by K.N. Lee
“I didn’t mean it like that,” he said, pulling her into his embrace. He smoother her hair and kissed the back of her neck. “You definitely deserve the very best. And I’m supposed to be the one taking care of us anyway. Not you.”
“God, you’re so good to me,” Evie said, her heart aching at the thought of ever losing him. She shoved the idea out of her mind. They would be together forever.
She’d fight for Parker. She’d kill for him if she had to.
So twisted.
Only a girl who had grown up in a crime family would think that she’d actually have to kill for the man she loved.
MORNING BROUGHT SUCH hope that when Evie got out of bed and made breakfast, she had a smile on her face.
It’s going to be all right, she thought as she flipped pancakes. She caught herself humming like her mother and shook her head, laughing. Soon Parker would wake up to breakfast in bed and they would head out to his parents house.
Evie’s smile faded when she got a text from Quinn.
Meet up for coffee later?
She looked at the question, her stomach sinking. She put the phone away and let out a long breath. Leaving Quinn behind was going to be more difficult than she thought. She didn’t even think saying goodbye to her family would be so hard.
She poured two cups of coffee and sipped hers while the bacon finished crisping in the oven. She’d learned that technique from Parker’s dad. Apparently it was how the restaurants did it. The smell was incredible, and yet she no longer had an appetite.
She sucked her teeth when Parker came down the hallway in nothing but a pair of black basketball shorts. He yawned, waving at her.
Evie quickly took out two plates from the cabinet.
“You weren’t supposed to wake up yet!”
He grinned at her, his eyes scanning the chopped fruit, pancakes, and coffee. “You made bacon too?”
She smirked, grabbing his oven mitt so she could take the pan of bacon out of the oven. “I did. But I wanted to make you breakfast in bed.”
He stepped up to her, gathering her in his arms. Placing a soft kiss on her forehead, he rubbed her back. “I think my body sensed that you were gone, and I had to find you.”
“I’m never leaving you again,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around his waist as she looked up at him.
Parker looked even more attractive when his blond hair was messy in the morning. Evie ran her hands through his hair, letting the strands slip through her fingers.
“Good. Because I’d find you,” he said, tickling her.
With a laugh, she pulled away. She smacked his hands. “You know I hate being tickled,” she said.
She put bacon on their plates and they sat together at his breakfast bar.
“How did you sleep? Any nightmares?”
Evie shrugged. “I’ve had crazy dreams and nightmares since childhood.”
“Don’t you write them down?”
She took a bite of bacon and nodded. “I have since middle school.”
“That’s right. I remember stealing that journal once.”
“I remember that too,” she said with a grin. “You were such a pest back then.”
“You were so easy to annoy.” He laughed. He drank a gulp of his coffee and closed his eyes in bliss. “God, this is all so good. Thanks, baby,” he said and leaned over to kiss her on the cheek.
“I was pretty spoiled back then.”
He raised a brow. “And you aren’t now?”
She laughed.
“Wait. I remember reading some of your nightmares. It was some pretty sick stuff for a little girl to be dreaming about.”
Evie chewed a chunk of pineapple, her smile fading.
“Did any of that stuff really happen?”
Her stomach churned. She stared at her plate. “Which stuff?”
“Not the stuff about wizards, obviously,” he said, chuckling. “But what about the dead bodies you saw in the basement.”
Evie swallowed. How could she tell him that both parts were completely true?
She faked a grin. “It must have come from a movie I shouldn’t have been watching.”
“Yeah,” he said. He checked his watch. “We better get going soon. I want to catch my parents together before dad heads off to the diner.”
Evie nodded. “Good idea. It’ll make it easier that way.”
Parker cleared his throat. He reached into the pocket of his basketball shorts and placed a box on the counter.
“Might as well tell give them the good news early.”
Evie’s face drained of color when her eyes landed on the square, cream-colored box.
Tear-filled eyes flickered up to Parkers.
Her heart beat so fast that she could barely catch her breath. No words came out of her mouth when her lips parted.
Was this really happening?
The smile on Parker’s face was so big that she couldn’t help but do the same.
He took her hand and stood from the bar stool. Gently, he pulled her to her feet.
Evie covered her mouth with her other hand as Parker went to one knee.
She balled as he opened the little box, revealing a perfect princess-cut diamond on a white gold band.
“Evie,” Parker said, stroking her knuckles with his thumb. “I think you know that I’ve loved you since we were kids running around in the woods pretending to be knights of the roundtable.”
Evie laughed. She missed those times. They always made up the best games to play together.
“I was one hell of a knight.”
He kissed her hand. “Yes, you were.” He let go of her hand to take the ring from the box. “But I think you’d make an even better wife.”
She beamed.
“Will you be mine?”
She nodded. “Yes!”
He put the ring on her finger and she let out an elated squeal, tackling him to the ground with hugs and kisses.
Laughing, he held her up by her waist while she straddled him on the floor. “Whoa,” he said. “Easy now, baby.”
She laughed. “I love you more than anything. Oh my goodness. You’re going to be my husband!”
He nodded and kissed her full on the lips. “I was going to propose at the Halloween party, but thought I’d do it early since we are leaving.”
“I’m glad you didn’t wait.”
“Good. Now, how does celebrating our engagement in Paris sound?”
Evie’s jaw dropped. “Sounds like a dream.”
He kissed her again. “Good, because I want to replace your nightmares with only dreams of happiness and our lives together.”
Her heart melted at those words.
How can I be so lucky?
Life couldn’t get any better at that moment. Still, something in her stomach made her feel a bit queasy. Perhaps it was her constant fear that when things were going right that something always seemed to go wrong. She shoved that feeling and notion aside and just prayed that nothing would rip her happiness away.
WES HEARD HER stiletto heels on the tile floor before she even passed the front of his office. He shut down his computers and closed his laptop when Olivia knocked on his office’s door.
“Come in.”
Olivia opened the door and stuck her face in. Her hair was pulled back in a single ponytail and she still wore her lab coat.
Beautiful, he thought. No matter what she did to her hair or how many tattoos she insisted on having, she was beautiful to him.
Her dark eyes glanced around the large office. “You’re not busy, are you?”
“No. I just finished writing up the grant for the St. Delpna’s Foundation.” He tucked his laptop in its bag and stood from his desk.
“We should get going.”
Wes nodded. It was getting late, and if they wanted to prepare for Olivia’s mission they’d need to scout the place out first.
“Yeah. Let’s go.”
Stepping aside, Olivia waited for him to leave the office.
/> Wes locked his office door behind him and looked to his assistant, Chris and their intern, Scott.
“How much longer will you two be here?”
“Another two hours at least,” Chris said.
“Lock up when you leave. I’m heading home early today.”
“Okay,” Chris said. “Please tell Adelaide we said thank you for the brownies.”
“I will. She’ll appreciate that.”
Wes left them to their work, thinking of just how many pans of baked goods his mother had made in the past week. Adelaide only baked when under stress.
Leaving the lab early rarely happened for Wes and Olivia. They were up to a breakthrough that would change the fate of shifters around the world.
Tonight he had a different agenda. They couldn’t let Avalon have his way.
Evie was sacred. She was as precious to him as the family’s fortune.
Olivia took off her lab coat when they were in the lobby. She revealed a black skirt and a red buttoned up shirt that hugged her full bosom. When she took her hair out of its ponytail it fell over her shoulders and to her mid-back.
It was rare to see a person with such stunning eyes. Olivia looked over her shoulder at him. She’d forgotten to put her colored contacts in and revealed that she had one bright purple eye.
“Did anyone say anything to you about Hugh?” Wes led the way from the lab and to the parking deck.
“No. You know the techs are too busy focused on their work to pay attention to what’s going on in the news.”
“That’s true. It works in our favor.”
He clicked his key fob, unlocking the door to his Escalade.
Once they were both inside he locked the doors. His eyes scanned the inside of the tinted black windows and the windshield that faced the stone wall. No one could see them.
Perfect.
He pushed his seat back. “Come here,” he said to Olivia.
“What?”
“Come here,” he said again motioning to his lap.
Olivia cracked a grin as she climbed over the center console. She sat on his lap, straddling him.
Wes held her face in his hands, stroking her cheeks. He knew the danger ahead for Olivia. He also knew that she was a master at what she did.
No one would see her. She was a spider shifter and could do what he could not. For this, he found her incredibly sexy.
Olivia smiled at him. Her eyes said so much. He knew exactly what she wanted.
That woman loved him more than any other woman he’d known outside of his family.
The stakes were high, but he had faith in her.
Wes pulled Olivia close to him, kissing her full on the lips and watched her eyes close in bliss.
“I love you so much, Olivia.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you.”
“Promise me you’ll be careful tonight.”
Her eyes welled up when she pulled back to look him in the eyes. “I can do this. I will protect our family so we can move on with our lives.”
He nodded. “I know you will.”
“Tell me everything is going to be okay,” Olivia whispered, leaning over to kiss him.
Wrapping his arms around her waist, he held her close. The warmth of her body pressed against his was one of the best things he’d ever felt.
She was afraid. He could feel the fear radiating throughout her body. That was rare for Olivia. She may be quiet at times, but he knew how dangerous she was.
“Of course it will be all right,” he said. He cupped her face in his hands and looked into her eyes. “Unless you don’t want to do this. Do I need to take care of it myself?”
Olivia shook her head. She sighed, her shoulders slumping. “No. My stealth is what’s going to save this family.”
“You can do this. I believe in you,” he said.
A grunt of pain escaped Wes’ lips, making Olivia jump.
“Wes,” she called, her eyes widening with worry. She held his face in her hands as he tried to catch his breath. “What’s wrong?”
The pain in his back seeped into his abdominal muscles, making them burn worse and tighten so tightly that they began to twist.
He reached over to open the door. Olivia quickly climbed off as Wes stumbled out onto the concrete floor of the parking garage.
“Wes!”
He fell to his knees and coughed raggedly. The skin on the palms of his hands sloughed off when lifted them to clutch his abs.
Olivia rushed from her side of the car.
She skidded to a stop, covering her mouth with both hands.
Wes looked up.
The horror in her eyes when she looked at him sent an ice cold shiver into his soul.
“Call Malka,” he rasped between waves of pain. “We have to break this curse.”
WES SHUDDERED. HIS eyes were bloodshot. Everything was sore. His head thumped like a drum, so loud that Olivia could hear it. Gooseflesh covered his arms and neck. She rubbed his skin, trying to warm him.
Sweat beaded on his forehead.
Olivia was in tears as she sat beside him in Malka’s small cottage in the woods behind the abandoned St. Dymphna’s Convent.
“Is he going to be okay?”
Malka peered at him from her bifocal glasses. She tapped her teeth together as she thought.
“This curse is one of the worst I’ve seen,” she said in a soft voice, sitting in a chair next to the bed Wes rested on.
“What can we do about it?”
Malka shook her head. Her long red hair was a stark contrast to her dark brown skin. She looked more like a fantasy creature than a human.
From what Wes told her, Malka wasn’t exactly human. At six-foot-five, Olivia believed it.
“This curse is from the old world. Ancient power fuels it. Who did you say cursed him?”
Olivia shook her head. “I didn’t.”
She didn’t know if she could trust her the way Wes did. She wasn’t sure who she could trust.
Malka stared at her. Her skin was littered with dark moles and freckles on her high cheekbones. Almond-shaped brown eyes examined her.
“I can’t help you if you’re not going to trust me.”
“Avalon Prince,” Wes said before crying out.
Olivia took his hand into her own and stood to lean over his body. “Baby? Are you okay?”
“I see now. The Prince family. That explains it. They’re from the old world, Scotland, right?”
Olivia nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Yes.”
Malka tapped her teeth together again. Olivia cringed at the sound. She stood and went to the back of her cottage to a room that’s door was bolted shut.
The hairs on Olivia’s arm stood on end when Malka took out a long key from a jar in the cupboard. Something about that room frightened her.
When the lock clicked open, Malka pushed on the door, releasing a gust of black wind that filled the room. Olivia shot to her feet. She pointed at the wind that formed a black cloud that clung to the ceiling.
The color drained from Olivia’s face, leaving her cold. “What is that?”
The house vibrated. She could feel it in the floorboards. Gripping Wes’ hand, she fought to keep herself from running out the front door.
“It’s fine, Mrs. Scarlett. Willow here is going to help you, not harm you.”
“Willow?”
“Yes. Willow does what I tell it to. You have nothing to fear.”
“Okay,” Olivia whispered. She clutched Wes’ hand. Her eyes locked on the black mass as it flew over and hovered above his body.
Malka closed her eyes, and the mass shot into Wes’ body, making him shake and then freeze.
The chill of Wes’ hand made Olivia’s entire arm turn cold. Still, she refused to let go. She watched his face, and yet it was expressionless as if he wasn’t there.
When she opened her eyes, the mass flew out, and back into the dark room. Malka closed the door and locked it
again.
Olivia waited. Her heart raced with each passing moment of silence.
“What’s wrong?”
She watched Malka stand there with her back turned to them. Wes’ eyes were closed, and yet he breathed steadily.
Malka looked at Olivia over her shoulder. She shook her head.
“This magic is too dark. I cannot help him. He will die within the next two days.”
THE MOON CAST an eerie glow on the empty street. No rain. No wind. Just silence.
It was a beautiful night, one that Olivia could enjoy in a way most would never experience. Tonight, however, was not about joy or peace. She wanted to watch Avalon die a slow, painful death.
She took off her clothes, leaving each article neatly folded on the passenger’s seat of her car. She parked in the parking lot of the university. Across the street stood the old Albrecht Mansion, where her target lived.
Once she was naked, she began to shift. It was instant. Her body morphed into that of a tiny black spider, one packed with enough venom to take down the man that stood between her and her family’s happiness.
One purple stripe set her apart from other spiders, along with sparkling legs that glimmered in the light.
All sounds were magnified once Olivia was in her second form. She climbed out of the window and hopped to the ground by a shimmering strand of spider web.
The road was silent as she scurried across the street and to Avalon’s mansion.
The ground was covered with dew as she made her way over the front garden.
Olivia loved the invisibility that her shifter form brought her. She could go anywhere virtually unseen.
She crept along, passing by the men that Avalon had hired to watch his home. Finding entry wasn’t difficult. She crawled into a window with a hole in the screen.
Inside all was quiet.
Too quiet.
Up the walls and stairs she went. She’d been in the Albrecht Mansion a few times in her life. The schools all used to have field trips there to learn about the town’s history. Remembering the layout of the mansion gave her an idea of where Avalon’s bedroom might be.
Olivia went up the stairs, guided by her memory, and sensing his presence, she found the master bedroom.
She paused as she watched Avalon sleep in his large antique bed.