know if I hurt or scare you, okay?"

"All right." While I wasn't completely scared, I was nervous. I worried that Hank would be upset. I worried that Charles would be upset—with either or both. Poor Jayson, I had no idea what to do about him. No idea at all. And lately, too, I'd been having unexpected visions of Graegar in my dreams. Sometimes he was alone—sometimes he was with another Larentii I hadn't met. I had no idea what any of it meant, and Bill was pulling off my jeans anyway.

"This is beautiful." He touched bare flesh. At that moment I couldn't say for sure whether I felt good or bad about the wax job. Bill went to his knees, lifted my legs over his shoulder and dipped his head. Did some guys get lessons in this stuff? I ended up pulling a pillow against my mouth to muffle the screams.

* * *

Reah's Journal

"Tory, I don't want her anywhere near Kifirin. The god or the planet," I said. "I know you told Jayd and Glinda they could see Lexsi, but I don't want them too close. Taking her to them is too close, in my opinion."

"Her older sisters want to see her, too," Tory pointed out.

"Look, I don't want to argue, but there's nothing preventing them from coming here. Ashe said he'd allow it." I gazed down at my sleeping daughter—she was barely two months old and had the shortest white fuzz atop her head. I hoped she'd have the signature white hair that Belarok had passed to Glinda and to me.

"Baby, bring Aurelius and Edward with us. Hell, bring Zendeval, if you want. Jayd says he hasn't seen a Greater Demon in fifty thousand years."

"Zen might punch Jayd," I sniffed. "He knows what they've done to me."

"Zen isn't completely pure," Tory grumped, releasing a curl of smoke from his nostrils.

"Zen hasn't stolen my children, either," I snapped.

"Re, don't be upset," Tory soothed. "I'm sorry I told Jayd we'd come."

"Look, I'll do it, but only for a little while. They can ooh and ahh and then we go, all right?"

"All right."

* * *

Breanne's Journal

"This wine is exceptional. I wonder where it came from." Jayson poured another glass. He, Hank, Bill and I sat on the deck at the back of the house, watching a half moon hover over the waters of the gulf. Bill and I, well, Bill now wore a very satisfied (and maybe a little smug) smile, and we were relaxing with the others before going to bed.

"Let me see the bottle," I reached for it—he'd emptied the last of it into his glass. It was a red wine, and not too dry. I didn't usually drink red wine, but this was very good, just as he said it was.

"Here." Jayson handed the bottle over. To him, the label seemed printed with gibberish.

"It's Refizani and worth a lot," I handed the bottle back. "Refizan has some of the best vineyards in the Reth Alliance."

"Refizan? Reth Alliance?" Jayson stared.

"Rather bland, as a society," Hank pointed out.

"I'll have you know my favorite healer is Refizani," I said, wrinkling my nose at Hank. "And he's married to my sister," I added.

"What?" Bill sputtered, nearly choking on his wine.

"Uh-oh," I slapped a hand over my mouth.

"Lissa's alive?" Bill's voice was scratchy from the cough.

"In the future," I sighed. "I shouldn't have said that."

"In the future? What the hell are you talking about?" Jayson demanded.

"Keep your voice down, you want Gavin to hear?" I hissed. "You want to know why I can't tell anybody who turned me?"

"Why?" Jayson leaned back on his patio chair, his body stiff with disbelief.

"Because Gavin did it, around four hundred years from now," I whispered.

"Breanne," Hank held up a hand in warning. Yeah, I was telling too much.

"How did you get here, then?" Bill asked softly.

"Because Breanne is more special than most suspect." I stared. Here was the man from Gavin's memory—the one I'd only glimpsed for a moment. While Hank might be more beautiful than this one, he didn't radiate with the power this one did. He raised a hand and my head jerked—Hank, Jayson and Bill seemed frozen in time.

"It is a trick some know," he said indifferently. His voice was low. Almost gentle. "I am removing the memory of what you said from these," he gestured toward Bill and Jayson. "They do not need to recall. They are human, and humans have weaknesses." He was chastising me, albeit not harshly.

"You're the third one, then," I shivered.

"Yes. You would do well to be as circumspect as possible in the coming days. We are in enough danger without releasing all our secrets, even to the most trusted of our allies."

"Yeah. You're right," I ducked my head. I'd just gotten so comfortable with Bill, Jayson and Hank that I let my mouth get the better of me.

"Love, we all make mistakes," his fingers lifted my chin so I could stare into his eyes. They were a clear gray, and I felt I could drown in them if I looked too long. "Don't make any more," he said and disappeared.

"Breanne, tread carefully from now on," Hank said softly, as Bill and Jayson blinked. I could see that neither recalled what I'd said or that Wisdom had just made his presence known.

* * *

"Hank, what do you think is going on? Really?" I asked. He lay beside me, and pulled me close to rest my head on his shoulder. Bill may have wanted me in his bed to sleep, but after my faux pas, I didn't feel comfortable doing that. I'd given him a kiss instead and allowed Hank to herd me toward our shared bedroom.

"Baby, I don't know, but none of it looks good, does it?"

"No. It doesn't look good. Will you slap a hand over my mouth in the future, if I get out of hand again?"

"I can try," he said, kissing my forehead. "While a ball gag might work better, people tend to drool a lot with those."

"You wouldn't," I leaned back to stare at his chin. I watched as the corner of his mouth curled in a grin.