Possession (5 page)

Chapter 5

Kieran drove while Fallon held a passed out Tonia on his lap. He leaned his cheek against her cold face willing strength into her. She did not respond.

"Drive faster," he said through gritted teeth to Kieran, who glanced at him but did not speed up.

"We can't afford the time if we get the police's attention. It's best not to get pulled over right now."

He was right of course.

Her soft breathing reassured him, but only a little.

Less then fifteen minutes later, they pulled into the mansion’s circular drive. Kieran pulled to a stop in front of the house and ran around the car to open the door for him.

The front door of the house opened almost immediately, both Wendy and Roderick ran out to meet them.

Fallon got out of the car with the still unconscious Tonia in his arms and sped toward the doorway. They all hurried inside after him.

Everyone rushed to a fully furnished clinic in the basement of his large mansion. Fallon laid Tonia on a bed and hovered over her for only a moment before Roderick’s large hand pushed him back. "Step back, let me get a look at her."

At over six foot six, the huge Spartan towered over Tonia making her look small and frail. The silver haired male began to work immediately, asking Fallon to hand him different items as Kieran pulled Wendy out of the room.

The Fae would faint at the sight of blood and they didn’t need another problem on their hands at this point.

“Is she going to be all right?” Fallon asked Roderick.

“She needs blood.”

“Fine take mine,” Fallon began to roll the sleeve up his arm.

Roderick shook his head. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea to give her immortal’s blood. It’s against the rules. It will, in all probability, change her. Believe me, I know from experience that unless you have feelings for her, it’s a terrible idea. You could end up a bonded man.” The Spartan glanced over his shoulder when Wendy burst back into the room.

“I can give her my blood, cover my face or something so I can’t see or smell it.” Wendy told them while attempting to hold her breath and cover her eyes.

Kieran grabbed her. Wendy shrieked and slapped him away. “Stop Kit! I can do this, I can help.” She reached Roderick and tugged at his sleeve. “Well?”

“Your blood is too strong for a human,” Roderick told her, taking Tonia’s pulse. “Fae blood is not an option.”

“Damn it,” Wendy replied, and swayed.

Kieran picked her up and carried her out of the room.

“Take mine for chrissakes. We don't have any other options do we?” Fallon kept an eye on Tonia to ensure she still breathed. "There aren’t any humans in the house."

“What about your butler? Hector right?” Roderick asked.

“He’s gone home, to Spain, on vacation. And, I’m not sure he’s human,” Fallon told him, not expanding.

Roderick gave him an exasperated look. “Looks like we don't have many options then.”

Wendy appeared at the doorway again, Kieran behind her glowering. She gave Fallon a wide-eyed look. “If you give her your blood, there’s a chance she’ll be immortal right? She’s wearing a crucifix. I don’t think she’ll be happy to come out of this and find out she’s immortal. She’s going to freak out.”

Wrinkling his brow, Fallon frowned at Wendy, becoming exasperated. “Just because we’re immortal doesn’t mean we’re soulless,” he snapped louder than he’d meant to. “We’re wasting time on this conversation. I think she’d rather be immortal than dead.”

He gave Roderick a pointed look. “Now let’s get to it, I will explain everything to her when she wakes. Let’s not waste any more time.”

An hour later, Fallon remained hooked up to an IV. He willed his blood to flow faster. It seemed to take forever for the blood to fill each bag.

Wendy neared and took his free hand in her two small ones. Her large sorrow-filled eyes met his. “I know you’re not soulless, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings Fallon. My point was that she might not understand. We didn’t have a choice in what we are, our destiny chosen upon our birth. I hate making that choice for her. I’m truly sorry if I hurt you in any way.”

Fallon raised her hands to his lips and kissed the back of each one. Wendy was a kind loving soul and he couldn’t stand to see the upset look on her face. “Don't worry about it Wendy. Now please leave, I think the bag is full and we’ll have to uncover it.

When Roderick took the last filled bag of blood and hooked it into Tonia’s IV line, Fallon moved to the bedside and held her limp hand trying to warm it with his. He watched as drop-by-drop of his blood went into her body.

Roderick had already sewn the injury on her side together and wrapped her waist with thick clean bandages. With a sheet over her, tucked tightly under her arms and eyes closed, she looked like a beautiful angel in repose.

The Spartan took her pulse and checked the heart monitor. He stretched. “She's stable for now. I need to get some coffee and lay down for a few minutes. I’ll be back in an hour or so to check on her. Come and get me if she wakes.” Roderick squeezed his shoulder before leaving the room.

When the Spartan left, Fallon leaned closer to her ear. “Wake up Tonia, I have many things to tell you. After today, I will be able to share more about who I am.” Her lashes fluttered, but she didn’t open her eyes. “You are a curious one aren’t you?” he asked, with a smile of relief. “As soon as you wake up, I’ll tell you my story.”

He waited for a long time, but still she did not respond.

“Of course, I’m not sure how you will react to it.”

Chapter 6

“Oh good, you’re awake,” the singsong female voice sounded in her dream. “I’m Wendy,” the voice continued.

Tonia opened her eyes. Where the hell was she?

Perched on the edge of the huge bed was a petite woman with shoulder length auburn hair and large green eyes. Her bright smile directed at her. “Hey, how are you feeling, Tonia?” The woman studied her at leisure—brow crinkling. “Are you feeling all right?”

Clearing her throat, Tonia looked around the room, not recognizing her surroundings. “I’m not sure,” she replied stating the truth. “Is this Fallon’s house?”

She tried to sit without assistance, but, in a flash, the woman was there to help. After helping her up and placing an extra pillow behind her shoulders Wendy then went to a side table and poured some water in a glass and handed it to her. “Drink up. Yes, this is Fallon’s very large house. We’re on the third floor, his suites.”

The walls, painted in a deep red struck her as odd for a bachelor's home. The bedding was plush, in reds and black, which gave the elegant room warmth. An abstract landscape in the same colors, on the wall over an understated fireplace drew her attention. Two large windows flanked the fireplace, a gold and red sash swept across the top of each, cascading down the side to pool on the floor. In the far corner next to one of the windows, a luxurious soft leather black chaise, beckoned a reader to lounge. Across it a thick crimson lap blanket was strewn.

She returned her attention to Wendy, who didn’t seem in a hurry to leave. “Where is he?”

“Its evening time, they’ve gone to work.” Wendy replied. “I’m going to go and get you something to eat. I’ll be right back.”

Who were ‘they’?

“Wait,” Tonia told her. “How long have I been here?”

“You got here last night. It’s almost eight at night, so not quite twenty-four hours.”

Panic seized her, she’d missed a day of work, and no doubt the police had already been to her apartment and torn it apart.
Had she dripped blood everywhere?
“I have to call in, I’m a US Marshal, and they are probably looking for me.”

“Don’t worry,” Wendy told her. “Fallon went back to get your cell phone. He talked to a guy named Douglas, who’d called to ask about you. He pretended you were in the shower and told him you’d be taking time off to spend with him. At first your partner wasn’t too convinced, I guess you never take time off. But Fallon can be quite the charmer.” Wendy handed her the cell phone. “You should probably call Douglas and reassure him.”

“Thanks,” Tonia replied, not quite sure she liked how easily her partner took a total stranger’s word on her whereabouts.

“I’ll get you something to eat,” Wendy said leaving to give her privacy to make the phone call.

She pushed the speed dial button for Douglas and he answered right away. “Hey Douglas,” Tonia said upon hearing his curt ‘hello’.

“I’m sorry about today,” she began explaining only to be interrupted, by an overly cheery Douglas.

“Hey Mohr, I was about to call you. I didn’t want to interrupt anything, but wanted to ensure you were really taking a week off.”

“What? Is that what Fallon told you? A week?”

“Yep, he told me he’d convinced you to spend a full week with him,” Douglas replied. “He seems like a great guy, we talked about all kinds of stuff.”

“Really?” Tonia wrinkled her brow, not liking that her partner probably knew more about Fallon than she did. “I’m not sure I need an entire week.”

“Chief said, take a month, he’s glad that you’re finally taking a vacation.”

“I’m not taking a month, Douglas.” She sighed, knowing they’d all been worried about her since Alex’s death. “I’ll take a week though,” she grumbled.

“Don’t sound so ecstatic. From what Fallon says, he plans to keep you pretty busy.” Hearing her partner bawdy laugh, she rolled her eyes.
Men
.

“Right,” she replied. “Call me if anything comes up.” She hung up, not wanting to give Douglas the opportunity to start asking questions.

Wendy returned with a tray, on it a fat sandwich and a sliced apple. “You look familiar, I think we work out at the same gym,” Wendy said placing the tray down on the side table. "I go to Fitness Fix."

“I thought the same when seeing you. Yes, I go there,” Tonia replied, her stomach growling at the sight of the meal. Realizing Wendy seemed to live there, her stomach sunk, her appetite flew out the window.
Is she his girlfriend?
His wife?

Spotting the wedding ring on her finger, nausea hit her.

“Are you Fallon’s wife?” she croaked, sure her face revealed her distress.

“No. Fallon is single.” Wendy told her, a knowing smile on her face. “I’m his partner, Kieran’s wife. We’re living here until our house is rebuilt. Damn demons burnt it down.” She slid the tray closer to the bed and motioned for her to sit up so she could push yet another pillow behind her back. “You’ll meet the others when they get home. It won’t be until dawn though.”

“What exactly are they, Fallon and your husband?” Tonia asked reaching for the sandwich, her appetite restored. "Who are the Protectors?"

Wendy plopped down on the edge of the bed biting her bottom lip. “Oh gosh, I'm not sure how much I can tell you. Fallon, Kieran and Logan West, who also lives here, are Protectors. They are demon slayers. They protect humans and other innocents from them.”

Tonia allowed the information to sink in. “Are they human?”

“They were born human, from human parents, but predisposed to become immortal when reaching their twenties.”

“How many Protectors are there?”

A nervous giggle escaped Wendy as she shook her head, “Oh no, I’m not going to get in trouble by answering too many questions Lady Marshal. I’ll let Fallon do that.”

“Are you human?” Tonia asked, not sure if she wanted to know the answer.

The petite woman pressed a finger to her chin in thought. “Pretty much.”

“Oh?”

“It’s a long story,” Wendy told her then lay on her side facing her. Tonia had to admit the woman was easy to like, she found herself relaxing for the first time in a long time.

“Why do you fight demons?”

Tonia knew Wendy changed the subject purposely. “I hate them. They killed someone I loved. It so happens I can see them.”

Wendy didn’t speak allowing Tonia to gather her thoughts.

“My husband, Alex and I, fought demons, as part of a group of underground slayers, formed by humans who like me, can see them. That is how I met him. We fought together. Well...until he was killed by one.”

“Oh no!” Wendy exclaimed, “I’m so sorry.” Her eyes became teary. Her caring disposition endeared her to Tonia.

“When someone joins the movement, it's evident we’re signing a death sentence,” Tonia told her, trying to shrug it off. The ache in her chest was always there when thinking about Alex.

“Brave,” Wendy exclaimed in thought. “I don’t think I could do it.”

“Either brave or stupid,” Tonia replied.

“Why don’t you finish eating and get some rest? Go back to sleep,” Wendy told her, getting up. “I’ll be downstairs in the morning, if you want to venture down there and meet everyone when they get home.”

After sleeping surprisingly well, Tonia sat at the kitchen table the following morning. Wendy buzzed around the kitchen cooking a large meal. It was five in the morning, yet the woman was playing music, cooking dinner and drinking wine while swaying to the music. Wendy raised her glass to her. “Sure you don't want a glass?"  When Tonia shook her head, she shrugged. "Okay. Can you toss the salad please?”

Tonia couldn’t help but wonder at the strange scene in the kitchen as she pulled the salad bowl toward her and began adding croutons and shredded cheese while Usher's
Yeah
played in the background.

“Can I ask you why you’re cooking dinner at this hour?” she asked Wendy as she watched her open the oven and peek in.

Wendy smiled at her. “Most people work nine to five, come home and have dinner waiting for them, relax, watch TV, then go to bed and hopefully do something fun before they go to sleep.” She wiggled her hips.  "Know what I mean?"

Tonia nodded and smirked.

"The Protectors work nights. So I do it for Kieran." Wendy continued,  "He gets dinner when he comes home after work and breakfast in the evening before going back out. I want to give him some sense of normalcy. He loves it. I've been doing this since we first got together.”

It made sense. “Where are the plates?” Although moving slowly due to her injury, Tonia went to the cabinet that Wendy pointed to and began pulling plates out, setting the table, not sure if the other Protectors participated in the dinner ritual. But setting it for five just in case.

When the door opened and Fallon walked in she froze. Butterflies tickled her gut and she fought not to roll her eyes at her annoying response to the man.

Wendy greeted him cheerfully, “Hey Brit, how are you?” He smiled at Wendy, who seemed to bounce with joy. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Hello Wendy, I’m well, thank you.” His deep timber vibrated through Tonia. When he lifted his violet eyes to her, it made her stupid stomach pitch again.

“I’m glad to see you up and about Tonia,” he told her, eyes moving to her side then back to her face.

“Hello,” she replied, feeling uneasy at his intense perusal.

The awkward moment was broken when another man walked in behind Fallon and bumped a shoulder against his. “What the fuck Fallon? Were you tryin’ to run me off the road?” The male hesitated upon seeing her, his brow furrowing, then he returned his attention to Fallon. “Why did you cut me off back there?”

“Making sure you stay sharp, cowboy,” Fallon replied, seeming not to be bothered at the male’s harsh tones. He turned to her. “This Cro-Magnon, who you may mistake for a cowboy, is Logan West. Logan, this is Tonia Mohr.”

The handsome man's lips curved in a lazy smile, his startling hazel eyes met hers. She couldn’t help but be taken aback by the man’s attractiveness. Were all these men picked from some women’s dream catalog?

Wendy scurried past Logan, pushing him and Fallon aside as a tall muscular blond male came to the door. The man opened his arms, seeming to know Wendy would throw herself into them. Their passionate kiss made Tonia look away. Oh to have that again, on a daily basis. Well not that she and Alex ever acted that happy to see each other. He’d always been reserved and rarely showed any public display of emotion.

The scene unfolding in the kitchen reminded her of any family at the end of a workday.  Fallon poured tea while Wendy's husband Kieran drank coffee and hovered over his wife as she pulled an enormous casserole dish out of the oven.  Logan sat in a far corner and plucked at a guitar, stopping on occasion to pat the head of a large black Labrador that chewed on a rawhide bone at his feet.

Finally Wendy was able to get them all to the table where they ate, the conversation flowing from sports, to vehicles and finally to movies. Only once did anyone ask her a question. Logan who'd been a sheriff during his long lifetime asked her a question regarding a traffic law in Georgia. He'd grumbled when she told him her specialty was elsewhere.

Tonia turned to find Fallon leaning over her, their gazes met and for a moment she thought he might kiss her. Instead, he reached for her elbow. “Come with me,” His hands were gentle when helping her to stand and pulled her out of the room.

“Aren’t you going to eat dessert?” she asked glancing about the room, only Kieran and Wendy remained. Logan must have slipped out without her noticing.

“I’m not hungry for that right now.” Fallon's eyes slid to her mouth indicating what he’d prefer.

She cleared her throat. It was not the time to be romantic. With the need to find out more about the Protectors, having so many questions, she allowed him to lead her from the room.

They entered a small elevator and went back up to the third floor. Tonia noticed that Fallon kept his face turned away from her, he seemed deep in thought. Something was wrong. Her gut clenched.
What now?

His mannerisms made her think of older times as he took her elbow again and guided her straight through a set of double doors. Once inside another huge bedroom, they moved to chairs flanking yet another fireplace.

Fallon didn’t sit. “Can you excuse me a minute?” he asked, moving toward what she assumed was his closet.

While he was gone, she studied the bedroom. Much like the one she’d woken in, this one was as richly decorated, but in earth tones. By the size of the house and elegant furnishings, Fallon was very well off. His huge rumpled four-poster bed seemed a contradiction to the put-together man. She’d pinned him for a get up and make the bed type.

He returned, no longer wearing the heavy leather jacket, or his sweater, still in dark jeans, he’d pulled on a simple grey t-shirt. Her eyes focused on his well-formed broad chest the material couldn’t quite disguise. Although she’d been intimate with Fallon, they’d never spent much time together outside of bed. At each encounter they’d attacked one another with passion and desperation, lovemaking overriding any conversation.