Chapter Thirty-Three

 

Two days later, Sabrina studied the scar carefully in the vanity mirror, marveling at Kari’s handiwork. She was still amazed at the power of faith healing. Kari called it something else, but she didn’t care what it was, it was nothing short of miraculous.

Sabrina smoothed the tank down over the waistband of her cargo pants. This thing with Five by Five was far from over considering the last two players in the game hadn’t been caught and one of them had tried to kill her.

She wanted her revenge and felt she had to see this through. She didn’t delude herself by saying it was in any way for Pamela. She didn’t care about the Cains. They all deserved to roast in hell. The way the sickness of Billy had so infected his children had started long before she and her mother had ever fallen victim to them.

No, she was staying in this for her and the payback she owed the bastard who’d come after her and her woman.

Her woman?

“Sabrina? I need your advice.”

She turned as the bathroom door open to reveal Veda in a simple dress, curves kissed by the fabric.

“Do I look okay?”

“It’s lunch with your father, Veda, and unless you’ve got some incestuous secret—”

“Oh gods, no.” She made a face. “I just want to look nice.”

“You look beautiful, angel,” she murmured and cupped her cheek. “You always do.”

“Ugh, right.” Veda shook her head.

Sabrina pulled her into her arms and kissed her.

“Sabrina, you’re going to hurt you shoulder hugging me so tight, she protested.

“I’m okay,” Sabrina murmured. Veda’s concern for her made her chest ache. Since her mother’s death care and concern for her had been sparse until she’d gone to work for Ace and Devin. Now, it overwhelmed her seeing the fear in Veda’s eyes. “I’m healing nicely.”

Veda kissed her jaw. “I don’t want you to have a relapse or anything.” She caressed Sabrina’s back.

“Kari’s a good healer,” Sabrina told her. “She couldn’t prevent the scarring but it’s a small price to pay to still be alive to be with you.”

Veda’s eyes misted. “Sabrina, I promised myself I wouldn’t say it, but I need you to know.”

“Then, tell me,” she said pushing her fingers into Veda’s hair. Her heart stopped beating. Surely Veda hadn’t asked her to stay with her to break up with her.

“I should have told you that night. I keep asking myself what if you’d died without knowing that I’m falling in love with you?”

Sabrina’s pulse thudded, and she exhaled shakily. “I’m falling for you too, Veda,” she whispered. “When I was dying, I heard you calling my name, begging me not to leave you. I turned around, and you held out your hand to me.”

“Since you came back, you’re mine to keep.”

Sabrina smiled. “I hope you know what to do with me.”

“I think I’ll figure it out,” she said softly. “But are you sure you’re up to this meeting with my dad?”

“Do you think that’s a good idea?” Sabrina asked.

“I’m so nervous,” she said. “He’s made it clear he doesn’t approve of me being a lesbian.”

“All that matters is what you think,” Sabrina told her.

“I know, but I don’t want to fight with him.”

“Then, don’t,” Sabrina said and led her from the bathroom into the spacious bedroom drenched in afternoon sunlight. “Let him come around, and I’m sure he will.”

Veda nodded and rubbed Sabrina’s arm, sending shivers of pleasure through her. She loved being touched by Veda, she made her heart beat faster and her skin tingle.

“Is this thing with the cartel over?” Veda asked.

“Not yet.”

Veda frowned. “Just be safe this time, baby,” she insisted. “Promise.”

Sabrina chuckled softly. “I will.”

“And you won’t lie to me about what’s going on.”

“I might not answer your questions, but I won’t lie.”

Veda cupped her cheek and kissed her. “I’m trusting you to keep your word,” she murmured and the doorbell rang causing her to tense.

Sabrina smiled. “I’ll get that.”

****

Veda didn’t follow Sabrina. She took a moment trying to steady herself as her stomach knotted with fear. If her father didn’t accept Sabrina, it would break her heart to cut ties with him, but she would do it. Sabrina was her world, her consort and she wouldn’t allow anyone to separate them.

“You work for a magazine?” Claude asked.

“I own Feminine Confidence Magazine,” Sabrina told him and Veda leaned against the wall in the hallway holding her breath.

“Are you preparing for retirement?” he asked crossing his arms over his chest as his brows rose.

“I am,” Sabrina replied calmly to the icy question. “I own a home, I’m financially stable, and I’m in good health.”

Approval flitted across his face for a moment but vanished quickly. “If I asked you to break up with my daughter—I know you can’t be interested in her because she’s so attractive and sweet, would you?”

“That’s part of why I’m interested in Veda,” Sabrina told him in a hard tone.

“And what’s the other part, her inheritance?” he demanded icily.

“I have my own money,” Sabrina replied. “In case you haven’t been able to find that out, I’m worth far more than you and Veda put together. She could be after me for my money, but the way she makes me feel I don’t really care.”

Veda smiled, her toes tingling and a wave of rapture washing over her.

“I’ve never known anyone like Veda. She’s a precious gem to me, and I will do anything to protect her even from you.”

The silence made her stomach knot and ache. Her father would make it clear now that he’d do what he could to separate them.

“And you know Veda is a practicing witch?” he asked tautly.

“Yes, and that doesn’t bother to me,” Sabrina told him.

“It should because I’ll hex you if you hurt my daughter,” he said coldly. “But you’ll know no loyalty like mine or my coven’s as long as you’re good to Veda, and truly love her.”

“I already love her, and I know I’ll only grow to love her more with time,” Sabrina told him so softly Veda almost didn’t hear her.

“This mess with the cartel?” He pushed his hands into his pockets.

“It’s working itself out.”

“I’ve asked around and I know you weren’t always a professional. I only have one question to that.”

“Ask.”

“Were you working for the mob?”

“Never have and likely never will,” Sabrina answered. “But the organization I worked for is every bit as dangerous. I’ll be working with them to end the cartel.”

“We’ll protect Veda and include you in our protections,” he said carefully. “Don’t deceive her or me about this or you’ll regret it.”

“I won’t deceive her, but how much I ever tell you is questionable.”

“We’ll deal with this on an as needed basis,” Claude replied, his tone softer. “In the meantime, it’s nice to meet you, Sabrina.”

Veda smiled and joined them. “Hi, Daddy.”

****

Ace glanced up when Jasmia stepped into her office. “I thought you were going to work.”

“I have a meeting in an hour,” she said. “I know you’re still beating yourself up for what happened to Sabrina, but it’s not your fault.”

“I know,” she said. “None of us saw it coming, but I guess the planning was poor. Just like the attack at the safe house.”

“Sabrina will forgive you,” Jasmia said and sat on her lap. She rubbed Ace’s head. “Have you talked to her?”

“Yeah, but she doesn’t know, and I’m not going to tell her.”

Jasmia kissed her jaw. “Is Darice going to help with the rest of the plan?”

“Everybody’s in, and I think Sabrina will want revenge even more now than before. The feds are sniffing around the incident with The Hatter. I’m pretty sure the reason they showed up during the attack is because of the mole in their organization. He or she was trying to protect The Hatter, but we did confirm that Lowell Grande and The Hatter were one and the same.”

“His wife?”

“We didn’t have a chance to take her out, but we wanted more intel on her first.”

“She’s taking over the organization?”

“She might. There might be some kind of struggle,” she said. “We’re going to finish things up with them this time for good.”

Jasmia nodded. “Can Kya handle what you’re going to ask of her?” Jasmia frowned but Ace gave her a faint smile.

Kya wasn’t as tested in the physical arts of the job, but she was a cat shifter and she was known for her seduction skills.

“I’m more worried about how Blade is going to handle this,” Ace admitted. “She likes to pretend the affair with Kya is over, but there’s something there that might make this interesting.”

“Hmm, then why put the mission at risk?” Jasmia asked concern in her eyes.

Ace chuckled. “Call me puckish.”

“Sadistic is more like it,” Jasmia said wrinkling her nose.

“Let’s just say the two fed boys looking to take over The Hatter’s operation are about to find out how good Mojo’s operatives are at doing their job.”

 

The End

 

 

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