Starlight Key ~Scene 8 La Maison de Paix et de Solitude

“Things are hopping downstairs are you…”

Rysa held up one finger, stopping Vernox in midsentence. She sat behind her secretary’s desk, playing with the velvety leaves of an African violet while she spoke on the phone, and old hand held, plug into the wall type phone. The lighting was always kept dim in her suite of rooms and Vernox was shirtless. As such, the candle light made his skin glow. It was a delightful visual.

“Yeah, ok, so let me know anything you hear.” She was disheartened as she disconnected the call.

“Sorry, didn’t realize you were busy. Everything okay?” He came over to her side of the desk, leaned back on it and took her hand in his, resting both against his thigh.

The simple motion threw a spotlight on her concerns. Ordinarily, touch made her uneasy, but lately, she was craving it. Even the slight contact now was like nourishment for her soul. Vernox was one of the few people she trusted enough to allow him, so she took advantage. Letting him feed her need, but she couldn’t push away the fear that something more was going on with her than she understood.

“I’m looking for Drago. I haven’t heard from him for a few days, and Santiago even longer.” Internally she cringed at how overly protective and maternal she just sounded.

“He’s disappeared for longer, sweetheart. I know you have taken on the mother hen role with them both, and Ana, but…”

“I’ve heard rumors that Tallon is back on the Key.” She cut him off because she knew the information she held would stop his protest flat.

“Oh.”

And it did.

She saw concern slowly fill his eyes.

“It’s just a rumor.” She was the one suddenly reassuring him.

“Right.” He seemed openly distracted now.

“I hate it when you go down to one word responses, means you’re thinking.” She pressed her lips into a thin disapproving line.

He squeezed her hand, stood and pulled her into his arms. He was
undeniably handsome, his hair was shaved close to his head with symbols and shapes cut into it. His clean shaven face showed a clef in his chin and his body was sprinkled with tribal looking tattoos that she knew were so much than body art.

“You know you’re safe. You know none of us will let him near you. Right?” He stroked his hand gently down her back.

She was torn between accepting his affections and turning him away. She absently pushed at her long hair that she had loosely piled atop her head. She was used to being the strong one who didn’t need intimacies from men. She facilitated them for everyone else, but she kept her own needs and desires strictly locked down. Lately it was becoming more and more difficult.

“I’m not worried for me, I’m worried for Drago. I owe him my life and…”

“Shhhhh.” He pulled her closer. “He’s fine. If he weren’t, I’d feel it.”

She breathed a little easier, knowing he was right. Vernox, Santiago, and Drago shared secrets and history and a connection that made them closer than brothers. If Drago or Santiago were in trouble, Vernox would most likely know.

“Of course you would.” She pulled out of his arms just enough to look at him. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of that.”

She touched his cheek, then removed herself entirely and moved closer to the fire. It was nearly summer on a tropical island and yet she was cold… as always.

“How are things going with Paula?” She rubbed her hands together before the fire, but its warmth never seemed to penetrate.

“Well. I think she’s getting everything she was looking for.” Vernox walked closer, but this time kept distance between them.

“Wonderful. I have another girl coming in soon and I have no one to assign her to.” She chewed on her lower lip and decided to run her mad scheme past Vernox. “I was thinking of recruiting Beck.”

Vernox let out one sharp bark of laughter, then immediately resumed his usual serious exterior.

“Sorry.” He smiled like a naughty little boy.

“I know. I know. But I’m desperate and he’s the best man I know for the job.”

“Rysa, you know he’d do about anything for you, but not this.”

She sighed and placed her hands on the mantel, feeling suddenly worn.

“Are you okay?” Vernox instantly had his arms around her again.

“Fine, just felt really tired for a minute.”

He helped her to a green velvet settee placed on the diagonal near the fire.

“I’m fine, really.” She hated even feeling weak, let alone appearing it.

He looked at her suspiciously and she appeased him with a dismissive wave of her hand.

“How long did you say it had been since you’d seen Drago?”

“A few days.” She reached up and tugged him down next to her. “Stop looming. I’m fine.”

He kissed her on the forehead and stood back up.

“I’m not looming and I’m sure you are. I have to get back downstairs, but I’m staying with you tonight and I won’t take no for an answer on this.”

The idea appealed to her. She rarely shared her bed with a man. The truth was, she could have practically any one she wanted on any given night, but she was very rarely interested. She had the notion to tell him no right now, but the idea of falling asleep in the arms of a man she could trust, being able to truly let her guard down, even if just for a while, felt like exactly what she needed.

She stood beside him and caressed his cheek before she went up on her toes and placed a tender kiss to his lips, soft and warm and wonderful.

“I hadn’t planned on saying no.” She smiled.

He pushed his fingers through her hair until he grabbed a fist of it at her neck. His gaze heated and his smile turned wicked. “Good girl.”

The breath left her body. She forced herself to stay in the moment with Vernox; not to let nightmares of a distant past wedge in.

“Thank you, Sir.”

People always assumed she was Domme, but in truth, at her soul, she couldn’t imagine anyone more submissive then she was.

Vernox kissed her hard and passionately. She tasted the sharp bite of pipe smoke and liquor on his tongue and surrendered to the heat. She loved moments like this. They reminded her she was still alive despite how she felt most of the time.

When he pulled away, she felt his hard cock pressed against her, but she restrained herself from touching.

“I am going downstairs, but I will be back.” He brushed his palms into her hair, caressing her head in his gentle grip. “And I promise you a night of healing Rysa. I will give you what your soul needs tonight and tomorrow, I’ll go find Drago.”

“Thank you.” She hoped he knew how deeply she meant that.

He kissed her once more, this time with a more tender passion. As he walked away he held her hand as long as their arms could reach until finally their fingertips lost the connection and he left her alone once more.

* * * *

Beck scanned the gentlemen’s salon at Rysa’s summer home, not certain what he was looking for. His instincts had simply been on high alert all day. That unsettling, something’s not right feeling. As it was a part of his job to keep safe those Rysa invited to her home, he made it a habit to pay attention to his instincts, but nothing seemed out of place. The crowd was happy. In this room, groups of men smoked, drank and talked. In other rooms of the house there was music, dancing, flogging, orgies… the usual really.

“Hey, did Drago say anything to you about leaving the island?”

Beck’s attention was immediately snagged when Vernox walked up behind him and placed his hand on his shoulder.

“No, but I ran into Kaylee earlier today, she was looking for him too. What’s up?”

Beck didn’t have any direct dealings with the elusive figure, but he knew that as went Drago and his business, so went many of the people he loved.

Vernox scanned the room and ran his hand over his mouth. Beck had a knack for reading people and he could tell Vernox was more worried than he wanted to be.

“Nothing.” He turned his full attention on Beck. “I mean, he does this. He’s got stuff to deal with. And he certainly doesn’t answer to anyone.”

He watched the wheels turn behind Vernox’ silver-grey eyes, processing every nuance of emotion. There were rules around the likes of Drago and Vernox, Beck only knew as much as they deemed necessary. They were immortal. He also knew about Kaylee, as well as a few others.

Starlight Key was a paranormal haven disguised as a tourist destination. It worked well that way because most of the population was only here a week or ten days, not long enough to actually get suspicious of anything.

It was this fact that also supported Crescent Moon Bay as a pirate nest. The docks on the other side of the island, well, there was more illegal activity going on there than anyone really knew, but the tourists never went near the place. All tourist activity was kept to the north and east sides of the island. Aside from Harbor Key, on the east side, the outlying islands were all off limits and most were uncharted. It really was the perfect place to hide from the world if you were so inclined to do so.

“Rysa’s worried about him and I’m worried about her.” Vernox finally finished his thought.

“I can help you look for him in the morning. I’m assuming you have already checked that fortress he calls a home.”

Drago lived in a literal castle on the cliffs overlooking crescent moon bay. If you weren’t expressly invited, you were persona non grata… Few people were ever expressly invited.

“I haven’t. I just heard he was missing, but I’ll head out there first thing. Can you ask around town and maybe even tonight, just casually see if anyone’s seen him?”

“Yeah, of course.” Beck turned serious. “Is Rysa okay?”

Rysa, of all people, had a special bond with Drago and if he really was missing, that didn’t bode well for her.

“She’s worried. Hey, she said there’s rumor Tallon is back, have you heard anything on that?

Beck’s blood ran cold.

“If I’d heard Tallon was back, I wouldn’t be here casually chatting with you.”

Vernox chuckled.

“Good point. Probably just rumor anyway. Nobody’s that stupid, right?” He didn’t look at convinced as he sounded.

“Tallon is a lot of things, stupid isn’t one of them.” He didn’t want to discuss it any further and he had rounds to make to check on the guests. “After I ask around town about Drago I’ll head down to the docks and talk to Mal. If anyone knows about Tallon, it’ll be him.”

“Yeah, him or Tallon’s offspring.” Vernox’ tone went cold. “Have you seen Drake on the island tonight?”

Beck tried not to let his amusement show, but it was difficult. Drake Tarasios was the thorn in both Vernox and Drago’s side. Rysa adored him. The two men in her life couldn’t stand him, didn’t trust him and would most likely be just as happy to see him dead at the bottom of one of the cliffs around here.

“Can’t say that I have. I think he’s in Italy for the summer.” Beck thought he recalled something like that from the last conversation he had with him.

“Damn, what’s with Italy this summer? That’s the fifth person I’ve heard has gone there.” Vernox shook his head.

“I could be mistaken, but there’s probably more than five people in all of Italy this summer.” Beck couldn’t resist.

Vernox gave him a look of forbearance and groaned.

“Always the funny one, Beck.” He slapped him on the shoulder. “Just keep a head’s up and let me know what you find out about Drago or Tallon.”

“Will do.” At the end of the day, they were on the same side.

Vernox walked off. Beck trailed him visually until he went through the open glass doors to the garden. He took a moment to scan the room again, but all in all, it was a quiet night. If Drago was missing and Tallon was resurfacing though, you could bet your last dime it wouldn’t stay quiet for long.