His Witch To Keep (Keepers of the Veil) (11 page)

Denial ripped through her mind to the point she almost vocalized it. But she needed what he said to be true, right? She needed to find proof they were not supposed to be together. And to break this bond so she could move on and find her right man. Why, then, did her gut clench in rejection of his declaration he didn’t get long-term? “I’m not allowed to be with you, either, at least not for the long haul. My destined is supposed to be druid, not…you. Everyone’s pressuring me to get on with finding my druid.”

His gaze darkened, betraying the depth of his emotion on the subject. That pleased her. He might want more, too, even if his vocation denied it to her.

She said, “I guess this is just a fling, then. Maybe a few days of heavy sex and then we’ll be bored of each other.”

He leaned in and took her nipple into his mouth. “You believe that?”

Her body bowed toward him with a groan.

He resumed his position propped up on an elbow with a smile.

“You’re the one that wants this to be fleeting.” Her body raged for him. She had to bite her lip to prevent begging him to continue what he’d just started.

“I never said that. I said the rules dictate I’m not
allowed
long-term.” He teased her nipple with his tongue.

“So you do want it. You want us.”

“Let us just live for now and worry about tomorrow later. For all I know, Hades will punish me for this. I might be dead tomorrow.”

“What does your god tell you about us?”

“He tells me nothing of you. No direction on what I’m to do. I only receive information on my targets.” He rolled away from her, his expression hard and determined. “Tell me who seeks to kill you.”

Man, he was tough to derail. “I’m not sure who it is. No one has directly threatened me. I’m not aware of any loose ends from MI6. My sister was kidnapped several days ago. Her kidnappers forced me to do those missions by threatening to kill her. I can’t find out anything about them or where they’ve taken her. I can’t follow their computer trails or phone calls. I knew I was being played on those missions, since the intel given me was shit. But once I got what they wanted, they didn’t seem to care. I thought the missions were just bullshit to test my resolve to get Liz back. I—”

“They were designed to kill you,” he interrupted.

“The only ones after me are OLM.”

“The OLM isn’t behind this, but they have been recruited to help. Someone is very eager to expedite your death. There are two international multimillion-dollar contracts to bring you in dead or alive. More money if you’re brought in alive. They directly contacted the best assassins and blackmailed handlers of others to get their top killers on this job.”

Fear licked down her spine. That was scary serious. “Then I’ll be lucky to live through the week.” The wild panic she’d crammed into a corner of her brain over Liz’s potential death burst free. If they only wanted to get to her, and she was unavailable or obviously not controllable through capture of her sibling, then they’d kill the hostage.

“We will find your sister. And I will eliminate whoever threatens you.” The determination on his face mesmerized her. His expression conveyed utter calm, but his eyes glowed with the fierceness of an ancient warrior. Whatever happened, she didn’t doubt he would protect her. He wouldn’t give up until he resolved her threat or died.

He tucked her head beneath his chin and wrapped his arms around her. She relaxed into him. His spicy masculine scent soothed her. He whispered, “They didn’t count on me.”

“Maybe the gods knew what they were doing when they threw us together eons ago.”

“Perhaps.”

“I need to free my sister.”

He pressed a kiss into her palm. “I will get you through this without you taking unacceptable risks.”

She pushed at him to rock away and glare. “What does that mean? I can take care of myself.”

Alexi stared at her with an uncompromising
don’t give me bullshit
stare.

She resisted the urge to squirm. “Maybe you did ensure I survived this week safely.”

“If you continue to volunteer for dangerous situations while knowing they’re stupid risks, you’ll end up dead. You will let me protect you.”

“You mean I’ll let you dictate to me.” How could she be so attracted to a man who communicated in orders? A part of her recognized she liked his dominance, and yet she had to fight him. She feared weakness and being at the mercy of anyone.

He smoothed the hair away from her face. “Don’t be upset. I will get you through this. You wouldn’t be here without your skills. You’re going to need those. But for once you need help. You need someone else in charge of the mission.” He rolled upright above her. “Let’s make good use of the hour or so we have left here. Shall we take it slow this time? Maybe I’ll make you beg me to let you come.”

“I don’t beg.”

He laughed wholeheartedly. “We’ll see about that.”

Chapter Eleven

A
lexi reluctantly eased himself away from her sleeping body. He watched her expression during sleep for a few seconds and the soft rise and fall of her chest. She looked so young, so innocent, when she slept.

He hadn’t believed anything could lighten his soul until he met her. There was no redemption for the murders he’d committed, even if most had been ordered by a god. He didn’t expect a glorious afterlife reward for what he did. But she shed light on his dark soul. With her, he had a reason to persist. He needed her as a barrier between him and the unrelenting evils of his life.

He tangled his fingers through her silky dark hair, reveling in the red peeking through. He’d like to see her hair not dyed. But no matter the color, she was beautiful. He bent and brushed a kiss along her shoulder. Despite her angelic look in sleep, he admitted she brought out the worst in his nature—his need to dominate, control, and protect. Every time she threw a smart remark or challenged him, he was driven to compete and triumph. She took each challenge and threw it back at him, which only drove him harder.

She stirred. He whispered, “Sleep.”

His gaze snapped to the bedroom door when that sense of something coming slid through his brain. He future glimpsed, released a frustrated snort, and hurriedly threw on a fresh T-shirt, tactical pants, and boots. He exited the bedroom, closed the door, and stalked to the front door. With a yank, he faced his familiar visitor.

“It took you long enough. You’re getting slow, or…” A slow smile spread across Nikolai’s tanned face. “She’s got an ass to die for. I’ll give you that.” His smile faded. “Women are a dangerous distraction. The old Alexi would’ve been waiting for me with the door open and a gun pointed at my head long before I arrived. Look how much she’s thrown you off. This is how you get killed.” He shook his head, tsking.

“Why are you here?” He itched to put a new break in Nikolai’s nose and then throw him out.

Anxiety etched Nikolai’s features. That boded poorly. Whatever he prepared to reveal was guaranteed to be a whopper.

He ushered his brother inside, locking the door behind him. “Come into the kitchen. I assume you know your way. I do not appreciate you entering without an invitation.”

“That was a few months ago. I just like to keep tabs on your haunts. Your security system is good.”

“Obviously not good enough.” He scraped a kitchen chair out for Nikolai and settled into the one across the wood table.

Nikolai sat hard and sighed. He folded his hands on the table. Shadows lined his usually untroubled eyes.

“If it’s that bad, just spit it out. Does it have to do with her?”

Nikolai’s gaze shot past him and glanced around the kitchen. “I picked up that she’s a
pasirinktas
. But she’s not mine. You think she’s yours?”

“You know that isn’t possible.” Alexi’s heart pounded. He’d assumed she would belong to Nikolai. He hated his brother for it. But had accepted it as a possible reality. Nikolai’s denial meant there might be another death reaper brother with rights to the heaven he just touched. As much as he could rationalize this and attempt to bury his jealousy, he would only allow another man to touch her when he died.

“Based on
that
look I’d better pray that you are the one for her. I do not want a promotion to family death servant.” He shook his head.

“We have not spoken in…a while. How is the duty to procreate going?”

Nikolai scowled.

“So, if the happy news of nuptials is not your reason to visit, why are you here?”

“I had a vision long ago that is about to be played out.” Nikolai scratched his head, throwing his perfectly styled spikes into disarray. “You’re right, we haven’t spoken in a long time.”

He crossed his arms and tried to mask his frustration. This conversation should’ve ended minutes ago. He needed to wake Serenity and move to a new location within the next hour. They should leave the city. “If I recall we argued most of the last time.”

“I am not…father material.”

“What was this vision?” He unfolded his arms and leaned in.

“My number is up. Today. I saw this long ago and knew that all I had was a limited time to gather the loose ends of my life.” He pushed a key across the table. “Same Swedish bank we used ten years ago. You are my only family…we don’t have much time. They’re coming.”

“Who is coming?”

Nikolai shrugged. “You are the only hope she’s got. I received three different contracts for her in the past twenty-four hours. Three. Someone wants her dead. They’re no longer being discreet to get her there.”

“Who is behind this?”

“I think you had better talk to her. I suspect Jainukul is involved.” Nikolai leaned back and crossed his arms.

“Jainukul? Why would that terrorist be remotely interested in her?” Alexi rocked back from the table. Jainukul had evaded him a few years ago. It had been a Russian assignment to go after him, not a death reaper target. Hades’s information was always better. In that mission everything turned out to be wrong—the time, the place, the number of men, and even that the elusive Jainukul might be there. He wasn’t. The mission had been a disastrous setup from start to finish. Alexi might have escaped, but doing so had required he kill Jainukul’s right hand, something the notorious but anonymous Asian business mogul would never forget.

“No clue. That is for you to figure out.” Nikolai said, “You better wake her up. Now.”

“All visions are but a suggestion for a possible reality. They’re not set in stone.” He closed his fist around the Swedish key and then stuffed it into his cargo pocket. “You’ll get this back.”

Skepticism flashed across Nikolai’s face before Alexi stood and walked away.

Nikolai called to his back, “My visions are always right. Reality doesn’t deviate.”

He found Serenity gazing at him from the bed. Her sleek naked body stretched above the covers. His blood sped south in response to the flirty move. Hoarsely he announced, “We have to leave.”

“Already?” She rolled to a sit and reached for her discarded dress, suddenly businesslike. “Who’s here?”

He waited until she was dressed to reply. “My brother.”

“How’d he know we were here?”

“Something is coming.” He pivoted and led back into the kitchen. As he entered, Alexi said, “We have a few minutes.” In the pantry, he accessed the hidden compartment he’d installed and removed his emergency bag. From the bag he grabbed his loaded tactical vest and shrugged into it. He carried the bag over to the window.

“What’s your escape plan for this place?” Nikolai asked.

Alexi raised the window and shot a zip line, which latched into the wall next to the roof access door of the neighboring building. He tossed a helmet at Nikolai and then the harness. “Get into the gear. Now. You have about a minute. Wear the helmet.” He snapped on the pulley and lanyard, holding it ready for Nikolai.

Nikolai didn’t gear up. “You two first.”

“We’ve got another escape route.” He met her gaze. “You okay with that?”

She nodded.

“What other escape route?” Nikolai asked.

“Get on the damned line. Now. The minute they enter the door, the explosives will detonate and incinerate this place. Go, and watch your head.” He lunged forward, snapped his brother into the harness, attached him to the lanyard and clicked on the helmet. “We’ll be fine.”

Nikolai struggled. “I’m supposed to die here.”

“The future is never set. It is but a series of choices. You are not dying today. I’ll give you back your key. Meet in twenty-four at Zurich.” He pushed Nikolai on the line, sending him flying to the roof of the neighboring building. His head rocked against the building when he landed.

“I said watch your head,” Alexi muttered. He pulled Serenity into him and ordered, “Jump us.”

Chapter Twelve

S
econds ticked by while Serenity waited for her vision to work again.

Alexi’s body suddenly shot rigid against her. He whispered, “There’s someone else here. I’m blind. You?”

“Ten more seconds. I think we’re in the sunroom.”

He backed them both slowly against a wall. “Did you expect company?”

“No one comes here. Except…”

“Well, it’s about time y’all showed up,” a familiar feminine southern drawl announced. “And, Lordy, he brought a gun.”

Twenty-one, twenty-two…
Vision.

Alexi had Charlotte’s chaotically bun-coiffed head targeted with his nine millimeter. Charlotte held a glass of water in her right hand, a lethal weapon given her ability to manipulate elements.

“Don’t shoot,” Serenity said. “Put the water down, please, Charlotte.”

“How do I know she’s not the mastermind behind everything? That she’s not the bitch that wants you dead?” he asked in a lethal tone.

“Oh, please.” Charlotte rolled her eyes. “We don’t have time for this crap.” She tossed the water, which shot toward him as if propelled by a hidden wind. The water wrapped his gun and hand in ice. Its weight dropped his hand to his side.

He whirled and launched a knife toward Charlotte from his non-iced hand. His move enabled him to smash his frozen hand against the wall, which broke the ice bond between his fingers and the gun.

Charlotte used wind to deflect the knife’s path. She shot a wind gust at him. His head ricocheted off the wood paneling with the force of his impact. He pushed away from the wall with a head shake and aimed his gun at Charlotte.

Serenity grabbed his arm and ordered, “Stop.” He paused, but his lethal glare threatened Charlotte with violence if she tried anything.

Charlotte said calmly, “Tell him I could’ve aimed for his heart.”

“I’m sure he gets that,” Serenity said, annoyed by both of them.

“
Kas ji?
”
Who is she?
Alexi asked low in Lithuanian.

“Alexi, this is Charlotte, the eldest Pleiad. Charlotte, this is—”

“I know what he is.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “You know how much I hate being referred to as elderly.” She granted him a disdainful once-over. “He reeks of death.”

“He’s the only person who has actually helped me this week. If you can’t behave, then you’ll have to leave. If you want to fight, be warned that I know your tricks. We can see who wins.”

Charlotte scowled but remained still. “He almost shot me. I call it self-defense.”

“You attacked him first.”

Charlotte’s back straightened, and she glared squinty-eye annoyance. Few defied her. Serenity was one of those few.

“Shall we start again, Char? To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”

Charlotte spun and pretended to examine the ocean watercolor miniatures on the wall. She hummed a familiar magical tune and darted a glance from her peripherals at her. Decision time. Should she trust Alexi to behave and refuse Charlotte’s suggestion, or should she protect him and sing?
Shit.
They might have slept together and he might have done nothing but protect her, but he had declared no more than one night, and getting her through her current crisis. She worried if he pissed off Charlotte again, the woman might not show restraint next time. Protection it was.

She hummed the tune with Charlotte and then both broke into simultaneous song.

His eyelids drooped. He fought the induced torpor. Anger shot from him when he locked onto Serenity’s gaze, promising retaliation. He pointed at her.

I’m so sorry.

Within seconds he slowly slumped to the floor, asleep. The two of them continued the song one final verse and then stopped.

“How long do you think he’ll stay that way?” Serenity asked. She placed a pillow from one of the chairs beneath his head and smoothed his hair. She didn’t like seeing him this vulnerable.

Charlotte cast a contemptuous scan of Alexi’s sleeping form and remained on the opposite side of the room as if even his aura might affect her. “With a human we’d have at least twelve hours or until we told him to wake. With that guy, who knows. He’s…not normal. We may be lucky to get a few minutes.”

“What do you need to tell me that required we knock him out?”

Charlotte imperially motioned for her to follow out of the sunroom into the kitchen. “I don’t trust him. At all. And I wanted to talk.”

“That’s it? You asked me to risk his wrath when he wakes up because you felt threatened? I could’ve asked him to leave the room and we could’ve talked in private. He would’ve done that for me.”

“He kills people for a living. I don’t understand his motivations. Honestly, Serenity, I don’t know him. And you and I need to talk. But…you shifted with him?” She sat at one of the bar-height stools at the kitchen counter and rested her head in one hand. “Did it hurt to shift him?”

“Saps me of energy. But I’ve done it twice now and…well, I got over it in a few hours last time.”

“There’s no way you would’ve been able to shift him here unless the two of you are…shit, you can’t be bonded. Normally if you transport anyone other than your bonded guy or a child, you’re so tapped that you can’t stand upright for twenty-four hours.”

“You’ve brought a non-destined to an alternate dimension?”

“Yes. It did not go well.” Charlotte avoided her gaze and smoothed out the cloth napkins.

“Is it possible to accidentally bond with the wrong person?”

Charlotte shrugged. “Don’t know.” Her gaze drifted to the sunroom. “Alexi and I have crossed paths before. I really don’t like him. He’s…achk.” She shuddered. “He can’t be the one for you, honey. I’m really sorry. He’s not druid. I’ve read through
all
our history and there’s never ever been a Pleiad bonded to a non-druid. Don’t you detect the stench of death coming off him?”

She shook her head. Her chest clamped at confirmation her most off-limits desire couldn’t be true. “He says it’s not possible for us to have any sort of future. That he’s not allowed. So, you have no worries. Yet I’m pretty sure I bonded with him. I can jump only to him when going to the other dimension. I can jump back here with him. And I healed him in that strange manner I think only bonded couples can do. I think I bonded with him by mistake.”

Charlotte nibbled at a nail. “Do you and he have…you know, amazing chemistry?”

“Yes.”

“Have you two already slept together?”

She swallowed irritation and refused to answer. “Do you know how to break this bond so I can find the right druid? You know I need to start a family and all that jazz, but this guy has me in limbo.”

“I’ve never done anything like break a bond. I’ll consult the ancestral writings. Perhaps you didn’t really bond with him. Maybe it’s infatuation, and you just need to find the right druid.” Charlotte shook her head. “Makes no sense. You’ve got all the destined pair signs, but that death creature cannot be the one for you. Did he mark you or do something funny to you like a curse?”

“A mark? Like the marriage tattoo between one of us and our destined?”

Charlotte shook her head. “Like a regular tattoo or a raised mark—you’d know it came from him. It would’ve burned when it appeared.”

“No. I don’t know if I’d recognize if he cast a curse on me or used a spell, but I don’t think that’s in his arsenal of powers.”

“We really don’t know much about what he is capable of. But the lack of a mark makes it less likely there’s black magic at play here. Gosh, sweetie, I’ve never heard of this kind of situation. We’ll find a way to make this right.”

“I know all the druids. None of them are like him, at least with regard to being someone I’d want to hop into bed with.”

“Does that…
man
feel the same about you?” Charlotte choked out the man part like she swallowed a sour grape.

“He’s an overbearing asshole about me taking risks, like all the Sentries. Beyond that…okay, the guy left me in bed in Bulgaria last year. No note. Nothing. Just ran.” She expected Charlotte to croon sisterly support.

“That’s interesting. You scared a death reaper.”

“I hadn’t thought about it that way.” She smiled. “Not much scares him.”

“It’s never happened before that I know of—that a Pleiad bonded with someone that’s not a druid. What did the ghost of your mother say at the Confirmation a few months ago? Anything about this?”

“Nothing about this. She said I was the one destined to be Pleiad, not Liz.” That weird meeting in the middle of that freezing-cold Irish field was her first Confirmation, a communication with her ancestors that had to happen on Samhain every twenty years.

“I already know Liz isn’t meant for this. She’s never really believed in us and all this. Tell me about her kidnapping.” Charlotte nibbled on her nail again.

“Someone took her. I don’t know where or how. Just that they phoned me on my cell. They’ve been making me jump through hoops to get her back. I couldn’t ask for outside help or risk them killing her. The whole thing doesn’t feel right. They got into my apartment, which you know means it’s someone on the inside.”

“That is concerning. Any suspicion on who?”

She shook her head.

“Which druids do you trust?”

“I think Eli, Matt, and Bryce are fine. Kat would’ve picked up something if they weren’t being honest. I don’t like Shane. I haven’t been able to talk to any other druids.”

Charlotte squeezed her hand. “We’ll figure out where Liz has gone and how to separate you from
him
.”

She should be reassured to have Charlotte as an ally in her quest to sever her bond to Alexi, but instead she realized she enjoyed her cat-and-mouse dynamic with him. He challenged her like no other man. Druids wanted to lock her in a castle tower and throw away the key—safe, protected, and treated like the fine china only pulled out on major holidays. They didn’t accept that she was trained and probably better equipped to protect herself than the majority of the Sentries.

Charlotte rose as if to depart. “That boy will be madder than a mule chewing bumblebees when he wakes up. You sure you’ll be okay, honey? You could try to shift him back while he’s asleep and then leave before he wakes.”

“I’ll deal with him. What’s the worst he can dole out? Death? He’s had plenty of opportunity, if that was his intent.”

Charlotte chuckled. “Oh, my. The worst? Honey, that boy knows how to play at the deep end of the naughty pool, believe me. If you two are bonded, even if inadvertently, then that means you’ve got the draw to him. I see by your face that you know exactly what I’m talking about. That crazy lust will enable him to torture you in ways you can’t even begin to imagine.”

“Did Brian do that to you?”

Charlotte’s cheeks blazed red. Her eyes darted away from direct contact. “Like most of us Pleiades, he and I had a very bumpy beginning.”

“I’ll deal with Alexi. What brought you here? I suspect a message or directive from Bryce or Matt.”

“Those boys were mad as hornets when you jumped. I don’t blame you. The last thing any one of us wants is to be locked away. They mean well, but Bryce…” She rolled her eyes. “I swear, that man…and now there’s his son-in-law. They continue to think they can control us. Anyway, Matt demands you return and meet him at five o’clock at his house in the Hamptons. I told him I’d find you and confirm you’re okay. Beyond that…” She shrugged.

“I’m not going back to meet him.”

“I figured that. What do you want me to tell the boys about
him
?” Her gaze darted to the sunroom.

“Tell them I’m safe and that I have protection. I’m going to determine who’s behind the kidnapping and get my sister back.”

“They know about
him
. Okay, they suspect you went to him for help.”

“Did Kat say something? She picked it up from me.”

“No. She’s good at secrets. Eli was pretty convinced you’d run to the death reaper. Those boys are all worried and pissed. Is there anything I can do about Liz?”

“Help me find the mole among the druids. There’s someone.”

“Call me if you need help. Otherwise, I’ll see you at the end of all this. I don’t have a good feeling.” Charlotte jumped off the stool and smoothed her gauzy skirt. Crystals tinkled melodically.

“Hey, how’s Eli?” Serenity asked.

Charlotte’s eyebrows shot up. “He’ll live. That boy has got it bad for you. You should have heard him trash talk your death reaper.”

“Great. That won’t help matters. His name is Alexi, not death reaper.”

“Eli won’t be on your side when it comes to…Alexi.” She brushed her hands together as if removing dirt. “You know, it’s high time you got those ovaries out of storage. I’m just not sure how thrilled I am for you to have babies with that…guy. We’ll find your right mate. Let me go do some research. I’ll see you around.” Charlotte disappeared.

S
erenity snagged the Post-it she’d left dangling from the table’s edge in front of the still sleeping Alexi. Her trip to the grocer up the road hadn’t taken as long as she’d expected. Damp but shower-clean hair fell into her eyes, which she tucked behind an ear. She whispered, “Time to wake up.” She sprinted to the kitchen, uncertain what kind of hell beast would awaken. She also worried her spaghetti sauce might bubble over.

A quick grip on the tactical knife tucked into her pants calmed her. She tended to the sauce on the stovetop and started the pasta water boiling.

“What was that?”

Serenity whirled and backed up against the dishwasher.

His eyes glittered dangerously. Her pulse leaped.

He crowded her and pressed his hard body into her, smashing her tight against the dishwasher. The pale green of his eyes darkened like an ocean in a storm. “What just happened? Tell me what you did to me. No lies.”

“Didn’t you study Greek mythology? You’re caught up in its clutches, like us. The Pleiades were the seven daughters of the sea nymph Pleione. The sirens were sea nymphs. That means we can lure or work some magic by song when together.”

“The queen witch asked you to sing me to sleep?” He wrapped one hand around her throat, and his thumb tipped her face up toward his. His grip wasn’t choking, just controlling.