Daughter Trilogy Bundle (61 page)

"That's how I was, not how I am," he grumbles as I cringe in disgust.

I start to walk off, but he grabs my hand to pull me into his arms.  I don't cause a scene by attempting to escape the arms I know I can't.

"I love Adisia.  Please just consider it a show of respect to exert restraint from your otherwise crude tongue," he gripes.

"You know just how crude my tongue can be," she seduces as a wicked grin slithers across her face.

              Devin grumbles under his breath, and his posture and eyes scold her for her disobedience.

He's about to ask this bitch to come live with us
.

She huffs as she shrugs apologetically.

"Sorry.  Old habits and whatnot," she says with a dispassionate sort of tone.

Devin cracks his neck to the side as his jaw clenches.  My arms cross over my chest as my eyes continue to glare at her.

She saunters very salaciously to the bar, and very deliberately bends over the top of it to pull a purse out.  I roll my eyes at the obvious seductive trail she's leaving behind for Devin, and he wraps his arm around my waist to try and keep me from walking way.

"This is absurd," I whisper.

"I know.  I'm sorry.  I wasn't expecting her to be quite so… ridiculous," he groans.

"You didn't see all this?" I growl.

"I told you, I avoid visions with her and all the others as well," he growls back.

I just roll my eyes as we start walking out.  Stasia returns and giggles as I see her loop her arm through Devin's.  He casually dislodges it as he ushers all of us out, and I hear my stomach growling loudly as a faintness swoops over me.

Devin's arms wrap around me as I stagger, and he scoops me up to hold me against him.

"When's the last time you ate?" he murmurs with concern.

"This morning… I think," I mumble.

"I'm so stupid," he gripes.

Hale flashes away and I roll my eyes at the overreaction.

"I'm fine.  I'm just a little tired," I groan as I try to unravel myself from his strong hold, but it's pointless.

"How much sleep have you had?" Persia scolds.

Oh good grief.  Choose your words wisely, Adisia.

"I don't know.  I don't exactly document when I go to bed and wake up," I huff.

"Adisia, you're mortal," Deacon admonishes.

"Yeah.  I got the memo.  Everyone loves to keep reminding me of that," I release sardonically.

"I'm not telling you to bruise your ego.  I'm telling you that you have to take care of yourself.  We don't need the same things you need as often.  You have to be responsible for yourself," he sounds off like a grouch.

"I'm responsible for her," Devin murmurs with guilt oozing out.

"I haven't been hungry, and I'm not any more tired than normal.  It's not your place to feed me like an infant," I growl as I make one last attempt to free myself from his suffocating embrace.

Hale flashes back with a sack of food; fruits, a salad, and three bottles of water.

"Eat," they all order in unison.

I feel like such a child right now, and it's really starting to piss me off.  I take a banana with begrudged acceptance, and bite into while glaring at the assholes watching me as though I'm a baby taking my first steps.

"There," I mumble with a mouthful.  "Happy?"

Then I realize how truly hungry I am as the food begins to play in my starving mouth.  I almost inhale the rest of the banana as Devin places me in a car.

"Stasia can walk back with you," he says to everyone else.

She smiles with an indifferent attitude, and then Hale tells the driver which way to go.  I continue my savage meal with more enthusiasm than what I started off with.

"I should have thought about such things earlier," he chastises to himself.

"It's not your fault.  I'm perfectly capable of gauging when I'm hungry.  I've just been distracted,” I murmur with another mouthful.

I guzzle large gulps of water at a time until I completely empty one of the bottles, and then I dig into an apple.  Devin takes the bag in his hand as the driver pulls up to the curb.  He leads me out of the car and then scoops me up once more to take us inside the hotel.

"You can go to sleep once we get up there," he mumbles.

"No.  I want to be a part of the discussion," I whimper.

"I want you healthy," he counters so pitifully.

"I promise I'll sleep in tomorrow morning.  Just let me stay up with you," I plead.

"Is this because of Stasia?  It's pretty obvious that you don't trust me even though you told me you did," he barks.

I frown slightly at my completely rude reaction to the drooling ex.  This is all hard to deal with, but it's not his fault she's still gaga for him.

"I'm sorry.  I might have been a little more irritable based on the hunger thing," I lie.  "I do trust you, but I really hate her.  I think I hate her more than Gemma and she tried to kill me," I say with exasperation.

I can tell he doesn't know whether to laugh or cry after that remark.  He just shakes his head as he pulls me into his arms as he stands me up in the elevator.

"I love you, and I have only ever loved you.  Stasia, Gemma, none of them mean a damn thing to me, and they never did.  Please trust me," he begs.

"I do.  I'm sorry.  I do trust you.  I just wish you weren't so
… so… hot," I pout.

This time he can't help but grin.  He rolls his eyes as the elevator door opens to the apartment, and his fingers intertwine with mine as he drops the bag on the coffee table.

The others must have taken a more leisurely stroll because they're not here yet.

Thank goodness.

I dig into the salad as Devin pours himself a glass of scotch.

"They're almost here," he murmurs as he sits down beside me.

"Can you see what else she's going to try?" I mumble.

"I can if you want me to," he pouts.

"No.  I'd prefer it if you abstained as you have been.  I love you," I mutter.

His lips consume mine, and I almost need him right now.  I want him as close as possible in every way.

He starts to lean over me, forcing more intimacy, but then he pulls back with a cheeky grin.

"Finish your food," he plays.

I huff a little as I murmur, "I've lost my appetite now."

"Eat," he says in a mock scolding tone.

I can't help but giggle as he pulls me tighter to his chest while I continue with the salad.  The elevator opens, and Stasia's eyes immediately lock onto Devin.

He completely ignores her as he kisses the side of my head, and right now I feel a little better about the situation.  She may want him, but he wants me.

"Devin, there you are.  This apartment looks just the way I remember it," she says with her secretive stab yet again.

I completely ignore her and stay focused on my food.  Devin's arm tightens around my shoulders as she plops down on the other side of him and puts her hand on his leg.

I still keep my eyes firmly planted on my leafy entrée and try to block her out as he claims to.

"Stasia, please.  It's inappropriate for you to be touching me this way," he warns.

She sighs as she removes her hand, and I stand to carry the rest of my salad to the trash.

"Where are you going?" he almost panics.

"To throw this away," I say casually.

He stands up too, and I quickly try to prove I trust him.

"I'll get it.  You can stay," I murmur without a trace of anger resonating at all.

"No.  I'll come.  I need another drink," he says coolly while guzzling down the entire glass.

I smile a little at his obvious escape attempt.  His hand grazes my back as he follows me, and once we round the slightly hidden point, he almost forces me into the wall.

His lips command the attention of mine, and his hips begin to pin me.  I feel his firm, incredible body pursuing mine with absolute fearlessness, and it's so fucking hot.

"What are you doing?" I breathe through his lips.

"I'm about to fuck my fianc
ée," he crudely answers, and everything in my body flames and throbs in that instant.

Light bulbs begin to burst around us, and I can hear Deacon laughing from the living area.

"Should we start without you?" he chuckles.

Devin's eyes light up with menace as he pulls me off the countertop I don't even remember getting on.

I'm a completely scattered mess as we walk through to where the others are, and Devin gives them a wave as we pass ob by.

"Yeah.  We'll be back in a little while.  Just fill in the gaps for Stasia," Devin says dismissively.

"Where are you going, Devin?" she asks mildly, as if she's unaffected by his indifference toward her presence.

"To be alone with my girl," he says to ice her fire.

She tries to hide her pout, but it's not hard to find.  I almost let a smug smirk escape as Devin pulls me behind the door before almost slamming it.

"Well you two look as
though you feel refreshed," Deacon teases as we finally emerge from the bedroom.

"I certainly do," Devin plays.

I blush instantly as I fidget nervously in my yoga pants and tank top.  Devin is wearing a pair of his sexy jogging pants and a tee-shirt as he plops down in an oversized chair where Stasia can't join him.

If she sits in his lap, I'll definitely test my skills against an immortal.

"Is Stasia all caught up?" Devin asks as he motions for me to come join him.

He pulls me into his lap as Deacon answers the question.

"Pretty much.  It's been a long conversation.  Theia's asleep, and we didn't want to burden her by asking her to relive all that once again."

Devin frowns slightly, and I nestle into his chest as his arms tighten around me.  He kisses my head, and I snuggle into him even more as my eyes start to grow heavy.

"Perhaps you should go on to bed," Stasia says with a too bitter sweet voice.

I bet she'd like that.

"I'm fine.  If I go to sleep here, Devin can just carry me to bed when he goes," I yawn out.

I can feel him smiling rather than see it.  His hands settle me into his lap a little better.

"Yes I can," he sweetly replies.  "Do you have any questions on what we need from you?" he asks Stasia.

"You want me to subdue their air embodiment.  I can handle that.  Is she going to be ready by then?" Stasia softly asks with her eyes pointed at me.

"I don't know, but we have to be prepared in case she is.  I'm going to call in Deidra as a backup plan.  She can encase her in the tomb again, hopefully, if we all subdue her the way it was done before," Devin sighs.

"I'll be ready.  She'll threaten Devin at some point, and then I'll change.  I'll already know how to control my powers this time," I quickly add.

Devin kisses me again, and his hand begins streaming up and down my back affectionately.  I can feel his smile behind the kiss, even though it's burdened by the horrid memories of the past.

"You're her trigger?" she gasps.

"One of them.  Her mother and I both are," he explains.

Her face changes suddenly.  She's no longer trying to mask her desire to be with him as more than a sexual companion.  There is genuine pain in her eyes.  Why didn't she want him to know she cared?

"Somehow that part was left out of the conversation," she mumbles in despair.

I can't fight the powerful exhaustion any longer.  I need to sleep, and I need to do it now.

I faintly hear the conversation still springing forward as I finally succumb to the dreadful heaviness of the invading fatigue.

Chapter 5

Divided Compromise

I feel the most delicious warmth tangled around me, and I know why as I open my eyes to see the beautiful face of my man.

He's still sleeping peacefully, and I decide to capitalize on my ability to surprise him as I creep out of bed to sneak to the kitchen so I can make him breakfast in bed.

I giggle to myself as I close the door behind me.  He might smell the food, but he won't hear me getting it ready.

The pan starts to sizzle as I drop in the bacon, and then I begin whisking the eggs.  I'm beaming like a fool just because I intend to give him a surprise breakfast.

Oh I've got it so bad.

I feel a chill in the air, and I look up to see Stasia walking in with an enigmatic smirk.  I force myself to be civil despite my loathsome distaste for her.

"Sorry.  I wasn't aware anyone else was awake," I utter with a surprised tone.

"I'm the only one… I checked," she says with an eerie chilling hue to her voice.

Okay.  Odd conversational skills.

"I'm just making Devin a breakfast-in-bed surprise," I say with a bit of a girly grin.

"Oh, yes.  I haven't forgotten you can surprise him.  It must be horrible to know he can look at me and all of my wonderful extremities anytime he pleases, but he can only ever see you when you're right in front of him," she snarks.

I stop whisking for a moment as I try to review her comment.  Surely I didn't hear her right.

"I love the fact he can't see me.  He told me it was the most intriguing fact, and I love being able to surprise him."

"I'm sure he finds it intriguing, but it is in no way the thing that drew him to you the most.  I have to commend you on your clever little ploy.  Playing on his vanity by claiming him to be your strongest trigger… well, it's genius."

I know I didn't hear her wrong this time.  This bitch is coming at me with no holds barred.

"Excuse me?" I scoff while whirling around.

"Don't act as if you're surprised.  It's been rather obvious you've felt threatened by me since the moment you saw me, as you should be.  Devin has always stayed close to me, and he's never denied me until last night.

You made an obnoxious point by dragging him to the bedroom while I sat idly out here waiting.  Then you flopped in his lap and fell asleep in an effort to obstruct any chance I could have taken to remind him of what he's missing with me," she snidely remarks.

"I didn't drag him to the bedroom.  He's the one that led that expedition.  I don't feel threatened by you because Devin loves me.  It's not a ploy - he's my trigger, and he's seen it with his own eyes.  The only thing you're right about is the fact I stayed in here last night to deter any foolish attempt you might have made.  If Devin kept me in here after I went to sleep, then he was attempting to accomplish the same feat," I blare.

I storm by her on my way to wake Devin.  I'm not going to deal with this shit.  I shouldn't be subjected to this so early in the morning.

I feel my breath catch in my throat, and suddenly I
’m struggling for air.  I slowly wheeze in a fraction of the breath I need as I fall to my knees.

She strides toward me with a slow, sauntering pace until she stops in front of me, reveling in my excruciating pain as the blood pounds in my head.

"Do you know how the breath catchers received such a name?" she asks as if she expects me to respond, but all I can do is continue to gasp for the air that is barely there.  "We can't kill an immortal, but we can pull their powers from their breath long enough for someone else to carry out the task.  That's not how we received our name though.

"It's actually a very self explanatory sort of thing really.  We can draw out the breath a mortal needs to survive.  Right now, you're still mortal.  Devin can't hear you, see you, or see me doing this to you.  Every door is shut, every immortal still asleep, and it's just you and me in here.  I'll simply tell Devin you finished what you started, and hung yourself to keep him safe," she snickers out with her ominous laugh.

I try to slither across the floor while on my belly to reach the bedroom, but she restricts the air intake I'm already scarcely getting.

My lungs tighten to the point of collapsing inwardly, and I can't even scream out from the excruciating pain piercing my chest.

"It hurts, doesn't it?  Just know that I'll take good care of Devin.  I've spent centuries being the opposite of that clingy bitch he just wanted to be free from.  All the other girls begged him to be more than just a once-and-a-while man, but I accepted him for who I thought he was.  I knew one day all of my patience and strategic planning would pay off.  Then you show up, and within a month he's in love, and he proposed to you.  To you!" she screams.

Every fucking room here is padded, so she can scream as loud as she wants to.  I can't make a sound as I roll over onto my back while clapping my lips together to try and force air into my lungs, but to no avail.

"I deserve to be his wife.  I've earned it.  You're just some slutty bitch that fell into a pot of gold so many have been searching for.  I've waited centuries, and you've waited weeks.  I damn well won't lose him to anyone, let alone you," she threatens.

Suddenly a vine clasps around her throat, jerking her backwards from her attack stance.  She flies into the wall behind her as the tables turn, and she's the one gasping for air.

The oxygen fills my desperate lungs so quickly that it forces me to cough ruthlessly when a startled Stasia loses her grip on my breath.

"Well, isn't this sweet.  I finally have a reason to exact some long awaited revenge," Gemma snarks as she slowly approaches the restrained Stasia.

"Put me down.  Devin will kill you for hurting me," Stasia barks through strain.

I keep my hand on my chest as the breaths coming so vigorously ache with a pounding depth.  Gemma smiles at her captured and struggling prey that can't paralyze her powers for some reason.

"I'm not trying to hurt you.  You're just a Nuri, but I'm a goddess," she gloats.

The vines snap together, and I look away as the body of Stasia folds into the vines while they lower her deadweight to the ground.

I shiver slightly as I barely catch a glimpse of her open, glazed over eyes.

Gemma dusts her hands off as she murmurs, "I've been waiting on a reason to kill that bitch."

She turns toward me, and I scramble backwards on my elbows until I bump into the couch.  She rolls her eyes at my panic, and puts her hand down to help me up.

"I don't want to kill you, or you'd be dead by now.  I love Devin, but I'm not the psycho you just dealt with.  I'll survive without him, and I'll be better off now that I can stop wondering 'what if' all the time.  It's very freeing in fact," she offers.

"How did you know she was killing me?" I ask suspiciously.

Did she listen to all of that?  Was she hoping I'd be dead before she finally got to kill Stasia?

"I didn't.  I came out to sneak in some water to my smuggled in babies," she says while motioning to the retracting plant slithering back across the floor.  "The second I heard your wheezes, I flashed in.  To put you're worried mind at ease, I saved you the moment I knew you were in trouble," she adds.

I very warily accept her proffered hand, and she pulls me to my feet in one swift motion.

I continue to massage my aching chest, and then the stench of burning bacon overwhelms me as the smoke detectors ring out all over.  Gemma flashes to the kitchen, and doors begin whirling open in unison as the smell finds everyone else at once.

Everyone stumbles to a halt when they catch a glimpse of the dead blond curled up on the floor.  Devin's eyes grow wide as he flashes over to me.

"What the hell happened?" he gasps.

I cough a little once more as my lungs still sting from their weakened posture.

"Stasia tried to kill me, and…" I pause as Gemma returns, and my eyes thank her.  "Gemma saved me," I sigh.

Devin's arms instantly embrace me in a horrified hug, and his breaths become erratic.

"What the fuck?  Why did she try to kill you?" he snaps in complete terror.

"Because she's been psychotically in love with you for centuries," Gemma snorts.

Devin shakes his head.  "We weren't in that sort of relationship.  She never wanted that sort of thing and neither did I," he sighs.

"Gemma's right.  She said she deserved you, not me.  She's been playing a waiting game.  She thought you would choose her if she played it casual, and then suddenly I was in her way," I cough out.

His eyes show disbelief and guilt.

"Oh, baby, I'm so sorry.  I swear I didn't know she would do something like this," he murmurs through strain.

"I did," Gemma scoffs.

I can feel Devin's lips tightening, but he can't counter her snarky remark.  She was right about Stasia all along, and he's been accusing her of lying for who knows how long.

"Why didn't she paralyze your powers?" I ask curiously, my steadier breaths allowing my tone to sound a little less hoarse.

"Because her powers were focused on you before she knew I was anywhere close to intervening, and once an immortal's power is active, a breath catcher can't stop them.  That's why I didn't give her any lulls," Gemma explains.

Her eyes flash expectantly toward Devin.  I suppose she's not as over him as she wanted me to think.

Now what?  I can't be mad at her right this minute.

"Thank you, Gemma," he murmurs.

She looks a little disappointed.  I'm not sure if she was also expecting an apology, or if she was expecting him to fall for her.  She just nods before flashing out of the room.

Devin's face wears more burden than I've seen yet.  He scoops me up and carries me over to the couch to hold me to him.

"I'm so sorry, baby," he breathes in a pained wince.

"Please don't take this on.  You're not responsible for her extra dose of crazy," I mumble as I try to hold back the tears.

I know he'll feel even worse if I release the floodgates right now.

"I should have seen that.  Why didn't I see that?" Persia whines as she paces back and forth.

"Because it wasn't premeditated.  It was just an opportunity she tried to capitalize on.  I don't want you blaming yourself either," I murmur through the pain in my chest.

"How badly does it hurt?" Devin asks with such guilt still pouring free.

"It's not unbearable.  I wanted to bring you breakfast in bed," I pout.

He kisses me softly on my trembling lips that I've been unable to steady, and then he pulls me back to him.

"That fucking bitch," Kry blares as he grabs his head in disbelief.  "We sat there and told her how crucial Adisia was to all of this, but she still tried to kill her.  We told her how much we all cared about her, and she just thought everyone would be okay with her pulling the air from her lungs?"

I smile a little at everyone's reactions, but it disappears when I answer the question he didn't know actually had an answer.

"She was going to string me up and make it look like I hung myself.  She knew of my past suicide attempt, and she was going to make everyone believe I carried through with it," I shakily reply.

The color completely drains from Devin's face, and the ghostly hue creeps into everyone else's as well.

"I can't believe this," Ther gasps while falling to the chair behind him.  "I wish you could have zapped her into a pile of ashes," he growls.

"She wouldn't have come at me if I hadn't been mortal.  That's why she was so eager to take her shot at me this morning," I mumble.

"I'd like to fucking revive the bloody psycho so that I can kill her my damn self," Deacon mumbles as his fists clench so tight they make a gripping rattle.

"I should have killed her last night when she made the comment about Adisia lying about your being her trigger," Camara hisses.

"She said that last night?  She said it today too," I murmur.

"I missed that part," Devin grumbles.

"You had already gone on to bed with Adisia, and she watched you until the door closed.  I just chalked it up to a scorned woman.  I never dreamt she'd attempt something like this, or I would have burned her alive," Hale gripes as he buries his head in his hands.

"We told her to watch what she said because we all love Adisia.  She just went to bed after that.  I was hoping she had drunk too much," Camara whimpers.

"I should have listened to Gemma, and I can't believe I'm saying that," Devin grumbles.

"No more exes are allowed to join this convoy," I joke in an effort to lighten the intensity in the air.

Crap.  Crickets.

No one even tries to smile at my failed attempt at a joke.  Devin's eyes continue to be weighed with more anxiety than he deserves to suffer.

"This wasn't your fault," I say again while getting attacked by a yawn.

He kisses my forehead as he scoops me up.

"Go back to sleep.  I know that was exhausting, and you need to rest for a while after enduring such a vicious attack.  I'll wake you in a bit so you can eat," he murmurs so softly, and I'm worried I detect something else lacing his tone.