“I don’t want to know how much this costs, do I?”
“Probably not.”
She groaned, lowering her head to the counter.
“Are you interested in the label?”
“No, I might be tempted to google it later and I’m not ready for the knowledge.” Shylock whined and licked her elbow, worried about his caretaker. “Don’t worry, baby. Mommy’s just experiencing culture shock.”
Liam uncrossed his arms so he could run his fingers lightly over her wet hair. “Happy Three Month Anniversary, more or less.”
She looked up at him, eyes wide. “We’ve been together three months?”
“More or less,” he repeated, swallowing his own shot of priceless alcohol. She continued to stare. Doing the math in her head, she came to approximately the same conclusion. They’d met about three months ago. Now she was in his pool with her dog.
“It feels like so much more time has passed than that,” she said. “How could all this have happened in three months?”
“I’ve been alive over five hundred years, Jacquelyn, and I still don’t understand the passage of time.” All that Liam was sure of was that he wanted more time with her than he had been allotted. Jacquelyn’s brief human life was not nearly long enough for Liam’s taste. He had begun to think of ways to convince her that she might like his way of life. He might even do that before he told her he loved her. After all, if she were a vampire he’d have all the time he needed to find the perfect way to say it.
“Damn. And here I was hoping your many years might have revealed to you the secrets of the universe.”
Her sarcasm interrupted his thoughts and he smiled at the wry twist of her lips. “I doubt I’ll ever live long enough for that,” he murmured to himself before smiling at Jacquelyn. “Anyway, the drink isn’t the only surprise I have.” He slipped a manila folder out of a drawer, wiped off the counter and set it down.
“What’s this?” Jackie asked, drying her hands and arms with the towel on the counter so that she wouldn’t dampen the paper.
“There’s an easy way to find out.” She shot him an annoyed look without any real venom behind it as she opened the envelope. The moment she saw the legal documents her eyes went wide with shock. “Liam, these look like… Oh, my God…” Jackie’s mouth dropped open.
He tilted his head, pretending to briefly read the papers. “Oh, damn, those are the adoption papers for Sarah. My mistake. Those were supposed to be the naked pictures I took of you when you were sleeping. Well, I do need your signature on a few things so we might as well get that out of the way.”
She stared at him, her mouth still gaping open. The shock was very present but he could see joy trickling into her eyes. “Mistake, my ass. You… you ridiculous, brilliant, annoyingly endearing jackass. Move the papers before they get soaked,” she told him. Liam did as he was instructed for once and in an instant he had his arms full of wet, ecstatic woman. Her mouth moved eagerly over his, tasting of whiskey and water. He could feel delighted laughter rumbling in her chest as his hand glided over her breast and ribs to curl her body around him.
They were on the floor of the sunken bar when Jacquelyn’s phone went off. He could feel her hesitate, fingers pausing in the middle of undoing his belt. Whoever was calling, he hoped he had the opportunity to bite their head off. Literally.
“It’s probably nothing,” she whispered against his chest, despite the fact that he could practically taste her need to answer.
He knew she was thinking of Sarah. Isabelle had agreed to look after her for the evening and for all Jacquelyn knew something had gone wrong and Sarah was even now writhing in agony in some cold hospital bed. Liam felt the beginnings of worry stir in his heart. Hell, now he was the one panicking.
“You’d better make sure,” he said. She was off like a shot, barely pausing to wrap a towel around her naked body.
“Hello? Sofie, what’s the matter?” Liam looked up then, glancing at Jacquelyn worriedly cradling the phone to her ear. Sofie was on a date with her teacher friend. Max something or other. “Okay, it’s okay, I’ll be there in no time. You just stay put.” She hung up and looked at him with sad eyes.
“Sofie and Max just got into a huge fight. They split up and he stranded her at the beach. She asked me to get her.”
Liam picked up his shirt from the floor and stood. “Of course. We’ll continue this later. You still have to sign the adoption papers, after all.”
Jackie stared. She hadn’t expected this much understanding. Men were an eternal mystery, especially immortal ones. “Thanks for being so nice about this,” she said as she pulled on her jeans and shirt, accepting her swimsuit when Liam handed it to her.
“Oh, it’s no trouble. I have to make a call about this Max guy anyway.”
“Don’t kill him,” she said.
“Damn.”
Jackie couldn’t help the few giggles that escaped her so she just covered her mouth, shaking her head.
“I’ll ask Sofie what she thinks about it later.”
“You do that.” She gave him a short kiss then hurried out the door, a dripping Shylock following after her.
After spreading out a towel on the back seat of her truck for Shylock, she took off toward the beach as fast as she lawfully could. It puzzled her that Sofie and Max had ended so abruptly. According to her friend, after she’d explained that she and her parents were estranged things had been going pretty smoothly in the romance department. Jackie had only met the man briefly but he had seemed sweet enough. Sky blue eyes, scruffy brown hair and a cute face were all she remembered about him from the times he’d picked Sofie up, aside from his slightly nerdy demeanor.
It took longer than she liked going from Liam’s place to the beach than it did from hers but eventually she got there. She wasn’t surprised to see it was deserted. Not a lot of people wandered along the beach at night, especially since the brightly lit Pier was still open for entertainment. It was so strange that the last time she’d been there was on a date with Liam and now she was going to pick up the pieces of a ruined date for Sofie. As she pulled into the empty parking lot a long way down from the Santa Monica Pier, she kept an eye out for Sofie. When she couldn’t see the tall blonde under the single street lamp in the lot, she frowned. Sofie was supposed to be waiting for her out here. If she’d gotten another ride she would have called Jackie to let her know.
Jackie eased into a parking spot and switched the engine off. Maybe Sofie hadn’t thought she’d make such good time and was on the beach somewhere. Although why she’d want to hang out on a deserted beach when the moon wasn’t out to provide at least a little natural light so she could avoid tripping over beer cans, Jackie didn’t know. She flipped open her phone, dialing Sofie’s number quickly. A few seconds later, she heard a phone ringing outside. Shylock whined quietly in the back seat. “It’s okay, baby,” she said absently, still trying to make out something in the darkness beyond the light of the street lamp. Outside the phone was ringing and it sounded exactly like Sofie’s ring tone.
It took only one panicked thought of finding Sofie’s dead body somewhere in the sand for Jackie to push open her door and follow the sound. Vaguely she realized Shylock had followed her out. “Go back, Shylock. I’m fine. Sofie!” she called out. There wasn’t any answer. She followed the sound of the ringing phone. Her frown deepened when she found Sofie’s cell phone abandoned in the sand. Something had happened to her friend. “Sofie!” she shouted again, shoving her own phone into her pocket as she reached for the one on the ground.
What felt like a fist made of cement slammed into the back of her skull and Jackie fell into the sand. She thought her attacker might have hit her again but she couldn’t feel it. Her head was spinning too fast. Someone gripped her hair and pulled her head back. A face stared into hers, dangerous black eyes and sharp fangs glinting in the dim light. Jackie blinked rapidly as she tried to get her vision to steady. She had to make sense of what
she was seeing.
“Jacquelyn Chase,” it hissed. “You have been sentenced to die by the Left Hand. You are granted the opportunity to speak before the sentence is carried out.” Finally the wooziness faded enough for Jackie to know whom she was seeing. Familiar scruffy brown hair was sticking out as though her attacker had recently stuck his hand in an electrical socket. A young face with full cheeks and a wide mouth was close to hers and out of the corner of her eye she could see the scruffy jeans and the blue long-sleeved shirt she’d seen earlier that evening.
“Max?” she whispered.
“Do you wish to speak?” he continued as if he hadn’t heard her, which was impossible. Vampires had excellent hearing and that was exactly what Sofie’s ex-boyfriend was.
“I… I wish to speak,” she said. There had to be some way to get out of this mess. If she could just call Liam… Or maybe find a flamethrower somewhere on the beach. Those killed vampires, right? “Max, why are you doing this?”
“It is my assignment. I almost had you once but the horse moved at the last second. You would have been dead already if not for that,” he muttered, clearly bitter over the fact. Meanwhile, Jackie was on the brink of hyperventilating. Max had been the one who shot her. Max of all people! She’d waved at him and smiled countless times when he’d picked Sofie up at her house. Sofie had said he’d even offered to take all of them out to dinner one night so he could get to know her ‘real’ family. And he’d tried to kill her! “Your wolf was fortunate I was only human then or I would have killed him.”
“What did you do to Sofie, you bastard?”
“You should know she felt very guilty about calling you down here, Jacquelyn. I had to break a few of her fingers to convince her.” She winced, sympathy pain stinging in her bones. Max just grinned. “She’s still alive. I took enough blood to make sure I wouldn’t kill you before I accomplished all I needed to do. I’m only a fledgling, after all. My control isn’t great.”
“All you needed to do,” she repeated. A chill whispered down her spine at the implications of that statement. “Just how slowly are you going to kill me?”
“I’m sure you’d prefer it if I didn’t describe the entire process to you. However, the final blow should be relatively painless. Perhaps. I’m not an expert on anatomy. In any case, I’ve been commanded to leave no doubt in anyone’s mind that you died painfully. It will end with a single shot to the throat.” He pressed his fingers against the base of her throat and a tremor went through her body. He’d just touched the place where Liam’s fangs had left their mark. She thought of him then and of the blood connection that had plagued her throughout their involvement. Liam, she thought firmly, hoping it would somehow work. Liam, help me!
A low growl reached her ears and she jerked in Max’s grip, trying to see what had made the sound. Shylock’s sweet face was peeled back in an angry snarl. He was going to attack. Her heart nearly stopped at the prospect. Max tugged her up by her hair, only speaking once Jackie was standing between him and the dog. “Call him off or I’ll kill him.” There was a hint of fear in the vampire’s voice despite the threat. He clearly didn’t like dogs.
“Shylock, honey, everything’s fine. Go back to the car. Go, Shylock!” Jackie commanded. Shylock eased up a little and, after Jackie repeated the order, he walked slowly to the car. She thanked God it had been Shylock with her and not Macbeth. She would never have been able to save the determined wolf. “Mind telling me whom I pissed off before you kill me?” she asked.
Max chuckled but the sound was hollow. “It’s not about you, exactly. It’s about your possibilities. No offense, Jacquelyn, but this is vampire business. I failed to kill you once but still my master granted me a great gift. I won’t fail him again.”
“I hope you won’t be offended if I struggle,” she said in the same mockingly courteous tone. If she was dying, she’d do it with some dignity. There would be no quiet surrender for her.
“Of course not.” He released her hair before striking her hard across the face. Her cheek exploded with pain and she promptly fell to the ground again. Max bent to pick her up and she struck out with her feet. He barely flinched at the blows, merely picking her up and twisting her arm behind her back. He continued to twist and pull and the muscles in her arm began screaming.
“Get off her, you son of a bitch!”
Blonde hair flashed in the corner of her eye as Sofie launched herself onto Max’s back. Jackie was abruptly released and she fell to her knees, panting. A moment later Sofie flew through the air, hitting the ground several yards away.
“Stay out of this, baby. I don’t want to hurt you anymore,” Max warned.
“Fuck you!” the blonde snarled.
“I second that.” Jackie went for the vampire’s eyes. Sheer luck enabled her to sink her thumb into his left eyeball. He punched her hard in the stomach, letting out pained snarls as she spun away, retching.
“Bitch!” he cursed her, blood streaming down his face. Max advanced on her and Jackie prepared herself for the next blow. Instead there was the sound of paws on the sand then a red blur launched at the half-blind vampire. Shylock fastened his teeth around Max’s neck and refused to let go.
Jackie saw the gun tucked in the belt of the vampire’s jeans. She panted, staggering as she regained her feet. Max was roaring. Twice he landed solid punches against Shylock’s body. The dog shuddered but didn’t release. Then Sofie threw her weight against Max and knocked him off his feet before pummeling his face with a rock she’d found in the sand.
Moving on autopilot more than clear thought, Jackie ran forward. She knew that she had to get the gun. The fact that Sofie was bleeding didn’t register. Shylock’s whimpers didn’t register. The pain radiating through her body faded out. Her fingers locked around the grip.
Cock the hammer, press barrel against his forehead and don’t stop firing. Keep pulling the trigger until the gun is empty. Jackie didn’t think that was the voice of her conscience. It sounded too much like Liam for that, which was scary as all hell but she wasn’t in a position to indulge in fear. She didn’t know how to handle a gun so she did as the voice told her. She pulled back the hammer, pressed the gun against Max’s forehead and watched the fear enter his inhuman eyes. And she fired.
Jackie thought she might have blacked out because the next thing she was aware of was Sofie’s voice by her ear. “Jackie, you can let go of the gun. He’s dead. He’s finished. You can let go.” It was then that she realized her hand was still gripping the gun, knuckles going white with strain. She was standing over a dead vampire. She’d emptied the gun into his head and now what had been in his head was splattered in the sand. Jackie let go of the gun, flexing her hand to get some feeling into it. She turned to look at her friend who appeared as though a strong wind might knock her over. Her right eye was swollen and blood was slowly trickling down her neck from a vicious bite wound. Blood streaked across her white cashmere sweater. It was likely ruined for good.
“I think I’m okay,” Jackie whispered. “Probably a minor concussion but that’s survivable. How about you?”
“Oh, I’m fine. I just need fluids and rest, like any other blood donor. But Shylock needs the vet.”
Jackie spun around to see her dog lying on the beach whimpering, the pain in his eyes as clear as day. “Baby,” she gasped, touching his soft head. He flicked his tongue up to lick her wrist and Jackie began to silently weep. If anything happened to him, she’d never forgive herself. She fumbled for the phone in her pocket and hoped it hadn’t been broken during the fight. By the time her shaking hands got the phone open, Sofie had fallen to her knees. “Sofie? What is it?”
“Dizzy,” her friend mumbled. Jackie noticed how pale the blonde looked. She closed the space between them and touched her forehead, feeling how clammy Sofie’s skin had become. And she was panting.
“You’ve lost too much blood,” Jackie said, trying to make her fingers move faster as she dialed Liam’s number. H
er fingers were slippery with Max’s blood and it slowed her down. It occurred to her that 911 would have been easier to dial but her instincts told her to call Liam. There was a vampire involved. She needed another vampire’s help to handle it. She needed Liam.
Her vision blurred and the phone fell from her slack fingers. She was going to pass out. She was going to fail. She was useless. Blackness silenced the bitter thoughts in her mind until only one was left.
Liam.
Chapter Twenty-One
SHE WAS YOUNG AGAIN. Or, more accurately, she was Jane again. Her face was smooth and unwrinkled, a little fuller around the cheeks. Freckles coated her nose and gathered in patches just below her eyes. Her hair was longer and the end of her braid brushed against the small of her back. Her body felt lighter, bereft of the muscle she’d developed later in life. She was picking white azaleas in the forests she’d grown up around but there was an unnatural silence surrounding her. Every time she separated a flower from its root a tiny scream echoed through the trees. That didn’t stop her from gathering them in a red wicker basket. They were too beautiful, too tempting to leave alone.
“Jane?”
She looked up when Danny called her name. His warm brown eyes looked at her with pity. “They aren’t yours, Jane. They can’t be yours.” The longer he stared, the older she felt. By the time she spoke she knew she was Jackie Chase again. She was empty again.
“Please,” she whispered, pleading as she clutched the flowers close to her breast. “They’re all I have.”
“They’re already dying.” He was right. The white petals were going brown even as they spoke. All she had was death.
“It’s not fair,” she murmured. He stood beside her then took the dying flowers from her weak hands. She didn’t move. She let him return what she thought had been so precious to the earth. She wasn’t even sure if she was crying.
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