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  accepted Jerome's offer of a place to stay the night.

  I didn't even argue when I found out that Gage and I would have to share a bed that night.

  I finished first in the bedroom and sighed with pleasure as I slipped between the cool sheets on the bed. Mica shaded bedside lamps cast a warm glow over the soft bed and a fire crackled in the small stone fireplace across the room.

  I was halfway asleep when I felt the bed dip as Gage climbed in next to me. His skin was warm from the shower and I gave a sleepy smile as he curved his body around me and laid a possessive hand on my breast.

  Too soon, sunlight seeped in around the wooden blinds. Gage's arm tightened around me when I tried to sit up, so I carefully eased away, trying not to disturb him. With a few gentle caresses on his arm, he went back to sleep and I got up from the bed and walked to the attached bathroom.

  For the first time in several days, everything seemed normal. I could almost forget that last night I had attended a strategy meeting for killing a dangerous warlock and his equally evil henchmen. Edna's words still weighed heavily on me, but I made a conscious decision to not think about it.

  Overall, my impression of Edna was a positive one. She seemed to genuinely like me and the feeling was mutual. She was a kindly, older lady with a preference for colorful sneakers and classic literature. If she truly meant me harm it seemed like I would feel it, but all I felt around her with was warmth and joy.

  I took a shower and enjoyed the warm water and the light filtering in from a skylight above. What luxury! A skylight in the bathroom.

  Gage was awake and speaking into his cell phone when I came back into the bedroom.

  With a muttered expletive in a language I didn't know, he snapped the phone shut and vaulted from the bed.

  He was naked. Why wouldn't he be? His chest was wide and thickly covered with

  muscles and under my interested eyes he gave a back cracking stretch and rubbed his hand over his stubble covered cheek. With a smile and a pat on my towel covered rear he went into the bathroom. I heard the shower running and smiled when I heard him whistling a jaunty tune.

  No matter how nice your clothes are, when you have the choice of only two outfits, and they are ones you have already worn, the pleasure you had in them all but disappears. With a grumble I pulled on the same pant suit I had worn just a couple of days ago to meet my mother and brother. I wondered when I would see them again and was about to leave the bedroom when a loud knock sounded on the bedroom door and I had just enough time to fasten the last button WARLOCK’S BRIDE JENNIFER RINEHART 102

  on my shirt before it opened.

  One of the muscle twins stood in the doorway. I didn't know his name, but at the moment my annoyance was forefront of my curiosity.

  “Didn't your mother teach you to wait to be invited inside before entering a woman's bedroom?” My hands were on my hips as I said this and I waited for him to apologize to me.

  My foot was tapping the floor and I mentally restrained myself from slamming the door in his face.

  “Sorry, ma'am, madam, ahem.” He was blushing profusely and backed away from the door with a frown.

  “I was getting dressed in here. I don't like people barging in on me when I'm naked.

  Especially people whose names I don't even know!” I didn't think it was possible but he got redder and seemed to glow with embarrassment as he looked everywhere but at me.

  “What's your name?” I prompted.

  “Emmet, ma'am. Rosco Emmet.” He bobbed his head as he said this and had such a mortified look on his face I was ashamed of myself for terrorizing the man. It was obvious he was uneasy around me. I wasn't sure if he was this way around all women or just me, but it didn't matter, I was being a bitch to him and he didn't deserve it.

  “Thank you, Mr. Emmet, you do an excellent job of keeping me safe, I appreciate it,” I said giving him my best friendly smile.

  He smiled, and gave me a shy look and shrugged in an 'aw shucks,' way.

  “I'm hungry, do you know where I can get some food? Has our host made breakfast, or are there any restaurants nearby?”

  “There's plenty of food in the dining room. I can take you there if you want.” He said, staring at his gigantic, combat booted feet.

  “That would be lovely, Mr. Emmet. Have you eaten yet?” He nodded his head and I walked next to him to the dining room. The house was all one level. Every room had a view of Lake Washington and was set up as a series of terraces all facing away from the road in a modern version of the Frank Lloyd Wright house. The walls were framed in maple and the furnishings were light in color and sparse, creating an open and airy feel.

  I heard voices and we entered the dining room a moment later. A buffet had been set up on a long, built-in sideboard. I wasn't surprised to see Morgan Lindwald, the shaved head woman from last night, eating breakfast with Jerome, the head of Seattle Consolidated. Gage told me that she was staying the night too.

  They stopped speaking as I entered the room and I pretended not to notice as I made my way around the table towards the large coffeepot. Jerome stood up and I nodded to him as I made myself a cup of coffee and then seated myself at the table.

  Morgan was giving me a hostile look. Her face was large like her body. Her brows were pinched as she looked me over with a disgusted scowl. I wasn't sure why she didn't like me, and at the moment, I didn't care. Without my morning cup of coffee I was a wreck. Yep, I was an addict with no interest in giving up my caffeine habit any time soon.

  Jerome still looked like an accountant to me. His hair was peppered with gray and he was wearing a mottled brown sweater, over a button down plaid shirt in shades of brown, orange and white.

  I was hungry but I wasn't sure I could eat with an audience so I sipped my coffee and hoped Gage would join me soon so we could leave. There was a little Russian bakery at Pike's WARLOCK’S BRIDE JENNIFER RINEHART 103

  Market and if we hurried we could get there before the crowds cleared out all the marzipan rolls.

  Maybe, if we had time, we could swing by the Space Needle for a quick look see.

  “Are you mated?” I almost choked on my coffee when Morgan said that.

  “What?” I said, setting my mug down with a thump.

  “Are you mated to Lord Hawthorne?” She said again with an intensely interested look as she waited for my answer.

  “No, no, we're friends, um, our parents we're close and he's a really super … guy, um, yeah ….” I trailed off, stumbling as I tried to find a way to describe my relationship to Gage in a way that wouldn't get us in trouble.

  She looked relieved and gave Jerome a triumphant smile.

  “I understood that you and Gage were engaged to be married,” Jerome said delicately with a charming smile on his face.

  Warning bells were going off in my head, but the more I thought about it, it seemed the best thing to do would be to tell them the truth.

  “Yes, well, there was an agreement between his father and mine, but that was when we were children! Can you imagine? It's so dark ages! So, no, we aren't engaged.” I said with a little chuckle and was disconcerted to find Jerome and Morgan not only not laughing with me but looking me over in a detached way, as if seeing me for the first time.

  “Are you fertile?” Morgan said while Jerome stared at me waiting for my answer.

  I quickly glanced over my shoulder, the hallway was empty and I heartily wished it wasn't. I would have to bluff my way out of this.

  “This is the best coffee I have ever had Jerome,” I stopped to take a large slurping gulp,

  “you really must tell me the brand name so I can buy some too. Well, I have to go check on Gage, he's probably looking for me, b'bye!” I stood up so fast from the table that I had to make a grab for my chair and ended up knocking over my partially full coffee mug in the process.

  With a yelp of frustration I jumped for the stack of napkins on the sideboard, grabbing several to mop up the coffee and knocked over a vase of flower
s. The water from the vase quickly drenched the rest of the napkins and I barely kept the water from dripping off the edge onto the floor.

  I threw the napkins in my hand at the spilled coffee and with a leap made it to the table in time to save Jerome and Morgan from a fast moving rivulet of coffee that was heading across the table to them.

  Jerome and Morgan had startled looks on their faces as they watched my spastic efforts to clean up the mess. With a last swipe and a mumbled, 'sorry,' I made it out of the dining room.

  I heard Morgan mutter the words, 'retarded' and 'damaged' as I walked from the room and I felt the back of my neck burn with embarrassment as I walked quickly to our bedroom door.

  The door was shut and I didn't bother knocking before pulling it open. Gage was rubbing his damp hair with a towel. He had on nothing but tight, black boxer briefs and the way he was standing, with his muscular arms above his head, made the muscles across his back and shoulders flex in an enticing way. Yikes, I was becoming an obsessive pervert!

  “Hey, where were you?” He asked, turning to me with a grin. His hair was damp and his face fairly glowed with vitality.

  “I got some coffee,” I mumbled, looking everywhere but at him. When was he going to put some clothes on? He was too distracting half naked like this.

  He pulled some clothes from the closet and started to get dressed.

  WARLOCK’S BRIDE JENNIFER RINEHART 104

  “I spoke with Jerome and Morgan,” I said, half way casual, pushing my hair out of my face and straightening the collar of my jacket.

  “Oh, what did they have to say?” He asked, tying the laces on his black oxfords, concentrating on the task and not looking up at me.

  “Actually, it's kind of funny, they wanted to know if we were 'mated' and if I was fertile!

  Kind of personal, don't you think? Anyway, are we headed back to the beach house or do we have time to stop for breakfast? Some friends told me about this great little Russian bakery, it's downtown ….” I trailed off as I noticed the expression on his face, uh oh.

  He was standing up now and his face was grim.

  “What did you tell them?”

  “Not much, I was only at the table a couple of minutes. Do you want some coffee, Jerome makes a mean pot of java ….” I said as I rubbed my belly with a grin.

  His fingers bit into my shoulders as he looked me in the eye and gritted out, “What, exactly, did you tell them?”

  “I said we weren't engaged! Not that it's any of their business. Besides, it's true, we aren't getting married.”

  I twisted away from him and his hands fell to his sides and balled into tight fists.

  His breath left him in a whistling sound and I flinched when I saw the mirror above the bureau crack with a sharp sound. He didn't notice and I had enough experience with magic now, that I knew I hadn't made the mirror break this time, he did. His lack of acknowledgment of it worried me. He leaned against the window a moment before turning to me with a decisive movement.

  “We have to leave.”

  “Why? What's wrong? Are you mad at me?” I asked, searching his face for some clue to his behavior.

  He didn't answer and I stood next to the door watching as he threw his things into a suitcase and then did the same with my stuff. Less than a minute later, both bags were packed.

  In a terse voice he phoned his protection detail to pull the car around to the front of the house.

  “Gage, wait a minute. What's happened? Did I do something wrong?” I was genuinely mystified. What was wrong with talking to Jerome and Morgan? Why would we meet with people that he didn't want me to speak with?

  The door opened and I saw the muscle twins, who with barely a glance in my direction, fell into place around us. Gage, grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the doorway.

  “Hey, I am not leaving until you tell me what's happening!” I dug my heels in and he gave my arm a strong tug that had me stumbling forward.

  He whirled to face me and I almost backed away at the raw anger burning in his eyes.

  His mouth was tight and a muscle was twitching near his eye.

  “I don't have time to accept a challenge from Jerome or Morgan for you! You told them you are unclaimed. They know your family has lost their coven since your father died, so you are alone, unprotected in the eyes of our world. Either of them can make a claim for you and bring you into their coven. One of the most important issues for a coven is to increase its membership, as a fertile woman you would bring much needed new blood and unique powers.

  You would be a welcome addition to them.”

  I was speechless. They tried to tell me, the night we had dinner with my mother and brother, but I don't think it really sank in. What they said was so alien, I couldn't accept it at the WARLOCK’S BRIDE JENNIFER RINEHART 105

  time and I still had the belief that I could leave, go home to Portland after all the drama with Hugo and Celia was done.

  But Gage's serious face and the bizarre questioning by Jerome and Morgan all added up to the same thing; nothing would ever be the same again. I guess the old saying, 'you can't go home again,' applied here.

  “But, I thought they were your friends.”

  He gave me an exasperated look and kept walking.

  We left in a hurry. I didn't see anyone on our way out, Jerome must have a security system and guards, but they were hidden or of the electronic variety. Gage opened the car door and I stepped in and sat down. With a frown I looked up and realized he wasn't getting in,

  “Aren't you going to sit down?”

  He leaned down and gave me a hard kiss, “I'm sending you back to the Torvannen house.

  I should be back there in about two days.”

  “Wait, I thought you were coming with me?” My voice sounded whiny to my own ears and I tried to keep a carefree smile on my face as he turned to me with a frown.

  “We are attacking Hugo's compound in Idaho tomorrow. I am leading the western flank with my men.”

  He said this with a 'yeah-duh,' look.

  “But, I didn't know that you, personally, had to be in charge! Why can't you just send your guards?”

  “Because, I am the head of the Hawthorne coven, I don't send my guards to do my dirty work, Anna. Besides, I'm one of the strongest, level three spell casters in the world, they need me.” He said this without conceit and I felt disoriented a moment.

  I had gotten used to Gage as kidnapper, friend of the family, lover and powerful businessman. Even after seeing him fight off a half dozen attackers single handed, I wasn't entirely comfortable with his supernatural side. A tiny voice whispered inside of me, get over it already! He's a warlock, that's what warlocks do.

  “I can help. What can I do?” I didn't want to go back to the house alone. A kernel of something, anxious and sad, was urging me to stay with him and not let him out of my sight. As if distance would make him, my mother and brother and my newfound powers disappear.

  He shook his head, “Your powers are too new and unreliable. Having you there would be a distraction to me and everyone else, it's too dangerous.”

  His hand was on the door and I watched as he began to push it shut.

  “Aren't you going to say goodbye?” I asked in disbelief.

  He grinned at me, “I wont ever say goodbye to you. See you later angel.” With that, the door slammed shut and the car pulled away.

  I turned round in my seat to watch him. His face was emotionless and with a brisk movement he stalked back into the house.

  WARLOCK’S BRIDE JENNIFER RINEHART 106

  Chapter Twelve

  The ride home was terrible. Gage hadn't been very good company on the trip to Seattle, but not having him there was even worse. The two hour drive seemed to take twice the time it took to get to Seattle and I was limp with exhaustion when we pulled up in front of the redwood house.

  I forced myself from the limousine and the promise of a hot shower and a soft bed had me slumping to the front door. Taryn was waiting for me and
one look at my face and she suggested an early night. I was too tired to talk with her about the meeting.

  Later, I was sitting in the bath morosely swatting bubbles around the tub and trying to sort through my feelings. Why did I feel this way? If I didn't know better I would say I was lonely and worst of all, pining. Gage, Gage, Gage. He was all I could think about. He didn't call, and after an hour of sitting, staring at the phone, I forced myself into a bubble bath, mostly to have something to do while I waited.

  I was just trying to decide between watching TV or taking a walk on the beach when I heard shouting from downstairs.

  I sat up in the bath and stepped out quickly, my sudsy feet almost slid out from under me and I caught myself painfully on a corner of the counter.

  I grabbed a robe, wrapped it around my dripping body and crept to the door. Was it Hugo and Celia? Were we under attack?

  I heard a loud, feminine scream of rage and an even louder male one. One of the guards was yelling, “Stop your hollering, by all that's holy woman!”

  I pulled the door open, ran down the stairs, and skidded to an astonished halt in the entrance hall when I got a look at what was happening in front of the house.

  Patty was clinging to the back of the one of the muscle twins. She was screaming and tearing at his hair and he had a strangely hunted look on his face as he tried, unsuccessfully, to dislodge her without hurting her.

  Leah was being held down to the ground by a stoic Rosco. Her prim pink twin set and matching corduroys were stained with dirt and her usually smooth, brown hair, was wildly mussed. She was cursing like a sailor and some of what she said had me staring, wide eyed in astonishment.

  I was about to step out when I felt a hand on my arm, but I shook it off and rushed forward, “Let them go! These are my friends!”

  For a moment everyone was frozen. Patty stopped screaming and slowly climbed off of the back of the guard she had been vigorously beating on and Leah stopped struggling and slowly climbed to her feet as Rosco backed away with a relieved expression, his hands held out in a warding off gesture.

 

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