by Mary Abshire
He drew his brows together. "What?"
"I spoke to him—Alex."
The speed of the car slowed as he rounded a corner. Windshield wipers continued to swoosh by fast while the engine hummed.
"Are we going back to your place?"
"Not yet. I have to dump the body in the back. You spoke to Alexander?"
"There's a body in the back?" I asked, my mind still jumbled over recent events.
He kept glancing at me, reminiscent of the windshield wipers. Each time, he scanned my body. It finally clicked in my head what he was searching for.
"The big guy broke my arm. The bone healed, but my flesh tore."
Drake's x-ray eyes zoned in on my bloodied arm. He pressed his lips together and gripped the steering wheel tighter. "He won't bother you, or anyone else for that matter, anymore."
"You destroyed him? That guy was huge."
"He was weak."
I stared at him with no words to say. Blacky sure didn't look weak with arms the size of my waist. Maybe size didn’t really matter in the vampire world.
"Did he put up much of a fight?"
"A small one. He had a gun and fired off a couple of shots before I severed his arm."
My eyes grew wide. He was shot. Perhaps that explained his paleness. "Did it hurt?"
"Not really. But now I have lead in me that I need to get out."
I paused. Get the lead out? I didn't dare ask. Moving on… "What about the other guy?"
The muscle in his jaw tensed. "He ran away while I was fighting the big guy."
I let out a deep sigh. At least Mr. Albino was the lesser of the two evils.
Weary, I laid my head back on the seat. I wanted to strip off my wet dress, take a hot shower, and snooze in a comfy bed. On second thought, I'd be happy snuggling up with Drake.
"I want to look at your arm when we stop."
The sound of his voice woke me from a daze. "Okay."
We said nothing more for several minutes while he drove. I closed my eyes and tried to relax. When the car slowed, I opened my eyes. Drake had turned off all the lights and I couldn't see a thing outside the windows. As the car crept forward, it rocked over the bumpy road and shook my body uncontrollably.
"Where are we?" I asked.
Glowing eyes of orange flashed at me. He didn't respond. I didn't press him to answer.
The car stopped in the middle of darkness. "I won't be long." He pushed open the door, then disappeared.
A pungent smell of rot and decay flowed into the car. I covered my nose and mouth with my hand, but it didn't help. The foul odor made my stomach retch. Plugging my nose, I breathed in short breaths through my mouth.
The jerky movement of the car from the back encouraged my nausea. I held my breath and bent over my legs to calm the queasiness. When I needed air, I gasped. The putrid odor hung in the air and no matter what I did, I couldn't ignore it. I estimated I would puke within a few minutes.
My head was between my knees when Drake returned to the driver's seat.
"Jessie?" he asked, panicky. He placed his cool hand on my back.
I lifted my head. "Get me out of here," I said, voice pinched as I still clasped my nose.
The car rocked as he hurried to leave the area. I braced my hand on the dash until we'd reached a smooth road. The stench had faded but still lingered.
"I need to look at your arm," he said as he clicked on the lights.
"I'm not going to bleed to death. If we can get back to your place, I'd feel a lot better."
He frowned in disapproval while he tightened his grip on the wheel. The hum of the engine deepened as the vehicle picked up speed. I silently prayed the car would make it back to his condo.
"Sorry about your car," I said, feeling somewhat responsible for its condition.
"It's a car. It means nothing to me." He took my hand into his, then pressed his lips over my fingers. The gentle kiss mollified my pain. "There is only one of you." He held the back of my hand against his cold, wet cheek.
"Thank you," I said, feeling relieved he had saved my life. The gun pointed at my head was a memory I'd never forget. My soul would've gone straight to Hell in the matter of a second had Blacky pulled the trigger.
"I gave you my word and I intend to keep it."
"Even if it means fighting twenty vampires?"
He gave me a quizzical look and lowered my hand, but kept a firm hold of it.
"Mr. Albino—"
"Who?"
"The blond-haired guy," I clarified. "He said about twenty vampires were searching the city for me to bring me to Alex. I guess I'm quite the delicacy now."
"Most of them are probably young. I can handle them."
"And the older ones?"
He regarded me with steely confidence. "I will handle them, too."
I believed him one hundred percent. And yet, part of me feared for him. I didn't want anything to happen to him. Someone had to continue to go after Alex if I died.
"What did Alexander say to you on the phone?" he asked.
"He said he wasn't sure if his offer to bring me in alive would be enough and he wanted the pleasure of killing me all to himself."
A feral look overcame him. "He will never get the chance to touch you again." His pointed teeth dripped from behind his upper lip. Yeah, he was serious.
"The child is alive," I said.
"He told you she was alive?" he asked, surprised.
"I asked and he said she was. I told him to bring her and I would meet with him."
Drake said nothing more and focused on driving. During the silence, I leaned back in my seat and considered how we would save the child, destroy Alexander, and send his soul to Hell. My bar-hopping days were over now that other vampires were looking for me.
"Did he say anything else?"
"Yes, he knows I'm with you and he intends to find out why."
"He must not find out about your ability. If he was to find out, I may never be able to find him again. Or worse, he might offer a heavy price for your head."
I sucked in a deep breath and held it. An old vampire with unlimited means and resources to hunt and kill me terrified me. I wouldn't be safe anywhere.
"The only other person that knows about my ability is Jeremy and I doubt he would tell Alexander."
"Do you trust him?" One of his brows was arched.
In all honesty, I didn't know what to think about Jeremy. He led us to Veronica and when I told him the truth about Alexander, he agreed to continue helping me. Did I trust him if I was alone in a private room with him? Hell no. The guy had a massive hard-on for me. Trust Jeremy with my life? Sure, but it would come with a price.
"I trust him enough to know that he wouldn't hurt me."
Tender, loving eyes fell upon me. "He wants you, Jessie, body and soul."
I leaned over the seat divider. "I know he wants me, but he can't have me. That won't stop him from trying. The question is, can you handle it without killing him?"
He met my gaze. "I don't kill the innocent."
It wasn't a direct answer, but coming from him, I understood it well enough. He wouldn't kill Jeremy without a reason. As long as Jeremy didn't hurt me, he would be free to live out his unholy days.
"Then my secret is safe, for now, and we should proceed as business as usual. We have to find a way to meet with him and save that child's life. I can contact Jere—" I stopped mid-sentence, remembering when the dynamic duo abducted me.
"What's wrong?" Drake snapped in concern.
"Crap. Those idiots took the cell phone and tossed it…along with my shoes," I said as I glanced down at my bare feet.
Drake slid his hand into his front pocket. He withdrew his cell, then handed it to me. "Here."
"I don't know his number. He was going to call me."
He slid the phone into the open slot on the dash. "His card was on the dresser. You can call him when we get back."
Body chilled, I reached forward and switched the heat on a low sett
ing. "We really need his help now, especially since I can't go walking into clubs with vampires looking for me."
"I told you, I can handle them," he sharply reminded me.
While confidence beamed in his voice, I still feared for him. Alexander would know soon, if not already, that I had gotten away and Drake had destroyed one of his helpers. What if Alex beefed up his measures to acquire me, especially now that he knew Drake would kill for me? I wasn't the only one in more danger. He was a member of the danger club, too.
Instead of saying something supportive, I said, "I could really use a hot bath. And after I'm cleaned up…a good fuck."
He looked at me with a slight curl of his lips.
The car accelerated. "We will be home soon."
Chapter Twenty-Six
Jolted from my sleep, I sat up in bed. The sheet slipped to my lap and revealed my naked flesh. Disoriented, I surveyed my surroundings. Darkness surrounded me and silence ruled. I held my breath and listened for movements. I heard nothing. My anxiety rose as I wondered where Drake was. I patted the bed softly in hopes of finding him, but I found only ruffled sheets and a pillow turned sideways. Sighing, I reached out with my senses and searched for Drake's cool energy. It took less than a minute to realize I was truly alone.
The time on the clock showed three-forty in the morning. Since I hadn't slept for long I suspected Drake had left to sate his hunger. At least, I hoped he was. He needed to feed.
I traced my fingers around my elbow. It was as smooth as the rest of my skin. Not a scratch remained. The little bit of his blood I'd ingested had healed me and gave me strength, enough to enjoy some hot sex after he bathed me. And what great sex it was. I smiled at the pleasant memory.
The buzz of my cell on the dresser startled me and I jumped. The green light blinked as the phone vibrated. I sprang from the bed and picked it up.
"Hello?" I answered without checking the number first.
"Where the fuck have you been?"
Jeremy's angry tone irked me. I lowered the phone and hit the end button. Cursing at me before dawn would not put me in a good mood. I set the phone on the dresser and walked away from it.
Since I was up, I decided to get dressed. On my way to the closet, I heard a buzz. The green light blinked while the cell shook. I took a deep breath to calm myself, then retrieved the phone. If I didn't answer, he'd continue to call and bug me.
"Hello," I said in an unreceptive tone.
"I tried to reach you at the other line, but every time I call, it goes straight to voicemail," he said with a tempered calmness. "I left five messages, Jessie. Where are you?"
I rubbed the side of my face. He had no idea what had happened to me or the cell. I needed to inform him.
"I'm at Drake's condo. We ran into trouble last night." I sat on the bed.
"Trouble? What kind of trouble?" he asked, concern in his voice.
"Two vampires tried to force me to meet Alex, but they weren't nice and they took my phone."
"Where was your bodyguard?"
"He followed—"
"Followed?" he interrupted with a low voice.
"Will you let me finish?" When he didn't respond, I continued. "I went with the thugs knowing Drake would follow. I thought it was our big chance to get to Alex. After I had a brief conversation with him on the phone, one of the vampires decided to get aggressive with me."
"What happened?"
"Well, I got punched in the face and he broke my arm. Nothing major."
I decided against telling him about the gun in my face. I hadn't told Drake about it and if I were to mention it to anyone, Drake should be the first to know.
"Broken bones are serious," he said in a concerned tone.
"They heal."
"That's not the point."
"Yeah, well, Drake must have noticed they were roughing me up. He ran the car off the road and destroyed one of them. The other got away."
"When did this occur?"
"When?" I repeated, thinking the question seemed odd. "Uh…around eleven, I think. Why?"
"Is Drake there now?"
"No. He stepped out for a bit."
"Good. I want you to meet me and don't tell Drake. I have a proposition for you."
Bright red warning signs were flashing in my head. Meeting him and not informing Drake would be asking for trouble and I didn't need any more than I had already. Besides, I couldn't hide something like this from Drake. It felt wrong on too many levels.
"No," I said strongly. "I won't."
"I know the girl is alive. I can help you save her and destroy Alexander."
I held my breath from his temptation. How did he know the child was alive?
"How?" I asked, skeptical of his offer.
"You'll have to trust me for now. I will help you, but it's imperative that he doesn't know."
"How do you know the child is alive?" I pried for more details.
"Because I spoke with Alexander."
My heart paused and I sat speechless, wondering if I'd heard him correctly.
"I'm not saying any more," he said. "Do you want to save her and get rid of him or not?"
Damn him for putting me in such a touchy position. If I said no, her death would be on my hands and I'd miss the opportunity to claim Alexander's soul. If I said yes, I'd save a child, possibly claim Alex's soul, but risk ending a relationship with a man who meant the world to me. Either way, I was making a huge sacrifice.
I almost answered him when I recalled his earlier question wanting to know when my trouble occurred.
"Answer one question for me and I'll give you my answer," I said, luring him.
He sighed. "What?"
"When did you talk to Alexander?"
"This morning, after two."
The timeline of events made sense. The albino who had gotten away had time to inform Alexander about what had happened. I now believed Jeremy was telling me the truth about talking to the evil vamp and the demon had a real plan to help me. How could I turn him down?
"What do you want, Jeremy?"
"I'm not asking for anything more from you. Our other deal stands. Okay, maybe I'll take a kiss, too. Keep me on the line and I'll consider more. What are you wearing?"
A grin appeared on my face. I couldn't help it.
Sighing, I had to make a difficult decision. Could I risk a child's life knowing it could destroy my relationship with Drake?
"I must have your word you'll not ask for anything more," I said, feeling a pang of guilt already.
"I give you my word."
I swallowed hard. "All right. Where do I meet you?"
"Noon at Boka on North Halsted. It's in Lincoln Park."
The child Alexander abducted was from the Lincoln Park area. Coincidence?
"Why noon?" I asked, knowing the more time I spent away from Drake, the more curious he would become about my involvement with Jeremy.
"We have to discuss the details how to handle this and I need to make a couple of calls."
"Okay, I'll see you at noon."
"Get some sleep, Jessie. We'll have a long night ahead of us."
"Yeah," I said in a somewhat melancholy tone before I ended the call.
Dread and a touch of heartache swam through me. I'd just risked a worthwhile relationship for a chance to save a girl's life and claim a vampire's soul. The chance could be very good or not so good. At the moment, I knew too little. Yet, I had agreed to deceive someone I cared for. My stomach knotted. How could I go through with this?
I crawled back over the bed and placed the phone under the pillow. Tears threatened to surface from my eyes. I closed them and tried to focus on sleeping. My thoughts continued to revolve over deceiving Drake. I doubted I'd get any rest.
I tossed and turned, trying to find a good position to help me sleep. My efforts were in vain. The condo was too quiet. At home, I would always hear my alarm clock ticking, the hum of the refrigerator, or the floor creaking if Dani was awake. I missed home. I missed Dani. Wi
thout another thought, I withdrew the phone from under my pillow, then dialed her number.
"Hello?" Dani answered. Her voice was shaky.
I sat upright in the bed. "Did I wake you?"
"Jessie?" Her voice perked up.
"It's the weekend. I thought you'd be up. Want me to call back later?"
"No-no." She quickly cleared her throat. "We got in around two. I'm good with an hour of sleep."
"We?" I glanced at the clock, then remembered there was an hour time difference. "Am I interrupting anything?"
She made a spitty noise. "No, my date cancelled so I went out with Lester and Kyle. Hope you don't mind, they crashed on your bed."
"As long as they clean my sheets and don't make a mess. Oh, and no sex."
She chuckled. "I don't think you have to worry about them. They're straighter than a pole. What's going on? What are you doing up?"
I relaxed sideways on the bed with the phone over my ear. "I can't sleep."
"What's on your mind?"
"I think I'm falling for Drake. Do you remember him?"
"Long hair, dark eyes, handsome. How can I forget?"
"Yep, that's him."
"You're falling for him? Like, in love?" she asked, skeptical.
"I don't know if I'd call it love…but he is amazing."
"Is he good in bed?"
Leave it to Dani to think of only one thing.
"In bed and out," I said.
"Jessie, even if you don't love him, you have good reason to hang on to him. You want my advice—stick with him for the sex and see what happens."
I laughed. "That's your advice?"
"Yes, it is, and I'll expect payment when you return. Speaking of which, will you be back on Monday?"
Alarmed, I sat up in bed. Today was Sunday. Had the time passed that quickly that it had almost been a full week? If all went well tonight with Jeremy, I would return home on schedule.
"I'm hoping to be home on Monday. I'll know more after tonight."
"What's going on tonight?"
"Uh…Sean and I are going out to a private party." I hated myself for lying.
"Private huh? Sounds like fun."
"I can't really say much. Drake doesn't know about it," I said in a softer voice, hoping she'd take the hint.
"Oh, got it. You'll have to tell me about it later."