Before she came down from the first orgasm, she was hit with another. “I’m…I’m…” Kane panted behind her. “Oh, fuck!”
He swelled inside her. She could feel the throbbing release of his climax deep inside her. Kane jerked against her, slammed into her hard twice before stilling and leaned over her. He didn’t bite her shoulder, which surprised her. With the lax feeling she had at the moment she really didn’t give a damn.
“I love you, Jada,” he breathed hard. “Even if you don’t, I do.”
Jada stilled. Of all the things for him to say to her, that was definitely not one of them. She was sore and tender when he left her body and very tired, since he woke her up. He pulled out, causing her to whimper.
“Take a shower. I’ll clean up and put some more wood on the fire,” he said as he kissed her back. “Think its going to get very cold tonight. Perfect snuggle weather.”
She couldn’t answer him. Hell, she couldn’t even look at him. Before Kane could reach her, she scooted from the bed and went into the bathroom, closing the door slowly. She was shaking. Jada couldn’t steady her hands while she turned the water on and stepped into the hot water. The water felt good, and washed away the mess but it couldn’t wash away the dreaded feelings she had. “I love you, Jada.
Even if you don’t, I do.”
She closed her eyes and slid down to the floor, the water beating over her head. Covering her face with her hands she cried as silently as she could, not wanting him to hear. Then memories assailed her.
“Why is it so hard for you to say it?” Chris asked her. He found her sitting alone in the garden, staring at nothing. She ran from him, after he told her he loved her and tried to give her a hug.
“I’m sinful,” she answered him. “If you love me, then you’ll die.”
“Who told you that crap? Grandpa?”
She nodded. “My mother loved me, look what happened to her.”
“Jada, there’s nothing wrong with being loved, or loving someone else.”
“I can’t love you, Chris. I can’t love anyone.”
“Yes, you can.” He sat down next to her, placing his arm over her shoulders. “Just because he doesn’t love, doesn’t mean you have to follow. One day someone is going to come into your life and love you terribly and there won’t be a damn thing you can do about it.”
She shrugged off his arm, standing up. “No, Chris. No one loves me. And it’s best that way.”
He frowned. “Why?”
“Because I won’t get hurt when they leave me.” Before he could say more, she ran away from him.
“I told you,” she whispered, hugging and rocking herself under the water. “I told you that loving me would get you killed. And I won’t let that happen to Kane.”
Chapter Nine
“She arranged for something to be stored in a freezing unit at a research facility.” Jason strolled into the library where Josh Stan had set up his office in Leonard’s home. He was drinking coffee and reading a paper when Jason walked in. “If she doesn’t come back by the end of the month they have instructions to destroy whatever it is they are holding for her.”
Josh lowered his paper slowly. Jason never took his eyes off the man. He watched Josh pick up his cup and take a sip. For years now, Jason had been taking orders from him. For the most part everything was going well, except for now. Now Jason wanted to play and he wanted to play his way.
“I know that look, Jason,” Josh sighed, crossing a leg over his knee. “You want to play.”
“I want the girl,” Jason told him. “I owe her and she’s going to pay my way.”
Josh smiled, linked his fingers together, and rested his chin on top of them, tapping his lip with both index fingers. Jason almost held his breath waiting for the man to say something. In the years that they had worked together, Jason had noticed that Josh was a very coldhearted man. A lot more so than Martin ever had been.
“We get what we want, you can have the girl.” Josh nodded.
“And we keep this between us. I don’t want the old man to back out of our deal if he thinks that harm might come to his granddaughter.”
Jason laughed. He couldn’t help himself, “Are you kidding me? You didn’t pick up the hate that bastard has for her. I bet I could bend her over his bed and fuck her in front of him and the old fart would eat popcorn and watch.”
Josh snickered as he picked up his paper, “You’re probably right, but I don’t want to take the chance. Blood is always thicker than water. Remember that.”
Jason turned to leave, but stopped. “Do you really think he’s going to go with her?”
“You’ve seen the test.” Josh snapped the paper, turning a page.
“She was there the night he went nuts. Those things mate only once and she is his. When she goes to retrieve our goods, Kane will follow. It’s just a matter of when she goes.”
“And if she doesn’t go for it, what then?”
“You let me worry about that. I have something special in mind for you and Ms. Leonard. Something I know for a fact you’ll enjoy.”
* * * *
“I thought I was supposed to be the one with a lot on my mind.”
Jada jumped when Kane came up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and spoke in her ear. She didn’t hear him come out of the shower, didn’t hear him talk, and sure as hell didn’t hear him come up on her.
“What?”
Kane chuckled, “You were definitely a mile away. What were you thinking about?”
“Nothing.” She stepped out of his arms, walking away from the fire towards the front window. She pulled the curtain back. “Looks like the snow’s letting up.”
“What’s wrong?”
What’s wrong? Now that was a question she had been asking herself since the moment her eyes opened this morning. Something had changed in her, something she wasn’t prepared to face. Not now.
Where’s this going?” she turned around, facing him. ”What happens after we leave and go back to the real world?”
Kane frowned, “I don’t understand.”
“What happens after it’s all over Kane? Where do you think this is leading to?”
“What are you afraid of?” he asked, hands on his hips. “Because it isn’t me. You haven’t been scared of me since day one. So what is it?”
She couldn’t tell him what she had. Couldn’t tell him what scared her at night and had her worried about everyone around her. “Kane, I have a target on my head. You know that. You stay with me, then that target—”
He held up his hand, stopping her. “You don’t think that son-ofa-
bitch is after me? We both are marked, so if you’re using this as your excuse...”
“This isn’t an excuse!” she yelled. “You want someone to love you and I’ve already told you that isn’t me. I’m poison, plain, and simple.”
Kane shook his head, “No, you’re scared.” He turned his back on her and started to pace the small bedroom while she stayed in the front part of the cabin. He stopped, rubbed his chin, and stormed back towards her, rushing up and boxing her against the wall. “I’ve never needed anyone in my life, Jada, the way I need you.”
“You only need me to take care of an itch you have!” She pushed him away, and surprisingly Kane backed off.
His eyes narrowed on her, causing Jada to lower her own and turn back to the window. She stared at the falling snow, wishing like hell that she were out there falling with it.
You make the ball in your hand first, then put it in the snow and finish rolling it until it’s huge. And when you can’t push anymore, that is where we’re going to build your snowman.”
Jada took the ball from Chris’s hand. His green eyes sparkled down at her, his smile warmed her, but it all came crashing down with the yelling of their grandfather. She didn’t get out of the way fast enough. James Leonard pushed her out of the way, knocking her to the ground in the snow. She watched helplessly when her grandfather backhanded Chris.
“I told you no!” James Leonard said between his teeth angrily.
“You have work to do, not time to play with the bastard.” Their grandfather grabbed Chris’s arm and pulled him away, leaving Jada to sit in the cold snow alone, tears falling.
“Jada?”
Kane’s voice snapped her out of her childhood, another memory she worked hard to block. She didn’t want to remember her past. It hurt too much.
“My cousin tried to show me once how to build a snowman, but my grandfather stopped him.” She touched the cold window, a single tear falling free. “He didn’t want Chris to play with the family bastard,” she mumbled.
“Then let’s do it now.”
She turned around just in time to catch her coat. “What?”
“I think we can get out of here for a bit to play in the snow.”
Smiling, he added, “Never really played before, and I’m dying to try a snowball fight.”
“You’re serious? She couldn’t believe what he said. Kane wanted to go out in the cold to play in the snow. “It’s freezing out there.”
He zipped up his coat, pulled gloves from the pockets. “Not going to stay out all day, just for a little bit.” He cocked his head to one side, and added, “Not scared that I’ll beat you, are you?”
Jada narrowed her eyes on him and quickly put her own coat on.
“Oh, I’m going to enjoy pelting you with snow balls, canine.”
* * * *
Kane pulled the collar of his coat closer to his neck, looked up at the falling snow, and figured that this fun outing wasn’t going to be very long. The snow was still coming down thick and the cold was bitter as when he found Jada, unconscious.
“So what’re the rules to this—” he didn’t finish his question because a big, fat, slushy snowball smacked him in the face.
“Not every game has rules, wolf boy.” Jada was rolling another ball out of snow, a wicked grin on her lips.
“So I’m learning.”
She hit him with two more before he was able to get one off himself. She got him good too. Jada hit him several times in the head;
he got her back in the ass and back. By the time he called it quits, thanks to the damn temperature dropping again, they both were soaked.
Back inside, they changed, Kane giving her another shirt of his. Jada fixed something to eat, but sitting down he noticed that she was quiet again. It had him worried, but he kept it to himself. He didn’t want to disturb the peace they seemed to have.
When they went to bed Kane was content with just holding her and it seemed that she was okay with it.
* * * *
Jada waited until Kane was deep asleep before she slipped from the bed. She eased from under his arm. As quietly as she could she hunted for her clothes and dressed. She packed everything of hers, slipped into her coat and biting her lip turned the lock on the door.
She needed to leave. It was a decision she had come to and in time. Kane would come to see that it was the best one.
It was still cold when she went outside, but the snow had stopped. Instead of taking off right away, she worked her way back to Drake’s place. It was night, so she was hoping that everyone would still be in bed when she slipped inside to get the rest of her things.
Both the front and back doors were locked. Biting the inside of her cheek, Jada walked around to the side where her bedroom window was located. Climbing out was a hell of a lot easier than going in, but she managed it, and was thankful that the window wasn’t locked.
She was as quiet as a mouse, smiling at how easy it ended up being, sneaking in. Everything was as she’d left it and she wasted no time in changing into her own clothes before packing up some stuff in one backpack. Once finished she was about to start out the window, but stopped. A note. She needed to leave a note, or he was going to come looking for her and that would be trouble. What was she going to say to him? Was she going to come back?
She didn’t have that answer, so all she wrote on a piece of paper was, ‘Please forgive me, but I have to do this on my own. Jada.’
* * * *
Kane came awake with a jolt, rising up on his hands since he was sleeping on his belly. He gulped air into his lungs turned his head and felt his heat drop. Jada was gone. He turned to his back, got out of bed and looked in the bathroom. When he didn’t see her there, he knew without a doubt she was gone from the cabin.
Dressing quickly, tugging his coat on, Kane left the cabin and followed her tracks in the snow back to Drake’s. The sun was coming up and the fear that she was gone was overpowering him.
He reached the porch just as Drake opened the door. Without saying a word to him, he rushed inside, going right to the stairs, taking them two at a time. For the first time in three years, he went past Sasha’s room without checking on her. He was bent on getting to Jada’s room.
He rushed in and stopped. The room was dark, cold feeling and very empty. Clothes were still on the floor in a pile. He was just about to turn away when he caught sight of a piece of paper on the desk.
Please forgive me, but I have to do this on my own. Jada.
His heart dropped and his fist closed on the paper, crushing it in his hand.
“Kane?” Drake came up behind him, but he didn’t turn around.
“What’s going on? I was just about to get you guys to tell you the storm is over, but—”
“She’s gone,” he stated calmly.
“What? Who?”
“Jada.” Kane could hear the coldness in his voice. He turned, brushed past Drake, and went back down stairs.
“Kane, wait!” Drake yelled.
“I’m going after her,” he stated.
“Damn it, will you wait!” Drake caught him at the front door. He slammed it shut when Kane opened it. “Calm down for a second please.”
“I am calm.” Kane looked him in the eyes. “Can’t you tell?”
“Yeah, and that’s what has me very worried at the moment.”
Drake sighed, rubbing his face. “What’s going on?” Kane handed him the note, which Drake read quickly, frowning. “I don’t understand.
Do what?”
“She’s going back there.” Kane couldn’t keep the growl from slipping as he spoke. “I have to go after her or she’s going to get herself killed.”
“You don’t know if that’s where she’s heading or not.”
“Then where the hell else could she be going?”
“I don’t know, maybe the cemetery for Christ sakes. Didn’t you say she was close to her cousin?”
Kane growled, pushed away from the door, and rubbed his face quickly with both hands. “This is so damn crazy. Why the hell would she run?”
“Because it’s who she is,” Drake stated. “Cole told me that Chase had explained that Jada has been running all her life. And I bet she’s just running from the memories of her past.”
Kane shook his head. “I can’t let her go, Drake. I can’t just stand here and let her run away.”
“And we won’t. The first thing we need to do is find out where she might go. Do you have any idea where he might have been buried?”
Kane shook his head again. “I didn’t really get to read the thing.
She took it out of my hand and hid it.”
“Never mind. I’ll call my Uncle Adrian. He can find out while we head back to the city.”
“We?” One eyebrow went up as he watched Drake start back up stairs.
“Yeah,” Drake nodded. “If you think I’m going to let you go alone, then you’re crazy.” He went up, taking the steps two at a time.
“No way in hell you’re going anywhere alone.”
Kane smirked and went to the kitchen to grab a quick bite to eat before they left.
* * * *
Jada took the cab to the cemetery and went right up to Chris’s grave. Chris Leonard, her first cousin, the first guy to ever show her not only love but respect. It had been years since she came here. As soon as she was able to g
et enough money together, she left school for the weekend to come here. It was also the first time she ever saw her grandfather weak.
He was there, kneeling in front of the headstone, crying into his silk handkerchief. Everything he cared for was gone with Chris. He loved Chris and hated her, and when he died, she was blamed for it and shipped off like a dirty secret. It wasn’t until that moment, seeing him cry for Chris that Jada understood that the man felt nothing towards her. She could die and he wouldn’t give a shit. It wouldn’t matter to him.
That was why she stayed alone. Getting close to anyone was painful. She refused to go through the loss again, as she had when Chris died. Refused to be close enough to anyone to hurt when they walked away. Chase was her only friend and she even kept him at a distance. One day he would leave, just as the rest of them did. One day Chase would find himself someone and she would be nothing but a memory.
A single tear fell and she slowly went down on her knees in front of the tombstone. As always, only one tear fell for Chris. One tear of pain and loneliness. Like always, when she thought of him, memories of the past hit. Painful memories that she couldn’t stop from coming and needed in order to remind her why she needed to stay alone. Why even now, as much as she wanted to go back and let Kane into her heart she couldn’t. Everyone she loved died. She hadn’t lied about that.
She woke up with a tube down her throat. She couldn’t stop the panicking or trying to get the thing out. Nurses had to come over and hold her down as a doctor came to take it out. Once gone she sucked air into her lungs and looked around.
“Where am I?” she rasped out. “What happened?”
“You don’t remember anything?” the doctor asked, shining a light in her eyes. “You’ve been in a deep coma for two weeks. You and your cousin.”
Jada looked over and there was Chris in a bed with tubes everywhere on his body and their grandfather sitting in a chair. His cold eyes glared at her, but it didn’t bother her this time as it normally did.
“Chris,” she whispered.
The heart monitor went off and the doctor who had been checking her over turned to Chris. “We have a code blue!” he yelled.
The New Breed Page 16