She knew he needed to hold her, to feel her in his arms to rest. He pulled her up so that her head was resting on top of his chest, and then he wrapped his arms around her.
****
When they reached Larissa’s door, she hesitated rather than open it and go inside. After a few seconds, she turned to face Gabe. “I can’t invite you to come in.”
“I know.” For so long, knowing his fire was often deadly to humans and other immortals, his soul had been frozen in time. He lived without ever allowing himself to experience another’s touch. He sure as hell never dared to touch another. He could touch her, hold her, share his body with her. No matter the state of his emotions, she could safely touch him. “It’s okay.”
“You’re wrong.” It’s not okay. Nothing is okay. Gabe, I am…” she shook her head. “I don’t know what to say to you.”
He knew she planned to leave town in the morning, believing he would be gone by the time she returned. He couldn’t lose her. Now that he knew what he would be missing, continuing without her, living a lie was no longer an option. “You don’t need to say anything to me.”
“I never thought I would find you.” She took a small step closer to him. “I didn’t even know I was waiting to find you. I’ve been alone in every way for so long. The day we meant on the roof, I knew we could never be together. I thought we could share a few moments together, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.”
He wanted to fall at her feet and beg her to love him for forever. But he couldn’t. Not yet. In the morning, after Adam had a chance to recover from his gunshot wounds, he would confront him. If Adam refused to give him a chance to buy his freedom, he knew they would fight to the death. There was no other option. “What do you mean?”
“I feel too much for you, Gabe. I let myself fall too hard for you.” She laughed softly. “In my defense, you’re pretty damn amazing.” She turned away from him and opened her door. Once inside the room she faced him. “Goodbye, Gabe.” She shut the door.
He stared at her door for hours, wanting to go inside, wanting to confess his eternal love and devotion to her, but he couldn’t. He needed to meet with Adam first. He would secure his freedom or die. He refused to claim her and force her into a life a servitude.
****
Mia got to her feet as she watched Joseph walk toward her. Linking her hands at the nape of his neck, she pulled him closer and kissed him. “Did Hanna make it?”
“Yes.” Joseph placed his hand over the wound on her back and pushed healing energy into her. “He did it.”
“It?”
“Yes.” He frowned. “This is deep. Are you in pain.”
“That’s wonderful.” She shook her head. “It doesn’t really hurt at all.”
“What about Megan?” he hissed between clenched teeth, alerting her that he’d taken her pain into his own body to give her relief. “Like hell it wasn’t hurting.”
“Thank you, Joseph. But you don’t need to hold the pain for me. I can take it. Haden picked her up. She was fine. Nikolas was able to prevent her from seeing much of anything.” Mia laughed. “And she’s still mad as hell at you.”
“That’s good. We need to find a way to stop her from shifting at will. And I know your strong enough to handle pain. But I can’t stand the idea of you experiencing it.” He started looking her over, searching for more injuries. “Why didn’t you tell me you were shot?”
“It was only a graze. What about bystanders?” Mia asked.
He opened his hand to show her a bullet in his palm. “When the bullet is left behind, it’s more than a graze.”
“I can’t believe we had a shooting at the hotel. Did you know Kazimir was going to attack us at the restaurant?”
“Of course not. I would’ve stopped it before it happened, but I should’ve seen it coming. Kazimir had already attacked the hotel.
“What about human casualties and injuries?”
“Two women and three men were shot. No major wounds. A man was trampled, but he’s going to be fine. They’re all at the hospital now. The kitchen staff made it out the back after the waitress was killed.”
“How bad was Adam hurt?” Mia asked.
“He took at least a dozen shots but he’s fine.”
“Fine?” Mia asked.
“I’ve no doubt he’s hurting and moving a bit slower than normal for a day or two, but he’ll heal quickly. He’ll be here in the morning. We need a secure the place to meet to Demetri.”
“Why here?”
“It’s safe here. We can’t risk Erebus finding out what we’re doing.”
“Your safeguards are a hundred times more powerful at the boutique.”
“Because you’re often there without me.”
“I am never without you,” she laughed. “I think to be extra careful, you should have the meeting at the boutique.”
“Actually, that is a great idea.”
“Imagine how peaceful life would be if you listened to my ideas more often.”
“I always listen to you.”
“In that case, I have another suggestion.”
“I’m all ears, angel.”
“The next time you feel the need to call me a mean woman, I want you to remember that I’ve never stabbed you with a spoon.” She paused. “Not once.”
“Not yet. I wouldn’t put it past you.” He laughed. “You’ve shot at me in the past.”
“Not at you. I was shooting at vampires that happened to be standing in front of you.”
“You kept shooting after they were sprawled out on the ground.”
“Only two or three or four rounds. You can’t hold a grudge against me for being in shock. They were very scary vampires.”
“They were dead vampires.”
“If you really think about it, the entire situation was your fault.”
“How’s that?”
“If you would’ve been faster getting to me in my time of distress, I wouldn’t have been forced to shoot them.”
~ TWENTY-FIVE ~
Adam glanced at Joseph. “Demetri is here.”
“Is Gabe at the club yet?”
“Yes.” Adam nodded. “He’s ready.”
Demetri opened the door and walked into the room. His gaze moved around the room. “You know I’m not the sort of demon you want to lure into a trap. I will fight back.”
Adam laughed. “None of us want to pick a fight with you. We’re here to offer you an opportunity to be free, to leave here and search for Sara and Caspian.”
“I can’t.” Demetri frowned, pushing his hand through his hair. “If I deviate from my routine for too long Sara will suffer for it.”
“What if you didn’t need to deviate to leave?” Joseph asked.
“That’s not possible. Even shedding my physical body wouldn’t work. I am tangled in a web of spells. Just coming here to have this conversation could put her in danger.”
“This is Javier. He’s a…”
“Skinwalker.” Demetri interrupted, locking his gaze on Javier. “A very old one.”
“Not that old. He’s younger than you. He can take any form.” Adam paused. “Flawlessly.”
“For how long?” Demetri asked.
“As long as needed,” Javier said.
“What do you need from me to take my form?”
“I need to fully merge with you.”
“No.” Demetri shook his head, shifting his gaze to Adam. “She’ll die if he makes a mistake.”
“I won’t,” Javier said.
“Why are you willing to help me?”
“I am not offering to do it for you. I wouldn’t. You’re not weak or vulnerable. I am offering to do it for the sake of your mate. I would do it for any other woman or child taken and tourchered by Erebus.”
“You have a grudge against him?”
“I have a problem with any male willing to harm innocent and defenseless women and children. I have a problem with powerful beings bullying lesser or weaker beings. I definite
ly have a problem with a demon thinking he’s a damn god.”
****
Demetri liked his answer, but he knew doing it could turn to tragedy. It was such an enormous risk. One mistake would be Sara’s death. And possibly Caspian’s death. He also knew his time was running out.
“I understand your reluctance. I can’t imagine what you’ve endured. I don’t know how you’ve gone on for so long. But right now, you’re spinning in circles. You don’t really have any other hope of finding her, saving her.” Adam paused. “And if you’re right, if you’re no longer alive in six months, you might as well stop spinning.”
Demetri nodded and looked at Javier. “They have managed to link Mary’s life with Sara’s life. Whatever happens to Mary will happen to Sara.”
“I know.”
“If they realize you’re not…”
Javier interrupted. “They’ll never know I am not you.”
Demetri realized this could be the beginning of the end. In truth it was the only way to ever end it. He couldn’t say no. But he needed to make sure Javier knew the challenge of dealing with Mary.
“You’ll want to kill Mary. She will push you. She’ll try to force you to do unforgivable things.”
“I can handle it.”
“You’ll be surrounded by corrupt vampires.”
“I will be able to flawlessly mimic your behavior. I won’t deviate from it. Surely, you don’t try to pretend to like them.” He smiled. “That would be a true challenge.”
“Not at all.”
“I can do it.”
“When would we start?”
“I will walk out of this office as you.”
“Let’s do it.”
“When I merge with you I need full freedom to explore and gather information. If you try to hide things, I will not be able to mimic you. For this to work, I need to become a perfect copy. I need to possess your emotions. Your posture in every circumstance. Your expressions. I need to know your habits. Your routines. I need to know your weaknesses and your strengths.”
“I understand. But how can you be sure?”
“Leave that to me. You’ll need to be available to me.”
“If you have a problem?”
“If I find myself uncertain.”
“I’ll be here as well. Jax and Rowdy have fit in at the club. We will make sure Mary has plenty of drama going on at the club.”
“Does Jax and Rowdy know Javier will be taking my place?”
“No.” Adam said. “I trust them fully, but they naturally lack the ability to shield their minds as well as we can. As far as they’re concerned, Javier will be you.”
“We’ll provide cover for you to shift from here to my home in Alaska.” Joseph said. “I’ve already opened my property for you and secured it against any intruders. You’ll be free to travel anywhere from there. Nikolas and Brianna will show up to help you.”
“No one will know I am not you,” Javier said.
Demetri looked at Joseph. “Emily often comes to me for blood.”
“You’re still feeding her?” Joseph asked.
“I take care of her.”
“I can’t give her my blood,” Javier said.
“I know,” Demetri said.
“She’ll go to Zack, won’t she?” Joseph asked.
Demetri looked at Javier. “You need to push her away. Encourage her to go to Zack. Mary hates her. If Emily comes to the club…”
“I will make sure no harm comes to Emily,” Adam said. “She’ll be protected.”
“She’ll be fine,” Joseph agreed. “Zack is doing better now. He watches over her. Most of the time from a distance. But he watches.”
“I know,” Demetri nodded. “He’s been a constant pain in my ass. He needs to claim her.” There was a moment of silence. “I can’t believe you’re all willing to help me.”
“It doesn’t mean some of us aren’t looking forward to kicking your ass after you get Sara back.” Joseph laughed.
“You’re welcome to try.”
“Later, old man.” Joseph smiled. “Let Javier pick your brain. You need to get your ass out of here and go find your mate. And, thanks to Mia’s insistence and the fact that I’m maxed out on allotted spankings for the week, if you run into trouble and need help, don’t hesitate to ask for it. We swear we’ll come running or, thanks to Adam’s up close and personal encounter with a spoon, I too will have one.”
“She threatened to stab you with a spoon,” Adam asked.
“Like I said, I’m maxed out on spankings for the week.”
“I grow more and more fond of Mia every day.” Demetri went completely still. “Mary is calling me.”
Javier stepped up to him. “Let’s get it done.”
“She’s being persistent. Maybe, I should…”
“It will go quickly since you’re willing.”
“Don’t worry, Demetri. Gabe is at the club. He’s approaching Mary right now. He’ll give her hell and keep her busy until we’re done,” Adam said.
Demetri had never felt the weight of fear as he felt it at that moment. If the smallest thing went wrong, Sara would die. What if Javier betrayed him? What if Joseph or Adam turned against him?
Joseph placed his hand on his shoulder. “We’ve had our problems these past few years. We thought you turned against us. You worked really hard at pissing me off by messing with Mia. We thought you’d killed your mate. No one knew what the hell you were up to. I know you were protecting Mia when you were acting like an asshole. I’m not saying that I don’t want to beat your ass for it. We know, Demetri. We know now. Not one of us would’ve come out looking any better than you if we’d been in your shoes.”
Adam nodded. “And we all remember everything you’ve done for us. Every sacrifice. The many times you’ve fought side by side with us. We will never betray you.”
Demetri took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’m ready.” He looked at Javier. “Merge with me. Take whatever you need from me.”
Javier gripped Demetri’s forearms. Demetri’s natural reaction was to resist. He struggled against the urge. He almost failed until Joseph and Adam came up behind him and each placed a hand on his shoulders to lend their strength.
“It’s working. Just let the information go,” Javier said. “Don’t hold anything back.”
Demetri’s dragon was shockingly calm. He expected more of a fight. He just let go. Like freefalling. Allowing Javier freedom to search his deepest thoughts and darkest memories.
“Damn it,” Javier growled, releasing Demetri’s arms. “It’s done.”
Demetri watched as Javier took on his form. He truly became a flawless replica. “That’s amazing.”
Javier met his gaze. “I have never experienced this depth of pain and rage. I am amazed you’ve endured it. I have decided that I would be willing to help you. Go and find Sara. I swear I will not fail you.”
“We’ll hide your departure,” Joseph said.
Within seconds Demetri was standing in Joseph’s home in Alaska. He was free. It hit him all at once. He was free to find Sara. He quickly found a file left by Joseph. It contained detailed information on several haunted house attractions. The second he saw a picture of one with stain glass windows, he felt a pull to it.
He opened the brochure for it. “If you have an adventurous soul,” he read aloud, “and if you yearn to experience the dangerous and mysterious realm of the other side come and visit the Cass Mansion. The atmosphere inside is guaranteed to send an unholy shiver of terror down your spine. It’s as dark and frigid as the casket Dr. Cass escaped many years ago to satisfy his hunger and thirst for the flesh and blood of mankind.”
Along with it, he found an old sketch of himself in a newspaper clipping. No. It was Caspian. They were using Caspian as the ghost. It was in Maine. Caspian had spent his free time in Maine. He said it felt like home. It felt right. He often wandered the coast. He was always searching for something and never finding it.
He�
�d isolated himself. He became a hermit of sorts. But he was always ready and willing to fight if needed. He had a secret in Maine. One he’d never shared with anyone. “What were you searching for in Maine, Caspian?”
He felt Nikolas Drake’s presence seconds before he heard his voice. “He wasn’t searching. He was waiting.”
Demetri turned to Nikolas and Brianna. “For what?”
“I don’t know. He wouldn’t say. I don’t even know if he knew what he was waiting for.”
“A compulsion?”
“Caspian?” Nikolas laughed. “I can’t imagine him being led by anything other than himself.”
“I’ll head to Maine now.”
“We’ll head to Maine,” Brianna stated.
Nikolas nodded. “That’s right. We will do this together.”
“Erebus is behind this. It’s too dangerous.”
“Sara is my sister. I think of you as my brother. We’re family. You’re not in this alone.”
Nikolas wrapped his arm around Brianna. “She’s right. You aren’t in this alone.”
~ TWENTY-SIX ~
Gabe left the club and returned to the hotel to face Adam. He found Adam and Hanna preparing to enter their suite for the night. “Adam,” he approached them behind, “I need to talk to you.”
Adam opened the door for Hanna. “I need to talk to Gabe. I’ll be just a minute, babe.” He shut the door and turned to face him. “Did Javier have any problems?”
“No. Javier walked right into the club and…” Rather than risk anyone overhearing their conversation, he switched to their private line of communication. I stayed for a few hours to make sure his entrance went smoothly. No one at the club suspected a thing. The vampires stayed away from him and Mary pestered the hell out of him. She threatened him with hurting Sara if he took off without an explanation again. I can’t believe the hell she has put Demetri through. When the time comes, he definitely won’t kill her gently. Anyways, Javier is a perfect replica. I’ve known him for centuries and couldn’t tell him apart from Demetri.
Now that Demetri is free to search, he’ll find Sara in no time. Adam placed his hand on Gabe’s shoulder. “I know something is bothering you. Talk to me.”
INSATIABLE BREATH OF DARKNESS Page 27