Book Read Free

Enemy Within (Vampire Born Trilogy, #2)

Page 18

by Kace, Angeline


  Hawk tells him.

  “What are you guys doing there?”

  I fight the urge to ask Mirko where they are.

  “All right. Stay there. We’ll be there in a few minutes.” Mirko hangs up and drives the car out of the parking lot. “They’re at David’s.”

  “What? Why?” What does Kaitlynn think she’ll get from going to his house?

  “Hawk said Kaitlynn needed to go to David’s. She wouldn’t drop it.”

  That can’t be good. This one day feels like a week. So much has happened. I’m fatigued thinking about all I’ve endured today, that we’ve all endured today. So much change, so much loss, so much pain. But I’ll keep going as long as Kaitlynn needs me.

  Mirko pulls the car to a stop across the street from David’s house and behind my Mazda. There’s a single light on inside, but other than that, it looks quiet.

  Kaitlynn gets out of my car, and I climb out of the Land Rover to meet her. Mirko follows behind me, but keeps a little distance.

  She stops at the curb near David’s mailbox. The house’s dark blue shutters look black in the moonlight, and the light yellow siding looks gray. It’s much gloomier right now than it has been all the other times I’ve seen it.

  Kaitlynn doesn’t say anything as we stare at the house. I’m not sure what she’s hoping to get by being here. Or what she’s imagining happened to David.

  I hope she’s not going down that dark tunnel.

  “Say something.” I have to break the silence before it crushes me. Crushes us.

  “I don’t feel him here.” A tear runs down her cheek. It shimmers in the moonlight, a liquid crystal against her delicate skin.

  I put my arm over her shoulder. “He’s in here.” I tap my hand over her heart. “He’ll always be here.”

  Tears trail down my cheek. I try to keep them back, but they won’t be stopped.

  She turns into my arm and hugs me tight, smothering her face into my shoulder as she cries.

  I cry with her. Because David’s gone, because he was my friend, he made her happy, he was innocent and way too young, and because I can’t take away her pain. Or Jaren’s, or even my own. I can’t stop any of the things that have been thrust upon those I love most.

  Kaitlynn hasn’t been with David long, but that doesn’t matter to me. I know exactly how hard you can fall for someone in such a short time. Had it been Mirko instead of David, Kaitlynn would be here for me the same way I am for her.

  She steps back and wipes her hands over her face, looking up at the night sky. She drops her gaze to my face. “I have to see him. Where’d they take him?”

  I sniff and wipe the sleeve of my sweater over my face, taking care not to stretch the skin near my stitches. “Mirko should know.” I grab her hand and walk beside over to Mirko.

  “Where did they take David?” I ask him.

  “Well, it can’t be the Lexington morgue because we were just there. Is there one here in Buena Vista?”

  “There’s a smaller hospital at the other edge of town. It probably has one.”

  Mirko motions to Hawk that Kaitlynn is coming with us. We get in and Mirko starts the car. “Direct me,” he says and pulls away from the curb and past Hawk.

  Kaitlynn sniffles in the back, staring out the window as if not seeing anything.

  “Kaitlynn,” Mirko says, the timing is bad, but I have to ask. Are you okay in regards to your change?”

  “I don’t have the urge to attack anyone, if that’s what you mean.”

  The remaining conversation is my directions.

  We hurry inside the small hospital to get out of the cold and stop at the front desk. “We’re here to identify a body,” Mirko says and uses Sanjam on the nurse. “Can you take us where we need to go?”

  “I can,” the nurse says and stands. She’s a heavyset woman with hearts on her scrub top. It’s a splash of color in a dingy place.

  I’m about done with hospitals at this point.

  “Stephanie,” the nurse calls to a blond, older woman down the hall. She points to the front desk and the blond nods.

  We follow the woman down the hall, through a few swinging doors, and then down some steps.

  We reach a closed door at the end of a wide hall. “The coroner should be able to help you from here.”

  “Thank you,” Mirko says and knocks on the door.

  An older man in blue scrubs and a white lab coat answers. Mirko uses Sanjam on him. “We need to see a body that should be here. David Bennett?”

  “Yes,” the coroner says and opens the door wide for us.

  Kaitlynn puts her hand out and stops us. “Can I …? I’d like to be alone, please.”

  “Are you sure?” I ask.

  “Yeah.” Her eyebrows are pinched, but her shoulders suggest she’s prepared to do this her way.

  “You’d better stay out here,” Mirko says to the coroner.

  “Okay. We’ll be over here.” I point to the stairs.

  I step back and allow the door to close while Kaitlynn goes inside.

  “Give us a few minutes,” Mirko says, and the coroner goes down the hall and disappears behind a door.

  I plop down on the second to last stair and rest my back against the cold, painted brick wall. The weight of a million nightmares hits me at once. “I shouldn’t have sat down.”

  “Why’s that?” Mirko asks. He climbs the steps and sits on the stair above mine.

  I move so he can get his legs on each side of me. I rest my back into his lap and against his hard chest. “Because I don’t think I’ll be able to get back up.”

  He wraps his arms around my torso and pulls me up so I’m sitting on his lap. “Then I’ll carry you.”

  I turn in his lap; my back is against the wall again and I look up at him. “Thank you for today. For saving Kaitlynn. For saving me. For everything. And beyond today.” I don’t recall ever really thanking him. It’s all so overdue at this point.

  He kisses the top of my head. “I’m never letting you out of my sight again.” His voice is so full of emotion, it’s heavy.

  “Is that really necessary?” I ask, trying to lighten the mood.

  “How can you ask me that?” Mirko’s voice is quiet, but the frustration and disbelief are clear. “Listen to her.” He nods toward the door to the morgue.

  Heart-rending sobs not fully muffled by the door trail down the hall.

  Another piece of my heart fractures.

  “That was almost me today. God, Slatki.” He cups my face and strokes his thumb along my cheek, searching my eyes, “I don’t know what I would have done if it was me.”

  His Adam’s apple bobs with a rough swallow. He leans in and whispers in my ear, “You’re my everything.”

  I’m overwhelmed with emotion and flushed with heat as my insides melt. My stomach flutters, and I work my throat to fight back tears because I feel the same way about him.

  I pull his arm tighter around me and reach up to touch my lips to his.

  His mouth is sure and bruising against mine. But it’s still not enough.

  I cup the back of his head and pull him tighter to me.

  He strokes his tongue against the rough side of mine and licks the underside of my top lip. He seals it with a closed-mouth kiss.

  It’s sexy and sweet all at once.

  I exhale between his lips.

  He shivers and sucks in the air between us.

  It draws me to his mouth again—I have to close the distance.

  We kiss deeply and passionately on the stairs leading to the morgue.

  It’s not lost on me that my best friend is in there mourning her boyfriend while I’m out here embracing mine.

  If anything, it reinforces that I sure as hell better not waste any more time in showing Mirko how much I love him.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Mirko

  I crawl into Brooke’s bed behind her and tuck her into me. I kiss her neck and revel in her throaty moan.

  “What are yo
u doing?” Her voice is husky with sleep.

  I wish I could lick it.

  “Waking you up.” It sucks that we have to keep our relationship a secret, but it sure adds an element of excitement when sneaking these moments in with her.

  “Really? Well, I haven’t been this comfortable all night. I think this is doing the opposite.” She rolls her hips back into my groin.

  I bite her neck hard enough to let her know she won’t get away with teasing me like that.

  She laughs softly and does it again.

  I throw my leg over her, capturing her wrist above her head, pushing her on her back and climbing on top of her. I drop enough of my weight so she can feel the pressure of my body flush against hers without squashing her.

  She strokes the outer edge of her free hand inside my shirt and down my waist.

  The muscles flex involuntarily with her touch.

  I’ve got to put a stop to this before I can’t.

  But first I need to get the last tease.

  I drop down to her chin and kiss underneath it. Then I trail small kisses up along her jaw and behind her ear.

  She tilts her head to the side to give me better access.

  I rise slightly and meet my lips to hers, kissing her with all the desire I’ve had bundled inside me since I saw her sleek body move in the gym that first time at The Base.

  I push my hips against hers and then pull back, taking the comforter with me.

  She groans.

  “We better get going before your dad comes in here looking for us.”

  Brooke looks at the clock. “It’s not even eleven.” She grabs her pillow and burrows her head underneath it. “Please tell me all of yesterday was a nightmare.”

  I pull the pillow out of her grip and toss it off the bed. I kiss her cheek. “I wish I could.”

  We look at each other regretfully.

  I try to lighten the mood. “Eleven is not early. Besides, your dad sent me up here to fetch you. We’d better get going before he wonders what’s taking so long.”

  She rolls out of bed and straightens her white thermal with the Lucky Charms leprechaun on it. I can’t help but think of how magically delicious she looks in her yoga pants. She pads to the bathroom and brushes her teeth.

  When she comes back out, I walk over to her and pull her close. “One last kiss,” I say and bend down to catch what I’ve asked for. I pull away and lick my lips. “Mmm, minty.”

  She looks up at me with a grin. “Mmm, Mirko.”

  I grin back because if I were a girl, I’d think I tasted pretty good too.

  Brooke follows me out into the hall, but I linger behind her when we reach the stairs. “In the library,” I tell her so I can see how her pants wrap around her ass as she drops down onto each step.

  She looks over her shoulder at me with a knowing smile.

  “What?”

  She turns forward and whispers, “You know what.”

  I focus on the way her cheeks bounce when she takes the last step. Hell yeah, I know what.

  I’m back on my best behavior as I walk through the foyer and into the library. Zladislov has taken over the library as his headquarters while here in southern Virginia.

  He’s on the phone when we come in, but he waves us over to the large seating area next to the fifteen-foot windows. He’s speaking in Croatian. Brooke can’t understand him, but I do. He’s discussing arrangements for his new stražar—Emerik’s replacement.

  Brooke sits on one couch, and I consider sitting on the same one but move to the one across from her. My wakeup call this morning has me extra sensitive to her and I need a few minutes to regain my composure. Especially in front of Zladislov.

  The midmorning sun shines through the curtain-parted windows and streak across the two-story bookshelf along the far wall. Dust particles dance through the beams and disappear into the shadows.

  Zladislov hangs up and places the phone on the large mahogany desk. He strolls over to us. “It’s unfortunate you’re a Zao Duh,” he says to me as he sits down in the armchair next to Brooke, “or I would consider you as a candidate for my next stražar.”

  I stare at him, not sure if I should take that as a compliment or an insult.

  No, it doesn’t matter how he meant it, I’m insulted. I’d say as much, but he is the leader of the Pijawikan world and I’m here purely because he allows it.

  Bullshit. But it’s not worth it to lose Brooke secondary to pride.

  “Did you really just say that?” Brooke asks, her voice rising in disgust.

  “Yes.” Zladislov looks at her. “Mirko has proven himself to be efficient and resourceful. He is a young man who has made much out of the little he has been given. And I respect his loyalty to those who are in his care.” He looks back at me, almost in challenge, like I’ll correct him and tell him Brooke is so much more to me than a job.

  I won’t. Brooke knows it. I’m confident enough to leave it alone.

  Why is he baiting me?

  “Well, then show him a little respect by not acting like it’s such a misfortune for him that he’s only a Zao Duh.”

  He nods at her, point taken. “How are you feeling?” I’m surprised Zladislov lets her sass him like that.

  She touches the bandage above her eye. “Okay for now.”

  “Then I shall get started. I called you down because we have arrangements of another sort I must prepare you for.”

  Brooke sits up straight.

  “Since I was unable to delay or reverse the Commission’s call to you when I met with them, you need to be prepared for it.”

  It’s about time. Garwin and I have been asking Zladislov and Emerik to give us some idea of what we need to do or what Brooke needs to be aware of about this meeting, but they kept pushing it aside, saying they’d wait until after they met with the Commission. It had me considering that there might be some secrets Zladislov didn’t want to reveal until he was certain he couldn’t get Brooke out of testifying.

  “Since you were not reared with the knowledge of our people, we shall start from the beginning. There are eight commissioners actively sitting on the Commission. There used to be nine, but that line died along with the last remnant before I was made the Head.”

  “How does a line die off like that?” Brooke asks.

  “The seats on the Commission are guaranteed through paternity. My predecessor died before extending his line, so it perished along with him.”

  Brooke’s eyes grow wide. Had she really not considered that someone as powerful as the ruler of the Pijawikan world could die? “What happened to him?”

  “Some say he was assassinated,” I answer.

  Zladislov glances at me. “There was much unrest. We were at war with Zao Duhs and the humans, and Radovan was uncompromising in a solution to the bloodshed. This made him many enemies.”

  A good thing too. If Radovan were still ruling, I would still be considered Jelena’s property.

  “And that’s how you became the Head?” Brooke asks. She’s leaning toward Zladislov, engaged in his every word.

  “Yes, and that is where this maneuver to involve you comes from. Chen believed his father was next in line for the Head position, so when I received the throne, he was displeased.”

  He was a lot more than displeased, but this is Zladislov’s story, so I’ll let him tell it.

  “I also freed the humans and Zao Duhs, against some of the Commissioners’ wishes. Had Chen been next to rule, he would’ve kept the humans and Zao Duhs as they were. Sandor allied with Chen because he had positioned himself well with the Zao Duhs he owned. Abdul-Hakeem aligns himself with them because he likes power and they listen to him, thus giving him a position of power he would otherwise not have.”

  Brooke looks to me. “And those are the three who were with Jelena when you guys came for me at the hotel?”

  Zladislov continues his story. “Yes, they were the ones who orchestrated the plot against me with Jelena.”

  “Okay, so that ma
kes three, and Emerik’s dad, and you, so who’s left?”

  “Florian and Anton have been long supporters of me and my ideas. I’ve already had a word with them regarding this meeting and they assured me if it comes to a vote on my regency, they will vote against my dismissal.”

  “And what about Brooke?” It’s great Zladislov secured himself, but let’s not forget that Brooke’s life is on the line in this sly effort to remove him. “There will most definitely be a vote regarding Jelena, right?”

  “Unfortunately, yes. Florian and Anton committed to me that if Brooke didn’t appear to be a threat, they would vote according to my right of no retaliation in this situation.”

  “So how do I make sure they don’t see me as a threat?” Brooke’s scared now. She was worried about this meeting all along, but I don’t think she truly realized how serious it was for her, nor how immediate it was until now.

  “You must not let them see you as the aggressor in your fight with Jelena. You must convince them it was done in self-defense. Since she kidnapped you, it shouldn’t be hard for you to make this argument. Unless they ask you, don’t mention that you killed the man she sent for you originally.”

  “Dikan will tell them.” Brooke looks at me, panicked.

  I ache to say something to make this easier on her. I wish she didn’t have to go through this in the first place. “And if they bring it up,” I say in my most soothing voice, “again, self-defense.”

  “That’s right,” Zladislov adds. “You did not come by your knowledge about us, save for Jelena searching you out and bringing you into this. Keep reminding them of that.”

  Brooke’s breathing increases and the pulse on the side of her neck quickens. She’s nervous.

  I yearn to close the distance between us and hold her, to bear it all for her. My gut tells me to protect Brooke, but I can’t protect her from this.

  It’s killing me, tearing up my insides and draining the marrow from my bones, leaving what feels like hollow, useless shells beneath my skin.

  “What can I do?” I ask, feeling helpless. “Can I testify on her behalf?” I know I can’t but I have to ask anyway.

  “No.” Zladislov tilts his head, appearing slightly regretful. “She will not be allotted any witnesses. It is her testimony the Commissioners wish to hear.”

 

‹ Prev