Stone Cold Seduction (11 page)

I sighed. “Yeah, about the mate thing. Teryl told me about the ceremony and how it’s different for every line. I—”

He shushed me by placing a finger to my lips. “I won’t rush you into anything. I know you’re not ready.”

“Thank you,” I whispered against his finger. Relief brought a smile to my lips.

His eyes flashed silver a moment. “Don’t forget, you are mine. I have all the time in the world to give you, little gem. I will wait.”

I swallowed a few times, so I could speak around the sudden lump in my throat. “Jax.”

He leaned forward and kissed me. Just the soft press of his lips to mine, and I was weak-kneed. Jax pulled back, and I felt slightly dazed. “Why do you call me ‘little gem?’”

That sexy, slow smile spread across his face. “You really want to know?”

I could only nod. His deep rumble of a voice was so distracting, in the best kind of way.

“Because of the gemstones you stole.”

I was staring at his mouth, watching his lips move, and it took me a second to comprehend his words. Shocked, I lifted my gaze to his eyes. He was serious.

Well, this was awkward.

“You knew about the stones all along? I assumed you thought you’d caught me empty-handed. Why were you following me that night, anyway?”

His answer was matter-of-fact. “You’re my mate. I wasn’t about to let you attempt something so dangerous without protection.”

“So, you’re not going to turn me in?”

His voice remained calm, but I saw a spark of amusement in his eyes. “No, I’m not. Why would I turn my mate in?”

I squirmed. “Because it’s illegal? Because MacLean is investigating me?”

That got a reaction. “You believe I would turn you in to the phoenix?” His voice had deepened and his fists clenched.

I dropped my gaze and shrugged. When he said it like that, it did sound dumb.

“I will never hand you over to him.”

I caught the double meaning in his growl, but it didn’t make me feel better. “I need you to know why I do it.” When he remained silent, I spoke in a rush. “I sell what I take to help pay for medical bills and food and rent. Whatever they need.”

“Who?”

I was uncomfortable with the topic. These stories weren’t necessarily mine to tell. “His victims.”

When he spoke, his voice was soft and careful. “I could put you in contact with many more.”

There was a note of controlled fury in his voice that stopped me cold. “What did he do to you?”

“That is a story for another time. Suffice it to say, I will not notify anyone of your activities. I will keep you safe.”

“Thanks.” I didn’t know what else to say. But I did know I would ask him about his story in the future. “Do you want to see what I made Carys?”

He raised a brow. “See? Yes. Test? No.”

I laughed. I was always asking Jax to smell or test my products. Three weeks into his employment, he had put his foot down and said he would no longer test anything that smelled like “fruity flowers.”

“Just see and smell. You’ve met her, so you might be able to tell me if I did okay.”

He trailed behind me as I walked briskly back to the mixing counter. His athletic shoes were silent on the concrete floor, while my sandals made a soft, slapping sound. I wondered if all gargoyles moved with such stealth. I grabbed the bowl of lotion and held it under his nose.

Jax took a cautious sniff, making sure not to come too close to the cream. The corner of his lip lifted. “I don’t know Carys well, but I think she will like that. You are very talented, gem.”

Pleasure shot through me at his praise, and I smiled back at him. “Are you sure you don’t want to try it? I could put some on your arm,” I teased.

He took a quick step back.

I laughed and turned away, then walked to the shelves which held empty bottles, containers, and packaging. I selected a small antique bottle I’d scavenged from the farmer’s market and began transferring lotion into it. The vintage bottle had turned purple with age and sun exposure, and the light lavender hue was beautiful. They were difficult to find, so I snapped them up whenever I found them. I had a tiny stash I saved for special occasions.

When I was done filling it up, I sealed the bottle and attached my signature
Emmaline’s
ribbon and tag, then gave it a pat. Lovely.

“Could you grab me a gift bag?” I asked Jax over my shoulder. After I placed both in the bag Jax handed me, I tied more colorful ribbons on the handle.

“Voila! How does it look?” I presented the bag for Jax’s inspection. He was watching me with an unreadable expression.

“Beautiful,” he said. “It looks beautiful.”

“Thanks.” I flashed him another smile and set the bag on the counter. I untied the apron and hung it on the screen. I checked the clock. “I’m done for the night. It’s almost six. Do you want dinner?”

Silver streaked across his eyes. “Yes.”

I walked over to shut off the radio and lights. “You coming?” I called over my shoulder, but he was right behind me. I threaded my fingers through his, and we walked upstairs. Just a few hours ago, Jax had almost taken me on the stairs. Now, we were holding hands, and it somehow felt even more intimate.

Once we were in my kitchen, I gestured for him to take a seat. “What are you hungry for? I’ll find something easy to whip up.”

“Anything is fine.”

“Easy guy to please, aren’t you?” I teased. “How about chicken, wild rice, and a salad?”

“That’s something easy to whip up?”

“What, you thought I was going to make boxed macaroni?” I opened the small cupboard that doubled as my pantry, and grabbed the wild rice and a few jars of dried herbs for seasoning. “Not in my house. Cooking is a hobby. But I try to keep it simple and healthy. Get used to it.”

He was quiet while I put the chicken in the oven and started the rice. When I started pulling out veggies, he came to stand by me. “I can chop.”

I handed him a knife, and we worked together in easy silence. After tossing the salad, I served us both a bowl, and we sat. “Thanks for coming back, Jax.”

He raised a brow in question.

I picked at my salad. “I thought I was looking forward to a quiet night alone, but…I’m glad you’re here.”

“I told you, I’m not going anywhere.”

When he said it like that, I could almost forget the craziness of the past few days. “I believe you.”

And I did. It felt so good to trust someone else. To know I wasn’t alone in this moment. “Want to see the stones?”

He arched a brow at the quick subject change, but humored me. “From last night?”

“I’ve got to figure out where to sell them. I don’t know much about gemstones, but these are gorgeous. Be right back.” I ran back to my room and grabbed the small sack. I untied the bag as I walked down the hall, then set them on the dining table in front of him. “Give me a second. I need to check on the rest of dinner.”

I hummed to myself as I pulled the chicken from the oven and scooped the rice into a bowl. I grabbed plates and silverware and took them all to the table.

Jax was sitting motionless, staring at the gems.

“So, what do you think?” I asked, as I set a plate in front of him. I surveyed the food, a little distracted. What was I forgetting? I snapped my fingers. “Drinks. Sorry, what can I get you?” I rummaged in the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water.

When he didn’t respond, I stood up and looked over the fridge door. “Jax?”

“Elle.” There was a strange note in his voice. “Call Teryl.”

“Teryl?” I frowned at him.

“Call him now.” He lifted his gaze, and I was alarmed to see pure silver.

I grabbed my phone and dialed Teryl’s number. He picked up on the second ring. “Hey, I’m packing right now.”

“Ah, okay. Jax is here and he…” I trailed off when Jax held out his hand for the phone. I silently handed it over. I had no idea what was going on, but I had a feeling I’d made a big mistake.

“Teryl,” Jax said, in a deceptively soft voice. “You’ve been having Elle steal the souls? What in the hell were you thinking?”

I’d touched souls? My stomach bottomed out, and I grabbed the back of the chair for strength. I stared at the sparkling gems in horror. They were the color of the Caribbean. A deep, turquoise blue, ranging in size from a half carat to ten carats. There were souls in there?

I sat down heavily in my chair. I could hear Jax’s angry voice, but wasn’t paying attention to his words. My brain continued to trip over the fact that there had been souls in my closet. I wasn’t just a thief, I was a soul stealer.

No wonder Luke was back. I shuddered and put my head in my hands. Fear and guilt beat at me. I didn’t want to know what my father wanted with souls. I just wished I weren’t involved in his shady dealings. He was such a bastard.

Jax hung up and set the phone down. “Elle, are you listening? We need to call MacLean.”

Panic shot through me. “Why would we call MacLean? Won’t he take me in? I’ll go to jail. Or do they have a special shadow elf jail?”

I was worried for myself and the people I would no longer be able to take care of. And who I might encounter when they took me in. “Who would guard me? How do you guys keep something like shadows in a jail cell, anyway?”

Probably with more shadow elves. I’d experienced a form of captivity before and didn’t want to repeat the process. I would jump off a cliff before I ever knowingly went near Luke.

Jax’s face was unreadable, but his eyes were still silver. “No, not jail. We don’t operate by the same laws. MacLean’s a hunter who deals with these things.”

The term “hunter” wasn’t reassuring, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell Jax about my history with Luke. I didn’t talk about it with anyone. My hands were clasped together tightly, and I stared down at them. I didn’t want to ask, but I had to know. “What will happen?”

Jax stared at the gems. “These are gargoyle souls.”

Bile rose in my throat. “Jax, I…I’m sorry. I didn’t know, I swear.”

“I know. I believe you were set up. What concerns me is
why
.”

Set up? I had been set up? I racked my brain, thinking of all the items I’d taken over the last year. How many had been souls? “I still have more. Not gemstones, but a mirror and…”

“Where?” His voice was tight.

“In the basement.”

“I’ll go check.”

I watched him leave as a new layer of disgust toward my father revealed itself. My father had set me up. Undoubtedly, he’d planted the info for Teryl to feed me, leaving each item unguarded to tempt me. He’d wanted me to steal souls from him. Just when I’d thought he couldn’t get any more depraved, he’d proved me wrong.

By the time Jax got back, I hadn’t moved. The food sat on the table, getting cold, and my appetite was long gone. Jax walked in with a thunderous expression. “The mirror and the books are souls. Light elf and oracles.”

“How can you tell?” I was eyeing the gems on the table, wondering what I wasn’t seeing.

Jax let one hand hover over the stones. “They give off energy. When you come into your magic, you’ll feel it. Had Teryl seen them, he would have known. Elle, we need to put off Scotland for another day.”

“Wait a second. I thought finding my fate was the most important thing?”

“MacLean will meet us in the morning at Pioneer Square, and we can let him deal with the souls.”

My phone rang. Jax answered it and listened quietly for a few minutes, giving one- or two-word answers in a tight voice.

I was numb as I stared at the table. Teryl and I had started stealing from Jedren after my mother’s death. He and Clio had just become engaged, and he’d wanted her out of Warlow Imports. While Teryl worked to find a way out for Clio, I’d kept my father distracted with the thefts.

I chewed on my bottom lip and considered everything. One thing I hadn’t questioned was the legitimacy of my father’s business. But now I wondered, what really went on there? Why would Clio have been transferred? Not once had I considered that my father had been antagonizing Teryl on purpose, in order to manipulate the situation. This was getting deeper by the second. How far did it go?