Another glance down at Rick. Neither he nor Scott had moved at all. She hurried over, horrified at how quickly the sores had spread. This thing was brutally quick.
Rick’s eyes opened and he gasped for air. She forced herself to turn away and ran one more round of tests, fingers flying as she entered the data into the computer.
The tightness in her own chest made it difficult to breathe. She couldn’t lose him. Not after waiting so many centuries to find someone like him. She’d waited so long to find...love.
Love. Of course. If all the poets and singers were correct, the magic of love would prevail. The antidote would be found, the vaccine developed, and the world would be saved.
Carmen, however, knew better. She’d lived through the Black Plague. Seen the death and destruction of religious purges, more disease, and murder and mayhem. There’d been love then, too, for others rather than her, and still they’d died by the thousands.
She would not let Rick die.
Decision made, she left the computer running the last batch of calculations and hurried over to Rick. Dropping to her knees, she found a spot on his neck still untouched by sores. Pressing her mouth against his skin, she felt her fangs elongate. With a quick, savage motion, she pushed them into him, piercing the vein, and began drinking his blood. She hoped she hadn’t waited too late.
He went rigid, then let out a slow sigh. As he relaxed into her deadly embrace and the metallic taste of his beloved blood filled her mouth, she nearly swooned.
This was the point where she normally would stop. Right before the heart stopped beating, so the human would wake in the morning slightly weak and confused, with no memory or idea what had happened.
For Rick, she’d take this all the way. Even though she hadn’t made another Vampire in well over one hundred years, this wasn’t the kind of thing one forgot. This was, however, the first time she’d made a Vampire because of love.
Dimly she heard the computer chime. A moment later, it chimed again. Carmen froze, slowly releasing Rick. That particular sound meant a successful combination had been reached. She’d entered the variables and let the program run the tests. Success? Setting Rick gently on the floor, she hurried over and peered at the screen.
There. Flashing bright red. A possible antidote, which meant a plausible prototype for a vaccine.
She could make a syringe of this in minutes. Did she even have minutes? Glancing at Rick, she let her fangs retract while she tried to decide what to do. Should she risk it, knowing the antidote might fail to save him? Or continue making him a Vampire, even though he’d expressly asked her not to?
* * *
Pleasure mingled with pain as he relaxed into a gentle yet fierce embrace. Was he dreaming? Whose arms held him? He tried to find a scent, but couldn’t. Carmen? Or was there someone else, a doctor, a nurse? Was he still in the lab or had he been moved? He had no idea. Hell, he didn’t even know what day it was.
Then he floated. Straight up off the floor and out of his body. He’d heard of such things happening, right in the hour of death. Was he dying, then? He’d been sick, he remembered. That hellish virus. The last thing he’d seen had been Carmen feverishly working to find a cure. Had she? If anyone could save the world, he’d be betting she could.
If she had, then why had he died? He couldn’t see Carmen allowing that to happen. She was a warrior Vampire, that woman. No way would she let him die, not on her watch.
Maybe he wasn’t dead. Experimenting, he inhaled. The instant he did, he was no longer floating and he slammed right back into his body. With that came horrible, pulsing hurt. Fever and the awful, horrible knowledge that the virus was busy eating away at his body.
Nope. Definitely not dead.
Then where... Listening, he heard nothing. No sound, not even the steady beat of his heart that he’d always taken for granted. If he didn’t have a heartbeat, that would mean Carmen had turned him into a Vampire. Even though he’d expressly asked her not to.
Pain knifed through him. Did Vampires suffer as their human body died and they became undead? He’d never thought to question, hadn’t cared enough to wonder. While he knew he should be furious, he couldn’t seem to summon up enough strength for even anger.
Some kind of internal struggle seemed to be going on inside his body. Either the virus was dying or he was—and he couldn’t be sure which.
“Rick.” Carmen’s voice. Pleading. “Rick, can you open your eyes?”
He tried, oh he tried, but the lids felt stuck together and he couldn’t manage to fight his way through the murk.
“Can’t,” he managed to say, though most likely the word came out garbled. “What’s happening to me?”
Silence. He figured she probably couldn’t understand him. He didn’t blame her. His tongue wasn’t working right. “Help.”
That word rang clear as a bell.
“Sit tight,” Carmen replied. “I’ve figured out a potential antidote and made a small test batch. You’re going to be my lab rat. I just injected you with it.”
Which meant she hadn’t made him a Vampire. Relieved, he tried to nod again, failed. Instead, he succeeded only in drifting back to sleep.
The next thing he knew, he snapped open his eyes, squinting at the bright light shining at him.
“There you are,” Carmen said, almost chirping. “I’ve been monitoring your progress and I’m 99 percent sure the antidote worked. I’ve already put a call in to the CDC. However, no one there would even talk to me, so your friend who’s helping guard the place is pulling a few strings. We need to get this stuff processed in huge batches, and for that we need their help.”
Confused, he blinked, finally closing his eyes to protect them from the glare.
“Oh, sorry,” Carmen said, and moved some sort of lamp she’d had shining at his face. “I used that so I could chart the progress of the sores as they receded.”
He turned his head slightly and saw Scott lying prone nearby. Carmen followed the direction of his gaze and nodded. “Yes, I gave him a shot, too. After I was sure yours was working. He hasn’t come awake yet. I think yours happened more quickly because I...” She looked down, before resolutely raising her chin and meeting his eyes. “I bit you.”
“I thought you did,” he managed, still struggling to push out the words. “For a moment there, I felt myself dying.”
She grimaced, though she appeared unashamed. “I came really close to changing you so I could save your life. The computer pinging to let me know I’d finally found a successful calculation was the only thing that stopped me.”
He tried to smile, but knew it probably appeared more like a grimace.
Apparently, she did, too, judging by the stricken look on her face. “I’m sorry, okay? I know you said not to, but I just couldn’t let you die. I...care too much about you to do that.”
A wave of warmth flooded him, giving him just enough strength to push up onto his elbows. He tried to search his muddled mind for just the right words, aware he needed to tell her how he felt, but instead exhaustion slipped back over him. He lay back, let his eyes drift closed and went off once again to oblivion.
Time passed. How much time exactly, he wasn’t sure. When he next opened his eyes, the third reawakening, he felt as if he’d been reborn. Energy surged through him, enabling him to push to his feet. He turned slowly, stunned to realize he was still in the lab. Scott remained motionless on the floor near him. A quick glance revealed the other man hadn’t survived the virus. Evidently, the antidote had been given too late to save him.
“Carmen?” Rick called, puzzling over the realization that she wasn’t there. He tried again, louder. “Carmen? Where are you?”
Nothing but silence. Okay. Maybe she’d gone to the CDC with her antidote. That was the only reason she’d leave.
“Pete?” he hollered next, knowing his teammate had to be still standing guard. “Pete, I need some help in here.”
Still nothing. It felt...eerie. Unsettling and worrisome. S
omething was wrong. He knew his team. None of those men would ever willingly abandon their post.
Then where were they?
He rushed to the door, amazed at how good he felt. Strong, alert, capable. As if he hadn’t nearly died from a horrible virus. He exited the lab, quickly searching the barn. Other than shadows and dust, he saw nothing.
Outside, the compound appeared deserted. Moving carefully, wishing he had a weapon, he searched the house first, noting that Pete and the team had moved the bodies of the Sons of Darkness. Most likely, they’d been buried. Or burned, if burial wasn’t an option.
But where the hell was everyone? When he realized all the vehicles were gone, he swore loudly. He cursed even more when he finally saw the warning signs that had been posted all around the property.
“Warning! Deadly Plague Contaminated area. Stay away. Entrance will result in death.”
Who had done this? What had happened to Pete and the rest of the team? Rick knew his guys wouldn’t have left willingly, even with the threat of a virus.
He thought back. The last he’d heard, Carmen had been trying desperately to reach the CDC. Had she succeeded and if so, had her phone call triggered some sort of crazy reaction? As in, a small army had been dispatched to bring everyone in?
Or had the situation been even worse? Had Carmen’s call actually alerted the real terrorists, the ones who’d pushed so hard for a war in West Latvia, finally unleashing a deadly virus that nearly decimated the population?
Since Carmen had developed an antidote and a vaccine, that made her existence extremely problematic for anyone who didn’t want the virus stopped. The fact that her findings were priceless would be their sole reason for keeping her alive. Of course, they had no way to know there were only one way to kill her—a stake through the heart. He knew Carmen would be careful not to turn over her findings to anyone but the CDC.
With no vehicle, he had no way to go looking for her. So he did what he had to do. He put in a call to the only other Protector besides his team that he trusted. Colton Kinslow, Maddie’s brother.
When he learned Jake and Maddie were with Colton, Rick felt relieved. If anyone could successfully locate Carmen and the precious antibodies, those three could. Especially—and surprisingly—Jake. Rick had spent some time looking up the journalist and he’d come to realize the other man had great instincts. He couldn’t have been as successful as he was without them.
Together, they all made a great team. And together, they’d find their missing fifth, plus Pete and the guys. Rick was betting on it.
Chapter 19
The hard fury in Jake’s eyes as he gazed at her damn near broke Maddie’s heart. “It’s for the best,” she whispered, almost under her breath. So low, she couldn’t be sure Jake heard.
But her brother did. Colton grimaced and shook his head. “You’re right. It is all for the best,” he said. “You know that, even if he doesn’t. Better to keep him alive, even if he hates you for it.”
Though hate was a pretty strong word, she considered it an accurate depiction of Jake’s feelings toward her right now. Ignoring her brother, she crouched down near the man she loved. “I’m sorry,” she told him. “If there was any other way to keep you safe, I’d take it.”
“You’re full of it,” he responded, glaring at her. “You and him. I don’t know what you’re up to, but now I’m positive it isn’t good. And I’m willing to bet whatever it is ties in to the door in the alleyway back in Galveston. Whatever illegal activity you’re involved in, you should be aware that it will eventually come to light. No matter if I’m the one to expose it or someone else.”
“Illegal activity?” Colton interjected, incredulous. “What makes you think that?”
“Ha.” Jake spat the word. “Think about what you just said, man. Really think about it.”
“Jake,” Maddie began.
“No.” Now he wouldn’t even look at her. “I have nothing left to speak to you about. You or your crazy brother, with your secrets and lies. Everything bad that’s happened to me since I found that damn door that won’t open, is tied to you. Don’t bother to deny it.” He lifted his chin. “I’m a great journalist and I trust my gut. Every instinct I possess is screaming that you’re lying.”
“Lying?” Colton snorted. “More like omitting what you don’t need to know.”
“Same thing.” Jake’s hard tone matched his unyielding expression. “Just cut the BS. I know I’m right. All of this is related somehow. And once I get away from you two, I’m warning you, I’m not giving up until I find out what it is.”
Colton shot Maddie a meaningful look. She ignored him, focusing all her attention on Jake. When Jake met her gaze, he didn’t look away, and she swore she could see the tiniest bit of softening in his eyes.
Or perhaps that was wishful thinking.
“Well, Maddie?” he demanded. “Tell me I’m wrong.”
“You’re not wrong,” she replied, her voice soft. “It does all tie together. Everything.”
At her words, he swallowed. His jaw hardened. “Is there really a deadly virus? Or was that a cover for more unlawful activity by Carmen and Rick?”
Before Maddie could even respond, Colton laughed. “Come on. You watched the news. You saw what’s happening over in West Latvia. I know you think we’re trying to pull the wool over your eyes—for whatever reason—but come on.”
Still focused on Maddie, Jake ignored him.
She dragged her gaze away from him to look at her brother. “Colton, Jake and I need some privacy. Will you give it to us, please?”
Her brother started to protest, but she silenced him with a quick glance. Grumbling under his breath, Colton left the room, slamming the door behind him.
“It’s time I tell you something,” she said. “No, not just something. Everything. Beginning with this. I love you.”
Though his gaze softened, Jake didn’t reply in kind. She squashed her disappointment, reminding herself that she couldn’t blame him right now. He didn’t even know if he could trust her.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. She had no choice but to go all or nothing. If he didn’t feel the same way, she’d have to walk away.
Except she knew, deep down inside her, that Jake cared for her as much as she did him.
“Jake?” she prompted. “I know this is pushy, and I’m aware you’re mad, but I need to know how you feel about me?”
“Why?” he shot back. “So you can use my feelings against me? No thanks.”
“Do you really think I would do that?” She didn’t bother to hide her hurt.
“I have no idea, Maddie. The way you’ve been acting since your brother ran into me and kidnapped me makes me wonder if I really know you at all. You tell me.”
She pushed to her feet and paced, trying to find just the right words. When she turned to face him, she hoped she could somehow make him understand.
“I know there’s been a lot of craziness going on,” she said. “And that’s an understatement. But we have laws. I can’t tell you everything without knowing how you feel about me.” Actually, Pack law forbade her revealing her true nature without being in a committed relationship—engaged or married—though she was willing to stretch the boundaries just a little. After all he’d been through, Jake deserved at least that.
“We?” His harsh voice matched his rigid profile. “Who is we, exactly?”
“My kind,” she answered. “We’re not like everyone else.” Her heart began to race. She was too close to dangerous territory. Forbidden territory. Unless they were a committed couple, she could face serious consequences if she said any more.
As if he sensed this, Jake raised his face to hers. Their gazes locked. Maddie’s heart skipped a beat as anticipation zinged in her veins.
“We’ve got a situation,” Colton yelled, slamming back into the room. “I just talked to Rick. Carmen developed an antidote and a vaccine for the virus, but she’s disappeared. Along with Rick’s entire team of Protectors.”
Maddie’s nervous euphoria vanished. “Where is he?”
“At the compound of that fringe group that initially tried to barter the virus.”
“Do we need to go pick him up?” she asked. “And does he have any idea where Carmen might be?”
“Yes and no.” Colton grimaced. “He says all the vehicles are either missing or disabled. Short of hitchhiking, he has no method of transportation. We need to head that way now.”
“Okay.” Maddie jumped to her feet. “Let’s get going.”
“Take me with you,” Jake ordered. “There’s no way you’re leaving me out of something like this.”
Colton eyed him. Then he slowly nodded. “He’s right,” he told Maddie. “Did the two of you have time to have your little talk?”
“No.” She didn’t bother to hide her disappointment. “We didn’t. But there’s plenty of time on the drive south, if I can get you to put your earbuds in and listen to music. We’ll use my car. I have satellite radio and Bluetooth.”
Colton gave a slow nod, looking from her to Jake and back again. “I was going to congratulate you, but I think I’ll just wish you good luck instead.”
Since the closed-off expression had returned to Jake’s handsome face, she understood exactly what he meant. “I’ll take it,” she said. “And thanks.”
“Ahem.” Jake cleared his throat as he held up his bound hands. “Are you going to untie me?”
“Not until we have your word you won’t try to escape,” Colton replied.
“My word?” Now Jake mocked him. “How do you know whether or not my word’s worth anything?”
Colton’s response came quickly, direct and to the point. “Because I know my sister. She wouldn’t have fallen in love with a man who didn’t have integrity.”
Touched, Maddie patted her brother on the shoulder. “Thank, Colt.”
He smiled down at her. “You’re welcome, sis.”
“If you two are done heaping praise on each other, I’d like to get going,” Jake interjected. “And cut the crap about being in love with me,” he told Maddie. “I know better.”
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