Dangerous Sacrifice (The Harcourte Vampyre Society Book 6) Page 8

  Jolie didn’t mind.

  She was still stuck on the pink elephant hanging out in the room.

  Her mates had just made out.

  Together.

  In front of her.

  They certainly couldn’t be ignoring that this had just happened. She knew she’d never forget it.

  “Is that okay?” he asked, finally glancing over at his mate. “Are you fine with that name?”

  Flynn liked it. “It’s beautiful.”

  Jolie agreed.

  “Then she’s named,” he said. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I wish to get dressed before we head out shopping.”

  They watched him walk away.

  “What was that?” Jolie asked.

  “That’s how I had to connect to him. Do you think I upset him?” Flynn asked. “Did I cross a line?”

  She wasn’t sure. “He’s blocked his mind. I can’t get in,” she offered.

  Flynn couldn’t look.

  They’d made that rule, and Jolie was the only one he would violate it for, and with good reason. She was his. Jacques deserved his privacy.

  “I’ll go dress too,” Flynn offered, leaving her alone in the shower.

  She didn’t know what to do.

  Then she did.

  Jolie turned on the cold water and stood beneath the icy kiss of water to cool down—robe and all.

  She’d just seen the hottest thing in the world, and the two men in her life were planning to ignore it.

  Really?

  This was proof that the universe hated her.

  ∞ Chapter Six ∞

  Tuesday

  Mid-Morning

  Jolie walked arm in arm with Mina as she shopped her heart out. It was extra pleasant that her donor, and the man who was trying to trap Mina in a relationship, had joined them.

  It was a family outing, and she was excited.

  There was nothing like spending time together, as they laughed, celebrated, and enjoyed their moments. Jolie wasn’t sure that she’d have a future, since the Tueur was relentless.

  She had to make the most of every moment, and this was how she’d do it.

  With family.

  It hadn’t been easy to ignore what had happened between Flynn and Jacques. It was damn hard to forget the way they’d kissed each other.

  Jolie had felt it to her toes.

  The heat, lust, and need had curled deep in her belly as the two men she loved had shared something so intimate and meaningful.

  Still…

  They weren’t discussing it.

  Honestly, Jolie knew that it was more Jacques holding back than Flynn. Since becoming the incarnate of Rinnon’s demon, Flynn had far less inhibitions.

  Once the darkness overtook him, he was a whole other beast. She loved it, but Jolie knew it made him wary. At one time, Jacques had been the alpha in their unit.

  Now Flynn was clearly the more powerful and would be leader of their family. He’d stepped into role of Primus’s mate, while Jacques let him.

  Jolie only hoped this didn’t blow up around her.

  On the man front, life was pretty damn good.

  Now the three men were walking behind her and Mina. Percy was scanning, Flynn was silently watching everything around the dusk kissed street, and Jacques was clearly lost in thought.

  She hoped he wasn’t dwelling on this.

  A kiss was just a kiss.

  Right?

  Among their kind, it was common. If she had a dollar for every male vamp she’d seen kissing another one, or the same with the female ones, she’d be even richer.

  Her kind didn’t see sex.

  They simply went by scent.

  Like at that moment, she smelled like Flynn, as his blood worked its way through her body and their little ones.

  Jacques didn’t blood feed that waking.

  Instead, Mina had given him energy.

  Later, or at some point, they needed to deal with what was happening.

  But now…it was about the fun.

  They stopped in every store and bought gifts for family and for the ones they loved. Getting them back to them wouldn’t be easy, but somehow, she’d find a way. Maybe, when they were heading into France to start tracking the head of the Tueur, they’d stop in another country and ship them from there. It would bide them some protection from the Tueur.

  Why make it easy for them?

  After all, they were traveling with fake passports.

  Even if the Tueur had people working in customs all over the world, they were safe.

  As they shopped, Jolie picked up big and little things, funny things, and things that no one quite got, but still made her laugh.

  Jolie found a vampyre mug for Flynn that said ‘if you think I suck, you should see my wife’. She hid it away and couldn’t wait to give it to Flynn at some point in the future.

  For Jacques, she found a book in the antiques store. It was one of his favorite topics, wars circa the sixteen hundreds. He would be enthused. Jolie even found a gorgeous journal for herself, so she could begin leaving messages for their children.

  After all, she wasn’t sure if she’d survive.

  As they strolled through the dark kissed town, admiring the lit windows, the laughing couples, and the scent of the local pubs, one shop caught her attention.

  Ahead of them, she saw a store that made her smile.

  Flynn thought she was crazy and Jacques simply laughed, but she was excited. As Mina and Percy walked ahead to stop at a bookstore, Jolie needed to go in there.

  Something compelled her.

  “Can we?” she asked.

  Flynn, the skeptic in the group, didn’t think it was worth it, but Jolie was so happy that he couldn’t say no.

  “I say go for it.”

  Jacques touched her cheek. “Mon amour, have fun.”

  Oh, she would.

  How much trouble could she get into?

  After all, the store looked to be an eclectic mix of Wicca and Pagan offerings, emphasis on eclectic. In the window, it said, ‘Tarot Card Readings’, and that was what Jolie was so attracted to at the moment.

  Who didn’t want a peek into their future?

  Why not humor her?

  “Jacques, remember when that gypsy read our cards so many years ago?” she asked.

  Oh, he did.

  “Yes, I absolutely do, Jolie,” he replied, thinking back to that particular memory.

  Three hundred years ago, they were living outside Turkey in a small manor when a cart full of gypsies broke down in front of their home. Jolie had insisted on feeding them and offering them a place to stay, and in return, the older woman offered to read Jolie’s cards. It was memorable—not because of the reading but because she had such a good time and laughed for days afterwards.

  Jacques wanted that light back in her eyes.

  “What did the gypsy say?” asked Flynn curiously. He never believed in that crap, but then again, he never believed in vampyres either until Jolie.

  Yeah, look how that turned out.

  Jolie giggled as she thought back to that moment in their past. It was a cherished one.

  They’d had a really good time.

  “She said I would marry a handsome man who would be the light of my life, and from him I would get two beautiful children who would make my hair go gray.”

  Flynn was amused.

  “Well, technically, you did get two handsome men and kids. Well, one handsome man, and one vampyre.”

  Jacques smiled, but made no comment.

  Flynn sensed his stress.

  “Jacques?” he asked.

  “I don’t know if I believe her or not,” he said, referring to the card reading. “The gypsy saw me right there with Jolie and likely guessed,” added Jacques, laughing at the look on Jolie’s face.

  “What?” she teased. “You don’t think it was real? Next you’ll tell me vampyres don’t exist.”

  Flynn snorted. “Yeah, that’s a fairytale.”

  Jacques
shrugged. “I’m simply saying that there was nothing but guessing behind it.”

  “Are you going to have it done again?” asked Flynn. “Are you sure you want to see into the future?”

  They did have killers hunting them.

  It didn’t bode well for any of them. Honestly, Flynn was worried that she’d hear something that would upset her.

  His woman was carrying children, and he didn’t want her stressed.

  Jolie knew she needed to do this.

  Why?

  She didn’t have a clue.

  “I think I will because I’m curious what the card reader will say. I’ve upgraded to two sexy men and two babies who are the destroyers. No one saw that one coming.”

  She had a point.

  Jolie knew curiosity killed the cat, but she couldn’t help herself.

  With happiness, that she hadn’t felt in a while, she bounced off and into the store.

  Flynn scanned, and there was only a woman inside. She felt safe, so he took the time to talk to Jacques.

  “Hey, are we okay?”

  “No.”

  He was a little shocked that the man had outright said it to him. Flynn had expected to have to pry it from his cold dead lips.

  “Um…I’m sorry?”

  “For?”

  “Kissing you. Obviously, you didn’t want me to, or you wouldn’t be so bitchy about it.”

  Jacques glanced over at his mate. His hair was pulled back, he was wearing a sweater and jeans, and his face gave nothing away. What was he supposed to say to his mate? Jacques felt so many things toward him.

  He went with honesty.

  “I’m nervous.”

  “About?”

  “What if that kiss leads to more, and you’re unhappy with me? I don’t want to risk our family.”

  “I liked the kiss,” he said.

  “Did you?”

  Flynn stared at him, all the while keeping track of their woman inside the business.

  “It didn’t feel like kissing Jolie, but it was still really nice. I thought you wanted our relationship to progress?”

  “Are you doing it out of obligation? I guess I need to know if this is Detective Brogan or the demon.”

  “Does it matter?”

  “Yes, to me it does.”

  “It’s both, Jacques. I’m both of those people. The old Flynn had inhibitions. Now…not so much. I can’t separate me from him. We’re wound together.”

  “Thank you for your honesty, but I think I need to dwell on this for a while.”

  “It’s not like you to be so cautious.”

  “I have to be. There’s so much on the line.”

  Flynn didn’t push him.

  He didn’t want to upset his mate.

  While he wanted to ask more, he zipped it, and let it go. Jacques was tough. If he didn’t want to talk, you couldn’t force him. So, Flynn figured his mate would come to him at some point.

  A year ago, he never thought this would be a problem. He wouldn’t have made out with another man. He was as hetero as they came.

  His partner, Tommy Gress, would shit two tons of bricks had he seen it. That made him laugh.

  He covered it with a cough.

  “Shall we go in?” he asked.

  Jacques nodded.

  Inside the store, they found their woman. Jolie was wandering around, looking at all the crystals hanging from displays. She was touching each one and enjoying how they cast pretty rainbows onto the floor and walls.

  “These would look gorgeous hanging over the cribs,” she offered to her mates.

  “They would,” Flynn agreed.

  She put a few in her basket and then was off to sniff every candle in the store.

  Jacques trailed behind her as Flynn watched the few customers who were coming and going.

  As Jolie shopped, her mates stood guard.

  She felt safe, secure, and at peace.

  When Jolie rounded a corner, she was so infatuated with the sights and smells that she walked right into a woman and nearly fell over.

  It made both men move closer as the woman caught her before she fell.

  “Are you okay?” the woman asked, glancing down at her belly. “I’m so sorry. I was lost in my work and didn’t see you coming at me.”

  Jolie laughed. She’d been equally distracted. “I’m fine. I’m afraid it was all my fault. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going. It’s absolutely gorgeous in here and incredibly distracting,” she added, touching a wind chime of crystals and pipes.

  “Well, thank you. I love it here myself, but then I have to since this is my store.”

  The woman’s Irish lilt relaxed Jolie, and the two men.

  Jolie loved the singsong tone in the woman’s voice. She was younger than Jolie, but then again, who wasn’t? She had black curly hair and icy blue eyes.

  She was lovely and clearly Irish.

  “I could come here every day,” Jolie added, “and I’d never be bored.”

  The woman patted her arm and cautiously watched the men behind her. They looked edgy as hell. They were watching her as if she was handling gold bars.

  It made her curious.

  “My name is Kiera. Is there something I may assist you with?” She held out her hand to shake Jolie’s.

  Jolie took her offering and smiled. “It’s nice to meet you, Kiera. My name is Jolie and they are my family.”

  Jolie purposely didn’t mention their names. She wanted to keep them safe, and she wanted to give the woman nothing for the card reading.

  She’d been alive a long time, and she knew how con artists worked.

  “Welcome to the ‘Bell and Candle’.

  “Thank you. What drew me in was the offering of a tarot card reading,” said Jolie.

  “Ahhh, you’ve come to the right place. I’m the one who does those too. Oh, and I’m the cashier, the stock girl, and the greeter. Owning your own business is a challenge.”

  Jolie was aware, but she said nothing.

  “May I have one?”

  The woman waved her toward a little table off and to the side. She waited for Jolie to sit, and then she joined her. Immediately, she stacked and began shuffling her tarot cards.

  “Absolutely! I hope I can make it worth the experience.”

  She handed Jolie the cards.

  “I need you to think about yourself and the ‘family’.” Kiera could tell they were more than that. This woman was being watched over.

  It was sweet.

  “I’m excited to hear what you have to say.” Jolie shuffled and then put them down. As she pulled money out, Kiera stopped her.

  Kiera smiled and waved it away. “You’re mistaken, Jolie. I don’t charge for my services. Witches, who are blessed with the gift, don’t take money. It’s an unspoken rule.”

  Jacques hissed into their minds, ‘Jolie, we should go. Witches and vampyres don’t mix. They’ve never gotten along and it’s always an ugly experience.’

  She was aware, but Jolie was drawn to her.

  ‘I’ll be careful, Jacques. Honestly, she seems harmless.’ Jolie replied.

  ‘Why don’t they get along?’ Flynn asked out of curiosity.

  ‘They consider us dark magick as opposed to their white,’ he answered truthfully. ‘We tend to make them nervous, much like Mambo felt when she first met us,’ he said to them.

  Flynn found that funny.

  He was pretty freaked out when he’d met them and Mambo for the first time. He figured it was a matter of perspective.

  ‘She feels fine,’ Flynn offered. ‘I’m right here. Besides, I have her blocked with my energy. There is no way she’ll know who or what we are.’

  That calmed Jacques down quite a bit.

  He trusted his mate.

  She was glad they’d worked it out.

  Truth be told, she was just glad to sit. Before leaving the house, she had insisted on the sexy boots to prove a point, and she was paying for it. Later, her two mates would be rubb
ing her feet for her.

  Pregnancy was a bitch.

  Kiera flipped the first card over and made a sound. It was somewhere between a ‘hmmmm’ and an ‘oh’, and then at the second and third, she looked up at Jolie.

  There was confusion on her face.

  “You’re very old.”

  Jolie paused and tried to look confused. “I’m sorry, how old is old?”

  Kiera flipped three more cards before putting the deck down. Calmly, she stood up and backed away.

  Jolie didn’t move.

  This made her nervous.

  “You’re over eight hundred years old, you’re carrying two babies right now, and you are,” she whispered, as if to add more emphasis to it. Then she flipped the death card. “You’re dead.”

  Jolie felt the fear from her, and her two mates. As she stood, Jacques and Flynn moved closer. Flynn wrapped his arms around her, protectively holding her to his body, and Jacques took point to protect them.

  Flynn was confused. There was no way this woman could feel their energy. He was still blocking them.

  He didn’t get it.

  “Jaysus!” Kiera said. “You’re all dead.”

  Honestly, Jolie was shocked.

  No one, in the last eight hundred years, had ever read her cards and picked up on that. This woman knew what she was.

  She was the real deal.

  When she said witch, she meant witch.

  “Please leave my shop. I don’t help death, and I don’t befriend vampyres.” She started chanting something in a foreign language that neither she nor Jacques understood.

  But Flynn did.

  He hissed, his eyes going black. “Stop!”

  She didn’t. So, he did the next best thing. He charged her, pinning her to the wall.

  “I said stop.”

  The woman began crying. “Please don’t kill me.”

  “Jacques, get her out of here. The witch is trying to put a curse on Jolie. It’s very old. It’s also very dangerous to our children.”

  He didn’t hesitate.

  “What are you?”

  Flynn grinned, his eyes going black. “I am a demon, and you’re going to forget this ever happened. You will never…”

  She touched his chest.

  He hissed in pain.

  She was wearing warded Jewelry.

  Once she was free, she reached for a jar of herbs. “You will leave, or I will make you.”