“What choice do I have? Better that than risking her life.” Mitch started to protest, but Jackson interrupted. “Tell me now, how many Darkbloods do you know who are on friendly terms with humans? They use them until their purpose runs out and at that point, they drain them. They don’t care that they’re killing. They don’t care that their needs are ending someone’s life. At least I know the cravings are coming and can do something now to prevent the unthinkable from happening. I appreciate that you’re willing to hold off that report until I’ve had a chance to leave.”
“Man, I’m really sorry, Jackson. If you ever need anything—”
He held up his hands and shook his head. “Yeah, right. You’ve done enough for me already. If they find out you aided a Guardian who had reverted, you’d be in hot water. No, my friend, once I leave, I won’t be seeing you again.”
Mitch exhaled slowly. “What will you do? Where will you go?”
He shrugged. The Guardians had been his family for so long that he had no place he could automatically turn to. After his parents threw him out all those years ago, he’d been on his own, making his own way in the world. “Hell if I know. I haven’t gotten that far yet. I just want to get away from today. I’ll worry about tomorrow when it comes.”
When he got to his room, all the lights were out. He planned to slip in undetected, grab his things, then sleep on a couch somewhere.
He closed the door quietly. As he turned around to head to the closet, he heard a rustle of movement and all of a sudden Arianna was in his arms. Because the events of the night had depleted everything he had, he was so weak that he fell to his knees, then to the floor.
“Oh, my God, Jackson. What was that back there?” With her arms and legs caging him, she kissed his cheeks, his lips, his jaw, his eyelids, his hair. “I didn’t know you could do that.”
“I didn’t, either.” A growl rumbled deep in his chest. He wouldn’t be able to contain himself much longer.
“But you want to know something? I knew you’d come, that I wouldn’t be on my own. I knew in my heart that if I just kept moving, you’d be there. God, Jackson, you were totally amazing.”
Forget these little pixie kisses, he needed to be inside her, claiming her. A sudden surge of strength rippled through him. His lips crushed hers as he unzipped his pants and rolled over on top. Shoving up her nightshirt—his shirt—to her waist, he saw that she didn’t have panties on. Good. He’d have just ripped them off, anyway.
He shouldn’t be here. He shouldn’t be doing this. But considering that this might be the last night they’d be together, he told himself to shut the hell up.
She clutched at the shirt he wore, managing to rip it open, buttons flying everywhere. He started to unstrap his weapons, but she stopped him.
“Leave it,” she said throatily, her fingers digging into his lower back, keeping him focused, and another growl left his throat.
Needing no more encouragement from her, the tip of his shaft easily found her center. Then, in one swift and commanding thrust, he took her as his own. Over and over, he pounded into her heat, leather squeaking, weapons clanging, until he was on the verge of exploding. Though she was small, hardly a wisp beneath him, everything about her made him feel powerful and invincible. Stronger than he’d ever been before. He could slay a million dragons, walk through a desert at noon, climb the tallest mountains, simply because she believed in him.
If she was hoping for slow and gentle, she wasn’t getting it. The floor of his bedroom was for fucking and that was what this was.
Raw and demanding.
Domineering.
She’d even grabbed the leg of the bedpost to keep from sliding along the hardwood floor as he drove into her. She tasted like strawberries, smelled like lavender, and he wasn’t going to stop until he’d had his fill.
JACKSON’S LOVEMAKING TONIGHT had been manic. Crazy wild, then calm and controlled.
On the floor, he’d been driven by something primitive that excited everything that was feminine inside her. Then later, in the bed, he’d been slower and gentler, as if he was holding back, trying not to let himself go. On the floor, there was no time for talking, but in the bed, he hadn’t wanted to talk. Just put his fingers to her lips to silence her before he poised himself over her. He stared at her, the green of his eyes as dark as the inner forest, melancholy, searching, as he eased his body into hers. It was if he was memorizing every detail of this experience. Under other circumstances, she would’ve liked it, but she couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that something was wrong. His tender kisses and long, slow movements made her ache deep inside.
Arianna trailed her fingers over his chest and belly, tracing circles and figure eights and swirly patterns lightly with her nails. “You had no idea before tonight that you had the ability to go invisible?”
“No, not really.”
“I know I said this before, but you were totally amazing back there. Seriously. A mere whisper on the wind. If you hadn’t come along when you did, I don’t want to know what could’ve happened.”
He cursed under his breath.
“What?”
“We should’ve never gotten you involved. It was too fucking dangerous for you. It makes me pissed off to think that I actually allowed it.”
“Allowed it?” She propped herself up on an elbow. “Jackson, I volunteered. I went into it knowing what the risks were. Darkbloods at Xtark are responsible for what happened to my cousin. I’m not sure if it’s a few bad apples who have hijacked the game or if it’s directed from the top, but I wanted to help you guys figure out what’s going on. I know it’s a Guardian’s job to take them down, but this was my way to make sure that happened. It wasn’t like I was being led into it without knowing what I was facing.”
“You don’t know what could’ve happened back there, but I do. I know what Darkbloods are capable of doing. Just because you’ve been told a thing doesn’t give it the same impact as if you’d seen it actually happen. I have seen it. The broken bodies, tossed aside when they’re done. The terrified looks on the faces of those we’ve been able to save. Krystal included. I’ve seen these things too many times to count. You haven’t.”
“You’re wrong. I do know. Remember what happened to my mother?”
“Yes, but—”
“Shh. You got what you needed and I’m no worse for wear. That’s the main thing. Although I can tell you, I’m going to see if Lily will train me some more. I saw her take down a Darkblood in the parking garage with an elbow to the windpipe. I was standing there, totally amazed when Mitch came through that door. I’m not into the whole guns and knives thing like you guys are, but if I could take a man to his knees with just a well-placed punch, I’d be thrilled.”
“I’d say you’ve already mastered that skill.”
She laughed, then changed the subject. “Have there been signs before this?”
“A few but I didn’t think it was possible. That it was just my imagination.”
“Why?”
“It’s an ancient power that a few of our ancestors were rumored to have. They were called the Unseen.”
There was a sadness behind his eyes that she didn’t understand. “I’d think that’d be good, so why do I get the feeling that it’s not?”
“The Unseen were always the most violent. They led small groups of vampires—‘families,’ they called themselves. They terrorized villages, killing off innocent people for the fun of it. There are historical records of this happening. Inns full of travelers—dead. Hamlets and little burgs—dead. They just weren’t attributed to vampires. At least not most of the time.”
“Like thrill killers?”
He hesitated, closed his eyes for a moment. “Yes.”
She waited for him to continue, but he didn’t. “So you worry that yo
u’ll become like them? Unable to control your cravings?”
“Yes.” It came out as a half choke, half whisper.
It wasn’t true. She’d never believe he was capable of something so heinous. This man had dedicated his life to saving people, not killing them.
“Well, I don’t believe that for a minute.” She grabbed his face and looked him right in the eye. “Not for one goddamn minute. Krystal’s a sweetblood. You’ve had ample opportunity to let your cravings take over, but you didn’t. Not when you came upon us that first day, not when you were hurt and not when we were staying up at Lily and Alfonso’s. You’ve got more control over yourself than you think you do. Well…except for tonight on the floor. But then, that was hot. And I liked it. A lot.”
He paused, his gaze focused on the ceiling. “But you’re not me. You don’t know what it’s like to worry. Every minute of every day I struggle with it.”
“In what way?”
“I’ve got off-the-chart energy and blood needs. It’s gotten so bad that I need infusions daily.”
“How do you know that’s what you need?”
“If I don’t get it, it’s like there’s a giant cork holding back all the rage and anger of a lifetime. I know it’s going to explode someday soon. Tonight at Xtark was just the beginning of the end.”
“Then why is it that this ability just manifested itself in you now? You’ve said it seems to happen when you’re angry or stressed. I’d imagine that you’ve been stressed and angry a lot.”
“The lack of energy brings it on. Ever heard of how dickwadish a guy can get when he’s hungry? Multiply that by a thousand and give him the ability to kill you with a set of fangs and you’d be worried, too.”
She kissed him, letting her hair slip from behind her shoulder, making a barrier between them and their surroundings. She looked into his face and saw only him. “Sorry, but despite what you say, I don’t believe you’re reverting, Jackson. I just don’t.” She caressed his lower lip with her thumb. “You’re a passionate man with passionate needs, and now suddenly you have this amazing ability.”
“But—”
“Shh. Let me talk. I’ll tell you what I do know. You’re a good man, Jackson. I know that I love you and that I’ll do anything to keep you. If what you say is true, which I doubt, then we’ll fight it together. It’s as simple as that.”
“But that’s irresponsible, Arianna. Krystal is a sweetblood. It’ll be too hard for me to resist her blood if I really am reverting. If you have to make a choice, your place is with her, not with me.”
“Krystal will be moving back in with her mom soon. So when was the last time you took blood?”
He looked away. “Tonight. After the mess at Xtark. I went downtown and found a couple of guys heading to one of the clubs.”
She wasn’t sure what she thought about him taking blood from someone else. “Okay, fair enough. But turning invisible must take a lot of energy. That’s not proof in and of itself. What about before that? How long had it been since you’d had both blood and energy?”
He thought about it for a moment. “Since we’ve been together, I’ve only had yours.”
She couldn’t begin to explain how relieved that made her feel. “I don’t see that that’s a problem. Except for that first time, you’ve only taken a sip or two from me. And in talking to both Lily and Mackenzie—”
“You met Dom’s wife?”
“Yes, she’s great. I love her.”
“Oh, God, what kind of advice did you get from those two women?”
“Just that it’s normal to take blood when you make love. It doesn’t mean you’re reverting.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
ARIANNA PULLED INTO THE driveway of her house and shoved the Caddy into Park.
Please let my computer still be there.
She remembered Lily saying that it appeared nothing had been stolen when Darkbloods broke in, particularly because her computer sat, untouched, in her office.
She unlocked the front door and dashed down the hallway. It felt strange to be in her house after what had happened the last time she’d been here. How many Darkbloods had walked in these rooms after she’d gone into hiding with Krystal?
Two? Three? Ten? It made her skin crawl thinking about them here around all her things and she wished that the old myths about vampires needing to be invited into your home were true.
The laptop sat right where she’d left it, on top of her desk in the spare bedroom. Breathing a huge sigh of relief, she flipped it open and was soon accessing Paranormalish.
Jackson had been called in to a debriefing in the field office and had said he might be a while. If she wanted to head back up north to Krystal, he’d leave as soon as it got dark. After being escorted out by security so she wouldn’t know the exact location of the offices, she stopped by a coffee shop to get a latte for the road. The line was long, so she’d absently checked her email on her phone. Having recently posted about the Devil’s Backbone, she wanted to see if people had any new comments or if there were any new missing-person reports.
But the first message that popped up wasn’t from someone commenting on either of those posts. It was George from OSPRA commenting on a blog from…
Wait. Today? She hadn’t blogged today. Oh, God, she was getting a really bad feeling about this.
When she clicked through and saw the article, she nearly dropped her phone. One by one the pictures from the first vampire attack popped up in all their glory. The Jeep. The Darkbloods. Jackson.
How did this happen? The Agency had deleted this post. Cordell had hacked in—she was so pissed that people kept accessing her private shit—and the whole article was gone. And she certainly hadn’t posted this.
She called Jackson in a panic, but it went straight to voice mail. What the hell was Lily’s number or Cordell’s? She was pretty sure she couldn’t call information and be routed to the Agency’s switchboard, she thought ruefully.
She tried deleting the post from her phone, but couldn’t get into that part of the system.
Mobile app needs updating. Password not recognized. URL doesn’t exist.
Frustrated and wanting to scream, she pounded her fist on the coffee bar, rattling the silverware and almost tipping over a carafe with half-and-half. A couple of the other people waiting in line looked at her as if she was nuts.
Yeah, she wanted to say. Call me crazy, but I’m in love with a vampire and now everything’s screwed.
Instead, she mumbled, “Stupid phone,” and left without getting her drink.
Thankfully, the traffic gods were with her, because in ten minutes, she was pulling into her driveway.
Sitting at her desk now, she pulled up the Paranormalish URL.
Come on. Come on. Please don’t have a different password.
She didn’t know what she’d do if OSPRA had changed her password. She typed it in and—thank God!—it worked.
Fingers flying over the keyboard, she quickly accessed the admin area of her blog. The first thing she saw was that this wasn’t her original post. Back at the coffee shop, she’d been so freaked out that she hadn’t noticed. Sure, these were her pictures, but it wasn’t her deleted article. In fact, it was part two of the article she’d written that first night, but never published.
A chill settled over her bones. “That son of a bitch.”
Someone—George or one of his cohorts—had hacked into her blog, saw this unpublished article sitting there and decided to post it for everyone to see.
She quickly deleted the post herself, but the damage had already been done.
Those were her words, her damning words. Soon Jackson and the rest of the Guardians at the Agency would know about this—if they didn’t know already—and assume she’d betrayed the
ir trust. How would she ever be able to prove that she hadn’t done this?
She could picture it now. Sure, these are my words. These are my pictures. But, no, I didn’t do this. You’ve got to believe me.
Riiight. The evidence was clear. She was guilty as sin unless she could prove herself innocent.
Trust was a huge issue for Jackson. She’d promised not to say anything to anyone about him being one of the Unseen. If there was even an inkling of doubt on his part whether she’d keep that promise, he could never trust her enough to be with her. Although it was remote, any chance of her being able to stay with him to not have her memory wiped, would be gone. So for him to think she was capable of something like this would be disastrous.
Would the Guardians give her a chance to explain herself? Could she convince them that it wasn’t her, that someone had hacked into her account? She’d have one shot to prove her innocence and if they didn’t believe her, she had no doubt that they’d waste no time messing with her head. Jackson would be gone from her memories…and her future.
And without knowing about the dangers Krystal faced as a sweetblood in a world where vampires existed in secret around them, it would only be a matter of time until her cousin was dead. Just like Arianna’s mom.
Her only hope for all their sakes would be to get definitive proof that she hadn’t betrayed them before she saw Jackson again.
She sent him a quick text and then made a phone call. A few minutes later, with her laptop tucked under her arm, she was heading back out the door.
“ARIANNA WOULD NEVER DO something like this,” Jackson said as he looked at the front page of Paranormalish. The byline was hers, the pictures were hers, and as he quickly scanned the article, he saw that the writing was hers.
He just couldn’t believe that she’d betray him. Betray all of them. It was part two of the post she’d done when she originally witnessed him taking down the Darkbloods, complete with new photos that hadn’t been posted originally.
“I don’t know what to say,” Cordell said, shaking his head. “It’s all here in black and white.”
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