His Witch To Keep (Keepers of the Veil)

by Zoe Forward

  Her body bowed toward him with a groan.

  He resumed his position propped up on an elbow with a smile.

  “You’re the one that wants this to be fleeting.” Her body raged for him. She had to bite her lip to prevent begging him to continue what he’d just started.

  “I never said that. I said the rules dictate I’m not allowed long-term.” He teased her nipple with his tongue.

  “So you do want it. You want us.”

  “Let us just live for now and worry about tomorrow later. For all I know, Hades will punish me for this. I might be dead tomorrow.”

  “What does your god tell you about us?”

  “He tells me nothing of you. No direction on what I’m to do. I only receive information on my targets.” He rolled away from her, his expression hard and determined. “Tell me who seeks to kill you.”

  Man, he was tough to derail. “I’m not sure who it is. No one has directly threatened me. I’m not aware of any loose ends from MI6. My sister was kidnapped several days ago. Her kidnappers forced me to do those missions by threatening to kill her. I can’t find out anything about them or where they’ve taken her. I can’t follow their computer trails or phone calls. I knew I was being played on those missions, since the intel given me was shit. But once I got what they wanted, they didn’t seem to care. I thought the missions were just bullshit to test my resolve to get Liz back. I—”

  “They were designed to kill you,” he interrupted.

  “The only ones after me are OLM.”

  “The OLM isn’t behind this, but they have been recruited to help. Someone is very eager to expedite your death. There are two international multimillion-dollar contracts to bring you in dead or alive. More money if you’re brought in alive. They directly contacted the best assassins and blackmailed handlers of others to get their top killers on this job.”

  Fear licked down her spine. That was scary serious. “Then I’ll be lucky to live through the week.” The wild panic she’d crammed into a corner of her brain over Liz’s potential death burst free. If they only wanted to get to her, and she was unavailable or obviously not controllable through capture of her sibling, then they’d kill the hostage.

  “We will find your sister. And I will eliminate whoever threatens you.” The determination on his face mesmerized her. His expression conveyed utter calm, but his eyes glowed with the fierceness of an ancient warrior. Whatever happened, she didn’t doubt he would protect her. He wouldn’t give up until he resolved her threat or died.

  He tucked her head beneath his chin and wrapped his arms around her. She relaxed into him. His spicy masculine scent soothed her. He whispered, “They didn’t count on me.”

  “Maybe the gods knew what they were doing when they threw us together eons ago.”

  “Perhaps.”

  “I need to free my sister.”

  He pressed a kiss into her palm. “I will get you through this without you taking unacceptable risks.”

  She pushed at him to rock away and glare. “What does that mean? I can take care of myself.”

  Alexi stared at her with an uncompromising don’t give me bullshit stare.

  She resisted the urge to squirm. “Maybe you did ensure I survived this week safely.”

  “If you continue to volunteer for dangerous situations while knowing they’re stupid risks, you’ll end up dead. You will let me protect you.”

  “You mean I’ll let you dictate to me.” How could she be so attracted to a man who communicated in orders? A part of her recognized she liked his dominance, and yet she had to fight him. She feared weakness and being at the mercy of anyone.

  He smoothed the hair away from her face. “Don’t be upset. I will get you through this. You wouldn’t be here without your skills. You’re going to need those. But for once you need help. You need someone else in charge of the mission.” He rolled upright above her. “Let’s make good use of the hour or so we have left here. Shall we take it slow this time? Maybe I’ll make you beg me to let you come.”

  “I don’t beg.”

  He laughed wholeheartedly. “We’ll see about that.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Alexi reluctantly eased himself away from her sleeping body. He watched her expression during sleep for a few seconds and the soft rise and fall of her chest. She looked so young, so innocent, when she slept.

  He hadn’t believed anything could lighten his soul until he met her. There was no redemption for the murders he’d committed, even if most had been ordered by a god. He didn’t expect a glorious afterlife reward for what he did. But she shed light on his dark soul. With her, he had a reason to persist. He needed her as a barrier between him and the unrelenting evils of his life.

  He tangled his fingers through her silky dark hair, reveling in the red peeking through. He’d like to see her hair not dyed. But no matter the color, she was beautiful. He bent and brushed a kiss along her shoulder. Despite her angelic look in sleep, he admitted she brought out the worst in his nature—his need to dominate, control, and protect. Every time she threw a smart remark or challenged him, he was driven to compete and triumph. She took each challenge and threw it back at him, which only drove him harder.

  She stirred. He whispered, “Sleep.”

  His gaze snapped to the bedroom door when that sense of something coming slid through his brain. He future glimpsed, released a frustrated snort, and hurriedly threw on a fresh T-shirt, tactical pants, and boots. He exited the bedroom, closed the door, and stalked to the front door. With a yank, he faced his familiar visitor.

  “It took you long enough. You’re getting slow, or…” A slow smile spread across Nikolai’s tanned face. “She’s got an ass to die for. I’ll give you that.” His smile faded. “Women are a dangerous distraction. The old Alexi would’ve been waiting for me with the door open and a gun pointed at my head long before I arrived. Look how much she’s thrown you off. This is how you get killed.” He shook his head, tsking.

  “Why are you here?” He itched to put a new break in Nikolai’s nose and then throw him out.

  Anxiety etched Nikolai’s features. That boded poorly. Whatever he prepared to reveal was guaranteed to be a whopper.

  He ushered his brother inside, locking the door behind him. “Come into the kitchen. I assume you know your way. I do not appreciate you entering without an invitation.”

  “That was a few months ago. I just like to keep tabs on your haunts. Your security system is good.”

  “Obviously not good enough.” He scraped a kitchen chair out for Nikolai and settled into the one across the wood table.

  Nikolai sat hard and sighed. He folded his hands on the table. Shadows lined his usually untroubled eyes.

  “If it’s that bad, just spit it out. Does it have to do with her?”

  Nikolai’s gaze shot past him and glanced around the kitchen. “I picked up that she’s a pasirinktas. But she’s not mine. You think she’s yours?”

  “You know that isn’t possible.” Alexi’s heart pounded. He’d assumed she would belong to Nikolai. He hated his brother for it. But had accepted it as a possible reality. Nikolai’s denial meant there might be another death reaper brother with rights to the heaven he just touched. As much as he could rationalize this and attempt to bury his jealousy, he would only allow another man to touch her when he died.

  “Based on that look I’d better pray that you are the one for her. I do not want a promotion to family death servant.” He shook his head.

  “We have not spoken in…a while. How is the duty to procreate going?”

  Nikolai scowled.

  “So, if the happy news of nuptials is not your reason to visit, why are you here?”

  “I had a vision long ago that is about to be played out.” Nikolai scratched his head, throwing his perfectly styled spikes into disarray. “You’re right, we haven’t spoken in a long time.”

  He crossed his arms and tried to mask his frustration. This conversation should’ve ended minutes ago
. He needed to wake Serenity and move to a new location within the next hour. They should leave the city. “If I recall we argued most of the last time.”

  “I am not…father material.”

  “What was this vision?” He unfolded his arms and leaned in.

  “My number is up. Today. I saw this long ago and knew that all I had was a limited time to gather the loose ends of my life.” He pushed a key across the table. “Same Swedish bank we used ten years ago. You are my only family…we don’t have much time. They’re coming.”

  “Who is coming?”

  Nikolai shrugged. “You are the only hope she’s got. I received three different contracts for her in the past twenty-four hours. Three. Someone wants her dead. They’re no longer being discreet to get her there.”

  “Who is behind this?”

  “I think you had better talk to her. I suspect Jainukul is involved.” Nikolai leaned back and crossed his arms.

  “Jainukul? Why would that terrorist be remotely interested in her?” Alexi rocked back from the table. Jainukul had evaded him a few years ago. It had been a Russian assignment to go after him, not a death reaper target. Hades’s information was always better. In that mission everything turned out to be wrong—the time, the place, the number of men, and even that the elusive Jainukul might be there. He wasn’t. The mission had been a disastrous setup from start to finish. Alexi might have escaped, but doing so had required he kill Jainukul’s right hand, something the notorious but anonymous Asian business mogul would never forget.

  “No clue. That is for you to figure out.” Nikolai said, “You better wake her up. Now.”

  “All visions are but a suggestion for a possible reality. They’re not set in stone.” He closed his fist around the Swedish key and then stuffed it into his cargo pocket. “You’ll get this back.”

  Skepticism flashed across Nikolai’s face before Alexi stood and walked away.

  Nikolai called to his back, “My visions are always right. Reality doesn’t deviate.”

  He found Serenity gazing at him from the bed. Her sleek naked body stretched above the covers. His blood sped south in response to the flirty move. Hoarsely he announced, “We have to leave.”

  “Already?” She rolled to a sit and reached for her discarded dress, suddenly businesslike. “Who’s here?”

  He waited until she was dressed to reply. “My brother.”

  “How’d he know we were here?”

  “Something is coming.” He pivoted and led back into the kitchen. As he entered, Alexi said, “We have a few minutes.” In the pantry, he accessed the hidden compartment he’d installed and removed his emergency bag. From the bag he grabbed his loaded tactical vest and shrugged into it. He carried the bag over to the window.

  “What’s your escape plan for this place?” Nikolai asked.

  Alexi raised the window and shot a zip line, which latched into the wall next to the roof access door of the neighboring building. He tossed a helmet at Nikolai and then the harness. “Get into the gear. Now. You have about a minute. Wear the helmet.” He snapped on the pulley and lanyard, holding it ready for Nikolai.

  Nikolai didn’t gear up. “You two first.”

  “We’ve got another escape route.” He met her gaze. “You okay with that?”

  She nodded.

  “What other escape route?” Nikolai asked.

  “Get on the damned line. Now. The minute they enter the door, the explosives will detonate and incinerate this place. Go, and watch your head.” He lunged forward, snapped his brother into the harness, attached him to the lanyard and clicked on the helmet. “We’ll be fine.”

  Nikolai struggled. “I’m supposed to die here.”

  “The future is never set. It is but a series of choices. You are not dying today. I’ll give you back your key. Meet in twenty-four at Zurich.” He pushed Nikolai on the line, sending him flying to the roof of the neighboring building. His head rocked against the building when he landed.

  “I said watch your head,” Alexi muttered. He pulled Serenity into him and ordered, “Jump us.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Seconds ticked by while Serenity waited for her vision to work again.

  Alexi’s body suddenly shot rigid against her. He whispered, “There’s someone else here. I’m blind. You?”

  “Ten more seconds. I think we’re in the sunroom.”

  He backed them both slowly against a wall. “Did you expect company?”

  “No one comes here. Except…”

  “Well, it’s about time y’all showed up,” a familiar feminine southern drawl announced. “And, Lordy, he brought a gun.”

  Twenty-one, twenty-two… Vision.

  Alexi had Charlotte’s chaotically bun-coiffed head targeted with his nine millimeter. Charlotte held a glass of water in her right hand, a lethal weapon given her ability to manipulate elements.

  “Don’t shoot,” Serenity said. “Put the water down, please, Charlotte.”

  “How do I know she’s not the mastermind behind everything? That she’s not the bitch that wants you dead?” he asked in a lethal tone.

  “Oh, please.” Charlotte rolled her eyes. “We don’t have time for this crap.” She tossed the water, which shot toward him as if propelled by a hidden wind. The water wrapped his gun and hand in ice. Its weight dropped his hand to his side.

  He whirled and launched a knife toward Charlotte from his non-iced hand. His move enabled him to smash his frozen hand against the wall, which broke the ice bond between his fingers and the gun.

  Charlotte used wind to deflect the knife’s path. She shot a wind gust at him. His head ricocheted off the wood paneling with the force of his impact. He pushed away from the wall with a head shake and aimed his gun at Charlotte.

  Serenity grabbed his arm and ordered, “Stop.” He paused, but his lethal glare threatened Charlotte with violence if she tried anything.

  Charlotte said calmly, “Tell him I could’ve aimed for his heart.”

  “I’m sure he gets that,” Serenity said, annoyed by both of them.

  “Kas ji?” Who is she? Alexi asked low in Lithuanian.

  “Alexi, this is Charlotte, the eldest Pleiad. Charlotte, this is—”

  “I know what he is.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “You know how much I hate being referred to as elderly.” She granted him a disdainful once-over. “He reeks of death.”

  “He’s the only person who has actually helped me this week. If you can’t behave, then you’ll have to leave. If you want to fight, be warned that I know your tricks. We can see who wins.”

  Charlotte scowled but remained still. “He almost shot me. I call it self-defense.”

  “You attacked him first.”

  Charlotte’s back straightened, and she glared squinty-eye annoyance. Few defied her. Serenity was one of those few.

  “Shall we start again, Char? To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”

  Charlotte spun and pretended to examine the ocean watercolor miniatures on the wall. She hummed a familiar magical tune and darted a glance from her peripherals at her. Decision time. Should she trust Alexi to behave and refuse Charlotte’s suggestion, or should she protect him and sing? Shit. They might have slept together and he might have done nothing but protect her, but he had declared no more than one night, and getting her through her current crisis. She worried if he pissed off Charlotte again, the woman might not show restraint next time. Protection it was.

  She hummed the tune with Charlotte and then both broke into simultaneous song.

  His eyelids drooped. He fought the induced torpor. Anger shot from him when he locked onto Serenity’s gaze, promising retaliation. He pointed at her.

  I’m so sorry.

  Within seconds he slowly slumped to the floor, asleep. The two of them continued the song one final verse and then stopped.

  “How long do you think he’ll stay that way?” Serenity asked. She placed a pillow from one of the chairs beneath his head and smoothed
his hair. She didn’t like seeing him this vulnerable.

  Charlotte cast a contemptuous scan of Alexi’s sleeping form and remained on the opposite side of the room as if even his aura might affect her. “With a human we’d have at least twelve hours or until we told him to wake. With that guy, who knows. He’s…not normal. We may be lucky to get a few minutes.”

  “What do you need to tell me that required we knock him out?”

  Charlotte imperially motioned for her to follow out of the sunroom into the kitchen. “I don’t trust him. At all. And I wanted to talk.”

  “That’s it? You asked me to risk his wrath when he wakes up because you felt threatened? I could’ve asked him to leave the room and we could’ve talked in private. He would’ve done that for me.”

  “He kills people for a living. I don’t understand his motivations. Honestly, Serenity, I don’t know him. And you and I need to talk. But…you shifted with him?” She sat at one of the bar-height stools at the kitchen counter and rested her head in one hand. “Did it hurt to shift him?”

  “Saps me of energy. But I’ve done it twice now and…well, I got over it in a few hours last time.”

  “There’s no way you would’ve been able to shift him here unless the two of you are…shit, you can’t be bonded. Normally if you transport anyone other than your bonded guy or a child, you’re so tapped that you can’t stand upright for twenty-four hours.”

  “You’ve brought a non-destined to an alternate dimension?”

  “Yes. It did not go well.” Charlotte avoided her gaze and smoothed out the cloth napkins.

  “Is it possible to accidentally bond with the wrong person?”

  Charlotte shrugged. “Don’t know.” Her gaze drifted to the sunroom. “Alexi and I have crossed paths before. I really don’t like him. He’s…achk.” She shuddered. “He can’t be the one for you, honey. I’m really sorry. He’s not druid. I’ve read through all our history and there’s never ever been a Pleiad bonded to a non-druid. Don’t you detect the stench of death coming off him?”

  She shook her head. Her chest clamped at confirmation her most off-limits desire couldn’t be true. “He says it’s not possible for us to have any sort of future. That he’s not allowed. So, you have no worries. Yet I’m pretty sure I bonded with him. I can jump only to him when going to the other dimension. I can jump back here with him. And I healed him in that strange manner I think only bonded couples can do. I think I bonded with him by mistake.”