by Tigris Eden
Every now and again, he would still wake up in the middle of the night haunted by that smell, saturated in it and having to take care of his never-ending erection when it came to dreaming about her.
Chapter 5
The phone in Jesminda’s hand startled her as she made her way through the front door of the office building. The building was tall and unassuming. There were no markers to identify she was in the right place. The man on the phone had just given her the building number and cross streets. She was finally taking steps to get her freedom back. She could have stayed, watched all those people fall under the power of Marcus’s thumb. But what kind of person would that make her? She valued life, and didn’t want to see it destroyed, even if they were vampires. Jes palmed her phone in her left hand while adjusting the strap to her purse with the other. Coming here was the right thing to do.
“Yeah, baby.” She answered on the second vibrate she knew it wouldn’t be long before her daughter Faith phoned her again.
“Mommy, mommy! Auntie Bells is making sweet tea! I love sweet tea so much!” Her daughter sang into her ear.
She smiled; glad Faith was in a suitable place and safe from danger. Safe from Marcus. That would only last so long before he went in search of her friend. She hadn’t spoken to Bells in over three years. She was thankful she still had a friend to turn to. She’d followed in her mother’s footsteps and become a statue of unfeeling emotions. She’d met Marcus on the plane back from Belize. Had known his family was wealthy and owned the entire island of Caye Chapel. They had cornered the market in building vacation homes and later selling them for millions. He had let Bells come around for the first couple of years. After a while, he’d told her Bells wasn’t a loyal friend to her or her daughter. She hadn’t even put up a fight, not because it was true, but because she wanted her friend out of harm’s way.
Bells was a shifter from House Phoenix. She hadn’t known at first, but after the first year of Faith’s birth and the entire debacle back at Odessa’s, she’d come clean. Immortals were a secret to humankind, most of humankind anyway. And it was meant to stay that way indefinitely. Otherwise, the governments would try and control them. They’d signed a treaty and rules were rules. They were even trying to enact a secret law where immortals would have to register so the government could keep tabs on them and what they were doing. Bells explained all the Houses agreed against the ruling and this was how the Shadow Units came about. Policing their kind and along the way helping the government as best they could with new medicines and some forms of magic. They didn’t share all their secrets but just enough to be trusted and to make the governments comfortable.
The fact you were born immortal and never made one didn’t rest well with the government at all. It made a lot of sense that they would try and harness immortal genetics for themselves. But finding out they couldn’t caused a rife between the Houses and the Governments, and still immortals were willing to help out anyway they were able.
Seeing that Faith was an immortal herself was what gave Bells the reason to come clean in the first place. It hadn’t been too big of a shock to her. She knew her daughter was different the moment she held her in her arms. Her beautiful little girl had tiny claws for fingernails and incisors that would put knives to shame. It explained more things than she cared to remember. Cyrian and his private parties. Marcus and his gloating on how he knew Immortals were real. He’d told her after three months of dating they existed. She should have seen that as a stop sign then, his family practiced Obeah. Half the populations in Belize were firm believers in Obeah’s. The firm practice of their Caribbean and West Indian culture. It’d migrated from West Africa. Her mother shunned all those who were into the sorcery and magic’s, but her father had embraced it. She just hadn’t believed until her best friend of eighteen years shifted right before her eyes. Bells was stunning in her Phoenix form. She had beautiful red and gold feathers with streaks of blue and purple. Her violet eyes turned a fire gold, almost liquid. Jesminda amazed by her transformation was taken back at how fast it happened. Even to immortals, Phoenix’s were rare and considered to be sacred. Making the decision to remain secret from the world’s government was unanimous among her kind. Bells promised Faith would remain out of harm’s way until the Shadow Unit was able to take over the duty of guarding them. House Phoenix didn’t want to get any more involved in her situation. Faith was safe and that’s all that mattered.
“That’s good sweet pea. I’m glad you’re having such a good time with Auntie Bells.” There was rustling on the other side of the phone and then loud giggling. Squealing into the phone Faith laughed and soon Bells was on the other end of the line taking deep breaths.
“Girl, this daughter of yours is going to run me ragged. She talks all the time, asks the most absurd questions,” Bells paused before she continued in a little girls squeaking voice. “Auntie Bells, how old are you, when is it going to be my turn to change? Am I gonna turn into big bird too?”
Jesminda sputtered a laugh and the two of them talked about Faith’s daily ritual of watching the Backyardagins, Yo Gabba Gabba and SpongeBob. She would be reunited with her daughter in three days. She quickly disconnected the call after assuring Faith they would see each other soon. She’d never been apart from her for more than hours. Three more days.
The lady at the front desk eyed her, like something was stuck on her face as she approached.
“Yes, can I help you?” The woman said in a nasally voice.
“Yes. My name is Jesminda Zealand and I’m here to see Captain Dravaggio.”
The woman typed something on her keyboard and looked up beneath her lashes eyeing her with a steady glare.
“He says to come on up. Fifth floor, second door on the right is the conference room. Someone will meet you at the elevator.”
Jes nodded and clutched her purse tighter as she headed for the elevators. This meeting scared her to death. She’d never met a conscious vampire before. Well a fully conscious one. Don’t think like that. Nothing is going to happen. They are here to help.
The elevator dinged open and she stepped inside. Soft jazz played through the speakers in a comforting tune of some long ago song. Jes hit the number five and the doors dinged closed and took her to meet her saviors or her doom. It could go either way as far as she was concerned. These men were her last choice. No one else could help her, unless she went to another Shadow Unit of course. But they had jurisdictions and hers fell under theirs. She’d only just found out how to reach them from Oliver’s captive daughter Teresa. The girl had been semi-conscious and kept saying her father worked for the Shadow Unit, to look them up on the internet.
She tried to locate them, but to her luck, there was no Shadow Unit anywhere on Google or any other search engine. And then her house phone rang suddenly and she was greeted with the voice of Captain Dravaggio. He’d given her the location where she could meet with them after she explained her situation. She knew from the tone of his voice he wasn’t happy about her dilemma any more than she was.
The sounds of the door opening shook her out of her trance. As it opened there was a tall man standing in an at ease position. He was extremely tall with dark blond hair cut short and ocher eyes. They looked almost like a warm earth red, with a yellow ring around them. He was built like a linebacker with corded muscle that ran the length of his form. His black fatigues were stretched to their limits. As if there wasn’t enough room to breathe until he relaxed his stance. His face was handsome in a savage way, which quickly transformed into fallen angel when he cracked a smile. She looked away for a moment and cleared her throat. He was too beautiful. He exuded strength and confidence with a hint of calm.
“Miss Reinhold?”
She started at the use of her ex-husband’s last name.
“Please, call me Miss Zealand. Or Jes is fine to.”
“Sorry ma’am,” he held out his hand in greeting. “My name is Gabe, if you will follow me the captain and the rest of the men are waiting in th
e conference room.” The halls were decorated in dark reds and light browns. It wasn’t sterile as she originally expected, it was warm and comforting. The double doors to the conference room swung open and she was faced with seven men all sitting in various positions at a long table. Some looked relaxed and others looked tense. She immediately picked Oliver out of the group. His daughter Teresa looked just like him.
“Oliver?” She asked with a hesitant voice. He sat up straighter and crossed his hands on the table.
“Do I know you?” He asked.
She shook her head and felt stupid for blurting out his name like that. He was handsome, but all vampires were, especially if they were from the Royal Houses. They all had a diamond like quality that was hard to miss. Sharp and flawless.
“No,” She answered looking him straight in the eyes. She owed him that. “Your daughter Teresa was the one.”
He was in front of her before she even blinked. He grabbed her forcefully by the arms and shook her.
“You know where she is!” Oliver shouted.
He’d shaken her so bad her teeth felt misplaced. Her arms were on fire from the pain he was inflicting from the freezing touch of his fingers. Panic was setting in, threatening to take her back to horrible memories. Think of something else. Anything. He wouldn’t hurt her he’s concerned about his daughter. Jes took a deep breath. What had Bells said? Vampires weren’t dead but living. Only Regs as she called them went cold from not enough blood. Regulars were vampires not part of the Royal Houses. Oliver was either a Reg or newly joined to the Royal family. His skin was cold and clammy. Before she could answer, Gabe began prying her as gently as possible from Oliver’s bruising grip. She took a steady step back and tried not to wince from the pain.
* * * *
“Olly, man ease up she’s mortal man, damn.” Gabe growled.
He gently rubbed her arm where Olly had taken hold of her. She was nervous enough meeting him and knowing she was the one that would have to tell him she didn’t know where his daughter had been taken. It would be another reason for him to go on the attack. Marcus moved his locations every other month and the only reason she’d stumbled onto where he was keeping the vampires was due to a mix up with one of his goons. She was suppose to meet Marcus for a lunch date and instead of Vince giving her the directions to the restaurant he’d sent her the GPS coordinates of one of the apartments Marcus owned. She mentally cursed her own stupidity. She’d been so excited he’d allowed her to come and meet him in public that she’d jumped at the chance to make things right. Save your marriage. That’s exactly what her mother would have said.
When she’d first met Marcus he was charming, had a great sense of humor. It had been right after the entire debacle of her summer vacation with her best friend Bells. They’d sat next to each other on the plane back to the states. She’d known it was too fast to jump into anything, but he hadn’t tried to fuck her, and then leave her. One night stand and you consented. She reminded herself for the millionth time. No, Marcus took her out to the theater, they ate at regular places. Mr. No Names didn’t even get to that stage in the game. Marcus made it a point to see to her happiness. He’d even been there for her when she found out she was pregnant.
She’d been just as shocked as he was since they weren’t having any sorts of between the sheet time. I’m sterile. You’re clean. Sterile my ass! She was furious with herself and at the bastard who left her that way. Instead of Marcus being pissed, he had been understanding. Saying everyone had a past, but the future is what they would look forward to. She’d married him shortly after. If she’d only looked deeper into that entire comment about everyone having a past, it would have made perfect sense.
Once Faith had been born, his true colors came to the surface. He’d known the minute her daughter had been plucked from her womb, that Faith was, in fact, different. After her birth, he’d been abusive and cold hearted. Every time he would beat her he’d say in a soothing tone how much he loved her. That it was her fault this was happening to her. All while beating her senseless. To this very day, she’d cringe at those words. Even her daughter knew the pain those three words caused her. She’d tried to go to her parent’s estate back in Belize, but her mother had quickly stopped all communication. Told her if she couldn’t control her husband there was no reason for them to visit until she did. Uncaring. Her mother never showed emotion.
Marcus had become paranoid and controlling as the months passed. He told Jes that she and her daughter were no longer to go outside of their home. He’d turned their estate into what she now knew was a compound. Her personal jail cell. She’d been taken from her friends and family. Not even her father had been able to get an audience with her. Soon after, she realized it was because he was selling VAB to humans and other immortals. She thought he’d done it for their safety, and if she were agreeable, the beatings would stop. She’d even convinced herself she could reason with him, have him go to the authorities and work it out. He dealt in so much other illegal activities, including selling flesh to humans who wanted to ingest not only a vampire’s blood but their skin in order to become like them, immortal. A falsity he sold them daily. Promising they would soon turn once they’d ingested enough of a vampire’s flesh. She shuddered inwardly.
She used to be so strong and independent. He’d taken that from her, swallowed her identity and more. It took less than two years to make her weak and self-conscious. Her self-esteem was darker than it had ever been before. She didn’t know if she was coming or going half of the time. If she hadn’t left for herself, she definitely had to man up and do it for her daughter.
“She knows where Theresa is animal,” Oliver shoved Gabe out of the way and again stood in front of her. She flinched at his closeness. He paid her no attention and kept coming.
“If you know where my daughter is you have to tell me right now.” He got right in her face bearing his teeth. She took a deep breath and said the only thing she could, the truth.
“Oliver, sir. I don’t know where Theresa is,” Jes held up her hand so she could continue speaking. “I did see her, but Marcus moves the vampires every other month to a new location, and the only reason I stumbled upon this particular apartment was due to Vince. His bodyguard messed up and gave me the wrong directions.”
Jesminda took a deep steadying breath and looked Oliver in the eyes. His shoulders shrank and he deflated. All the fight died right out of his sparkling blue orbs. She owed it to Theresa and the others to get them help and that’s exactly what she was going to do.
The men in the conference room settled back in their seats and Gabe led her over to a chair while Oliver put his head in his hands and plopped down in a chair to his right. She couldn’t tell if he was exhausted or not, he looked perfect. A man at the very end of the table stood and approached her; his long strides ate up the distance until he stood inches in front of her. He was taller than even Gabe. A giant. Long mahogany dreads fell to the middle of his back. He wasn’t dressed like the others. He wore a Valentino suit without the jacket and a white linen button-up shirt rolled at the sleeves. Strong, masculine arms were roped in thickly veined muscles. He had a silver torque around his neck. It gleamed bright against his bronze skin, and his face was aristocratic. Hard edges and a straight nose, but it was his eyes that were the most alarming. A shade of violet like she’d never seen. Dark amethyst, fathomless and arrogant. Immortals always had that extra flare humans didn’t, and this immortal had an extra helping.
He grinned a knowing grin. One that said he knew he was every woman's fantasy come to life. If she hadn’t sworn men off, he would surely be the object of her desire. Hot, dirty sex was pouring off this man in waves. If she weren’t careful, she’d get sucked under.
“I’m Captain Dravaggio,” his hand warm and strong gripped hers. “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me and my team.”
He quickly introduced her to the men in the room. There were a set of twins that sat across from her; one was smiling, as he lit a red ciga
rette, blowing the smoke in her direction and the other glared. She didn’t actually take in their looks because stupid her was still eye fucking the captain. What was it about him? It made her want to jump out of her seat and onto him. There were some other names tossed about some guy she think she heard him called Adam and another guy he referred to as Hawke. Then there was Gabe and Oliver. Dravaggio was saying something about missing team members and apologizing for their absence when the guy with the red smoke was sitting directly next to her now. How the hell did he get so close without her noticing?
“And, because you are so enamored with our captain,” he held out his hand and grabbed hers, breaking her out of the trance. “I’m Royce. Resident badass, all around swell motherfucker, and every woman's dream come true. Very nice to meet you.”
He held eye contact with her, gently kissing the back of her hand. Until finally she was fully aware that all of the men in the room were smiling. Captain Sex God bowed and retreated to the chair at the end of the table and gestured with his hands.
“The floor is yours, please tell us everything you know about Marcus.” he purred. The man actually purred. Goodness, no human was safe from the likes of him. Jes’s mind conjured an entire porn scene in her head when he spoke. And she was the feature of all his sexual ministrations.
She cleared her throat and clasped her hands, resting her elbows on the table. Her palms were sweaty and her heart was running a marathon. Now, she was nervous. All these men were waiting on her. Should she have stayed longer and gathered more information? Or was she doing the right thing? You’re doing the right thing. Just tell them what you know.