Lover's Betrayal: Misfits of the Lore Series (24 page)

“You’re a family,” Olivia acknowledged.

“A family of misfits. We stick together and protect and defend one another.”

“Like the cat protecting you from me?” Kaden noted.

“Alejandro. He’s a jaguar shifter who can also shift into any other cat. No other shifter we know can do that. Instead of embracing that special ability, his clan threw him out for being different. Here he can freely be whomever or whatever he wants.”

“What about the two standing by the door?” Olivia pointed to a blond, golden-eyed man leaning casually against the bar watching them closely. He looked like something out of an Armani underwear advertisement. Next to him was a feral beast that appeared to be at least seven feet tall. His body was coated with white hair and he had a build like a polar bear, yet his face had a wolfish appearance. “What are they?”

Reysa smiled at the blond man, who flashed a grin in her direction. His eyes were warm with affection. Kaden instantly disliked the pretty boy. “The handsome blond is my Christian. He’s my best friend, my partner in crime. We run this place together -- and more importantly, we raise our daughter together.”

“Your daughter?” Kaden questioned, trying to leash the jealousy which was compelling him to thrash the pretty boy who dared produce a child with Reysa. Mine.

Reysa felt the dramatic increase in temperature, as the club was now sweltering. Smoke appeared to be emanating from Kaden’s skin. “Tatiana. The charmer you met earlier who released you. Christian and I adopted her when her mother died in childbirth. We’ve been raising her since.” The temperature started to dip and Kaden no longer looked like he was going to spontaneously combust into flames. Reysa marveled at Kaden’s power and his obvious jealousy. She pretended not to notice. “Anyhow, Christian is part Lycan and part vampire, but his vampire side seems limited. He does not crave blood nor need it to live. His Lycan side is dominant and the vampire in him accentuates his wolf. He’s a stronger wolf due to his vampire genes. Beside him is our protector, or the patriarch of our family. That’s Broderick. At least that’s what we call him. He is part Lycan, part bear-shifter. Apparently, he used to shift as either animal like Alejandro, but one day he shifted and part of him took on the wolf and the other the bear. Then he was locked into that body and could not shift back into human form. This was long before we met him, but we have been with him for the last eighty years. We have tried to help him and others in the Lore have tried to force a shift, but his body refuses. He has been trapped in this form for at least a century.”

“Dear God,” Olivia bemoaned. “That’s horrible for him. He’s imprisoned in his own body.”

“Yes, he is. It’s the fear of all shifters to lose the ability to shift. Broderick handles it well, though. He’s become an indispensible part of our family.”

Christian sauntered over to the group and settled next to Reysa, pulling her into a tight embrace. He brushed his lips lightly against hers. “Hey babe. Where have you been and who are your new friends?”

Reysa introduced everyone and explained they were all looking for Madeira’s killer. They came to Las Vegas which was the scene of the first murder, Kimiko Satki.

Christian knew Kimiko fairly well. He had hired her to wait tables at The Lore. Kimiko was distant from the others and revealed very little about herself, but she was more comfortable with Christian than any other. “I don’t know that much about her. All I know was that Kimiko was born to bird shifter parents, but she could not shift. Her father convinced himself that his wife had had an affair with a human and Kimiko was born human. Tests were done and it was proven that she was their biological child, but she possessed no supernatural abilities. She was dismissed as defective from her clan and sent away when she was twelve. She lived on the streets until she came here nine years later. She worked here for a year, but decided she liked being a guess more than employee. She was known for hanging out with vamps. She liked them to feed on her. She referred to herself as a blood whore. I think she liked being needed and with vampires, she felt she served a purpose. She never got that feeling growing up with that cruel family.”

“For someone who claims he doesn’t know much about Kimiko, you sure seem to know her entire life story.” Kaden could not mask his bitterness as he watched Christian glide his hand up and down Reysa’s back.

Christian smirked and rested his hands on Reysa shoulders. Unconcerned about the vampire’s obvious displeasure, he firmly massaged Reysa’s neck. He moved closer, allowing her head to rest on his chest. “Just basic facts about Kimiko. I don’t know her favorite food, color, movie, book, dance, song, sport, or her dreams, hopes, fears. That’s the way I know my Reysa. I never knew Kimiko like that.” Christian kissed the top of Reysa’s head. She closed her eyes and relaxed her body into his welcoming embrace. Christian smiled in response to the challenge in Kaden’s eyes. Both men were marking their territory. “Considering you slept with her, I’m sure you learned something else about her. You did talk to her and ask about her life before taking her to bed, right?”

If Kaden could strangle this half breed pooch, he would. He did not want to acknowledge that he knew nothing about Kimiko. He had not even asked her last name. He slept with her without a care for who she was or what she wanted.

Olivia could see the tension on her son’s face and could feel the heat wave he was causing again. She stepped in with her mother’s desire to protect her young. Changing the subject would be the best tactic. “Christian, were you here the night Kimiko died? Did you see who she talked to?”

“I was here, but I was in the office dealing with the books. That’s what I do. I handle the accounting. Alejandro and Broderick keep order at the club. The only other person you may want to ask is Savannah, our bartender. She talks to everyone and never forgets a face. Maybe she could help you.”

Christian reached for Reysa’s hand and led everyone to the bar. “Savannah darling, I’ve got some folks here who need your help.”

The woman’s back was to them, but she shouted over her shoulder, “Be with you folks in a minute.” The woman wore skin-tight black jeans and a matching black t-shirt. Her black hair was tied in a tight ponytail partially hidden under a mammoth black cowboy hat. He skin was so pale it seemed almost translucent. She turned around and Olivia tried not to look startled by the woman’s appearance. The right side of her face was severely disfigured from burns, but more unsettling was that she had only one eye, in the middle of her face. Olivia shifted her eyes down and noticed the embroidered words on the woman’s shirt. It read, “I Got My Eye on You!” Olivia could not help but laugh, easing the obvious tension.

Savannah nodded her head approvingly. “It gets them every time.” She looked over to Reysa and smiled brightly. “Rey, Rey, give me some love.” She grabbed Reysa and with her strength pulled her over the bar and into a hug.

Lucian noticed that the bartender seemed to grow another set of arms. He thought he was just seeing double, but when Savannah released Reysa, the woman clearly had two sets of arms. Savannah turned her head to see the shocked expression on Lucian’s face. “Well, maybe I should have worn my other t-shirt tonight. That one says, ‘Need a Hand, I’ve Got Extra!’”

Lucian and Olivia burst into laughter. “Savannah, I think I love you,” Lucian joked.

“All the men do, dear,” Savannah winked. “These extra hands come in handy.”

“You’re shameless, Savannah,” Reysa teased, hugging Savannah again. “Besides, there’s only one man you want to put those hands on.” Reysa looked over to Broderick, who was standing in front of Christian’s door, blocking the entrance.

Savannah’s eye narrowed. “Let’s get to the real reason you’re here. Now sugar, how can I help y’all?”

Olivia looked to Lucian, and he nodded at her to take the lead. Her heart warmed at the thought that he had confidence in her to handle this. “This is about the night Kimiko Satki was killed. We were wondering if you noticed anything strange or saw her talking to anyone odd. Did anything unusual happen that night?”

“Honey, this place is home to everything weird. This place is about the unusual. Everything and everyone here is odd. This place is the breeding ground for strange. I don’t know how to answer your question. Kimiko talked to a bunch of men, including that brooding one standing behind you.” Savannah motioned to Kaden. “There were strange people all over the place doing strange things with each other. You know sweetie, sometimes I’m glad I have only one eye. Some things you just don’t want to see.”

Olivia feared this would be another dead end. She needed some answers soon or else there would be no hope for Kaden. Her nerves were unsteady again. How could this be happening so fast, she pondered? She had just taken her medicine before this trip and a couple of hours later, her body was already craving more. It was the stress, she told herself.

“This club is pretty well hidden and not open to the public. I assume you don’t get a lot of new faces here.”

“New faces are rare indeed. That’s why I never forget ’em.”

“Well, Savannah, were there any new faces here that night? Perhaps one that you could not forget?”

Savannah thought for a moment and then said, “You know, there was one extra strange thing here that night. I couldn’t see a face or tell you if it was a man or woman, but it wore a dark cloak shielding its face. It kinda looked like a reaper without the scythe. That thing was staring at the bar. I went to get Kimiko and brooding boy another drink and when I got back, reaper was gone. I didn’t think much of it at the time.”

Another dead end. Olivia’s emotions were erratic. They were running out of time and they had very few options. “Damn it!” Olivia shouted. “We’re never going to figure this out, and my son is going to be condemned for a crime he did not commit -- and it’s all my fault.”

Lucian grabbed Olivia and wrapped her tightly in his arms as she wept. The warmth of his body calmed her ragged nerves. Kaden reached for her, but Lucian would not let her go. “I need you, Lucian,” Olivia whispered.

“Ok, mi amor.” Lucian turned to Reysa. “Is there a quiet place I could take her for a moment?”

“Sure. You can use our office in the back.”

“I’ll show you the way,” Christian offered. “Let us know if you need anything.”

Lucian lifted Olivia in his arms and carried her to Christian’s office. Kaden and Reysa watched them go. Kaden’s eyes were marred with sorrow. Reysa reached for him, gently clutching his hand. Unfamiliar with this comfort, Kaden froze momentarily but then squeezed Reysa’s hand, holding it tighter. “She’s weakening. I don’t know what’s wrong with her, but she’s so fragile now. Any moment, she might completely break. I don’t know how to help her. I’ve tried to fix things, but I probably just make everything worse for her. My mess will be the death of her. She’ll blame herself even though it’s my fault. My mother deserves better than me and better than the bastard that fathered me. She deserves better than that SOB who claims to be her mate. I just want her happy. I would give anything to see her smile and truly feel joy. I can’t remember ever seeing her happy.”

“What about your happiness?” Reysa asked.

Kaden turned to her and gently kissed the palm of her hand. His jade eyes, full of desire and regret, focused on Reysa’s emerald eyes that matched the intensity of his yearning. “When you’ve caused a lifetime of pain for others, you forfeit the right to experience pleasure.” Kaden released her hand and walked outside. Reysa went to follow him. “I just need air. I won’t flee. I promise.” Reysa reluctantly let him go.

IV

Olivia no longer wept as she sat on Lucian’s lap in the comfort of his arms while he whispered calming words in Italian. How she missed his touch, and the comfort only he could provide. It was like when they were kids and her mother would punish her, she would flee to their cave and wait for Lucian. He would come, whisk her into his arms, and instantly all the despair would fade away, replaced with the pleasure of Lucian’s touch.

For so many years, she hoped he would return and take away the pain of her dreaded marriage, but eventually her heart accepted that Lucian would never forgive her betrayal. As her mother told her, she was meant to be miserable. She needed to face the reality of her fate rather than dreaming a fairy tale. Lucian was no Prince Charming who could rescue her from her fate. They were just a tragedy – a love that could not be.

“For my eighteenth birthday, my mother bought me tickets to see Romeo and Juliet. I was so excited. That was the first time I could recall her ever giving me anything. We watched the performance at the amphitheater by the Manzano winery. I cried throughout the play. I was mesmerized by the tragic story. I loved the way Romeo and Juliet loved one another and I felt so good knowing that you and I loved each other that way. After the show, my mother and I walked back to our home, but we stopped along the way to enjoy the night -- at least so I thought. She turned to me and said, ‘I hope you see now that there is no hope for you and Lucian. If you continue to sneak around with him like this, you will end up as another tragic story.’ This present was not a gift, but a lesson. I promised myself that day that I’d prove her wrong. I would have the love that I wanted and I would be a better mother. I’d have it all. Here I am. I’m exactly where my mother said I would be. She was right, and I’ve spent years hating her for being right.”

Lucian lightly stroked Olivia’s sable hair. “You came to me that night. You never dared approach me at the house before, but that night you snuck into my room. I could see you were upset, but you wouldn’t tell me anything. You just wanted me to make love to you and take the pain away. I never pushed to understand what hurt you. I just tried to comfort you. I wanted you to feel good again. I suspected something happened with your mother. She had come to me a few days before and asked me to stay away from you.”

“What?” Olivia asked. Lucian had never mentioned this conversation with her mother.

“She was concerned that if we continued to see each other, harm would come to you. In her own way she loved you, Livy. I think she wanted to protect you from me. She pleaded with me to end our affair. I told her that we were bonded and no one could change that. I will never forget the forlorn expression on her face. She said we were both doomed and she walked away. I never spoke to her again about you. I tried when you left, but she refused to ever utter another word to me. Shortly after you left, your parents left. I haven’t seen them since.”