Seduced by Two (12 page)

And it would’ve been his fault for letting it get out of hand.

They’d known—from the first time they’d shared a woman in college—they’d known what they enjoyed would never be accepted by society. They’d known they had to be careful.

Yet they were arrogant enough to want it anyway.

Their friends knew. Their friends had boatloads of their own sexual peculiarities. Casimir’s love of restraints. Adrien’s threshold for pain. Hell, Daniel’s preferences alone would keep a psychiatrist busy for the next fifty years.

Which was probably why the group of them got along so well.

It also explained why he felt as if he was betraying Tanner. Because he knew he’d feel the same if Tanner did this without telling him.

Which didn’t matter now because he’d reached home.

Parking on the street, he jumped out of the car and hurried to the house. If anyone was watching—and he sincerely hoped they were—then maybe they’d think they’d better act fast. Grab him now before he left again.

Could they be waiting in the house? Or on the street?

Jensen forced himself not to look around as he reached the front door and let himself in. He closed the door behind him but didn’t lock it, then made for the kitchen. He hadn’t really had a plan, more a general idea.

And now—

A breeze ruffled the hair on his shoulders and he turned.

Only to have darkness swallow him.

Chapter Seven

Nica left the tiny bathroom attached to the bedroom and found Tanner sitting on the bed, tapping one foot to a beat only he heard.

An impatient beat if his expression was anything to go by.

His gaze snapped to hers and he stood, holding out his hand.

“Something’s going on with Jensen. We need to go downstairs.”

Fear made her breath catch and she grabbed Tanner’s hand. “What is it?”

“I don’t know but I think he might have done something stupid. I think that’s what I’ve been feeling. We need to find him. Right now.”

She didn’t question as they hurried down the stairs, Tanner practically dragging her along after him. She didn’t care.

“Jensen!” he called out before he hit the first floor. “Jensen, where the hell are you?”

They didn’t find anyone in the front rooms and Nica’s anxiety ratcheted up another notch.

When they reached the kitchen, Nica already knew Sal wasn’t going to tell them anything good.

The
salbinelli
sat at the table, drinking a cup of coffee, watching as they stormed into the room.

Tanner stopped dead in the doorway and started to swear. “Son-of-a-fucking-bitch. Why the fuck did you let him leave?”

Sal lifted an eyebrow and took a sip of coffee. “I’m not his keeper. And neither are you. Jensen had a plan. A pretty decent one, if you ask me. Which he didn’t, by the way.”

Nica released Tanner’s hand and walked to the table, her heart pounding. “Where did he go, Sal?”

“He went home, hon.”

Sal said nothing else and she took a deep breath to stop the torrent of questions building in her brain. “Why did he leave, Sal? Why—”

“He went to flush them out.” Tanner’s quiet, furious voice made her stomach roll. “He left so they’d take him. So he could find out where your friend is being held. So he could play hero.”

“Actually,” Sal said, “he’s expecting you to find him. So you better get over your self-righteous bullshit fast and concentrate. You need to find Jensen.”

Her brow furrowed. “What are you talking about, Sal? How is Tanner supposed to find him?”

“Jesus Christ, he’s not serious.” Tanner’s shocked tone drew her attention away from Sal. She saw Tanner go white, saw the fear in his eyes. “He expects me to know where the hell he is, doesn’t he? To
feel
it. Fucking hell. I’m going to kill him.”

Nica began to understand what was going on but she knew Tanner was having a tough time. If they were going to find Jensen anytime soon, he needed to get with the program. And he needed her to help him.

Tanner could barely see straight, he was so pissed off and scared for Jensen. But his brother needed him to be strong. And so did she.

“Tanner.” She cupped his cheek and forced him to look into her eyes. “Tell me what’s going on. Just explain it to me so we can figure out what to do.”

Tanner started to shake his head but he kept his eyes focused on hers. As if he needed the connection. “When we were kids, we had a bond. We could pick up on each other’s thoughts, our feelings. If we went to the mall, we’d be able to find each other. I don’t know how to describe it. We just knew. They were like…flashes of images.”

“So you should be able to find him now?”

Shoving his hands through his hair, Tanner rolled his eyes and started to pace. “We haven’t done this for years. Literally fucking years. Damn him. I knew he was up to something—”

“Yes, you did.” She stepped in front of him, halting his agitated pacing, forcing him to look at her. “And that means you know where to find him now.”

And they had to. Fast. She couldn’t bear to think about Jensen being hurt, about Tira’s fear at being held against her will.

They’d lived such a sheltered life before they moved to the city a year ago, determined to have fun before their lives were co-opted by the
boschetta
. And now it was Nica’s fault her lover and her best friend were being held by a faceless enemy.

“No, it doesn’t.” Tanner practically spit the words out through his clenched jaw. “If he’d just told me what the hell he was planning, we might have been able to figure something out—”

“None of that matters now.” She held up both hands to stop his next words. “No, Tanner. All that matters now is your ability to find Jensen. And I think I can help with that.”

Blue eyes narrowed as he took that in. “How?”

“My healing gift relies on empathy, on feeling what other people feel. I think I can boost your ability to sense Jensen. Our feelings for him are strong and we should be able to find him faster. Together.”

“And when we find him, then what?”

“I have a friend we can call on to help with that. He’ll help us get Jensen and Tira back. But first, you need to find them. Only you can do that.”

A muscle in Tanner’s jaw started to tic. Lifting on her toes, she put her lips over it and kissed him, letting just a little hint of her power ease into him. She needed him to calm down so he could concentrate.

His arms immediately went around her, drawing her close. His heart beat against hers, his rhythm elevated. His heat seared into her skin, calming her as much as she wanted to calm him.

“Just so you know,” Tanner tugged on her hair until she tilted her face up to stare into his eyes, “I’m gonna beat the shit out of him when we’re done with this.”

She smiled up at him, knowing he’d never hurt Jensen. At least not permanently. “And I think you’re entitled. But let’s get him back first, okay? Him and Tira.”

“We will. But,” he shook his head, the worried look returning to his eyes, “it’s been a long time since I’ve done this.”

“Then let’s make sure you do it right.”

Taking his hand, she drew him back through the house to the front room. Sal trailed along, silent except for the clop of his hooves on the hardwood floors.

She pointed Tanner at the couch and sat next to him.

“I’m gonna give Cam de Feo a call,” Sal said as he stopped in the doorway behind them. “See if he’s free to give us a hand or if he can send Antonin.”

Sal disappeared, back to the kitchen, she assumed, as Tanner met and held her gaze.

“Give me your hands,” she said.

He reached out and took hers. Tension radiated through him like electricity. If he didn’t calm down, he’d never find Jensen.

Moving fast, she straddled his lap and kissed him with enough heat to take his mind off what he had to do. He responded immediately, opening his mouth to let her tongue duel with his. Instantaneous heat flared, tempered only slightly by their combined fear.

The man who’d attacked them the other night had nearly killed Jensen. Would he decide Jensen was a liability that needed to be disposed of? Had he walked into a deadly trap?

They had to get to him now.

As they kissed, she felt Tanner relax, and let her senses open to what he was feeling. Her Goddess Gift gave her the ability to heal the body but it also gave her a sense of what the other person was feeling and thinking.

Tanner was thinking about Jensen.

No, that wasn’t quite right.

He was thinking
at
Jensen. Calling out to him mentally. Searching for him.

It was like no magic Nica had ever experienced. And she wasn’t even sure if magic was the right word. It was more like a sense, like touch or taste, but one he rarely used.

As she kissed him, and as he kissed her back, he let that sense loose, as if he’d been reining it in for so long he had to remember how to work it.

Afraid to break away for fear of breaking his concentration, she focused on comfort rather than arousal, distraction rather than attraction.

And sank deeper into Tanner’s mind than she’d thought possible, connected with him in the same way she’d connected with Jensen when she’d healed him only two nights ago.

She saw Tanner’s thoughts, caught impressions of his awful childhood, the hatred he still carried for his father, so deeply embedded it tainted every memory of his mother with its stain. She wanted to cry at the anguish he still carried for his mom’s death, for being unable to stop the beatings Jensen had endured.

She caught no hint of self-pity for his own injuries inflicted by his father, only a powerful drive to be a better man, to be strong and stable and enjoy whatever life had to offer. And running beneath that, she felt Jensen.

The bond between them almost felt like a rubber band, elastic yet unbreakable, strong and pliable. That bond resided in Tanner just as her
arus
lived in her.

Tanner broke away with an indrawn breath. “Jesus.”

Blinking into his wide eyes, Nica knew he’d found him.

“Where?”

“Christ.” Tanner shook his head as if to clear it then closed his eyes to concentrate. “He must be in the city, within a couple of miles. Don’t ask me how I know, I just do. He’s close enough that I can feel him. Jesus, it’s like a string that he’s tugging on. I even know the direction to go. I can’t see where he is but when we get close, I’ll know.”

Tanner stood, lifting her easily along with him and setting her on her feet. “Let’s go.”

“Tanner, wait.” She laid her hand on his arm, knowing he wasn’t going to like what she had to say. “We need help. You’re not equipped to deal with the people we’re going up against.”

He stiffened beneath her arm and his expression hardened into a determined mask, though he wouldn’t meet her eyes. “I’m going.”

“I know. We need you to go, Tanner. But we also need help. The man who took Tira and Jensen nearly killed him the other night. With magic. You don’t have magic to defend yourself against him.”

She stared up at him, willing him to look at her. “Please. I would be devastated if anything happened to you or Jensen. Please don’t make this harder than it’s already going to be.”

Tanner stared at the wall in front of him, feeling Nica’s warm hand on his arm, hearing the real fear in her voice.

She was afraid he’d be hurt. That he couldn’t protect himself.

And damned if she wasn’t right.

He remembered how the man had nearly killed Jensen by flicking his fingers at him. By putting a spell on his brother and stopping his heart.

Neither he nor Jensen had any defense against that. Hell, Nica was better equipped to save his brother than he was.

And that sucked. It fucking sucked ass and made Tanner’s blood boil.

Which didn’t make any goddamn sense because he’d been pissed as hell when he’d realized Jensen had run off and put himself in this danger for exactly the reason Nica had just given him.

“Tanner?”

He took a deep breath and forced back the out-of-control anger he felt building in his gut. That anger scared him. Always had, because it reminded him of his father.

And he’d sworn never to be like his father.

Another deep breath and he finally let his gaze meet hers. And he couldn’t hold the anger. Because beneath the fear, he saw an emotion he’d never seen from another woman. An emotion echoed by his own.

It went beyond mere lust to something deeper. More meaningful. He still wasn’t ready to put it into words. And he wasn’t willing to think about what it meant for the future. Not yet.

Right now, he had to get Jensen and Tira back.

He was the only one who could find them. So that’s what he’d do.

“Tanner, I don’t—”

“Hey, babe. It’s fine.” He smiled at her, cupping her soft cheek and dropping a quick kiss on her lips. “I’m not as stubborn as Jensen. I know we need help. So who’s the cavalry?”

“I am.”

Tanner turned toward the voice. Sal stood in the doorway to the next room with a dark-haired man who threw off an intensity not even a blind man could miss. Built like a bodybuilder, the new guy was a few inches shorter than Tanner but had to outweigh him by twenty pounds. His jeans and tight t-shirt left no doubt as to how much of the bulk was muscle.

Curly dark hair covered his ears but in no way made him seem feminine, and his dark eyes bored into Tanner’s as if he could read his mind.

The guy didn’t smile but he did move out of the doorway, holding out his hand. “Cam de Feo.”

Tanner took his hand. “Tanner Miller. No offense but we need to leave. Jensen will do something stupid if we don’t find him soon.”

“Sal says you know how to find him.”

“Yeah, I can. Just don’t ask me to explain how.”

The guy almost smiled. “No problem. I’m used to secrets. So tell me, Tanner. Ever use a sword?”

* * * * *

Jensen woke with a nasty headache.

But with his head pillowed in someone’s very comfortable lap.

“Oh thank the Goddess, I was so afraid you weren’t going to wake up.”

The whispered voice was female but he didn’t recognize it. Her hands brushed lightly through his hair, as if she could tell he was in pain.

“Are you okay?” Her hand drifted to his shoulder. “Do you remember what happened to you?”

Jensen forced his eyes open as he slowly rose to sit on the hard floor. Blinking, he looked around. A bare bulb on the ceiling revealed an empty room, no furniture, no windows, two doors. One was closed, the other open.

With a little shake of his head, he focused on the woman next to him.

“Tira?”

The blonde beside him lit up like a candle even in the murk of the room. “Yes,” she practically squealed. “Oh please tell me you’re my hero come to rescue me?”

“Well, I guess you could call me the first wave.”

She frowned as if he’d spoken in a language she didn’t understand.

Jensen figured that happened a lot with this woman. She looked like the classic dumb blonde—big blue eyes, wavy blonde hair, a D-cup bra and a size 0 waist.

Then her gaze narrowed and he practically saw her brain start to work.

“You’re one of Nica’s men from the bar the other night. I recognize you now.”

“Yeah, that’s me. I’m Jensen. Are you hurt, Tira?”

She shook her head. “Other than to kidnap me, I’ve barely seen the man. He’s given me food and water and there’s a bathroom back there.” She nodded toward the open door. “How did he get you?”

“At my home.” He didn’t want to say anything else in case the guy was listening to their conversation, didn’t want to broadcast the fact that others were coming. “Has he said anything to you about what he’s going to do?”