by Leeah Taylor
Damien’s brow went up, and he cocked his head at Juliette. “That sound like an apology?” She shook her head. “Weirdest apology I’ve ever heard. Try again, buddy.”
The man struggled under Damien’s strength. “Fuck, I just offered to buy her a drink.”
“Right, maybe you need a reminder in all the ways that’s not what was happening.” Damien pulled the man’s head back and slammed it down into the bar again. Bone crunched, and the man howled. “Now, apologize.”
“Shit, okay, I’m sorry.”
Damien hauled him to his feet and shoved him hard towards two men. “Don’t show your face in my bar again.”
Juliette paid no mind to the bloody mess beside her and finished her drink.
“Territorial, overprotective Frost.” She smiled, shaking her head. “I had it handled.”
“You did. I just really needed to slam his face into something.”
She signaled the bartender cleaning up the bloody mess for another drink. “Well, knight in shining armor, you’ve rescued the damsel, so you’re free to go do whatever it is you do. I’m sure there are one or two women here tonight who wouldn’t mind your company.”
Damien leaned closer. “And if I want your company?”
“I’m not doing this with you.”
“Doing what?”
“This,” she insisted, gesturing between them. “The game where we pretend we aren’t completely toxic and dysfunctional together.”
“Who’s pretending? I’m not.”
“I told you today, you and me, we’re done, and no amount of pretending otherwise will change it.”
It hurt all over again, and she hated him for making her say it. She didn’t want it to be done. She wanted him to man up and say the damn words. To finally give her what she wanted. What she’d earned. But was it enough?
“Luv, I do care about you.”
“That’s not enough.” She downed the entire drink the bartender just sat in front of her. “I deserve to be loved like I’ve loved you. Unconditionally and irrevocably. Frankly, I’m tired of having the same conversation repeatedly. You’ve made it painfully clear how you feel. Damien, I am tired. Raw. Done.”
She could see his love for her in the way he regarded every word. A plagued darkness loomed in his gaze, fear flickered, and buried too deep beneath it all, his love. He was horrible at hiding raw emotion. Even with a scowl on his lips, Damien’s eyes gave it all away.
He looked away from her. Juliette held her breath, hoping he’d drop it, once and for all, for good. They could not be sucked back into each other. It caused more harm than good. To each other and their family. When he finally stood, she let the breath out.
Damien kissed her on the forehead. “Good night, Jules.”
She needed out of there. Once she’d found Ollie and Riley and convinced them to stay and enjoy themselves, Juliette headed outside where she could breathe. Getting past the crowded entrance was her biggest conquest, but once out on the empty sidewalk, she sucked in a breath. Loving the smell of saltwater in the air. Home.
She wanted to go where she didn’t feel so exposed. Where Damien wasn’t. Give herself a moment to sort out the mess he’d made of her head. Again. He didn’t have the right to say things like he still cared.
Passing the alley next to Juleps a set of hands grabbed her by the arms and jerked her into the shadows. On instinct, her knee jerked up and connected with her attacker with a grunt. It loosened the grip enough for her to wiggle free and bolt for the sidewalk.
Arms wrapped around her waist and snatched her back before she made it the two steps out of the alley. A hand clamped over her mouth and back slammed against the brick wall. Dark gray eyes raged down at her, and she stopped fighting.
“Well now, Kitten, if you’re quite finished…” He swallowed and sucked in a breath. Ramsey eyed her before moving his hand away from her mouth. “Got some damn good reflexes.”
Her hand shot up with purple sparks of energy, and he caught her by the wrist.
“What am I going to do with you?”
He pressed her arms to her chest and used his own body weight to hold her in place. His free hand closed around her throat. It wasn’t suffocating, but it wasn’t gentle either. It was his way of letting her know who was in charge.
Blood roared between her ears as panic set in. She couldn’t overpower him even if she pushed to her limits. He was stronger and had proved it the night at the motel. He could do whatever he wanted if he kept her arms wedged between them.
His lips curled back. “You damn well stop that thinking right now. It’s written all over your face. I may be a bastard, but I’m sure as hell not a monster.”
“You tried to kill me,” she spat out. “Twice.”
“That was business. Doesn’t mean I go around raping women in my free time for shits and giggles. That’s fucking disgusting.” He arched his brow. “Am I hurting you?”
She went to say something then stopped. He wasn’t hurting her. He was almost being purposely gentle.
“What do you want?”
“Rebecca, where is she?”
He’s risking everything for her? Why?
“I don’t know.”
Six feet under where she belongs.
“I want her back, Kitten. I don’t care how you do it, just figure it out.”
“And if I don’t?”
“I’ll have to do something I really don’t want to do.”
“Interesting words coming from a man that attacked me in a motel room, stole my blood, and blew up the witches’ holy place with me and your brother in it. Almost sounds like you give a damn.”
He tightened the grip on her throat enough to gain her full attention, and she gasped.
“Kitten, let’s not test my patience. Hmm?” Ramsey leaned in closer, catching her off guard with the intensity in the way he regarded her. “My brother is a fool.”
She swallowed. “Which one?”
A wicked smile spread across his lips. “Come now, you know which one,” he whispered, his lips over hers. “I’d never deny someone so uniquely beautiful. So fierce. Like a little kitten. I’d make sure you knew how much I loved you every day. I think he owes you that much, don’t you?”
“How long have you known about your brothers?”
He sighed. “Rebecca. I want her back. Do it or the next disaster in Sterling will result in real injury. Don’t force my hand, Kitten.”
“How long, Ramsey?”
“I watched Lucien take Adrian’s head clean off without remorse.”
That was twenty-five years ago!
“Is this really about Lucien killing your father?”
“No.” He shook his head. “It isn’t.”
“Then what?”
“Now if I told you, it’d ruin all the fun.”
He let go of her throat and dragged a knuckle down the side of her face. He didn’t have the look of a villain. Or a monster. His expression was full of adoration, and she didn’t understand.
“We aren’t so different. The witch hybrids. Both locked away out of shame and disgust. I wonder what would have happened if we had been allowed to grow up outside of our locked rooms. Maybe we’d have been friends. Maybe more.”
“You don’t have to do whatever it is you think you do. You can still walk away.”
“No, Kitten, I can’t. I deserve this, and so do they.”
He was being unfair. He couldn’t possibly blame his brothers for the nightmare childhood he’d had. That was on Adrian. They didn’t deserve to die for it. They hadn’t even known about Ramsey. It wasn’t their fault.
He stole her thoughts with a hard but chaste kiss. He made no attempt to invade her with his tongue. Just his lips pressed to hers in an endearing way. Blood roared even louder in her head as her heart slammed in her chest. Pulling away, his eyes met hers with questions in them. He didn’t make sense.
“Who are you, Kitten?”
What does he mean?
The we
ight of his body lessened as he straightened up, holding her arms against her chest with his hand now.
“Behave?”
She nodded, and he let her go.
“I want Rebecca back. If I don’t get her back, this city will pay.”
“My mother’s grimoire?”
“You’ll get it back when I’m done with it.” By the tone in his voice there wasn’t much room for negotiation. “Good night, Juliette.”
Before she could say anything or react, he disappeared. What the hell was that? He wasn’t the monster she’d expected. Not the same man that seemed flippant in the motel or the determined one from Val Valena. Was this the real man behind all of it?
He’s just like his brothers.
She had no idea why he was doing it. All she knew was that Ramsey had her mother’s grimoire. A powerful spell at his fingertips and she didn’t doubt his intelligence to fix it. And she couldn’t kill him until she had the book back. If it fell into any other hands… she shuddered at the thought. It was bad enough that Ramsey managed to get to it.
If they didn’t find him and stop him before he figured out how to fix the flaws, she feared what he might do. It wasn’t for the power of being the all-powerful hybrid. There was too much good in him.
23
Juliette
Juliette walked through the front door in a daze. She’d learned nothing about Ramsey’s motives, and he’d given her no indication of what he might do next. All she knew was that he wanted Rebecca back, and she didn’t want to imagine what it would look like when he found she was dead. Or that she was the one that had killed her.
“Jules?”
Juliette flinched with her hand to her heart. Chelsea sat back in the desk chair with worry etched in the corner of her eyes.
“Didn’t think you’d be home for hours,” Chelsea said. “Are you okay?”
“I just saw Ramsey,” she blurted out.
Her eyes grew wide as they swept Juliette from head to toe.
“Are you okay? What happened?” Chelsea snatched her phone up from the desk and had it pressed to her ear before she made it across the room. “You need to come home.” She hung up. “Did he hurt you?”
“No.” She shook her head. “Actually, he was gentle.”
Chelsea sighed. “I’ll make tea. Come on. Lucien should be here in a few minutes.”
Thank God! She’d never survive Damien right now. He’d go off the deep end and rage about how she should have grabbed one of his guys to walk her home. Freak out that Ramsey even had the opportunity to get close enough.
God, if he only knew how close.
Juliette sat down at the kitchen island and watched as Chelsea navigated the room in one of Lucien’s button-ups, sleeves rolled to her elbows, and shorts. It was a good look on her.
“How long have you two been together?” Juliette asked.
Chelsea set the tea kettle on the stove and turned it on. “Ten years. Kind of.” Juliette cocked her head to the side. “It was all very complicated. Suffice it to say I didn’t make it easy for him.”
She smirked. “Lucien doesn’t give up so easily.”
“No.” Chelsea smiled. “He doesn’t.”
“How long have you been living here?”
“Oh god.” Chelsea grabbed two mugs from the cupboard next to the sink. “I wasn’t, actually. The witches never knew, but since Rebecca blabbed her big whore mouth, now they do.”
“So, you’ll be moving in then?”
“Yeah, I guess so.” She shrugged. “Lucien didn’t ask; he just said ‘we’ll pack your things up tomorrow’.”
“Sounds like him,” Juliette said.
She stole a glance at the closed French doors on the other side of the kitchen table and wondered what it looked like on the other side now.
She sighed. “I don’t want to be Regent.”
“I know.” Chelsea dropped a tea bag in each mug. “But you don’t have much choice. Louisa is already demanding it. Along with handing myself over, of course.”
“That will be a cold day in hell.” Juliette gave a humorless laugh.
“That’s what Lucien told her when he snatched the phone out of my hand and got colorful.”
“Also sounds a lot like him.”
Chelsea only nodded as she took the kettle off the stove. “You want to talk to me about all this shit with Damien while we wait for his more temperamental brother?”
“More temperamental is debatable.” Juliette laughed. “And there isn’t much to talk about.”
“You still love him?”
She kept her eyes down on the counter, tracing a finger over the lines of the tile squares.
“What do you think?”
“I think Damien Frost is a damned fool.”
She burst into laughter. “Ramsey said the same thing. So even the long-lost half-brother knows how much a fool Damien is.”
Chelsea giggled. “Did he seriously?”
“Yep, just before he kissed me.” She gasped and covered her mouth, cursing herself.
Chelsea’s mouth fell open. “He did not.”
“It’s not as juicy as it sounds. It was… chaste.” She buried her face in her hands, mumbling, “I don’t fucking know.”
She couldn’t make heads or tails of it.
The front door opened and slammed shut.
“Chel!” Lucien yelled.
“Don’t say anything,” Juliette hissed.
Chelsea nodded. “We’re in here.”
Lucien rushed into the kitchen, wild-eyed. “Are you okay?”
“All’s well, calm down.” Chelsea chided. “If I was in trouble, I’d have said so.”
He didn’t look convinced, giving her another onceover before pulling her into his arms.
“You scared the hell out of me.” He kissed her on the forehead and glanced over at Juliette. “What happened?”
Juliette told him everything, leaving out the kiss because she didn’t need that drama. Lucien would tell Damien. He listened without interrupting until she finished.
He huffed. “Ramsey risked everything for Rebecca?”
She nodded. “Very adamant he gets her back.”
“Think he needs her for the spell?” Chelsea asked.
“It wasn’t that.” Juliette pulled her mug closer. “He’s more powerful than I am. I can tell you that much. He came for her because he loves her.”
“You think so?” Lucien asked.
“Yeah, I do, and that means I don’t want to imagine what he’ll do when he finds out she’s dead.”
“But he didn’t hurt you?”
“No, he was purposely gentle with me.”
Heat flooded in her cheeks, and Lucien’s brow shot up as he cocked his head.
“And?”
“Nothing. Other than wanting to make you guys pay; he didn’t come across as wanting to hurt anyone.”
Chelsea leaned against the counter. “What do we do? Can’t exactly give her to him.”
“Nothing we can do,” Lucien said.
“Word will travel, if it hasn’t already, about her death. Louisa will make sure of it,” Chelsea said.
“All we can do is be ready when Ramsey strikes back,” he said. “You’re sure you’re okay, Jules?”
She nodded but deep down she was the furthest from it. “Perfect.”
“Still a shitty liar,” Lucien chuckled. “Let Ollie get it out of you.”
Juliette pushed away from the island. “I’m going to go to bed. Maybe tomorrow you and I can try a locator spell.”
Chelsea nodded. “When and where and I’ll be there.”
She said goodnight and headed upstairs. At the top of the stairs she lingered, looking over at the closed door on the other side of the railing. He wasn’t there, and she hated that he wasn’t. It was his home too.
I should just swallow my pride and let him come home.
24
Juliette
The room was too hot even with the doors to the balcony
open. The bed felt like a rock. Sheets itchy. Being back in her old room made her tense. Uneasy. She had hoped when she returned to the house it would feel like home instead it felt empty.
She growled. That son of a bitch.
Even just down the hall there was always a comfort when he was right there. Now he was a block away. Damn it all to hell. Even when she wanted away from him, she wanted him.
She tried closing her eyes, tossing over to her side. Sleep was needed. The purge of magic and emotional suck that were the Frosts had her exhausted. Yet, Rebecca’s dead eyes wouldn’t stop staring back at her. The sound of the crack echoing between her ears creating a ball of hot sickness in the pit of her stomach. It happened so fast. She’d done it without even thinking. Killed her without a thought.
“Damn it,” she muttered under her breath, pushing up in the bed and grabbing her phone.
It was five in the morning. Sleep wasn’t happening. Wonder if Ollie is awake. She got out of bed and crept to her door, trying to be quiet. Peering out into the dark hall, she tiptoed to his door. She knocked before pushing it open.
Nostalgia washed over her. The dark crimson sheets on the bed were the same. He still had the same dark mahogany furniture where she remembered it. The black drapes were pulled closed. A soft light came from the muted flat screen hanging on the wall next to her. The only change was his movie collection that filled the built-in bookshelves on either side of the TV. It had easily doubled.
He looked up from his phone and took off his glasses. Surgical gauze was wrapped around his left hand up to his mid forearm, covering the dark and colorful ink of his full sleeve. He’d carry the scars for the rest of his existence because of her. Guilt swelled up inside of her.
“Hey, Doll.”
She chewed on her bottom lip. Ollie sighed, tossing his glasses and phone on the bed next to him.
“Lonely over in that big room by yourself?”
No, I need you to fix me and put me back together. Make sense of my shattering world. She nodded, hugging herself, afraid if she opened her mouth, nothing would come out but tears.
He patted the spot next to him. “Well, get over here.”
Juliette lingered at the door before going over and crawling up on the bed next to him. With his good arm, Ollie tucked her into his chest and kissed the top of her head.