Dangerous Misery (The Harcourte Vampyre Society Book 3)

by Kelley, Morgan

  He stared at her.

  Two could play this game.

  “Sure, my gentle little lamb. Make me whatever you’re having,” he said, noticing that Jolie was trying not to laugh. There was no doubt that she was trying to calm him down with humor.

  When she turned around, he swatted her possessively on her ass. The slap was loud and echoed through the room.

  She turned and stared at him. “Oh, you’re bold today.”

  Flynn simply grinned.

  Then, he turned to face the detective. In his mind, he heard her laughter and scolding. Only, that didn't matter. He wanted the man to get the picture.

  Jolie Harcourte was taken.

  For the rest of eternity…

  Jolie carefully constructed a sandwich for her mate. She was worried about him. In all honesty, she couldn’t recall the last time she’d seen him eat.

  If he was solely using blood as nourishment, that couldn’t be good.

  Could it?

  It was hard not to enjoy that little gift.

  Jolie loved how he was morphing into one of them. Damn her straight to hell, but she was thrilled.

  When he returned, she had just placed the sandwich down on the table and was sitting down with a cup of tea.

  “Hey! You really made me lunch!”

  Jolie laughed at the look on his face. “I’m the undead, Flynn, not incompetent. Don’t look so amazed that I can slap dead animal on two slices of bread.”

  He sat down and stared at the sandwich. In all honesty, it did nothing for him, but he was going to eat it anyway. Jolie had made it for him, and it was the least he could do. “Mmmmm... I don’t know when I ate last,” he mumbled, chewing on the rare roast beef.

  “I know,” she stated.

  He stopped chewing. “Why do I feel like there’s a discussion somewhere between me eating and you staring?”

  “I feel bad about that,” she admitted.

  He placed his sandwich down. “Why?”

  Jolie took a deep breath. “Can I be brutally honest?”

  For some reason, that sentence made him want to freak out.

  “Yes.”

  “If I could, I’d make you fully one of us--more than you already are. I’d steal the food from you and have you consume only my blood.”

  He stared at her.

  “Does that make me a horrible mate?”

  He ran his fingers across her cheek. “No. It doesn’t. It’s nothing I haven’t already thought about. I wish it was true.”

  Leaning down, he ran his mouth across hers.

  “I love you, Jolie.”

  She loved him too. He’d snuck beneath her defenses and found permanent residency in her heart.

  Jolie would die for him.

  “You taste garlic-y.”

  He laughed. “I hope that vampyre myth about it repelling you isn't true,” he stated.

  Jolie was amused. Her Flynn always had a witty comeback. “No, it’s not even close.”

  He stared at her. “I need to hear you say it,” Flynn demanded.

  Jolie reached into his mind to find what he longed for most. Then, she realized she didn't return his sentiment.

  “I love you, Flynn.” Touching his head, she sent him everything that was in her heart for the man.

  He was awash in emotion.

  When Jolie broke away, there was peace in his eyes. “Thank you.”

  “About before.”

  He wasn’t going to apologize for being possessive. “Think of it this way. At least it was only a slap on the ass.”

  “I wasn’t talking about that. I liked it.”

  He started choking on his sandwich. “Holy shit! Please tell me you’re not kidding.”

  Jolie winked at him. “You can put your hands on me anytime, Detective. This time though, I was referring to the detective.”

  “You’re mine. I mean ours, and I protect our woman. He was staring at you like you were a snack. Discussion is closed.”

  She was more than okay with it.

  Jolie gave up. She knew that since coming home, she felt off balance. It was time to trust her mates to lead them through this. Jolie, for the first time in her centuries, was feeling lost.

  When he was done eating, Jolie offered him her hand. “I’m going to rest.”

  “I’ll join you. I plan on watching over you both while you’re with death. In fact, I’ll have Chloe come keep me company. I can keep an eye on her.”

  “Just be careful. She’s a bomb waiting to go off.”

  He was well aware, but it was better to know where she was, instead of not having a clue. It was a chance he’d have to take.

  At the kitchen door, he stopped.

  “What?”

  Flynn didn't reply. Instead, he swept Jolie into his arms.

  “Why are you carrying me?” she asked, giggling.

  “Well, I owe you because you made me lunch.”

  “You don’t have to do that, Flynn.”

  Brogan nipped her ear. “I’m well aware that I don’t have to do anything I don’t want, but maybe I just really need to hold you in my arms.”

  He wiggled his eyebrows.

  Jolie laughed all the way to their room. When he tucked her in, she felt so incredibly safe.

  And loved.

  She was a lucky vampyre.

  Indeed…

  * * * H a r c o u r t e * * *

  Thursday Afternoon

  It was happening again.

  Jolie could hear her name being called from somewhere past the darkness.

  Something was wrong.

  The family wouldn’t be waking her twice in one day unless there was a dire situation.

  Jolie surfaced with a gasp, and immediately she was worried. Not only was there fear reverberating through the room, but Chloe was touching her.

  Quickly, she pulled her hand away, just in case.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked

  “We can’t find Mathew!”

  Jolie was pretty sure that she heard her wrong. “What do you mean you can’t find Mathew?” she asked, shock filling her voice.

  Chloe looked around nervously. “I mean just that, Mistress. He’s nowhere in the house. I went to thank him for watching over me, and he was missing. I searched the entire house. I can’t feel him.”

  That made her sick to her stomach.

  “Oh God! Where’s Flynn?”

  “The detective is searching the property now, but I can already tell that he won’t find him. I scanned, and Mathew isn't here. Someone took him.”

  She knew they didn't have much time.

  Rolling over, Jolie sent energy into her mate. When Jacques’s eyes popped open, she could see the alarm.

  “What’s happened? I feel the fear.”

  “Mathew’s gone!”

  His body reacted to her panic laced words. Gone was the waking mate, and now he was in guardian mode. “We have to find him,” he said, springing from the bed. With fast efficient steps, he was inside the closet to retrieve clothing for both of them.

  Jolie wasn’t pleased. “Someone took him while we slept. It had to be the vampyre who was wandering around our home.”

  He returned from the closet. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence,” Jacques stated.

  “How could they gain access?” she asked, pretty sure she had her own answer to that particular question.

  Jacques hated to admit it, but it looked like they’d made a tactical error. Someone slipped past their defenses. “We seem to have been betrayed again, my love.” His eyes met hers as he pulled on dress pants. “We received a new donor, and then are betrayed in under twelve hours.”

  Jolie wasn’t happy--at all.

  If he was right, they had the enemy under their own roof. This could have been a million times worse. Now, they needed to rectify it.

  Someone had to pay.

  “I need to speak to Jasmine. We have to find out more about this woman. If Margharite has done this, I need to know why. If s
he came from your sister’s family, she would have no reason to betray us.”

  Jacques agreed.

  They heard him approach and from his angry footfalls, his mood was evident.

  Brogan entered, and his face said it all.

  He was three days past angry. In fact, he looked ready to kill.

  “Flynn,” she began, hoping to offer him some reassurance. While they knew this wasn’t his fault, her detective would carry the blame on his shoulders.

  This would insult his sensibilities as a cop.

  Someone came into their home, while he was awake, and took one of their vampyres. It was a personal affront to him.

  He didn't let her continue, since he already knew what she was going to say. Instead, he opted to get down to business. “There was definitely someone here. When I searched the perimeter, I found tire tracks. They’re fresh.”

  They listened and dressed.

  “I owe you both an apology. It was my job to keep the family safe. I was so worried about Chloe that I didn't think they’d strike at one of the vampyres.”

  They didn't blame him.

  “I failed you.”

  “No, you didn't. No one would have suspected that someone was after Mathew,” she stated. “You were doing your job. Now we have to figure out who and why.”

  “Who would do this?”

  They didn't have to say a word. Their silence spoke volumes.

  “You suspect Margharite?”

  “Yes,” they said in unison.

  He looked enraged. As he headed toward the door to hunt her down, Jolie’s calm voice called to him.

  “Please get the other two vampyres and bring them here. They’re likely still with death, so you may need to carry them.”

  He didn't argue. “Yes, Jolie.”

  They waited for him to leave.

  Jolie called for Mina so she could feed. Plus, she wanted all of their family in one location, just in case.

  By the time Flynn returned, carrying both vampyres over his shoulders, Jolie was ready.

  “First things first. I need to contact Jasmine. She might give us some insight in to this woman.”

  Jacques tossed her the cell phone.

  Jolie dialed, trying to be patient with the human who answered the phone. It wasn’t easy, since time was of the essence. “I don’t care that she’s with death. Wake her.”

  They all heard the anger in her voice. If that wasn’t evident enough, then the crackling of energy gave it away. As she paced the room, it vibrated around her.

  Death wasn’t happy.

  Neither was Jolie.

  Finally, Jasmine was on the phone.

  “I’m sorry to make you rise early, Jasmine, but we have a huge problem here.”

  “Jolie, what’s wrong? Is my brother hurt?”

  “No, but the woman you sent to us, Margharite, where did you find her?”

  Jasmine paused a minute. “Wait! What’s happened?”

  “My donor just woke me. It seems that one of our family is missing. He’s been taken, and I can’t reach him.”

  “Mon Dieu! I’m sorry, Jolie. I can’t believe that Margharite would do such a thing. You have to be mistaken. She’s been with our family for over thirty years! I trust her unequivocally.”

  Jolie froze in her spot at Jasmine’s words. “What? Thirty years? How old is Margharite?”

  There was a pause. “She has to be almost fifty by now. She is the sweetest woman, and so maternal. I can’t imagine that she’d betray my brother’s mate and our family by doing this.”

  Something didn't add up.

  “Jasmine, please describe Margharite for me.”

  There was another pause. “She’s short, has curly auburn hair, and brown eyes. She’s like a mother here in our house. She couldn’t have done this, Jolie!”

  She glanced over at both her mates, and they shared a single look.

  “Bloody hell.” whispered Flynn, hearing the description.

  Jolie finally understood. “Shit! We didn’t get Margharite, Jasmine. We invited someone else into our home. Someone knew I was looking for a new donor. They took yours and left me with a betrayer. Last night, while we were at the ball, we had an intruder. They must have switched the women then.” Jolie began pacing again, frustrated that she wasn’t more careful.

  “Jolie, I’m sorry about all of this. I should’ve escorted Margharite over personally. Can I help you find your missing family member?”

  “No, I’m going to handle this one personally. I know exactly what we need to do, but I really need a favor from you, Jasmine.”

  “Anything, especially after all this. I feel responsible.”

  “I need you to keep quiet. If it gets out that we’ve lost one of our own, the council will see it as an opportunity not to trust us.”

  Flynn stared at her. He understood what she was implying. This little mess showed weakness. They couldn’t risk it.

  “I understand. Is there anything else I can do?” Jasmine asked.

  Jolie motioned to Chloe to cover her ears before she continued, “I need Belladonna’s home address.”

  She rattled it off.

  Jolie glanced over at her mates, placing her hand over the phone. “BRING THE BETRAYER TO ME!”

  The energy in the room changed. The predator crept to the surface and waited with Death, just below her skin. There was no doubt that someone was dying.

  And it wasn’t going to be Mathew.

  Both men left the room to do her bidding.

  Jolie focused on the call. “If I find Margharite alive, I’ll return her to your family. I can’t promise my enemy hasn’t killed her.”

  “I understand, Jolie. If she’s alive, keep her there with you. I can vow that she’s a reliable donor who won’t betray you.”

  Jolie had to trust her friend. After all, they were family. “Thank you, Jasmine. I appreciate that. I’ll call you later.”

  “Be safe, Jolie,” she stated before hanging up.

  For now, she needed to help the women who were pulling from death on their bed. Clariel and Trina were going to be incredibly distraught when they found out what had happened.

  When they opened their eyes, Jolie was sitting beside them.

  “Where are we?” Clariel asked, looking around.

  Trina was no fool. “What happened?”

  There was no point lying to them. It was time to be one hundred percent honest. “We’ve been betrayed. Margharite isn’t who she says she is, and now Mathew’s missing.”

  They both gasped.

  “You have to find him, Mistress!” begged Trina, staring imploringly at Jolie. “Please. He’s like our brother.”

  She was well aware.

  Then their focus was drawn to the door as their masters carried the struggling woman into the room. Flynn had her by the arms, Jacques by the legs.

  When she was haphazardly dropped to the floor both female vampyres hissed as they moved toward the woman.

  Clariel and Trina were out for blood.

  “I’m sorry, but you can’t hurt her. Not until I get what I need.”

  They backed off.

  Jolie stared down at the fighting woman. She was trying to kick Jacques, all the while clawing at Flynn.

  Neither man flinched. After all, she was merely human.

  They weren’t.

  When she tried to bite Flynn’s arm, Jolie had about enough. Grabbing the woman by the leg, she lifted her in the air. As the betrayer hung upside down, Jolie let the anger flow from her and into the woman.

  Death didn't care if dinner was human or vampyre. It was hungry, and that’s all that mattered.

  The betrayer screamed to be set free.

  That wasn’t happening.

  “Who the hell are you?” asked Jolie, as she shook her. They could hear the woman’s teeth rattling.

  “You know who I am. I told you last night. I’m Margharite, and I was sent here because you needed a donor.”

  Jolie’s laughter fi
lled the room. It was kissed with darkness and anger. The touch of death laced the harmonious sound as it caressed everyone’s flesh.

  The two lesser vampyres shivered at the power.

  “Someone didn't do their research on me,” Jolie stated. “If you did, you’d know that I don’t tolerate such nonsense. You’re lying, and that needs to end here and now.”

  The woman didn't say anything, but she finally looked scared.

  That pleased Jolie. Before this was over, she should be terrified. Someone was going to die.

  “I want the truth,” she said, her voice echoing through the room. If need be, she’d use vampyre gifts to get what she wanted. They needed to find Mathew, and fast.

  “I’m not Margharite,” she offered, obviously against her will. Her tongue and brain weren’t her own.

  “Why are you here?”

  “I was sent to get access to your home.”

  Jolie was sick of waiting. Instead, she passed the woman off to Jacques before crouching down to be face to face with her. “This is going to hurt,” she promised.

  With that, she ripped into her mind, seeking the facts.

  The woman screamed in pain.

  Jolie found what she was looking for. “So, your real name is Lara. It seems, my loves, that we were right. There was a vampyre outside our house. In fact, there were a few of them. Morden sent some of his underlings to plant her in our presence.”

  Flynn knelt beside Jolie. “How did he know we needed a donor?”

  Jolie pointed at the woman. “Ask her, my love.”

  Flynn focused on the upside down woman. The blood was rushing to her head, and she looked to be in distress. “Tell me,” he said, hearing his own voice. It didn't sound like him, but it seemed to be working.

  “I was just to get them access. I was going to knock and try to lure one of them outside. Instead, the donor approached. They grabbed her and read her mind. That’s how I got access.”

  Jolie dug deeper into her mind, continuing to search her memories. Lara indeed had invited Belladonna’s guardians into the house at dawn, so they could take Mathew. She had even supplied the location where he had been resting. Mathew was nothing more than a bargaining chip.

  “So, you needed him to lure me out?” asked Jolie, the anger and Death fighting beneath her flesh to see who would break free first.