Dark Storm (Dark #23)(90)
Author: Christine Feehan

Jubal scowled darkly, sitting up straight, all that languid cool dissipating. "Luiz? Who the hell is Luiz?"

Uh oh. I think Jubal has a thing for little Miss Jasmine, Riley confided, amusement spilling into Dax’s mind. Mr. Calm, Cool and Collected has been hiding a secret, biding his time and getting ready to swoop in and get the girl when she isn’t looking.

"Luiz is just a friend," Jasmine said. "He and Manolito are friends," she added in explanation to Jubal. "He was jaguar, like Juliette and me. He did his best to help us, and the other males had turned on him. He’s Carpathian now."

"You could be Carpathian," Juliette insisted. "Anytime you want …"

Jasmine was already shaking her head. "I just want to be me for a little while. So much has happened and I’d just like to have a little peace and enjoy my baby."

"Luiz would be so perfect," Juliette said. "Are you certain? He understands the jaguar in you and he knows our past. He’d be good to you."

"I don’t love him," Jasmine returned gently. Firmly. "I’m sorry, Juliette. I know I must frustrate you, but when I settle down with a man, I want what you have. Real love. Real commitment."

"Then you need a Carpathian."

"Are you saying human males aren’t capable of real love for their women? Because I’m going to tell you right now, that isn’t so," Jubal demanded, an edge to his voice. "My father is totally devoted to my mother and he always has been."

"I have to admit," Riley chimed in, "my father was devoted to my mother as well. We knew several couples who had been together well over fifty years. That should count for something."

"I’m sorry," Juliette apologized immediately. "I know that sounded very wrong. I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just that the idea of me outliving Jasmine is upsetting to me." She ducked her head, looking down at her hands. "We both have lost so much. There’s only Solange and Jasmine on my side of the family."

Jasmine held out her hand to her sister. "It’s always been the three of us. Now we’ll be four. I haven’t ruled out converting yet, but I want to know if my baby is capable of converting before I even consider it."

Jubal sank back in his chair, looking for all the world as if he hadn’t a care. Jasmine glanced at him and then down at her hands.

There’s trouble right there, Dax predicted. He doesn’t like the idea of her converting.

Both of his sisters have, Riley pointed out. Couldn’t he? He must have the same ability. Can’t a male be converted?

I would assume so. Obviously this Luiz was. I caught impressions of him as a jaguar. Dax turned his head just as Juliette did. Riley felt him frown. Riordan is back and he is very unhappy. He’s asking Gary to get Jasmine inside.

Riley glanced at Juliette. She blinked back tears and kept her face carefully averted from her sister. Definitely something was wrong.

Gary emerged from the house. "Jasmine," he called, waving at the others. "I’ve been without a worthy chess opponent for a long time. Come put me out of my misery."

"Hey!" Jubal objected.

Jasmine smirked at Jubal. "You haven’t been holding up your end of the chess matches?"

"Watch yourself, woman," Jubal cautioned. "Don’t be throwing out challenges you aren’t going to be able to win."

"Any time, any place," Jasmine offered. She laughed and held out her hand to him. "Stop being lazy and help me up. I’m a beached whale."

"You’re beautiful and you know it. Stop fishing for compliments," Jubal said, lazily coming to his feet. He drew her up, not moving back so that when she stood, her body was up against his. He rested his palm on her swollen belly. "You’re not even very big."

"I’m big." She didn’t move, just looked up at him, nor did she remove his hand.

Jubal smiled and stepped back, giving her the space to go around him. "Go practice. You’ll need it."

"You’re going to eat those words," Jasmine warned.

"Any time, any place." Jubal threw her words back at her.

Her laughter floated back to them. The strain and tension were gone from her, and she sounded young and happy again.

"Thank you," Juliette said to Jubal. "I haven’t heard her sound like that since … the last time you were here."

Riordan appeared on the terrace and Juliette went to him immediately. He put his arms around her, holding her close to him.

"I take it there wasn’t good news," Jubal said.

Riordan shook his head. "No. I think Jasmine is right. Someone has been following her, and they’re after the baby."

Jubal swore. "Damn it. Jaguars?"

"Probably. They would be the most likely suspects."

"Maybe not," Dax said. "We didn’t have time to tell you. Your pilot asked us to check on Juliette’s friend."

Juliette turned her head to look at Dax, but Riley could see by her face, she already knew what he was going to tell them.

"I’m sorry, Juliette," Dax said formally. "She was dead. Murdered."

"Her baby?"

Riley tightened her fingers around Dax’s.

Dax shook his head, his tone as stoic as ever, his face carved from stone. Only she felt that blast of emotion, the volcano going off deep inside him. "Mitro killed the child as well as the mother. I need to know everything going on here. Everything."

Chapter 18

"Jasmine is going to give birth any minute," Riordan explained. "Juliette feared complications, so we’ve been bringing her to a doctor they know here in the city. She’s jaguar and takes care of many of their women. A couple of days ago, she began to feel as if someone was following her. I wasn’t with her, but some of our people were and they saw nothing to make them suspicious. Juliette and I went out when we rose and we couldn’t find a hint of anyone watching her. Still, she was so uneasy, I didn’t dismiss it."

"Thank God," Juliette said.

"This evening, I received a call, first from a friend in the police department and then from Jasmine’s doctor. The police made a grisly find when they busted a warehouse filled with drugs. A bunch of Goth kids belonging to some underground cult were making their home under the warehouse and they had the bodies of six infants dipped in gold. They claimed the babies had been stillborn, and they were selling them on the black market."

Horrified, Riley stepped back and bumped into Dax. He dropped his hands onto her shoulders to steady her. Instantly, she felt comforted. His hands were large and strong, but his touch was very gentle. He didn’t say much, but he didn’t need to.