Poison's Kiss (Book 2 Deadly Beauties) Read online

  "Your father isn't big on destiny's plan. I think he's misinterpreted the information, but he's convinced he's right. That's all a much longer conversation for another time."

  Fine. I'm overwhelmed as it is.

  "So how did Sierra and the others fall behind if she was the one tracking me?"

  "Ah, that's because I put them to sleep when I knew where we were going. I called your father and the others, knowing he would turn that place into a massacre. I didn't want to risk the ones I consider my children. I knew you'd keep Kane safe. I trusted you'd know your father's power the second you sensed it."

  I look down, staring at the backs of my hands as if they're intriguing enough to deserve so much intention.

  "He hates me more than he ever loved me."

  "Who? Kane? Nonsense. He's just completely confused right now. He's working hard to keep you safe, but yet he drives you away every chance he gets. He's been disengaged from our world for so long, he doesn't want to risk getting sucked back in. He tries so hard to pay penance for his past sins, but none of those were by his hands alone. All of the evil he ever dished out was at the behest of his queen, Castine. He judges himself more harshly than you ever could. Bottom line, he'll come around. The question is will you still love him when the bond is broken?"

  I hope not.

  "He's a night stalker, and I'm a witch. It's absurd to even think about. I would just like for him to at least be civil with me. I don't need him to love me, or even care about me, but I'd like to be able to converse with him without him tearing me to shreds each time. We have to work together until this problem with Castine is resolved."

  Dray nods, absorbing my words.

  "I agree, and I'll talk to him about that. Mostly, I think he's trying to keep you away from him. He blames himself for you being on Castine's hit list."

  I sigh as we start heading back to the house.

  "Better me than someone without Drackus for a father."

  He laughs ridiculously hard, losing his poised composure as he shakes from the outburst.

  "Indeed," he says, his chuckles tapering off. "Now, would you like to come in and start discussing what strategy we should use?"

  I glance through the window to see Kane glaring at me, resisting the urge to tear into me where I stand.

  "I think I've handled all I can today. Until the bond is broken, it's hard to breathe around him."

  He nods, seeming to understand, but I tug at his arm before he heads up the stairs.

  "Why didn't anyone tell my mother?"

  He tilts his head, confused by my query.

  "About your capture? Thad called Frankie. I assume she knew your father would handle it best. Haven't you talked to her since your return?"

  I swallow hard, realizing my supposed mother hasn't even called me.

  "No. She hasn't answered. I need to go. Tell Thad to hurry up."

  "Will do. Be careful, Alyssa. My number is programmed in your phone. Use it if you need to or even if you just need an old ear to bend."

  I smile appreciatively, feeling a little better. Dark angels are dangerous, no doubt. They're not demons, not angels, but the gray area in between. Until now, I've never knowingly come into contact with one.

  "Thanks."

  I turn around, pulling out my phone as I walk to the car. As usual, it goes straight to my mother's voicemail without even ringing. Ending the pointless call, I dial Frankie immediately after.

  "Hey, Lyss. I'm glad to hear from you. Thad said you made it out with nothing more than a skinned knee."

  That's because he didn't count a broken heart.

  "Yeah. I'm surprised you and Mom didn't bother to call."

  I hadn't meant to sound so bitter, but I'm a little pissed at this point.

  "Sorry, Lyss. It's been... We've had a lot going on. I was on my way there that night when Thad called to say you were safe and in good company."

  Something loud crashes in the background, and I hear Frankie cursing under his breath.

  "I've got to go, Lyss. Potions are running awry."

  The phone is dead before I can question what that's supposed to mean. Apparently everyone is fine with me being okay without checking on me themselves. It's almost painful to know that my father was the one there when I needed him the most.

  Before I can think about it too much, Gage is suddenly materializing in front of me, his eyes narrowing when he sees me.

  "What the hell are you doing here?" he grumbles, exasperation in his tone.

  "I came to find out... What are you doing here?" I counter.

  "I came to speak with Kane."

  "I thought you were dealing with an issue for the Somage."

  He frowns, his lips tightening. "I am. That pervert Heath is the one they found destroyed and left for dead."

  Chapter 10

  Close to Home

  I gasp, understanding what he's insinuating, and then I shake my head fervently.

  "If he killed him, he only did it because of me. Gage you can't-"

  "Relax, Alyssa. It wasn't even him that killed Heath, but someone tried setting Kane up."

  "Care to clue me in?" Kane snarks from the top of the steps, and Gage rolls his eyes while pulling my hand in his.

  "Watch how you speak to me. I just spent three hours convincing the Somage you had nothing to do with Heath's death. Be glad whoever is setting you up took a stab at you the night of the party we both attended. Otherwise, you'd be on your own."

  "What?" Kane asks, his tone a little tilted from his angered pitch.

  "Heath is dead, and you were painted a suspect. We found your scent on him, no doubt from the punch you left him with, but the kill was brutal, bloody as anything I've ever seen. Considering you barely had a drop of blood on your clothes, I vouched for the fact it couldn't have been you."

  Kane grips his head and then motions us inside.

  "Apparently, I can't catch a break."

  Gage locks his fingers with mine as Kane walks in, leaving the door open to us.

  "Your aura is definitely swirling all kinds of crazy right now. Thad can take you back to the hotel. You don't have to endure this. I know the bond is still hurting you," Gage murmurs softly.

  I stare into the eyes I can't believe hold such depth of concern.

  "You're right. There's no reason for me to be here. I'll go in with you to collect Thad, and you can fill me in later."

  He nods, and then his soft lips and cool ring find my forehead. He pulls back frowning.

  "You've got a fever."

  Duh. I've been around Kane for too long.

  "Yeah. I'll be fine."

  He has no idea how painful this bonding has become, and I'm ready for it to be over. Kane sure as hell wants no part of it. There's no one else I'll let set me free other than Gage.

  We head inside to find Kane already starting the explanation for concern. I tug at Thad's shirt, and he turns to me curiously.

  "Will you take me back to the hotel?"

  "You don't want to stay for this?" he asks curiously.

  I glance toward Kane who is staring directly into my eyes.

  "No," I sigh out, turning back to face the blond changer. "I don't feel so well."

  He nods, and Gage follows us out the door. He feels my forehead again before shaking his head.

  "Give her some of that medicine. Maybe it'll help."

  "The medicine Sierra gave her?" Kane asks as he suddenly joins us, making my body heat up all the more.

  "Yeah," Gage says curtly, barely acknowledging Kane before resuming his eye contact with Thad. "Then let her get some sleep. That means you sleep next door in your room."

  Thad chuckles, but his laughter dies out when my legs give out beneath me. He catches me before I even feel myself falling, and he cradles me to his chest.

  "I'll just stay with her until the meds work."

  Gage tightens his lips and then lets a shaky breath go. Kane's eyes are softer than earlier, showing me pity. I'm sick of his mood sw
ings.

  "Yeah. I won't be long. Call me if she gets worse," Gage says, his eyes riddled with sympathy and concern.

  "Sure," Thad murmurs softly, and then he turns his gaze to me. "Let's get you patched up, firecracker."

  I laugh, but it's forced. I lean into him as he carries me away. A quick glance over his shoulder allows me to see my dark ex-lover's gaze following me. I just look away, feeling myself only getting sicker.

  "How are you feeling?" Gage asks as he walks in and comes to my bed.

  I smile as he climbs in beside me and pulls me to his body.

  "Better. The meds take the edge off; they just don't break the spell... so to speak."

  He smiles as he pulls me closer, and then his lips gently graze mine as his scandalous hands slide down to cup my rear.

  "How about I end this pain permanently?"

  Involuntarily, I smile, which in turn forces his goofy grin to spread.

  "Too bad Thad's asleep on the floor," I giggle out, my eyes motioning to the changer who is now grinning.

  "Don't mind me. I won't look."

  Gage lets a small laugh free, as do I, and then he kisses me sweetly on the lips before standing.

  "I've actually got some more stuff to take care of. I'll be gone for a few days."

  I sit up, feeling a little disappointed. "That's what you said last time, but you didn't stay gone long."

  He smiles, giving me a small wink, and then he starts toward the door. "I have to stay gone this time. Last time was special circumstances. This is a personal thing."

  "Sounds serious," I chirp, wondering why it is he's not providing very much.

  "It is. My mother is cooking, and she wants her son home for a big announcement."

  I let a laugh escape and he flashes me a smile before vaporizing in front of the door.

  "What are you doing?" I ask as Thad tosses his clothes in his bag.

  "I have to go deal with a fucking mess my crew has made. They got into it with a neighboring rival of ours, and now I've got to meet with the head to make peace. Gage should be back tomorrow. In the meantime, I've reached desperate measures and procured some help."

  "Help to watch me like a child, you mean?"

  He laughs lightly while nodding. "Yep. He should be here-" A knock at the hotel room door draws our attention. "Right now," he continues before walking over to greet the new babysitter.

  I gasp when it opens to reveal Zee. So he goes from not trusting any of them to calling one over to baby-sit me.

  "Am I late?" he chirps while tossing his bag to the floor.

  "Right on time. You've got my number, so call me if anything seems even a little off."

  "I will. Your dark user gave me the same instructions when he called me earlier."

  "You talked to Gage?" I ask, a small lilt to my voice.

  Zee nods, a thin smile forming. "It seems you're like royalty to some. Dray told me I'd better call him if the wind blew wrong. Care to explain why he's so taken with you?"

  Thad laughs, knowing the curiosity plaguing Kane and his coven is eating them up.

  "One day I might. So, you drew the short straw?" I ask while flopping down on the bed.

  We've moved to a two bed bedroom since Gage is so freaked out about my safety. He must be terrified if he's been letting Thad stay with me.

  "It was either me, Deke, Amy, or Sierra. Sierra and Deke had a stakeout to work, and I thought you might prefer me over Amy."

  I noticed Kane wasn't even an option.

  "Definitely not Amy. Is she still pissed about me breaking her arm?"

  He accidentally laughs, proving he's not as attached to the wild thing as the others are.

  "She is, but we all knew she had it coming."

  Thad smirks as he walks over and kisses my forehead.

  "Call me later. Let me know how you're feeling."

  Essentially, he doesn't trust Zee as much as he wants me to believe, so he wants me to call him and let him hear my voice for himself so he can ensure my safety.

  "I will. Be careful."

  "Always. I'll bring you some socks," he says with a devious grin.

  My eyes widen, realizing he's apparently been talking to Frankie again.

  "You asshole!"

  He bursts out laughing and rushes out the door before I can throw my shoe at his head.

  "Socks?" Zee muses. "Is that a light user joke or something?"

  I can feel the heat in my face, but I decide to shift the topic as opposed to letting the awkwardness settle in.

  "Any sign of Castine or the person trying to set up Kane?"

  His lips tighten as he drops to the bed beside him.

  "No, none. Whoever is trying to fuck with Kane has a rude awakening coming. He's pissed. That's what he's doing tonight. He's actually here in Edgebrook, meeting up with a source."

  My stomach does somersaults the second he lets that bit of information free. I try not to act affected, but I'm sure it's written in my eyes.

  "Sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned him. I sometimes forget my manners. It's new to me... all of this, still. I'm struggling with the transition process, so I'm stuck between human feelings and vampiric coldness. Kane assures me I'll fully find my way back to my human emotions one day."

  Ha. That's ironic.

  "I don't think he should be one to give advice on such. I didn't realize you're new."

  He smirks, taking in my snarky remark on Kane, and then he reclines back on the bed.

  "Just a few years in. That's why I still crave the bite. Thanks to Deke and Kane, I've got my blood thirst under control. My sire was killed last year by another one of her spawned creations. It worked out to my benefit. I only had to break a few of the painful binds to her in order to escape into hiding."

  So Zee and Amy are both newbies. That's surprising. He seems so... at ease with his newer, darker self.

  His jet black hair is spiky, different from the others in Kane's coven. He's very lean, but muscular. Of course he's sexy. Just like all the immortals. I hate my world.

  "Didn't feel like falling into the vicious folds of the life?" I ask, looking for insight.

  "Not at all. I never wanted to be a killer. My sire wanted me, liked the way I looked in a pair of jeans. She didn't want to share either. She killed my fiancée, and then she turned me, planning to make me into one of her possessions for all eternity. Her seductive hold over me didn't last long because she wasn't very strong. After a year, I came to my senses, and Kane was there with Dray. They saved me."

  It's hard to think of Kane as a hero when he's my destroyer. Though he's saved me in the past, now he's merciless.

  "You know it was us who saved you that night in the woods, don't you?" he asks, a smile growing on his lips.

  "Yeah. I figured it out when Kane brought up the redhead comment."

  He laughs and then shakes his head. "That night, too, but I'm talking about when you were in the dark users' forest."

  My heart sinks to my toes. "So you knew. He did know, and he's been faking this whole time. I was right."

  None of that was a question. I knew he knew.

  "No, actually we had no clue. What light witch in her right mind strolls through dark user territory? We thought you were as mortal as they came. You never once used your power or showed your mark. It shocked the fuck out of Amy when you pinned her with the earth."

  I'm not sure if I believe him, but I'm not arguing tonight. This whole time I thought Thad and his group had been my heroes that night.

  His phone rings, and he slips it free with a frown.

  "Hey," he murmurs softly, and my hyped up hearing offers me a chance to hear the other side.

  "My source was a dead end. Sierra said you're in Edgebrook. Where are you? I'll come fill you in."

  Kane. Fuck, it's Kane.

  He didn't even know Zee was staying with me.

  "I'm at the Cliffside hotel with... Alyssa. Tha-"

  "Alyssa?" he screeches, seeming pissed and betrayed. "What th
e hell are you doing in a fucking hotel with Alyssa? Zee, I'll kick your ass if you-"

  "I'm here because Thad had to go handle some stuff and Gage is out of town. She isn't allowed to stay alone with Castine stalking her."

  Zee is fighting back his laughter. He's intentionally poking the bear and loving it. I guess Kane may not want me, but he sure as hell doesn't want his friends pawing at me either.

  "What are you supposed to do if Castine shows up?" He sounds really, really pissed now. "I can't believe they just fucking left her with you."

  "Hey, easy. I'm not defenseless, and I'm fast as hell, for the record. I could get her out of here and far away before Castine even knew which room we're in."

  Kane grumbles on the other line, something too low for me to make out, and then he mutters, "Fine. Tell me what room you're in. I'll be there in five."

  My whole body tenses up, and I shake my head vigorously at Zee, my eyes begging him to tell Kane to fuck off.

  He smirks, a devilish glisten to his eyes. "Room 515. Take your time. Alyssa was just about to change into something a little more comfortable."

  "Asshole," Kane snarks.

  "Gotta go, Kane. I'm about to see if Alyssa looks good in pink."

  The line goes silent, and Zee laughs ferociously hard before putting his phone down. He looks at me and shrugs as I glare at him with hell's fury seething through me.

  "Sorry. Kane's easy to fuck with."

  "I can't be in the same room as him for very long, so make him leave. It's physically torture for me."

  His laughter fades, and then he purses his lips.

  "I didn't think about that. Sierra's meds aren't helping?"

  "Only when he's not around me, and they're barely helping then. Why is he so freaked out about you being here?"

  A wolfish grin takes the place of his apologetic expression. "Because girls love my bite. He probably thinks I'm here to set you free from your bond. Secretly, I think he's hoping you stay bound to him. It's in our nature to be possessive. He's claimed you since the day he set eyes on you. He made it very clear to all of us you were his."

  "I don't belong to-"