Read My Soul Laid Bare: Book 4 (The Soul Keeper Series) Online
Authors: Melissa Solis
My Soul Laid Bare: Book 4 (The Soul Keeper Series)
Melissa Solis
Contents
Chapter 3 ~Valentine’s Day Massacre~
Chapter 13 ~ Good Things Come ~
Copyright © 2014
Melissa Solis
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, distributed, stored in, or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, without express permission of the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes.
This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The characters and story lines are created from the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Cover Image Copyright © Conrado, 2012
Used under license from Shutterstock.com
Cover Design by Andrew Solis
At the end of our life
, what we have are countless memories. This is the only thing we may take with us. Our memories appear like snap shots, moments caught in time. Mostly you take the good memories with you, but there are a few which no matter how hard you try and leave behind, follow with you. After all, they too are what made you who you are. We all make mistakes, some are irreversible. They may inevitably cost us everything. This is the ante we pay for a life well spent and I like to think I was always, “All In.”
This is m
y life in snap shots: the good, the bad, and the not so pretty.
~
Brennen
~
The Ride ~
A somber note hangs in the winter air like
a body in the noose, swinging back and forth until the rope breaks. That's what my life holds promises of - death and destruction, one heart at a time.
Malphas is free to hunt me like prey
, unleashed by my careless hand like a rabid dog in a room full of toddlers. I know it was wrong to free him, but it was the lesser of two evils. We made a deal with the devil that might as well cost us our lives. Well– my life, since Elijah's beautiful head is as immortal as outer space is infinite. When we turned Malphas loose, Sam's mark was to be lifted. His mark allowed a demon to take up temporary residence in his body like it was some damn FEMA trailer.
Elijah, the love of my life, the extraordinary man that lovingly held me all night back in Amorous, is now incredulously rooting for the other man. He studies me from across the room as if my face
holds the secrets of the world.
Sam saunters into the room looking utterly confused
, his hands are piled on top of his head as if he needed to somehow keep it attached. At least now his head is safe and off limits for good. The only other condition I made was for Malphas to agree to Sam and his family being off limits. He agreed a little too easily if you ask me. I know it's only because Sam was never the prize. Elijah and I are the ones he wants to exact his revenge on. Elijah has been fouling up Malphas' orders to extinguish my life since I was born.
Elijah doesn't show a hint of fear even though Malphas has had us both under his boot multiple times in the last few months. His confidence astounds me and part of me wonders if I've only
seen a glimpse of what he's capable of. The thought of Elijah's strength cinches my stomach in a tight knot as I fantasize about him from across the room.
“
What happened? I don't remember anything.” Sam's voice is still hoarse. I imagine having two fallen angels locked in a battle to the death inside one’s body would have some ramifications. It almost killed Sam. But had Elijah not intervened, Malphas would have killed him anyway.
Now I have to feed Sam yet another lie
. It seems to be par for the course these days. I'm beginning to think lying may be one of my special gifts. Maybe I'll make a great politician after all.
“
You don't remember? Well you did have a lot to drink,” I mention with my head cocked.
“
I did? I never get drunk. What was I drinking? Jet fuel?” He rubs his temples again.
I point to the empty Jose Quervo bottle on the counter
, hoping he doesn't smell the fact that I dumped the bottle down the drain only moments ago. He walks over to the counter and examines the bottle, probably trying to force a memory to come.
But it will never come, my sweet Sam, because you didn't drink a drop last night. Your innocent soul was battered and bruised from the inside out, and I pray you’re still the same despite it.
He makes his way back to me, and uninvited images of his rage last night fly through my mind in rapid succession causing a tear to roll down my cheek and my body to visibly tremble. I turn away from him and wipe it away with my shoulder. Elijah's jaw clenches
. He hates seeing me in any kind of pain, and I know I'd be in his arms right now if Sam wasn't here.
“
Sorry man. It's my fault,” Elijah offers. He can't lie, and I guess technically he didn't. It is Elijah's fault Sam feels like ass right now.
Sam plops down
on the arm chair, and I breathe a sigh of relief. I'm not ready to be near him anytime soon. Just since he's walked into the room, my body has wanted to curl itself into a protective ball, the fetal position. It’s how they found me in the wreckage of the plane crash when I was only ten years old. Hundreds died that day, and somehow Elijah kept me from sustaining even one bruise.
I can feel his love emanating from across the room ready to protect me from fiery crashes or a single tear.
At least I hope he still feels this way. His comment when we arrived back from Amorous has thrown me for a loop. He said he would help me find a way to make things right with Sam. I don't know why he would offer to help another man love me. I'm stupefied and wondering why he's not fighting tooth and nail to claim our love exclusively for himself. I'd be selfish that way if the tables were reversed.
The thought of Elijah sharing an intimate moment with any other female makes my blood boil; not that he ever has or ever will. From what I can gather
, I'm the only human who's ever brought these feelings about in him. I haven't had the nerve to ask him about his own kind yet, but I hope one day soon we can have such a discussion. He knows me inside and out, not in the literal sexual innuendo way, unfortunately. Although I hope to rectify that situation one day in the very near future. I just wish I could find a way around his moral compass that's set to be firmly against pre-marital relations– cemented in stone really. However, he’s as immoveable as the rock of Gibraltar.
Sam
shifts in my direction. “I'm the one who should be apologizing. I ruined your birthday. I am so sorry babe.” He gets up and goes to hug me. The mere thought of his hands on me sends me bounding up the flight of stairs two at a time.
I hear Elijah call to him and tell him to let me go. I go up another flight to the catwalk outside, and the January wind blasts its icy breath right through me as soon as I open the door. I wrap my plush robe around me, but it does little to keep out the cold.
I welcome the freezing air; maybe it will numb the pain. If I'd have left well enough alone, Sam would be going back to Texas in a few days, and I could break up with him, never having to relive the moment again. Why is Elijah suddenly on his side? Did my mother give him some sort of mission like before when Elijah had to help me win Sam back for the sake of his destiny? God I hope not. I'm so sick of the In-Between using my love life like the net on their Ping-Pong table.
The ocean is unsteady, waves crashing into each other chaotically without reason. Somewhere out there, an unseen storm is readying itself, churning up the ocean like a witch brewing a potion in her cauldron. I notice the palm tree which accessorized my living room and managed to litter
Sam's body with glass just two days ago has been replanted. It now waves brazenly in the wind like an unsavory flag.
I already miss the others, Jesson most of all. He was such a good friend to me in the short time I'd been around him. He was always able to cheer me up, even when I was furious at him. The door to the catwalk cracks open allowing some heat to linger out. Elijah's cobalt eyes appear in the crack sinking my heart further down into the depths of love I feel for him. I could
easily fall into their immeasurable abyss and never come back out.
“
Sam's gone for a little while. I told him you needed some space. Why don't you come inside and get warm?” He holds his hand out, and I slip mine inside. I could never refuse him. “Your hands are like ice. Come here.” He unties my robe and slips his heated arms inside pulling me into his chest. He buries his cheek against my neck, and warmth washes over me along with his delicious scent. His hot skin practically burns against mine. Not that I mind the fiery touch of this man on any given occasion.
“
You’re afraid of him now?”
I nod. The thought of Sam coming back soon flips my stomach over and runs a current through my veins.
“But you know Sam would never hurt you physically. Sam doesn't even like to pretend-wrestle with his little sisters. His mark is gone, and he will never hurt you again.”
With his every word, a new tear falls down my cheek.
“Why are you suddenly on his side?” I say pushing his body off of me and backing away when it doesn't move. “You don't want me for yourself anymore?” Why else would he be defending a man that just left me beaten and bruised only hours ago Earth time?
It wasn't Sam that did that. It was Malphas. Quit blaming the poor boy.
Great– my subconscious is even defending him.
Elijah's eyes turn up in agony like I just shoved a spear through his heart.
“No, of course that's not true. I was only trying to be supportive. Back in Amorous, you said you could forgive him. I'd ship the kid off to Egypt if you wanted me to. But I also don't want to win your heart by default. Maybe not right now, but you will end up moving on from this. I know you.” He says the last sentence slowly in a calm clear voice that reinforces how long he’s been with me. “You’re the strongest person I've ever met. When you do choose me, it will be for the pure reason of love and nothing else.”