"Now you'll what, doctor?"
"Now I need to clean a bigger area around the injection site." He quickly dove into her chest, hungrily kissing her flesh.
Squishing up her face, Addison wore a pained expression as she closed her eyes. His kisses felt good, but her guilt about cheating on Christian made each one sting. Her eyes burned with new tears, a few whimpers escaping her lips.
Opening her eyes, Addison could see the top of Zak’s head, his shaggy blond hair all messed up and in much need of a haircut. He looked like a model from a beach magazine, his body perfectly sun-kissed and muscular. Her thoughts wandered back to the day she had met him in the park and how great he had looked all covered in sweat after one of his runs.
She groaned in annoyance. "I can see the needle, and it's way too big." Her words came out fast and in a louder voice than she normally used as she gritted her teeth and pushed up on his hands as hard as she could. "Put it away. I don’t need a shot anymore."
Zak chuckled but didn’t look up at her, his hands letting go of hers and pulling down his boxers quickly.
"Stop." She laughed nervously, hoping to convince him to stop and not go to the next level. "Zak, come on, put it away."
"I’ll curb your fear of needles yet, Addison." He grabbed her hand and wrapped it around his “needle.” She gave a loud gasp. He wore his signature cocky smile as he took in her startled expression. "It won’t even hurt. I promise."
He released her arms and wrapped them around his bare back, her fingers resting on the large black tattoo that swept across the space between his shoulders. "Just close your eyes…" His hands slowly crept down to her hips, grabbing hold of her shorts. She shoved on his shoulders.
He watched her close her eyes as tightly as she could, his stare focused entirely on her face, "Just one more distraction before I insert the needle." He was about to do something he had thought about since the day he met her, his face filling with a satisfied smile. His lips hovered over her own, Zak’s hands slowly pulling down her shorts.
"Stop!" Addison’s eyes shot open, a few fresh tears falling down her cheeks as she looked at him. Planting a firm slap on his cheek, she quickly shoved him off and jumped out of bed as he let go.
Letting out a small grunt, Zak smacked the mattress and tried not to let her see how angry he was. "Come back. We don’t have to—"
"You're a jerk, Dr. Monroe!" Wiping at her eyes, Addison didn’t look up at him as she spoke. " I’m going to bed." She quickly exited the room, slamming the door behind her.
Zak fell back into the pillows, cursing under his breath as he shut his eyes. He had almost had her, almost…
Chapter Nine
Answers
"Hello Dr. Anderson." Sitting in a chair near the desk, Christian had one of his fingers paused at his lips, an evil smile on his calculating features.
Wearing a nervous expression, Dr. Anderson walked further into the room. He wasn’t expecting to find anyone in his office, let alone Christian. "What can I help you with…" He wanted to make a run for it. Instead, he moved over to his desk and pretended like nothing was wrong. "Sir?"
"Come now." Christian chuckled, his eyes following Dr. Anderson’s every move. "Let us not play games, doctor. You know exactly who I am."
"Of course I know who you are." Sitting down, Dr. Anderson folded his hands neatly on his desktop. "So what brings you to my office?"
"I want you to tell me about Jessica Hershey."
"She’s one of my patients." Dr. Anderson’s watched as Darien emerged from the corner and stood in front of the door. He noticed another vampire standing in front of the window as well.
"And?" Christian motioned for him to continue with a smooth hand gesture.
"I’m sorry, but due to privacy—"
Christian stood up slowly from his chair, "Your privacy policies are of no importance." He held his hand out. "Give me her file."
Nodding, the doctor reluctantly rose and walked over to the filing cabinet. He tried switching the folders, but Christian caught him. The Master motioned for the doctor to sit back down, looking through the folders until he found one with Jessica’s name on it and a bold heading at the top of the page.
Day One of Rehabilitation
"Ah, this is it." Christian skimmed the file. "What the hell is this?" He looked up at the doctor briefly then back at the paper, taking out a handful of pictures of him with other women. The pictures were snapped by hunters and were taken before he even met Addison, "How dare you! You turned my wife against me? Using this vile trickery!"
He tossed the folder to the floor, the pages spilling out of it. He rushed toward the doctor, shoving him into the wall. The doctor’s head smashed into the picture frame behind him and shattered the glass. "Filling her head with your lies! Making her believe I am a cheating monster!"
The doctor tried to speak, but Christian cut off his breath, holding tightly to his throat while screaming in his face, "She’s mine, and you bastards had no right to take her from me!" Pulling the doctor’s body forward, Christian slammed him back into the wall, and a jagged piece of glass from the broken frame pierced the back of his skull.
"I will find my Addison and remedy the lies that have poisoned her brain." He turned from the doctor’s blank expression, releasing his neck and letting his limp body fall to the floor. "Let us make an example of all those who dare turn my family against me."
"Yes, Master." Darien nodded, a sinister smile spreading over his face as he rubbed his hands together quickly in anticipation of the hunt.
"Josh." Christian pointed to the papers on the floor as he walked toward the door. He didn’t look at the younger man as he spoke, "Search this place and see what else you can find on Addison. Darien and I are going hunting."
"Yes, Master." Josh bent down and picked up the pages. He looked over a few of them, reading one of the first interviews the doctor had conducted with Addison.
Do you know why you’re here Jessica?
My name is Addison.
But you agreed to start a new life, Jessica.
Yes, I know.
So, tell me about your life as a vampire.
Like what?
Anything.
I hate hunting.
Hunting?
The Master wants me to hunt, but I hate killing.
Do you love the Master?
Yes.
What kinds of things do you love about him?
He makes me feel like a princess. He’s refined and classy, and he makes me feel like the most important woman in the world. I love Christian. Being without him is like living without a piece of me. I can’t survive without him. Christian is my everything. He’s my reason to breathe.
Is there anything you hate about him?
No.
You mentioned he makes you hunt, and you don’t like that. Do you do everything he says?
Yes. (Patient pauses.) He knows what’s best for me.
Do you really believe that?
Yes.
Josh stuffed the paper back into the folder. He rummaged around the office until he found Dr. Anderson’s laptop hidden in the top drawer of the desk. Searching the patient files, Josh clicked on Jessica’s name. Seeing a link titled “Josh,” he immediately opened it. After skimming the contents, he found another interview between the doctor and his sister.
So you resent the Master for making Josh a vampire?
Yes. (Patient pauses.) Very much. He’s my brother. I wanted to protect him.
You have to protect Josh from the Master?
Yes.
How far are you willing to go to protect him?
I’d kill for Josh.
Kill?
Yes.
Josh quickly highlighted the section and erased it. He leafed through her file until he found the duplicate and stuck it in the shredder. He looked around nervously, hoping Christian wouldn’t return at that moment.
Josh’s hand started shaking as he looked quickly over the other files. H
e knew some of the things in here could get Addison in a lot of trouble, and he wanted to protect her. He found another interview entitled “Zak,” but quickly trashed the digital copy without reading it and shredded the paper copy.
After a little bit of clean up, Josh made a quick once over of the office but didn’t really find anything else. His attention wandered to the laptop again, his need to snoop inside his sister’s brain overwhelming him. He walked back over to it and clicked on another file named “Christian.” He read a little and then began to laugh, his hand going over his mouth at some of his sister’s naughty secrets. He was so entranced that he didn’t notice Christian’s swift entrance into the room until the head vampire was right behind him.
"What are you doing?" Christian tried to see the screen, but Josh quickly exited out of the folder. "What is that?"
"Oh." Clearing his throat, Josh tried to redirect his thoughts to something other than Christian and Addison’s sex life. "It’s the same information that’s in Addison’s file. I was just reading through them to see if there was anything that could tell us where she is."
"What were you reading?" Darien shoved Josh to the side a little, putting his hand on the mouse and reading the name of the folder the cursor was paused on. "Christian."
Christian leaned closer, a curious expression on his face. "Let me see." Christian pushed Darien out of the way and clicked on it.
"Hey," Josh tried to stop them. "Those are Addison’s private thoughts. You guys shouldn’t be—"
Christian started to howl with laughter. "Ooo…I like this."
"Me too," Darien chuckled. "She likes it when you—"
"Come on!" Putting his hands up in the air, Josh was getting very upset, his voice taking on an angry, fatherly tone. "Stop reading that!"
Trying to hold in his laughter, Christian focused on a particular question from Dr. Anderson and read it aloud, "Do you think you are fond of missionary positions because the Master has molded you to being his submissive? No. I like it because he’s better at it than I am."
Darien read aloud, both he and Christian chuckling like little boys, "If the Master was dead, and you had to pick a new mate, who would you choose?" He paused before reading Addison’s answer, "Darien."
"Because he can protect me," Christian chimed in, a giant smile on his face. "There will never be room in my heart for anyone besides Christian. After loving him, no man will ever measure up to his greatness." Sighing, his smile quickly melted into a more calm expression. "I will read this in more detail during the flight to Jenson. There is business I must attend to in Hanton before we depart."
* * * *
When Zak went to work the next day, Addison went back to her apartment. She was feeling sick, but she thought it was probably due to all her pain meds. She hadn’t been able to keep anything down all day, and her head felt like it was on fire.
She changed her clothes, opting for a nice loose sweater and a pair of low cut jeans that didn’t bother her stitches. Before she pulled the shirt down, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She frowned when she saw how much weight she had gained since she had become human. She had gone up two pants sizes, and now it seemed like she might need to go up another judging by her inability to button this pair
Shaking the thought from her head, Addison yanked her sweater the rest of the way on and left her pants unbuttoned. She sat down on her bed, which was just a mattress on the floor. Her apartment was almost bare, the mattress and a folding chair the only pieces of furniture in the room. She had a small television sitting on the chair and a few clothes hanging in the closet as well as a stack of books in the corner.
Picking up her laptop, Addison put on her headphones and prepared to write. She began typing, stopping an hour later. Letting out large sigh, Addison gazed out the small window that was facing a brick wall.
Minimizing her word document, she reached over and grabbed a candy bar off the floor near her. Peeling back the wrapper, she stared at the long piece of chocolate, her mind wandering back to her night with Zak.
She had really screwed up with him, and he hadn’t talked to her all morning. As much as she tried not to admit it, she had thought about Christian the whole night. She wanted nothing more than to fall asleep in Christian's arms, to taste his lips and listen to him speak. Forgetting about him seemed impossible, but Addison knew it was something she had to do. Maybe if she knew for sure he was cheating on her, it would make things easier.
A giant grin spread across her face as she looked back down at her laptop and began typing again, imagining the conversation she would have with him. It was late when she finished, and she let out a small yawn as she stretched her arms over her head.
She put on her favorite Internet radio station, loud rock music blaring in her ears and making her small world disappear. Then, she found a website that allowed her to send text messages from any phone number she wanted. Licking her lips, Addison smiled devilishly as she typed Amanda’s number as the sender and sent a text message to Christian.
What’s up?
Addison giggled, proud of her imitation. After a few minutes without a response, she sighed in annoyance. Finally after a half an hour of waiting, there was a reply.
Going to the club.
Addison hastily answered.
Me too. I was wondering when you were coming ;)
Surprisingly, Christian’s reply was quick this time.
Really? Where are you?
She then started to flirt with him.
Home. Hot and ready for you. Wanna taste of me?
A taste?
I taste like heaven. You want me, I know it.
Heaven?
Heaven.
Then, she quoted something Christian would often say to her, assuming he had said it to other girls.
Drinking from me will be like flying to the clouds, your tongue plunging through heaven's gates and tasting the pure waters of paradise.
Christian typed back the dirty phrase in Aerolin that Addison had gotten translated. This made Addison angry, her fingers punching the keys.
What does that mean?
You know what it means.
Something good?
Very.
Without realizing it, Addison used one of her own phrases.
Like steak good or cheesecake good?
Cheesecake good—with a cherry in the middle. I crave a taste of your sweetness.
Addison’s hands paused over the keys, reading his words. Her smile disappeared as she typed a response.
When’s the last time you tasted it?
It’s been awhile, but when I do it will be worth the wait.
Glaring at the screen, Addison put a finger to her lips as she tried to halt her hand from writing her next phrase.
Why wait? You’ve cheated on Addison before, so why stop now?
She was about to erase it, but when she went for the backspace key, her finger slipped and she pushed enter instead. "No, No, No!" Addison’s face filled with extreme worry, her hands going quickly to her head. "I didn’t want to send that!" She ripped off her headphones and tossed them to the side.
Christian quickly sent a message back.
I would never cheat on you.
Addison’s jaw dropped, her breath quickening as she continued to read the rest in Aerolin.
My love for you is like the heavens, immeasurable and eternal.
Addison’s face wrinkled up like she were about to cry. "Oh shit…" She sniffled, putting her fingers under her nose as she watched another message pop up.
But you are in trouble, my love.
He sent the next message in a separate text.
A lot of trouble.
Her hands quickly went to the keys as she tried to remedy the messy situation she had gotten herself into.
Why am I in trouble?
Christian sent a chain of texts back to her, each appearing in quick succession, one after the other.
Christian terrifies me.
I
hate being a vampire.
Christian’s blood is poison.
Christian is bad for me.
"Holy shit." Putting her hand over her mouth, Addison read the final word.
Lies.
They wouldn’t release me if I didn’t lie.
Come home.
I can come home?
Bending closer to the screen, Addison bit on one of her fingernails as she waited for his response.
There is no CAN, there is only you WILL.
Why did you send your hunters to kill me?
I would never do such a thing. I could never harm you. I love you.
Really? You still love me?
Oh yes….my love for you will outlast the day and the night, the years and the centuries.
Aww…I love you too
Are you all right?
Yes, I’m fine.
Good.
Where are you?
There was a loud knocking at the door, so Addison quickly logged off the Internet and slammed the lid of her laptop. She heard the door open on its own, and she pulled her computer close to her chest as she looked toward her open bedroom door.
"Hello?" Zak peeked into the bedroom, a slightly annoyed look on his face. "Jessica?"
Seed of the Master (Christian’s Kisses Book 2) Page 10