Death eBook 9.8.16

by Lila Rose

  “This is me,” Captain Obvious pointed out as he opened the unlocked door. Who in the hell left their doors unlocked in this day and age? Weird.

  Dean cleared his throat, capturing my attention. “It’s only my brothers and I who have access to this floor. There’s no need to lock one’s door up here,” he answered my unspoken question—or had my mouth misfired again?

  “Aw, crabfish! Did I ask that aloud?”

  He smiled. “No, but your face is easy to read.”

  “Yeah, it’s why I rarely lie. Never seems to work,” I grumbled as we stepped into the open-layout industrial-looking living room. Everything was visible from the front door. The whole apartment was minimal and modern. Nothing like my old cluttered cottage.

  “You’ll stay in here.” He pointed before guiding us into a guest room to the right. “The boys and I will be in and out throughout the day, and I will leave our contact numbers on the kitchen counter. Otherwise, make yourself at home,” Dean offered as he dropped my laptop and overnight bag on the bed and moved to leave.

  “You’re not leaving, are you?” I didn’t mean to sound pathetic, but the thought of being alone with the picture of the creepy-girl-with-the-melting-face dream still in my head made being in a new place unappealing. It was weird how Dean’s touch had made the nightmare all but erase from my mind. He was a great distraction.

  He took a step closer and placed his hand on my cheek. My stomach twisted and turned in delight, before he said, “My jewel, you are safe here, and I promise to keep it that way. I will be in my home office most of the morning or just down the outside hall in the meeting room with my brothers. My office is beside my bedroom, over there.” He pointed across the way.

  “The meeting room is the last door down the hall, the one at the end? It has the same crest branded into it as the floor in the lobby, right?” I asked. It was the only door I’d seen that looked different from the others.

  He gave me a strange look that seemed to be a cross between surprise and pride. “Noticed that, did you? Yes.” He nodded. “And the brand is our family crest. I will tell you about it some other time. For now, settle in and rest. Do you have things you can do for a while?”

  Nodding, I said, “Yes, I have work to catch up on.”

  “Okay.” He winked. “I will see you at supper.” He gently grazed his thumb across my cheek, sending another flutter to my stomach and lower, before he slowly leaned in and kissed my forehead. Then, with one last sexy smile, Dean left me to unpack.

  Even though a part of me wanted to reach out to ease the sense of loss filling my chest, I didn’t. What I was feeling for a man I hardly knew put me on edge, and I hoped distance would help sort me out.

  It wasn’t until after I changed, threw away my unsalvageable panties, and finished unpacking my belongings that I realized the feeling of longing for a stranger wouldn’t leave me. With a stomp of my foot, because I hated things unexplained, I occupied myself by digging out the spare cell phone I’d thrown in my laptop bag on the way out. I explained to the cell company the case number the detectives gave me and had them transfer my old number; it was a pain in the rear, but something I had to do. Too many contacts already knew my old number. As soon as it was activated, it was like an AK-47 on helium doing a mariachi dance went off. I knew, without a doubt, all fifty-seven of those pings were from Fallon losing her shiz about the crash.

  Sighing deeply, I decided to delete all but her most recent threat. That one was the last of her thirty-two text messages. It read:

  I swear on all that is holy, from Mother Mary’s Golden Titties to Father Joseph’s Brassed Blue Balls, if you don’t answer me by the time I wake up for my shift at the bar tonight, I am calling and making appointments with a voodoo priestess, the local satanic sect, and the fucking Pope!! I hear he knows a thing or two about resurrections.

  Please.

  Just let me know you’re okay.

  Or I am calling your mother as well!

  I really didn’t foresee the Pope answering Fallon’s call, not with a mouth like that, but the last thing I needed was my mother alerted to an opportunity to use the accident for her own gain. My mother’s twisted version of my childhood, sold to the highest bidder… no, thank you.

  Checking the clock while hoping that luck was on my side for once, and her phone was still on silent from her shift the night before, I hit Call.

  Looked like whoever was doling the karma that day decided to take pity on me and sent the call directly to voice mail. Booyah!

  “I see stalking is hard on the battery and you forgot to put it on the charger again. You call my mother and I will post that video of you drunk as a skunk on karaoke night singing ‘Hit Me Baby One More Time’ so off-key they turned the mic off after the first chorus, but you kept going to the brutal end.” After my very real threat, I told her everything, as in everything. I had to call back twice. Once that was over with, I canceled on my students by text and made my way into the kitchen to make a sandwich. Strange how I already seemed comfortable, as if it were home to me.

  I was about thirty minutes into my day of editing when exhaustion again caught up with me. Adrenaline wore away. That, coupled with the predawn wake-up battle, caused my eyelids to finally lose the inevitable fight. What I didn’t know was that I would sleep like a rock for the next twelve hours, missing my dinner date with Dean.

  Looked like my luck was right back down the pooper.

  Chapter Six

  DEAN

  I’d walked away from Julie with a boner and my mind growling at me to run back and claim her. A thought of humping her leg like a dog passed through my mind, if she wasn’t willing to take me within her body. I soon shot that bloody thought down. Instead, I stalked out of my apartment and down the hall. I found myself turning back to the room over half a dozen times, to return to my jewel, but fought it, and finally slammed open the door to the meeting room.

  My hard gaze landed on Falcone and I pointed to him. He flinched. “You are fucking lucky you are my brother.”

  Warren suddenly stood from leaning against the wall. His hands went to his hips as he barked, “What the hell was all that, that fawning, growling and… shit, whatever the fuck you were doing to her?”

  “She’s mine,” I said simply with a shrug.

  “So, it doesn’t mean you had to act like a caveman.”

  “That’s the problem. I did and do. I have no way of stopping how I act around her. I hate the thought of another male touching her, comforting her, when it should be me, her mate, to do it. I could and would have easily slit Falcone’s throat if I hadn’t calmed down from her touch to my back. At least I was able to convince her I’m not a complete barbarian when I showed her to her room.”

  “Fuck,” Warren snarled.

  I actually smiled. “Good times ahead, my brothers, for you all.”

  “Never,” Warren clipped out.

  “No way in hell. I like sleeping around too much.” Connor paled.

  “I think that would detain me from my studies. I’m not sure I’d be happy about that.” Again, why was I concerned for Falcone?

  Because I’d had no control. I’d seen him between my mate and me, and I hadn’t liked it one bit. What I liked least was the fact that my jewel looked to Falcone for comfort, for help in the situation, and for protection.

  It seemed logic was thrown out the window and driven over a million times when it came to our mates. It wouldn’t be hard to guess it was going to get me into trouble with Julie more than a few times.

  After our meeting, I went back to my apartment while Falcone went to his computers, and Warren and Connor headed into the streets to see what they could find about Kayne. What we needed was solid visual proof that it was our fifth brother, and then if it was, shit would soon fly.

  One could hope it was one of the many lackeys Kayne left on earth to seek vengeance for their lord, Decay. Ones we had been hunting for all these years. It would be easy for us if it were only them and not our b
rother.

  It had hurt enough sending him away the first time when he went crazy. I didn’t want to have to face him and do it again.

  Did that make me weak?

  Yes. When it came to our brother, a brother we couldn’t seem to help, we were weak, because no matter the search to find a cure for his madness, we couldn’t grasp one and save him from himself.

  We’d failed him.

  And that fucking killed us all each and every day. We couldn’t stop the destruction our brother unveiled on earth. All we could do was put him away.

  Shaking my head of depressing thoughts, I opened the door to my rooms. I smiled. I’d meant our rooms. As in mine and my mate’s. Mine and my jewel’s.

  I wanted to whirl around the room giggling with glee like a five-year-old girl.

  Damn it to hell. I was a goner. Balls, please come back and stick to my body just below my salami stick.

  Her scent filled my senses as soon as I entered. I knew, hell no, I felt her in her room asleep. Disappointment filled my gut. I wouldn’t be enjoying her company through dinner that night, it seemed. Still, I wanted to walk in her room and climb into bed so I could wrap my arms around her while she slept.

  Hold the fuck on. I was thinking of cuddling now? Jesus. Had my balls really shriveled up and dropped off? I took my sac in hand and jiggled them. Definitely still there.

  What was the woman in the other room doing to me?

  Sleep. I needed sleep and a fresh brain. I bypassed everything and went into my room, took a nice, long, cold shower and fell into bed. Sleep invaded my mind quickly.

  A scream ripped through my slumber. I was up and out of bed, running for my bedroom door in seconds. I opened it as another scream shredded the night.

  Julie.

  Fuck. The scream had come from her room. Panic squeezed my heart. My legs took me across the floor and barreling into her room as another painful scream lurched from my mate’s body. Her back arched on the bed; her eyes were screwed tight as her mind kept her in the nightmare.

  Without thought other than to comfort my jewel, I climbed onto the bed. Lifting her to sit in my lap, I rocked her back and forth, uttering soft, reassuring words that she was safe. At first she tried to fight my grip, until reality came crashing back to her.

  On a shuddering breath, she whispered, “Falcone?”

  The desire to kill my brother swamped me once again. My body tensed and my upper lip rose just before I clipped out, “No.”

  She sighed my name. “Dean.” And then stretched. Her perfect bottom rubbed against my eager cock, which caused him to perk to life. Probably sniffing for action, which he wasn’t going to get.

  “Are you okay?” I asked through clenched teeth. I needed her to be okay, so I could drop her on the bed and bolt for my room where I would take my dick in hand thinking of all the ways I wanted to take my mate.

  “Yes,” she mumbled. “Bad dream.” She wiggled again and then paused.

  Shit. I knew she felt my hardness.

  Is everything okay? Connor asked.

  Yes, just a dream, I answered. Tell the others.

  Will do, take care of your mate.

  Of course, dickhead.

  “Dean?” Julie’s tone was unsure.

  “Ah, do you remember what the dream was about?”

  “It’s a little foggy. I think it was something about the girl on the train and… no, it slipped away.” She looked up at me timidly. “Did I wake you because of it?”

  Nodding, I said, “You were screaming. I swear I just turned gray from it.” I ran the hand that didn’t hold her tightly to me through my hair, and asked with wide eyes and a tinge of fake fear in my voice, “Do you see any?”

  She laughed, which was what I hoped for. “No, doofus. It’s still all dark and dreamy.” She blushed.

  “You think my hair is dreamy?”

  My sweet jewel rolled her eyes. “In a nightmarish way. In fact, that dream I had was about all of your hair falling off your head, leaving you bald.”

  “Woman, never tease me about my hair,” I warned.

  “Or what?” she queried, and shifted once again. I bit my tongue to stop the groan wanting to fall from my lips.

  Instead, I smiled wickedly and said, “Or this.” And then I proceeded to tickle her waist. She squealed and tried to knock my hands away.

  “Stop, please stop,” she begged breathlessly. She fell back, hitting the mattress. I straddled her waist and kept up my torture, which also would help her mind ease from the unwanted thoughts of her nightmare. Even if she didn’t remember, it was obvious it had stressed her, if her screams were anything to go by. She gasped. “If you don’t stop, I’ll pee myself.”

  My hands stilled. Honesty laced her words, and I didn’t want her embarrassed. Even if it would be humorous for my sake. Resting my hands at the sides of her head on the bed, I looked down at her and smiled. “Do you feel better at least?”

  She grinned, and it was beautiful. “Yes, Dean.”

  Dear God, my name on her lips was something I wanted to hear again and again, especially while I was inside her. I watched as her eyes took in my seminakedness for the first time. They drifted down over my chest, my waist, and then lower. Which was when I witnessed her cheeks tinting to a deep red. Looking down, I saw my boxers were tented out where my dick was pointing right at her face.

  “Dean,” she whispered, her eyes coming up to meet mine.

  “My jewel.” I growled the words.

  “Dean.” She sighed.

  I couldn’t bear to not touch her. My hand went to the side of her face. She gasped at the contact, and I knew it sent a thrill throughout not only her body but mine also. Her eyes closed slowly while I ran my finger from her temple to her chin and then down to her neck. She arched it for me. Smiling, I ran my fingers over her collarbone and down her arm to her hand. I took her hand in mine. Her eyes opened as I gently pulled her palm to rest against my beating heart. Another thrill, only lower; I watched her mouth open in a silent gasp through it.

  “You are beautiful, Julie,” I said with all honesty.

  I didn’t expect her to shake her head or the snort of laughter. She freed her hands to tap my chest and mumbled, “Uh-huh.”

  “Do I need to show you how beautiful I think you are?”

  She stilled. Her eyes flicked down to my erection and then back up to my heated eyes. “Um.”

  I smiled. “Yeah, I think you already know. Still….” I slid my legs down. My feet went between her legs and pushed them apart so I could rest between them. She gulped. I winked and rocked against her. Her blush and gasp were cute, and our connection sent my senses crazy. My whole body shuddered when my erection pressed against her heat. “You are the most gorgeous woman I have ever seen, and no one will compare to you ever again,” I said before I lowered my head, giving her enough time to process what I was about to do so she could back out if she wanted to.

  Only she didn’t.

  My mouth touched hers. The spark was immediate and had us moaning. Still, I took it slow at first, wanting to test the waters. Pulling back, I looked down at her, my weight supported by my hands on the bed. I hesitated a moment, battling my need to take her, yet not wanting to terrify her.

  Her action made my hesitation unnecessary.

  She flung her arms around my neck and pulled me down, her lips molding to mine. I growled deep and, once her mouth opened, I slipped my tongue in. Our tongues met, and a jolt of pleasure shot through me. And if the moan from Julie was any indication, she experienced it as well. My skin felt as if it were on fire, but it was a burn of lust, desire, and need. Our bodies were uniting for the first time. Even if it was from only a kiss, it was the first from the one woman I would endeavor to do anything for, to be anyone she wanted me to be. She was mine to protect with my whole soul.

  Her legs wrapped around my waist, and she rocked up and ground herself against my hardness, causing me to groan against her lips and her to whimper against mine. Julie’s han
ds ran up and down my back, even gripping my butt a few times over. It was a fever between mates I gladly enjoyed.

  I slipped my hand down her side and then back up again under her loose tee she’d worn to bed. My hand headed right for her—

  She stiffened. I moved back, only to lean back in and peck her lightly on the lips before removing my body altogether to sit on the side of the bed. “I’m sorry,” I offered.

  “No… it’s, I, um.” She fumbled around her words. The bed shifted behind me as she sat and then her hand tentatively touched my back. We both jumped from the spark it drew within us. A pulse drummed through our bodies, reaching out to one another. “The…. I’m not sorry. I’m just confused. We’ve known each other for a short time, and yet, I find…. It’s strange, new. I feel there’s—”

  “A connection?” I asked.

  She sighed. “Yes. How?”

  I wasn’t sure she was ready for the answer just yet. “Maybe you should get some more sleep,” I said instead, and made a move to stand. Her hand fell from my back only to grab my wrist.

  “Wait.” I turned to look at her. A frown marred her features. I hated that she seemed uncertain. “Please, can you stay and…. I don’t think I’ll dream if someone’s—” She stopped to shrug. “Sorry, I’m being silly. I’ll go find Falcone and ask—”

  “No,” I clipped out roughly before standing and picking her up in my arms. She squealed in surprise as I ripped the sheet back and laid us upon the bed. Her back faced my front. She sighed contently, just how I felt with her in my arms. Our heat turned into a slow burn, the intensity passing while I comforted my mate. “Sleep, my jewel.”

  “Okay,” she mumbled.

  The position we were in was how I wanted to sleep every night. I wanted my mate safe and sound in my arms, knowing I would wake up to her every morning. I would do anything to make that happen, anything to make Julie understand she was mine.