Death Bringer (Soul Justice) (11 page)

“Lie back on the bed, Morosov.” The hand in her hair tightened. “I mean, Vadim.”

He lay back and she knelt between his thighs and studied the perfection of his abs, chest and beautiful face.

“I like it when you do what you’re told.” She bent and licked his cock.

“I noticed.”

His eyelids were lowered, his voice a soft rumble of lust and need that made her want to start at his feet and kiss every luscious inch of him. She magicked off all her clothes except her bra and panties, which didn’t match, but who the hell cared? The way Vadim was looking at her, for once, he certainly didn’t.

“Let me touch you.”

She shook her head. “No, this is all about you. Put your hands behind your head and behave yourself.”

“If you insist.”

The darkness was disappearing from his eyes and he was visibly relaxing—apart from the important parts that stayed impressively erect. She shook out her hair and then bent over his cock and sucked the first inch into her mouth. His groan encouraged her and she took more. He rolled his hips and she sucked on him hard, one hand cupping his balls as she worked her mouth and teeth along the length of his shaft.

His thoughts flooded hers, his desire for her a living thing that knew no boundaries and needed no words. She could tell when he was near a climax and ease off, or push him even closer... She teased and tantalized him until he was pleading with her, begging her to let him come.

With some reluctance, she released his cock and straddled him, the cotton of her panties rubbing against the base of his shaft. As he watched, she slowly removed her bra and cupped her breasts, teasing her already tight nipples to needy buds.

“Ella, let me, I—”

She smiled at him and rubbed herself and her swollen clit against his cock, the fabric of her panties wet from both his need and her own.

“
Please.
”

His stark request echoed through her head, and she disposed of her panties. Watching him the whole time, she slowly lowered herself over his cock, her groan joining his as his thick length pressed inward. She started to move on him. He helped her, thrusting upward into each down stroke, so in tune with her that every sensation was doubled and trebled and...

She climaxed and he followed her, bringing her hard down on him as he pumped upward. She nestled her cheek into the angle between his head and neck and sighed.

“That was awesome.”

Tomorrow was soon enough to analyze why she’d felt compelled to tend to Vadim’s complex needs in such a way. Tomorrow was also soon enough to deal with the horrors of Adam and the Otherworld sect.

Chapter Nine

“So you’re saying Ms. Phelps died from inhaling your magic shield.” Feehan frowned. “Has that ever happened to you before?”

“No.” Vadim glanced around the room at the rest of the team. “It was unprecedented. I do, however, accept prime responsibility for Ms. Phelps’s death.”

Ella shook her head. “I was there too, Morosov. There was nothing either of us could do against that amount of power. We just weren’t prepared for it.”

Feehan paced in front of the whiteboard. “If this thing is growing stronger, maybe it’s time to call in the Otherworld authorities.”

“I don’t think Adam was acting alone this time,” Vadim forced himself to say. “The level of power that was used against us was far too high and too complex to belong to one being.”

“I agree.” Liz’s Fae-Web was busy lighting up over her head. “What happened wasn’t normal. I’ve never seen anything like it either.”

Before Liz could start asking awkward questions, Vadim spoke up.

“I’m meeting with a member from my family today to ask for additional information about Adam.”

“Whom exactly are you meeting?” Mr. Feehan asked.

“A cousin of mine called Rossa.”

“Rossa?” Liz grimaced. “I know him. He’s a devious little shit.”

He smiled at her. “You’re right, but he’s also afraid of me, and terribly indiscreet.”

“Then you should learn a lot.” Liz’s smile disappeared. “But you also need to be careful, Vadim. I’m seeing you as central to this case, even more central than the poor victims.”

“That’s certainly worrying.” He hesitated. “Would it be better if I removed myself from the investigation entirely?”

Everyone else in the room except Ella looked at each other. Mr. Feehan cleared his throat.

“We
did
think about that, Vadim, but Liz doesn’t believe it will help.”

So that was why everyone had already been in place when he and Ella arrived. What time had the nine o’clock meeting really started?

Ella snorted. “That’s a nice way to treat a team member, boss. Aren’t you the one who’s always going on about us working together as a unit?”

“It’s okay,” Vadim reassured everyone. “I understand why you considered it.”

Feehan shot him a grateful glance. “Thanks.”

“Do we need to speak to Ms. Phelps’s family?”

“She doesn’t have anyone in the area. They’ve asked us to return her to Kentucky for burial in the family plot.”

“What about her face?”

“We’re going to seal the coffin and make it impossible for them to open it at their end by sending an SBLE team home with her.” Feehan grimaced. “It’s not perfect, but it’s the best we can do for all of them.”

“So all we have to worry about is victim number three,” Sam said.

“
If
Adam returns. After that clash with Vadim and Ella, maybe he won’t have the balls to come back.”

“It might delay him for a day or so, but he’ll be back,” Vadim replied. “He’s obviously a creature of habit, and he has a goal to accomplish.” He put away his pen. “If that’s all, I’ll go and speak to Rossa right now and get back to you as soon as possible.”

Feehan nodded. “Sure, go ahead. We’ll finish up here.”

Vadim deliberately didn’t catch Ella’s eye as he rose and left the room. She didn’t need to be with him for this encounter. He had a few things he wanted to say to Rossa without an audience. Not that he’d shut her out entirely—that would make her too suspicious—but he could still shield some of his emotions if she wasn’t breathing down his neck.

He went into their office and then immediately magicked himself to his hotel room. Rossa was already ensconced on the bed, watching porn on the TV.

“Hey.”

Vadim turned off the TV and Rossa pouted.

“I was watching that.”

“You can do it in real life. Why watch it?”

“True.” Rossa turned toward him. “What can I do for you, cygnet?”

“I need you to take a message to my mother and grandmother.”

“Okay...”

“Tell them that if Adam intends Ella to be his third victim, they have to stop him.”

“And why would they want to do that? They don’t like your mate. If Adam killed her, it would make things all nice and tidy again.”

“If Adam kills her, I
will
return to Otherworld and to my full powers. I’ll demand vengeance for her death, as is my right as a bonded male.”

“Um, that’s not good, right?”

“It is for me. I’ve missed slaughter and bloodshed more than I thought I would. If my mate is involved, I strongly suspect my rage will have no bounds.”

“You mean, you’d kill your own family?”

“If I had to.” He paused for effect. “If I felt they had failed me.”

Rossa’s color faded. “I don’t think anyone can stop the sect from completing their games.”

“I’ve stopped them in the past.”

“But only a great personal cost!”

Vadim held Rossa’s silver gaze. “And I’ll do it again, but this time I’ll save my mate and take everyone who opposes her down with me. Tell them my terms.”

“And what if they won’t help?”

“If she is harmed, they’ll be dead. It’s quite simple.”

“You can’t—”

“I can, Rossa. You know I can, and so do they.” He hesitated. “And if I’m killed, I’d appreciate it if you would look out for Ella.”

“You’re asking me?
Frakk
, cygnet, I’m probably going to get fried just for being your messenger.”

“But if you survive, you will protect her?”

He shrugged. “Sure, I like her
.
”

“Swear it.”

Rossa sighed and placed his hand flat over his heart. “I will keep the faith until the sky falls upon me, until the earth opens and swallows me and until the sea rises and covers me.”

Vadim nodded as relief swamped him. “Thank you. Now please go and deliver my message.”

With a wink and a flash of light, Rossa was gone. Vadim slowly let out his breath and stared at the rumpled counterpane where his cousin had been sitting. Would it be enough to save Ella? Adam had touched her to show Vadim that he could. Luckily for him, she hadn’t seen it as a threat, only as a near miss.

He got up and straightened the bed covers. Despite what he’d claimed, if the sect combined their powers again, they might have the strength to harm his mate. That was unacceptable. He hadn’t been making empty threats to his family. For the first time in his long existence he was willing to lay down his life. Would they understand that? Would they act?

There was nothing else he could do at the moment to stop the inevitable battle between him and the cult. It was his destiny, one he’d tried to avoid by running away.

Ella would survive. He would make damned sure of it. She was worth dying for. Now he just had to find a way to convince her of that too...

* * *

“So you’re okay about this.”

Ella studied her companion as he drove across the bridge toward the East Bay and the joys of her parents’ house in Walnut Creek.

“Are you deaf? I believe I’ve said that at least three times.”

“I’m just worried. You know my mom will be all over you, right?”

“Yes.”

“And my sister, Madison?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re okay with that.”

“
Yes.
For God’s sake, Ella, stop worrying.”

“Madison can be difficult.”

“I noticed that the first time we met.”

“We used to get on okay, and then over the last few months, she’s just shut me out again.”

“Of course she’s shutting you out.” He glanced over at her. “For an empath, you can be surprisingly obtuse sometimes.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“She’s obviously scared about losing you again.”

“So she treats me like shit?”

“Exactly.”

She rubbed at a nonexistent spot on the glass. “I suppose that makes some weird teenage kind of sense.”

“When she finds out that you’re sticking around, she’ll come back to you.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Yes. And if she and your mother get too annoying today, you can soothe them with magic.”

“Or stop them talking entirely. That might be fun.” She smiled for the first time. “I’m going to have to tell them I’m not going nuts.”

“I’m sure they’ll be delighted.”

“But that means I’ll have to tell them about you.”

“Which is also okay.”

“She’ll probably cry all over you.”

“I have a handkerchief. Stop worrying.”

She studied his handsome profile. He wore jeans and a tight black T-shirt that molded his biceps and muscled chest. She wanted to rip off his clothes and run her hands over his abs and tight ass...

“You can do that later. I wouldn’t recommend trying it in front of your parents.”

“I don’t know, it might be fun.” She patted his muscled thigh. “Mom already said we can stay the night if we want.”

“And you
want
to have sex with me in your parents’ house?”

She looked out of the window. “I’ve never done that before. I missed out on all that adolescent fun while I was at the empath college.”

“You didn’t get to go home a lot?”

“I never went home. My mom said it would be too much for her to cope with.”

His hand covered hers and squeezed. “Then we’ll stay the night. The shock should’ve worn off by then, and hopefully they’ll leave us alone.”

“You have no idea.”

“Are your brothers coming, too?”

“I think they’ll all be there for dinner at least.”

“Great.”

He didn’t sound too rattled, but then he came from Fae royalty whose family gatherings were probably more terrifying and gory than she could even imagine. She stared out of the window at the rolling hills and the shady trees that covered them. By the summer, everything would be dry as dust and golden brown and ripe for a fire. Despite everything, visiting her parents was still an ordeal. How the hell was she supposed to have a relationship with the people who had dumped her in an all-year boarding school in Otherworld for empaths at the age of five? Sure, they’d done it to protect the rest of the family from the creatures who were magically drawn to her, but it still hurt.

And now she was bringing the Boy Wonder home with her...

“What do you want me to tell them about you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Should I say you’re not human?”

“I am human.”

“About one percent, right?”

“More than that.” He clicked on his indicator and moved smoothly across the lanes toward the upcoming exit. “If you think they’ll be okay with it, you can tell them the truth.”

“I don’t know the truth.”

He glanced at her briefly, his black sunglasses shielding his eyes. “You know I’m related to Fae royalty. That’s usually enough to make people happy.”

“Maybe as one of your lame pick-up lines,” she grumbled. “My mom isn’t so easy to fool. She hates anything that’s different. She certainly hated me.”

“
Hate
is a rather strong word.”

“What else would you call it?”

“Fear? Worry? Love? Some people find it difficult to express their true feelings for those they love.”

She glared at him. “Is that a dig at me?”

“I thought we were talking about your mother.”

“So did I.”

“Well, let’s see how it goes. Maybe she’ll be so pleased to hear you’re going to survive that she won’t give a damn about me.”

“Humph. I hate it when you’re being nice.” She subsided into her seat and crossed her arms over her chest. She wasn’t sure what worried her most, telling her mom about her escape from madness or about her relationship with Vadim. If only they could avoid the party entirely...

* * *

“Ella!”

Her mom opened the door, and Ella submitted meekly to an awkward perfumed embrace. Her mom’s blond hair was short and spiky, her makeup perfect, and her velvet pantsuit emphasized her lean, well-exercised body. She always made Ella feel like such a frump. The house smelled of her mom’s overpowering floral scent. It always had. Apart from the addition of a pool, the sprawling ranch house in the neat subdivision of Walnut Creek her parents had bought in the eighties to house their growing family remained exactly the same.

“Happy birthday tomorrow, darling.”

“I brought Vadim. Is that okay?”

“Of course it is.” She hesitated and whispered loudly. “Did the people at your work not want you to be alone at this crucial time?”

“Something like that.” She left Vadim shaking hands with Darlene and headed down the hallway. “Where’s Dad?”

She opened the door into the kitchen and family room and surveyed the glum faces. Apart from the removal of the horrendous purple flowery wallpaper and the addition of a flat-screen TV, nothing had changed much in there, either.

“This must be the party place. What’s up?”

Her dad rose from the couch and hugged her hard. “Hey, princess, how are you doing?”

“I’m good.” She buried her face against his shoulder and inhaled the familiar smell of beer and spicy aftershave. Both of her brothers came over to hug her, as did her pregnant sister-in-law, Julie. No one looked happy. There was also no sign of her younger sister, which was never good. Madison had a fondness for drama that rivaled their mother’s.

Vadim came into the room with Darlene at his side and was soon busy shaking hands with everyone and being reintroduced. By the time they were all seated again, Ella noticed the pile of presents under the table.

“Hey, are they for me?”

Her dad patted her knee and passed her the first present. “Yes, love. Happy birthday. We weren’t quite sure what to get you, but—”

“Considering I might be dead soon?” Ella grinned at her dad. “It’s okay, there’s no need for anyone to get all morbid and stuff. Hand it over.”

She unwrapped the present and studied the pink furry slippers. “Wow. Thanks Dad, these are awesome! They’ll look really good when I’m shuffling around the empath mental health facility out in Santa Rosa.”

“
Ella
...”

She ignored Vadim and smiled brightly at Julie, whose lower lip was already trembling. Julie handed her a gift bag. Pregnancy hormones were obviously an emotional minefield. Ella could pick up her distress far too easily.