He understood.
“Would you be upset if I gave her a symbol of my love? She wears your ring, but I’d love to see mine on her finger too.”
It would cement him into the family.
Jacques’s expression didn’t change. “I think that she’d love that very much. I know when I gave her this ring, she was touched.” Jacques lifted her hand and placed his lips over the symbol of their union.
“Is it wrong that I need more than the word ‘mate’?”
“No, it’s not, Flynn. You may be more like us than human, but you were raised a certain way. If you need more, I think you should do what makes you happy.”
“You won’t mind?”
He patted him on the shoulder. “I’ll never get upset when you’re only showing her your love and devotion. How could I?”
Flynn thought about it. “Honestly, in the beginning, I was hesitant. I didn’t think we could pull this off,” he said, pointing at the three of them. “I believed this would be a big mess.”
He understood. Jacques had felt the same way. “I wasn’t happy in the beginning either, Flynn, but it has nothing to do with you. It’s more that I didn’t think that she could love more than one man at once. I was terrified that I would lose her to a human. Our females mostly choose human men as mates, and I don’t think it has anything to do with children. There is something just hardwired into them.”
Flynn listened.
“When Jolie had decided to mate with me, she’d already met you.”
“At the police station?”
“Yes. She knew why you were in her life. That’s why she flirted endlessly with you. It’s why she was hesitant to bond you at first. Jolie didn't want to hurt me.”
Flynn thought back to that time.
“I can see how she looks at you, Flynn. You never have to worry about losing her love. She’s going to cherish you forever. So, give her the ring. You have my blessing.”
He touched his mate’s arm. “She would have walked away from me for you, Jacques,” Flynn said softly. “Had I not been okay with her being with you, she would have chosen you.”
Jacques touched his arm. “No, she wouldn’t have, Flynn. I may have had her for more years, but you have chemistry. Even I can see it. We were together for many years, and she never looked at me the way she watches you.”
He didn’t know what to think.
“The powers that be brought all three of us together for a reason. We needed you to complete us, and now we’re whole.”
“I love you both more than anything in the world.”
Jacques had no doubt. He could see it in Flynn’s eyes. Their mate had risked his life more than expected from a human. Flynn Brogan was a good man, and he loved him like a brother.
It was time to be completely honest. “She isn't the only one who would be crushed if you left our lives. I would too, Flynn. You’re more than Jolie’s other mate. You’re my mate. When we share blood, I know what family feels like. You’re the brother I never had.”
That shared truth meant so much to him. In fact, Flynn was beyond touched. “When I was a kid, I always wished I had a brother.”
“We’re a family.”
“I believe I belong here, Jacques. This moment in time resonates for me. I was meant to meet you both, and I was meant to be right here.”
He looked down at the water. “Okay, maybe not naked in a tub of bubbles with another man, but you know what I meant.”
Jacques laughed. “Yeah, I never really saw this coming either.”
Flynn touched her cheek with his rough fingers. “We should get her dried off and in bed. I want to rest too. I feel like something big is coming.”
“Yes, my stomach is one giant knot.”
Well, at least they were on the same page, expecting the worst.
As they pulled her from the water, and took turns holding Jolie while they dried her off, neither man spoke.
They didn't need to.
In bed, Jolie was pressed between them. Before Jacques could slip away, Flynn finally spoke, “Thank you, Jacques, for your blessing. It matters to me. I do love her, and I want to get her something special.”
“I’ll get you the name of our jeweler. Tell him it’s for Jolie, and he’ll find you anything you wish. He’s one of our kind and has done her jewelry for the last hundred years.”
“Thank you,” he said, closing his eyes. “You realize that once the family sees the ring, and realizes that we’re never parting, it’ll drive Balzac crazy.”
“It looks like we have one more silver lining for you to do this, Flynn. In fact, I should buy you a ring. I owe you.”
He laughed.
“Yeah, well, torturing Balzac is like a sport.”
“I like to think so. I’ve been doing it for centuries.”
“I can’t say I blame you. Has he always been this big of a…?” Flynn searched for words.
“Pompous, arrogant, self-righteous, egotistical, higher than thou-- pain in the ass?” suggested Jacques.
“Been thinking about this a while?” Brogan asked, laughing.
“I’ve had hundreds of years to deal with him. He’s been this way since he joined our family five hundred years ago.”
“Want me to shoot him for your birthday?”
Jacques laughed. “Ahhhhh, the gift that keeps on giving. We can make it a tradition.”
“Night, Jacques.”
He closed his eyes. “Good night, my brother,” he said, slipping into death’s cold grasp.
Flynn couldn’t have been happier in that moment.
Here was the epitome of family.
And it was all his.
∞ Chapter Fourteen ∞
Something weird was happening. Jolie knew she was with death, tucked safely in the darkness as her body rejuvenated, but something didn't feel right.
This was odd.
Her body tingled, and she was being pulled into awareness by a familiar touch.
Then she realized who was calling her.
Death…
As she opened her eyes, Jolie found herself sitting under a tree with her mistress.
It was startling, to say the least.
“Um…morning?”
Death laughed, her hand resting on Jolie’s leg. “Good morning to you too. How are you?”
Jolie wasn’t sure if this was a dream or if she was with her mistress somewhere.
“It’s me in your mind. You’re still in bed with your mates. In fact, I wish I was in bed with them. What’s your human like?”
Jolie was disturbed on so many levels. “He’s something you’ll never see, since he’s mine.”
She laughed. “Okay, point made--hands off the hot detective. I get it.”
“Why am I here?” asked Jolie, her guard going up.
Death brushed imaginary dirt from her pants. “I’m just checking in on you. Plus, while you were slipping into my wicked clutches, you were thinking about me.”
Jolie opened her mouth, and then closed it.
“You realize that you’re my harbinger. We’re going to be together a very long time. You should chill out and relax. I’m not going to kill you. That would be bad business.”
“Okay…”
“You, like Vanth, have a direct line to me. If you need me, all you have to do is call.”
“Really?”
“Yes. It doesn’t matter the time. You can call me during a battle, or when you’re dead. Now, why did you need me? I was about to have some very interesting sex and would like to get back to it.”
“I was forced to bond another human to me, and I didn’t want to do it. I’d like to know if I can sever the bond but still make sure he lives.”
Death stared at her. “You’re something else. You’re the undead, and you don’t want a free soul? Just when I think I’ve figured you out, you switch it up.”
Good.
That might just keep them alive.
“I have a portion of Flynn’s soul, so I don
’t want to share Tommy’s. One day, he might fall in love or need it.”
“Seriously? No one has ever asked this before. You win the prize. You make me very curious, Jolie.”
“He was hurt by one of our kind. I only wanted to do the right thing, and I believe this is part of it.”
“So, you wish to bargain again?”
“Yes, I guess so. What do you ask for his body and mind to be healed, but not to have him dependent on me to feed the rest of his life?” she asked, covering her stomach.
“Jolie, you paid for the gift you seek to protect--one soul for the successful pregnancy from your mates. You made that deal and it stands. I will ask for nothing more than to be fed. I require death.”
“Who do I have to kill?”
“It’s up to you.”
“Really? Anyone I choose?”
“Yes.”
“How many?”
Death laughed. “You really don’t trust me, do you?” she asked, laughing again as she took Jolie’s hand in her own. “I think six should be sufficient.”
“This conversation is really weird.”
“I think that’s a matter of perspective. I do this kind of thing all day. So, do we have a deal?”
“Yes. I’ll give you six violent deaths of my choice, for the life of Tommy Gress, so he is no longer bound to myself or my mates.”
“Deal.”
“Thank you,” said Jolie, as Death stood from her spot beside her. It wasn’t lost on Jolie that her sunny clothing morphed into something far more sinister. Before her, death stood in head to toe leather. The whip in her hand looked wicked.
“What?”
Jolie said nothing.
“Don’t judge. Who do you think came up with BDSM? An angel?”
Jolie started laughing. “If you say so…”
With that, Death began shimmering away. Her laughter the only thing left behind.
“Hey! What about me?” Jolie asked, standing beneath the apple tree.
There was a snap.
And everything went black.
* * * H a r c o u r t e * * *
Friday Afternoon
At the touch, he sat up in bed, gun in his hand.
Vanth raised her hands. “Take it easy, Detective. It’s only me.”
He slid the sidearm back under his pillow. “Sorry, Vanth. I’m edgy,” he stated.
“I see that.”
“What’s wrong? Is someone outside the house?”
“Not exactly, Detective. You have a visitor.”
He tried to think through the haze of sleep still clouding his mind. “I do?”
“The woman downstairs smells like she’s been here before. I think it’s the one who was trying to jump your bones.”
Flynn stared at her. “Has everyone heard about that?” he asked, referring to Dena leaving her scent after a harmless hug.
“Yes.”
“Jesus. This family needs to mind its own business,” he muttered.
“The woman, Detective?”
He sighed. “Fine. I’ll handle her. How’s Tommy doing?” he inquired, sliding out of bed to get dressed.
“He’s much better than when you brought him here. Chloe fed him twice, and he’s just about healed.”
“And his eyes?”
“They aren’t white anymore, so they’ll heal. They take longer. Don’t worry. He’ll be perfect again.”
“Thanks. I’ll check on him later after I wake Jolie and Jacques,” he said pulling on his jeans.
“Okay, Master.”
Flynn stopped, his shirt unbuttoned.
“Not you too.”
She laughed. “I can’t help it. Your face is priceless. That’s why they all do it. You get flustered and the female vampyres think you’re sexy.”
That weirded him out.
“Yeah, yeah. While I’m downstairs, don’t let Tommy make any noise. I don’t know what I’m going to tell the detective yet.”
“I can handle her.”
He stared at the demoness. “Uh. No.”
“Just a little nibble?”
“Vanth, go watch Tommy, and no nibbling on humans. That’s gross.”
She rolled her eyes. “I understand, Flynn.” Vanth disappeared.
He laughed. Before mating, his biggest issue was not being late for work. Now, he had to keep a demon from snacking on his buddy’s girl.
Jesus.
What happened to his life?
As he finished buttoning his jeans, Flynn mulled over what to tell the other detective. It wasn’t like he could be honest.
That would probably be a very bad thing.
Well, it looked like lying won again.
Heading down, he could hear her pacing. As he entered the room, she faced him. When her eyes lecherously slid down his body, Flynn remembered that his shirt was unbuttoned.
Well, he took care of that.
“Flynn, I’ve been calling you for two days. Have you found anything out about Tommy or where he is?”
“No, but we’re close to finding the serial killer,” he replied, sitting on the couch. “Jolie is tracking the nutjob, and we’ll have something for the commissioner soon.”
“Oh, I see,” she said, “but nothing on Tommy?”
“Nope.” He easily lied.
“Oh God! He’s dead, isn’t he?” she sobbed, throwing herself across Flynn’s body.
He tensed.
Great.
This was a mess.
Flynn didn't know what to do. So, he went with the least amount of touching on his behalf. Gently, he patted her on the back, trying to offer her some reassurance.
He didn’t want to hurt her, but he didn’t want her clinging to him either. When she released his shirt, he tried to move her out of his personal space.
Maybe she’d get the idea.
He hoped.
Instead, she intimately groped him.
“Dena!” he objected, right before she threw herself against him again. This time, not only did she get handsy, but she kissed him.
The first thing through his mind was that Jolie was going to go postal. Pushing her away, he wiped his mouth on the back of his hand.
“Flynn.”
“Are you crazy?” he demanded. “You’re in our home, and that was totally inappropriate.”
Honestly, it made him ill because he couldn’t remember what he had ever found appealing about the woman. Dena wasn’t anything like Jolie. In fact, the woman who once attracted him, only made his flesh crawl.
So this was what happened when you were mated and tried to touch another woman.
Good to know.
“I still love you, Flynn. I loved you the day you told me it was over. I cared about you the day I started dating Tommy, and I still want you now,” she stated, wiping tears from her eyes. “We were good together, Flynn. We can still be good together. Two cops can make it work! Let me prove it to you. Dump her. The doctor doesn’t love you. Come back here and start something great with me.”
Flynn didn’t know what to say to the woman who had just tossed all her emotions out on the table in front of him. His mother raised him to be a gentleman, so he was going to take that route.
“Dena, I’m really flattered, but I’m not in love with you. I never was. We had some fun, but it wouldn’t have worked. I love Jolie, and I’m asking her to marry me. I’m sorry, but this ship has sailed.”
“Flynn, it’s a mistake! You don’t fit here. Look around! She’s French and perfume, and you’re a cop who likes beer!”
“Dena, what about Tommy?” Flynn questioned, moving behind the chair. “You two are dating.”
“I like Tommy, but I love you. He isn’t you, Flynn. When you left, I only moved on so the pain would stop, but it hasn’t. I need you in my life.”
“I’m sorry, Dena, but you need to leave. I don’t know what to say to get you to understand, but I’m in love with someone else, not you. She’s my world.” Flynn headed toward the door. “Please leave o
ur house, or I’ll call the commissioner and tell him we can’t work together due to a conflict of interest.”
Dena followed him. “Flynn, don’t do this,” she said softly as she tried to hold on to his hand.
“Goodbye, Dena,” he stated more sternly.
When he managed to shove her out the door, he was shaking. His heart was thumping in his chest.
“Holy shit! She’s crazy,” he muttered, heading to their room. Once there, Flynn knew better than to climb right into bed. He began stripping out of his clothes to go shower.
He’d screwed this up once before, and it wasn’t happening again. In fact, he shoved his clothes in the garbage can in their room. Why take a chance?
Snagging Jacques phone off the bed stand, he scrolled through it until he found the number for the jeweler. Once it was sent it to his phone, he made the call.
It was time to make this official.
It didn't take long.
They knew Jolie’s size and had a plethora of unique rings. When Flynn heard the description, he bought it unseen. He trusted his mate, and if Jacques said this guy was their jewelry guy, he had to believe it.
When it came time to pay, he hesitated. He didn't want to use the family account, even though he was told they shared it. Flynn wanted to do this himself. “Let me give you my credit card number, not the one Jacques uses.”
After rattling off the numbers and address, he hung up.
Well, that was done.
Yeah, this was going to be a really amazing ring, and he couldn’t wait to give it to his girl. Something in his gut flip flopped at the idea of her wearing it. It felt natural and possessive. This token would make her his for the rest of their lives.
Flynn didn't doubt that this was the right thing to do.
It made him think of another woman he still loved.
He only hoped it would make his mother proud.
After his shower, Flynn slid into bed to curl protectively around Jolie’s body. It was nearly time for her to wake, and he wanted to be the first person she saw when her eyes opened.
Dangerous Retaliation (The Harcourte Vampyre Society Book 4) Page 19