Dangerous Influence (The Harcourte Vampyre Society Book 5) Page 7
Jolie went into his arms and curled into his body. Immediately, Jacques calmed. Instead of losing it, he placed an arm protectively around her shoulders.
“Oh, I wasn’t aware you were engaged,” the man said, obviously disappointed by that little bit of news.
Jacques saw it.
It made him angry.
“Yes, I am,” she said, going up on her toes to kiss Jacques on the cheek. “I’m a lucky woman.”
“Oh, are you a doctor?”
Jacques could hear the tone of his voice. “Actually, no, I’m not. I deal with investments.”
“Oh,” he said, grimacing. “A money man.”
Jacques’s cheek twitched, but he said nothing.
‘Flynn, you owe me,’ he whispered into his mate’s mind. ‘This wasn’t a simple ride to the office. I wasn’t aware that she had a suitor here.’
Flynn growled from across the city.
Even Jolie heard it.
Jolie didn't know what her mates were discussing, but she knew they were both over reacting. The man before her was nothing more than a colleague, and she needed them to relax.
He was nothing.
She had the two sexiest men in the universe.
What did she need this simple male for?
‘It’s fine, Jacques. You need to calm down before you lose it.’
There was laughter, but not from amusement. The vampyre was on the edge. His arm wrapped around her waist, gently protecting her flat stomach and their children.
‘Oh, I’m trying, Jolie. Trust me. If I wasn’t calm, the minute his lips touched your face, he would have been lying in a puddle of his own blood.’
‘I love you, Jacques,’ she admitted into his mind. ‘There is only you and Flynn. You’re both my heart and soul, and the father of our children. He’s nothing.’
Jacques instantly calmed at her words.
She was right.
They had no need to be jealous.
He couldn’t help but feel threatened, especially when their mate was pregnant. It was a species thing. When their women carried their offspring, it was a game changer. Normally, the child would be another man’s, since Jacques was sterile, but this pregnancy had made all the difference in the world.
This was his one and only chance of getting a child of his own.
He couldn’t risk it.
When the elevator opened, Jacques escorted Jolie to her office door. He waited by her side as she unlocked it. The entire time, he could feel the other man checking out her body.
Jacques had to breathe or he was going to lose his mind.
“You need to wear pants more often,” he whispered in her ear.
Jolie stared at him as if he’d hit his head. “What? I need to wear pants? What does that have to do…?”
“That asshole is checking out your legs,” he interjected.
She laughed as she headed into the office. Her mate was over the edge. If he wanted her to wear more clothes, that was a sure sign.
“My love,” she began, but didn't get to finish.
Jacques slammed her office door and pulled her into his body. She tumbled against him with a gasp. The second she was pressed to him, his mouth attacked.
She fell into the kiss as he ravaged her mouth. It was a mix of his suaveness and Flynn’s ferocity.
It stole her breath.
When he pulled away, he stared into her eyes. “Stay away from him, Jolie. I can’t guarantee that we can remain magnanimous toward him for long, especially if he continues to touch you.”
Her head was still spinning.
It took her a second to focus on his words. “Jacques.”
“You heard me,” he said, slapping her possessively on the ass.
She gasped.
“That was from Flynn. He’s not happy either.”
Her blood heated. Just as she was about to say something, Flynn whispered into her mind.
‘Mine!’
That one word said it all.
Jacques returned the sunglasses to his face as he headed toward the door. “I’ll see you later, my love.”
With that, he was gone.
In his wake, Jolie was overheated, wet, and her pregnancy hormones were riled up.
“Damn you, sexy mates,” she muttered, promising to get even with them later when they got home.
Or better yet, torment Flynn when she saw him at the office.
She laughed.
Oh, they hadn’t seen anything yet.
The men in her life weren’t the only ones who could lay down the law.
She could too.
* * * H a r c o u r t e * * *
It was judgment day, and they were ready.
From across the street, the Tueur waited in an abandoned space. They were watching her as she arrived for work.
Something had to be done.
They could see her as she hopped out of the armor-plated vehicle. They knew if they were going to make a move on Jolie Harcourte, then they couldn’t do it now.
This had to be timed just right.
After all, she was a force to be reckoned with. It wasn’t like she was some simple vampyre murdering innocents.
No, she was carrying a ticking time bomb.
They needed to end her pregnancy, if it was the last thing they did. There could be no failure, and they knew it.
This was their ultimate mission.
They had to end her life.
They had planned to make their move on her this morning while she was at her weakest, but it looked like she was under guard. While they would take a shot at the human mate if he was guarding her, there was no way they’d risk it with her ex-guardian.
They studied her mates.
They knew she had taken Jacques Degaul as one of her own. He was on their list of potential Tueur at one time. They wanted his killing skills until this all popped up.
They knew where his allegiance would lie, and it wouldn’t be with them.
That boat had sailed.
Once his mate was dead, there was no way he would work for them, and that was a pity.
He had potential.
The man was one of the few well-trained guardians left in the world. The others had all met their demise, but him.
That spoke volumes to his skill.
Or his luck.
Either way, they had wanted him on their team, but now…it was a loss.
“We will have to wait until we can guarantee a successful hit,” said the one vampyre. “He’s too dangerous. We’ll bide our time and do this right.”
They all agreed.
“Don’t worry! We have everything planned. Eventually, she will walk right into our hands. We’ve contacted the police and informed them of her expertise and location. She will undoubtedly volunteer her help to her human mate. It will make her more readily accessible.”
There was laughter.
“Her end is coming. It’s a matter of time.”
No one doubted that. After all, they were the tueur, and nothing stopped them.
∞ Chapter Five ∞
Friday Mid-Day
It had been a long day, and it wasn’t even close to being over. As Jolie sat in her office, waiting for Flynn to pick her up, she could feel the sun high in the sky.
She was draining, and fast.
Jolie really needed her mate to get there. Talking with them in her head earlier had been a mistake. Now that she was carrying two little lives, she couldn’t waste an ounce of energy.
When she heard a conversation in the outer office, she was grateful he was there. The tea in front of her would normally help with prolonging the feedings, but as of late, it was useless. The babies were sucking the life from her.
As soon as Flynn walked in with Tommy behind him, he immediately knew Jolie wasn’t okay.
He could see it on her face. The woman he loved was in serious distress.
“Baby, you look like hell.”
“Flynn, help,” she whispered, trying not to a
llow death to pull her under. If that happened, she wouldn’t surface for the rest of the day.
He was alarmed by the tone of her voice.
“Close the door,” he whispered to Tommy.
The man didn't hesitate.
“Baby, talk to me,” he said, scooping her up in his arms.
“I didn't feed from you this morning, and I’m almost empty. I can’t stay…”
He knew what his fiancée needed to stay with them in the land of the living. Heading toward the couch, Flynn sat. With nimble fingers, he quickly unbuttoned his shirt.
“I have you, baby. You need to feed. I’ve got lunch right here for you.”
She didn't hesitate.
As soon as his shirt and tie were out of her way, Jolie moved. She could smell the scent of his blood just beneath his skin. It was the best thing she’d ever smelled in her life. The lives in her screamed for sustenance, and she was helpless to stop it.
Jolie was brutal.
Tommy gasped as she slammed her fangs into his partner’s neck. As she gulped, his hand immediately went to his sidearm. He’d never seen her so violent in a feeding. Normally, it looked more like a prelude to sex.
Now it looked like a ravenous animal in the throes of a bloody kill.
Flynn’s eyes flickered over to him.
“Stop,” he hissed, moving his hand toward the man.
Tommy couldn’t move.
“Hey!” he protested, as Jolie voraciously continued feeding not far from him.
Flynn’s hands went to her neck and back. Gently, he stroked her until she slowed down. The pleasure was immeasurable, and he never wanted it to stop, but he was at his limit. Jolie was drinking him dry.
She wasn’t the only one who didn't feed that morning. Flynn had skipped blood and had nothing but energy. That was probably a mistake.
“Oh, Flynn,” she whispered, licking her lips.
He moved to catch a stray drop that had beaded and slipped from the tip of one fang.
“Are you better?” he asked, trying to focus.
She knew he’d saved her. “My hero,” she whispered. When she glanced over at Tommy, he was struggling.
“His hand went to his gun,” he offered. “I stopped him.”
Jolie’s eyebrow went up. “That’s new,” she admitted. Over the last four months, Flynn was getting stronger. He could morph into a killer without batting an eyelash, and now he was picking up gifts strictly reserved for their kind.
It turned her right on.
“I can’t say I’m disappointed,” she admitted.
Flynn was well aware.
Jolie was staring at him with that look—it was the one that said, ‘we’d be naked if we were alone’.
God!
He wished that were the case.
Instead, with a single wave of his hand, Tommy was free from the invisible hold.
“For the record, I didn't like that,” Tommy stated.
“Well, I didn't like that you went for your gun. She’s my woman, and you looked like you had forgotten that,” he admitted with nothing but honesty. “It’s my job to keep her safe.”
“Uh, she looked like she was about to chew through your throat. I was being proactive in case she got all wigged out.”
Jolie laughed. “I can’t hurt him,” Jolie admitted. “He’s my mate.”
Tommy didn't look like he believed her.
“I can’t. We’re matched. We can’t cheat, and I can’t hurt him. I just don’t have it in me.”
“She’s telling you the truth,” Flynn said drowsily. It was getting hard for him to string words together.
“Flynn, my love, are you okay?” she asked in alarm.
“Tired.” His hand slid down her back and to his side. He couldn’t even keep his arm up.
Jolie glanced over at Tommy. “Please. Can you feed him? I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. I took too much, but I can’t give any back. I need it to stay awake.”
Tommy looked freaked out. “Jesus! Yes!” He moved toward his partner. “You’re not sucking on my neck, are you?” he asked.
Flynn laughed weakly. “Uh, no. Give me your wrist. It’s going to hurt.”
Tommy rolled up his cuff and slid off his watch. Later, he’d hide the bite marks beneath it. When he offered his arm to his partner, Flynn bit down as gently as he could, but he was so hungry.
“Shit! That did hurt!” blurted Tommy.
Jolie leaned over and kissed the man gently on the cheek. “Thank you, Tommy. I know we still freak you out, but I can’t thank you enough.”
He stared into her eyes, and he began feeling dizzy.
“Jolie, stop,” Flynn ordered after he set Tommy’s wrist free. “You’ll wear yourself down.”
She set the detective free.
“Thank you, Tommy,” Flynn stated. “I owe you one.”
The man shook his head. “Huh? Are you done?”
They both laughed. “Yeah, I’m done.”
Tommy rolled his sleeve down and slipped his watch back on. His wrist didn't hurt, and he wasn’t going to ask why. The less he knew about the undead, the better off he probably was. Granted, he was interested in Camille, but she was different...
Right?
“We should go,” Flynn offered as he immediately recovered. “We have that meeting.”
She was ready.
“Oh, Flynn?”
“Yeah, baby?” he asked, retying his tie so he was presentable to his bosses.
“I really missed you today. Have I ever told you that you were my favorite, Flynn?” she said, smiling innocently.
“Nice try, but Jacques warned me that you’d try to bribe your present out of me, even after I told you no,” he said grinning, “but I did always know I was your favorite.”
Tommy snorted.
Jolie sighed. “You would think that two men would be so much nicer to a pregnant woman,” she said, grabbing her cashmere coat. Immediately, Tommy began helping her slide into it.
“Sorry I wanted to shoot you, Jolie,” he offered.
Flynn laughed. “Well, there’s a sentence I never thought I’d hear in my life.”
He grinned. “I was being a gentleman. We say sorry. Maybe you should learn that.”
Flynn rolled his eyes. “I’ll keep it in mind after I kick your ass.”
Jolie interrupted them. If she didn't, they’d go on and on. “Thank you, Detective,” she said, patting him on the cheek.
“We can’t leave yet,” Flynn stated.
“Why?”
“First, I need to run down the hall to kill the bastard who kissed you while Jacques was here,” answered Flynn emotionlessly.
Jolie wasn’t sure if he was serious or kidding.
“Flynn…”
He smiled.
“I don’t like that you two are all crazy possessive.” Who was she kidding? Jolie loved every second of it. Her mates made her all warm and fuzzy. She may be primus, but a girl had needs too.
He didn't care.
“Did he put his lips on you?” Flynn asked, rolling his neck. There was an audible popping of bones.
“Uh, yes.”
“You can’t do it, Flynn.” It wasn’t lost on her that this was something Jacques would threaten to do.
“Yes, I can. Did he really touch you and kiss you?”
“Flynn, it was a friendly greeting, nothing more. I think that the two of you are being a tad bit over protective.”
“Uh huh.”
“Flynn.”
“Then he dies.”
Jolie went to him and hugged him. “Please let it go. Can you do it for me?” She left a trail of kisses across his jaw and to his lips.
Jolie was bribing him with kisses, and that worked for him. When she stopped, he tugged at his collar.
Was it getting hot in there?
“Better?” she asked.
Flynn sighed before glancing over at his partner. “Remember when everyone on the street used to be terrified of me?”
Tommy laughed. “They’d be scared now, look at you. You’re a big push over. One sexy woman and you cave like a ton of bricks,” he said, heading toward the door.
“See what you’ve done to me?” he said with mock menace. “Not even my partner thinks I’m dangerous. I’m a joke on the streets.”
“I’ll have to make it up to you later.”
He lifted a brow.
“Really?”
“Uh huh.”
She sent him a barrage of sexy images, even though it cost her some energy.
The look on his face was priceless.
“You mean I get all of that?” he asked. “Or do I have to choose?”
“It’s all yours, my sexy hero.”
“Holy shit,” he said, as he followed her out of the office watching her ass sway.
She may have won that round.
Later, he was getting one hell of a prize
* * * H a r c o u r t e * * *
Friday
Noon
The ride to the police precinct didn't take long. One of the reasons Jolie had picked that particular office building was because it was near Flynn. Often, he’d swing by in the middle of the day to see her when he was free.
It was one of her favorite things.
The idea that it was so husband-like gave her chills. Jolie had never worried about marriage, since her kind didn't believe in it, but now she craved it.
It was all because of this man.
He was amazing.
“Are you okay, baby?” Flynn asked from the front seat.
Jolie snapped back to reality. In the back of the Hummer, it was dark, safe, and like a womb. Nothing was getting to her back there.
“Yes, my love. Are we there?”
“Yeah, we just pulled into the parking lot. Do you want me to drop you off by the door? Tommy will escort you in while I park.” Flynn knew the sun was at its highest, and he didn't want her burning.
“No, I’ll be okay, Flynn,” she said, hopping down from the vehicle once it stopped moving. “How long do you think this meeting will last?”
“It shouldn’t be long, unless they wish to build a shrine and worship at your feet,” he admitted, as he took her hand in his as they entered the building.