Excessive Force (Force of Nature Series) (16 page)

“You want us to use one of his spells to put you into a book that killed hundreds of
people. For what? Do you plan to try and stop him?” Austin shook his head as he continued. “No, I don’t think so. We’ll figure out a way to find her that doesn’t involve magic.”

“
Where is it in the book? Do you remember?” Austin watched as he was completely ignored, and Tristan and Reid looked over the book. Hope sat next to him on the sofa and patted his hand.

“
Sometimes it’s better to be a leader by letting others do the thinking.” He looked at her, wanting to ask her what the hell she was talking about. But she smiled. “He knows what he’s doing. Both of them do. Reid may not know it, but he has the power to move mountains, and Tristan is the perfect man to show him how.”

“He might get hurt.”
She nodded and watched him. “I guess I could get hurt simply by walking to the bedroom, but this is magic we’re talking about. Dark magic that gets people killed.”

“I’m sure he knows that. More than you do, I would imagine.
But she’s his mate. Would you do no less for your own mate? Or your children?” He wouldn’t, but before he could tell her it wasn’t the same, she continued. “He’s going to be called to help in a great deal more than this in the coming years. Jodie works for all kinds of people and with his help and stability she’ll be much safer. As a doctor, he’ll see things long before any of us do with her and as her mate, he’ll be able to make sure she takes the time she needs. He won’t have to boss her like some people I know, either.”

Austin knew that he’d been rough on the girl. CJ had pointed it out to him several times over the past few weeks. And maybe he’d been the one to
drive her to find Ethan, too, by pissing her off one too many times at the lab. He looked around the room, wondering if he’d do the same if it were his mate, and knew without a doubt that he would. He had, as a matter of fact. When Reid started to argue with Tristan about something, he walked to the two men.

“I think Reid is right.
He has more juice than any of us, and he’d be better equipped to handle something if it went wrong.” He looked at the younger man. “I think if we didn’t allow him to do this, he’d figure out a different way to get her back that might get them both hurt. I say we do what he needs and protect him as best we can.”

Phil patted him on the back
, and Austin knew that he’d made the right decision. It wasn’t what he wanted but knew that it was right. As soon as the plan started to be put into place, he was more and more proud of the young man. Reid had grown up over the last few years.

He had been such a scrawny kid when he and CJ had first found him and his brother. The kid had even tried to take him on and would have
, too, getting himself killed if CJ hadn’t walked up to him and slapped him right across the face. He could still hear her question to him as if it were just this morning.

They’d been shopping at this shop she loved. He’d only just figured out that he loved her
, and she looked at the boys out in the yard when he’d told her to go to the rig. CJ shoved the things they’d picked out into his arms. She walked straight to the boy and his friends and smacked the taller one across the mouth. Austin started cussing right behind her. The kid looked at her while he rubbed his mouth.

“What the fuck was that for?” the kid next to him snarled with a step toward her. She drew back and slapped him too.

“You’ll watch your mouth, young man.” She looked at the kid she’d slapped first. “Did that hurt?”

“Yeah, you want me to show you?” She drew back her hand again
, and he took a step back. “Are you nuts?”

“So it hurt? Good. Now tell me, what do you think that the man behind me would have done to you? Less? More?” Austin was right behind her, but he didn’t say anything. “I want you to take a good look at him and tell me truthfully what you think would have happened.”

The boy looked over her shoulder and then took a step back. “He probably would have killed me.”

“Austin?” Austin had nodded at the boy when she’d said his name. He’d seen no reason to lie or sugar coat it.

“Oh yeah, he’d be a dead pup. Might still be if he doesn’t show my mate more respect.” After finding out as much as he could on the boys and sending them on to Vegas for the wedding, Austin had never been happier that they’d taken them in. And more so now. This young man was going to get his mate back and conquer whatever bad news was going on with the mage too. Austin knew he would as surely as he was standing there.

Chapter 16

Jodie moved her arms
, trying to stretch them so that they didn’t hurt as much. She laughed softly. She wasn’t sure she’d ever hurt less no matter what she did to improve how she was standing here. Waiting was not one of her better points. And she’d been waiting for over three hours.

A movement in front of her had her
tensing to a more defensive position and listening for whoever came in. It was Ethan again, and this time he was alone. The last time he’d come to her he’d tried to get his flunky to subdue her, but she’d managed to break his neck. Quick work of it too.

Watching from beneath her lashes
, she saw him moving around the room and to the tables that had been set up. She’d have to do something with them the next time he was gone, and decided that a nice little meltdown was just the thing. A sound like a bell going off had her thinking it was a timer, but she realized it was a door bell. A sick one too if the noise it made the second time was any indication. When he left the room, she looked around.

The beakers exploded.
She didn’t waste any time in wondering if the gasses would harm her. Killing this bastard was high on her list of last things to do before she went to live with her father.

The books were torched.
She didn’t know what they were, but the smoke was enough to let her know that they were old books and some of them had leather for covers. By the time Ethan returned, she’d pretty much destroyed the room.

He stood staring at the damage before turning to her. The b
indings at her arms suddenly let go, and she staggered slightly when her feet touched the floor. He didn’t move toward her, but she could see the anger in the set of his face.

“You think you can stop me?” She shrugged
, and he glared at her. “Tell me your name. I know it’s not that ridiculous name your so-called brother called you. I tried to summon you three times and you never came. What is it?”

“Never going to happen.” He took a step toward her
, and she lifted her hand and tossed him across the room. That’s when she noticed that he had the book. “You think that’s going to save you from me? Think again, dickweed. I’m a good deal stronger than I was when we met the last time.”

“You think so?
Well so am I. I’ve been coming up with some spells that will take you and that fucking family of dogs you live with out of the picture. And that man too, the vampire. I’m going to enjoy tearing him apart.” Jodie laughed. If he was talking about Tristan, he was insane. Even Phil could take him on if need be. The touch of her mind had her still.

“You should have him open the book.
We’ve gone to a great deal of trouble to get Reid to you. The very least you can do is bring him out to play.”
She ignored Hope for trying to think why they’d do something so stupid as to send in Reid
. “Like we could have stopped him. The young pup was going to do it whether we wanted him to or not.”

“And you being this bad assed vampire you couldn’t stop him I suppose.”
Jodie felt her laughter
. “You bitch. If he gets hurt I’m going to hunt you down.”

“In order to do that you’re going to have to get out of this alive. Where are you anyway?”
Jodie told Hope Campbell to fuck off.
“Tisk tisk, such language. What will the women’s club think of you if you say that to them?”

“Like I give a shit.
How do I get Reid back to you? And don’t tell me the wrong spell. I’ve been unraveling them for months so I know what you’re telling me.”
Hope laughed.
“I’m not in the best of humor here. Tell me.”

“Whatever are you doing?”
She’d forgotten about Ethan while talking to Hope. “You can’t be talking to any of the wolves. This room is lined with steel and your link to him is cut off.” Jodie cleared the table with the book on it with her mind and watched as Ethan tried not to get cut by flying glass. “Stop that right now. Damn it all to hell, I don’t have time to start over.”

The table bent under her command, the book
skittered across the room and under a shelf. She started to tell Hope that she’d taken care of the book when Ethan pulled it out and opened it. Jodie closed her eyes as the bright light nearly knocked her back.

Reid looked good enough to eat.
She took a step back when he looked at her. Someone had given him some powerful magic. His eyes glowed with it. When he leaned against the wall she was confused and so, apparently, was Ethan.

“You’re just going
to let me kill her?” Reid laughed, throwing back his head with it. She had to smile. Christ, the man could make her insides warm with that laugh. She looked at Ethan when he started cursing. “What the hell are you doing here? Who sent you?”

“I think we should break this down one question at a time. Number one.
Am I going to let you kill her? No. First of all, you won’t be able to because I’m pretty sure she’s going to kill you anyway. Secondly, I thought it’d be fun to watch my mate kick someone else’s ass for a change. Her brother wasn’t much of a challenge.” Reid grinned as he continued. “Second one. What am I doing here? Okay, I sort of jumped the gun on that one. I’m here to watch her—”

“Quiet.”
Spittle dripped from Ethan’s lips as he stood there. He was mad, she knew that, but the extent of his madness was more than she’d thought. She turned to Reid to tell him to leave before he got hurt when she noticed that he had the book. And as suddenly as it was in his hand, it was gone.

“You’re father taught me that one. He said that it will be safe until I bring it back.”
He sent her his love, bathing her in it.
“Let’s take care of this fucking idiot and go home. I’d very much like to take you to bed and have my way with you several times over.”

“You do know that I’m pissed that you’re here, right?
You should be with your family. And I with mine.”
He shook his head at her, but before either of them could comment, Ethan came at her.

~~~

Reid held onto the table with all he was. Nothing he wanted in this world right now was more important than the woman who now fought for both of them. He was calming his wolf, telling him that he’d have her as soon as she was finished, when Ethan hit the wall again.

“You’re nothing but a lazy prick.”
Ethan spit blood out and it landed on the floor between them. “I thought wolves were supposed to be protective of their females. Are you going to just let me keep at her without raising a finger?”

Reid looked at Jodie.
Other than a little blood on her lip, she didn’t look as if she’d been hurt at all. He knew that she’d been hit a few times—every part of his heart had felt each blow—but she was standing on her own and looked to be ready for another round with the mage. Her magic was more than he’d bargained for.

“I think she’s doing a good job on her own. Besides
, as badly as she’s kicking your ass, I don’t want to get in her way.” Reid gripped tighter on the table and lied to the man. “I’m sort of bored with this shit anyway. Maybe I’ll just go home and wait for her.”

The low growl didn’t bother him.
Nor did it give him any pause when the mage stood up. He’d been going at this for such a short time, and Reid didn’t know how much more he could take of simply sitting by. But when Ethan moved toward him, Reid lifted his hand and whispered the four words that he’d read in the book of spells.

He knew it would stop the mage.
But that wasn’t all it did. He froze—ice crystalized around his body so quickly that the room chilled by several degrees. All that moved was his eyes, and they looked to be full of terror. Reid moved to Jodie to pull her into his arms.

“You okay?”
She nodded and looked up at him. He kissed her gently on the lips, careful of the small cut there. When she opened her mouth under his, he couldn’t have resisted her any more than he could stop breathing. Christ, she tasted delicious.

Forgetting about the man in the room with them
, he lifted her up and took her to the nearest wall. Her legs wrapping around him had him rocking hard into her even as she licked a path from his ear to his throat. When she bit into him, Reid roared out, his entire body primed to come.

“I want you.” She moaned as she drank from him.
“Christ, I need to be inside of you. He cupped her breast in his palm and pulled at her nipple. When she lifted her head from his throat, he took her mouth again, tasting his blood on her mouth. He was ready to tear her clothes off her when he felt someone else in the room. Reid turned slightly to see Tristan there.

“You should probably finish this somewhere else.” Reid nodded at the vampire. “But I was wondering if I might use your lovely mate for a few minutes.
There is some unfinished things here we have to do.”

Jodie dropped her feet to the floor
, and Reid stepped back. He didn’t turn as yet. His cock was painfully swollen, and he wanted to finish what they’d started. Jodie stepped around him, giggling, and he felt his heart take a wonderful leap.

Tristan had his back to him when he turned.
Reid was glad for that. When Jodie walked up beside her father, Tristan wrapped his arm around her and kissed her forehead. Reid felt his wolf stir, but he didn’t get pissy. Not yet at least.

“Hello
, Ethan Thomas Randolph.” The mage blinked several times, and fear replaced the hatred that had been there before. “Oh, I’m sorry. Let me have her make it so you can speak if you’d like.”

Jodie turned to him
, and he had to smile. Tristan hadn’t expected him to be able to do that apparently. But to only remove only a portion of the ice he did need help. Jodie whispered the incantation into his ear, and he repeated it softly. The ice crumbled away so that only Ethan’s head was cleared.

“There we go.
Now, as I was saying. You’ve yet to figure out who I am, have you?” Tristan tisked several times. “And I gave you so many clues. You killed my mate, nearly killed me, and now you’ve tried to kill this woman and her mate. You don’t have a very good track record regarding my family, do you?”

“Family?
Not possible. If I killed your mate, you’d not have children. Especially none as old as her.” Ethan looked at him. “And how is it possible that he had magic? He’s nothing more than a wolf, and not a very strong one either.”

“Really?”
Tristan turned to look at him before turning back to Ethan. “It would seem that you are incorrect. You are held in a pretty powerful spell. Or did you want me to believe that you did this for me?”

Ethan growled.
Reid didn’t know what was going on, but he had a feeling that it wasn’t going to end well for the mage. Reid took a step forward and brought his body up against Jodie’s. When she leaned back on him, he wrapped his arms around her waist, careful not to block her arms.

“
I digress. This is my daughter; you killed her mother when she was but a babe. I had been buried deep below the earth, healing from an injury that you gave me. Nearly killed me then, but that’s not what drove me to find you. You took away my being able to watch my daughter blossom into a beautiful woman. And for that….” Tristan lifted his hand and bright lights danced from his fingertips. “And for that you should die.”

The lights stopped
, and Tristan stepped back. Reid started to as well, but Jodie put her hand on his arms around her and took a step forward. As soon as he realized what was going to happen, he held her tighter. She was going to kill him, and when she did, his power would come to her.

The words whispered seemed to tighten the room.
The quicker she said them, the more Ethan struggled against his bonds. When the ice started to crack and craze, Reid touched the ice and strengthened it. When Ethan started screaming, Reid closed his eyes.

It was over in seconds.

“You should probably go now.” Reid opened his eyes to look at Jodie when she spoke. “I’m going to help my father clean up here, then we’ll be leaving.”

At
first he was pissed off. She really was going to leave him. Then he looked at her, really looked. She was hurting. And he knew who’d done this to her. Austin was going to pay for this.

“I’m not going anywhere.”
He felt his head start to feel a little light and reached out for something to hold onto. “You and I are mates, and we’re not going to be parted.”

“What’s wrong?”
Her voice seemed to fade in and out from shouting so loudly that he felt as if she were in his head to barely a whisper. When his knees started to buckle, he reached out blindly and felt her grab him. Jodie was screaming for him, but he didn’t know what she wanted. Blinding pain took his breath away, and his belly started to lurch. He was going to be sick. Throwing up made his throat burn. Then he started to fade out. Letting himself freefall into the darkness, he heard his wolf sigh. The poor thing was sick too.

Curling up into a ball on the bed
, he laid as still as he could when he woke up. He wasn’t in so much pain that he wanted to die from it now, but he did still feel like shit. His belly was churning in a way that had him think of a nasty sea voyage, and that made him feel worse. Reid looked up at her when she said his name.