Two for Tamara (15 page)

Gray and Colt reached out to touch her, only to be thrown back like they’d been hit by an electrical force.

Fuck. Shit just got real.

Rafe felt Jaklyn—he was sure it was her—pull him and the other Ravens into her mind. She showed them the way to where Tamara had been held. They also, through her link, were able to follow their Fated’s trail as she left with the demons. He knew from their freaky mind-link that she was one hundred percent human, but more.

The Hell realm wasn’t quite what he’d expected. Of course, he was only seeing a small portion, he was sure. A scent he would know anywhere tickled his nose.

Tamara.

Rafe was racing toward the trail in ethereal form before he realized the others weren’t following him, terrified if he didn’t find Tamara he’d lose her.

As he burst out of the dark, sulfuric cavern, he was glad he was still in spirit form. The trail ended along with the solid surface, dropping away into a pit of molten lava. Hence, hotter than Hell.

His head snapped up. His eyes scanned the rocky outcropping. She had to have come this way. Her scent and trail didn’t vanish into nothingness.

“
Calm yourself, Rafe Blackstone.”

Rafe heard the dulcet tone of Jaklyn, felt the soothing touch as if she knew he was ready to lift the very rocks that held the foundation together.

“
Where is she?”
He couldn’t stop the growl.

“
The demons are able to fly. Look across the lava.”

Squinting, he saw another opening similar to the one he was standing, or floating in. “
Where are the other Ravens?”

“Patience, grasshopper. You sort of leaped before they’d all latched on.”

“For fuck’s sake, asshole. You could’ve waited for us.”
Vin in ethereal form was next to him.

“If I can see all of you, what’s to say Cronus and the others can’t see us?” Rafe looked around.

“
Can you connect with Tamara since you’re in the same realm now?”

This was why Max and Malcolm were the leaders. They kept a level head. Even when it was their Fated strapped to a sacrificial altar, they’d kept it together.

They were across the large cavern and entering the next cave, still in spirit form while Tamara explained to the demons they were about to have company.

Rafe didn’t miss the way the demons maneuvered Tamara behind them in a protective stance, nor the rows of spiked teeth. His woman wasn’t kidding when she said they looked like mini-sharks.

“Tamara. Are you safe?”

“Rafe, I’m really ready to go home.”

He was dizzy with relief. “Thank fuck, baby. I’m ready to take you. How about you ladies step aside so we can take our woman with us?”

A steady litany of murmurs could be heard through the chamber. He wasn’t certain, but he thought the demons were talking amongst themselves.

“They said they had a plan to get me out of here already
.”

Rafe waited. When it didn’t seem she was going to continue, a bit of fear tried to work its way into his psyche. “And? What did she say?”

“
She said there was a fault line under my house. That sinkhole really was a natural disaster. They plan to push me back through the rubble.”
Her voice quivered.

“
Calm down,
omorfia mou
. We won’t let them mean ole demons shove you through anything.”

“
Guys, I can’t hold this connection and I’m not sure if I’m keeping you in the astral form or not.”

“Who the hell is that?” Tamara asked.

“
Hi, I’m Jaklyn.”

“Down girl. That’s the gorgeous redhead I told you helped save me,”
Selena explained.

“
Umm, not helping with the gorgeous part
.”

“
Tamara, there is only one woman for Rafe and I. That woman happens to be a Cajun-Spanish spitfire named Tamara. And, Jaklyn, we are no longer invisible, but don’t pull back, we may need your assistance to get out of here.”

“
I’ve explained to them about my two men and their friends. They seem to actually know a lot about the Ravens, only you guys are sort of the boogeymen down here
.”

“Fucking A,”
Blade joked.

“We come in peace.”

“You’ll leave in pieces if you don’t explain who the hell you’re talking to.”

“Oh, good one, Bakra.” One of the demons high fived the other.

The demons all did a snort-laugh that didn’t give Rafe any warm and fuzzy feelings.

Max with Malcolm beside him made their way to the front. It grated to let them take the lead, but that was the way it had always been.

“My name is Max King. I’m the leader of the Ravens. Which one of you is Akra, leader of the demons, who has saved one of ours?”

Yep. That was why he was the leader. Rafe would’ve gone with a different approach. Something more along the lines of “Where’s Tamara, you crazy fucking bitches.” Or something similar. Max even did a slight bow.

“We have heard of you black-hearted beings. Why do you want Tamara? We did not save her only to have you destroy her.”

“I assure you, warrior to warrior, we are not here to hurt her. These two men are her bonded mates. She is their Fated. Without each other they will die.” Max gestured for Rafe and Vin to step forward.

All the Ravens were dressed in black from head to toe. Obvious battle gear.

“Akra, these are the men I was telling you about.” Tamara tried to get around the demons.

Rafe watched the demons’ eyes flash from black to red to black again.

“Our king is not happy. You need to get Tamara out of here and fast. He planned to mate her and then kill her. We couldn’t allow that. Now go.” Akra waved them away.

Tamara finally maneuvered around several demons. “Akra, I owe you my life. If you ever need me, I want you to be able to contact me.”

And before Rafe, or any of the other Ravens could step in, she pressed her lips to the Jaws-like creature. He smelled her blood immediately.

“Why did you do that?” Akra’s black eyes were a deep red.

“I knew you wouldn’t bite me, and those teeth looked sharp.” Tamara shrugged her shoulders, wiping the blood from her bottom lip. “Now you should be able to link with me.” She tapped her head. “Of course, I will be able to block you if I’m indisposed at the time.”

Akra shuddered. “Go. Cronus will never think we helped you. We will blame Hezra.”

At Tamara’s blank look Akra sighed.

“The snake bitch. That was Hezra. He will believe she helped you escape and then we killed her for her treachery. That’s what we will tell him. We can be very convincing.”

“Thank you. All of you.” Tamara looked at all the demon women.

Ezra held up her hands. “Don’t kiss me. I don’t like girls.”

Several of the demons nodded in agreement.

Akra hissed at the other demons. “I don’t do girls either.”

More than just her teeth were sharp and pointy now.
Holy fuck
. What did Cronus use to create these demons? When they weren’t angry, they were really quite beautiful in a twisted, demon-ish sort of way, but angry they grew small horns and their nails grew to five-inch black claws. Their voices, which were sweet and lilting one minute, could turn deep and rumbling the next.

“Shit. We need to get the hell out of Dodge, boys, or it’s gonna be an all-out fight.” Uri Savos pointed to the lava that had been as placid as a lake on a cool summer day, which was now a boiling cauldron.

“Remember what I said, Akra. You holler if you need me,” Tamara whispered.

Rafe grabbed her as the boiling red began to fill the cavern, and they all, as one, dematerialized from the Hell realm. An echo of a battle cry rang in their ears.

Cronus was pissed.

* * * *

Tamara’s stomach threatened to revolt. The chicken noodle—at least she was still pretending it was chicken—flipped as her world spun. She held tight to Rafe, closed her eyes, and prayed like she’d never prayed before. When she’d been taken the first time, she had no memory of the trip to Hell, which now she was eternally grateful for.

“Oh, god. I’m going to be sick,” she gasped.

She gave Rafe major brownie points for not throwing her away from him at her announcement. His large hands went to her head, soothing her and her rolling tummy. Tamara was more than happy the mystery soup didn’t make a reappearance. To be quite honest, she feared whatever she’d eaten would grow tentacles. Yep, she wasn’t going to think about that.
Mind over matter
.

“Tamara!” Selena squealed. “Thank the lawd you’re okay. I swear I’m going to kick that motherfucking bastard’s ass. Nobody, and I mean nobody, takes my best friend.”

She eyed the tiny woman, who until recently had been what she’d thought was totally human. Her long, white-blonde hair was blowing all around her, which wouldn’t have been weird, except that they were inside Max’s sky-rise condo in Kansas City where there was no wind. Tamara had only been there once when they’d opened their last club, Redneck Paradise. Selena’s normally gray eyes were a swirling silver. The total look on the petite woman that was her best friend was truly scary.

Max and Malcolm approached Selena with caution. “Lena, you need to relax. Take a deep breath.” Max reached her first.

Tamara peered around her own two men to see how Selena was reacting to the soothing tones of whatever Max and Malcolm were murmuring to her. The sight of Selena visibly relaxing eased some of the tension in the room.

“Dayum boys, your woman’s got her daddy’s eyes,” Uri grunted.

“Selena, you must learn to stay calm for the babies.”

“Babies? Did he say babies?” Tamara pulled away from Rafe and Vin.

They met in the middle of the spacious office. Selena launched herself in the air, sure that Tamara would catch her. “You’re gonna be a mama? Oh, my gawd. I’m gonna be an auntie.” Tears rolled down Tamara’s cheeks. Even though she hadn’t died in that cave, her vision still showed her death. She wouldn’t get to see her nieces or nephews grow up. Heck, she may not even be around to see them be born.

The sobering thought made her hug Selena tighter.

“Hey, easy woman, you’ll squish the little ones.” Selena pulled back, wiping her eyes.

Their whole lives were changing in so many ways. First, her best friend married not one but two men, moving fifteen hours away from their home base. Now, Selena was having babies. And Tamara didn’t have a home anymore.

Once she started she couldn’t stop. The tears that she’d held at bay began silently.

Tamara had never been a pretty crier—honestly she hadn’t been much of a crier at all. She’d always been the strong one, the one that was leaned on, not the one who needed to lean.

She wasn’t sure when Selena was taken out of her arms, and when Rafe and Vin had taken her in theirs. She only knew that it was too much. It wasn’t fair. She wanted to be there to watch Selena get fat. She wanted to…live.

* * * *

Tamara’s sobs were breaking his heart. He thought finding her in Hell was the worst thing he’d ever experienced. Vin was wrong. The wrenching sounds coming from his Fated were tearing his own heart out.

He looked over to see his best friend Rafe with an equally tortured expression. They’d flashed themselves to the suite the King brothers had given them for their stay while in Kansas City, holding Tamara until she finished crying. He prayed it was sooner rather than later.

“
Agape mou
, you must calm yourself. You are safe. Selena and the babes are safe.” Vin stroked his hand down her back.

Rafe climbed onto the large bed, lifting Tamara out of Vin’s arms when his words didn’t seem to penetrate or help the crying woman.

Time moved differently on Earth than in the Hell realm. For him and the Ravens, what was a day could’ve very well been weeks for their woman. They didn’t smell another creature’s touch on her other than the beings that had taken her. She still wore her own clothing. She hadn’t lost weight.

All the things that he could tick off that would damage a woman’s psyche, he couldn’t find. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t in need of the stress release that a good cry could give.

She snorted.

“I’m broadcasting, right?”

Her head bumped Rafe’s chin. Her arm reached out to pull him to her. Between the two of them, they embraced her, held her as the last of her hiccupping sobs finally subsided. They offered her comfort, solace, and reassurance for her, for them.

“I’m sorry. I don’t usually lose it like that,” Tamara said in a shaky voice.

“You can cry anytime you need to,
omorfia mou
.”

Vin shot Rafe a murderous look at his friend’s words.
“The fuck you say? I don’t think I could handle another one of these meltdowns.”

“You’re such a bad liar, Rafe.”

Rafe blinked. “Damn, we need to block our thoughts better.”

“You better not.” Tamara smacked Rafe in the arm.

Sandwiched between them, her arms holding onto them, Tamara’s head pressed against both theirs, they murmured words of love and affirmation.

“So, shower or a nice hot soak?” Rafe asked.

“Are you trying to say I stink?” Tamara sniffed.

Vin laughed. “No, remember we can clean ourselves without blinking an eye. We thought you might like some normalcy.”

“Well, in that case I want a bubble bath.”

Climbing out of the bed, Vin was the first to enter the large, state-of-the-art bathroom. By the time Rafe carried Tamara into the en suite, he had the Jacuzzi filled with enough bubbles and hot water, and they all could ease their weary bodies inside. But, only if Tamara wanted them to.