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Brazen Temptation [Temptation, Wyoming 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More)

Page 23

by Zoey Marcel


  Her eyes were open, but she appeared drowsy and her neck bled profusely. He took off his shirt in haste, realizing that he’d stopped bleeding and his injury was completely healed. There must have been some kind of powerful magic in her blood to heal him so swiftly and efficiently. He pressed his shirt against the bite marks in her neck and applied pressure.

  His eyes burned with grief and regret. “Oh god, Claire, I’m so sorry.”

  Chapter Eleven:

  Redemption

  Joaquin didn’t think about the skeletons that may or may not have been guarding the cellar door. He didn’t even consider the wage of running into them again if they were posted out there waiting for him. He simply bolted through and rushed out into the now empty main area where Nex stood over a pile of bones with a mallet. The skeleton hand crept over to him across the floor and he whacked it with the destructive instrument, halting the bones in their path.

  “Where is Dakarai?” Joaquin asked.

  “He’s guarding the skeletons. We got them trapped in one of the private rooms until we can figure out how to get rid of them. Who are you calling?”

  Joaquin grabbed his cell phone off the bar counter. “911.”

  “What is that?”

  “It’s an emergency number.”

  “No one will be able to get in here. Call someone who can help us end this.”

  Joaquin thought for a moment and pulled out the member directory. He found Hilary, the witch’s, number and dialed. “Hilary, we need your help.”

  “Who is this?”

  “Joaquin.”

  “Oh, hello. How are you on this fine day?”

  “Shitty. We had Cory drive out that bitch who possessed Claire, but now she’s raised a skeleton army.”

  “You had Cory perform a reverse exorcism? That fox doesn’t know anything about spells. How did he manage?”

  “He used one of your spell books, but he left it here and now Rochelle has used it to summon bones to life.”

  “Why don’t you simply exit the premises?”

  “We can’t. She has some sort of barrier placed over the club so we can’t get out and nobody can get in. How do we shut it down?”

  “Ask her how to kill the damned bones,” Nex whispered loudly.

  “How do we stop the skeletons?” Joaquin asked.

  “The only way to stop them is to kill Rochelle.”

  Nex scowled. “She’s already dead. We saw her floating around commanding the bones. She’s a ghost now.”

  “She’s a ghost now. How do we stop her?” Joaquin interrogated.

  “Most people go to heaven or hell when they die,” Hilary explained. “The only reason they would be bound to this earth is if they died a violent or tragic death and feel they have unfinished business here. Is she seeking revenge on someone or sticking around for an old flame?”

  “She wants revenge on Claire and she lost someone a long time ago.”

  “You need to find out what drives her. She won’t rest until she has her vengeance or her soul has peace. She must confront the issue that binds her to this earth and only after doing so will she be free to move on to the afterlife.”

  “If it’s revenge she wants, she can go to hell. No one is harming Claire,” Joaquin snarled.

  Nex appeared to be brainstorming. “What if it’s not revenge keeping her here? What if it’s her deceased fiancé that Claire was telling us about? David.”

  “Why would she be trapped on this earth when her fiancé is already dead? Wouldn’t she rather join him?” Joaquin reasoned.

  Hilary spoke from the other end. “Either she lingers because of a vendetta or she stays because someone is keeping her here. How did her fiancé die?”

  “In a car accident.”

  “Was he happy when he died?”

  “Who the fuck is happy about getting into a wreck?”

  “I mean was he on good terms with this Rochelle when he died?”

  “How should I know?”

  “I could get into her head and try to find out what I can,” Nex said eagerly. “I know a spell for that.”

  “Hilary, he—”

  “I heard him. He used it on me once before when I tried to get into his head for a spell he stole from me,” said Hilary. “Try to get this David’s last name if you can and find out what he looked like.”

  Joaquin turned to see Claire standing there dressed again. His blood ran even colder when he saw that her eyes were white. Rochelle possessed her. She attacked Nex and he fought with her, knocking her to the ground beneath him and holding her down when she tried to claw at him.

  “She’s possessed Claire again!”

  Hilary sounded pleased. “Splendid.”

  “How is that splendid?” Joaquin felt irate.

  “The ghost must possess someone in order for Nex to get into her head. Tell him to do it as quickly as possible.”

  “I think he already is.”

  Nex stared into Claire’s eyes with a palm on her head and the other hand clasped around her wrists to steady her struggles. “Fallon. His name was David Fallon. They were inseparable. They had a fight about a week before their wedding. He went for a drive and died in a car accident. She had a few dreams about him before her soul became trapped in Claire’s body. She dreamed he was a ghost and he was stuck on this earth, trying to communicate with her but unable to do so. She doesn’t want to pass on to the afterlife until she knows for sure where he is.”

  “Did you get all that?” Joaquin asked.

  “Aye. You need to summon this David Fallon’s ghost so their souls can find peace and they can pass on to the afterlife like they were meant to,” Hilary explained.

  Joaquin spun around to see Claire blow a gust of flurries into Nex’s face. He jumped to escape them and she sprang up and blew a stream of frozen slush that quickly encased him in a block of ice from the neck down. Only his head remained unfrozen, but he was immobilized.

  Joaquin had forgotten soul devourers were capable of breathing ice. He also knew succubi could breathe fire. If Rochelle figured that out, he was in trouble. She walked into the other room.

  “She just froze Nex. Tell me what to do to summon David Fallon’s ghost.”

  “Well, if he was a ghost capable of materializing and speaking with mortals this would be much easier, but since he is unable to do so on his own you will have to help him.”

  “How do I do that?”

  “You have to let him possess you.”

  * * * *

  Nex watched Joaquin end the call on his cell phone and look toward the stage. He glanced over in horror to see Claire with an epic-looking battle-ax headed toward the hall where Dakarai blocked the skeletons from escaping.

  “Dakarai! Rochelle possessed Claire! She has an ax!” Nex yelled in warning.

  Dakarai hollered back in some sort of African dialect before responding in English. “Nex, come help me! They’re getting stronger!”

  “I’m stuck in ice! Joaquin—”

  Joaquin was chanting in some kind of unfamiliar language. A spooky shriek sounded and he jolted suddenly, eyes turning black. His voice sounded the same, but Nex sensed an unknown presence inside of Joaquin.

  “Rochelle!” Joaquin called to her.

  Claire stopped suddenly as if she sensed an unexpected presence or rather Rochelle did from within her.

  “Pooky bear,” he breathed in awe as he slowly closed the distance between them.

  Her eyes widened and her lips parted in shock. “David?”

  He stepped onto the stage with her. “Yeah, it’s me, pooky. God, I’ve missed you. I’ve spent the past three years trying to contact you.”

  Her eyes welled. “I saw you in my dreams for a little while.”

  “I’m so sorry about what happened that night at the bachelor party. I told the guys I didn’t want a stripper, but they got me one anyway. I’ve hated myself for that ever since.”

  “It was only a lap dance.”

  His eyes looked pained. �
��But it was wrong and I hurt you. All those times I saw you contemplating suicide after my death. I might have killed you over some stupid mistake I made.”

  She stepped closer and ran her palms up his chest. “But you didn’t. You stopped, like I knew you would. You sent her away before she could take her clothes off and you had the decency to tell me about it. How many guys are that honest?”

  His eyes got misty and he threw his arms around her tightly. “But I still hurt you and you said you hated me for it. You don’t know how bad that feels. I got in my car and sped to tell you how I felt about you and beg forgiveness, but I got in a wreck and…I can’t bear the thought of you hating me.”

  She pulled back and gently caressed his face as she looked lovingly into his eyes. “I don’t hate you, David. I was angry back then, but I never stopped loving you. I forgive you.”

  His eyes closed briefly and he smiled in relief as tears of joy trickled down his cheek. “Thank you.”

  A look of regret spread over her countenance. “I’ve done terrible things since I lost you. Things I’m too ashamed to repeat aloud.”

  He tilted her chin so she met his loving gaze. “It doesn’t matter, Rochelle. I forgive you too. I just want to be with you forever. Just you and me.”

  Their lips met and their mouths slowly devoured each other. Nex watched as a golden light floated up from Claire’s body and a blue light seeped from Joaquin before the two lights mingled together to form a brilliant green flash of light before disappearing. David and Rochelle had found each other again and were finally at peace.

  “The skeletons are dead!” Dakarai hollered from down the hall. He came out to the main area. “Nex, what the devil were you doing when I called for you?”

  His eyes widened in astonishment when he saw Nex trapped in a block of ice.

  “I would have come to your aid, but the ice was too thick.”

  “I’ll get a drill and get you out. Then we need to bury those bones far away from here.”

  Joaquin and Claire slowly pulled back from their long French kiss. She had two bite marks on her neck. Nex hadn’t noticed them earlier, but now they were bleeding.

  Joaquin seemed worried. “Claire.”

  Her eyes became hooded and she smiled warmly at him. “You stopped. I told you you would.”

  She collapsed in his arms, seeming exhausted and faint.

  “Claire! You need to get her to the hospital,” Dakarai urged. “The force field that blocked us in should be gone now that Rochelle is.”

  “Claire! What the devil have you done to her?” Nex yelled at Joaquin. He knew those marks had come from a vampire bite. He also knew Claire looked weak and pale. If she died, he would kill the bloodsucker slowly and painfully.

  * * * *

  Claire was almost fully healed by the time they reached the hospital in Jackson Hole, but Joaquin insisted she get medical attention anyway. Due to her supernatural nature and the good doctor and nurses looking after her, she was fully recovered within hours, which surprised them, but they required her to stay overnight just to be sure she was really okay.

  Joaquin stayed by her side, seeming tormented over his part in all of this, but Claire didn’t blame him in the least. She was the one who provoked him to feed on her, after all.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked, appearing anxious.

  She gave him a friendly smile to settle his nerves. “I’m fine. I’ve been possessed before, so it’s nothing new to me, but it must have been exciting for you.”

  He managed a weak smile, but the evidence of torture never left his gray eyes. “How could she forgive that douche for betraying her trust like that?”

  Claire knew this was about more than his observation of David and Rochelle. “Because he was honest with her about his weakness and had the courage to admit he was wrong for hurting her and the self-control to know when to stop.”

  “She should never trust him again.”

  “She will.”

  “A relationship cannot stand when there is an absence of trust.”

  “That’s the beauty of forgiveness. It’s stronger than our mistakes, and the same love that moves us to pardon one another will bring us to trust each other again. I think they’ll be a much stronger couple now because of it.” She hoped she was getting through to him. The look of despair on his handsome face broke her heart.

  “I never killed a single citizen of Temptation,” Joaquin said quietly without looking at her. “I just wanted you to know that…before you leave.”

  His words startled her. “I believe you, but I wasn’t planning on leaving…unless you want me to.”

  His eyes looked moist, but he didn’t shed a tear. “I think it’s for the best.”

  “Well, I don’t.”

  “Don’t argue with me, Claire.”

  “I can leave after the show if it’s what you really want.” She nearly choked on her own words.

  “You’re leaving this morning after they let you out of here. I’ll have Nex bring your car over with your things packed in it for you. I’m sure he’ll want to go with you.”

  “What about the show?”

  “Forget the show. Nothing is worth losing your life over. I can postpone the show until a later date and find a new sub to replace you.”

  His words proved devastating and she felt as though he’d ripped the heart from her chest. She watched him stand and set an envelope on the table next to her bed.

  “This is a check for all your hard work. It’s not a house, but it’s more than enough to get you a nice place to live, wherever you and Nex decide. I really do appreciate all you’ve done.”

  Well, that was just peachy. Exactly what she wanted—for one of the men she loved to just hand her a check and appreciate the services she’d rendered to him and then walk away to find another sub to replace her.

  Had he even read that heartwarming note she’d left for him on his pillow? He might not have had time with the whole Rochelle fiasco earlier, but what if he had? Apparently her reasons for respecting him didn’t mean jack to him. She knew he was only doing this to protect her, but she loathed the thought of him training another woman to be his slave. Didn’t the dick have any sense of loyalty?

  Then again, it had been a business arrangement and he never even collared her. Had his bloodlust merely blinded him and given him warm, fuzzy feelings for her like human minds often became clouded when they were physical with someone?

  Joaquin stood in the doorway, looking as though he were dying inside. “I’m going to go now, Claire. Are you going to be okay?”

  Whether he was protecting her or rejecting her, the bottom line was that his decision was final. He may be walking away, but in her heart he would always be her Dom and there was only one way to answer him. She closed her eyes to hold back the threatening tears. “Yes, Master.”

  * * * *

  Joaquin made it home just before dawn. Claire would be leaving the hospital with Nex and they would drive away and live a good life together. He wished them well. He also wished the damned ache in his chest would stop. He had Dakarai and she had Nex. They loved their partners and it was much safer for Claire to get as far away from him as she could.

  Joaquin went into his room, kicked off his shoes and lay down on the bed on his back. Dakarai would bring him comfort through all of this, but why the hell did he have to have those same feelings for Claire? He only needed one partner, so why did he want them both?

  She had broken down and bawled all over him the first time he told her he was sending her away after the show. She clung to him on the balcony, almost hysterical with sorrow at the thought of leaving him. But there in the hospital bed she had only offered a slight protest before finally agreeing with him.

  “Yes, Master.”

  Joaquin normally loved hearing those words from her, but when she’d spoken them to him this morning he hated them. He’d always sought her obedience, but in that single moment he wanted her to cuss him out and tell him all the reaso
ns why they made sense together. But she couldn’t give him one, because in her heart she must have known that it was wiser if they just stayed away from each other. Damned logic.

  He noticed an envelope with his name on it lying near him. It looked like Claire’s writing and when he unfolded the paper inside he saw it was titled Seven Reasons to Respect My Master.

  He recalled the writing assignment he gave her yesterday after he made her take that ice-cold shower as punishment for cheating on their contest. He hadn’t gotten a chance to read what she wrote yet, but he was awfully curious. Probably something snarky. She was such a sassy little spitfire. He pushed aside the grief consuming him and read her answers.

  1. I will not disrespect my Master because I promised to be his slave.

  2. I will not disrespect my Master because he brought me to subspace—a place no one else has ever taken me before.

  3. I will not disrespect my Master because he accepts me for who I am.

  4. I will not disrespect my Master because he puts my needs before his own.

  5. I will not disrespect my Master because when I do and I see the disappointment in his eyes it kills me.

  6. I will not disrespect my Master because I want him to keep me forever.

  7. I will not disrespect my Master because I love him.

  Joaquin felt warm droplets spill from his eyes. She wanted to be with him forever. She hadn’t said, “Yes, Master,” because she didn’t care whether or not he sent her away. She said it because she respected him and wanted to keep her promise to him. She was a good slave. The best he’d ever had. Maybe they could—no, he would end up killing her unwittingly. He nearly had yesterday morning.

  Her words rang back in his head. “You stopped. I told you you would.”

  His mind wandered back to the things Dakarai said to him a few minutes ago downstairs. “Through experience and good listening, you have learned Claire’s limits and the pain thresholds of your past subs as well. In time, if you learn to put aside your doubts and listen to yourself, you will come to learn your limits as well. And you will know how much blood you may safely drink from Claire and when to stop.”

 

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