CHAPTER 2

Deal with the Devil

Jessamine went home and got undressed to get in the shower. She stared at herself in the mirror. The White Rose leader was covered in blood, some of it hers, most of it Anaweir, but none of that blood mattered. She looked down at her hands, that were covered in dried blood.

Her son's blood...

Jess climbed in the shower and cleaned off then got out, dried off and pulled some clean clothes on. Jeans, t-shirt, and her hair back in a ponytail.

She got back in her car and drove to the bar. Not bothering to wait, she went in and immediately ordered a bottle of whiskey. After four shots Hunter's son sat down next to her. He poured himself a shot, drank it then looked at her.

"You didn't put something nice on. Usually you wear a low cut shirt. Well at least you're wearing the designer boots," he said.

"The way you know what I wear makes it sound as if you've been stalking me," she said, throwing back a shot.

"I just have a lot of friends and I pay close attention."

"I don't believe I got a name."

"Tennyson."

They left the bar and Jessamine had drunk a lot of the whiskey, more than she probably should have, but she still wasn't drunk. A little loopy, but not drunk. She got in the passenger seat of his car, a red Ford Mustang, and he drove to a hotel.

"You live in a hotel?" she asked as they walked into his hotel room.

"No. I have a house, a huge house. Well, not as big as the Longbranch family palace but fairly big," he replied, shutting and locking the door behind him.

"Then why didn't we go there?"

"I have a wife and I'm pretty sure she wouldn't appreciate another woman in my bed."

She raised an eyebrow at his statement.

He took his shirt off and moved towards her.

Why should this be any different, Jessamine thought to herself. I have given my self to plenty of men, it's not like I'm giving up something important...

"One night and you'll bring them back?" she asked quietly.

"One night."

Tennyson stepped up to her and kissed her. Jess tensed.

"I know what my father did to you. I won't hurt you I promise."

The next morning Jessamine laid there staring at the ceiling. Tennyson was sound asleep, so she glanced at the clock on the nightstand. 4:00 AM. The White Rose leader got up and pulled her clothes back on. Her head hurt like hell, hangover.

To much alcohol, she thought.

I have to disagree.

She turned and looked over at Tennyson, who was sitting up staring at her.

"We had a deal, now bring them back."

"Alright miss pushy."

He got his clothes on and they drove to the Red Rose headquarters, which had been abandoned. After all you wouldn't want to keep the same headquarters if the leader of an enemy group had been inside. They walked in and found Leah and Jay's bodies.

Tennyson kneeled down and laid a hand on Leah's chest then Jay's. He muttered two words under his breath, but nothing happened. He stood and looked at her.

"They'll be waking up any minute now. I'll be going," he said walking past her.

But he stopped right next to her.

"Remember, if you don't uphold your end of the bargain then they're as good as dead. I brought them back and I can just as easily stop their hearts again."

Tennyson left.

Jay took a shuddering breath, his eyelids opening to reveal beautiful deep blue colored eyes. He sat up and scanned the room with a confused look. Then he saw his mother. Jess lunged at her son, wrapping him in a tight hug.

"Jay!"

"Mom?"

Leah took a deep breath and started coughing. The young girl sat up and coughed up blood. Jessamine's daughter opened her eyes and looked up at her. Jess stared back and felt as if she was looking into a mirror. Then she wrapped her young daughter in a hug.

"Leah!"

"Mom, what happened?" Leah asked.

Jessamine didn't reply right away.

"Why don't we go back home? Then I can explain it."

Once they got to her palace, Jessamine and her kids sat at the dinning table, her children ready to listen, but she wasn't ready to talk at first.

"After you died, Jay, I tried to kill Falicia, but Aaron got in the way. Eventually I slit his throat and watched him bleed to death. Then Falicia and I got at each other's throats and she slit my wrist open. I heard… your and my mother's voices in my head. Somehow it gave me the strength to continue on and kill her. I ran Charger clean through her black heart," Jessamine said the last words through gritted teeth and with a clenched fist.

Jay and Leah stared at her as if she had grown two heads.

"Don't look at me that way. It was Falicia's fault you two died so I took my revenge."

"Then why are we alive right now?" Jay asked.

"Someone saw what happened and told me that they could bring you two back. So we cut a deal..."

"What kind of deal?" her son asked with a grim, protective tone.

"Nothing important and nothing that's any of your business, Jay."

"We deserve to know-"

Leah cut him off.

"Leave her alone, Jay! Can't you see that she's gone through hell and back for us to be alive?" Leah said, defending their mother.

Jay just narrowed his eyes, grunted in response and looked the other way.

Jessamine's cell phone went off.

"This is Dr. Longbranch," she said.

The surgeon didn't speak, just listened to what she was being told. Then, after a moment, she clicked the end button on her iPhone.

"I have to go, I'm sorry. Something came up at work," she said, standing up to leave.

"I'll come with. I'm a heart surgeon too, in case you forgot," Jay said standing up as well

"No. Jay, just stay here. Please."

With that she left to 'uphold her end of the bargain.'

She met Tennyson at the hotel where they had stayed the last time. He met her in the parking lot and led her back to the same room. Tennyson locked the door behind him and walked over to her. The wizard laid a hand on her waist and another on her cheek.

"You seem a little more willing this time," he said with a smirk.

Then he leaned forward and kissed her. She kissed back before she realized what she was doing. The hand on her cheek strayed down to the waistline of her shirt. Both of his hands pulled her shirt up, then he broke the kiss to take it completely off.

He's taking it a lot slower this time, Jess thought. Wonder why?

Again her body seemed to be doing whatever the hell it wanted. The White Rose leader realized that she was now taking his shirt off. She pushed him roughly up against the wall, kissing him deeply. His right hand slid up to her head to pull the rubber band out of her hair. Jessamine shivered as her thick black hair fell down her neck and shoulders. Then Tennyson pushed her backwards onto the bed.

Okay, maybe he's not taking it that slow, she thought.

Do want me to take it slow?

I really don't care, either way works for me.

Alright then, we'll do this my way.

Tennyson's lips left hers and slowly moved down her neck, then to her stomach, causing her breathing to become labored and her heart rate to rise. He slid her pants off her legs and his lips kept moving down. Jess realized what he intended to do. She entwined her fingers in his hair and yanked his head up, forcing him to look at her.

Don't, she thought.

We're gonna do this my way…

If I had known that's what you meant I would have said no.

What you've never had-

Yes. I have but I don't want that, she said in her head, her eyes narrowing.

Well I'm sorry; Dr. Longbranch, but I prefer it this way.

His lips went between her legs and her body arched up as she let out a loud moan, just begging him to go deeper.

Tennyson's lips moved back to hers as he pushed into her.

A scream escaped her lips. Tennyson looked down at her.

I'm not hurting you am I?

"No!" the word came out as a shout.

The White Rose leader had planned on replying in her mind, but she couldn't think straight. This was much more pleasurable for her than the last time. But that wasn't something for her to be happy about.

"If I am I need you to tell me, Jessamine. I made a promise and I'm a man of my word," he said.

"You're not hurting me."

His hands were roaming down her back. He froze, then, rolled her over so that she was straddling him.

"What are these bumps on your back? They're everywhere."

"Scars."

"From what?"

She just stared at him.

"I won't pry in your mind if you don't want to tell me."

"Complements of my stay with your father," she said venomously.

He stared at her.

I'm sorry he did that to you. But if I recall correctly, we were right in the middle of something and my wandering hands interrupted it.

This time it was a laugh that came from her.