“Right,” he said. Movement caught his eye. Ennis stepped out of the back door and headed toward them.
“Hi, sweetness,” Ennis greeted him with a smile and held out a bag to him. “I brought you lunch. Trinity, you can break for an hour.”
Trinity nodded and left them. Ennis took Trinity’s place. “It’s nice out here,” Ennis said.
“We had it landscaped for shoots,” Jase answered and peeked into the bag. “Hot dogs.” It was just like Ennis to bring him one of his favorite lunchtime meals. “I really should eat and get back to work. I have a full day, but I’ll be ready to leave by six.” He gave Ennis a smile.
“Are you okay?” Ennis asked. “You seem—”
“Tired,” Jase said. He was tired, but his fear of the unknown was wearing him out, too. What would he do? Would he be able to walk away from Ennis when his heart and soul already belonged to him?
Ennis frowned. “Then, I’ll cook tonight, and you can rest. How’s that?”
“Sounds good.” Jase kissed his cheek, expecting to feel revulsion, but his heart didn’t reject what it loved.
Ennis stroked his cheek. “I’m so crazy about you, Jase. I’ll do anything for you.”
“Well, walk me back inside. I have a ton of work,” he said, feeling like a jerk at the shimmer of confusion in Ennis’s eyes. He had to do this now. He had to start building up a wall so when he found out what Ennis really was, it wouldn’t be so hard to let go.
* * * *
Ennis wasn’t in the greatest of moods when he returned to work to meet with Bale. Jase’s distant behavior had him afraid of what he knew he would do to keep Jase by his side. Logic told him now was the time to begin building walls to close that part of him off, but the demon wasn’t all that logical in love. If he lost Jase, lost his heart, first, he would take his rage out on the death stalkers, killing them viciously. Then, he’d turn to Jase…
A knock at his office door pulled him out of the gloomy thoughts and he sat back in his chair, willingly letting them go. “Come in, Bale,” he called.
Bale stepped into his office. “Here’s what I have.” Bale held up a folder. “I tracked Rebecca’s husband back to Arkansas, but he’s originally from England. He came over when he was ten, sixty-five years ago.”
“The family probably migrated from Romania. Large numbers of death stalkers used to live there. What’s the family name?”
“ It’s Pan.”
“His uncle used to be the head of the death stalker house in Bossier,” Ennis mused. “When did Pan join it?”
“Pan moved to Bossier with his caretaker Donna Wright twenty years ago after getting a degree in business at LSU-Baton Rouge. Then, Pan set up the Serendipity employment agency.”
“How’s the agency doing?”
Bale shrugged. “He’s not making half the money you are. He has some personal debt that’s kicking his ass. The girl I talked to over there said there are whispers of him starting another agency. She also said he met Tonya Kines, who is now his wife, when she came in looking for job placement.”
Ennis lifted his brows. “Wife?”
“Kines wanted him to dump the wife. She’s pregnant, four months,” Bale told him. “The ink hasn’t even dried good on the marriage certificate.”
“That’s fast even for a death stalker,” Ennis murmured. “Check out his friends. The death stalker assassin might be someone he knows.”
“Mercury hasn’t found anything that connects anyone in Simmer’s house with the murders,” Bale told him. “He contracted out for this. He must be trying to keep Simmer from finding out what he’s up to.”
“How much insurance money did he get? He must be counting on that to fund the new agency.” Ennis said.
“He got a million, and she was worth four million, but she changed her will the day before she was killed.”
“Do you have anything that ties him to the other murders? Anything concrete?”
“Nothing, but most of the victims are connected to Rebecca in some way. So, what did Simmer say?” Bale asked.
“He’s not going to be any help, so I want you to keep digging. Find out what kind of agency he’s trying to open up and if Simmer is investing anything—money, people, anything in it,” Simmer wasn’t wealthy, but he was well off. His money was part of his power and if one of his men became wealthier than him, that man might just kill him and take his place. That’s how death stalker houses worked.
“If Simmer isn’t aware of it, shall I inform him?” Bale asked with a smile.
He’d love to see how that was handled. “No.” He shook his head. “Pan might attempt to strike a deal to prevent execution until he was ready to overthrow Simmer.”
“Simmer might take care of him and eliminate the problem for us,” Bale said.
Money talked with death stalkers, so it wasn’t likely. “Make sure Kines is human and try to find out if she had any part in Rebecca Hollis’s murder. If she is human, talk to Rey about whatever you have on her. Let the mortal justice system deal with her.”
“You’re going to let her baby live?” Bale asked.
“No.”
Chapter Nineteen
The next day, Jase finished developing the pictures he’d taken the day before and headed back to his office. This morning as he showered alone, he’d reconciled himself to the fact that he had to find out what Ennis was.
A breakup was going to tear him apart, but the sooner he got the answers he needed from Ennis, the sooner he’d be able to move out of limbo and on with his life. Even if that meant walking away from the only man he’d ever loved.
“Hey.” Darik stuck his head out of the lounge. “Flowers came for you.” He grinned. “Did Ennis do something bad already?”
Ennis was picking up on the sudden change in him pretty well, but he hadn’t pressed last night. He’d allowed him to sleep alone. Maybe he didn’t even feel love, just lust.
“Darik, can I ask you something?”
“What?”
“You like to read sci-fi and watch the Discovery station,” he said and grimaced at what he was about to say. But Darik was a good place for him to start. His friend might be able to point him in the right direction for researching what Ennis might be.
Darik went to stand next to him. “What’s wrong? You never ask me about that stuff even when I’m talking about it.”
“I was just reading something last night about a blue creature that screeches—”
“What were you doing on the internet reading about incubus demons when you had a hot babe in your bed?”
“What?” he demanded, his head jerking around. Demons? Incubus?
Oh hell, that was so not what he’d expected.
Darik laughed. “I love that site. Demons Are Among Us. It’s about incubus demons.”
“That’s crazy.” It was too crazy to be his life. He didn’t stumble into something like demon lovers. He—he didn’t accidently record murders either. But here he was in the middle of a murder case.
“There are pictures of six breeds of incubus on there and two of them are blue. Well one is blue, and the other is a rare incubus called a shadow. He’s blue-gray. They’re kind of sexy in spite of being dangerous.”
“Seriously?” Jase demanded incredulously.
“The site even talks about the kind of lovers they are,” Darik added with a grin and wiggle of his brows.
“I can’t believe you read that.” Jase made a face, but he was definitely checking that site out.
“Read what?” Trinity asked, joining them.
“Well, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Delicious, we were talking about incubus lovers,” Darik said. “Sexual demons.”
“You do realize they want more than to fuck your brains out, hot stuff?” Trinity responded, his lips twitching in amusement.
“What more could they want?” he asked sweetly.
Trinity retrieved a bottle of water from the fridge and went to stand in front of Darik. “They want to feed off you, too, da
rlin’. Taste your energy and make you a sex slave.”
Darik put his hand on Trinity’s chest. “Are you looking for a sex slave?”
Trinity smiled and Jase smirked. “I don’t think you could handle me, little sexy.”
“Umm, you’re the one that couldn’t keep up, baby,” Darik replied. “But seriously, what do you know about incubi? That site makes them sound so intriguing. I’d love to meet one in my bed.”
Trinity chuckled. “Be careful what you wish for,” he said and then drained the bottle. “Jase, your mother’s here to see you and Ennis is on his way. What do you think about the incubus demon thing?”
He shrugged. “That they don’t exist.” He gave him an asinine look and then headed to his office. Curiosity and a cold trickle of fear raced down his spine at the very thought of already having a demon lover in his bed.
Maybe he should just ask Ennis, that way he’d get the facts straight from him without all the BS a website had to have mixed in.
“Beautiful flowers.” Mary Kinney bent to draw in the scent of the flowers as Jase closed the door to his office. “From a client?”
“No.” He watched as she picked up the card. His mother was petite with dark auburn hair and soft blue eyes. She was always perfectly made up and today was no exception. The recession had forced them to dip into their savings a little but looking at her with manicured nails, designer pants, and a silk blouse with a Channel purse, you’d never know.
“We haven’t seen you for dinner in a few weeks,” she said.
“I’ve been busy with work, Mom.”
“We’re having some friends over tonight,” she said with a smile. “We want you and Jarrett to come over. Jarrett is bringing a girl. Have you met her?”
“She’s nice,” he said, thinking of the girl from the bar. “She’s beautiful, too. I think she’s going back to school to be a nurse.”
“Really?” she exclaimed. “That’s great. She has ambition.”
He nodded. “It is good for her,” he agreed.
Mary smiled in agreement. “What about you? Seeing anyone special that you’re bringing to the dinner party tonight?”
“I would love to come, but I have a date,” he said, moving to stand across from her.
“You really need a haircut, son,” she said with a frown. Mary picked up the thick braid.
“You gave me great hair genes.”
“I’d like to see those genes on a granddaughter.”
“Well, you might get one.” He’d love a child running around, but he didn’t think he’d be ready anytime soon. There were just too many things that needed to be settled for, especially Ennis’s genetic origins.
“Why would Ennis send you flowers?” she asked, waving the card.
“Ennis is my boyfriend, Mom.” She needed to hear the word. He needed to say it. It was time to stop hiding.
Mary paled and then her eyes darkened with anger. “Boyfriend?” Her face pulled into a mask of disgust.
Jase laughed. “I know. I finally made a move on him. I think he was even more surprised than you.” She looked horrified and disgusted.
“I thought you would grow out of that crush you seemed to have on Ennis. What did I do wrong?” she demanded. “What do you need that you didn’t get? Your father spent quality time with you teaching you man things.”
Jase had to laugh. “I’m just gay and nothing was going to change that,” he answered. “I’m in love with Ennis, and nothing will change that either.” What if he’s really a demon? Will you still be in love with him?
Mary put the card on the desk. “Jase, your father and I love you, but you’re not welcome in our home until you stop this madness,” she told him calmly. “Don’t call us unless it’s to say you have a girlfriend or you’re getting married to a woman.”
“That’s never going to happen, Mom,” he told her quietly. “Even if Ennis and I break up tomorrow, I will still be gay. I’ll still want to share my life with a man. I hope you come around and accept that. I want—no, I deserve to be loved and to be happy.”
“God made Adam to be with Eve, not Steve, and this sickness is going to take you straight to hell.”
Chapter Twenty
Jase was curled up on the loveseat in his office with the shades pulled down over the windows when Ennis stepped inside with bags of food and drinks. He had his laptop on his lap looking at information he’d found on the site, Demons Are Among Us. He wasn’t sure half of it was true, but some of it gave him cause for pause, especially the part about the screeching when in pain, the sensitivity to sunlight, and the psychic vampirism.
He’d also found an interesting tidbit about the way they smelled and the mortal’s inability to resist them when they fed off of them.
He brushed his braid over his shoulder and looked up to track Ennis’s graceful movements as he stalked toward him. He wondered if Ennis had been using his demonic powers to seduce him, steal his will.
“Trinity said your mother came by.” Ennis set the food on the table.
“She did.” He logged off his computer and then got up and took it to his desk and went to wash up.
“I sense something has changed,” Ennis said, leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom.
“She doesn’t want to see me until I’m straight,” he said, deciding not to mention anything he’d just read. Not just yet. He wanted to think it all over and decide if having a demon in his life was something he could live with.
“Jarrett told her about us?” he asked tightly.
“I don’t think so.” Jase dried his hands. “Come wash up.” Demons didn’t worry about germs, he supposed.
Ennis had promised he wasn’t going to give him anything. Probably didn’t get herpes.
Ennis obeyed and threw him a contemplative look. “What are you not telling me? I can sense you’re hiding something from me You’ve gone from hot to cold overnight.”
Must be some demon thing. A demon thing? So was he accepting that his lover could be an incubus?
“I told you I was tired,” Jase replied. “Considering all that’s happened that shouldn’t be a surprise.” Jase shrugged and stepped out of the bathroom. “So, have you found anything on the guy that’s after me?”
“We’re taking a look at a few different angles.” Ennis followed him into the office. “Are you sure everything is fine?”
“You’ve always been good at your job.” Jase faced him once they reached the coffee table. “So, I’m not worried. Thanks for the flowers.” He kissed his cheek, resting a hand on his chest.
Ennis pulled Jase into his arms and Jase heard a very faint chuffing sound. His head told him to pull away, but his heart was still holding out for answers before it made its decision, so he allowed Ennis to hold him and warmth flooded his body.
Ennis’s touch still felt right.
“You feel so good in my arms, Jase.” Ennis brushed his lips over Jase’s. “I really want you in my life.” He caressed the back of his head. “Why are you pushing me away? What did I do?”
Jase found a smile for him, not too sure how to respond with the pictures of that blue demon popping into his head. It was almost seven feet tall and some of the demons could throw electricity or fire.
“I’m—you know things with my parents—”
Ennis released him. “Are you going to just give up on your parents?” Ennis asked. “I bet if you pressed the issue they’d come around.”
Jase sat down and removed the food from the bag. “I know, but—”
“I think it would be crazy on your part to just fold. They’re your family. Your mother might have trouble with you being gay, but give her a chance to work this out with you. That’s what families do.”
Jase gave him a considering look. For a demon, he certainly seemed wise and good rather than evil and destructive. “You have a point,” he said.
Ennis gave him a smile. “Then, take my advice. Let her get over the shock , and then go see them.”
“I
will,” Jase said with a nod.
“Good.”
“I was talking to Darik a little while ago, and he was telling me about this site he followed. It’s about incubus demons. Do you think they exist?” He hadn’t meant to bring it up, but he had to start getting his head around this now that the shock was wearing off.
“Does it matter?” He reached for a slider.
“I thought it was interesting, so I checked out the site. Demons Are Among Us. It had pictures of incubi. There was a list of essentially six kinds, and there were even articles on what to expect when dealing with each type in and out of bed.”
“Really,” Ennis drawled. “What’s with this sudden sci-fi interest? It’s not your thing.”
Was he worried? Looked like a little concern or was that fleeting glimmer in his eyes fear?
“I know. Just curious. A few things stuck with me, though, like how they each have a distinctive smell and they burn in the sun.” Jase watched Ennis’s face carefully and saw no reaction at all.
“Sounds like some vampire story.” Ennis took a drink of his soda.
“Funny you should say that. They are vampires.”
“Yes, they are. Dark seducers who feed off their prey,” Ennis said calmly. “They can kill just like a blood-drinking vampire, take too much of your sweet, sweet essence.”
Jase studied him. He spoke with too much authority, just like Trinity. “They shape-shift. They turn into seven-foot-tall demons. Some are blue.”
“Naturally.”
“Are you one?” The words just slipped out before he could censor them. Now that they were out, he wanted to hear denial, to have his concerns put to rest. He wanted Ennis to laugh and tell him he was human, but there would always be that nagging fear that Ennis had lied to him. After all, Ennis had strange eyes and he wasn’t the biggest eater he’d ever seen. In fact, he was rather a lightweight where food was concerned, yet he had a gorgeous body with excellent muscle tone and definition.
“Would you break up with me if you I said yes?” Ennis looked him straight in the eye then and Jase almost looked away as he recalled the incubi’s penchant for using hypnosis to seduce their prey.
Seducing His Brother's Best Friend Page 11