Chapter 8
Nick looked around The Witch’s Brew and spotted Gypsy talking to a customer. This was one of his favorite places in the city as it was the only one that secretly supplied him with some of the more… interesting weaponry he needed. On top of that, it was a great place to shop for unique or odd Halloween and Christmas gifts.
Despite all the strange things going on in the city right now, the people still continued to thrive. This shop was an ideal example of that as it was pretty crowded at the moment.
Gypsy’s eyes lit up when she noticed Nick idly leaning against the weapons counter. She’d been so busy for the last half hour that it made her wonder how long he’d been standing there.
“I think the Merlin costume looks great on you,” she smiled at the old man she’d been helping and handed him the matching wooden staff that had a crystal ball on the end of it. She quickly made her way through the racks and people over to Nick.
“You’re busy today,” Nick smiled as he stood to his full height. As the light hit the sequins lining her bra through the sheer material of her shirt, it was all he could do to keep his eyes above her chin. Locking on her big brown eyes, he tried to ignore other men in the room who were shopping with their wives but staring at Gypsy’s perfect breasts.
“Yeah, everyone is excited about Halloween I guess,” Gypsy felt heat rush up her cheeks when Nick took a step closer.
“It’s easy to get excited around you,” Nick said truthfully.
“Are you here to pick up more supplies?” Gypsy asked and ducked around the other side of the counter to get her list. “You guys at Moon Dance have been ordering so much lately that I don’t think all of it is here yet,” She playfully winked at him now that the counter was between them and she could think better.
“I can stop by every day and just pick it up as it comes in,” Nick suggested helpfully. He leaned across the counter pretending to look at the list with her.
“Okay,” Gypsy said a little too quickly then tried to cover the slip up. “I have an overnighter I have to go to tomorrow, but other than that I should be here if you need anything.”
“An overnighter?” Nick asked wondering if that was code word for a big date. He might have to do a little investigating to determine the best way to spoil Mr. Overnighter’s plans. He watched her eyes light up and suddenly thought of several ways to run the guy off… and none of them were polite.
Gypsy felt a rush of excitement thinking about the private auction she’d been invited to. Knowing better than to breathe a word about it, she changed the subject by lifting a small box from behind the counter and setting it between them.
“The ingredients your sister ordered came in this morning.” She slid it toward him.
Nick frowned seeing she wasn’t going to answer the question. Looking over his shoulder at the store full of people, he turned back around and took the box. “Thanks, you haven’t seen a little red head in here within the last thirty minutes have you? She would have been looking for a Halloween costume.”
“Who is she?” Gypsy asked successfully hiding the twinge of disappointment.
Nick smirked, “My brother’s mate.”
Gypsy smiled at the way he used the word mate and breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn’t Nick's mate or girlfriend he was hunting. “No, I haven’t seen her yet but if I do should I give you a ring?”
“I’d like that,” Nick said locking gazes with her again. “Do you need my cell phone number?”
“No, I still have it from the other day when you gave it to me,” she felt another blush knowing she had already memorized the number.
“Thanks,” Nick turned to leave but paused adding, “her name is Envy and she will be with a tall blond headed guy.”
Gypsy frowned seeing the flash of a gun under his trench coat when he turned. She knew a lot of odd things were ordered under the name of Moon Dance but she had a feeling the weapons on that list were meant for Nick. It was strange enough that some of the stuff on the list was only used when making potions but she had a no ask no tell policy that she lived by.
Nick walked out of The Witch’s Brew wishing Gypsy wasn’t working alone in there. This wasn’t the safest part of town with all of the demons and vampires running around. He looked at the parking lot still not seeing Chad’s car. Frustrated, he called Kat’s cell phone and waited for her to pick up.
“Envy never made it to the store,” He said when Kat answered.
“Well that’s not a good sign,” Kat sighed worriedly. “I wonder what they could be up to.”
“She’s with Chad so I wouldn’t worry too much,” Nick sighed and walked over to his car making a mental list of places to start checking.
***** After saying goodbye to Mrs. Tully, Envy and Chad got into the car and started back towards town. They’d only traveled a couple of blocks before Envy started crying and laughing at the same time, giving in to a brief moment of insanity.
“What’s wrong Envy?” Chad asked with a worried expression on his face.
Envy wiped a few tears from her cheeks, “I almost asked if I could stay at your place for a while, but I just remembered you’re living with Trevor now.”
“Yeah, I don’t think Devon would like that very much,” Chad sighed wanting to be strong for his sister. “The biggest problem right now is finding a way to tell them what’s going on without them trying to kill each other.”
“You think?’ Envy asked sarcastically and wiped away more tears on her cheeks. She went silent and continued to look out the window seeing nothing.
Chad couldn’t stand to see his sister like this and knew something had to be done or she’d worry herself to death. The way he was looking at it right now, since there was the possibility that they were getting ready to anger some pretty powerful people, it would be in their best interests to get a few even more powerful people to back them up.
“I’ve got an idea,” Chad said. “Let’s stop over and see Kriss for a few minutes… at least that will give you a chance to calm down.” Without waiting for her to respond, he flipped his phone open and quickly dialed Kriss’ number.
“Hello,” Kriss answered.
“Hey Kriss, it’s Chad,” he smirked as he reached forward and flipped the blue lights on, forgoing the sound effects of the siren. Cars would get out of his way even without the noise.
“How are you?” Kriss asked as he stretched lazily under the sheets. He blinked when the curtains in the bedroom parted and he was showered with sunlight.
Dean turned around and leaned against the window watching Kriss and hearing Chad’s voice on the other side of the phone call.
“Been better, listen Envy and me are on our way over… there’s something we need to talk to you about,” Chad hedged.
“Okay, just come on up when you get here.” Kriss slid from the bed when Chad hung up the phone and watched silently as Dean left the room without a word.
Envy stared blankly out the window and silently wondered if she should keep the baby. If there wasn’t a baby then there wouldn’t be anything to worry about… no one would get hurt. The dark turn of thoughts instantly made Envy feel guilty and ashamed of herself for letting the thought even enter her mind.
“Oh god, I’m going to be a horrible mother,” she cried softly and thumped her head back against the seat.
“You’ll be a wonderful mother Envy, and believe it or not… Trevor will make a great dad if Devon lets him.”
“That’s the key phrase Chad… if Devon lets him.” Envy looked down at her feet and twisted her fingers together. “What if Devon wants to claim the baby for his own? I can’t deny Trevor his child. Trevor would never allow it anyway.”
“That’s one of the reasons we’re going to visit Kriss,” Chad soothed. “We’re gonna come up with a plan that will curb Devon and Trevor’s violent tendencies toward one another.”
“You mean control them?” Envy asked making a face.
Chad nodded, “It’s like this Envy… if either one of them gives a damn about you then they’re gonna have to live with the fact that you’re mated to Devon and carrying Trevor’s baby. Besides, what happened between you and Trevor before Devon came into the picture is, in my opinion, no one else’s business but yours and Trevor’s.”
Envy blinked knowing there was so much more than just that. She couldn’t blame Trevor for still being in love with her when she still felt that way about him. How could she claim to love one man with all of her heart when she carried two men in that same heart? Trevor and Devon shouldn’t even be mad at each other when this was her fault… not theirs.
A few minutes later Chad pulled into the parking lot of the extremely tall, high rise apartment building. Envy got out of the car with only a little coaxing from Chad and they walked inside. The elevator ride up was very long… or it was long for Chad since Envy wasn’t talking at all.
When the elevator doors opened, Envy rushed out of the enclosed space to Kriss’ front door. Before she even got the chance to knock, the door was flung open and they were greeted by the Fallen’s bright smile.
Kriss had heard the elevator ding and nearly ran to the door… much to Dean’s amusement. They didn’t have company very often and Kriss always used the excuse to celebrate. Kriss noticed that Envy didn’t look very well. As he stood aside to invite them in, his eyes swept over Envy’s form. What he saw sent him into an ecstatic fit but he curbed the desire to pounce the redhead.
Chad ran a hand through his hair, “Sorry about popping in like this but…“
“You’re gonna be a mommy!” Kriss couldn’t keep his excitement inside long enough to hear Chad’s explanation.
“How did you know?” Envy asked more than a little terrified that Kriss just suddenly knew like that. Would the jaguars take one look at her when she went home and also know?
Kriss looked down toward her womb with a soft smile, “I can see the tiny soul inside you.”
Seeing Kriss looking south toward Envy’s crotch in conjunction with Kriss’ statement suddenly struck Chad as funny. He reached out and playfully slapped Kriss on the back of the head. “Stop looking at my sister’s crotch, you can see it when it comes out… and not a minute before.” He paused for a second with a strange look on his face before shaking his head, “That so did not sound right.”
Chad walked further into the penthouse toward the sofa then looked back over his shoulder at Envy. She hadn’t moved from her spot just inside the doorway and Chad sighed when he saw the tears welling up in his sister’s eyes.
Kriss shook his head putting his own happiness on pause for a moment, “Come here baby girl.”
Envy started crying again when Kriss wrapped his arms around her. She felt more shame building up inside of her because of the horrible thought she’d had in the car about getting rid of the baby. Kriss could see the baby’s soul and now that he’d told her… she felt like the biggest sinner in the world.
“What am I going to do?” she sobbed.
Kriss hugged her to him and looked over his shoulder at Chad who had taken up residence on the sofa. He saw Dean standing beyond Chad next to the huge window watching silently. With a mental sigh, Kriss ignored Dean’s brooding look and turned his attention back to Envy. Cupping her chin, he tilted her head up until she was looking him in the eyes.
“I am staking a claim… I want to be the child’s godfather and, if Chad allows it, I want to be called Uncle Kriss.” He smiled and wiped away Envy’s tears. “So tell me why you’re crying so I can make it all better. Whose ass do I have to kick?”
“That’s going to be a tall order to fill Uncle Kriss,” Envy laughed then covered her eyes with her hand. “I don’t need you to kick anyone’s ass but… can you call Aunt Tabby over here for me?”
“What am I,” Chad asked pointing at himself, “chopped liver?” He was rewarded when Envy left Kriss’ embrace to curl up beside him on the sofa.
Kriss had already picked up the phone to make the call, “Anyone else you need Sweetheart?”
Envy shook her head and leaned over on Chad’s shoulder then went a step further by wrapping her arms around one of his and hugging it.
Kriss shared a concerned look with Chad… this kind of depression wasn’t normal and Kriss had a very good idea who was at the center of it. And he’d bet his wings any day that she hadn’t even told them yet.
While Kriss called Tabatha, Envy remained silent. She was surprised when a tall glass suddenly appeared in front of her and she blinked at the familiar scent of apple juice. Turning her head to see who was connected to the arm, she saw Dean standing there looking at her with an arched eyebrow.
“You may as well start early,” he muttered then turned away from Envy’s thankful smile.
***** Nick was about to go out of his mind. He’d gone to every place he thought Envy might be, including Chad’s old apartment… and found nothing. When he visited the police department, Trevor was there and he’d strolled right through the office like he owned it.
“Where are Chad and Envy?” Nick demanded when he found the blonde.
Trevor frowned, “As far as I know Chad’s out with Envy. Why, has something happened?”
Nick shook his head, “No, not yet anyway. Devon had a fit earlier because Envy wanted to go shopping for the masquerade, so she called Chad to come get her. Kat asked if I could follow and keep an eye on them. I made the mistake of giving them a few minutes head start and now I can’t find them anywhere.”
“So I’m the bottom of the list… right?” Trevor frowned and pulled out his cell phone, dialing Mrs. Tully’s number.
“Hello Trevor,” Mrs. Tully answered.
Trevor grinned, “How did you know it was me?”
“Caller ID dear, what can I help you with?” she asked.
“Actually, I wanted to talk to Envy about something and I can’t find her anywhere. You haven’t seen her today have you?” Trevor glanced at Nick.
Mrs. Tully smiled, “I saw them a little while ago for a follow-up from last night. I’m afraid I didn’t ask where they were going.”
Trevor nodded, “All right, I’ll just keep trying her cell phone. Thanks again Mrs. Tully.”
“Anytime dear… can you come by the house later? I need to talk to you.”
“Sure, talk to you soon.” He hung up and shrugged at Nick. “They were at her place and left just a little while ago. Apparently, Envy was still worried about passing out and wanted to make sure everything was okay.”
Nick nodded, “Makes sense, if she had let on that she was scared it would have sent Devon into a tizzy. At least I know they’re all right. Thanks again.”
Trevor grinned, “No problem.”
Nick walked out of the precinct and smiled. The only thing he could do now was go back to The Witch’s Brew and wait. That was fine with him… it had nice scenery.
***** Kriss answered the door when the bell rang and smirked when he saw Tabatha and Kane standing on the other side.
“Come in,” Kriss said and stood aside.
Tabatha walked in and looked around the penthouse with wide eyes. This was a huge step up from the small apartment they had shared. “It’s so big.”
“It’s not the size of the penthouse love… but how you use it,” Kane said in a voice that sent shivers down her spine.
Tabatha looked up at him, “We’re talking about penthouses, not sex.”
“Of course we are,” Kane said and walked further into the room.
Tabatha watched him and realized his dark attire made him stand out against the brightness of the penthouse. In that moment Tabatha realized something… she’d known all along but it didn’t truly register until now. Kane was darkness, rage, and the exact opposite of everything else in her life. Sure, he had a perverted mind and a great sense of humor, but the madness that had grown while being buried for so long was always brewing just below the surface… and she loved him for everything he was.
Shaking her head slightly, she looked over at Envy and saw the misery in her friend’s eyes. Without saying a word, Tabatha opened her arms and Envy was immediately in them hugging her tightly.
“Okay,” Tabatha said over Envy’s shoulder. “Why is my best friend freaking out?”
“Envy’s pregnant,” Chad informed her.
Tabatha’s eyes widened and she pulled back from Envy’s hug, “You’re preggers? That’s great!”
“It’s Trevor’s baby,” Envy whispered.
Kane’s expression had brightened but when Envy told them whose baby it was he understood her fears. If they started taking bets on who would win the fight, he was putting his money on the shapeshifter.
“Let me guess,” Kane said in a hard voice, “with the two knuckleheads always at each other’s throats, you’re afraid of their bloody reaction to the news.”
Envy nodded quickly and took a deep breath, “I have to tell them but I don’t want them to rip each other apart.”
Tabatha sighed, “So we need to find a way to break it to the guys and keep everything civil… we can do that. Devon can’t point any fingers because this started before you met him. He’ll just have to deal with it.” she glanced toward Kane and added smugly, “And if he doesn’t, I’ll have Kane brainwash his ass.”
“That’s my girl,” Kane said proudly. “Besides, it’s Envy and the baby that’s going to need the security of knowing those two men will not do any permanent harm to each other.”
“That’s actually not a bad idea,” Kriss pointed out. “Envy, do you trust me?”
“You know that I do,” Envy gave him a soft smile. “I’ve always trusted you… even before you brought Chad back from the dead.”
“Good,” Kriss nodded, “then here’s the plan. Kane can use his power of persuasion and put both of them under his thrall… for their own good of course.” When he saw Kane open his mouth to speak Kriss held up his hand, “I’m talking about the hypnotic suggestion, not the typical thrall mind you.”
“What kind of suggesting did you have in mind?” Kane asked actually liking this idea.
“Something simple,” Kriss answered, “nothing that will permanently damage them. All we need is something to make them think twice before attacking each other. For example, if they start a fist fight with one another, they can both experience a massive headache… migraine strength, so they won’t want to fight the other. They’ll be more concerned with the pain exploding in their heads to even think about fighting.”
Envy balked at him, “I don’t want to hurt them. I just want them not to fight.”
“How long it hurts is up to them. As soon as they back off from the fight, the headache will fade away,” Kriss explained then looked over at Kane. “Can you do that?”
Kane thought about it for a moment, “I can and I don’t even have to enthrall them to do it. A hypnotic suggestion is all that’s needed. That’s actually a very simple and effective way to take care of the fight aspect.”
When Envy’s frown didn’t go away, Kane decided to let her in on the secret.
“They won't actually have a headache love… they’ll just think they do. It’s the best way to ensure they behave. Once I’m finished with them, you can tell them about the baby without fearing a fight will break out. They might yell and scream at each other, but the first one to raise a fist will be lucky if he’s even able to land a punch.”
Kane glanced away for a moment then looked back at Envy, “As of right now, you and your baby are under mine, Damon’s, and Michael’s protection. If you ever need anything, you come to us.”
“The Sun Gods will not be the only ones protecting you,” Dean said out of the blue. “He is also under the protection of the Fallen.”
“He,” Envy whispered laying her hand over her tummy.
“Spoilers,” Kriss smirked at Dean.
“Tabby-love, you stay with Envy,” he said and gave Tabatha a quick kiss on the lips. “Uncle Kane has a little peacemaking to do,” he smirked.
“This kid has uncles and aunts coming out of his ears and he isn’t even born yet,” Chad smiled then decided he didn’t want to miss out on the fun. “Hey Kane, can I come and watch you work?”
“You’re driving,” Kane said without turning around.
“This is going to be fun,” Chad smiled and ran out the door behind Kane.
When they were gone Tabatha looked at Envy, “You are well aware of Kane’s love for children, right?”
Envy couldn’t help but smile and nod, “Yeah, Michael has enlightened us with tales. I just gotta make sure he doesn’t spoil the baby for me.”
Tabatha shook her head, “He’ll be out shopping for the little guy every day. You’ll need a warehouse just to hold all the toys.”
Envy breathed a huge sigh of relief, feeling a lot better than when she’d first got here. Her eyes widened and she stood up suddenly remembering the reason she had wanted to get out so bad… she still needed a Halloween costume for the masquerade.
“Hey Tabby, can you go with me to The Witch’s Brew? I still need to pick up some scent masking spritzer and a costume.”
Tabatha frowned, “I don’t have one picked out yet either.” A slow smile spread across her face and she wiggled her eyebrows, “Now would be the perfect time to get a sexy one since Kane is busy.”
“Then why don’t we all go?” Kriss asked pretending he didn’t have the ulterior motive of protecting them. “I’ll tag along since Kane disappeared with your brother.”
“Great!” Tabatha said and pulled out the keys to her car. “Shall we?”
“Wait,” Envy said, “what about Dean?”
Dean was actually surprised that Envy invited him but he shook his head, “You ladies go shopping by yourselves… I’ll be close if you need me.”
“I can pick out a costume for you,” Kriss offered with a smirk.
Dean’s glare sent the three of them out the door giggling like school children. He wasn’t about to let them know he’d already purchased something for his attendance to the masquerade.
