Daughter Trilogy Bundle (39 page)

The drunken state slowly starts to creep in when Aphrodite feels my threatened situation.

"Stop, Serena.  She's new.  She's just learning our ways," Hale defends again.

"I'll teach her the golden rule.  Don't fuck with my man," she hisses menacingly.

I see several others stalking toward me now - mostly women and only some men.

"I told you death, danger, and crazy bitches follow me wherever I go," I gripe.

I feel the green consuming my eyes as the skies start to open.  They all gasp as the lightning threatens to crash down on them, and the rain pounds into the sand, staking it as it connects.  The thunder barks loudly at them as a cautionary warning, and the lightning continues threatening its bite.

"I don't want to fight.  I just wanted to swim and rest, damn it," I huff.

"Not here.  There are boundaries all must abide by.  You can't roam freely and exert your power as you've done without consequence," she scolds.

Crap
.  I can't catch a damn break.

"You asked for this," I warn before bringing the lightning down to divide a line in front of us.

"She's in touch with the sky," a girl whispers to Serena.

"She's also new.  We're not.  Go," she commands, and they all begin threatening me with their whirling weapons of choice.

"Ah, hell.  You're going to get me in so much trouble," Hale gripes as he breaks the sun free from my cloudy sky, and the rays blast against the women charging us.

Serena jumps to her feet to glare at him.

"You just crossed the last line I'll ever let you," she growls.

Then the waves rattle behind us fiercely.  The swishing becomes a rampaging tidal wave within seconds, and the water claps against the surface as it splits to miss me completely.

Devin
.  He really is here.

Serena scowls as she loses her offensive positioning and shouts to the air.

"Is she with you?  You had better show yourself," she warns.

My heart almost jumps into my mouth as Devin's voice sounds out.

"I'm not hiding, Serena."

I slowly seek his voice as every hair on my neck stands to attention.  He's propped against a palm tree, messing with his phone as if he could care less about the entire situation's magnitude.

"You'll show me some respect.  You're in my territory," she snaps.

He slides his phone in his pocket and walks over to stand in front of me.  I almost lose my breath as he passes by without so much as glancing at me, and then my erratic breathing almost hurts my lungs as I stare at his shirt swishing in the wind.

My frigging breaths are coming in every five to ten seconds now.

"Actually, I'm in Deidra's territory - it's all her territory.  She's the only one I need permission from.  Don't forget who you're talking to."

Her eyes widen, and he pulls out his phone when it buzzes.

"Deidra has granted us passage through here.  Would you like to see for yourself?"

Serena glares at him with the contempt of hell burning in her eyes.

"No.  I'd rather not," she says through grinding teeth.

Devin smirks smugly and turns to walk away.  Hale jogs up beside him as the eyes still glare against his back.

"You know I'm in deep shit now, right?" Hale chirps.

Of course he knows Devin.  That's the real reason he knew I was immortal.

"You weren't supposed to approach her." Devin tries to whisper, but I still hear him.

"You sent him to spy on me?" I bark, quickening my pace so I can keep up.

Devin doesn't say anything.  I don't know why I'm following him.

"He sent me to keep Serena from trying to tear you a new one.  She's vicious, volatile and hotheaded.  If you piss her off, she doesn't stop attacking," Hale explains.

"I could have handled it," I scoff.

Devin still doesn't acknowledge me.  He keeps crossing through the last of the palms before we reach the street.

I see a SUV parked against the curb, and Kry is lying on top of the hood with his arms behind his head.

"D'you send my regards to Serena?" Kry chuckles.

Devin smirks slightly at some inside joke they're sharing, and then his stern face returns.

"I sent her Deidra's instead," he retorts dryly.

Kry turns to face him with wide eyes.  "Had to pull out the big guns, eh?"

Devin nods once, and Kry hops off the car.  "Glad to see you're back, Adisia," he says with a smile.

I stop walking abruptly.  What am I doing?  I've just followed Devin when all I've been trying to do is escape him.

"I'm not back.  I just… I don't know why I'm here.  I need to go," I mumble as I turn to cross the street.

"You can't go," Theia's voice calls out from behind me.

I turn to see her stepping out of another SUV that is parked just in front of Devin's.

"Theia, I have to," I grumble awkwardly.

"You're safer with us.  Persia made me promise to keep you safe before she left to find her contacts.  I don't go back on my word, and you owe it to her to keep yourself safe," she harshly asserts.

I choke back some of the emotion balling up in my throat, and Devin climbs into the passenger seat.  Deacon walks over with angered eyes.

"We're not leaving you here.  Devin's not the only one who has been worried to damn death about you.  Camara has exhausted herself keeping tabs on you, and I almost started a nuclear war by accident," he says with exasperation.

I almost smile at his morbid candor.  Devin is back to messing with his phone, which is what he does when he's
cross
with me - as he would say.  Hale walks up and hands me my black wrap he apparently went to retrieve.

"I'm not so sure how long you want to roam the streets in just that," he says while motioning to my bikini.

I roll my eyes as I tie the sarong back around my waist, and then I climb in the backseat in defeat.  Deacon fist pumps the air victoriously and slides across the hood like Bo Duke as he piles back into the SUV Theia had been in.

"He better not have dented my damn hood," Kry sneers.

"Well, where to?" Hale asks as he claims the seat next to me.

"My boat," Devin murmurs, and my heart is slowly trying to sweep the remaining pieces of it under the rug to hide it from the pain I'm feeling right now.

My lungs are exhausted from the erratic breathing, and my legs are wobbly from the unexpected reunion.

I pop my head back as Kry steps on the gas and the ocean stands still before my eyes as we head to the marina.

I can see the name
Aphrodisia
on the back of a yacht, and my stomach twists into knots.  The gallant sea beast has been named after me.  Why is he doing this to me?

I slump down in the seat and try to sink below the awkward tension thickening the air around us.

"We need to head out
to sea for a while so Theia can relax and clean up the beach scene," Phillip grumbles.

I can tell he's not pleased with me, but then again, like father like son.  Devin has yet to make eye contact with me, and he's like a fifteen-year-old on his phone.

"I've got the first draft drawn up.  I'll see you below," Devin murmurs to Phillip as he heads into the cabin.

I stand at the front of the nose and contemplate jumping into the water and swimming away.

"Don't jump," Deacon snickers out.

Kry walks up and props up on the railing beside me to give me a very disapproving glare.

I roll my eyes as I huff, "Can we please skip the grueling lectures?  I get it.  I scared everyone.  Shame on me for having a freak out."

Camara's voice growls from behind, "Shame on you indeed.  I've nearly worn the animals in the world ragged trying to pick up your scent.  I've slept for three days straight to make up for all the exerted energy."

I tilt my head curiously at her phrasing.

"You found me three days ago?"

She squirms uncomfortably, and Deacon rolls his eyes at Camara's slip.

"We've been trying to make sure you didn't stir up any trouble or attract attention to yourself.  I freaked out a bit when I found out you were in LA.  That place is crawling with our kind, and they're very territorial.  How did you make it out?" Deacon says in an effort to change the subject.

"Don't know how they didn't catch her scent," Kry whispers to himself, and then he squirms uncomfortably.

I feel like I'm missing something, but I ignore the comment he hadn't intended for me to hear before answering Deacon's question.

"I left after I saw the first fifteen with swirling eyes.  No one ever knew who I was.  I've kept my sunglasses on the entire time.  Hale was the first one to spot me, and technically he cheated since he was sent to spy on me," I pout while finally removing my dark sunglasses.

"Protect," Hale interjects.  "I was sent to
protect
you."

"Fine job you did.  Devin had to bail you out from what I saw," Deacon snorts in distaste for the blond babe.

"I wasn't expecting Paul to show up.  He's intense, and Serena's just crazy," he blubbers.

"Well, now Adisia is back with us.  Let's just be grateful this is all over," Camara sighs.

"Helios beach bum," Deacon grumbles.

Hale cuts his eyes at him, and Camara splits them up like they're children.  I look around at all the familiar faces that are usually in attendance, but there's a few missing - Gemma and her parents.

Devin emerges from the cabin with Phillip following him.  They carry on a whispered conversation while staring out at the sea.  Phillip drops back down below deck, and Theia follows him to start cleaning everything up.

Ther walks up to whisper with Devin in Phillip's absence.  I glower at his back, and I seize the opportunity to remind him I haven't forgotten the reason I left, even if I have been forced to rejoin.

"I'm surprised Gemma hasn't capitalized on her successful plan to rip us apart.  Where is she?  Out ripping my face from the frames before she moves in?" I snark.

Devin winces slightly at my vicious remark.  It's the first reaction he's had to my presence thus far.

"She's not part of our group anymore.  She's still a member of our protective circle, but she's not allowed to join us unless absolutely necessary," Kry announces with a touch of anger.

Devin leans over the rail, and Ther mimics his action as they continue on with their private conversation.

"Oh.  There's no reason for Devin to exclude her after the fact.  That's like getting a vaccine after you get sick.  It's pointless," I grumble.

"It wasn't just Devin.  We voted on the matter, and it was almost unanimous.  No one trusts someone who will pull something like that - during a time as sensitive as that was, especially.  We limit the amount of conflict within our group to prevent a separation.  She was causing too much conflict," Kry explains.

Oh
.

"I shouldn't be here.  I'm going to be nothing but conflict.  I've been nothing but conflict since I got here.  I swear Aphrodite was the embodiment of drama instead of love," I gripe.

Devin seems to wince again, and Hale's mouth drops open.

"What?  She's a daughter of Aphrodite and no one told me?  What the hell?" Hale screeches.

Devin walks over and violently shoves him into a seat.

"What are you doing?  Keep your voice down.  That could have been heard for miles," he warns.

Hale holds his hands up innocently as he speaks much lower.

"Sorry.  It just caught me off guard.  Why didn't you tell me?"

Devin rolls his eyes.  "You know why," he grumbles, and then he flashes back over to Ther.

I cross my arms over my chest in protest.

"Why?" I huff with the frustration from always feeling left out.

"Because he's a Helios," Deacon says as if it's some sort of explanation.

"And?" I mumble rudely.

"She doesn't have a clue what that means," Hale huffs with an offended tone.

I swear I see a slight smirk come to Devin's face, but I don't know if it's because he's listening in.

"Helios was the embodiment of the sun," Deacon sighs.

"Yeah.  I got that part.  So what?" I retort.

This time Devin turns his back to me completely when his smirk broadens.  He is listening in, but what's so comical?

"The sun is an aphrodisiac to most, especially immortals.  Helios descendents tend to drip sex appeal," Deacon mumbles with a grouchy tone.

Camara giggles slightly as she inspects Hale a little closer, and Deacon steps in front of her to cut off her view.

"Don't even think about it," Deacon warns, and Hale shakes his head at the not-so-veiled threat.

"Don't worry.  I appear to be losing my touch.  She turned me down before I even got going good.  The second I was making headway, Devin threw water on the fire - literally," Hale gripes.