Redeemed In Shadows (17 page)

Xee didn’t challenge him. She confused him. She gave off weird signals. One moment she’s on, the next moment, she’s off. She confounded him with her actions and there was nothing challenging about that.

“The woman irritates me, nothing more. Granted she’s fascinating in the sense that she’s brilliant, but she’s crass, has a loud mouth and no respect for authority.”

“But you’re willing to forego all of that to get to the heart of her. Peel back the layers and find what’s underneath.

“Yes,” he shook his head quickly. “I mean no! I don’t have time for that.” Gritting his teeth he said, “I have a little less than a week left. There’s nothing to gain from starting a relationship.”

“Were you clear with Ms. Hale in that respect?”

“Yes, I told her it was only going to be one night.”

Shit.

He hadn’t wanted to let that particular piece of information out.

Ann uncrossed, and then re-crossed her legs. Gabe tracked the movement and not because he was interested, but because it took his mind off of the enigmatic Kapua Hale. When he wasn’t dreaming of his past transgressions, he was dreaming of her.

“Why only the one night? Adults exercise the right to enter into sexual interludes every day. Sex is healthy and gratifying for both parties if done right. It feeds and fosters a person’s most basic of needs. I don’t see why the two of you couldn’t enjoy one another’s company while you’re still with the team.”

Hell, that actually made sense.

“I’ve been warned away due to her mental status. Dravaggio was very clear.”

His friend would literally toss him out if he took steps further to satisfy his urges.

“But you disobeyed his orders anyway.”

Nodding yes to her question he thought about how bad things would go if Dravaggio found out. He always followed the rules ever since the debacle that exiled him to Earth. It was time he did something that satisfied both his and her needs. Spending time with Xee was not in his best interest. But sometimes a man had to let go and live a little. Why not now, with her?

“What you’re saying is I should go to her, talk things out and see if she’s down.”

Ann grinned.

“Yeah, see if she’s down. But don’t force her; it will be hard for her to trust you, especially if you only said one night. Since you fully intend to ask for more, explain things for her, help her understand why you think the two of you spending time together is a good idea.”

Oh yeah, it was definitely a good idea. He wouldn’t give her a reason not to trust him. Gabe rose from his chair and before he left, Ann cleared her throat getting his attention.

“Gabe, about your brothers…”

He interrupted her before she could go any further.

“They’re a bunch of dicks. Eventually, all will come to reveal itself and retribution will be carried out to all those involved. Myself included.”

“Sounds very ominous.”

“It is Ann. It really is.”

She gave him a tight smile before peering down at her wrists and whispering, “I’ve met your brother Abaddon and you’re right. He’s a real dick.

The back of his neck prickled in awareness and Gabe slowly turned around, dreading what Ann was going to say next. Abaddon only dealt with suicide cases. Those willing to take their lives got a personal visit from him. He searched Ann’s face when she stood; her eyes tracked his briefly allowing him a glimpse of her past torment. She slowly lifted her arms exposing her wrists and he saw the scars then. Two distinct gashes that went from wrist to elbow. She hadn’t been playing around when she’d decided she’d had enough of life. The star tats and the start of sleeves did a great job of covering the scars, but because he was Death, he could see the scars without problem.

“I’m so sorry Ann.” Gabe whispered. She gave him a half smile and put her hands back in her lap.

If his brother had given her another chance at life, it would not have been a happy one. She would have been charged with one final task before she could cross over, one that would not bode well for its intended. It was usually to right a wrong that was done. But nowadays who knew why his brother had allowed her to remain on Earth’s realm.

“Why did you ask to come back Ann?” Gabe asked quietly. Her face turned to stone and her eyes glazed over as if she were in a trance before she said slowly, “To deliver a killing blow Gabe, a killing blow.” Her eyes cleared then and she opened her notebook and began working again.

Ann was a suicide victim, and whoever she planned to do damage to would be in a world of hurt. He just hoped it wasn’t anyone here on the team.

Chapter 13

Jesminda watched her mate and daughter play a game of air hockey in the common area. Faith’s friend Reese kept score. The market incidence still festered in her brain as she watched Draven closely. Was she missing something, had there been signs all along? As if he felt her stare, his eyes cut to hers and for a split second, and she swore she saw Black. An involuntary gasp slid past her lips and she tried covering it with a smile. Maybe she was seeing things.

“Angel, daddy needs to talk to mommy, you and Reese can play now.”

Their daughter smiled and motioned for her friend to take her father’s place. Draven approached her cautiously, taking her by the hands as he searched her face.

“Petal,’ he whispered against her forehead. “ What’s wrong, you look heart broken.”

Her heart was breaking, for her family and all the hurt she was sure to put Draven and even Belinda through once she carried out her plan. There was no help for it now. Her family, although whole as only in a temporary state of bliss. She’d felt they were at a stage in their life where things were almost perfect, even as they were trying to track down the Sahidic. But they weren’t. Enri could come in and clearly rip the Band-Aid off whenever he wanted, unleashing complete and utter devastation to her world.

Jes wrapped her arms around her mate burying her face in his neck. Everyone and everything that mattered to her was in the room with her. She loved her friends and other family members, but the two people in the room and the child she carried, that was life. Her whole life. When she looked up past his shoulder, she saw the cloaked figure she’d been seeing. It was a woman, she could tell by the hands that rested folded in front of her. When the robed figured finally lifted her head, Jes tried not to cry out at the sight of the face in front of her. Her breath hitched as a quiet gasp shook her body. To see eyes like hers and facial features so alike, there could be no mistaking who the figure was. Odessa.

“What’s wrong Petal?” Draven squeezed her to him.

Jes buried her face into her mate’s neck once more, trying hard not to cry. The face under the hooded robe was her, or it would be her. At least that’s what she thought she’d look like if her life didn’t take a turn for the better. What she saw was a complete lack of emotion and withdrawal from life. She’d hoped that Odessa revealing herself was for reassurance and not because she was due to face yet another threat. She knew life wasn’t easy, but for her it had been one nightmare after another. She deserved happiness and she would fight for it. The only people she wasn’t willing to sacrifice for it were her family.



Xee woke to a sound coming from the hall. She was still in the H.I.V.E. It was getting late and because Gabe hadn’t returned, she did a perimeter sweep and checked in with the team before shutting down. It was almost midnight. She couldn’t remember what she’d done from the time Gray had threatened her and from the time she woke up in the communications room. She needed to figure out why she was blacking out or sleeping. Whatever she was doing it was messing with her sleep. Confusion clawed at her memory as she tried to recounting the past events. How did she fall asleep, why wasn’t she upstairs in bed, or had she gone to bed but come back down to the H.I.V.E, only to repeat the same tasks?

Xee made it to her room without incident. Closing the door, she peeled off her clothes and made her way over to the bathroom. She made sure the water was scolding hot before she stepped in.

“Micah, you think we’re going to find the Sahidic?”

“Yeah, eventually. I have no doubt in my mind.”

Well, at least he was being optimistic.

After the shower, she threw on a tank top and another pair of boy shorts. It had been two days since the Gabe experience, as she was now calling it. She could still feel echoes of his kisses and the touch of his hands. Everything on her ached to experience that type of closeness again. With women, she was harsh and demanding, brutal in her exchange for sexual satisfaction. With Gabe, she gave over to his wants and catered to his needs. He made her feel sexy, beautiful even.

“Poetic much?”
Micah laughed in her head. He’d always made her feel bad for expressing her feelings even if it was just the two of them. Ignoring him, she climbed into bed pulling the sheets up to cover her body.

It wasn’t until much later; she felt the heat of a warm hand sliding the sheet down her shoulder past her waist. Fresh rain drifted into her senses and she knew, knew she was dreaming. There was no way he was in her bed after he’d said they’d only have the one night.

Warm lips glided across her hipbone down to her thigh, creating good bumps across her skin until she shook with need.

“Blossom,” Gabe’s lips whispered against the inside of her thighs, making her squirm and moan his name as she turned fully on her back. His blond hair tickled her legs as his mouth latched onto her opposite thigh.

“I thought we said only one night Angel Boy.” Xee said on a breathy moan.

Gabe’s only response was a growl. His tongue was tracing one of her tattoos on the inside of her thigh, a vine of exotic orchids.

“Let me in.” he said, pushing her legs further apart. When she spread her legs wide enough for him to fit the width of his shoulders between her legs, he pushed his hands underneath her ass grabbing hold and lifting her to his waiting mouth. His breath fanned her center, penetrating the cloth already soaked between her legs. She could feel his tongue dart out and push against the fabric causing her to jolt forward. She was trying unsuccessfully to get closer to her target, and every time she tried he would back away rubbing his chin along her thighs.

“I wonder if you’ve been thinking about the other night as much as I have.”

Yes! Yes, she had!

“Wonder if I’m consuming your thoughts day and night like you are mine.”

She nodded her head frantically, unable to speak. She knew then she was dreaming because the real Gabe didn’t sound needy. Didn’t sound chest heavy as if something was constricting his speech. It wasn’t like him at all. His voice was pine tar thick, dense. It settled into the deepest recesses of her gut where it clung to her insides aggressively seducing her body into submission.

“I want to hear you say it. Tell me you’re just as fucked up as I am and that you want me, you want this.” His hands squeezed her ass and her body melted.

“I’m fucked. I want this, I want you.” Xee said between breaths.

“Good girl. Now hold still so I can feast on your pussy. Don’t move.”

She held still, held her breath as their eyes connected and she watched as he shredded her boy shorts with his teeth. Holy hell that was hot. He didn’t make her wait this time around, his mouth latched on, licking, sucking, nibbling her sensitive flesh until she was drenched in her own lust.. She grabbed the top of her headboard as his tongue and teeth did things to her pussy that she was sure every woman in the world fantasized about, and if they didn’t, well, she’d teach a class so they would all know what they were missing.

Gabe was voracious in his lust. One of his hands left her ass to join his mouth and tongue as he slid first one finger and then another, twisting, and hooking them at that perfect spot. It had her eyes crossing and seeing double. Mewls of longing slid past her lips and soon those sounds turned to full throaty moans when he touched a spot deep inside triggering her orgasm from her. Her fingers dug into the headboard as she tried to hold tight. Gabe pulled back and to Xee’s astonishment he slapped her clit, not hard but enough to prolong the sensation. A fresh and just as strong release followed closely on the first one’s tail. His gaze cut to her face, his bright eyes alight with mischief.

“I want your lips around my cock.”

He pushed his cock into her once, coating his skin before pulling all the way out. Thick and wet with her juices it beckoned her to take a closer look, to taste. Gabe stood from the bed, ready to come to her but she stopped him with a shake of her head.

“No need to come to me. I’ll come to you.”

His smile was predatory as he watched her maneuver to the side of the bed where he stood. Heart pounding, she didn’t know the first thing about sucking dick. How were her lips supposed to move, were they supposed to move, or did she just hold still?

“Don’t worry, I’ll show you how I like it.” Gabe said, vocalizing her concerns.

Sitting up on the edge of the bed, his cock was in perfect alignment with her mouth. She could smell his musk and her scent. Gone was the smell of fresh rain and in its place was pure unfiltered lust. In its most rare form, it would set a trap for anyone he dared to share in the experience. Lure its captive in until there was nothing to do but drown in the potent mixture of his aroma.

His hand grabbed the back of her neck, slowly bringing her forward. This was it. She was about to suck cock for the first time. He rubbed the head of his penis across her lips and Xee used her tongue to swipe across the salty tip. Her eyes focused on his face as she experimented, first with tentative swipes of her tongue, and again with kisses along the thick stalk of his shaft.

“Open,” he prodded. The tip of his dick slowly pressed sliding against her lips.

When she opened, she kept her eyes on his face and watched as Gabe’s eyes closed. His head dropped forward, as his breathing strained. Slow at first as she gently sucked the tip of his cock between her lips. He didn’t move, but allowed her to feel him warm and heavy inside her mouth.