“What? No! They’ve got Peter.” He looked at Raph for confirmation and his expression said it all. “I know my story’s changed so many times, but I can tell the truth now, and Cate can tell them how he threatened to kill her.”
“I know.” Jesse took Ian’s hands in his. “They know I didn’t kill you. I think. There’s enough doubt with Peter and his removal of his tracker, and your testimony should convince them.” He gave another sad smile. “But I did turn you into a vampire. There’s no getting around that, and it goes against our agreement with the VLCD. I broke the rules and I have to face the consequences. Otherwise our agreement with them means nothing.”
“But—”
“There’s nothing to be done, Ian. It is what it is.”
Ian stared at him, open-mouthed. He’d known this was the probable outcome, but with everything that had happened, he’d forgotten about it. Or pushed it to the back of his mind. “How long?”
Jesse looked away, and Ian knew it was going to be bad. “Ten years.”
“Ten years!” Fucking hell. They’d only just found each other. Ian refused to wait ten fucking years until they could be together.
“That’s lenient. It could’ve been so much worse.” Jesse shrugged, managing a half smile. “We can live for a long time, Ian. Forever if we manage not to piss anyone off. Ten years is nothing when you think of it like that.”
It sounded like a long fucking time to Ian.
The injured officers had been taken away, and Watts stood in the doorway, gun trained in their direction, watching them. Waiting.
“How are they?” Raph asked, gesturing to the bloodstained floor.
“Not too bad, considering.” He ran a hand over his eyes and sighed. “Harper’s still unconscious. They’re working on him now. That bastard cracked his skull.” He spat the words, and Ian didn’t blame him. His gaze drifted to Jesse. “I have orders to take you to the holding cells.”
“Now?” Ian hated how desperate he sounded, but he couldn’t help it.
“He’ll be held there while we sort out his permanent cell below ground.”
Jesse shuddered and Ian grabbed his hand, holding on tight.
He met Jesse’s gaze.
I don’t want to let go.
As if reading his mind, Jesse leaned in and rested their foreheads together. “I know,” he whispered, then placed a soft kiss on Ian’s lips. “I have to go.”
Ian clung onto his hand, standing with him and drawing him into a hug that would have to last him all the time they were apart. “Will I be able to visit you?”
Jesse looked to Raph, eyebrow raised.
“I’ll find out,” Raph answered, and Ian would have to be satisfied with that.
Watts walked over and gestured for Jesse to move towards the door. “Come on.”
Ian pulled him in for one last kiss, pouring everything he felt into it. Their relationship might be new, but the connection he had with Jesse felt like they’d been together years instead of days. “I’ll see you soon,” he murmured, hoping like fuck it was true.
“Good—”
“No.” Ian covered Jesse’s mouth with his fingers. “Don’t.”
Jesse nodded that he understood. “See you soon.” He turned and let Watts lead him out of the room, where Ian saw two more men waiting in the hallway.
And then he was gone.
Raph’s hand was gentle on his arm. “We need to get you fitted with a tagging bracelet before we can leave.” He smiled and gave Ian’s shoulder a squeeze. “And I believe there’s some people waiting to see you.”
Ian shook his head and attempted to pull himself together. Raph was right, Jesse wasn’t the only person he needed to be thinking about.
Even if he is the one I need most.
Ian followed Raph out of the room and down the corridor, Jesse nowhere to be seen.
Ian knew one thing then and there. Ten fucking years was unacceptable, and he was going to be a pain in the VLCDs arse until they reduced Jesse’s sentence. There had to be something he could do, and as soon as he got back to the coven, he intended to start looking into it.
IAN LOOKED down at the shiny new tracker on his wrist, turning it this way and that, trying to get used to the weight of it.
“You’ll have that until the new ones are ready.” Raph stood watching him, not having left his side once since he almost ate some of the VLCD officers. A fact that Ian was more grateful for than he could put into words. “They’re being modified after Peter’s little revelation.”
“What’s going to happen to him?” Ian looked up, surprised to see regret on Raph’s face.
“They’re still deciding.”
Initially Ian had wanted him dead, but now he wasn’t sure if he could be happy that someone was going to be executed. Even if it was Peter. Maybe having him gone would be good enough. “And Jesse?” Ian asked the question he’d been putting off for over an hour, afraid of what Raph’s answer would be. “We’re not going to leave him in a cell for ten years without a fight, are we?”
Raph’s eyebrows rose, and he fixed Ian with a look that seem to bore right into him. “Of course not.” He gestured for Ian to open the door. “But that’s a discussion for later.”
“Okay.” Ian felt slightly mollified. At least they weren’t abandoning Jesse.
Before Ian could walk out of the door, Raph paused on the threshold and turned to him. “If you’re feeling up to it, Cate and Blake are waiting in one of the interview rooms.”
Ian bit his lip. Was he ready to see his friends? He might have already spoken to the both over the phone, but face-to-face was a different beast altogether. Would they be frightened of him now? Would Blake see him as the enemy instead of his best friend?
Only one way to find out.
“Yeah, okay. Let’s go.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Jesse sat with his head resting against the wall of the cell, eyes closed, thoughts of Ian filling his mind as he tried not to think about what lay ahead.
Ten years.
Ten fucking years.
He hadn’t lied to Ian, compared to what they could’ve given him, it was lenient, but still.
It was a long time to be apart from Ian, from his coven.
A long time to ask Ian to wait for him.
He ached at the thought that someone else would have to teach him what it was to be a vampire. Someone else would guide him through the early months while he learnt to control his thirst and get used to the new ways his body could now move.
Jesse wanted so desperately for it to be him, and he slammed his fist against the wall, welcoming the pain as his bones cracked and then healed themselves.
“Temper, Temper.” Soft laughter sounded from the cell next door, and Jesse groaned.
“Fuck off, Peter.” Of course they’d put him in the cell next to Jesse. There seemed to be no escaping him. If only the VLCD had seen fit to soundproof the cells as well as their interview rooms.
Peter scoffed. “I don’t know what you’ve got to be upset about. You got off lightly. Ten years is nothing.”
Jesse ignored him. With any luck he’d take the hint and shut up.
“We can potentially live an eternal life, Jesse, what’s ten years? A mere blink of an eye.”
Shuffling sounded in Peter’s cell, and Jesse couldn’t help but picture him getting comfortable on his bed. No doubt gearing up for a long speech. Jesse rolled his eyes. Ten years in a cell he could cope with. Probably. But ten years in a cell next to Peter?
Kill me now.
“They’ve not decided what my punishment will be yet. But they kindly told me what the options are: Death by sunlight, or anywhere from fifteen to fifty years in one of these ridiculous cells. Count yourself lucky.”
Unable to hold his tongue, Jesse spat back, “That’s because you drank Ian’s blood and left him for dead. Then attacked five of their officers. What were you expecting them to do? Pat you on the head and send you on your way?”
&nbs
p; “Now, now, Jesse, there’s no need to be like that.” The amusement in Peter’s tone irritated Jesse even more than his words. He knew he was getting to him. “But you know,” he said, voice deadly serious now, “if Raph had never signed that fucking agreement in the first place, I wouldn’t be in here and neither would you.”
“No, we’d probably be dead already.”
“That’s bollocks and you know it. We survived just fine before the agreement. Hunters are always going to be around, you just need to learn how to avoid them.”
Jesse didn’t bother replying. What was the point? Peter would never agree that not killing people was a good thing, and Jesse would always argue that it was. He closed his eyes again as the silence stretched out, hoping that Peter had run out of steam.
Ian’s face filled his mind, and Jesse wondered what he was doing, if he was still in the building. Raph would’ve had him tagged by now, and if he had any sense would get Ian back to the coven as soon as possible. He needed to be away from humans for a while. If that meant away from Jesse too, then so be it. It hadn’t yet been confirmed if he’d be allowed to have visitors or not yet. Fuck, he hoped they’d let him.
After a while, boredom set in and curiosity got the better of him. Against his better judgement, Jesse asked the question that kept coming back to him. “Why did you kill him?”
Peter remained silent, but Jesse heard him shifting position, and knew he was listening. “Did you do it just to implicate me? Do you hate me that much that you’d kill an innocent man to get me out of the way?”
“I don’t hate you, Jesse.” He spoke in that low, seductive tone that used to make Jesse do whatever he asked.
Not any more though.
“Then why?”
“For the same reason I interfere in all your relationships.” He huffed out a laugh. “Those that look like they might be more than a quick fuck, anyway.”
A shiver ran down Jesse’s spine. He didn’t want to indulge Peter, but he had to know. “What do you mean?”
Peter laughed. “Come on, Jesse, you’re not stupid. Did you really think Alexander left you because he didn’t want to leave London?”
“He’d been with his coven over a hundred years.” Jesse had been gutted but he’d understood.
“And his refusal to let you join him there?”
“His coven leader wouldn’t allow it.”
“Oh come on, Phillipe is almost as soft as Raph. He’d have bent over backwards to make Alexander happy.”
Jesse’s hands curled into fists. “What did you do?”
“Ahh, that would be telling. But you know how persuasive I can be. The right word in poor Alex’s ear and he was only too happy to call the whole thing off.”
Stunned, Jesse struggled to find the words. He’d known Peter could be a jealous wanker, but it’d been years since he and Jesse were together. “Why would you do that?”
“Why?” Peter’s laughter held no humour. “Because you’re mine, Jesse. I changed you; I brought you back to life as a vampire. When I was turned, it meant you belonged to your sire for as long as they saw fit. You either learnt to like it or you tried to kill them.”
“That was over a hundred years ago.” Maybe more. Jesse didn’t know Peter’s exact age, but it didn’t surprise him that things like that used to be common practice. He shuddered at the thought. “Thankfully that’s not a thing any more. I don’t belong to you, or anyone else.” Something about what Peter said jogged his memory. He’d read something similar in the old book from the library.
“It might not be common practice these days, but the laws still stand.” He sounded so certain, Jesse tried to remember more about what the book had said. “And I didn’t go to all the trouble of making you mine to go and lose you to a fucking human. I’d already got rid of one, I didn’t think I’d have to do it again, but you couldn’t just fuck him and move on, could you? You had to go back. As though he had more to—”
“Stop.” Jesse held tight to the mattress underneath him, mind reeling at the implications of Peter’s words. “What do you mean you already got rid of one human?” Jesse had fucked a fair few humans in his years as a vampire, but none of them had meant anything. Not like Ian had. And as far as he was aware, they’d all lived through the experience. Unless Peter had followed him without Jesse noticing, he’d have no idea who they even were.
That left only one human that Peter could be referring to, but Jesse’s mind refused to believe it. He didn’t even know Peter existed back then.
Peter remained uncharacteristically silent.
“Peter,” Jesse hissed. “Tell me who you mean.”
For a long moment, Jesse thought he wouldn’t answer, but then he started to talk.
“I first saw you late one Friday night. You were walking back from one of those dreadful clubs they had back then. With him.”
Callum.
Peter mumbled something that Jesse didn’t catch. “You were so beautiful. You captured my interest like nothing I’d seen in all my years. All sharp angles and lean limbs. And you were so full of laughter.” Because I was happy. “I watched you for months.”
“Months?” Jesse’s voice came out rough, ragged, as the words sank in. “I thought our first meeting was an accident.” Jesse had been drunkenly wandering the dark alleys on his way back from a bar, hoping someone would put him out of his misery. And then as if reading his mind, Peter had appeared, offering him a way to escape.
“No.” For once Peter’s voice was absent any mocking tone. “The more I watched, the more I wanted. But I knew you’d never leave him. Not willing anyway.” He paused, and Jesse wanted to tell him to stop, didn’t want to hear what he knew Peter was going to say, but he couldn’t find his voice. “So I did what I had to do.”
“You killed Callum.” Jesse’s fingers gripped the sheets on the mattress so tightly, the material tore.
“No. But a few encouraging words in the right ears, and it took care of itself.”
Rage built inside him, so strong Jesse shook with it. “All these years you let me believe he died because of what we were to each other.”
“He did,” Peter hissed. “The men who killed him were more than willing, believe me.”
“But you made it happen. Callum died because he was in your fucking way.” Jesse sprang off the bed and grabbed hold of the bars at the front of his cell, barely registering the effect of the iron. “You took away the man I loved and then stepped in when I was broken, offering me the one thing you knew I needed most.”
Escape.
He’d wanted to end his life, and Peter had offered him a way out. Jesse remembered a huge part of him had hoped it wouldn’t take, that he’d never wake up again. But he had, and Peter— He closed his eyes, swaying as the full horror dawned on him. “I hate you,” he whispered. All those months spent in Peter’s bed, in his arms, taking comfort from the very person who’d killed Callum.
Jesse would throw up if he could.
“Hate can’t last forever, Jesse.” Peter’s voice had taken on a soft lilt, meant to soothe, but it fanned the fire in Jesse’s belly. “Eventually you’ll come to understand, to see that we’re meant to be together. I can wait for as long as it takes.”
He’s insane.
The thought had crossed Jesse’s mind a couple of times before, but he’d never really believed it until now.
Peter would never stop.
If the VLCD didn’t kill him, Peter would serve his time, and then be set free to terrorise Jesse for all eternity. Just like sires used to do in older times.
Unless you kill him. Peter’s words came back to him and Jesse returned to his seat on the bed, ignoring Peter’s attempts at further conversation as his mind began to put things together.
When a guard appeared a few hours later with their blood ration, Jesse stood and walked over to collect it. Time to test if he was allowed visitors or not.
“I’d like to see Raphael.”
TWO GUARDS WAITED outside the doo
r to the interview room, guns lowered, but they kept their gazes trained on Ian and Raph as they passed.
“The door stays open,” one of them said.
“Of course,” Raph replied, as though he expected nothing less.
Ian felt as though he should be sweating, he was so nervous, but his palms remained frustratingly dry.
“You okay?” Raph murmured, and Ian gave a quick nod in return.
He’d glutted himself on blood earlier, and although being surrounded by humans wasn’t ideal—they still smelled good to him—as long as their blood stayed inside their bodies, he felt as though he could handle it.
For now anyway.
The room consisted of a large rectangular table and four chairs. Nothing else.
Cate sat at the far side of the table with Blake next to her, holding her hand. They were both staring at Ian, and he stopped just inside the room, not sure whether to stay where he was or risk taking a seat opposite them. “Hey,” he said. “Is it okay if I sit?” He gestured towards the chairs, then felt foolish because, where else did they think he meant?
Blake looked at Cate, waiting for her nod of approval before answering. “Yeah. Slowly though,” he added, and it broke Ian’s dead heart to know that his friends were afraid of him.
He sat down, noticing that Raph stayed leant against the wall by the door, giving them space.
No one spoke for what seemed like ages until Cate blurted out, “Fuck’s sake Ian. The first bloke you pick up in years and he turns out to be a sodding vampire.”
Ian couldn’t help the laugh that burst out of him.
“It’s not funny! Jesus.” She eyed him like he was crazy, but he continued to grin at her until eventually the corners of her mouth started to lift into the beginnings of a smile. “Don’t try and make me smile, I’m absolutely terrified right now. Oh my God, Ian.”
“I know, I’m sorry.” And he was. He never wanted anyone to be frightened of him, let alone Cate. “It’s just me, though, Cate.”
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