by ID Johnson
It was a good thing, as it turned out. Just as he was sucking the last drops from the now cold, hardening body, one of the other men in the room began to stir. Giovani had drained his first victim and moved to a second. However, Rob was still in the kitchen, and there was no one available to pounce on the newly awakened crack-addict. When his eyes first opened, the focus was missing, and he couldn't quite make out what was happening around him. However, as he began to become more clear headed, he realized what he was looking at and began to shriek.
"Jack, make him shut-up!" Giovani's voice said inside of his head.
Unsure of exactly what he should do, Jack got to his feet and started to move toward the man. He was still screaming and began to slide backward on the floor, sitting on his pockets. Glancing toward the kitchen, Jack could see that Rob was engaged with another victim in the hall. He would have to do this on his own.
As Jack stepped forward, the man began to plead for his life. "No, please, leave me alone," he begged. "Don't hurt me, please!" But Jack knew they couldn't afford to leave him alive. Despite the man's desperation to live, he was clearly in no state to defend himself. Jack threw his knee against the man's chest where he sat on the floor, knocking him backwards onto the carpet. "Oh, God!" the victim wailed. "Please, oh sweet Jesus!" Jack opened his mouth as widely as he possibly could, and using his left hand, pushed the man's forehead down, towards the floor. With his right hand, he held his shoulder out of the way, leaned forward, and sunk his fangs straight into the man's jugular. The addict began to convulse, his body in full spasm almost the entire time it took for Jack to drain him. As the flow began to weaken, the body started to calm before he finally became very, very still.
When it was over, Jack stood, wiping the last few droplets from his mouth onto the back of his hand and then licked them off. He turned to see Giovani and Rob watching him, smiles of admiration on their faces.
"See, I told you you could do it," Giovani said, patting his brother on the back. "You were born to be a Vampire. You're a natural."
Giovani and Rob took care of a few staging matters, hiding any surface-level evidence that Vampires had been here and then fled the scene. As they hastened back to the waiting Corvette, Jack didn't know whether or not to be proud of himself or disgusted. Either way, he knew he would have to get used to this type of existence. This is what he would be doing from now on, until the end of his days.
***
Even before she opened her eyes, Cadence was very much aware that she was not alone. As her mind reached the outskirts of consciousness, she realized who it was that had his arm wrapped around her, and she felt an overwhelming wave of calm rush over her spirit unlike anything she had experienced since the day Jack had called her and told her he was sick.
She wasn't quite ready to wake up, not yet, though she was looking forward to seeing Aaron. Still, the exhaustion that had knocked her flat last night wasn't quite done with her, and rather than force herself awake, she rolled over and put her head on his chest, feeling him shift beneath her, adjusting his arms and enveloping her body into his. She felt his lips brush her forehead and breathed in his scent as deeply as she could. If she could just stay right here forever, she would be perfectly content for the rest of her life.
"Are you awake?" Aaron asked softly, not sure if she was fully with him.
"No," she whispered into his chest. The sound of his voice was pulling her back toward the shore of full consciousness, despite her best attempts to stay afloat and, reluctantly, her eyelids began to flutter.
"Talking in your sleep, then?" he inquired. His right hand was slightly tangled in her long brown hair, but he didn't want to attempt to move it, afraid he'd pull her long tresses. He was also keenly aware that she had her hand inside of his shirt, wrapped around his side, and he wondered if she knew that as well.
"Yes," she agreed. "I must be dreaming. Because you're not here. You're in Kansas City." She still didn't open her eyes or change the angle of her face, talking into his chest.
"I had to come and check on you," he said quietly. "Had to make sure that you were okay."
The battle with Barbarosa hadn't entered her mind until then, and flashes of memories invaded her previously peaceful thoughts. "Mmm," she sighed, finally raising her head and opening her eyes. Even though she had known him for several weeks now, his eyes always caught her off-guard, particularly when it had been a while since she had gazed into them, and she found herself blinking, not because of the invasion of the morning light, but because of his piercing, blue stare. "Hi," she said, a smile spreading across her face.
He grinned back at her. "Hi. How are you?" He gently brushed her hair out of her face and carefully began to pull his hand out of her long hair, smoothing it as he did so.
"Pretty perfect," she admitted. His lips were just an inch or so from hers and she longed to kiss him. But they had talked about that, not pursuing a relationship, though he was the one who had invaded her bed. Nevertheless, she hesitated, not wanting to scare him away--and also very much aware that her breath had to be stale and unappealing after hours of sleep.
"Good," he whispered, still running his hand through her hair. "Heard you had some excitement last night."
She dropped her chin to his chest, looking up at him sheepishly. "I don't know what you're talking about?" she toyed, a futile attempt to hold the line she had promised to Elliott.
He ran his hand over the smooth skin of her cheek. "I think you do."
"Who told you?" she asked, suddenly aware that her hand was tucked into his shirt. She struggled with the notion that she should probably draw it out only briefly before determining that, if he was going to play with her hair and caress her cheek, surely he wouldn't mind her hand on his side. He didn't seem to be annoyed with it so she decided to keep it there.
"I can't reveal my sources," he said, matter-of-factly. "How come you didn't tell me?"
"Um," she began, looking around the room as if she were trying to come up with an excuse, "I fell asleep?"
"You should have told me, Cadence," he replied quietly. "Actually, you shouldn't have gone in the first place."
"I know," she admitted, turning her head to the side and resting it on his chest. She slowly began to move her hand from his side to his stomach and found herself very much distracted by the clearly defined muscles she found there. He made no indication that the location of her hand bothered him, and so she continued to gently run her hand back and forth, also very much aware that his arms were around her, his hand resting on her hip. "I was trying to make nice with Elliott. And I did. I think. . . unless he's just a really good actor."
"He's a terrible actor," Aaron spouted sarcastically, absently thinking about how uncomfortable it must be for her to sleep in the dark blue leather hunting outfit she still had on. Though he didn't mind her hand on his stomach, he was finding it rather distracting and had to concentrate in order to focus on the conversation. "While I think it's amazing that you were able to take out Barbarosa on your own, that wasn't the smartest thing the two of you could have done."
"I know," she admitted again. "You're right. I'm sorry."
He gently kissed the top of her head and Cadence thought, for a moment, if she tipped her head up to look at him, perhaps he would kiss her lips as well. And just as she was about to test her theory, she received an IAC from Christian, congratulating her on the kill and asking how she was doing. While that shouldn't have prevented her from kissing Aaron, it was a reminder of the night she and Aaron had decided not to pursue their relationship, and the memory of that night shattered any confidence that she had, despite the fact that the tips of his fingers had now slipped inside her waistband and were exploring the top of her hip.
She didn't answer Christian, not then; he could wait. Instead, she regained her focus on the man in her bed. "How long can you stay? Aren't you going to Billings or someplace?"
"Yes, the great state of Montana," he said, not necessarily intending to sound cynical. "I
actually have to be at the airport in just a bit. Plane leaves at 10:00." He felt Cadence's shoulders slump, an audible grimace escaping her lips. "I won't be gone too long," he assured her. "I'm hoping to make it back in time for the memorial."
Mention of the memorial reminded her of Jack. She hadn't spent too much time thinking about him lately, which she felt was odd. "You know, I'm not sure if it's Elliott and Hannah's magical powers, or what, but I don't feel as sad as I thought I would. I mean, don't get me wrong, I miss him, and I feel very cheated that he was taken from us so young. But I thought I would be inconsolable. And I just don't feel that way."
"It's Hannah," he assured her, still lightly brushing her skin with his fingertips. "Once she's set a change in motion, it's difficult to turn it back."
"So, is that healthy?" she asked, raising her head to look at him. "I mean, shouldn't I have to go through the grieving process, like everyone else?"
"Oh, no, it's not healthy at all," he agreed with her. "Eventually, those emotions will catch up with you. But for now, at least you can concentrate on your job."
Cadence was confused. "What is so important about what I am doing right now that I need to concentrate, as opposed to a few months or years from now, when the emotions may strike?"
Aaron didn't want to go into that right now, not when he was about to get on a plane and leave her for a day or two. "Well, I think we have some important work on the horizon," he said, as generally as possible. "When I get back from this hunt, I'll talk to you about it."
"Okay," she said, trying to push the questions out of her mind. She knew him well enough to know that probing for answers would do her no good. Changing the subject she asked, "Is my breath atrocious?" She was very much aware that her breath was hitting him directly in the face. Since he hardly ever slept, bad breath didn't seem to be much of a problem for him, a fact that had her momentarily jealous.
"No, it's fine," he assured her, laughing. He honestly hadn't noticed, and with the possibility of kissing her very presently on his mind, he knew he wouldn't have minded tasting her mouth to see just how stale it was. With her lips hovering so close to his, it was becoming increasingly more difficult each second to keep from doing so.
Cadence paused for a second, waiting to see if he would lean forward and kiss her. When he didn't, she asked, "Do you know if they have scheduled the memorial yet? I haven't checked my phone yet this morning." Even though there was no reason why he should know, he always seemed to be aware of everything before she was so she thought it was possible he had heard.
"No," he replied, staring into her brown eyes. "I don't think they've scheduled it. Are you planning on riding back to Shenandoah with your friends?
"I don't know," she said, dropping her eyes. "I just. . . can't relate to them anymore, you know. It's so difficult to carry on a conversation with people who have no idea what I'm doing now. They have no idea what the don't know."
"I understand," he agreed. "Well, Elliott still has the Enclave. He can drive you. Hannah can go with you, too. I think that's probably a good idea. But, I think I'll take Eliza with me."
"Oh?" Cadence asked, retraining her eyes on his.
"I don't think she's been particularly helpful to you, and I don't want her in your way," he explained. He withdrew his hand from her waist and began to idly rub her back.
Cadence nodded. "Okay. No, I haven't really talked to her much." She was always a bit apprehensive whenever Eliza would be spending any amount of time with Aaron, particularly when she wouldn't be present. She was confident that he no longer had feelings for his ex-girlfriend, but Eliza clearly still longed to be with him, and she made it fairly apparent every opportunity she got.
"In fact," he added, an annoyed expression briefly crossing over his handsome fact, "Ever since I told her that she was going with me, she won't get off the IAC. I guess she can just drive me nuts for a little while instead of you."
Shaking her head, Cadence mumbled, "Unbelievable. She just knows you're in my bed, and she doesn't like it," she added coyly. He didn't reply, just gave her a little grin, which made her smile in return. "My IAC is going a little crazy now, too," she admitted. "I guess word has gotten out."
"About Barbarosa? Yeah, I don't doubt it. People talk," he said. "Hunters are very impressed with you, you know?" He added, "I've heard even some of our old veterans, those guys who are never impressed with anything, they're making comments about your skills."
"I got some mad skills," Cadence said giggling.
"You do," he agreed, joining in her laughter. "Unbelievable, mad skills."
She caught his eyes again and stopped laughing. After a moment she said, "Well, it's nice to know I'm appreciated. The only people I'm hearing from are our peeps at LIGHTS, which is great. They're so sweet to check in with me."
"Jamie and Meagan?" Aaron asked, wondering specifically who she was referring to.
"Yeah, and Christian, couple others," she said nodding.
"Oh, Christian stopped by yesterday to ask about you, too," Aaron said as nonchalantly as he could muster. "I guess I didn't realize you guys were that close. I mean, I know how he stood up for you after you killed Henry, but, well, I just thought it was a little strange."
Cadence was well aware of exactly why Christian would be asking about her, but she didn't offer that information at that moment, seeing no reason to. "He's a good guy," she said shrugging. "I guess you could say we are friends."
"Yeah?" Aaron asked. "That's good," he remarked and then decided to change the subject. "No more flowers from Jamie?"
"Oh, God, no," Cadence said, dropping her forehead into his chest sharply. "That was awful," she added, referring to the time that Jamie had shown up at her doorstep with flowers, only to find Aaron was already there. "I felt really sorry for him. He's such a nice guy!"
"He is a nice guy," Aaron agreed. "He's a great guy."
"But I don't want to date him," Cadence chimed in.
"No?" Aaron said teasingly. "Not right now?"
"Not ever," she admitted, crinkling her nose up. "Just not my type."
Though it crossed Aaron's mind to inquire as to what her type might be, he wasn't prepared to hear her answer. It could lead to other things, and he was trying to steer the conversation away from those other things. "Well, you probably aren't going to want to date anyone for a little while, I would imagine," he admitted, referring to the circumstances with Jack.
Cadence considered his statement for a moment. She knew exactly why he had said it; she shouldn't be thinking about dating so soon after her ex-boyfriend had just died. Of course, laying on his chest with her hand up his shirt, she had other thoughts. "I guess not," she said quietly.
Without actually moving, he said, "I need to go." He slowly brushed the hair back from her face again.
She looked disappointed but didn't try to keep him. She knew he had a schedule to maintain, and she couldn't interfere with it, not if she wanted to keep the team happy and continue to pursue the possibility of getting back together with him someday. "Okay, " she said quietly but not pushing herself off of him so that he could get up.
"Wow, I didn't think you'd agree that quickly," he teased, still not trying to get up yet either."
"Well, I know how busy you are," she explained. "And, besides, the longer we lay here, the more I'm going to want to do things to you," she added, seriously, peering straight into his eyes. His eyes stayed locked on hers, a small smile on his face, but he said nothing. She was still running her hand across the skin beneath his shirt when she felt a change in texture, a raised area, and realized she had inadvertently found his scar, the one he had gotten when he saved her life. She wasn't sure if it would hurt for her hand to be there or if it would make him self-conscious, so she slid her hand back a bit. "Sorry," she said quietly. He shook his head slowly, as if to say it was okay, prompting her to ask, "does it hurt?"
"No," he said, his voice just above a whisper. "It's fine."
Hesitantly, she asked,
"Can I see it?"
He seemed to consider the request for a moment before shrugging and saying, "Sure, if you want to."
She sat back on her heels, allowing him to sit up, pulling his shirt off as he did so.
Cadence stifled a gasp, not because of the scar but because this was the first time she had seen him without his shirt on, and though he certainly wasn't what one would consider hulky, she wasn't prepared for just how muscular he truly was. Every muscle was clearly defined, from his abs to his biceps, and she was suddenly extremely aware that she had made a mistake. She should have never asked him to take his shirt off when she was still practically on top of him in bed.
Taking a deep breath, she concentrated on the scar; after all, that is what she had asked to see. She reminded herself of the seriousness of what had happened the night that he was shot and how he had taken that bullet saving her. The mark wasn't large or mangled-looking, just a simple circular scar, a bit raised compared to the area around it, right under his ribcage. It was evident that Jamie's quick skills in healing it had kept the damage to a minimum, at least externally. She carefully ran her fingers over the circumference. "Doesn't seem like much now, does it?" she admitted.
"No," he agreed. "The exit wound is almost unnoticeable," he added, though he didn't turn around to show her. He was very much aware that having his shirt off had effected her more than she was letting on, and if he didn't start moving out the door soon, the situation could easily get out of control. With that in mind, he pulled his shirt back on, prompting her to slide toward the edge of the bed, so that he could do so as well.
Cadence slipped off of the bed, got to her feet, and scooted out of the way so that he could follow her. Before she turned to face him, she took a deep breath and attempted to clear her mind, which was easier said than done. When she finally spun around, he was standing so close to her that she almost ran into him, taking her breath away again. "Sorry," she whispered.