Risen Lovers: Immortal Brotherhood (Edge Book 4)

  “He already has,” Talon said, narrowing his eyes on her, pleased he knew something she didn’t. He nodded to King, “Apparently Dagen stopped the man from taking down Adair and Gwinn. Dagen put the man in the cage.”

  “Do what?” Reveca asked. As she felt her energy deflate, fear came to her, which was odd, but right then the idea of either of those girls in danger was more than she could handle.

  “You’d know that if you answered your phone, but I suppose fucking King sounded like a better plan.”

  Reveca smirked. She knew half Talon’s problem was that he was starved; he needed sex like most people needed air. And oddly he wasn’t engaging, which made his whole deal with Tisk all the more confusing.

  Reveca knew every button Talon had and how to push them. She needed him safe, needed him alert—ready to defend this Club from the hell that was on the horizon. She had to push him into the bed of another woman—even though the idea still sickened her.

  “Any day of the week that would be a better plan,” Reveca said, looking Talon up and down. “Unlike you he’s not confused about where his cock belongs.”

  Talon shook his head, even grinned. “Give him time, babe.” He stepped up to Reveca. “You sent Gwinn out with Adair, who has a target on her back. Is it your goal to rip our boys to shreds?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “What am I talking about?” Talon asked, with another pissed grin. “Gwinn hasn’t left the property since her transition—from all accounts she’s barely grasping her craft much less her immortality. You knew Adair had a target on her back. What the fuck did you think was going to happen? How’d you think Shade or Judge would handle either of those girls in danger? Do you think they can do their job with that risk in the air—clean up this mess Talley made last night, track down Miah who’s on a rampage?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Not shit. I’m not saying another word. I’m fucking walking out of here and into Church, and I’m handing out orders, you want in on it—you know where it fucking is.” He nodded toward King. “Stay here and fuck him for all I care.” And with that he stormed out.

  Reveca closed her eyes for a second, counting, counting all the souls she deemed precious.

  “Dagen watched them every step of the way,” King assured.

  She looked him, let the gratitude for his and Dagen’s actions emerge in her stare, even though she felt like an idiot for not seeing the danger before hand.

  “How bad was it?” she asked in a broken voice.

  King decided not to answer. Making light of the situation or stressing the point Talon had about the danger wasn’t going to do any good.

  Reveca squinted, knowing Shade and Judge were surely furious at her. “They’re going to fight me on giving her memory back.”

  “She’s malnourished, Reveca.”

  Her stare questioned him.

  “Mortal or not, she needs energy and she’s sealed herself off from the world. The second she feels the slightest hint of energy her own mind is going to open…Gwinn is giving her that by being present.” He lifted his chin. “I have already ordered Dagen to protect her—give her what she needs, when she needs it.”

  Reveca narrowed her stare on him knowing exactly what kind of energy both King and Dagen were capable of delivering: exaltation—she was well aware of King’s methods for doing such things. Her body was still humming from his touch hours before. “You understand she belongs to Judge. I know it’s fucked but I was there the first time they saw each other—neither one of them had a chance after the first glance.”

  “Then Judge needs to man up.” He stared deep in her eyes wondering if she truly understood how precious Adair was. “I’m not going to allow her to suffer in any way.”

  Jealousy sparked in Reveca but she pushed it down for at that moment she was relived she was not the only one that had sensed how critical Adair was to the Sons—the why was still a mystery to her.

  King’s brow creased to underline his next words. “Memories—she needs those. I’m not clear on what went down with this deal, but I know this Club clipped her wings—she was born to fly.”

  Reveca wasn’t sure how to approach this dilemma. She didn’t want Adair to remember it all, but wanted her to remember enough to trust Reveca, to remember all that Finley had taught her. “I’m going to Church, she’s heading this way.” She looked up at him. “Can you help her with her magic the way you helped Gwinn?” Reveca glanced away and mumbled her next word. “Innocently.”

  King didn’t answer. Instead, he manifested before her and leaned down letting his lips meet hers, a slow sweet kiss, one that restored all the energy Reveca had lost in the last confrontation.

  King pulled way, swayed his thumb across her lips. “Don’t shut those boys out, Reveca. Mortals are going to fall if you do, if not worse.”

  She didn’t promise to do so, because in all honesty she was always going to do what her gut told her to do, even if that meant going it alone. She squeezed his sides then moved past him as she readied herself to face the accusing glares that all of her boys were going to aim at her.

  ***

  When Talon reached the front porch Taurus was there, leaning against the pillar, smoking, as calm as ever.

  “Is everybody in now?” Talon asked.

  “Everyone that wanted to come in,” Taurus said, looking over Talon. He reached up to scratch his auburn goatee, which wasn’t far from his collar. “Everyone patched in has their family here. I think the out-of-towners are just staying for the show. A few rode out.”

  “We got enough supplies?”

  “Why? How long you think this is gonna to last. boss?” Taurus asked, still not clear on what was going down.

  Talon hesitated as he glanced over his kingdom—the lot full of bikers, those that were setting up tents to shield the sun, playing good music, filling the coolers with longnecks. It was just another day in paradise as far as they were concerned. “I don’t know, apparently we’re at war with the Devil’s Den.”

  “Haven’t we always been?” Taurus asked, knowing the real war right now was inside of Talon. He had never looked as unbalanced as he did then. Taurus had heard stories of Talon’s darker days but could never fathom it, simply because Talon was the type of guy that would give you the shirt off his back, always seemed to know what to say and when. He was cool-headed, even had a degree of humor to him. Not lately, though.

  “Latour put five bullets in Reveca,” Talon said, slowly moving his stare to Taurus.

  Taurus stood up. He’d known about the immortal side of the Club for a few years now, and had most assuredly seen some odd shit. He’d told the boys that he damn sure planned to spend immortality with this MC if they’d have him. That didn’t mean it was easy for him to realize how real the idea was, that it didn’t unnerve him a bit.

  “So not long I’m assuming,” Taurus said, knowing they outnumbered those inbred fucks by a long shot. The only real edge the Devil’s Den had was that they blended in a bit too well at times, you’d think they were the boys next door, a fishing buddy or something, and never knew what they were up to late at night.

  “I don’t know, there’s always that balance bullshit we have to deal with,” Talon said, stepping down and glancing back at Taurus. “I want you in Church, with all of us in the life.”

  “You’re serious?” Taurus asked in dismay. That was a bold invitation. He’d be the first mortal in those meetings, which had him questioning how long he had left in his mortal life, and how in the fuck he was going to explain that to Star. He talked to her a lot about the unexplained elements around the Boneyard, but he knew his woman had her reservations when it came to toying with the unknown.

  Talon glanced across the lot. Judge, Adair, and Rush were pulling in. He knew that more than one of his boys were about to be emotionally tested. He needed as many balanced heads as he could get around his table.

  “I am.” With that statement Talon marched across th
e drive.

  Adair was charging toward the home he was leaving. When she saw him she stopped dead in her tracks.

  Talon’s dark eyes slowly moved down Adair before reaching her eyes once more. Last time he had seen Adair this closely, before today, she was at that harmless threshold between leaving her innocence behind and embarking on womanhood. She still had a glint of a girl in her gaze—but there was no doubt Adair Vallet was now a walking Goddess. He halfway felt sorry for Judge—knowing how hard it was to be hooked on a woman of her stature. How a woman like her would drive you up the wall and leave you begging for more.

  Confusion was in her desolate stare then, but there was no uncertainty, not anymore. The girl he’d watched grow up, the one he protected, that he diligently taught to load, clean, aim, and fire a gun was a woman now—a pissed one.

  Talon lifted his chin. “Welcome home, little bit.”

  He watched as recognition flared in her emerald stare. She went to speak but then charged past him.

  Talon let out a deep breath, feeling like a son of a bitch—he should’ve never let her leave his Boneyard. Allowed Jade Carrey to get her claws in her.

  He should’ve done something more back then. Stopped to think the way Reveca asked him to do at the very least. The thing was, though, Judge was like a son to him, too, and he knew his boy was trying to protect Adair from the never-ending wars this Club engages—Talon couldn’t find a way to disagree with him.

  Talon’s dark gaze shot across the lot to Judge. One look in Judge’s eyes told Talon he still felt the same way—he wanted Adair far from here. With the mood Talon was in he should side with Judge for in the long run Talon had figured out women don’t do shit but rip your soul out, yet Talon’s intent was aimed in a different direction.

  Women may fuck you over but at the same time they give you reason to give a fuck. They have a way of making you feel whole.

  Talon glanced over his shoulder, fighting with the urge to go after Adair and promise her she was safe—that she belonged here. In the end he told himself to just let it all settle and handle what was before him at that moment.

  Talon nodded for Judge to follow him, then looked at Rush. “Church in thirty.”

  ***

  As Judge followed Talon down the hall that lead to Church he looked deep into his fearless leader. It was never an easy task to do because Talon was so aged, but in most cases, Judge could grasp his recent emotions, where they may lead him.

  He’d been keeping close tabs on Talon’s mindset, checking it against a dark vision he’d always had about Talon, one he had shared with him not long after he first saw it. The vision had Judge believing death was reaching to stake a fiery, chained claim on Talon.

  Right then, it was hard to really read anything off of Talon—he had too many emotions warring inside.

  Having a one-on-one with Talon in Church was never a good sign; it usually meant you were going to get your ass chewed. Judge was prepared for it. He knew that Reveca, even though she wasn’t with Talon anymore, still had imperial influence over this Club. If she wanted Adair clear as a whistle on her past, then that’s how it was going to be.

  Talon nodded for Judge to close the door, and then leaned against the table with his arms crossed.

  “I know what you’re going to say, boss,” Judge said, squaring his shoulders, looking Talon dead in the eye as he always expect his boys to do.

  “I don’t think you do.”

  Judge lifted his chin. “She already remembers most of it, if Thames takes down the rest, she might know how to stop Talley. We could end this before dawn for all I know. I just don’t want he to know the very end.” And she and I would be over before dawn, too, because she was going to kill me for all of this…

  Talon’s gaze drifted over Judge. He respected all his boys, held them tight against his heart. There wasn’t a thing he wouldn’t do for them.

  However, Judge had always had his own degree of regard in Talon’s eyes, a true son in some way. He’d known him since he was born. Every time Judge rebelled against his own father he ended up in Talon’s lair. Talon would show him the wicked, show him how good he had it and send him on his way. Judge was twenty-three when enemies of Talon struck him, when Reveca brought him back from death. He was twenty-four when he lost his entire mortal family.

  Judge was the first who didn’t struggle with his transition, smooth as butter—almost as if he were born to die. He was more than a seer, he was a first generation vampire, but he pushed those tendencies back, which was more than any of the other Sons could do. Judge not only had a powerful mind, but also was able to think logically through the most horrid situations.

  Judge had never proved Talon’s perspective wrong until the night they put Talley down. At the exact moment, Talon agreed with him. He was just as wrathful that one of his own was capable of such…but as these last years moved by, even though they felt like seconds to the likes of Talon, it was all too long.

  He knew if Adair had been here all this time, she’d be able to help Judge through what Talon was about to say. She’d be his humanity, keep him level as the memories of his mortal life haunted him and he was thrown back to one of the most horrific scenes Talon had crossed in his long life.

  In all the time Talon and Judge had been side by side he’d only seen the boy break at two defining points. The first was when he lost every mortal he had ever dared to love in one blood-soaked night. The second time was when Talley mauled Adair.

  “Son,” Talon said, taking in a deep breath. “You know that at times we’re all tested.”

  Judge’s icy stare agreed. Right then he was getting flashes of the dark vision all over again. The reason this vision had always thrown Judge was because it was symbolic, or so he assumed. It showed a flaming bird, wrapped in chains, being pulled into death, and in that death there was a blazing redhead, and she was pissed her phoenix kept leaving her.

  “It’s when we are tested that who we really are emerges, that’s when we see what matters, when you understand what you really want, and need.”

  Judge averted his stare briefly. “I’m dealing with this. I know what’s coming. I’m good,” Judge said.

  Talon tensed his brow. “No you don’t.” His dark gaze flicked over him. “Chalice is with the Devil’s Den.”

  Judge swayed back as if he had been struck. The whole world stopped for one transitory moment. Emotions, which were sick and full of pain, corralled in his gut as his memories took him back…he could feel their limp warm bodies in his blood-soaked hands. He could remember looking up and seeing Chalice drop his deadly weapon like the coward he was and running.

  “At Latour’s?” Judge rasped. In his mind he was going over every way he could end Chalice. He knew for it to be final he needed Reveca in his corner, and he doubted she would be agreeable. That didn’t mean he couldn’t rip Chalice apart over and over, make it impossible for him to heal, make sure he was in constant agony. A brutal, cold, relentless death was balance in Judge’s mind. He had to make Chalice feel what he did to his family, endlessly.

  “I need you to be cool headed right now and I know that’s a lot to ask,” Talon said.

  Judge stepped forward, his dominant lethal side large and accounted for. “You’ve said this before, right when Chalice slaughtered my family to save them. You vowed to me that Reveca would kill him—that you’d convince her to do so.”

  “And I did.”

  A pissed smirk came to Judge. “A day late and a dollar short, boss. He ran like a coward. How many other people do you think he’s ‘saved’ since then? What hell has he been up to?”

  “I don’t know yet.”

  “How do you know he’s here? Why now?” Judge asked, knowing that he was riding out one way or another to deal with this.

  “I’m not sure, hopefully Reveca will find it in her grace to attend Church and recount her eventful afternoon. As it stands now he’s with Latour, and Talley went there first last night.”

  A murde
rous glint washed over Judge’s stare. “All due respect, boss, but if you think I’m gonna fucking chill while Reveca gets over her mood swing then you’ve lost your fucking mind.”

  Talon raised his chin warning Judge that he respected his rage but he was on a thin line. “Reveca agreed to kill him back then, hunted him, and never found him. If she didn’t do it today she had her reasons.”

  “Yeah, like she was pissed at all of us over Talley. This is her revenge.”

  “Has she ever aimed her revenge at any one of you?” Talon asked, raising his brow. “Has either one of us ever not defended your honor?”

  Judge gave Talon a cold once over. “A lot of shit that has never happened before occurred recently.”

  Every one of the boys had a comment like that to throw at Talon over the last few weeks, and Talon was sick of hearing it. “That’s my business, boy, nothing to do with you or the Club.”

  “Oh fuck off,” Judge said with a wayward shake of his head.

  Talon stood, showing dominance.

  “Go ahead,” Judge said. “I’m in the mood for a good fight. Might have a chance to win with you.”

  “What the fuck do you mean by that?” Talon roared, fearing they had seen how off he was.

  The vision of Judge’s assaulted him once more but he pushed it away in rage. “I mean that last night I went fist to fist with a dead man and it wasn’t easy, another one had to basically stop it. Then this afternoon I find Dagen with his hands on Adair. I got one hit in before he smirked and put some energy field up that I couldn’t get through. No matter how much I taunted him to fight like a man he stayed behind it.” Judge stepped up. “We were at the top of the food chain five seconds ago and now this shit.”

  “Dagen made a move on your girl?” That was the sin of all sins in this Club—the last fucking thing Talon had time to deal with right now was an internal war over a claim on a woman.

  Judge cussed under his breath, knowing she wasn’t his, not anymore. “I don’t know what the fuck he was doing. I saw energy moving into her aura, it expanding.”