Bound by Tears (Cauld Ane Book 6) Page 9
She pulled out her cell phone. “I’ll look it up then.”
Kaspar cocked his head and gave her a snarky smile, so she found an Icelandic translation site and typed in the word. She gasped. “Um, no. Did I spell it wrong? E-L-S-K-A-N, right?”
He nodded.
She stepped away from the railing and made her way to the front door again. “I am nobody’s sweetheart or baby,” she snapped, and unlocked her sister’s door.
Before she could open it, he took her hand gently and turned her to face him. “As I said, elskan, you are not ready to hear it.”
She felt the heat creep up her neck and dropped her gaze from his. “Stop calling me that.”
Kaspar smiled, raising her palm to his lips. As he pressed his lips to the middle of her hand, he frowned, pushing her sleeve up her arm. “What the hell is this?”
She tried to yank her hand from his, but he held firm. “Let me go.”
“Who did this to you?” he demanded.
“Nobody. Let me go.”
“Jesska, who did this to you?” he repeated, his eyes searching hers.
She shook her head, forcing back tears. “No one did it to me. I did it to myself.”
“Why?” She shook her head again, but he lifted her chin gently and stroked her cheek. “Why, elskan?”
She bit her lip. “It helps.”
“It helps what?”
“The guilt…and the pain.”
He sighed, kissing one of her scars gently and pulling her into his arms. She squeezed her eyes shut. She could hear the steady beat of his heart when she pressed her cheek against his chest. She felt like she was home. Like she was supposed to be there, standing on her sister’s porch in the twilight, in the arms of the best-looking man she’d ever seen. She didn’t know how or understand why, but Kaspar was someone she could trust with her life. But even more importantly, she could trust him with her heart. She slid her arms up his back, reveling in the warmth of his body as he held her.
When he pulled away and leaned down to kiss her, hesitating millimeters from her lips, asking without words if it was okay, she answered by closing the distance between them, and then she was truly lost.
She whimpered as emotions flooded her. Guilt, anger, sadness, despair…her heart ran the gamut as he deepened the kiss and seemed to wipe away the negative feelings with each passing second. Her grief was replaced with desire and then joy before he broke the kiss, stroking her cheek as they both tried to catch their breath.
“How did you do that?” she asked.
“We are connected, elskan. I will always protect you…even from your own feelings.”
She hissed, pushing away from him. “Is that what your brother did to Megan?”
“Elskan.”
He reached for her again, but she shook her head. “No. Don’t touch me. If you can do to me what he did to her, then that means I have no control.”
“That’s not true, sweetheart,” he countered. “You have all the control.”
“She didn’t.”
“Why do you think she was able to leave him?” he challenged.
“I don’t know.” Jesska dragged her hands down her face, shaking her head. “She told me he was able to stop her twice before she finally escaped.”
“I don’t believe that is accurate, little one. If what I think is true, then he would not have been able to stop her.”
“What does that mean?” she snapped. Before he could answer, she raised her hand. “No, don’t bother answering. I have a lot to do. Please leave.”
She pushed open the door and stepped inside, locking it behind her and leaning against it in an effort to catch her breath.
CHAPTER EIGHT
KASPAR LET HER retreat. He knew that if he pushed her, she’d only run…or hurt herself again. He needed some answers of his own before he could accurately explain anything to her. He returned to the car, Austri opened the door and Kaspar climbed inside. Once Austri slid into the driver’s seat, Kaspar said, “Wait and see if she comes out soon. If she does, follow her.”
Austri nodded and Kaspar raised the partition glass, pulling out his phone and dialing Kade Gunnach.
“Gunnach.”
“I need to speak with my brother.”
Kade sighed, but didn’t respond.
“The calls are recorded, Kade. There’s no reason to stop this.”
“You’re becoming a pain in my arse, that’s a good enough reason. Why do you need to speak with him?”
“That I can’t tell you,” Kaspar said.
“As you so eloquently pointed out, I will have every chance to listen to your conversation while and after it takes place, so you might as well tell me now.”
“My brother should answer my questions before you are aware of what they are.”
Kade sighed again, but Kaspar knew he understood. Whether he’d allow another conversation was the question.
“I’ll patch you through. But I’ll be listening.”
“I don’t doubt it.”
The line went quiet for a few seconds before Ari’s voice sounded over the wire. “Kaz?”
“How are you?”
“Fine, Kaspar. Fannstu þá?” (Did you find them?)
“Já.”
“Hvar eru þeir?” (Where are they?)
“Öruggir.” (Safe.)
“Segðu mér,” Ari demanded. (Tell me.)
“Nei, ég er með spurningu áður en ég segi þér eitthvað.” (No. I have a question before I tell you anything.)
“Hvað?” (What?)
“Er þessi kona maki þinn?” (Is this woman your mate?)
“Við bindumst ekki með mönnum.” (We don’t mate with humans.)
“Við erum alin upp við þá trú, en ég þarf að vita, er hún maki þinn?” Kaspar asked again. (That is what we are raised to believe, but I need to know, is she your mate?)
“Já,” Ari admitted.
“Then why didn’t you bind her?”
“Because I thought I was wrong.”
“Were you afraid of what might happen if you bound a human?”
“I suppose. When she reached ár mökunar, I knew she felt what I felt and, God help me, I was going to bind her despite our laws, consequences be damned, but before I could, she was gone.”
“Skít,” Kaspar snapped.
“You’ve really found her?” Ari asked again.
“I have found your daughter. I have yet to see Megan.”
“Is she happy? My beautiful Ása?”
“I believe so, brother.”
“Who does she look like?” Ari asked. “I bet she’s as beautiful as her mama.”
“She actually looks just like you.”
“I wish I could see her. Just one last time.” Ari sighed. “Find Megan, Kaz. Please. I can’t die without knowing she’s safe.”
“You’re not going to die, Ari.”
“You don’t know that, brother. I have no idea what Kade Gunnach is capable of.”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Kaspar said.
“You must promise me you’ll protect her.”
Kaspar pinched the bridge of his nose. “What the hell is going on, Ari? The truth. Why did you not tell me?”
“I don’t know why. I thought I’d lose her if I did, I suppose.”
Kaspar decided to pose a calculated question, knowing he was being recorded, but also aware that Ari didn’t. “Why did you threaten the Gunnach family? Why did you try to hurt them?”
“I had no intention of harming anyone. I knew I would never find Ása without my other girls, but I misjudged their mates’ powers…or how far they’d go to protect them.”
“Which makes you an idiot,” Kaspar snapped.
“Já. This is new territory for us, brother. I have no excuse.”
Kaspar glanced up as the car pulled away from the curb. Jesska must be leaving, and he hoped she’d lead him to her sister. “I have to go. I’ll try to contact you when I know more.”
“I will,” he promised, and hung up.
* * *
The next day, Jesska had planned to have dinner at Cameron’s, something the siblings tried to do a couple of times a month. As she drove further into the city, she glanced into the rearview mirror and then behind her… then in her side mirrors, a strange feeling of being watched covering her again. She didn’t see anyone following her. At least, nothing seemed out of the ordinary to her as she maneuvered the busy Portland streets. “There is something seriously wrong with you, Jess,” she grumbled out loud.
She’d dropped the things off for Megan and Sophia the night before and ended up hanging out at Cameron’s until far later than expected. After the strange run-in with Kaspar, she’d needed her family, and they’d stayed up until the wee hours talking about the strange events that were happening. Unfortunately, none of them had been able to come to any conclusions about what any of them meant.
Arriving at her brother’s building, she entered the code for the garage and waited for the gate to open, drove inside, and parked in his space. She climbed out of the car and glanced around. No one had followed her. She was just going batty. Popping the trunk, she locked her car, grabbed the wine bag, and then headed to the elevator.
Instead of letting herself in, she knocked, unprepared for what happened when Cameron opened the door. Kaspar pushed past her into the apartment, and then all hell broke loose. Jesska couldn’t stop a scream as Cameron, obviously anticipating the attack, pulled his gun from his holster and aimed it at Kaspar’s heart. Jesska found herself jumping in front of Kaspar and holding her hands out to her brother. Kasper sidestepped her, and she had to move again.
Cameron aimed the gun away from her, taking a second to close and lock the front door. “Move, Jess.”
“No,” she said. “I don’t want you to hurt him.”
“I want to see my niece,” Kaspar demanded, and settled his hand on Jesska’s lower back, moving out from behind her again.
“She’s not here,” Cameron said.
“Then I’ll wait.”
“Like hell you will,” Cameron snapped.
Jesska faced Kaspar. “What are you doing here? I’m assuming you followed me?”
“Followed, no…waited for you to show up, yes,” Kaspar said.
“He stalked you?”
“Cam,” she snapped, glancing over her shoulder. “Shhh.”
Cameron swore and Jesska turned to face him.
“Will you please put the gun down?” she insisted.
“No,” Cameron said.
She frowned and faced Kaspar again. “You need to leave.”
Kaspar shook his head. “I need answers, and I can’t get those answers until I speak with your sister.”
“This isn’t the way to get them.”
“I disagree.” He cocked his head and smiled. “I think it’s the perfect way.”
“You can’t hurt them,” she begged.
“Elskan.” Kaspar frowned, taking her hand and squeezing it. “Haven’t you figured out I have no intention of harming anyone? I just need some answers.”
“Do you know this guy, Jess?” Cameron asked…actually it was more of a demand than a question.
She tugged her hand from Kaspar’s and faced her brother. “No. Not really.”
Cameron stepped toward them. “Then why are you letting him touch you?”
“I don’t really have a choice,” she grumbled.
“He’s forcing you?” Cameron bellowed, and aimed the gun at Kaspar’s head.
“No!” Jesska insisted, stepping in front of him again. And again, Kaspar shifted, much to Jesska’s irritation.
“Stop getting between him and the gun, Jess,” Cameron warned.
“I’m not going to let you shoot him, Cam.” Jesska glanced at Kaspar. “And you need to quit moving. He won’t shoot me to get to you.”
Kaspar shook his head. “And I won’t allow you into the fray, so listen to your brother, please.”
The click of the locks drew focus to the door and Megan and Sophia walked in. Megan caught sight of Kaspar and shoved Sophia back outside, telling her to run.
Kaspar was faster than Jesska would have ever guessed, and grabbed Sophia before she even stepped back over the threshold. Megan screamed and clawed at him to let her daughter go, but Kaspar managed to pull them both inside, past the doorway, albeit gently.
Jesska tried to stay between Kaspar and her brother’s gun, even though she knew Cam would never shoot him in front of Sophia, so she relaxed a bit.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” Kaspar insisted.
Sophia looked panicked, tears flowing down her cheeks. “Please, let me go,” she pleaded.
Kaspar released her immediately, and Jesska realized he was telling the truth. He really didn’t want to hurt anyone. He also released Megan, but watched her closely.
Jesska studied him warily. What did he want? She desperately wanted to know his intentions with her family…and with her.
Once Sophia was released, Megan calmed, pulling her daughter behind her and facing Kaspar. “What do you want? What does he want?”
“Perhaps Sophia should go to her room and we’ll talk,” Cameron suggested.
“Probably a good idea,” Kaspar agreed.
“Mom?” Sophia squeaked.
“It’s okay, honey. I’ll come see you in a bit. Everything’s okay.”
“Wait,” Kaspar said, closing the distance between them.
Megan stepped between them and Kaspar let her.
“I’m very sorry if I frightened you, child,” he said. “I would never hurt you intentionally.”
Sophia looked up at him and then her mother. Her mother nodded, and without a word, Sophia took off toward Cameron’s spare room.
Before any more conversation could happen, someone pounded on Cameron’s front door. “What now?” he snapped, opening the door to a fuming Dalton Moore.
The man stalked inside and headed straight for Kaspar, who quickly moved out of his way. “I told you I’d handle this,” Dalton snapped.
Jesska stared at Kaspar. He looked genuinely concerned when Dalton got anywhere near him.
“Stop moving, you entitled bastard,” Dalton demanded.
Kaspar shook his head. “I don’t want you within reach of me.”
Jesska frowned.
Dalton raised his hands, but didn’t step away. “Then come with me.”
“I require answers first.”
“Actually, so do I,” Megan said.
All eyes were on her as she crossed her arms and stared Kaspar down.
“I’ll answer anything I can,” Kaspar promised.
“Your decision, Megan,” Cameron said.
“I will dispose of him if you want me to,” Dalton added.
“No!” Jesska snapped, and couldn’t stop a horrified expression as she stared at Dalton. He looked like he would enjoy “disposing” of Kaspar, given half the chance.
“It’s okay, elskan,” Kaspar assured her.
“I want answers, but I’d like them without eavesdropping,” Megan said.
“Are you sure?” Cameron asked.
Megan nodded.
Cameron waved a hand toward the hallway. “You can use my office.”
Megan motioned for Kaspar to follow her, and he gave Dalton a wide berth as he slipped past him. He paused to squeeze Jesska’s hand. “Are you all right?”
She nodded, and he released her to follow Megan.
* * *
Kaspar walked inside the room and was instantly impressed with the office space. It had floor-to-ceiling windows that made him feel like he was standing at the top of the world, and the size itself was bigger than most double bedrooms in Iceland. The view was incomparable as the sun set over the water.
Megan closed the door behind him, and motioned to the chair facing the large mahogany desk. He sat down after she took Cameron’s chair. “Why are you here?” she as
ked, her voice shaking. “You cannot take Sophia from me. I won’t allow it.”
“Sister,” Kaspar said with a frown. “I have no intention of taking her from you. Did my brother make you believe that I would?”
Megan shrugged. “He never discussed you. I only found out through his staff that he had family and that you were royalty.”
“What about when he came to visit me?”
“He left me behind.”
“Obviously,” Kaspar said. “But did he tell you where he was going?”
“No. He said it was business. I usually found out after the fact that he had visited his family.”
Kaspar could see that Ari’s deception had wounded Megan and, with the sheen of tears she tried to blink away, he could see it still did. “Tell me what you want to know,” he said.
“What are you?” Megan asked.
“Excuse me?”
She cleared her throat. “What are you? I have been away from Ari long enough that I have figured out you’re not what you seem. He was able to wipe my pregnancies from memory and replace them with entirely different ones. He could make me believe anything he said. It took me until I was here before I started to put the fragmented pieces of my mind back together.”
“And from that, you believe that I would hurt you or Sophia?”
Megan stared at him for several tense seconds before shaking her head and rising to her feet. She made her way to the windows and stared out at the water. “I don’t think Ari would ever allow us to be hurt.”
Kaspar relaxed. “What do you remember?”
She faced him, crossing her arms. “I remember almost everything now. What I can’t figure out is if what I’m remembering is accurate or not.”
“Which parts?”
“Him. What we felt for each other.”
“What did you feel for him?”
“I loved him. More than I had ever loved anyone…and probably ever will.”
“Then why did you leave?” he asked.
“We weren’t safe.”
“From him?”
Megan shrugged. “I don’t know anymore. At the time I thought he was the threat, but the longer I’ve been away, the less I believe that. Someone stole our babies. There was a woman…an old woman, who said that Ari had given them away. At the time, I was angry, horrified, inconsolable, everything you would imagine a mother to feel when she’s lost her children. But Ari would hold me, and I realize now that he could manipulate my memories and emotions, and he made me forget I’d had any other kids.”