Satin Bruises

Reilly awoke between Asher and Jean-Claude, stomach rumbling a complaint. She quietly slid out of bed and made her way to the door. Wondering how she had gotten undressed, Reilly slipped into a silk bathrobe that lay discarded on the floor. In the other room, her sister sat with Micah, Nathaniel, and other weres playing a video game. Everyone was so relaxed, it seemed like last night never happened. Raleigh noticed her sister first.

"Morning Sleeping Beauty!" she said cheerily, rousing salutations from everyone else. "Here, eat pizza. It's Hawaiian."

Reilly rubbed her eyes and sat down between her sister and Jason. Jason handed her a plate with two large slices of pizza, never taking his eyes off the t.v screen. Raleigh eagerly smashed buttons on her controller between taking huge bites of her own pizza.

"What time is it?" Reilly yawned.

"About two-thirty," Micah answered, looking up from between the legs that Raleigh draped over his shoulders.

Reilly leaned over to her sister and whispered. "Why is everyone so calm after last night?"

"I did another spell in the middle of the night to keep everyone calm. Had to expel all the negative energy you stirred up."

"Oh," was all Reilly could manage to say, until she saw the scars peeking out through the neck of her sisters shirt. "What is that?"

Raleigh purposely died on the game so she could talk to her sister in private. They went into a small kitchen right off of the main room. The one were, a very young wolf, left the room immediately.

"Aleksi showed up last night. The stunt you pulled blew a massive hole in the protective barrier. Micah and Nathaniel were in their beasts and attacked him."

"Did they kill him?!"

"What do you think?! No, they didn't kill him. Otherwise, I wouldn't have these scars. Aleksi brought them up again, to brand me. He wanted to prove a point to Micah..."

"Shit, shit, shit! He still shouldn't have been able to get in to the circus! What about the weres? And the threshold? And I still haven't fucked him up for giving you those scars," Reilly said, cupping her sister's neck briefly. The two shared a grim little smile.

"Come on, let's get you fed. You look like death," Raleigh insisted, digging around in the kitchen. Reilly sat down, smoothing her robe. There was yelling in the other room, someone had just died.

"I've been thinking. We need to do something about Richard," Reilly said, watching her sister bustle.

"That stupid motherfucker is a danger to everything around him," Raleigh snapped, slamming a plate down on the counter. It shattered. Reilly's mouth twitched into a tiny smile.

"The fact that he's in a position of power does frighten me, I'll admit," she said, reaching for the glass of Pepsi that Raleigh had just set down. Raleigh snorted in agreement. Micah trailed in then, with a quick kiss on Raleigh's neck, he turned to Reilly.

"It lives," he said teasingly, putting the empty pizza box down. Reilly laughed.

"You know me, can't miss a good party," she answered, nodding to the other room.

"Hey, Dad called," Raleigh said, turning from the fridge, "he wants you to come get Conner today. Apparently he's got some thing tonight. Though, he did say 'have him back before morning or so help me' when I asked if the kidlet was spending the night," Raleigh shrugged. Reilly glared.

"I will keep my own fucking son as long as I want," she answered, eyes going icy. Raleigh held up her hands.

"Hey! Don't shoot the messenger, I just says what I'm told," she joked, walking over to Micah. Reilly sighed, tying to lighten up.

"You're right, I'm sorry. I'll grab something to eat when I pick him up. I'd like to keep him near me in any case, as long as Aleksi is around," she said, sliding off of the bar stool.

Reilly padded back down the hall to the bedroom. She slid in, and leaned against the closed door for a moment, enjoying the way her two men were spread across the sheets. If she had a bit more time, Reilly could have had a very interesting afternoon. As it was, she sighed, and moved to the bed, pondering. Can one wake up a vampire? Only one way to find out. With a wicked grin, Reilly climbed up onto the huge mattress. Asher lie curled on his right side, one arm partially wrapped around Jean-Claude's shoulder.

Feeling devious, Reilly pressed her body against Asher's. Gently, she ran her nose against the tender skin behind his ear. There was no response. Grinning, she took his earlobe between her teeth, nibbling up the ridge. She shivered, too pleased with having these men, but there was no movement from Asher. She ran her hand down from his shoulder, to his elbow, and planted a kiss where his neck met his spine. Her caress met with stony slumber. Disappointed, but not surprised, Reilly sat up, casting a look around the room for some paper and a pen. She swung her feet off the bed, and a muscular arm yanked her quickly backward. Asher was awake.

Reilly yipped, and found herself wedged between Jean-Claude and Asher, her calves tossed over Asher's side. Asher had buried his face in her hair, and was wrapped around her like a starfish eating a clam.

"You were planning on just leaving, cherie? After all that?" He asked her, moving a hand up Reilly's waist. She shivered under his touch, and twisted around to meet his mouth. The kiss was firm and ripe, the coolness of his mouth moving smoothly over hers. Excited shivers shot down Reilly's spine, and she wiggled further down into Asher's arms for a moment. He laughed against her, before pulling away, and dropping a lingering kiss onto her upturned cheek. Reilly sighed, but turned to face Asher.

"I wasn't sure if I could wake you," she answered quietly, mindful of Jean-Claude's still form against her back.

"I am awake now," he teased, kissing her again, "but I think you have something to tell me, or you would not have expended the effort." Reilly smiled.

"I need to pick someone up, and I'm going to run and change. I didn't want you two to worry when you woke up," she said. Asher nodded, and with another quick peck, let her struggle out from between he and Jean-Claude. He sat up, and threw an admiring look over Jean-Claude.

"What time is it?" He asked, very interested in the way Reilly's slacks slid up over her legs.

"Almost three," she said, buttoning up her shirt as she walked around the bed to Jean-Claude's side. She leaned down, and kissed Jean-Claude, moved to Asher, grabbed her heels, and was on her way.
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Reilly pulled up out front of her father's luxuriant home, and sat in her car to gather her patience. Her son never tested her this bad, it almost amused her that her father did. With a deep breath, she stepped into the drive, glad she had showered and changed before coming over. She would hate to imagine the old man's remarks if she showed up bra-less and looking like slightly warmed over death. She reached the door, and rang the bell. From inside she could hear Conner yelling. She grinned, and prepped to grab him when the door swung open.

Sure enough, Conner threw himself on her, nearly toppling her out of her designer heels. She laughed, and planting a huge kiss on her son, stood to face her father. In her arms, Conner rubbed the red lipstick off of his face. Reilly fixed her green eyes on her father coolly. He nearly glared back.

"Dad." She said, taking the backpack he offered.

"Reilly." He responded, snatching his hand back as though he had been burned by his daughter.

"What time did you want him back tomorrow?" She asked, trying for politeness.

"He'll be home tonight," he snapped, crossing his arms over his chest.

"That's out of the question. I work nights, and I'm not dragging my son out of bed to adhere to your ridiculous paranoia," she replied, turning to walk away.

"So help me Reilly Corrine! I sent you and your sister out of my house when I found out what sinners you were! I am not letting you corrupt this child!" He yelled, following her to the car. Calmly, Reilly strapped her son into the Camaro, and turned to face her father.

"You are ignorant, and you are stupid. You are intolerant, and I am not going to let you speak to me like that in front of my child. I made my peace with how you treated Raleigh and I, but I'm not going to let you ruin Conner too. He's not going to be coming back here dad, I'm sick of playing nice. I'm getting custody of him in less than a week, my son is coming to live with me now. Raleigh and I are picking his things up tomorrow. I will bring police enforcement if I have to. Now, if you'll excuse me," she said, walking around the car. Her father stood there, looking like someone had slapped him. Reilly hadn't spoken back to him since she was ten.

Getting into her car, with her baby at her side, Reilly felt almost giddy. What had gotten into her lately? She had never been in so many arguments in so few days since high school...With a satisfied smile, Reilly shot out of the driveway, ran into the mailbox, and whooped while Conner laughed.

"Can we go get some burgers, mama?" Conner asked.

"Nope," she responded, shooting her son a grin, "we're going to Taco Bell." Conner squealed with glee, hardly daring to believe his luck. Reilly peeled out of the driveway, leaving her father in a cloud of smoke. She grabbed her phone and called her sister.

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"Yeah! Fuck you Jason!" Raleigh screamed, jumping on the couch and doing an adorable victory dance while everyone else laughed. Then she stopped. "My butt is vibrating!"

All the weres in the room paused and turned to Micah who held up his hands and shrugged. Raleigh reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, answering it perkily.

"Hello Reilly."

"Hey Raleigh, we're keeping Conner."

"Dad let him stay the night?"

"No, we're keeping him forever. We are getting custody before the week is out and we are getting his stuff tomorrow. I told him that we would bring police enforcement, but I'm thinking about something with a little more...kick," Reilly explained.

"Should I tell the boys to don their leather jackets?" Raleigh asked bemusedly.

"Anything that would scare the mess out of Dad."

Raleigh heard her nephew in the background yelling. "I know what you meant to say!"

"Conner, I said exactly what I meant to say. Plus, what did I say about interrupting grown-ups?"

"I'm sorry Mama."

Raleigh smiled at her nephews intelligence. Reilly muttered a quick good bye and something about Taco Bell, then hung up. The other twin hung up her phone, then looked down at her leopard with a grin.

"Honey, do you think you could give me a 'police' escort tomorrow? I need to go to Daddy's and get Conner's stuff."

"Absolutely," Micah replied, sweeping her feet out from under her and putting her in his lap. "Anything for you. Wait...I'm meeting your father?"

"Yeah, and I want you to look like a perfect hooligan."

"Sure, most women want their men to look like gentlemen, but again, anything for you."

"I'm not most women. So, I need you to grab up some of your most ripped friends and tell them the deal."

Micah turned his head and looked at Nathaniel and Jason. The wolf and leopard nodded with mischievous grins. Micah returned his gaze to Raleigh, seeking her approval. Raleigh nodded and smiled. Now, they only had to asked Jean-Claude for a little assistance.

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Night rolled around once more. The girls were at home with Conner, Micah, and Nathaniel. Reilly was making dinner as Nathaniel was insisting that he could handle it. Conner was following Raleigh around, asking who these men were.

"Nahni, who are these guys?" Conner asked curiously as she applied her eyeliner in her bedroom mirror. Raleigh smiled softly.

"Well, Micah is my boyfriend and Nathaniel is a friend of ours. They are going to watch you tonight until I come back. You'll like them, they're really cool," she explained. Just then, Micah stuck his head into the room.

"You look lovely," he said, then turned his attention to Conner. "Hey Scamp, ever play an Xbox before?"

"No, video games rot your brain," Conner replied, staring at his own feet. Micah raised his eyebrows and quirked the corner of his mouth.

"I've been playing video games all my life," Micah answered. "and I'm a pretty smart guy. Ask Nahni."

Conner's eyes lit up and looked at Raleigh. Raleigh winked at the boy. "Yeah he is. Really a smart guy."

In a blur of brown haired, squealing energy, Conner leapt off the bed and ran into the living room. Micah dodged him as he bolted through the doorway. Raleigh chuckled to herself and began applying her mineral foundation. She blew Micah a kiss through the mirror before he turned around to help Conner set up the game console. Reilly slid into the bedroom to hurry things along.

"Come on," she urged. "I want to be early."

"Yeah, sure, early. You just want to see your men," Raleigh teased. Reilly shot her sister a snotty look.

"Shut up. You're just mad because I have two men and you have one."

"I just need one," Raleigh retorted. "Plus, mine doesn't look like a girl." Laughter sounded from the living room. Micah had heard the whole conversation. Reilly feigned shock, her hand over her heart.

"You take that back!" she gasped.

"Uh...no."

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Reilly dropped Raleigh off at Guilty Pleasures for her first night of management and made her way to the Circus. She made sure the car was locked and knocked on the employee entrance door. As usual, the door swung open, Reise was standing guard. They exchanged polite salutations.

"Jean-Claude and Asher are waiting for you downstairs," Reise said as if they sat in a coffee shop having brunch. "They're waiting for you."

Reilly smiled, thanking the man, and went down the stairs. She reached the office, entering without knocking. Jean-Claude sat behind his desk with his feet propped up, his usual position of leisure. Asher sat on the corner of the desk, beautiful and terrifying in a poetic sense. Reilly remembered what it was like waking up between them.

"Ah, bonsoir my dear," Jean-Claude said evenly, rising from his chair and approaching her. He wrapped his long arms around her and kissed her neck tenderly. She shivered. "I hope you are well this evening."

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for asking," Reilly answered as she laced her arms around the vampire. Behind them, Asher stroked Raleigh's long curls.

"It is good to know," Asher whispered. "You were quite distraught last night."

"I'm okay now," Raleigh pulled away from them. "Before we get down to business, I need to ask you a favor."

Jean-Claude nodded, waving his hand towards one of the leather chairs, asking her to sit down. He and Asher once more resumed their positions at the desk. Raleigh folded her hands in her lap, wringing her fingers. For the life of her, she couldn't understand why she was so nervous.

"I need a lawyer," she said abruptly. Asher looked confused, but Jean-Claude simply nodded.

"For the custody of your son?" he asked.

"Yes," Reilly replied. "I also need help finding another apartment. Right now we are in a two bedroom, one bath, with three...soon to be four, people living in it."

Once more, Jean-Claude nodded. "I will provide apartments for both you and your sister."

"Well, we only need the one," Reilly answered, relatively confused. Jean-Claude shook his head.

"Nonsense," Jean-Claude waved his elegant hand once more. "I will give the two of you apartments, of course for no retribution, and they will be the apartments of your choosing."

"But Jean-" Reilly began to protest, but Jean-Claude interrupted her.

"Reilly, I look after my people... all of them...like they were my own family. You, Raleigh, Conner and Micah need places to stay, so be it. This will be done and taken care of. You need a lawyer, done. Simply ask and you will receive."

Reilly fell silent, surprised, then she smiled in relief. Two more things that she wouldn't have to worry about. Jean-Claude stood up once again and began pacing behind the desk. Asher remained sitting on the desk, watching Reilly.

"This is only because I'm sleeping with you, isn't it?" Reilly teased. With a surprised look, both Asher and Jean-Claude roared into laughter. Not daunted long, however, they returned to business.

"It has come to my attention that Aleksi was in the Circus last night," Jean-Claude said in a low, but calm voice. Reilly's eyes hardened, freezing into slate colored glass as she looked at her lovers.

"He was here," she answered, mouth slimming down into a fine line.

"It has also come to my attention that he could have harmed two of my cats," Jean-Claude continued evenly.

"Yes, it was my fault," Reilly said quickly. "If I hadn't been so foolish, I wouldn't have blow a hole in the barrier and he wouldn't have gotten in and Micah and Nathaniel wouldn't have been involved. Raleigh wouldn't have those scars again."

Tears welled up in the young woman's eyes as her voice trailed off. She kept her focus on her hands, not wanted the two vampires to see her vulnerability. Jean-Claude cupped her face in his hands, making her look at him. He wiped her tears away with his thumbs and kissed her forehead.

"Do not say that," he whispered. "It was not your fault. Aleksi is a greedy, cruel and foolish man. he will pursue your sister and my council seat at any cost."

Reilly looked at Jean-Claude, then at the patient Asher. These were not monsters...they were far from that. Reilly laced her arms around Jean-Claude's neck, allowing him to lift her out of the chair. He sat in his large office chair with her in his lap. Gently stroking her long hair, he steered the conversation back to business.

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Raleigh strolled through the club, observing the customers and munching on a salad that Nathaniel sent with Jason. She strolled into the dressing room, making her way to her office. She paused in this dressing room to remind the dancers of the order of rotation.

"Alright gentlemen," she said loudly, pointing her fork at Jason. "Ripley, you're on next."

Then she pointed her fork at another blonde man. "Harlow, you're up after Ripley. Then it's Derrich, then Harley. Boys, if a woman is grabbing on you, let me know. The city of St. Louis has a 'no contact' law. Once they get grabby, I have to beat their ass."

The men laughed as Raleigh smiled and shoved more lettuce in her mouth. She continued into her office, only to find a man with blue hair sitting on her desk. He looked over his shoulder, then stood to shake her hand. Raleigh suspiciously extended her hand, wondering where she had seen those pale blue eyes before. Finally, as the man opened his mouth to speak, she remembered.

"You son of a bitch!" she growled through clenched teeth, punching the man in the jaw. The blue haired man stared at the witch in disbelief. He took a deep breath and sat back down.

"I'll take that as you remember me," he muttered.

"Of course I do. You little prick. What the fuck are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to your sister."

"No, you don't. You don't need to have anything to do with her."

"Nobody told me that she had a child!"

"Why would they?! You raped her, Haven! It was bad enough that she was an unwed mother in high school, but you think that someone would tell you, the irresponsible sadistic rapist, that you had a son?! The fuck is wrong with you?!"

"He's half mine, I have a right to be in his life."

"Oh...oh," Raleigh chuckled cruelly, pulling a Desert Eagle out of her desk drawer and pointing it at his head. "You have no rights to this child. You best get out of my office or I will put you in a body bag."

"Don't push me Raleigh," Haven sighed.

"Nuh uh. Don't push me. I have the gun."

"I just want to see my son..." Haven sighed, putting his hands behind his neck.

Raleigh cocked the gun, hands steady. "You have no son."

"Alright, I get it."

Haven put on he's jacket and left the office through the back door. Raleigh shoved her gun back into it's holster and looked at the plate of salad. In a fit of rage, she launched the plate across the room without even touching it. She felt her magic swirl around the room, furious and cold. She needed an outlet...now. Raleigh put Micah's leather jacket on and stormed out into the dressing room. The dancers stopped what they were doing and stared at her.

"Back to work!" She snapped, hitting the employee door, and almost running to her car. Eyes down, she didn't think about where she was going, just drove wildly through the city, heedless of the crackling power she was leaving in her wake. Somehow, without even meaning to, Raleigh pulled up in front of the Laughing Corpse. Still feeling venomous, Raleigh tore through the club, nearly kicking in the door leading to the offices of the building. She tore into the office, finding Jean-Claude and Reilly huddled over the accounting books. A brand new laptop sat on the desk between them, and Reilly was entering the numbers into a spread sheet.

"No, see, if we have to do lay offs, we simply lose one employee, and place two on part-time shifts. It keeps maximum employees hired, but we still get twenty-five percent of that wage back..." she trailed off as Reilly noticed her sister's furious form in the doorway.

"Rie," Raleigh panted, every muscle taught.

"What's the matter?" Reilly demanded, coming around the desk. Jean-Claude stood also, watching the two women concernedly.

"He's here," Raleigh burst out, "he's in town, and he wants Conner!" Reilly looked confused.

"We know about Aleksi, it's not like he's been particularly subtle," she said, moving toward her sister, to lead her to a chair. Raleigh grabbed her sister, resisting the urge to shake her until she started screaming.

"You are so effin' dense! Haven! Haven is here! He knows about Conner!" Raleigh shouted, hands bruising her sister's biceps. Reilly shut down. There were no other words for it. Her eyes went dark, her body went perfectly still, and her face became slack. For a moment, she even stopped breathing.