Tied In Knots (Immortals Book 7)

by LJ Vickery

  Anna backed up and bumped the counter. “No way,” she bristled, holding both hands out like stop signs. “I can take care of myself.” She was offended he had offered.

  Jake’s quick eyes spied the small pile of slips and tickets on the countertop behind her and insinuated his long arm out and around her, swiping them into his hand.

  “Hey.” She punched his ribs and got a grunt for her efforts, but he didn’t lose the receipts.

  “Seriously?” he scoffed, and shuffled through to the next one. “A second-hand store?” His mouth snapped closed. He looked at the tally on both slips, and she watched a red flush come up his neck. “I spent more than that on scratch tickets last week.”

  “Then you’re a gambling addict,” she spit. “Give them back. It’s none of your business.”

  “Six pairs of socks, three bucks.” Jakes eyes dropped to the next item. “Six pack cotton hipster panties.” He raised his eyes to look into hers. “White. Eight-eighty-seven.” Before she could squeak, he’d gone on to her thrift shop receipt. “Shirt, shirt, shirt, pants, pants.” His eyes wandered to the dollars column, and she knew what he saw. The most expensive shirt had been three-twenty-nine.

  He shuffled through the pile, but that was it. They were her only purchases, and she could see him doing the math. “You spent less than thirty dollars on your entire new wardrobe?”

  She braced in a truculent stance as she prepared to defend her purchases.

  “Was there anything you couldn’t find?” he asked, not arguing at all. The question so surprised her that Anna answered before she could think.

  “Winter boots,” she let slip, and snapped her mouth closed. Damn. Why had she told him that?

  ****

  Jake stood still for a moment, hesitating on how to play this. If he made a big deal of it, she might shut down and not follow him. He could tell she was poised for defense. In the end, he went for off-handed casual.

  “Well. Come on then.” He looked around for a purse to snag that, if he grabbed it, would assure her compliance. But he wasn’t surprised he didn’t see one. This female broke the mold. “Let’s go get dinner, after which we’re going boot shopping.” He was damned well going to buy her one or two pairs of the most expensive frigging boots he could find.

  With that thought assuaging his guilt over not assuring she had a nice, new wardrobe, he put on his most stubborn face. The one that always warned his team to back off. In return, he got an eye roll. Figures. His look was lost on Anna.

  “Fine.”

  She surprised him by agreeing. But when he looked a little closer, he noticed the circles that had formed beneath her gray eyes. Apparently, this mostly-goddess got tired. At least too tired to argue. He’d have to file that away for future spats. He heard her sigh.

  “It’s been a long day, and I hadn’t planned on eating anything but cheese and crackers for supper. So an honest-to-God meal would be amazing. Give me a minute to change.” She picked up her laundry and left the room.

  Jake chuckled. She was so far from what he’d expected that his mind continued to be blown. He settled in to wait. Would she take forever fussing, or would she prove to be the anomaly in this as well? Jake had his answer when Anna came back into the room not six minutes later, looking edible.

  She had changed into two of her new purchases. A sheer peasant blouse, white with royal blue stitching. Jake could see her plain white bra under the loose garment, and his cock did a little dance at the innocent garb that really wasn’t. She’d paired that bit of enticement with skinny jeans in a deep burgundy red, and when she turned around to grab her jacket―a down-feathered abomination that had lost its puff, and sported two duct tape patches―her tight little ass practically called his name. It was all he could do not to move forward and grab one pert cheek in each hand. His twitching prick performed the mamba―or was it the mambo? One was a snake and the other a dance. To his happy dick, there was no difference at the moment.

  He managed to look away from her ass long enough to speak. “So where’s the best spot around here to get a steak?” He turned to the door and adjusted himself in a discreet fashion. Nearly, but not quite, missing the troubled look that scooted over Anna’s features.

  “I…I’m not a real fan of steakhouses,” she prevaricated. He wondered what was going on in her head this time.

  “Fish is fine,” Jake responded agreeably.

  When his answer was total silence, the reason hit him over the head. What a callous oaf he could be. If she’d just bought six-dollar socks, chances are, fast food was the only thing in her budget.

  “Listen. Not only am I paying, I’ve been dying to use the new-fangled GPS in my rental.” He didn’t tell Anna that it was a piece of crap compared to the equipment he was used to. “It’ll give us a list of all the area restaurants, and we should try one where you haven’t been.” Which would be easy now that he’d figured out she’d likely never tried any.

  If Anna perceived what he was up to, she chose not to call him on it. In the end, they found a tavern that had been given four stars by the rental car’s device. It was good, plentiful American food, and Jake could tell Anna was more comfortable in the relaxed atmosphere than she would have been in a fancier restaurant. The steaks were good―Anna ate one, which made Jake pleased to be taking care of her…and weirded out that he felt pleased. Just to be contrary and to assure himself he wasn’t vested in her nourishment, he made her pick a loaded baked potato instead of the house salad she’d been about to order. She was painfully thin, with sweet little handful-size breasts, but Jake would love to see a little more meat on her ribs. Not to mention that her exquisite ass could only get better.

  During dinner, he’d done some recon on his cell phone, and found an expensive leather store in a nearby mall in Fairfax. They were having a winter sale on boots, which put most of them in the two- to three-hundred-dollar category, as opposed to the full prices at four and six hundred. Still, he realized, it was an unimaginable amount to Anna. But if he could get her into the store by telling her they were having an enormous sale, everything else would fall into place.

  On the way to the mall, his car mate hummed a little tune under her breath. He grinned in the dark. She must be feeling pretty good. He’d purposely plied her with a couple glasses of wine―which he knew had been an anomaly for her―hoping it would keep her from looking too closely at price tags.

  Jake drove into the mall parking lot. Upon entering, Anna planted herself determinedly in front of the directory, making comments out loud to him of where they could find appropriate footwear. He listened patiently, then took her elbow in a no-nonsense grip.

  ****

  Anna wasn’t alarmed when they wound their way by the discount shoe store. But when they skipped past a national chain anchor, she began to fidget. Still, Jake’s feet didn’t hesitate.

  When he led her into the specialty leather store, momentum was on his side, and by the time she realized where she was, he didn’t allow her to turn tail and run.

  “Jake,” she hissed. “You have no idea how expensive this place is. I might never have stepped foot in here before, but I read magazines. We need to leave. Right now. There’s another anchor store around the corner.”

  Jake shook his head in the negative. “My GPS said this was the best place for shoes and boots.” He wasn’t lying. Anna knew the place was four stars. It also had to be four dollar signs, which meant expensive. They needed to leave.

  Before she could protest, they were approached by a sales associate. “Can I help you find something?” The pleasant young lady glowed. Mostly at Jake. Turning on the charm, he quickly became all business.

  “My girlfriend had all of her shoes stolen.” He smiled while spilling the bald-faced lie, and Anna gaped. Was it that he’d played the girlfriend card, or did she wonder if he’d lost his mind because, really? Who stole peoples’ shoes?

  The clerk, however, ate up every word. “Of course, sir,” she simpered.

  “
We need a pair of dress boots, another pair that will be good in snow, and maybe a few pairs of girlie shoes.” He showed brilliant white teeth to the saleswoman.

  Anna turned to him, grabbed his ears and brought his head down forcibly, whispering furiously. “If you don’t cut the shit, she’s going to orgasm on the spot.”

  Jake succumbed to a coughing fit, while Anna continued her tirade. “If the woman only knew that your charisma and hot-looking package serve as a front for a very bossy man, she’d run the other way.”

  ****

  Wait. Jake’s eyes watered as he continued to splutter. Anna thought he was hot? He felt a shit-eating grin twitching at his lips to be let out. He cleared his throat.

  “You should just get her what she wants,” Jake conceded. He’d play nice. Hell. He felt like keeping his charismatic and hot status for a while.

  “What size are you, miss?” the clerk turned to Anna and questioned, looking down at her feet.

  Jake saw Anna turn red, and also glanced down to find out why. She was wearing canvas sneakers. One with an enormous hole in the right big toe. He wanted to ease her embarrassment.

  “Don’t worry sweetheart, we won’t let them throw away your lucky sneakers.” He patted her shoulder.

  “Thanks,” she breathed. “Six and a half,” she told the clerk.

  The woman nodded and smiled. “I think you’re in luck. We have a lot left in the smaller sizes.” She turned and entered a back room.

  “Maybe she’s not a man-stealing bitch after all,” Anna intoned quietly. Her near-innocent words and quick turnaround almost sent Jake into paroxysms again.

  Jake bit back his amusement, and led Anna to a chair where he had her sit to wait. His normal skepticism returned with his voice. “You’re leaving the choice of boots up to her?” He sat down beside Anna. Any time he’d let a woman drag him shopping, they’d put him through hours of grueling “fun,” choosing, discarding, and choosing again, ad infinitum. He’d never known any woman to trust a salesperson with decisions.

  There was the nail biting again. But this time Jake couldn’t help himself. He reached for, removed, and captured her hand in his, resting it on his muscled thigh. There. Much better.

  “Yeah, because I don’t have a clue where to start.” Anna tried to disengage her hand, but Jake held tight, delighted with himself. Without making a scene, she couldn’t remove it, but she glowered at him, letting him know of her displeasure. “One pair, Jake. One pair and we’re done,” she asserted.

  He let his eyes contemplate the ceiling, refusing to meet hers again. Like hell.

  The saleswoman brought out box after box, and Anna tried them all on. She was made to twirl and model, and despite making pointed, disgusted noises about the prices, seemed to be having some fun. In the end, to keep Anna from her continuous growls of frugality, Jake and the clerk talked right over her head.

  “The tall boot is the only choice for winter.” The saleswoman tapped a long painted nail on her cheek.

  “I was thinking of something vinyl…” Anna attempted to interject.

  Hell no. Not on his watch.

  “These can be made waterproof with the purchase of a special sealant,” the clerk continued.

  “We’ll take them,” Jake asserted. Anna looked like she was about to gag, but at $249.99, Jake felt they were a bargain.

  The amber-colored boot had also been added to his mental pile the minute Anna put them on. They hugged her legs, and pushed her little ass out just enough to make his mouth water. Oh yeah. They were coming home.

  Jake rounded out the two pairs of boots with a pair of short gray leather booties, some silver flats, and a kick-ass pair of ankle-high sneakers in blue. When he pointed to those boxes, indicating their purchases, he didn’t have to wait long for the argument.

  “You are not buying me all of these.” Anna gasped. “Have you gone crazy?”

  Jake knew exactly how to shut her up. He’d been thinking of it since he’d met her, and now was the perfect time to implement his plan.

  “Crazy?” he fake drawled, as much to amuse himself as the salesperson. “Sure am, darlin’. Crazy about you.”

  Before Anna got an inkling of what he planned, Jake leaned over the stack of boxes, gripped her shoulders, and brought his mouth down onto hers in a possessive, searing kiss.

  He’d braced for a slap, but Anna seemed so stunned that, instead of fighting, her eyes closed and her shoulders loosened.

  Jake stilled and absorbed the feeling of her, the rightness of his lips on hers. Delving further, he parted that pretty pink flesh with his tongue. Did he moan, or was it her? And hell, did it matter? Anna met his pressure with aggression of her own, and her fingers came up to fist on his chest and clench at his shirt. They were both breathing hard and nearly panting as she grappled with the hard muscles that lay beneath her hands. But a giggle made Jake pull back and his head snap away, leaving him instantly bereft of Anna’s warmth.

  “I’ll just take these to the register,” the amused voice said. “Anytime you’re ready.” There was the clerk’s snicker again, and Anna wrenched her hands away as if scorched.

  “No.” She shook her head in bewilderment, shakily addressing Jake. “No.” Anna became more firm. “You can’t do that.”

  She looked really spooked, with a plethora of unnamed emotions playing over her face. He wished he knew what she was thinking. But at the moment, he didn’t care. He felt like crowing, and his lungs felt near to bursting.

  He brushed an errant blonde curl behind her ear, as well as swiping a trail of wetness from her cheek where it had spilled over. She shed tears over that kiss? He refused to feel bad.

  “I just did.” His voice was rough. “And you did too.”

  Jake took a long breath and stared down at the petite blonde as she warily eyed him back. Yup. He was in deep shit.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “Got her.”

  Absu bolted upright at the announcement.

  Mike, or Gramps as he was known by his DEA team, had been sitting in the LA office trolling all transportation systems for signs of Charlie, and this was the first good news.

  “She bought a ticket from LAX to Boston that left at two-twenty-five this afternoon.” They all looked at the clock. It was almost five o’clock California time, which meant she’d been in the air two and a half hours, and it was nearly eight o’clock on the East Coast. Gramps turned back to the computer.

  “No. My mistake. Charlie didn’t purchase the ticket. It was bought for her along with two others under the name of Vaughn Kuran.” He looked at Candy and Enlil, the two visible immortals who had made the emergency trip. They conferred via head connection with the invisible Absu and equally corporeally challenged Ishkur.

  Does that name ring any bells? Candy asked the pair.

  It does not, Absu tried to focus, but it was difficult when he found himself unable to breathe. Contact Lenore and Dagon. See if any of Beletseri’s faction is so named.

  Ken, sitting nearby with his head in his hands, suddenly jumped up. He’d been eaten up with guilt and worry since he had been the one to let Charlie slip through his fingers. Though Absu didn’t blame him. If anything happened to Charlie, the fault lay entirely on his own shoulders for his reprehensible behavior the previous night.

  All eyes turned to the agent as he barked, “What was the name on the third ticket?”

  Gramps tapped back a few screens. “Teri,” he answered. “Teri Kuran.”

  “Shit. Teri was the alias your Beletseri was using at Charlie’s book club.”

  “Not our Beletseri,” Candy groused, then shushed everyone as Absu and the other gods received an incoming message from Dagon at the compound.

  Lenore and I are sure that your Vaughn Kuran is Matthew Von Kuran, my ex-employee. That means he’s with Beletseri, and they have Charlie.

  Absu’s gut clenched, but Candy was quick on the uptake. “What time does that flight get in to Logan?” she asked Gramps. A few more clicks
and he had the information.

  “Ten forty-five Boston time, two and a half hours from now.”

  Absu remained silent as Candy instantly relayed the information back to the Blue Hills. The plane lands at ten forty-five. Mobilize everyone now. We’ll all be there to meet that plane.

  Marduk’s voice of reason entered the fray. Not a good idea, he reminded them. Beletseri will feel our god energy the minute she lands. Who knows what she’ll do to Charlie if she senses us hovering. She’s not allowed to kill her, but she sure as hell won’t give her up without making a huge public scene with lots of collateral death and destruction.

  Absu swallowed bile as Candy quickly translated for the worried agents crowding around before asking, “Any ideas?” She clearly didn’t expect any. After all, Absu thought, what could the agents do a coast away?

  “I do.” Emiliano, fondly known as Flick, looked excited. “I talked to Jake today. He and Anna Kensilton are getting on a plane in Virginia tomorrow, headed toward Boston. But if we call him right now…” He looked to Gramps again. “Is there a flight from Dulles into Boston that can get Jake there by ten-thirty?”

  “Yup.” Gramps had already punched in the numbers. “Here’s one that departs Dulles at eight fifty-nine. Gets to Boston at ten twenty-two. Twenty minutes to spare for Jake to intercept the kidnappers.”

  Absu did the math again. It was just after eight in Virginia. Jake would have to haul ass from the sticks to make a nine o’clock flight.

  Flick was immediately on the phone. “Where are you?” he barked, putting the call on speaker for the room. Was that a sigh from Jake at the other end of the line?

  “Shopping.” The DEA boss sounded put out. Absu would be pissed off, too, if he had to spend the evening at a mall.

  “Shopping where?” Flick got back to the point. “We have trouble.”

  Absu could almost feel the electricity snap over the line.

  “I’m in Fairfax, Virginia,” Jake snapped, instantly alert. “Where do I need to be?”