Authors: Stephanie Rowe
He said nothing, but his hand moved across her belly, his fingers tracing her ribs. So slowly, so precisely, as if he were absorbing every moment, as if he were experiencing it for the first time in his life.
And he probably was.
“It’s okay,” she whispered. “I’m not going to flip out. You can touch me.” She knew she cleared his head the same way he’d given her peace. It was good to have a partner with mental clarity. That was why she’d offered. Because it was smart. And, yeah, well, okay, it felt good, too. Really, really wonderful.
“I want to know why you work for me.” He moved suddenly, grabbing her hips with both hands and yanking her against him. “Why do you ease the noise in my head? How come I don’t wreck you?” He cupped her face. “When I touch you, I can think again. The monster’s still there, but it’s not trying to fuck with me.” He leaned closer, until his lips were a breath away from hers. “And when I kiss you,” he whispered, “I feel like myself. I didn’t know what that felt like until now.”
This time, it was going to be a real kiss. A kiss of passion. A kiss between a man and his woman. She could see it in the darkness of his eyes, in the intent on his face. A kiss that was only about following the raw, unfettered desires that made him a man.
And yes, it was stupid, inane, and crazy, but she desperately wanted him to kiss her. Really, really kiss her. Because she knew it would make her feel alive in a way she hadn’t dared to feel since her family had started dying on her. She laid her hand on his cheek, felt the roughness of his stubble beneath her palm. “Yes,” she whispered. “Kiss me.”
His grip tightened in her hair and he leaned forward—
“What in God’s name is going on here?”
Reina jerked back just as Death’s gleaming scythe came hurtling across the room, right for Jarvis’s head.
***
“No!” Reina leapt up from the desk as Death stormed into his office. “Don’t kill him! He’s with me!”
Jarvis whipped out his sword and intercepted the scythe a split second before it would have lopped off his head. Hooray for men whose minds had been cleared with some hot touching with a female!
Death vaulted across the room, swept the scythe off the floor, and slammed it toward Jarvis’s heart. Jarvis blocked it again, and the two men went into looming-predator mode, muscles flexing, blades pressed against each other, each of their grips strong and secure, glaring at each other over the locked blades.
“You are fortunate I averted my swing,” Death snapped.
“I’m fortunate I’m faster than you are,” Jarvis replied easily, having no trouble going from passionate would-be lover to badass warrior in an instant. His muscles were bulging, his legs braced in battle stance, and his face was utterly calm. He exuded confidence, aggression, and utter control. And this man, this incredible warrior, was on her team.
They really had a chance.
“If I had powdered you, you’d be dead,” Death said. “The fact you’re still living is my choice, not your paltry battle skills.”
Jarvis inclined his head. “Just because you got me once doesn’t mean it’ll work again. I’m extremely difficult to kill.”
“I’m
Death
. I can kill anyone merely by thinking about it.”
“Okay, guys!” Reina paused to punch the start button on the espresso machine, hoping to distract her boss. “Death, meet Jarvis Swain. Jarvis, this is Death. We’re all friends, so put down the weapons, please.”
“If I relinquish my blade,” Death said calmly, “it puts me in a defenseless position against a warrior with a tainted sword. I cannot agree to such an asinine action.”
“And if I sheath my blade, which I agree is heavily tainted.” Jarvis shoved harder against Death’s blade. “It puts me in a defenseless position against a man who gets his jollies out of mowing off people’s heads before their time.”
“Honest to God, do you really think it doesn’t affect me when the innocent must fall beneath my blade?” Death made a noise of exasperation. “Does everyone on this forsaken planet think I have no compassion and no understanding of love? I have feelings, for hell’s sake!”
Jarvis leaned more of his weight into his sword. “If it’s any consolation, I’m completely fucked when it comes to love myself.”
Death leaned closer, inspecting Jarvis closely. “You speak the truth.”
“Yeah.”
“Sucks a bit, doesn’t it?”
Jarvis shrugged. “It is what it is.”
Death studied him. “You may live for the moment.” He abruptly dropped his scythe and Jarvis nearly fell over when the pressure was released from his sword.
Reina sank down in a chair in relief. Everyone was alive for now. Which was convenient, since she needed both of these men in major ways. Not that she was really worried that either of them could be stopped or hurt, but how would a battle between two immortal warriors end? She glanced at Jarvis, thought of his impending demise, and a cold chill rippled over her. It was too soon for his ending.
It would always be too soon, she realized.
Her boss turned toward her, still fondling his staff with too much enthusiasm. “What are you doing here, Fleming? My office is off-limits when I’m not here, and never do you allow access to anyone I haven’t pre-approved—” He paused suddenly and sniffed the air.
“I was getting you coffee.”
“A complete lie.” Death was already striding across the office toward the espresso. “You are a naughty girl for trying to use caffeine to distract me.” He stopped suddenly and looked at his computer. “You were in my system,” he said quietly, a lethal undertone. Death’s entire body went rigid, and his fingertips turned black.
Oh… shit…
“I did it,” Jarvis strode forward. “I was looking for—”
“My sister,” Reina interrupted. Yes, it made her go all snuggly and warm that Jarvis would step up and try to protect her from Death, but the man had no idea what made Death tick, and she did. She had a chance of sweet-talking their survival. He did not. Weren’t they partners for a reason? Who had the insider knowledge with Death? Yes, that would be the girl. “I think Natalie’s going to die soon, and I wanted to see if she was in there.”
Death looked at the computer, where Natalie’s face was still grinning on the monitor. Hallelujah! Sometimes being faced with your greatest nightmare came in extremely handy.
Jarvis glared at her, shooting her a silent reprimand for taking the blame, and she smiled back at him. It felt good to have someone trying to help her. It really did. It made her stronger, and that was a brilliant feeling. Maybe that’s what Natalie had meant when she’d talked about not wanting to walk away from the feeling of power and invincibility that the deedub curse gave her. It felt so much better to be courageous than afraid, and Reina had Jarvis to thanks for giving her that boost.
Death leaned forward and studied the screen, then looked up, his eyes gentler than she’d ever seen. “She’s the last of your family.”
Reina felt her throat tighten, and she shoved her hands in her jeans, not wanting him to see her pain. He’d take advantage of it, she was sure. “Yeah, well, yes.”
Jarvis threw his arm around her shoulders and tucked her into the curve of his body. She leaned into him, accepting his strength.
Death narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “You love her.”
Reina raised her chin, emboldened by Jarvis’s support. Plus, she knew Death respected love, so hiding it wouldn’t help her. “Of course I do.”
“Well, then.” Death sat down in the chair and began typing. “We can’t have you suffer like this. This is wrong.”
Reina’s heart started to race. Was it this simple? “Are you going to take her off the list?”
Death laughed softly. “My dear, you know I can harvest someone before their time, but if someone’s time has come, I can’t stop it.”
“But you can! I’ve seen you—”
Death flung up his hand. “I have
never
interfered with preordained death. To do so would violate my oath to Lord Grim.” He gave her a meaningful look that commanded her not to dare contradict him. “And why bother? When the soul reaches the Afterlife, it’s happy time anyway. So, why torture a soul by keeping it here when it’s ready to go? Ridiculous.” He waggled a finger at her. “Keeping her here would be only for the benefit of those left behind, and you, of anyone, would know that’s not a good enough reason.”
Desperation made Reina shove away from Jarvis and grab Death’s desk. “But she doesn’t want to go—”
“If she didn’t, then she wouldn’t. It’s that simple.” Death tapped his temple. “All our power is up here. She believes she’s going to die, then she does. She believes she won’t, and she doesn’t.” He jerked his chin at Jarvis. “Just ask him. The boy’s circumvented me more times than the entire vampire community.”
Jarvis shrugged modestly. “I had things to do.”
“Exactly.” Death started to type again. “But I do understand the pain of losing someone you love.” Shadows haunted his eyes. “So, I’ll put you on personal leave for the next forty-eight hours. That way you can spend these last two days with her. We’ll deal with your promotion afterwards. Seems rather callous to be worrying about your job when your sister is dying, don’t you think?”
Reina’s stomach dropped. “Oh, no. Don’t put me on leave—”
“And that’s simply cruel to have you listed as her
Guide. I’ll change that.” He hit the keys a few more times.
“Wait, no!” Reina leapt forward. “I want to be there for her! If some stranger takes her—”
“Oh, you’ll be there, but you won’t have to take that final step of cleaving her soul from her body.” He shut off the monitor. “We already know you have a problem with that, so what makes you think you could do it to your sister? The poor dear would be hovering between worlds, stuck because you couldn’t make yourself bring her over. Is that what you want for her? I think not.” He grabbed her shoulders and hugged her. “I won’t let you throw away your love for your sister. Embrace my gift.”
She fought to get free. “I do love her, but the only way I can handle her death is to work—”
He set her back and eyed her. “Love is a gift, Fleming, and if you piss it away then you aren’t the person I want working for me. Take the holiday, and don’t come back until Monday. If you come back earlier, you’re fired, and this time for real. Got it?”
Oh,
shit
. “I’m not pissing it away. You don’t understand love—”
“Oh, now you want to accuse me of being an insensitive beast, too?” Death shoved back from his desk so hard his chair slammed into the wall and left a mark in the molding.
“Death—”
“No.” Jarvis’s arm slid around her throat, pulling her back against him. His voice was low, his breath warm against her ear. “Stand down, babe. Now is not the time.”
She gripped his forearm. “But if I can’t work, I can’t save her—”
His arm tightened, anchoring her against his chest.
“You press it now, and you cut off all your options. Be strategic.”
Death whirled around to face them. His eyes were deep black, roiling with fury.
She’d never seen him this pissed. He never lost control. Ever.
“And you.” Death jammed his index finger at Jarvis. “What the hell are you doing in my office? You know better than that.”
Jarvis thumbed her lower lip with his thumb, a tender gesture to the outside observer, but a silent order to keep her mouth shut. “I need to speak to you about Cameron Swain. I understand he is a resident here.”
Reina leaned her head back against Jarvis’s shoulder, her mind frantically trying to come up with a plan. Anything. What was she going to do? She didn’t have a backup plan for being taken off duty!
Death’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know anyone by that name.”
Jarvis stiffened behind her, and she felt his body begin to heat up. “It’s very important I speak with my brother. It’s official business about the fate of the world.”
Death’s eyebrows shot up. “Why don’t you give me the message? If I see him, I’ll pass it on.”
Jarvis shook his head, and she felt him shift. His muscles were tight, his breathing was getting stronger. He was getting angry at Death for evading. The monster was taking over. Not what they needed right now. “I’ll pay you ten million dollars to hand him over to me,” Jarvis said.
“Hah!” Death laughed. “One-time sums are not what a company is built upon. I am about long-term strategy.”
“Twenty million.”
Death yanked his skull and crossbones mug out of the machine. “Insult me with another offer and you die.”
“Thirty million.”
Death rolled his eyes and sat down at his desk as he idly flipped the scythe free. “Honestly, do people not take me seriously when I threaten death? Do I look like a pushover? I do have my name for a reason.”
“Wait.” Reina pulled free of Jarvis’s arms. “The truth is that Cameron is Jarvis’s brother. Jarvis is dying and he needs to see Cameron before he dies—”
“Oh, for hell’s sake. You think that just because your story worked on me that I’m so soft that any little story about love between brothers will knock me around?” He took a long drink of coffee and sighed with delight. “The complexity with which I make decisions are far beyond the ability of ordinary beings like yourselves to comprehend.” He pointed his scythe at Jarvis. “You want to burden your brother with your own problems, and it has nothing to do with whether you love him.” He raised his brows. “Do you love? Do you, young man?”