Encore (Descendants of Ra: Book 4)

by Tmonique Stephens

  “Hello, Cousin,” the taller of the two said.

  Roman inclined his head. “Hello, Makus. All Descendants of Bastet are welcome in my home.”

  Makus gave a clipped bow of his head. “Thank you.” He turned to the man next to him. “You know my brother, Vincent.”

  “Yes. Welcome, Vincent. It is a pleasure to have you both in my home.”

  Stilettos sounded on the marble in the entryway.

  “There is one more person in my party.”

  Vincent stepped aside. Quin braced as an invisible fist punched his gut, though he managed to bite back the surprised hiss. He took in her dusky skin tone and angular face, the jut of her defiant jaw and full, red-coated lips. Her auburn hair was the same, slicked back and coiled on one shoulder. The black coat hid her figure much like the lab coat had in the museum.

  Makus took her by the elbow and pulled her to his side. “May I introduce my fiancée, Simona LaRochelle.”

  The bottom of Quin’s stomach dropped.

  ~~~~~~~

  Two Months Later.

  “Do you see her? I think I see her! But I’m not sure.” Excitement and panic had Ridley’s heart in overdrive as she spied through a set of binoculars at the skiers coasting down the bunny slopes of the lodge.

  Sitting opposite her on the patio of the lodge’s family-style restaurant, EJ spied at the slopes through his own set of binoculars. “The pink and purple jumpsuit at the top of the hill. She just fell.”

  Ridley jumped to her feet, prepared to leap the railing and race to Josie’s aide regardless of the consequences.

  EJ grabbed her arm. “Wait. She’s okay. See.”

  Josie popped up from her face plant. The infectious squeal of her laughter reached Ridley causing her heart to sigh. Josie rolled onto her back and did a snow angel. Another child flopped next to her and did the same.

  “She seems so happy.” Ridley leaned against the rail. Gratitude replaced the ever-present worry and oppressive guilt.

  EJ joined her at the rail. He wrapped his arm loosely around her waist and pulled her to his side. Together, they watched Marilyn carefully waddle through the snow to Josie, Marilyn’s rounded belly leading the way. Now the end of February, Ridley guessed she was about five months along, give or take a month.

  Her heart ached a bit. She wanted a child, another chance to be a mother. How EJ felt about the subject, she didn’t know. To tell the truth, the thought of having another child terrified her even as much as she wanted it.

  EJ took her chin between his thumb and forefinger and looked into her eyes. “One day, when you’re ready, you and I are going to have a baby. But first…”

  He pulled a signature robin egg blue box tied with a perfect white bow. He held it in the palm of his hand. His head tilted to the side, his stance cocky as if he had no doubt about the answer.

  He untied the bow, flipped the lid off the box, and dumped the black velvet ring box onto his palm. He tossed the outer box. Vaguely, she was aware of someone catching it. They had an audience. It wasn’t real until he took a knee and opened the lid.

  Nothing so ordinary as a diamond was nestled inside. A round cut ruby surrounded by diamonds had her jaw unhinged.

  “Baby, I’m getting a cramp here.”

  She’d scowl if she wasn’t so happy. “Well hurry up, and ask the question!”

  He stood, took the ring out of the box, and tossed that, too. “Marry me?” He kissed her at the same time he slid the ring on her finger.

  She came up for air to a chorus of cheers and congratulations. She gave a shout and wrapped her arms around his neck. “You know this is forever, right? No backsies!” she snipped into his ear.

  He threw back his head and laughed. “When and where, Candy Cane. When. And. Where.”

  ~~~~~~~~~

  Ready for the next installment in the Descendants of Ra series? Check out the Descendants of Ra novella, Forever

  Trust was impossible for Reign Nicolis. Millennia as a slave has left him incapable of trusting anyone. Until he met Alexis. Her unconditional love shattered all his defenses, cracked open his heart, and revived the man he used to be. Their love is in every kiss, every touch. He wants her for his bride.

  Alexis Lever isn’t cut out to be someone’s wife, someone’s mother. Her cold childhood killed those dreams. Then Reign Nicolis crashed into her life. Now, thoughts of being his wife, mother to his children, consume her.

  She has given up her career as an NYPD Detective and her family. She’s fought by his side and laid down her life for him. She loves him more than she thought possible . . . So why can’t she say yes to the one question that will bind them together and make her dreams come true?

  Chapter One

  Reign Nicolis leaned against the bar with a glass of scotch in his hand. Brayden, EJ, Thane, Quin, and Roman took up the stools on either side of Reign. The four of them had enough sense to steer clear of the welcoming party. The newlyweds, Avery and Emeline, had returned from their month long honeymoon. Judging by all of the females’ reactions one would think they’d been gone two years and had just returned from battle. Reign and the other men of the house had scattered out of the way and let the women take center stage.

  “You look so good—”

  “—you’re beaming—”

  “—your stomach is so round and only after two months of being away!”

  Stella, Alexis, and Ridley gushed over Emeline and her protruding belly. Between the oohs and aahhs, Reign couldn’t tell who was saying what. Avery was shooed away, kicked out of the estrogen enclave. He strode to the bar, smiling.

  “So how was your honeymoon?” Reign passed Avery a vodka.

  “Good. Eme loved Tahiti. Water, sand, sun agreed with her. She needed the rest, especially after her grandfather’s death and Alamut’s attack.” The couple had survived a lot, and they’d come out the other side, happily married and expecting their first child.

  Alexis’s laugh reached across the distance separating them. The pure, vibrant sound spread warmth all over Reign’s skin and seeped into his flesh. He glanced across the room as she threw back her head and laughed again at something Stella said. Her reddish-blonde hair curled down her back, a lustrous curtain. He loved waking tangled in the length every morning. Last night, she proposed cutting it. He proposed tying her to the bed to prevent the atrocity. By the end of the night, he was tied to the bed and enjoying every moment of the exquisite torture. His woman was inventive and distracting.

  “You hated Tahiti, didn’t you?” EJ nudged Avery’s shoulder. Avery shrugged and ended up chuckling. “After a week, yeah. Too damn sunny, too much sand, and too many happy people rushing around to get you shit. Everybody smiling at you made me nervous. I missed New York.”

  A few snickers were traded.

  “How’s Ridley fitting in?” Avery said low.

  “Fine.” An unmistakable edge sharpened EJ’s voice.

  “Better than fine. Stella’s gone out of her way to make Ridley feel welcome.” Roman added.

  Reign couldn’t say the same for Alexis. While not completely hostile, Alexis had taken the ‘wait and see’ stance with Ridley. “She screwed us once. How do we know she won’t do it again?” Alexis reasoned. Reign didn’t fault her thinking. It could be her detective skills pushing to the forefront, not allowing her to trust Ridley. It could be Alexis saw something the rest of them didn’t. Trust wasn’t something she easily gave away. He’d earned the privilege of being her man.

  Except, adoration practically glowed from Ridley every time she glanced EJ’s way. By the stupid grin on his face and the not-so-secret gropes and groans from every not-so-secret nook and cranny in the townhouse, the adoration was mutual.

  What Ridley did, she did for her family, to save her daughter. Maybe that was the problem. Cut off from her own parents and three brothers, Alexis had bonded to everyone here and claimed each as her new family. Any threat to her new family, she wouldn’t tolerate. A sentiment he shared.

&
nbsp; “Any word on Tyrone?” Emeline asked loud enough for all to hear.

  Everyone sobered. The room took on a palpable silence as Roman shook his head.

  “Sorry. I—” Emeline’s eyes welled.

  Alexis gave her a hug. “It’s okay, Emeline.”

  Avery rushed over and collected his wife in his arms. He shushed her tears with soft words and wiped them away. “He’s alive.”

  “Damn straight, he’s alive.” Brayden tossed a shot of whiskey down his throat. Reign’s gaze followed as Brayden left out of the nearest exit. Something was going on with him, but no one knew exactly what.

  “If anyone can find their way back from...wherever...it would be Tyrone,” Quin mumbled without much conviction.

  And that was the problem, Reign thought. They had no idea where Tyrone was.

  Roman cleared his throat and garnered everyone’s attention. “Speaking of Tyrone and what happened, we’ve put out a lot of time and money to soothe the concerns of the authorities. However, the damage to RockGate let us understand the weakness within our security and reinforced our need for privacy. Those we love and call family need to be safeguarded; therefore, we’ve accelerated construction on the new mansion along with the additional private homes along the lake for each individual family. We are stronger together than apart.”

  Murmurs of assent circled. No truer words had ever been said. All that mattered was family. Reign looked at Alexis. Though they hadn’t spoken about moving into a new home on RockGate, that’s where he wanted them to be. Regardless of the protection Tirrika—the anu’Ra was a gift from his mother, the matriarch of the pantheon—gave, he wanted his woman and any children they had safe and happy. All the things he never thought he would have were what he desired with Alexis and no one else. The ring weighing his pocket down was the first. This time, she would say yes.

  “Once the construction is complete, the entire property will be warded and gated. Also, Thane will assume daily operation of Nicolis Security. He will be the public face of the family. I’m stepping down and retreating from public life. Thirty years in one place and not aging, someone will soon notice.” Roman finished.

  “And our cousins?” Avery asked about the Descendants of Bastet, their new allies.

  Reign used allies loosely. With the Divine Council looming and coalitions forming against the family, the Nicolises needed their cousins.

  “Those secretive bastards. Still, don’t know where they live.” Quin griped.

  Bastards indeed, Reign concurred. Yet he sympathized with their reticence. Blood ties did not make the two camps allies. Each had valid reasons to suspect the other. Only time would tell whether common ground and common goals would forge an alliance. For now, two porcupines mating described the negotiations.

  “Enough shoptalk.” EJ raised his glass. “Tonight belongs to the newlyweds and the newest addition, and the best uncles a kid could have. Especially, Uncle EJ!” he shouted, and a round of cheers echoed.

  “Batter on deck.” Avery pointed to EJ.

  Reign’s brows furrowed. The game of baseball still eluded him.

  “What Avery’s trying to say is that EJ is next to tie the noose around his neck and get married.” Quin spared a moment from scrolling through his phone to clarify.

  “Ah.” Reign nodded. Made sense. EJ’s ring twinkled on Ridley’s finger. She wanted to be his wife.

  Reign couldn’t stop his gaze from straying to Alexis’s bare left hand. No one had said anything to him, yet he felt their speculation. It wasn’t imagined. Commitment was thick in the air. Roman, Avery, now EJ had easily succumbed to the charms of their women, and vice versa.

  If only things were so easy for him.

  “All right. The ladies are heading out for some shopping and a spa day,” Stella announced. “You men are on your own.” She pointed at every male in the room.

  The women cheered while Reign joined EJ and Avery grumbling. The females on their own without anyone protecting them? The threat from Alamut and the quimaera had ended, they all thought, but new enemies had taken their place. What if—

  “Hey, why the big ditch?” EJ asked what Reign had been thinking.

  “It’s girl’s time, baby. No men allowed,” Ridley answered for the women, all gathering their purses.

  That got Reign, EJ, and Avery, riled while Thane and Quin laughed. Roman cleared his throat, silencing the room. “The spa has been checked and the ladies will be fine.”

  “I hacked into the security system. I see everything their cameras see. I’ll have eyes on everyone moving around in the building,” Quin said.

  “Creepy,” Ridley murmured.

  “Vigilant.” Quin countered. “No cameras in the changing rooms or bathrooms. That’s illegal.”

  Ink peeked over the collar of Avery’s shirt. The manifestation of his power as the new God of Chaos let everyone know he wasn’t agreeing to this bullshit.

  Though Alexis was more than capable of kicking ass and taking names—Reign had learned the phrase from EJ—if she were with child... An image of Alexis carrying their baby seared Reign’s brain, temporarily stealing his breath and his senses.

  Avery stepped to Emeline. “My wife and child are going nowhere without me.”

  Reign couldn’t agree more. He would be Alexis’s permanent shadow.

  Emeline hugged her husband and brought his forehead to hers. “You can carry the shopping bags.” Visible tension eased from Avery’s shoulders.

  The God of Chaos shopping? Reign couldn’t stop his grin. Guess he wasn’t the only one who thought the idea was as comical as it was bad.

  “And unless you want a Brazilian wax, you can stand guard in the lobby of the spa,” Stella added in a honey voice.

  Horror flashed across Avery’s face; however, he nodded and dutifully followed the women out the front door. EJ clapped and rubbed his hands together. “Who’s ready to lose at a game of pool?”

  “Not you.” Roman pointed to EJ and Reign. “You two continue hunting for quimaeras.”

  Quin headed for the exit. “I’m heading to my cave.” The name he’d given his tech headquarters.

  “Not joining us, brother?” Reign asked his twin before downing his drink.

  Overhead, footsteps pounded on the ceiling and a puppy yipped. Ember, Reign’s nine-year-old sister-in-law, and her dog Gypsy played upstairs. Roman tipped his head. “I have babysitting duties as well as a meeting with Thane. We have some business to discuss.”

  “Where’s Jackson?” EJ asked. The seventeen-year-old had become a permanent member of the family ever since his father, Judge Mitchell Nicolis Grayfield’s death a few months ago.

  “Date,” Roman answered.

  EJ’s eyebrows rose to his hairline. “The boy’s got game.”

  “More game than you had at his age.” Roman snorted and the edges of his mouth curled.

  EJ patted his chest. “Late bloomer, but I did catch up and redeem myself. Did you give him the speech?”

  “And a box of condoms. Now get out of here.” Roman pointed to the front door and made for the stairs.

  While EJ and Reign headed out.

  ~~~~~

  Four factories and three abandoned buildings later, EJ and Reign waited on the roof of a parking garage across the street from a textile factory outside of Chinatown. The night had been unproductive. A complete waste of time. Reign wanted a cold ale and Alexis in his arms in that order.

  EJ peered over the edge of the roof. “Man, my heart is not in the hunt tonight. I want a beer and Candy Cane’s warm body. Let’s call it a night and track down our ladies.”

  “Agreed,” Reign said, except he didn’t move. His hand strayed to his pocket and retrieved the ring. Art Deco, the salesman said. The braided band and scroll design fascinated him as much as the woman the ring was intended for.

  EJ whistled. “Pretty ring. For me? I’d say yes, but I’m taken.”

  Reign snorted. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  “When are yo
u going to ask her?”

  A question with no answer.

  “You know,”—EJ scrubbed a hand across his five o’clock shadow and draped an arm around Reign’s shoulders—“women like surprises. Why don’t you uhmm...surprise her?”

  Reign shrugged EJ away, more than annoyed. How do you surprise a woman you’ve already asked five times to marry you? “And how do you suppose I accomplish that feat?”

  “Well,” EJ hemmed and hawed. He snapped his fingers and slapped his head. “I know a girl.”

  Reign glared at EJ. There was only one way he ‘knew a girl’.

  EJ held up his hands and shook his head. “Used to know her. I haven’t known any female since meeting my Candy Cane. She’s my It.” A sloppy grin stretched his face. Reign understood the sentiment.

  “Anyway,” EJ continued, “her brother and his partner started an event planning business. I gave them some seed money. They owe me. We’ll talk to them. They’ve got to have some ideas.”

  “Thank you, but no.” Reign held up his hand, ending further commentary.

  “All right. Never let it be said I didn’t offer.” EJ fished his phone out of his pocket.

  A twinge of guilt pricked Reign. “I meant no offense.”

  “None taken. Didn’t expect you to trust me anyway. I’m not Roman.” EJ headed for the fire escape.

  Ah, damnation. No one told him EJ had feelings. The only opinion Reign had ever valued was his twin’s, but the Nicolis family was more than two men. Roman had expanded the family. He trusted Avery, Quin, Thane, Brayden, and EJ. Reign would do no less. “I would be honored to have your assistance, Brother.” Hand extended, he went to EJ.

  Without hesitation, EJ took it, and dragged Reign in for a hug and a thump on the back. “I’ll give the guy a call tomorrow. Right now, it’s quitting time. The ladies should be done with their girls’ night.” He pressed a button on his phone and waited for the connection.

  “Where you at, bro?” he said into the device. A second later, he was doubled over, laughing hard. “Okay, we’re on our way.” He put his phone away and turned to Reign. “The new God of Chaos couldn’t handle four women.”

  Though EJ continued to laugh, unease filtered through Reign. “Where are they?”