Dangerous Sacrifice (The Harcourte Vampyre Society Book 6) Page 12

  “So they are going to live? That’s my only concern. If I die, it doesn’t matter. I only want them to live.”

  Both mates stared at her.

  She knew what they were thinking.

  “There is someone close to you who is in grave danger. It’s to the point that the outlook is not good.”

  “Who?”

  “A male. That’s all I can tell you. The cards don’t give out names.”

  Jolie tried to think about every male she knew. There weren’t many close to her. There were her mates, Tommy Gress, who was safely in New Orleans, Mathew, who was no longer her family, and her brother. He was well hidden, and no one could find him since everyone believed him to be dead.

  “You are accustomed to danger but as of late, you’re off balance. You need to find the old you and bring her back. You are an ancient vampyre and have seen much. There are somethings that you wish you could erase, but they made you. Use your past to make you stronger.”

  Jacques left a kiss on her cheek in support.

  “Death lives in you—literally—in your womb, but you made the right choice. They were meant to be.”

  She glanced over at Jacques. “You love her more than yourself, and that will help you in the end.”

  He did.

  And then she stared at Flynn. “You’ve proven your love to the family. You’ve made the ultimate sacrifice for the ultimate love.”

  He was aware.

  “If you three stay united, she won’t die. It’s going to take every trick in the book to begin this battle.”

  Flynn was curious. “Where should we be?”

  “France. This is a stopping over point. Your time here is nearly done.”

  Well, she got that right.

  Death had told him to head there.

  Jolie leaned forward and took the woman’s hands in hers. “Thank you for your message.”

  Kiera continued, “Sometimes, you have to let something go in order to get something back.”

  Jolie rested her free hand on the babies inside her. Did she mean her children?

  Flynn?

  Jacques?

  Jolie didn’t like that at all. She had earned their love, and she planned to keep it.

  “Back to the hunted part,” she offered. “This house is a familiar one to my family. My great-grandmother once worked here for the wealthy family.”

  They didn’t see where this was going.

  Apparently, she saw their confusion.

  “Let me explain. The man who built this home loved wine. I’m sure you’ve seen the cellar.”

  They had.

  In fact, they had some of the wine earlier in their stay since it was included in their rental.

  “He also loved the sea. My grandmother told me that there is a tale that says in his wine cellar, there’s a passageway out to the caves that are not far from here. If you ever need to escape or need to flee, head to them. It will buy you time.”

  Kiera stood to leave.

  “Why tell me all this?” asked Jolie. “You obviously don’t like vampyres, and you know what we are.”

  Kiera stepped closer to her, “I saw your past, your present, your future, and you are more than that, Jolie. You have survived a lot. Death or not, you are stronger than many think or see.”

  “Thank you,” said Jolie. “Let me see you out.”

  They walked her to the door. Despite her mates in her head, warning her, she hugged the woman.

  “Thank you for that.”

  “All’s forgiven, Kiera. I appreciate your help and the information about the escape route in the wine cellar.”

  Kiera reached into her pocket and pulled out a long chain with a Celtic knot at the end. “Wear this, and if you ever need anything, come find me. I will gladly help you.”

  She kissed Jolie’s cheek.

  “Bad things are on the horizon. You may need protection or a friend during the storm.”

  Jolie touched her cheek and the knot in her hand. “Thank you, Kiera, for coming here. It took a lot of courage, but my mates are curious. How did you find us?”

  Kiera stared deep into her lavender eyes. “Jolie, sometimes, magick can find what is lost and bring home those who have strayed.”

  Kiera walked out the door, across the grass of the large yard and into the trees, disappearing into the fog of Ireland.

  “Well, that was cryptic,” said Flynn, leaning against the wall.

  “I want to see the wine cellar.”

  Jacques did too.

  “Do you think we can trust her?”

  Flynn had an idea. “Vanth.”

  She appeared.

  “Yes, Master?”

  “Follow the witch home and make sure she doesn’t tell anyone where we’re staying. I don’t trust her, but I can see Jolie does.”

  She did.

  Kiera felt safe.

  With that, Vanth disappeared.

  “Shall we, mates?” she asked, offering the men in her life her hands. She could tell they still weren’t on solid ground. Jacques was quiet, and so was Flynn.

  “I love that this home might have a secret escape,” she said, grinning. “It’s so mysterious. Let’s see if we can find it.”

  Jacques led the way to the basement door. When they were finished, he needed to speak to Flynn.

  Privately.

  ‘Later, we need to talk,’ he said into his mind.

  ‘I’m available.’

  Jolie heard every word that passed between them. Hopefully, they’d be a strong unit again. She knew her life, and the lives of her children counted on it.

  She was only as strong as the men who surrounded her. Kiera had been right. As of late, she hadn’t been herself. Jolie wanted to find that strength again, so she could help keep their children safe.”

  It was time to own it.

  Be confident.

  Strong.

  A vampyre.

  If they were going to survive, she had to pull her weight—no more being a scared girl.

  Down in the chilly, damp cellar, they looked around.

  “Well, here we are. Anyone see a trap door?”

  Luckily, they could all see in the dark.

  “It has to be small,” Jolie said, as she began pushing and pulling on anything that could be a release mechanism.

  Flynn knew there was a sure fire way to find it. He’d been a Boy Scout, and he was taking it old school.

  Grabbing the book of matches, which sat on one shelf beside a few discarded candles, he lit one.

  “What are you doing?”

  “When I was a kid, we had a scout master teach us how to find things like this.”

  Jolie watched him as Jacques moved closer to her body to share some warmth.

  Flynn began walking with the candle close to the wall. At the one shelf, it flickered violently.

  “Bingo.” He blew out the candle. “I think we’ve found it.”

  Using his bulk, he pushed on the shelf with his full body weight. He didn’t use all of his strength, simply not to destroy it.

  Jolie grinned as it easily moved.

  “You found it, Flynn! That’s incredibly sexy.”

  He grinned at her. “Say it with some lip action.”

  Jolie jumped into his arms and gave him one hell of a kiss. Her mate continually amazed her. Maybe his human roots had been the best thing for him.

  They never would have thought to do that.

  Flynn nuzzled her as she stood against him.

  “I’ll have to reward you later for your sexy brain.”

  He growled.

  “Hey!” her other mate objected.

  “And Jacques because he’s going first in case there are spiders.”

  The man laughed. “He got off easy.”

  “Then you should have been a Boy Scout,” Flynn stated. “Girls dig men in uniforms.”

  He headed into the cave with Jolie between them, and Flynn bringing up the rear. They could hear the doorway being closed behind the
m.

  They kept walking until the path became a crawlspace. When Jacques stopped, they did too.

  “Stay here. I want to clear up ahead to make sure this isn’t some trap. We don’t know if we can trust Kiera.”

  Jolie went to protest.

  “We don’t.”

  She leaned against Flynn, who wrapped his arms around her body.

  “See you on the other side.”

  And with that, Jacques slipped into the tunnel.

  “He just wants to get laid first,” joked Flynn. “I think that’s cheating.”

  There was laughter.

  “I can hear you,” he said.

  “I wanted you to hear me,” Flynn teased. “Be a man and admit I’m right.”

  Jolie grinned.

  “You’re absolutely right.”

  There was a pause and then silence.

  “Flynn,” he called. “It’s safe. Crawl through after her. It does lead to a cave.”

  Jolie headed in, feeling Flynn’s hand on her ass. It made her laugh when he gave it a pat. She knew he was trying to cheer her up.

  It was something he’d do, and she appreciated it. This little adventure was helping her too.

  They traveled for a short distance until Jolie could smell the ocean. She knew the house they had rented butted up to the sea, but she didn’t realize they were this close. The trees surrounding the property gave it a forest feel.

  “I smell salt water,” she admitted.

  “Keep coming. You’re almost here,” Jacques stated.

  When Jolie saw the light, she got excited. This was pretty awesome and a gift from Kiera. They had a way out in case there was an emergency. When dealing with the Tueur, you needed to cover all your bases.

  Hell!

  When dealing with the local societies, you needed one too.

  As Jacques helped her to her feet, she looked around. It wasn’t big, and that’s likely why it couldn’t be seen from the water.

  “It’s cozy,” she stated, as her mates began pulling spider webs from her hair.

  Jacques led her to the opening, and they looked out. It was an escape route but not the ideal one. It was basically a dead end, unless they wanted to dive off the side and into the water—which they’d do if they had no other choice.

  Flynn knew what he was thinking.

  “It’ll give us a vantage. They can’t come through the crawlspace without us waiting. The Tueur would have to come through one by one. I can pick them off with a gun as they stick their heads out. We would be relatively safe.”

  He agreed.

  “Plus with Vanth, she could get Jolie out.”

  He had a point.

  Jacques focused on the area around them. There was a high content of silver in the earth. It was nearly impossible to feel anything past the cave.

  That would work to their advantage. It would keep them hidden.

  He liked this option more and more. With the tiny opening, the silver, and the hidden entrance, this was turning out to be a great little gift from the witch.

  “I owe her a thank you. She didn’t have to tell us about this.”

  They were aware.

  Flynn scanned the area, and he could pick up Percy and Mina in the house.

  “Baby, can you head back?” he asked.

  She glanced over. “Sure. Alone?”

  Flynn thought this was the best time to have a conversation with his other mate. They could have privacy, and they could work it out. The last thing they needed was this sitting between them for a long period of time.

  It would erode at their union.

  It would damage the family.

  AND if Jacques lost it, he could toss him off the cliff.

  ‘Flynn,’ she warned in his mind. ‘That’s not even remotely funny, and you know it. Please behave.’

  She could hear his laughter.

  Well, at least he wasn’t angry. That was a definite start. At least one mate had his emotions under control.

  ‘I was only kidding. He can swim, right?’

  Jolie gave him the look.

  “Play nice, boys,” she warned. “I’ll wait for you back in our room. We have to get ready for tonight. We have a council meeting to attend.”

  Jacques stared at her.

  He’d forgotten about it. He was so wrapped up in the issues between him and Flynn, that he let it slip his mind.

  Oh, well, trying to kill his mate last night might have had something to do with that.

  Jolie left.

  He glanced over at Flynn.

  “Have a seat. We’re going to work this out or neither one of us is leaving this cave. We’ve let this sit between us for too long.”

  He stared at him.

  The tone in his voice said it all.

  Flynn was pissed, and it was likely going to get ugly. Jacques didn’t blame him.

  He’d broken the rules and had spilled his mate’s blood. To him, that was unforgivable. Jacques had to hope Flynn would take a chance on him, giving him one more shot.

  He didn’t want to lose his family.

  They were his life.

  ∞ Chapter Ten ∞

  It was still early in the day, and Jacques knew that if Flynn attacked him, there was no way he’d be able to take him.

  Hell!

  There was no way now that he’d changed that he could take him at full-strength. That had him worried, and he prayed his mate didn’t see it in his head. He had to trust that he wouldn’t look—like he promised.

  “Have a seat,” Flynn said, dropping down against the wall of the cave. “We need to have a heart to heart.”

  Jacques did, but he kept his distance.

  “And that’s what we need to talk about. What did I do to make you stop loving me?”

  It was so blunt and to the point, Jacques actually stared with his mouth open. What Flynn had asked couldn’t be further from the truth. He still loved him.

  Now it was masked by his fear.

  “Don’t look so surprised that I’d ask that, Jacques. That has to be the only explanation because, as of late, you’re distant. I know you told me to peek into your mind, but frankly, I’m afraid to look. I don’t want to be hurt.”

  Jacques didn’t want his mate to feel this way.

  “Flynn.”

  “No, wait. You’re angry, and I get that. Hell! I can’t blame you. When my tattoo came to life, I nearly killed you and Jolie. If that’s the issue, tell me—man to man—mate to mate—because I think I deserve to know what ruined what was between us.”

  He didn’t know where to start.

  “How about the truth?”

  Well, so much for him not hanging out in his head.

  If Flynn heard that thought, he might as well tell him everything.

  “I feel like I’m being pushed out of the relationship. I know it was my choice not to feed the children, but now I feel like Jolie is gravitating more toward you.”

  “And you blame me?”

  “A little.”

  “You’re an asshole. This has nothing to do with me. I love you so much, and all I want is to be part of you and Jolie. I gave up my life, Jacques. What more can I do to prove to you both how much I cherish my mates? What more can I give? It’s getting exhausting trying to prove this over and over again. If anything, I’m the odd man out.”

  He needed to know.

  “Why didn’t you hurt me when I attacked you? It would have been easy for you to stop me.”

  “You’re my mate. Why would I hurt you? That’s the last thing I want in life.”

  Jacques was confused.

  He didn’t get this at all. It was as if he was cloaked in this shroud of confusion. It was screwing with his head.

  It was ruining them.

  “I want to be suspicious of you. All of a sudden, I want to push you away and hate you.”

  Flynn put his hand on Jacques’s chest, and the tattoo got warm. “It’s not you. It’s that mark. Yours is a protection symbol. You’re g
oing to be suspicious of everyone. Your strength is keeping Jolie safe. I don’t hold that against you. It’s simply a side effect of getting that tattoo. When did you start to notice it happening?”

  “Right after the tattoo.”

  Here was his proof.

  “It’s messing with your focus.”

  Yeah, speaking of focus.

  “Then I think about that kiss. I feel like you had ulterior motives.”

  “I didn’t. Again, that’s your mark. Mine is death, yours is protection. I can pull death from Jolie, but you’re supposed to have my back.”

  “I do.”

  “Do you?”

  He wasn’t sure.

  “I’m so confused.”

  “What can I do to help you?”

  “First, you can stop making all the decisions without me. That makes me panic. I should have been included in the conversation about tonight.”

  “Yes, you should have been—unfortunately, you tried to kill me, and Jolie had to put you down like a rabid dog. Had you been awake, you would have been included.”

  “A rabid dog? That’s a pretty picture.”

  Flynn stared into his grass green eyes. He genuinely loved the man. They were a unit.

  “I want us to get back to where we were. I want to cuddle with my mates, and I want you to forget what I am and see who is living inside me. I’m Flynn. I’m a cop. I’m a mate. There’s nothing else here but me.”

  “And a demon.”

  He closed his eyes. “If I could go back and not take this burden, I would. I wanted to keep you both safe, and like anything Death has to offer, it ended up doing the opposite.”

  At the mention of her name, there was laughter.

  Shit!

  He probably shouldn’t have mentioned her. Flynn kept forgetting that he had a connection to her, and he didn’t really have to try hard to summon her.

  The cave shimmered and their mistress appeared before them.

  “Well, hello, Rinnon. Slumming with the vampyres still, are you? If you get bored, you can always come home. Where’s my Harbinger?”

  “Flynn,” he stated. “My name is Flynn. Stop stirring the shit pot,” he muttered. “You’re making my mates fear me. As for Jolie, you know where she is. I’m sure you have us lo-jacked with whatever it is you use to keep your minions on your radar.”

  There was laughter.

  “Oh, Rinnon,” she began and then corrected herself, “I mean, Flynn. You are a funny one. I only wish you were my minion.”