Blackwater (29 page)

He winces and nods. He licks his lips and I moan. I laugh and walk back to the house, "Let's get my sister and Angie and Tessa."

The plane lands and I can feel the sun on the horizon. I shudder and start to feel my nerves setting in. Angie and Em are still not speaking to me. They huddle into each other and shut me out. I hate myself for it but wish they could see. Thinking about the tragedy it took to get me to understand Whit's motives, I change my mind and pray they never get it. I never want to go through any of that again.

We are the most sullen group of people ever, except Tessa. She has nattered the entire trip.

"I just don’t understand how you're momma is gonna cope being there in that huge house alone," she shakes her head and climbs off the plane.

I follow her and nod, "She'll have a tough time but I think she'll be okay in a while. She just needs to adjust."

She looks back at me, "I just don’t understand how them burglars came and drained all his blood like that. Who steals blood from a man? That whole thing didn’t make no sense."

I stifle a laugh and try not to let her hear me fighting it.

I glance at Em and Angie. They are both disturbed still. They don’t get how I can be so well adjusted. They don’t get that my daddy has been dead for forty-eight years. They don’t get that I gave up the chance to have him back so I could save them. They don’t get any of it.

We walk to a gate. Whit speaks to a man and we all walk though. We walk through the London Airport and out to the awaiting cars. We will be driven to Scotland over the course of the next couple days.

I climb into my car with Whit and Tessa. I glance through the window at my sister and best friend getting into the other car.

Em meets my gaze. She doesn’t hold it but stares just long enough for me to see her heartbreak.

I look at Whit and wonder how it felt for me to hate him for forty-eight years? I wonder if I'll be able to stand it. He looks back at me, "Stay at the hotels and then hit the road tonight?"

I nod once.

He smiles, "You'll love it, trust me."

I feel my face flush. I still don’t trust him. He realizes what he's said and laughs, "Or not. It's your choice."

I shake my head and sigh.

Tessa natters on, "You from here Mr. Whitlock? You sound English maybe." She doesn’t know she's asked it seventeen times since meeting him.

He smiles at her and laugh, "No. I'm Scottish. We're heading to my house now."

She smiles and nods, "Well ain't that lovely. Lorelei, your man here is taking you to meet the family. Your daddy would have approved I think."

I laugh and look down at my shoes, "Maybe." I glance up at Whit. He grins and my stomach twinges. I love him. I can't even help myself. I don’t even want to. I just want to trust him.

The driver pulls away and I try to focus on things other than him and the way his lips look so kissable, or the memory of his finger inside of me. I'm almost panting and nearly psychotic by the time we get to the first hotel.

We arrive in Scotland after several nights of driving. He's forced Tessa to sleep every time we get into the car. He hasn’t tried to touch me since I spoke the words. It's actually painful to be separated from him. My skin burns for his touch. I catch myself staring at his clenched hands and tense jaw and burning eyes. Every feature seems like its sole purpose is to torture me.

I see the castle as we round a corner of the road. He points, "That’s it."

I gulp, "It really is a castle."

He laughs, "I wasn’t lying." He stops laughing and gives me a serious stare, "I don’t lie."

I roll my eyes, "Right," and look back at the castle. My nose is nearly pressed against the cold glass in shock. This makes the Governor's mansion look piddly. I can't help but wonder what kind of staircase there is inside. I can't wait for Em to see it. My chest burns with emptiness and pain when I think about the fact we can't share that.

We pull up to a gate that opens as we dive through. It's all surrounded by lush hillsides and rolling green hills. It's stunning. I love it instantly, even in the dim light of the dawn, we are racing to get there.

A man who looks indifferent to who gets out of the car opens the door. He doesn’t seem to have facial expression and he doesn’t look at me at all.

I climb out and mutter, "Thanks."

I look at where Em and Angie are climbing out also. I smile but they both give me the haunted looks they've given me every chance they have gotten.

I turn and walk for the huge front steps. They're concrete and massive. I wonder a millions things about it but I'm exhausted and I just want him to take the spell off of me, or rather let me break it.

A young woman and several men who look similar to him come rushing down the stairs. They speak fast and say the ochs and the lalala words that I don’t get at all.

He points at me and says something resembling English but I don’t get it. They beam and smile. One of the huge guys shoves him and walks to me. He offers huge bear paw of a hands, "Inger, at your service." He takes my hand in his and kisses it. He smells my skin and looks up at me shocked. I pull my hand back and fight the blush crossing my cheeks. He look at my sister and Angie and grins, I would know the grin anywhere.

"Lasses, welcome to Gallymis." His accent is thick, like mud.

"Thanks," I mutter and look around. The turrets and towers are intriguing as sin. Whit steps to where I am, he towers over me like he's protecting me.

Angie and Em walk to us, they hover close to Whit. We look scared, there is no doubt. The young lady smiles and I can't help but like her. She has the dark eyes the way they all do and plump lips. She must be their sister.

"I'm Gwen," she says softly, I think trying to be calm for us. She points to the youngest of them all, "Olly."

He talks fast, beaming. "Right pleased to meet ya."

She points at a dark-haired one that looks like Whit, the harder I look I realize he looks identical to him, "Rydal."

He nods at me severely but his lips play with a grin. When he lets it loose my stomach aches. They look identical.

"Emily, Angie, in the car still sleeping is Aunt Tessa and this is Lorelei." Whit points to the top of our heads.

I look at them and smile politely. I can't fight all the breeding that’s still there.

Rydal takes my hand in his and kisses the top of it. The spark I feel when our skin makes connection makes me jump. He grins and I melt. I swallow and fight my legs turning to jelly. He presses his warm lips in the top of my hand and when he lets go he drags his fingers along my palm. I'm putty in his hands. He winks a dark eye at me and moves onto my sister and Angie.

Whit takes my hand that’s burning from the lips of his brother and pulls me up the steps. A large bear of a man is in the doorway grinning like a fool. He points at Whit and shakes his head, "We asked you to bring the blood, not the girls." His accent is thick too.

Whit blushes and looks down, "Aye Da, I didn’t have any choice. Their ma went right radge. I had to save them."

The man looks at us and nods, "Aye welcome to Gallymis, lasses." I smile politely and cling to Whit, "Thank you." I turn and glance back at my sister and Angie. They're clinging to each other wide-eyed and uncomfortable. Whit waits for them, "Da, this is my Lorelei, her sister Emily and her mate Angie."

The man grins and takes my hand in his. He looks the same as Whit with dark eyes, dark hair, and a slight cleft in his chin. He has the same plump lip and sparkle in his eyes.

"Welcome." It sounds like weeelcome. I smile, I can't fight the grin.

He steps aside, "The dawn’s coming."

Whit leads us to a huge front entry with a grand staircase worthy of royalty. He pulls me along. I look back, "Tessa?"

He shakes his head, "They’ll get her into a room and convince her she's going to sleep until she's woken by one of us."

I gulp and look back.

"You guys okay?" I ask. I don’t expect them to answer. They don’t. They climb the stairs, and when Whit shows them to their huge grand room, they close the door in my face. I hurt everywhere. I can't let it go. They're killing me.

He pulls me along to a bedroom and closes the door. I turn to see the huge four-post bed and lavish furnishings. It's clearly his room. It’s dark and brooding like he is. Too nice and too proper for me to be completely comfortable.

"Is this your room?" I ask.

He smirks, "Tis, but if you want I can get you your own room or you can sleep here and I can bunk with Rydal."

I shake my head, "It's fine. We've slept together for a long time now. We can sleep together and not be…you know." I blush and glance up.

He grins and shakes his head, "No I don’t. I think I might need you to explain the you know part of it." I shove him and walk into the room. I sit on the bed and sigh.

He stands in front of me and looks confused, "You want to end the spell I have on you?"

I shake my head, "that’s not it."

"Angie and Em?" he asks.

I nod and feel like I'm going to cry.

He lifts my hands and kisses them, "Go talk to them. Make them understand."

I look into his dark eyes and nod, "Okay." I stand and he sweeps me into his arms. His lips brush mine softly. I let him hold me for a moment and then press against his chest, "You promised."

He laughs, "Only till we got here."

I glower, "You promised."

He sighs "Aye I did."

I walk from his grip and out of the room. I walk down the hall, stopping at their door. I take a breath and knock. I gulp when they open it.

"Can I come in?" I whisper.

Angie answers and steps away from the door. She leaves it open. I walk in and close it.

Em looks at me and snarls, "What?"

I feel my fingers burning. I sigh and start, "I watched you die. It was hard. It wasn’t Whit but it was one of the others. His hand sliced across your throat and your blood sprayed across the foyer. I'll never forget the color of it, you were dead and so was Daddy. I ran and hid in the hiding house. They came for me there. I was alone in the world but Whit had put the blood in my mouth. I died when the sun set. I became what I am now but no magic. I ran for forty-eight years believing you both dead." A black tear trickles from my eye. I shudder and continue, "I came back to Baton Rouge and Angie, you were married to Martin. He had raped you at my engagement party. He told me that he told you he would either have you or hurt and humiliate me. You chose to sacrifice yourself and he raped you. He forced you to marry him when I was gone. You had kids and grandkids when I saw you again, but you were so unhappy. He had tortured you and beaten you for years. He cheated and humiliated you."

I glance at her. Her face is streaked with the tears. She sputters, "He came to me at the party. He wanted that very thing."

I nod and look at Em, "You were dead but cursed to live forever as a sixteen-year-old ghost. I didn’t know. Your only company was our dear aunt who moved in and lived with you. You destroyed the house and lived in the ruins, haunting them. I got there and started rebuilding, but you were so angry about being dead and stuck there. It was sick and sad and broke my heart. I met a girl who could send us back in time. She is part angel and magical. She did it. She forced you Angie, to go back and change a decision. You didn’t let Martin rape you. He roughed you up, but you got away. I came back with full memory. I remember it all. I was able to save you and Tessa and Angie and Maria. But I had to choose this. Em you were dead already. Momma had trapped you at the mansion and Angie you were doomed. Martin was gonna make your daddy, make you marry him. This is the only way I had to change it all. I chose in the few moments I was given."

My lips tremble but I continue, "I made the choice. You may hate me for the next forty-eight years, but I made this choice. I didn’t think I had any other. I'm sorry." I stand and walk from the room, leaving them both tear streaked and sniffling. I don’t know what else to say or do and I don’t want emotionally forced apologies or forgiveness.

I walk down the hall, hugging myself and sickened. I'm almost to the door when a hand reaches out and pulls me inside of the room across from mine. The door is closed and a hand is pressed against my lips. I gasp seeing the grinning face of Rydal. I can tell them apart from the clothes they're wearing.

He gives me the same lazy grin, "I know your secret, witch."

I frown, "I don’t have secrets."

He lowers his face and smells my nape. My skin shivers from the proximity. He stands back up and nods, "Aye, ya do. Ya smell just like a witch I knew once, only stronger." He grins and I get a glimpse of his fangs.

He runs his hands up and down my arms, "Let me have a sip of the nectar and I won't tell my brother how attracted ya are to me." His eyes sparkle with trouble.

I shove him back and open the handle of the door. He slams it shut again and pins me against the hard wood with his huge body, "You and me are going to be great friends, sister." He licks up the back my throat and presses himself into the back of me. His hand wraps around my waist and pulls my butt back for him to grind against. He growls into my nape, "Get my brother to get rid of that pesky virginity for me and then come back here. I'm not a fan of the virginity. I like ya already broken in." He opens the door and leans against the frame. I look at the expectant expression marring his beautiful face and walk out of the room. He closes the door.