“No kidding,” I said with a snort.
“Did she mention me when she did?” Jared asking, leaning in closer.
“Only to say how much she wanted you dead,” I said, smirking at Jared.
He leaned back into his space, his expression neither perturbed nor pleased. He slouched in place, looking rather at home. “Well, she won’t be causing any more trouble.”
Valerie returned to the kitchen with a pink-and-white-striped tote bag slung over one shoulder, laptop in her hands. She set the laptop on the counter and handed me the tote bag.
“Reading material,” she said simply, returning to the laptop the moment I took the bag from her outstretched hand.
“Is this more of that true crime stuff you like to read?” I asked, wrinkling my nose as I peered inside the tote.
“My life is like a crime novel . . . with me as the killer,” Valerie said. “I’ve switched to reading paranormal fiction.”
Jared slid his hand down Valerie’s back.
“You don’t need to read that stuff, you’ve got me.”
Valerie gave a little giggle. “I know, but I find it amusing to see how vampires are portrayed in fiction. The whole turning thing is ridiculous. Imagine—anyone being able to become a vampire simply by being turned. Everyone would want in on the action.”
“And then you wouldn’t feel special anymore,” I said under my breath.
Valerie lifted her nose. “Nature’s selective and only the rarest of the rare are allowed a chance at Club V.”
I had to hand it to Valerie. She made vampirism sound like a privilege rather than a curse. It was all about spin. I’d never warmed up to Melcher’s take on the life of the undead with his talk of the damned being a plague upon the planet. Nature’s mistake.
Vampirism was more of a fascinating development in the evolutionary chain. I wondered how long ago it started. Since the beginning of mankind? That would be both cool and kinda scary. Planet of the vampire apes.
I reached into the tote bag and pulled out the first paperback my fingers touched. A young woman on the cover stood poised in tight jeans, tall boots, and a tiny tank top that exposed her perfectly flat midriff. She held one sword slung over her shoulder and one at her side. I bet when Valerie read the book she’d pictured the woman with fiery red hair rather than dark brown.
“Blood Games,” I said, reading the title aloud.
Valerie’s head shot up. “That’s book ten,” she snapped. “You can’t read a series out of order. Give me that.” She swept over and snatched both the book and tote bag from me. Setting the bag on the floor, Valerie bent over and did some quick digging around. She rose and thrust a book into my hand. “There. That’s the first book in the series.”
I looked down and saw the same cover model, hands resting on the hilt of her sword, head turned toward a haunted-looking house. This one was titled Some Girls Bite.
Fitting.
“Glad you’ve had time to catch up on your reading,” I said, taking the book to the dining area, which lacked table and chairs.
“Don’t crack the spine or I’ll crack yours,” Valerie replied.
“Planning on starting a home library?” I muttered beneath my breath as I leaned my back against the wall facing the kitchen. I wasn’t interested in reading so much as keeping an eye on Valerie and Jared.
I pressed my back into the wall and planted my feet in front of me. Valerie’s head bent over the laptop, strands of red peeking over the monitor’s edge. Jared watched over her shoulder, staying uncharacteristically quiet.
I flipped open the book, tempted to yank it open in the middle. Thumbing past the pages of praise, copyright, table of contents, and acknowledgements, I reached the first page.
Early April
Chicago, Illinois
I sniffed to myself. Try Frigid Cold December, Middle of Nowhere, Alaska. Bet those Chicago vamps didn’t have to hunt down renegade vampires on snowmachines.
Skeptically, I read the first lines of chapter one. The protagonist had sneered at vampires then wound up becoming one.
Okay, I could kind of relate to that.
“Look at this apartment in Montmartre!” Valerie squealed, head flying up. “It’s within walking distance of ten of Paris’s top sights.”
“Six hundred and fifty dollars a night,” Jared said, nuzzling Valerie’s shoulder. “You have fine taste, chéri.”
“Damn straight,” Valerie said. “I chose you, didn’t I?” She turned her back to the counter and wrapped her arms around Jared’s neck.
I lifted the Chicagoland Vampire novel in front of my face, blocking Jared and Valerie from sight. Paperbacks had all kinds of useful purposes. Unfortunately, paper did nothing to block out the sucking and smooching sounds. If only I had an audiobook . . . and a blindfold. Then I’d be set for the afternoon.
When Valerie gave a guttural moan, I decided it was time to leave. I set the book down on the floor and started toward the front door.
“Where are you going?” Jared asked, voice chasing me across the dining room.
“You two look like you need a little privacy, and I need fresh air.” Not to mention a round of hypnosis to help me forget everything I’d just seen and heard.
I let myself outside without waiting for permission, my heart lifting with each step I took down to the paved drive below. Frigid air had never felt so good. I knew I wasn’t free, but for a moment I felt the soaring sensation of escape. It was tempting to keep walking down the driveway, down the road to the highway, and stick out my thumb.
I started down the drive. I didn’t plan on leaving, but it felt good to know I could.
Behind me, I heard the front door open and close. I continued walking down the driveway. The wood steps creaked. I kept a steady pace. When Jared caught up, he reached for my arm, but I jumped back before he could touch me. Wrinkles formed over his frowning face.
“You promised not to run away.”
“I’m not running away. I’m taking a walk.”
Our eyes locked and narrowed on each other. Our breath formed white vapor in the space between us like odorless smoke misting across our faces. Jared’s face looked warped and twisted as he regarded me for several beats before his face unwrinkled, suddenly smoothed out by his relentless ego. He smiled smugly at me.
“You feel left out,” he stated.
“No,” I answered. “I really don’t.”
“Let me guess, Francesco Donado promised you the good life,” Jared said, straightening with a knowing nod. “Val told me all about how he tried to impress her with fancy dinners and VIP access into clubs while they were dating. He’s a show-off. Thinks money can buy him whatever and whomever he desires.” Jared leaned into me, eyes gleaming. “You do know Italians aren’t known for being faithful. Just look at what he did to Valerie. He’ll cheat on you, too. Not right away, but eventually. He’s got plenty of time.” Jared chuckled, an ugly sound that curled like torn bits of paper set on fire, turning my insides to ash. His eyes seemed to shine brighter, like ice reflecting the sun’s bitter rays. “You think it’s hard for a man to be faithful with one lifetime. Imagine an endless parade of lifetimes.”
I didn’t believe Jared for a moment, but what he said made my stomach revolt. The man made me sick all over.
“Come back inside,” Jared said, nodding up the slope of the driveway.
I ground my teeth. “I’ll come back inside after I’ve taken a walk.”
Jared’s eyebrows became slashes across his forehead. They formed dark angles over his narrowed eyes. The muscles in his arms tightened. My breath hitched inside my throat. Was this my moment? Could I take Jared down right here? Right now?
He flexed, ready to pounce.
Yeah, right. Even I knew better than to try taking Jared barehanded.
I placed one of said hands on my hip.
“Don’t you trust me?” I asked sweetly.
“I may never trust you, Raven,” Jared said, his flexed arms folding ti
ght across his chest.
I mirrored his stance, crossing my arms. “Then why drag me along?” I asked.
Jared unfolded his arms and slid his fingers inside his pockets. Trust or not, at least he didn’t seem to view me as a serious threat.
Jared lifted his chin. “You’re new to vampirism. You haven’t lost your human family yet. You haven’t even had to watch them get old. You’ve never fallen in love with a mortal and had to see them ravaged by the plague of time or witness friends put into the ground. After a while you’ll appreciate having a vampire family. You’ll learn that the only use humans provide is the blood in their veins.” Jared’s chest expanded. A puff of vapor rose from his lips. “For all your faults, you’re like family . . . or at least you will be eventually.”
Chills of unease raced up and down my spine. While Jared painted a bleak picture, I couldn’t deny that it was partly true. Not the part about ever considering him family, but it was inevitable I would lose my family. My mom and Gran would die while I kept going on . . . and on and on.
I pressed my lips together tight.
“Come inside,” Jared said with less bite to his tone.
I gave a brief nod and started back to the house. Jared fell into step beside me, shoulders relaxing.
“Val wants to visit England and France first,” Jared spoke conversationally. “What about you? I’m willing to consider your request. Which country would you like to visit?”
Italy, I thought sullenly as I marched back up the wood steps to the hollow mansion awaiting me inside.
12
Bad Company
I didn’t need to look in a mirror the next morning to know there were dark circles sagging beneath my eyes. Without Selene’s sleeping drug, I hadn’t slept a wink. My first night in what was technically captivity wasn’t especially settling on the mind. The bedroll and sleeping bag Valerie tossed inside a spare bedroom were comfortable enough, though I had to question Val’s idea of luxury when it didn’t include furnishing. I’d take a comfortable bed in a supposed “shit shack” over sleeping on the floor of an empty mansion any day. This wasn’t how I imagined the high life.
Even if I could have shut off my brain, I wouldn’t have been able to shut off the sound of Valerie shrieking and moaning all through the night. At least that meant I wasn’t the only member of the household who would be sleep deprived. Damn vampires with their nonstop nocturnal sex.
I hadn’t heard so much as a grunt from Jared. Thank goodness for small miracles. Valerie made enough noise for the two of them. The whole episode twisted and curled my stomach into tight little knots, all of which I wasn’t convinced would ever come out. If this was how they spent every night, I was going to have to up the surprise attack deadline . . . to, like, today! That or get my hands on the kind of earplugs used by people who worked around jet engines. Anything to block out Valerie’s screeching. I shuddered from the memory.
A shower helped refresh me somewhat. There was even warm water despite Valerie having jumped in before I dragged myself off my bedroll. I’d listened to the spray of water coming from the bathroom for what seemed like twenty minutes.
A packaged toothbrush had been left for me on the bathroom counter, along with toothpaste and a hairbrush. I helped myself to the shampoo, conditioner, and body wash left behind inside the large, tiled, walk-in shower. Bathing turned out to be my most relaxing reprieve since being kidnapped. I kept the North Star pendant on inside the shower. I had no intention of ever taking it off, not until Fane and I reunited. Call me superstitious, but the pendant felt like a lucky talisman with mystical powers that only worked while it hung from my neck.
I hated missing another night with Fane. His absence formed a hole inside my chest, as open and hollow as this mansion.
I took my time drying off and brushing out my hair—the door of the bathroom securely locked—before putting on the clothes I’d worn the day before. A fresh change hadn’t appeared with the toothbrush. I might be wearing the same outfit for a while. Yet another reason to complete my mission as soon as possible. Clean underwear was a heck of an incentive.
Once I emerged, I avoided eye contact with Jared and Valerie, which wasn’t too difficult given they were busy hauling duffel bags across the mansion and setting them beside the front door.
I sat cross-legged on the floor beside the copy of Some Girls Bite, picked it up, and buried my nose in the book.
A short while later, Jared stopped in the middle of the living room and remained in place, not moving or speaking. My eyes slipped over the pages to see him looking around. “We’re all packed up. We’ll juice up then hit the road.”
Valerie strut into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. She tossed a blood bag onto the counter. It landed with a plop.
My stomach gave a testy lurch. The words nestled on the pages between my hands faded. My eyes were on the blood bag, which Valerie picked up carelessly and opened. She drank blood right out of the bag, sucking it down greedily.
Jared’s feet landed heavy over the wood floor as he joined her side.
Valerie swallowed several more mouthfuls before handing the bag to Jared. He lifted the bag to his lips, taking his time, and took a languid pull on it, lips suctioning as he did.
I shuddered. Seeing Valerie and Jared drink was almost enough to put me off blood entirely.
Almost.
Jared swallowed and lifted the bag.
“Want some?” he asked in a pleasant voice.
My nose wrinkled, and I cringed. I’d rather stick my tongue on a frozen street pole than place it anywhere near any object Jared or Valerie had stuck their mouths on. I had all kinds of ideas about where their tongues had been all night long—and sound effects to back me up.
Looked like fresh underwear wasn’t the only thing I’d be living without for a while.
“No, thanks,” I said, faking an air of pleasantry. “I’m still full from yesterday.”
I didn’t want to give Valerie or Jared the satisfaction of showing how much they’d made me want to gouge out my eardrums.
I forced a smile. “Besides, I already brushed my teeth.”
“Fine,” Valerie said with a sniff. “But don’t say I haven’t been hospitable.”
Sure, she was a regular Martha Stewart—the hostess with the mostess.
I fought back a snort while Valerie proceeded to drain the blood bag. What a greedy little biter. Hadn’t her mother taught her how to share?
Once she finished with the blood, Valerie tossed the empty bag into the stainless steel sink.
“Sure you want to leave that there for a Realtor to find?” I asked. “It could send up a red flag if she reported the place being broken into with only an empty blood bag left behind as a clue.”
The corners of Jared’s mouth shot up. “If I didn’t know any better I’d say you don’t want us to get caught,” he said.
I shrugged and glanced at the sink. “Like you said, we all want the same thing—to leave Alaska and the agency behind.” Only I wanted to leave Jared and Valerie behind, too, somewhere six feet under.
What did the agency do with the remains of evil ex-agents? I doubted Valerie would appreciate being stuck in an Alaskan cemetery, her body freezing and thawing underground season after season.
What would happen to my own remains if things went south? Would my body remain in Alaska indefinitely? Would Fane build me a shrine? My own Taj Mahal? I’d prefer cremation and to have my ashes sprinkled all around the world. That way a part of me would technically have been to different places even though I hadn’t experienced them for myself. Would my mom or Fane know what I wanted done with my body if I was killed? Why hadn’t we ever had this conversation? Just because I was undead didn’t mean I shouldn’t have a serious conversation about my wishes, especially given the line of work I’d been involved in for the past year.
It was too late for that conversation now. I’d just have to make sure I didn’t die.
Jared tromped over to the s
ink and plucked out the blood bag.
“We’ll dump it in a bin next time we gas up,” he said.
“Sure,” Valerie said, pulling blood bags from the fridge and stacking them inside a mini picnic cooler. Had the two of them robbed a blood bank or something? Valerie turned on her heel for the door. She glanced at me over her shoulder as she went. “Why don’t you make yourself useful and help me load the bags in the car?”
“Since you asked so nicely,” I said, trailing behind her. I dropped the paperback I’d been holding into the pink-and-white tote bag, grabbed the handles in my left hand and a big black duffel bag in my right.
It didn’t take long to load the back of the SUV.
“Away we go,” Jared said when we were all inside. The tires skidded over ice at the bottom of the driveway and we slid sideways onto the vacant road. Jared looked into the rearview mirror and grinned at me. “Dashing through the snow.”
“So long as you don’t sing the lyrics,” I grumbled.
“Do you think we’ll see Santa Claus in North Pole?” Jared asked, obviously trying to bait me. “What do you say, babe?” he asked, turning his head to Valerie. “Want to sit on Santa’s lap?”
“Can I suck his neck?” Valerie returned with a high-pitched giggle.
“Someone’s been naughty,” Jared said in a husky voice.
Oh, elf turds, not this again.
I cleared my throat loudly. “Where are we spending Christmas?”
I had no intention of remaining on this sleigh ride into the holiday, but any question that interrupted the tryst taking place in the front seat was worth the breath it took to ask. Sure enough, Jared’s hands remained on the steering wheel and Valerie glanced back at me with a glare.
“Our itinerary isn’t set in stone,” she informed me, flipping half her hair over her shoulder. “We go where the mood takes us.”
“If the mood takes you over the border, just remember you’ll be celebrating Boxing Day, not Christmas,” I quipped.
True North (Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter, Vol. 6) Page 17