by Ginna Moran
“Is it the Barons?” I ask.
Mikkalo shakes his head. “No, it’s one of your brothers.”
***
Jameson hits the throttle, picking up speed in the car. I grip Bronx’s hand, kind of regretting that I pushed to get him to allow Jameson to drive. The guys teased that I drove like him, but he’s far more daring, pushing the car to its limits. And I don’t know. Something is different about being a passenger with a crazy driver than being the crazy driver.
“I bet you wished you’d have listened to me and stayed back with the humans,” Bronx says, wiggling his fingers in my death hold. “Mikkalo and Everett would’ve protected you just fine.”
I dig my fingers into Everett’s leg. “No, I don’t. I know they would have, but the last thing I want is to be separated. I can’t protect you all otherwise. I was worried about you and Jameson.”
Jameson flicks his gaze to me in the mirror. “Don’t worry, Gwen. We’re almost there.”
“Then slow your ass down,” I snap, my voice rising. I don’t mean to yell, but we drive awfully close to a block wall. It freaks me out.
“And waste my one opportunity to drive Bronx in our eternity? No fucking way.” He flashes his fangs at me in a smile.
Bronx pulls me onto his lap and brushes his lips to mine. “I don’t want to waste my first opportunity to distract you either.”
His words make me smirk while Jameson sighs. I sink more into Bronx feeling the goodness of his arms around me, restraining me despite Everett wanting to seatbelt me in. Mikkalo had made a good point about needing to quickly escape the vehicle, which trumped Everett’s fear of a car crash. So with the threat of the defanging of his brothers if something happened to me, Everett gave in and agreed that Bronx would be my seatbelt with Everett as my backup.
“Then try harder,” I say, nipping his lip.
He kisses me deeper, shifting me so that I straddle his lap. Everett scoots closer and rests his hand on my lower back, like my position freaks him out just a bit.
“Damn,” Mikkalo says from the front seat, speaking up for the first time. He’s been consumed in watching all the nearby feeds on his com device, though I know he’s kept some of his attention on me.
“Damn is right,” Jameson says. “You’re lucky we’re not on autopilot or I’d climb back there.”
I laugh against Bronx’s mouth. “I don’t think so, Jamie. I’m going to assure this won’t be the last time you get to drive.”
“Make it worth it to Bronx, so I can drive next,” Mikkalo says.
“I can get on board for that,” Everett says, sliding his hand to my ass.
I rock a bit, feeling Bronx’s body react to my closeness. He hums under his breath and breaks from my mouth to kiss my throat, totally taking advantage of our current position and his brothers’ ridiculous encouragement.
Bronx hooks his fingers to my hips and sucks my earlobe into his mouth. He whispers, “It might take a little more than this to convince me.”
Leaning back, I meet his playful smirk. “Be careful about what you suggest.”
“If you guys start boning, I’m going to remember that for my night and insist we go on a road trip,” Jameson says.
I tip my head back and laugh. “Nu-uh. The last time we got naked in a car...” Shaking my head, I push the thought away. “No car sex. With any of you.”
Bronx continues to kiss my neck, rocking me against him. “I bet I could change your mind.”
I groan and slide off him, getting Everett to scoot back over. “Most definitely, which is why no more distracting. I’m not risking such a rude interruption or getting caught naked.”
Everett touches my leg and leans in to whisper, “Impossible in that dress.”
I shiver under his soft breath. “Everett.”
“What the hell did you say to our girl?” Jameson asks.
Everett chuckles without responding. “Can’t give all our secrets away.”
“Definitely not,” I say, grinning.
Shifting in the seat, I sprawl my legs across Everett’s lap and nestle into the crook of Bronx’s arm. Tilting my head up, I kiss him softly again. I can’t help it. Bronx links his fingers through mine and snuggles me, showing me the attention I need. He’s far more relaxed than usual, and I gobble up his attention.
Jameson releases a growl, drawing my attention from Bronx. Stomping the brake, Jameson sends the car screeching to a halt. He and Mikkalo exit the car, slamming their doors. I sit up straighter to peer out the windshield.
“Shit,” Bronx says, lowering his voice. “More humans.”
The second Bronx says the words, I spot a man stumbling onto the road. Another follows behind him, walking weird as hell, like his legs work against his mind. A dozen more humans push and fight to exit a house half the size of the York Coven’s. Jameson materializes in the road and releases a whistle. He waves his hands toward us, and Everett slides his arm through mine and tugs me from Bronx.
Bronx swings his door open. “Looks like the fucking Barons mind manipulated every damn human in this town.”
“There are more people coming from the other houses,” Everett says, stretching his arm to point past me. “Might be too many to handle.”
Bronx hops from the car. “We just need to clear the road. Gwen, we’ll lead them away. You drive.”
I nod and let him pull me to my feet only to slide behind the wheel. “Be quick. I don’t like this.”
Bronx leans in and kisses me. “Everett, stay here with Gwen.”
“Was already planning on it,” he quips, joining me in the front.
Everett taps the navigation screen, brightening the headlights. The humans moving toward us squint but don’t stop. Bronx shuts my door and closes the space to them. Mikkalo and Jameson help him surround the people and then they split up, jogging at a human pace. I ease my foot down on the throttle. My palms sweat against the steering wheel, and I maneuver the car to go around the crowd.
“Gwen, just floor it,” Jameson calls.
Sucking in a breath, I stomp the throttle, jolting the car forward. I clench my teeth, my nerves bunching in my stomach. A man lurches away from the crowd, turning his attention to me. Another guy yells incoherently and pushes him into the street. I attempt to jerk the wheel to avoid him, but another man falls into the road. Everett taps the navigation screen, turning on the autopilot instead of relying on me to hit the brakes.
The car slows to a stop, and a man slams his hands on the hood. Everett jumps from the car. Bronx, Mikkalo, and Jameson all yell at him not to leave me. Everett growls and tugs the man off, throwing him a few feet to the side.
“Gwen, turn off the autopilot and ease forward,” Everett says, staying close enough to the car to hop back in.
I do as he says and glide the car forward. He pushes men out of the way as I continue driving. I flick my gaze to the area around us and spot my guys keeping most of the humans occupied in their mind manipulated haze of rage that has them attempting to attack.
“They’re triggered by me,” Everett says, growling and pushing the men back. “I need to put some space between us.”
“The hell you will!” Bronx shouts.
A man scrambles onto the hood of the car to climb over it to try to attack Everett. He falls off, and Everett rushes in front of the car and drags him out of the way. The guy flails and manages to sink his teeth into Everett’s arm.
“Just ten feet,” Everett says, disobeying Bronx’s command.
Bronx growls. “Gwen, floor it as soon as it’s clear. We’ll catch up.”
I grip the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white. “Got it.”
Everett puts distance between him and the car, sneaking around to the trunk to stop what feels like hundreds of guys from blocking my way. I haven’t seen a single woman since we left the lady at the York’s. It freaks me out just a bit. The Barons are psycho assholes, and I wouldn’t put it past them from taking the women to keep for themselves. They’re unregist
ered, so they obviously don’t care about Donor Life Corp’s laws.
“Gwen, get ready,” Mikkalo says, dodging the swelling crowd.
I inhale a breath.
“Go!” all four of them shout in unison.
I stomp the throttle, jolting the car forward. A blip of fear rushes through me, and I try not to glance at the mind manipulated men. If one of them gets in my way, I can’t stop. I won’t stop. I have a terrible feeling now that two dozen feet stretch between me and my guys.
Flicking my gaze to the rearview mirror, I check on my guys to make sure they’re following me.
“Gwen!” Everett yells. “Stop!”
I snap my attention back to the road in front of me. Shock washes over me at the familiar guy stumbling into the street to block my way. Slamming the brakes, I burn rubber to stop. A cloud of smoke wafts through the air and hazes my surroundings.
Something crashes on the hood of the car, and I jump.
My door flies open, and Bronx tries to grab me, but I don’t let go of the wheel. I can’t take my eyes off the hooded figure in front of me.
“Come on, dandelion. We’ll take care of him,” Bronx says, trying his best to coax me from the driver’s seat. “We have to go.”
Mikkalo and Jameson materialize in front of the car, preparing to fight my brother.
Silas jerks his bowed head up, meeting my gaze.
He flashes his fangs.
Chapter 5
Brotherly Betrayal
“HEY, LITTLE SIS—”
The sound of my brother’s deep voice triggers a wave of darkness to collide through me. Without thinking, I floor the throttle and send the car barreling forward. My action catches Silas by surprise, and he hits the hood and smashes into the window. The force fissures the glass, and I slam the brakes again, sending him crashing off and under the vehicle with a couple of thumps as I run him over.
Mikkalo and Jameson stand in shock, the car a mere foot from the both of them. I heave a few deep breaths, my nerves shattered. I can’t believe my eyes. I can’t believe that Silas was transformed into a vampire.
Thrusting the door open, I hop out. Bronx gathers me into his arms, not letting me get far. I thrash and yell, punching his shoulder in an attempt to make him put me down. I’ve never been so annoyed to have been swept off my feet in my life.
“Silas! You asshole!” I screech, my voice cutting through the air. “I’m going to kill you!”
Bronx releases a growl into my hair. “Calm the hell down, Gwen.”
“Then put me down!”
He heaves a breath as I elbow him in the clavicle. “Fucking fine.”
I don’t get the chance to brace myself. Bronx drops me, releasing another guttural noise from his throat. My knees hit the hard ground, and I curse. Everett materializes next to me, but instead of helping me up, he swings his arm and punches Bronx in the stomach, knocking him back a couple of feet.
“Gigi, shit,” Jameson says, trying to approach me next.
I snap my head up and look at him. He raises his hands, freezing in place. Something in my eyes causes his hesitation, but I take advantage of it and crawl toward the car. Lying on my stomach, I search beneath the vehicle for Silas, fully set on kicking his ass.
Two hands lock to my sides, hoisting me off my feet. Mikkalo tosses me onto his shoulder, and I swing my arm down and slap his ass. He flips me into his arms and raises his eyebrow at me.
“Where is he?” I ask, narrowing my eyes.
Mikkalo doesn’t answer me right away. Instead, he strides to the car and slides into the backseat with me on his lap. His brothers follow suit, and Bronx plops into the driver’s seat, barely giving Jameson a moment to hop in back with us. Everett swivels in the front seat and looks at me, giving me a long once-over as he tries to assess my body to make sure I’m uninjured from my fall.
Bronx floors it, managing to swerve around the few guys who caught up with us. He glowers at me in the rearview mirror, looking like he wants to chew me out. I meet his heated gaze with my own.
“Gwen.” Jameson breaks the heavy silence first. “Are you okay?”
I scrub my hands over my face, finally breaking Bronx’s glare. “What the hell? What the—ohmyfuck. My brother is a vampire.” The realization sinks deep into me, twisting my insides. I bow forward and hang my head between my legs. “I don’t understand.”
Mikkalo kneads his fingers into my back. “The Barons are going to try to use your family against you, Gwen.”
“This is so screwed up. They threaten and pretend to kill my brothers but then they go and transition Silas? What’s the point?” I groan, trying to wrap my mind around it.
“Maybe to convince you to leave us. You don’t know the Barons but you know your brothers. It’s actually rather strategic,” Jameson says, twining his fingers through mine.
Everett rotates in the seat to face me completely. “But I doubt they expected you to react by plowing into him.”
Mikkalo wraps his arms around me, pulling me close. “Which, fuck. I’m sorry you felt you had to, but I’m proud as hell. Our badass.”
“He betrayed me,” I murmur, replaying my actions in my mind. I never in a million years thought that I could hurt my brother, but he killed our mortal bond the second he joined the Barons. I wonder if this is what Bronx feels like with Brooklyn. “So did Grayson. We should just give up on the rest of my brothers. What’s the point? They’re obviously going to pick each other over me.”
Grief sweeps through me at the realization, and I squeeze my eyes shut. I’m not going to cry. I can’t. Not for them. They sure as shit wouldn’t cry for me. Not now at least.
Jameson hugs his arms around both me and Mikkalo, squishing me between them in a way that helps me keep it together. “I’m sorry, Gwen. I know how much you care about them.”
Bronx clears his throat. “And we’re still going to go after them.”
I turn my attention to him. “No. It’s fine, really. We have too much other shit to worry about.” And in all honesty, I’m not sure I can even face them.
I hadn’t known it at the time, but our familial bond died with Dad. Rochester assured it, and Laredo? I don’t even know. All my memories of him are a jumbled mess. I know he manipulated my mind. I know he pretended to be working for the elders. But what I still can’t figure out is why. His brothers seemed pretty pissed that he kind of stole me away.
“Gwen, for our sake, it’s better if the Barons don’t get their hands on the rest of your family,” Bronx responds, tightening his jaw. “Or anyone else for that matter. Your brothers need to be with us, even if we have to lock them up.”
I rest my head on Mikkalo. “Because of the dhampir gene.”
He doesn’t even have to agree for me to know that’s the reason. I never thought about the extent of it until recently. All those times my brothers claimed to have sex? What the hell? Why risk it? I never thought about the consequences of their actions until now. Some poor, unsuspecting woman could end up like my mom. Except at least she knew what she was getting into. At least I think.
“This is so messed up,” I murmur, trying to suppress my thoughts of the bunker and my brothers. “You don’t think...” I can’t even finish my thought.
“If your brothers passed on the dhampir mutation, I’m sure the Barons would know about it. They seem far too concerned with you that I highly doubt it. Not to mention the likelihood of actually having a symptomatic female...we’d have heard about dhampirs if it was easy.” It’s like Everett knew what was on my mind. But it’s not the first time we’ve discussed the possibility. Still, it’s better not to leave it to chance.
“One of the assholes did mention he didn’t want to have to wait a few more decades for the occurrence.” I absently link and unlink my fingers with Jameson’s.
“Well the fucker’s going to have to,” Jameson mutters.
Bronx turns on the car’s autopilot. “So why transform Silas?” His question digs into me. “Why lessen the po
ssibility of more dhampirs by assuring a carrier can’t pass on the mutation?”
“Gwen still has four brothers,” Mikkalo says. “Either that or they’re confident that they’re going to get our girl.”
I groan. “Never going to happen.”
“Damn straight,” Bronx says.
Reaching out, I clasp his shoulder. He rests his hand on top of mine, searching my face for a moment. I relent to his pleading eyes and ease between the seats to climb into his lap. He gladly accepts me, sliding back the seat a bit to make space.
I rest my head on his shoulder. “Thanks for not being pissed off that I fought you.”
He snuggles me close. “Oh, I am, dandelion. You’re in so much trouble.”
I scrunch my nose. “If I’m in trouble, you’re definitely in trouble.”
“Is that so?” He lowers his voice, totally getting turned on at any sort of punishment I come up with. “The good or bad kind?”
I take his bait. “Depends. Which one will it be for me?”
Jameson releases a purr from his throat, sticking his head between the seats. He brushes my hair off my shoulder, using his nose, and kisses my skin. I tip my head back so he can reach my throat too. “Definitely the good kind. And by me. My time’s coming in an hour. Any freaky thing Bronx wants to participate in will have to wait.”
“Or he could join us,” I tease, full-on giggling at the thought.
“Careful, dandelion. I lost half my night to this bullshit. I might take you up on the offer,” Bronx murmurs, kissing the other side of my throat. He shifts me on his lap, rubbing my body to his boner.
I shiver at his words. “Bronx.”
“I’m only teasing, but I can tell you like the idea.” He whispers the words in my ear, kissing my earlobe. “Maybe we can discuss it sometime. When we return to Crimson Vista.”
I shift to meet his gaze. “What do you mean when?”
“The sun will rise before we return. The windshield has been compromised, and it’s probably not a good idea to try to brave the way back. The daytime gives too many people an advantage,” Mikkalo says, drawing my attention to him.
I blush, realizing that even though Bronx whispered the suggestion, he still didn’t whisper it quiet enough to keep between us. That, or he let his brothers hear on purpose, testing all their reactions. Or mine.