Consume (Hellish Book 1)

by Charity Parkerson

  Jonathan headed for the car without looking Cin’s way. It was obvious he wasn’t giving an inch. Still, Cin breathed an inner sigh of relief. He could deal with anything as long as Jonathan didn’t leave him.

  Load up. We’re five minutes out and Jonathan’s found something.

  Aye, we’re on it.

  Cin knew there was no need to specify. His team would be ready to go the second he arrived. Fuck. It seemed things were either all or nothing in his life. He needed to chase down this lead. At the same time, if he left, Jonathan might be out the door right behind him.

  Faolan, I need you to stay behind with Jonathan. He’s a runner today.

  Sure thing.

  Now all he had to do was survive a fight with some demons long enough for Jonathan to kill him later.

  3

  Enraged wasn’t a strong enough word for the storm of Jonathan’s emotions. In fact, he no longer knew why he was so goddamn pissed off, but he was. He was the one who kept letting Cin do this to him. There was nothing stopping Jonathan from walking away right now, going back to New York with his memories intact, and never seeing Cin again. Yep, there was nothing stopping him at all, except everything inside Jonathan. He loved Cin—loved his clan.

  The moment Cin had kissed him, six years came rushing back all at once. They were together more often than not, thanks to Global Daily. Jonathan always seemed to find his way to wherever Cin had his next big investigation going on. It was as if they were linked in some invisible way. When they’d met in Kirkcaldy, Mike had been more than happy to fund a month of Jonathan’s trip. They just broken up, and with Jonathan safely tucked away in Scotland, no one blinked an eye when Mike moved his new man in—the one he’d been sleeping with behind Jonathan’s back for almost a year.

  Little did Mike know, Jonathan was fine. He’d gone to Scotland and met the love his life. It just fucking figured when that day came, he’d fallen in love with a vampire. That had come as a bit of a shock. Not that it mattered, since every time Cin left for another investigation, Jonathan was always the first thing the man washed away as if Jonathan meant nothing at all.

  A large brick house came into view. It looked exactly like something out of a gothic novel. Vampires did seem to have a sick sense of humor. Cin pulled into the four-car garage and parked. He didn’t say anything or look Jonathan’s way. For real, the man was pissed off. Jonathan could feel the rage pulsing from his body. Cin jumped from the car before circling around and opening Jonathan’s door. One good thing about dating someone over six hundred years old—the dude had awesome manners.

  Jonathan moved toward the house. Cin blocked his way, leaving Jonathan no other choice but to meet his stare. The light blue eyes he loved glowed with fury as they focused on Jonathan. It seemed the man had been stewing and reverted to being the alpha on the drive. No trace of his earlier contriteness made an appearance.

  “When I tell you to get in the car, like I did back there, you do it. You don’t know what you’re up against here, and yet you still did what you pleased. If you ever disobey me like that again—when your life is on the line—I will turn you over my knee and tan your arse.”

  Jonathan’s knees weakened. He’d love that.

  Cin visibly sucked in a deep breath. “Stop that.”

  “What?” Jonathan asked, trying to keep his tone innocent.

  “You know what, you delicious freak.”

  Jonathan hid his smile as Cin led him inside. He knew how to make Cin be quiet. His grin slipped away the moment they cleared the door. The men were packing and ready to roll. All except for Faolan. The lone ginger in the group sat relaxed on the couch, as if it was a lazy Sunday afternoon. The asshat was indeed wearing Jonathan’s boots. He looked up and smiled as Jonathan came through the door.

  “Hey! It’s that Jon boy.”

  The man was so full of shit, but at least he was smiling. Dougal, or the blond beauty of the bunch—as Jonathan had come to know him—was eyeing Jonathan as if expecting him to explode at any moment. He wasn’t wrong. Jonathan might lose his shit. Niall was shifting from foot to foot and looking ready to crawl out of his skin. That wasn’t new. The man was darker than the rest—like he’d seen some horrible shit and hadn’t come out the other side. Both Dougal and Niall were loaded down, as if ready to go to war. With every nervous shift from Niall, the light caught the blade strapped to his waist and glimmered. The man also had a gun Velcroed to his leg, but from what Jonathan had heard, Niall preferred his knife. He was vicious. Loved getting up-close and personal.

  “We have to go before we lose their trail,” Niall said, practically growling each word. Jonathan wasn’t surprised Cin was leaving. Cin was always leaving. He knew what Cin did was bigger than him—bigger than them. His heart didn’t care. At the moment, everything hurt. He didn’t bother glancing Cin’s way. Jonathan wouldn’t stand in his way. Instead, he headed for the couch, taking up post next to Faolan. He’d wait. After all, Jonathan had no intention of going anywhere.

  Come back to me. Jonathan put the thought out there, hoping Cin heard.

  Cin focused on him. “I always do.”

  Jonathan stared at the door for much longer than he liked after Cin left. He might have done so for the rest of the day if not for Faolan.

  “Are you all right?” Faolan asked softly, pulling Jonathan’s focus his way. His amethyst eyes glowed for a moment before returning to a more humanlike color.

  “I’m fine.”

  Faolan shook his head. “No. You’re not.”

  A growl rose in Jonathan’s throat. “Stay out of my head.”

  The low chuckle escaping Faolan had Jonathan wanting to put his fist in the center of the man’s face. “I’m not in your head. Just digging for info you willingly handed over.”

  “You’re wearing my goddamn boots,” Jonathan said, changing the subject in hopes of clinging to his sanity.

  The man’s contagious smile made it hard for Jonathan to put any real heat behind his accusation. “You’re part of the Hellish Clan now.” His gaze slipped down Jonathan’s body, and his voice turned seductive. “We share everything.”

  Jonathan drew a slow breath through his nose and kept his mind carefully blank. Fucking vampires. They knew how to drip sex and make anyone want it. Hell would freeze before Jonathan gave any of them the satisfaction. He chose a different track instead. “Obviously, I’m not part of the clan if you keep sending me away.”

  Faolan grabbed his chest in mock hurt. “I never did any such thing. If it was up to me, you’d never go anywhere. You’re quite the hoot when you’re nae being all stingy with your shoes and such.”

  Before Jonathan could respond, Cin came back through the door. “We missed them. Niall stayed behind to keep watch. It’s obvious they’ve been using that port for a while.”

  “Your man is quite the catch,” Dougal said, coming in behind Cin. “If he hadn’t shown up, we’d still be spinning our wheels.”

  Jonathan flashed the man a grateful smile. No doubt it would be the only credit he got. “What about the women?”

  Cin shook his head. “Baby, those women are long dead. Demons aren’t known for keeping their victims. They use their bodies for pleasure and what blood they can get to appease their masters. The rest probably went to the sharks.”

  Jonathan waved away Cin’s words. “Not the missing women. There were two women with them, following them from the van to the boat. It was a bit odd, actually. They followed them step by step, almost as if tied by an invisible tether. Look,” he said, pulling out his cell phone and cueing up the video he’d captured earlier. They huddled around Jonathan’s phone, watching the scene play out. As Jonathan stared down at the device in his hands, his confusion grew. There were no women. “I don’t understand. They were there.” He pointed out the two men who the women had been following.

  At his claim, all three of the men focused on him at once. Jonathan’s hand shot to his head as a sharp pain pierced his skull. He tried slamming down a wall
. As quickly as it began, the pain stopped.

  Dougal shook his head. “Damn, Cin. Your fella is a Traveler. No wonder you can’t keep a glamour on him.”

  Jonathan rolled his eyes. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” he said, still rubbing his forehead. “What does my time spent traveling have to do with anything? And stay the fuck out of my head.” All the men continued eyeing him in awe and open interest, as if seeing him for the first time.

  Dougal shook his head. “Not a world traveler. A Traveler with a capital T.”

  Jonathan dropped his hand. “I’m not hearing a difference.”

  “You can see things,” Faolan said, as if it should’ve been obvious. “Like those women’s ghosts following their killers on the dock, which happens quite often, by the way, especially with women. They’re strong willed and refuse to leave their murderers until someone avenges them. Anyhow, this means I’m right and you were wrong. Ha! You are part of the clan.” Jonathan might have been drawn into Faolan’s foolishness if not for the way Cin was staring at him. “I hope you know this means I get to keep the boots,” Faolan added, as if anyone was still listening.

  Cin shoved Jonathan’s phone into Faolan’s hands. “Here. Look after this.” Without waiting to ensure the man complied, Cin snagged Jonathan’s elbow and led him away. “We have some things to discuss.”

  Jonathan let Cin lead him up a flight of stairs and into a large bedroom. It smelled like Cin. Longing washed over Jonathan. Maybe Cin was right to steal the memory of him. This horrible deep pit of need would’ve been haunting him every second they were apart if Cin didn’t take it from him. Cin’s fingers skimmed Jonathan’s spine. His eyes fell closed at the contact. Who was he kidding? Each time he lost his recollections of their time together, a little piece of him died. He was one of those stupid men everyone talked about. Too weak to walk away from someone who destroyed him.

  “Jonathan.”

  Goddamn it. The way Cin said his name—no doubt the man read his every thought.

  “If you’re about to say anything to me about returning to New York, then save it. I’m telling you now, if you wipe my memories one more time, you’d better make that shit permanent, because I don’t want to ever see your face again.” Jonathan didn’t turn as he made the threat. He couldn’t look at Cin and say those words without breaking, but he meant them. The confusion he’d experienced inside the airport had been the final straw. No one could say they loved him and make him feel that way.

  “Look at me.”

  He wanted to tell Cin to fuck off, but his feet moved without his brain’s permission. Jonathan turned. Cin’s expression caused the air to seize in his lungs. Cin slipped to his knees and pressed his face to Jonathan’s stomach. Jonathan’s anger fell away as he wrapped his arms around Cin’s head and held him there.

  “Sometimes you believe I love you. Other times, you don’t feel it at all.”

  Pain stabbed Jonathan through the chest at Cin’s claim. “That’s not true.” Even Jonathan heard the lie in his voice.

  Cin ignored his claim. “Which is it today, Jonathan? Do you love me?”

  His chest tightened at the vulnerability in Cin’s voice. “So fucking much,” Jonathan admitted without shame. Cin’s eyes fell closed at his answer, as if relief washed over him. It was moments like these that kept Jonathan from walking away. This man was badass. In fact, he wasn’t a man at all. Cin was a deadly beast, but here he was at Jonathan’s feet, surrendering himself. After Cin, no one else would ever be enough.

  While holding Jonathan’s gaze, Cin loosened the button on Jonathan’s jeans. Goddamn. If Cin hadn’t already been on his knees, the images that fired to life in Jonathan’s head would’ve taken him down. Every time they touched, this man had Cin thanking the gods for bringing them together. Cin was more than happy to bring Jonathan’s fantasies to life. He set Jonathan’s erection free. Jonathan’s eyes lost focus. Cin bit back a smile. Hoping to drag out the man’s anticipation, Cin leaned in slowly before licking Jonathan’s crown. A moan slipped past his lips as Jonathan’s pre-cum coated Cin’s taste buds. Nothing tasted better than his man turned on. He’d plan to take his time and make Jonathan beg. It turned out he was the one who couldn’t withstand the torment. Jonathan’s dick beat at the back of Cin’s throat before he realized it would happen. The man’s pulse sounded ridiculously loud to Cin’s overloaded senses. He could smell the blood pulsing through Jonathan’s veins. Cin didn’t want to drink anything other than Jonathan’s cum. His erection hated him for ignoring it. In nearly seven hundred years, Cin had learned some patience. They’d have time for play later. Right now, nothing mattered as much as stealing Jonathan’s orgasm.

  Jonathan’s muscles tensed. His heartbeat sounded louder than before. The scent of the man’s lust overwhelmed Cin, smelling like freaking heaven. When Jonathan’s orgasm finally hit, Cin felt more powerful than he had in years—like he could conquer the world. When Jonathan had begun walking down that road, intent on leaving him, Cin had glimpsed a horrible future, one devoid of Jonathan. He would never let that happen. At this moment, with the man’s juices filling Cin’s mouth, he knew he could make everything right. Jonathan hadn’t given up on them yet. He didn’t stop swirling his tongue around Jonathan’s cock until he’d licked the man clean. The way Jonathan’s fingers massaged Cin’s scalp had Cin ready to sweep the man into bed and hold him for the rest of the night.

  The van is back. There’s something strange happening here.

  Cin bit back an irritated sigh at Niall’s call for assistance. We’re on our way. Cin came to his feet and captured Jonathan’s mouth. As much as he hated it, he had to keep their kiss short. That was all it took to steal his heart all over again—the way Jonathan always did with every touch.

  “I’m sorry, baby. I have to go. Niall needs us.” He helped straighten Jonathan’s clothes.

  “It’s okay. Go do what you need to,” Jonathan said, even as he came in for another kiss.

  Shit, guys. Seriously. Need you now.

  Cin pulled away. “Goddamn it. Niall’s in trouble.”

  Jonathan pushed him away. “Go.”

  With a final glance over his shoulder, Cin did as told. After throwing open the bedroom door, Cin readjusted his clothes to ease the pressure on his dick and tried clearing his mind. It was hard with the image of Jonathan’s hurt expression still at the forefront of his brain. Cin had wiped the sadness from Jonathan’s eyes, but fuck. He hadn’t even unstrapped his guns before blowing his man. What kind of lover did something like that? Why did Jonathan want this life? Niall was right. Cin would get the man killed. Jonathan couldn’t understand that what they knew from over six hundred years of living, having his memories wiped was the humane thing to do. Life with Cin would be hard and dangerous. There would never come a day when Cin could retire. The only out for him was the final death, which brought with it a whole other list of reasons Jonathan couldn’t stay.

  No way could Cin watch Jonathan die. That meant, eventually, turning the man. He loved the sexy reporter. There was no one he’d rather be tied to for eternity. But that was just it; Jonathan would be stuck with Cin. No way out. He wouldn’t be a full vampire. Jonathan wouldn’t be able to survive on drinking human blood. The only blood that would sustain him was vampire. Jonathan would literally starve to death without Cin or his clan. He didn’t know how to start that conversation. Cin loved Jonathan too much to condemn him to that life, but neither could he stay away.

  His black mood and dark thoughts kept his brain busy as they traveled to the docks. During the day, he was forced to drive—his powers limited by the sun. The sun had fallen an hour ago, and his senses were at their highest. It was quicker to dissipate and reappear at different points. Each member landed at a separate location, surrounding the pack of demons. Cin put Jonathan out of his head. One demon on his own was dangerous enough. A pack, that was beyond deadly, and intriguing. Demons didn’t tend to work together.

  We need to take
at least one alive. There’s something verra odd about this.

  Dougal was quick to agree. For real, I got a bad feeling in my gut.

  The van Jonathan had captured on video sat parked at the end of the dock once more. A houseboat was tied to the wood, making an odd scraping noise with every lapping wave. Cin opened his senses, searching the thick brush for anything unnatural.

  Niall.

  No answer came to Cin’s mental call.

  “Found him,” Faolan said, startling Cin with his sudden appearance. Cin followed on the giant vamp’s heels, ducking between trees until he spotted Niall’s still form on the ground. He was unconscious and bleeding but alive.

  “What the fuck?”

  A snarl was all the warning they got before the beach came to life. At least seven possessed humans appeared from the trees, falling on them like the beasts that now owned their bodies. There was no sense in sparing them from damage. The men’s souls had fled their vessels long ago. Any hint of soul left behind would’ve broken from the taint of evil. Cin pulled two guns from their holsters in one motion, firing at two demons, protecting Dougal as the other vamp helped Niall.

  His arm is shredded. They have hounds somewhere.

  With a mental nod, Cin split his attention between Dougal’s report and keeping them safe. Get him up and send him home. I’ll make sure we’re not followed.

  Something was wrong. Jonathan could feel it in his bones. He’d been standing at the sink, intent on filling the coffeepot and settling in for a long night when a horrible sense of foreboding solidified in his chest. Jonathan kept his gaze carefully locked on the water pouring from the faucet. He wanted to reach out for Cin the way all the men spoke to each other. Since he couldn’t, Jonathan brought an image of Cin as he’d been earlier to mind. He pictured every detail from the tight-fitting t-shirt to the military-style boots. Jonathan hoped his efforts would bring about some mental connection. Perhaps Jonathan couldn’t reach out to Cin, but Cin could hear him. His skin tingled with awareness. Cin was coming. He could feel him. Jonathan was equal parts amazed and terrified. The sense of something horrible looming didn’t ease. Even knowing he was coming, Jonathan still startled when a warm weight pressed against his back. His heart sped with fear—not lust. It wasn’t Cin. Jonathan knew without having to look. This man was larger, imposing.