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Tailor Made: Killer Instincts	By : PrettySin Category: Anita Blake > Threesomes Plus Views: 2390 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Anita Blake series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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“Oh, Bill!” Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler stood in their hotel room on the other side of town. “Bill, my zipper broke! Do you think we could stop at that tailor’s shop we saw yesterday? This is my favorite dress and the shop is on the way to Pookie’s.”

“Oh, I think we could manage that...” The tall middle aged man fastened his suspenders. His golden blond hair framing his sky-blue eyes.

Thirty minutes later, the couple pulled into ‘Tailor Made’. Walking into the shop, the older woman looked around. “Oh Bill... isn’t it just so quaint?”

Cari grinned as she saw the couple, walking out from behind a rack of fabrics, quickly setting a bolt of blue chiffon down on the counter. "Hello. Welcome to Tailor Made. I'm Cari, the owner. Can I help you?" She extended a hand to them.

The older woman took her hand. "Yes dear. You see I broke the zipper to my favorite sun dress yesterday. I do believe it was sheer luck that we found your quaint little shop here." The woman smiled warmly. "You see me and..." She looked around the shop. "Bill! Come over here and meet the nice shop owner. My husband and I are from out of town, and I can't go to my own seamstress." The woman's voice had a southern bayou lilt to it as she spoke.

Bill rolled his eyes as he nodded at Cari. "Hello, Ma'am..."

Cari smiled. "I can do that for you very easily. If you'd follow me, Ma'am, I'll help you fill out the paperwork. Sir, if you wish, there's a waiting section over in the corner." She pointed, and Bill grinned.

"Appreciated. These... sewing places, no offense, are for you ladies."

"Oh hush, Bill, and just wait for me." The woman followed Cari into the backroom where her desk was. "I hate to hold us up like this, but I just can't imagine not being able to wear this dress when we finally see our Pookie again."

"Your Pookie?" Cari grinned, pulling the form for new customers out of the drawer that Riley had insisted be actually organized. "Do you happen to know the length of the zipper? If I have one handy, I can probably just sew it in. It won't take but a bit..."

"We in town visiting our son. That's his nickname. And the zipper is a fourteen-inch one, dear." The woman handed Cari the calico cotton sun dress.

"Oh... this is lovely..." Cari looked it over, spotting the break in the zipper before setting it on the counter. "I can do that in a minute for you, but first I'm afraid, we must do the paperwork. Can I please have your name and address?"

"Or course. Margrett Schuyler... 442 Rambrooke lane, Half Acre, Mississippi."

"Schuyler?" Cari's pen froze on the paper. "As in... S-c-h-u-y-l-e-r?"

"Yes, dear... that's correct."

"Oh... well... isn't that a coincidence?" Cari quickly wrote down the information with a shaking hand. "I've a friend with that same last name..."

"Oh?" Margrett quirked a brow at Cari.

"Mmhm. His name's Jason." The werepanther blinked as Bill wandered up, clearly bored of sitting.

"Jason? Why, our son's name is Jason!"

"You know our Jason! Oh my! How wonderful!" Margrett’s eyes beamed as she looked over Cari. "Oh Bill! Pookie will be so happy to know that we already met one of his little friends!"

"Why of course he will! Less of them to introduce!" Bill laughed, adjusting his suspenders as he winked at Cari. "Bet he can't stay away from a pretty little thing like you... What do you think, Margrett? Think this could be that little lady our son was talking about?"

Cari stared, speechless. Uh... fuck?

Margrett turned excited eyes to Cari. "Are you?! Are you dating our Jason?!"

Answer, Tailor! Come on! Answer! Cari turned, hearing footsteps on the stairs. "Nathaniel! Hi! You'll never guess who these nice people are!"

Nathaniel froze in the door way. He didn't realize Cari was with customers. "Who?" He gave her uncertain eyes, then looked at the older man... Damn, he kinda looked just like Jason...

"Jason's parents." Cari moved, taking the leopard's hand and brushing her lips over his.

Bill grinned. "You know our boy, too?"

"Oh well...I suppose she isn't the one." Margrett sighed.

"Uh...yeah. We work together... best friends actually. Funny... he didn't say anything about you guys coming into town." Nathaniel held Cari's hand as if it were a life line. What the heck were Jason's parent doing here?

"Oh? Well, I don't know why he didn't tell you if you were best friends. We've been planning this trip for eight months now." Margrett's gaze shifted back and forth between the two weres.

"Well, hun..." Cari bit her lip, looking at Nathaniel. "I need to sew a zipper into Mrs. Schuyler's dress... could you help them finish filling out the paper please? I want to make sure I get this done for her." She smiled at the woman, trying not to shake.

“Uh... sure.” Nodding to Cari, he watched as she walked back into the sewing room.

“So, you strip for a living then?” Margrett smiled sweetly. “You know, I always thought that it would be a passing fling for him, but if he enjoys it, I suppose I can’t really complain.”

Nathaniel struggled to remain as calm as possible. “Well, our boss pays very well.”

Bill shrugged. “Margrett can’t complain. That’s how we met...” He leaned, kissing his wife’s temple. “Remember, Snookums?”

“How can I forget? I was a wild child, and you were a rebellious farmer boy.” The woman smiled at Nathaniel as she handed him the complete form. “I must be making myself look awful to you... I admit that I was quite the hippie in my day.”

“Really?” Nathaniel was becoming quite amused with Jason’s southern parents. His uncomfortableness melted away as he chuckled. “Unfortunately, Jason isn’t here. He was, but he left a few hours ago.”

“Really?” Bill shook his head. “We’ll just have to see him later. I’m just glad he has such special friends. You and your wife are very nice people...” Bill’s accent was thick-Mississippian by way of Alabama.

Nathaniel chocked. “No, no. She’s not my wife... just my girlfriend.”

“Oh... well, you both are so sweet. Thank you. We have to go now, but please tell Miss Cari that I’ll be back later today to pick up the dress, around eleven tonight.” She smiled again, and Nathaniel was starting to wonder if she was ever unhappy.

Bill nodded. “You have a nice night, Son. Take care of that girl.” Flashing Nathaniel a smile that was disturbingly like Jason’s, Bill took his wife by the hand and led her to the door, which he held open for her.

Biting her lip, Cari peered around the corner. “Can I die now?”

Nathaniel tried to hold it in... he really did, but slowly his shoulders began to shake with laughter. Finally, he doubled over as it overwhelmed him. “Oh God... Jason... his parents... Oh God! They’re...” He couldn’t even talk.

Cari glowered. “It’s not funny! They asked if I was dating him!” She covered her face with her hands.

“Sorry...” His laughter began to trail off as he handed Cari Margrett’s paper. “I forgot to tell you, I got your mail when you were talking with Riley. I put it on the counter.”

“Want some lunch while I read it?” Cari filed the paper, then flipped the sign on the door to ‘closed’. She had an hour and a half before she opened again.

“Yeah, lunch sounds great. This time I cook.” Nathaniel smiled as they walked upstairs to the kitchen. “What do you want?”

“Hm... food.”

“Oh, well that narrows it down some.” He pulled some cold cuts from the fridge along with bread and all the fixings for a good sandwich as Cari picked up her mail.

“Bill... bill... junk... you might be a winner if..." Cari rolled her eyes, picking up another envelope with no return address. Huh. "You know, if you respond to one of those things, you constantly get like... a gazzillion-" She cut herself off with a small scream of pain as the sent of blood filled the air.

Nathaniel's nostrils flared at the scent of blood. "Cari!" Grabbing a towel, he rushed to Cari and pressed it to the spurting wound. "What?" He looked at the envelope and its silver blade. When blood sprayed it always serious...especially with a silver blade. "Hold it." Turning he grabbed the phone and called Jean-Claude. Waiting as the phone rang into his ear.

"Bonjuor, you have reached Guilty Pleasures, this is Jean-Claude speaking... how may I help your most evil dreams come true?" Jean-Claude's seductive voice flowed over the line.

Cari paled, her chest rising and falling faster and faster as the towel quickly absorbed the crimson, drops of red staining the white tile beneath their feet.

"Jean-Claude!"Nathaniel watched as Cari's blood fell to the floor. His voice was higher from shock and fear. It had to be a really bad cut being that Cari was turning pale already. "Cari... she doesn't have a car... we need to get to the hospital." Nathaniel spoke so fast that only half of what he said made sense.

"Mon Chat? What is wrong? Slowly, tell me why you need to go to Lillian?" Jean-Claude's voice was firm, full of command in a manner that he hoped would help calm the submissive.

"Na... Nathaniel?" Cari whimpered his name. "I... I'm bleeding... lots... I can take a little... but... a lot... I feel faint..."

Nathaniel took a deep breath to calm himself. "Cari's been cut really badly by a silver blade...it was in her mail... in the envelope. It hit a major artery." Slowly Nathaniel's voice began to grow more excited again. He couldn't help it. Cari looked like she was about to pass out and they couldn't do anything, and it wasn't like any respectable paramedic would just rush over and help a bleeding were. "The entire towel is soaked and it won't stop. We're stuck here and-"

"I shall be there shortly. Get a new towel, and press it to the wound, all right? Talk to her and keep her calm... If you're not calm, she won't be... and her heart beating faster will make her bleed quicker." The vampire hung up the phone.

Nathaniel moved to the bathroom and grabbed a fresh towel. Coming back to Cari he sat beside her. "We need to put a fresh towel on it. Let me see Cari."

She held her shaking hand out to Nathaniel, some part of her beast complaining about showing a predator weakness as tears started rolling down Cari's face.

Nathaniel slowly pulled the towel from the wound. It still was bleeding profusely. Quickly he pressed the new towel to the wound and wrapped it around her arm, but not before seeing the damage. Cari had a gash running from the tip of her pointer all the way down into her wrist. The envelope had been a large manila one and the blade had been thin but deadly. Nathaniel pulled Cari into his lap and held her. Speaking calming words as best he could he stroked her hair and kissed her temple as they waited.

**************

Jean-Claude hurried through the club, dodging various people who were trying to speak to him as he moved backstage. "Jason!" He called out as he saw the blonde wolf putting on his stage makeup.

Pausing Jason turned toward the master of the city. "What's up?"

"Get into your street clothes. Caleb is taking your set." He nodded at the leopard. He'd placed a hurried call to Asher before coming to get his pomme... Jason would be furious if he hadn't told him what had happened to Cari.

"What? Why?" Jason did as Jean-Claude bid him to do. "What's wrong?" Worry tugged at his mind as he pulled on his faded blue Jeans.

"Cari has... had an accident of some kind... She has cut herself pretty badly with a silver razor, and Nathaniel says that they need a ride."

"What? How bad?" Alarm raced through Jason, Jean-Claude would not be here telling him to forget about work if it wasn't bad. He finished changing and the two men headed for the door.

"I believe Nathaniel was fetching the second towel... and he said it hit a major artery." They stepped outside, and Jean-Claude climbed into the limo, having told Clayton, the driver, to forget holding the door for this evening.

Jason got in the limo beside Jean-Claude, suddenly very quiet. Is it bad enough to kill her? How did she cut herself? Thank God Nathaniel's there... Staring out the window as they drove down the road Jason felt worried beyond belief. God, I hope she's going to be okay.

"Mon Loup?" Jean-Claude glanced at the young blonde beside him. "She shall be fine... Cari is very strong..."

"I know." Jason had so many thoughts racing through his mind that it was hard to speak aloud. His body tensed as they pulled up to Tailor Made.

Jean-Claude opened the car door just as a blonde blur landed next to the car. Asher- he had flown there from Danse Macabre. "Mon Ami. Jason, do you want to get Cari and Nathaniel? I am afraid she is in no shape to invite us inside the upstairs."

"Yeah." Jason ran into the shop and up the stairs to where Cari and Nathaniel were. He could smell the blood, and knew there was a lot of it. "Cari!" He took in the sight of blood on the floor and the soaked towels. “Jean-Claude's downstairs. Take her down Nathaniel."

The wereleopard nodded as he picked Cari up and strode to the stairs. Cari was pale and not responding very well.

Jason saw the envelope with the silver blade in it on the table. Scooping it up he followed Nathaniel and Cari to the limo. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, he moved into the limo after his two lovers. Handing the envelope to Jean-Claude he said, "It's what cut her."

The vampire frowned, carefully dumping the bloody sliver blade onto the floor of the car, a folded sheet of white paper joining it. Bending, he picked it up. In large, childish handwriting, he read, “WATCH YOUR BACK BITCH- HAL”

Nathaniel frowned as he held Cari. “So much for the hope of them being an ‘innocent’ hate group.” The words were simple... the angry emotion behind them was far from it.

Jason sat quietly next to the now ghostly Cari. Silently he fumed as he stroked her hair. This group had hurt his mate. His beast roared in his mind. He hated seeing Cari this vulnerable. Worry and anger etched his over features as he listened to Jean-Claude read aloud the letter.

Asher paused. “This is the group you spoke to me earlier of?”

“Apparently.” Jean-Claude looked at Jason. “She will be fine... once we get her stitched up.”

“She is conscious... just bleeding all over your car.” Cari glowered weakly from Nathaniel’s lap. All right... so she got bitchy when she was hurt. “And I’m *not* letting some idiot near me with a needle!”

“Unless you want to bleed to death, I think you’ll need stitches.” Jason looked at Cari. “You’ll be all right. I promise I’ll be with you the entire time.”

“Me too.” Nathaniel nuzzled Cari’s neck, then rested his head on Jason’s shoulder.

“I know everything will be fine... this time.” Jason rested his head on Nathaniel’s as he let out a sigh.

Cari nearly growled at Jason, sighing instead. “Did I mention that I’m afraid of needles?”

Asher watched the three snuggle, giving Cari an odd look. “You sew every day, Cherie...”

“I’m not your Cherie!” Cari growled at Asher, pouting at the weak, kitten-like noise that emerged.

Both of the vampires smirked, the looks eerily similar. *Aw... look... the kittens and cub, so cute together...* Jean-Claude laughed inwardly.

The limo pulled up to Lillian’s before any more could be said. Helping Cari out of the limo, Jason, Nathaniel and the others walked in to meet a waiting Lillian.

“Cari... oh dear. Come with me, Sweetie.” Lillian took in the sight of the soaked towel. She’d lost a lot of blood, and would obviously need stitches. “Which one of you is going in with her? I apologize, but only one is allowed.”

Blinking in surprise, Jason and Nathaniel looked at each other, then at the doctor. “Lillian, could both of us please go in with her?” Jason pleaded.

“I’m sorry, but only one of you can. It is only stitches, she will be fine.” The wererat waited for their answers as Nathaniel and Jason looked at Cari.

“I can stay out here. I’ll see you right afterwards though, okay?” Nathaniel asked Cari.

Cari glowered at the doctor. “The last time you poked me with a needle, I looked like-“

“Cari...” Jean-Claude sighed. “Lillian is very capable-”

“Of poking holes! Twelve last time! Twelve!” She looked at Jason, her eyes pleading for there to be another way.

Jason gave her a sympathetic shrug before Lillian spoke again. “Yes, well, be glad I’m capable of poking holes. I do believe this time,” she slowly unwrapped the towel and took a look at the laceration. Taking in a sharp breath at the gash. “This time it will be closer to forty.”

Cari stared at the doctor, swallowing as she paled further still. “F... fo... forty?”

Asher bit back a gasp, oui, by the smell and amount of blood, they had known it was bad... but the cut extended from the tip of her right index finger down into the wrist... very deeply the entire way.

Jean-Claude’s lips tightened. “Mon Ami, I am going down to the police station.” He nodded at the others. “Call Clayton when you need a ride.”

“Come, dear. We’ll make this as quick as possible.” Lillian led Cari and Jason to the room where she’d be taken care of.

“I’ll stay out here and watch your purse.” Nathaniel kissed Cari’s cheek and watched as Lillian closed the door behind them.

Riley! Riley would be pissed if she wasn’t told about this. Nathaniel wondered how to reach her, then thought of Cari’s cell phone. I’m sure she won’t mind me getting in her purse for this...

Nathaniel sat next to Asher and searched through Car’s cell phone after digging it free for Riley’s number.

Asher frowned as he watched the were. “What are you doing?”

“I’m looking for Riley’s cell number. She would want to know about all of this.” Nathaniel continued looking on Cari’s phone for the number. Jeez, she had so many... none of which he’d heard of.

“...Speaking of Riley, why isn’t she here?”

Nathaniel looked at the vampire, “She left.” Looking at his watch, he saw it was about eleven o’clock. “I’d say that she’d be almost to Phoenix by now. She took a cab to the airport around Seven-ish.”

The room seemed to darken and shrink in on the two men. “Pardon moi?” Asher’s voice was low and dangerous.

Nathaniel fought not to cower away from the vampire. “She came home and seemed in a rushed mood. She started packing and was out of the house within half an hour. She said something about business in Phoenix... Cari didn’t look very convinced.” He watched the vampire’s face darken. “Look, maybe Jason will let you out of the bet since she isn’t here.”

Asher looked at the leopard, sneering. “You really think that everything in life is about bets?”

Anger flickered involuntarily in Nathaniel. “No offense, but you were the one who made it. You are angry, so naturally I thought that was the reason why.”

The vampire growled. “I cannot believe that she would leave with the development of HAL.”

“She doesn’t know about HAL, Asher.” The wereleopard’s voice was careful.

“Cari did not tell her?” Asher’s tone was disbelieving.

“Cari told her she didn’t want to be anything more than friends. Riley didn’t give her much chance to say anything else.” Nathaniel shrugged. “Riley seemed in a rush ever since she got back from wherever she stayed last night.”

“She stayed at the Circus.”

“Oh... okay... well I don’t know what happened at the Circus, but whatever it was, I’m willing to bet money that it was what made her run.”

“I kissed her. That is all.” The vampire raised a brow in an arrogant manner as he spoke.

“I don’t know, Asher.” Nathaniel stood. “Listen, no offense, again, but I was against this bet from the beginning. I’m not really into giving you advice as to how to win it.” Turning to leave, he added, “I have to call Riley.”

The vampire growled. “For a submissive, Cat, you have a lot of balls.” Coarse language, oui, but he was beyond angry. And Nathaniel was within range of his sharp tongue.

“Sorry... I was just speaking my mind, and I didn’t appreciate you getting angry at me for your bet. I just don’t want to see anyone get hurt. Riley is Cari’s best friend. If Cari finds out about this, she will skin anyone involved alive.” Nathaniel fought the immense fear to cower away from Asher. “You’re playing with someone’s emotions, Asher. I may be submissive, but I’m not going to just stand by and help you hurt someone who’s obviously been hurt in the past.”

“You know nothing of my intentions, Nathaniel.” Asher shook his head. “I suppose that I have my answer...”

“Your answer?” Nathaniel quirked a brow at the vampire.

“I asked her to dinner... because I...” Asher shook his head. He owed Nathaniel no explanations.

Sighing, Nathaniel shook his head and walked outside to call Riley. Finding her number, he pressed ‘Send’ and waited.

“Yeah?” The answer was short and simple.

“Riley?” Damn. So much for his brief reign of dominance.

“Who is this and how did you get my number?” Riley’s voice sounded guarded.

“Um. This is Nathaniel Graison. Cari’s... boyfriend.”

“Oh... hey, Nat Kat. Why are you calling me?”

Nat Kat? Why? Nathaniel shook his head. “Well... Cari. She’s had an accide-”

A seriousness came over Riley. “What happened to Cari?”

Edward, who’d been sitting at Riley’s kitchen table behind her, stood, walking over to her. “What about Cari? Is she all right?” Genuine concern touched him.

Nathaniel paused, hearing the man’s voice in the background. “We... she was reading here mail and went to open the next envelope... there was a silver razor...”

Fear slammed into Riley like a ton of bricks. “How serious is it? Why would a silver blade be in her mail? Is she going to be all right?”

“Riley, calm down. They can only answer one question at a time.” Edward wondered who was on the other end of the phone, but he would wait until Riley hung up to ask questions.

“It cut her from her right index finger down into her wrist. It was in her mail because of HAL, the new hate group got pissed at her because she made them leave Jason and I alone in the club, and she’ll be fine, she’s getting stitched up now.” Nathaniel paused. “Was that all the questions?”

“I’ll be there around eight tomorrow night.” Riley hung up before anything else could be said.

“Who was that, Riley?” Edward quirked a brow. “And tell me exactly what’s happening.”

Riley referred everything she’d heard to her brother. “I’m going back obviously. If I hadn’t been in such a rush to get out of there, I might have heard about this and been able to prevent her from being hurt.” Riley was angry with herself. “I’ll just have to stay away from Asher.”

"I'll be rounding up Bernardo and following... and you never did tell me why the hell you were hanging around Asher." Edward crossed his arms over his chest, giving his little sister a look.

"Benardo?!" Riley made a disgusted look as she rolled eyes. "I really don't like that man... he's almost as trigger-happy as you are."

"...At least he didn't burn down his house because he was PMSing."

“Oh shut up!" Riley snapped. "I wasn't PMSing! The damn place was infested and I needed the insurance money."

"Tell me about Asher, Riley. I don't change subjects as easy as Cari." Edward gave her a look. "And it wasn't infested. It was one roach."
"I hate insects...they are disgusting... and they make cool popping noises when they burn." Riley really didn't want to get into the whole Asher topic, especially with a big protective older brother. Besides, there was no Asher topic. She'd left...surely he would have gotten the message by now.

Edward just stared at her, leaning nonchalantly against Riley's kitchen counter. "How'd you meet him?"

Sighing Riley picked up her suitcase and put it by the door. "He met me at Cari's shop. I was working on her budget books...he came in and decided to get talkative. I brushed him off, but then the night I did the job, Cari and I got into a really good fight and I couldn't sleep. I went for a walk to look at all the late night shops. Asher saw me, and the bloody idiot wouldn't leave me alone. He said that there had been a murder close to there and it wasn't safe for me to be out by myself." Riley ended there...she sounded like she was holding something back, but she just knew that if Eddy knew about her and Asher little make out session he would flip.

"So... I need to have a talk with Asher for stalking my little sister..." Edward's eyes narrowed. He knew that if he acted properly brutish, she would tell him.. There was something faintly disturbing about the way she spoke of Asher... something in her tone. And he didn't like it. Not one bit.

"No. Listen Edward, I took care of it. I'm not 17 anymore and I'm not stupid. All I have to do is look at my fuckin' past to see why any guy would be a waste of my time. I don't need you defending me. All Asher had to do was trace my stab wound and I remember why the hell I didn't want anything to do with him. We kissed...happy? It was nice..." A stone cold look flooded her features. " It will never happen again. So lay off!" Riley had been angry with her self for her attraction to Asher, and Edward just happened to be an excellent verbal target.

"Rye... as much as I'd like to lock in into a chastity belt... not all men are bad." Edward reached over, mussing her hair. "Now let's get going. We need to nip this HAL shit in the bud."

"Yeah...thanks to you and that damn Vampire I'm in the mood to kill something." Riley scowled moving for the door. "You can tell Bernardo I dare him to hit on me." The scowl turn to a smirk as she gave Edward a look that to any other man would have them hard as a rock...to Edward it just meant she was in the mood for a fight.
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Tailor Made: Killer Instincts