“James,” she snapped and he looked at her. “You’re supposed to be the one who keeps me from going postal. Not the other way around,” she told him. He grinned with a shrug. Lily smiled back at him and man if he didn’t want to kiss her again. Lily turned to the blonde woman. Her eyes narrowing. “You do your succubus mojo on him and I will kill you, Evan,” she told her and he didn’t think she was bluffing.
Jessie opened her mouth and James was sure it was to send another barking order at Lily, but the geeky looking vampire joined them followed by Dorin. “What’s going on?” The dorky vamp asked. Jessie sending a glare towards them turn to face the vamps and explained everything said up until now. “I see,” the vampire said, rubbing his chin in thought. “I think this warrants persuasion Lily. It’s the only way we can truly know if you’re acting of your own will.”
James felt a growl rumble inside him, but he managed to keep it inside. “Alright,” Lily agreed, surprising him.
“Lily, you don’t-” He started, but she stopped him with a slow shake of her head.
“It’s okay. I trust Charlie,” she told him and James wanted to argue but simply nodded, turning a glare on the vampire. Letting him know silently if anything happened to her, he’d rip him apart. “But I don’t want to do it with everyone here,” Lily told the vampire. “Either they leave or we wait until dark so we can go,” she said.
“No, absolutely not,” Jessie demanded and James looked at the human curiously. Why wouldn’t she want the persuasion done in privacy? “There will be no way we can tell if it wasn’t her that persuaded you to give her the okay instead of you actually doing your job,” the human insisted.
“Dorin can be a witness, and only him. Everyone else waits outside or we wait till dark,” Lily said causing James to frown. Why not him? Why did she want him to leave too? Maybe she really wasn’t free of Silvano’s persuasion and didn’t want him to know. He suddenly felt as if his stomach had been filled with rocks. He didn’t realize how much he’d hoped that she was safe and free until that safety and hope were now gone.
Jessie agreed and she ordered everyone out. Everyone followed but James. “Move dog,” Jessie demanded and he growled at her. She placed a hand on a gun on her hip and glared back at him.
“James,” Lily said with a hint of impatience. “Remember, you’re the cool one and I’m the hot one,” she told him and he shot a grin towards her.
“Actually I’ve been accused of being hot… headed more than once but yeah since you asked Lily. I’ll wait outside,” he said and gave Jessie a smug smirk as he walked out of the room.
“Stupid dog,” Jessie complained in a whisper and he simply sent her another growl. Donovan, the fairy, started laughing as he walked over to him.
“So this is the terrible James Lacrosse. I thought you’d be bigger,” he said and James couldn’t help but laugh a little.
“Yeah well, I thought a fairy would be in tights,” he shot back and Donovan laughed again and slapped James hard on the back.
“The day I wear tights will be the day the hybrid wins the Miss Congeniality,” he replied and James gave him a little smile. “So I am curious, though, what’s bigger? Your bark or your bite?”
“And why would I tell you?” James asked him back. “I’ll be honest I don’t trust any of you very much and I don’t trust Hart at all.” He told them and Donovan laughed again.
“Feeling is mutual, dog,” Jessie shot back.
“Well, it’s smarter than it looks,” Cesar said, joining their conversation. “He knows when to keep one’s real strength hidden unlike you Tinkerbell,” the demon said to the still laughing fairy but at the mention of the Disney fairy he stopped, walked over to the demon.
“What have I told you about calling me that,” he demanded but before Cesar could answer Donovan punched him with a quick and brutal jab to his temple sending the demon crumpling to the floor unconscious.
“Men,” the succubus, Evan, muttered and Jessie swore vividly.
“Damn it, Donovan, now is not the time for this,” she demanded, checking on the fallen demon.
“Hey, I warned him. I told him clearly the next time he called me that he was going down. Now what kind of man would I be if I didn’t follow through with that? I’ll tell you what, one whose word can’t be trusted that’s what,” he argued and James had to agree with him but of course, Jessie did not.
Nearly an hour had passed when Lily came out and told everyone they could go back in. “What’s the verdict Charles,” Jessie demanded as soon as they got in the door. James walked over to stand next to Lily.
“Everything alright?” He asked and she dramatically rolled her eyes at him with a smirk then gave him a nod.
“She’s free of Silvano’s persuasion. She’s not a risk to the operation,” Charles told the human and James had to fight with all his will to keep a smile from breaking out across his face. It worked. Their bond was stronger than the bloodsucker’s. She was safe and now he’d be able to have a chance to win her heart and get her to let him in.
“How is that possible,” Jessie demanded and Lily answered instead of the vampire.