Freaky Deaky Tiki

by Amanda M. Lee

  Aisling took the tablet without complaint and pressed a button to log a call. This time the face that swam into view looked nothing like Aisling.

  “Bug, I’ve been so worried,” the man snapped. “I can’t believe you found trouble on your honeymoon. That could only happen to you.”

  “Who is that?” I whispered to Griffin, confused. “He doesn’t look like a brother.”

  “That’s Jerry,” Griffin replied, smiling as he hunkered down so he was on an even level with Aisling. “He’s a force to be reckoned with. Hello, Jerry.”

  “Oh, I’m not talking to you,” Jerry sputtered, smoothing his peach polo shirt and glaring. “You got my Bug in trouble on her honeymoon. Haven’t you caused enough problems?”

  Griffin’s smile never wavered. “You’re going to love being Uncle Jerry. Don’t bother denying it.”

  “That’s neither here nor there,” Jerry waved away the statement. “I had plans. A baby doesn’t fit in them. I wanted us to have kids who were the same age so they could be best friends. How am I supposed to find a kid on such short notice?”

  “You could try finding a woman and knocking her up,” Wesley suggested. “I hear that works.”

  “I don’t think that’s a possibility,” another voice interrupted. This time the face that appeared on screen looked familiar. I was certain this was a brother I’d yet to meet, which meant he was Aisling’s twin. I remembered the other three faces. “Hey, Ais.” He greeted his sister with a wide smile. “How did you manage to find a war on your honeymoon? Only you, I swear.”

  “Believe it or not, the guy we’re fighting with worships Genevieve Toth ... and he knew Duke Fontaine,” Aisling volunteered. “Apparently it doesn’t matter how far you travel, because your past will catch up with you no matter what.”

  Aidan sobered. “Are you okay? I can be there in eight hours if we can get the council to sign off on letting us use the private jet.”

  “You have more important things to do than screw around on the private jet,” Cormack barked. “You need to get the home office on the line and see what soldiers they can spare in Florida. It’s imperative they get them here as soon as possible. Point them toward the lighthouse.”

  A momentary jolt of fear flitted through Aidan’s eyes. “What’s happening?”

  “Your sister pulled a gun in the middle of a diplomatic negotiation.”

  “Oh, yeah? Who gave her the gun? I know she didn’t take it on her honeymoon.”

  Cormack scowled. “I gave it to her as a means of self-defense. Why are you pointing the finger at me? I’m trying to take care of my family. She flew off the handle and made things worse.”

  “She always does.” Aidan was pragmatic. “I’ll call the home office and get as many men there as possible. Do you want us to come?”

  “The fight will be over before you can get here,” Cormack replied. “No matter how it pains all four of you, there’s nothing you can do.”

  “Five of us,” Jerry corrected, his head popping into view. “I’m part of this family, too. I’m marrying your son.”

  “Well, that explains the baby thing,” Wesley mused.

  “Jerry, you’ve been part of my family since Aisling brought you home from kindergarten and you declared yourself her fashion advisor,” Cormack said. “There’s nothing you can do in this particular instance. There is something Cillian can do, though.”

  Aidan nodded. “Let me guess ... research?”

  “You’ve got it. I want Genevieve tracked during her time here. It would’ve been in the fifties, maybe early sixties. I don’t know that it will be important, but I’d like to know for my own edification. Apparently she was feeding here and buried bodies in her basement.”

  “That sounds like her.” Aidan made a face. “What else?”

  “That’s it. Get us reinforcements. We’ll call as soon as it’s over. Everything will be fine. Don’t fret ... or freak out. Definitely don’t freak out.”

  Aidan didn’t look convinced. “Maybe you should hide Aisling. She shouldn’t fight now.”

  “Hey!” Aisling was affronted. “I can take care of myself. I won the first fight!”

  “Hadley won the first fight with her fireball, and the sirens sang to distract the others,” Cormack corrected. “You made things worse.”

  She jutted out her lower lip. “That’s not how I see it.”

  “Well, you’re lucky to be part of the team at all. If I thought you’d stay put you’d be in the hotel even as we speak. I can’t trust you to do that, though, so you’re with us.”

  Aidan mustered a smile. “It’ll be okay. Dad is there. He’ll protect you.”

  “I’m here, too,” Griffin pointed out.

  “Yes, but if Dad has his way you won’t have any hands by the end of the day.” Aidan offered up a half-salute. “Good luck. We’ll be waiting for word as soon as you can get it to us. Don’t leave us hanging.”

  “Don’t leave us hanging either,” Cormack said. “Get us reinforcements.”

  “I’m on it. One way or another, you won’t be alone. I promise you that.”

  ONCE THE PHONE CONVERSATION ended, we didn’t have much to do besides prepare. Galen, Booker and Cormack seemed to be mired in a tug of war over who was really in charge, and for once Aisling decided to stay out of their way. I followed her lead because I had no idea what to expect, and I was still reeling from the first battle.

  “You’ve been in fights before, right?” I asked her, keeping my voice low. “Do you think we’ll win?”

  She cast me a sidelong look, amusement playing over her features. “My father doesn’t lose. From the looks of it, neither do Booker and Galen. It’ll be okay. Besides, you can create fire out of nothing. That means we’ll definitely win.”

  “I think that was a fluke.” I was mortified to admit it, but I didn’t want them relying on me in the middle of a fight only to have my hands fail to spark. “I just reacted. I’m still not sure how it happened.”

  “It happened because you’re powerful.” Aisling was matter-of-fact. “You understood there was a need and delivered the goods. You’ll do it again. Don’t worry about that.” She patted my hand. “My father and Griffin are good in a fight, too. I’m curious about the others, though. Galen shifts into a wolf, right?”

  I nodded.

  “What’s that like?”

  “I’ve only seen it once ... and then it was really dark, so I didn’t see all that much. I don’t know what to expect.”

  Aisling, interest sparking in her eyes, shifted to stare directly at me. “Are you afraid to see it?”

  I balked. “Of course not.”

  “I would be afraid to see it,” she admitted, taking me by surprise.

  “You would?”

  “Of course. The dude you’re sleeping with turns into a hairy beast. That would totally freak me out. And I’m kind of curious, too, to be truthful. It’s weird to think about. What about your cupid? Does he have any special abilities?”

  “I have no idea.” That was the truth. “He seems brave and eager for a fight, but this is the first battle I’ve ever been in. I don’t know what to make of it.”

  “Well, I’m sure things will work out.” Aisling flicked her eyes to Lilac, who stood in the corner listening to the men talk. Her face was unreadable, but she seemed intent. “And what about her?”

  That was the question of the day. “I don’t know,” I said after a beat. “I always assumed Lilac had some paranormal abilities. Most everyone on the island has some sort of power or ability. I just assumed hers was being super personable or something.”

  “You never asked?”

  “I did.” I searched my memory for the conversation. “Now that I think about it, she kind of sidestepped and didn’t answer, other than admitting to be an empath. I was flustered at the time — I swear, I was flustered twenty-four hours a day that first week I was here — and then it kind of fell by the wayside. I guess that makes me a bad friend.”

  Aisl
ing chuckled. “No. Quite frankly, I’m impressed with how you’re dealing with all of this. You’ve been on this island for less than two months. In that time, you’ve discovered you’re a witch, started using your powers, snagged a boyfriend, made friends with a cupid and managed to coexist with your ghostly grandmother. That’s pretty impressive in my book.”

  “Thank you.” Her words, surprisingly, made me feel a bit better. “I’m still nervous about what’s to come.”

  “You’ll always be nervous. I’ve been in so many fights I’ve lost count. If you ever lose the fear, that’s when you should be worried. I think you’re acting appropriately.”

  “I don’t know if that’s a compliment coming from the woman who pointed a gun at a cult leader and threatened to blow his brains out.”

  “Hey, if I’d been thinking I would’ve threatened to blow his balls off. He clearly favors those over his brains. Maybe I’ll have another chance.”

  That was a frightening thought.

  I SUPPLIED EVERYONE WITH what little food I had in the house, sandwiches and iced tea, but no one complained. About thirty minutes before the sun set, we had a plan in place. The men who came up with it seemed to think it was the best we could do.

  I was still nervous.

  I was about to go to Galen to voice my concerns and admit I was worried my newfound powers would fail at the wrong time when there was a knock on the door. Startled, we all traded glances. When I got to my feet to answer, Galen shot out a hand.

  “I think I’ll get this one.” He offered me a wan smile before striding to the door and looking through the peephole. When he pulled back, his face was a mixture of curiosity and concern. “I don’t believe this.”

  He pulled open the door and immediately reached for the person on the other side, giving a not-so-gentle yank and drawing the woman through the opening. I recognized her immediately despite the hoodie she had pulled over her features — it was hard to ignore her huge stomach — and hurried to Casey’s side as fast as my legs would carry me.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked as she drew down the hood. “This is a really bad time. You shouldn’t be here.”

  “Do you think I don’t know that?” Casey was frazzled as she dragged a hand through her long hair. “Everyone in town is talking about what’s about to go down. The locals are doing their best to keep the tourists in the bars and hotels, but everyone else is clearing out of the area. News is spreading fast that you’re going to take on Taurus.”

  “We’ve technically already taken on Barry and won,” Booker pointed out. “This will just be a more thorough beating.”

  “We hope,” Wesley echoed.

  “We know,” Galen growled, his eyes dark as they wandered over Casey’s flushed features. “If you know what’s about to happen why did you come here in your condition?”

  “He killed my husband.”

  “Technically we don’t know that.” Galen opted for practicality. “That’s our best guess because of what you said, but so far all we’ve really got him on is taking Griffin and me hostage. I expect that he’s guilty of murder, too, but I have no proof of that.”

  “It’s the only thing that makes sense.” Casey stubbornly crossed her arms over her chest. Given the size of her stomach, it was more like she was using it as a shelf, but her message was clear. “I want to be part of it. Jacob was my husband. I owe him for ... everything. This was supposed to be our miracle. I somehow managed to turn it into our nightmare, and he’s the one who paid.”

  My heart went out to her and I instinctively grabbed her arm to lead her to the couch. “You need to sit. You shouldn’t be running around in your condition.”

  “She looks okay to me,” Aisling countered. “I think she knows the limitations of her own body.”

  Cormack shot his daughter a withering look. “You’re only saying that because you know we’re going to lock you in the house when you get that big. It won’t work. In fact, shut your mouth. When I want your opinion, I’ll ask for it.”

  “You shut your mouth,” Aisling muttered under her breath, earning a small smile from Griffin as he slipped his arm around her back and began rubbing.

  “I have to help.” Casey refused to budge on her stance. “Jacob was my life. I don’t know if you believe in soulmates, Galen, but he was mine. He was my whole heart, and now he’s gone. I did this. I need to make sure that Taurus pays for what’s been done.”

  Galen briefly glanced at me before focusing his full attention on Casey. “I do believe in soulmates. I’m sorry about Jacob. You’ll never know how sorry. But I don’t think this is the right place for you. We need to get you out of here.”

  “That’s no longer an option,” Booker said as he watched through the front window, a muscle working in his jaw. “Our company has arrived ... and they don’t look happy.”

  My heart dropped. The battle was finally here, and I had no idea what my part in it would be. I was more than terrified, almost frozen in fear. Despite that, I only knew one thing with absolute certainty: I could not let my friends down.

  27

  Twenty-Seven

  I moved to Booker’s side, my heart pounding. Sure enough, the front yard was filling with bodies. Taurus, a bandage on the side of his face, was front and center. The dark expressions and the way they moved as one caused a chill to run down my spine.

  “Oh, my ... .” I trailed off, fear coursing through me.

  “It’ll be okay.” Galen grabbed my arm and pulled me in for a quick hug. “I swear it’ll be okay. There’s no reason to get worked up.”

  I could think of fifty reasons, and they were all standing in my yard. “They’re going to kill us, aren’t they?” The question sounded odd coming out of my mouth, as if I were speaking another language.

  “I won’t let anyone hurt you.” Galen was firm as he ran his hands up and down my arms. “You’re really cold.”

  “Which is ridiculous because it’s hotter in here than a night at a strip club when you have a wad of twenties,” Aisling commented, staring out the window over Booker’s shoulder. When no one immediately responded, she turned around and snickered when she found me frowning. “I guess you only get that one when you have brothers.”

  “Everyone gets it,” Cormack snapped. “I don’t think it’s funny when your brothers say it either. I especially didn’t think it was funny when Redmond taught it to you when you were eight.”

  “I didn’t know what it meant when I was eight.”

  “And he got in big trouble.”

  Aisling stepped closer to her father. “I kind of wish he was here to laugh with me right now. I think it would make me feel better.”

  Cormack slid his daughter a sidelong look. “He’s with you here.” He tapped the spot above her heart. “You’ll see him again. You’ll see all of them again.”

  “I don’t need to see Braden again.”

  “Yes, you do.” Cormack ran his hand down the back of Aisling’s hair. “You need to see him most of all.”

  “And you will,” Griffin insisted, moving behind her. “You need to stay away from that window, though. I don’t want you getting involved unless you absolutely have to.” He was stern as he drew her away. “You don’t want to hear this — I know that you don’t, but I’ll say it anyway — but you’re pregnant. You have to protect yourself and that baby. Focus on that instead of your mouth.”

  Aisling scowled. “Do you think I’m not focused on that?”

  “I think you’re terrified.” Griffin was frank. “I am, too. We’ll get through this together, like everything else. It’ll be okay.”

  Aisling didn’t look convinced. “I still wish the others were here,” she grumbled, scuffing her foot against the floor. “They would already have taken out everyone on the lawn.”

  “Next time,” Griffin said brightly, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Stay away from the windows. It’s important.”

  “Yeah, yeah.”

  I turned my attention back to the mov
ement outside and shook my head. “What are we going to do? Shouldn’t we at least try to talk to them?”

  “We will.” Galen’s hand was warm on the center of my back. “I’m heading out there right now.”

  “What?” I balked. That didn’t sound like a good idea at all. “You can’t do that. He’ll kill you.”

  “He won’t get the chance. I know what I’m doing. I promise.” He flicked his eyes to Booker. “If they try to take me ... .”

  “I’ll handle it,” Booker shot back. “I know what I’m doing. This is hardly the first fight we’ve been in together.”

  “We both know what we’re doing,” Lilac agreed, her expression unreadable. Her eyes were dark, and there was nothing fun or gregarious about her attitude. She was like a different person ... and it frightened me. Something very odd was going on with her, and this was the absolute worst time to find out what that was.

  “I’m going to talk to him, warn him this is a bad idea because we’re stronger than he is,” Galen said. “If he’s smart, he’ll turn around.”

  “Barry was never smart,” Booker pointed out.

  “Which is why it’s going to end here.” Galen was grim. “The sirens are in the water, right?”

  Booker nodded stiffly. “Along with a few marine shifters.”

  “Shark shifters?” Aisling asked. “I totally want to see a shark shifter.”

  “They’re rare,” I replied, almost absently. “There aren’t any on the island.”

  Galen grinned. “See. You are learning things left and right. I told you that not long after meeting you.”

  “I believe I mentioned it, too,” Booker pointed out. “She was obsessed with the idea of shark shifters and kept asking questions.”

  “Yes, well, I’m the only one who counts.” Galen gave me a lingering kiss, one that promised more for later, and then released me. “I’m going out there. If they try to grab me ... .”