by SL Perrine
A fire was beginning to catch in Anthony’s chest. One that hadn’t burned in many years. He didn’t like the thought, or feeling, of Yeti returning.
“But maybe Yeti is who Mila and Gia need right now,” Anthony said softly to himself. “The monster with all the contacts.” He gave Mila another long look. “But how do you live with the knowledge that you were instrumental in hiring the man that killed your father, little one?”
Mila mumbled some more and turned the opposite direction on her bed. Anthony had to cover her again before he left the room. He closed the door and went in search of Gianna. When he didn’t find her in her bedroom, he turned to the steps leading to her sanctuary. As he climbed the stairs, he began to slow. It wasn’t of his own volition. The power radiating down the stairwell from the door at the top of the landing turned the air into quicksand; his limbs struggled to make even the smallest of advances.
He closed his eyes and reached out with his internal sight. The vision that greeted him was impressive. A crisscrossed, mesh-looking network of blue and white wards extended the length of the stairwell like a laser beam security system. A large, orange glyph, emblazoned on the door pulsed with warning energy. Anthony was unfamiliar with the symbol, but its intent was clear.
“You shall not pass,” Anthony said softly in his best Gandalf voice.
He was about to leave when his professional curiosity got the better of him. Just as Ravana had taught him to do, Anthony pushed out further with his sight and examined the wards from every angle, following the lines of power until he found their initial anchor point. From there he knew it was a small matter to take down her initial defense. When he pushed into the secondary defense comprised of the unusual glyph on the door, Anthony sensed greater power. This one was bad news.
Anthony took his time as he investigated the glyph. It was earth based. A Wiccan adaptation of ancient Pagan magic. The beauty of its intricate forging was enthralling; it was also a magical bomb. He could disarm it, given enough time, but a minor mistake would mean they would vacuum his ass off the lush carpet of Gianna’s bedroom behind him. Knowing that Wiccan’s operated on the law of three, Anthony decided not to push further and see the final defense. Not only were his actions dangerous, but they were rude and invasive. Some Wiccans would consider it an insult.
Anthony had no doubt that Gianna knew he was in the stairwell. He had pushed far enough up the steps into the wards to alert her to his presence, but he could tell by how she structured her defenses that she hadn’t trained in dismantling the threads of magic. Anthony knew of few who could. That knowledge came from the harsh tutelage of providing backup to a vampire of no small means. Still, he couldn’t go without leaving Gianna a message. He smiled to himself when the idea hit him.
Tapping into the center of a blue ward where he stopped walking up the step, Anthony gently forms a small, red heart, outlined by the blue of her ward, in the center of the stairwell. He imbues it with images of himself, Gianna and Mila so she would know his love and loyalties while pouring his own protection magic for them into the symbol. If things went sideways, Gianna would assuredly return here for a last stand, to protect Mila. Giovanni would expect her to use the law of three, he’d never expect a protective love spell woven into Gianna’s work.
Maybe she would see it today, perhaps she wouldn’t. It would depend upon her level of distraction. If not today, she would see it sometime in the future when she reinforced the strength of her wards. Anthony hoped she wouldn’t misconstrue the meaning. As he finishes tying the spell into her wards, he’s shocked as he watches their magic merge in a manner he’d never witnessed before. The protective heart he crafted in vivid red energy became a beautiful purple as the blue from Gianna’s ward flowed into it. From there, as if the heart came to life, it pumped purple through the length of her spells, strengthening them throughout until it reached the anchor.
“What the hell just happened? Magic doesn’t merge like that… Fuck. She’s going to eat planets and spit meteors… Dammit, Anthony, if the road to hell is paved with good intentions, you have got to be the General Manager overseeing its construction.” He sighs as he turns and heads down the steps. “First Gio, now Gia. I guess I’ll go see if I can piss somebody else off today. Might as well go for the hat trick.”
Making his way to Giovanni’s study, Anthony enters to find Nico kneeling among the debris from Gianna’s confrontation with Matteo and his flunkies. Anthony looks around and gives a long, low whistle.
“Damn, Matteo let his alligator mouth override his rabbit ass mind.”
Nico looked up and chuckled. “The woman can be a force to be reckoned with when backed into a corner.”
“That she is. Find anything?”
“Nothing yet.” Nico jerks a thumb over his shoulder at the wall. “He must have cleaned out the safe behind the portrait.”
“Nothing, eh?”
“Nada, zip, zilch.”
“That’s pretty bleak.”
“Like the barrows in Skyrim.”
Anthony chuckled before replying, “You take your gaming way to seriously, Nico.”
“Someone has to protect all those poor people from evil rampaging dragons.”
“I can think of no one better.”
Anthony swings the portrait of the Moretti’s away from the wall and peers into the empty safe. “The goon squad didn’t say what they came for?”
“If I say a magical artifact are you going to accuse me of taking my gaming too seriously again?”
“Is that what they said they came for?”
“No, but what else could it be?”
“I honestly can’t find a fault in your logic.”
“I appreciate your candor, Dr. Spock.”
Anthony grins and wanders over to the bookshelf. He’s perusing the titles on its shelves when a massive, leather-bound book captures his attention. He rises onto the balls of his feet and manages to catch the top of the book with his fingertips. He tilts the top out until he can grasp the binding. It’s almost too thick for his hand to close around. When he pulls it from the shelf, the weight is more than he can carry in one hand. It falls off the shelf, and Anthony barely manages to catch the book and ease it to the ground.
“Shit, this thing is heavy,” Anthony growls as he kneels beside the tome.
“What’d you find?” Nico asks as he wanders over.
“If I had to guess, I’d say I found a book bound in human skin.”
Nico flips the cover open and abruptly jerks his hand back. “Fuck, Jax!”
Anthony peers at the first page of the tome. A grotesque face frozen in a mask of pain stares back at them from beneath the writing on its features. Anthony turns the page, and the words continue over the top of a woman’s flattened breasts. As he continues to turn the pages, more body parts reveal themselves to the two men staring in horror at its contents.
What the fuck kind of macabre book is this, Jax?” Nico asks in a hushed voice.
“I have no idea. I’ve never seen anything like it myself.”
Nico tries to lift the corner of the book with his hand. “Why is it so heavy?”
“Probably because it’s made from a human body.”
“What part?”
“All of it,” Anthony replies.
“All?”
“Cover to cover. This is an entire human body.”
“How does someone do this?”
“Dark, dark, magic, brother. Ancient, evil shit above my pay grade.”
“Well, that explains why Gio sent so many men to retrieve it. It’s too heavy for one man to carry alone.”
“Preach.”
“So, what now?”
“We can’t let Gio get a hold of this book, and I’m sure he’ll be back for it.” He peers into Nico’s eyes. “Did you get the wards up?”
“Did I get the wards up? Yes. Did I get enough up is the question? Christ on his cross, Jax! I knew Moretti was into some strange shit, but I had no idea at the depth of
his depravity.”
Anthony doesn’t answer but pulls his cell phone out of his pocket and begins to turn the pages while snapping pictures.
“What are you doing?”
“Taking pictures.”
“I see that, General Obvious. What for?”
“To send to someone with a higher pay grade.”
“I’m not even going to ask,” Nico replies as Anthony drops the phone into his pocket. “What do you want me to do with this thing?”
“I assume you know of her sanctuary?”
“Of course.”
“Thought so. Can you get this thing up there by yourself?”
“Yeah,” he replies with a small shiver.
“Get it to Gia. Have her put it there for now.” Anthony says as he gets to his feet.
“I can’t get in there.”
“Call her first, Einstein.”
“Right,” Nico replies. “Where are you going?”
“My apartment. I need to make a phone call.”
“I thought you were going to send those pictures to someone?”
“One does not simply walk into Mordor,” Anthony called over his shoulder as he exited the room.
“And you think I take my gaming too serious,” Nico called after him.
Anthony smirked, but continued to his apartment. Descending the stairs, he entered his quarters and closed the door. He pulled the phone from his pocket and pulled up the phone book. He wandered into his bedroom and made a few passes back and forth in front of his bed before he finally pressed the button. She answered almost immediately.
“Two calls in two days? Can I assume that the excrement has struck the oscillating blades of the proverbial fan?”
“Either that or the tail of a rhinoceros.”
Ravana snorted. “Shit’s creek getting deep?”
“Six feet high and rising,” Anthony replied. “I’m going to send you some pictures.”
“Ooh! I’m intrigued! Full frontal?”
“Get your mind out of the sewer and up in the gutter with the rest of us.”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
“Only you could have fun in the sewer, boss.”
“Boss? This is serious,”
“Sorry, old habits and such.”
Ravana turned grave. “I hear Yeti in your voice, and your heart has that rhythm it got when he was gearing up for battle.”
“I’m going to get bloody on this one.”
“Send the pics, Anthony. Let me see what you’re into.”
“Did the apocalypse twins come up with anything on Moretti?”
“Not yet, but they’re on it.”
“The pics are on their way, Ravana,” Anthony said as he hung up.
Anthony attached the pictures he’d taken of the book to an email and sent it out to Ravana’s private server. He tossed the phone on the bed and stumbled for the shower stripping out of his clothes. He climbed into the shower and adjusted the nozzle to pulse. He ducked his head under the stream and let the water beat against the top of his tired shoulders for several minutes before he fell to washing himself.
When he was clean, he stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. Wiping the steam off the mirror with his hand, his tired eyes gazed back at him from the glass. “You need a shave, mister,” he admonished before falling to the task. Several minutes later he walked out of the bathroom and flopped on the bed, asleep before his head hit the pillow.
It seemed he was only asleep for a moment when Gianna woke him.
“What the fuck, Jax?”
“What?” Anthony replied drowsily as he rubbed the rheum out of his eyes.
Gianna was pacing back and forth at the foot of his bed. She wasn’t in her usual attire. In fact, she looked almost frumpy in cotton pajamas that buttoned up the front.
“You try to invade my sanctuary, you send Nico to me with that gods-forsaken book, and I don’t hear from you for hours only to find you napping.”
“Hours?”
“Hours!” Gianna screams angrily stopping to face him. “The fucking wolves are at the door, and your ass thought it would be a good time to sneak in a nap?”
“Gia, I haven’t slept in two days. I’ve been running on caffeine and living nightmares, and you’re going to begrudge me a little shuteye?”
“You’re begrudging me the services I pay you for.”
“I don’t think going to war with your husband was in the job description. You need to ease up, Gia.” Anthony said as he angrily rolled out of bed.
“Well look who’s grown a spine. You need to get your ass dressed, get something to eat, and get back on the clock. It’s six a.m.”
“Six a.m.? You let me sleep in; are you feeling okay? I’m sorry boss, I know I should have your coffee waiting for you by five, but I couldn’t find cook anywhere to make a meal to bring you with it.”
“We’re back to that, huh? You’re like a broken record,” she replies in disgust as she advances on Anthony.
“And you’re the gods-be-damned needle that scratches at the surface all day.”
“Keep talking, and I’ll scratch your eyes out!”
“If you think you got the mojo, ice queen!”
Gianna let loose with an unintelligible growl and launched herself at Anthony with her nails leading the way. Anthony catches her wrists and forces her arms behind her back as he pulls her in close.
“What is your major malfunction, Gia? We were getting along so well just a little while ago.”
“You’re my malfunction, Jax. Your lackadaisical attitude towards everything infuriates me!”
“And your bi-polar ass is driving the crazy bus that I can’t seem to get off.”
“Well, feel free to get off anytime you like, Anthony, no one’s stopping you!”
Anthony crushed his lips against Gianna’s, and she fought against his grasp. “I think I will,” he stated when he broke the kiss.
Pushing her onto the bed, Anthony drops the towel to the floor and advances on Gia. She tries to kick him and keep him away, but he grabs the ankle of her pajama bottoms and strips them from her body in a single pull to reveal she has no undergarment. Gianna screams, rolls over, and tries to crawl over the bed away from him but Anthony grabs her ankle and drags her back. He spreads her legs and falls on her pussy, his tongue delving into her soft folds.
“Jax, no!” Gianna cries plaintively.
Anthony grabs her hips and drags her closer while repositioning himself on the bed. “You’re not in charge here, Gia. I am,” he growls with authority before falling on her again.
Anthony runs his tongue the length of her slit and latches onto her clit; he sucks hard on the little nub while his tongue swirls in circles over its surface. Gianna moans, and she grabs handfuls of hair to try and pull him off her. Anthony ignores the minor pain and continues his ministrations on her sex. After a few minutes, her knees draw up, and her hands clasp the back of his head and pull him tighter against her.
“Jax,” she whispers.
Anthony continues to tongue her until her orgasm violently rocks her body. She cries loudly, almost a howl as she floods his tongue with the juices from her sweet honey hole. Before her shaking has subsided, Anthony rips her top open; buttons fall around them as he latches onto the nipple of her left breast. His cock finds her hole, and he sinks the entire length into her depths as her legs wrap around his back.
He trails kisses along her torso, up her neck, and across her jaw until his lips meet hers. Their tongues battle as her nails carve tracks down his back before digging deep into his ass. She pulls him urgently into her as he pounds his cock into her depths. He breaks the kiss and clamps his teeth on her neck, biting her without restraint. The pain is like an electric jolt through her body and drives her over the edge again. Her pussy clamps around his member as she shakes beneath.
He drives his full length into her hips and grinds his pubic bone against her clitoris, prolonging her orgasm. As her shaking subs
ides, Anthony begins pushing into her again with hard, full strokes and Gianna’s hips rise to meet every thrust. With his release rising, he thrusts harder while kissing Gianna deeply. When Gianna realizes that Anthony is close, she breaks the kiss.
“Jax, you have to pull out,” she whispers in his ear.
“Shut up, Gia. You’re not in charge, remember?” He states as his tempo increases.
“Jax. Please, don’t finish inside me. I’m not on birth control.”
“You belong to me, Gia, and I belong to you. You belong to me, Gia. Mine,” Anthony growls. “Do you hear me?”
“Yes, I hear you,” Gianna gasps.
“Say it.” Anthony orders.
“No.”
“Say it. Who do you belong to?”
“Jax,” Gianna gasps as he pounds her like a jackhammer.
“Say it.” Anthony urges as he bottoms out inside her, tensing as he reaches his peak.
The first spurt of his orgasm inside of her sets off an orgasm of her own. She pushes up to meet him and pulls him tight against her as they shake together. As their orgasms subside, Gianna whispers, “I belong to you, Anthony Jackson. No one else.”
“About damn time,” Anthony says as he gazes into Gianna’s emerald green eyes. “You know I love you; you uptight, officious, psychotic, bi-polar, ice queen.”
“I love you too you; you egotistical, domineering, douche canoe.”
“Finally, about time we agreed on that. Just remember who said it first.”
“Fine, you said it first,” Gianna replies as she gives Anthony a quick kiss. “Can we see about keeping the twisted sonofabitch I’m married to away from my daughter?”
“Say it again.”
Gianna kisses Anthony long and hard before answering. “We got the rest of our lives together for me to talk dirty to you.”
“We’d better make sure we live then, huh?”
“That would be more than adequate.”
Chapter 20
Looking out the window, Ravana saw the gloom over the city. A downpour led to a steady beat of rain over Seattle, not that she’d let that stop her. The research Anthony had her give to Delia turned up some disturbing information. The Apocalypse twins. He’d used the old term he’d had for Ravana’s former team. Delia was still with her, but the other wasn’t. That also wasn’t something she’d wanted to broach with him. “Next time.” She thought to herself as she changed.