Page 26 of Where A Goddess Belongs

Of course, the guy’s father had tried to kill him but Jacoby had killed him first. In a fairly horrific way with a power he barely knew how to control. That was sure to freak anyone out.

But Jacoby wouldn’t talk. And his sister... Vaffanculo, she was downright silent compared to Jacoby. She’d refused to leave Jacoby’s side, had requested they bring in a bed so she could sleep there as well. She had asked once about the man she’d insisted they bring with them but that had been it. She was either terrified or plotting how to make them pay for stealing her away. And the few times he’d seen her in the same vicinity as Kari, she’d seemed to shrink into herself even more. And Kari had looked heartsick. It was all a fucking mess. And he felt like he was the only one who wanted to fix things. Well, that was about to come to an end. He didn’t bother to knock on Jacoby’s door when he got there; he just walked in. Emelia jumped and practically flattened herself against the wall to the left of the window, where she must’ve been standing, staring out like she did so much of the time. Jacoby didn’t look startled at all, sitting in front of the TV, probably because he knew the only person who’d come barging in here was Den. “Hey, Eme, can you give us a few minutes?” She blinked, as if she didn’t understand the question. “Um, sure. Where should I go?” “You know you’re not a prisoner, right? Why don’t you go downstairs? There’s a common room with a library and a TV and some video games. And I think I saw a pinball machine.” She took a step toward the bed, looking at her brother as if she needed his permission. When he nodded, her shoulders slumped as she headed out the door. As soon as the door closed behind her, Jacoby sighed. “We finally getting kicked out?” “Why do you think that?” “Why would they want to keep us around? We’re a liability. The Mal are going to come after Eme, and I need to find somewhere we can hide. We need—” “They offered to let us stay. They want us to stay.” Jacoby’s jaw tensed before he shook his head. “Then they want to keep Eme, not us. They’re just—” “Did you not hear what I just said? They want us to stay. Cole said Kari vouched for us.” “She did?” “Did you think she wouldn’t?” “What the hell was I supposed to think? I haven’t seen her in days.” “Maybe because she figured you didn’t want to see her. Christ, how dense can you be? You’ve been a fucking stone wall the past three days. You barely speak to anyone except Emelia. You haven’t even talked to me. I figured you wanted to get the hell out of here and I was trying to decide how to get you to stay. I want to fucking stay. I want to stay with Kari. She needs us to watch her back, just like we need each other. But if you want to leave, then I’ll follow. We stick together.” “How the hell do you even know she wants us to stay?” There. That’s what Den had been waiting to see. That spark of hope in Jacoby’s eyes. “Because she’s been here the entire time. She hasn’t left. She’s waiting for us. We need to make sure she knows we need her as much as she needs us. She needs to know we’re going to be here for her, that we’re not going to take off and desert her.” “How the hell can you be sure?” “Because I see the way she looks at you. And I know how I feel about her.” Jacoby fell silent, staring out the window again. “I’m not sure I’m fit to be around anyone, Den. This power... It’s not like anything I’ve heard of before. I’m dangerous.” “So is she. Don’t you get it? It doesn’t matter. Your power is what’s going to keep her safe. And I’ll watch our backs. That’s how this is gonna work. So get your head out of your ass and help me figure out how the fuck we’re going to convince her she should give us another chance.” Jacoby’s smile made a slow return. “I’m in.”

*****

“Kari, I swear if you sigh one more time I’m going to throw my shoe at your damn head. Just get them together in one room and tell them they’re being idiots and to stop screwing around. If you want them, tell them. Rom, back me up here.”

“And that’s our cue to leave.” Rom shot out of the chair he’d been sitting in at the table in the cabin he and his cousin shared with Amity, grabbed Remy by the arm, and drew him to his feet as well. “Let’s get the hell out of here before they start yelling and want us to take sides.”

“Right behind you.”

“No fair,” Amity called out, though she was laughing as she did it. “Cowards!”

As they passed Amity, sitting in a chair close to the front door, they kissed her soundly before disappearing.

Kari couldn’t blame them. She’d been miserable for the past three days. No wonder no one wanted to be around her.

So she sighed again and barely caught the pillow Amity threw at her. “Stop already. I get it, I get it. I’m an idiot.”

“I didn’t say that. But I will if it will make you stop moaning and do something.”

“I honestly don’t know what to do. I don’t want them to think I’m pressuring them into staying. How will I be able to tell if they really want to stay or if they just feel they have to stay because I want them to and I’m a goddess?”

“How will you know if you don’t ask?”

“I was waiting for them to say something.”

“And if they don’t?”

Her nose wrinkled and actual tears filled her eyes. Gah, how pathetic could she actually be?

Apparently, pretty damn pathetic.

It was Amity’s turn to sigh. “Then you’ll survive.”

“Maybe...”

“Maybe what?” Amity’s gaze narrowed. “Kari, what are you thinking?”

“Maybe they’re not meant to be mine. Maybe...my time’s passed.”

Amity sat there silently for several seconds before she started to shake her head. “Were you knocked on the head recently? This isn’t like you. You’re not a quitter. You’re the one who’s always smiling. You’re starting to worry me, Kari. And I don’t like it?”

“Maybe I need to let them go. Maybe I don’t—”

“Don’t even go there.” Amity had used her Goddess voice, the one that said she wasn’t kidding around. Of course, Amity very rarely kidded.

Kari was the one who never took anything seriously. Maybe now that attitude was coming back to bite her in the ass.

Maybe Den and Jacoby would be better off without her. Who knew what they were going to do know that they were free of the Mal? It wasn’t like they’d talked to her about it.

Hell, they’d barely talked to her at all.

“You need to snap out of this mood right now. And then you need to find a way to make those men want to stay. No one can resist you when you put your mind to something. You’re a goddess. Remember that.”

Kari smiled and nodded. “You’re right. Of course, you’re right.”

She knew her sister didn’t believe her, but it was all she could offer right now, and she left soon after that, wanting to be alone.

Which was also completely unlike her.

Walking back to the tiny cabin she’d taken on the outskirts of the lucani village, she tried not to feel sorry for herself. She hadn’t wanted to leave the men alone at the den, but she hadn’t wanted to crowd them, either. Guess that had been the wrong decision.

Apparently, she’d been making a lot of wrong decisions lately. But she honestly didn’t know which decisions were the right ones any more. Pushing open the door to her cabin, still wondering what her next step would be, she stepped inside—to find her men in the front room. Den leaned against the front wall, where he must have been watching out the front window. Jacoby sat on the chair facing the door, gaze trained on her with laser precision. She had to suppress a little squeal of joy, she was so happy to see them. But she bit her tongue and put all those happy thoughts on check for the moment. She still didn’t know why they were here. So instead of throwing herself at them, she kept her hands to herself. But she did do a thorough check of Jacoby with her powers. He seemed healed from the gunshot wound, body and mind. But his expression told her nothing about what she wanted to know. And her curiosity got the better of her. “Are you here to tell me you’re leaving?” Ugh, how needy could she be? No wonder they’d been keeping their distance. She wanted to take back the words as soon as they were out of her mouth. But it was honestly the only thing she wanted to know. The men exchanged a look before training their gazes on her again. And now, she felt a shimmer of heat spread through her. “We’re here to tell you we’re not leaving.” Jacoby rose to his feet and began to close the distance between them. “And to tell you we plan to stay as close to you as possible. Whether you want to admit it or not, you need us. You need us to watch your back. You get into way too much trouble on your own. We’re going to make sure you have someone to pull you back when you need it.” “But we don’t want to box you in.” Den pushed away from the wall and stalked toward her, effectively boxing her between him and Jacoby. Which was exactly where she wanted to be. But it was almost too good to be true, to have them show up here like this. Maybe she was dreaming. She reached out to touch them, both of them, and felt warm skin against hers. “But we need to know if this is what you want, Kari.” Jacoby took another step closer. “You’ve got to say yes.” Her smile spread and she wanted to dance around the room in joy. Of course, that might send them running the other way. Then again, they hadn’t run yet. “If I say yes, will you shut up and kiss me?” “Only if that yes means you realize this is a permanent situation.” Jacoby put his hand over hers and brought her even closer, until she had to tip her head back to look him in the eyes. Her lips curved in a smile that made heat flare in Jacoby’s eyes, a heat that slid through her body faster than wildfire. Den must have been able to read Jacoby’s expression because he stepped up behind her and molded her body to his much larger one. Leaning down, he put his lips against her ear, making her shiver as he nipped at her lobe. “Say the word, Kari.” Her breath hitched and her eyes closed as Jacoby leaned forward and pressed his lips to her neck. “Yes.”

The End

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