To Hell and Back (Hellcat Series Book 4) Page 16

  “Yes,” Julius agreed, glancing over at her, “they were surprisingly well behaved.”

  “You aren’t happy about the suggestion that you undergo training, though,” she noted, keeping her tone mild.

  Julius was quiet for a long time, watching the road unseeingly. Gabi didn’t fill the silence, knowing he needed time to think.

  “Old dogs don’t like being forced to learn new tricks,” he finally said with a wry twist to his lips. He looked at her, his gaze serious. “It’s a lot to take in. I guess I just need time to process it all, wrap my mind around it. Their suggestion is valid, when looking at it from an outsider’s point of view.”

  Gabi had to concede that one, especially after the way Benedict had sold the others on the idea that having two Vampire Magi on their side was a major point in their favour. The Magi Councillors had been quick to counter that Julius was entirely untrained in their ways.

  “Valid maybe, but not practical.” Gabi snorted. “How much can they realistically expect you to learn before the Dark Ones make their move?”

  “I suppose anything is better than nothing.” Julius took her hand and kissed the back of it. “I’ve been muddling along on my own for so long that it’s all I know. Who knows what other talents may be lying dormant?”

  “I still think Benedict is the better person to train you. He’s at least a bit more open-minded.”

  Julius smiled at her slightly disgusted tone, but didn’t comment.

  “Do you think Benedict is right?” Gabi asked. “Will we have time to prepare? So much has happened in the past few days that I find it hard to believe they won’t just throw everything at us as soon as possible, while we’re still on the back foot.”

  Julius glanced into the rear-view mirror. Benedict was following behind them in a Bentley. He’d brought two guards with him, and one of them was driving. Gabi had no idea where the Bentley had come from, perhaps the Princeps kept a spare car in every major city.

  “I think Benedict is a very gifted Clairvoyant. I think he’s also Clairaudient. I’ve suspected it for a while. He alludes to having a spy at Court and knows exact details of conversations, word for word in some cases. But I don’t think his spy is a person. I think he can use his power to listen in on anyone’s conversation, within the radius of the Castle at least, if not further. And possibly ‘hear’ and comprehend more than one conversation at a time.” Julius was still watching Benedict’s car with a brooding expression.

  Gabi wondered if Benedict was listening to them right now. It was something she needed to keep in mind. The thought of Benedict ‘listening’ in to anything he chose made Gabi even more relieved that she’d talked Julius into going back to her house tonight.

  Alexander had acted a little strange when she made the suggestion earlier, insisting it was safer at the Estate; he’d been unusually adamant. She put it down to his recent near-death experience and hoped he snapped out of it soon. He seemed fine physically, but something had changed in his attitude and bearing. Thankfully Julius sided with her. He understood there were times when she just needed to be in her own space.

  They hadn’t actually discussed living arrangements. Julius had never suggested she move in with him at the Estate, but she knew it wasn’t reluctance on his part. He just knew her well enough not to ask, and that meant more to her than he realised. It may be tricky juggling time between the two residences, especially with the pets, but they would manage. As soon as they’d settled Benedict into one of the vacant accommodation units at the Estate, they were going to her place.

  Mac was also offered a cottage at the Estate; Gabi felt he was too exposed at a normal human motel. Now that he knew as much as he did, he could be used as leverage or tortured for information; that made him an asset they couldn’t just leave out in the open. He was patently unhappy about being put up at the Estate, and Gabi couldn’t really blame him, any human would feel uncomfortable amid so many supernaturals. Kyle smoothly stepped in and offered the spare room at his place. He and Trish had recently bought a small house in a quiet suburb not far from Gabi’s. Mac accepted his offer without prolonged consideration and was on his way to collect his things and check out of the motel. Gabi liked the idea of having at least two Werewolves to protect Mac, and two battle-hardened men to protect Trish.

  It wasn’t quite midnight when she shoved some frozen pancakes into the microwave to defrost. She’d grabbed some Chinese takeout on her way to the meeting, but her stomach insisted she was in arrears with meals, and was demanding immediate debt recovery. Hazelnut coffee was steaming on the counter next to her; Julius had surprised her with an espresso maker a few weeks ago, one with all the bells and whistles. When it arrived, it was accompanied by about a year’s supply of coffee capsules with so many different flavours that each morning was like a little adventure in taste. It was sheer heaven having downright awesome coffee without having to leave the house.

  Slinky was wrapped around her neck, nuzzling her ear contently. Razor was grooming himself on the counter, having just finished three tins of gourmet cat food, and Rocky was tormenting Julius in the sitting room. Well, Julius was pretending to be tormented by the energetic little rodent. He was holding a large glass of red wine in one hand and fending Rocky off with the other. It was a game they often played and one that Gabi thought Julius secretly enjoyed. The little squirrel’s goal was to get on his head and burrow into his hair, by any means necessary, and he pretended to be determined to keep her from achieving her goal. Every now and then he’d ‘let’ her slip by his defences, and she’d chirp elatedly at her perceived victory. Gabi didn’t for a moment believe his martyred expression when Rocky turned his artfully tousled hairstyle into a mussy squirrel nest.

  She gave Razor a passing smooch as she grabbed the syrup and whipped cream. He was so much more relaxed now that she let him come with her for some outings; she hadn’t come home to a wrecked house for weeks. And Rocky, as annoying as she could be with her unending supply of energy, was company for Slinky when Razor came with her. She felt a little guilty about Roman, who was still relegated to outside. Though he had a doghouse the size of a one-bedroom apartment, every toy known to canine-kind, and loads of room to run and play, he was probably lonely during the day. She wasn’t always home to go for a run with him, and probably didn’t spend enough time just playing with him. Maybe it was time to visit the local puppy shelter, she mused. Her musings came to an abrupt end as Julius stalked silently up behind her; she’d been in the act of squirting whipped cream onto her syrup-laden pancakes. He pressed up against her back and reached over to pluck the can from her fingers.

  “Hmm, whipped cream,” he murmured, a seductive purr in his voice.

  She tipped her head back, letting it fall onto his chest, exposing her throat, the pancakes forgotten as another hunger speared through her.

  The whipped cream didn’t actually make it back to the bedroom, but nor did her clothes, or his, so it didn’t matter. He almost got away with it, almost made her forget that he’d tortured her with pleasure until she begged for mercy a few nights ago. She’d sworn she’d return the favour, and now was her chance. She never fought a battle unprepared, so her weapons were already in place. Two silk scarves hung from one of her bedposts. She allowed his talented mouth and hands to bring her to her first orgasm, lulling her willing victim into the baited trap. He lay over her, eyes dark gold with passion, drinking in the sight of her pleasure, ill prepared for her assault. In a quick, fluid move she had him on his back, and before he could anticipate her next move, his right arm was bound to the ornate, wrought-iron latticework of her headboard.

  “Lea,” he growled warningly, surging upward to run his tongue across one nipple as she leaned over him to grab his other wrist. She deftly avoided his marauding tongue and bound his other wrist above his head. His smile was a touch sardonic as he moved his head to look at the wrist with a raised eyebrow. She smiled, straddling his chest. No, he wasn’t truly at her mercy, he could break the bindi
ngs with the smallest tug, but she had a game plan.

  “Now,” she said, leaning down to nip his shoulder, “the rules for tonight.” She nipped her way over his collarbone, loving the way his body tensed and his breathing hitched.

  “Rules?” he hissed. He was being deceptively good; she knew what he was planning, despite them both currently shielding their emotions.

  “If you break my bed,” she said, trailing her hot tongue over the cool skin of his chest, “or the bindings before I give you permission,” she circled one flat, taut nipple with her tongue, then grazed the tip with her teeth, making him groan, “then you get dressed and go home immediately.” She was learning how to put a purr in her voice and was quite pleased with her progress. “Do you understand the rules?” she asked, practising the purr again. She wriggled her body further down his, making sure to avoid letting him cheat by thrusting into her before she was good and ready.

  “You’re going to kill me,” he ground out from between clenched teeth. She continued working her way down his body with her mouth and teeth.

  “No, I’m going to make you beg,” she corrected, with a deliciously evil grin.

  CHAPTER 14

  Gabi busied herself in her kitchen, making coffee with her new espresso maker. She was grateful that it used coffee capsules. She didn’t think she had the touch required to be a true barista, and now she didn’t even have to grind coffee beans. She slotted a Sumatra dark roast capsule into the machine and pressed a button. In a few seconds a dark stream of fragrant coffee bubbled into the waiting mug. The scent was delectable. She turned to put the mug next to the plate of bacon, eggs and sausages in front of Mac at her kitchen counter.

  Rose was chatting cheerfully to Slinky and Rocky in the bathroom as she cleaned, Julius was in his daysleep sprawled out on her bed, and Razor was eyeing Mac’s plate of breakfast with interest from the other side of the counter. Gabi’s lip twitched in amusement as she slotted another mug under the spout of the coffee machine. She selected an Ethiopian blend capsule, and once the satisfying gurgle of hot coffee hitting the bottom of the mug stopped, she set a milk pod into place and watched as the creamy froth mixed with the rich dark coffee. Adding a squirt of caramel flavour, she gave a gentle stir and went to join Mac at the counter with her own plate of breakfast.

  It had been a surprise to wake to a call from Mac, but she’d been quick to give him directions to her house. His trip had given her just enough time to grab a shower and catch up on her email and some other office correspondence. She could’ve done with a few more hours’ sleep, but she didn’t feel the effects of a four-hour night as much anymore. Another score for Vamp-blood therapy.

  “Don’t forget to remind me when the hour is up,” she told him again, glancing at the clock on the microwave. She’d negated the powerful ward that protected the house so that Mac could come inside unharmed, but the downtime only lasted about an hour, and then the ward kicked back in automatically unless she deactivated it again. A few people were keyed into the spell and could enter unhindered; it was a short list that included Kyle, Rose, Byron and Julius. She didn’t want to subject Mac to the magical kick it rendered to anyone not on the approved list; she had it on the best authority that it was an entirely unpleasant experience. Mac grunted acknowledgement around a mouthful of food; then he lifted the mug to his lips, and Gabi watched his eyebrows rise in surprised appreciation.

  “Not bad,” he conceded, studying the contents for a moment before taking another sip.

  “I told you it was good shit.” Gabi grinned, forking a piece of sausage onto the counter for Razor, who purred as he seemed to inhale it rather than eat it. His purr deepened as he looked expectantly back at her plate. They all ate in companionable silence for a few minutes, watching the flick of images from a news channel on the small TV screen embedded in the fridge door. Gabi’s little intuitive voice was telling her to be patient. Mac had something to tell her; he just needed time to work up to it. He emptied his plate almost as quickly as Gabi did, and as soon as he’d taken his last mouthful, he rose and took both their plates to the sink.

  “Leave them there. The dishwasher will do that,” Gabi told him as he began to run water into the sink.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he replied. “And what are the chances of another cup of that god-awful coffee?”

  “Ha,” Gabi snorted indignantly. “Insult my coffee machine and she’ll burn the next cup.” But she snagged his mug and selected another capsule from the box. With two cups refilled, they moved to the sunny sitting room. Mac sank into one of her vintage-look wingback chairs while Gabi took the sofa, curling her legs up under her. Mac’s gaze went distant, and he wrapped his hands around his mug, as though needing the extra warmth despite the morning sun.

  “My first encounter with the supernatural,” he began, his voice a little rougher than usual, “was a little less rounded than your father’s, unfortunately.” He sipped the hot black coffee and sighed. “I was walking home one evening and heard a commotion in a vacant lot a few blocks from my apartment. I couldn’t just mind my own business, of course, and went to see what was going on. Three men had a middle-aged woman cornered, laughing and jeering. One held a knife, another a baseball bat. I hesitated; I was only nineteen and a bit on the scrawny side.”

  Gabi raised an eyebrow in surprise at that, but held her tongue.

  “I backtracked quickly, looking for something I could use as a weapon. It probably saved my life, but not in the way I expected. As I returned, I heard a cry and grunt of pain and thought I was too late. To this day I can’t tell you what made me pause before rushing in. I could say I wanted to assess the situation before I did something stupid, but it wasn’t that. I stopped at the boundary wall and looked cautiously back into the lot. What was unfolding froze me. One of the men lay dead, his neck obviously broken. The one with the baseball bat was on his knees; he was the one crying and moaning. The third one…” He paused, sipping his coffee. “Well, the middle-aged woman was holding him by the throat; his feet were several inches off the ground, even though she was half a head shorter than him. He was just dangling there. I’ll never forget the look in his eyes. There was just enough light from the streetlights for me to see his expression. She lowered him to the ground, gripped him by the hair, tugged his head to one side, and then bit into his neck.”

  A slight clatter sounded from the kitchen, making Mac pause.

  “It’s Rose,” Gabi reassured him. “Nothing she overhears here would ever be repeated, but usually she’s too busy chatting to the pets to hear anything anyway.” As though to confirm her words, Rose began telling Rocky off for trying to scratch open her treat jar.

  Mac nodded, using the break to finish his coffee.

  Gabi glanced at her watch, holding up a finger when Mac looked ready to continue. “Give me a second; the hour is nearly up.” She quickly touched her small turquoise pinkie ring and muttered the short incantation. A slight shiver in the air told her the ward had been reset correctly. “Okay, all good,” she told Mac. “Sorry for the interruption.”

  “Is it really that bad?” Mac asked her, intrigued.

  She shrugged. “I’m the wrong person to ask, but I hear it’s not much fun.”

  Mac’s lips twitched in an almost smile; then he heaved a sigh. “Where was I? Ah, yes. So this crazy-strong, middle-aged woman sinks her teeth into this lowlife’s neck and looks to be drinking his blood. I just stood there staring, telling myself I was dreaming or in the middle of a movie set and just hadn’t seen the cameras. Finally she pulled back and let the guy go. He dropped like he was unconscious or dead, and she delicately wiped the corners of her mouth. The kneeling guy was just sobbing by that stage. I assume she’d disabled him in some way or he’d have been trying to get out of there. I must’ve made some small sound or perhaps my scent finally reached her, because she suddenly looked up and directly at me. My mind told me to run, get the hell out of there, but my body wouldn’t move. Sometimes I wonder how things would’ve
turned out if I’d run that night,” he mused, but then shook his head and carried on. “The thing that saved me was the piece of wood I’d found to use as a weapon against the thugs. I’d ripped it off a broken pallet next to a dumpster. It had a sharpened tip where the wood had splintered when I tore it off. Do you get days when you think fate is just toying with you?”

  Gabi cocked her head. She couldn’t disagree with that; fate certainly seemed to enjoy throwing curve balls in her direction.

  “The Vampire didn’t see my excuse for a weapon until it was too late. She lunged at me so fast it was all I could do to get the piece of wood between us. She staked herself. And then she glared at me accusingly, but before she could say a word, her face began to decay, her hands that had been clawing for my face withered, and her body shrank in on itself.”

  Gabi had witnessed the death of a Vampire more often than she cared to remember, but she didn’t stop him. He needed to tell the story in his own way.

  “She shrieked and wailed as she died. It only took a few seconds, but it felt like hours. And then she was just a pile of ash and clothing on the ground. I picked up the clothing and the piece of wood, and I threw them in a dumpster on the way home. I reported a disturbance to the police, had a shower, and went to bed. I have no idea what became of the three men or what the police found. There was never any mention of it in any newspaper; I checked.”

  “How did you cope with the shock?” Gabi asked, sure there was more to the story.

  A wry grin. “I ignored the incident for weeks, pretended it hadn’t happened. Then I went out and got thoroughly drunk one night, and it hit me. I was a quivering wreck for about three days. When I came out the other side, I’d made a decision. I would kill every last one of them or die trying.”

  “And you did,” Gabi said, seeing it in his eyes.