by Misty Evans
“You are shitting me.”
“We’ll discuss it in more depth next week. For now, your role as queen of the Central Region will play a key part in my administration, and later on…well, let’s see just how far two Frankensteins can take the supernatural world.”
World domination echoed in my brain. Nudra, Toel and now Alexandru, all power-hungry vampires wanting to use me to climb to the top of the food chain.
I really had created a monster.
Dru grinned as if reading my thoughts. “Don’t worry about all that right now. Go downstairs and make nice to your Chaos demon.”
Gritting my teeth, I smacked him again. “Why the hell did you bring him here?”
“You need to talk to him before he buries Chicago in this awful blizzard.”
I hadn’t even noticed the weather. When I shook my head, Dru caught my chin and forced me to look him in the eye again. “I command you to talk to him and straighten out your problems.”
Merde. My blood heated uncomfortably and I tried to break the eye contact, but it didn’t work. “Fine. But if you end up staked, don’t come crying to me. I’m not bringing you back from the dead a second time.”
I stomped away, but by the time I hit the stairs to the first floor, my footsteps slowed.
Rad was in a sitting area off the main foyer. He rose from a chair the moment I entered. Maddy was there, too, and she rushed forward, grabbing my fisted hand which was raised and ready to connect with Rad’s chin.
“Easy, girl. Hear him out.”
First, Dru. Now Maddy. “You’re defending him?”
“You need to listen to his side of things.”
Rad’s eyes were imploring but determined. Seemed I was going to hear his side of things whether I wanted to or not. I turned my back on him and went to stand by a window. The winter landscape outside was definitely blizzard-like, snow rising and falling in waves.
I felt more than saw Maddy leave the room. My nose picked up on Rad’s scent, zeroing in on his fabulous salty sea air smell. Warm sand under my feet, Rad’s deep, wonderful laughter echoing over the waves. Water smooth as silk against my skin…
Pinching myself, I snapped out of the daydream. Damon was right. I was delusional.
Rad’s emotions hit me hard when he stepped up behind me. But unlike the others I’d been around that day, his feelings were a tangled disarray. I couldn’t separate one emotion from the other. I only knew he was hurting. Bad.
“The Hello Kitty pendant went in the trash.” I touched my collarbone where it had lain. Had Maria sent that lightning bolt or had God? “It was ruined after the lightning struck it.”
His voice was a low rumble, vibrating against my skin. “It did its job then, since you’re still alive.”
I caught my reflection in the window. Satan’s balls, my hair was a mess. Why hadn’t I brushed it out after my session with Cole? “Did you put a spell on it?”
“A friend of mine, who happens to be a powerful priest in the Noctifector organization, blessed it with divine protection when I saw him in New York. The major reason I went there.”
I chuckled at the irony. “Good thing you didn’t tell him who it was for.”
“So you brought Dru back to life.” His gaze searched mine in the reflection. “Playing God now?”
“So you’re engaged. Playing the double-crossing il pistolino now?”
His breath left him in a long, Maddy-like sight. “I’m not engaged. The thing with Parker is over.”
“How long has the thing with Parker been going on?”
“There never was anything between us on my part. She’s been stalking me for months and I’ve let her get away with a lot because of who her father is, but she pushed me too far this time.”
“You bought her an engagement ring. Not exactly the best way to get her to stop stalking you.”
“I went into Tiffany’s to get you the pendant. She came in while I was there and I had to pretend to be in there for some other reason since you won’t let me…” He trailed off. “Trying to keep my lives separate is impossible.”
“So you proposed?”
“She assumed I was there to buy her something. She already had a ring picked out and told the jeweler to put it on my tab. I argued with her, laid it all out. I wasn’t interested. I was in love with someone else. No way was I marrying her. She threw a fit, threatened to have her father rip up my contract, and then she stomped out of the store with the ring on her finger, and what do you know? She’d texted her paparazzi contacts before she even came inside and they were all waiting for us to emerge. I followed her out. She was posing for the cameras and got what she wanted.”
“Well, you can always leave her at the altar.”
That was low and I knew it. His gaze cut to the floor. “The other members of the band and I talked it over. We’re going to dissolve our contract with Burkett Music and find another producer.”
I faced him. “Won’t Burkett sue you for breach of contract?”
He shrugged. “Some things are worth the price.”
Consequences. Worrying about them wasn’t always for pussies. “Thank you for the pendant and the priest’s blessing.”
The storm outside lessened. His emotions calmed. “I’m leaving the Noctifectors, Kali.”
No one left the Noctifectors unless it was in a body bag. “The only reason they’ve kept you alive all this time is because you’re an asset to them. They won’t let you leave.”
“It won’t be easy, but I’ll handle it. I want to be with you, Kali. Only you. That’s all I’ve ever wanted, and if that means giving up the other two lives I’ve been living, then so be it.”
The last bits of chaos inside my mind calmed along with Rad’s emotions. “Don’t give up your singing career, Rad. Never that.”
He hugged me to him for a long moment. “What do you say we blow this joint?”
Maddy’s voice rang out from the foyer. “I’ve got her bag.”
“What?” I smiled at both of them. “Where are we going?”
Rad took my hand and squeezed it. “We’ve got a surprise for you.”
“I can’t leave the Institute. Damon will have a fit.”
“Screw Damon.” Maddy threw my cape at me. “It’s Christmas Eve.”
“Excuse me?” Damon said. He and Dru came down the stairs.
“Are we set?” Dru asked, and he and Rad shared a nod of understanding.
Since when were they friends?
Dru shook Damon’s hand. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
Damon looked at Maddy, then at me. “Tomorrow is Christmas. We’ll expect you on Monday.”
Maddy grabbed my hand and tugged me toward the door. I looked at Damon, waiting for him to stop us.
He didn’t, giving me one of his nods as if I had his blessing to leave. “Merry Christmas,” he said, jogging back up the stairs.
Chapter Fifty-two
“What did you say to him?” I asked Dru as we descended the front steps and headed to the parking lot. The blizzard had disappeared and stars peeked out overhead.
Brianna was waiting for Dru at his car. He patted my arm. “A simple negotiation, queen. A skill you might want to brush up on.”
Under my cloak, I wrapped Volante around my wrist. “Uh, huh. This negotiation have me at the center of it?”
“Here we go,” Maddy said, but she was smiling. “Everything’s about Kali.”
“Actually in this case, it is, and on Monday, we’ll discuss it further.” He dipped his head to me. “Until then, I bid you a joyful holiday. I must get back to Carpathia for the Christmas Eve party.”
He left and we followed. A little while later, Rad, Maddy and I drove into the parking lot at the church. Through one of the windows, I saw a faint glow.
The strong smell of spruce hit me as we entered my house. A seven-foot fresh tree sat in one corner of the living room strung with hundreds of white lights. Boxes of ornaments and several large Macy’s bags sat nearby. “
What’s this?”
“Duh, a Christmas tree.” Maddy hung up her coat and my cape and skipped into the living room. “We put the lights on earlier, but I thought it would be fun to decorate it together.”
“Di and the others will be over in a few minutes to help,” Rad said. “And I’ll be back before midnight.”
I shot him a questioning look. “Where are you going?”
“The governor’s. He’s having a Christmas ball at his mansion and honoring some of the Chicago military families who have members in Afghanistan and Iraq. He asked me to swing by, do a song or two and sign some autographs for the kids.”
He didn’t look too excited about the prospect. “Is Parker going to be there?”
“Probably.” He kissed me tenderly. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
After he’d gone, Maddy turned on a movie about a normal guy who got stuck being Santa Claus because he’d stepped into Santa’s suit after the real Santa died. Humans. How do they come up with these things? “Want some hot cocoa?” she asked.
I looked at the tree and the twinkling lights. Thought about Rad and Parker. The doorbell rang and Di and JR came in on a gust of winter air. We exchanged greetings and Di scrutinized my face. “What’s wrong?”
JR was helping Maddy hang a Star Wars figurine on the tree. Maddy had also hung the ornament she’d stolen from her parent’s tree. “JR, can you make me an invitation for the governor’s ball?”
Maddy’s head swung around. “You’re going?”
“Here, you can have my invite.” Di withdrew a cream colored envelope from her purse. “Why do you want to attend the ball? You hate things like that.”
“I thought we were going to decorate the tree,” Maddy whined.
“We will.” I snatched the invite from Di’s hand. “After we take care of some business first.”
Maddy saw the gleam in my eye. “You’re coming out.”
“Out of what?” JR asked, his gaze on the silver scrolls on my neck. “The closet?”
Something like that. “Will you help me pick out a dress?” I asked Di.
“As long as you tell me what this is about.”
Maddy squealed. “I cannot wait to see Parker Burkett’s face.”
Upstairs, Di went through my designer wardrobe and withdrew an Alexander McQueen dress. Sleeveless and body-hugging, it sported a pale pink slip with a layer of cut-out lace over the top. From the shoulders to the outside edge of the hips, another set of cut-out lace in black fanned over my curves.
“Hey, I want to wear that one,” Maddy said. “It’s better suited to me.”
I rimmed my eyes with kohl liner. “Why is that?”
“It’s classic gothic princess. That’s me. You’re more urban warrior. You know, leather, leather and more leather.”
“So I’ll wear boots.”
“No.” Di held up a pair of suede platform peep toes in the same pale pink color. “You’ll wear these.”
The shoes laced up the ankle and screamed feminine. I tried them on, stood in front of the floor-length mirror in my bedroom. With the gothic lace and dark makeup, there was no way anyone would confuse me with a princess. I was sure Parker had that role covered anyway.
I took off the shoes, handed them to Maddy. “You wear these. I’m wearing boots.”
Preferably a pair with wicked heels so I could kick some spoiled princess ass.
JR drove. Di rode shotgun. I flashed my invite at the governor’s mansion, and Maddy and I were welcomed inside. While we checked our coats, I heard Rad’s voice coming from a ballroom on the north side of the house.
“This is going to be so good.” Maddy rubbed her hands together. “What exactly are you going to do?”
Ignoring the stares following us, I worked my way through the crush of people, the sound of Rad’s voice reeling me in. “Just make sure you get a picture for the tabloids.”
The people in the ballroom parted down the center as I strode through the group, my eyes locked on Rad. He was in front of a large fireplace, sitting on a stool with his guitar in hand. The fireplace sported a huge wreath and not one, but two, giant Christmas trees flanked each side. His eyes were closed and he was lost in his song. As I drew close, I sent a tendril of magic out in front of me and let it tickle over his skin.
His eyes flipped open, then widened when they saw me. His fingers stuttered on the chord he was playing and his voice trailed off. Everyone who’d been watching him was now watching me.
Including Parker Burkett. She sat in the front row along with a couple of reporters with large cameras recording Rad’s performance.
Rad looked pleasantly perplexed. “What are you doing…”
I walked straight up to him, wrapped one hand behind his head and kissed him. Long, slow and deep.
A collective gasp went up behind us. Rad shifted the guitar out of the way, parted his thighs and pulled me between them. Tiny lights went off in my peripheral vision…cellphones and cameras capturing the moment.
Perfect.
I broke the kiss, ran my thumb over Rad’s bottom lip and turned my head so I was looking directly at Parker. Her left hand was over her heart, the diamond engagement ring shining brilliantly under the ballroom lights. In a room full of humans, I couldn’t let my demon peek out, but I sent her a direct challenge. He’s mine.
Her eyes narrowed, then she made the sign of the cross and murmured what looked like a prayer under her breath. A prayer I’d heard before. Je vis pour Dieu et seulement pour Dieu.
I live for God and only for God.
Realization dawned. Parker wasn’t just the daughter of music industry mogul.
She was a Noctifector.
Several of the governor’s security personnel hustled in, coming my way. Rad stood, waved them off. “She’s with me.”
Carrying his guitar in one hand, he grabbed my hand with the other. He nodded to the governor as we passed him and his family, ignored Parker, and together we headed out.
Maddy brought our coats, a large grin spread across her face. Various people I didn’t know said things to Rad in passing. Most of them gave me inquisitive stares. To every one of them, Rad made sure to introduce me.
We broke free from the well-wishers, their greetings of “Merry Christmas” and “Happy holidays” trailing us into the cold night air. JR and Di brought the car around, but they were in a lineup with several cars in front of them, so we waited on the mansion’s stairs.
“Who the hell do you think you are?” a woman’s low voice hissed from behind me.
I turned, found Parker on the step above me with her hands buried inside a fur coat. “I’m guessing that’s a rhetorical question since every Noct in the land knows who I am.”
Rad was watching her hands too. “Not here, Parker.”
Her eyes never left mine, so I wasn’t sure if she was speaking to him or me. “You can’t seriously believe you’re going to get away with this.”
I stepped up and put myself eye level with her. She was taller than me, but the boots I’d worn had a significant heel. “I’m going to say this once, so listen carefully. If you value your ring finger, you’ll return that diamond to Tiffany’s and make a statement to the press that your relationship with Radison Beaumont is over. And if you value your life? You’ll leave us both alone.”
She raised a hand to slap my face, and although I was glad to see it was free of any weapon, I sure as shit wasn’t going to let her make contact. I grabbed her wrist in mid-swing, bent her hand the wrong way. Not enough to break any bones, but hard enough to emphasize my speed and ability.
“Go back to the ball, Parker.” Rad drew me away from her, put his arm around me. “We’re done here.”
JR had stopped at the bottom of the stairs and we climbed inside my Land Rover. As we drove away, Parker stood in the same spot, a wicked gleam of revenge shining in her eyes.
I smiled at her. Bring it, princess. It’ll be the last thing you do.
Chapter Fifty-three
> Cole and Brianna were at my house when we returned, checking out the mistletoe Maddy had hung in the kitchen doorway. Neve arrived shortly afterwards. Another Santa Claus movie was on, and Maddy assured me there was yet a third sequel to look forward to. Rad popped popcorn, JR and Maddy finished trimming the tree, and Di passed out cookies.
JR had brought an Xbox and stacks of games, so after the Santa Claus movie marathon—which was completely corny and yet surprisingly enjoyable—we ordered pizza and played the latest versions of Call of Duty and Final Fantasy. I kicked ass on Final Fantasy.
By sunrise, most everyone had drifted off to their own homes, seeming reluctant to conclude the night but happy all the same. Rad, Maddy and I braved the cold wind and went up to the castle rooftop. We walked around the area that had been repaired and Rad declared it up to his standards. I figured as long as it didn’t fall in, it was good.
The sun rose milky peach in the east, a few rays forcing themselves through the ever-present clouds. We sipped hot coffee and munched cold pizza in silence.
My head felt clear and my body strong. Whatever lasting effects Maria had cursed me with seemed to be gone. I looked forward to a long day of sleep and sex and laughter.
I’m not an island, I told myself. Just a small country with limited access.
I yawned and Rad led me back inside. He and Maddy had bought me a new bed with a thick pillow top mattress, and before he even got my boots off, I flopped back on the bed, my eyelids too heavy to keep open. “I don’t want to sleep,” I muttered.
“You’re safe,” he whispered in my ear, and that was all it took. “I won’t leave.”
I’d like to say it was a dreamless sleep or that I slept like a baby, but I’d be lying. In reality, my sleep was filled with endless nightmares. Old ones and new. The one that kept recurring involved me straddling Rad’s stomach and carving my signature runes into his chest.
I woke in a sweat, remnants of that dream and the haunting ring of Maria’s laughter in my ears. The last one. You did it, bambino. The Beast lives!