Kiss at Your Own Risk (23 page)

Trinity bit her lip as she watched Reina tap the blade lightly, as if testing it. Yes, it was true Reina was a rock solid friend if she had your back, but she was also a very dangerous enemy. “Okay,” Trinity whispered. “Sixty seconds, and then we’re getting out the hose.”

Blaine squeezed her once and kissed her hair. “You got it.”

“Nigel will be fine in a minute.” Reina fluttered her fingers at Jarvis, completely ignoring the weapon threatening her jugular. “Out of my way, big guy, or I’ll take you down too. The sword act isn’t doing it for me.”

Jarvis didn’t move. “Heal him or you die.”

Trinity tensed. “Blaine, she’s going to—”

“You have
got
to take women more seriously.” Reina promptly shot a cloud of black powder at him. “See ya.”

But Jarvis just gave her a smug grin and raised his blade higher. “Not that impressive, sweet lips.”

Trinity leaned back against Blaine, not sure if it was a good or bad thing that the powdering hadn’t worked. “Do you think we should interfere?”

“Not yet.” Blaine’s voice was laced with amusement. “I’m kind of enjoying this, actually. We’ve taken a lot of shit from Death and his peeps over the centuries. It’s good for Jarvis to work this out of his system.”

Reina set her hands on her hips and frowned at Jarvis. “How could that possibly not work on you?”

Jarvis shrugged, and there was a distinct smugness in his tone. “Not much does.”

“That’s never happened before.” Reina pulled out her iPhone and began to type on it. “I need to let my boss know. He’ll want to do some tests on you.”

Jarvis jammed the tip of his sword into her phone, then chucked it through the plate glass window. Glass tinkled all over the floor, like a shattered icicle.

Blaine swore. “I’m going to make him pay for that,” he muttered.

Reina squawked with visible alarm. “Do you have any idea how pissed my boss gets if we lose our phones?” She shoved past him and sprinted to the window. “Oh, man, oh, man, oh, man. I don’t have time for a thirty-year demotion.” She whirled on him. “You are a bastard,” she hissed. Her eyes turned black. “I’m so short-listing you. Your life just abbreviated big-time.” She leapt up onto the windowsill to jump after her phone.

Jarvis sprinted across the room, grabbed her around the waist, and yanked her back inside. “We don’t have time to deal with Death right now. You’re staying here.”

“I don’t have time for detention!” Reina tried to slam her elbow into his stomach, and he shoved her face-first to the floor and sat on her.

“Hey!” Trinity fought to get out of Blaine’s grip. “Let her go—”

“No.” Blaine kept her ruthlessly pinned against his chest. “They’re almost finished.”

“But—” Trinity looked over at Jarvis and saw that although he still had Reina pinned to the floor, he’d tucked his palm beneath her cheek to cushion it against the hard wood.

Jarvis leaned down and began speaking urgently in her ear. Reina stopped fighting and listened. After a moment, Reina nodded, and Jarvis stood up, then helped her to her feet.

Reina brushed herself off. Her cheeks were flushed. “Okay, so we’re all friends now. Happy family.” She didn’t bother to hide the sarcasm. “Popcorn and movies at six.”

Wow. Trinity was impressed. Not many people could talk Reina down. She looked curiously at Jarvis and had a sudden suspicion that there was something besides a man concealed behind all that anger and the haunting darkness in his eyes. “What is he?”

“He gets testy if you ask him. Best not to bring it up.” Then he took Trinity’s hand and led her into the living room to join the duo. “If you kids are finished fighting over the remote, you might want to join us in a strategy session.”

“We’re done.” Reina shot an annoyed glare at Jarvis, who ignored her.

He walked back into the foyer and crouched beside Nigel.

“He’ll be fine,” Reina said. “He really will.”

Jarvis shot her a hard look. “He better be.”

Reina narrowed her eyes at him, then turned away and plunked herself into a leather recliner next to a potted palm. “Trinity, I have to say that seeing you as Curse Girl in that hologram changed my opinion about whether it’s okay for you to cross that line. You were like some crazed murderous hag. Did you see the hair? Your complexion? And that noise…” She shook her head. “You’re like a cheap horror flick, which normally would not be a big deal, except for the fact that you were the horror part of it.”

Trinity sank down onto the couch and wrapped her arms around her belly, trying to ward off sudden chills. “And that’s so helpful to be bringing that up. Thanks so much for it.”

Blaine sat beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Instinctively, she snuggled up against him.

“No, no.” Reina held up her hands in a white-flag gesture. “I’m saying that I’m on your side now. I’m going to give you all my resources to help you beat the curse.”

Sudden hope flared in Trinity’s chest. “Are you going to kill the Chameleon for me?” Death could take anything’s soul. It was a perk of the job. Yeah, Reina was only an apprentice, but still…

But Reina was shaking her head. “Oh, no. I can’t kill it. I already sort of tried when it was chasing the boys. I’m not that good.”

Trinity met her friend’s gaze. “And it would get you in trouble if you took a life without permission.”

“Worth it for you.” Reina shrugged, keeping her voice casual.

But Trinity knew what it would have cost Reina to get in trouble with her boss. “Sweetie, it’s not worth it. You’ve invested too much, and you’re so close to success.”

Reina held up her hand and shook her head, silencing her. Crud. Had the men picked up on what she’d just said? Everything would be lost for Reina if anyone found out what she was really doing as Death’s assistant.

Trinity shot a sharp look at the men, but Nigel was still unconscious, Jarvis was trying to help him, and Blaine was watching his team. No one was paying attention to silly conversation between girls.

“So, what do I do?” Trinity scooted toward her friend, careful not to accidentally touch the plant. No need to give her mom a chance to find her and send kidnapper number two right now. “Any ideas?”

Blaine looked back at them. “You have insights, Reina?”

So much for Blaine not paying attention to them.

Reina’s gaze flicked briefly at Blaine before focusing on Trinity. “Let your dad die.”

“I can’t! That’s your answer?” She groaned and leaned back on the couch.

Blaine tucked her tighter against him and rubbed her upper arm.

“Yes, you can. If your dad dies, he’ll go to a nice place. If you go banshee, I’m afraid it’s going to be bad news for your afterlife.” Reina winced. “I thought that your goodness would stay intact, but there was no purity in that hologram.”

“It was an image,” Blaine interrupted. “Of course it had no soul. Trinity can’t be broken.”

Reina gave him an impatient look. “You willing to stake her soul on that?”

Blaine squeezed Trinity’s shoulder. “Yeah, I’d stake my own on it.”‘

Trinity’s throat tightened at his obvious confidence. She didn’t know who to believe. Reina, who was an expert on all things soul-related, or Blaine, who saw a side to her that she wanted so desperately to believe really existed.

“Blaine. Get over here.” Jarvis’s voice was sharp, and Blaine immediately stood up and strode across the condo.

Reina inched forward and lowered her voice. “Okay, here’s the truth,” she whispered. “I didn’t want to say this in front of Blaine since he’s counting on the bargain you two made, but Death can harvest anything, and maybe he’d take down the smut monster for you. You know, for a deal.”

Trinity peeked at the men, but they were hunched over, talking intently. Nigel was sitting up now, looking a little pale, but definitely recovering. “What kind of deal?”

“I don’t know. He has an assortment of things he needs. It’s worth a try. I’m not feeling great about your deal with Blaine and the guys. I don’t see a way for it to work without you doing the killing.”

Trinity bit her lip. “Blaine thinks if I look at the Chameleon again, I might see a different way.”

“Not a lot to count on with that plan.” Reina frowned. “You have poison ivy or something?”

Trinity realized she was scratching her tulip again. “The witch is tracking me through the flower.” She quickly filled Reina in on everything.

By the time she finished, Reina was shaking her head. “I love you, but sweetie, you are so naive. Blaine didn’t bring you back here to make plans. He’s using you as bait to bring Angelica to his home turf. The witch comes, you pull the trigger, and she dies. Their need for you is over, and it’s bye-bye black widow before the Chameleon is killed or your dad is free.”

Trinity tensed. “He wouldn’t do that.”

“No?” Reina plucked a leaf from the palm tree and began to shred it. “Listen, Trin, I know you find him really compelling because he’s got that whole murder thing going on like Barry did, but he’s carrying a boatload of emotional baggage. You really want to die just so he can clear his soul by saving his little buddy?”

Trinity looked over at Blaine and saw the haggard lines on his face. “It’s not like that—”

“Hey.” Reina shoved the palm tree out of the way so she could scoot her chair closer. “If I had to choose between some guy who rocked my world and my sister, who would I pick?”

They both knew there was only one answer to that question.

“The guy would be collateral damage to what I need to do.” Reina’s voice was hard. “I might feel bad, but I wouldn’t even blink. Blaine’s no different. And neither are you.”

“I wouldn’t—”

“Your dad or Christian? Your dad’s life or Blaine’s emotional well-being? Who wins?” Reina’s voice was relentless. “Be honest.”

Trinity sighed. “My dad.”

“And Blaine will make the same choice. He has to. Doesn’t make him bad, but it’s the truth.”

“Okay, I admit he’s still going to try to kill me.” She glanced over at Blaine and grinned as he looked up and gave her a special smile. “But he’d never betray me by bringing the witch here and killing her before we take care of the Chameleon and my dad. I know I can trust him—”

“Hey!” Reina lightly slapped her cheek. “Do
not
fall in love with him!”

Trinity scowled and rubbed her face. “I’m not.”

“You better not. If you snap and kill him, then nothing else matters.” Reina set her hand on Trinity’s knee and squeezed. “Tell me this, girlfriend. Do you really, truly, believe in your heart that there’s no chance Blaine is setting you up as bait so he can end this now?”

“I do—” A sudden humming came from the kitchen, and all the men whirled around. The door of the fridge was vibrating so fast it was a blur. The oven door began to open and close. Then the dishwasher did the same. Knives began to fly out of the drawers, spinning around in a crazy vortex.

“This had better be a poltergeist with a hard-on for stainless steel,” Reina said, sitting up.

Blaine was on his feet, flames licking at the end of his fingers. “She’s coming.”

Trinity’s heart began to pound. “If he keeps his promise that the monster is first, then he has to take me out of here before she gets here—”

Jarvis pulled out his sword, and Nigel’s palms began to blacken. Blaine strode over to the French doors that led to a patio. For a split second, he hesitated, then he yanked them open and stepped back. Inviting her in.

“You still feeling so confident, lover girl?” Reina was edging to her feet.

The warriors took a three-stance formation around the doors. The trio was ready to face the woman they couldn’t defeat without Trinity’s help.

“Let’s go.” Reina pulled her to her feet. “Never trust boys who have deadly weapons.”

If she left now, would Blaine and the others even survive the encounter? “I can’t leave. He’ll still help me with my dad before he tries to kill me. I know he will.”

“You willing to stake your father’s life on that?”

“I—” Was she? Did she really know what kind of a man Blaine was? She quieted her mind and opened her heart. A comforting, pure warmth filled her chest, and she felt a sense of absolute rightness settle over her. “Yes.”

“Dammit, Trinity. You are so in love.”

“I’m not—”

“How bright are the lights right now?”

Trinity looked up and squinted at the sleek black track lighting. “Pretty bright.”

“Skin?”

Trinity touched her arm. “Hot.”
Crap.

“You stay now, and the witch won’t be the one you kill. Blaine dies. Your soul dies. And your dad dies. The only chance for all of you is to bail.”

“No, I can handle this. I need to stay here for him—”

Blaine looked back at her, and he shot her a grim smile. “Don’t worry, Trin. Even though Angelica’s coming here now, I swear on Christian’s life that we’ll still save your father.”

Tears filled her eyes at the raw, ragged truth in his voice. “Oh, was that the sweetest thing a man has ever said to me or what?” A light began to refract around him as he turned back toward the balcony, and Trinity leapt to her feet. “I’m so tired of the damn prisms!”

Reina shoved her back onto the couch, pinning her down by the shoulders. “Look at me, girlfriend. I’m not losing you like I did in the restaurant. I’m taking you out of here and we’re going to handle this the only way that’s safe.” She rolled her eyes. “You know, as safe as making a deal with Death can be.”

Trinity couldn’t break her gaze off the glittering prism above Blaine. “You promise that once we save my dad, you’ll help me free Christian?”

“Sure. As long as it won’t break your soul.”

“No. Even if it breaks my soul. I can’t abandon Blaine after what he’s been through. I
can’t.
” God, if she left now, she knew Blaine would think she’d walked out on him the way everyone had. No. He knew her. He believed in her. He would know she was coming back.

“Okay, yeah, okay, I promise. I can empathize with him too.” Reina looked resigned, and Trinity knew she could count on her.

“Then let’s do it.” Before she changed her mind and made a choice that would cost them all everything they wanted.