Heads or Tails (48 page)

Ivyanne stiffened. ‘What are you going to do?’ she whispered.

‘Balance the scales.’ He said, grabbing her collar and tugging it down over her shoulder. He heard one of her buttons pop. ‘But first, I need some energy. That storm has
exhausted
me, and now that I’ve seen how you can channel yours, I’m need to leave you with the bare minimum.’ Her skin felt incredible to touch-better than the satin. Ardhi leaned forward and licked her shoulder delicately, groaning at her heavenly scent. He began to caress her with his lips reaching around with his free arm and placing his hand high on her chest. She twitched at his touch, then jerked when he pressed his fingers into her flesh, drawing some of her strength. Ivyanne gasped but her posture began to slacken as Ardhi’s heart thumped with renewed vigor and pins and needles stabbed into his fingertips, burning hot and exquisite. After about thirty seconds, he drew away, his hand warm and shaking. He didn’t want her
completely
lifeless-just dizzy.

‘God you’re so
alive
,’ he whispered, curling his hand around her hips and rubbing himself against her backside, letting her feel his desire. ‘In fact I think I’ll be able to forgive you a
few
times if I get a taste here and there...’

Ivyanne stiffened. ‘Shoot me.’ Her voice was cold, dead-pan. ‘
Now
.’

Ardhi pulled back, startled. ‘Excuse you?’

‘I
said
-shoot me. I
want
you to.’

Ardhi narrowed his eyes at the back of her head. ‘Now why would I do that when
my
way is so much more fun?’

‘Because if you’re expecting an ounce of co-operation beyond what I’ve already given, then you’re fucking crazier than I thought you were.’ Ivyanne rotated on the bed and glowered at him. ‘You think I give a
fuck
about my
legacy
?’ She demanded, standing up, crawling towards him, even though he had the gun between her eyes. ‘You think there’s not someone else who can do my job and keep our species thriving?’

Ardhi was forced to back up. Her disregard for her life was an unprecedented turn of events. ‘You’re bluffing.’ He said, reversing off the bed.

‘
No
. I’m
not
.’ She lifted her chin regally. ‘You don’t think I don’t realize why you’re attacking
now
, of all nights? You think I’m going to live with the consequences of that when I could have death instead?’ She smiled. ‘You
are
insane. So just go on and shoot me, Ardhi Kayu-Api, because at this moment, I have nothing to lose-but my
dinner
.’

Ardhi stretched the gun out, closer to her. ‘I’ll do it!’ he hissed. ‘I want you, but I can live without it. I’d prefer to see you dead than I would seeing you married to another man!’

Ivyanne shrugged, her eyes blazing. ‘So do it. If you’re lucky-you can still get in while the body’s warm. And I wouldn’t be surprised if you
did
you sick fuck.’

Ardhi grabbed her by the hair and yanked on it, jerking her head down roughly and holding the gun to her face. ‘How dare you judge me!’ He hissed, unmoved by her whimper of pain. ‘I loved you Ivyanne! I would have done
any
thing for you!’

‘Anything but let me be!’ She whispered, a solitary tear running down her cheek. ‘You
murdered
my mother and father! And yet if I could hold you right now and beg you to be my friend again-if I thought it could work out-I
would
. I’d forgive it all-the plane crash, my parents,
this
moment...!’ She shook her head, the tears spilling over. ‘I’ve needed you so many times-needed my
best friend
to talk to.’ She cupped his face, taking him by surprise. ‘I needed
you,
Kayu-Api. More than I ever needed a lover. That’s what you never understood-that you were
already
the most valuable man to me in the world. I’ve been so
lost
without you….’

Ardhi was astounded by her shift in attitude. Her green eyes were luminous, her lower lip trembling. Never had he wanted so badly to hold her. ‘I can’t go back,’ he croaked as tears pricked at his own eyes. ‘I can’t look at you and not desire you, and that desire is taking me somewhere dark and I can’t fight it.’

‘That’s the human in you-’ Ivyanne whispered, her expression as deep and vast as a glittering green sea. ‘Be the
merman
. Be
my
merman.’ She waved her hand over her face. ‘This is meaningless, and it’s undoing you. Please Ardhi... swim away from the Siren in
me
before I drag you to where it’s too dark to see. I’ve brought you nothing but misery-there are hundreds of girls who could make you happier if you just gave them a
chance
. Sweet girls who would
never
doubt their love for you. You could be happy without me if you just allowed yourself to be.’ She shook her head, more curls springing free. ‘Possessing my body is
not
a fair trade for your soul. You must know that!’

Ardhi was overcome with a wave of uncertainty. Was she
right
? Could he redeem himself if he walked away? All of this time he thought he was rebelling against the human aspects of mers, but what if
h
e was the weak one? What if he was as under her spell as every other man? What if she could break that spell and set him free?

Knock knock knock!
The clattering against the door snapped Ardhi out of the trance of her eyes.

‘Hey…’ A low voice whispered. ‘It’s Link, baby. Can I come in?’

Ardhi blinked, then felt his eyes widen.
He
wasn’t the problem! Lincoln, the human-had caused all of this!

As though sensing Ardhi’s shift in consciousness, Ivyanne’s gaze became less certain, and she darted an anxious glance at the door.

God she really had me going there for a second!
He raged internally, feeling like a fool for having swallowed her bait for even a second.
Like she’d ever forgive any of it!

‘Ivyanne? Ivyanne let me in.’ The door handle rattled. ‘We need to talk.’

Ivyanne’s head snapped around to gape at the door, her eyes widening, then back to him. ‘No!’ she whispered fervently, as though reading his thoughts. ‘Ardhi
please
-’

‘You’ve said your piece.’ Ardhi said stiffly. He lifted the gun and pointed it to the door, and with that one gesture, he shook loose her magnetic grip on his morals. Just seeing the panic on her face was enough to send him back from the brink of regret and spiraling back into fury.

‘But I’m not buying it.’

Ivyanne’s wild gaze flitted back to the door. ‘L-’

‘Go on,’ he whispered, knowing the racket outside would drown him out to her visitor. ‘Scream out. Maybe he’ll actually survive a bullet at head height. A
gain
.’

Ivyanne’s face drained of all color. She chewed on her lip and stared at the locked door with despair, computing what Ardhi already had-that Link was about to be human collateral.

‘Ivyanne? Honey come on it’s just me.’

‘Tell him to wait a second-
casually
.’ Ardhi instructed her, coming up close to her.

‘Uh... wait a second!’ she called out feebly.

‘Good girl.’ Ardhi nibbled on her earlobe. ‘Tell him that you’re getting changed from the shower, and that you’ll be right with him.’

‘Ivyanne?’

‘I-uh-just got out of the shower!’ she exclaimed, more loudly. ‘I’m getting changed.’

There was a pause. ‘Oh. Um... okay.’

Ardhi massaged Ivyanne’s stiff shoulder lovingly. Her skin was hot and rippled with gooseflesh. ‘Now ask him if anyone knows he’s up here.’

‘Does anyone know you’re up here?’ She repeated.

‘No. They’re all asleep. Sorry but I snuck up. I just really need to see you….’

‘Tell him that’s okay. And that it’s a
pleasant
surprise.’

‘That’s fine..’ she said, although she didn’t sound convincing to Ardhi. He jerked the gun towards the door, and her face flushed.

‘I mean, it’s perfect, actually! I was just thinking about you…’her voice was thin and trembling.

‘Mmm…’ Ardhi risked sliding his hand around her her, caressing one of her breasts through her satin shirt. ‘
Good
girl…’

A shudder went through Ivyanne, but she didn’t flinch away. Ardhi grinned, wondering what it would be like to take her when her charge watched, helpless to stop him.

‘You were?’ Lincoln sounded surprised.

‘I was.’ Ivyanne swallowed and turned to Ardhi. ‘
I swear to god, if you touch one hair on his head-
’ she whispered.

‘It’s not
him
I’m going to be touching.’ Ardhi whispered, running his hand along her flat torso. ‘It’s you. And
he’s
going to be my insurance. Now get on the bed, and invite him in.’

Ivyanne narrowed her eyes, but she complied, making her way to the bed once more. ‘I hate you.’ She said. ‘When you’re doing this, I’m going to imagine you away.’

‘Sure, sure..’ he whispered, watching her kneel on the bed, feeling himself harden as he backed towards the door. ‘Just be cool, and my little protégé may live to see the sun rise.’

Ivyanne said nothing.

Ardhi flattened himself against the wall and raised the gun with one hand. With the other, he stretched out his fingers and unlocked the door. He then motioned to the trembling queen.

‘Come in,’ she said hoarsely. Her eyes were shining with tears.

The door burst open and Lincoln strode through. ‘Were you just talking to-’ he came to a dead halt  at the foot of her bed when he saw how little she was wearing, how her shirt was partially open, exposing her sexy lingerie beneath. ‘Oh my god!’ A smile lit up his face, and he took a few tentative steps forward. ‘What are you…? Does this mean…?’

Ardhi closed the door quietly behind him and flicked the lock once more, vibrating with excitement. ‘Not for you it doesn’t.’ Ardhi cocked the trigger again. ‘But you’re more than welcome to watch me knock the bitch up.’

Lincoln spun around, but before he could open his mouth to scream out, Ivyanne clamped her hand upon it. ‘Ssh, or he’ll kill us both,’ she whispered, pulling him up against the foot of the bed and her heaving chest.

Ardhi smiled at Lincoln’s panicked eyes. ‘I’d listen to the queen if I were you.’

*

Lincoln’s hand came up and gripped Ivyanne’s wrist, staring at Ardhi and his gun in bewilderment. He’d gone from indignant to excited to terrified in the space of eight seconds. He didn’t know what to make of anything.

‘This is pointed at you both.’ Ardhi said, smiling broadly. ‘No one knows you’re up here, and I’d like to keep it that way. So if you do something stupid, like
yell
-this is probably going to go off, and I’m not very good with it yet. Who knows which head I’ll blow off, you know?’ He grinned maniacally. ‘Do we have an understanding?’

Lincoln nodded.

‘Good. Ivyanne, let him go.’

The heat and pressure fell away from his mouth, and he sucked in a breath like a vacuum. ‘What’s going on?’ he demanded, his heart racing, trying to hide the tremble in his voice. ‘How did you get in here?’

‘He must have been in here for hours,’ Ivyanne answered softly. ‘He just busted out from wherever he was hiding about five minutes ago.’

‘Clever girl.’ Ardhi gave her a simpering smile. ‘Not smart enough to check your room very thoroughly though.’ He clucked his tongue. ‘You must know I’ve been hunting you... should have been more cautious. I mean, going for a big day cruise and leaving the house unattended?
Very
poor judgement.’

‘Maybe we just aren’t that scared of you.’ Lincoln shot back.

Ardhi’s eyes narrowed to slits. ‘Then that was
your
mistake.’ He reached into his backpack and pulled out a small coil of bright orange, polyester rope, tossing it gently to Lincoln. ‘Ivyanne-tie his hands behind his back. Thoroughly. I
will
be checking your work.’

‘You can’t be serious!’ Lincoln hissed, stepping forward. ‘She’s not going to-’

‘Lincoln shut up.’ Ivyanne whispered from behind him. A cool hand rested on his wrist. ‘Do you
want
to get yourself killed?’

‘Why not?’ Lincoln demanded. ‘He’s going to kill me anyway, when he’s done. At least if he shoots me now, the shot will bring the others running.’

‘Yeah, you’re probably right.’ Ardhi sneered. ‘But if you do that-it’ll be the
queen
I plug-
not
you and there’ll be no one worthwhile to save when they get here.’