Precarious Possessions (Maxwell Investigations)

by Dawn Ibanez

  Lily lowered her head slightly and fought a smile. “You really think that way?” she asked shyly. When Sloane touched her hand, she looked up at him.

  “You are a darling and Eric and I both adore you.” He stood and went to get himself something to drink. “We were even trying to think of ways to keep you away from Barry.”

  “Barry? Why would you need to keep me away from him?”

  “Simply put, he’s a slut.” Sloane found what he was looking for and walked back over to her. “You have to have sex in order to survive. He does it just because he can.” When he saw the way her lips pressed together, he decided to continue. “He’s a good guy. But it would be best for everyone that you two remain friends.” Sloane caught the way she was chewing on her lip and raised an eyebrow. “What are you thinking?”

  She shook her head. “It isn’t important,” she said before she finished drinking her water. Pale green eyes looked around the apartment. “Where’s Eric?” she asked curiously.

  “He wanted to straighten some things out with Mathias and Madison. Then he was going to find some of that take out that you two had the other day at the office.” Sloane took her empty glass and walked over to the kitchen again. “So Sweets, do you want us to call you Lily or Lilavanti?”

  A smile crossed her face. It would be nice to have friends that knew all about her. “Lily’s fine,” she answered as he poured a glass of ginger ale for her. She slowly stood and approached the kitchen area and looked around. It was a stylish apartment with an open concept. The living room, dining room and kitchen were all one large space ideal for entertaining. Down the hall were the three bedrooms and two bathrooms Eric once told her about. Lily saw the balcony doors and smiled. “This is a beautiful place.”

  Sloane smiled proudly. “Thanks. I helped build it.” When she looked at him strangely he laughed. “I’m a Mage. A Metal Worker to be exact. My grandfather bought this lot and when he just before he passed, he gave it to me. A few friends and I got the materials together and built up this place.”

  Lily’s smile caught on. “And naturally you and Eric ended up with the best apartment.”

  “That we did.” Sloane leaned against the counter and watched as she looked around. There was no way the Council was going to let her go about her own way now. Not after everyone thought that her kind was extinct. “Dylan had the second best apartment. It was the loft on the top floor. She had her own patio on the roof. If you want it, it’s yours.”

  Lily’s smile fell as she shook her head. “I can’t afford to live in a building like this,” she said quickly.

  Sloane rolled his eyes. “Money isn’t a problem. There are only four other tenants. They’re all friends of a sort of either mine or Eric’s. If I do take money from them, I put it in an account for that person. Herb and Mary found out about the account and have since ordered me to leave the money and their apartment to their granddaughter if anything happens to them. Everyone else is in the dark.”

  “What about utilities?”

  “That’s what the stock market and investment banking is for.” Sloane smiled and winked at her. “We have enough to pay for everything. He’s a lawyer, I’m an architect, it’s all good.” He took note of Lily’s absent nod and took her hand into his. “Think it over. But I hate to tell you, the Council is going to want to keep you under lock and key. We can argue for you to stay here because we are. I don’t think they’re going to let you keep your other place.”

  Lily sipped at her ginger ale and took a slow breath. “I’ll think on it,” she said softly. When Sloane took his phone out of his pocket and frowned, she mirrored the look. “Is something wrong?”

  Sloane shook his head. “No. Eric just usually texts or calls by now. I know he was waiting to hear when you woke up.” Sloane looked at Lily and tried to disguise his concern. “I’m sure he’s okay. What could go wrong, right?”

  * * * * *

  Eric walked into his office with a frown on his face. Neither Mathias nor Barry were answering their phones. While he had received Sloane’s text, he also received an urgent email from his job. Eric spotted a strange man sitting at his desk and paused. “Can I help you?” he asked. Eric unbuttoned his jacket as the stranger stood and turned to him. His eyes narrowed when he saw the same man that was in the picture on Lily’s wall.

  Cord looked at Eric with narrowed eyes. “I want my sister. Where is she?” he asked in a growl.

  “Lilavanti isn’t here,” Eric said taking off his jacket. He had a feeling this wasn’t going to go well. “She called out sick.”

  “And I know you’ve seen her,” Cord said hotly. “I can smell her on you.”

  Eric’s eyes narrowed as Cord took a dangerous step towards him. “Calm down,” he ordered. He moved around to his desk as the Incubus paused. “Lilavanti doesn’t want anything to do with you. As a matter of fact, the only thing she wants for you is to turn yourself in to the Council.”

  “She would never want that for me. Lily and I are the same. If I suffer, she suffers.” Cord gathered his power around him and focused it on Eric. He smiled when the Mage stumbled. “And I’ll have her back now. Where is she?”

  Eric looked at Cord and shook his head. It didn’t matter that he had loved Sloane since they were in high school. At this moment, he wanted the man in front of him. Eric grabbed the metal paperweight Sloane had made for him. The point of the cone was breakable, and the center was completely hollow. Before he was brought to his knees, Eric snapped off the tip and brought it up to his makeshift horn. Just as Cord started to approach him, Eric yelled into the metal cone.

  Cord was thrown back by the force of Eric’s power. He growled as he stood and watched the Keeper that was standing between him and his sister. Cord charged Eric and slammed him into the file cabinets behind him. As he started to back up, he felt Eric’s fist collide with his jaw. When he stumbled back Eric followed him down to the floor.

  There was no way he was going to let Cord get to Lily. Eric wrapped his arms around Cord’s neck in a choke hold and screamed into his ear. The sight of blood running down the Incubus’s ear let Eric know he popped Cord’s eardrums. Eric gasped when a heavy elbow slammed into his stomach. Alarms were ringing when Cord grabbed him with by his throat.

  “Open your mouth again and I’ll rip out your fucking tongue,” Cord growled. When Eric tried to break his hold, he threw the Mage across the room into the glass window.

  Eric tried to keep his bearing around him as he sat up. The thick glass behind him couldn’t take much more punishment, and sadly he wasn’t the fighter that his siblings were. As Cord slowly stalked him Eric grabbed a handful of pencils that had fallen next to him. His Alchemic Magic was nothing like Dylan’s, but he did have enough to break down whatever elements he wanted.

  Cord grabbed Eric and pulled him to his feet. “I want my sister,” he said in a growl.

  Eric gave him a lopsided smile. “Tough shit,” he said before blowing the pencil dust he created into Cord’s face. As the Incubus choked and coughed, he grabbed Cord and slammed him against the window. The glass shook and then shattered. Eric swallowed as both he and Cord fell forward. Eric faintly heard a woman screaming as the ground three stories below rushed up at him. His brown eyes narrowed when Cord turned his body, making sure Eric would hit first. He then grinned when he looked into Cord’s scared green eyes. “She’ll hate you forever now,” he whispered before his world went black.

  Chapter 18-

  Casper frowned as he watched Madison’s car turn onto her estate. The news he had to deliver wasn’t going to be pleasant. He knew for a fact that there was an excellent chance that she was going to focus her sights on this random killer. Then run him into the ground.

  Madison pulled up to the mansion and quickly got out of the car. She ignored Troy as he climbed out of the passenger seat. She glanced at Casper, who took a quick note of her eyes. Not only were they murderous, but they had that strange glow that heralded use of her magic. “Where are the b
oys?” she asked with her sibilant voice.

  “The old man took the boys and Belle to her place. She wanted to pick up some things.” Casper folded his arms over his chest as she walked over to him. “There’s something you should know Pixie,” he said calmly. The Vampire barely held back his curse when Madison’s back straightened. She was in a fighting mood, and there was no one who could handle her. This wasn’t something that could wait. “I just got a call. Eric was in a fight and it ended badly.”

  “How badly?” Troy asked. When Madison turned to glare at him, he continued to look at Casper. “Is he alright?”

  “He was fighting someone, something, and they fell from his office window. Eric landed on a car. Currently, he’s in surgery trying to repair his spinal cord. Sloane is already at the hospital. Dylan and Crispin are on their way.”

  Madison curled her hands into fists before turning back to her car. She paused when she felt a solid hand grab her arm. Her eyes narrowed on the werewolf holding her. A savage growl escaped her as she pulled her arm out of his hold. “Do not think you can tell me where to go,” she said in a threatening tone.

  “You need to calm down,” Troy warned.

  “You need to back off,” Madison countered. She didn’t step back when Troy started to crowd her. Madison closed her eyes tightly as she ran her fingers through her hair. “You need to let me do my job. There is a killer out there and I have to figure out a way to keep Ashton off my back. I can’t do that with you and Dennis having a pissing contest over how he talks to me.”

  Troy slowly shook his head. “You’re the mother of his grandchildren. You deserve his respect. I won’t let him talk to you any way he feels like it.” He touched the sides of her face and waited for her to look at him. “I’m sorry if I stepped on your toes,” he said quietly.

  Madison growled as he brushed his lips against her. Before she could think about what she was doing, she lashed out. Her fist collided against his jaw, making him stumble back. Madison pushed at his shoulders. “I don’t need you here,” she spat. “I don’t need you hovering over me.” When Troy straightened she pushed at him again. “Just leave.”

  Troy grabbed her arms and pulled her close. Her eyes were slowly fading to their normal brown color and her voice had lost its sibilant echo. “No,” he said into her ear. His grip on her tightened as she started to struggle. “I’m not going anywhere, Madison.”

  She turned her body and brought her foot down on his instep. When he cursed under his breath, she threw her knee up into his groin. As he fell to the ground, she backed away from him and ran her hands through her hair again. “I don’t need this right now,” she said in a small voice. Her eyes looked at her Mate and felt her heart drop. “I can’t do this,” she mumbled before climbing into her car and heading back down the driveway.

  Casper looked at Troy as the other man sat up looking after her car. “You know, even if I couldn’t read your mind, I would say you were trying to get her to fight with you.” He walked over to Troy and held out his hand to help him up. “You alright?”

  Troy wiped at his jaw and tried not to wince. Madison had a damn good left. “I’m fine,” he mumbled. When Casper raised an eyebrow, he sighed. “This last victim got to her.”

  “There’s a lot getting to her.” When Troy frowned at him, he continued. “This case is just the icing on the cake. She’s been on an emotional roller coaster for years because she didn’t want us to come after you. Then you show up. Now, she has to share her life with you. That includes the side that she doesn’t want anyone to see. And just think about how she feels because two of her brothers were hurt and she wasn’t there to stop it.”

  “Can you tell me something?” Troy requested. When Casper raised an eyebrow, he continued. “Why did her mother send her to New York?” Troy followed Casper as he went into the mansion. “Madison keeps thinking I’m going to leave her. I need to know where that fear comes from.”

  Casper made his way into the kitchen and pulled out a pack of cookies from the pantry. “I completely agree. You do need to know.” He ate a cookie and thought about what to tell him. “Madison was about five years old when Tina’s father passed away. From Madi’s memories, I knew she was close to him. When they held the funeral Tina and James took all of their children. They were expecting Madison to be a Healer like her grandmother. They were lowering the casket, Madison started panicking. She wanted everyone to stop putting dirt on her Grandpapa. Tina was about to take her to the car when the casket started moving.”

  Troy’s shoulders fell. “Jesus Christ. She Raised him? Like she did with Megan in the alley.” As Casper nodded, Troy sat at the table.

  “Yeah. And he hadn’t died peacefully in his sleep, either. Tina’s father was killed on a hunting accident. A wolverine got to him and unfortunately, he was not a Mage.”

  “Tina got scared of what Madison was able to do and sent her away.” Troy felt sick with the knowledge. That was why she was so worried about him leaving. She didn’t want him to see what she could do, because even her own mother hadn’t wanted her. Troy sighed before looking at Casper. “I need to know what hospital her brother is in.” When Casper frowned he raised his hands in surrender. “I won’t fight with her.”

  * * * * *

  Madison walked into the hospital waiting room and quickly spotted Sloane sitting with Dylan and Crispin on each side of him. “What happened?” she asked.

  Dylan stood and looked into her sister’s eyes. She could tell there was something was wrong with Madison, but at the moment she didn’t feel like pressing. “Reports are saying that someone went into Eric’s office and they fought. The glass in the window broke. Eric and the guy he was fighting went out of the window. Eric hit first.”

  “What about the other guy?” Madison asked softly.

  “There was no trace of him by the time the paramedics got there.” Dylan glanced at Sloane and returned her attention to her sister. “There was a woman unconscious a few blocks away from the office. When she came to, she kept talking about how a man just limped up to her and kissed her,” she said mentally.

  Madison’s eyebrow twitched. “The Incubus,” she whispered. When Dylan nodded Madison’s jaw tightened. “How is Sloane?”

  “Worried.” Dylan glanced at their friend. “He’s feeling like he should have been there, even though we know that wouldn’t have been possible. He’s also concerned about Lily.”

  “Who’s Lily?” Madison asked. From the look in Dylan’s eyes, she was not going to like the answer. “And why would he be worried about her?”

  “Because apparently Incubi come with Succubi counterparts. Lily is the Succubus. Her brother did this to Eric.” Dylan watched the way Madison’s eyes darkened and put her hand on her sister’s shoulder. “According to Sloane the situation is more complicated than we know. Right about now we all need to be here for Eric.”

  “I want to talk to her,” Madison said lowly. When Dylan frowned, she shook her head. “If this is her brother, I have to stop him.” Madison paused when a woman came into the waiting room carrying two cups of coffee. The woman was beautiful. Her long wine colored hair framed jade colored eyes and soft caramel skin told of her Indian descent. Madison wanted to take her head off. This woman was a female version of Megan’s killer. She inhaled through her nose and tried to calm herself. “Lily?” she asked.

  She nodded as she crossed the room and gave Sloane one of the cups of coffee. “Yes, and you would be Madison,” she sighed as she sat next to her new friend. Lily gave both sisters a sad smile. “I don’t know where my brother is. I kicked him out last night.”

  “Do you know where he would go?”

  Lily sighed as she thought. Most of the clubs were closed and it would be a few more hours before they would open for business. One stood out in her mind. “Cord liked going to the Kitty Palace. He would go there to try and get an energy boost.”

  Madison went over to Lily and knelt in front of her. She gently took the other woman’s hand
s into hers and took a steadying breath. “I want you to know something,” she said seriously. “Your brother has killed multiple young women. One of which is a member of my Pack. Now he’s put my brother in spinal surgery. He won’t be around too much longer. I will kill him.”

  “That’s enough Madison,” Sloane said quietly.

  “I just want her to understand that Cord has pushed my hand.”

  Lily nodded as she sipped her coffee. “I know. He needs to be stopped. Right now he thinks he’s untouchable.”

  “Not for long.” Madison stood to her feet. Just as she turned to the door, Tina and James walked into the waiting room. “Mom,” she greeted with a nod.

  Tina’s eyes were red as she looked at her two daughters. She went to Madison’s side and hugged her. “Do you need me or Jimmy to help you?” she asked.

  Madison returned Tina’s hug before shaking her head. “I’ll be fine,” she replied before looking at her family. “Keep me posted on his condition, I’ll handle Cord.” Madison quickly turned and left the waiting room. She wouldn’t allow another member of her family get hurt over something she was supposed to be handling.

  * * * * *

  Tina looked at Dylan. “She’s stubborn, isn’t she?”

  “You don’t have to ask Mom. You called her that plenty of times.” Dylan looked at her watch and sighed. She knew Tina wanted to be around for Eric, but this situation with Madison had the potential of getting real bad, real fast. “Madison is reaching a limit with her power,” Dylan confessed. When Tina looked at her, she pressed her lips together. “It’s like there’s something in her trying to take over. I was hoping that Troy being here would help, but they haven’t had too much time together since he’s been back.”