From the Ashes (Force of Nature Book 1) (10 page)

“Kat, if I had a damn clue, I'd tell you, but I don't. One second we were headed to Brooklyn, the next we were headed to the bottom of the river.”

“To sleep with the fishes...”

“Yep.”

She frowned.

“I don't like this. Something about it doesn't sit right.”

“I know, Kat, but I don't know what you want me to say,” I replied with a shrug. “Can we discuss this once we don't smell like rotten fish and garbage?”

“Yes. We can.”

I followed her into the breezeway and waited for her to enter the code for the security door. Once inside, we parted ways. I made my way to my bedroom, all the while mulling over the implications of the day's events. I had no doubt that Monroe was behind our impromptu dive into the East River, but what I didn't understand was why. If the king really had settled things with Reinhardt, then either the warlock leader had boldfaced lied to him, an act that would bring about his death, or worse yet, Kingston and his boys had gone rogue. The latter seemed far more likely. If I was right, it meant that I would never be safe again.

And judging by what had happened that day, neither would anyone near me.

6

“Tell me again how you two ended up in the East River in the first place,” Jensen said, his confusion barely masking his fear-driven anger. He knew how lucky Kat was to be standing in front of him, but that didn't stop him from releasing his frustration with the situation on us both.

“Like I said before,” Kat shrugged, “one second we were driving, the next we were plunging into the river.”

“And you don't remember anything after that?” he asked, skepticism in his tone.

“I blacked out at some point.”

“I remember,” I interjected, trying to calm him. “But I don't know that you want to hear about it. It was scary. You shouldn't have those visuals in your mind.”

“Do you know why the car went over?”

Sort of...

“No. Not exactly. It felt like the steering yanked us to the side. Maybe there was something wrong with the car?”

“I just had it serviced!” Kat argued, not wanting to blame her baby, who was currently being fished off the riverbed for a hefty price.

“That doesn't mean it didn't have issues, Kat,” I countered. “Sometimes problems occur when cars have been worked on. I've seen shows about it on TV.”

“I don't know, Piper,” she replied, looking doubtful.

“I'm not saying that's the case. I'm just offering it as an option. The reality is that we won't likely find out why or how we drove off the bridge. I'm just grateful we're both okay.”

“So are we,” Jase called out from the hallway before entering the room.

“How long have you two assholes been listening in?” Jensen asked, finding a new outlet for his irritation.

“Long enough to hear what happened.” Jase turned questioning eyes to me. “I don't know how you two are alive.”

“Well, we are, so can we just move on? Please? I don't like reliving this. I almost watched Kat drown. It's not a fond memory.”

He frowned.

“You're right. I'm sorry,” he said, coming over to hug me.

“I just want to find someone to blame so I can kick their ass,” Dean added, coming to stand beside his brother, who refused to let me go.

“You're going to kick the car's ass?” I asked him, feigning amusement, though in actuality, I was freaking out. I needed to divert their attention from retribution. “Besides, you two are on especially short leashes with the king at the moment. Merc too. There's no indication that this was anything other than a mechanical defect in the car. You can't go on a proverbial witch hunt, cracking skulls until you get an answer you like. You know what the king said about the treaty...”

“Fine,” he grumbled. “You're right. I'd just feel better if I got to kick somebody's ass.”

“Kick Jase's. He could use a good beating,” I suggested.

“Hey!” Dean's brother exclaimed, pushing away from me.

“I'm just sayin'.”

“Some thanks I get for being concerned.”

“Are we done here, Jensen? I'm exhausted. Hauling your mate's heavy ass out of the water has me beat.”

He nodded once, his eyes darting over to where Kat stood.

“Thank you, Piper,” he said solemnly. “I forgot to thank you in all of this. I don't know what I'd do without her.”

“You'd get laid a lot less, I know that,” Kat added to lighten the mood. She never was one for being sentimental.

I burst out laughing, as did the others. Leave it to Kat to bring everything back to sex somehow.

“I'll leave you two to that,” I said, turning to exit. The brothers fell in behind me, closing the door behind them to the sound of Kat and Jensen crashing into the wall. It appeared that they were going to have quite the evening.

The thought made me blush.

The boys and I parted ways when they headed toward the media room and I made my way to my bedroom to crash. As I walked, I thought about the dream I'd had of Merc and me doing exactly what Kat and Jensen were at that moment. The heat that spread through my body made my cheeks even more flushed and chased away the remnants of fear from my afternoon's excitement. I rounded the corner to the wing of the mansion that held my room, smiling to myself.

Then I walked right into the source of my lustful thoughts.

“Gah!” I squealed, grabbing my chest. “You scared me. You have to stop doing that.” He eyed me curiously. I almost thought I saw a hint of a smile cross his face. “Jase and Dean are in the media room, if that's who you're looking for.” I started to slip past him, my awkward avoidance of him so obvious it was painful.

“I was looking for you,” he replied, which startled me yet again.

“Oh.”

“I overheard Kat talking about what happened.”

“You were eavesdropping?”

“Strategically listening,” he replied unapologetically.

I shrugged, letting out a heavy sigh.

“Yeah. It was a rough day.”

“Do you truly believe it was the car that led you over the bridge?”

I tried to suppress my rising panic.

“I really don't know what it was.”

“Just as you don't remember how you came to be burned the night we found you in the park?”

“No. I remember going over the bridge very clearly. I don't, however, remember the night I was attacked.”

His eyes narrowed as he leaned toward me. I instinctively took a step backward.

“You care deeply for your friends, don't you?”

“Yes.”

“You would protect them at all costs?”

“I would,” I said softly. “They're my family.”

His jaw tensed at my reply, flexing so hard that the tension cut deeper angles into his face.

“Be careful the choices you make, Piper. Your desire to help them may very well endanger you, as well as those you endeavor to keep safe in the process.”

He hovered for a moment, looking as though there was more he wished to say. Then, abruptly, he walked away, disappearing around the corner.

I let out a loud exhale.

I couldn't explain it, but it was as though he knew that I was lying, that I was withholding information. But how could he? He could manipulate the minds of others, but I knew nothing of his ability to read them. Regardless, he'd struck a nerve. He spoke the truth, though I was loath to admit it. I was a danger to myself and others. My track record supported that wholeheartedly.

I schlepped my way down to my room and locked myself in, not wanting to see anyone. Why bother? I already had my guilt to keep me company.

* * *

I’d fallen asleep easily, exhausted by the entire ordeal Kat and I had faced. Soon after, I found myself sitting on the edge of a bed that was not my own, but I recognized it. I’d been pinned down by Merc in it once before. What a sweet dream that had proven to be.

A sound from behind me startled me, and I turned to find Merc leaning against the wall on the far side of the room. Only the bed and an expanse of open floor separated the two of us. He lingered there in silence for a moment before pushing off of it to approach me.

“Wait!” I blurted out, throwing my arm out to ward him off. To my surprise, he stopped. Then a smile spread wide across his face. “What’s so funny?”

“You.” He continued to stare at me, creating conflict within me. Part of me wanted to run from him. The other wanted to run into his arms. “You don’t fear me when you are awake. Why now do you choose to be afraid?”

“I don’t choose to be afraid…” The fall of his expression told me he didn’t agree. “Am I dreaming right now?”

“Do you think you’re dreaming?”

“I have no idea.” Everything there seemed so real—so clear. I just couldn’t be sure. “Why are you here?”

His smile returned.

“It’s your dream, Piper. I can’t answer that for you.”

“Fine, then answer something else for me,” I countered, hopping off of the bed. “Why are you and your brothers always having silent conversations about me? And why do they selectively tell me what you’ve said?”

The smile morphed into a smirk.

“You’d have to ask them about that, Piper. I can’t speak for them.”

“Ugh,” I groaned. “Okay, then tell me something else.”

“Such as?”

“Tell me why you saved me the night that Kingston attacked us.”

His expression sobered.

“Would you have preferred that I didn’t?”

“No, but—”

“I saved you for more than one reason that night, Piper.” He started toward me again, but this time I did nothing to stop him. “My brothers love you. That point was made very clear to me before we left for the club. Jase was busy with Kingston when we realized what the warlock was doing. Dean was guarding the vortex they’d opened. That left me. And I had no intention of being the reason that they lost you.”

“Oh,” I replied. The note of disappointment in my tone was surprising to hear. Perhaps in my dreams, I could not deny the truth like I could when conscious. “And in the park—after Kingston—”

I cut myself off, wrapping my arms around my waist.

He gently took my wrists and lowered my hands from my abdomen to rest at my sides.

“Your suffering was hard to bear,” he said softly. “Watching you—the pain you were in—was impossible. I did what I did to take it away.”

“Because it hurt you to see someone that hurt?” I asked, thinking that trait was one deeply contradicted by what the boys had told me. That he was essentially a soulless killer. A mercenary. I needed to know if he really was more than that.

“No.” My heart sank for a moment, thinking that maybe all I’d experienced him to be wasn’t as true as I would have liked. He leaned in closer to me, our bodies touching. My heart perked back up at the contact. “It hurt me to see
you
like that.”

“Oh.”

“You like that response, don’t you?” There was laughter in his voice when he asked. My eyes shot up to his immediately.

“You surprised me, that’s all. Sometimes it takes me a minute to wrap my head around things.”

“Then allow me to give you something else to wrap your head around,” he said, his hands cupping my face to angle it up toward him. “You didn’t ask my other reason for saving you the night Kingston attacked us outside the club.” My breath caught in my throat as his lips drew nearer to mine. “I may be everything you’ve been told, Piper. I’m cold. I’m a killer. And yes, at times, unstable. But not with you.” I felt the tickle of his breath on my mouth and I leaned toward him, desperate to feel his lips upon mine. “That is something I am not willing to lose. I like how it feels far too much for that.”

* * *

I shot up in bed, sweaty and panting as Merc's words ran through my mind. I wanted to process them—to make sense of them—but then I remembered that there was no point. It was a dream. A machination of my subconscious, which seemed hellbent on making sense of the mystery named Merc. The mystery I couldn’t escape.

With a sigh, I threw back the covers and dragged myself from my bed. It was just about one in the morning—prime vampire time. I really didn't want to see anyone, so I did what I could to sneak around unnoticed, which is no easy feat in a household of super-hearing beings. I made my way down the hall to the butler’s staircase and sneaked down into the kitchen. Once there, I went through the cupboards quietly, hoping to pilfer some snacks I could bring back upstairs.

I could hear voices arguing from the ballroom that was just down the hall from where I stood. The high ceilings and sparse furniture in that room allowed for the voices to carry easily. At first, I couldn't make them out well. But as they got louder and louder, they became more clear, as did the subject of their heated discussion.

“If things are as bad as the king said, then there's nothing we can do,” Dean argued.

“She's a liability, plain and simple,” a male countered. I couldn't quite make out who it was.