Jake (The Clan Legacy)

by J. S. Striker

  Everything else got cut off as he got busy wrestling control over the steering wheel from the driver and Raz finally jumped, too, leaving the motorcycle tumbling behind. Then the driver put up a fight and Jake had to concentrate his efforts there, especially when it turned out said driver was more prepared with some jolting weapon than Jake had expected.

  They grappled. They punched each other like hell, and Jake used his claws to strike when the driver used his jolt weapon and singed Jake on the arm. Then the driver dove to the side and off the van, and Jake had to dive for the wheel as the van swerved to the side.

  Things happened too fast after, with Raz killing the witch inside the back and blood everywhere. Then it was time to leave, and Jake held on to Gabby as they ran into the forest and away from the open road. Jake and Raz were equally fast, and once Gabby ditched her heels, she was also surprisingly fast as she caught up to their speed. From a distance, they could sense men following them—not shifters, because they hadn’t caught on to their scents fast enough.

  Not vampires, either.

  To be honest, Jake thought returning to the city and the airport should have been their first option. But he didn’t know this area at all, and he’d rather trust a vampire whose reputation was also at stake than be swarmed by local, prejudiced vampires. They entered a hilly field and saw lights from afar, and Raz kept running in that direction until they stopped a few kilometers away.

  The vampire tossed a bottle towards Jake, which he caught.

  “Spread that all over you,” Raz ordered. “It will mask your scent.”

  Jake remembered Gabby’s silent warning but spread the liquid, anyway. He tossed it at her, who eyed it suspiciously before reluctantly following suit. Then they headed for the lights, which turned out to be a village with an iron gate and wooden walls as high as the tallest oak tree. Lights surrounded the walls, and it was the most impressive sight Jake had seen in a while. He watched as Raz stepped forward, then tried very hard not to tense as the guards blocked his way.

  They were vampires.

  “I’d like to seek shelter for the night,” Raz spoke, his tone polite. “We are on the run from some vicious forces.”

  “State your name,” the guard said forcefully.

  “Raz. I’m under Lucinda’s command.”

  And just like that, they were granted entrance. The gate closed automatically once they were inside, giving Jake the feeling of being imprisoned. But he shook it off, and they followed as they were led to a barn, where there were lots of hay, some blankets, and boxes of dried food that had Jake thinking this shelter-seeking thing wasn’t a one-time thing.

  He could feel a dark presence surrounding the air but couldn’t quite pinpoint it. It gave him the chills, though. The presence disappeared the moment the barn door was closed, and the three of them were left alone.

  “These men are very protective of their territory and will not let anyone other than vampires enter,” Raz explained.

  The message was clear: they were never to reveal themselves.

  “If you took us here to set us up…” Jake warned.

  “If you insult me one more time, you’ll discover how petty I can be,” Raz shot back. “We leave at daylight when it’s safer.” Then he was slipping out the barn, closing it with a definitive click.

  Once they were alone, Jake checked the premises to make sure there were no traps set. Finding none, he went back to Gabby, who was rubbing her wrists and trying not to wince as she did so. Her orange dress was muddied, and her curly hair looked like it had been through the ringer. The sight of her had him torn between getting irritated by what he heard and wanting to keep her safe from trouble, and his protective instincts surprised him and pissed him off all the more.

  So he settled for pulling her to her feet.

  “What are you? Why do you need to be healed?” he asked without preamble.

  Her eyes widened. Then she quickly banked her reaction down and attempted a smile, one that had anger flowing through him at being duped by it in the beginning. He shook her to show her he meant business, then regretted it instantly when he accidentally touched her wrist, and she hid a wince. Jake ran his hands up her elbows instead to keep her in place.

  “Gabby, if you don’t tell me this instant—”

  “Your job is to protect me, not to interrogate me,” she interrupted.

  “And I’m doing just that,” he shot back. “I’m protecting you from your own stupidity.”

  She made a hiss like a cat. She tried to shake him off, but he held on.

  “There are some things you’re better off not knowing,” she said. “I barely know you. I don’t trust you.”

  “But you can. I’m your bodyguard. I will protect you with my life.”

  The words tumbled out before he could stop himself, and she froze. Jake realized he meant it, and for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out why. She was right. They barely knew each other. But instinct told him that she needed protection more than anything else, and as a bodyguard, it was his job to provide it.

  But protection from what?

  Before he could contemplate it, she was trying to move away and purposely evade him again. He clung on, and they had a quiet tug-of-war in place. Gabby glared at him, but he was undeterred, and she finally lost a little bit of the temper she was trying to hold on to.

  “I don’t need your protection,” she snapped out. “You ruined everything.”

  “What did I ruin, exactly?”

  “Answers. The witch. Raz.”

  “What answers did you need? What the hell is going on, Gabby?”

  With one last force, Gabby pushed him again. This time, Jake let go.

  “Raz can’t be trusted. That’s all I can say on the matter.”

  Jake scoffed. “Maybe. What answers did you need?”

  “To my problem. And that’s my secret,” she answered. Then she moved away and went to the blankets, rummaging around until she found new clothes. She tossed some over to him without a word, then snuck in between some haystacks to get dressed.

  Jake did the same, still watching her out of the corner of his eye. He rummaged around the dried food until he found some jerky, then tossed some to her when she stepped out in fresh dark clothes.

  Even with the curly hair, even with the less than fashionable dress, she looked absolutely delectable. He didn’t know when he’d started seeing her that way, but there it was, staring him right in the face—an attraction that was inconvenient as well as unnecessary. It was especially unnecessary now that he knew she’d been lying to him, though the same instinct that wanted to protect her also told him that she only lied to protect herself, too.

  Damn it.

  They sat a safe distance away from each other and quietly ate, replenishing the energy they lost. Questions ran through his mind, and when Gabby stood up, he stood up, too. Then he strode over to her, noting how she quickly stepped back and tried to look for a way out.

  Oh, no, you don’t.

  Jake shifted his feet for faster movement. Then he was holding her in place again and ignoring her protest as she cursed under her breath and glared at him.

  “Tell me,” was all he said.

  “No,” she bit out.

  “Tell me, or I’ll force your hand,” he threatened.

  “And how are you going to do that?” she goaded him. “I’m just as strong as you.”

  In response, he pulled her close until their bodies met. “You know I have one way of making you surrender.”

  Her eyes widened. Then they flared, and in that flaring, he saw the response from her as she parted her lips almost unconsciously. His body responded, a sexual call from within.

  Then her hand came up, and it took a moment for the sting of her slap to register on Jake’s cheek. His ears rang from the force.

  Gabby slapped like a pro.

  “You’re a conceited ass, and I hate your guts.”

  She pushed him off belatedly, and he let her. Jake felt bad f
or what he said immediately, so he strode over again and took her hands. Then he slid something from his side—a bottle tied through a string around his waist that he always carried around. He opened it and placed some drops on Gabby’s wrists, watching as the burns boiled over before slowly healing right before their eyes.

  Gabby gaped. Then she looked up at him in confusion.

  “My witch friend gave that to me for emergencies,” he said. “I think that constituted one.”

  Jake let her go. Then he slipped out of there before he could do something he would regret.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  “I thought I told you to stay inside the barn.”

  Raz’s cool voice could be heard all the way in, and Gabby listened from her spot by the barn door and tried not to tense right away. She heard Jake’s response, his tone full of sass as he explicitly told the vampire that he hadn’t said those exact words at all.

  She stifled a smile, not even sure why she was amused at this point. There were too many emotions running all over inside her, with the worry, resentment, and regret taking the forefront.

  She had been stupid, and she could acknowledge that now. But she’d been so close to those answers—could already taste the victory of it and the relief, right before the witch who could have given them to her was killed right in front of her eyes. Then Jake was there to get her out of the situation, and she couldn’t decide whether to punch him on the spot or be all grateful that she wasn’t left alone with the second-in-line vampire.

  Or to kiss him right then and there.

  She looked down at her wrists and watched the scars slowly start to fade, with the burns completely gone. He shouldn’t have done that, but he did. He also shouldn’t have taken her so close and threatened to kiss her, but he did.

  And things were now just so complicated because, on top of the forefront feelings, there was also this idiotic amusement—and a certain heat that was simmering inside her as she remembered again what happened to them inside that limousine.

  The barn door opened, and the presence that entered wasn’t Jake. Gabby shot up instantly and faced Raz, who looked at her with an unreadable expression. The charming, almost harmless man was gone, and in his place was a warrior who could probably kill her on the spot. She’d never figured out why Raz had been second-in-line, up until she saw him rescue her.

  And now, she still needed to prove that he was involved in all this.

  Keeping that in mind, Gabby kept her expression light. “Thank you for the rescue.”

  He nodded his head. Then he tilted it, observing her. Trying to figure her out. She fought the natural instinct to straighten herself, instead keeping her pose casual and relaxed.

  “Did you get anything from that witch on why you were kidnapped?” Raz asked.

  She met his brown gaze, watching the concern there. She shook her head. “Unfortunately, no. But I don’t intend to stop.”

  Silence.

  “Good,” Raz said softly. “I’m glad you’re safe now.”

  Lie or truth? She honestly couldn’t tell, so she settled for changing the topic. “Is there any chance you have a private room somewhere around here? I don’t think I can sleep here.”

  To her dismay, the vampire shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. There are sinister creatures lurking here, and your…kind isn’t exactly welcome. It’s best you stay here until morning.”

  Here? With Jake and everyone else outside this barn, she could possibly be in danger?

  Damn it.

  This was also not in the plan.

  “Are you that repulsed to sleep near me, princess?”

  The door opened again, and Jake’s explosive presence filled the space. Gabby’s stomach jumped, but she ignored it and eyed him with as much derision as she could muster.

  “Maybe,” she said softly. She turned to the vampire again, who was eyeing the exchange in a rather unaffected manner. “Thank you for your help again. I will make sure the council hears of it.”

  Raz nodded, though she was pretty sure he didn’t care about anything—or anyone—beyond his master’s approval. He repeated his reminder to them of not leaving the barn, then slid out as quietly as he came in.

  For the first few minutes, silence filled the room, and Gabby realized she and Jake were both instinctively waiting for the vampire to disappear completely. Once he was gone, Jake leaned on the wall, crossed his arms and directed her with a dead-on stare.

  “What?” she asked defensively.

  “I’m trying to figure you out.”

  “And what did you figure out so far?”

  He held up a finger. “One, you pretend to like Raz even when it’s clear you don’t trust him. I’m not sure whether you’re playing some hard-to-get game here or whether you’re just plain crazy.”

  She glared at him.

  “Two,” he held up another finger, “You clearly have a secret that I have yet to be privy to…and trust me, princess, I’m going to find out sooner or later.”

  He was never going to find out, not if it was up to her.

  “Three, you seem to want to get as far away from me as possible. I don’t buy your bullshit of not being able to sleep here. I think that’s an act.”

  “It’s not an act,” she shot at him.

  “Damn it, Gabby,” he shot back. “We can be in the same barn. I’m not going to force myself on you. I’m not going to hurt you. Forget I threatened you, okay?”

  “I’m not scared of that.”

  He took a step closer, his eyes boring into hers. She didn’t see any anger this time, only frustration and a genuine concern that took her by surprise.

  “Then what are you scared of?”

  That I would hurt you.

  She shook her head instead. “Nothing. I just don’t trust him.”

  “Neither do I. But I’m here. I won’t let anything happen to you.” He held out a hand. “I won’t even ask you about your motives…at least, not until we get to a safer place.”

  Yeah, right. What Jake couldn’t comprehend was that being with her was the least safe place he could be in, and she needed to do something about it. An idea popped into her head, and she spoke before she could further analyze it.

  “I don’t want you to keep me safe,” she said forcefully.

  “Then what do you want?”

  “Can you follow Raz? I just want to make sure he’s accounted for. We can take turns, so you can fall asleep…”

  She braced herself because she really couldn’t exactly take turns with him. Relief poured out of her when he accepted the bait and nodded his head.

  “No, I’ll do it. I’ve been planning to, anyway,” he murmured. He took something out from behind him and handed it over to her, and Gabby stared at the glinting knife that fit in his palm. “Keep yourself safe.”

  God. He was too much to handle. Emotions roiled inside her again, but she ignored it and stepped back. “Thank you. You, too.”

  Gabby watched him leave, torn. She knew outside was dangerous, and she wasn’t exactly keeping him safe, either. But it was better this way.

  When she was sure she was entirely alone, she went back to retrieve her old clothes and rummaged in the pockets until she found what she was looking for. She gripped it in her hand and felt the cold steel cut through. She looked around the barn until she found a good spot for her to stay in—inside one of the empty horse boxes at the very back, where there was some steel piping leading down the ground that was probably built in case there was a hurricane.

  It wasn’t just good. It was perfect.

  Gabby looked and sensed around once more to determine no one was coming in or nearby. Then she stepped into the horse box and locked herself in, silently thankful that her scent was being masked. She opened her palm and eyed the thing she carried—a silver chain that an old witch friend created for her just before the witch died extracting her blood and betraying her.

  Carefully, she tied one end to the steel. Then she tied the other end to her wris
ts and ankles, keeping some space in between the skin. She sensed inside her and felt it—that lurking presence that indicated what was going to happen soon, so dark and heavy that it threatened to consume her. It always threatened to consume her, and she never had the courage to fight it.

  Which was why she needed to find the cure. Soon.

  Gabby watched the chains, then the darkness of the barn. She felt the darkness inside her rising, and she didn’t fight it.

  She waited.

  CHAPTER NINE

  The village was at least six times the size of an Olympic stadium—much, much bigger than Jake expected, but with so many hut-type houses that made for a charming, quaint effect. He avoided the general crowd that seemed to be located in the main square, thinking that wouldn’t be Raz’s type of scene, either. He skulked around less crowded areas, trying to pinpoint the dark presence he sensed earlier.

  The walls were really too high, and he guessed he couldn’t jump it even if he shifted fully to his wolf form. Not that it mattered, because there were posts on top of the walls and guards stationed, which meant that they were truly trapped here for now.

  Again, not that it mattered, because even if he and Gabby could escape, they weren’t going to. If Raz truly was innocent, then it would be an insult that would cause a mess, and he really didn’t want to be the one facing interrogations about it. Raz had helped him locate Gabby and rescue her, and that was enough. For now.

  But that didn’t mean he fully trusted Raz. Not yet.

  Come to think of it, he didn’t exactly fully trust the wealthy heiress, either. But the distrust in her was less tangible because he was pretty sure she wouldn’t hurt him like Raz potentially could. That made it all the more confusing, and trying to analyze it only gave him a headache. Hell, this whole assignment gave him a headache, and all he wanted to do was get Gabby home and just be done with it.

  Whatever her damn secret was, he was pretty sure she wasn’t going to tell. But he’d protect her, anyway, especially when suspicious vampires like Raz could end up finding out and expose her to the world. He told himself he was only doing this because of the bad publicity it would cause and nothing else.