Nolan's Evolution (64 page)

“But I can find company…a man…a…a…lover,” she stuttered when he leaned in to kiss her neck. “If I wanted someone.”

              “But no one who knows you quite as well as I do. Truth?”

              Elenora swallowed hard. “What is it you want from me in return, Thanatos?”

              He nipped at the skin of her shoulder. “You tell me how I can prevent a wedding day disaster for my friends.”

              She turned her face toward him. “Just how can I trust you, Thanatos? You come here claiming to be on my side…ready to join ranks…you were lying! Suddenly it’s all about saving this wedding! Do you even know what you want?”

              He paused and drew in a breath. “No,” he growled.

              “It’s either you are willing to do whatever it takes to have her or you have to give up all to let Nolan have her. You can’t ride the fence.”

              He met her gaze.

              “You know I would love if you went no holds barred and fought for her. Nolan would be freed for my pursuit.”

              He laughed and shook his head. “I would have to kill him to ever fully have Raina to myself. If by chance she ever gave him up…he would pursue her until her last breath.” He shook his head. “I should settle for seeing her happy.”

              “Will you?” She reached out and ran her fingers through the blonde hair. “Can you settle for just seeing her happy?” She leaned in and brushed her lips against his. The familiar touch excited her. She gripped his jaw and kissed him harder, biting down gently on his lip. She pulled back with darkened eyes.

              Thanatos eyes were darkened too. “I don’t know,” he said roughly.

              “You want her?”

              “Yes. But I don’t want to hurt her.”

              “You love Nolan?”

              “He is my brother!”

              “Who do you love more?”

              He drew in a breath and sat back. “I love her,” he murmured. He covered his face.

              “So claim her,” Elenora purred. “Go after her, Thanatos!”

              He looked at her as if she had gone crazy. “You are asking me to hurt Nolan?”

              She shrugged. “He has hurt and rejected me so much! Maybe it is time that I moved on myself?” Her dark eyes flashed.

              “Liar,” he growled.

              She shrugged. “Takes one to know one.”

              “What am I doing here,” he sighed, rubbing his face.

              “You are searching for a way to get what you want. I know the feeling. Right now you are just confused.”

              He tried not to think of Raina now…her face…her eyes.

              “You want her. You want that sweet voice saying she loves you, needs you, can’t live without you.” Elenora stroked his arm. “But that may never happen. Doesn’t stop that drive inside you to make it happen. Nearly two hundred years I’ve gone through this, Thanatos. Sometimes you just have to let go for a bit and forget or it will drive you crazy.”

              He groaned. She was right. He needed to lose his thoughts right now.

She moved closer to him. “You are lonely just like me,” she said softly. “We both were hurt. She nuzzled into his neck. “Let me comfort you, Thanatos. You can comfort me too. It can be like it used to be.” She moved her lips to his ear. “You know I know how to comfort you well.” She reached for his collar to undo the buttons and he allowed her. She quickly undid them all and pulled the two halves of the shirt aside. She crooned in appreciation. “Yes, you have bulked up nicely Thanny.” She touched his skin tentatively.

He closed his eyes.

“Do you remember how good it was?” She pushed the shirt over his shoulders and sat back to admire. She laid her hands on his shoulders and let them follow the line all the way to his wrists. She lifted his hand to her lips.

He opened his eyes to her.

“May I?” She knelt down before him and undid the laces of his shoes, peering up at him. Her dark eyes studied his heavy lidded eyes. When she had rid him of his shoes, she set her hands on his knees. “Do you want to see if it’s just like old times?”

He took in a breath and leaned down toward her. He couldn’t help the draw. He had belonged so long…he knew it would be good. His soul was wounded. This could be good…and then it would be bad. He knew this. Maybe it was what he deserved?

He gave a shake of his head at those thoughts. “Out of my head,” he growled.

She rose up on her knees so they were nearly nose to nose.

He wet his lower lip and swallowed. “Old times?” He shook his head. “No, not old times. I belonged to you then.” His green eyes speared her. He gripped her jaw and he leaned in to kiss her hard. He felt her surrender and he was not gentle. He took and it felt good. His arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her against his chest.

She scrambled up into his lap, but allowed him to moderate the strength of the kiss. She sighed with pleasure, knowing he was very much into this.

He felt his body warming now and wanted to keep control, so he pulled away and stared at her now smoky eyes. “If this happens…this is under my terms,” he growled.

Elenora nodded submissively.

“You will tell me how I can save the wedding from your prying or David’s or whoever has plans. I will decide if I want to stop the plans.” He gripped her hair and tugged gently. “Do you understand?”

She again nodded, closing her eyes.

Thanatos drew in a deep breath and turned off his mind and heart…this was all about his body. He would deal with the consequences later…but he craved this now.

Raina growled into the dark and reached for her buzzing phone that sat on the table beside her bed. After her initial irritation wore off she felt a bit of panic. She quickly answered. “Hello?”

There was silence.

“Hello?”

There was definitely a clearing of a throat and then a clinking sound. Like a glass bottle tapped against a surface.

“Who is this?” She sat up in her bed, pulled her phone from her ear and looked at the caller identification. “Thanatos?” She pulled back the covers and crawled out of bed. “What are you doing? Where are you? Do you know how worried we have been?” Her heart accelerated.

“Hmmm, hi, beautiful,” he slurred.

Raina crinkled her brow. “Are you drinking?”

“Raina, I…I think….let me tell you something.” He sighed heavily. “Raina, I’m drunk.”

She laughed…couldn’t help it. “Yes, this is apparent. Where are you?” She had a feeling he may not even know where he was.

“I….I don’t know, listen….” He cleared his throat. He was quiet for a moment. “I messed up,” he groaned. “I messed up bad, beautiful. I messed up so bad…and I can’t…I can’t…I can’t….are you there, Raina?”

She sighed and peered out the window. “I’m here.” She heard Turk jump down from the bed and sit at her feet. “You messed up? Are you okay?”

“No,” he groaned. “And yes.”

She bit her lip. “What happened?”

He cleared his throat again and there was the undeniable sound of him taking a swig straight from a bottle. “You are getting married tomorrow,” he whispered.

“Yes,” she answered back.

“I should be letting you sleep now…I should…I…”

“Thanatos, what is wrong? What has happened?”

He groaned and sighed heavily into the phone. “Elenora.”

Raina swallowed. “Elenora what?”

“I…I’m not proud of myself. I…I don’t want to say.”

Raina frowned. “You didn’t. Please, Thanatos…anybody but her!”

He took another swig. “I was trying to help and…well…I am a man and she’s…”

“A she devil!” She set a hand to her stomach feeling sick. “All of those years she used you and you just…Thanatos.” She sat on the edge of the bed. “Why are you calling me and telling me this?”

“I love you,” he sighed. “I love you and I feel…I don’t know. I’m just drunk.”

She rolled her eyes. “Where are you?”

“I’m going to meet someone.”

“Who?”

“You are getting married tomorrow.”

“Yes, Thanatos, we have been over this. Where are you and who do you have to meet? There is no way you are driving. You are drunk!”

“Hmmm…but I have an excellent tolerance. Immortal…remember?”

“How much did you have to drink to get where you are now?” she asked with disbelief.

“A lot.” He chuckled.

“I am coming to get you.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Who is there with you?”

“I’m at Nolan’s.”

“Isn’t that against the rules?”

“I’m sleeping in a guest room silly man. Nolan wanted me here with Joseph and Jonathan here.”

“And because…he’s scared I was going to show up.”

“Thanatos! Where are you?” She lowered her voice…hoping now she had not awakened any of her fellow house members.

“Your house,” he chuckled.

Raina’s jaw dropped.

“No lights…no cars…I was worried.”

“If Nolan had been there….”

“I would probably be toast. But…I had to see you, beautiful…before. Come see me.”

Raina frowned. “I cannot come see you, Thanatos! It is two am and I am getting married in the morning,” she whispered. “But I am going to get Jonathan to pick you up and take you home!”

“I am meeting with someone,” he growled.

“Who?”

“You.”

“Thanatos…”

“I will come there then,” he sighed.

“No,” Raina barked and then lowered her voice. “You absolutely cannot come here. Why are you doing this?”

“I want to see you.”

“You couldn’t call me yesterday? Two days ago? A week ago?”

“I couldn’t!”

She ran her hand through her hair and wanted to scream in frustration. “Why couldn’t you call me earlier?”

“I wasn’t drunk,” he murmured and then laughed at his own joke.

“And how am I supposed to leave this house undetected?” She cringed when she considered getting caught. Nolan would never get over this!

“Your parents are there with you?”

Raina bit her lip. “Yes of course.”

“If he catches you just say you were checking to make sure they were comfortable!”

Raina rolled her eyes. Yes, that would work. At two am in the morning? “Do you know what this would cost me if he caught me? Your cryptic text nearly sent him over the edge. I can’t believe you said that!”

“He told you about that?” His voice deepened and even broke a little.

“Was it supposed to be a secret?” she hissed. “Why would you send him something like that? Are you crazy?”

“I meant it,” he whispered.

She shook her head. “There is no way I am meeting you alone then.”

He growled. “Come see me or I will show up there Raina…I swear I will.”

She closed her eyes. “I will see what I can do,” she sighed.

“Half hour,” he sighed.

Raina hit end and sighed. She scrolled through her contacts and hit send. She blew out a breath and cringed at the gruff voice that came over the other end. “Jonathan?”

“What is it with this group and late night calls,” he moaned.

She bit her lip. “I have a huge favor to ask you.”

“Yes, Raina,” he sighed. “Whatever it is yes. You would not call me at this hour if it was not important!”

Nearly a half hour later, they were pulling into her drive. Jonathan had successfully sneaked them out. His mind reading allowed him to follow the thoughts and he knew Nolan was sleeping deeply and sweetly.

“If my blood pressure doesn’t go down or my anxiety he will be alert,” Raina whispered when they pulled up behind the big black Ram. Immediately her heart rate picked up. What kind of state would he be in now?

The door to the truck flew open and Thanatos stumbled out. A bottle of Jack was in his hands. Another empty bottle tumbled out of the truck behind him. It shattered against the driveway.

Jonathan gave Raina a look and they both got out into the cold air.

Thanatos wasted no time grabbing her up in a hug.

“Enough,” she growled. “I’m here, now tell me what it is you need!”

The green eyes regarded Jonathan. “You brought a guard?”

She rolled her eyes and pushed him back against the truck so that he wouldn’t fall over. “I told you I wasn’t coming here alone. Not after what you texted Nolan!”

His green eyes sobered slightly. “You don’t trust me then?”

She blew out a breath and a small storm clouded the chilly air. “It’s not about that! If Nolan found out I came alone….and somehow he will find out…he always does…it will hurt him. I am all about things not hurting the man I love.” She looked at him pointedly. “Or the friends I love! Why couldn’t you have called me sober…met me sober? This would feel better to me. It feels gross right now. I don’t want to be here with you…but I don’t want you crashing into Nolan’s home and disturbing him and my parents.”