I drank down the remainder of the cosmopolitan. As soon as I’d emptied my glass, Selene stood up and walked over. She reached her hand out and took the glass from me gently.
“I’ll get us some refills.”
“Great,” I said.
While she was in the kitchen, I pulled out my phone and sent Fane a quick text.
Miss you.
According to the time on top of my screen, we hadn’t been apart for more than twenty minutes. But I still missed him. I missed him anytime we were apart no matter how short the distance or time.
Hearing Selene’s footsteps approaching, I quickly pocketed the phone. A second later, she walked in slowly with two more full cosmopolitans. I stood up to take mine from her and sat down gently, careful not to spill.
“Thanks.”
“I’m glad you were able to come over,” Selene said. She took a sip of her drink as soon as she sat down.
I took several big sips so I wouldn’t have to worry about the drink sloshing over the edge.
“Are you close with your mom?” Selene asked after I lowered my martini glass.
My head felt fuzzy when I nodded. These cosmos were strong. It had been a long time since alcohol had permeated my brain this way. Good thing I only had to walk across the street. Fane was in for a treat once I did.
“Yeah, I mean, things were a bit strained since my accident and the whole ‘secret agency, vampire-hunting recruitment’ drama. I haven’t seen her in three months, but she and my grandma have become really close.”
“That’s good,” Selene said softly. “And your father?”
I snorted and stared into my drink. “Good-for-nothing cheater.” I lifted the glass to my lips and took a long pull that had a nice kick going down.
“We all have our faults,” Selene said in a thoughtful, faraway voice. She took a sip of her drink.
“Some more than others,” I muttered, thinking about Jared and Valerie. My vision blurred and body swayed. I leaned forward and set my glass on the coffee table. Time to cut myself off.
“Can I get you anything else?” Selene asked.
“No, I’m fine, thanks.” Actually, I wasn’t fine. I felt lightheaded and extremely tired. Maybe Fane wouldn’t get lucky. Maybe he’d be spending the night next to a drooling, snoring Aurora. Or maybe I’d request a full mug of blood when I returned home and feel good as new with a large dose running through my veins.
I swallowed, trying to hash out the words I’d use to excuse myself from girls’ night when we weren’t even an hour in.
“I feel tired” sounded lame, but it was the truth. I felt so tired all of a sudden that leaving felt like too much work. A quick snooze on the couch was beginning to sound very appealing. My chin drooped.
Selene sighed heavily. She stared off toward the kitchen. “Eternal youth. You’d think it would be a gift, not a curse. We should be the lucky ones, and yet it’s the same stress as being human. I still have to worry about money and housing and how to get by. I worry about my family.” She made a small choking sound in the back of her throat. “One day I won’t have to worry about them. That will be a sad day. Until then, I will do anything to ensure their safety. They’re all I have. After that . . . I’ll be all alone.”
All alone.
Sadness filled me. Darkness. Despair. An all-consuming abyss that swallowed me mid-thought.
When I awoke, my body shivered with cold. Goosebumps prickled my skin. Despite opening my eyes, everything was dark. I tried to remember where I was. As the fog lifted from my mind, I became aware of several facts. 1) My ankles and wrists were bound; and 2) I was curled up in a cold, compact space.
My heart took off in a flurried panic inside my chest, and my nostrils flared. I tried to feel around, which was difficult with my wrists stuck together. Plastic bit into my skin.
Taking in deep breaths, I tamped down the panic long enough to take in my surroundings and listen long enough to recognize the sound of a car engine running and vibrations from rotating tires.
I was in the trunk of a car.
Stupendous.
Kidnapping, really? It wouldn’t be my first time around the grab-and-go merry-go-round, though it was my first ride stuffed inside a trunk.
This had Jared’s name written all over it.
But I’d been with Selene.
I breathed sullenly out my nose. Girls’ night in, my lily-white ass. Girl’s abduction. She’d drugged me. Spiked my drink. Had it been when I turned to grab her an orange for garnish or had she waited for the refill? Whatever maneuver she’d pulled, she was good. This secret agent stuff fit her to a T.
I bet Noel had been called away last minute on purpose and this was the mission Melcher had put Selene on. Who knew why, but Selene wouldn’t pull a move like this without coercion.
I kicked both feet at the corner of the trunk. There had to be a taillight somewhere over there. The car was moving fast. Highway, I’d guess. It was especially telling when it kept moving without slowing or stopping.
I rolled onto my back and lifted my arms until they hit the hood of the trunk. I pulled them down fast and tried to split them apart, but I didn’t have enough space to get the force I needed to break through the plastic tie. The restraints cut into my flesh. I hissed in pain.
To top it all off, I had a crazy itch at the base of my neck. I laughed aloud. An itch was the least of my problems.
I rolled onto my side, feeling for the hard press of my phone, but it had been removed from my pocket. No surprise.
And no fair.
I never got to read Fane’s answer to my last message, but Selene probably had. What had she replied? Enjoying girl time. Don’t wait up. We’ve decided to make it a slumber party. See you tomorrow.
Ha. Selene wouldn’t push her luck. Fane knew I wouldn’t spend the night, which meant he’d start to wonder where I was very soon. Depending on how long I’d passed out, he could be looking for me now.
The inside of the trunk was freezing. Instead of shivering, I embraced the cold.
I’d bet my left arm Selene was delivering me to Jared.
Good. Deliver me to his front doorstep. We weren’t having much luck back on base. This certainly wouldn’t have been my first choice, but it was one way to get to Jared.
In my mind, I saw the map on the wall inside the parlor. I tried to guess whether we were headed north or south.
North.
I felt certain. The North Star pendant had slipped under my shirt. Its light weight brought me comfort, knowing it remained secure around my neck.
Fane would find me. He always did.
Until then, game on.
I curled onto my side, reserving my energy. I breathed the cold in and out, grateful to be conscious when the handoff was made. I didn’t fear for my life. Jared had wanted me alive when he tried to kidnap me outside of Fairbanks. As long as I was breathing, I had a chance to outsmart him. Shouldn’t be too difficult. And if it turned out to be a challenge, like all vampires, I had all the time in the world to make my move.
Jared would die. I’d see to it personally.
The car slowed and turned to the left. Rocks pinged against the sides and underbelly of the car. I bounced up and down over bumps and could do very little to brace myself with my wrists and ankles bound.
The road went on like that for what felt like twenty minutes, but might have only been two, before coming to a sudden stop and skidding slightly before the engine went silent.
My heart rate picked up, which was irritating when I was trying to listen to what was going on outside. Making out sounds was that much harder with the pounding in my ears. Hearing the slam of the car door was easy enough, even though it hadn’t happened immediately. It was soon followed by the crunch of footsteps making their way to the back of the car. As a key clicked into the trunk, I braced myself.
The trunk lifted. I sat up. In the murky gray light, I saw Selene take a step back. She had on a long black wool coat and earmuffs. Her hair hun
g silky smooth down her shoulders. She looked like she was meeting up with a photographer to pose for a winter catalogue. There were spruce trees all around her and tire tracks on the snow-covered road. Selene met my eyes and frowned grimly. She didn’t have a weapon, and we appeared to be alone at the moment. Perhaps she was having second thoughts and wanted to release me before attempting a getaway.
I raised an eyebrow. “One of Melcher’s missions?” I asked.
He’d made me go after her. It made sense he’d have her come after me. Turning agents against agents. As always, Melcher was a real piece of work.
Selene gave a slight shake of her head.
“Jared made me do it,” she said in a soft voice.
I snorted. “I can see that. He really has a gun to your head.” Not Melcher then. Jared. Despite all our security, he’d managed to get to Selene. “How long have you been in contact with him?”
“He contacted me.”
“When?”
“The night we all went out. I was followed by an associate of his when I left the club and went home with Jesse.”
“Did they kill her?” I demanded.
Selene looked away. She stood silently, tears gathering over her eyes.
“That rat bastard!” I cried, propping myself up to stand on my knees. “Is he here? Is he on his way? Remove these bindings, and I’ll take him down once and for all.” I thrust my arms forward, feeling a surge of elation. There was still time to turn the tables on Jared. We couldn’t have planned this better ourselves on base.
A car engine rumbled in the distance. Selene turned her back to me and began walking slowly down the road toward the approaching car. My heart dropped.
“Selene!” I yelled. “It’s not too late.”
She stopped but didn’t turn around.
Headlights cut through the trees. Jagged shadows appeared over the snow. A blue SUV drove up, coming to a stop in front of Selene. Engine still running, the door swung open and Jared jumped down. He wore a big “gotcha” grin on his face. It was the first thing I noticed. Other than that, he’d dressed casually in blue jeans and a long-sleeved cotton shirt.
“How nice. You brought me a present, and it isn’t even my birthday. I guess I’ll consider this an early Christmas gift.” Jared didn’t look at Selene as he spoke. He walked right past her toward me.
“You should know by now that naughty boys don’t get presents,” I jeered as he approached.
Jared chuckled and stopped several feet away from me.
“Did you enjoy your ride in the trunk? I wanted to extend the same hospitality you showed me last fall. I do hope you were uncomfortable.”
“Are you kidding? I could have ridden around all night. Plenty of legroom.”
My words did nothing to wipe the cheer off Jared’s face.
“The first leg of your journey is over. Now it’s time to come home.”
“Sure,” I said eagerly. “Why don’t you unbind me first?”
Jared’s shoulders shook with mirth. He pulled a pocketknife out of his back pocket and stepped forward.
“You can have free use of your legs, but until we get home, you need to keep your hands to yourself.”
My gut twisted when I heard him repeat the word home. It sounded creepier than calling it a hideaway or lair.
Jared held up the knife and whistled. Selene walked over, a blank look on her face. Even though she’d betrayed me, I wanted to punch Jared in the face on her behalf for calling her over like a dog.
“Take it,” he said, handing Selene the knife.
Selene did as he said, somehow looking regal as she did.
Was it too much to hope she’d take the small knife and jab it into Jared’s heart?
“Cut her legs loose,” Jared instructed.
When Selene stepped toward me, bitter disappointment coursed through my veins and dipped into my stomach.
She loomed over me, grim faced and sad.
“Please move your legs so I can free you.”
Free me. Ha. Big fat joke.
I sat down and moved my ankles forward. It was in my best interest to have free use of my legs. Jared was probably afraid I’d pull one of his moves and kick him in the face. Wouldn’t that be nice?
Selene sawed at the plastic tie binding my ankles together. It gave a soft snap and sprang off.
Selene stepped back, folded the knife, and handed it back to Jared without meeting his eyes. Her face was turned toward me. At least she had the guts to face me while screwing me over.
“I’m sorry, Aurora. He threatened my family again.”
Jared pocketed the knife and smirked.
“Cheer up, love. It’s not like they’ll be around much longer to worry about.”
He placed a hand on Selene’s shoulder. She shrugged it away and glared at him.
“We’re done here,” she bit out through clenched teeth. “I have to get going before the agency finds out what I’ve done and tracks me down. Thanks to you, I’m now a fugitive.”
“At least your family gets to live.” Jared shrugged with nonchalance.
Selene looked at me one last time.
“I truly am sorry. You said it yourself—you’d do anything to protect your family. Take care, Aurora.”
I huffed. “I’d wave goodbye, but my hands are bound.”
Jared snorted.
“Enough of the pleasantries. Let’s go, Raven.”
He took my shoulders with a surprisingly gentle grip and steered me toward the running SUV. It wasn’t as if Jared had to push me along being out here in the middle of nowhere.
Into the wild again. Wonderful. Did this mean no more blood and tea in the morning? Jared better brace himself for my scary side.
On the plus side, I’d gotten my Christmas wish.
I’d found Jared.
10
True Nature
My boots sank into the snow with each step as Jared led me to the awaiting SUV. He opened the passenger’s door and tilted his head sideways for me to get in.
“Shotgun, I’m really moving up in the world,” I said, batting my lashes.
Actually, I’d half expected Valerie to pop out and yell, “Gotcha!”
Maybe Jared had been lying about their involvement or maybe they’d had a lovers’ spat. Wouldn’t surprise me with their tempers. The two of them were explosive enough on their own without combining forces.
As soon as I was seated, Jared slammed the door shut and went around front to his side. I’d barely gotten time to stretch my legs before he jumped into the driver’s seat and yanked the SUV into reverse. We jerked back and bumped along the road backward. Without a seatbelt on, I bounced around in my seat.
Jared’s face was inches from mine as he twisted his head around to watch behind us while steering the SUV over the rough road. Once we hit pavement, he swung around and put the car into drive, foot on the brake.
Jared said nothing as he watched the road. He waited until Selene backed out, much slower than we had. Her blinker came on and she took a right onto the narrow highway nestled between mountains.
I recognized where we were at once and groaned. Fucking déjà vu. I’d left this area barely a month ago.
Jared looked over and smirked, mistaking my groan for something else.
“Betrayal bites, doesn’t it?” he asked.
“That was blackmail,” I retorted.
Jared shrugged. “A bit of both.”
He took his foot off the brake and rolled up to the highway. I knew he’d take a left before he ever turned the wheel.
North it was.
The digital clock on the dashboard read a little after seven in the morning. The highway was deserted; the mountains still rested behind a dark screen of early morning winter.
Jared sped over the road, the needle passing eighty miles an hour on the speed barometer. I laced my fingers together and squeezed my hands in my lap.
“Let me guess, Fairbanks?” I queried, staring out the windshield as dark t
rees flashed past.
The SUV slowed a bit as Jared mulled over the question.
“I want to leave this godforsaken state as much as you and Val, but we have work to do first.”
I snorted.
Jared continued as though I hadn’t made any noise. “After Alaska we’re thinking someplace warm, a little vacation before Europe. Val’s dying to visit Paris.”
“Val?” I repeated. “So you’re still together.” I wrinkled my nose.
Jared’s head bobbed as though to the beat of a rap song.
“We might very well last the century. Red’s much more fun than Henriette. I like my twenty-first-century women. Henriette and Giselle were a couple of old crones. Never adapted with the times.” Jared fist-bumped the wheel. “Out with the old, in with the new.”
I sat still, not responding to this. The only reason I was biding my time was so I could take him out. I was not some kind of daughterly replacement for Giselle.
“I remember you wanted to go to Florida, enjoy some bikini weather,” he continued.
I shuddered and slammed my legs together.
Jared leered at me over the console.
“Worried about your family?” he challenged.
“Worried you might put on a Speedo,” I shot back.
Jared’s teeth gleamed in the dim interior of the SUV.
“I’ve got a hot body. Just ask Val.”
“TMI.” I squeezed my eyes closed, everything in my face pinching together to keep the visual out of my brain.
I heard Jared chuckle.
“You ain’t heard nothing yet,” he said in a deep, smug voice. “We’re all going to be living together now. The sooner you accept that, the easier the transition will be.”
Ugg. I already felt the urge to cover my ears, only I couldn’t with them bound together.
“You can take these off, you know,” I said, lifting my wrists. “I’m not going to try and grab the wheel or make a run for it. I’ve been looking for you for too long.”
Jared’s eyebrows jumped. “We’ve been looking for each other. I knew I’d get you on my side, one way or another.”
A silent sigh ran through me. His words made me think of my phone—my connection to Fane. I still had my North Star pendant, I reminded myself. Fane was with me in spirit. He, of all people, would understand I had to take this shot at Jared. Our informants had failed. Our agents had failed. Now it was my turn, and I would succeed.
True North (Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter, Vol. 6) Page 13