Cross the Line: A Gabriella Cross Paranormal Romance Book 2

by Lovestone, M. J.

  Gabby accepted another drink and tossed it back without tasting it.

  “You once asked me why I do it. Remember, when you were posing as Melinda Stark? You asked me why I fight global corporations and try to save forests.”

  “You said that you did it because someone had to.”

  “Correct, but that is only a half-truth.”

  Gabby was intrigued. “Then why do you do it?”

  “When I was thirteen years old my sister got me into this summer camp a few hours out of the city. I had never been out of the city before, and I must admit that I thought it was a real drag at first. But we were right next to a lake and surrounded by a huge state park, so there were all kinds of activities.” He laughed. “I was a little asshole back then, always getting into trouble and doing stupid shit to impress my friends.

  “Well, one night me and my buddy got it into our heads to have a little fire. We had these girls that we were trying to impress, so we thought that sneaking into the forest and making a little fire would show them just how manly we were. We had learned how to make a fire in camp, but I wasn’t about all that settler shit. I grabbed a can of gasoline out of the storage shed, and my friend and I built a huge bonfire right there in the middle of the forest. Now this was in the summer of eighty-four, and there had been a terrible dry spell that lasted for weeks. As you might have guessed, the little fire we made got out of control. It quickly turned into a forest fire.”

  Michael’s far-away glance was haunted by regret. Gabby recognized that look, for she felt the same.

  “Long story short, I burned down nearly two thousand acres of state forest. That is the reason that I do what I do. It is my atonement.”

  “Did you get caught?”

  Michael laughed. “Of course. The girls we were trying to impress ratted us out. I received three years in juvy.”

  “Jesus, that’s terrible.”

  “What, burning down a forest or three years in juvy?”

  “Both,” said Gabby.

  “Yeah, well, I wouldn’t want to change any of it. It might have been the biggest fuck-up of my life, but I think it saved me. The guilt of the forest fire taught me responsibility, and three years with Chicago’s worst hell-raisers taught me how to fight.”

  “Are you trying to say that one day, I’ll be glad that this happened?”

  “Precisely. Unless you never learn anything from it, which would be a shame.”

  Gabby doubted that she would ever be glad that her father had been shot because of her. But she understood that there was a lesson there to be learned.

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You were just trying to help, after all,” said Michael.

  “Thanks. But I’ll feel a lot better when my father is cured.”

  “We’re working on it. Trust me, Gabby. We’ll find a cure.”

  “And what should I do? Just sit around and wait?”

  “Trust me. That is all I ask.”

  “I do trust you, but Victor’s maker has done this for a reason. She is trying to lure me to her.”

  “She? How did you know that she was a woman?”

  “Victor told me,” Gabby lied.

  Michael studied her eyes, and she thought that she saw a hint of suspicion.

  “Has she tried to contact you?”

  “No, she hasn’t. But I think she will.”

  “If she does, you must let me know immediately.”

  “Of course,” said Gabby. She finished her third martini and joined Michael for lunch on the balcony overlooking the city. The day was mild for October, and the sun shone brightly, but Gabby thought of nothing but her father, who was even now fighting for his life.

  Chapter 21

  Gabby left Steele Tower and drove over to the beauty salon where Quip worked. The Inner Goddess was always busy, and today was no exception. Quip waved her over when she arrived. He finished up sweeping the hair from his latest customer and patted the pink seat.

  “Have a seat, babe. How’s your father doing?”

  “Not good, not bad. It’s like he’s in suspended animation. How are you doing?” Gabby asked, feeling bad that she had put her friend in serious danger. He’d almost been plucked from the van and eaten up by a vampire because of her.

  “Fine, so stop thinkin’ what you’s thinkin’. Not everything is your damn fault.”

  “What happened to my father is my fault.”

  “Mmm hmm,” said Quip, feigning a yawn. “You done feeling sorry for yourself? Cause that shit’s getting real old, real quick.”

  “Fuck you.”

  “That’s more like it,” said Quip, yanking Gabby’s hair back to brush it.

  “You’re such a bitch.”

  “You’re damned right I am.”

  Quip washed, dried, and brushed her hair before giving it a trim. They talked about what had happened at the warehouse, and though Gabby tried to hide it, Quip knew that there was something that she wasn’t telling him. He kept probing, and finally she spilled the beans.

  “Victor’s maker has come to me in my dreams. She beckons me. Says that if I want my father cured I must go to her.”

  “Have you told Michael about this?”

  “No, and neither will you. Understand?”

  Quip gave her a look in the mirror that said “bitch, please.”

  “This is important, Quip. You’ve got to promise me that you won’t say anything.”

  “You trying to insult me? Shit. Of course I won’t say anything. But you would be wise to tell him.”

  “I got the distinct impression that I am to go alone.”

  “There’s a shocker. Shit, Gabby, what you think this is, a movie? You can’t be going after an ancient vampire all by yourself.”

  “Why not? I am a nullifier, after all.”

  “You’s a new nullifier who hasn’t even begun to master her powers. While she’s an ancient damned vampire. You don’t want to underestimate those blood suckers.”

  “I was hoping to get some support from you.”

  “Babe, I am supporting you. I’m telling you what you needs to hear. Don’t go off after this vamp alone. You heard?”

  Gabby got out of the chair before Quip was done with her. “You sound just like Michael.”

  “Why, did Michael give you good advice as well?”

  Gabby scoffed, tossed fifty dollars on the chair, and headed for the door.

  “Gabby…”

  She ignored him and walked out of the place and headed for her car.

  “Gabby! Hold the hell on!”

  “What?” said Gabby, turning to face him.

  Quip put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed softly. “I’m your friend, babe, and you know I got your back. But you can’t go after this bitch by yourself. You hear me? You plan on doing something stupid, you give me a call. I’m with you, babe. You can’t go this alone.”

  “Alright, Quip. I’m sorry,” said Gabby, giving him a hug and getting in her car.

  “You call me.”

  “I will. I promise,” Gabby lied.

  Chapter 22

  The wind tore through the pines like a banshee’s cry of mourning. The moon glowed bright, illuminating the foggy forests as the mist danced and swirled all around her. She felt eyes upon her back and whirled around, sure that she would find Victor’s maker standing right behind her. She found nothing but fleeting phantoms of shadows lurking just beyond the mist.

  “Come to me, Gabriella.”

  The voice came from all directions. Gabby twirled around, searching for the source. Her eyes settled on the distant castle tower, half crumbled by the abuse of weather and time.

  “Come to me.”

  Gabby hurried through the forest toward the castle. She was barefoot and dressed only in her nightgown, but she traversed the forest floor quickly, nimbly.

  The doors to the castle hung from rusty hinges. Through the crack created between them, the soft glow of lamplight flickered and beckoned.

  She walked t
hrough the threshold boldly and found two sets of stairs; one led left and the other led right, but both wound up to the same landing. Gabby took the staircase to the right and entered through the double doors at the center of the landing.

  A long table sat at the center of the room, and at the end burned a large fire. The stained-glass windows were broken and cracked. Candelabras and chandeliers were scattered throughout the room. They held cobwebs and years of dust, but no flame.

  “Hello, Gabriella.”

  Victor’s maker sat at the head of the table farthest from her. She wore a tight black dress that accentuated her curvaceous form. Long black braided hair snaked over her shoulder, ending at her waist. Luminescent green eyes held Gabby in their gaze, and in those eyes, Gabby saw centuries of wisdom, experience, and knowledge. She was humbled before the vampire, who looked like a queen of her kind. Gabby cringed to think what she must look like in her true form.

  “Who are you?”

  “You know who I am.”

  “Victor’s maker.”

  “My name is Lilith.”

  “What do you want from me?”

  “What do you think?”

  “Revenge?”

  Lilith let out a musical laugh, and in the blink of an eye she was standing before Gabby.

  “I have something that you want, and you have something that I want. Come to the island, alone, and I will hand over your father’s cure.”

  “What do you want in return?” Gabby asked. But Lilith had turned to smoke and now melded with the quickly swirling scene.

  “What do you want from me!”

  Gabby woke up in a cold sweat and glanced at the clock. It was 3:00 a.m., the witching hour.

  She sighed and sat back, but realizing that her sheets were soaked, she got up and went to the kitchen to pour herself a shot of whiskey.

  Come to the island, alone, and I will hand over your father’s cure.

  Lilith’s promise came to Gabby’s mind again, and she tried to remember as much as she could about the dream. It was definitely the castle that she had found online, there was no doubt about that now. She didn’t remember seeing anyone else in the dream, and indeed the feeling of the dream had been one of isolation, as though they had been the only two people on Earth.

  Gabby shivered, wondering what Lilith wanted from her. She hadn’t seemed angry, but then again, she was an ancient vampire, one who would have outgrown the emotional impulses of mortals. But if it wasn’t revenge that Lilith wanted, what could it be?

  Gabby downed one shot of whiskey. Knowing the questions in her mind would keep her from sleep, she decided to make herself a pot of coffee.

  She resigned to the living room and played some classical music on the computer. She had read somewhere that it helped people focus. Mitzy joined her on the couch, rubbing up against Gabby with her lithe body and purring contently.

  “What do you think I should do, Mitzy?”

  The cat meowed and nuzzled against her body.

  “Michael said to trust him, and I don’t doubt that he has the resources to eventually find a cure, but how long will that take? And will Dad even live that long? Lilith isn’t going to wait forever.”

  Mitzy offered none of her feline wisdom, but went to grooming herself, as though such trivial issues were below her.

  “I didn’t listen to Juliette when she told me to nullify Carrie and Sophia, and I was nearly choked to death. I didn’t listen to Dad at the warehouse, and now he’s fighting for his life. Maybe I should just do what they say for a change. I’m bound to just fuck things up even more.”

  Mitzy purred and nudged Gabby, letting her know that if she was going to listen to all her problems, she wanted to be petted. Gabby sighed and absently petted the cat, contemplating what she should do.

  It all hinged on what Lilith really wanted. Considering that she had sent a Vampire hit squad after her more than once, it seemed clear that Victor’s maker wanted her dead. But Gabby had a feeling that this wasn’t about revenge. Her father had been specifically targeted with the poisonous round, which meant that Lilith had known they were coming, and if she wanted Gabby dead, she wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to force her hand.

  Gabby paused. Lilith knew we were coming. The realization had eluded her before, and she wondered if Michael had realized this as well. If so, he hadn’t mentioned it to Gabby. But if Lilith knew that they would hit the warehouse, that meant that there was a spy in their midst. Perhaps one of the guards who had gone on the job with them. Perhaps it was Bob, or even Valentine. Michael obviously trusted his men, and Bob had seemed pretty adamant about his loyalty. But Michael seemed to trust Valentine as well. She hated to think it might be Quip, and considered also that Juliette was behind it all. The woman had always been distant, and Gabby had almost killed her brother. Maybe Juliette thought that Gabby was a threat to Michael.

  Mitzy leapt off her lap, and Gabby realized that she had stopped petting the cat, lost in her ponderings as she was. She sighed and went to the kitchen and lit up a cigarette before pouring another cup of coffee. Outside the glow of the new day had begun to illuminate the world in soft pinks, oranges, and fading blues.

  Gabby backed up in her thought process and considered again what it was that Lilith might want. If not her death, then what? And if Lilith did want to kill her, would Gabby be able to protect herself? She was confident that she could nullify Victor’s maker—unless, of course, it was Lilith’s blood in the vials in the white room. That seemed like a long shot, though it would do something to explain how Lilith had been able to reach her in her dreams.

  If Gabby was unable to nullify Lilith, she would be doomed. People would come looking for her, and her father would likely die of his affliction.

  “Maybe I should just sit tight and listen for once. I’ve only managed to screw everything up so far,” said Gabby to the empty room.

  Once again Gabby found herself longing for her boring, black-and-white life. She regretted ever going after Michael and getting mixed up in all of this Otherworld bullshit.

  She put out her cigarette, aggressively smooshing it into the bottom of the ashtray and managing to burn herself with the cherry in the process. She turned on the water and ran it over her finger, feeling miserable and lonely. Everyone acted like they cared, but not in the way that friends cared. Michael, Juliette, even Quip had been acting like a parent rather than a friend. She realized that the only one who seemed to respect her decisions was Valentine.

  Gabby reminded herself that she had an incredible power, one that no one trusted her with. But were they right? Gabby had killed Victor after all, and other vampires as well.

  She thought of Michael’s story of the forest fire he had started, and his atonement. If anyone was going to risk their lives to save her father, it might as well be her. She had started this mess, and it was her responsibility to make it right.

  Her feud with the vampires had almost gotten Michael killed, Quip had been shot, and now her father was fighting for his life.

  I’ve got to end this once and for all, before anyone else gets hurt.

  Chapter 23

  Now that Gabby had finally made a decision on the matter, she felt much better, and she immediately began planning her escape. It wasn’t going to be easy shaking the weres, not like when they had been posing as the FBI. They knew full well about the underground tunnel to the storage unit with the Hummer, and Gabby knew that it was being watched.

  She racked her brain for hours trying to think of a way to evade their detection, but short of nullifying them all, she could think of nothing. If she made a big spectacle of the escape, Michael would be alerted, and once he learned what she was attempting, he would stop her.

  Gabby had nearly given up on it when she suddenly thought of Valentine. Surely with her succubus powers, Valentine could distract the guards long enough for Gabby to escape undetected.

  Excited, Gabby called Valentine on speed dial and paced the kitchen while she waited for an a
nswer.

  “Hello beautiful,” came the alluring purr of a voice on the other end.

  “Val, I need your help. Can you come over?”

  “Say no more. I’m on my way.”

  Gabby hung up the phone and forced herself to eat some breakfast. If she was going to meet with Lilith tonight on the strange island in the middle of Lake Michigan, she was going to need her strength.

  The thought caused her to pause more than once, and she tried not to linger on it, for the longer she considered the insanity of what she was about to do, the more her determination wavered.

  You can do this Gabby, you’re a badass nullifier.

  She chanted the mantra over and over as she ate cereal without tasting it much. When the doorbell rang and snapped her out of her ponderings, she ran to it, eager to go over the plan with Valentine.

  “I’m so glad you’re…”

  Riggs stood in the doorway with a raised brow.

  “Oh, Detective Riggs…hello.”

  “Were you expecting someone else?”

  “No…uh… what can I do for you?”

  “I would like to ask you a few more questions, if you don’t mind.”

  “This isn’t the best time.”

  “I’ll be quick.”

  Gabby let out a sigh. “Fine, come in.”

  “Thank you,” said Riggs as he strode into the house and took off his jacket and matching fedora.

  “Coffee?”

  “No thank you. As I said, I won’t be long.”

  Gabby moved to the island and grabbed her mug. Riggs was glancing around at everything the way he always did, as though he hadn’t been there before.

  He made his way over to her slowly. Gabby didn’t like the look on his face. It said that he knew something that she didn’t.

  “What?” she said, growing frustrated with the charade.

  “Miss Cross, isn’t it true that your father was a resident at a retirement home for nearly twenty years?”

  “Yes, he had early onset Alzheimer’s .”