Nicole (The Mate Series) Book #1

by Teresa Gabelman

  Hearing Steve snort, Nicole glanced his way. He was once again looking at her. “Oh boy.” He snorted again. “This is going to go over like a fart in a spacesuit.”

  Nicole shook her head, trying to figure out what in the hell Steve was talking about. “What?”

  Steve grabbed her by the arm and pulled her out of the room. “Do you have any idea what the Warriors are going to do when they find out about this bozo in a suit coming in here thinking he and his people are going to train their mates on how to protect themselves?”

  “Listen, I just found out about this myself.” Nicole frowned, knowing Steve was absolutely right. This would go over, as he said, like a fart in a spacesuit. Jesus, she was starting to think like Steve.

  Mitch came out glaring at Nicole. “What in the hell is this all about?”

  Feeling overwhelmed and totally freaked out, Nicole held her hands up. “If you two would give me a second to find out what the hell is going on, I’ll fill you in. So why don’t you two go do what you do and let me handle this?”

  “Oh, no fucking way in hell am I missing this.” Steve’s head snapped back. “Actually, I think I’ll record this for a dinner discussion tonight with the boys on my new phone.”

  “The hell you will.” Nicole snatched the phone away from Steve with a glare, putting it in her back pocket. With a quick turn, she headed back into the room.

  The women were all asking questions to Mike, who glanced her way with a cocked eyebrow. “Is there a problem?”

  “No, but I do think there was a misunderstanding,” Nicole replied, glancing at Lana. “We’re already trained by the VC Warriors.”

  “Not anymore,” Jill announced with a huff. “We withdrew from the program, or don’t you remember? And after listening to Mike here, I think this is an excellent solution.”

  “Jill, are you drinking again?” Steve rolled his eyes then looked at Mike. “So, Mr. ESPN—”

  “It’s EEPT. Eastman Executive Protection Training.” Mike frowned slightly, his tone a little less friendly.

  “Whatever,” Steve replied dismissively. “Do you know who the VC Warriors are?”

  “I do.” Mike gave him a nod. “I’ve actually talked to Sloan Murphy before.”

  “You’re human, correct?” Steve continued.

  “Yes.”

  “So how are you going to teach these women how to protect themselves against vampires, shifters, among other things that are far worse out there?” Steve tilted his head, looking dead straight at Mike.

  “Steve!” Mira hissed, but Steve ignored her.

  “I understand your concern,” Mike said with a nod.

  “Actually, I don’t think you do,” Steve replied, giving a warning glare at Mira, who stood. “My concern is for you and your men when the Warriors find out about this.”

  “I have employed several highly trained vampires who work with us,” Mike responded, not seeming fazed at all by Steve’s underlying threat of what the Warriors would do. “They will be in good hands.”

  “It’s your funeral,” Steve said under his breath, but Nicole heard him.

  Clearing her throat loudly, hoping Mike hadn’t heard, Nicole glanced at Mike. “Thank you for stopping by. We will definitely let you know what we decide.”

  “Actually, I’ve decided,” Jill said, causing Steve to shake his head. “When can we start?”

  “Ah, shit,” Steve said louder, disbelief coloring his words.

  “Shut it, Steve. Don’t you have somewhere to be?” Jill growled in his direction.

  Mike walked up to the table, dropping some business cards on it. “We have an open class tonight at seven. The address is on the cards.” He nodded toward Lana, then headed for the door, walking around Steve. “Hope to see you ladies tonight.”

  “Thanks, Mike,” Lana called out. “We’ll be there.”

  “Business cards? Seriously?” Grabbing one of the cards, Steve snorted but didn’t say anything more as Mike stopped next to Mitch.

  “If you have anyone else in your agency who needs training, I’ll give you a decent rate.” He reached out, shaking Mitch’s hand, but his eyes landed on Steve. “The Warriors are welcome to come and train.”

  Nicole heard him and swallowed a gasp, but Steve just smiled. “I have a feeling you may get that wish, buddy.”

  Once Mike had left and the women began filling out their paperwork, Mitch glared at Nicole and Pam who stood next to her. “I hope to hell you know what you’re doing.”

  Nicole worked hard to not give away her panic. After watching Mitch leave without another word, she glanced at Pam who was looking at her wide-eyed. “So do I.”

  “Steve’s right.” Pam cringed, glancing over at the women. “I feel a shitstorm like no other brewing.”

  Sighing, Nicole agreed. She walked toward her office dragging Steve with her. Pulling him inside, she closed the door. “I want your word that you will not say anything to Damon or the others about this.”

  “Are you freaking crazy?” Steve’s voice was pitched high. “I can’t keep this from them. They’ll kill me. And by kill, I don’t mean, ‘bam, I’m dead.’ I mean it will be a slow, painful death while they dance over my dying body.”

  Nicole cocked her eyebrow at him.

  “Okay, stomp all over my dying body,” Steve edited. “Seriously, you can’t ask me to do that. Those are my boys. My dudes. My—”

  “Damon and I came to an agreement last night.” Nicole broke him off.

  “Shit!” Steve cursed, then frowned, holding his hand up. “I mean good. I’m glad you guys are cool, but shit, because this is going to cause all kinds of hysteria among the Warriors.”

  “Where are you coming up with this stuff? Farting in spacesuits, Warriors dancing, and hysteria?” Nicole rolled her eyes as she grabbed files.

  “Do you not know me?” Steve snorted, and grabbed a stack of files from her. “Seriously, Nicole, they are going to freak the fuck out. You are actually putting those ESPN dudes in grave danger.”

  “EEPT.” She huffed absently as she grabbed more files. Damn, her filing system had been totally obliterated, probably by Mitch trying to find something. Obviously no one had taken over her office. She thought maybe it was because Mitch secretly wanted her back, but then again, she knew better. “And not if the Warriors don’t know. I don’t think you’re giving them enough credit. They are professionals who won’t just walk in and start killing people.”

  When Steve didn’t respond, she glanced over at him, and his expression was one of “do you seriously believe the words that just came out of your mouth?”

  “Professional is not a word I would use with the Warriors. Proficient, yes. Skilled, definitely.” Steve still held the files he took from her. “Proficient at killing any son of a bitch that lays a finger on his mate. Skilled at disposing of the body with an explanation of why they had to die is a definite yes.”

  His words rang truer than Nicole wanted to admit. “Steve, they are very professional.”

  “Name one time.” Steve glared at her. “One single time that you’ve ever seen Damon professional?” When she opened her mouth, then closed it, Steve chuckled. “Exactly. Now, let’s name the times he has decapitated someone. Nothing says professional like decapitation,” Steve said, with so much sarcasm Nicole cringed.

  “He’s working on that,” Nicole defended, then realized how dumb that sounded. She wasn’t helping her case whatsoever.

  Steve reached out and opened the door. “So you seriously don’t think they won’t come prancing their way…. Sorry, I’m writing my book and trying out new words to see how they fit. Barreling their way in there tonight? Nicole, that is just plain dumb thinking.”

  Before Steve walked out of the room, Nicole’s words stopped him cold. “I didn’t ever want to do this, Steve, but you’ve left me no choice.” Nicole really didn’t want to bribe him this way, but she had absolutely no choice. “You owe me a solid and I’ve never asked. But without me going to bat for yo
u in the hospital when all those guns were pointed at you, and you were just a scared kid, you would have ended up behind bars or worse. You are a Warrior, but even though Damon had a direct hand in that, it wouldn’t have happened without me. So, I’m calling in this favor. Don’t say anything to Damon or the other Warriors until I get this figured out.”

  “Damn, that was harsh.” Steve frowned, his eyes narrowing. He stood there for a long time just staring at her.

  “I’m sorry, but I really need to try to handle this without their interference.” Nicole knew she was in a mess at the moment, a mess she’d started and yet, a mess she didn’t know if she wanted to fix. Maybe this way, without the Warriors so closely involved, she—with the other mates—could actually get things done without being kept in the dark all the time.

  “Only for you, Nicole,” Steve finally said, then shifted the files in his arms. “I just hope you realize what you’re asking.”

  “You never know, they may be relieved someone else has taken over the task,” Nicole replied, then frowned at Steve’s odd laugh.

  “Yeah, and I’m going to grow wings out my ass and fly around like an avenging angel.” Steve snorted, then glanced at her.

  “A character in your book?” Nicole asked as she passed him.

  “Yeah, how’d you know?” Steve followed her into the conference room.

  Nicole ignored him as she put the files on the table and glanced around. Everyone stared at her.

  “Let’s get this rolling,” Jill said with a smile. “I’m ready to kick ass and help some kids.”

  Glancing at Pam, who just shrugged, Nicole laughed. Here goes nothing, she thought as she started handing out files. She glanced at Steve, who walked over to give Mira a kiss goodbye, and gave him a warning glare.

  He crossed his heart as he walked out, but she didn’t like the little smirk that he wore on his face as he disappeared out the door.

  Chapter 16

  By the time Nicole, Pam, and Ben set the women up in offices with files to go over, Nicole was ready to go home. Everyone picked up on what they were to do easily, but it was still hectic training everyone.

  Pam, Ben, and Nicole went back to the conference room to sort through more files. Mitch was handling the other agents who had been there for a while. Some of them Nicole knew, but not many. This was a hard job that many didn’t last doing. It was emotional, draining and yet, very rewarding. It definitely took special people who could handle high pressure and stressful situations. It wasn’t for everyone.

  “So what do you think?” Pam started sorting through files.

  “They’re doing great and picking up quickly,” Nicole said, grabbing the file she and Ben had looked at earlier. “Ben, why don’t you go ahead and make this call on Rachel Holland. Go to my office. If you have any questions, just yell.”

  Ben nodded, collecting the file and leaving Pam and Nicole alone.

  They worked in silence using their cell phones to make calls, take notes, and make appointments for scheduled visits. So far, there were no red flags with any of the calls, which made Nicole very happy.

  Nicole leaned back in her chair looking across the hall to her office to see Ben still on the phone. She then focused on Pam who was concentrating on a file. “Did Duncan tell you what happened in the interrogation room yesterday?” Nicole asked, her mind going back to Rosenstein.

  “Duncan never talks to me about that stuff,” Pam replied, then frowned. “Why, what happened?”

  “I don’t know, really.” Nicole tapped her pen against one of the files. “But it was strange. It was like something possessed him.”

  “Really?” Pam tossed a file in a pile then picked another one up from a different stack.

  “Yeah.” The realization that she needed to talk to Kira and Mira hit her. With everything that had gone on with Damon, she’d totally forgotten about Mira and Kira. They would have the answers to her questions. Leaning back again, she glanced in her office to see Ben off the phone. “Ben.” She waved him over.

  “The call checked out with Rachel Holland,” Ben announced, handing Nicole the file. “The foster father, Mr. Richards, said he’s talked to someone only once.”

  “Who was it?” Nicole frowned, glancing inside the file to see that Ben had filled it out correctly and proficiently as well as making notes.

  “It was Debbie Masterson, but she’s gone,” Ben replied with a shrug. “Guess she didn’t fill out the paperwork. Just made the initial call.”

  “Okay, good.” Nicole decided to trust Ben’s instincts. She believed he knew his job, but just needed some guidance when it came to making unscheduled visits. “Can you go get Mira and Kira for me?” She paused. “Do you remember which ones they are?”

  “Yeah, no problem.” Ben left, then returned quickly with Mira, Kira, and Tessa, all holding their stacks of files.

  “You guys done already?” Nicole asked, pleased.

  “Yeah.” Tessa frowned as she set her pile on the table, taking the top file and handing it to Nicole. “I did a call on this one, and the lady was acting very strange. I followed the protocol sheet of questions, and she had a hard time answering. I repeated a few like you guys said to do, and her answers were different on a few of them.”

  Nicole looked over the file. “Okay, we need to do an unscheduled visit.” She glanced at Tessa and Ben. “You two might as well go with me. No time like the present to start.”

  “Sure.” Tessa nodded, then glanced at her phone. “I don’t have anything else to do until seven.”

  At the mention of seven o’clock, Nicole’s stomach twisted into a knot. This was not going to go over well, but the rest of the women were ready to roll with it.

  “Am I supposed to go with you guys tonight?” Ben asked, sounding a little out of place.

  “Absolutely,” Pam answered for Nicole, who was still looking over the file Tessa had handed her. It was a young human boy who was placed with the foster family just last month. Glancing at the time on her phone, she frowned. If they were going to do that, it needed to be soon.

  “How about you guys?” Pam asked Mira and Kira. “Any red flags on your calls?”

  They both shook their heads. “No,” Mira answered and then smiled. “Actually, everyone I talked to was pleasant and sounded happy bragging about their foster child. It was really sweet.”

  “Yeah, those are the good calls,” Nicole agreed with a grin. “I wish they were all like that.”

  “Do you have more?” Kira asked, peering around the table at all the files.

  “Do we have more, she asked?” Pam chuckled, but it was tinged with a little sadness. “Unfortunately, this doesn’t even put a dent in what we have.”

  “Well, we’re here to help so use us,” Mira announced with a smile.

  “Oh, we’ll use you for sure.” Pam started stacking files for them.

  “Ben, why don’t you take Tessa down to Mitch’s office and have Tessa go over the phone call before we take off?” Nicole glanced at Ben, who nodded and escorted Tessa out. She wanted to talk to Mira and Kira without Ben, and it was the only way she could think of, not that she cared if Tessa stayed. Nicole stood and closed the door quickly. “Did you guys go down to the interrogation room yesterday?”

  Mira and Kira glanced at each other. “We did,” Kira responded with a frown.

  “And?” Nicole crossed her arms, hoping the Warriors didn’t tell them to keep quiet. That would piss her off.

  “Well, it for sure wasn’t witchcraft.” Kira bit her lower lip. “But I’m not sure it was a demon.”

  “What’s black breath?” Nicole asked the question that had been burning at her mind since she heard it. “Viktor and Bishop mentioned it, and I know the Warriors knew what it was, but no one would say.”

  “Black breath happens when someone is possessed and the demon leaves their body, usually through the mouth. It’s a black mist. If you’d seen it, you’d know exactly what we were talking about,” Mira answered this time. “F
rom what we understand that didn’t happen.”

  “No, it didn’t.” Nicole frowned and shook her head. “Pike mentioned a man who spoke Latin. He didn’t understand anything he said other than the word daemonium.”

  “We talked to him and Vanessa. Neither of them really knows anything other than what they heard and what they went through.” Kira once again glanced at Mira, then looked first at Pam, who was listening intently, and then to Nicole. “If there is, in fact, a demon involved, we have big problems.”

  “So you don’t think this is associated with Orjyll?” Nicole wanted it to be connected and for this to not be a whole new problem. It was a strange way to think and want, but sometimes it really was a matter of better the devil you know.

  “If it is, then Orjyll is only a player and not the mastermind behind everything as we first thought.” Mira sighed, looking a little spooked. “Demons don’t just show up for the hell of it. They’re here and always have been, but to make themselves known means something big is coming and by big, I mean destruction like no one has ever seen.”

  Nicole didn’t know much about demons and honestly didn’t want to know about them, but it seemed she had no choice.

  “Forget what you think you know about them, Nicole,” Kira said as if reading her mind. “If Pike is right, then these children are in grave danger. They feed off and use the weak, unwanted and lost souls. A lot of these children are exactly what they need, but why they’re using vampires, for what purpose, we don’t know.”

  “We’ve been reaching out to other witches. If a demon problem is arising, witches will be the first to know something is off in the universe.” Mira paused with a shake of her head. “Unfortunately, a demon can hide within humans, so unless you have powers of witchcraft, you’d never know you are face-to-face with one.”

  Okay, that was scary as hell. “Not even a vampire can sense them?”

  “No,” Kira replied, and Nicole heard a hint of fear behind that one word. “Demons are the one thing that vampires are defenseless against.”