Mercy's Destiny (Mercy Ashby Book 2)

by A. M. Hardin

  “Calm down,” he murmurs in my ear. “You’re extra fidgety today.”

  I bite my lip. “Yeah, I don’t know why.”

  The door to the library slams open, making everyone look up from the table to see Parker’s mom. And she is pissed.

  “You!” she hisses, pointing at me, shaking in rage. “I gave you sanctuary in my home, and you dare to violate that?”

  I blink at her. “Uh, say what, now?”

  Parker stands up and moves between me and his mom. Even though it’s not needed, it’s appreciated. I’m kind of comfortable where I am in Kai’s lap.

  “What are you talking about, mom?” Parker asks, his voice deceptively calm.

  “I’m talking about you letting that thing in here, and now Chelsey is dead!” She shrieks.

  Her words cause everyone to tense and freeze.

  I’m the first to recover. “And you think I did it?”

  She sneers at me. “Her friends saw you do it.”

  I snort. “Saw me do what, exactly? I’m not exactly subtle when I kill, but I’d like to at least know what I did, if I’m going to be blamed for something that I actually didn’t do.”

  “You did it, and you will pay for it!” She moves to take a step towards me but doesn’t get far before Parker’s in her way.

  I quickly stand up from Kai’s lap as ten vampires enter the library. Presumably, her guards.

  “Out of the way, Parker. Chelsey needs to have justice,” she hisses.

  “Mercy didn’t do it,” Parker insists.

  The guards move in, trying to surround me, and my guys all stand up as one, ready to stop them from taking me and making a very scary but hot picture.

  “And you’re sure of this?” Bianca spits. “She did it! I know she did.”

  “Bianca,” Hunter warns, “call off your guard dogs, and let’s talk this out.”

  “No, there will be no more talking. I’m done talking. This is the time for her to pay.”

  “Mom-”

  “No!” She shouts. “She can sit in the dungeon if you’re so hellbent on keeping her alive, for now. That’s the most I’m willing to give you right now, Parker.”

  The guards move in again, and the guys draw weapons.

  “Stop!” I shout, causing my guys to pause and look at me. “Just calm down a minute, seriously.” I turn to Bianca. “You can take me wherever you want to take me, I won’t fight that as long as the guys don’t get in trouble for defending me. I didn’t kill Chelsey. I don’t know who did, but it wasn’t me.”

  She hisses at me. “We’ll see about that.” She tilts her chin at me. “Take her.”

  One of the guards slips by Kai and grabs my arm in a tight grip, making me flinch. Damn, dude. Put enough strength in that?

  Kai moves to stop him, but I shake my head, and he stops. “Just, find out who really killed her, for god’s sake,” I tell the guys.

  “Mom, this is ridiculous. You can’t tell me you honestly think Mercy would–” Farrah starts.

  “Enough of this. Take her to the dungeons beneath the house. Parker, if you wish, you alone may go with her, but do not stay for long. I want to speak to you.”

  The guard who has hold of my arm pulls me roughly out of the protection of the circle that was formed around me and shoves me forward, making me stumble into a chair.

  I scowl at him. “Easy there, ape-man. Chill your shit.”

  He growls at me and pushes me forward again.

  “I’m going! Shit. Someone needs to take that fucking pole out of your ass,” I grumble under my breath.

  With all ten guards surrounding Parker and me, we make our way down to Bianca’s dungeon.

  “Should I feel flattered that your mom has ten guards on me?” I ask Parker curiously.

  He scowls at me. “I don’t know how the hell you’re so calm.”

  I shrug. “Honestly, your mom won’t be able to kill me.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  I give him a cheeky smile. “Because you won’t let her.”

  He narrows his eyes, but I can see the amusement glittering in them. “Damn, right.” He pulls me into his side and places a kiss on my head as we walk. “We’ll figure this out, Mercy. I swear.”

  “I know you will,” I mutter.

  The guards in front of me part, and I realize that we’re at our destination. I was so focused on Parker, I wasn’t paying any attention to where I was going. Well, I’m an idiot. I could have used that information to escape if this didn’t go my way.

  “In you go, half-demon,” the vampire holding the cell door says.

  I move to go into the tiny-ass cell they have for me, but I don’t get more than a step in when Parker stops me and pulls me back into his arms. He slams his mouth on mine, pouring all of his anger and frustration into the kiss.

  A guard grabs me, pulling me out of his arms and literally throws me into the itty-bitty cell. Dick.

  I glare at the guy before looking at Parker. “Go. Help the others find out who the hell did this and why I’m the one taking the blame.”

  He nods and leaves the room once ten of the guards have left the room. The eleventh one is stuck on babysitting duty it seems, since he pulls up a chair right outside of my cell and pulls a magazine off the table beside him and starts flipping through the pages. Wait eleven? There were only ten. Weren’t there?

  I pace around the little cell for a while before finally giving up and sitting on the little cot. Jesus. Everything’s little in here.

  You’d think I was a fucking leprechaun or something.

  Plopping down on the cot, I place my chin in the palm of my hand and rest my elbow on my knee. I purse my lips and frown when the guard starts whistling. “Can you please stop that?”

  He chuckles humorlessly then goes right back to whistling.

  Seriously. What is with these vampires and being such dicks?

  “So, what exactly did Chelsey’s little groupies say that has Bianca so convinced it was me that killed her?” I finally ask.

  The whistling stops. Thank god!

  A sigh slips out of the vamp. “I don’t know. I’m not even supposed to be talking to you, so be quiet.”

  “Seriously? ‘Be quiet’? That’s the best you got?”

  He snorts. “No, I just happen to like and respect Parker. I know you’re his female, and he would rather you be safe than have any of the other guards his mother had come down here with you. They wouldn’t have any problems torturing information out of you, even if that information was false. They wouldn’t give a shit.”

  I frown as I realize why I was confused at the number of guards when we first came in here. “Wait, you weren’t a part of the original ten guards that came to take me away, were you?”

  “No, I wasn’t,” he confirms. “Parker telepathically asked me to blend into the guards when you were walking past me, then asked me to stay and keep an eye on you to make sure nothing happens.”

  “So, if Parker told you to stay with me, why aren’t you supposed to be talking to me?”

  He shrugs. “It’s kind of standard procedure when you’re on guard duty for the dungeon.”

  “Standard procedure,” I drawl. “Right. Well, I’d say this isn’t actually all that standard wouldn’t you agree?”

  He chuckles. “I guess not.”

  “What’s your name?” I ask.

  “Dax Corbin.”

  “Well, Dax Corbin, can you tell me what the fuck is going on? What happened to Chelsey?”

  He sighs. “Honestly, I’m not entirely sure. I didn’t see the body. I do know that she was decapitated. I heard there were also signs of torture, but I’m not sure since I’ve yet to see the body.”

  I frown. “Uh, I’ve been with Parker or one of the other guys or Farrah over the last twenty-four hours. I couldn’t have done that without one of them present. And as it turns out, I didn’t do it.”

  He nods. “I believe you, but Bianca will not be so easily swayed. Especially wi
th her friends’ statements that point you out as her attacker.”

  “If there was signs of torture, how the hell did they see me kill her, but not do anything to stop it?”

  “I don’t know. I’m just telling you what I do know. Which isn’t much.”

  I sigh. “I know. I’m sorry, I’m just frustrated with all of this. It’s such bullshit.”

  “I’ll agree with you there.”

  18

  Talon

  “This is bullshit, and you know it, Bianca,” Hunter exclaims, slamming his hands on the desk between him and Bianca.

  “You know as well as we do that she didn’t do this, mom,” Parker says as he enters the office, slamming the door behind him.

  “I don’t care what you all believe. I have two witnesses that tell me she did it. Chelsey may not have been well liked, but she is one of my subjects. She’s one of your subjects, Parker. We won’t let this go.”

  “What would she have to gain from killing this Chelsey chick?” Kai asks through clenched teeth.

  “I’ve been told they were confronted by Mercy already.” Bianca’s gaze cuts into Parker. “They said she was bragging about your relationship with her.”

  Parker scoffs. “You know that’s bullshit. You know how Chelsey was, you know that she was the one to confront Mercy. Not the other way around.”

  “Mercy couldn’t give a shit about the girls existence,” I add.

  Bianca’s gaze flicks to me then back to Parker. “All the more reason to believe that she did, in fact, kill Chelsey.”

  Parker runs both his hands through his hair. “How? How is that proof? Just because Mercy didn’t care?”

  “Exactly. I’ve told you before, son. All half-demons care for is themselves. They don’t know how to care about others, but you refuse to see reason, and you persist in continuing this idiotic notion that you’ll be together. I can’t imagine the sex is that good,” she sneers. Everyone in the room tenses in anger at those words.

  Parker disappears from his spot only to appear beside Hunter, leaning over his mother, a low growl trickling out of his throat. “Do not talk about her that way. I don’t care about how you feel about my being with Mercy. It’s not any of your business.”

  Bianca pales and swallows hard. “Even so, she will be detained and questioned. If she’s found guilty, which I strongly believe she is, she will die.”

  “Even if she were guilty, you wouldn’t be able to kill her,” I growl. Bianca shoots me a questioning look. “I’ll kill you before you can even spit out the order.”

  “You?” She sneers. “You’re just a shifter.”

  I grin, but it’s all teeth, and I’m sure looks feral as all hell. “That may be so, but you forget something, Bianca. Shifters are just as fast as vampires, sometimes faster. We’re also able to tear your bodies apart easily. So, don’t push me.”

  “Why do you even need to question her,” Kai asks. “She already told you that she didn’t do it.”

  “It’s standard procedure to question any and all suspects. She’s the only one we have.”

  “And it’s complete and utter bullshit,” Hunter snarls. “If anything happens to her while she’s down there, I’m holding you personally responsible, and respect for you and your son or not, I will kill you.”

  She gulps. As she opens her mouth to speak again the door opens, and Parker’s dad walks in, pausing at the sight of the five of us vibrating with rage.

  “Well, now. This is an interesting sight,” he drawls. “What’s happened?”

  “Nothing, dad,” Parker bites out.

  I blink, shocked. I would have thought Parker would try to get his dad on board with setting Mercy free.

  “Parker’s pet killed Chelsey,” Bianca says. “She’s currently in the dungeon awaiting questioning.”

  “She’s not my pet,” Parker snaps. “She’s a fucking person that didn’t do anything fucking wrong. How many fucking times do you have to be told?”

  “Now, son, I’m sure your mom didn’t mean it that way,” Ethan assures Parker in a sickly soothing voice.

  “It doesn’t matter anyway,” Bianca says, examining her nails. “I’ll be going down there shortly to question her personally. Chelsey’s friends want justice for her death. I want justice for it. She deserves it.”

  “I never said she didn’t, I’m simply saying that Mercy didn’t do it,” Parker states.

  “No matter.” Bianca sighs. “Leave me with my husband. We’ll be discussing things further, and out of a simple courtesy, we’ll keep you informed.”

  Her tone brokers no arguments, so the five of us leave the office and make our way to Parker’s room since his is the closest to the office.

  “This is ridiculous,” War mutters when the door is closed behind him.

  “It is,” I agree.

  “What are we going to do if they won’t believe her?” Kai asks.

  Parker sighs. “I’ve got a guard that I trust down there with her now to make sure nothing happens to her while she’s down there. There are only a couple of people that I trust here to listen to me instead of my mom and dad.”

  “So, she’s safe?” Hunter clarifies.

  “As safe as she can be in that itty-bitty fucking cell,” Parker confirms.

  Hunter nods then faces the rest of us. “Here’s the plan. War and Kai, you both keep looking for other ways that could possibly save Mercy if it’s needed. I don’t want to rely on just the one spell we have, especially if it’s so volatile. Parker, you keep working on getting your mom to let Mercy go. In the meantime, Talon and I will search for whatever clues we can about the girl’s death and see if we can find out who really killed her.”

  Everyone nods and leaves the room besides me and Hunter.

  “We going to start with questioning the friends?” I ask.

  Nodding, Hunter heads to the door. “That’s the only place we really can start. Then we’re going to see if by any stretch of luck the body is still around and see if we can examine it.”

  “Sounds good, boss.”

  It takes us almost an hour to find the girls claiming that Mercy had killed their friend.

  Hunter and I pause outside the room they’re in.

  “I can’t believe Bianca actually put that freak in the dungeon. Can you believe that?” One of the girls says, a smile clearly in her voice.

  “I know. It was totally perfect. I saw them take her down there with Parker, and I’ve never seen him look so furious,” the other says, giggling.

  “Bianca’s going to kill her. There will be nothing that Parker can do to stop it. It’s what the bitch deserves,” the first voice says.

  “Amelia,” the other hisses, “don’t say that so loud.”

  “What, Bridgette? It’s true. Chelsey wouldn’t be dead if it weren’t for her, and Parker would have chosen either Chelsey or one of us when the time came for him to pick a mate. Instead, he chooses a freak that has her own little harem. It’s disgusting.”

  Hunter narrows his eyes and opens the door wider before stepping through. I fall in step behind him. The girls stop talking and stare at us, fear written all over their faces.

  “Oh, don’t let us interrupt,” Hunter drawls. “Keep going. I want to hear more about what you know about Mercy supposedly killing this Chelsey girl anyways.”

  They gulp.

  “Now that we have your attention, Amelia, maybe you can tell me why it is you hate our Mercy so much.”

  Amelia stutters for a few seconds before taking a deep breath to calm herself. “Because of Parker,” she whispers.

  “What about Parker?”

  “His mom promised that one of the three of us would be chosen as Parker’s mate,” Bridgette explains. “But then she came along, and his mom couldn’t even get him to look our way again or to even look elsewhere.”

  “That’s not Mercy’s fault. That’s Bianca’s fault for promising something that wasn’t hers to promise,” I point out.

  Amelia sneers at
me. “That’s not what matters anyway.”

  “You’re right. What matters is for you tell us who really killed Chelsey. We know that Mercy didn’t do it, so the only other possible explanation we can come up with is that you two are lying.”

  Bridgette glares at us. “Fine,” she spits. “We didn’t actually see her kill Chelsey. We found Chelsey’s body and next to it was a note saying that it was Mercy’s fault.”

  “And you automatically assumed that it was Mercy who did it? Pointing to herself out of, what? Guilt?” Hunter asks.

  “We figured that she had hired someone to take Chelsey out, if she didn’t do it herself. Either way she needs to die too, so it’s not a big deal,” Amelia says with a shrug.

  Hunter storms forward and grips her by the throat, pulling her close to him. “It is a very big deal. If Mercy dies because of your lies, both of you will be looking over your shoulder for a very long time.”

  “You have no proof,” Bridgette shouts. “No proof of what we’re saying, and no proof that Mercy didn’t do it. So, you’re still in the same boat as you were when you came in here.”

  I raise a brow at her. “We may not have proof, but we have enough to convince Bianca to take you both captive until the truth comes out.”

  19

  Mercy

  Ugh. Why is it so cold all of a sudden?

  I open my eyes and frown when I’m back at the house I shared with my mom and automatically tense.

  Another dream.

  Nightmare.

  Whatever.

  “Mercy,” Torn’s voice pulls me away from staring at the house in front of me. I turn around and see him leaning against the mailbox with a satisfied smile on his lips. “Did you enjoy my present?”

  “Present?”

  “Yes, the dead girl at your vampire’s estate. I heard about your little squabble with her, and I sent one of my men in to handle her for you.” His tone is smug, and I really, really want to smack the grin off his face.

  “You framed me for it. How is that a present?”

  “Ah, but I didn’t frame you. That would be the jealous little girls that were friends with her, that framed you for her death.” He straightens. “You don’t like my gift?”