The taste of her own blood when Erin’s backhand cracked her cheekbone forced more adrenaline through her system. That, coupled with the poison, made for a weird kind of reaction in Alex—a reaction that felt familiar for some reason. Every gift she had woke up with one big bang. She could hear everything around her for miles. Every scent was amplified and covered her like her own skin. Her sight was clear and sharp. She could see every pore on Erin’s bloody, sweaty face.
Erin came at her again, but this time she was ready. She blocked every punch and kick like she was reading Erin’s mind. Then she realized that she was. She could hear every word as it popped up.
Erin slashed at Alex wildly—using the piece of metal Alex had pulled from her leg. The sharp edge caught her under her left breast with a stinging cut. When Erin raised the makeshift blade high, Alex caught her by the wrist, twisted her hand down, and plunged it into Erin’s heart. Alex felt the tip bounce off her ribs and then enter the organ.
Honest surprise covered Erin’s face as she stumbled backward. Someone had told her she’d win. As Alex pushed the knife deeper, she almost wished they’d been right. As Erin slid to the floor, Alex looked over at the chandelier. During the fight, Coop had managed to free himself and escape.
She pulled the knife free, wiped the blood on her sleeve, and left Erin’s dead body crumpled in a pool of her own blood.
“That was for Amy,” she said as she walked away.
Before she even reached the exit, she heard heavy footfalls coming toward her. With a good grip on the knife she stepped into the hallway. There she saw Becker, Tomas, Payne, and Marcus as they walked her way. Xavier was being helped by some guy she hadn’t noticed before.
“Where’s Creed?” she said as she turned to enter the ballroom again.
“Body bag in the truck,” Becker replied as he followed her.
On her way to her jacket and gun, she barely glanced at Erin’s body. She leaned over to pick up her things and the room began to spin.
“Whoa,” Becker harped as he grabbed her around the waist. “You’re hurt pretty bad. Take it easy.”
He grabbed her jacket and weapon for her. She turned to see Xavier balanced on one foot and staring down at Erin. His handsome face was covered in bruises and scratches. His left ankle was broken. His right wrist too. But the supplements meant he’d be healed by the time they were home.
“Where’s Coop?” he mumbled without even a glance at Alex.
“Got away, sorry,” she answered. “Let’s go. We’ll miss our ride.”
That was the last thing she remembered saying before the room flipped and Becker barked at someone to either grab her or Erin’s body; she couldn’t really tell.
“Stop!”
David’s voice startled them both. Adam almost dropped his laptop and Jason’s neck popped when he jerked his head up as it rested on Nikki’s bed. The hollow thump of David’s boots as he ran down the aisle toward the cockpit brought Jason off the stool and through the door.
He heard David yell at the flight crew as the ramp was almost pushed away and the door sealed. The engine’s whine died as one of them called the cockpit. David disappeared through the doorway and Jason followed.
“They made it,” he yelled at Jason with a big smile on his face. He descended the ramp and ran toward the caravan of Jeeps headed in their direction.
“Thank God,” Jason huffed as he did the same.
“Looks like we took it to the wire,” Becker grinned down on her. “You okay to walk on your own?”
Alex nodded as he tightened the bandage around her thigh then checked her ribs again. Not broken any longer, they were still tender. She’d lost count of how many times they’d been broken over the last month.
When the truck came to a complete stop, Alex let Becker help her out. Xavier still needed more help. His ankle wasn’t healing as quickly as her ribs. He’d have to dose when they were inside and settled.
David’s yell over the noise and wind was a relief. Jason in a full-out run behind him made her grin. She saw Becker grin at her out of the corner of her eye.
“What?”
“Nothin’,” he shrugged and released her. “I just don’t remember ever seeing you smile.”
“Yeah, well, don’t get used to it,” she grinned at him. “Coop got away. I’ll smile again when we get him and Tristan.”
Jason and David reached them at the same time. Jason brushed past Becker with a muffled “thanks” as he scooped Alex up in his arms. He hadn’t showered and he smelled of alcohol and salt. He’d been crying.
She watched Payne and David carry Xavier up the ramp and inside the plane. Two others carried the black body bag up behind them. Then Payne and the others came out and down the ramp again.
“Ugh,” she grunted when he squeezed her to him. He dropped her to her feet when he realized she was in pain. “Broken ribs again.”
“Really? Again,” he grinned.
Becker cleared his throat. “We’ll get going then.”
Alex stepped up to him and took his hand. “Thanks, Becker. Really. Anything I can do for you, just call. Anytime.”
“I’m gonna hold you to that, kid,” he smiled and kissed her hand. “I’ll let Roland know you’re okay.”
He whistled and his men climbed into the trucks again. Tomas came up behind him and smiled at Alex.
“Take care of yourself, Alexa,” he said with a sad expression. “I think this is just the beginning. We have a common enemy. Together, we can defeat him.”
“He’s mine,” Alex frowned and grabbed her side because the painkillers Becker gave her were wearing off too soon. “He killed Ben. He wants me to come for him. I’m going to grant his wish.”
“We’re not going to tonight,” Jason interrupted. “We have a plane waiting. Do you need a ride? We have room.”
“No, thank you,” Tomas replied with a shake of his head. “We have a way back to Rome. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Stavros. We will be seeing each other again soon.” Before Jason could react, he turned back to Alex. “It was certainly good to see you again, to see how you have grown. We will speak soon, no?”
“Soon,” she let Jason lead her toward the plane as the engine roared again.
At the top of the ramp, she turned to see the trucks roll down the tarmac in a straight line. Something about the way Tomas said goodbye didn’t feel final. The last time she had seen him, Tomas was frightened and clung to his faith to explain away what he’d seen. This new Tomas had lost that fear and replaced it with something else—knowledge. Bold and brave, Tomas seemed committed to his new path, more so than when he was a young parish priest in Mexico. His newfound knowledge of the world underneath this one was probably the reason.
The doctor checked her side and leg and gave her a nod of approval. Alex felt more like herself again. The sweat was gone and so was the sweet smell. Her senses were back to normal, too. She wanted an explanation for what had happened, though.
His fingertips were rough and cold as he touched her side cautiously. She held her breath to keep from punching him in the nose. Sharp pain still shot through her when he touched the bruised spot.
“Healing quite well. Fascinating how those supplements work,” he hummed. He looked up as though he’d realized he had just said that out loud. “I was under the impression there were severe side effects with women. Isn’t that why Dr. Carlisle stopped giving them to his female recruits?”
Alex didn’t answer him and he didn’t seem to notice it because Jason had walked into the room. He stood up, removed his gloves, and faced him.
“Sire,” he bowed. “She is healing rather nicely. The young man will need more rest.”
Jason took the gloves from his hands and asked him to leave them alone. Once the door closed, Alex relaxed back in the bed and pushed out a hard breath. He sat down and handed her the gloves.
“I know how protective you are,” he whispered.
“Have to protect the program, right?” she replied, gloves balled up in her fist. “How’re Nikki and Sebastian?”
“No change,” he shook his head. “The doctor’s not sure if they’ll make the trip back.”
Alex popped the painkillers the doctor had given her and swallowed them without water. She nudged Jason up and stood. “I need a shower.”
He stared at her and she could feel how exhausted he was now. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy. Pale and in need of fresh blood, she pushed him toward the door gently.
“I’ll come see you and Adam when I’m done,” she said.
The door closed before he could say anything else.
Chapter 28
After his shower, Jason collapsed on the bed and closed his eyes. He told himself his worry was for everyone, but that was a lie. He wasn’t prepared to lose Nikki. She had been by his side for almost one hundred years. She was going to be his wife. She was his best friend in the world next to Adam.
To watch her just lie there, motionless and pale, he didn’t think he could do it right now. He couldn’t sit there, helpless and afraid. His soul ached. Maybe he did love her more than he wanted to believe. But how could he love Nikki and want to have Alex next to him right now? She would bring him the comfort that Nikki never seemed able to. It didn’t make sense.
Suddenly, he noticed the sound of his laptop alarm. He was supposed to call Conner with an update. As he pulled the machine onto the pillow he placed over his legs, he ran his fingers through his clean hair and rubbed at his tired eyes. Conner appeared, dress shirt opened to his undershirt, but still with a jacket on.
“Jason,” he seemed concerned. “Are you alright?”
“Yes, Sire, thank you for asking.”
“And the team, how are they?”
Jason rubbed his cheek absently. “Considering the losses, I think they’re doing fine.”
“Losses?”
“Yes, Erin Sinclair is dead, Sire. She died in the fight. Cooper disappeared during the confusion. And you know about Amy.”
Conner nodded. “And Creed?”
“I believe he is on his way to Roland’s compound. Sorry, Sire. I couldn’t get him back.”
“Maybe it’s for the best,” Conner sighed. “He let Matthew die, so he must face the consequences of his actions.”
Jason wanted to see those consequences. He wanted to watch Creed die at Lucas’s hands. He didn’t want to get him back. Creed had made his choice.
“And Alex? How is she?”
“I believe she’s talking with 51 about Kai and Sebastian. I could get her for you, if you wish.”
Conner shook his head and waved off the idea. “We can talk when she returns. I believe they’ll be in DC for a few hours. I can catch up to her there.”
Jason straightened his posture and took a deep breath to settle his nerves.
“Why wasn’t I told about the real reason you wanted her on this detail?”
Conner didn’t seem surprised. He smiled at Jason and nodded.
“I was wondering when you’d get around to asking. I didn’t want to give her any reason not to trust you. If she doubted you, she might not care to keep you safe.”
“And if Tristan had been here? What then? Would you have just let him kill her?”
“He doesn’t want her dead,” Conner answered with a frown. “He left his prison with information he needs to confirm with her. He’ll keep her alive until he gets what he wants.”
“And then?”
Conner didn’t answer and Jason swallowed the bitter response he wanted to let out.
“You look exhausted,” Conner said. “Get some rest and we’ll speak again when you get back to Vegas. Goodnight.”
He wanted to crush the laptop in his hands. Instead, he set it to the side and closed his eyes again as he laid back. A door opened in the distant quiet of the plane. He sat up and peered out of his door to see Alex follow David into the cabin he shared with his brother.
“Hey,” Kai had to whisper. “Did we win?”
“What do you think?” Alex grinned at him. She put her hand on his arm and it stuck to his skin. The sticky sweat covered his body like honey. David handed her a wet cloth.
“It’s the supplements,” he said as she wiped gently at his arm then her hand. “Everything’s working overtime.”
She looked up at David as she handed the cloth back for him to wet again. Tears sat in his bloodshot eyes. When he gave the cloth back, it was warm and clean. “Could you bring me that pack in my room please?” Alex asked.
He hesitated, but left when Kai nodded.
“Can you save me?” Kai groaned. He was in pain, lots of pain. She raised the blanket that covered his legs, saw cuts and bruising that weren’t healing. His pinky on his right hand sat out of place, twisted. She lay the blanket back down as softly as she could, but he moaned anyway once it was over his body again. “It keeps poppin’ outta place,” he coughed. “Stupid finger.”
“I can’t stop this,” Alex whispered “I wish I could. Only Dr. Carlisle can fix this.”
Kai closed his eyes and the tears that filled them rolled down the sides of his head.
“I don’t think I wanna die,” he said, “but I don’t think I can hold on much longer.”
“Yes, you can,” she sniffed through gritted teeth. “You can.”
David returned, dropped the pack at the door. “What’s wrong?”
He replaced Alex at his brother’s side, tried to take his hand, but Kai screamed from the pain at the slight contact. David jumped to his feet apologizing.
“That hurt,” Kai tried to smile, but it looked more like he wanted to punch his brother.
“Sorry,” David held back tears as his voice broke. “I’ll get you something for the pain.”
He left the room quickly. Alex sat down again. Kai’s good hand trembled as he took her index finger like a baby.
“Did you get her?” he asked, and she could feel the pressure on her finger. She could feel how painful it was for him to even speak about her.
“Got her,” Alex answered with a grin. “I’ll take care of the other thing in a minute.”
He barely nodded, but he grinned. “Let David do it, okay?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
He opened his eyes and they were all pupil. She could barely see the deep dark iris anymore. It broke her to know that he was down to his last minutes on this planet. Erin should die a hundred deaths for this. But you can only kill someone once—sometimes.
“I’d want to if she—” he winced at the next wave of pain that shot through him. He squeezed her finger hard against the pain. “Took my brother from me,” he finished once the pain passed.
Alex couldn’t be sure what Erin had done as a mole inside Strategic. And she couldn’t be sure that she hadn’t been drinking blood as well as being fed upon. Taking her head would ensure that she wouldn’t come back as something not quite vampire, but just as deadly.
“I know, but she was your friend,” Alex whispered. He frowned. “She was. You can’t deny that.”
“She betrayed us,” he hissed. “If you hadn’t killed her, any one of us would have gladly done it.”
David returned with a syringe filled with a clear substance. He injected it in the bag attached to his brother. After a few seconds, Kai’s body relaxed and he was asleep again.
“I’m gonna check on Sebastian and Nikki,” Alex said as she hauled the pack from the floor and swung it over her shoulder. She turned to David and watched him wipe his brother’s chest and arms again. “I have to take care of Erin in a minute. If you want, you can . . . but you don’t have to if . . .”
“I’ll do it,” he responded as he stood and squared his shoulders. �
�For my brother and Amy and Ben.” Alex didn’t argue. She left quietly.
The med bay was empty except for its vampire patients. She removed two syringes from the pack then dropped it at the door. Nikki shivered and mumbled. Her skin was stained with her own blood. Alex put the entire contents of the syringe in the blood supply attached to her, then she used the other one on Sebastian. If it was going to work, it would take just a few minutes.
As she waited, she thought about all the things she would have to put in order once she returned: the company, her affairs, sell the apartment in the city, open the emergency accounts no one knew about, because this was a major emergency. If she was going to fight, she’d fight with the knowledge that she had nothing to lose.
Nikki stirred first. A weak moan escaped her lips as Alex took her hand. It was ice cold, but her grip was strong. Her eyes fluttered open then turned to Alex.
“Please tell me we didn’t have a chick moment,” she groaned and coughed.
“No chick moments,” Alex replied. “How do you feel?”
“Like I got hit by a really big truck,” she answered. “And I’m having a bad hair day.”
“Well,” Alex giggled. “No big truck.”
“God,” Nikki groaned again as she brushed at her messy hair weakly. “I’d rather have had the big truck.”
“Sorry,” Alex said.
“I’m assuming I have you to thank for saving me?”
“Saving you?” Alex’s heart thumped in her chest.
“From the idiots that took me,” Nikki hummed.
“Oh, not really,” Alex sighed. “I mean, not by myself anyway. Jason helped.”
Nikki gave her hand a squeeze, although she probably didn’t realize it. Her lips formed a small grin at the news of Jason coming to her rescue. She raised her head slightly when Sebastian coughed.
Alex moved to him and pushed him back down as he tried to sit up.
“Take it easy,” she said. “You’re still pretty weak. Both of you,” she said as Nikki tried to do the same. “Just relax. I’ll get the doctor and Jason.”
By Blood Sworn Page 28