Everyone has a Weak spot (19 page)

“
Chéri,
as long as you try, it's good, hmmm?"

She hoped he understood. She was trusting him temporarily. When the time came, she was not going to let him fight her battles. She loved him. She'd talk to Renaud. If her brother agreed, they'd figure out how War fit into all this.

* * * *

As the men started returning from the tasks War had given them, he'd introduced them to Lorelei. She was reserved, as always. Renaud was okay with them one at a time, but didn't like having all of them around at once. He liked Ziggy just fine, and the two of them had done well on their kitten mission.

Lorelei was over the moon about her new kitten. She'd named the orange and white kitten Gosalyn after the little girl duck in her favorite cartoon. Renaud declared himself a reformed kitten molester, and War was quick to tell him how proud he was of him.

Lorelei was so attentive when the kitten scratched him that the sexy Sheriff was only too glad to play with the hateful ball of fur. He found it odd that Renaud had been, according to Ziggy, very insistent that the kitten be very physical.

When everyone had returned to Lorelei's studio, War suggested that they move the entire circus to his home outside of town. After much debate, it was agreed that, should the “bad guys” attack, they didn't want to involve innocent bystanders.

A day had since passed with the entire entourage settled in War's four-story house out away from town. It was bordered on two sides by trees and bayou, one side was open farmland and the other was cleared land until it reached the road with the gulf on the other side of that. The old house was a mile from its nearest neighbor.

Many large old homes in Louisiana have a vacant or sparse first floor so that the water, when it rises, will do little damage. This was true of War's home.

Lorelei and Renaud thought the sparse area would be a good dance studio for them but War and his men disagreed. They felt the brother and sister would be too vulnerable there. Instead, they cleared the fourth floor for them.

The truth was that War suspected something. He didn't know what yet, but they were up to something. They'd spent their entire lives outrunning the people who were after them. They'd watched every person they'd ever loved be killed by these people. They'd gone so far as to plan leaving here to protect War and Zierra.

Now, when a trap was being laid and the final showdown was at hand, Lorelei and Renaud were content to let someone else handle it? War didn't buy it for a minute.

* * * *

Renaud was walking through the woods on a patrol with Ziggy. He liked the other man okay. They got along fine. Ziggy didn't feel like he had to fill every quiet minute with chatter.

The woods were peaceful this day, but Renaud smelled Zierra before he heard her. Apparently, Ziggy heard her, too. He glanced over as the other man slid behind a tree.

Renaud was livid. He'd told Zierra to leave him the hell alone. He'd told her he didn't care about her, he no longer respected her, and he didn't want to be with her in any way.
What does it take with this girl?

Renaud had stopped trying to spare her feelings. He was still trying to save her life, though.

“Renaud, I found you,” Zierra panted breathlessly.

“I made it crystal clear that I didn't want to be found, Zierra!” snarled Renaud. He shook his head in disgust. “Don't you have any pride at all?"

“It's just...” Was she blushing? Renaud looked at her narrowly.

“What, Zierra? What has turned you from a haughty, snotty, self-centered pain in the ass to a pathetic, haughty, snotty, self-centered pain in the ass?"

“It's you, Renaud. You're such an asshole but you're so hot.” Renaud just stared at her.

“I don't get it,” he said finally. He could hear Ziggy snickering behind the nearby tree.

“Renaud, when you...” his eyes narrowed again. “When you fucked me, you did it like you were just trying to shut me up. You didn't even care."

“That's exactly right, Zierra. I did it so you'd leave me alone. It was nothing to me. You were acting like a whore and I treated you like one.” He still glared hard at her.

“It was the best I've ever had, ever. And even after you came, you didn't go down. I bet you could have kept going for hours..."

Rolling his eyes, Renaud let out a deep sigh.
Why is this happening?

“Zierra, my buddy Ziggy is right behind that tree over there. This turns out to be a very bad time for me.” He made the mistake of turning his head toward Ziggy.

Before he knew what was going on Zierra had his pants open and had her hand wrapped around him. She'd dropped to the ground and put him in her mouth, sucking lustily.

Her dress had been held together by one button and she'd divested herself of that the second he'd looked over his shoulder. Now, when he tried to push her off him, she made sure his hand landed on her breast.

“Damn, Zierra!” he growled. “You don't care who sees what, do you?"

Not letting go of his sex, she turned and braced herself on a tree beside them.

“I'll stay away for a week, Renaud. I promise. Only, please..."

He took her hips in his hands. “You make one sound and I'm gone,” he growled.

She nodded frantically. The tree she'd chosen was facing Ziggy. Renaud knew he could see every move. Ziggy would also be able to see Zierra's face clearly.

Renaud lifted her hips and plunged into her to the hilt. She didn't moan or groan, but he could hear the strangled sounds she made while trying to remain silent. He pounded into her like a jackhammer.

From the first thrust, she had been throwing herself back on to him. She'd climaxed nearly immediately and kept coming, squeezing him tight. His goal was to get this over with quickly. He didn't care what she was after. Her knees buckled, and he followed her to the ground.

When he would have pulled out, she looked over at him mouthing the word “please” and clinging to his arm. He continued to piston into her until, with one final thrust, he came.

Renaud waited a minute and then got up. Zipping his pants, he leaned down and tossed her dress to her.

“Tell Ziggy bye-bye,” he said to her. She looked over at the other man who arched a brow at her and waved.

Without another word, Renaud and Ziggy turned and walked back into the woods.

After a while, Ziggy spoke. “That happen often?” he asked.

“More often than I'd like,” Renaud growled.

“You're my hero, Fido,” Ziggy breathed. Renaud looked at him with narrowed, glittering blue eyes. “Can I tell the others about this?"

“I'd rather you keep your mouth shut.” Renaud still wasn't sure if the other man was joking.

“I'm serious, man. That was ... I don't know what that was.” Ziggy emitted a low whistle, shaking his head. “That woman looked like she had—I don't know—found God or something. Ecstasy, that's what..."

Renaud cut him off. “Ziggy, enough, it's not funny, man,” he growled menacingly.

“Hell, no, it ain't funny! You really are my hero, I swear it. I'm gonna just hang out with you and see what rubs off."

Renaud knew his brow was still furrowed when they reached the house. He kept glancing at Ziggy during the walk home, expecting to find the other man laughing at him. Instead, Ziggy had an expression of awe on his face every time he looked at Renaud.

Chapter 27

War had that nagging feeling again. Only this time, it was nagging like a fishwife.

Something's happening, something's going to happen, or I'm missing something.

“You got everything wired, Fitz?” War was talking to his second. He'd always think of the man as his second in command. War had ordered him to discreetly put microphones and cameras in throughout the top floor and, on a hunch, the roof as well.

“You bet, D.W.,” Fitz responded. “Wasn't easy doin’ that roof, I wanna tell ya that. And that boy of yours can hear a pin drop. Had to get some of the guys to take him out on recon so we could do it. Got cameras everywhere."

“Good man,” War praised him. “What about the translator?"

“Now, that's one cool gadget,” Fitz enthused. “They start talking that gobbledygook, and we won't miss a syllable."

It wasn't long before War's foresight was rewarded. He had told Lorelei that he was going to meet with the guys. They needed to talk about what they'd found out with regard to the foreigners in the area. She and Renaud said they'd like to just go dance.

War radioed the men on the perimeter not to do anything until they got a signal. The five men inside the house moved to a large TV monitor to see what, if anything, Renaud and Lorelei were up to.

For a little while, it really did seem they were just going to dance. Suddenly some things occurred to War all at once. He flipped the feed switch from the dance room to “off” and a new picture filled the screen.

Lorelei had almost outwitted them. She and Renaud had anticipated a camera and microphones in that room and managed to loop a video feed to make it look as if they were still dancing.

It had almost worked. It would have succeeded except that War had noticed that they'd done the same thing twice. That never happened when they danced together.

The cameras caught Lorelei jumping out the fourth-floor window and flipping herself up to the roof. Right after her, Renaud executed a similar maneuver. He wasn't as light and nimble as she was so it was a little dicey for a second. The five men released their collective breath and settled to listen.

They watched as Lorelei and Renaud joined hands and sat facing each other at the very top of the roof.

“Didja get the last drop of blood, Boo?” Renaud asked his sister. “Stroke of genius about the cat, huh?"

“It's not fair you're both the brains and the brawn, Ren.” Lorelei giggled. “But I do love my kitty.” The men were surprised.

“I couldn't keep getting him to cut himself shaving, ya know? Here's the medallion. I put his blood on mine and Papa's and you got the last drop before, right? For you?” Renaud held something silver and blue in his hand.

“Reni, you have to put it on him. Yeah, I got the blood. But you have to get him to wear it. He doesn't trust me."

Renaud's face registered shock. War realized that the extent to which he was a bastard apparently knew no bounds.

“You gotta be kiddin', Boo. He loves you. You know that. He'd do it for you if you asked him, c'mon.” In a lower voice, Renaud asked her, “Boo, doncha think he's the one?"

“Of course he's the one, Ren. I love him. He's my lover. He's the one Papa meant, I'm sure of it."

“Then why, Boo?” Renaud was definitely confused. “How can you say he doesn't trust you?"

War wondered that, himself. He didn't know exactly what they were talking about, but he had to side with Renaud on this one.

“Ren, how many times has he asked
you
if you and I had sex? Hmm?” War winced. “Then there's that Alabama thing. Look, we can't take a chance about whether he'd do it for me or not, now can we?” Renaud expelled a deep sigh.

“You're right. I know you're right. This is our only chance. So what do I do? Ask him to put it on and if he refuses, knock him down and put it on him?” War didn't think his nephew could do that. He was bigger than Renaud after all.

“Ren, you can't be killed, you can't be injured. You got the extra strong thing going on. Until he puts it on, you are stronger than he is. Make him wear it. If he won't, you know what to do. Besides, I'm lighter and more nimble. Plus, my color is so light they'll see me easy. I can stay high until one thing or the other happens."

“Boo, you gotta stay up. You cain't let ‘em git you."

“I know, Ren."

Lorelei heard the warning in her head. Her Papa's voice warning,
"They're here, Lorelei."

They looked at each other for a long moment. The people watching the feed saw a red and a yellow flash. “Danger. Papa said they're here, Ren. It's time."

“Boo, what if he won't wear it?” At her look he said, “I just need you to say it out loud so I know we agree. Say it."

“Find me and kill me, Ren.” War listened to her response and felt like he'd been hit with a brick.

“I'll die pretty quick after, right?” He put his palms on either side of her face. “I'll die quick, huh?"

“Yeah, Ren, pretty quick. Twenty-two minutes after,” she put her hands on his waist. “Ren?” He nodded. “Take as many as ya can out with ya, ‘kay?” Her brother lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her hard.

“It's time, Reni,” she said. He picked her up and hurled her at the top of a nearby tree. She was gone.

* * * *

Renaud moved to the nearest window, flipped his body inside and propelled himself to the staircase and hurtled himself down. He nearly collided with his uncle on the next landing.

“Tell me, boy!” War growled.

Renaud pulled his father's medallion from his pocket and handed it to him.

“You gonna make me wear this?” War demanded.

His nephew snarled back, “You gonna put it on or I'm gonna kill you and put it around your dead neck and drag you with me."

War took the medallion from Renaud. “I was gonna wear it, son. I just wondered what you'd say."

He dropped the chain over his head. Blue fire shot from the medallion and wrapped itself around him. He shook his head, hard.

Suddenly War felt incredibly strong. So many things were clear to him. It was as if a cloak of clarity had fallen on him. He felt a little buzz on his chest and touched Renaud. The buzz stopped. Then, like a tug on his mind, he felt Lorelei. The blue stone in his medallion began to flash as did the red stone in Renaud's.

“She needs us, Oncle,” Renaud told him urgently. War turned to his men.

“Come in behind us and mop up, you're takin’ prisoners. We're not.” He turned to Fitz.

“Fitz, call Fort Rucker Special Ops. Call the C.O. and get some big guns down here. If any foreign nationals are left alive, they can deal with ‘em.” The medallion at his neck zapped. Renaud's did the same.

“Let's go, son.” The outline of the two men became indistinct and two large black wolves wearing glowing pendants took their place. The animals shot into the swampy and wooded area behind the house.