While he understood the women’s message, he ignored it. His mate was upset and she needed him. He sat on the coffee table in front of the sofa, facing Charli. Grabbing one of her hands in each of his, he shut everyone out and focused completely on his mate.
“Why don’t you tell us about the vision, kitten?” he encouraged. His heart stammered when she lifted her gaze to meet his. The trust that lay behind her violet eyes humbled him.
“It was Emily. She was tied to a chair, blindfolded,” Charli responded with a trembling voice. “He had her, Judge. He had Emily. How?”
“I don’t know, but we’re going to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Judge vowed. Turning to his brothers, he added, “We’ll be moving to the pride lands tomorrow. You’ll have to do without me until that bastard’s in jail.” Or dead, he left unsaid but hanging in the air between the other men in the room.
“Gabby and I’ll come with you,” Devil stated.
Though Judge understood what lay behind Devil’s statement, Charli didn’t. Her head flew up and her suspicion was high. “Why? You don’t like or trust me, Devil. What, do you think I’ve spent the last two years trying to shield Emily from the danger that I’m just going to hand her over now?”
“You really don’t have a high regard for me, do you, Charli?”
“Do you think I should? You’ve treated me with nothing but suspicion,” Charli replied. “And I understand that you’re just trying to protect your family, but so am I. I won’t allow anything to happen to my sister, and I’ll be honest, I don’t think you’re the best person to help me with that.”
Judge was proud of his mate. Few people had the courage to speak to Devil in that manner. He knew she feared the vampire, but still she did what she thought necessary to protect her family. She was not only going to be an amazing mother but also alpha female to the pride. The respect he held for her impossibly grew.
Devil bowed slightly. “Touché, Charli. You are correct in your assessment. I have been so blinded by my need to protect my family that I failed to see what was right in front of me,” Devil admitted, surprising everyone in the room. He was a man who rarely admitted his error. Turning his loving gaze onto Gabby, he added, “I nearly lost my own mate, compliments of my righteous attitude. You’d think I would have learned from that.”
Everyone in the room, apart from Gabby, was looking at Devil with opened mouths, shock the common emotion. Gabby stood from the sofa, love beaming from her whole being. She threw her arms around her mate and stated, “I love you.”
Pulling back from her embrace slightly, Devil looked into Gabby’s eyes with a slight smirk. “What, no I told you so?”
“Maybe later, but right now we have a plan to develop. Emily’s safety and Charli and Judge’s peace of mind depend on it,” Gabby said.
Moving Gabby to his side, Devil’s focus returned to Charli. “Will you accept my apology and protection, Charli?”
Charli looked at Judge, insecurity, confusion, and pleading prominent in her eyes. Trying to ease her uncertainty, he offered her a smile that he hoped would reassure her. With a nod he encouraged her to accept Devil’s offer of help.
“Thank you, Devil,” Charli said, her gaze moving to the spare room. “Emily’s safety is my number one priority.”
“I understand the need to protect the ones you love.” Devil threw his free arm around Gabby, pulling her further into his body. “We won’t let anything happen to Emily.”
The tension levels in the room reduced significantly, allowing everyone to relax. Chaos grabbed one of the stools at the breakfast bar, lowered his large frame onto it, and asked, “Judge, are the pride lands the best place for Emily and Charli? Especially considering the threat that already exists there.”
It was something that Judge had also considered. He had spoken to his beta extensively about his worries today and walked away content with Andrew’s response. “It’s the perfect place for them, brother. Security has already been bumped up and everyone is on their guard. No one is going to get near our lands without someone noticing.”
“And with Judge and I there, nobody will get close to Charli and Emily,” Devil added. He then looked down at Gabby. “Do you really think I would be taking Gabby into a situation I didn’t believe to be completely safe?”
“Noted,” Chaos replied, nodding his head once. “I had to ensure that all elements were taken into consideration.”
True to form, Chaos rarely spoke but when he did it was with such insight or forethought. Unlike his three brothers, Chaos was reflective rather than reactive. His emotions almost never affected his actions, but when they did, God help those around him. His self-control was legendary, hiding his true nature. It was something his chosen name couldn’t do. It was there to remind the large man of what he was capable of if left uncontained.
“Good, so Devil and I’ll take the three girls to the pride lands tomorrow morning,” Judge explained. “Viper and Chaos will keep an eye out here and inform us if Biesterman’s nephew turns up again. My guys have looked into him. From what they can ascertain, his history is a little shaky up to the time he joined Delgado’s crew. It goes along with the FBI story, especially with what they discovered about this Iris. She does in fact work for the feds within the organized crime section. I can only assume her ability of reading thoughts has kept her out of trouble so far.”
“It confirms what Nikki read from the guy. He wasn’t comfortable with everything he was saying. It didn’t seem true to his nature.” Viper spoke for the first time that night. “Okay so we have a plan. The four of us stay here and man the fort while you four concentrate on keeping Emily safe. And maybe catch the asshole who’s threatening your cubs while you’re at it.”
He was instantly reprimanded by Gabby, who had her hand on her stomach. “Language, Viper.”
“I apologize,” Viper said, bowing with a lot of emphasis.
“Um, actually,” Charli said, chewing on her lower lip, “the five of us will be staying here while Judge, Devil, and Gabby take Emily to the pride lands.”
Standing, but still holding on to her hands, Judge hissed, “What?”
“Calm down, Judge. It will only be for a couple of days,” Charli cajoled, attempting to pull him so he would sit back down. He fought her silent plea.
“Like hell it will, mate. You’re coming with me. We won’t be separated.”
“Judge, I don’t think that’s going to help the situation any,” Chaos stated calmly. “Charli, why do you feel the need to remain separated from Emily and Judge?”
“If I know that Emily’s safe, then I can concentrate on trying to pinpoint where the hand over is going to take place,” Charli explained, squeezing Judge’s hand.
“Why can’t you do that on pride lands?” Judge demanded.
“Because I want to see what Iris has on Delgado. It will hopefully guide my vision. And even if she’s unwilling to share even a little of what she has, if I’m with her when I have the vision she should be able to see it as well. She knows the area better than I do. Plus it will probably be one of Delgado’s properties, which she’ll have knowledge of.”
“Then Devil and Gabby can go with Emily and I’ll stay with you,” Judge said, nodding, comfortable with the change of plan. His mate, however, wasn’t.
“No, Judge!” Charli stated forcibly, attempting to pull her hands from his. He wouldn’t allow her to break the contact. Her pleading gaze turned toward Devil and Gabby. “Please don’t take this the wrong way, but Emily doesn’t really know you two yet. She’s comfortable with Judge and Nikki, and I don’t want to cause her undue worry.”
“We understand completely,” Gabby reassured.
“Then Viper and Nikki can go, and I’ll stay with you.” Judge didn’t like the idea of his mate being alone with Iris, fed or not.
“Well I was hoping…” Charli said, looking down at her hands.
“What were you hoping, honey?” Nikki asked.
“That maybe you or Viper
would be with me when I met up with Iris.”
Judge hissed. His mate wanted another man with her while she went into this dangerous situation. Charli seemed to recognize this. She quickly added, “Judge, they would be able to tell me how much of what she was saying was true. They could read her aura and know immediately if she was a danger to me.”
What Charli said made sense, but he didn’t have to like it. If it wasn’t bad enough that his mate was in danger, she was also willingly placing herself into a precarious situation to secure her future freedom. And to make matters worse, she was turning to another man for help, rather than him. If the threat was upon someone else’s shoulders and this plan was put forward, Judge would have rallied for it. It was efficient to use everyone’s abilities to their best. Viper had the skills and the power needed for Charli to complete the task quickly, ensuring she was back by Judge’s side sooner rather than later.
His brothers remained silent, looking to him for guidance. He stared down at his hands. They were entwined with Charli’s. She had weaved her fingers through his, combining their strength against the world, making their bond harder to break.
On a defeated sigh his gaze returned to hers. “You do everything Viper and Chaos tells you.” Pulling her hands from his, she threw herself into his arms. He took a moment to relish the feeling before dislodging her arms enough so he could regain her full attention. “There will be rules that you are to follow. And no matter what, you will not get hurt. Do I make myself clear?”
Her response came in the most exquisite kiss he had ever experienced. Her unschooled lips found his, their noses colliding. He took control, tilting her head to his liking. His fingers bunched in her soft hair, tightening his hold on her. Her lips softened below his, moving under his tutelage. Tracing her supple lips, his tongue pushed gently at the entrance. They parted, inviting him into the depths of her body. It was there that he became lost. Her unique flavor exploded into his mouth, teasing his taste buds. Sinfully innocent was the way it spoke to him. Mine. Her taste combined with her mewling was sending his excitement higher, threatening the control he usually had over his orgasms. Reluctantly he pulled back from his own personal nirvana, silently willing his cock not to embarrass him. It was only then that he realized they were alone in his quarters.
Chapter Eighteen
Charli looked around the room only to discover they were alone. As her gaze swept past the kitchen, disorientation hit. Once the roof had stopped moving at warp speed she found herself lying on her back on the sofa with Judge leaning over her. The green of his eyes overrun by black.
“Now that I have you right where I want you, it’s time for the rules,” he said, his mouth tightened, seriousness filling the room. “But first, do you need to rearrange any appointments? I know you told me that you rescheduled your meetings while Emily was in the hospital. Do you have to do that again?”
“No. I have a woman who covers my excess appointments. She’s happy to take them,” Charli told him, loving the fact that Judge was worried for her business. “Her husband just got laid off, so the extra money will come in handy. Whatever sale she makes, she gets the profits.”
“That’s a generous deal, kitten.”
“Her eldest has autism, so she can’t work full time. He won’t go into daycare, and very few businesses will allow their employees to take all the school holidays off,” she explained, thinking about how amazingly strong Marci was. “Emily and I don’t need the money as much as Marci.”
Judge placed a soft kiss against her forehead. “Does your generosity know no bounds?”
Shrugging as best she could in her position, she replied, “I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if I knew I could help others’ suffering and not do anything about it. Money holds little interest to me. I have enough aside to provide for Emily’s future. I see no point safeguarding more when others could use it.”
“Spoken like a true mate of one of the Four Horsemen. We have fought against greed since our rebirths, and the fates have paired us perfectly,” he said with a smile. But soon it was replaced. “Now to the rules. If I can’t be with you during your meeting, you’ll be taking not only Viper but your assigned guards as well.”
“Why would I need the guards?” she asked, squirming. She wasn’t sure Iris would be happy with the number of people knowing about the FBI operation growing by two.
“Because, kitten, I’m assuming you’ll be attempting to pinpoint Delgado’s location in this meeting?” She nodded. “Then I won’t have you left defenseless.”
“Defenseless? How?” She tried to sit up, but Judge’s large body blocked her efforts.
“I don’t know whether you realize this, but when you have your visions, you’re at your most vulnerable. Anyone could attack you or abduct you and there wouldn’t be anything you could do about it.” Judge’s words scared her. And still he continued to paint a dreary picture. “What’s stopping someone from coming up behind you and sticking you with a needle? Or clocking you over the head while your attention is elsewhere? No, you will be protected. If not by me, then my guys.”
As he spoke his tension seemed to rise with each word. Bringing her hand up to his cheek, Charli cajoled, “If it eases your mind, I’ll keep the guards with me.”
“Thank you.” Judge’s shoulders relaxed. “Now for your next rule. Once the meeting’s over, you’ll return to the pride lands with the guards. Emily and I won’t be separated from you any longer than we need to be.”
“But I thought the location of the pride lands needs to remain a secret,” Charli queried, once again worried that her troubled past was going to impact those she cared about.
“Kitten, we employ many of the pride members here in the hotel. Two of those are your guards.” Judge’s expression softened as he brushed a strand of hair away from her eyes. “Marcus is actually the pride enforcer, our version of a sheriff. Outside of myself and my brothers, you’re safest with him. He will bring you home to me.”
“But what happens if Iris has already left and is unable to meet me tomorrow?”
Lifting himself off of her, he held out his hand. “Well, let’s go ring her and find out, shall we?”
Taking his offered hand, Charli allowed Judge to pull her up from the sofa. Her chest landed flush against his. She looked up into his eyes, and her breath hitched. There was an emotion in them that she couldn’t name. It had a profound effect on her body. Her pussy leaked and her nipples pebbled. But, most noticeable, her heart slammed against her ribs, attempting to hammer its way out so it could return to its owner. And there was no doubt in Charli’s mind that this gorgeous man owned her heart. She had no strength to deny his pull anymore. She was in love with Judge.
“Come on, kitten,” Judge said, stepping back and pulling her from her moment of revelations. “Let’s make that call before I carry you off to bed.”
Everything in her wanted to scream “yes, please,” but instead she nodded and allowed him to guide her to the phone.
****
Half an hour later, Charli crawled into bed, appreciating the cool sheets on her overheated body. The kiss she’d shared with Judge earlier still had her hormones singing. What started out as a gentle chorus in her mind had turned into the high-pitched wailings of an aria reverberating through her whole being, begging her to ease her need. Her hormones wanted Judge. Hell, who was she kidding? Her whole body wanted him.
But he wasn’t here. Not yet, anyway. Once she’d called Iris and made arrangements to meet her the next morning, a few things came to light. Iris had been ordered back to Atlanta to share what she and Biesterman had discovered so far on the case. Her flight was at noon. It meant that the meeting had been set for seven in the morning.
Due to the early hour of the appointment, Judge had announced that he would be present while she spoke to Iris. He immediately got on the phone and conference-called his brothers. They were still discussing the plan when Judge had sent her to bed. Her constant yawning hadn’t gone unnoticed.
Now she lay on the bed, restless. The nightshirt she wore, while usually loose, allowing her room to move, suddenly felt restrictive and tight. The material scraped against her hardened nipples as beads of sweat escaped her pores. Judge’s scent surrounded her, drowning her in need.
Forcing her overheated body from the bed, she moved toward the bathroom. She turned the cold tap on, allowing the icy water to cascade over her skin. She wet a facecloth and draped it over the back of her neck. Still flames engulfed her body, making it hard to breathe.
Looking at herself in the mirror, she was surprised by the woman staring back at her. Gone were the wary, distant eyes, replaced by bright violet ones. Where her skin was once pale and listless it was now firm and radiant with a touch of color. Judge had done that to her. She didn’t need the fates to tell her that.
Though it would seem they still had much to show her. Suddenly her hands clasped the cool porcelain of the basin. Her vision clouded and the bathroom disappeared.
Darkness surrounded her. The room was lit only by the moonlight coming in through the open curtains. Charli was backed against a hard surface. Her wrists were grasped above her head, shackled to the wall by her captor’s hand. At her front, her body was held immobile by his solid frame. The man’s mouth came down hard on hers.
A moan escaped her when Judge nipped at her lower lip. He took her surprise as permission to push past her lips. Their tongues immediately started performing the usual mating ritual, dancing and dueling for supremacy. Though they both knew she would happily submit.
His hand disappeared from where it held hers above her head. But still they refused to drop. She somehow knew they were to stay where he had placed them otherwise the sweet, pleasurable torture he was inflicting would stop. And she doubted even an earthquake had the power to entice her to give up what Judge was offering.
Mated to War Page 11