by Leeah Taylor
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see him; she wasn’t sure if she should see him. She had questions about their last conversation. Not really a conversation when he had his hands wrapped around her throat, but the things he’d said… She needed an explanation.
He declared that she was a weakness, and she needed to know why he felt that way. What about her made her into his weakness?
She eyed Xavier in the rearview mirror. He was leaning back against the hood of his truck parked behind her, his arms crossed over his chest. Wherever she went, he went. Damien wouldn’t have it any other way. With the witches in an uproar not only because she refused to hand Ramsey over but because she refused to enforce the Witch-Vampire union laws, he wasn’t taking any chances.
Louisa had barged in during the last Council meeting, demanding she hand Chelsea over. If it hadn’t been for Damien stepping in Lucien’s path, Juliette would have had one more reason for the witches to march on Juleps with pitchforks.
Sighing, she got out of the truck and pulled the jacket tighter to her body as a cool breeze swept over Sterling bay. Fall had officially arrived, and preparations for the Masquerade were in full swing.
Xavier met her at the door, opening it. “Do you want me to come up with you?”
“Did Damien say you had to?”
He chuckled. “No, but I’d imagine he’d want me to offer.”
“Ramsey can’t hurt me. Not with magic at least. And biting me would do nothing.” She stepped over the threshold. “I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
He nodded. “I’ll be down here if you need me.”
She thanked him and went upstairs. Ramsey didn’t scare her. He seemed like the type that if he wanted her dead, she’d be dead. So far, he’d proven incapable of the task.
Knocking, she slid the door open and stepped inside. “Ramsey?”
The apartment was a small one bedroom, one bath. It had come with the warehouse when the Frosts obtained them. Until a couple months ago, it had sat vacant. Now it was fully furnished with fresh paint and appliances
She closed the door behind her. “Not playing games. You asked for me. Here I am.”
He stepped into the doorway on the other side of the room and leaned into it, taking her in from head to toe.
“Hello, Juliette.”
There was a measure of adoration in his tone that she still didn’t understand but felt familiar, like his brothers.
“Wasn’t sure you’d come.”
She tossed her purse on the couch. “You asked for me.”
“Didn’t mean you had to come,” he said.
Waves of curiosity came off him. She wasn’t sure how she knew it was curiosity any more than she knew when it was anger from Damien. Or joy. Or lust. It had become, oddly, second nature once it was part of her day to day life with Damien.
Though lust or desire had a cloyingly sweet scent too.
“Well,” she said, tossing her arms up, “here I am. What did you want?”
He narrowed his eyes at her before holding up a finger and disappearing. She scanned the room. There wasn’t anything personal in the space. The only exception was a scattering of sketches on the coffee table. She went over to it and picked one of them up. Eyes with a spark of life stared back at her. Long hair plaited over the woman’s shoulder with loose strands framing a youthful face.
“Tess.”
She flinched. “What?”
A gentle smile warmed his features. “My wife, her name was Tess.”
“Oh.” She looked back at the picture. The woman was beautiful. “I didn’t know.”
“Not many do,” he said, taking the page from her and replacing it with a book. “I believe this belongs to you.”
She stared down at it wide-eyed. Marquis scripted in gold across the old leather. “I don’t understand.”
Ramsey chuckled, going over to the kitchen counter. “I told you when I was done with it, I’d return it.”
“But why?” She looked back down at it. “Why not before? It’s half the reason you’re locked up here.”
He shrugged. “I wasn’t done with it.”
God, he’s difficult.
He sat down at the counter. “Kitten,” he paused as if waiting for her to protest the pet name. She had no reason to. It was harmless. “When we first met, did you… was there a familiarity?”
She nodded. “Yeah, you reminded me of your brothers.”
“No,” he sighed. “More than that?”
She wasn’t sure what he wanted her to say. Or what he meant. Between his magic ebbing against hers and the awkward sensation of his emotions, she had no idea what she’d felt that night about him.
“I was set on killing you that night.” He met her stare with more apology. “I promised Rebecca I was going to do it for her, but it was because you were my only real threat.”
The name made her stomach roll and throat tighten against the sickness. She hadn’t thought about Rebecca since the summer. Forcing the guilt for killing her down deep, she took a breath.
“I know why you did it, Kitten, and she knew what to expect if she was caught. Just as I knew, eventually, Rebecca would meet an ugly end.” He cleared his throat. “The point is, I laid eyes on you, and I couldn’t do it.”
“Why?”
“Because you meant something to me, as crazy as that sounds. But it’s what happened. I needed to know why. I still need to know why.” He gestured toward the grimoire. “Ann Marie kept journal entries in there too. I hoped maybe there’d be something there to give me a reason to why you mean so damn much to me. But there’s nothing. A lot of rambling.”
Juliette rolled her eyes. “Because she was a nut.”
“She was driven.” Ramsey smirked. “But I don’t know what it is, Juliette. You are someone to me, and I don’t know what.”
She wouldn’t say it aloud, but there was something, like an odd pull to him. A warmth she felt about him. Like she’d always known him.
“I just want a chance to figure out who you are to me. If it’s nothing, then I’ll concede that I’m obviously crazy, but—”
She swallowed. “You want me to visit?”
“Only if you want. A chance to get to know you. I’m not a monster, Kitten, despite my actions.”
“I know.” She half-smiled. “Damien is quite fond of you,” she sighed. “As long as you promise to behave.”
He held his hands up. “I swear that I can be a perfect gentleman.”
She could give him that. There wasn’t much animosity she held toward him. He had done what he felt was the only way. The motivation still wasn’t clear, but if Damien managed to form a relationship with his baby brother, it meant only one thing. Eventually, when the witches had been dealt with, Ramsey would become a part of their family in some way.
Grabbing her purse from the couch, she went for the door. “You have a mountain of work ahead of you to earn trust.”
He nodded. “I’m willing to do the work. I want to be a part of my brothers’ life. And yours, Kitten.”
She pulled the door open, looking back at him. “I’ll come by next week. Get a chess board or something. Haven’t had a good opponent in a long time.”
He chuckled. “I’ll let my caretaker know.”
She left with answers to some questions but more questions too. Ramsey wasn’t going anywhere, that much she knew. Lucien was adamant about giving him a genuine chance to have what he’d fought so hard for. If it were anyone else, Ramsey would probably be dead, but he was somehow lucky enough to get the Frosts as family.
Xavier opened the door before she had a chance.
He eyed her. “Go well?”
“It did actually,” she said, tucking the grimoire into her bag and taking out her phone to text Damien.
On my way home. She hit send and went for her truck.
“You can go home, Xavier,” she opened the driver door. “I think I can drive home just fine.”
“All the same, Miss Juliette, I’ll mak
e sure you get there safely.
The phone chimed, and she smiled warmly at Xavier with a nod before getting the truck.
Good, I have a surprise for you, Damien had texted back.
Of course, you do. She smiled, tucking her phone in her bag.
Damien watched her watch him in wild curiosity as he chopped the garlic and then the onion. It wasn’t exactly a secret he’d meant to keep, but it was never something he shared either. He liked to cook. It kept him grounded. Like painting.
“You look slightly horrified, Luv,” he chuckled, sliding the knife across the cutting board over the skillet to add the onion.
“I kinda am.” She watched him. “How did it even become a thing?”
He went to the sink and dropped the cutting board into it. With a shrug, he turned on the water.
“I didn’t sleep much after I sent you away, and I’d end up at Shirley’s in the middle of the night. Drinking coffee like a fiend one night and her cook didn’t show. A rush of classic Juleps good and hammered came in, and I don’t know…I just got behind the counter and started cooking. Eventually, I was doing it so often she finally just fired the cook and let me do it.”
“I thought you guys stopped going to Shirley’s?”
Damien tossed the dish rag down. “Lucien went sporadically. Usually when Ollie made him. And Ollie still went early in the mornings for his coffee. We just stopped going as a family.”
She looked away. “I’m sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing? I’m the one that sent you away,” he said.
“Well, you wouldn’t have had to if…” Her voice trailed off.
“Luv, don’t try to take blame where it doesn’t belong. It’s on me,” he insisted as he went back to the stove and poured a can of crushed tomatoes into the pan before covering it.
“Well, this is quite a surprise. I could get used to coming home to you cooking dinner.”
He chuckled. “Only the best for my Queen, but this is only part of your surprise.”
She narrowed her galaxy at him, and he’d be a liar if he didn’t admit it made him hard.
“What are you up to?”
He scooped her up and set her down on the counter, blowing out a breath. “I’ve spent weeks, weeks, Luv, trying to come up with the perfect moment and the perfect words, but—” he tucked the hair behind her ear, “There isn’t and there aren’t.”
Her eyes widened. “What are you doing?”
“I almost lost you, bloody in my arms, with nothing more than I love you as goodbye. And I knew when I got to tell you one more time that I love you, I wanted more. I wanted forever.”
She nibbled on her bottom lip, the corner of her mouth pulled up. “Uh huh, keep going.”
He shook his head, smirking as he reached into his pocket. “You once told me it had nothing to do with the ring, but—”
She smiled, lighting up her whole face. “The meaning behind it.”
“That’s right.” He opened the box. “It was our mother’s. And while I denied you for well over a century, I knew, if I did finally give in to you, this was the ring I owed you. She was a beautiful woman and would have loved you. A good strong girl to handle her stubborn, defiant son.”
It was a simple gold band, but he’d always known she’d appreciate and love the meaning of it. Its worth was more valuable than any ring he could buy from a jeweler. He took the ring out of the box and slipped over her finger.
“It was engraved with my beauty, my soul. Nothing and nobody will steal you from me, Luv, ever. I want you, in all your beautiful chaos, forever. Will you marry me?”
She cracked a smile despite the glassy glow in her eyes. “What took you so damned long?”
He touched his forehead to hers. “Aw, come on, Luv.”
“Yes! Of course, I’ll marry you.”
“Fuck, thank god.”
She giggled. “Love you, Damien Frost.”
“I love you so much more.”
Thank you for reading!
I hope you loved reading Jules and Damien’s story as much as I loved writing it. Their story, along with the Frost family, is far from over. There are so many more twists, turns and surprises to come. And Oliver “Sterling sex king” Frost is up next!
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https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088Q84MQQ
They said secrets were okay, but what happens when one threatens to tear them apart?