Red Satin Lips (21 page)

“Never do that again. The thought of you in so much pain like that…I want to rip my father and grandfather apart for making you go through that.” Lars held her tight, but stepped back when she squeaked. “Sorry.”

“I’m fine,” she laughed and reached up to kiss Gage. “Grab some food and sit. We can talk while we eat, but nothing about spiders please. I want to keep my food in me this time.”

Chapter Fifteen

Sitting at the end of the table, Tamara listened to Lars’ mother and Gage’s talk about when both of her men were small children. She placed her hands on her stomach and looked over at her men.

Both were in a discussion with Gage’s brother and father. Both of them strong in their own ways and they were hunks. She smiled as her gaze traveled down to the tight round globes of Lars’ ass.

“You’re almost breathless and if you keep staring at him like that, he’ll have you over the table.” Lydia teased. “I was thinking of taking a walk. Want to join me? Some air might help clean those impure thoughts from your mind,” Lydia said in her ear. “Plus, I ate too much and need to work it off. He-Man over there keeps giving me the eye and I sure don’t want to have to slice his sorry ass too.” Tamara heard the sound of her knife opening and closing behind her.

Tamara rolled her eyes and looked behind her to see her sister, Storm and Ana in the doorway to the kitchen.

“Go on, we’ll keep the men occupied while you young ones take a walk,” Lana, Gage’s mother, leaned over and whispered. “You won’t have much time, but we’ll stall them.”

Wiping her mouth, Tamara leaned over and kissed Lars’s mother on the cheek. “Will you be here when I get back?”

“No. I need to get back and start gathering that information for the band. I’ll also work with the elder’s mates to get this done. But I’ve already arranged to come back tomorrow so we can plan this thing. Be safe, my daughter.” She squeezed her hands and shooed her off.

They were lucky the men were so busy trying to figure out security that none of them noticed them slip into the kitchen and out the back door. Ana held up her hand and pointed to the outer barn.

Not waiting, Tamara took off running as she zipped up the coat her sister-in-law had given her to wear. The cool air felt great against her cheeks and with the fresh snow, Tamara squinted against the moon rays.

“God, it feels great to be outside. I take it the men can hear when you are close to the house?” she asked and Ana nodded.

“Yes, and I learned that the hard way. It won’t be long before they come to find us. At least I don’t have to worry about the kids. Maxim took them to Ishka’s home. they’ll stay there till this is over.” Ana looked at her for a second, before she turned her attention to the ground. “Gage did tell you that staying here you can also go out in the daytime?”

“What?” Both she and Lydia stopped to stare at Ana. Ana rolled her eyes and pointed towards a path she hadn’t seen.

“When grandfather created this place, the shields, he made it so it would also protect from the sun. Guess he knew someday he would need it.” Ana focused on Lydia.

“Don’t look at me. As soon as the threat is gone and the party done, I’m out of here. There is no way I’m getting hooked up to a man that has been around so long he makes the dinosaurs look young.” Ana busted out laughing as did she.

“Hey, you know Lars is no young thing either.” She stopped and frowned. “You know he never did give me his true age. Do you know how old he is?” Tamara asked and looked at Lydia who shook her head, but what caught her attention was on the wolves moving in and out of the trees around them.

Seeing Tamara turn to the right, Lydia snarled. “Nope, I know he’s over two hundred, but that’s it. Damn, we’ve got company.”

A wolf howled and the others followed suit as Ana moaned. “It won’t be long now. They’ve warned the men about us and where we are. I’d hoped we could have made it to town, but...”

Tamara jumped and grabbed for the knife she had at her thigh as Lars and Gage appeared at her side. “Don’t do that!” She took a deep breath and watched as Herick, Maxim, and Bane appeared behind them.

Both Lars and Gage glared at her. “What do you think you’re doing?”

She rolled her eyes and continued on the path with Lydia, and the others following. “Are you really that dense? We’re taking a walk. Ana was taking us to the town. Now you want to explain why you didn’t tell me we could be out and about in the sun here?”

“Easy. We didn’t want you to get used to being in the sun. What if you forgot one day and were not in the protection of this shield?” She stopped, looked over her shoulder at Lars.

“You really think I’m so stupid I would forget?” Tamara held up her hand. “Don’t even answer that. Maxim, is there a way to do the same thing over the stadium we’ll be using? Just a shield protecting…no! I got it!” She turned fully toward the men. “Can you make some kind of shield that goes around us for the day of the party? We could get in there before anyone else and be set up? That would give us a huge advantage.” Tamara flinched as a strong pressure started to throb in her head.

“Lars, Gage are you doing something?” She looked at them while rubbing the spot between her eyes trying to release some of the pressure.

“No, what’s wrong?” Lars said at the same time she felt their presence in her head. The pressure eased in a few seconds and she sighed.

“Thank you. Maybe it’s a headache coming on. God, I hope it’s not a migraine.” Tamara looked to Lars and he shook his head, but her brother’s moan drew her attention.

“I feel it too and it’s no headache. Seems our father wants to talk. When he can’t get hold of us, he sends out these pulsing energy bursts and if we don’t answer them, instant headache.” Bane informed her.

“But I got these headaches before I even knew about Michael or Baal, whatever he calls himself.” She stopped her stomach knotted. “He knew about me before, didn’t he? All this time he’s been watching me?” A shiver ran up her spine.

“He always knows when one of his children is born, where they are and such. Baal could have been in the area when you got your headaches, anything really, but he is the cause.” Bane rubbed his temple. “Maybe he’s close. Storm?”

Everyone turned to her and she nodded. “I feel it too. We might want to head back to the house.” Storm rubbed her arms and scanned the woods around them.

“Son of a bitch!” Tamara snarled and turned around to head back to the house. “I’m so tired of being scared or worried that someone else I care for will be hurt.” Tamara stopped and looked to Maxim. “Can he get through the shields?”

Taking his eyes off Lydia, Maxim met her gaze. “He has never been able to cross over to our world. I’ve used the same shields here, but again, our magic is different here. We're on a different plane here, different elements males our magic works oddly.”

Lars wrapped his arm around her. “But he’s never tried to come here, has he?”

Maxim glanced around. “No.”

“Lars, Gage.” Tamara didn’t get anything else out as they transported her to the house. Maxim followed bringing Lydia, Ana and Herrick while Bane and Storm followed on their own.

“I’ve called in help to strengthen the shields. He won’t be able to get close to the house that I know. The shields will hold him for a little while, but I’d feel safer if they were reinforced. Herick, I’d make sure everyone was inside for now.” Maxim turned and looked at Lydia. “Stay inside. You’re a friend of Tamara’s. He’ll go for anyone close to her.”

As if on cue, the house seemed to groan and shake. Tamara looked at Gage and Lars. “It’s him, isn’t it?” Before they could answer, Tamara yanked herself out of Lars arms. She’d had enough demon or whatever he was. Michael was going to get an earful. Tamara stomped to the kitchen, picking up the landline phone and dialed the number that she had used before to contact her father. He answered on the first ring.

“What do you want now? I promised to give you that damn party and I am. I’ve got the place, food is already taken care and I’m working on getting the band.” Tamara almost yelled into the phone, she was shaking so bad.

“You are being brave behind the shield, young lady.” Her father’s word brought tears to her eyes.

“Why couldn’t you be a normal father?” she whispered.

“I am who I am and there is nothing we can do about it. The date is wrong for the party. She wants it on Valentine’s Day, not three days later. I know my son is there with you. Would you inform him that his mother has requested his presence at the ball as well. And the next time I speak to you, I suggest you watch how you speak with me.” With that, he hung up. Somehow Tamara had pissed him off.

Hanging up the phone, Tamara slid down the wall to sit on the floor. With her knees pulled up to her stomach, she rested her head on her knees.

Lydia called her name before coming into the kitchen with Ana and Strom. “What happened?” Ana asked, kneeling down next to her.

She rubbed her cheek against her knee not looking at anyone. “The date has been moved up. We don’t have till next week. It’s to be on Valentine’s Day and it seems Bane’s mother has requested his presence.” Tamara looked up to see Lars and Gage there in the doorway.

“I think I made him mad. Please invite your parents and grandfather here. I’d feel so much better. I don’t need another death on my hands, they’re already red enough.”

There was no warning, Gage reached down and lifted her into his arms. “If you’ll excuse us, we need to speak with Tamara.”

“Gage, put me down.” Tamara tried to get out of his arms, but he held tight.

“Stop,” Gage said and it was enough to have her looking up into his face. He was furious and from the look on Lars face, he wasn’t the only one.

“Well crap, now what did I do wrong?’

****

He’d known she was upset and tired, but taking things into her own hands without thinking could get someone killed. Right now their woman needed her little butt warmed up and they were prepared to do so.

Pushing open the door, Lars stepped aside for Gage. Once inside, Lars closed the door and locked it. They would not be disturbed for the next hour. He had made sure of that.

“Strip,” Gage ordered as soon as he lowered her feet to the ground and stood back.

She looked from Gage to Lars and sighed before taking off her sweater and jeans. She folded each item and set them on the dresser along with her panties. Tamara looked down at her sock and Lars had to hold back a smile. She always had cold feet.

Lars joined Gage on the edge of the bed. “You may keep the socks on. Come here,” Lars said and watched as her gaze go from his to Gage’s as she took little steps towards them.

When she was close enough, Lars reached out and pulled her in between his legs. He ran his hands up to her hips and held her still. “We’ve waited and said nothing, hoping you would come to us, but you are a stubborn one. Tamara, we are your husbands. When you need to talk, to release all that hurt that’s sitting in your chest, we expect you to come to us. It’s not good for you or the babies you carry.” He placed his finger over her lips, stopping the words that were there.

“Over you go.” Lars lifted her up and placed her over Gage’s lap, ass up in the air. He ran his hand over her ass and squeezed one of her firm globes.

“Lars is right. You’re hurt, angry, but you turn to others and not us. Then you allow your anger to fester till you do something stupid and dangerous.” The first two smacks landed on her right cheek.

“No!” Tamara shouted and tried to get up, but they kept her pinned down.

“You will take your spanking and then you will allow us to hold you till you are ready to talk,” Lars said, watching Gage deliver four more quick swats to her butt.

“You can’t do this!” she screamed and tried to rise up again, but Gage pulled her hands out in front of her.

“Don’t make me have to tie your arms down, Tamara.” Gage held both wrists in one hand and landed two smacks to her butt.

“But…I…” She was now shaking on his lap.

Gage met Lars’ gaze and he nodded. Lars took over, giving her six quick slaps. “We love you. You will talk to us and not hold anything back.” Three more. “And you will not risk your life again.” One hard one across both cheeks made her jump as tears streamed down her face.

Running his hand over her ass, Lars nodded to Gage who picked her up and stood her in front of them again.. Her eyes were swollen and red. Tears rolled down her cheeks and her lips quivered. “What do you have to say?”

She wiped her tears away, but her bottom lip was still quivering. “I’m sorry. I just never had anyone to talk to before. I’ve always had to do it myself.”

Not taking it anymore, Lars stood and scooped her up in his arms. He got up onto the bed with her in his arms, resting against the headboard. “Didn’t you ever talk to your mother about problems?” Lars asked as he tucked the blanket around her that Gage had gotten for her.

“No,” she said and rested her head onto his chest. Gage pulled her legs into his lap and started to rub her feet. “I loved my mom, but she was never one to work through problems. Even as a teenager I was handling most of the finances and other things. Oh, she could do it if she wanted, but sometimes her mind wandered. It was like dealing with a teenager sometimes. She always wanted to come with me and my friends when in I was in high school,” Tamara looked up at him and tears started to fall again.

“I can’t believe she’s gone. She was so happy when she found out about you two.” Tamara laid her head against his chest.

“So who did you talk to when you had problems?” Lars asked drawing her attention back to the original problem at hand and away from the sadness of her mother’s death.

“No one, I’d usually write it down in my journal and read it the next day. Sometimes it would help, sometimes it didn’t.”

“Well, now you have the two of us and we want and need you to come to us.” Gage lifted her foot up and kissed it even though it still had the sock on. “You are our life and what happens to you also affects us. Now tell us what your father had to say.”

“The date has been moved up. He wants the ball on Valentine’s Day. He’s also requested that Bane be there for his mother.” She looked up at him. “He wasn’t happy with me, Lars. I’m afraid of what he might do next. What if he hurts your family again, or Gage’s? I just want this to end.” She shivered and pulled the blanket tighter around her. “I’m really scared.”