Opal (Rare Gems Series Book 4) (21 page)

“
Please kill me.” She nodded and he felt relief for all of a second. “Now, kill me now. Please, I beg of you, kill me now.”

“
I’m afraid that just won’t do, Alfred Stone, Junior. There are many crimes you must pay for, and it must begin now.” The sound of a saw starting had him looking at the man standing at his head. “He will start to cut you away now. And so you know, we will continue this for so long as you have lived, all of the years in which you made others suffer at your hands. Then, just because we can, we will add more years to your sentence for the pain and suffering you caused your beloved family. I think I will enjoy this more than any other. My friend was among your last victims.”

As soon as the saw touched his skin, he screamed.
They were cutting at his jaw when everything went black. Fletcher hoped that he’d never live through this, and began to pray that he wouldn’t. But he had a feeling that he would, and when they were finished with him, he’d welcome death with opened arms.

~~~

Sloan paced. He didn’t even know where to begin, he was so upset. And every time he looked at Blair, the man had the nerve to laugh at him. He wondered if he knew just how close he was to being killed.

“
You do know that she’s a lot stronger than she looks, right?” Sloan didn’t know what that had to do with anything, but listened as Blair continued. “And the fact that she is paying you back, plus a percentage of what she made off the antiques, is only good business sense.”

“
I don’t want her money.” He snapped his mouth closed when he realized how Neanderthal he sounded. That, of course, only made Blair laugh harder. “What if your wife tried to pay you back for the building you gave her?”

“
She did.” Sloan stopped pacing and looked at the large alpha. “With interest, too. And so you know, I was a little pissy about it as well. But in the end it was a sound decision on her part.”

“
She paid you back with…oh I see, you mean giving you a son?” Blair shook his head. “Are you telling me you actually took your wife’s hard-earned money? And smiled about it?”

“
I did say I was sort of pissy, didn’t I?” Sloan sat down and rubbed his hand over his face as Blair continued. “What really has gotten you all hot and bothered? The fact that she no longer needs your money, or the fact that she’s doing so well? Or is there something I’m not seeing that you can enlighten me on?”

“
First of all, I really hate you right now. I want her to succeed.” He did too, and could see on Blair’s face that he believed him. “What I don’t want is for her to feel she owes me for any of it. I wanted her happy. This does not make me happy.”

“
You wanted her to be happy, or you? Sounds like sour grapes to me.” He had no idea what that meant, but got up to pace again. “Did you think she’d do this well?”

“
Yes,” he answered without hesitation. “I knew it would do this well from the start. She had a good head on her shoulders once she decided that she had to use it…or I guess found the confidence to use it. I know that sounds bad, but she nearly had to be shoved into this. And now that she is doing it, she’s giving it her all.”

“
So that’s it.” Sloan turned to look at Blair when he didn’t continue. “You want her to succeed, but at your pace, and you hate that she’s doing so well…so well that she no longer needs you.”

“
I didn’t say that.” But it rang true. When he’d gone to the warehouse with her early that morning, she’d already marked what she wanted and what would have to wait…things he’d wanted to do for her, to advise her on. “She knows what she’s doing. And doesn’t need me.”

“
I doubt that’s true, but I know how you feel.” Sloan was hopeful for a second. Then Blair laughed. “I said I know how you feel, not that I agree with you. You hate the fact that she can make this work, when you feel the need to not just protect her, but provide for her and keep her close. Does that sound about right?”

“
That’s it.” Blair nodded. “What the hell am I supposed to do now? She’s making this business…did you know that she’s had people email her about some of the things that were posted on her website? I’ve no idea how that really works for her, but she is making arrangements for things to be shipped all over the country. And these idiots are paying extremely high prices for it to be theirs. And her things? She’s brought in more staff, seven now, to do what she needs. I have no time with her.”

He realized
then that was the real problem, and Blair only stared at him without comment this time. Sloan missed her. Not just being with her, but having her at his side. Her laughter and her smile. He started to pace again, this time with purpose. He was going to bring her back to him.

“
Want a suggestion?” Did he? More than likely not. This man was related to her through his own wife. Would he give him anything that would make it worse? He didn’t think so and told him yes. “Marry her.”

“
Marry her? I don’t understand. Marry her for what reason? We are mates; she is mine and I’m hers.” Blair nodded. “You mean perform the ritual that humans do? Actually go to a man of the cloth and say words that mean less to me than…than those things she sells?”

“
It will mean something to her.” Sloan started to tell him he was insane, but thought about how she had talked for hours about her sister’s happiness with her husband. Not mate, but husband. He remembered the look on her face, too, when Blair had presented his wife with a diamond ring after their child had been born. She’d been…she’d been so happy for her.

“
I know nothing of romance.” Which was true. He’d never had to woo a woman, only to look into her eyes and give her what she wanted as he took what he wanted. “I’ve been around longer than anyone, and I have no idea how to make one woman as happy as I can.”

“
It just so happens that I know just the man for you. Well, men. You’ve met your brothers-in-law, right? They can get you started on the right track and get you moving.” Sloan nodded, almost afraid to admit he was terrified. “If I were you, I’d avoid my dad. He knows women, but his style is a little on the…the ‘get you arrested’ side.”

“
I heard that.” They both looked at the doorway where Allen was standing. “I’ll have you know that I have had my dance card filled before many a man in my younger days. And I’m not doing too badly right now, either.”

“
I don’t wish to simply dance with my mate, Allen, but to make her happy.” When Allen wrapped his arm around his shoulder, all Sloan could think of was he was in deep shit. He looked at Blair to get some help, but the man was laughing too hard to pay attention. Sloan just knew he was going to regret this, and followed the man out of the house and to the car that was waiting for him.

The trip to town was made mostly with Allen talking about things he
’d done for his lady friends, as he called them. While he talked and talked, Sloan reached for Opal and could feel her frustrations. He almost smiled when she told him that she was going to kill the next person who asked her if she’d robbed a bank.

What is wrong with people?
He didn’t answer her because he’d been wondering the same thing for decades.
I mean, where do people get off asking such a question? I hung up on one man. He had the nerve to ask me if I wanted to come with the bed he bought. Moron.

What
’s his name?
His own beast along with his new wolf wanted blood. But her laughter had him settle back down.
Opal, have I told you lately that I love you? And that more than anything in this world, I want to keep you safe and with me?

I love you as well.
He felt her send love to him, and he felt wrapped up in it. When she told him she had to go, he felt as if he’d been given a great gift of her love. He looked over at Allen, who was smiling at him.

“
I need to buy her a ring. An opal. With diamonds.” Allen nodded. “And I need to make a stop first. You can’t go with me, but…I need to make a stop.”

“
Sure. Sure. Just tell me where and we’ll go there first.” Allen laughed again. “You look like a man that has been told he could have anything he wanted for Christmas.”

Sloan shook his head.
“I’m a man that has been given every present he’s ever wanted, and then some. I’m a man in love with his mate.”

“
Good for you.” When they stopped, Allen stayed in the car. Sloan made his way into the small yet well-kept building that meant little to anyone but himself, and occasionally Rufus. It was the first doorway into many, and one wrong door would get you killed.

Sloan made his way through the maze of doors that would lead him to his home. Not the one he had here on earth
, but the one that had given birth to him and his kind. When he asked and was granted permission to enter the large chamber where the king and queen were located, he bowed low before them and waited. He knew this would piss them off.

“
Get up. Why are you forever pissing me off?” He grinned but stayed where he was, loving that his father fell for this every time he came to see him. “I swear to you, he is entirely your son. There is no way that I sired such a pain in the ass as this one is.”

“
You love him.” Sloan winked at his mother. “Get up here and give me a kiss. I’ve miss…what have you done?”

Her voice sounded
surprised but not mad. It was what he’d hoped for. “I’ve found my mate. And she’s a wolf. At some point, she changed me to what she is. She is a vampire too. You’ll love her as much as I do.”

“
Good heavens. Where is she?” His dad stood up and ordered the gates to be opened. “We’ll have you here. You’ll stay in…no, that won’t work. We’ll have to rebuild that part of the castle. Damned vermin came in and ate away all the wall hangings, and your mother decided that—”

“
Dad?” He stopped blustering and looked at him. “I’m in love with her. I’d like to bring her here and marry her. That is, if you don’t mind. I want to share with her what we are. And share our heritage with…there are others I’d like to tell as well. Trustworthy beings that you’ll meet soon.”

“
Well of course you will. But you didn’t bring her this time?” He shook his head. “It’s no matter, no matter at all. You will next time. Bring her I mean. Is she lovely? Breedable?”

“
Kimdar, what is wrong with you? Of course she’s lovely, and what a thing to ask. She’ll have us plenty of babies to hold.” His mom looked at him. “You will have plenty of babies for us, won’t you, son?”

“
If she agrees.” His mother smiled at him. “Her family is large; she has five sisters, and some of them have mates. One recently had a child.”

“
Bring them all.” His father bellowed for his first man. “Get the rooms aright. We’re having company. And food. Lots of food for…are they all wolves?”

“
Yes.” He looked at his mom when his dad went to see to the food. He took her hand into his and kissed it. “Mom, I need an opal. It’s her name, and I need an opal that will pale in comparison to her, but be beautiful for her.”

“
I’ll take care of it for you. It will be awaiting you when you return to your home.” He nodded and stood up. “You leave us so soon? When will you return? Soon? If not, your father may just come for you both if you don’t come back with her as soon as possible.”

“
Give me a week. I’ll need to prepare her and them for this.” She looked at him with a cocked brow. “I’ve never told any of them what we…they have met Ursula, but she, too, is a mystery to them.”

“
I will talk to her then. See what she can tell me of your new family.” He moved toward the door after giving his mother a hug and a kiss. She stopped him as he was exiting their room. “Sloan, do you think she’ll like us?”

“
Mom, she will love you.”

Chapter 1
3

“I don’t understand.” Sloan only smiled at her, but she wanted to bash him over the head. “You’re telling me that not only are your parents still around, but they want to meet me? Why?”

“
Why? Because I love you.” Not a reason and she told him that. “They want to meet my mate. They want to be able to tell you all sorts of things I did as a child, embarrass me, and make me feel as if I may never return.”

“
I don’t need stories of you as a child. Just take a picture of me and…where are they living, anyway?” He mumbled something and she took a step toward him. “Please tell me you didn’t just say in another realm.”

“
It’s where I was created.” Opal had to sit down. This was just too much. Not only had he just told her that his parents wanted to meet her and her family, but they also wanted them to stay for a time. But in another realm? Not fucking likely.

“
I don’t want to go.” She didn’t really like the way she sounded like a five-year-old, but she wasn’t going. “Tell them to come here and see me. That way if they don’t like me, they can go back home and I won’t be stuck with my family there loving the place and never being invited back.”