Jake (The Clan Legacy)

by J. S. Striker

An awkward silence filled the limousine, and she could only thank her lucky stars the driver was separated by a panel and didn’t witness that humiliating scene. Things became uncomfortable very fast, and all she wanted to do was get out of this vehicle and lock herself in her hotel room.

  She got what she wanted. She made Jake so uncomfortable and pissed off that he couldn’t even bear to look at her at all. It would help keep his eyes off when she proceeded with her plan.

  Maybe she was selfish, but this was important to her.

  So why was she so bothered about it?

  And why was she still wondering who hurt him in the past?

  CHAPTER FIVE

  The next day started normal enough, though Jake couldn’t help but be pissed off at the situation he’d gotten himself into. First off, he never should have spoken, even while Gabby was clearly, obviously goading him last night with her insulting words.

  Second off, he should have just let her be when she obviously thought she’d played the wrong game and he was a player, too. It was clear in her eyes that she underestimated him and had realized it the moment he didn’t back off from her little seduction. She’d been willing to do so first to save herself the embarrassment, and he should have let it alone.

  Instead, he pulled her towards him and kissed her.

  He’d done it to prove a point. He’d done it to make her regret starting the game in the first place, and had continued to do it so she would never, ever play with him again. But in the few moments between their kisses, something transformed, and he found himself more invested in it than most.

  To his surprise, he tasted innocence that she couldn’t quite hide. To his shock, he also tasted the loneliness she talked about and knew she’d been telling the truth in that aspect, at least. Then shock had turned to mad desire as he realized he wanted to taste every bit of her and not stop in just a kiss, and his hands had been so close to touching her core and making her come right then and there.

  And that was when he finally pushed her off.

  It was a hell of a kiss and a hell of a dilemma, and what pissed Jake off even more was how she apologized after and turned so quiet that he had to wonder where the bold woman had gone. Then the limousine ride was over, and she was practically flying out of there, leaving him alone in his own thoughts and his own self-derision.

  During breakfast, there was no mention of that event again, and Gabby was back to ignoring him. If he hadn’t felt the realness of her kiss, he’d have thought it had all been in his imagination.

  Today, Gabby was wearing yet another one of her bright outfits—an orange block dress that hid the fantastic figure he felt last night. She partnered it with gold heels and gold jewelry, and sunglasses that hid whatever expression her eyes might have had. She looked chic and untouchable as she did some shopping, reminding him again of the difference between them and why he should never, ever get involved with yet another heiress.

  Day turned to night soon enough, and he accompanied her to a high-class restaurant where Raz was already waiting for her. They were given a private space in the corner, and Jake stood at a certain distance where he could still see them. He watched as Gabby proceeded to smile, laugh and be playful with the vampire all over again, and last night’s words washed over him once more. Was this pretend, too? Was she doing this for her so-called responsibility?

  She was certainly a good actress, and Raz was responding very well to her ministrations. Jake caught the murmur of joint business every now and then before they leaned their heads more intimately and he couldn’t hear anymore.

  After a while, she excused herself to go to the restroom, shooting him a look that said not to follow. He followed her still but settled for staying just in the hallway outside the restroom area. Her heels clicked on the tiled floor as she moved, and he gave in and watched the back of her figure as she disappeared inside.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he also observed Raz, who was sitting so still and unperturbed that Jake was pretty sure he could last like that for hours on end. Vampires were so odd.

  He detected a few more supernatural presences in the restaurant, but nothing threatening enough. The most notable was still Raz, who didn’t bring his assistant today.

  Because he was busy looking around, it took Jake a while to realize that time had passed, and Gabby had been inside the restroom for quite a while now. Getting impatient, thinking this was yet another elaborate scheme to get him annoyed, he strode over to directly outside the restroom door and knocked.

  When she didn’t respond, he went ahead and opened the door, not really caring if she was going to get mad or reprimand him. But surprise filtered in when he found the restroom quiet. Then surprise turned to wariness when Jake realized the restroom was empty.

  To be sure, he gave it a once-over before deducing that he couldn’t even detect her presence inside. But he could smell her—at least the traces of her presence when she’d still been here a few minutes ago. Since yesterday, Gabby had smelled distinct—a combination of something earthy and an apple scent that he would never have associated with her had he not scented it. But the smell was slowly vanishing, and he detected something else: smoke and rust, just like blood. There were no windows around, which meant there had to be only one explanation.

  This was an inside job.

  With a curse, he made his way back outside the restroom. He saw a flash of a shadow appear in front of him and detected a dark presence. Without thought, he moved to the side and took out a knife, one that was charged with electricity with just one press. He bumped into something hard and grappled for a bit before he was outmaneuvered and thrown on his back against the wall.

  Jake pressed the knife against Raz’s stomach, snarling and daring him to move.

  “Where is Gabby?” Raz asked in a calm voice.

  “I was about to ask you the same question,” Jake replied just as calmly, pressing the knife deeper. “Also, why were you trying to attack me?”

  Raz gave him a cold look. “You attacked me first. And I smelled blood.” He pushed Jake away with minimal strength, and Jake followed as he entered the restroom. A few seconds later, Raz came out in a blur, his aura now more sinister as he gave Jake a deadly look. His fangs slowly started coming out.

  “A portal was opened inside. Where is she?”

  Jake would have retorted back with the impatience he was trying to hold in wanting to unleash itself. He looked into the vampire’s so-called hypnotic brown eyes, trying to find the words that would make it sink through that he meant business.

  “Probably kidnapped by some elaborate setup you’ve constructed,” Jake responded. “You realize you will be hunted down by every shifter leader on earth once word gets out? She’s an important part of our society.”

  “I’m not scared of your kind,” Raz said coolly.

  “You should be,” Jake murmured.

  They stared at each other in open hostility, though neither made a move to attack. Still, Jake kept his body tense and ready to shift at any second.

  “I’m not,” Raz repeated. “But my master Lucinda will have my head if anything happens to Gabby, which is why I think we’re wasting time standing here.”

  Jake tried to detect any hint of slyness in the vampire’s tone and found none. While their kind was good at hiding so many emotions, Jake was also good at reading them. Slowly, he began to realize that the other was telling the truth.

  And he began to realize that Gabby was really in trouble.

  “Damn it,” he finally cursed out, no longer able to stop himself.

  “Instead of cursing, you really should be doing something,” Raz admonished haughtily. “You’re her bodyguard.”

  Jake glared at him. Raz merely stared back. Then he walked to the front as casually as he could, leaving Jake alone.

  “Damn it,” Jake grumbled. He made a move to leave using the back exit, though he wasn’t really sure where he was going. Jake didn’t like portals and made it a point to avoid using them, hence
he wasn’t very familiar with what they smelled like. If Raz was telling the truth about the portal, then Gabby could be anywhere.

  He opened the door to the back. Dimly, he felt someone following him and turned to look at the vampire again.

  “Stay here,” Jake growled.

  “No,” Raz clipped out, using those eyes to peer at him. “I’m going with you.”

  “Then what the hell were you doing walking out earlier?”

  Raz lifted his chin. “I was paying for our bill. Now, I’m second-in-line, and I’m important in my world. Miss Montgomery getting kidnapped will risk that job, and hell will break loose if that happens.”

  Arrogant cad. Jake glared again.

  Then with a sigh, he let Raz follow him.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Her plan had worked.

  One minute, she’d been in the restroom minding her own business, casually looking in the mirror and fixing her hair. Raz had been a delight to talk to, honestly, but that didn’t eliminate the fact that he was still a vampire and still her number one suspect.

  And just as she was thinking the thought, a blur appeared behind her, too fast to identify. Then Gabby found herself being grabbed and taken to some kind of portal that had her breathing running short and her stomach feeling like she’d just gotten through a really long roller coaster ride. She closed her eyes against the terrible assault, something she hadn’t been prepared for and couldn’t really fight—not that she was planning to, but she liked having the upper hand just in case.

  She had none at that moment.

  When Gabby opened her eyes again, it was to find herself in a container van moving seamlessly down some straight road, with her hands tied behind her by magic. The driver was separated by a blockade of steel, but inside the back of the van with her was a young woman sitting on a box and facing her with a cool, calm expression.

  A witch.

  There was enough distance between them that Gabby couldn’t make a go at her in one leap—again, not that she was planning to. But even if she was, she couldn’t, because she didn’t think her kidnappers would be stupid enough to not stifle her shifting abilities by now. She didn’t bother trying, instead staring back at the woman as she tried to process everything in her mind.

  The last time she’d been kidnapped, it was when she was about to meet up with Raz for a business dinner. That was a year ago, and she’d been rescued before she could get the answers she wanted—no, needed.

  She’d also gotten her bodyguard dead, and it had traumatized her enough never to try it again…until now.

  Now she still needed those answers—and predictably enough, the kidnapping also happened while she was meeting up with Raz. So they had to be connected, and her suspicion was right all along.

  But how?

  “I know you haven’t kidnapped me for money,” Gabby began, trying to find the right, triggering words. “And this is in violation of the alliance between shifters and vampires—”

  A zap jolted her from her hands and spread through her body, electrifying her. She yelped and shut her mouth as her teeth chattered. Stunned, Gabby stared at the witch again, who didn’t move. But there was a slight smirk on the woman’s face which indicated who exactly had initiated it.

  Gabby tried to remain patient and repeated what she said. The zap happened once more, and she gritted her teeth and glared against the painful assault.

  “I know what I am, and I know what you want,” she snapped when she was zapped a third time, and her painful grunt could no longer be contained. “So let’s cut to the chase, shall we?”

  This time, there was no zap. Gabby kept her gaze and voice steady as she continued speaking.

  “I’m a monster. We both know that. The question is…are you kidnapping me to exploit that?”

  There was no response, but again, there was no more zap. Gabby waited her out, and they had a staring contest for who knew how long, with the witch not budging at all. Had Gabby not been stifled, she’d have half-shifted already and threatened the woman. But she was trying to be amicable because she had an agenda.

  “Is there any chance you’re one of Raz’s paid persons?” she asked.

  Of course, there was no response, which made her grumble. Minutes passed, and silence filled the van. Gabby’s ears tried to detect which direction the tires were headed, but it was hard to determine, especially when it was hard to concentrate.

  A few minutes later—or it might have been more, she couldn’t really tell—she watched as the witch stood up and approached her. Fingers reached out to touch her skin, and Gabby felt a sting. Then blood was being extracted from her, floating in the air before it was bottled up by the witch.

  Gabby was right. The kidnappers wanted her blood because of what she was—which meant whoever hired them knew of her history…and the cure for it. It made her sit up straight as she watched the witch pocket the bottle, and it had desperation and excitement warring inside her and made it difficult to keep still.

  Perhaps a different method was needed.

  “Are you going to kill me?” Gabby asked, keeping her voice soft and letting a tremor come through. It didn’t work at first, but she could see the witch pausing before sitting back down on the box. So she pushed on, trying to let her fear and uncertainty seep out. “Please. I need answers. I want to know how I can cure myself. I can’t live like this anymore. Please…get all the blood you want. Experiment all you want. I’ll cooperate. Wouldn’t it be easier for you if I cooperate? Just…just heal me in the end.”

  Tears streamed down her face. With a start, Gabby realized that part of her actual fears actually came out, too, leaving her vulnerable for real. She hadn’t planned it. But it was working now as she watched the witch look at her for a few more seconds before hesitating—the first sign of uncertainty from the woman. Then the witch opened her mouth.

  “We will—”

  Something landed on top of the van, causing a thudding sound. She heard scratching. Immediately, the witch stood up, sparks coming out of her hands.

  Not yet! Gabby screamed in her mind at whoever was with them now. I need answers!

  But it was too late.

  The door to the back of the container van was torn with a screeching sound, and she watched as half the door flew off and crashed into the road. Then Raz was sliding in, a blur in black as he used his vampire speed to rush at the witch. The witch used her powers to keep him away, and Gabby watched in shock and had to wonder if this was all some kind of play to keep him looking innocent. Before she could think it over, glass shattered down the front, and the van skidded to the side. It rolled, jarring Gabby from the floor and hitting all sides of the van as it crashed and pretty much took her body and soul along with it.

  When the van finally halted, it was upside down, and all parties inside were lying on the floor. Dizzy, Gabby scrambled up when she realized the chains behind her had disappeared, a direct effect to the witch being weakened. She found the witch on the floor, unconscious for the first few seconds before she sat up and stared in Gabby’s direction.

  Gabby reached out to do something—protect her or restrain her, she wasn’t sure which. But before she could, Raz rose from his lying position and attacked right away.

  She screamed as she watched it. She bit her tongue and quieted herself as Raz tore the witch to pieces, leaving nothing but blood and broken limbs behind. Gabby wasn’t new to violence like this, considering she was an animal by nature herself. But never had she seen such a raw show of a kill, indicating that beneath Raz’s cold, calm demeanor was a vampire who could also tear her to pieces if he wished.

  Body parts flew, and she blocked her nostrils from the overwhelming scent. She stood up, taking a few steps back as she shifted her hands into claws. Raz’s head snapped in her direction, brown eyes filled with chilling calm.

  “You killed her when I could have interrogated her,” she blurted out before she could stop herself. Are you covering up? was at the tip of her tongue before she bit
it back and tasted her own blood.

  Then the van shook again, and Jake was slipping in. He had streaks of blood on his clothes—not his blood, which only confirmed that the driver was dead, too.

  Jake took one look at her, then one look at the witch. He cursed as he strode over to her, those observant eyes checking her from head to foot before settling on her burned wrists. Then he looked in Raz’s direction and nodded once.

  “There are three other armored vehicles coming our way—the ones we passed earlier. We need to get out of here,” Jake said.

  Raz shook his head. “It’s almost midnight, and we’re in Hellsark. This place is teeming with prejudiced, local vampires. We need to hide.”

  Jake looked at him like he was crazy. Gabby tried to calm her beating heart.

  “Where?” Jake finally managed.

  “Follow me,” the vampire intoned. Then he was slipping out of the van without a word.

  The wolf shifter made a move to follow, but Gabby reached out and grabbed his arm. Jake looked back. Gabby gave a subtle shake of her head, unable to say a word for fear of being heard.

  We can’t trust him.

  As if he understood, Jake nodded.

  Then he was slipping out of there, too, and she had no choice but to follow.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  The important thing was that Gabby was okay and the rescue was done in time.

  Also an important thing? The fact that Gabby was hiding something.

  When they finally located the van containing her and her kidnappers, it had been Jake who’d run after it first, wanting to get it done and over it. Raz had admonished him before eventually following, and they’d used a stolen motorcycle to catch up. Passing by three other vehicles that attacked them and almost got them killed, it was safe to say that these men were professionals, but the only real threat was in the container van itself. In silent agreement, Jake had left the vampire and leaped ahead, intent on getting to the driver.

  That was when he heard the last few statements of Gabby bartering in hushed, urgent tones.