by Unknown
Jolie walked out of the room and began stripping as soon as she hit their quarters. Now, she was going to steal away a few moments for herself, before they had to escape.
Nothing brightened that moment like walking into her bath, only to see that Jacques had it ready for her. As she stepped into the steaming hot water, she sighed as the heat seeped into her body.
It didn't take long for the men to find her in the bathroom. As she opened her eyes, they watched her cautiously. “Want to join me?” she asked, holding her hand out for Jacques.
He began stripping without hesitation.
Brogan on the other hand, wasn’t going there. A naked woman in a tub of bubbles was one thing, but her naked mate beside her was a little awkward.
Immediately, he opted to change the subject. “So, we’re leaving tonight?” asked Brogan.
“Unfortunately, we have no choice,” Jolie replied.
“You saw some pretty bad shit, huh?” he asked.
“Bad doesn’t cover it. I suspect it’s going to go to hell really fast,” she said, leaning into her mate.
“Who’s the next piece?” Brogan asked.
“I hate to say it, but I saw Sergei’s suspicions. He saw Cassiel’s companion with the victims.”
“Cassiel?” asked Jacques, amazed.
“Who is Cassiel?” asked Flynn, running his fingers through the bubbles to take in Jolie’s fragrance.
“She’s Genevieve’s daughter. Sergei suspected her companion was helping kill the women,” she answered, sliding her hands up Jacques’s thighs.
“Why didn’t he go to the council with it then? Isn’t that procedure?” asked Brogan.
“He was probably afraid of retribution,” answered Jolie.
“Retribution?”
“If Cassiel’s companion is involved in this, then chances are, she’s neck deep in it too.” When he still looked confused, she tried to explain. “It would be like if you were killing vampyres, you’re connected to us, and I would have to know. If Sergei brought it up, Genevieve could use her influence with council to crush him. Yes, he was a snake, and I don’t doubt that he was holding on to this for a future use.”
“Oh, I see. He was squirrelling away the blackmail. So, this is going to piss off Genevieve big time, huh?”
The two vampyres laughed sardonically.
“Oh yeah, it will. You saw how mad she was when I went after a lower member. Imagine if I go after her child. Plus, she’s been in this house, along with Cassiel and her companion. It’s only a matter of time before they know we’re onto them. When that happens, they’re coming for us. We need to get out before we make the next move. Once council gets wind that Sergei has been…” She paused to take a deep breath, “taken care of, we’re screwed.”
“Okay. Well, when do we leave?” he asked, grinning.
“You seem too calm about this Flynn. What’s going on in your head?” asked Jolie, closing her eyes as she snuggled closer to Jacques. “Why are you okay with this, all of the sudden?”
He looked at her with a puzzled look on his face. “We’re trying to find the killers of these women. I want justice for their families,” he said.
She just raised her eyebrow. “You just saw what I did to Sergei, and it didn’t faze you. Why?”
“Why?” he repeated, trying to rationalize his thinking. “Well, I guess it’s because I’m a cop, and my job is to find who is murdering people. Sergei wasn’t a human, so that’s not my area. If I don’t let myself think of him as a person, it doesn’t interfere with my job. I’m not here to protect vampyres. Remember, they don’t really exist.”
Jacques snorted.
Jolie wasn’t as amused. It just proved how stressed she was at that moment.
“What do you consider us, then?” she asked, waving a hand to encompass them both.
He didn't flinch or bat an eyelash. “Family. You and Jacques aren’t human, but you’re my only family. That’s more important than anything else.”
Jolie’s face softened. It wasn’t what she had expected. “You truly are my soul. Thank you, Flynn,” she said, leaning forward to offer him a kiss.
He grinned. “I’m going to go pack my stuff. You know, holy water, garlic, wooden stakes and silver bullets.”
Now, she did laugh. “Have fun, but pack light.”
Jacques continued, “We’ll be taking your H2 and Chloe will be bringing ours.”
He paused at the door. “If you both don’t mind, I’m going to head into work on Monday and clear up a few things.” He meant his partner. “I know I took some sick leave to help you, but I really need to make an appearance or it looks suspicious.”
Jolie didn't mind.
Neither did Jacques. “That’s fine, Detective. You can drive Jolie to work on your way to the office.”
Brogan looked over his shoulder and winked at Jolie. “It’ll be my pleasure to give you a ride.”
Jacques stared at him. “And here I was just beginning to like you, Flynn,” but it was said with no malice. Jolie’s laughter whispered through both of their minds, and he was more than okay with the man’s teasing.
If it healed Jolie, it was worth it all.
∞ ∞ ∞
Jolie lounged on the bed as Jacques packed up some of her favorite things-bath oils and lotions. She smiled at how he always thought about her. “I’ve something to do, Jacques. I’ll be right back.”
“Yes, mon amour. Call if you need me.
Jolie walked to the kitchen and found the flowers she had Chloe pick up for her. For now, she needed to say goodbye to a loved one. As she wandered down the path, she found her way to the location of the ‘family’ cemetery. It was where they buried the humans they lost along the way. Pausing in front of a cherub statue, she began her goodbyes.
“I’m sorry, Louisa. I should have protected you better. It never occurred to me that you would be at the club, and they would kill you because you were mine.”
Jolie lowered her eyes and began to cry.
“I hope that you didn’t suffer, Louisa. I pray that your soul has found peace, and you believe that I won’t ever forget what you meant to me.
She wiped her eyes and took a deep breath.
“Je t’aime, bébé.”
Jolie sat on the ground in front of a grave that should never have been dug and wept for the loss of another family member. It didn't take long for them to find her, and she sensed them before either could speak.
Placing the roses on the grave, she stood and headed toward Jacques and Flynn.
“Au revoir,” she called, blowing a kiss over her shoulder.
“I’m ready now,” Jolie said, taking their bigger hands in hers. “We need to go. It’ll be dawn soon.”
Neither man said a word as they locked up the house, set the alarm, and loaded all their bags into the vehicles. Jolie sat in the back, sprawled across the seat, not speaking. She reached out with her mind to the H2 behind them to check on her donors, and they seemed fine. When she heard them laughing and playing music, she had to smile.
“Something funny?” asked Brogan, breaking the silence.
“I was just checking in on Mina and Chloe. They have the music loud enough to pop their ear drums,” she answered, laughing. “Other than that, they’re fine.”
Jacques leaned forward and touched the navigation system. It beeped to life and asked Brogan where he was heading, in a silly Dracula voice.
“I see you’ve been playing with the types of voices,” stated Jacques, trying not to laugh. He hated to admit it, but the man beside him was pretty funny, and unpredictable.
“Yeah, well, why the hell not? Only we get the irony behind it. Everyone else will think that I’m obsessed with the undead. Now, all I need, are some vampyre trinkets and we’re all set.”
When Jacques gave him the address of the property, Brogan was confused. “That’s not the house I went to when I thought I was following you.”
“It is our real private residence,” smiled
Jacques. “We don’t let anyone into our real home. Family or not.”
“What about Mina and Chloe?” asked Brogan.
“They can be controlled with their minds. We don’t have to worry about them causing us harm,” added Jolie. “Chloe would never betray us. She’s a unique addition to our lives. Then there is Mina. She’s trustworthy to a fault.”
“When we moved here,” Jacques began, “I insisted that Jolie have a separate hidey hole. The family believes that she’s headed to the house that Devin and Zola went to. They aren’t aware of this one. This was my plan B, in case anything should go wrong.”
“Let me know when we get there,” she said to Jacques, as she popped in her ear buds and searched for something that would numb her mind for a little while.
She just wanted to rest.
Both men gave her a little time to just stop thinking. They knew how much was weighing on her shoulders at that time.
“So, is this house like the main one?”
“It’s a little smaller,” answered Jacques. “There are fewer bedrooms, but it’s still spacious enough for the three of us.”
“Is she okay?” asked Brogan.
“Yeah, she’s plotting our next move. She listens to music when she wants to clear her mind. He glanced over at Brogan. “Can I ask you something, mon ami?”
“Sure,” he said, turning off the main road as he listened to the GPS belt out instructions.
“Did you mean what you said about us being family?”
“Yeah, I did. I don’t know why I feel so close to both of you, but I just know that I’m part of this somehow.”
In fact, he didn't know if he could be apart from them. Whether that was the bonding talking or his true feelings, he wasn’t sure.
“My parents died a few years back, and I’m an only child. I have a few distant relatives, but nothing like this. I’m all about very few things in my life. My job is one of them, and now obviously so are both of you.”
Jacques was glad to hear it. He needed Jolie to be safe at all costs. This was one more layer of protection in his mind.
“It’s odd how I just feel like I belong, but the first day I saw Jolie walk into the police station, I knew something was going to happen. I was drawn to her and I tried to fight it, but something clicked. I don’t just mean sexual attraction. You’d have to be dead not to be attracted to her. No offense.”
He laughed. “There is none taken. Jolie is incredibly beautiful and I am technically dead, so guilty on both counts.”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Oui.”
“How long have you been her mate? She said you’ve been together over six hundred years.”
“Only for a short time,” he replied, glancing back at her. “I’ve had to protect and watch over her for all those years, knowing that she would never be mine. It was very difficult, to say the least. She would feed from me and use my body for sex, but there was nothing more than that from her. One day, she let me into her heart. She doesn’t love easily, and especially with humans. We don’t get attached to them, because they die easily. The case in point is Louisa. This is going to hurt her for a long time.”
“She is really something.”
He corrected the man. “She’s everything,” said Jacques, honestly.
“Boy, you got it bad,” said Brogan, grinning at him.
Jacques couldn’t refute that statement. He pointed, getting Brogan’s attention. “Here we are,” he said.
He had to be kidding.
“You said it had fewer rooms,” stated Brogan, staring at the huge house on the hill, surrounded by acres of trees. “It’s just as big. No, I think it is bigger.”
Jolie sat up, as if on cue and removed her ear buds. “I see that we’re home.”
As Brogan drove up to the house, the garage automatically opened and the lights popped on in the house. “Let me guess. The H2 did all that.”
“Yes, it’s a handy feature,” answered Jacques.
Hopping out, he opened the door for Jolie and pulled her down into his arms. Gently, he placed a kiss on her lips. “Mmmmm,” he whispered, quietly into her ear.
“Shall we go in?” she offered, giggling as her mate patted her on the derrière.
After welcoming them to the house, Jolie went to the stove to heat water for tea. Chloe and Mina started putting food away in the refrigerator to get the house ready for inhabitants.
Wanting to take care of him, Jolie reached out to Chloe and asked her to make Brogan some food. Then, she returned to her boiling water.
During the preparations, no one spoke, until finally, Chloe, who carried a sandwich to Brogan, broke the silence. “The mistress wants you to eat,” she said, before walking away.
“Thank you,” he said, walking past Jolie. He took a chance and dropped a kiss to her forehead. After she kissed him on the cheek in the bathtub, he didn't believe that Jacques would mind something so chaste.
Or he hoped.
“How about I eat this fast, and we get a tour?”
“Okay, then you need to get some rest,” she added.
It didn't take the two men long to begin teasing each other and joking back and forth. It helped her relax, and enjoy the time alone with her family.
That was what they were.
These two men were part of her life.
When Brogan had finished his sandwich, she walked between the two of them through the house. Jolie couldn’t help but find Flynn’s reaction to the artwork funny. Each time he found something new, he squeezed her hand.
When he found the private gym, he was like a kid at Christmas.
Apparently, the man liked working out. It wasn’t like she hadn’t noticed. His body was proof of that. Jolie had to smile at his child-like exuberance. Then came the mother of all surprises as they showed him the indoor pool. He looked as close to reaching nirvana as humanly possible.
“This can’t get any better,” he stated.
Jolie could feel Jacques brush against her mind. “Let’s give him the special bedroom.”
She agreed.
“You haven’t seen your room yet, Flynn. You might want to wait before you say that.”
“It can’t beat a gym and indoor pool,” he stated, as they led him back upstairs to the top floor of the house.
“We’re at the end of the hall, but this is your room,” Jolie said, as she opened the door.
To him, it looked like any ordinary room.
When Jolie and Jacques pointed up, he finally got what they were talking about. Above him was a glass covered ceiling that showed nothing but the beautiful stars in the sky.
Okay, he was wrong. This was pretty amazing.
Jolie enjoyed watching his face as he reveled in the pure beauty of it. There was so much joy in his eyes that they were glad to be able to share it with him.
“It’s incredible,” he said, staring at them. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this before.”
He walked to her and put his hand on her cheek. “Thank you for this.”
Jolie could feel the emotion in him, and while she wasn’t sure where it was coming from, she decided to offer him some more. Going against his body, she wrapped her arms around his waist to hug him. As her head rested on his chest, it offered her warmth when he placed his chin on the top of her head.
“Welcome home, Detective,” stated Jacques, watching them embrace.
Brogan opened his eyes and grinned.
His life was pretty damn perfect.
∞ Chapter Twenty ∞
Later that night, while they were in their separate rooms, Jolie and Jacques were still basking in the happiness that they could share their home with the detective. When they were finally alone, they took the time to roll around and be themselves. Yet, the entire time, both were thinking about the man in the other room.
For now, he was lying in his room on a settee, staring up at the stars.
As Jolie swept into his mind to check on him, sh
e could feel the intense sadness. Immediately, Jolie sat up and stared at her mate. “Something’s wrong,” she said.
“What?”
“I didn’t want the room to make him sad,” she confessed. “I don’t understand what’s bothering him.”
Jacques swept into his mind to see for himself.
“Jolie, I think it’s his memories that are troubling him. Why don’t you go to the detective and see if you can cheer him up?”
“Jacques, je t’aime.”
“I know, bébé,” he said, rolling over to his side of the bed to wait for her return. If anything, he understood what the man was feeling. For now, he wanted his mate and their detective to be at peace, and Jacques knew that she was the only way to cheer him up.
Apparently, she was meant to be his peace too.
When Jolie arrived at his room, she knocked on the door. “Flynn, it’s me. May I come in?”
“Sure,” he replied.
Jolie didn't miss how he still sounded sad.
“Are you alright?” she asked, walking over to him and finding a spot on the settee beside him.
“Yeah.”
Jolie wasn’t buying it at all. “You can talk to me, Flynn. Why don’t you tell me what has you so sad inside.”
“So, you could feel it in your room?”
“Jacques and I were relishing your joy, and then the sadness took over. I wanted to see if you needed me,” she added, taking his big hand in hers. “Want to talk about it?”
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
“Okay. Do you mind if I just stay here with you then, for a little while?”
He looked surprised at what she was offering him. “That would be nice. Thank you,” he answered, moving over as she wiggled her way beside him to lay against his body. When she placed her head over his heart, Brogan was sure that she heard it skip a beat. “Won’t Jacques be upset if he finds you in here, curled around me like this?”
“Why? For comforting someone I care about? He would never keep me from doing that.”
“I just don’t want him to be angry.”
Jolie understood where it was heading. Two men plus one woman generally meant drama. “Flynn, he cares about you too. We’re a family. Vampyres are sensual beings, and we communicate by touch and scent. What I’m doing here with you is nothing that would ever make him angry. Don’t misjudge him.”