Faith Revisited (29 page)

“Ohhh,” she purred with a wicked gleam.

“Baby, don't forget that rope.”

His voice got all growly, and shivers broke out across Faith's skin. “I really think I am going to have to take you up on that. Test out your roping skills.”

Bale groaned at her teasing tone. He scrambled away from her and tossed a cell phone into her lap. “Call your father.”

“Well, that killed the mood,” she murmured, curling her fingers around the phone. “And why would I want to call him?”

“Arrange a meeting. Let him know your mate is coming for Hope. And add that while his males attempted to leave Kash for dead, even a bullet to the head cannot stop us permanently.

We will kill every last one of his vampires if he does not give your sister back.”

Faith swallowed heavily, staring at the object she held.

“Baby, if you have had a change of heart, now is the time to let me know.” Bale was leaning against the door, watching her carefully, his arms folded across his chest.

Faith shook her head. “It's just…there are females and children in my father's nest. I don't want to see them hurt.”

He strode across the room and pulled her into his arms. “I want to see as little bloodshed as possible. That is why I am giving him this opportunity to meet me away from his nest. To protect his young. But Faith, your father will bleed for coming after us. Whatever the reason.”

She rested her cheek over his heart, comforted by the rhythm it played. “But I couldn't live with his death. He is still my father. Even if he is an asshole.”

Bale kissed the top of her head. “I will not lose you because of this night. It's the only reason your father will live. And I understand this was your family. But you are Grigori now. As is Hope.”

“A bloodsucking Grigori,” she said with a smile. “I bet Cowboy is just lovin' that.”

“I'll have to remember to call him that. It should piss him off just enough to be amusing.

Now call your father,” he said, his hand squeezing the one holding his cell phone.

And as Bale watched his mate relaying his message to the male who had sired her, his cock deflated, his hard-on becoming a pleasant memory. Faith was right; listening to her rage at her father could sure kill the mood.

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Chapter Fifteen

The meeting was held in an abandoned warehouse downtown. The building, owned by the Grigori, was used just for purposes such as this. It allowed for plenty of space and was just close enough to be easily accessible while still maintaining the privacy needed if things turned ugly.

As Bale stood across the empty room with his arms folded across his massive chest, staring at the vampire who was essentially his father-in-law, he knew the other male thought he had the advantage. If it came down to a brawl, the 350-year-old vampire, who didn't look a day over forty, had the numbers to back up his position—his twenty-or-so vampires to Bale and his four brothers. A smug smile settled over Bale's lips. He loved a good fight.

If only Faith hadn't been standing beside him. Her father was eyeing her with a narrowed gaze, and Bale sensed he was trying to assert some type of control over her.

“Faith, come here now,” her father ordered loudly, frustration settling upon his face.

Bale glanced down at his mate, arching a brow in question. She shifted nervously, shrugging slightly. Looking back at the vampire, he smiled broadly at the confusion marring the other male's face.

“It appears Faith is no longer yours to order about.”

Garrett Magee gave a hoarse laugh. “My daughter. My vampire. My control.”

“Really? Then why is she not coming to you? I can feel your compulsion, vampire.”

“Because she is still human. But she knows better than to defy me.” Garrett centered his attention on his daughter. “Faith, get your ass over here and let's go home. Enough is enough.”

Bale met his mate's gaze. “Baby, show your daddy those pretty little fangs of yours.”

Faith rolled her eyes at his attempt to bait her father, then allowed her fangs to drop. A hiss sounded from across the warehouse.

“You were not due to transfigure for another year. What the hell is going on? And why wasn't I informed of this?” Garrett turned an accusing eye toward his enforcer.

“She has been avoiding us all for weeks,” was Eli's chagrined reply.

“Faith, you'd better have a damn good explanation for this.” Garrett's angry look pinned Faith, and Bale felt her stiffen at his side. He ran a hand slowly up her back and embedded it in her hair at her nape, massaging gently. The tension drained right out of her at his touch.

Bale's gaze roamed hotly over his mate, and he asked her, “Are you going to tell him to go to hell, or should I?”

“Don't antagonize him. We're here to get Hope,” she reminded him with a soft sigh. Bale knew confronting her father was the last thing Faith wanted, but he also knew it was inevitable.

There was no way Garrett Magee would be leaving that warehouse without some form of retribution for Kash.

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“You know I can't do that, Faith,” he replied with some regret. “Your father needs to understand he no longer controls you and Hope and that neither of you needs his protection.”

“Damn it, Faith, you are trying my patience. I'm waiting,” Garrett snapped.

Faith sighed again before her gaze centered on her father. “I just want Hope back, Dad. We didn't come to start a war.”

“But you arrive armed to the teeth, demanding what is not yours to have. I thought you smarter than this, Faith. You are going to get your friends hurt.”

As the vampire spoke, he eyed the brothers with a smugness that only further amused Bale.

He couldn't wait to bring the bastard down a peg or two—or twenty. But it was what he said next that sent Bale into a rage.

“And then there will be no one to keep me from making you regret this. Stop this now, and I will go easy on you. But keep this up, and you will not like the punishment.”

Without even realizing he was moving, Bale teleported across the room and appeared, sword drawn, right before Faith's father. He grabbed the vampire by the hair as he pressed his blade into the male's neck. Garrett's eyes filled with horror as he stared into Bale's frigid gaze.

The click of a hammer cocking did nothing to ease the vampire's terror or Bale's rage.

“No one threatens my mate,” he growled through clenched teeth. “And a bullet will not stop me permanently. I will keep coming back until you are dead. Because you, vampire,
can
die. I cannot…not by something as pathetic as you.”

“What are you?” Garrett whispered hoarsely, his throat working frantically. A trickle of blood ran down his neck, pooling on his shirt collar.

“I am your worst nightmare, vampire. Belonging neither to Heaven nor Hell. Caught between worlds.” Bale stared deeply into the vampire's eyes.

The vampires shifted nervously around them. The enforcer, Eli, still had his gun aimed at Bale, but he hesitated to use the weapon. And Bale wasn't going to deny he was glad for the vampire's delay. A bullet would have put him out of commission for a time, and God only knew what would happen to Faith while he recovered.

Feeling her hand on the small of his back, Bale eased the pressure on the vampire's neck.

Much to his annoyance, she slid between him and the gun pointed at him, her eyes pinned on the enforcer. “We only want Hope back.”

Garrett's gaze sought out his daughter, and it hardened as it fell upon her. “There is no going back after this, Faith. Are you sure this is what you want?”

“He's my mate. And I love him.”

“Mate?” Garrett scoffed. “We do not mate.”

“Tell that to Muriel,” Faith replied softly.

Her father studied her a moment, appearing to measure her words before finally nodding, and Bale lowered his sword, sensing Faith's relief. It seemed she had been more worried than he'd first thought. Bale didn't know if he should be insulted or glad her fears had not come to pass.

“And your sister?”

Bale snorted. So much for worst fears and all that.

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He could feel the tension tightening Faith's limbs and wanted to take her from the warehouse, sparing her this distress. Not that she'd thank him for it. No, she'd probably try to gut him. But he couldn't resist wrapping an arm around her waist, needing to touch her.

“Bale and his brothers will look out for her,” was her quiet reply, and Bale was impressed that even now, while staring down this bastard, the vampire who called himself her father, Faith looked completely composed. His mate. Christ, he had to be the luckiest son of a bitch on earth.

“But I see no male here claiming her as his mate.”

Garrett looked among Bale's brothers, waiting for a denial, and Bale was right there with him. But when none came, the vampire shook his head.

“He can't,” Faith blurted out, much to Bale's surprise. “Whoever you sent after her shot him in the head and left him for dead. It will take several days before he has recovered enough to leave his bed.”

Bale tightened his hand on his mate's hip, his fingers digging into her skin. She sent him a pleading look, and Bale sighed. “As Faith's mate, I do so for Kash.”

Garrett studied them for a moment, as if judging the truth of their words; then he glanced over his shoulder and nodded to a vampire standing on the fringes. Stepping out of the warehouse, the vampire returned only a moment later with Hope and five other vampires. His mate's twin looked exhausted. Her hair was in disarray, and her eyes were red and puffy from tears.

“Hope, your sister has said one of these males is your mate. Is this true?”

Bale watched a look of confusion settle on Hope's face, her eyes seeking out her twin. Her gaze shifted to behind him for the briefest of seconds before returning to her twin as Faith called out, “He lives, Hope, and will recover in a matter of days.”

A look of relief washed over Hope, and the tension seemed to drain out of her shoulders.

“Yes,” she said softly, her gaze moving to her father. “Kash is my mate.”

Garrett Magee's eyes narrowed for a brief moment, as if he thought they might be lying.

Watching Hope move to stand beside Faith, he said, “I am sorry for your mate's injuries. Martin thought he was forcing you from your apartment.”

Though she did not appear entirely convinced, Hope nodded, stuffing her fists into the front pockets of her jeans.

The twins' father turned to Bale then. “I pity you. Truly I do. And I wish you better luck than I ever had with them.”

Grinning down at Faith, Bale said, “Never fear. I know just how to handle them.” He moved as if turning from the vampire. “Oh, and by the way. This is for Kash.” Pivoting on his heels, he planted his fist into the vampire's face.

Garrett Magee hit the floor. Hard. But Bale didn't wait to see how he would react. Placing an arm lightly on both females' shoulders, he led them from the warehouse.

“What the hell just happened?” Hope asked, breaking away from him once her father was no longer in earshot, the words rushing from her lips.

Bale chuckled. She'd probably been biting her cheek the entire time her father had been in the room. “I am amazed at your ability to keep silent for so long.”

Hope glared at him. “Fuck off.” She turned to her sister. “Care to explain?”

“Your twin's overwhelming thanks is just embarrassing.”

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Faith smiled at his sarcasm; then she centered her attention on Hope. “Not really,” she replied to her twin's question.

“How about you do so anyway?” Hope folded her arms across her chest and frowned at her sister.

“Let's just say a lot of male posturing occurred, and due to poor Kash's misfortune of being the one attacked with you, you have gone from under Dad's thumb to Bale's. Welcome to my life.” Faith smiled brightly at her sister.

“I so hate you,” Hope mumbled, her eyes narrowing at Faith.

Faith laughed. “At least when this demon thing is over, Bale will happily allow you to go home. Can you say the same for Dad?”

Hope's frown deepened. “And you suck.” Faith threw an arm around her twin's shoulders.

“Is Kash really okay?” she asked, resting her head on Faith's shoulder.

Faith cast an uncertain look at Bale.

“He will be. In a few days. Your father's vampires did one hell of a job on him.”

Hope's eyes began to tear up. “When Martin held that gun to his head—” Her voice hitched, and she shook her head, blinking her eyes rapidly. “I'm relieved he will be okay. He shouldn't have had to suffer because of me.”

“No, he shouldn't have.” Zeke stepped forward, his voice barely controlled and the rage blazing in his eyes. “Maybe next time you will do as you are told and stay home.”

A single tear slid down Hope's cheek. Faith stepped in front of her sister, and by the look on her face, he could see Faith was getting ready to blast Zeke into next week. Bale put a restraining hand on his arm, stepping between the two, because if Zeke even threatened Faith with violence, Garrett Magee wouldn't be the only one losing some teeth.

“Don't say it, Bale,” Zeke hissed, yanking his arm from Bale's grip. “You give your mate far too much freedom, but that is your business. You are the one who will suffer from that decision. But Hope is not your mate. And Kash is the one suffering now. Which of us will be next? All to protect a female who has no business roaming the streets.”

Bale was silent a moment. “Do not worry, my brother. I will not force you to risk yourself for my sister. Rest assured, you will never be required to assist in her aid again,” he said quietly.

“Good. Because I won't.” Zeke's eyes glittered dark green with fury; then he just disappeared without another word. As Bale's gaze roamed over his other brothers, Remy studied Hope curiously, and Jet seemed perplexed by the events. But something in Levi's gaze told Bale he understood. Levi nodded before he looked down at his black loafers, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his prissy black slacks as he turned and walked away. Jet followed, leaving Bale with the two females and Remy.