Blood Revolution (God Wars, #3) (14 page)

Yeah, I'd folded to Morro Bay and sat at the top of that dome of rock, like Lissa would in the future, and stared at an endlessly moving body of water. The Pacific's waters were the same as my thoughts—none of them calm or still at the moment.

Bree, I don't love Janine. I do love you
, Hank's voice filtered into my mind.

You remember what I told you at the beginning? That there's no place we can meet in the middle? You are what you are. I'm this
. I stared out the window.
Eventually you'll want those other things again,
I went on.
Find somebody to make you happy. I'm not that girl
.

Breanne, I don't know what to do to convince you that you're wrong. Someday, I hope you understand that. For now, give me a chance. We really need to protect you—Bill, Jayson and I. Opal, too. I thought she was going to take my head off over Janine
.

You need to impress upon Janine that she has to stop stalking you. And me. She wants to murder me, Hank. If you don't do something about that, I will.

You don't intend to kill her, do you?

Hell, no. What do you think I am? I'll just hand her a bit of vampire compulsion and send her ass on its way. I don't want to be constantly looking over my shoulder for the ex-girlfriend, in addition to all the others who'd like to destroy me
.

She's not my ex-girlfriend. That wasn't our agreement. She signed up for six months of training. I was glad to get rid of her afterward.

Unbelievable.

Baby, stop obsessing about this. I don't know how to get that crap out of your head, but if you have any suggestions, I'll be happy to work on that
.

I have no idea what might work, short of a lobotomy
.

Let's get this KingDom's mess settled; you need to come with me today. I want to hold my girl.

Hank, no
, I whimpered mentally.

Baby, I've never asked you out. I'm asking now. I should have done that from the beginning, instead of what I did.

And where are we going?

Down the coast. Lunch. I don't think I've ever bought you anything except a sandwich.

Fine
. I moved my shoulders uncomfortably.

"Are you done having a private conversation?" Jayson asked. "Some of us have jobs to do." A grimace crossed his face—he didn't like being left out of the conversation.

"Rome, shut up," Hank said amiably. "Bill, you have the floor." He nodded toward Bill, a slight smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. Well, he'd just gotten what he wanted and I was left sitting there, wondering why I didn't seem to have a spine where Hank was concerned.

"Breanne, are we still on for tonight?" Bill asked.

"I guess," I went back to staring out the window.

"What will you do if that woman appears again?" Opal asked. I turned around to blink at her in confusion, but the question wasn't aimed at me. She was asking Hank what he intended to do.

"I will send her on her way, after telling her a restraining order is never attractive on her record. I'll be happy to file one, and I'll make sure Breanne does as well," Hank replied with a frown.

"Breanne doesn't have to. I've already taken care of that this morning," Bill held up his cell. "Talked to the DA and a judge. I don't have names for those assholes on the Internet yet, but I do have Janine Webster's information. Maybe you ought to impress upon her that the Joint NSA and Homeland Security Department is watching her carefully from now on."

"Thank you," I said.

Bill smiled gently at me and said, "Sweetheart, I'd do just about anything for you."

"Same here," I nodded. Right then, I was glad I wasn't forced to choose between him and Hank. I might lose my mind if I were.
Are you sure you don't mind—this multiple mate thing?
I asked mentally
.

Sweetheart, it doesn't make any difference to me, as long as I know you care.

I love you
, I said simply.

"I love you, too," he said aloud and leaned in to kiss me.

"Hey, where's mine?" Jayson complained.

"Do you deserve one?" I said when Bill pulled back with a satisfied smile.

"No idea. I want one anyway," Jayson shrugged.

"Suffer," I said.

"Always the way," Jayson grumped.

"You poor thing," Opal snickered unsympathetically.

"Eight tonight?" Hank asked. "So I can get Breanne back in time to dress her appropriately."

"Sounds good. We'll wire you and Jayson, and you're authorized to carry weapons through the Department. Don't hesitate to send mindspeech if you need me. I'll have a few people on standby, including Opal."

"You're really worried about this, aren't you?" I watched Bill's face closely. I didn't want to read him—he needed that space between us.

"I've gotten some intel, and let's just say the financing behind that club is murky. That means the money may have come from criminal activity. We're still tracking information on individuals associated with the ownership, and that hasn't been easy. I want some answers. And, if things are like Hank and Jayson suspect and there's a connection to the club and the murders, then we really need to shut this down fast. It may only be an attempt to get rid of the competition. It could be something deeper and much worse."

"This doesn't sound good," I rubbed my forehead.

"Baby, you can sleep while I drive down the coast," Hank offered. "Come on. Bring your coffee and I'll buy an egg and cheese biscuit for you on the way."

"That sounds good," I said. "I didn't eat anything this morning."

"Not surprised," Hank muttered. "Bill, if you'd like to come with us," he added.

"I'd like to, but I have work," Bill said. "We'll get together another day."

We walked out of the Lean Bean together, and I found myself surrounded by all of them. Jayson's SUV was parked nearby, and Bill and Opal climbed in with him, leaving me with Hank.

"I asked Trey to park a car near the club," Hank leaned in to whisper in my ear before kissing it carefully. "It's borrowed, so Janine or anyone else won't recognize it."

"Hank," I hugged myself.

"Come on," he pulled me against his side. "Don't let this upset you. This is our day, remember?"

"Hank, it's Monday."

"It is," he grinned.

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

* * *

"I know they were in that coffee shop, but I never saw them come out," Wildrif whined. He couldn't understand how Bill Jennings kept appearing and then disappearing from his visions, either.

"Where's that thing you have—that foresight?" Zachariah Tanner demanded. "Obediah told me you were something amazing, but I haven't seen much of it yet," he fumed.

"I am formidable," Wildrif defended himself.

"You are an idiot," Zachariah spat. "I asked you to watch Bill Jennings, and you let him get away."

Wildrif's wispy, pale hair lifted in the breeze while mismatched eyes surveyed the youngest of the Tanner brothers. Wildrif knew quite well the Tanners were werewolves. He'd also seen, through his gift of foresight, that Obediah would lend him to Zachariah for this assignment.

Zach was Obediah's lead assassin, and when the offer came to Obediah for Bill Jennings' death, Obediah had demanded (and received) the promise of ten million dollars upon delivery of proof.

Obediah had then instructed Zach to bring back Jennings' head, with or without accompanying agents' heads. Obediah never quibbled over numbers. His only concerns were results and covered tracks.

The trouble was, Zach found it difficult to track Jennings. As a werewolf, he had a keen sense of smell, but Jennings' scent baffled him. That's why Obediah had agreed to lend Wildrif to his brother. Wildrif, with his talent, could generally locate anyone. Bill Jennings was turning into a problem—for werewolf and seer.

* * *

Breanne's Journal

"Baby, we're here."

Hank's words woke me from a sound sleep. I hadn't even realized the SUV had stopped.

"I was more tired than I thought," I straightened up in the passenger seat, attempting—with the limited space available—to stretch the kinks out of arms and legs.

"If you'd been in bed with me last night, I'd have made sure you got some sleep," Hank's eyes darkened as he unbuckled my seat belt. "After a while," he added, leaning in to give me a quick peck. Well, at least I was getting kisses, now. Janine never got that from Hank. I shut off that train of thought immediately.

"I don't want to talk about it," I opened my door and slipped out of the vehicle.

"I get that," Hank climbed out of the driver's seat and shut his door. "I just want you to know that you can talk to me anytime about what bothers you, even if what bothers you is me."

"Sure," I said, turning to see that we were in a restaurant parking lot. It looked busy.

"Does that mean you're blowing me off or agreeing to talk to me about those things?" Hank's hand settled at the small of my back and gently pushed me toward the restaurant's door.

"Hank, I don't feel comfortable with that," I hung my head and watched my feet as they matched his stride.

"So you're blowing me off."

"I didn't say that," I lifted my head and blinked at him. "I wish you'd try to understand. I've never talked to anybody about anything that bothered me."

"Because there wasn't anyone to offer before," Hank pointed out.

"It scares me," I said and lowered my chin. I couldn't look at his beautiful face any longer, and I wanted so badly at that moment to know what he was thinking. I needed to know what he really thought about all this—about me—Janine, everything.

"I know it does, love. It doesn't have to happen all at once. A little at a time is okay."

"Hank, I don't think I can talk about most of it."

"Not even nasty Janine? Tell me what you saw that bothers you the most. I have a good idea, but tell me anyway. That way we can sort through it, and I can explain what was happening."

"I thought this was our day," I tried to move away from Hank when he reached out to open the restaurant's door. "Yet Janine keeps cropping up." Hank wouldn't let me get away; gripping my arm carefully, he pulled me inside with him.

"Two for lunch, please, under the name Hank."

"I have that reservation," the hostess nodded at Hank. Like most women, she couldn't take her eyes off him for several seconds. "Follow me, please." She lifted two menus and led us toward the back of the restaurant.

We were seated at a table next to tall windows overlooking Monterey Bay. The water was deep blue under a noonday sun and long strands of kelp moved with the waves.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Hank opened his menu. "Jayson and I have been here a few times. He talks about buying property here, but hasn't found the view he wants, yet."

"You mean Jayson can't just order people out of their homes?" I opened my menu and stared at lists of items without really seeing them.

"Not so far," Hank shook his head and continued to study the menu. "There are a couple of places he'd bid on if they came up for sale, though."

"No doubt." I shut my menu with a sigh.

"What are you having?" Hank looked up and studied me.

"Not hungry," I said, turning to stare out the window.

"I'll order for you if you don't pick something."

"Isn't that what you guys do anyway? Don't you assert your dominance by telling your sub what to do and when and how to do it?"

"Now it comes out," Hank breathed. "You saw that, too. It's part of the training. All of it was agreed to at the beginning. She knew what was happening, what was expected of her and why she would get punished if she didn't do as she was told."

"Punishment." I shuddered and my arms wrapped around my waist involuntarily.

"It's a part of it," Hank said softly. "Don't you think we know the differences in people? Some, all you have to do is say a word or two and that's harsher punishment than a dozen blows. Others keep making the same mistakes, when they know the correction is coming."

"That still places all the power with you. Like you know everything and the other person knows nothing."

"That's what it's about. It's a power exchange. They want to give it to the doms and masters. It's all part of the culture and lifestyle. We're not perfect, Bree. We know that. At least the best of us do. When we make a mistake, the best thing to do is to admit it. Right the wrong, if a wrong has been committed."

"So who flogs you, Henry Hank Bell, when you fuck up?" I stood abruptly, my chair making a harsh, scraping sound on wood flooring as I shoved it back.

"Bree, sit," Hank commanded.

"Fuck you," I snapped and folded space.

* * *