Bones Of Contention: The McKinnon Legends - The American Men Book 3 (33 page)

“You are afraid of me, though,” he stated. Something had her spooked. If not him, then what?

“No.” Jamie’s eyes darted to the door showing her words for the lies they were. He could see she was gauging her chances of escape, why?

“All right. I’ll ask you again why won’t you let me kiss you?” He blocked her path cornering her, his hand lightly around her throat.

“Because,” Gage answered from the doorway realizing he had arrived just in the nick of time. “You are trying to get her scent and taste to be able to track her later, if you do not kill her outright where she stands. Jamie, I believe it is time for you to go give Sara an update.” He pushed her behind him and out toward the open doorway.

Josh waited until she left the room.

“What the hell have you done to me? Why is she afraid of me, and that is exactly what I saw in her face, Gage. Fear. Why!” Josh was demanding an answer. He could deal with a lot of emotions from Jamie, but not fear.

“I have done nothing to you that fate and nature have not predestined and preordained. As to the fear, she is justified to have a very healthy dose of fear of you at the moment. She is Fae, Josh, and as such you are now programmed to track them down and eliminate them if need be. That is what and who you have become. What you are, in your current state, is her worst nightmare. You did not even realize you had your hand around her throat.”

“That is bullshit, Gage. There is no way I would hurt her. Get out of my way.”

“You are conscious and coherent, but no way are you safe, and until you complete this transformation you cannot touch her. If you do, I will consider it hunting, Josh, and I will have to kill you. Now, any questions?” Gage firmly stood his ground.

“What if she comes to me? What then? Will I be killed for just doing what any man in love would do with the woman who is the object of that affection?”

“She will not. Jacob is, as we speak, explaining the finer details. She is moving to a safer place now that we all can breathe a sigh of relief that you will make it and have survived the worst of it.”

Josh grabbed the pair of jeans that he had never seen from off the foot of the bed, jerked them on, and tried to storm the door. He felt as if his prey were escaping. He felt he was on the hunt and he had to snare his catch.

That stopped him. Not only did it stop him, it made his blood run cold as he found himself unconsciously sniffing the air left in her wake.

“See?” Gage asked not quite secure in the knowledge Josh was under control. However, he released Josh’s massive arm anyway. There were four just outside the door in case Josh lost it. “You want to hunt her; you need to hunt her. You touched her and have had her skin on yours. It was just enough. You have her in your blood and you would not be able to stay away, not now. You have caught her scent.”

“You talk as if we are some sort of predator.” Josh was sickened. No wonder her look went from soft and worried to almost frightened.

“This is who we are, Josh. We are the Protectors. We are trackers, killers, destroyers, and yes, we are also predators stalking a very tricky and deadly prey. However, never forget that above all, we are the balance and the perfection of the treaty. Jamie is safer in London.”

“Safe from me, is that it? Damn it! You double-crossing bastard! You sent her back to Trey didn’t you?” Josh was furious. If she were afraid of him, Josh felt sure Trey would try to use that to his advantage. He would if he were in Trey’s shoes.

“Yes, I sent her to Trey. And now… about Trey.”

“What about him?” Josh waited for an answer. It came like the clouds parting in front of the sun. “He is one of you?”

“No, he is one of us, Josh. Just as you are now one of us.”

“A warrior?” Josh asked dreading the answer.

“No, a tracker and scout.”

Josh felt better and worse for that. Better in that he knew he outranked the bastard and worse because Jamie was not as protected as she would be if Trey was a warrior.

“We pulled him in and got him involved shortly after the first murder happened in Florida as he was our contact down in that region. It reeked of rogue Sidhe Fae actions and we pulled him in as a scout. And before you ask his feelings for Jamie are real. He had no way of knowing he would fall for her, just as you had no way of knowing you would either.”

“So how did he end up in Lubbock?”

“Trey was the one to see Jamie on the news, and he followed the trail to Lubbock. The windstorm dislodged the barn doors allowing for some larger animal to disturb the Fae's handiwork. That is the only reason you found the body in the first place. From there Trey went back to where you found the Williams woman, following the stench of VanDarious back to Jamie’s car in the barn.”

So, Josh thought, it was an animal that dragged her to the side of the road and not some master plan to pull him into this investigation. It was purely coincidental. Or was it? Was anything coincidental where the wizards were concerned?

“So, he has known all along what Jamie is?” Josh asked feeling more the fool.

“Just as he has known for a while who and what you are. I just did not know you were one of us. Trey incorrectly assumed that I had that knowledge.”

“Does Jamie have other guards?”

“She is in protected hands, Josh. What will be, will be. You may no longer have the luxury of a relationship with her no matter what you want as a man.”

“You smug, self-righteous, son-of-a-bitch.” Josh swung and connected. Instantly, the other four were on him, pulling him back and away from Gage. “If you think for one minute I’m walking away from her, think again.” He struggled with all his newfound strength to no avail. Four to one were odds even he could not best.

Gage wiped the blood off his lip with the back of his fist.

“You belong to the world, Josh. You are now a weapon of the wizards, a tool to be wielded as they see fit. And trust me, they don’t give a shit about what you want.” Gage could understand his dilemma. Had he been forced to give up Sara and his daughter Molly, he would have not gone quietly into the night either. But this decision was not up to him. It was in the wizards’ hands.

“Let me see her before she goes. Please. Supervise us. I don’t care. I just need to see her.” Josh flopped down on the edge of the massive bed running his fingers nervously through his hair.

Gage could see Josh was agitated. It was part of the process, and this, too, would soon pass. He had faith in Josh’s self-control. That was an innate trait in him, and one that would only be heightened by this process.

“No. It is best you let her be for a while. Trust me here, Brother. Jacob is explaining your condition to her. She is a bright woman and will understand you will soon gain control to distinguish friend from foe. The wizard's Council of Nine is well advised. I agree with them. Just give yourself a little more time. Then, I promise, we will let you see her.”

They were in a stand off. Josh still had enough of his faculties to know when he was beaten.

“Alright, so what now?” Josh asked trying to put himself into neutral.

“Now, we begin what we should have started thirty years ago. Here, put this on.” Gage tossed him a training uniform. “Let’s go put some of that agitation to good use.”

Jesse was playing out in the stables with eleven-year-old Duchess Molly. The girls were admiring the litter of blue healer puppies Molly insisted she show Jesse.

It had been only a few weeks since Jesse had seen her animals, but she was already missing them. She was setting her sights on becoming a veterinarian and had already lined up a summer job working with the vet who tended their animals and livestock back home.

This helped. She had already helped muck out the stalls and feed the livestock, something she would have done at home anyway. Her desire to ride one of Gage’s fine horses was almost more than she could take. They were magnificent animals, and the groomsman after seeing her reaction to the stables had gone to ask the duke if she could take a ride.

“You know you can ride mine,” Molly offered while putting the last puppy back in the pen. “My papa won’t mind. You’re old so you shouldn’t have to have an adult ride with you like I have to.”

“I don’t know, Molly. We really should ask permission.” Jesse was so tempted. She could have the filly saddled, ridden, and back before anyone missed her. However, it was wrong. Besides, she wanted a real horse not a miniature version.

“His Grace says to take whatever animal you desire as long as I approve him.” The groomsman had returned. “Young Mario here will go with you.”

Jesse beamed and turned shy at the thought of being alone with the youngest of her father’s personal security team. Molly pouted at the prospect of having her newfound friend plucked up for a ride that she herself could not attend.

The groomsman shooed Molly, accompanied by her nanny, back to the main castle. “Off you go, young Miss. Her Ladyship is waiting on you.”

“You ride?” Jesse asked Mario over her shoulder as she saddled her own ride refusing the groomsman’s assistance. She could do this in her sleep and oftentimes had.

“A little,” Mario’s answer was vague. He was trying to remain objective. However, it was difficult. The last place he wanted to be was here babysitting. Had she been older that might be different. She was a beautiful girl, yet she was much too young and still jailbait as far as Mario was concerned. However, the threat of her father was way more a deterrent than any jail time could possibly be. The man had become an animal of massive proportions, and since Jamie’s leaving for London, surly and abrupt only scratched the surface on Josh's attitude. He had already put three men in the hospital.

Mario wanted to be in the training gym. What had been going on there over the last nine days was so much more exciting than the pony ride he was currently assigned. There had been a steady stream of men arriving, and those McKinnon men along with the Maji king and his personal guard unit were kicking some serious ass. At least he was not going to be alone in this misery. The duke was sending one or two of his own guards as well. The man had just arrived.

They set out promptly. This newcomer gave Jesse the creeps. There was something about him that made her skin crawl with good reason.

It was about the same time he put two bullets into young Mario’s head that the castle guard found the dead body of Gage’s man. The alarm was sounded too late.

Jesse opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out as this imposter forced his magic on her to fog and cloud her mind. He violated her mind to gain control and compliance. It was a surprise to him how hard he had to push to be able to wedge his magic into her mind. He gained only a small bit of control, but it was enough. The surprise, coupled with the shock of seeing a man die right before her eyes, gave him the small gap he needed to strip her mind of all remaining control.

Lucifer injected Jesse with a tranquilizer to incapacitate her and then shoved her unconscious body into the waiting car.

Now, they had their bargaining chip, and a Blue Chip it was. She was the daughter of the Protector, knowledge he would hold to his vest.

In the gym Gage was preparing Josh for his one final lesson.

Robert, Chase, Cullen, Decklyn Mckinnon, and a few others had arrived from Texas, all family or all trusted friends. There was one more they were waiting on and once Mason arrived, the compliment would be complete.

Jacob’s shift into panther form surprised Josh. He was magnificent, a weapon all his own. His guards were no less outstanding. The shape shifters were large cats: panthers, mountain lions, pumas, tigers, and cougars. They were built for stealth and power.

Josh entered the training room where they had all gathered bringing with them the gifts the wizards had bestowed; each gift was designed to give the bearer an advantage.

Cullen was standing with the fabled Singing Sword pointed down between his feet with his hands lightly resting on her hilt.

Robert was poised with the Sacred Flask only drunk from by the wizards themselves and said to possess the ability to instantly render a man unconscious if touched by one single drop of its contents.

Decklyn stood with a shield over his chest; it was prized for its otherworldly metals and near impenetrability.

Chase expertly tossed the jeweled encrusted dagger the twenty feet separating them and landed it tip first in the pillar inches from Josh’s head. He pulled it out on his way past watching it grow into a light, adaptable arming sword in the process.

“Welcome to the Brotherhood,” Gage teased dryly. “Your warriors await you.”

Gage had briefed him on the finer points of this gathering.

Jacob, Gage, and he were Protector’s, the highest class of warrior who were born, called, and marked to this fate before birth while still in the womb.

The other men were warriors of the finest caliber; one and all strongly called to the service, but never destined to be Protectors. The mark was not upon them.

Standing behind them were the women and men he had seen that fateful day in Gage’s office.

There were five hundred more infantry who had gathered and converged here from all over the world waiting to follow his lead.

As an Ancient One he was here to command them, a position he was categorically uncomfortable in filling. In Josh's opinion, Gage was much more suited for the job. Josh did not feel he had the knowledge or background to lead a group with so much at stake.

Gage assured him when the time was right, it would come to him as naturally as breathing. Gage suggested he speak to Jamie and get as much insight as possible. Perhaps it would boost his confidence in the process.

Following Gage's advice, he spoke with Jamie every night and would have spoken to her even if she knew nothing and couldn’t share insights of the Sidhe. He missed her and was worried she was not as protected as she should be and was not following his instructions about being cautious.

She assured him she was fine and being cautious.

She kept telling him that she was doing well, but worried about him.