Jake (The Clan Legacy)

by J. S. Striker

  The vampire shot his claws straight through her belly, and she gasped.

  Jake cursed. Then he was running in her direction and catching her before she slid directly to the ground. He kicked at the vampire’s head, crushing it, then lifted Gabby up as she clung on to him. She coughed violently.

  “Why the hell didn’t you shift?” Jake growled.

  “Can’t,” she croaked out. “I’m so…tired.”

  What the hell did that mean?

  Gabby closed her eyes and lost consciousness at the same time that the barn door slid open again. Jake braced himself for any other attack—

  “What is going on here?”

  He whipped his head in the voice’s direction, not sure whether to be relieved or tenser.

  “They followed me here,” he said shortly. “We need to go. Gabby’s hurt.”

  Raz took a look at Gabby’s condition, a slight frown marring his mouth. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but he nodded instead.

  “Alright.”

  Getting out wasn’t as easy as getting in, as the guards questioned their decision and said their enemies might still be out there. In response to that, Raz used his charms again, telling them in a diplomatic manner that his master needed his service right away and it would be a tragedy not to respond to such an honorable call. They managed to borrow a vehicle, which they used to get out of there with Gabby in the backseat. Jake drove, keeping an eye on Raz and his placid expression.

  “What about the dead ones in the barn?” Jake asked once they were a safe distance away.

  “Leave them. I’ll take care of it.”

  *****

  Their enemies, whoever those people were, trailed close behind as they drove for hours into the night. Gabby woke up an hour after she’d gone unconscious, looking so confused and refusing to say anything about what happened. She retreated inside herself and brooded, dismissing to Raz that she was just so tired and couldn’t shift to defend herself.

  The vampire wasn’t stupid, of course, but he left the case alone and merely gave Jake a look. Silence filled the ride for the most part, and Jake became so sleepy later on that Raz had to take over.

  Apparently, “taking care of it” for the second-in-line meant driving the vehicle to his hidden mansion, calling Lucinda to confess everything, and seeking asylum for the deeds done by Jake and Gabby. Jake argued with Raz the whole way there, disliking the idea of further heads getting involved. But the vampire was adamant about it, refusing to disobey protocol and emphasizing that he needed to respect his master at this most crucial time. They arrived at Raz’s place. Exiting the vehicle and continuing their tiff the situation was about to blow up.

  It was Gabby who pushed them apart when they almost came to blows, and the way her knees wobbled after she did so had Jake stifling his anger to hold her by the waist. She politely thanked Raz for giving them the asylum they needed, all smiles and charm again, and asked if they could be given a room to rest.

  They were directed to a suite that had antique gold vases, which confirmed Jake’s suspicion that the second-in-line was just as wealthy as he looked and acted. It felt cold rather than cozy, but they made do, with Gabby crashing into bed right away. She slept so soundly that Jake didn’t have the heart to wake her up and interrogate her, so he left things alone for now and decided to take a long, hot shower to clear his foggy mind. When he was done, he began to feel up the walls, trying to look for trapdoors and finding none. Still not feeling totally at ease, he began to position himself against the door and decided that taking a power nap while sitting down was the best option there was.

  When he woke up, it was to the sound of footsteps and the sight of Gabby coming out of the bathroom, looking fresh in damp hair and the new clothes Raz provided. The yellow summer dress fit her bright style, and she looked well-rested. Jake realized he hadn’t had a power nap but a full-blown sleep, and now his stomach was grumbling from having not eaten since yesterday. A look at the antique wall clock determined that it was nearing night time, which meant they might have already missed any downtime they could have had to get back to New York. Raz had advised that traveling in this part of Europe wasn’t safe at night because not everyone would stop to be as polite as he was once they learned shifters walked here.

  He watched as Gabby watched him, understanding that they were following the same train of thought. They were the only allies here now, and they needed to help each other out.

  Ironically enough, he trusted her despite her secrets—trusted that she wouldn’t do anything to intentionally hurt him.

  She just needed to trust him now.

  And he needed to stop wanting her.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Food was brought to their doorstep in the form of two trays filled with roasted chicken, potatoes and vegetables. Gabby was pretty sure the vampires at Raz’s mansion didn’t eat any of these things, which only testified to how the second-in-line was going out of his way to be nice to them. Gabby wasn’t sure of the truth anymore, but there were two things that were a constant, the first being she still couldn’t allow herself to trust Raz, no matter how nice and diplomatic he was being.

  Second?

  Jake was the only one she could rely on for real here.

  They ate in companionable silence, with her no longer feeling those waves of dislike she felt from him before. It was supposed to reassure her, but for some reason, it only served to make her feel tense—something that Jake noticed right away as he finished eating early and went to sit right in front of her.

  She took her time meeting his gaze, and he waited. He waited so patiently, just like he did before, and it made her feel that certain longing again. When she finally did look at him, his eyes were probing but calm, and he didn’t utter a word as she tried to find what to say.

  Finally, she sighed. “I’m sorry. I messed up and got you into this mess.”

  A slight frown touched his mouth, momentarily drawing her gaze there. “We’re in this together now. I just want to get you home.”

  So I could return you to your life, and we could go our separate ways.

  The words were left unsaid, but she figured that was what he was going to say, anyway. The thought bothered her when it shouldn’t because he was basically a stranger. She knew nothing about him beyond his protective instincts and his past dalliance with someone like her—someone who hurt him in the end.

  Unable to help herself any longer, she leaned forward.

  “Who hurt you?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Who was it? The one who made you so prejudiced against women like me?”

  His mouth flattened, but he didn’t move away. She didn’t break their eye contact, and neither did he.

  “Lucy.”

  Her heart dropped. Her cousin.

  So he and Lucy had an encounter before.

  “What happened?” she asked softly.

  Jake shrugged. “I rescued her. We got stuck somewhere. Relied on each other and trusted each other. I wanted her. She didn’t want me. That’s about it.”

  No, that wasn’t about it, she realized. He didn’t just want Lucy…he wanted to mate with her. The thought oddly left her hollow, but she pushed through.

  “Do you still want…her?”

  “That was years ago,” he replied, looking away. “I’ve moved on.” A few seconds passed before he looked back at her. “What are you hiding, Gabby? What are you so scared of?”

  The question didn’t take her by surprise, knowing he was going to bring it up sooner or later. But she found her wall of defense building up all the same, and she tried very hard not to shut him out completely—no, not this time.

  “I think Raz and the kidnappers are connected.”

  “How?”

  “I don’t know yet,” she admitted. She took a deep breath. “I have a secret. A terrible one. They need it. They need me. And I want them to get rid of it.”

  His hand went to her wrist, shocking her with the heat of h
is touch.

  “Let me help you,” he whispered. “Let me help you, whatever it is.”

  Her heart skipped a beat. But she shook her head, already too afraid of her own reaction to him—of what she was seeing in his gaze. It wasn’t love or anything of the sort, but the lust was there, and so was the concern.

  He wouldn’t do anything to hurt her.

  But she might do something to hurt him.

  This time, it was her who broke the gaze as she stood up. She watched him stand up, too, before she turned around to face the door. Realizing it was rude, she turned back to face him, and wished she didn’t, because there was no denying the longing in his before he shut it down.

  Something in her ached, something deep and unsettling.

  “What do you want, Jake?” she asked, feeling helpless.

  “No. What do you want, Gabby?”

  “I want things I can’t want,” she said.

  Jake shook his head stubbornly. “That’s bull. Why don’t you stop feeling sorry for yourself and fight for what you want for once in your life?”

  He didn’t understand what she meant, and her hand fisted beside her as she tried to control herself. Then he turned around, and she found that she didn’t want him to.

  Gabby stepped forward. She reached out, using her regained strength to clutch at his shoulder and turn him back to face her. He looked at her in shock, but she didn’t give him time to say anything as she pushed him back. Then she was leaping towards him, and his hands automatically reached out to steady them when she straddled him standing.

  Jake’s hazel eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to say something. But she was kissing his cheek, then his chin, his scent seeping in her senses and making her drunk with it—musky, earthy, masculine.

  “What are you doing?” he asked through gritted teeth.

  “What does it look like?” she asked back.

  There was no other explanation needed because he knew deep inside him what she wanted. She felt his hands tighten around her waist as he used one arm to lift her up for better grip. She gasped, and he swallowed the sound as he was the first to cover her mouth with his.

  The kiss in the limousine had nothing on this one, and Gabby found herself sinking into him. He kissed like he meant it, and it was filled with passion and desire so raw that all she could do was kiss him back and hang on. All her troubles left her for that moment, as all she could feel was Jake’s hard body against hers and the proof of his erection pressing against her belly.

  He sat down on the bed and let her straddle him. His hands moved, sliding down her dress and touching her thigh. His mouth cruised down to suck on the sensitive skin of her throat, eliciting a moan from her that he later swallowed again. His tongue then came out to play, tracing a path down as he slid her dress down and exposed her breast, which didn’t have any bra on.

  It was already puckered from their kiss, but now her nipples stiffened further when he used his fingers to tweak and rub them. Then he was leaning down to capture one between his lips, and the ensuing fire that spread through Gabby had her going deaf and blind to everything else.

  It was like being assaulted by the most delicious pleasure, and she couldn’t get enough. She felt herself lowered in bed, even while her hands scrambled to remove his clothes. He took off his shirt, but not his pants, and his mouth slid further down to tease, stopping on her stomach before he finally used his hands to spread her legs.

  Then his tongue delved in to lick, taste…suck.

  Gabby covered her mouth with her palm as her moans turned to cries at the sensual touch. He was taking his time, and he was lapping her up like an ice cream cone. He teased, and he played, and he did it with so much intensity.

  Then shock ran through her system as her body bucked out of her control before she was exploding for him. He cursed under his breath and murmured that he wanted inside her, and she nodded her head and rolled them over until she was the one on top and straddling him.

  She made quick work of his pants, sliding her hand in to wrap around his cock. It was larger than she expected, pulsing around her fingers and making her mouth dry. It was long, with a perfect mushroom-shaped tip…thick. She squeezed him softly, then moved her hands up and down. He groaned, the sound so devastatingly sexy. He positioned his shaft at her entrance.

  Then he plunged in.

  Pain sliced through her and she gasped at the suddenness of it. His eyes widened—and then he was cursing again and trying to push her off, but she held on and leaned down.

  The pain intensified.

  “You didn’t tell me it was your first,” he began but froze when she cut him off with a kiss on the cheek.

  “I just want to feel good,” she murmured. “Please, Jake.”

  Jake’s gaze bored into hers. She kept kissing him, letting him feel how much she wanted this. Then he was nodding his head and kissing her again, keeping it slow and steady this time. His hands caressed her everywhere, a reassuring, soothing touch that eased the pain bit by bit. He rained kisses on her face, slowly building up the pleasure for her until no pain existed anymore, and she could feel her hips moving and trying to find satisfaction once again.

  He moved along with her, his hips rocking against her and his cock sliding in with such exquisite pleasure that she could no longer hold back her moans this time. Jake rolled them around until she was once again on her back, and he changed the angle of his thrusts, plunging inside her harder and deeper as he swallowed every sound she was making with his mouth and tongue. A ball of heat was building up in Gabby’s stomach, and all she could do was let herself go and feel the rhythm of her body and soul as it called out to him.

  Only him.

  Once again, he took her to that release she needed.

  Then he was thrusting faster, pounding inside her and repeatedly calling out her name as he finally exploded inside her, too. Gabby clutched at his shoulders, her heart beating a mile a minute and everything in her torn between wanting more and wanting to run away.

  She’d found her mate.

  But she was the only one.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  She was exquisite. She was a dream that threatened to haunt him, and the sheer shock of it was what had Jake slipping out of the room when she finally fell asleep on his shoulder.

  His mind reeled at the thought that he was her first—charming, beautiful Gabby’s first—and she wanted it to be him. Then lust had taken over, and he found he couldn’t let her go yet until he had a second time with her, making her scream out her pleasure that she had to bite her tongue to stop the sound. He pushed her to the edge, then dove in with her as they both found their release once more in an earth-shattering climax.

  Jake still wanted more, but shame had seeped in and wrapped around him like a cold blanket. He strolled the mansion trying to clear his head, even while his thoughts still returned from time to time to the warm woman sleeping in the bedroom.

  He shouldn’t have done it—shouldn’t have been tempted on the job so easily. But they were both feeling vulnerable, and the tension between them had been building up too much to ignore anymore. Now, Jake couldn’t really bring himself to regret the decision, particularly when that moment between them had him realizing that whatever he had for Lucy had been a torch that had long burned out.

  And it was time to drop it.

  He did so, letting the bitterness leave along with it. It had been a long time coming, and he should not have been so petty about it when it shouldn’t have mattered in the first place. He thought of Gabby again, her blue-green eyes filling his mind and making him think of bottomless oceans he wanted to drown in. Then he shut it off, aware that this time, he was older and wiser—aware that this was just a sexual moment for her and he shouldn’t be reading too much into it.

  The last thing he wanted to do was to hurt her, and attaching himself to her and lashing out when it was time to let go was one surefire way of doing that.

  “Penny for your thoughts?”

/>   The familiar voice had Jake looking up, his body tensing immediately. The tension disappeared when he saw Olivia approaching him, her face the friendliest one he’d seen in days. She was holding a clipboard and eyeing him curiously, and her silver-rimmed glasses slipped down her nose before she pushed them back up almost absentmindedly.

  “Hey,” Jake said once she stopped in front of him. “So you live here, too?”

  Olivia laughed, shaking her head. “I just got called in. Raz is stressed out because Lucinda’s coming for some sort of questioning, so I’m here to alleviate the worries and take care of the little things like any devoted assistant would.”

  He nodded in understanding, absorbing the part about Lucinda’s visit with a frown. It looked like there was no stopping that visit now, and he and Gabby had some things to answer for killing old vampires in their own territory. But some things couldn’t be helped.

  “I take it you’re not pleased with all this,” Olivia observed. “Want a tour of the place in the meantime?”

  There was nothing better to do, really, other than worrying over matters that he had no control over. So he shrugged and followed her, thinking that her kind of cheerfulness was what he needed to keep his mind off things.

  Particularly one person.

  “Any chance I can call headquarters and report to my boss, too?”

  Olivia shot him a look. “Sorry. A tour is all I can give at the moment. This place is secret, and only Lucinda and Vladimir can know.”

  Jake sighed. “Fine. I’ll take the tour, then.”

  *****

  The vampire’s assistant was a pleasant enough companion, but Jake found his mind still drifting from time to time towards the woman his body was screaming at him to approach. He stifled the instinct and tried to be pleasant back, considering Olivia had been nothing but kind and was the only human in this place. How she stomached it, he really couldn’t tell, but the way she talked about Raz highlighted how much she respected the man’s professionalism and consideration when it came to her kind.