Red Satin Lips (25 page)

“There is one thing I can give you and that is my word. I’ve never broken it in all my life. What you share with me is for my personal sanity. Never, will I ever raise a hand to you and your immediate family. You are a lot like your mother. She never once asked for anything when I could have given her the world. All she wanted was you and don’t worry, she paid for that death.” Baal turned his angry eyes on Benita and the woman actually cringed and stepped back.

When her father and Benita walked into the room earlier, all eyes had turned to them. To say she was stunned would have been an understatement. The woman came up to her father’s shoulder. She couldn’t be more than four feet six at the most and had blond hair, but what was really freaky had been what appeared to be spider web markings around her eyes. Her pupils  were red and even from afar Tamara could see a hint of fang.

The dress she wore was a nude color and was so tacky it was all she could do not to gag every time she looked at her. The hairs on her arms and the back of her neck rose and Tamara turned slowly to face one of her crazy brothers.

Body order that ranked so bad that Tamara had to place her hand over her mouth for a minute just to catch her breath. “Can I help you with something?”

His gaze traveled down her body, making her cringe. “Well at least we know who got the looks.” He took a swig of his beer. “So you are the one he favors. I’m Brady Ranger, one of the ones he’s thrown away.”

A strong hand rested on her shoulder and squeezed. “Brady, do you need something?” her father asked.

“Just wanted to meet the new bundle of joy here. Tell me, Dad, are you ever going to give one of us your mark?” He reached up as if to touch her, but her father knocked his hand away from her.

“Don’t ever touch your sister,” Baal hissed as he stepped around her, placing his body in front of her.

“So it is true, she is the chosen one. Even when she would send you back, you still protect her. Well good riddance, maybe with you gone…” His words stopped and her father turned to smile at her.

“Sorry about that, you won’t have to worry about him anymore. Now, what about that promise?”

“Is he dead?” she tilted her head to the side. Tamara didn’t want someone to die for her, unless of course he would do her or her family harm.

“No, I sent him to my home below. Seems he and I need to work on a few things, but don’t worry about your brother.” His gaze shifted to a person behind her. “What do you want Benita?”

At once, Lars and Gage were beside her as she turned to face the woman. They had barely said anything to each other since her arrival. “I just thought I should come thank your daughter for all this.”

“There is no need to thank me, but if you feel generous, you could give us the man with the knives.” Tamara dared ask her, but from the evil grin she got, Tamara knew her next words were not going to be good.

“Oh, but I can’t do that. You see if something should happen to me tonight, then he has my permission to well…” Her gaze ran up her body. “He does have a little itch.”

Both Lars and Gage snarled, but that was nothing when her father’s shout filled the room. The music stopped and all eyes turned to them.

“Enough! You were warned!” In a matter of seconds, Benita was gone. A dark coldness seemed to fill the room. Her father’s skin was now a dark red and tough like leather. A tail about six feet long swished around behind him when he faced them.

“She will not be allowed to come back to Earth now. Once a part human is sent below, they are stuck there. Her little children are gone. No, they are not dead.” His words came out in a hiss. Baal cocked his head to the side and shut his eyes.

“Benita scattered her children, you’ll never get them all. As far as the man, I never met him and I don’t really think she knew who he was either because I saw no vision of him.: Opening his eyes, Baal looked to Lars. “I entrust my daughter to you two and your families. T treat her as the princess she is.” Once more he held out his hand to her. “Will you dance once more with me before I leave?”

Once again he was the man she knew. Taking his hand, Tamara curtsied before him. “I’d be honored to dance with you.” They turned to see Alton and Lars' father standing there.

“You are a good man, Alton, and I’m sorry your wife was murdered, Benita will not bother your family again. This might not be a good time to mention it, but with it being Valentine’s Day.” He shrugged and pulled her onto the dance floor.

“Your wife was not your Blood Mate. In your grief you do not sense that she and your other partner are in this very room.” Twirling her around, her father whisked her away from them before they could say a word.

“Now that was not nice,” Tamara said and smiled at him. “Did you have to kill those people?” she asked, wishing it hadn’t been him.

“My Little Princess, so innocent, even the Prince of Hell has someone to answer to and I can’t control what he decides to do. As you can’t control me, your father, I can’t control mine either, but we can try and protect those who mean something to us.”

She frowned and titled her head to the side. “You protected us from him, didn’t you? This mark is not only your symbol, but guarantees that your father…” She sucked in her breath.

“No!” she said as she stopped and shook her head. “He’ll hurt you.” Tamara rubbed the mark realizing that with every mark her father gave out, Baal suffered at the hands of his own father, the King of the Dark Realm.

She shivered and looked down at her hands, but Baal wouldn’t have it. He hugged her tight. “Stop, it’s the way my life has to be. As yours is to be happy. In you, a few that I’ve marked I get to live. I tell you this, but I can’t allow you to inform others. If you try, the memory will vanish. You may speak to your men only.”

Not caring that others watched, Tamara stepped in closer and hugged him tight because she knew he spoke the truth. “You have my promise.” She leaned back and looked up. “I couldn’t have sent you back, could I?”

He grinned and shook his head. “We will never know, but not to worry, we’ll make it look like you did. I can’t have my flesh and blood look like she can’t handle herself. I’m proud of you Tamara, and always have been. Seek out the others with my mark. They will help you. They too know the truth. Now, say those words and send me home.” Baal went to step back, but she held him.

“Will I ever see you again? Can I tell my children about their grandfather?”

“Yes, but not for a long time. You’ll know what to explain to the children. Hurry, say your words, we don’t need my father here.” Baal moved to the middle of the room where Tamara met Bane, Storm and Denver.

Each one of them circled him. The humans had been moved out of the room. It seemed when Brady had been sent away, the others like him had decided to leave too, but Tamara knew she would always need to watch her back for them.

No words were needed, while Tamara and her siblings signed the spell. Energy cracked and sparks flew around them. Her father turned to his true form and Tamara swore his gaze was that of a proud father.

Placing her hands by her sides, each vein opened up on each wrist. Four drops of blood floated into the air and flew at her father, landing on his face. Shocked, he staggered backward, almost making her want to stop, but she continued.

With the last bit of strength Tamara had, she sent every ounce of power at her father. “
I’m proud to be your daughter, daddy,”
she whispered to him, opening the link he had given her.

“
Live life to the fullest and make sure to love those little ones inside you. I will be here if you need me. For the next two hundred years I cannot leave, but I’m not powerless if you need meee.”

“You did it. He’s gone,” Lydia said with a smile next to her.

All Tamara could do was smile and nod when her heart was heavy. She looked to Bane, Storm and Denver and at once Tamara knew they too had his mark. They bowed to her and she knew they would speak later.

“Come, you need to fed again and rest for a little bit,” Lars said holding her tight. “I’m very proud of you.” His gaze met hers and she snuggled up to him.

They had heard the conversion with her father. “Yes, we heard and it’s a shame he must suffer as he does, but we’ll make sure your father is included in all we do, if it helps him.” Lars carried her to their table and sat down with her in his lap.

Pulling up a chair, Gage sat in front of them. “You know all this?” Gage waved to the room. “I think he did this for you, not her. Look at all you have done. The evening isn’t ruined, it’s just started and he personally made sure not one person was hurt. He did this for you, baby.”

“I know, that is why it hurts so much,” She refused to ruin this night with tears, but damn if it wasn’t hard to keep them back. Just then the band started up and the head singer started to sing
My Little Girl
as candles lit the room.

“Come dance with us.” Gage stood and they led her out on to the dance floor. No else danced, they all watched as she was sandwiched between her men, dancing to the song. There was no way to help it. Tears rolled down her face as she held onto Gage. Behind her Lars held onto her, kissing the side of her neck. They danced that way, holding onto each other till the end of the song where every single person stood and clapped.

Her face grew warm and she rolled her eyes. “Why are they all clapping?”

“They believe you got rid of Baal. That they can rest now,” her brother Bane said coming up to them. “Would the two of you mind if I dance with my pretty little sister?”

“Baby, are you up to it?” Gage asked and she patted his arm.

“I’m fine, but maybe you could get me a plate of food for after?” she asked, placing her hand into her brothers. An electrical charge tingled when they touched and she nodded.

The music started to play and she laughed. “The Foxtrot? Show me what you got, big bro.” She moved away from him, dancing slowly to the music.

He laughed as he caught up to her and moved her around the dance floor like a pro. “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you more. Storm and I felt so bad we couldn’t tell you the truth.” Bane whispered to her between moves.

“I know. I just wish we could stop the pain he has to suffer for us. It’s wrong, Bane.” She said.

“It is, but it’s the only way he can be a little bit human, the one thing that will never happen. For the last six months he was with you I’ve never seen him so happy. Yes, he told us all about you and also warned us about my mother. The only thing I didn’t agree with him on was keeping my mother alive. I wanted her dead, but to this day he won’t allow it. If he could have he would have saved your mom too, but my mom is crazy as you have seen.” The song ended and they made their way back to the table.

“You’re going to have to watch out for that guy though,” he said this loud enough for Gage and Lars to hear and they both nodded.

“We’ll be on the watch. Why don’t you grab, Denver and Storm and join us while she eats,” Lars asked, pulling out her chair.

“No, we’re going to get going and allow you to enjoy the rest of the night in peace as our father wanted,” he said for their ears only kissing her cheek. “Have a good night, Princess.

“Wait, I have one question? Why did I get the impression I’m the only woman he’s given his mark to? I know Storm has been marked.” She looked up to her brother and he looked to the side where Storm was standing.

“That’s because I’m a man, Princess,” Storm said and leaned down and kissed her cheek before they both disappeared. She sat there staring at the empty space until Lars leaned over and tweaked her nose.

“Close your mouth, Tamara.” Lars laughed. “I can’t believe you didn’t know this?”

“And you did?” She spun around in her chair as he sat next to her and pushed her plate at her. “Eat, and yes I knew, both of us did.”

For a few minutes Tamara just sat there eating and trying to remember. Even when Storm was with us, he had stayed back not saying much. “He was watching me, damn he was good.” She took the last bite of her potatoes and looked up to see both Gage and Lars smiling.

“What?” She looked around and frowned as lounge chairs, blankets and other things were being moved into the middle of the dance floor. “Okay, what’s going on?” Tamara looked up to see Lars and Gage there in front of her.

“It’s time we leave here, we have other plans. But as for this,” Lars stepped aside and motioned with his hand. “You know we are very sexual people What better way to end the night then with blood and sex.”

She slowly stood. “You mean they’re going to have an orgy?” Her voice squeaked and they laughed.

“Sort of, most couples stay to themselves. But sometimes others do join in. But you need to feed.” Gage started to open his shirt when Alton placed his hand on Gage.

“Would you allow me to do the honors since you are whisking this lovely woman away from us tonight?” Lars’s grandfather looked into her eyes.. “Please allow me the last dance of the night, Lars. I have lots to apologize for.”

“
Does he know?”
Tamara asked her father.

“
Yes, Alton will help bridge the gap, plus his blood mate is close to you so I can’t have him hating you.”
The connection died before she could say anything more.

She looked up at Lars. It would be his choice. “Go with him and then our night can begin.” Lars squeezed her ass cheek and nudged her forward.

Alton’s arm came around her waist and he whisked her out onto the part of the dance floor that was still clear. The band started to play,
Last Dance.

“Very appropriate, this evening went too fast. You know you don’t have to do this?” Tamara looked up into his face.

“Yes, I do. I have never been so wrong about someone as I have with you. I judged you before knowing all the facts and for that I’m truly sorry, my dear.” His shirt opened by itself. “Please fed from me and know I’m truly sorry, granddaughter.” He hugged her tight, waiting.

This was one of the hardest things Tamara had done in a while. The only people she had ever fed from have been her men. Not giving any more thought, Tamara licked the skin before sinking her fangs into his skin.