Immortal Consequences Read online

  Kal quickly stared up at the sky while he spoke.

  “Sorry. Didn’t see you there,” he said and tried to make his way to a door he was sure was on his right.

  “Don’t you like what you see?” Leanne asked.

  Kal had no choice but to think about it. He had seen everything then a smile slowly spread on his face. Yes, Leanne was attractive. Better than most, but his first thought upon seeing her naked was ‘Bree looks better’. What a strange thing to think. Leanne was naked and clearly hitting on him and his first thought was how much better his wife looked. Kal’s pride swelled. This was what a husband should think. He couldn’t wait to tell Bree. Then the rest of how that conversation would go also played out in his head. It would be hard for Bree to believe at first, she would believe eventually, but at first? She’d probably strangle him then regret it later. If it had been just this that worried him he probably would have told Bree but there was something bigger which worried him more. Leanne. This would crush Bree. Her own sister was doing it again. He knew exactly what he needed to do. Kal got angry.

  “How could you do this to your sister?” Kal asked indignantly, he looked her in the eyes and his eyes didn’t drift, not even a little.

  Leanne’s shock and amusement confused Kal.

  “You’re the real deal aren’t you?” Leann asked and put her hands on her hips. “You’re not even tempted to look.”

  “Wait. You’re not offended?” Kal asked.

  “Offended. I’m impressed. Saul folded in seconds. I didn’t even have to take my clothes off,” Leanne laughed.

  Kal’s mind raced. He thought about everything Bree had told him, as well as what Saul did. This was wonderful!

  “This is a test!” Kal exclaimed.

  “Yep. And you passed,” Leanne said then slid back into the hot tub.

  “How did you even know I’d be out here?” Kal asked.

  “Saw you head out the door. My boyfriend said you were a little overly protective of her,” Leanne explained.

  “You’re boyfriend? How would he know? And you knew she was married?” Kal asked. He felt he was asking too many questions at once but something about this all seemed very strange.

  “Yeah, Rasheed told me all about your marriage and stuff. He didn’t know about the baby. That was a shocker. But he said you would be coming out here. I figured I might as well test you. She’s my little sister. Don’t want her ending up with another Saul.” Leanne sipped some wine from a glass and looked like she didn’t have a care in the world. “Rasheed says he knows you from when you were little. Close friends or something?”

  Kal didn’t know how to answer. He couldn’t answer. Kal rushed inside and sprinted up the stairs. He flung open the door to their room, which startled Bree. She shot up in bed.

  “What’s wrong Kal?” Bree asked, her face full of fright.

  “Rasheed is alive! He’s the one who’s trying to kill you!” Kal blurted out.

  “How? Didn’t you kill him?” Bree asked, confused.

  Kal shut the door then hurried to the bed and sat beside her.

  “I thought I did but I didn’t stick around. Elyssa said he was dead. She took the body away and buried it. Maybe she was wrong?” Kal asked, hoping for Bree to save him from this horrible nightmare.

  “Ok. Calm down,” Bree said and pulled his hands onto her lap. “Why do you think Rasheed is alive?”

  “Leanne was down in the hot tub. After she tried….” Kal froze. The one thing he didn’t want to tell Bree had just fallen out of his mouth.

  “WHAT?! What did Leanne try to do?!” Bree asked and shot straight to her feet.

  Kal stood and put himself between Bree and the door. She tried to push by him but he didn’t budge.

  “Just hear me out then you can go kill your sister if you still want to,” Kal begged.

  Bree realized that she was never going to get by Kal so she crossed her arms and looked up at him with fury.

  “After you tell me. Then I get to kill her. Right?” she asked with her teeth gritted.

  “If you still want to kill her after I explain it I’ll get out of your way. I’ll even help you get rid of the body,” Kal said with a grin. He then realized Bree was in no mood for jokes. Her anger intensified and it was now directed at him.

  “Tell me or move!” she said in a low growl.

  “I was checking the inn to make sure it was safe. She was in the hot tub…umm…naked.” Kal cringed. If looks could kill Bree would have burned him alive by now. “Nothing happened. She tried. I turned her down then she told me it was just a test. Like with Saul.”

  “Wait what?” Bree’s anger faded. “A test?” Bree started pacing with her hand on her forehead. “You saw my sister naked and turned her down?”

  Kal’s pride returned and although he probably shouldn’t have smiled, he did.

  “I turned her down,” Kal said and stood up a little straighter.

  “But you saw her naked?” Bree asked. She didn’t seem as angry as earlier but she was agitated.

  “It wasn’t a big deal,” Kal said.

  “It wasn’t a big deal?” Bree asked. She stepped closer to Kal and fixated on his eyes.

  “It’s not like it was you naked in that hot tub,” Kal said. He felt like he was hanging off a cliff and every finger hold was crumbling.

  “You weren’t tempted in the slightest?” Bree asked. She cocked her head to one side and put her face closer, searching for lies.

  “Funny story,” Kal said nervously.

  “Will I find it funny?” Bree asked.

  “I sure hope so,” Kal said with a gulp. “So I see her naked and the first thing through my mind is. Honest truth. This is what I thought.”

  “What did you think Kal?!” Bree interrupted.

  “Bree looks better,” Kal said and cringed.

  Bree patted Kal on the shoulder.

  “Good answer,” she said then continued toward the door. Kal didn’t try to stop her this time. He was in enough trouble as it was.

  When she reached the door she looked over her shoulder at Kal.

  “Bring the shovel Kal,” Bree said as she pulled open the door. “And she better have the same story or I’ll be burying two bodies tonight.”

  Chapter 11

  Bree stormed into Leanne’s room without knocking. The door smacked against the wall from the force of her throwing it open but Leanne didn’t even flinch. It was like she knew Bree would be coming.

  “The boy scout told you didn’t he?” Leanne asked. She had no clothes on and she was lying on her bed with her arms under her head.

  Kal quickly stared at the ceiling and Bree stared at him.

  “Yeah. You better look at the ceiling buddy!” Bree shouted then slammed the door, nearly catching Kal’s shirt in the process. Then she turned her anger toward her sister. “Put some damn clothes on! I know you’re a slut but you could at least pretend to be my sister!”

  “So he didn’t tell you the whole story?” Leanne asked and slowly sat up. She pulled a towel from beside the bed and wrapped it around herself.

  “Oh he told me! I just want to hear it from you!” Bree turned and looked at Kal who was still staring at the ceiling. “You can look now but don’t you say a damn word!”

  Kal stared at Leanne who seemed pleased with herself.

  “Well?! Tell me!” Bree demanded.

  “It was just a little test,” Leanne said. She seemed amused with herself but Bree was not amused in the slightest.

  “You threw yourself at Kal and Saul just to see if they would cheat on me?” Bree asked. Her voice was quieter and Kal heard a hint of desperation in her voice. She wanted to believe it but she had believed the worst for so long.

  “I have to watch out for my little sister. Don’t want her ending up with a cheater,” Leanne said. Her amusement was fading. “I tried to tell you after Saul but you wouldn’t even listen.”

  “Because I thought you were taunting me.” Bree walked over and sa
t on the bed. Kal didn’t move.

  “The boy scout here wouldn’t even look at me. To tell the truth. If he hadn’t gotten you pregnant I’d think he was gay. Not even a peek,” Leanne said with a laugh then raised her eyebrows at Bree. “You’re lucky.”

  Bree shot Kal a caring smile then returned to grilling her sister.

  “Why did you do it? And don’t say because I’m your little sister. Tell me the truth,” Bree said and Leanne seemed to get uncomfortable.

  “I tried to warn you about Saul but you wouldn’t listen to me. You never listen to me.” Leanne looked at Kal and saw the grin he was trying to hide.

  “I can be a little stubborn sometimes but this is your solution?” Bree asked. Then she noticed Leanne looking at Kal. She turned and shot a scowl at him. “I’m sure Leanne has a couch somewhere in this place. You sure you want to do this?” Bree asked. Kal quickly wiped the smile from his face. He saw Bree’s smile starting as she turned back to her sister and he let out a sigh of relief.

  “Ok. I can be very stubborn,” Bree relented. “So why Kal?”

  “That was a little over the top. I’ll admit that,” Leanne said and gave Bree a warm smile. “But at least he passed.”

  “Still. Naked? What if he had said yes?” Bree asked.

  “Hey now!” Kal interjected.

  “We’re talking about you not too you,” Bree said with a caring look that told Kal everything was fine between them.

  “Yes, dear,” Kal replied with a grin.

  “I don’t know,” Leanne replied then a devilish grin spread on her face. “He is kinda cute.”

  “You slut,” Bree said then slapped her sister playfully.

  “Seriously though. I would have come running to you,” Leanne admitted.

  “No more tests. Got it?” Bree asked.

  “Got it,” Leanne agreed. “I just hope Rasheed is as good a man as Kal is.”

  Kal got nervous. He wasn’t sure how to broach the subject.

  “About Rasheed,” Kal started but Bree interrupted.

  “I got this, Kal,” Bree said and gave him another caring look. She turned back to her sister. “So what is this Rasheed like? Can I meet him?”

  Kal got nervous. There was no way Bree was ever going to meet Rasheed. Not if he could help it.

  “He’s nice. We’ve been seeing each other for a month now. Not sure how serious it is yet. He’s on a trip right now. Had some business in Salvon but he should be back in the morning.” Leanne looked at Bree then, out of the blue, she hugged her. “I’ve missed you so much. I thought you’d never talk to me again.”

  “If it wasn’t for Kal I probably wouldn’t have,” Bree admitted.

  “What does Rasheed look like?” Kal interjected.

  “You don’t know?” Leanne asked while she hugged Bree.

  Bree pushed away from Leanne and looked at her seriously.

  “Rasheed was the name of Kal’s brother. But Kal’s pretty sure he’s dead,” Bree explained.

  “Dead? Hmm. Come to think of it. Rasheed does sort of look like you. A little shorter, a little thinner but yeah. You could be his brother,” Leanne said. “Why would you think he was dead?”

  “Long story,” Bree said before Kal could. “We’ll just have to meet him tomorrow.” Bree stood and headed toward Kal with a look on her face that told him not to say anything else.

  “Don’t you want to stay and talk?” Leanne asked. “We haven’t talked in eight years.”

  Bree turned, full of anxiety.

  “Umm…tomorrow. We’ll be here for a week at least. This pregnancy. It’s got me so tired all the time. One minute I want pickles and my feet are swollen. The next minute I just want to take a nap.” Bree was lying about some of it but she had a good reason and Kal was pretty sure he knew why.

  “Ok. Talk to you tomorrow. I’ve missed you,” Leanne said and she looked sad.

  “I’ve missed you too,” Bree said then ushered Kal out of the room as quickly as she could.

  On the way back to the room Bree whispered.

  “You’re brother isn’t just going to kill me. He’s going to kill her too. Isn’t he?” Bree asked. Although she was whispering, it was the loudest whisper Kal had ever heard.

  “I honestly don’t know. I thought he was dead until about twenty minutes ago,” Kal explained.

  Bree stopped and she was no longer commanding him. She looked desperate. Kal looked into her eyes and knew what she was going to say before she said it.

  “Please. You have to save her too.” Bree stared at him waiting for an answer then got uncomfortable. To cover her fear she made a joke. “That is if you can get the image of my sister’s naked body out of your head.”

  “Hey. That’s not fair,” Kal complained as Bree pulled him along toward the room once more. As they were opening the door he answered her. “Yes. I’ll save your sister too.”

  Bree looked up at him and kissed him on the cheek.

  “And I don’t want you sleeping on the couch again. I feel much safer when you’re beside me,” she said.

  “Safer? Is that what you call that?” Kal teased.

  “Are you complaining?” Bree asked with a smirk then pulled him into the room.

  Chapter 12

  Long after Bree was asleep Kal sat in their inn room with the lights off. He jumped at every sound outside as well as the time one of the cleaning staff walked by their door. Ra was alive. He could have sworn he stabbed him through the heart. How had he lived? Kal remembered staring down at the lifeless body only moments before he ran. Ra wasn’t breathing and he had no pulse. Elyssa had checked.

  Kal had no idea why he took off but once he ran, he couldn’t turn back. He just left Elyssa there with his dead brother and got on the first boat to the new world. He regretted this decision several times over the years but his guilt kept him away. He would have loved to visit his sister and his mother but he couldn’t face them after what he’d done. Ra had killed their father but Kal’s big brother had always been their mother’s favorite.

  When the sun rose Kal was still lying beside Bree, wide awake. She was curled up against him and her cute noises, even her occasional snoring brought him comfort when everything else was tearing him apart. If his brother really was alive and he was coming after Bree, Kal would make sure he was dead this time. There would be no half measures. This time Kal would take his head.

  Bree put her arm across Kal’s waist and smiled up at him. She saw the look on his face and knew he hadn’t slept.

  “Maybe it’s not him,” Bree said, still half asleep.

  “Maybe,” Kal said but he was doubtful. Why would anyone pretend to be Ra? Everyone hated Ra. He had killed one of the vampire world’s most beloved leaders. Even the hard line believers in the old ways had respected Kal’s father. It was very doubtful that even someone with a grudge against Kal would stoop to using Ra’s name.

  “We’ll meet Leanne’s boyfriend, whoever he is, and figure it out from there. Worrying won’t help,” Bree comforted.

  “Staying alert and worrying might be the only thing keeping you alive,” Kal argued.

  “I appreciate that,” Bree said then sat up and yawned. “But you can’t stay awake forever.”

  “I can stay awake until he’s dead,” Kal replied.

  Bree leaned over and kissed Kal on the cheek.

  “You won’t be much good if you can’t keep your eyes open,” she stated.

  “I suppose,” Kal yielded.

  “Why don’t you take a quick nap? Ra or Rasheed or whoever he is won’t be back for a while. I’ll take a shower and spend the day with Leanne trying to figure out what to do about her. You’ll just be bored. I’ll come get you if he shows up.” Bree looked down at Kal who was still in bed. She could see the bags under his eyes. Despite his arguments, he looked exhausted.

  “I suppose. It’s daylight and there are several humans around. Even Ra wouldn’t be stupid enough to let all these humans see him taking you.” Kal smiled up at
her and, once again, she could see his exhaustion.

  “You take a nap…” She leaned in and got within inches of his face. She stared at his lips and smiled. “And I’ll wake you up with a nice surprise.”

  “You mean like last night?” Kal asked, smiling back at her.

  “Better,” she said then kissed him on the lips.

  “Oh there’s better? You’ve been holding out on me?” Kal teased.

  Bree stood up and winked.

  “Only one way to find out,” she said then pulled off her shirt and headed toward the shower.

  “Maybe you could wear me out so I can sleep better!” Kal yelled after her.

  Bree peeked her head around the corner and smirked.

  “Not until you’ve slept. I don’t want you falling asleep in the middle of it,” Bree said then vanished into the bathroom.

  Kal laid back with a huge grin on his face and shut his eyes.

  “I highly doubt I’d ever fall asleep on you,” he muttered, mostly to himself then, before he knew it, he was asleep.

  Kal woke to the sound of screaming. His heart raced, it was dark outside. Why hadn’t Bree woken him up?! Without putting on a shirt, nor shoes, all he had on was the shorts he had slept in. He burst from their room and rushed downstairs to find out what the screaming was all about. When he arrived in the entry way there was no one around. Then he heard the screaming again and rushed into a side room. When he opened the door Bree was sitting on the couch with Leanne. A much embarrassed Kal, stood in the doorway as Leanne, Bree and two other women he had met at dinner last night, all stared at him.

  “Is this payback for last night?” Leanne asked with a wink. “Because it’s working.”

  Bree slapped her sister on the arm on her way to rush Kal out of the room of ogling women.

  “Just joking Bree,” Leanne said with a laugh.

  When they were outside, and as Bree was ushering her half-naked husband back to their room, Kal tried to explain himself.

  “It was dark. I heard screaming,” Kal explained.

  “Well you nearly succeeded in giving Mrs. Anderson a heart attack. I could hear her pacemaker trying to keep up,” Bree laughed. “I don’t think any of them have seen a man who looks like you in a very long time. If Mrs. Harper divorces her husband I’m blaming you.”