Ronan Read online

  Ronan groaned, knowing shit was about to hit the fan, but witnessing her excitement, he decided he didn’t care. If Jared wasn’t such a dick, he could be the one receiving Tessa’s gratitude.

  “You’re welcome.” He chuckled as she quickly let him go as if realizing what she had done.

  “Sorry, I get a little overly excited,” Tessa said, her excitement fading.

  “Never be sorry for accomplishing a goal, Tessa.” Ronan’s voice was a little harsher than necessary. He kinda hoped Jared would come over so he could beat some sense into his dumb ass. “Now do it over and over again until you don’t even have to think about pivoting. Make sure you work on both legs.”

  Tessa nodded, then began to work. Ronan left her to it as he searched around for someone else needing help. His eyes landed on a glaring Jared, but he looked away when someone called out for help.

  Ronan continued on his way, knowing that words were going to be spoken between himself and Jared, but he didn’t care. If his mate wanted to become a VC Warrior, Ronan would make damn sure she was prepared. There was no way he’d trust anyone else to do the job.

  His mind went to Kira as he stood over two guys grappling. The thought of her being put in dangerous situations had him frowning, but if it was something she wanted to do, then he would be behind her, literally behind her, making sure she stayed safe. He had no right to dictate someone else’s life, mate or not.

  Jesus, here he was thinking of Kira as his mate. Damn Sloan and his little mate talk earlier. Shaking his head, he snorted, causing the two guys to stop grappling and look up at him.

  “What?” he growled, then waved his arm. “Go! I didn’t tell you to stop.”

  The two guys hurriedly did as instructed while Ronan watched, realizing these guys couldn’t grapple worth a shit. They were just rolling around wearing each other out. Kneeling on the mat, he shook his head. At least he had something to take his mind off women and mates.

  “Who the fuck taught you how to grapple?” Ronan stopped them.

  One of the guys looked over Ronan’s shoulder. “He did.”

  Ronan glanced behind him to see Jared staring at him. The scowl he wore told Ronan it was going to be a long day. “Well, shit.”

  Chapter 4

  Kira sat on the bed in the small room she was assigned. She looked around, the feeling of helplessness heavy in the pit of her stomach. How she hated the feeling. It not only made her feel hopeless, but angry. All their lives she and Mira had lived like this—where nothing belonged to them except what they wore on their bodies and what they carried in their bags.

  Of course they had made it through, barely at times, and yet, she was tired. So very tired of running. She wanted a life that didn’t consist of empty rooms, hunger pains, and lonely nights. Admittedly, she could use her magic to get everything she wanted, but it was too dangerous, not only for herself, but her sister and now her niece. She couldn’t chance it. Plus, it was against the “witches code” to use magic to better one’s situation. Magic was only to be used for the good of others.

  Standing quickly, Kira began to pace the floor but could only take about four steps before having to turn around. The walls were closing in on her, and it was making her crazy. She had already unpacked her bag which took all but two minutes, and everything went into one drawer. It meant if she had to make a quick escape, she wouldn’t be running around like a crazy woman.

  Walking to the window, she looked out. It was an overcast day. The clouds were dark and thick. Rain was on its way. She could feel it… smell it. Her eyes traveled across the Warrior property, stopping on the pickup truck that sat next to more expensive cars owned by the Warriors, and a small smile tipped her lips.

  Ronan’s, the cowboy vampire, who she couldn’t stop thinking of. Her smile slipped as she quickly looked away from the truck. No matter her feelings or what she wanted, it couldn’t be. She would not risk anyone’s life out of her own selfish feelings of wanting to find… love. The thought shocked her. Never had she thought about love connected with a man. Attraction, yes, but love… never. She knew the consequences and had since she was a young girl. They were consequences she could never live with.

  Opening the window, Kira let the breeze inside the stuffy room. Leaning her head against the window, she stared out at nothing, wishing she could just disappear, just walk away and never look back. Someone came out of the side door just beneath her window; her eyes went that way. Steve walked outside talking a mile a minute with Drew in his arms. He was pointing at his surroundings explaining them to Drew, who was yet to understand anything and everything Steve saw.

  Mira came out next, walking next to the two, her arm going around Steve. Kira watched from afar, her heart pounding for something she herself would never have. She was afraid for her sister, the curse that could possibly once again send Mira into a spiral and yet, she couldn’t help but feel a spark of jealousy, which she hated herself for.

  Pushing away from the window, Kira headed straight for the door and walked out of the room, not her room, but the room. Nothing was hers; she couldn’t afford to think otherwise. Strolling the hallways, she made her way to the kitchen. It was empty, everyone off doing their own thing.

  “Just stop!” she scolded herself.

  “Stop what?” Sid rushed past her as he turned on the oven and opened the refrigerator.

  Kira jumped at the intrusion but remained silent. She wasn’t about to tell him that she was wallowing in self-pity. She didn’t have these moments often, but they came, and she dealt with them.

  “Need help?” she asked, instead of explaining.

  Sid stopped to look at her with a cocked eyebrow. “Depends. You using magic?”

  “Nope,” she replied, then smiled when he looked doubtful. “Witch’s honor.”

  He glared at her for a few more seconds, then laid out packages of chicken by the sink. “Wash these for me.” He continued around the kitchen with expert ease. Kira washed her hands, then began opening the chicken and cleaning it.

  Honestly, she’d been hoping for a better job because this was gross. The slimy feel of the chicken in her hands was disgusting. Glancing up, she saw Sid watching her with a half grin on his face.

  “The expression on your face tells me you don’t cook much.” Sid chuckled as he poured oil in a large frying pan, then did the same thing to another pan.

  “Guilty.” She bobbled a chicken breast when it about shot out of her hands. “Never in one place long enough to cook dinner, lunch, or anything for that matter. If I couldn’t find something on the run, then I didn’t eat.”

  “That must be a tough life,” Sid remarked, taking the chicken she had finished. Dropping it into some breading he’d whipped up, he then put it in the pan.

  “Saved me time and money from going to the gym,” she teased. All she could do was make light of her life, her situation. If she didn’t, she’d go crazy. “It’s not too bad, I guess. Got to see a lot of cool places.”

  “Don’t take this the wrong way, but…” Sid reached under the faucet to clean off his hands. “…if you’re a witch as you say you are, why not use your magic?”

  “Boy, you guys don’t think very highly of us, do you?” Kira tried her best not to be offended, but sometimes it was hard not to be.

  “Of you, yes.” Sid grabbed more chicken to bread. “Your craft is a different story. We’ve had some nasty dealings with your kind. No offense.”

  “None taken,” Kira replied, knowing what he said was probably true. Witches and warlocks could be, as he said, nasty creatures, and the more powerful, the more nasty and dangerous they could be. “I don’t use my magic unless absolutely necessary, because it’s like a beacon to other witches. I refuse to put others in danger just so I can live a comfortable life.”

  Kira finished the chicken then washed her hands and cleaned up the area. She and Sid worked in silence as she made a huge salad while he continued to fry the chicken and make other dishes. The aroma was mouthwate
ring and one thing she knew for sure, tonight she wouldn’t be going hungry.

  “That had to have been a hard life for two young girls to live.” Sid broke the silence.

  “Watching the women of our coven die and being on the run all of our lives was pretty much all we knew,” Kira said absently, then considered about what she had just said without thought. Her eyes met Sid’s. “Pretty sad, huh?”

  Sid glanced at someone who just walked into the kitchen before his eyes came back to hers. “We all do what we have to do to survive. Some sacrifice more than others. You and Mira are stronger for it and have come to the right place. Soon you won’t be running anymore.”

  For just a second she believed him, but she’d heard that before. Others had tried to help them; some not only failed, but died for their efforts. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Lana walking toward them, her eyes on her before shifting nervously to Sid.

  “What is it, babe?” Sid wiped his hands off and headed toward Lana.

  “Someone is coming,” Lana said, her eyes going from Sid to Kira.

  “Who?” Kira’s stomach dipped, the flight mechanism so strongly embedded in her soul urging her to take off. “Lana, who is coming?”

  Lana’s eyes went vacant for a split second before opening wide as she began to chant in an off voice, “Ashes to ashes… Dust to dust—”

  “No!” Kira grabbed Lana, putting her hand over Lana’s mouth. Someone was speaking through Lana with a spell. “Sid, break her out of this,” Kira ordered giving Lana a shake.

  “Lana!” Sid took Lana into his arms, but she just stared, her mouth still moving under Kira’s hand. “Lana, come back. Listen to my voice.”

  “She’s doing a banishing spell.” Kira’s voice was full of panic. She didn’t know who she was trying to banish, but whoever had a hold on Lana knew exactly what words to speak.

  Finally, Lana quieted. Her eyes closed then shot open wide as she fought to get away from Sid and remove Kira’s hand from her mouth. “What happened?” She almost fell backward, but Sid grasped her before she could hit the ground.

  Caroline rushed into the kitchen her face pale. “Lana!”

  “I’m fine.” Lana held up her hand, stopping Caroline. “I’m fine, dammit. Just give me a minute.”

  Kira watched her closely and knew she wasn’t fine. Whoever had taken over Lana was powerful and also felt very familiar.

  Jax walked in, his eyes taking in everything as a frown formed across his face. “What happened?” When no one said anything, his frown turned into an angry scowl. “Caroline?”

  “Someone is coming.” She repeated what Lana had said when she first walked into the kitchen. Kira prayed they weren’t about to have a repeat of what just happened to Lana. “Someone was trying to take over, but I refused. The message was spotty at best, but something felt off, so I fought it. Then I realized if whoever it was couldn’t get to me, they would come after Lana.”

  “Was it male?” Kira felt shaky knowing that once again she had put these two women in danger.

  “No.” Lana shook her head, looking a little confused. “It was a female, and I didn’t feel threatened by her. It was almost as if trying to warn you. What was I saying?”

  Relief rushed through Kira. At least it wasn’t like last time when both of these women attacked her sister because someone had overtaken their bodies. Holy broomstick, she didn’t know how Lana and Caroline did it… constantly having the dead around. And here she thought she had problems.

  “You were chanting a banishing spell.” Kira frowned, hating puzzles, while trying to put two and two together. “Do you remember anything else that might have been said?”

  Lana’s brows dipped in frustration as she stared at nothing, trying to remember. “I’m sorry. I’m still a little foggy.”

  “No, I’m sorry to put you through this,” Kira replied, hating this was affecting others. It shouldn’t be. This was her problem to deal with, and bringing others into it didn’t sit well with her at all.

  “This is what we do, Kira.” Caroline spoke up. “And if it can help you, Mira, and Drew, then we are more than happy to do it. Sometimes messages don’t come through as clearly as we’d like, and sometimes we are used in ways that aren’t good. Usually we can fight, but sometimes the spirits are stronger than we are.”

  “And that’s where I have a problem,” Sid growled, his eyes narrowing down at Lana. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “I’m fine.” Lana huffed, then glanced at Caroline. “Do you remember anything at all?”

  “No, but then again, like I said I fought it, so I really didn’t get a chance to focus on anything. After the last time, with what happened with Mira, I didn’t want to open myself up too much.” Caroline leaned back into Jax, who stood tall and strong behind her. “Maybe if I—”

  “No!” both Kira and Jax said at the same time.

  “No,” Kira repeated. “Please fight it from here on out if it has anything to do with myself or Mira. It’s just too dangerous to know if it’s Orjyll playing his games again. It’s not worth it.”

  Seeing the worried look on Jax and Sid’s faces did her in. And this was the very reason she needed to pack her meager belongings and get the hell out of here. She could do what she always did and lead Orjyll away from her sister by planting fake leads. She’d done it for years. Sometimes it worked, and sometimes it didn’t, but now, with her and Mira together, it seemed that Orjyll was getting closer to them than ever.

  “Emilia,” Lana said, her eyes popping open wide.

  “Oh God! Emilia.” Kira stumbled backward, her heart pounding wildly as an instant surge of hope churned inside her chest. “Emilia Grail is our cousin.”

  Chapter 5

  Ronan headed back to the compound from the warehouse feeling damn lucky to avoid Jared. Not that he was afraid of a confrontation with the Warrior, he just didn’t want to have one. It wasn’t good to fight with the people who may one day save your ass. It was best to be one strong unit, even if Jared was being a total asshole. What was between Jared and his mate was of no concern to him, but when he was doing his job and saw her struggling with something that was his responsibility to teach, then by damn he was going to do it. If it pissed Jared off, it was his problem.

  Walking toward the back of the compound, he spotted Steve on the phone pacing back and forth, throwing his arm up in the air. Shit, maybe he should go in the front? He started to do just that when Steve took the phone away from his ear and dropped his head as if defeated.

  “Shit,” Ronan hissed, knowing he was going to head toward Steve whether he wanted to or not. Why in the hell was he such a nice guy? That question haunted him quite a bit. The closer he got to Steve, he noticed how upset he was. “Hey, man. You good?”

  Steve glanced up at him surprised, then glanced away. “Not really, but I’ll figure it out. Thanks.”

  Ronan nodded, relieved as he headed toward the door, but Steve’s words stopped him.

  “Why is everyone in the fucking world getting married the same day we picked?” Steve gushed, his voice edged with frustration. “I mean, shit, everywhere I’ve called, they are booked for a wedding. Even a fucking Italian restaurant, which was my last choice by the way. I’ve called everywhere and nothing.”

  With a sigh and one last glance at the door of freedom, Ronan turned around. “You’ve called every church?” Ronan was doubtful, but then the look on Steve’s face told him that yes, Steve probably had called every single church.

  “Yes, and the ones that will marry vampires are booked. I tried the others, but they said no, that it was against their rules or whatever. The prejudiced pricks.” Steve growled, then glanced up at the sky. “Sorry, didn’t mean that.” Then he did the sign of the cross.

  “Steve, are you Catholic?” Ronan frowned, never knowing what he was going to get with Steve.

  “If it will help me get a place to marry Mira I am.” Steve sighed, and Ronan felt sorry for the guy. He was a pain in the ass,
but he meant well… most of the time.

  An idea flashed through Ronan’s mind, but he shrugged it off, trying to forget he even thought it. Don’t do it, McDonald, he kept telling himself.

  “You know, all my life I have fought for what I have, and just once I would love for shit to go my way. And it’s really not for me. I want this day to be special for Mira and Drew, even though Drew won’t remember any of it.” Steve looked so forlorn Ronan almost caved… almost. “I just want this one thing in my life to be special. Is that too much to ask? And now we will probably have to be married in the side yard of the compound.”

  The door opened, and Mira walked outside with Drew. “Hey, Ronan.” She smiled at him, then looked at Steve. “Did they say yes?”

  Ronan nodded toward Mira, then watched Steve visibly fight against disappointing her. “No, but don’t you worry. We’ll find a place. I promise.”

  “Steve, we can just do it here.” Mira touched his arm. “It’s fine. We can have it here or even go to the courthouse. I don’t care.”

  “But I do.” Steve pulled her into his arms, kissing the top of her head. “Now take Drew in for her nap. I’ll make a few more calls and be in for dinner. Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”

  Ronan felt like a third wheel as Mira kissed Steve on the cheek then disappeared into the compound.

  “Fuck!” Steve kicked out at nothing, his frustration growing by the sound of his voice. “She would do it too, ya know. Give up her dreams of what kind of wedding she wanted since she was a little girl just because I’m a big fucking joke. Fuck!”

  McDonald! If you don’t do it, you’re the biggest asshole to ever walk this earth. The voice inside his head decided to turn traitor on him. “Meet me here in the morning at seven sharp,” Ronan said as he headed toward the door.

  “What?” Steve said, his pissy mood disappearing. “Why? What for? We got a job?”