My erratic emotions had nothing to do with being a newborn or needing to eat and everything to do with some craptastic PTSD. Memories of being homeless and alone hit me hard as I thought of everything I’d lost in the last two days. Not only the vampires who had died, but of once again having to start over.
It was as if I was doomed to never have a sense of permanency. Normally, I wasn’t much of a dweller on the horridness of my past, but with fresh wounds, I couldn’t help myself. After losing my family, I went straight into the arms of someone who turned out to be an insecure and controlling man.
After that, I bounced around until finding a place in Pete’s gym. Then, that was burned down. My condo was destroyed, and now so was Maciah’s nest. The one place that brought me a sense of peace once I’d finally accepted Maciah and the others into my life.
But as I looked at Rachel sleeping on the other side of the plane, Zeke keeping watch over her, and Nikki staring out the window with pondering eyes, I forced the negative thoughts out of my head and headed toward the front of the plane.
I passed Eddie, Nick, Gabe, and Jazz, all sitting together and playing a card game while smiling. I knew that if they could stay strong, then so could I.
I continued until I found Maciah in the cockpit. When I opened the door, his eyes met mine and he reached for me.
“You’re hurting,” he said, reading my emotions.
“We all are,” I replied.
“But yours is heavy. Just because we all lost something last night doesn’t mean that you can’t express how painful this all is for you. You made me do so earlier and, as much as talking about the past made me uncomfortable, I won’t deny it helped. You should do the same.”
I knew that, and it was exactly why I also knew that I couldn’t ever give up what I’d found since Maciah inserted himself into my life as my protector.
So, instead of continuing to keep everything to myself, I took a seat next to Maciah and accepted his offer of a listening ear.
My eyes burned from crying more than I wanted throughout the day, but I finally felt like I could breathe easier after talking to Maciah. He’d let me ramble and held my hand until we made it to Los Angeles.
We landed with only a few small bumps on the runway, and then the nine of us disembarked the plane. Seeing all of us together reminded me that I needed to be at my best, and the strongest version of myself didn’t dwell on the things she couldn’t change. She only focused on what needed to be done in order to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Maciah and Zeke went to find us transportation to the house since we hadn’t had time to arrange it before our departure. I stayed put with Rachel and Nikki, hugging them again now that they were both awake and healed.
I wasn’t normally one for physical affection, but after believing they were dead for hours on end, having them close felt right.
“I should have almost died a long time ago,” Rachel said as I released her.
I punched her in the arm. “That isn’t funny. No more hugs for you.”
She nudged me with her hip. “I’m sorry, Am. That was a poorly given joke. I have no intentions of going through something like today again.”
“Too soon for jokes,” I grumbled even though I appreciated her attempts to make me laugh.
“How about we stop talking about almost dying and more about the fact Rachel and Zeke were openly pawing at each other on the plane before we landed?” Nikki suggested, and that was something I could get behind since I’d missed it while talking with Maciah.
Rachel grinned and bit her lip in feigned embarrassment.
“Does that mean the two of you are done taking things slow?” I asked.
She shrugged. “We didn’t really talk about it, but it feels that way.”
“Sometimes actions are more appropriate than words when you already know how the other person feels,” Nikki said, and I completely agreed.
Nikki looked up toward the stars, and I knew she was missing the love she once had. Likely both the one she had with her husband and then again with Bennett.
“Should we do something for the vampires that didn’t make it?” I asked. As grateful as I was to have my friends back, the ones who died in the fight against Silas and the explosion deserved a proper send-off if vampires did such a thing.
“We’ve never had losses this big. Normally, we throw a party, but I don’t know if that would be wise right now,” Rachel said.
I thought about that as two sets of headlights came around the corner and into the parking lot. Maciah and Zeke were each driving blacked-out Range Rovers and waved for us to all get in.
Gabe and Jazz headed for Zeke’s SUV, getting into the back and leaving the front seat likely for Rachel. She didn’t hesitate to head that way, either.
Nick and Eddie joined me and Nikki in the vehicle with Maciah.
As I buckled up, Maciah reached over to brush his fingers over my thigh. “Everything good?”
“Yep,” I answered, and for the first time all day, I meant it.
He nodded and sped off toward the airport exit with Zeke driving right behind us.
The ride to the house was quiet as everyone watched out the window for anything that didn’t belong. We didn’t know what other tricks Viktor might have had ready for us, and we couldn’t be too careful, especially as we got closer to the house.
Maciah slowly pulled into the driveway, rolling down his window and looking up into the sky. I did the same as soon as I caught on to what he was worried about.
“I don’t hear any drones,” I said a few minutes later, and we were only halfway up the driveway.
“Neither do I, but we all need to be on guard,” Maciah said as he continued to pull up to the house.
Everything looked just as it did the last time I was there. The air was warm compared to Portland, and I couldn’t scent anything that didn’t belong.
Everyone was out of the vehicles now, but nobody headed inside. Having your house blown up was hard to recover from.
Deciding they all needed a bit of encouragement, I took the first step onto the walkway leading toward the front door. Maciah was at my side in the next second, and we went up the few steps together.
“We won’t live in fear,” I said softly as my fingers curled around the handle.
He nodded, and I pushed open the door. The hum of the refrigerator was the only thing I could hear as we let the door swing fully open.
Rachel, Zeke, and Nikki were right behind us, and I caught sight of Eddie and Nick heading around the back. Paranoid? Probably. Smart? Absolutely.
The rest of us entered the house, and a collective feeling of relief swept over me when nothing out of the ordinary happened.
My phone vibrated in my back pocket, scaring the hell out of me. I flinched before reaching to answer the call, glad to see My Bartender as the name calling.
“Hey, Dave,” I said as I put the phone on speaker.
“Hey, Dave? That’s all you have to say after I almost died for you?” he snapped.
I held the phone further away from me, confusion rolling through me. Dave had never been angry with me.
“I’m kidding, Amersyn,” he added when I didn’t reply.
Freaking people needed to realize it was too soon for jokes. Regardless of the fact that I’d been the first to make one. Lesson learned.
“Right. How are you doing?” I asked as I headed toward the couch. Only Maciah followed me.
He groaned and I could hear the crinkle of a hospital pillow followed by Steve’s voice. “I said you’re not allowed to move.”
Dave sighed. “I’ve been better. How about you? Eddie and Nick wouldn’t say what happened, but I know something did.”
“Silas or Viktor blew up our house. Only a handful of vampires made it out alive,” I said solemnly.
“Damn, Am. I’m sorry, and I’m even more sorry for having to jump straight into business, but I’ve been trying to reach you for a while.”
I
grimaced. “Yeah, sorry about that. Some things came up.”
“I heard. You’re not who either of us thought, but I hope you know that’s not a bad thing.” I could hear the smile in his voice, which made one appear on my own face.
“No, it’s definitely not as bad as I would have once thought. So, what did you need to share? Steve mentioned stuff about Simon already.”
“Simon wants to become a vampire. The last time he was in the bar, I heard him begging a few of the bloodsuckers he was with when I crept around the corner pretending to dust.”
I snorted. “Dusting? In that bar?”
“I know, but it worked. Anyway, the vampires told him he had to earn that privilege. He promised to do whatever they wanted, and that’s when the plan to kill you was first mentioned around me,” Dave said.
“Those are the same vampires working for Viktor that you mentioned before, right?” I asked.
“That’s the thing. I’m not sure. They kept a rotation after a while. The same group of three or four never repeated after the first few days they were looking for you. But they all did the same thing. Sat in the same corner booth, ordering only one drink each, and would sit there for hours until just before closing.”
“Why would they do that day after day?” I asked, not really expecting an answer.
“They were making a statement,” Maciah said.
“That’s what I was beginning to think as well. The usual hunters stopped coming into the bar after the first week. Even other supernaturals got leery of hanging out. The atmosphere became tense instead of the usual loud and obnoxious vibe I’ve always known,” Dave said.
“So, what does that mean for us?” I asked.
“It means they wanted people to know they were there, and they were looking for a hunter,” Maciah answered.
I had wondered why the hunter app was so quiet, and maybe this was why. Everyone was freaked out about those new vampires continually hanging around.
“Why did any of that make you so worried about me?” I asked Dave, because it really wasn’t anything too out of the ordinary. People wanted to kill me all the time before I even met Maciah.
“Because of what I heard Simon agree to. After that conversation with the vampires, they stopped coming in and the hunters returned, but they weren’t the same ones I was used to. They all followed Simon’s lead and I was once again questioned about you. My attitude might have been what got me taken.”
Dave had shown he cared, and if the bartender cared about a hunter, then to anyone else, that likely meant the hunter cared about the bartender. I understood better why they’d used Dave as leverage, even though I’d been careful not to give him too much public attention.
“What did Simon agree to?” I asked.
“He said he would lure you out and create a trap for Viktor’s vampires to take you, but something happened. I don’t know what changed,” Dave said.
“Silas happened. He reached out to Viktor,” I said as the pieces of this tangled web began to come together.
“Who’s Silas?” Dave asked.
“The man who took you,” I answered.
“No, Simon took me, and the same vampires I saw in the bar beat the hell out of me,” Dave replied, seeming very sure of that.
Maciah looked at me, his eyes darkening. “Silas was working for Viktor the whole time and we had no clue. You were right. Viktor sent the drones. He’s been calling the shots ever since he realized you were alive. Only he didn’t expect me to find you in that alley when I did.”
I remembered the night I first saw Maciah clearly, and wondered how weird it was that the group of vampires who attacked me would have been seeking vengeance for a vampire they could easily replace. Maybe Maciah was right. Maybe those vampires hadn’t just been out to avenge their friend. Maybe Viktor had convinced that particular group of bloodsuckers to be the first test against me.
Putting what I’d already thought, what Dave added, and what Maciah said together, I could see the big picture more clearly, and I decided there was no question about any of it. Viktor had known what he was doing the whole time.
“Why didn’t he just kill me himself?” I asked.
“Because vampires get bored. He’s having fun playing with you,” Maciah grumbled.
“I agree with whoever that is,” Dave said, and I smirked.
“That’s Maciah.”
“Is that the one Steve said you were draped all over as you left the hospital?”
I groaned. “I don’t ‘drape’ over anyone.”
Dave laughed, then groaned from the action. “I’m happy for you, Am. Just stay alive long enough to enjoy what you’ve found.”
“Thank you, Dave.”
“I’m due for my sponge bath with Nurse Steve, so I’m going to go, but check in with me soon,” he said.
“You’re welcome to come out here where we can protect you if you don’t mind hanging with a bunch of vampires,” I said, half joking.
“I think I’ve had enough of vampires to last me a lifetime, but the offer is appreciated. We’ll be okay here given I don’t plan to head back to Crossroads anytime soon. Just worry about you and stay safe, Amersyn.”
“Thanks, Dave.”
He hung up, and I met Maciah’s gaze. “Viktor needs to die.”
“And soon,” he agreed.
CHAPTER 6
After Maciah and I got off the phone with Dave, we decided that everyone had been through a hellish day, and it was time to unwind. All of us went our separate ways, and I smiled at the fact that Zeke and Rachel headed toward the same bedroom.
Knowing that they and Nikki were alive went a long way to prevent me from worrying about anything else at the moment.
I went to the bathroom and turned on the shower, groaning that I was once again without clean clothes.
“I’ll throw everything in the washer. You can wear one of my shirts in the meantime if you want, until everything is cleaned,” Maciah said as he moved in behind me, helping to undress me.
His fingers left a trail of fire up my sides as he pulled my charred shirt over my head while I unbuttoned my pants, kicking out of them in seconds, cringing as spots of ash hit new parts of my skin.
He brushed my hair to the side, pressed his lips to my shoulder, and unclipped my bra. The straps fell down my arms, and Maciah slowly slid them off me before whispering in my ear, “I’ll be right back to join you.”
I nodded and watched as he grabbed a towel before leaving the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.
My hands held on to the edge of the counter as I let my head drop down. A curtain of hair fell around me, and I took a deep breath. Only one more vampire to kill before things could settle in to a new normal.
If I was wrong and there were more psychos out there that wanted me dead for whatever reason, I was going to lose it, but for the time being, I was counting on Viktor being the last pain in my side. At least for the foreseeable future.
I lifted my head back up, staring at myself in the mirror. Everything about me had changed, but I wasn’t as disappointed by that fact as I thought I would be.
I might not be who I thought, but that didn’t matter anymore. There were no more reservations about being a vampire left inside me. No doubts that my family would be proud of me. No ill feelings toward who my father really was and how my mother had kept that information from me.
Even as everything around us seemed to be falling apart, I knew I was only getting stronger. There would never be a time when I gave up. No matter how much I wanted to, or how awful things became, Viktor was going to learn that he’d picked the wrong vampire heir to come after.
I wasn’t weak. I was a fighter, and I’d keep fighting for the family I lost and for the one I’d gained along the way.
My eyes had officially settled into the dark maroon color that humans would assume to be more mahogany than anything else, but with my vampire eyes, I could see past the surface and into the deeper layers that made the color more stunn
ing than human eyes could see.
I ran my hand over my tattoo, remembering why I’d gotten the marks in the first place, and I was eager for my vengeance to be done with.
I didn’t regret the path I’d set out on, but after spending the last seven years killing vampires, I was ready to live life more for myself than out of guilt for surviving when my family hadn’t.
The mirror began to fog up, allowing me to shake off the reminders of my past as I turned for the shower. As soon as I tilted my head back and the hot water cascaded against my sensitive skin, I was sighing in relief.
Closing my eyes, I let the steady stream cover my face and soak my hair while rubbing my hands over my eyes.
A cool burst of air blew around me, but the coldness was quickly replaced by Maciah’s warm hands. “There is nothing more beautiful than seeing you with your guard down.”
My lips lifted into a small smile as I brought my head forward and opened my eyes. My hands wrapped around Maciah's neck, tugging him closer to me. “I can only do so because you helped me see it was okay to trust people again.”
He leaned in and kissed me briefly, then reached for the soap beside us. Lathering up his hands, he moved them first over my shoulders and neck, then worked his way down my body. The more he touched me, the further undone I became.
By the time he finished, I was barely breathing and in desperate need of more from him. Except he had charcoal smeared on his arms and deserved the same treatment. So, I repaid the favor, moving Maciah until we’d switched places and he was standing under the showerhead.
The vanilla smell from the body wash had nothing on the natural scent Maciah exuded, but it reminded me that too much time had passed since I had taken a moment to enjoy the small things, like how much just the sweet aroma of Maciah attracted me to him.
As I scrubbed at the char from the fire on Maciah’s skin, his hands massaged the conditioner into my hair. Once his arms were clean, I worked my way over his stomach, caressing every dip and curve of the muscles that rippled beneath my touch.
Vampire Vow (Scorned by Blood Book 3) Page 4