Eternal Envy (The Seven Sin Sisters 2) (9 page)

“I’m Seamus,” the light-haired man with glassy green eyes smiled at her. He was a flirt and such a cutie. Caedon sat beside Eloise and grumbled when Seamus held her hand a bit too long.

Taking it back, she smiled at Seamus, “I’m Eloise. Don’t mind Caedon. He has something against sexy footwear.” Eloise held her long bare legs out for the men to see her bright pink peep toe heels. Pink ribbons crisscrossed around her ankle and added to the feminine daintiness of her slim calves.

“Well, I definitely do not have anything against them. Those are some pretty,” Seamus cleared his throat, “pink shoes you’ve got there, Ms. Eloise.” Seamus had just a hint of a sexy Irish accent and she wanted to pinch his cheeks. He was adorable. Not her type at all, but completely adorable in a little brother sort of way.

“I don’t have anything against your shoes. I just think they aren’t practical. We’re on a mission.” Caedon grabbed her leg, drew her foot onto his lap and toyed with the ribbons.

Donovan intervened before Seamus could say anything else
.
He
tapped
Seamus
on the side of his head
before adding his opinion
, “We understand. But in this case, I think you’ll be fine. Just glad you brought along other options in footwear.”

“They have ankle support. Doctor’s orders,” Eloise teased Donovan who had been the one to evaluate her the day before.

Seamus laughed but Donovan turned to Caedon for his reaction. The two men sat across from Eloise and Caedon in leather chairs. Between them was a table that held several file folders. Following her gaze, Caedon said, “Mission files. This is everything we have on my parents.”

“May I read them?” Eloise asked tentatively.
Her demeanor
turned serious
as
she became hyperaware of Caedon’s anxiety
over her looking through such personal files
. Her leg was still resting across his lap. She placed her hand on top of his where he’d left it on her leg and smiled up at him.

“You can know everything there is to know about me. I keep no secrets from you.” Love radiated from Caedon’s soft brown eyes and Eloise gasped
at
the depth of his sincerity. Goddess, this man was everything she
had
ever desired
!

Caedon handed her the first file
,
and as she opened it, he turned towards Seamus and Donovan and began working out a plan for
when
they landed on Piano
sa
. He kept one eye on her the entire time to be certain he could read her thoughts as she learned all the details.

*
*
*
*

It had been a full day since they arrived in Pia
nosa
. The island was beautiful and she had been able to explore the beach and lay out by the pool but her favorite pastime while Caedon was busy with his research and investigation was cooking. The housekeeper had stocked the chef’s kitchen with anything a cook could possibly desire and she’d taken a liking to Eloise. Micalena taught Eloise how to make homemade pasta, bake the perfect bread and
prepare
all of Caedon’s favorite desserts from childhood. Eloise adored Micalena.

“What was he like as a child, Micalena
?
” Eloise built up the courage to ask on the morning of her second day there.

“Always so stubborn, little Caedon,” Micalena pronounced in her broken English before switching to Italian, “
Ostinato, puntiglioso bambino
.”
Micalena saw Caedon as stubborn as well. It seems he hadn’t changed since he was a child.

“He’s still
ostinato
,” Eloise laughed to hear Micalena describe Caedon
just as she would
.

“But you love him still, yes?” Micalena asked.

“Yes I do,” Eloise smiled as Micalena came around the kitchen island to hug her. The woman’s stout
,
rotund body was much stronger than
Eloise
would’ve thought. Micalena’s hug lifted her right off her feet
and
Eloise
allowed these lighter moments to
help
her to forget why they were here.

“Tell me about his parents.”

Micalena regaled her with story upon story of Andreas and Angelica Pisano. Eloise learned
Caedon’s
father descended from the famed Italian sculptor Andrea Pisano who designed the bronze doors of the Florence Baptistery. Their early life was spent in Pontedra, a small village on the outskirts of Pisa. His mother was one of the first
members of the
Circle of Magdalena. By the
time the sun had set and Micalena
had finished
talking, Eloise felt as if she knew
Caedon’s
family. Goddess, she prayed for that chance, for Caedon to have
the
chance
to see his parents again
.

As if thinking of
her mate
was enough
to make him
appear, all three men walked into the room then. “Something smells delicious,” Caedon said as he wrapped his arms around
Eloise
and stood behind her to talk with Micalena.

The other men agreed and Micalena gave all the credit to Eloise. “Oh no, I am just learning,” she pointed to Micalena who was wiping her hands on her apron and moving towards the door to her suite. “She is a masterful cook. I was only her student.”

“Nonsense. This tired old woman is going to bed now. You eat and enjoy.”

“Thank you and good night. We’ll be going on a trip to the mainland tomorrow but plan to be home for dinner,” Caedon spoke to Micalena but Eloise was also glad for the update. She was eager for something to happen though terrified at the same time. She shivered.

Caedon turned his attention to her as the other two men began grabbing plates and setting the table. “You have nothing to fear. We have
planned for
every contingency. Nothing will happen to you.”

“I know. I worry about you
,
too,” Eloise admitted.

“We’ve been in the mission center all day. The intel is as reliable as it can be and we’ve got a solid plan to get in and out without difficulty. We’re doing simple recon to determine if we
should
call in a full mission team and move in.”

“And as it turns out, you will get to spend the day shopping,” Seamus added.

“Shopping?” Eloise asked, stunned by the news.

“It’s our cover. The place where they are being held is in a city known for its designer shops. You will blend in perfectly as if you are just any other woman out shopping.”

“And Caedon will blend in perfectly as if he’s any other bored man on a chain following the woman he loves from shop to shop,” Seamus interjected with a grin.

*
*
*
*

Eloise and Caedon strolled from shop to shop along the
quaintest
cobble-stone street. She knew Seamus and Donovan were around but couldn’t see them. It had been an hour and despite all the pretty things she’d found,
Eloise
couldn’t get excited about making a purchase. Her heart was still in her throat thinking about today’s outcome.

She
felt
secure in her own
ability to keep herself
safe. Aside from Caedon glued to her side, she also had a tracker in her purse should they be separated. She wondered if Caedon had forgotten she was a member of the
Magdalena Circle
with some kick-ass powers of her own. She was confident in her ability to defend herself; between her strengthened powers from their continual blood bonding and her self-defense skills, she could handle herself. But she actually didn’t know what she’d be handling herself against. Maybe she shouldn’t get overly confident after all.

“Caedon?” she asked and waited for his attention.

“Yes, baby?”

“What type of people do you think we’re up against?”

“Likely there’s a connection between them and the cell that took Layla. We think they may be doing testing on my parents,” he shook his head as if he could shake the thought away, “and they’ve uncovered enough scientific research to make assumptions.”

“And you think they mean harm?”

“Baby, I’m still surprised the US government worked with us. It wouldn’t have surprised me if they had brought us all in and held us like caged science experiments.”

Eloise
shuddered
at that thought and Caedon rubbed her arms to chase the chill of reality away.

Around lunchtime, they found a small café
near
an alley they believed held the entrance to where his parents were being held. How he could sit there and do nothing while
Seamus and Donovan
collected surveillance, she had no idea. She could only admire this remarkable man, her mate.

After a quick check in through their comm device and Caedon relaying that they needed just a few more hours, they ordered from the menu and then sat in silence. He was preoccupied and she
was
fearful that this might not turn out the way he hoped. Could she handle the devastation? Could he? Perhaps a bit of distraction was in order.

“I’ve never told you about my family,” Eloise decided to change the subject in an attempt to take his mind off being so close
to
his parents
without being able to go to them
. “Or do you already know through Layla?”

“No. I know, of course, what I’ve researched but that doesn’t get at the heart of it. Tell me about them while we eat our lunch.”

“Well, you must know there are seven of us sisters. We meet all the requirements of the seventh prophecy. But, you know, no one really knows for certain
if we will be the seven born of one that the prophecy speaks of
,” Eloise shrug
ged
.
“
This is more
G
e
mma
’s area. She and
Paige
do the research.
”

“What do you hope?” Caedon asked.

Eloise shrugged in answer and when he raised his eyebrows, she continued, “Of course, it would be exciting to be part of a prophecy but I’m also not the most affected by it.
According to Gemma, ‘the first sister shall bear another seven and the seventh shall release the deadly sins so long as all are mated.’” Eloise rolled her eyes. She wasn’t sure she completely believed the full prophecy and talking about it wasn’t something she enjoyed. “
Anyway, we haven’t spent much time worrying about it. We’ve basically lived pretty normal lives.”

“Since Layla became an adult, the seven of us have lived together in the house mother and father bought us. My sisters are my best friends. I can’t imagine being an only child,” Eloise looked down, realizing she’d pointed out exactly how he had lived. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”

Caedon cut her off, “Don’t apologize. Please. I had a great childhood. I was completely spoiled, had everything I could want and was prepared well for my life after I matured.”

“Our parents were the same way. They believe strongly in our calling. My mother said it was an honor to give life to girls of the
Magdalena Circle
because they gave life to others in exchange,” Eloise laughed, “She said someday she would have fourteen children.”

The waiter came back then with their sandwiches and
they
each began nibbling on their food, neither very hungry in the midst of the drama surrounding them.

“What do your parents do? I know they work with the Church of Magdalena but that information is so classified
,
even I can’t breach it.” Caedon sat forward and Eloise knew that meant he was very interested in her answer.

“My mother and father have worked for years on a database cataloguing all
members of the
Valendite Breed and the
Magdalena Circle
. Once we were old enough to be on our own, they began traveling overseas to more remote places to find those
from the
Magdalena Circle
who have gone
off radar
out of fear
. My mother is a leader in the crusade to pair mates.”

“That’s an admirable cause. There are some out there with the Magdalena gene that want nothing to do with the prophecy.”

“I know. Mother believes there are others that don’t even realize that they’re a part of something so monumental,” Eloise explained. “So anyway, we don’t see them all that often. Most of the time, they live in their home in the Baltics. This way, they’re closer to the church council.”

“Your mother’s powers can transport them there?”