Chapter Seventeen
Jacques’ Lair
Same Time
Checking In
Time: Less than Seven Hours Remaining…
There was no time to waste, but they had to give Flynn time to work through all of this. He understood how painful loosing parents could be, especially when they were good, decent people.
Jacques didn’t have that problem.
His mother had betrayed them, and his father had been an asshole for all seven hundred years of Jacques’ life.
And he was still dealing with them.
As they walked into his realm, he held Jolie’s hand. The whole time, she was stressed out, and a nervous wreck about Flynn.
“Breathe, Mon Amour. He will be okay.”
Jolie wasn’t believing it.
“We have to do something, Jacques. I necromanced them, and now, he had to say goodbye again. I screwed up, and he’s going to hurt for a long time.”
“I’ll work on something,” he said. “We’ll get Flynn through it. We’ll give him a few minutes to regroup, and then, we’ll talk. First, I need to check on Fate. She could be bribing souls to let her out. She’s a bitch like that.”
Oh, she was aware.
As they headed into his office, that’s when Jacques saw it, and it was bad.
“Brigit!” he said, horrified.
His pet spider, who was his ONLY loyal companion in this realm, was chattering, and inside the cage.
She’d dug Fate out.
Then, she cocooned her.
From the thick, white cocoon, Fate was screaming but it was muffled.
Immediately, Jolie laughed.
“What do you know? Silk and white looks good on her,” Jolie said.
Brigit chattered away.
Jacques sighed.
“Brigit, you can’t eat her. Jolie’s daughters can’t take over their roles for twenty years. Then, you can eat her. Hell. You can mummify her and use her as a Halloween decoration for all I care.”
Jolie snickered.
“Honestly, Jacques, I say she can. In fact, if she eats her, I’ll hug Brigit and let her have her babies in our lair. That’s how good I am with this whole thing.”
At her words, Brigit began bouncing and hopping in circles. Her fangs came out, and Jacques had to stop that.
“Jolie! She can’t eat Fate. That’s going to give her a belly ache and probably an STD.”
Jolie snorted.
Brigit was chattering away, as she was explaining why she did what she did.
Jacques listened.
“I know, my little one. You are so loyal to me, and I appreciate it. I know you want to protect me, but I have faith in Flynn. He’ll find the antiquities. She can’t hurt me when she gets free.”
Yeah, in less than nine hours.
Because he deeply loved Brigit, and was grateful that she was going to protect him, he picked her up.
“You’re a good spider. Thank you.”
There was chattering.
When Jacques glanced over, Jolie had made some wine appear.
“I mean, we could leave her like that. It’s nice not to see her hideous face, and smell that atrocious breath.”
There were mumbles from the cocoon.
“Ah, I wish.”
Death knew that he couldn’t hurt Fate. They were tied together, and that would be like damaging himself.
“Unfortunately, my love, we have to set her free. Prepare for the bitching.”
With a wave of his hand, Jacques did the most regrettable thing that day, and set her free.
Oh, and Fate was furious.
“When I get out, she’s dead! I’m going to torture that spider in ways you’ve never even considered. I’ll feed her each one of her babies as I make them devour her from the inside out!”
Before Jacques could say anything, Jolie moved closer, and her fangs were out.
Immediately, Fate stepped back. Jolie was wearing The God Stone, and Fate could feel it.
She moved to the back of the cage to avoid it.
“If you touch her, Fate, if you harm one tiny little hair on her legs, I’ll find you and you’re going into the box. I know what this stone does. Jacques didn’t have to tell me. I’m his mate and in his head!”
Fate stopped bitching, and Jacques sent her back into the wall so that they didn’t have to hear her anymore.
That’s when he was honest.
“You won’t go into the box. It’ll be me.”
She shrugged, and instead of speaking out loud, spoke into his mind.
I’m bluffing. Only, she doesn’t know that, clearly. She must not have a lot of experience with this relic.
Oh, she didn’t.
No one did. It was one that Jacques had to find that wasn’t on Fate’s radar.
Because he loved his mate, he kissed her. That she protected Brigit meant a lot to him. It was lonely here, and he didn’t have an ally.
It was only Brigit.
As they were kissing, Jolie felt something on her boot, and she broke the kiss.
“She’s on me, isn’t she?” she asked.
Jacques laughed.
“Yes. She’s grateful you protected her, and she wants to know if she can have her babies in the lair.”
Oh, holy nightmare.
“Jacques.”
He stared into her eyes.
“She’s my family, and she’s all I have in this miserable job. Brigit is the only one who is loyal, and now, Fate will hurt her and her babies.”
Well, shit.
She could see and hear the emotion in his eyes and voice.
It looked like they were getting a giant-ass house spider that came with a hundred babies, ready to hatch.
“She doesn’t bite, does she?” she asked, as she felt the spider getting up close and personal with her boot.
At her question, he laughed even more.
“Well, she does bite, but only things she dislikes. Brigit loves our children, and her babies will protect our babies.”
Crap.
Looking down, Jolie watched as Brigit was rubbing her spider legs against Jolie’s.
“She likes you.”
Great.
“Tell her you love her too,” he said, wishing Flynn was here to see it. That might cheer him up.
“You’re out of your mind,” she admitted.
He waited.
Then, he tried to get her to understand.
“She wants a home. This is a miserable place. Imagine having your baby here.”
She couldn’t believe she was saying this.
“She can have her babies at the lair, BUT if she freaks me out, she’s going to have to stay in a separate room. If I see her dangling over me, or sneaking up behind me…put a bell on her, Jacques.”
That was all he had to hear.
He did just that as he smiled. A bell appeared, and Brigit did a dance, making it make noise.
“Well, then, that’s handled.”
Brigit bounced and spun in a circle, enjoying the new trinket that was somehow attached to her.
Only, Jacques didn’t get to say anything else, because he heard the worry in Rinnon’s voice, as he reached for him.
You need to come. Flynn won’t answer me, and he’s sinking deep into despair. I need your help.
We’re on our way. Unlock the lair. We’ll get him to feel better.
Please hurry.
Jacques focused on Jolie.
“Flynn needs us. Be ready to pull him out of this funk.”
Her heart hurt for him.
“Okay, Jacques.”
With a wave of his hand, he, Jolie, and Brigit were gone.
They had a mate to save.
And they weren’t sure how to do it.
* * * T u e u r A n t i q u i t i e s * * *
At The Hospital
Conversation Time
Oh, it was time for Cerise to find the woman who had put her hands on her mate, and have a little girl talk with her. That was going to involve angry words, and maybe a punch to the face.
She hadn’t decided quite yet.
When Vanth got them there, they were able to find her rather easily.
She was the angry woman telling everyone that her ex was a douchebag.
“I’m going to hurt her.”
Vanth was down with that.
“I’ll hold her down, and you can just close your eyes, and I’ll eat her here. We don’t have to tell your mate. Oops. One less human.”
She wished.
“I can’t lie to Logan.”
You absolutely cannot let someone eat my ex, Cerise. That’s not a good thing.
She sent him laughter.
I mean, it would take care of the situation. I’m betting Vanth doesn’t leave evidence behind.
We’re cops. Protect and serve, not hunt and eat.
She laughed.
“Logan?” Vanth asked.
“Yeah, he said under no circumstance are you to eat her. We’ll have to find a different way to handle this.”
Well, that sucked.
“If he wants to stay a cop here in New Orleans, I have to get her to stop badmouthing him. That’s the plan.”
Vanth shrugged.
“We can rip out her tongue.”
Cerise considered it.
NO. Not that either. I am edgy, and being away from you is hard enough. Please, Cerise. Please. She didn’t do anything wrong other than care about someone who couldn’t feel the same thing back.
She heard the pain in his voice at the guilt he was feeling over breaking up with her.
Okay, my love. I’ll just talk to her. No hands involved. I promise.
That seemed to calm him down.
“Okay, how do we mitigate this, Vanth?” she asked. “Surely, you have a plan other than eat her.”
She considered it.
“I can erase their memories while you ‘talk’ to the woman,” she offered.
That worked for her.
“Get her alone. I want this to be one-on-one.”
With a wave of Vanth’s hand, she somehow managed to get the women to leave, minus Laurie.
“I’ll go wipe their memories. You handle her,” Vanth said, disappearing.
Well, it was now or never.
Walking up to her, Laurie looked over from her cigarette break.
“Hey,” she said. “Are you Laurie Benoit?” she asked, making sure.
Please, he whispered.
What if someone slapped me? Wouldn’t you handle it? Cerise asked.
Yes.
Then, you have to trust me as your mate to do what is best. Please, Logan.
He paused.
I trust you.
Then, she was going to handle this.
“Yes, that’s me. Can I help you with something?” she asked, flicking her cigarette butt into the gravel of the hospital smoking area.
“We don’t know each other, but we have someone in common,” she said. “I’m Logan’s new woman.”
And that was all she had to say.
At the mention of his name, her face went twisted with rage, and she became bitter.
Oh, and Cerise got that. Only, she and Logan didn’t plan this. They were chosen by the universe to be paired off. She couldn’t fight that instinct.
“Oh, you’re the whore,” she said, hating every single second that she was gorgeous.
And a cop.
She could see the badge and gun on her hip, and she knew that was likely where they met. There was no doubt the floozy had stolen her man.
“He cheated on me with you. How long have you been sleeping with him?” she asked.
Cerise glanced at her watch.
“Just about two hours ago. That’s it. We never had contact before today.”
She didn’t believe her. How was that possible?
It wasn’t.
Laurie hated this woman already.
“Why are you here?”
Well, that was easy.
Cerise was blunt.
“I’m here to convince you to stop trying to tank his reputation as a cop. You’re going to see him all of the time, and that’s awkward.”
She laughed.
“Fuck that. He broke my heart. I’m going to bury his career, and then, I’m coming for yours. I know plenty of cops who work for NOPD. I’m going to make him rue the day he decided to dump me.”
I told you she was angry.
Oh, well, she’s making me angry now, and that won’t work well for her.
Cerise tried to be honest.
“He was always meant to be mine. He didn’t do anything intentionally, Laurie. When the heart knows, it knows. I’m sorry that you feel like I stole him.”
Logan tried to warn her.
That might be a bad way to handle this…
But he was too late.
Laurie slapped her.
Cerise’ head actually turned to the side at the force of the blow.
“You’re a man stealing whore. You can have that piece of shit man. When I get done with his reputation, I’m going to bury him.”
Cerise was fighting her temper.
Oh, and it wasn’t easy. Only, she promised Logan she wouldn’t let Vanth eat her, but it was so damn difficult. She could shove her into a sack and let the demoness go hog wild with her.
Cerise…
I know. No killing the ex. I got it. I’m trying to be calm, but she’s not exactly making it easy, my love.
Come back, and just let her do what she wants. I don’t care. She’ll sound like a jealous woman.
And Cerise was about to back off until Laurie went there.
“Even better yet, I’m going to tell everyone he tried to sexually assault me, and no one will believe him. They’ll ostracize him. Hell! I’ll slam my own face off a wall and call in a domestic.”
Oh, God. That will destroy my career.
In that moment, Cerise knew there was only one way to handle this.
Cerise was now officially pissed off that this woman would lie about something so devastating and horrible. As a cop, she dealt with shit like this all the time.
“And if you do that, I’ll have to get mean.”
Laurie laughed.
“Do you think I’m scared of you? Really, twiggy? He’s only using you for sex. He’ll dump you next, and move onto the next woman—after wasting two years of your life.”
That’s when it happened.
Cerise’s fangs slid into her mouth, and she hissed, bearing them. The second she did, Laurie stepped back and gasped.
“What are you?” she asked, stammering.
Well, she was about to find out.
She grabbed Laurie by the scrubs, and lifted her off the ground with one hand. She used her vampyre gifts to protect her mate.
Laurie was just lucky she’d promised not to kill her.
Because she was feeling that rage.
“I’m your worst nightmare,” she said, letting her claws grow, so that the woman felt them in her flesh.
Laurie whimpered.
“If you besmirch his good name, over a silly break up, I’m going to come back, rip out your throat, and drink your blood. If you even say his name, you’re dead.”
Laurie tried to fight.
Only, a vamp was a vamp.
They were strong.
“He’s mine now, and if you think I’ll play your silly games,” she said, shoving the dumpster with her one hand. It had been right beside them.
And now it wasn’t.
It slid twenty feet with no effort.
“You’d be very wrong.”
Laurie couldn’t look away from the woman’s fangs, and she was scared stupid.
“I won’t! I swear to God! Please don’t hurt me. You can have him.”
Cerise laughed.
“Oh, well, thank you for giving me your permission, when he’s already mine.”
She tossed her so hard, she hit the wall and slid down it to fall onto the ground.
Cerise moved toward her.
“Don’t make me be your worst nightmare. You had the choice of how you wanted to do this, and now, I’m angry. It takes a lot to make me angry, Laurie.”
Laurie just tried to make herself really small.
It was when she pissed herself and her aqua scrubs showed the wetness, that Cerise was done.
That was terrifying enough.
Right?
“Vanth,” she called.
The demoness appeared by her. With her swirling eyes, it had the effect needed.
The woman on the ground cried and closed her eyes. She curled into a ball and tried to block it all out.
“Yes,” Vanth asked.
“I want you to make her cluck like a chicken every time she goes to say Logan’s name. I want her to not to be able to even say it.”
Vanth laughed.
“Ah, the Jolie treatment. I can do that,” she said, touching the woman’s head.
Only, Vanth was always extra.
When she was done, Cerise needed to make sure it worked. She saw Jolie make a woman do this, and it seemed like a good punishment since she couldn’t kill her.
“Say his name,” Cerise said. “NOW!”
The woman tried to say it, and when she opened her mouth, it wouldn’t come out. Instead, she got up, clucked, and scratched her foot on the ground.
Then, she shit herself.
Cerise stared at Vanth.
“Uh…what did you do?”
Vanth shrugged.
“She laid an egg. That’s as close as I can get. She’s not a real chicken. I’m good, but I’m not that damn good.”
Cerise started laughing.
That was priceless.
“Do you have a best friend? Need one?” she asked, grinning at the woman.
Vanth tipped her head.
“I don’t, but I could use one. Do we get to go around and do this to people?” she asked.
Before she could answer, she heard Logan’s voice.
Cerise!
My love, she’s fine. She just needs a uniform change, and some therapy. Trust me. She’ll never say your name again. And if she does…
Logan actually laughed.
You’re sadistic. Thank you for saving me, Baby. Now, hurry up and get back here. I don’t like being apart. It feels…off. I’m struggling.
She stuck her arm through Vanth’s, and wanted to get back to him.
“We have to go.”
Vanth sighed.
“I wish you’d let me eat her,” she said. Then, Vanth saw her ruined scrubs. “On second thought, I’ll get a tummy ache or E.coli. I probably should avoid that.”
Cerise just laughed.
“Get me back to my mate, bestie. We’ll find you a bad vampyre to eat later when we head to the society house.”
And that sounded like a damn good plan.
For Vanth.