Shattered Skies - Night Waves (21 page)

Leave it to Akia to have a closet bigger than my apartment in his office. At least there was a nice comfortable dressing couch for us to sit on to wait him out. As I sat there I suddenly wondered if he could smell me in the room
too? Shit! I listened intently when I heard him start talking. I wasn’t sure if he knew I was there or not.

“What am I going to do with you
Cat. Why didn’t you just tell me what you were? We could have figured it out together. I am such an idiot. I knew you were different. A part of me knew what you were but I just didn’t want to believe it. Damn it! I let you and your rodent friends play me for a fool.” Then there was a loud bang, my guess was that something flung from his hand had bounced off the wall across from his desk. I jumped but not enough to give my position away.
 

“Your Majesty, may I see you in the dining hall?” The random voice that boomed over the loud speaker in the office made me jump again.

“Please tell me that this is something that can wait until later. I am really not in the mood for more surprises right now.” Akia sounded shocked by the sound of the voice over the speaker as if he couldn’t quite believe someone had invaded his private thoughts.

“Sorry Your Majesty, I need your signature right away. The documents are important.”

              “On my way,” he said curtly and I heard him click the microphone off and then he was perfectly still. Had he heard us breathing?

“How in the universe did I fail to anticipate him? Another mistake could be fatal. Get your head on straight Akia, before you get everyone killed!” 
Was he talking to himself or was there someone else in the room?  Before I had time to try to figure it out he was out of his chair and through the door with a slam that could have shattered walls.

             
“Cat, how close is the dining hall to where we are right now? Is there any way we have time to get by him?”  Jace was still whispering, though I was sure Akia was out of earshot.

             
I weighed it up for a minute. If we moved fast enough, we might make it. The risk was high and maybe more dangerous than just staying put and waiting him out. If we stayed put maybe Akia wouldn’t even come back to the room. If we walked out now, there was too great a chance we would run into him in the hallways and then all bets would be off.

             
“I think we should just stay here for now,” I said. I leaned back and snuggled against Jace’s firm chest until I found a spot comfortable enough to stay in for as long as I needed.

             
“I hate to admit it Baby Girl, but I was kind of hoping that you’d say that.” With one swift move Jace’s arm was around me and I automatically snuggled closer against him like it was something that I had been doing forever.

             
This was the closest and most relaxed that I had been with him since the last night in the cell. As soon as I let that memory cross my mind, I felt my cheeks flush. Jace smelled so good, his scent overpowered what was left of the faint smell that Akia had left behind. I would be lying if I said there was somewhere else that I would rather be.

“I am going to get you out of here Cat. You saved me and it is my
turn to repay the favor.” The hope in his eyes told me that he was confident that he could get us out. I wanted to believe him so badly that I managed to convince myself that he was a hundred percent right.

“We are going to get out of here,” I whispered back to him. “I am not a princess that needs a knight on a white horse to come to her rescue. Though I must admit handsome, you would make a sexy knight.”

“Believe me Cat, I wasn't implying that you needed a man to save you, you are enough of a warrior to go it alone. You are not some helpless damsel in distress locked away in a dark tower; you are the kick ass chick that is out there causing someone else pain. Any man that wants to keep you is going to have to realize that you are unlike any woman they have ever dealt with before. They are going to have to learn to take the back seat and see what you have planned next. Every day an adventure, right Cat?”

For the f
irst time in a long time, I smiled a genuine smile, one that I had no fear of showing. I didn’t know if it was the danger we were in, the kind words that he offered, or the memory of the way his eyes looked the night that I let him take me completely, but I was smiling again. I leaned into him a little harder. I was secretly hoping that he would take the hint and make the first move, not like we had anything else to do for a while, right? He read my mind because as soon as the thought of kissing him began to stir in my mind, he took my chin in his hand and pulled me to him and I let him. It was a kiss devoid of danger. It was a kiss that didn’t sooth, and yet still made my skin tingle as the idea of having sex with him grew in my mind.

I felt like a teenager with a crush and I loved it. There was something so exciting about sneaking into a closet and kissing a normal boy. To me it was
like a first kiss, and it brought a feeling that I had always been missing. The normalcy of it made me feel human. It made me feel like I belonged. My hands were on his face and his hands were stroking mine. I wasn't blocking anything from him. I wasn't guarding my thoughts like I always had to with Akia. I wasn't pretending that he was the only man in the world for me; I had no need to make sure that I gave no hint there was anyone else on my mind, the way I had to when I kissed Darien. I was simply floating and feeling and it was getting lost in feeling that took all my fears away. 

His fingertips traced down my neck, then down the warm bare skin of my arms. He lifted my top until his thumbs went to my nipples. He
teased them and made every nerve in my body flare. Every time his thumbs ran over my nipples, I moaned. We were lost in each other’s arms when Akia came back to the room.

He didn’t know we were there; he was too distracted by something else. Slowly and shyly Jace broke our kiss. Slowly he put my top back on and then we sat close and waited. There was nothing to do but will Akia out of the room. I could hear him shuffling through his papers, searching for something. I wondered if he was looking for Walker’s notebook. If he realized it was missing we would be as good as caught. Damn it! Why hadn’t I just left it there until we were on the way out? How had I been so careless? Then suddenly a menacing voice pierced the air, cutting and harsh, and eve
rything in my world changed shape.

“Turn around slowly. I have a gun full of Vampire blood aimed at your head. I don't care how fast you think you are, I promise that you aren’t faster than a bullet.”

I jumped. That voice! My heart skipped a beat. I was ready to shout when Jace reached out and covered my mouth with his hands and pulled me into his lap, making sure that I didn’t blow our cover. He had been just as turned on as I was; his rock hard body was pressed against mine and I knew he was telling me to stay on my best behavior.

But how could I? I knew that voice. It was Darien! How had he got here? What the hell was he thinking? I wasn’t about to watch him get
himself killed without doing something. But Jace knew me better than I thought because as soon as I considered getting up and springing from the closet, his grip tightened around both my mouth and my waist. I wasn’t sure why he was so strong, but the fact that he was, was starting to frustrate me.

“I have been waiting for you, believe it or not.” Akia's voice was steady and held neither fear nor surprise. “I know you love her so it was just a matter of time before you came, but here is the problem. I love her too and I will do whatever it takes to stop you from taking her from me. So I suggest you put the gun down before someone gets hurt.” I could see through a crack in the door. Man and Monster stood facing each other. It was clear that neither intended to bend.

“I don't think that you are in any position to make demands, do you?” Darien demanded in a low voice that thrilled me. I could tell by the look on his face that he was ready to fight for me; that he was willing to pull the trigger and take Akia out hoping I’d would fall into his arms and thank him for finally ridding me of the danger the King brought with him.

“I know you won't kill me. The same way that I know that as much as I would love to snap your rodent neck I won't, because I would lose her and so would you if pull your toy’s trigger. We are stuck with each other rodent, if we hope to be part of her life.” Was Akia really saying that? He was willing to be level headed over me?

Maybe Darien was not in harm’s way, but one glimpse at his stone
cold face made me rethink it. Maybe I was wrong about which one I should have been most worried about.  Darien would pull the trigger, I was sure of that now. I had to get free of Jace, but he anticipated my next move, held tighter, and whispered in my ear.

“Cat, believe me, if you jump out of this closet right now someone is going to get killed. These two are looking for any excuse to kill each other. Please just trust me and sit still. Their lives depend on it.” He spoke through clenched teeth directly into my ear, his breath was so close that it burned me. He was right and I hated him for it. I was sitting there with him, safe in his arms, yet helpless to change the fate of two men I loved.

“I am not weak like you monster. I have lived my life with one purpose in mind; killing your kind. I am going to kill you and after I’ll make her understand. Cat is a smart woman. I know her a hell of a lot better than you do and I know she will come around if I kill you. She knows that the two of us will never be happy as long as you are in the picture. I won’t need to convince her of that.” Wow! I hoped it was just testosterone talking because if I wasn't, Darien didn't know me well at all.

I knew that Darien would never understand my feelings for Akia, but I hung on to the hope that I could at least make him live with how I felt without constant anger and upset.

“Really? Does she really agree with your point of view? Or are you wrong? Because dear little rodent, let me tell you what I know. I know that I could have killed you a hundred times already, and if I catch you when you least expect it, there won’t be a damn thing that you can do! Do you really think that you would be alive if not for her? If you do, you’re wrong and stupid. I would love nothing more than to take your life and make her see that I am the one for her. I can protect her like you will never be able to. But I am so connected to her that I know if I kill you, I kill any chance I have of keeping her in my life.” It was an old fashion standoff. They both stood there glaring at each other
. They were stuck and no further talking would help. They knew they were in a lose lose situation and they knew death was lurking. Then Darien broke the tension.

“Well freak, what exactly do you propose we do? Because right now I’m thinking it’s worth pulling this trigger and taking my chances. I think she will come around to seeing it my way; that you are nothing but a slimy pretty boy, a cancer that destroyed her family and ruined her life.
Cancer kills slowly and painfully freak. It doesn't save you and it never makes you happy.” Darien was close to pulling the trigger. I knew what he was thinking, I could feel it. One clean shot straight through the arrogant bastard’s head and then he could go find his Cat and take her home where she belonged. The only place that she had ever and would ever belong was with him.

“You know, you are even more dramatic and foolish than she is,” Akia said, turning bored with the conversation. I caught a glimpse of his mood just then. He knew that Darien had no idea of the extent of his power. He could almost taste the pleasure it would give him to slowly tear Darien’s throat out. I could see him getting ready to spring but then he mastered the murderous thoughts within, and went coldly and relentlessly on with his speech. “I have spent a lot of time searching for an equitable way out for the three of us, and the only way I can think of is letting me change you. She won’t live without you and she won’t give me up. If I change you and we are found out, it will mean death for all three of us. It is a risky path to take, but you sacrificing your humanness for her is the only way I can see to resolve this dilemma.” Was he out of his mind? There
was no way that I was ever going to let Darien become a monster! He was human like me and that is how it would always be.

“Look beast, I can promise you two things. One, I would rather die by fire than be one of you scumbags, and two, if you are even suggesting that I share her with you, I will kill you right here on this spot. Do you understand me?” Share me? Could that be something that was even possible?

And then it hit me. I realized that that was exactly what I wanted. I’d been keeping it secret even from myself, but the truth was I’d been hoping against hope that I could figure out a way to keep both of them. I wanted both of them so badly that I would do anything to make them share me and accept that I could never be happy with just one of them.

“You tell me then Darien. You tell me what we do? You don’t feel for her as much as I do because I would do anything to make her safe and happy, even if that meant letting her keep you. You on the other hand, you are not even willing to think about anything besides your own selfish needs. You would make her miserable because of your twisted manly pride, as stupid and human as ever.” Was Akia r
ight? Was it possible that Darien just wanted me because he was selfish and didn't want some other man touching his toy? I really hoped not because if that was the case, and I was just a possession to Darien, my feelings were destined to turn.

“I don't know about you Kitty Cat but this is making me sick,” Jace whispered in my ear. “They are talking about you like you need them to survive and I have had enough. You are stronger than both of them
put together, that’s pretty clear,” he said and before I could stop him Jace let our presence be known.

“Look dumb and dumber, we are here in the closet and we are coming out. It would be really nice if the two of you can control the testosterone levels and not shoot or kill either one of us.”

I am sure we made quite a scene, Darien pointing a gun at Akia, Akia staring at me and Jace, and Jace and I huddled against each other as the closet door swung open and revealed us. “What were you doing in my closet Cat?” Leave it to Akia to miss the obvious.

       “Seriously your Majesty, is that the only question that comes to mind?” Jace was still pissed and I didn't know if that made me happy or nervous. But he wasn’t done yet.

“What the hell is wrong with you two? You are talking about her like she is a frail little creature that needs you to get through her day. You’re both way off and pathetic; I can only imagine how insulted she is from listening to both of you. You two are making my skin crawl.

“Who in the hell is this guy?” Darien threw the question at Akia, and ignored me completely.

“It seems like our sweet little Cat has a new pet,” Akia smirked. ”It is kind of cute actually; this pathetic little man thinks he is saving her from me. Can you imagine that? I think his escapades are amusing and that’s why he continues to breath. Cat seems to be fond of him too, though I am not sure why. I was kind of hoping that he would replace you, since he’s not quite as boring.”

“I want both of you to quiet yourselves now,” I said. My voice was so controlled and melodious that it shocked even me.

I had heard enough from Darien and Akia, their egos were more than I could handle. I had to admit it was flattering though. There was no reason to deny the fact that I liked the idea of getting to keep both of them, though I didn’t believe that was ever going to happen. I wasn't going to let them drag Jace through the mud for their amusement either. He may have been the new guy on the block, but he was the new guy that knew more about me than both of them together did and the fact that Jace had not abandoned me and run for the hills yet meant a lot to me.

Still, despite all the anger I felt, I let go of Jace’s hand and ran to Darien’s arms. I didn’
t think that I was ever going to see him again and now here he was. He had come back to find me. How could he have been so stupid and so irrational? He could have been killed. Yet, standing there in his arms, I didn’t want to let him go. I was safe and warm and that felt good. Still, there were things I had to know.

“What are you doing here? How did you know where to find me?” I wasn’t sure I was going to get a straight answer from Darien, not because he would hide the truth from me, but because he might need to hide the truth from Akia. Of course! The answer was simple. Kira! Kira had probably told them all what happened when she finally woke up. She probably knew where all of Akia’s castles were too. I figured that Walker wanted Kira to stay
hidden in his little bag of tricks for now, so he had sent Darien in for the rescue without her.

“I would never leave you behind with the monsters Cat,” Dairen said and then he leaned down and kissed me quickly on the lips. I wasn’t sure if his kiss was for my benefit or to demonstrate his ownership of me to the other two men, but that was something I’d sort through later. Just as I was about to speak, Darien placed his finger gently on my lips and glanced toward the door to Akia’s office and gestured toward it.

“You two might as well come in now. Our cover has been blown.” Darien sounded crestfallen now, as if each new development took him further from his plan to shoot Akia and move on to a life spent with me. I looked toward the door and wondered who would come through.

And then Walker and Jaden
smoothly came in and stood side by side, looking dangerous and ready to fight.  They really were a sight for sore eyes. It is amazing how much you miss people when you don’t think you are ever going to see them again.

“Not that it matters at all at this point, but how did the three of you just walk into my kingdom?” Akia had a good question, and hopefully, finally, he was realizing that his
security staff was greatly lacking. The first to respond was Dairen.

“Amazing how easy it is to drop one of you Dominus from 100 yards away with just one good shot. Funny thing? It doesn’t even matter where the bullet hits, ten seconds flat after it breaks your skin, you Dominus are gone. I would love to show you. You want to see?” Darien was just begging Akia to give him a reason to shoot him and make everyone’s life simpler.

“No one is killing anyone. At ease Darien. He has yet to give you a reason to harm him.” Walker’s voice boomed through the room amazing me once again that after everything that he had done to us, everyone seemed to do whatever he commanded automatically.

Darien paused and then quietly lowered his gun. The look on his face made it clear that it caused him pain not to shoot Akia. The tension in the room seemed to lessen a little. I took the opportunity to distance myself from all three of my love interests. I guess it is fair enough to call them that. I walked towards Jaden who greeted me with open arms.

“Promise me someday before we all grow old and die that you will go one week without getting in trouble?” Jaden always managed to make me smile.

“Asking me not to get in trouble is like asking a fish not to swim, Jaden.” It was nice to feel like the old me again and I smiled. And then Jaden released his grip on me slightly and turned to Walker.

“So what now Walker? Seems like you have the floor,” Jaden said and he pressed his lips against the top of my forehead and smiled cordially at everyone.