Voluptuous Vindication (22 page)

“What do you mean?” Jeremiah asked from behind the mask. Arch's lips flattened into a grimace as his eyes slowly trailed down his body. Ian couldn't help but snicker at the expression on the angel's face. It was obvious Arch didn't appreciate Jeremiah's costume.

His glowing blue eyes flickered to Ian before narrowing. “And you. I'm so glad to see you survived the Sasquatch attack,” he continued in a sarcastic tone, ignoring Jeremiah's question. “When I heard the screams from the mortals about the innocent bystander being attacked by a fabled creature, I had my doubts.”

“The future of this city lies in a meeting that starts in fifteen minutes, but instead of preparing, I'm having to stand here with you two morons.” He shook his head in reproach as he glared at them.

“I lost my phone,” Jeremiah bit out, hands on his hips. His costume spared nothing, his gloves matching the rest of his furry body. “I can't leave without  it.”

Arch sighed. “It's in the bag that says Midge's Muffins, idiot. When you were eating earlier today, you knocked it off into the trash can at the end of the counter. A few hours later, an employee took out the trash and here it is. Of course, you've discovered that or you wouldn't be out here digging through the dumpster, right?  Now you've wasted the entire day, and
you've picked the worst day ever to do it.”

“Oh, thanks,” Jeremiah said ruefully, turning back to find the bag. He found it quickly, tearing the bag and emptying it until he retrieved his phone. “I didn't know which bag it was in. Lucky for me, it still looks clean.”

Ian sniffed delicately before cupping his hand over his nose. “It might be clean, but you sure as hell aren't. Damn, you stink. Why the hell are you in this getup, anyhow?”

“Arch, I swear I'm fixing to kick Ian's ass,” Jeremiah warned as his hands clenched and unclenched. He faced Ian. “You're just jealous that you didn't think of it yourself.”

“Think of what? And do you really believe that I'm jealous of someone that smells like shit?” Ian gasped out, throwing in a gagging sound for good measure. Jeremiah's body shook, from anger he was sure. He'd missed this bantering. Ian was a self-professed instigator, and it was damned good to be back.

“The costume,” Jeremiah replied, his voice still muffled but smug. “The cold was unbearable to my hot blood, but then I came upon the perfect solution. Animals stay warm because of their fur, so why can't I?”

He wagged a finger at Ian's stunned face. “Don't get any ideas about trying to get one of your own. I bought the costume store out, so you will just have to go without. It serves you right, you British bastard. I hope your balls get frostbite.”

Turning to Arch, Jeremiah added meekly, “I'll share with you though, Arch. Just let me know which one you'd like.”

Arch made a noise that fell somewhere between a choke and a gasp, but his face remained blank when he replied, “Thank you for your generous offer, but I think I'll have to pass. The cold doesn't bother me that much.”

“Come on, Jeremiah,” Ian couldn't resist needling. “Do you have one in black?”

“Enough,” Arch hissed out, his blue eyes glowing. “We need to be at the meeting now. Jeremiah, get the damned costume off. Ian, stop picking at him.”

“Come on, Arch,” Jeremiah whined out from underneath the mask. “It's Halloween and cold as hell. They will just think I dressed up.”

Arch glared at Jeremiah so hotly Ian was surprised he didn't go up in flames, Sasquatch costume and all. He laughed, quickly coughing to cover it up and waited to hear Arch's response. Jeremiah was sorely testing their leader's patience, and it wasn't going to be pretty for him if he kept on.

With his hands on his hips, Arch bit out, “Children dress up and roam the streets on Halloween for trick or treating, not seven foot tall morons dressed up as Sasquatch. Besides, haven't you noticed that Halloween is canceled? You don't go in costume to town meetings with possessed mortals. You're an immortal Endurer, but you whine like a baby about the temperature.”

Jeremiah crossed his arms before replying sullenly, “I'm not taking it off.”

Arch stopped, his face locked in a grimace as he rolled his eyes. “Fine, you big baby. Hundreds of years old, and you still act like you're in diapers.” He turned to face Sara, his expression growing solemn. “Are you ready for this?”

Ian frowned at his words, immediately sensing a deeper meaning behind them. “What do you mean?”

Arch sighed, ignoring his question. He extended his elbow to Sara. She took it immediately as Arch said, “Let's get an early start. Hopefully the children will manage to not kill each other.” Looking back over his shoulder he added, “Try to not get into trouble between here and there, will you?”

Arch led Sara off, Jeremiah falling in behind them. Ian roared in laughter as he noticed the large, neon orange sign on his back.  Arch, with his supernatural powers, had stuck a kick me note between his big, furry shoulders.

Jeremiah turned to glare at him. Ian smirked back, but he didn't say a word.
Leave it to Arch to get the last laugh.

Suddenly, the evening had grown a lot more interesting. “I'll try to stay out of trouble,” Ian replied as he shoved his hands in his pockets. He fell into step behind them. “I can't promise anything when it comes to Jeremiah, though.”

Arch shot him a quick, amused grin. “Hey, Jeremiah,” Ian taunted. “
Ask me if that outfit makes your ass look fat.
”

Jeremiah turned, holding his right hand up as he glared at him.

“What's that supposed to mean?” Ian asked, grinning.

“It's me giving you the finger underneath this glove, asshole,” Jeremiah growled out in a muffled voice as he lowered his hand. “Now stop fucking with me before I really do kick your ass.”

Chapter 16

The four of them moved through the resort corridor silently, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Ian walked beside Sara, although he made no move to touch her. All of them were tense and prepared for the worst. Something big was going to go down tonight.
Bring it.

Jeremiah inched up next to him, dressed in his regular attire. Once he'd got within the warmth of the building, he'd decided to change. “Do I really smell bad?” He asked as he looked around discretely to make sure nobody else had heard.

Ian rolled his eyes, a small smile of amusement teasing his lips. He gave a quick shake of his head. Jeremiah sighed in relief before moving away, his long stride easily keeping up with Arch.

The resort was flashy and expensive, containing meeting facilities of all different sizes. It was also one of the few that still remained opened. The year before, even the largest one wouldn't have been able to accommodate a government meeting. With Armageddon, though, they would likely have plenty of room.

The doors to the auditorium were in front of them, manned by a human security force. Arch and Jeremiah passed through, but Ian stopped Sara with a gentle tug on her sleeve. She stopped and turned to face him with a question in her wide, blue eyes.

Ian stared down at her for a moment, memorizing her face. There wasn't anything about her he'd change, from her dark-rimmed glasses to her well-rounded curves. He wasn't attracted to Sara despite those characteristics, he was attracted to her because of them.

The knowledge of her departure left a wide, gaping hole in the region of his heart, the pain nearly taking his breath away. Be it today or tomorrow, Sara was really leaving. For the first time in his long life, he was tempted to cast of his vows and responsibilities and take her into hiding. It wouldn't do any good, though. There was no interfering with heavenly plans, and nothing on earth was strong enough, or hidden enough, to make a difference.

“I want you to stay close to me tonight,” he finally said, his voice reflecting the anxiety he felt. “Anything could happen tonight, and it likely will. The only way I can keep you safe is if you listen.

She nodded, her expression troubled. “I will stay with you unless I'm called to do something different. You know if that happens, I'll have no choice but to heed it.”

Ian sighed. “I know,” he admitted, his voice deep and hoarse. “When we go back to the apartment tonight, I want to talk with you. There are things I want to say, things I should have spoken of already. I was just too blind to see what was right in front of me.”

He cupped her face between his palms, his eyes searching hers. “Tell me you want that, too.” It was foolish, but if he could only hear her say she wanted to return back to the apartment with him, he'd believe that somehow, someway, it would come to pass.

Sara blinked furiously as she swallowed hard. “I have things I've wanted to say to you, too. There's nothing in this world I want more than to return to the apartment with you,” she agreed, her voice trembling.

“
Good,” Ian replied, smiling. He pulled her to him, his lips meeting hers in a quick kiss. “Until tonight, then.” His heart was light, his mood hopeful. For the first time in his life, he was in love.  He'd confess his feelings to Sara and then speak to Arch. If anyone knew of a way to keep her here, it would be their leader. There had to be a loophole, failure was not an option.

Holding hands, they walked through the doorways into the auditorium. The room was huge, easily several thousand square feet, with an upper and lower level. The lighting was dim, the solid red curtains on the stage opened wide.

Arch and Jeremiah waited for them, the security team glaring at the two men. Arch shot them a bored look before turning to Ian and Sara. “Shayne, Luke, and Nate are already here,” he said, his voice little more than a whisper. “I think we should divide up. They are on the left side of the room, so let's take the right.”

Ian gave him a tight nod, the movement so small nobody else would have been able to discern it. He put Sara in front of him, while he remained in the back. As they moved down the aisle, he was saddened to see how small the crowd was.

The front rows were packed full, but that was where it ended. There couldn't have been more than two hundred people. The rest were either dead or simply didn't care enough about their futures to attend.

The meeting was nothing more than a formality for the majority of the mortals that had shown up, at least that was what Ian gleaned from their thoughts. Most of them felt that the Care Centers were the answers to their prayers, unconcerned that they'd need to get a chip embedded in their bodies. All they cared about was their creature comforts. Nothing else mattered.

Ian's skin prickled with awareness. Someone was staring at him, and it was personal. Casually, he let his eyes pass over the occupants of the room. When his eyes discovered the origins of discomfort, it took every bit of his self-control to remain calm.

They sat down in the seats, Arch and Jeremiah in the row in front of them. Ian leaned forward and hissed in Arch's ear, “What the fuck is she doing here?”

No further explanation was needed. Arch would know instantly who he was talking about... And why her presence made him so angry. Ian hadn't seen Nastassia since the night she'd drugged him and Shayne's mate, Anna. He was willing to bet the other man wasn't pleased to see her either.

“Every person here has their place,” Arch replied, cryptically. “She's behaving herself. Try to focus on something more important than this.”

“I want her kept away from Sara,” Ian retorted, his voice leaving no room for disagreement. “Endurer or not, I don't trust her. She wouldn't hesitate to hurt Sara, not if she thought it would get back at me.”

Arch gave a sharp nod of agreement, but otherwise remained silent. Ian slid back in his seat, casually resting an arm across Sara's back. She smiled at him before returning her attentions to the people around them.

Years before, Ian had made the mistake of having a fling with Nastassia. She was a female Endurer, something so rare that she was the only one Ian was even aware of. Despite their no-strings agreement, Nastassia had decided she wanted more... And it hadn't ended well.

Despite the time that had passed, her interest in him hadn't waned. Earlier that year, she'd drugged him with an aphrodisiac in a club, as well as the mate he'd been watching over. It had almost ended in disaster. Had it not been for Shayne discovering them at the last moment, and consequently kicking his ass, something irrevocable would have happened that night.

Ian couldn't care less if he ever saw Nastassia again. In fact, he would have preferred it. He was surprised Arch allowed her to continue in her official Endurer duties. She was dangerous, willing to sacrifice even the innocent when it came to getting something she wanted.

“Are you alright?” Sara leaned over and whispered. “You seem like you're upset about something.”

“I'm fine,” he reassured her, his eyes scanning the line of mortals standing between the stage and the first row of seats. “Just making sure I cover all the bases. I don't want to leave anything to chance, especially when it comes to your protection.”

Sara blushed, her hand sliding slowly, hesitantly, across his lap to grab his. Her eyes were sincere when she said,  “Thank you for taking such good care of me these past few weeks. I appreciate all you've done. It's been an amazing time, one I'll never forget, at least not willingly.”

Ian frowned, worry filling him. The unease he'd experienced all afternoon intensified. It was almost like a premonition, one he hoped was wrong. “It's been my pleasure, and I do mean
my pleasure
,” he teased gently, not wanting to worry her. It wasn't the time or place.

“Well, well,” a smug, female voice said from beside him. Ian would recognize her gloating tone anywhere. It was Nastassia. Not content to be alive and ignored, she was determined to force her presence on them, knowing she was the last person he'd ever care to be around again.

“You must not have seen me over there,” she continued, her voice hardening. “Otherwise, I'm sure you would have stopped by to say hello.”

Ian turned to face her, his features set in stone. Nastassia had tried to force him to her will when she'd drugged him that night in the club. It was something he'd never get over, one of the vilest and most unforgivable acts she could have committed.

She stood in the aisle, her hand resting on the back of his theater-styled seat. Although considered gorgeous and exotic with her long braids, slender body, and glistening mocha skin, Ian found her unattractive and distasteful. True beauty really was found within, and her core was pure ugly.

“Don't hold your breath,” he retorted coldly, his eyes raking over her in a dismissive manner. “On second thought, please do hold it. It'll be a cold day in hell before I ever greet you.”

Arch and Jeremiah turned and watched them silently. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Shayne, Luke, and Nate watching, as well. Nastassia was on Shayne's shit list and had been since she'd drugged his mate with the full intentions of her having sex with Ian. He didn't know how Shayne could stand to be around her. In his shoes, he would have refused.

Arch's eyes narrowed, but he didn't interfere. He knew Ian was capable of holding his own, but it was likely something more than that. With Arch, nothing was left to chance. Every action had a purpose, it was just a purpose that nobody but him understood.

Her cold, dark eyes moved past him to Sara, lingering on his leg where their hands were still joined. Her lip curled up as she snarled, “Who is this fat bitch that thinks she's moving in on my man?”

Ian was up in the blink of an eye, but Arch beat him to her. Standing in between Ian and Nastassia, his voice was little more than a harsh whisper when he said, “Get back to your station, Nastassia. Didn't you make a big enough fool of yourself earlier this year?”

Her body trembled with rage as she leaned past Arch's wide frame to stare at Sara. Sara stared back at her, her expression confident. She'd come to her feet as well, as if she wasn't sure to remain seated or standing.

Ian could only imagine what thoughts were running through her mind. First the woman at the nudist camp and now Nastassia. He'd be lucky if she let him crawl into their bed later that night.

Nastassia smiled. It was cold and feral, filled with the promise of something bad for Sara. Ian stiffened, prepared to physically stop her, if needed. “Get her the hell out of here, Arch. She's calling attention to us, something we don't need.”

Ignoring him, she pointed at Sara. “You're going to regret messing with my man. Enjoy it while you can. I can assure you it won't be for long.”

She smiled up at Ian, her expression smug. “I'll be seeing you soon, lover.”

With one last, lusty look down his body, Nastassia started to turn away. His words stopped her. “You won't be seeing me,” he replied coldly. “Make no mistake about that. The one-night stand I had with you was a huge mistake, one I would never repeat. The sooner you get that through your thick skull, the better.”

Ian stopped and looked at Jeremiah. “I hear Jeremiah's single and looking, though.”

Jeremiah looked befuddled, his expression laughably blank. Nastassia stared at him in a dismissive manner before hissing, “I won't be passed around like a used toy.”

“I don't care what you do,” Ian replied, shrugging his shoulders dismissively. “Just know there will never be anything between you and I again, and I won't tolerate your insults to Sara.”

“Neither will I,” Arch jumped in, his tone final. “Unless something major happens, we'll be having a little chat soon, Nastassia. I'm tired of this. Ian has made his wishes clear. You need to move on. We're in Armageddon, I don't have time to deal with your stalker tendencies and foul attitude.”

She smiled coldly. There was a confidence in her smile that sent a shiver of apprehension down his spine. Not that he was afraid of her, he could take Nastassia with one hand tied. Rather, it was a fear that another innocent would be caught in her irrational crossfire. She was mental, with plenty of time, money, and resources to play with. Ian hoped Arch would take this seriously. They didn't need a repeat.