by Jane Cousins
Goddess, Locke closed his eyes and swallowed down half his glass of wine. The woman had to stop looking at him with those admiring pansy coloured eyes. If she didn’t they might well be testing out how structurally sound the kitchen bench was for lovemaking… and bugger the mess.
His mobile buzzed loudly in his pocket. Taking it out he gave it a quick glance, then closed it, only for it to buzz a second time and then a third.
“Maybe you’d better get that.” Serena smiled his way. I’ll take my wine outside and give you some privacy.”
It was all Locke could do to nod and smile between gritted teeth as she sashayed outside, whoa that pink dress dipped low in the back. Absently he pressed the connect button. “What?”
Ten minutes later Locke still wasn’t sure how his plans for the evening could have gone so seriously wrong so fucking quickly. Whilst he was caught on the phone doing his best to soothe his increasingly nervous client his cousin Declan had shown up. Given him a brief wave of greeting before promptly sauntering his tight jean wearing perfect ass outside to join Serena in the garden as the last rays of the setting sun worked their magic on the night sky.
Great, now he had to sit there and witness Serena fawn all over his cousin’s ridiculously honed physique. Goddess seriously, what else could go wrong with his plans for an intimate dinner for just him and Serena? He’d only just completed that thought when there sounded the click clack of high heels from the hallway, seconds later his cousin Darcy strode into view. There you go Valhalla, he mentally kicked himself, you tempted fate and she bitch slapped you one right in the kisser. He hit the mute button. “What are you doing here?”
Darcy waved him off with a graceful wave of her arm. “Don’t mind me. I’ll fix myself a drink whilst you finish up.”
Locke glared at her as she strode away in search of a glass. Hurriedly he hit the sound button, made promises to his client that he had no intention of keeping before abruptly disconnecting the call. If he had to have a conversation with Darcy then he wanted no distractions.
She sauntered back into the living room, a small knowing smile playing on her lips, her blue eyes – serial killer blue – missing nothing, scoping out immediately his lack of tie and casual footwear. With her black bobbed Louise Brooks hair and thigh high yellow vinyl boots, black plaid mini skirt and midriff baring yellow short sleeved cardigan his cousin looked like she’d been styled by Quentin Tarantino. All that was missing was a mace or a samurai sword. Though knowing Darcy as he did, he suspected she had one, if not more sharp implements hidden about her person. Hard as that was for some people to believe considering the amount of flesh she had on show.
Plonking herself down on the couch opposite she turned and surveyed the scene out in the garden. “So that’s your wicked little witch?”
“She’s just a guest in my home Darcy, she’s not my anything.”
Darcy’s fine dark eyebrow quirked briefly, those blue eyes brimming with amusement. “Perhaps you’re right. If anything she seems to be Declan’s new… amour.”
“She’s not interested in Declan.” Locke was pretty sure that was right. Serena wouldn’t have returned his kiss like she had today in the garden if she’d been pining for Dec.
“She has eyes doesn’t she? So Casanova has made another conquest.” Darcy’s scornful blue eyes appraised the scene out in the garden. “I swear to the Goddess that man gets better looking every day. You have no idea the number of complaints, whining, wailing, rending of hair and tearful confessions I have to listen to on a daily basis just because Heathcliff out there can’t keep a lid on his pheromones levels or whatever it is he uses to lure in all those poor deluded women.”
Locke was about to protest further when like a train wreck outside he watched Serena lean into Declan, laugh and playfully punch him on the arm. Why no married man had yet to kill Declan was a mystery not yet fully understood by Locke. “You’re here because of Serena?”
Darcy sipped her wine. “She’s bought a boat load of problems with her Locke.”
“Are you saying she can’t stay?”
“Don’t put words in my mouth cousin. What I’m saying is that you and Hadleigh should have notified me the moment it was decided the witch with the vampire assassin contract out on her tiny ass should seek refuge here at the Sanctuary.”
“In our defence it was Vaughn who made the executive decision.” Locke felt no compunctions about throwing his beefcake brother-in-law into Darcy’s line of fire.
“Hmmm, something is wrong with this picture. You following Vaughn’s lead? What does he have on you?”
“Nothing.”
“Did he threaten you?”
“Only with the suggestion that he might inform my father I was failing to live up to my warrior heritage.”
Darcy nodded, the ends of her hair brushing against her high cheekbones. “Yeah I suppose that would do it. Well I hope you're charging him time and half?”
“Better, he’ll owe me.”
Darcy smiled evilly in contemplation. “Oooh, that has all kinds of potential.”
“Hey, get your own trump card.”
Darcy sent him an absent smile, her attention shifting around the room. In fact from the moment she’d arrived she’d been more on edge than Locke had seen her for a while, okay so yes, Darcy was always kind of tense and hyper vigilant, but there was something about her body language now that reminded him of when she was actively tracking down prey… everything about her screamed she was on the hunt.
“You’re not here just because of the vampires and Serena are you?”
Darcy shrugged, widening her blue eyes going for innocence yet only succeeding in looking like she was thinking of knifing him and stealing all his valuables. “Why else would I be here?”
Locke studied her hard. “Not an outright lie but evasive… come on Darcy, you usually try harder than that to fool me. What has you so rattled?”
“I’m looking for Nate.”
“Those Chippendales all look alike to me. Which one is he again?”
“The one who gives Pepe Le Pew out there a run for his money… thinks he’s Maat’s gift to all womankind.”
Locke continued to come up blank.
Darcy issued a small sigh. “The one who showers Hadleigh with compliments all the time.”
“That one! He must have a death wish or something.”
“According to him, spending time with Hadleigh has improved his reflexes exponentially… which must be true since I haven’t seen him sporting any black eyes recently.”
Locke couldn’t keep the grin off his face. “Are you a little smitten?”
Darcy gave Locke the coldest look she had in her repertoire, the grin instantly disappearing off his face.
“Whoa, you can’t kill him Darc, Maat wouldn’t like it for one…”
“I’m not going to kill him.” Darcy huffed out. Goddess, get a tiny little reputation as an unstable psychotic killer and everyone always assumes the very worst of you. “I’m just looking for him to answer some questions I have. The man has proven beyond frustrating to track down.”
“High praise coming from you. Why don’t you just set one of your ultra-sneaky traps for him?”
“You don’t think I haven’t tried that already? The man takes luck to a whole new level. I even bought out the big guns and sicked Charisse on him at Hadleigh and Vaughn’s meld party. It didn’t take.”
Locke almost spat out his mouthful of wine in shocked surprise. “Excuse me? Most men have to be scooped off the floor after Charisse does little more than say hello and you’re telling me he just walked away?”
“Not just that, Charisse was the one who looked a little dazed after the encounter.”
“Are you sure she tapped fully into her power? Maybe she only went half-assed, too scared she might suck his soul dry or some such Siren nonsense.”
“It took me a while but I finally got her to admit that she went the whole hog and sang to him.”
Locke
was literally speechless.
Darcy met his shocked look and nodded. “I know. I think she was kind of embarrassed by it. Humming… sure, we’ve all been on the receiving end of that…”
Locke shuddered at the memory of Charisse’s compulsive voice, she’d once convinced him to wear polyester pants, the horror. “But to sing? And you said he walked away?”
“They danced, they talked… she sang… and as far and I can tell he brushed it off like it was no more important than a mosquito buzzing around his ear.”
“Impressive indeed. Most men are barely coherent after the humming… but to hear her sing and not melt into a love slave at her feet. I’m family… I have some inherent shields against her but most men… even immortals… so what info does Nate have that’s so important?” In his lifetime Locke was unsure whether he’d ever seen Darcy blush and avert her gaze in embarrassment, would wonders never cease. “Now you’re really starting to worry me.”
“It’s personal okay.”
“Not if you’re dragging Charisse into this mess it’s not, you’ve made it family business.”
“I… he… look, it’s like this, according to Nate I’m marked.”
“By what?”
“From what little Hadleigh has been able to pry out of Nate over the last few months, the question should be, by whom?”
“Someone’s marked you?” Locke shook his head in bemusement. Taking a deep breath he focused all his attention on his cousin. “Okay let me see what I can get.” After barely ten seconds he shook his head in frustration.
“What? What did you see?”
“There’s something there, he’s right about that. But… but I can’t get a good enough look at it… it’s like whatever it is… my eyes just sort of slide right by it… over it.”
“Fuck… I want to kill someone.” Darcy’s eyes narrowed in rage.
“Family remember? Calm down.” Locke leant over refilling Darcy’s glass. “So this mark, what does it do exactly?”
“That’s a very good question… one which if I could track Nate down and hold a taser to his testicles I’m sure I’d be able to answer.”
Locke unconsciously crossed his legs. “Now there’s a lovely image. Have you thought of just giving the man a call and asking him?”
“He won’t take my calls, see me, talk to me or Hadleigh about it. It’s been five months now and all I know is ‘someone’ has placed a magical mark on me that is supposedly designed to keep men at a distance. Something about they can look but won’t touch.”
Locke blinked in surprise. “I just assumed it was your delightful personality keeping men at bay all these years.”
Darcy glared his way. “How do you think I feel? I’ve been assuming all this time that men on the whole are just a bunch of sissies scared off by the sight of a strong woman who carries a taser, knife, baton, whip and handcuffs.”
“When did you start carrying handcuffs?”
“A while ago when I discovered there’s less flailing around when someone’s handcuffed to a post.”
“Mmmm, we men are funny like that when someone takes a taser to our privates.”
“Tangent…” Growled Darcy. “Back to my problem. Where I’ve just discovered that some… deviant out there has been screwing with my mojo for Goddess only knows what reason.”
“I think you’re asking the wrong question.”
“And what would the right one be?”
“Who would dare? I love you cousin but let’s face it you’re coo-coo cocoa-puffs crazy… in the best possible way of course. Every teacher you ever had was terrified of you. Your own sister, a medical professional, has diagnosed you as a sociopath.”
“It doesn’t count when you only use your powers for good.” Darcy sent him a scathing glare.
“For the good of the family you mean. As I said, we love you but we all know you Darcy… and I’m asking you to consider this from my point of view. Think of all the things you’ve done over the years and ask yourself… who would dare mark Darcy Montgomery? If you can answer that question… then I believe the why of it will follow.”
“You get so smug when you think you’re right.”
“One more burden for me to bear in my ever stylish, ever witty, ever gorgeous way.”
“Okay my question to you then, Mr I’m-always-right, knowing me as you do, who do you think would mark me?”
Locke looked for the truth, yet all he could see was the flash and glitter of alien gold sparkles in Darcy’s aura. “I don’t believe I can give you an answer.” A tidal wave of crashing heaviness receding from him as he spoke those words. He knew without being told that to tell Darcy anything more would bring dire consequences down on him. As much as she was family and he loved her… and okay was ever so slightly wary of upsetting her… whoever was protecting the answer to her question was much, much more frightening.
Darcy heaved a frustrated sigh. “Okay let’s get back to the immediate problem at hand, Glinda the good witch out there and her myriad of problems.”
“The witch has a name.”
Darcy grinned, her problems forgotten for the moment. “So touchy… speaking of which...” The words freezing in her throat as her eyes flicked to the courtyard where it appeared Declan and Serena were getting naked together.
Chapter Eighteen
“Pull your t-shirt back down.” Serena hissed at Declan, the man was completely and utterly incorrigible.
He batted dark violet eyes her way, trying to look innocent and failing utterly, more like the devil leading her into temptation. “I was just showing you what fine medical skills Nell has. See, no scars.”
Serena did her best not to look, which surprisingly took a little bit of effort, there was something about the way the moonlight hit Declan’s flesh, defining every rippling abdominal muscle to mouth-watering perfection. Before she knew it her hand was reaching out across the space between them to - a nearby fern frond slapped her hard on the back of the knee – ooh, the little shit was trying to manipulate her, well she’d teach him. She let her fingers trail down his amazingly soft skin to the side of his waist where lightning quick she pinched down hard on the small amount of flesh she was able to grab.
“Ouch.” Declan jumped back, rubbing at his side even as an unrepentant gorgeous grin graced his face. A nearby salvia leant over sweeping Declan’s bare arm with a trail of consoling flower soft kisses.
“Honestly.” Serena rolled her eyes, even the garden was falling for his Romeo ways. Yet the man was quite the puzzle. He was all smiles and good fun but she noted he kept his teasing flirty ways for only those moments when he had an audience. Like just then it hadn’t escaped her attention that both Locke and his visitor had been focused on them just moments before Declan treated her to a display of manly flesh.
“You evaded my question earlier, who is that meeting with Locke, another family member?”
“Darcy, she’s the Special Council Liaison Officer, probably here to check up on the sucker situation.”
“She’s another relative of yours?”
“Locke’s.”
Serena hid a confused frown. If Declan was Locke’s cousin, and Darcy was Locke’s cousin, why wasn’t Darcy, Declan’s cousin? This family were going to drive her insane. Her attention snapped back to Declan. “Why are you lifting your t-shirt again?” Earth and Stars the moon was behind a cloud and still somehow moonbeams caressed lightly across Declan’s flesh. Determinedly she fisted both hands to help fight the temptation to just reach out and touch him. “Quit it with the strip show would you?”
Declan dropped his t-shirt, running a careless hand through his wheat colour locks, somehow managing to muss them up so that it looked like he’d just gotten out of bed… or was thinking of going back there. “I had no idea Earth Witches were such prudes.”
“I’m not. But you know very well the effect you have on women and if you don’t stop trying to get a rise out of me I’m seriously considering punching you.”
“Sorry.” Declan sent her a way too practised humble look that for a split second had her melting before the fern frond yet again gave her a good hard smack on the leg, at least the greenery was on her side, even if the flowers couldn’t seem to stay away from Declan. “It’s just you feel like family already and… well… I forget sometimes.”
Declan shifted his stance and Serena couldn’t help but catalogue the way his jeans clung to those lean athletic thighs of his. Earth Chastain, snap out of it. Quickly she averted her eyes to admire a nearby ginger plant in bloom. “Forget what?”
Declan hesitated, then mumbled softly. “That I’m not normal.”
Serena rolled her eyes towards the heavens. “Is this where I’m supposed to hug you and kiss you on the forehead and tell you all is forgiven?” Out the corner of her eye she caught a flash of Declan’s devastating dimpled grin, grateful she’d avoided the full force of it, otherwise she’d be like putty in his hands.
“Hadleigh and Nell would have by now.”
“Only if they wanted to annoy their husbands. And you enjoy teasing Vaughn and Drum way too much to be considered healthy, considering the amount of damage they could do to you. Besides there’s no one here to tease.”
Declan laughed softly, and whilst it was a pleasant sound she no longer had the urge to plaster herself to him. Tension left her shoulders when she chanced a glance his way and though she could see that his dimpled smile was sexy it no longer made her want to lick him from top to bottom like an ice-cream cone.
“Are you sure about that? Locke gets kind of wound up every time he sees us together.”
Serena shook her head. “There’s nothing going on between Locke and I so you can quit wasting your charm offensive on me.”