Love's Interruption Read online

  “Oh good,” I agreed, flipping to a blank page. “Add in waves or press in a spiral and it would be amazing. We’re getting presses for the tiles, yes?”

  “Yeah, and we can rotate out for heated up sheets if we do it right.”

  “Good, good,” I muttered, nodding for Jeston to take a seat when Liam was done with him. I started sketching as they spoke of materials for the mansions and which would be mine versus whoever’s. It was an odd balance of getting housing and facilities to make what the houses needed, but I left it for them to handle.

  Another ten minutes and I had several sketches, but I wanted to see the coloring closer. Without even realizing it, I had slid onto his lap and was analyzing the color flecks.

  “I think I deserve a real kiss if you’re sitting on my lap so I can help your work,” he breathed in the hopes only I would hear it.

  “Fine, I’ll kiss you if you come by again and poke me with that impressive dick,” I countered, smirking when it went hard under me from my teasing. Nice.

  He nodded, and I slid back into my chair, focusing on several designs, including a few more mating gifts when I saw Gaius and Seneca sit at another table with men who they were clearly involved with. Wow, something must really be in the water there if the ancient Wyrok were all finding their matches. Even Proximo and Basilia seemed to have people they were sniffing after or interested in.

  “The factories we can order the precast parts for right away,” Nero said as he slid over his large tablet to me. “But I already started ideas for other houses that are in line with what you were discussing. We can’t have cookie cutter and keep the appearance it’s some private, gated neighborhood of rich and famous.”

  I bobbed my head and picked it up, staring off around the cafeteria to picture what I saw on the screen into reality. I was used to it with my own sketches and pieces translating back and forth. “Why are there so few windows?”

  “Wyoming is a prime area for tornadoes instead of hurricanes or earthquakes like other areas,” Nero explained. “Plus, we’re taking more a castle style approach, as we know we’ll be attacked.”

  “Yes, but there is a way around that,” I muttered. “Put in the windows and have some sort of steel shutters or even cool castle type bars. Hugely concrete modern and cool houses still have one huge wall of windows or whatever. I understand your practicality, but the rich and famous wouldn’t all live in that sort of house. Use bulletproof glass.”

  “True,” he agreed, jotting down some notes. “Yeah, it will work for some, but you’re right that we need others with the variety. We could also do some with lavish glass sunrooms to balance it out and the main, reinforced door be on the inside of that.”

  “Smart,” I muttered. I wasn’t sure what else I might have said, but my phone rang, and only a few people had the number for emergencies, whereas normally my calls went through Liam. He was instantly on alert as well. “Darrell.”

  “Shit,” he hissed, both of us knowing something was wrong then. The vampire was constantly only into his work as well.

  “What’s wrong?” I greeted.

  “The coven leader called in Alexis,” he answered under his breath as if scared people might be listening. “I slid a bug on her like you said if any of us get called in. She couldn’t duck it either. He sent coven guards to come bring her in, Jordan. He’s trying to force her into signing a contract with him to take over for you under the guise that it’s time for you to change covers like you agreed to any of this. She’s refusing and—”

  “He’s using her warrior brothers against her,” I growled. “That fucking pissant. Okay, new plan. The place here is good, and we’ve got lots we’re building and going to be working on, but if he’s going to this length like I’m dead the moment I come back to Boston and will take everything over, then we need to get people out. Tell everyone by word of mouth only to pack an essentials bag and we’re going to start getting everyone out on my planes.”

  “Apprentices first,” Liam muttered, shaking his head when I gave him an angry look. “They’re not most important but the biggest targets, Jordan. That dick won’t care about the sanders but the ones with the glass gift who can recreate all of your work.”

  “He’s right, Jordan,” Darrell worried. “He’s telling her no one is leaving the coven because no one has his permission.”

  I snorted. “You need permission to enter a coven, not leave it. Asshole. These fucking assholes bastardizing rules is about to make me turn murderous instead of just pissed. Get the apprentices and any family out.”

  “If I go, then I’m not radar for zakasacs,” Nero muttered. “Other pilots go and they’re Midwest Council warriors on East Coast Council turf.”

  “Call Claudius,” I told Liam. “Tell him I’ll make the call, but I want people pulled out as long he helps with this, frames it as Boston not keeping with rules. I don’t care. But not the normal Wyrok ten month cautious shit. Or lay it out that they’re investigating him and he’s not allowed to talk to my people. Protect them, and I’ll make the call.”

  “What call?” Liam and Darrell asked at the same time.

  “He’ll know,” I told Liam. “Has Alexis caved? We need a different tactic if she’s caved.”

  “No, she’s currently screaming at him that if he doesn’t stop touching her that she’s going to kill him with glass.”

  “He’s fucking touching her?” I seethed, my body changing to be ready for the fight coming.

  Darrell snorted. “No, she’s smarter than all of us and screaming that he’s trying to rape her in the coven house so people will… Yep, someone just came in and broke up the meeting. She started with it for the recording, clothes ripping and all of it so he won’t want to be alone in a room with her again.”

  “Bravo. Cheaty, but so is he. Good girl.”

  “She’s sobbing he ripped her clothes and there’s a whole fight going on now as she’s threatening to tell her brothers.”

  I smiled, shaking my head. “If even a whisper gets to them, they will skin him and hide the evidence. She can’t even go on a normal date without one of them trying to scare off any suitor who wants their baby sister.” I sighed. “Fine, make sure all the apprentices are ‘unavailable’ like now. Liam will charter a flight, so get them to the airport. He can’t do anything then, and the confusion buys us time.”

  “Got it.” He hung up, and I sighed.

  “Charter a flight to somewhere close and then Nero or whoever can quickly pick them up, right?” I asked, glad when Liam nodded, trading phones with him. “Claudius?”

  “Yes, I’m here. What call are you going to make?”

  “You know which one,” I grumbled, sounding like a child even to my own ears.

  “For the record, I would have helped with this anyways, Jordan. You’re not one to ring the bell ever, so yeah, I would have helped.”

  I nodded even if he couldn’t see it. “I would have made the call without it. I’m comfortable making it with what I’ve found here. He might not come. They might not.”

  “Probably true, but he’ll at least check in if you contact him.” He was quiet a moment. “I’m sorry to ask that of you. The others never acknowledge their relation to him.”

  “It’s time. I think he might already be awake.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  “Instinct,” I muttered, not glancing at the warrior who’d had writing on his forehead but thinking that was enough of a sign for my gut. “Keep me updated.”

  “Of course.”

  We hung up, and I sighed, feeling Nero’s and Alastair’s gazes on me. “Don’t pout. You’re both too old.”

  “What do you mean he might ‘be awake,’ Jordan?”

  “He slumbers now and again. They all do. They’re old enough they can. A decade here and there,” I confessed, nodding to Seneca who was now focused on our conversation along with Gaius. “You hit a certain age, and you don’t deteriorate the same without blood. It’s more like fossilizing fro
m what I’ve heard.”

  “Do you stop craving blood but only realize you need it when you feel physical differences?” Gaius asked quietly.

  “Yes, so apparently you’re all old enough, as you’re not the oldest,” I drawled. I felt too many eyes on me with lots of questions, so I used Liam’s phone to request a meeting with the East Coast Council next week, which should give me enough time to get what I needed in place.

  “What is this call or person you are inviting?” Alexander asked me, clearly having found out who I was as I had him.

  “With all due respect, as this is your camp and I appreciate that you are the leader here and are wanting to keep order, but I didn’t invite anyone, and I’m not his gatekeeper.”

  “You don’t want to be associated with whoever it is,” London muttered, but his eyes went wide, obviously having picked it up with his gift. “Holy fuck, dude.”

  “Yeah, dude, so you get it as the son of a councilwoman. You need to talk with those here I’ve already filled in, but another play is being made for you and your gift. Warn your mother to double her security, and it’s someone close to her because they plan to take you under their wing after her death, but I don’t know who.”

  “I might,” he admitted, nodding at me in thanks before hurrying to set down his tray since he’d been walking by when he was done with his lunch.

  “And the answer you’re looking for is it’s someone we wanted to call for more help and I already did, I damn well sent a carrier pigeon to say I needed to talk to them, so Jordan isn’t inviting anyone to the party,” Alastair added.

  “I have work to do,” I muttered, standing with my tray and heading over to where London had gone. “Finish whatever, Liam.”

  “Yeah, I got this, Jordan,” he promised, knowing there were only a few topics to set me off but not knowing specifics. It wasn’t hard to piece together that it was someone I was related to, and I was pretty sure he and several others knew that. I just didn’t want to get into it.

  “Hey, can I talk to you a moment?” a young warrior asked as he intercepted me before the door. “I don’t get all of that, but you’re the main guy working on the interior stuff of the houses, right?”

  “Something like that,” I chuckled as I extended my hand. “Jordan Gilliam.”

  “Ellison Noah,” he muttered, tucking his hands in his pockets. “My gift is… It’s not safe, and I’m agitated. Not with you, but I am. Sorry.”

  “No, it’s better to be safe. Let me get some more food and drinks to go so Liam doesn’t worry about me, and you can ask me whatever as I walk back.”

  “I like blunt and clear,” he admitted, hearing that I implied that was all the time I had for him. “Everything started arriving for the orphanage Seneca is building in the subdivision, but the weather halted it all. I saw some really cool aquarium sinks that I thought might be nice for kids but maybe a pain to clean. I started looking at ideas after Zibon said you agreed to come, and I just wanted to talk about um, well—”

  I gathered up some extra breakfast sandwiches and drinks while I listened but then cut him off. “You want bright and fun and safe for kids and orphans especially that have too much darkness around them normally.”

  “Yeah, that sounds about right,” he sighed as we headed out. “Sorry. I didn’t realize you were the big boss when I intercepted you, but I’m not even sure what I’m trying for. Something to focus on while waiting for the weather to be good enough to continue construction?”

  “I maybe can help with that,” I muttered as we reached the main doors. “I know someone who can manipulate energy, like make barriers. They can’t hold it for hours, but it could help along with those like Liam who can melt the snow or heat the air. You have someone here who can use fire too.”

  “Me,” a tall warrior said just outside the main building. “I can melt snow? All I keep doing is setting trees on fire.”

  “You’re new,” I chuckled. “Liam’s in the cafeteria and said he’d work with you.”

  “Awesome, thanks. I’ve been terrified I’m going to burn my mate when I sleep.” He hurried off, and I thought that a bit extreme, glancing at Ellison with unasked questions.

  “Most of us had our gifts early and because of traumas,” he muttered, sounding embarrassed.

  “You are not the only ones,” I assured him. I listened to his thoughts on the orphanages on the walk, bobbing my head as I put it together. “So you were an orphan, clearly.”

  “Um, yeah,” he muttered. “I don’t know all the information, but Sen said my parents ran from the New York coven because their leader wanted my mother. They died before I knew, so I grew up human. He has a friend that’s going to search for others that might have gone through what I did.”

  “I’ll come up with something magical instead of allowing another munchkin to live like you did and the human system treats too many of them,” I promised, glad when he seemed relieved. “If you could help Liam handle what’s needed for the warrior dorm, that will be the quickest way to get started.”

  “Yeah, sure. Is there anything you want me to take back and like size against the space?”

  “Yes, actually I have some lighting options and sinks that would be easy and nicer than just what you have now.”

  “I’ll get a truck and some guys and we can take it over for the construction guys to work with.”

  “Thanks, Ellison.” I blew out a harsh breath. “Everyone seems nice here so far, but Liam’s my gatekeeper, and most tend to get overly demanding with him. There’s too much for him to handle the normal stress of that when it’s a new endeavor and project this size.”

  “I’m pretty sure no one would even try or think of losing their heads when they could risk having you and all you bring to the table,” he promised.

  “I hope so,” I whispered when he was gone. That would be a first. I quickly went through several of the crates and sorted a few things so when he came back I had what we’d discussed ready. I thanked them and finished off my food, leaving my drinks out in the snow, as that was better than a fridge. I thought a bit more about what he’d been saying, and an idea popped into my head that made me smile even with all the bad.

  Unfortunately for Nero’s unfinished garage walls, I also found a permanent marker and misbehaved as if it was my workshop. Then again, it still needed paint so… Yeah, I was a brat, but I was waiting for the kilns to either finish or fire up before I could handle what came next.

  Liam brought me lunch and told me everything I gave worked perfectly for the dorm so we had several other crates that could go right over there. Awesome. Nice that the basic sinks and light fixtures we did were the right size. It also gave us something to do when more of our people came because they were also going to do a lot of updating and contract work on the old dorm because it needed it.

  They lugged more of everything out as I ate, and by then what I needed was ready and I started working on more sconces. Most couldn’t blow them solo, but my gift was manipulating glass, so I could do what most couldn’t and much faster. Fusing was simpler but took more time with all the steps, which we didn’t have. So I busted my ass, and the next thing I knew I had the annealing kiln full to finish them.

  I yanked off my shirt and wiped the sweat away with it, needing a shower desperately. I went back to my idea and got so lost in what I was doing that the rare thing happened and someone startled me. I flung out my hand to grab the nearest piece of glass and was about to shoot it at the person when I realized there was no reason to be scared.

  “I brought you dinner,” Jeston whispered, his eyes wide as he stared at the glass panel I’d lifted and was now setting back down. “Damn, you have awesome control. I mean, seriously, you do things like you blink. I thought Falcon was badass, but he should learn from you.”

  “He uses glass?”

  “No, metal.” He cleared his throat. “Do you know what happened in Quebec?”

  I nodded. “Alastair gave me the quick version.”


  “It was Falcon and Ellison. They’re engaged to Gaius and Seneca who you know, right?”

  “I do. Wow. So young,” I whispered, shaking my head. “I hope they’re getting the help they need.” I was glad I’d dove into what Ellison had asked me for, realizing it was a project for more than orphans but himself to make more good in the world he’d seen so much darkness in.

  “What are you working on?” he asked, glancing around.

  “Ellison told me about the orphanage, and he wants it bright and fun for kids. I was thinking that we could do mosaics on their bathtubs so it had the feeling of a stylish pool. Do turtles and fishies for the kiddies.”

  “You’re so cool,” he chuckled, checking out what I’d sketched, getting now that they were bathtubs. “Liam’s been working on getting everything ready for your apprentices that are coming soon. All I know is that Claudius or someone called the Boston coven leader and the East Coast Council saying that no one was to speak to them or their families, as they were named as people of interest in an investigation and they would be coming in for questioning.”

  “Not a lie but smart to phrase it that way,” I muttered, coming over and nodding to the containers in his hand. “You said for me?”

  “Yeah, I wanted to drop it off at the start of my shift.” He set it down and looked at me. “Did you find a place to crash or get a room?”

  “I’m fine,” I assured him.

  “You sure are, but I’m talking about taking a break and catching a shower.”

  I raised an eyebrow at that. “You saying I smell?”

  “Nope.” He pulled out his keys and set them on the table. “I’m still at the old dorm, which is right across from the main building. Help yourself.” He told me which floor and room.

  “Thanks.”

  “And if you’re in my bed after my shift, all the better.”

  “Nice.”

  “I thought it was good,” he chuckled.

  “Why aren’t you at the new dorm? I thought it was done? Or wait, it needs guts?”