Nash waved his hand over her. A sheet materialized, covering her. She was grateful for the draping. Then he began dressing, as if nothing of significance had occurred.
Eve leaned up and freed her ankles. Even though it was crazy, she longed for a single glance from him, but nothing. Instead, he seemed fixed on clothing himself. Why had he created fabric to cover her? An act of kindness or pity?
Why should she expect anything else? Was she only a fuck to him? A prisoner with benefits?
Just when she was ready to write him off, Nash turned to her and mouthed, You okay?
God, he got to her. She nodded.
He really seemed to care about her but didn’t want the others to know. Why did she always think the worst? Experience was why. He didn’t deserve that from her.
A fiery flicker made its way deep into her pussy, and she brought her knees up to her chest, circling her arms around her legs.
David barked at Nash, “Explain yourself, commander.”
He stood up, now completely dressed except for his boots. “I had the situation under control.”
“Go on.”
“These two did not.” Nash pointed to Wright and Quade. “Instead, they only caused her pain, so I doubt they would’ve been able to help her activate her power. And by the slim chance they had, she would’ve used it against them because they scared her. I wasn’t willing to take the risk.”
Kro spat, “So you tied her up?”
Eve could almost taste the acid that must have burned in Kro’s mouth.
“Necessary.”
“Did you fuck her, Nash?” David asked.
“I deemed it important.”
“Alone?” David grimaced.
Kro added, “A coupling? Very convenient.”
“Like I said, she was scared. Still is, I bet. The Alliance doesn’t have a chance in hell of getting her powers up and working that way. I wanted her to surrender and trust me.”
“You’re a damn liar,” Kro spat. “You wanted her for yourself, admit it.”
Nash’s hands curled back into fists. “Pot. Kettle. Black.”
“Fuck you!” Kro’s face turned deep red.
This needed to end, right now. “May I have something to wear? Or am I the matinee for today?” Eve hoped her tone would rouse someone to action.
Kro spun around. He waved his hand and a pale blue robe materialized. Handing the garment to her, he turned his stare back to the other men. He was in soldier-protector mode all the way. It made her feel safe. But she doubted that he could stop Parkor and the others from doing exactly what they wanted to her, whatever that might be.
She hoped that the crisis could be avoided for a few breaths at least.
“Thank you, Kro.” Eve held the robe close, but stayed under the sheet. “May I have some privacy to dress, please?”
He scowled at the other men in the room. “Get out.”
“Delivering orders are you?” David folded his arms. “Interesting, considering you disobeyed mine and came here.”
“Yes, I did. But I’m certain that I am the angel she needs to ignite her bloodline power.”
Parkor tilted his head. “It seems to me that you can’t control your warriors, David. Perhaps I should notify Ramon and the others. We may need a change in leadership here.”
David ignored the man, turning back to Kro. “Why do you think you can ignite her power, warrior? You had your chance, and it didn’t happen.”
“She’s more important than—”
“What the hell are you doing to this poor girl?” The question came from a woman entering the room.
David spun around. His gaze fixed on the speaker with her blond hair pulled back in a ponytail.
“And who is this human?” Parkor sneered.
David didn’t respond, seeming unaware of him or anyone else but the woman.
Eve had never seen him so unnerved. Was the woman really able to get under his skin? Unlikely. Not with David. Still, his instant change of demeanor at the female’s arrival was strange, even for him.
“Can’t you tell, Brooke?” Another woman stood in the doorway.
Eve recalled seeing her at Zone Three, asking about Eric. She had dark hair and hazel eyes just like hers. So this is Micki, my cousin.
“He’s working tests on her like he did with Eric. David, need I remind you that failed?”
“Micki, this is none of your business.” David shook his head, resuming his arrogant bearing.
“Humans aren’t lab rats for your sexual experiments.” Brooke pushed David, and he stumbled back.
Yes, the woman did get to him. If anyone else dared to push David around like that, he’d probably strike them dead before they could draw another breath. With Brooke, the archangel’s norm vanished. Still, David didn’t come across to Eve as very long-suffering.
She wanted to warn Brooke. Humans had to stick together in this crowd. “Be careful.”
“Thanks.” The spunky woman turned back to David. “You need your wings clipped.”
Two more men bolted into the room and rushed to Micki’s side.
“Everything okay?” The one with the long dark hair wore a leather jacket and wrapped a possessive arm around her.
Eve tensed, recognizing Jared. The last time she’d seen him, she’d been flung across the room at Zone Three.
The other man had short blonde hair and carried a machine gun. She remembered Bradley from the club, too. Nice guy, but one hundred percent soldier.
Swords and machine guns? What next? Bazookas?
Seeing these men and how protective they were of Micki caused twinges of envy to pop up inside her. Such devotion would be so wonderful for any woman to have.
Like every other man in the room, these two were built like armored tanks. Each took one of Micki’s arms.
Micki went up on her toes and kissed them one at a time. They each hugged her tight, uncaring of who saw their display of affection.
“Stay right here, next to us.” Jared looked to be sizing up the room.
“This is an Alliance stronghold and far off the Dark’s radar, honey.” Micki touched his jaw. “What are you worried about? I’m safe here.”
Bradley cupped her chin and turned her face to his. “Sweetheart, we’ll let you know when we think it’s safe.”
Micki giggled. “You guys are too much.”
Eve couldn’t remember ever seeing people so obviously in love. She wondered how that would feel. For a moment, she thought how nice it would be to be surrounded by such strength and affection, Kro on one side of her, Nash on the other. The thought was ridiculous. The two would rip her apart trying to kill each other. No time for such a silly whimsy.
“Eve, this is Jared.” Micki patted his stomach. She turned over to her other man and touched his cheek. “And this is Bradley.”
“I’ve met them both before at Zone Three, Micki.” She didn’t want to think about the failed tripling with Jared, again. That made eight men and two women in her bedroom. Nifty. “Maybe I should be selling tickets. Standing room only tonight.”
Brooke put her hands on her hips. “She’s right. Every man needs to get out of here right now.”
“And you are?” Parkor asked.
“A woman you don’t want to mess with, mister.”
Parkor smirked. “Seems you can’t control your human lovers either, David.”
“We’re not lovers,” Brooke spat.
Micki spoke up. “Parkor’s just trying to get to you. Pay him no mind.”
David’s gaze had never left Brooke. It was as if he were in some kind of trance.
“Snap out of it.” Brooke waved her hands in front of his face.
David blinked then turned to the other men. “Everyone out!”
Wright turned on his heels and exited. Quade followed.
Micki winked at her lovers. “Sweethearts, let us girls have some alone time. Okay?”
Jared and Bradley didn’t budge, but seemed to be sizing up the remaining
men.
“Not until they all leave.” Bradley motioned to the other men in the room.
“I’m just asking you to go into the other room, honey. Besides, they will follow you.”
“After they leave, then we will.” Jared’s scan of the other men continued.
“Baby, someone has to be the first to leave, sweetheart.” Micki’s adoration for her lovers couldn’t be hidden. “Don’t forget, I have my own defenses: bloodline power. If there’s any trouble in the next few minutes, I’ll send you a mental distress signal.” She took her finger and made an X over her chest. “Cross my heart.”
Eve found it interesting that Micki could send messages to them. Perhaps having some bloodline power might not be all that bad.
“All right. But they better be right behind us.” Jared planted a kiss on her, and then he glared at the other men. “Right behind us, not a second later.”
Bradley pulled her tight into him. “Listen to the grumpy jinn, sweetheart. This is one time I agree with him.”
“Just leave, will you.” Micki laughed.
The two men walked out of the room.
Brooke motioned to David, Parkor, Kro, and Nash. “All you guys need to leave, too.”
“I’m not leaving her.” Kro grabbed the hilt of his sword with two hands.
David pulled Brooke behind him. The woman frowned but didn’t move.
“Me either.” Nash’s voice sounded like a growl, full of threat.
Kro and Nash’s apparent possessiveness made her weak in the knees, but if Eve didn’t quit indulging the idea that Nash and Kro might actually claim her for their own, she’d never be able to stop. Her heart breaking in two would be the inevitable conclusion of her foolish fantasy. It had to end right now.
Her gaze went back and forth to the two men who had opened her up for a few fleeting moments to hope again, to believe again. Yes, that terrified her. She needed time to catch her breath and figure things out.
“Go! Please!”
Chapter 7
I just finished the passage about the Dark’s deadliest attack on the Bloodline. According to the book, the Alliance wasn’t of much help then. An entire family branch destroyed because of the Alliance leaders’ ineptitude. Though the Seven were the most powerful of the Alliance, they were not invincible. Long ago when the Seven still met in the open, the Dark massacred four of them, hundreds of angels and jinn, and twenty-seven bloodliners under the Alliance’s protection. That day, all immortals—Alliance and Dark—thought the Bloodline eradicated. But they were wrong.
Could it be that simple—bloodliners needing immortals as much as immortals need humans?
Eric’s Flash Drive: day 30—entry 9
* * * *
Micki and Brooke pointed to the door, their silent command for everyone to exit and leave Eve alone with them.
Jealousy scorched Kronos’s mind with the picture of Eve restrained on the bed by that damn jinn. He couldn’t walk out. Not before letting Eve know how much she meant to him and that he would never deceive her again. He wanted her to understand everything.
“Sweetheart—”
Eve leapt from the bed. “Just leave. Please don’t make me ask again.”
He’d never seen her this closed off, but how could she not with all she’d been through. His gut coiled up in guilt for his past failure to keep her safe and for his past lies to her at Zone Three.
“Can’t you see you’re upsetting the poor thing?” Brooke raised her eyebrows.
That was the last thing he wanted to do, but the woman was right. Eve’s hands were shaking. Damn!
“Seems to me that the humans are running things here.” Parkor pointed to Eve. “And this one needs to be reined in immediately. David, I’ll be back very soon. And I won’t be alone.”
David gave him a mocking wave. “Goodbye and good riddance.”
The immortal ruler of Europe smirked, then disappeared in a flash of light.
“Eve, are you hungry?” Brooke asked.
Eve shrugged. “I could eat.”
Brooke tilted her head to David. “It’s bad enough that you let the Dark get to Eric. Were you planning on starving his cousin and saving Vincorte the trouble?”
The archangel tried not to wince as he waved his hand and a gold dish loaded with fruit, cheese, and crackers appeared on the table next to her bed, along with a crystal tumbler and pitcher filled with water. “Let’s give them a few minutes.” Not waiting for a response, the archangel stepped out of the room.
Kronos had never seen David’s behavior so odd. Acquiescing to humans—and females to boot? Perhaps it had something to do with Brooke being pregnant with Eric Langley’s child. If the new mother could carry the new bloodliner baby to term before the Dark got to her, David would have a part in bringing up the newborn under the guise of protector. The thought concerned Kronos. He could only imagine how manipulative David would be with an innocent infant.
David’s plans for Eve couldn’t be any less dangerous. No doubt, the archangel would bring in a revolving door of immortals to fuck her until she powered up.
“Eve, you really want me to leave?” He hoped she’d say no.
Instead, she nodded, looking weary. “I need a few minutes.”
“Okay. I’ll just be in the next room.”
Nash stood beside him, looking like he wanted to touch Eve again, which made Kronos want to spit nails. “Me, too, little one.”
She looked down, flushing at Nash’s tender words and lusty gaze.
Ever since walking in the room, Kronos became more and more agitated by anything David’s second-in-command did or said. Coupled with the image of Eve naked and tied up while Nash did who knew what to her, he felt his anger turn to hot rage.
Eve held up her left hand. “Guys, while you’re gone, please don’t kill each other. That would really piss me off.”
Her words caused Kronos to recall a line from Othello: Murder’s out of tune, and sweet revenge grows harsh.
He kissed her cheek. “I’ll do my best, honey.”
Walking to the doorway, Kronos thought that he might have to let Nash’s treatment of Eve slide—for now. But if the jinn ever molested her like that again, he’d slice the asshole in two that very instant without qualm.
A corner of Nash’s mouth curled up. He stepped next to Eve and kissed her on the mouth. Her long ginger lashes fluttered shut as their embrace deepened. She moaned.
In Kronos’s head, he heard Nash’s voice. Like I said earlier, I know what she needs.
The blood in Kro’s temples pounded like a sledgehammer against granite. He clenched his jaw and squeezed the hilt of his sword tight.
“Get away from her, asshole!”
Eve grunted in frustration. “Both of you, get rid of your weapons, and get over this petty shit. Neither one of you owns me.”
The jinn flinched at her words, but didn’t respond. Nash’s daggers vanished. He turned on his heels and pushed past Kronos. It took every bit of willpower not to pummel the guy with his fists. Obeying Eve’s request, Kronos also banished his sword.
“Kronos, before you leave could you conjure a blanket?” Micki asked.
Regretfully, he ended his kiss with Eve. “Sure.”
He wondered why she wanted it. The temperature in the room neared an uncomfortably warm level. Pulling a dot of energy from his core, he visualized a dark blue fleece blanket. When it solidified, he handed it over to Micki. “This good enough?”
“Yes, thank you. Now go.”
Kronos stepped into the hallway and Brooke shut the door behind him. Instantly, he hated being separated from Eve.
Since the night he’d met Eve, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. For an immortal, he was young, only ninety-two years since his rising. Yet, in those years, he’d never met such a woman. She was sexy from head to toe: long, curly red hair; soft skin; a strength that surprised most; a curiosity that never seemed satisfied; and an intelligence that amazed him.
Still, he
’d always sensed a brokenness that kept part of her closed off from everyone. If he could just spend more time with her, give her everything she could ever want or desire, then maybe, in time, she would open up and believe in him. How he longed to be alone with her again, pleasuring her, kissing her wet lips, tasting her taut nipples, fingering her moist folds, laving her tight pussy, pulling out her moans of delight. But all that would have to wait. Her safety needed to be his priority. The Ranch seemed impenetrable, but so had Zone Three, which the Dark had broken into the night Eve ran.
No matter what David demanded, he would never be more than a room away from her ever again.
Walking into the observation area, Kronos found David pacing, while the others sat, staring through the two-way mirror at the women.
Jared and Bradley’s concentration on the other room didn’t irritate Kronos. They were fixated on Micki. But Nash’s focus chafed. The intensity of the jinn’s stare stirred up a seething concoction inside him.
Kronos looked past Nash to the object of the jinn’s attention: Eve.
She sat back on the bed, closing her eyes. An unquestionable urge to run into the room and whisk her far away from Nash built up inside him. But before he could act, Eve disappeared from the two-way. All he could see through the mirror was something blue. He realized that Micki and Brooke must’ve placed the blanket he’d given them over the glass, blocking the room from view.
That’s why Micki wanted it. Smart woman.
“Now we can’t see them. That’s just fantastic,” David said sarcastically. His gaze went back and forth from Nash to Kronos. “Why have two of my best men deliberately disobeyed my orders?”
Nash stood up. “Sir, I told you why I did what I did. How is that disobeying your orders?”
“You said that you needed to make sure she wouldn’t hurt any of your men should her power get activated. That’s why you coupled with her. Right?”
“Yes.”
David held his wings tight against his back, continuing his circular march. His demeanor spoke volumes. “So you’re ready to send in other immortals to triple with her?”
Cook, Kris - Captivation [Eternally Three 2] (Siren Publishing Menage Amour) Page 10