Daughter Trilogy Bundle (104 page)

“
Then when is?  You won’t talk to me, and you threw away the phone I gave you.  I have been pulling apart the world trying to find you.  This is my only chance to bring you home to me,” he exasperates.

“
You broke me, Devin.  I don’t have a home with you anymore,” I cry out, and then everyone looks over to investigate the commotion. 

His eyes drop pitifully, and I look away instantly. 

“Adisia.  Devin,” a girl calls.  “It’s your turn.”

Devin takes my arm and loops it through his, and I feel the long desired heat of his touch burning me inside and out.  I almost lose my footing, and he
’s forced to hold me up.

“
What’s wrong?” he worries.

“
Nothing.  I just got a little too worked up,” I gripe. 

He reluctantly releases me, and I go to stand in my place.  Memories or our time together surge through my mind, and the month long honeymoon
’s sour note slaps me in the face.

I fight to hold back the tears, and I miss everything the minister is saying.  The lights become blinding as they pronounce their love for each other, and I feel so dizzy.  The room is spinning wildly, and I don
’t have the strength to stand any longer.

Please let them already be married.

“
Adisia,” Hale sighs in relief
as I open my eyes to the very immortal party surrounding me.

I sit up slowly, and Jace greets me with a bottle of water.  I guzzle it quickly, and I feel everyone waiting for an explanation.

“I don’t know,” I answer to the question they’re all asking with their eyes.

“
Immortals don’t usually faint for any reason,” Devin rattles off with anxiety.

“
It probably has something to do with all the stress she’s been under,” Jace says very pointedly.

“
Stress doesn’t affect our bodies, and you know it,” Camara scolds before turning back to me.  “Have you had this problem before?” she asks with concern.

“
Only when I’ve been consumed by my inner entities.  I’m sure I’m fine.  I need to go apologize to Jake,” I sigh.

“
He already left,” Jace adds.  “He told us to call him the moment you woke up.”

“
I’ll call him,” Kry offers, and then he bends down to kiss the top of my head.

“
I need another drink,” I grumble.

“
Waiter,” Devin prompts to a tuxedo man.  “Please get Mrs. Cole a vodka.”

“
Yes, sir,” he answers before running to fill the request.

“
She won’t drink vodka,” Jace scoffs.  “I’ll go get you another water,” he says softly before stroking my cheek with his thumb.

Devin
’s eyes droop miserably, and he shakes his head.  “Why don’t you drink?”

“
I can’t.  The thought of alcohol disgusts me, and I’m pretty sure it has something to do with all the memories attached to it,” I snark.

“
Adisia, I-”

“
Here you go,” Jace says to interrupt Devin while handing me a bottle of water.

“
Thanks,” I murmur.

“
Here’s your vodka, Mrs. Cole,” the waiter offers as he returns a few seconds too late.

“
My wife decided she wanted water instead,” Devin rattles out with a cold touch, and the waiter hastily creeps away from the gathering tension enveloping room.

“
Adisia!” Mom bellows as she barrels in.  “I’ve been so worried.  What happened?”

She starts fanning herself as if she
’s burning up, and I realize everyone else is feeling the heat as well.

Damn it.  The skunk scent has worn off.

“I guess I should have eaten something before drinking,” I lie, and it’s a pathetic lie at best.

“
I’m… well… I’m glad…” she stammers, and I realize my scent is driving her mortal mind crazy.  “I need to go find your father.  Bye dear,” she murmurs with complete distraction.

“
Gross,” I mumble in disgust, and a few snickers erupt.

“
Damn.  That’s stout stuff.  It’s like a scented aphrodisiac, and no one can escape its intoxication,” Hale murmurs with a dab of drool on his lips.

“
I know.  I’m sorry.  Poor Jace has had to be incredibly friendly with the local girls just to let off steam.  Persia and Kahl couldn’t take it anymore.  This is ridiculous,” I gripe.

Jace covers his laugh, and then his arm wraps around my shoulders in a comforting manner.  I lean into his body, and I see Devin
’s jaw clenching tighter than I’ve ever seen it as his eyes burn against our contact.

Serves him right.  I should kiss Jace in front of him to give him a little taste of what it felt like to be me that day on the beach.

Camara’s hand starts tugging at Deacon’s, and wolfish grin spreads over his face.

“
Okay.  I’m definitely causing you guys some problems.  I need to go,” I sigh.

“
No.  We want to hang out with you.  We haven’t seen you since the beach,” Camara whines, and Devin grimaces as his eyes start to tear up.

“
I can’t.  Jace has had time to acclimate to it, but it’ll drive you guys mad,” I pout, and then I turn to Jace.  “You ready?”

“
Yeah,” he says too smugly, and I see the taunting smirk he intentionally flashes Devin.

I nudge him to glare my disapproval, and he gives me a cocky half grin in response.  Hale leans over to hug me, and then Kry is next to follow.  One by one they all bid me ado, and then Devin steps up.

“You’re not going with him.  I’m taking you home with me,” he says in a calm, serious tone.

I don
’t even acknowledge his order, and Jace grabs my hand to flash with me outside.  Devin suddenly grabs me at the waist and rips me from Jace’s hold.

“
You’re coming home with me,” he orders again.

“
No, I’m not,” I object, and then I force him off me.

“
Adisia, I’m not leaving here without you,” he warns.

“
Then buy yourself a house here because I’m not going with you,” I mutter with dripping sarcasm.

He grabs me again, and he starts to kiss me just before an electric current blasts him in the side and knocks him to the ground.

Jace is smirking deviously, as he lowers his hands, and I instantly try to defuse the nuclear situation brewing.

“
Jace.  Devin.  Don’t.  This can’t happen.  There are mortals here, including my parents,” I admonish in a near whisper.

“
We can go old school,” Jace chirps.

“
That’s fine by me,” Devin growls as he stands to his feet.

Jace smiles as if he
’s elated over the accepted challenge, and now I feel like a piece of meat trapped between the jaws of two hungry wolves. 

“
Stop,” I bark.

“
I’ve wanted to do this for a while,” Jace murmurs to Devin while completing ignoring my plea.

Devin gives him a malicious grin that chills me to the bone before responding,
“That makes two of us.”

Suddenly they
’re flashing toward each other, and I screech as Jace is sent sailing into a small cluster of trees.  The fierce cracking deafens the ears of the night as the trees almost splinter into mere fragments.

Jace stands up to dust himself off, and then he charges again, but this time Devin is the one struck.  I scream loudly as he sails into a group of cars, and alarms blast into the air before completely whining to a dead hum as the heaps metal become unrecognizable. 

Suddenly they’re exchanging blows faster, and the skies above us crackle before the rain surges free when I try to mask the hellacious noise they’re creating.

Jace launches a car toward Devin, and he just barely slides under it before slamming Jace into the ground by his throat.

“Stop,” I plead again, and then I turn to the others who seem less amused by the whole scene.  “Why the hell aren’t you doing something?”

“
They’ve needed to do this for a while,” Kry says with unremarkable interest.  “Let them get it out of their system.  It’s not like they’re going to kill one another… maybe,” he says with a slightly more worried tone.

“
Maybe?” I squeak.

“
I’ll stop it before it reaches that point,” he asserts.

“
Great.  Thanks,” I scoff, and then I turn back just as Jace charges Devin like a rampaging bull, and his head slams into Devin’s abdomen as he forces him backwards to plow up bits of the street.

That
’s it.

They
’re destroying everything, and now I can see people watching.  I flash down, and suddenly I’m in between the only two men I can’t control. 

“
Enough!  I’m leaving, and I’m going back to my new home.  Just get over it,” I scold to Devin.  Jace is breathing heavily with a smile when I turn to glare at him.  “You can clean up the mess you made from the car,” I admonish, and his smile quickly wipes from his face.

“
Adisia, I’m not leaving you,” Devin declares.

“
You already left me when you kissed another girl.  Now I’m leaving you.  Just sign the papers, please,” I murmur softly, and then I flash into the car with Jace. 

He cranks it, and I stare into the rainy night as the dark silhouette of Devin slowly fades from sight.

As soon as I know he can’t hear my sobs, I release the floodgates that have been begging to burst open.  Jace’s hand rubs my back as I lean forward, and he coos to me.

“
I’m sorry.  I shouldn’t have started a fight.”

“
Just take me home, please.” I whimper, and he’s silent the rest of the way to the jet.

My head is pounding as
I stare out the too bright sun, and I see the clouds pulling in front of it to offer me less of a glare while I lounge poolside.

Jace
’s arms wrap around me as he jerks me up from the chair, and I laugh a little at his odd excitement.

“
We’re going out,” he announces.

“
Out?  I can’t.  You know how I smell,” I grumble.

“
Well, I don’t care.  You’ve been cooped up in here for way too long.  Now it’s time to come back into the world,” he urges.

I shake my head as the painful flash of Devin
’s teary blue eyes spring to mind.

“
I went out into the world a week ago.  Remember?  It was the wedding when you and my husband got into a fight,” I sardonically exchange.

“
Soon to be ex-husband,” Jace snips.

“
If he ever signs the damn papers,” I harp.

“
Do you really want to be done with him?” he asks in a near whisper with a touch of reluctance.

“
I really wish I wanted to be, and I hope it’s enough to eventually convince me this is what I want.  I can’t be with him after seeing him kiss another girl.  It’s just too hard.”

“
How’s about I go get us some movies, popcorn, and more ice cream?  We can stay in instead of going out,” he offers kindly.

“
That sounds much better, but I thought you had a date with that blonde from the other night,” I muse.

“
I can see her another time.  Tonight, it’s just me and you.  Besides, she’s mortal.  It wasn’t going to be a date,” he chuckles out.

“
Gross,” I say with a turned up nose.  “Some details can be kept quiet.”

He just laughs at my little joke and stands up to grab his wallet.

“I’ll be back,” he says in a deep tone, and I giggle a little as he leaves.

I almost wish I could love him.  It would be so much easier to be without Devin if I could.

I pick up my phone as soon as I hear him cranking the car, and then I dial Camara.

“
Hey girl,” she murmurs softly.  “Are things any better than when I talked to you yesterday?”

“
About the same.  I know you get tired of hearing me ask this, but will you let me hear his voice?” I whimper.

“
Yeah.  Just make sure you mute it, and I’ll put it in my pocket as usual.  I think he’s in the kitchen with Gemma.”

“
Great.  Gemma’s there?” I gripe.

“
She’s been here since she found out about the annulment papers.  He’s not paying her a bit of attention though.  She’s just following him around like a lost puppy,” she assures.

“
He’d be paying attention to Nina if she were there,” I grumble.