Bury Their Bones (Wicked Fortunes Book 2)

by AJ Merlin

  True to her word, Yuna had us back faster than the ride out had taken. Once at her house, she’d directed me to the guest bathroom, telling me to take a hot shower and that she’d throw my clothes in the washer and dryer for me.

  Only after I showered did it hit me that I had nothing to wear.

  Was it an oversight on her part, I wondered? Or completely intentional.

  “Well. Hope the neighbors can’t see in,” I told my wet-haired reflection in the foggy mirror. I had a red towel wrapped around me, but it only reached my upper thighs.

  When I stepped out, barefoot, onto the tile floor, I saw that Yuna was already in the kitchen, throwing away our pizza boxes from earlier.

  She wore a long t-shirt and panties, and when the bathroom door creaked open, she turned to look me over.

  “I suppose I forgot you wouldn’t have any clothes if I took yours,” she mentioned, in a voice that made me very sure she hadn’t forgotten it.

  “Guess I’m stuck here, only in a towel, until my clothes are done,” I sighed, batting my lashes at her.

  “A tragedy,” the sea witch promised. She left the small kitchen and came to stand in front of me, running her fingers over the top edge of the towel. Heat flooded my body, and her gaze sharpened at my intake of breath. “Let’s go sit down,” she pulled me over to the sofa, her hand on my wrist.

  I sat down beside her, noticing that she hit some button on a remote that had the lights in the room dimming.

  “I hate to say it, Yuna, but you aren’t that subtle,” I told her with a mock apologetic tone.

  Her grin was wolfish. “I never really counted subtlety as one of my qualities,” the cecaelia informed me. Before I registered her movements, she was very close to me on the sofa, her arm brushing mine. Yuna leaned forward and my heart sped up in my chest, my lips parting in expectation when she slid out of her t-shirt.

  Until my phone rang to the dramatic tune of Terror Time from Scooby Doo, surprising both of us.

  “That’s Indra,” I whispered, not moving away from her.

  “Ignore him. He can have your attention some other time,” Yuna suggested.

  I more than happily agreed. Her lips descended on mine, nipping and urging me to respond in kind.

  My phone rang again.

  We froze. Again.

  Yuna sat back with a sigh and a roll of her teal eyes. “Men ruin everything,” she announced to the room.

  “I’ll see what he wants and be done.” Reaching for my phone, I slid my thumb on the screen before it could go to voice mail again.

  Goddess forbid, if he thought I was in actual danger, he might track me down.

  “Hello?” I asked, leaning against the back of the couch.

  “George?” His voice was worried. “Are you okay? You took awhile to answer.”

  Looking at Yuna’s deadpan expression, I replied, “Yeah. Yep. I’m fine. Kind of busy, though.”

  “Well, can it wait? I feel bad that we haven’t helped you out with this voodoo killer thing, and I think I might have some ideas for you. But I was hoping you could go over the details for me again, starting with the Loa.”

  That would take all night.

  “Umm.” I didn’t want to be rude to him, but Yuna was shifting impatiently at my side.

  Not to mention, a girl had needs.

  “Could we do this another time?” I said finally.

  “Can you just try to go over some things with me again?” He pressed. “It won't take that long, and I have some things I want to run by Cian.”

  “Okay…” I glanced at Yuna again. She watched me, a curious look on her face.

  I wasn’t sure I liked that look.

  “What do you need me to go over?”

  “The Loa, for one. They didn’t say anything about this killer? Except to find him?” I was barely paying attention to him. I wanted to get off the damn phone more than anything else in my life.

  My eyes landed on Yuna as he spoke. She stood in a graceful movement, her eyes intent. I’d expected irritation. Frustration, even, for brushing her off in favor of trying to politely get Indra off the phone.

  But instead, her look was predatory. Our eyes met and my heart promptly skipped a beat or six.

  Was that tightness in my chest lack of air, or barely withheld excitement?

  Yuna loomed over me, arms crossed as she stood between me and the coffee table. I had to tip my head back to look up at her, and there was something hot about having her stand over me with that look.

  Still not speaking, the Cecaelia reached down, tugging at the towel until she had pulled it from me completely. I swallowed a gasp, Indra’s words a buzz in my ear as Yuna looked me over, my body completely naked to her.

  I shivered. Did she notice that, or the way my lips parted so I could suck in some much needed oxygen? My thighs clenched tightly, the last barrier between her and all of me.

  “George?” Indra’s voice was puzzled. I’d almost forgotten about him, but he was still there. “Are you okay?”

  Goddess, I needed to get him off the phone.

  Giving Yuna what I hoped was a stern look of warning, I tried to laugh it off. “Sorry, Indra. I’m fine. Just-just dropped something is all. Yeah. So uh.” I swallowed around a lump in my throat, my heart racing. “The Loa didn’t give me that much on the subject. Voodoo killer. You know, guy killing…voodoo practitioners. Go find them. That was all.” Could my tone with him be any shorter?

  I could only watch with something between awe and trepidation as Yuna sank to her knees, her grip on my calves like iron as she pushed my unresisting legs apart.

  She looked at me. Really looked at me, her eyes on mine as a slow, dangerous grin spread over her features. Did Indra hear my breath pick up?

  If he did, he didn’t mention it.

  Yuna’s mouth trailed along my inner thigh, making me tremble. My entire attention was caught by her actions, and the light brush of her kisses on my skin. Her hands moved, exploring the outside of both my thighs as they reached towards my lower back.

  My breathing had definitely picked up now. There was no way for Indra not to notice. So had the urge to wiggle in my seat just enough that her kisses were a bit higher up.

  “Did you hear me?” Indra asked with a long-suffering sigh. “I feel like you’re not really invested in this conversation. And I’m only trying to help.”

  “No. I’m so sorry, Indra. I know you’re trying to help.” I cleared my throat, trying to sound normal even though my focus was nowhere near our conversation. “What did you want to know, again?”

  “The funeral.” He said flatly. “You didn’t tell me what you found there.”

  I did not have the patience or time to explain the intricacies of the voodoo community wanting me nowhere near them. I did not have the patience to tell him about the two Loa that had escorted me up to the coffin, and I certainly did not have the desire at the moment to tell him what they’d said about Yvenson.

  I licked my lips, trying to steady my voice by clearing my throat. “No, nope–“ I broke off, voice breaking when Yuna’s tongue flicked against my inner thigh, so close to where I wanted it. “Just uh, grabbed a piece of the dead guy’s gris-gris to uh, track his magic. And umm….” I trailed off again.

  “Why’s that?” He prompted.

  “Uhhhh…..” I couldn’t reply. I wasn’t even sure what he was asking. The bit of my attention that I’d spared for him had rejoined the rest of me as her hands gripped my hips and dragged me forward on the sofa with absolute ease.

  Knowing that she could pick me up and do whatever she wanted to me did awful things to my body that I was sure she could see.

  Yuna leaned down, her breath hot against my slit. She’d barely touched me, but I was ready to come apart at just this.

  “Get off the phone, George,” the cecaelia murmured casually, her tone conversational in opposition to her words.

  “Look. Indra. I am really, really busy,” I tried to explain, my eyes meeting Yuna
’s. “Like, you don’t understand how busy–“

  “With what? I’d love to help you out, George. But I don’t know how unless you give me some more information,” the hellhound pressed.

  “Well….I’m just not sure how much more I can give you over the phone.” I bit my lip. “Maybe we should meet up.”

  Yuna’s eyes narrowed. Her head dipped between my thighs, and I expected another breath against my slit.

  I did not expect her tongue to graze my clit lightly. Nor did I expect her fingers to trace along my slit, pushing my knees just a little wider so she could slide one finger into me.

  All the while her eyes never left mine.

  “Okay. If you’d rather do that.” Shuffling noises came from the hellhound's side of the phone. “When would you want to get together again? We could go out for lunch tomorrow?”

  Yuna’s finger pressed more deeply into me. Her tongue returned to my clit, applying more pressure than before and making my stomach tighten.

  Holy hell.

  I needed to get off this damn phone, and I was beginning to think that maybe being rude towards the sweet hellhound shifter might be worth it.

  “Sure. Yeah. Lunch tomorrow.” My breathing quickened. “But hey, I gotta go. I’ll text you later. We can figure out the details. Okay?”

  “Yeah. okay.” Indra sounded more puzzled than anything. I covered my mouth to try to keep the sound of my breathing from him. “Have a good night, George. Hope whatever you’re busy with goes well.”

  He hung up, and I followed suit, chucking my phone to the other end of the sofa where it landed face down.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, unable to look away from her and not wanting to in the least. “I really tried to get him off the phone faster.”

  Yuna didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she sat back, her thumb on my clit replacing the finger inside me and rubbing against me in circular strokes.

  I bit down against my lower lip, thighs clenched, and tried not to beg her for more.

  “Do you need to make any other calls?” The cecaelia asked sweetly. “Perhaps to Akiva, for a weather analysis? With that bird of his, he must be very good at those.”

  I swallowed heavily. “No.”

  “Or…maybe to Cian, for some life advice?” She suggested in that even tone. “He seems rather reliable for that.”

  I shook my head fervently, hands clenched against the couch. “I really, really don’t need to call anyone.” My body thrummed in anticipation that only built as she touched me.

  “It’s so kind of you to sacrifice your social butterfly status for me tonight, George.” Yuna smiled, and I felt the touch of her finger against my entrance again. “I was starting to feel like I was intruding.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said in a shaky voice. “Goddess, Yuna, I really didn’t want to–“

  She hooked one arm around my thigh, two fingers sinking into me as she held me still.

  I couldn’t help the gasp that left my mouth, and it heightened to a cry when Yuna’s mouth found my clit. Her tongue stroked over me relentlessly, fingers thrusting in and out of me quickly.

  Her actions had my hips moving, and I bucked her hold unconsciously. There was no way I could stay still. Not with how the sensations of her fingers and mouth threatened to overwhelm me so quickly.

  Yuna sucked against my clit, alternating with strokes of her tongue as she added a third finger.

  My arms burned as I tried to hold myself up, pleasure wracking through my body. “Oh Goddess, Yuna, please–“

  “Please what,” she interrupted, pulling back. She removed her grip from my thigh, her thumb circling my clit lazily again. “Please what, George?”

  “Please let me cum.” The pressure was insane and was driving me crazy.

  "You think you deserve to?” She asked, her movements slowing and managing to hold me on edge. “You think you deserve for me to let you cum?”

  “Yes. Please, please, Yuna–“

  Her grin turned sly. “George, did you like almost being caught? Did you want Indra to know that I had my fingers in your pussy?”

  I felt the heat rise to my face. “N-no. I didn’t want him to hear–“

  “Are you sure?” She was enjoying this. It was plain on her beautiful face just how much she enjoyed taunting me like this. “You should’ve kept him on a little longer. He could’ve heard how wet you are for me.” She thrust her fingers harder into me, as if to make a point, and I nearly came right there.

  “Maybe some other time, we’ll call him and he can listen,” she threatened, and I definitely shouldn’t have been considering how hot that would be. “But I think I’d like you to beg. I want to hear your sweet voice begging me to make you cum. I like hearing how desperate you are.” Her thumb continued to rub teasing circles over my clit.

  I didn’t even hesitate. “Please–“

  “Please what? Be specific.”

  “Please make me cum. Please don’t stop.”

  “Like this?” Her thumb pressed down suddenly, and Yuna rose up, still on her knees, to loom over me again.

  “Yes. Yes please. Like that.” My hips rocked into her hand, chasing that delicious feeling.

  Rational thought escaped my brain. I was too focused on her hands and the way she coaxed me with her voice.

  “I’m gonna cum,” I whined, voice too loud to my own ears. “Yuna, I’m gonna–“

  “Yes, you are,” she agreed breathily, color tingeing her own cheeks. “You’re gonna cum for me right now, aren’t you?”

  I couldn’t answer. Electric pleasure raced through my body, stilling my hips and causing me to arch off the sofa.

  Yuna fucked me through it, her fingers drawing out my climax until I was sure I couldn’t take it anymore.

  “Oh Goddess–Yuna please. It’s too much–” I reached down, only for her to grab my wrist in her bruising grip.

  “No it’s not,” she demurred. “Not until I decide it is. And I think you haven’t cum nearly enough yet.” Her fingers twisted, hand shifting until she could grind her palm against my clit.

  “Tell you what,” Yuna breathed, her fingers rubbing against my inner walls. “You can cum for me two more times, and I’ll consider forgiving you for letting Indra talk your ear off.”

  Chapter 13

  For the two nights after seeing Yuna’s true shape, I walked the streets of New Orleans to get a scent of Yvenson’s magic.

  Both times, I got nothing. Not even a scent of the other woman’s magic.

  The first night I walked the streets alone, but when I casually mentioned it in a text message to Indra, the hellhound insisted on coming along.

  We found nothing the second night, except for a group of vampires who asked rather loudly if Indra’s master knew he was cavorting with a witch.

  He politely ignored them while I tried to decide just how irritated I was, and whether or not they were worth my fangs.

  Indra, apparently sensing how my frustration bit at my skin, kissed me sweetly and led me away with loud discussions of what we’d have for dinner and how much dessert he could get from some café.

  Finally, we ended up back at our cars with no more clues than we’d had four hours prior.

  “Can I ask you not to do this tomorrow night?” The hellhound question, leaning his shoulder against mine when I rested my hip against the driver’s side of my SUV.

  “Why?” I asked, eyes flicking in his direction. I pushed my hair that had come loose from its ponytail back over my shoulder.

  “The gala is tomorrow, and we’re going to be there all night,” Indra promised with a roll of his eyes. “Yuna is going too, right? I don’t think Merric is going to be your street-walking buddy while we’re busy.”

  I hesitated, then replied. “He’s…going too, actually. Seems like I was the only one not invited.”

  “Oh.” Indra looked away. “Are you upset about it? I would bring you, if I could, but we don’t exactly get a plus one. And you’d really hate it.”
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  “Why would I be jealous?” I sighed. “Obviously a once in a lifetime gala where everyone is going to be dressed like they walked out of a fairy tale that lasts all night will be ten kinds of boring.” I tucked the piece of hair back again, frowning.

  Indra’s eyes flicked up to mine. “You are jealous,” he accused without any heat in his tone.

  I shrugged one shoulder. “It’s fine. Go to your party and suffer. I’ll be watching bad movies with Aveline.”

  “Promise you won’t do this without us?” The hellhound pressed.

  “I don’t need a babysitter–“

  “Yuna will drown me if you die,” he interrupted, turning to bracket me against my own car.

  A tingle went down my spine and I reminded my body that we weren’t going to be getting any real satisfaction tonight. He would be too busy going home and getting a good night’s sleep so he could primp and groom himself for the fancy party tomorrow night. Still, I reached up to tangle my fingers in his coarse black hair that always reminded me of a German shepherd’s fur.

  “I’ll be fine. And I won’t sniff the shadows without you.” I tugged lightly on him, and Indra relented easily, leaning forward to press his mouth to mine.

  His hands rose to my waist, warm against my skin over the thin fabric of my t-shirt, and I brought my other arm up to loop it over his shoulder.

  Sometimes, Indra’s sweetness was just what I needed and everything I craved. I appreciated all of my friends, but none of the others were so comforting and easy to be around as him. He never had to have the last word, and never baited me into an argument.

  I nipped playfully at his lower lip and felt his mouth curve into a smile before he pulled away slightly. “I have to go,” he said, pressing his forehead to mine. “I’ll see you in a few days.”

  “Have fun tomorrow,” I sighed, hands still draped over his shoulders.

  “Sure,” he made a face, then pulled his keys out of his pocket to unlock his car.

  Part of me wanted to search the city tomorrow night, even though I’d said I wouldn’t, if only to drive the point home that I did not need a babysitter.