King wasn’t ready to explain anything. As a leader he learned long ago to never speak aloud until you were certain your words bore truth.
Nothing about these girls fit the path Escorts took. Usually they’re born to strong families, ones who could support their vast energy, get them to the stage they need in order to be noticed. Being noticed teaches them to crave energy, emotion. How to recognize it. It’s baby steps into the existence they’re fated to live.
These girls were born to weak families, into situations where they were destined to be alone at far too young of an age. They had no outward similarities in their image, the only thing that undeniably connected them was the soul link and the clear craving they had for exaltation.
“Fine,” Dagen said. “Here’s what I think. This is a silent kill, a fucking gift from the Creator.”
King smirked. He already thought the same. It did seem as if a new line of Escorts were being born, hidden from the well-traveled path of the others. In theory, they could all rise at once and when they did, they’d be a force to be reckoned with. Their strength would not only be their secrecy, but also that they would surely be underestimated.
“I don’t think you’re meant to be slain, King. Neither Raven BellaRose or Cashton have the slightest desire to kill you.”
“I felt her birth, I felt the end,” King insisted, not doubting that emotion, the one night that led him to exactly where he was right then. It awoke him, made him give a damn—the night he felt Raven BellaRose take her first breath.
“It was death, an end to a failed monarchy,” he shifted his gaze over King, “and the rise of an enhanced one. King, what if what you really felt was your call to rise, what if we read this wrong from the gate? You and Reveca are full of exaltation. Raven BellaRose is the queen of all things bliss, not the rush of our emotion. Seems like Cashton is, too.” He glanced down to the girls once more. “Bliss and Exaltation are not one and the same.”
“I can’t believe that,” King said, under his breath.
“Why?”
King let his stare wander over Reveca as she charmed Mathis across the way. He marveled at how the sun was glowing through her hair, bringing forth a tint of red, how her ivory skin was nearly shinning. He saw her soul beaming from within—the light present beneath the gray of her eyes.
“Fighting for my survival makes me realize time, and when I realize time, I see what really matters. Right now I want to feel every second, I want to feel it all, taste it all.”
“Either way you’re fighting for your survival.” A lethal glint came to Dagen’s eyes. “Revelin has to fall, and either way he has a vengeance with you. All I’m saying is that Raven and Cash are not meant to kill you, but Revelin sure as hell is going to come after you, all of us. Kill or be killed.”
King let his stare linger a bit longer on Reveca before he spoke. “Send trackers out.”
“Why? They seem to be all making their way here,” Dagen said with a smirk. Thinking of not only the girls but the others both him and King had already sensed among the Sons that were indisputably one of them.
King tossed a playful glower at Dagen.
“Fine, and what do we do with these little witchlings or what have you when we find them?”
“Give them everything they need, guard them. Keep it quiet. Once you find them start to feed them, keep them curse free.”
“You want me to start with that pissed off weed eater posing as a scooter outside?” Dagan asked, making fun of Adair’s ride.
“That I do.”
“That’s going to piss someone off,” Dagen said with a sneer.
“Or get them to man up.” He nodded to Gwinn. “It worked with her.”
“Did it now?” Dagen asked, knowing he had yet to see the Shade dude crack a smile.
“Getting there.”
“So I’m to collect baby Escorts and then match them up?”
King flipped off Dagen. He only wanted Shade and Gwinn together because he knew they could feed each other, grow stronger. He didn’t have a read on this Adair girl yet. Matchmaking was not his game plan, survival was.
He was clueless on what this all meant, how they were created, but he was going to be damn sure any soul that even had the slightest fragment of Reveca’s energy within them were safe which would in turn keep her safe, strong.
***
“Mathis, you’ve asked the same question four times over,” Reveca said when he asked once again what the man that attacked Adair looked like.
“Right,” he said, turning off the device he had been writing his notes in and sliding it into his pocket. “What is the best way for me to reach you, Miss Vallet?”
Adair smiled tightly. “My cell, but I suck at keeping up with it.”
“Call me,” Reveca said. “I’ll make sure she gets the message.”
Mathis smiled warmly at Adair and gave her a slight nod as he stood, straightening his suit as he did so. “Can you see me out?” he asked Reveca.
She dared to give him a grin as she rose and walked along his side to the front foyer.
From the front porch of her new home Reveca could see that most of the Sons had ridden out, which didn’t sit well with her. She was trying to keep this latest drama as simplistic as possible, by staying as close to the truth as possible. There was no telling what they were out doing. The only thing that pleased her was when she heard, at a distance, Thrash telling Taurus to make sure Adair had all she needed to stay at the Boneyard before he roared his bike to life, glanced at Reveca, then peeled away.
“She seems like a nice girl,” Mathis said to Reveca.
“We like her,” Reveca said honestly. Adair had handled the interview like a pro.
“Reveca, I want to believe this is nothing more than a push in robbery that will be solved quickly so everyone in Adair’s neighborhood can sleep in peace.
“And what’s stopping you?”
‘The fact that I’m being lied to.”
Reveca smirked. “Mathis.”
“Don’t even try to say I’m acting like Blackwater.” He stepped closer. “I’m sure you know who Doriane Latour is.”
The smirk on Reveca’s face never faded, but she was sure her eyes did show some shock. She was trying to understand why Mathis had connected Latour specifically to this incident, and not his cult in general.
Doriane Latour was basically the Godfather for the Devil’s Den.
Reveca had heard he retired a while back, found religion apparently, and had his redneck inbred offspring running things, but she knew the old bastard still had his hand in everything. She knew from Crass’s list he had his hand in the drug Black, and once this last showdown was tucked away she planned to pay him a visit, let him know she had his number.
“Heard of him.”
“I want to keep our communication open and clear. I know that is the only way we’re going keep people safe. You know that’s true. When gangs go to war there are always innocent bystanders who pay the price. Which I’m sure is what happened last night.”
“What the hell, Mathis? You show up here saying it was a push in. You know one of my own was a victim, saw a murder, and now you’re trying to call it war?”
“You’ve admitted you have strife with the Devil’s Den,” Mathis said with a nod to her. “I was stating facts. There was a truck that was left in an alley one block over from Adair’s. Whoever was driving it was clearly intoxicated. They ran the entire side of the truck down the wall and smashed the front end into a dumpster.”
“You want to get to the point? A truck? How many trucks do you see here?”
“The vehicle was registered to Doriane Latour, it had bullet holes in the body, and two through the back window, right at the driver’s side.” He paused. “No blood, but there was a mud trail outside of the truck, and that trail of mud led in the direction of Adair.”
Reveca seemed calm on the outside, but inside she was fuming. She wasn’t sure how all this was connected, but was damn sure going to figure it out.
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“I haven’t reported this. I’m not going to.”
“Why not?” Reveca asked, defensively thinking Mathis had flipped to the dark side—the whole ‘I’m not going to file this business’ is what all lawmen said when they wanted a payday.
Mathis glanced to the lot then back to her. “O’Brian. The Devil’s Den is still his case, and I don’t trust these findings will not stir up more trouble.”
“With?”
“Everyone. I’ve already been to Latour’s today. He claims a Son stole his truck. He’s trying to pin this woman’s murder on your Club, if only by association.”
Reveca arched a brow. “Nothing new there.”
“No.” He glanced to the door he had just come out of. “Neighbors said Adair never really left her block, had a basic routine. That alone made her an easy target. Dating one of your boys surely didn’t help.”
“You got a point?”
Mathis grinned. “You got a lot of space here. If you’re as fond of Adair as you say, I would suggest bringing her behind your walls.” Seriousness filled his eyes. “Latour seemed surprised at the victim’s name I gave him…almost as if he expected me to say another name.”
“You don’t say,” Reveca said as placidly as possible, doing her best to hide her rage. She was halfway wondering if the Devil’s Den had raised Talley in one of their fucked rituals.
“In the raid on Gaither, Latour lost two grandsons, and in the deal with Blackwater, he lost a nephew. He’s surely going to come at you in any way he can, even if that means taking one of your boys’ women down.”
“Latour is an old, sick bastard.”
“And he’s mad and scared. Which makes him dangerous.”
“Scared?” Reveca almost laughed. That man feared nothing last she spoke to him.
“I saw it in his eyes. He was the one who suggested I come to you today. He made it seem like you were about to clean house and blame him for it.”
“Did he?”
“Be careful. Promise me,” Mathis said quietly.
“Always.” She glanced to the lot. “It looks like Judge rode out. You’ll have to set up a different time to question him.”
“I don’t really see the need.”
“You’re twisting my head, Mathis,” Reveca said with a sweet grin she reserved for Mathis, even though she wasn’t surprised. In the interview she had sensed Adair backing up the charm spell she’d laid on him before he arrived, ensuring Mathis she was indeed Judge’s Ol’ Lady, and he just happened to find her right after she was attacked. The strength Adair was using to solidify the spell told Reveca that Adair’s memory was still shadowed. She had no idea at one time, in some way, what she assumed was a lie was nothing short of the raw truth.
He laughed as he stepped forward and started to make his way down the steps. “The way I see it, he saved his girlfriend’s life by chasing off an intruder—off the record of course.”
“Of course.”
Mathis waved as he walked away. Reveca watched him leave while she plotted out her course. It seemed like Latour had all but sent her an invitation to come by for a visit, and she was determined to take him up on the offer.
Once Mathis had made his way out of the lot she turned and went in. She found King still perched on the beams above, watching, always watching, and Adair and Gwinn whispering back and forth.
Adair stood. It was a fluid motion which showed dominance, but Reveca could clearly see how nervous she was.
“Thanks for helping me hold the spell in place. I came as soon as I knew he was sent here for a false reason.”
Reveca smirked. The gesture hid the pain she was feeling. It was hard to look someone in the eye, someone you loved, watched grow up, and them not know who you were—or rather, treat you as a stranger.
“If you have a minute I need to talk to you about what really happened last night,” Adair said, unsure how to read Reveca. She felt familiar to her, didn’t make her as nervous as she assumed she would. At the same time her knowing stare, the way she looked at Adair like she already knew her was unnerving.
The home she was standing in was unnerving too, because she was sure she knew every detail of it but she had never been there.
“About Tally,” Reveca said calmly.
“You know?” A mix of relief, fear, and anger swarmed through Adair—she kept hearing Miriam saying it was likely Reveca herself could have risen Talley.
“Judge relayed what he saw to the Club.”
Adair’s stare clearly questioned her. She had no idea who Judge was, or if Judge was simply updating the Club on something they had initiated.
“Judge,” Reveca said stepping forward, “the biker you greeted ever so warmly when you arrived. The one who was devastated to find that our fallen brother was not resting in peace as he should be.”
Adair blushed. “Um, yeah. I was playing a role. Learned that from Finley. She said no matter what you had to lay a claim when you greeted your Ol’ Man. I had to back up my spell. I’ve never laid one at a distance before—for all I knew it hadn’t worked.” Adair pressed her lips together, still tasting Judge’s kiss, the electric charge that had been weaving through her body since it occurred.
The last thing she had time to think about was an asshole biker who wouldn’t give her the time of day, yet he was at the forefront of her mind. For some reason she felt pissed and safe at his side—which only made the headache she was fighting all the worse.
“I’m sure he didn’t mind, and you were on point,” Reveca said, shifting her stare to Gwinn, hoping she picked up on the unspoken rule. Reveca hadn’t had the time to give Gwinn the Ol’ Lady run down. Star told Reveca she had tried but Gwinn stayed distracted when Star talk to her.
“Look, everything that happened around the time Talley died is hazy to me but I know he wasn’t right, and now he’s back. I gotta figure out how to lay him down, the right way.” Adair didn’t mean for her voice to crack but as she spoke she thought of Finley, how much she and Talley loved each other, all they did for her.
“We will,” Reveca said as she glanced between her and Gwinn. “You two know each other.”
“Yeah,” Adair said, glancing at Gwinn, not sure why she didn’t tell her she was being taught by Reveca Beauregard, but had no doubt Rush had a hand in Gwinn’s silence. The last place Rush ever wanted Adair to be was the Boneyard.
“Best friends, roommates, or we were.” She looked at Gwinn. “You lose your phone or something? What the hell?”
Gwinn sucked in a sharp breath.
“How much do you know now?” Reveca asked Gwinn trying to read her.
“I still can’t remember GranDee, where I was taken from, but I remember Adair.”
“Do what?” Adair asked in a tone that was laced in anger and fear.
Reveca’s stare always spoke a thousand words and right now she was telling Gwinn to chose her words carefully. Even if Adair had back every memory Thames had blocked, she still would not know anything about those in the life, the immortal side of the Pentacle Sons.
“We rescued Gwinn from GranDee’s. She’s been with us since, but the trauma has hindered her memory.”
“You for real didn’t know who you were?” Adair asked.
Gwinn nodded.
“Well that explains the girl next door get up,” Adair said, looking over Gwinn’s summer dress.
“This is what I want to happen right now,” Reveca said. “Take Gwinn to your place. You gather everything you need or would want with you for an extended stay. I’ll send someone to pick up your things. Get back here, preferably before dark.” She moved her eyes between the pair of them. “Then we’ll work through old memories.”
“And Talley?” Adair pushed. She could give a fuck about memories—she had to handle her family first.
“Memories first,” Reveca said as she turned to leave. Before she made it to the door keys appeared just before her, dangling in the air. She clasped them, sure she knew exactly what they went to. She
glanced back, then up. King simply gave her a wink.
He was clever enough to know him giving another woman a bike might rub Reveca the wrong way. Right now he was giving her a choice. Either she could take the bike he’d just finished building as her own and give over hers to Adair, or she could gift it herself.
Reveca knew that no matter what her decision was, it would raise hell, but then again, at times, hell needed to be raised.
She turned sharply. “Adair.” When she looked up Reveca tossed the keys to her. “This is yours.”
“Mine?”
“Yes. You’re Talley’s heir, making you one of us, meaning you represent this Club with or without a kut on.”
Adair went to argue, state that she was not there for a handout, just advice, but Reveca’s lifted chin stopped her. “You can’t outrun a dead man on a scooter, and you sure as hell cannot tell a lawman you’re someone’s Ol’ Lady and not look the part. Eyes are on you now—walk the line.”
Adair gave a stiff nod to say thank you as Reveca left.
Adair’s pride didn’t want to take the gift, but her heritage told her it would be an insult not to take it—and the last thing any witch did was insult Reveca Beauregard. She squeezed the keys in her hand and imagined Talley and Finley handing them to her, allowed herself to feel gratitude—joy.
“What’s with you?” Adair asked when she noticed Gwinn was taking in deep breaths, and as she did she grinned. “You’re blazed.”
Gwinn shook her head and laughed.
“I sure as hell need to be,” Adair said. “I got a stash at the house. We can chill while we pack. And you can tell me what the hell happened to you.”
“I don’t even know,” Gwinn said as her smile fell a bit.
“You’re okay now?” Adair asked, knowing there was something different about her beyond the color of her eyes which had lost their green tint.
“Getting there.”
“Come on,” Adair said, putting her arm around Gwinn like she always had, and leading her out.
When they reach the lot, Adair found her scooter gone and in its place the baddest bike she had ever seen.
“Holy fuck.”
Gwinn glanced around, knowing whose bike it was, and not really sure if Reveca had the okay to hand it over to Adair.