Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

Shine was lost in her own thoughts as she followed Granger's prompting hand to the room they were sharing. Was the senator bluffing? Did he think he could scare them off so easily? Or was there something that they weren't seeing, some important piece that gave him so much confidence?

"Maybe we shouldn't go," she said, settling onto the small couch in their room.

"Do you really think that's best? To let him keep what he's doing hidden?" Granger sat on the table in front of her so their knees were touching and grasped her hands.

Shine looked up into his face and met his gaze. "I think I want to tell everyone what he's doing, no matter the consequences."

Granger grinned and nodded. "Me too. The bastard doesn't get to play God and hurt people."

"I need to make a phone call, arrange for some things to be delivered. Dresses and such, I could really use some clean underwear," she added, and her cheeks heated a bit.

Granger smiled and slid his hands up her thighs. "My dear, what has happened to your panties?"

"Someone keeps getting them wet," she said, a little breathless as he leaned in and kissed her.

"I really hope you're talking about me and not Lark."

She giggled and kissed him back. "Definitely you. Lark's not my type."

"Tall, dark and soulmate is not your type?"

"Obsessed with another woman is not my type. Want to help me out of these damp panties before I make a phone call?" she asked against his lips.

"Yes, but first we need to talk about this," Granger said, pulling back and holding up her hand which was shaking. "As much as I'd like to think my kisses were making you shiver."

Her whole body was on edge, her stomach was clenched, and her head was starting to hurt but she wanted to ignore it all.

"I think I just need to be with Ebony," she whispered.

"For the rest of your life, stuck to her side? That is going to make our sex life a little awkward," Granger teased.

Tears stung Shine's eyes. "What do you want me to do, kill her and take her soul? She's an innocent life, Granger. I can't, I never wanted to. I just—I just wanted to do something right and disappear," she whispered as tears started to track down her face.

"Is that all you want now?"

She was afraid to say what she really wanted so she just attacked him. She pressed her lips to his, ripped at his clothes and demanded with her body that he make her forget for a while all the things stacked against her.

He growled deep in his chest and gave her what she wanted. He stripped her quick, buttons were lost but she didn't care. Once they were both naked, he pushed her down onto the floor, kicked the table over and away then pushed her legs apart and moved forward with a vengeance.

It was hard and fast, but it was what she needed and when she came with her legs wrapped around his hips and her back pressed into the hotel carpet, she cried again for all the things she wanted and couldn't have.

They lay together, trembling and breathing heavy. Granger leaned over her and kissed her cheeks where the tears flowed. "Babe," he whispered.

"I know, it's so stupid to cry. I just never expected to find someone who could really see me and want me. Granger, no one has ever known me, not really, but you make me feel like I'm enough."

"You are enough," he said fiercely. "I promise to take care of you, Shine, if you just give me the chance, I know I can make you happy."

"What if I don't want to do what it takes to survive?"

"Will you try?"

Shine frowned up at him. "It's not fair to ask me that while you're still inside me. It makes it hard to think."

Granger smiled mischievously and shifted his hips. She bit her lip to keep from moaning.

"I think all's fair when we're talking about changing the world. You can't do that if you aren't strong, and you can't guarantee Ebony will always be next to you. She's going to be dead in a couple months if Lark's doctor can't fix her."

Shine pushed him back and sat up with a gasp. "What?"

"She's got cancer, it's pretty bad and the doctor says he may not be able to help her, especially since she doesn't have her full soul."

"Oh my god, she is going to want to kill me and take it." Shine wasn't sure how she felt about that. Was it why Ebony was with Lark in the first place, he was supposed to find her soulsister so she would have the strength to survive the cancer?

Granger shook his head. "I don't think so. I think her plan was to sacrifice herself to her soulsister, but that was before she met Lark and felt the soulmate spark. There's no way he'll let her do that now even if she still wants to."

Shine's head spun and she pulled her legs up, wrapping her arms around her knees. "Why is every option so terrible?"

"Because this is Hell," Granger said with a shrug.

"Sex helps," she said with a grin.

"I agree."

Shine laughed.

Granger pulled out a knife and pricked his finger and held it out to her. "Take what you need."

"That's so gross," she said with a frown.

"Grosser than semen? Because you sucked that down like a champ this morning."

"Woah," she laughed. "Fine, but if a couple drops doesn't do it, I give up, and hand me that water to wash it down."

Granger handed her the water and then she wrapped her lips around his finger. She met his eyes as she flicked her tongue around the cut. An involuntary moan escaped her, and she dropped the water bottle as she reached out to clutch his hand, holding it as she sucked and pulled what she needed from him.

"Oh my god," she gasped as she pulled away. "That—was—amazing."

"Women always tell me that," Granger said with a wink.

"If I didn't feel so good right now, I'd hit you for that."

Granger just chuckled and settled next to her, both leaning against the couch. "See, I can take care of all your needs." He opened the water and offered it to her. She waved it off and he downed half of it in one swift gulp.

"Are you okay?" She imagined sucking him dry and ending up with a husk of a human on the floor, and that terrified her. How much had she taken, how much did she need? Fuck, she hated how little she knew about taking care of herself.

"I'm a big strong man, Shine, it'll take more than a few drops of blood to hurt me."

She frowned at him and inspected his face for any sign of weakness, any paleness, any shake to his body. Damn, he was a fine specimen, and so strong.

"Okay, so what if this doesn't work?" She leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed. A happy future was almost as terrifying as what she'd been planning for herself.

Granger put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to his side. He pressed his lips to her hair in a gentle kiss. "What if it does?"

"I guess we'll deal with that when the time comes. For now, I need to get some dresses sent over, and some makeup."

"I want to do some reconnaissance before the event. But I won't leave you alone."

"Ebony needs a dress too. You and Stone go check the place out. Lark can stay with Ebony and me."

Granger frowned. "Lark can come with me; Stone will watch you two."

Shine couldn't help smiling brightly at his jealousy. No one had ever shown that toward her, it felt unbelievably good to mean so much to someone just because—not for money, not for influence. Just for herself and she didn't even have to give credit for their connection to something as ridiculous as their souls, it was all them.

"I never imagined I'd wear something like this," Ebony squealed as she held a white sequined gown against her body. "I wish I could show Taylor, she'd shit."

"That's a great color for you, really nice with your dark hair," Shine agreed as she slipped out of a red satin dress with spaghetti straps and a low neckline. "Blood red for me I think."

They'd tried on multiple dresses, but Ebony had to agree, the white really looked great on her.

"Now sit, I'll do your makeup and hair."

"Oh, I don't usually?—"

"I know, that's why I'm going to do it. I know what I'm doing," Shine laughed and pushed Ebony to sit and accept the treatment.

"Being close to you makes my soul happy and calm," Ebony said as Shine got to work on her hair first.

"Mine too, it's weird. I bet no one else has stood next to their soulsibling this long without trying to kill them," Shine laughed awkwardly.

"I was never going to try and kill you, I—" Ebony's voice broke.

"I know," Shine whispered. "Granger told me about the cancer. Maybe just being close to me will help? The way being next to you keeps me from shaking without my, uh, shots."

Ebony thought about that as Shine combed and curled her hair. Could proximity be enough? Had humans jumped to killing without ever trying another way?

A crazy thought occurred to Ebony, had the gods intended them all to live in foursomes, two soulsisters with their soulbrother husbands as one happy unit? No, that wouldn't result in fullsoul children, would it?

Ebony had to admit it was likely just a mistake in their grand plan. Anything other than death, carnage and suffering, the gods were not interested in.

Half an hour later Ebony barely recognized herself and when they emerged from the bathroom dressed and ready to go, all three men were waiting there looking amazing in black tuxes. Granger had a red bowtie; Lark's was white, and Stone had chosen a light blue.

"Wow," Stone said first, then Lark and Granger stepped forward to kiss and compliment.

"Do we really have to go?" Lark whispered against Ebony's ear.

"Only if you want to confront Buchanan and possibly get some answers," Ebony whispered back, pecking a kiss on his cheek.

"Not as much as I want to peel that dress off you slowly and kiss every inch of skin I reveal."

Ebony's cheeks bloomed with embarrassment, and she stepped away from him as Stone chuckled.

"What did you boys find when you went to check the place?" Ebony asked to change the subject.

"Looks pretty standard for a political press event. He's hired locals for outside security, inside he'll have his own men around him. They'll be well trained and loyal. There's going to be over two hundred people in the ballroom plus the wait staff, plenty of room for us to stay hidden in a crowd if needed. There's a small stage where he'll make his speech and ask for donations then pose for pictures."

"That's where I'll step up," Shine said.

"And we'll have your back," Granger said.

"What should I do? I want to question him, I want answers," Ebony said.

"I think you'll get the chance. He wants you, if he sees you, I don't think he'll be able to resist getting close. I say we use that to our advantage and invite him to meet privately before he can try and get to you, catch him off guard maybe."

"And while he's distracted talking to you two, no one will be watching the stage," Shine smiled.

"The big reveal," Stone agreed excitedly.

It had to work because Ebony didn't think they'd get another chance. She knew that she was risking being arrested, but the hope was that Buchanan would value her alive and with him more than having her in a jail cell. No one else in the room would be able to pick her out as a person of interest in an LA murder. It was a lot of ifs, but it's what they had.

Before they left the room Lark handed her a small blade. "Just in case."

"And where exactly do you expect me to keep that thing?" she scoffed. The dress was skintight and slit up the right leg.

He just dropped to his knees in front of her, lifted her dress making her squeal, then he proceeded to tie the thin knife high on her thigh between her legs. It was so thin she could almost ignore it, almost.

"Okay then," she said when he stood back up. "I guess I can get used to that."

"Not used to something so big between your thighs?" Stone joked and earned a glare from Lark.

"Okay boys, let's go, cars are waiting," Shine said.

They took two cars to the hotel where the event was taking place, just in case they got separated in the aftermath. Stone rode with Granger because Lark said he was an idiot, and no one disagreed. Ebony appreciated the moments alone with Lark, she had a feeling tonight was going to be a turning point for all of them.