“And that might change.”
“Doesn’t seem like it, given what I just told you.” She rested her hand on her chest as she recalled the misery emanating from Mike. “It was like I was there. I saw details about them both that I never could have known.”
“Such as?”
“Mike’s eyes are a royal blue color, and he was smoking a cigarette.”
Jack felt as if she’d punched him in the gut. There was no way she could know those things about Mike unless she’d been there with him. His shoulders slumped as the energy drained from him. Mike and Doug were alive when he saw them on the dock; something must have happened between then and when he fled into the woods with Charlie.
“We’ve been together since we were kids. It’s been us against the world,” he whispered.
A tear slid down Charlie’s cheek as the agony in his voice tore at her. Why couldn’t she have seen something that might have saved Doug? But then, if she’d learned one thing over the years, it was that she saw what she was meant to see. She still believed the boy on his bike was supposed to have been saved, but the woman whose husband strangled her was not.
She had no idea why she saw some people after they were already dead, maybe it was to help find their killers or for some other reason. Charlie doubted she would ever understand the randomness of the things she saw, but she hoped to one day be able to do more with them.
Jack saw her sorrow when she lifted her haunted eyes to his. Though he didn’t want to believe it, he stopped trying to deny what she was telling him. Doug was dead.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered and threaded her fingers through his as she clasped his hand. “I wish…”
He squeezed her hand. “Come here.”
She edged around Dylan and went eagerly into Jack’s open arms. He crushed her against him as he struggled against the tears burning his eyes. It was a battle he lost.
* * *
“How will we know if your friends are coming or when they arrive?” Kirha asked.
Jack lifted his head and gazed at her across the fire. They’d all gathered in the cavern to discuss their next move. “I don’t know, but they might have someone with them who would be able to find us down here.”
He hoped Brian would be with them; they would need his power and his ruthlessness to get out of this, but for all Jack knew, Ronan had called Brian away to work for him while they were in Canada. He couldn’t count on Brian being with Mike to help locate them, which meant they couldn’t stay hidden down here.
“How could someone find us here?” LeNae asked.
“Let’s just say he has a certain talent,” Jack said and glanced at Charlie who stared back at him with a look of understanding on her face.
“Could someone else find us like he can?” Gio asked.
“Probably not,” Jack assured him. “I’ve never met or heard of anyone else possessing his gift.”
Jack rubbed his eyes; he hadn’t slept after Charlie told him her dream. He had to plan his next move. Jack had no idea where the island was located, but he expected Mike to return soon with reinforcements, and for those reinforcements to be out for blood after what Charlie revealed.
“If my locator friend isn’t with them, we’ll have to find my friends when they return,” Jack said.
“I don’t think they’ll return to the boat dock, not after what we saw there,” Charlie said. “And the Savages have probably added security to the dock.”
“There’s no way they think anyone would return to this island after getting away from it,” LeNae said.
“No, but they might be afraid more could escape the same way,” Charlie said.
“So where do you think your friends would come ashore?” Kirha asked Jack.
“That’s impossible to say,” Jack murmured.
“Maybe if we climbed to the top of the lighthouse, we could see them approaching,” Darlene suggested.
“I don’t think they’ll come at the island from the direction of the lighthouse,” Jack said. “They won’t take the risk of someone spotting them from there.”
“So what do we do then?” Charlie asked.
“We go back above. We may not find them when they land, but I think they’ll make their presence known pretty fast, and we’ll find them then,” Jack said. “Not everyone will go up at once. We’ll send scouts up first, and they’ll return with updates.”
“And if those scouts get killed?” Mal asked.
“There’s nothing we can do about that,” Jack said. He didn’t mean to sound callous, but they didn’t have any other options.
“That’s a huge risk to take for people who might not come,” Darlene said. “You can’t be sure your friends will return.”
“They’re coming,” Jack said. “I have no doubt about it.”
“And how do you know that?” Kirha asked.
“Because they’re my family, and they would never leave someone they love behind. Now, who is going above with me? We’ll only have to be above during the day, as that’s when they’ll return.”
“You’re sure about that?” Miguel asked.
“Yes,” Jack said. “They’ll be impatient to destroy the Savages, but they’ll be smart about it and strike when these assholes are at their most vulnerable.”
Charlie felt the hesitance as everyone glanced at each other. Dylan gripped her arms around his neck. She wanted to go with Jack; she had to know he was safe, but she couldn’t leave her son so soon after returning to him. She wouldn’t put that stress on him.
Dylan lifted his head to peer at her. “You can go, Mom.”
A jolt of surprise ran through her. “I’m not leaving you.”
“I’m fine. I… uh…” He ducked his head as a blush crept up his cheeks, but then he threw his shoulders back and met her gaze. “I missed you before, and there was the cave-in, but now I’ll know what you’re doing and that you’ll return.”
Charlie’s hands clenched on him; never mind adding stress to him, she couldn’t leave him again. She’d just gotten back to him, and his tears…
She shuddered as she recalled the intensity of his sobs. She would chop off her arms and sell her soul to get him off this island, but what if she went above and didn’t return? What would that do to him?
She lifted her head to meet Jack’s eyes. Primitive vampire instincts screamed at her that she couldn’t let him go out there alone, but her mom instincts were just as strong.
“Go, Mom,” Dylan said. “I want to go home, and I don’t want you being scared for me anymore.”
Charlie bit back a sob. She thought she’d done an excellent job of hiding her fear from him, but she should have known he would sense it. He was far from stupid.
“You’ll also drive me crazy if you stay here, out of the action,” he said.
Charlie laughed as she bent to rest her forehead against his. “I’ll be back,” she promised.
“I know.”
“Anyone else?” Jack asked. “And it should be vampires as the humans can’t move as fast.”
“I’ll go,” Kirha said.
“So will I,” Clifford said.
“Me too,” Mal said.
“You should stay here,” Jack said to Mal. “You know these tunnels better than anyone, and you’re the strongest vamp here; they need you here if shit goes wrong.”
Mal started to protest before closing his mouth and nodding.
“I think we should all get some more rest,” Jack said. “We’ll go above once the sun is up tomorrow.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Charlie woke and blinked against the darkness enshrouding her. She reached out for Dylan, but her hand fell on the dirt floor. She bolted upright when she realized her son and Jack were gone. Her racing heart gradually eased when, through her bond with Jack, she sensed everything was fine.
Tossing her blanket aside, she pushed herself up and bent her head to avoid hitting it on the ceiling of the small side tunnel. She left her boots behind as she padded dow
n to the main tunnel. She made a right into the main shaft and walked to the end of it before spotting Jack and Dylan sitting by the fire. People and vampires were gathered in the cavern, but most were sleeping, and the ones who weren’t, were turned away from the fire.
Charlie stopped to watch them as Jack sat with an arm draped over his knee while he turned a rabbit on the spit. This far beneath the earth, the scent of anything they cooked wouldn’t reach the surface. Sitting beside him, Dylan had assumed a nearly identical posture. She couldn’t hear what Jack was saying, but whatever it was, it had Dylan gazing at him with a rapt expression that robbed Charlie of her breath.
Unable to control herself, she’d bound herself to Jack and, in doing so, she also bound Dylan to him. She hadn’t stopped to let herself think about the consequences of that while they were running for their lives, but now it occurred to her that Dylan might not want anything to do with Jack and his family.
Watching them together, she didn’t think that was a possibility as Dylan gazed at Jack with near reverence. Dylan lifted a stick to draw something in the dirt. Releasing the spit, Jack leaned closer to inspect what Dylan sketched.
Charlie yearned to join them so she could hold her son before returning to the surface, but she found her feet stuck in place as Dylan laughed at something Jack said. The beautiful sound of his laughter had become so rare since coming here that she’d almost forgotten it.
Now, it brought tears to her eyes as she slipped further into the shadows to watch her mate with her child. Her love for Dylan knew no bounds, but as she gazed at them, she realized she was falling pretty hard for Jack too.
When did it start to happen? When she contemplated it, she realized it started when he refused to let her go on the cliff. It solidified when he took a bullet for her. Jack was unlike anyone she’d ever known before, and he was hers.
Sensing Charlie’s presence, Jack lifted his head and his eyes locked on hers as she stood in the shadows watching them. He almost rose and walked over to her, but Dylan drew his attention back to him when he drew something more on the ground and tapped it with the stick.
Though the drawing was of the lobes of the brain that Jack could remember from Anatomy class, Dylan’s next question wasn’t about the organ.
“Do you think we’ll be able to get off this island?” Dylan asked.
Jack gazed into the boy’s mismatched eyes and smiled. Sitting with him, taking in the simple awe Dylan possessed for learning something new, Jack found his grief over losing Doug a little easier to handle.
“I do,” he said.
“I hope so,” he muttered. “My mom deserves to be happy.”
Jack had only seen Dylan as a child who needed protecting, but the maturity in Dylan’s eyes aged the boy far beyond his years. Dylan had seen far too much to retain the innocence a child his age should possess.
Once they were off this island, Jack would make sure Dylan had the happiness and childhood he deserved. He would never be able to erase everything Dylan endured, but he would give him security and love.
Dylan may not be his blood, but Jack really liked the boy. He was curious and kind, and he’d somehow survived down here without becoming miserable. Plus, he was Charlie’s son, and Jack would care for the boy like he was his own. Charlie and Dylan had become his family, and he would die to protect them.
“She blames herself for us being here,” Dylan whispered, and his gaze fell to the ground as he idly traced the stick in the dirt. “But it’s not her fault. I know she thinks she failed me, but she didn’t. I’ve told her it’s not her fault and that I’m okay, but she won’t let herself believe it.”
Jack rested his hand on Dylan’s shoulder. “It’s tough for her. She wanted better for you than this.”
“She couldn’t have stopped what happened.”
“I know that, and she does too, but she hates that you’re going through this.”
Dylan tilted his head to the side as he studied Jack. “You like her.”
“I do.”
“I think she likes you too.”
“I hope so,” Jack said.
Dylan lifted the stick as he stared at Jack with a sudden, unexpected hardness in his eyes. “Good. Don’t hurt her.”
The way the boy held the stick made it clear he’d stake Jack if he did hurt her. Jack almost laughed at the idea of this child trying to stake him, but the look in Dylan’s eyes silenced him. Jack realized Dylan was as protective of his mother as she was of him. Dylan liked him, but if Jack laughed now, he would alienate the boy.
“I promise I will do everything possible to make your mom and you happy,” Jack vowed.
“And you won’t hurt her?”
“I’d rather cut off my hand.”
“Good.”
Jack almost asked Dylan if he’d come live with him when this was over, but he held the question back. Charlie wouldn’t like it if they discussed that without her.
Jack pulled the rabbit off the fire and lowered it to the ground. He waited for it to cool before handing it to Dylan as some of the other humans stirred and threw aside their blankets. Dylan pulled out a knife and sliced meat from the rabbit. He tossed a piece into his mouth before handing some out to the others.
“I’m going to check on your mom,” Jack told him.
“Okay,” Dylan said. “I’m going to wait for Clifford to wake up. He promised he’d tell about the Vietnam War. Did you know he fought in it?”
“I didn’t,” Jack said. “I’m sure he’ll have plenty to tell you.”
“Me too,” Dylan said and tossed another piece of meat into his mouth.
Jack squeezed Dylan’s shoulder before rising and making his way to where Charlie remained hidden. He was nearly to her when she turned and walked back through the tunnel. Jack admired the sway of her hips and the firmness of her ass while he followed her. With every step, he became increasingly aroused until walking became difficult. She could help him forget about Doug for a little bit, and he desperately needed that relief.
She clicked on her flashlight before entering a small side tunnel and turning to face him. “He likes you,” she whispered.
“I like him too,” Jack said.
“Don’t hurt him.”
“Funny, that’s exactly what he said to me about you.”
Charlie smiled; of course, he had. “What were you two doing?”
“I was showing him what I could remember about the anatomy of the brain.”
She backed up when Jack stalked toward her with a hungry gleam in his eyes. Charlie’s mouth went dry as he closed in on her.
“And now he’s waiting to ask Clifford about the Vietnam War,” Jack said as Charlie backed herself into a wall.
He rested his hands on her hips before his fingers slid down to the edges of her shirt. “Which means we have some time to ourselves,” he murmured as he found and caressed her bare skin.
Goose bumps broke out on her arms. The beat of his heart called to her, but anyone could wander down the main tunnel and discover them. It was unlikely as she’d led him to the farthest side tunnel, and everyone was preoccupied with sleep and the rabbit. Still…
“Jack—”
He bent his head and nibbled on her bottom lip as he took the flashlight from her and set it on the ground. “No one will find us.”
Charlie opened her mouth to protest, but when he broke the kiss to pull his shirt over his head, the words clogged in her throat as she admired his lean torso and the chiseled muscles of his abs. When he undid his button and removed his sneakers and jeans next, she nearly moaned when she saw his rigid shaft jutting out from his body.
His hands returned to her, and when they slid to her shirt, he pushed it up. For a moment, she hesitated to lift her arms. Then they rose, and he pulled off the shirt. His dick jumped at the sight of her bared breasts and the taut nipples standing out from their dusky pink areolas. Gripping the waistband of her pants, he pulled her against him; her body melded perfectly to his.
&n
bsp; “I never expected to find you,” he whispered while his eyes traced the contours of her face.
Charlie gulped; she had no idea what to say as he stared at her with the expression of a man who had discovered everything he ever wanted and more. The fact he seemed to have found it in her was overwhelming and a bit terrifying. They were bound together, so deeply entwined that they would die without each other, but she had no idea how he felt about her.
Watching him with her son had turned her into a gooey marshmallow, and she was falling head over heels for him, but the rational part of her brain kept telling her it was impossible to love someone so soon after meeting him.
“This is all happening so fast,” she murmured as he slid the button on her pants free.
He bent to kiss her neck, and when his tongue swirled out to taste her collarbone, her legs nearly gave out on her. He made her forget all her doubts as he set her blood on fire and scrambled her brain. She’d never lost herself to someone the way she lost herself to Jack.
When he bent to pull her pants down over her hips and thighs, Charlie forgot all about her concerns of being discovered as she stepped out of them and kicked them aside. Jack remained kneeling before her, his gaze drinking in her body. Charlie shuddered when he ran his hands over her calves and up her thighs to the junction between her legs. She tensed in anticipation, but his fingers only brushed teasingly against her before sliding higher while he rose to stand before her.
“It may have happened fast, but I love you, and I’m going to love you every day for the rest of our lives,” he said as he grasped her hands and, sliding his fingers between hers, lifted them to rest them against the wall beside her head.
“Love me?” she whispered.
“Yes,” he said as he bent his head to kiss her.
She didn’t know how to respond. Chad repeatedly claimed to love her, but in the end, his words meant nothing. However, Jack would never say anything he didn’t mean, and even without the words, his actions repeatedly proved he cared for her.
She hadn’t been so scared about something since she was separated from Dylan and shoved into the trunk of a car. He wouldn’t break her heart, not on purpose, but what if something happened to him?
Unforeseen: The Vampire Awakenings, Book 9 Page 20