Chapter Twenty-One

In the short time they’d been back in Nome, she’d quit her job—her boss hadn’t been happy to lose a bartender, nor about the damage done to his property, but he’d been understanding when she’d spun a story of a violent ex tracking her and offered to pay for repairs—cleaned out the few remaining things from her apartment that she wanted to keep, and moved in with Alexei.

He’d emailed Maccus on her behalf. She had no idea if anything would come of it but loved him for trying. Their plan was to stay for a week or so before heading to his home in Russia for a visit before coming back to the States. They hadn’t decided exactly where yet, but there was time enough for that later.

Fortunately for her, money wasn’t an issue. Her guy was loaded and more than willing to share. Was rather insistent about it, actually. She’d suggested getting a job. Yeah, that hadn’t gone over well.

He hadn’t argued with her about it. No, he was more diabolical than that. He’d taken her to bed and made love to her. When she was sated and feeling fine, he’d gotten her to agree to take some time off.

Her bear was clever.

And he was right. She needed time to process everything and come to grips with the changes in her life.

The front door opened and Alexei walked in, bringing a gust of arctic air with him. She inhaled deeply, glad to no longer find the cold debilitating. There was something to be said for her reaper powers. Or were they because she was Death’s daughter? Either way it didn’t suck not to be cold.

“Anything?” she asked. He’d been outside scouting the area for signs of anything out of the ordinary, on full alert against all threats.

“Nothing.” He wiped his boots on the mat before strolling into the kitchen and giving her a quick peck on the cheek. “Missed you.”

“You were only gone an hour.” When he frowned, she laughed, something she was doing with greater frequency since she met him. “Fine, I missed you, too.”

He grunted and released her. “What did you do while I was gone?” He poured himself a coffee. When he held up the pot, she nodded. She’d already had too much of the stuff today, but it didn’t really matter. It was night, but she wasn’t sleepy, and she no longer needed to rest. When he had the second mug filled, he joined her at the table.

“I’ve been checking out online sites.” She turned the laptop so they could both see it. “There’s a lot of lore about Death out there. Most of it is crap. I’ve been searching rare bookstores, hoping to find something there.”

“I may know some people.” When she simply stared at him, he frowned. “What? I know people.”

“More than I do, which is weird when you think about it considering how much older than you I am.”

His lips twitched. “My cougar.”

“Don’t call me that.” She swatted at his arm. God, she really was ancient in comparison.

“You’re the rarest gem in existence and you’re all mine.” Her heart sighed whenever he said things like that. For an assassin, he could be quite poetic.

“If your work is so secretive, how do you know so many people?”

“I have contacts, Cassie, not friends.”

That she understood. She could list every single one of her coworkers, but she’d never been friends with any of them.

“There’s a priest in Moscow who sometimes trades in artifacts and he knows a lot of people. I’ll reach out to him and let him know we want anything that pertains to Death.”

“Thank you.” The luckiest day of her life had been when he’d decided to track her.

His head suddenly jerked upward. “Someone is on the roof.”

She purposely allowed all her senses to open. Without intending to, she was still closing herself off. It was a force of habit after months of being on the run.

Information immediately bombarded her. “Vampire. Three more surrounding the place.” She held out her hand and her sickle came flying through the air, the handle slapping against her palm. With all her powers back, she now had full control of the weapon.

Alexei blinked several times. “That was cool. Like Thor’s hammer.”

The comparison made her laugh. “It is pretty cool. But I’m more badass than Thor. Trust me. I’ve met him.”

That startled Alexei for a second. Then he smiled. “I have no doubt.” He pushed back from the table. “Don’t worry. I’ve got this.”

“I’ve got your back.” She’d waited forever to find love. Hadn’t even thought it possible. No way was anyone taking it from her.

He went to the front door and opened it. “Come in out of the cold,” he said. No need to yell when all the parties involved had preternatural hearing.

“Vampires don’t need to be invited in to enter a home. That’s a myth.” The man who walked in was tall with black hair and very pale skin. He was slender, but she didn’t for one second think that made him weak.

“Umm, you might want to tell your buddy he’s making a lot of noise for someone trying to sneak in through a window,” she pointed out. Pivoting slightly, she kept her back to Alexei as she waved at the newcomer. “You might as well tell the other two to join you.” Her almost friendly expression and light tone seemed to confuse them. Exactly what she wanted.

“You aren’t frightened?” the newcomer asked. He tilted his head to one side to stare at her. He and the original vamp looked so much alike they had to be brothers or cousins.

She waved her hands in the air, “Oh my, vampires. I’m so afraid.” She batted her eyelashes. “Does that help?”

Alexei gave a snort of laughter. She couldn’t help but grin.

“You find this amusing?” the original intruder asked, obviously not sharing her mirth.

“Why are you here?” Alexei demanded.

“There’s a contract on her.” He pointed at Cassie. “A very lucrative one.”

“It’s been cancelled. The one who issued it is no longer living.”

“Ah, but the money is in trust. As long as the job is done, it doesn’t matter.”

Crap, she hadn’t known that was even possible. Egan really had hated her. That made her incredibly sad. “You don’t want to die,” she told him.

“I heard you murdered another of our kind.” He pointed at Alexei. “Damian was a friend.”

Shit, if they wanted revenge for that, things just got a lot stickier. Money was one thing, but if it became personal there was little chance they’d let it go.

“I’m sorry about your friend, but I gave him the opportunity to walk away,” Alexei told him.

“You’re fighting for her?” The undead bastard appraised her and sneered. “A human.”

“Ah, William,” the vampire nearest to her spoke.

“What?”

“She doesn’t smell like one.”

“I’m not,” she told them. And she was glad of it. Otherwise they’d be in serious trouble.

William walked around to stand beside the other vamp. He sniffed the air and frowned. She wanted to roll her eyes but managed not to. These guys were still dangerous. Best not to provoke them any more than they already were.

“What are you?” he finally asked.

She pointed the curved blade at him. “That’s not a polite thing to ask a lady.” It was nice not to have to worry about the other two sneaking up on her, not with her man at her back.

The roof unexpectedly exploded and the other two unwanted guests dropped down. She ducked from the flying debris, raising her arms instinctively to shield herself. One of the newcomers grabbed her from behind. Instinct kicked in, and she drove her blade back, sinking it into his chest. He exploded in a cloud of ash. The other three fell silent.

“Oh shit.” That had been a total accident.

Alexei growled. “You’re all dead.”

She slapped her hand against his chest, finding herself in the unique position of trying to keep her lover from following through on his threat. “Let’s just hold off on that for a bit. Okay?”

He was vibrating with anger and broadcasting it loud and clear to everyone in the room.

“You guys are as close to death as you’re ever going to be without actually dying,” she began but broke off when the wailing began. “Shit. Shit. Shit.” None of the others noticed. Of course they didn’t. Only she was lucky enough to hear the call of the dead.

“What is it?” Alexei demanded.

If they didn’t have company, she’d probably have slapped her hands over her ears. After months of silence, it wasn’t fun to hear the mournful cry of the newly departed.

“He’s still hanging around. He wasn’t scheduled to die. I need to deal with this.” As much as she didn’t want to, it would be cruel to leave him lost.

“No, you don’t. You’re done with reaping.” He looked extra concerned. It touched her heart, but she didn’t have a choice. There was no one else in the immediate area, and the clock was ticking.

“If I don’t, he might be lost in the in-between.” And if such a thing happened and she could have stopped it, she might never be able to forgive herself. Souls were extremely precious. “Be right back.”

She went up on her toes and kissed him on the chin, then stepped into the in-between, a place where only the dead and reapers could exist.

The newly departed vamp wailed when he saw her coming toward him. He was hunched over and made himself smaller, but he didn’t run. It was as though he was frozen in place, afraid to move. Leaving your body was always a jolting experience, especially when it wasn’t your scheduled time.

Pity rose up inside her. She kept her voice low and soothing. “I can take you where you need to go.”

The spirit hesitated, seeming unsure. His eyes darted all around, searching for other options. Only there weren’t any. She held out her hand and waited. “Let me take you. Let me help you.”

“I’m sorry.” He tentatively reached out, pulling back several times before finally accepting her touch.

“Me, too.”

…

Alexei was as shocked as the others when Cassie simply disappeared. She was reaping a soul, one she’d been forced to take. A low growl rose from deep inside him. “Do you know what you’ve done?” he demanded.

He hated not being able to watch over her. His only solace? She’d been reaping for eternity and was damn good at it. If he had his way, he’d be plastered to her side. He was more worried about her mental state than her physical safety.

“What is she?” William asked. He seemed to be the leader of their small pack.

“She. Is. Mine.” The last was said on a roar. All three men jumped back. They finally seemed to be understanding that they might be in a heap of trouble. Maybe more than they could handle.

William sniffed the air again. “And what the hell are you?”

One of the other men muttered, “Freaks.”

He’d heard that word too many times in his life. He allowed the sharp incisors to drop.

“You’re not a vamp.” William tilted his head to one side, studying him.

“No, no I’m not. I’m one of the Forgotten.” That announcement usually had quite an effect on any paranormal creature. Maccus had taught him the value of fear, using it on those he wanted to deter instead of fight. Personally, he wouldn’t mind ashing these guys. The only thing holding him back was Cassie. She’d feel obligated to help them cross over. It was bad enough she had to deal with one without adding to it.

His only alternative was to frighten the crap out of them and send them on their way.

“Shit,” the William lookalike whispered.

William held up his hands in surrender. “We didn’t know. We don’t want any trouble with your kind.”

“Did you even investigate your target or just jump at the money?” That was his problem with vamps like Damian and this lot. When all of them remained silent, he shook his head. “I thought not. Idiots, all of you.”

Cassie suddenly reappeared. He pulled her against him, needing to reassure himself she was okay. “I was worried.” Now that she’d returned, he could admit to himself just how fucking scared he’d been. She’d gone somewhere he couldn’t go. Yeah, that wasn’t going to be easy to live with.

“Sorry, it took me longer than I anticipated. This was unplanned, so I thought it best to report to my father. Tell him what happened.”

There was pain in her eyes, but he didn’t want to discuss it while they had company. “What do you want me to do with them?” This was her call. Whatever she decided, he’d follow her lead.

“Who the hell is your father?” William demanded.

“Watch your tone, boy,” Alexei warned.

“I’m no boy. I’ve been around for four hundred years.”

“And I’ve been around since the dawn of creation.” Hands on her hips, she was magnificent as she faced down three vampires. “You want to know who my father is?”

They all nodded.

“Death. My father is Death.” She swallowed heavily. He wanted to comfort her. Another reason to get these vamps out of his home.

“Enough. Leave or die.” Alexei laid down his own ultimatum.

“And I really don’t want to have to deal with another unscheduled death.” There was utter exhaustion in her voice. The reaping hadn’t hurt her physically, but it had taken an emotional toll.

“Reaper.” William shook his head. “The contract never mentioned that.”

“That shouldn’t matter,” she admonished. “You came after an innocent woman. For what? Money.”

“He’s no different.” He pointed at Alexei. “His kind has no problem eliminating others for money.”

Alexei’s stomach knotted. Would she see him as the same as these vamps? Did she think he was a coldblooded executioner?

“He is nothing like you.” She stood beside him and slipped her hand around his waist. “Do you know how we got together? He may have tracked me down, but he ended up protecting me. He slays monsters. He isn’t one. Now get out before I lose my temper.” She raised her sickle, the one that had iced their friend without much effort.

The vamps fled so fast they kicked up a wind. They were several miles away and moving fast when Alexei turned to her. She was mad. On his behalf.

“You really believe that?” It was more important to him than he’d realized.

Now that they were alone again, she took a long look at the blade in her hand before setting it down on the table. “Of course.” She jerked her head toward the open door. “Don’t listen to that idiot vamp.”

That surprised a laugh from him. “I promise I won’t listen to the idiot. I’ll listen to you.” Wind gusted through the open door and through the unexpected roof vents. “We can’t stay here.”

She studied the damaged ceiling. “I suppose not. Can we tarp it or fix it? I don’t want your belongings destroyed.”

He pulled her against him, loving the feel of her resting against his body. He’d never get tired of having her in his arms. “I have everything I need right here. As long as you are with me, nothing else matters.”

“You really mean that, don’t you?”

He brushed his lips over hers, keeping the caress light, savoring the intimacy. “I love you.”

“I’ll never get tired of hearing that.” The bedroom was only steps away. It had a door that worked and an intact ceiling. It wouldn’t be too cold for her, especially since she was back at full strength.

He put his hands on her waist and lifted. She smiled against his mouth and kept on kissing him. She was perfect. Everything he’d ever wanted.

The air stirred behind them. It was so subtle it almost didn’t register. When it did, he dropped her and spun around. Cassie didn’t question, didn’t made a sound. Her hand shot out and the sickle flew toward her. Catching it easily, she stood beside him, ready to fight.

Alexei’s growl of anger at being interrupted turned into one of surprise and frustration. Ignoring the throbbing of his dick, he nodded at the newcomer.

“Maccus, I wasn’t expecting you.”

…

Holy crap, Maccus Fury was here. That didn’t bode well.

His reputation was fierce. Up close and personal, he was even more impressive. And more than a little scary, even for her.

Which said something considering who her father was.

The male was different. His aura even more powerful than before. Whatever had gone down last year had changed him, made him even more dangerous.

A big man, he was about the same size as Alexei, but that’s where the similarity ended. Maccus was dark—black eyes and hair. But his eyes were rimmed in a golden light. There was an intensity, an awareness about him that raised all the fine hairs on her body. Even though he’d barely glanced in her direction, she had no doubt he’d catalogued everything about her and probably had come up with a dozen ways to try to kill her, if he was so inclined.

He reminded her of Death.

He flicked his eyes toward the ceiling. “Redecorating?”

She was so startled she gave a snort of laughter. When both men looked at her, she held up her hands. “Sorry.”

“Why are you here?” Alexei asked. He angled his big body in front of her. Not exactly subtle.

That immediately put her on alert once again. Why was he here? Had someone hired him? Maybe he was worried about Alexei being compromised as one of the Brotherhood.

“He never took the contract,” she blurted, unwilling for him to take any blame. He’d already had one family betray him. She didn’t think he could take another doing it. And while it bore no resemblance to a “normal” family, the Forgotten were just that.

Not that she’d know how a normal family should be, but she understood attachments and loyalty.

“Protective of you, isn’t she?” Maccus asked. “You know the rules. Never let it get personal.”

Her man scowled and tried to push her behind him, but she wouldn’t allow it. “She’s an innocent.” His claws ripped from the tips of his fingers.

Had Maccus come to finish her? Something stirred in the air behind her but she didn’t turn. She didn’t think the other two had noticed anything, but she recognized one of her kind.

“She is,” he agreed. The wind whipping in from the hole in the roof ruffled his hair. He looked badass in his leather coat and pants. She much preferred Alexei in his jeans and sweater with his long hair and full beard.

The tension in the room grew. Alexei growled, the sound low and threatening. She placed her free hand on his back, ready to teleport them both away if it became necessary. Problem with that was she was almost certain he could follow them.

Maccus sighed and shook his head.

Crap, that couldn’t be a good sign. The muscles in Alexei’s back flexed.

“Do you really think I’d put you down for not harming an innocent?” he asked. It took her a second to understand his question. When she did, some of her tension eased. Alexei, on the other hand, seemed to grow even more on edge, although his claws receded.

“If you’re not here to fulfill the contract or end me, why are you here?” he demanded. “You never come. Not after the initial meeting. Everyone knows that. Contact is always through email or over the phone.”

That was sad. How did any of them survive such a lonely existence?

“I’m not here to harm your woman.” His expression remained the same, but she detected a subtle change, as though Alexei’s question had offended him.

Deciding to take control of the situation, she transferred her weapon to her left hand and held out the right. “Cassandra.” She could do this, even if he was an angel and didn’t fall under her father’s dominion. It was downright chilling to think maybe this man actually could kill her.

He stared at her outstretched hand, his lips twitching. He waited until Alexei nodded before cautiously taking it and giving it a quick shake.

Alexei wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her back beside him. “We had some unexpected visitors. The money is in trust for the job.”

“I’ll handle it,” Maccus told them.

“I already have.” Death eased out of the shadows. Alexei frowned and growled. Maccus didn’t seem at all surprised.

She hadn’t expected to see her father again so soon. Having to take the vampire’s soul to him so unexpectedly had been awkward enough. It felt wrong to be so estranged from him after spending most of eternity at his side.

And if she was being honest with herself, she’d missed him while she’d been in hiding. He’d been her guide, her rock for as far back as she could remember.

It had worried her when she’d sensed him earlier. She had begun to wonder if Maccus could kill her and Death had come for her. A shudder worked through her body. Sensing her unease, Alexei tightened his grip on her, as if he feared she’d be plucked from his side.

“Maccus,” her father greeted him.

“It’s been a long time.” The fallen angel nodded at him.

“It has, and your circumstances have changed. I’d hoped they would, but one never knows about these things.”

She frowned, not sure what he was talking about. Having so many powerful beings in one room was not pleasant. All the conflicting energy pinging around the space was giving her a headache, which should be impossible.

“One of your people tried to hire us.” That wasn’t news, so why was he bringing it up?

“He did, but I think he got the idea from someone else. Interesting that I can’t seem to discover who.” Now that was news to her. Alexei seemed as confused as she was. “Any ideas?” Death asked.

“I’m looking into it,” he informed her father. Then he turned back to them. “Come to New York when you’re done here. Morrigan wants to meet you.” With that pronouncement, he disappeared. Before he did, she thought she saw the outline of a magnificent pair of black wings. Did angels have black wings? She’d honestly never paid much attention to them, but the few she’d seen had white or light-colored feathers. They suited him.

The man certainly knew how to make an entrance…and an exit.

That left her father still here. Awkward. “Thank you for voiding the contract.” He hadn’t had to do that.

“You’re my daughter.” The way he said it made her heart ache. Maybe he thought he didn’t have emotions, but somehow she suspected that wasn’t the case.

“And you’re my father.”

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. When he opened his eyes, they were the usual black depths, but there was a hint of gold around the edges that faded almost immediately. “I am.”

“Is that why you came? I thought you’d come for me.” She swallowed heavily. She’d thought she was going to die. It gave her new sympathy for people. Their lives were so short in comparison.

He shook his head, his expression growing darker and more forbidding. “I’m here because I sensed a being of great power near you.”

He’d come because it mattered to him what happened to her. Warmth spread through her. Going with her heart, she hugged her father. It was awkward, to say the least. She might as well be hugging a post, but she didn’t stop. If anyone needed a hug, it was him. He kept his rigid arms by his sides, but she thought he might have relaxed a fraction. Or maybe that was merely wishful thinking on her part. Finally she stepped back. Before she could move away, he patted her shoulder.

It was a start.

“You guided the soul of the vampire you ashed.” He seemed curious.

“I had no choice.” The screams of the departed creature had been too much for her to abide.

“You did have one. But you’re a reaper at heart, whether you want to be or not. It’s who you are, and nothing can change that. You’ll always hear the calls of the dying.”

That’s what she’d been afraid of. Her months of blissful silence were at an end. “I don’t want to go back to the job. It’s too hard.” She rubbed her hand over her heart. Alexei slid his arms around her from behind and pulled her back against him before brushing a kiss over her temple.

It was something he did often. It made her feel safe and loved. Just having him with her grounded her and eased the ache in her chest.

“I fear if you don’t use your skills, do what you know in your heart you were born to do, it will weaken you.”

“How?” Alexei demanded.

“She is my daughter. Just as you need blood to satisfy you, she needs to reap souls.”

“It could cause her physical distress?” Alexei looked to her for confirmation. All she could do was shrug.

“All reapers need to touch the souls they take. It feeds them in a way they don’t even realize. Cassie is different.” He ran a finger down her cheek. The spontaneous show of affection pleased her. It also chilled her to the bone. To reach out this way, he had to be very worried.

“Part-time,” she blurted.

“What?” Alexei spun her around so she was facing him. “You don’t have to do this.”

“I think maybe I do. Hearing the spirit call to me… It actually made my heart hurt.” How could she explain this so he could understand? “I’m stronger now.” Something she might have passed off as her imagination if her father hadn’t laid out his concerns.

“I don’t want you working on your own.”

What he didn’t like was having her out of his sight. He was quite possessive, her man. While she understood his fear, this was something she had to do. “It’s the one place I’m completely safe.” She was one of the few beings able to easily slide in and out of the in-between.

“You two work well together,” Death pointed out.

Cassie frowned, not sure what he was getting at. “We do.”

“No,” Alexei said, seemingly understanding what he was getting at. “No way.”

“It’s a solution.”

“Ah, someone want to clue me in on what you two are talking about?” Because she had no idea.

When Alexei didn’t speak, Death did. “In his line of work, creatures die.”

It was so simple and made perfect sense. “I can work with him and guide the spirits of those he kills.”

“If they fall under my authority, yes. You’d have to leave any demons or angels, although it’s unlikely he’d be called to handle them. I believe that is now Maccus’s dominion. Other than that, most other known creatures are mine to sort out. Will you do it?”

“There wouldn’t be many, would there?” she asked Alexei.

“I take a couple of jobs a year. Maybe three or four on a busy one. That’s it.”

She chewed on her bottom lip. “I could do that.” The more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea of working with him.

“No, it’s too dangerous,” he insisted.

Cassie simply stared at him and waited.

“Fuck.” He dragged his hands through his hair and pulled on the ends. “You’re more deadly than I am.”

Her heart sank. That could be a problem. A man’s pride was a very fragile thing. Fear hit her hard. Would he stop loving her if she didn’t need him to defend her? She needed him for so many more reasons, but to keep her safe wasn’t one of them.

“You’re more deadly than I am,” he repeated. Then he smiled and chuckled. It changed him. Made him appear younger. “You’ll never leave me.”

Finally she got it. Everyone he’d ever loved had left or shunned him. She put her hand on his cheek. “No, I’ll never leave you.”

“In that case, it’s time for me to go,” Death announced. “If you need me, all you have to do is call.”

“Can I see you sometimes?” she asked before he could disappear. “You know, when I’m not working. Maybe we could talk or do something.”

He stilled and slowly nodded. “I’d like that.” Then he was gone.

Alexei scooped her into his arms. She was finally home.