Stripping off his shirt, he left his gym shorts on. He easily held her as he took the soap, twisting the bar in his hand before cleaning the blood from her hands, neck, down between her breasts, and her thighs.
Eddie let tears fall as he cared for her. His love grew stronger. He prayed her words were true, that the earlier chaos hadn’t confused her emotions.
When she was clean, he took her back to the counter, and stood her up to wrap a towel around her. As he dried the still-exposed skin with a second towel, he noticed blood slowly trickling from the bite on her thigh.
As much as he wanted to heal the wound, he wasn’t sure he could fix the internal damage. If an artery were nicked, which seemed likely since it wasn’t scabbing over like a normal injury, and he didn’t manage to heal all the damage, the punctures would close, but she’d still be bleeding inside.
Maybe Brent would have an answer. Looking into her eyes, he caressed her cheeks to draw her attention.
When she finally looked at him, he murmured, “Stay here. I have to change and get you clothes.”
“Mmhmm,” she uttered.
“Please don’t move.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead.
Jackie nodded, her words gone for the moment. Her exhaustion reminded him of how she’d shut down when she shattered the asshole a couple months ago. Hopefully it wouldn’t take as long to bring her back.
His heart twisted as he rushed to his room and quickly changed into a t-shirt and sweat pants. With his phone in hand, he entered her bedroom in search of something that would cover her, but leave her thigh exposed.
He found a matching silky set of shorts and tank while he dialed Brent. Their friend answered before the first ring ended. “Is Jackie okay?”
“She was attacked by vampires. Still bleeding. So I’m going with no. She’s slipping away, I’m worried about her.” He shook his head. “Fuck, what do I do?”
“Already heard about what happened. Stefano came by. She’s probably fine, but in shock. She needs blood.”
“Whatever,” Eddie growled. “Three vampires used her as a buffet. How in the hell do we fix her?”
“We let Stefano fix it. He’ll seal the wound and give her blood. Can you handle that?”
“She’s bleeding from her thigh. I don’t want him down there,” he growled. “I could heal the bite. The artery… I don’t know.” He slammed his hand on her dresser in frustration.
“Let Stefano do it.”
“Right.”
“Eddie, you have to trust me. This has to be done, for Jackie.”
“Fine. Don’t expect me to like it.”
“Never,” Brent answered sympathetically. “We’ll be there in ten. I’m waiting for Enrique to take over my shift.”
“She’ll be dressed by then. I already cleaned her up.”
“See you in a few.” Brent ended the call.
Eddie stepped back into the bathroom. He forced a smile. “Help is coming. I’ll get you dressed.”
Her eyes fluttered open as she met his gaze. “Help?”
He looked at her thigh where blood still trickled down her leg. Taking the hand towel off its loop, he mopped the crimson stain. “Need to fix this.” He pressed the bite, applying steady pressure. It was high enough the side of his hand brushed her silken heat. Some fanger had his mouth that close to her crotch, and it took everything he had to fight back his first response.
She swallowed hard, looking into his eyes. “What do you mean ‘help’?”
“Stefano can fix both the wound, and the blood loss.”
Jackie’s head jerked side-to-side. “Don’t want his help. He… shit. While he drank, I felt what he craved. Saw what he wanted. His head is dark, twisted around. He’d want to change me into something I can’t stand.”
“He saved you. He can fix this.”
Her eyes darted away as she nodded. “Okay,” she whispered.
When she didn’t move to dress herself, he helped her into the clothes before taking her to the couch. He wrapped the throw blanket around her, wishing he could do more, wishing he could do something for the blood loss.
Unable to expend his energy fixing the problem, he paced the room. He couldn’t leave Jackie to kill the Shadowstalkers. Killing Stefano was off the table, at least until the fucker fixed Jackie. Afterward? He wasn’t sure what would happen then.
“I’m sorry, Eddie. I never meant for any of this to happen.” Her sniffle ripped into him.
He spun toward her. “Snap out of it, Angelfish. You’re a fighter. Don’t break down. Please, don’t break down or I may kill that son-of-a-bitch before he can help you.”
A small smile graced her lips. “Not much fight left. I don’t feel right.”
“You lost too much blood, then brought yourself home. Stefano shouldn’t have taken so much after you were already feasted on. Fucking bastard probably knew it while he got himself off.”
“If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be here. I can’t fault him, but I don’t trust him. He’s all wrong. What he wants… it’s twisted around. More like an obsession.” Her eyes closed with a look of anguish.
He moved back to her, sitting on the coffee table to gently place his hands on her bare thighs. “I’ll be right here. Brent will too. We won’t let anything happen, beyond making sure you’re okay.”
She nodded, pulling the blanket tighter.
The knock made his heart jump. He answered the door and came face-to-face with the vampire who’d left Jackie a trembling mess. Asshole might be gorgeous, but the worthless prick had been too caught up in his lust to make sure Jackie made it home. Eddie held his mouth firmly clamped shut for fear he’d unleash a string of insults he couldn’t take back.
He glanced to Brent, who stood behind Stefano. Brent offered a slight nod.
“Is she all right?” Stefano asked with a smooth Italian accent.
Eddie gritted his teeth. Of course, Mr. Slick had an accent. Jackie was a sucker for them. “No. She’s not all right.” He didn’t try to repress the snarl.
“She trusts you. Perhaps you could hold her in your lap while I seal the wound and give her some blood?”
Brent shook his head. A dark look flickered through his features as he glanced toward Jackie. “Giving her blood won’t be necessary, but heal the wound.”
“Of course. Eddie, would you help her feel safe?”
He wanted to argue. If she didn’t need blood, he probably could have healed the bite. Why the fuck bring the vamp prick here? Brent must have had a reason, so Eddie moved to the couch without argument.
Jackie’s eyes screwed shut and she leaned into him when he put his hand on her shoulder.
“Hey, Jackie, come here,” Eddie murmured.
Her legs pressed tighter together, and her grip on the blanket tightened. Eddie pulled her into his lap and she settled against his chest, trembling again.
The hurt in Stefano’s eyes pulled at his sympathy, but not enough to grant the emotion. Pain ebbed into the vampire’s voice. “Jacqueline, I should have fixed this already, but didn’t realize you had the injury. Please, relax so I can seal the wound.”
Her nod was stiff.
Stefano dragged his fangs through his palm before he pulled her thighs open and covered the bite.
She stiffened in Eddie’s arms.
A pink-tinged tear rolled down the vampire’s pristine cheek. “I’m sorry, Jacqueline. I never meant for any of this to happen.”
She nodded, opening her eyes in answer to Stefano’s intense stare. Eddie wanted to cover her eyes, or turn her head away from the vampire. He didn’t, praying she was immune to a vampire’s gaze.
After a moment, Stefano leaned down to lick the blood from her thigh. It took every ounce of will to suppress the snarl, and the urge to rip Stefano’s tongue out of his mouth. Stefano stood, backing away.
“Please, don’t forget to call me Monday,” Stefano uttered. Shadows crept around him before he vanished.
Jackie turned in Eddie’s lap,
wrapping her arms around his chest as she buried her head against his shoulder. Her whole body quaked.
“Fucking abyss,” Brent muttered as he shot to his feet and stormed to the kitchen. “This is a bloody mess. Clearly Tiana is blind to her nephew’s instability.” He slammed his hand against the counter before opening cabinets, gathering herbs and spices. “I’ll make Jackie something.”
Eddie shook his head in confusion. “Wait. Why the fuck have him come over here if you didn’t want to let him give her blood? There are other healers. Hell, I’m fairly sure I could have healed that wound.”
Brent spun back, fire dancing in his pale blue eyes. “He showed up and spun a version of the tale that made me sympathize with him, until I saw the state Jackie was in.” He drew a long breath and shook his head. “I want to know what really happened, because I don’t think it was as simple as Stefano made it sound.”
“What did he tell you?”
“That he got hurt saving Jackie. She gave him blood, then she left before he realized his mistake in letting her go. He was worried about her, and came to me seeking advice.”
“That’s mostly right,” Eddie admitted. “But while he fed, she saw something that terrified her.”
“Then it’s a good thing I know of a better solution. I didn’t realize Stefano was humming with Jackie’s power when he showed up, frantic and concerned about her health. He made it sound as if he’d only taken a sip, not enough to get him high on Other blood. I should have fucking known.”
“High off Other blood?”
“Yeah. It’s bad when they drink blood from anything but humans. We’re too powerful, magic flows through our veins, so they get a dose of power they were never meant to manage. It can make them crazy. He had enough that her drinking from him would either form a bond, or change her. After learning about his wife, I’m not willing to take that risk.”
“What did you learn?”
He snorted. “He’s bat-shit-crazy, obsessed with a dead woman. One who looks so much like Jackie, I asked Tiana how in the abyss she got a portrait of Stefano with Jackie.”
Eddie’s heart sank to the pit of his stomach. “What?”
“He’s stuck in the past, and his obsession with his deceased wife has transferred to Jackie. I should have seen this coming.”
Jackie glared at Brent. “What are you talking about?” She dropped the blanket on a couch and shakily moved to the island where she took a seat. Eddie joined her.
Brent shuddered, his eyes blazing. “He was married long ago, before he was turned. His wife was a human woman who could be your twin. The female vampire who attacked you has an unhealthy obsession with Stefano. They captured him, tried to alter his personality. When they couldn’t break him, they took his wife. The male, and another, cut Stefano’s unborn baby from her womb before defiling and destroying her in front of him.”
Brent looked away, closing his eyes. “Tiana found them and completed his change instead of Sidra. Due to the mixture of blood from two vampires, he’s bound to neither. Stefano’s disturbed. He means well, but his fascination with you is dangerous. Especially now that he’s drank from you.”
“Well, thank you for setting me up with a vampire stalker.” She dropped her head into her hands. “Let me guess, my damned siren magic has twisted this situation more than it should have been.”
Brent sighed heavily. “Why in the abyss do you think I wanted you to talk about this shit? I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I’ve been trying to get you to talk. After this morning, I figured you’d stay away from the vampire.”
“When did you learn about his wife?” Jackie asked.
“Few hours ago, shortly before leaving Tiana’s.”
Eddie’s gaze bounced from Brent to Jackie, and back. He wanted to pummel Brent for his harsh tone, but he was also curious what Brent wanted to talk about.
Chapter 12
Jackie’s heart raced as she attempted to sort through Brent’s assessment of Stefano. In the past, Brent had warned her away from assholes before they had a chance to show their true colors. Not that she usually listened. This time he had pushed her toward the bastard.
Stefano may not have been the one to hurt her, but he would expect her to change if she chose him. He wanted her all to himself, quite literally. He’d want her to go away with him and forget her life, her friends, and most of all, Eddie. She learned all this through images, thoughts, and warped fantasies while he drank from her. He didn’t want a lover, he wanted a possession.
While he was drinking, she hadn’t realized some of the images were flashbacks to his wife. Either way, she couldn’t fathom why any woman had put up with his archaic bullshit. Somehow, he believed she would. Not fucking happening.
Gripping the counter, she sucked in breath after breath as the anger built. Seething rage bubbled up. “How could you not get an inkling something was off about him? You see everything, and as much as I normally hate it, this would have been a great time to have your clairvoyant ass in my corner.”
Brent nodded, his brow pinching as he turned back to the fragrant broth. “I’m not infallible. Tiana assured me he was a decent kid.” He snorted. “More than two hundred years old, of course he’s not a kid, but I couldn’t help seeing him as a lost boy after Tiana told me his story—leaving out your physical similarities to his dead wife.”
Jackie let out a strained laugh. “You were pussy-whipped into ignoring your gut?”
One of Brent’s shoulders lifted as his head tipped to the side. “Yeah, maybe. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I swore to watch over you, to keep you safe. Not let some headfucked vampire attempt to warp you.”
“Headfucked? Is that what you think?” she asked with a snort.
“Your magic allows you to addict someone to sensuality. Between his craving for Other blood, which I’m told he doesn’t normally indulge, drinking from you, your intoxicating personality, and his own obsession with a dead woman, he’s faerie struck.”
“Come again?” Jackie demanded.
“Addicted to being near you. If he can have you, he will.”
“Did you know this was a possibility?”
Brent spun back. “Look, after what I told you this morning, I didn’t figure Stefano would have a chance. In fact, I was fairly certain you would lose interest when you realized you could have what you’ve always wanted.”
“Shit. So this is my fault?” She pressed her hands against her eyes.
“Not exactly. Stefano told me he couldn’t help himself. Drinking blood is a sensual experience for a vampire.”
Jackie groaned. “I didn’t want him to die. Fuck. Maybe I should have let him.”
“Would have saved us a few issues,” Brent admitted coldly.
“Has Stefano hurt anyone?”
Brent shoved his hands in his pockets. “Not in a very long time.” He shrugged. “Like most new vampires, he didn’t always have control.”
“His dead wife was a woman very different from you. From an era more than two hundred years ago, she was modest, timid, and subservient.” Brent snorted. “Things you’ve never been. He wants a woman to worship the ground he walks on, not a partner.”
“Good luck finding a female that weak in this day and age.” Jackie sneered, and considered grabbing her phone to text Stefano it wasn’t going to work. She scratched that idea off her list quickly. “After we go camping, I’ll sit him down and explain I can’t date a vampire.”
Her energy crashed as the adrenaline wore off. She leaned back in the stool, a wave of dizziness washing over her.
Eddie turned her stool toward him. “Hey, you okay?” he asked.
Everything he’d said before the shower washed out the doubt. He’d been dreaming about her, not Kim. The guilt eased and desire rushed through her under the weight of his deep brown gaze. Every sensation from the morning rolled through her, sending her falling into ecstasy with a startled cry.
Eddie shifted in his seat, then adjusted the hard length t
rapped under his sweats. His chest heaved as he licked his lips, watching her with sensual awareness. “What was that?”
Her breath caught and she bit back a moan. If Brent weren’t there, she’d climb into Eddie’s lap, consequences be damned.
“Feel better?” Brent asked with a chuckle.
Nodding dumbly, she stared at Eddie’s damp lips. She wanted to taste him, to touch him. “I… um—shit. What just happened? My energy was dumping, and suddenly I don’t feel as if I played happy hour at vamp night.”
“Most siren can heal with an intimate memory. You need the source in front of you. Your body plays it back and restores your health. Can be dangerous if your body is broken, but better than Stefano giving you blood.”
Shaking her head, Jackie turned back to Brent to escape Eddie’s smoldering gaze. “What would have happened if I drank from him?” She shuddered. “I really don’t want his blood.”
“He could form a link. The small amount used to heal your bite wouldn’t be enough normally, but trading significant blood might form a bond. One that would only break if he goes long enough without your blood, or another vampire exchanges enough with you.”
“Link?” she asked with a glare.
“I’m not sure if that was his intention. It’s the only way he could have replenished your blood loss. Would have snapped you out of your shock faster. Though your remembered happy ending is a faster, and less risky, fix.”
“Shit.” She rubbed at her flushed face.
“So wait,” Eddie said, holding up his hands, “Jackie just got off on a memory?”
“Yeah. She remembered this morning—physically. Any and all damage healed.” Brent turned back to the stove laughing softly. “Don’t worry, Eddie. She came to me this morning, we talked about what happened. Now both of you stop feeling guilty and admit what the rest of us have known for years. You two are in love with each other, but you’re too damned blind to see the other feels the same.”
Jackie turned to Eddie with wide eyes. He stared at her, hope clear on his face. “He’s right, at least about my feelings.”
She nodded, her breath catching. “Same here. But Kim?”
Coming Together Page 8