Page 42 of Illusory (The Marked Saga #8)

Tessa had barely been conscious during most of the drive home, but the moment we stepped inside the Blackburn Estate, she bounced back to life like a light switch had been flipped, looking disheveled and uncoordinated as she stumbled into the console table and sent an old, Victorian vase crashing to the floor.

Seeing as she was clearly still very drunk and very much in need of sleep, Gabriel and I attempted to steer her toward her bedroom to sleep off the buzz, but she stubbornly shrugged off every one of our attempts with surprising force. Her movements wild and erratic and impossible to control as she doggedly stumbled to the liquor cart in the living room, fully intent on filling herself up a fresh glass of alcohol.

Clearly, she hadn’t been able to keep up with me back at the tavern and probably should have stopped six or seven shooters earlier. Unfortunately, that memo hadn’t yet reached her intoxicated brain.

“Would you get your paws off me? I said I’m fine,” she snapped, shoving Gabriel back a step as he tried to wrestle her away from the booze.

“Goddammit, Tessa, you’ve had enough! It’s time for you to go to bed,” he growled, struggling to rein her in.

“Says who?” she sneered as she tried to spin around to face him but nearly faceplanted onto the wood floor instead. Gabriel caught her arm and steadied her before she could make full contact with the ground and further embarrass herself. “You’re not my Keeper, Bucko. When are you going to get that through your thick skull?”

He ran a hand over his face and circled away from her, as though he was working very hard to restrain himself.

Cringing at my sister’s unbecoming behavior, I tried to give Gabriel a hand, hoping that perhaps she’d take it better if she heard it from me. “He’s right, Tess. You’ve had too much to drink tonight. You need to sleep it off.”

“Too much to drink?” she roared back as though I had called her out of her name. “You’re joking, right? Do you have eyes? I’m fucking aces!” she bellowed and then stumbled forward, but Gabriel was right there to keep her upright.

Not that she appreciated the gesture, evidenced by the way she jerked her arm away from him.

I had no idea what had gotten into my sister, but she was definitely going to regret this fiasco in the morning. “Oh yeah, sure , Tess. Totally aces,” I said with an exaggerated roll of my eyes. “Look at you. You’re as sober as a judge. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

Someone snorted behind me. Probably Dominic.

Tessa’s eyes turned to ice as she glared at the guys over my shoulder. “What the hell are you laughing at? Do you think this is funny or something?” I wasn’t sure which one she was talking to and judging by the way her eyes couldn’t seem to focus on anything, I wasn’t sure she knew either.

“As a matter of fact, I do,” answered Dominic, not even bothering to hide his shit-eating grin while Trace stood beside him, licking his healing lip wound with his arms crossed over his chest. “This new sloppy, apathetic version of you is entertaining to say the least. The very least.”

“What did you just call me?”

“Which part of my statement confused you? I could rephrase it if you’d like,” he offered her sweetly.

Tessa lunged, her shoulder knocking into mine as she tried to torpedo across the room at him with Gabriel hot on her tail. Strong hands gripped my waist and yanked me away from the line of fire as Tessa swung out at Dominic, her arms lashing out with zero control or coordination, like she wanted to claw his eyes out of his head.

“ ENOUGH!” roared Gabriel as he finally managed to restrain her for long enough to pull her back to her side of the room. “Get a hold of yourself, woman!”

Dominic swiped away a small streak of blood from his cheek, the smile still present, as though my sister hadn’t just tried to disfigure him. “Sloppy indeed.”

A hysterical shriek tore from my sister as she tried to lunge at him again, except this time, Gabriel was already there to stop her. Having apparently reached his limit for the day, he grabbed a hold of her arm and her thigh and then hoisted her up over his shoulder so quickly that my eyes had barely been able to track the movement.

“We’ll see you in the morning,” he announced evenly as he turned on his heel and then carried my drunk sister out of the room as she cursed and thrashed against him.

Embarrassment crept into my cheeks as her vulgar words gradually faded into the walls of the house. I couldn’t help but feel responsible for this mess. At least partially. I was wrong to have challenged her at the Tavern. She clearly couldn’t handle her liquor, nor could she resist a challenge.

I should have known better.

“She’s a grown woman, Jemma. You’re not responsible for anyone’s behavior but your own,” rumbled a deep voice beside my ear.

In all the chaos, I’d forgotten about the arms that had snatched me out from the air. Trace hadn’t bothered to let me go, even after Tessa and Gabriel were long gone, and I hadn’t bothered to step away either because everything was always better when I was in his arms.

His hold on me tightened as our soulmate bond thrummed between our bodies. My gaze lifted to Dominic who was watching us intently, his eyes flicking back and forth between us with a hint of curiosity. The heat in my cheeks from before intensified, but for a completely different reason.

Chasing away the haze from my mind, I cleared my throat and stepped out of Trace’s arms, immediately feeling the loss as he let his hands slip away from my waist. Both their gazes were still trained on me, weighing me down like an ocean’s worth of water rushing over my chest to keep me buried in the sand.

It was making it hard for me to catch my breath.

“Crazy night, huh?” I said through nervous laughter as I ran the palm of my hand over my hair, attempting to smooth it out as though it might help me get my head back on straight. “Must be something in the water.”

Dominic adorned me with one of his slanted smiles, his dark eyes shimmering with trouble. “Must be,” he agreed, his gaze traveling down from my hair to my dress and then to my thighs that were barely covered by the tiny piece of material I was wearing. Miniscule really.

What in the world was I thinking going out in something like this?

His gaze flicked to Trace and then back to me. Something about the exchange felt purposeful…dangerous, like an unspoken plan had been laid out between them. Then again, it may have just been my own paranoia working overtime, but I wasn’t planning on sticking around to find out.

“Well, I think I’m going to call it a night, too,” I announced, knowing that being in the room alone with the two of them was a recipe for disaster. Especially after having spent the better part of the night indulging in cheap tavern liquor.

While I wasn’t on Tessa’s level of incapacity, I certainly didn’t have all my wits about me at the moment. Not enough to deal with the two of them anyway.

“Why don’t you stay and have a drink with us first,” suggested Dominic, his voice velvety smooth as he took a languid stride toward me. “You can tell us about your night.”

It was a loaded offer, and I could practically feel the predatory nature behind it.

Instinctively, I stepped back, needing to keep the space between us nice and wide for my own mental clarity, but that only put me directly back into Trace’s arms.

“I could go for a drink. It’s been a long night,” said Trace, his hands gripping my hips as he pressed against me, his deep voice fluttering over my skin as though it, too, were touching me.

Embers of heat exploded low in my belly, and I immediately shook my head. This was precisely the reason I needed to leave. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

In fact, it was a very, very bad idea.

“Why is it a bad idea?” asked Trace, having heard my thoughts on account of his hands still clutching my hips.

“Well, for one, I already had too much to drink. And two, this dress is way too short for a casual conversation with the likes of you two. And three—” I paused, examining both of their heated gazes— “the way you’re both staring at me makes me think that having a drink is the last thing on either one of your minds.”

“That’s not true,” said Trace and my eyebrows shot all the way up into my hairline as if to call bullshit . “I think the length of your dress is perfect,” he clarified without even bothering to deny the other parts. His hands wandered down my thighs, his fingers suddenly playing with the hem of my dress, as though he were considering doing something crazy with it—like lifting it.

Dominic’s hungry gaze dove down to where Trace’s hands were, and he wet his lips. “Yes, I happen to concur.”

The heat was suddenly all around me, fogging up my mind like a thick haze I couldn’t break away from. They were standing much too close to me, and I was far too weak and in love with both of them to fight off their advances, especially when they were working together—which they clearly were.

If I didn’t figure out a way to put a huge amount of space between the three of us within the next thirty seconds, I was surely going to fall victim to my own bad judgement and do something we’d all regret come daybreak.

“You know, as much as I’d love to sit and chat, I’m actually pretty tired myself. I think I’m going to turn in and get some much-needed shuteye,” I lied and then fake-yawned into my hand for good measure. “Raincheck for the drink?” I asked from over my shoulder as I tried to scurry out of the room.

Dominic promptly snagged my elbow and steered me right back between the two of them. “Funny you should say that, angel, because I don’t seem to be feeling any fatigue through our bond,” he mused, his eyes darkening as he leaned in closer to me and dropped his voice. “In fact, I seem to be sensing the complete opposite of that.”

“Same,” said Trace, his voice low and gravelly.

My entire face flared with heat. Oh, my god. What the hell were they sensing ? Was my freaking vagina throwing off heat flares? Fuck . Knowing my luck, it probably was.

“Really?” I croaked out and then cleared my throat. “Gosh. That’s so strange. Must be some kind of glitch in the bond. We’ll definitely have to dive deeper into that tomorrow,” I said speedily and then tried for the hallway again, though this time, both of them grabbed out at me—one at my arm, and one at my waist—before setting me right back where they wanted me.

Between the two of them.

“A glitch you say? Sounds like a pressing matter.” Dominic smirked and then eyed Trace, having that silent conversation with their eyes thing again before turning for the bar cart. “Why don’t I pour us all a drink so we can sit down and get to the bottom of it.”

Even though it sounded like he was suggesting we sit down and have some sort of scholarly meeting of the minds, I knew that wasn’t what he had planned at all, nor could I stop the slew of inappropriate thoughts that were flashing through my own mind then, making my body warm in all the wrong places.

Very, very wrong places.

Nervously, I glanced back at Trace, worried that he had seen or sensed where my mind had gone, but luckily, he appeared to be far too preoccupied with my miniskirt and thighs to have noticed.

Not that his preoccupation was any better, judging from the lustful look in his eyes.

This was really bad. No good was going to come of this. We were all clearly much too sexually deprived and way too overcharged to sit around and pretend to be casual friends. We were not friends. The knot in my chest and heat between my thighs proved it.

I needed to be the strong one here—the levelheaded one—and break up this little soiree before it had a chance to turn into the disaster it was bound to be.

“Don’t you think we’d be better off discussing this in the morning?” I asked, my voice strained and pitchy. “I mean, I for one work much better after a good night of sleep.”

I could hear the smile behind Dominic’s words when he answered, “I’m sure you do, angel, but I wouldn’t want to risk it. If something is wrong with our bonds, then we should get to the bottom of it immediately.”

I knew he knew I was lying through my teeth and that he could feel the truth behind my sudden need to vacate their company. He was going to drag this out into a game I was surely going to lose. I knew that and yet my legs didn’t budge an inch when Dominic strolled back over and handed each of us a drink.

“Let’s sit, shall we?”

Trace nodded and made his way over to the couch, his eyes only momentarily lifting from my dress to make sure I was following him. Which, I was.

So much for being the level-headed one.

I sat down in between the two of them with the glass in my hand and not a lick of personal space to my name, and as usual, I really didn’t hate it at all. In fact, physically speaking, being smooshed between the two of them was probably the best I’d felt in weeks.

One drink , I told myself firmly, and then I was going to bed whether we liked it or not.

“Why don’t we start at the beginning and work our way backwards,” suggested Dominic as he relaxed back on the sofa and stretched his arm along the backrest behind me. “Tell us about your night.”

Both their gazes were heavy on me then and I couldn’t help but feel like I was being tested on a subject I hadn’t studied for.

“My night?” I echoed, stalling as my eyes darted between them. “It was…fine. I mean, it was nice to be able to hang out with my sister and be normal for a little while,” I answered, trying to keep my response light and casual. It was the truth anyway. At least it had been, up until she got obliterated and started making out with Alpha werewolves like it was her job.

“That’s nice. And your new friend?” he pressed as he took a sip of his drink, his dark eyes trained on me and giving nothing away. “Nothing to report there I imagine?”

I swallowed roughly, knowing he was referring to Aemon. “Nope. Not a thing. Everyone was really nice and welcoming,” I said, choosing my words extra carefully.

I wasn’t sure how much they had seen of my exchange with Aemon, and I really didn’t want to open that can of worms if I didn’t have to. Besides, it was all just innocent fun anyway. My heart only belonged to the two men sitting on either side of me, no matter how much easier it would be if that weren’t so.

“Fuck, you look really good tonight,” said Trace, his voice suddenly close to my ear and coaxing shivers from my skin.

I turned and met his eyes, noting the way his pupils were dilating, as though he was having a hard time keeping himself in check. As though he hadn’t heard a single word of the conversation we’d just had and was focused on something else entirely.

It was clear that Trace had one thing on his mind, and it had nothing to do with how my night had gone.

“T-thanks.” I took a sip of my drink, the ice clinking softly against the glass as I plastered my eyes to the wall, willing myself not to get swept up in the fire raging in his eyes.

As long as I avoided that fire, I’d be fine. I could resist him—both of them. Because that was what I had decided to do. Because it was the right thing to do.

“Jemma?” he whispered huskily, pulling my attention right back to him.

I turned and met his eyes, staring into the fire like it was the sun to my frozen wasteland. “Hm?”

“Did you change your mind yet?” he asked, his gaze dropping down to my lips for a long beat before meeting my eyes again. “About what we talked about earlier?”

My mouth went bone-dry. I wasn’t even sure I remembered how to talk anymore.

“About things going back to the way they were before,” continued Trace, when I failed to produce words.

Dominic shifted on the couch beside me, his hand coming down from the backrest to sweep my hair off my shoulder. The small gesture sent a thrilling wave of warmth through me, making it even harder for me to think clearly.

Slowly, I shook my head.

Trace’s eyes darkened as he tipped in closer to me, his cool breath fluttering against my neck and sending tingles down my spine. “I think now might be a good time to do that,” he murmured, his voice a low thrum against the charged silence.

My stomach pinched as I bounced a desperate glance at Dominic, but he was just sitting there quietly, watching us with half-lidded eyes and that signature smirk on his face.

“Why?” I rasped and then licked my lips, watching as Trace’s eyes dove back down to my mouth and stayed there.

“Because I really want to kiss you right now.”

Warmth scattered across my body as though I’d just slipped into a hot bath. All I could do was hold my breath and watch as he edged closer to me, his eyes locked on my mouth as if to tell me exactly where he was heading.

He paused for a brief second and when I didn’t try to stop him, he wiped out the remaining gap between us and sealed my mouth in a kiss that knocked the air right out of my lungs.

I staggered back against Dominic, but before I could right myself, Dominic’s hands shot up to my waist to steady me, using his hold on me to draw me back against his chest.

God, did it feel good . Having them both touching me the way they were, at the same time, it was—my eyes popped open as a surge of panic slammed into me.

What the hell was I doing ?

“Stop. Stop it!” I said against Trace’s soft, super plush lips and then shoved him back before scrambling off the sofa to catch my breath. Away from them and their corrupting ways.

“What’s wrong?” asked Trace, as though he couldn’t fathom the answer.

“ What’s wrong ?” I repeated, half screeching, half panting. The heat from his mouth-scorching kiss was instantly replaced with fiery anger. “You can’t just…I’m not just going to—” I cut myself off and tried to gather my bearings enough to produce a coherent sentence. “What the hell is wrong with you?!” I snapped instead, unable to come up with anything better to say.

“You kissed me back,” he said, his dimples making a minor appearance as he licked my taste off his bottom lip.

“That’s not…that doesn’t…that is so not the point! You can’t do that! You can’t just go around kissing people whenever you feel like it.”

“I wasn’t kissing people. I kissed you .”

“That’s the same thing!”

“No, it’s not, Jemma. You’re my soulmate.”

“That doesn’t give you the right to do whatever you want!” I shot back, completely ignoring the part about how I hadn’t made a single attempt to stop him.

“Tell me, angel,” said Dominic as he shifted on the couch and crossed his leg over his knee. “Are you mad at him for kissing you, or are you mad because you were enjoying it?”

I bristled, wanting so badly to deny his words—to throw them right back in his face—but I already knew they had both felt the truth through our bond when Trace was kissing me.

“That’s not the point,” I said again, less forcefully. They weren’t playing fair, and I wasn’t equipped or armored enough to deal with this. Not tonight anyway. “Just forget it. I…I’m going to bed,” I said and then turned on my heel, ready to make a literal run from the two of them and the feelings I had that refused to stay buried.

Dominic appeared before me, blocking my exit with that same dangerous smile he always sported when he was up to no good. “Aren’t you forgetting something, angel?”

My body swayed toward him, despite my best efforts. “Um…goodnight?”

“No.” His smile deepened as he leaned his arm up against the doorway. “Romeo needs to feed.”