“Jase, I’ll be out in a minute.”
Bathroom?
He stepped back into the bedroom and headed to the bathroom. He tried the knob and found the door locked. “Are you getting high or something?”
* * * *
Ennis stared at the burn on his chest which was quickly fading. The gray spade incubus could move around during the brightest summer days anywhere as long as he was fully dressed. The skin of the face, neck, feet, and hands up to the elbows could weather the heat with sunscreen, but everything else burned when exposed to sunlight. The fact that it quickly healed once out of the sun didn’t prevent the pain stabbing at him now or the pinkish cast to the damaged area. A faint mark would remain as a reminder of the accidental exposure.
“Ennis?”
“A minute, Jase.”
“Ennis, sweetie?”
He looked up to see if his eyes were back to normal. His eyes had faded from brown to blood-red, but were brown-red again.
He opened the door, knowing he would have to tell Jase what he was in order to prevent future accidents. However, Ennis wasn’t sure how Jase would respond. Loving an older man was one thing, but to accept a demon was another ball game altogether.
He wasn’t that sure he could just let Jase go now. He was already irrevocably in love with him. His venom would ensure Jase didn’t leave him, but he didn’t want to enslave Jase.
He opened the door and one look into those concerned eyes and he knew he would do what he had to, to ensure Jase didn’t walk away from him.
“Are you okay?” Jase asked.
Ennis slid his hands up Jase’s arms, savoring the feel of his skin. “I’m fine, sweetness.”
“Did you hear that screeching? It gave me a headache.”
That had been the demon in pain. “I heard it,” he admitted. He caressed Jase’s shoulders. “Let’s get ready for work. I have Trinity staying with you today until I can get back to your studio. I want you to do as he asks, okay? I don’t want him to call me telling me you insisted on doing a shoot without him present or something like that.”
Jase rolled his eyes. “Don’t be so overprotective.” He leaned up on tiptoe to kiss him. “If I have to go out, I’ll take him with me. He can sit in my office if he wants, but he can’t be present at all the shoots.”
“Jase, this is not negotiable.” His voice was hard.
“Ennis—”
He gave Jase a slight shake as the protectiveness and dominance of the demon surged forward, hardening his eyes. “Jase, someone got into your studio and erased files from your computer, and then you were attacked. He will not leave you alone except when you need to take a piss.”
Jase’s eyes flashed angrily and then he lowered his gaze. “You’re right. I know this. It’s just hard.”
“I think I should punish you for arguing with me,” Ennis told him. His breath stuttered at the heated look that came into Jase’s eyes.
Jase looked up at him, a light of desire flashing in his eyes.
“I will punish you if you don’t obey,” Ennis said roughly. “Understood?”
“I’m not too happy about it, but I will.”
“Thank you,” Ennis answered. “You want coffee?”
“I’ll be taking it to go,” he said. “I have pictures to finish developing for a client, and wedding photos to restore.”
“I’m just trying to protect you, sweetness,” Ennis told him.
“Just feels like the bad kind of control, but I won’t argue this point.” He moved around Ennis to get ready.
* * * *
He was a little upset, but he understood the necessity of having someone with him at all times and in a way he even agreed with Ennis’s decision. On the other hand, that did nothing to stifle the feeling of suffocation he’d suffered from yesterday with Trinity watching his every move.
He knew what was at stake, and he would get through this. So, he rode silently next to him with one hand wrapped around the go cup, with its lid securely in place, sipping coffee, and the other hand possessively on Ennis’s thigh.
This was a relationship he’d fight to keep if his parents forced his hand. Yeah, he wanted their love and support, but their love could only give him so much comfort and joy. He still had so much to learn about his lover, but he was sure they could be happy together.
“Do you want a family?” Jase caressed Ennis’s thigh, moving his hand up higher, closer to his crotch.
“In terms of what?”
“A husband, kids,” Jase answered. “Not just close friends who are like family, but a real family you go home to every night, take vacations with.”
Ennis spared him a brief look through the shades on his nose. “Are you going to be the husband I come home to, take vacations with?”
“I’d like to,” Jase said. “We could get a surrogate since adoptions are still so difficult for gay men. We could have two kids and get me a cat.”
Ennis smiled as he pulled into the parking lot of Jase’s studio and noticed the manager of the store next door unlocking the door to his shop. He swung the truck into a space in front of the door and cut the engine. “Got a cat fixation?” he teased.
“If you’re a dog person then fine. We can get me a puppy.”
Ennis unfastened his seatbelt as he chuckled. “Don’t get so far ahead of yourself. Let’s just take this slow. Learn each other.”
“At least take off the shades when you’re telling me you really don’t want a real relationship with me!” he snapped. He reached for the shades and yanked them off.
A soft screech was his response. The sound reminded him of the one he’d heard earlier this morning, and he gave Ennis a suspicious look as Ennis quickly shaded his eyes.
Ennis yanked up the console top and pulled out another pair. In that time, Jase caught a glimpse of blood-red that swallowed up the pupil.
Ennis’s fingernails grew slightly and black moons replaced the white ones. The skin of his fingers turned slightly blue. Jase blinked as shock went through him. What the hell was he seeing?
“My eyes are too sensitive to summer sun,” he said patiently. “Especially morning and afternoon.”
Jase frowned, seeing no sign of the anomalies he’d just seen, and wondered if he’d seen them at all. “Sorry, I’m just angry,” Jase said softly as he tried to process what he was certain he’d just seen despite of the lack of evidence. “I’m putting my heart on the line, and the last thing I want is games.”
“I’m with you,” Ennis murmured. “I told you that, but—” Ennis’s gaze drifted from his to the window and Jase turned to find Trinity standing there. He hadn’t heard a car come up. The other man was richly tanned and wearing shades just like he’d been wearing yesterday. Just like Bale wore.
Vampires? He knew they or something like them existed because the guy that attacked him had admitted to being one. He could live with a vampire—maybe.
Ennis rolled down the automatic window on Jase’s side. “Give us a few minutes.”
“I can wait inside if you give me the keys,” Trinity offered.
Jase held his cup of coffee out for Ennis to hold while he fished the keys from his pocket. Jase had the feeling the other man was looking at Ennis now and it galled him. He almost threw the keys out of the window at him. “I’ll be in, in a second.”
“A word before you leave, boss man?” Trinity asked, giving Jase an amused look.
“Be right in,” Ennis said coolly.
Trinity nodded sharply and headed to the studio. Jase turned to face Ennis. He wouldn’t ask if he was a vampire. He’d do a little research before he brought it up. Ennis might not lie, but he wanted to be prepared, to know what questions to ask. “I should probably go in,” Jase said. “If we keep sitting out here, we might start making out.”
“Jase, a relationship isn’t a destination, it’s a journey, and I want to savor every moment of it,” Ennis said. “I want to show you who I am, not tell you. Actions are more proof than words.”
“
Sometimes a man needs to be told you want to be in a relationship. He doesn’t want to have to guess.”
Ennis set the cup in the holder on the console and then caressed Jase’s cheek. “I’m already in love with you. I’m not looking around for anyone else.”
Jase stared at Ennis with a tickle of fear dripping through him. The admission wouldn’t have scared him a few days ago, but a few days ago he hadn’t seen anything that made him doubt whether Ennis was human.
“I’m crazy about you, too,” Jase said. “We should go in. I have to get someone out here to secure my system so it can’t be hacked or easily gotten into again.” He reached for the handle of his door, and Ennis’s fingers tightened around his jaw.
“You have me right where you want me, Jase,” Ennis murmured. “Why are you running now?”
“I’m not. I ju—”
“Were you playing games with me? Did you just want to see what it would be like to be in my bed?”
Before he could get a word out, Ennis claimed his lips roughly. Jase tried to turn his head away, but the taste of cinnamon filled his mouth, played through his head. His urge to resist faded in a haze of desire.
Ennis’s tongue stroked Jase’s insistently, his fingers gliding along his jaw to the back of Jase’s head. His fingers clenched in Jase’s thick locks.
Jase whimpered as Ennis broke the kiss to trail kisses along his throat. His blue tongue licked up the column just before Ennis sank his fangs into the side of Jase’s throat.
Jase moaned. “Ennis.” His skin was hot, his pulse raced. His heartbeat was thunder in his ears. Sweat beaded on his brow. He felt as if his energy was being drained.
“No.” Ennis pulled back from him and Jase drowsily collapsed against the back of the seat. Ennis stroked a long finger along Jase’s. “Mine.”
Jase’s eyes closed. “What did you say?”
“I said are you okay, sweetness?”
“Mmm-hmm.” He shook his head. “Just a little lightheaded.
Ennis dropped a kiss on his lips. “We should go inside before I devour you.”
A minute later, they climbed out and went inside where the six foot Trinity watched them enigmatically. Jase stepped inside and slid an arm around Ennis’s waist.
“Jase, give me a minute with Trinity.”
Jase frowned. “I’ll be in my office.”
“Any signs of a breach?” Ennis asked after Jase was out of earshot.
“There was an attempted breach last night,” Trinity told him. “Someone attempted to bypass the alarm. The secretary seemed very curious about the code yesterday, but Jase said she never opened or stayed late. So, I didn’t give it to her and neither did Dex. She was working him pretty hard with her pretty eyes and skinny little ass. Too bad for her she’s the wrong color, or she might have gotten the code.”
Ennis rubbed his jaw. “I’ll have Dex put in a silent alarm.”
Trinity nodded. “Might be a good idea.”
“Rey sent him the pictures of the dead girl. She has a death stalker mark. Jase has the originals of some footage that he gave to Rey yesterday. I’m going to look it over after I get back.”
“We’ll catch the hitter and make the son of a bitch talk,” Trinity said. “If the death stalker house in Bossier is involved, we’ll run the fucker out of town.”
“I will kill him,” Ennis said coldly.
“I don’t doubt it,” Trinity murmured shaking his head. “Your demon is very close to the surface right now. Maybe you should allow me to take him to a safe house.”
“He doesn’t need to be protected from me,” Ennis told him coldly. “He’s mine.”
“That is what is bothering me,” he said. “If he rejected you, get some distance before you do something crazy like rape him and drain him until he’s too weak to run from you.”
Ennis grimaced. He’d sensed a subtle change in Jase that had him on edge. He’d come within a hair of leaving Jase weakened just moments ago in the car.
He glanced down the hall. He could scent Jase moving toward them. “Just do your fucking job, Trin.”
“I am doing my job, man,” he said softly. “I’m protecting your mate from you. Did he change his mind about wanting to be with you?”
Ennis averted gaze. “We’ll talk later. I’m going over to the office to meet with Bale and Rain. I need her to handle things while I work this case.”
Trinity nodded. “Are you going to tell him a demon is mating him? He deserves to know before it’s too late.”
“Is everything okay?” Jase asked, stopping at Ennis’s side.
“Yeah.” Jase seemed so much more in control now and that crispness was back in his tone. “I wanted to know if you knew a good computer tech.”
“I’ll send someone over,” Ennis said forcing a coolness in his tone. He was all too aware of his friend’s gaze.
“Okay.” Jase nodded. “I need to get to work.” He turned and headed back the way he’d come.
The demon growled low at the sting of rejection and started to go after him when Trinity stepped between them.
“Ennis,” he said urgently, keeping his voice low. “You don’t want to scare him.”
Ennis drew in a breath and released as he fought the urge to chase Jase down. “You’re lucky I have a meeting with Simmer,” Ennis said in a dark tone. “I don’t have time to kill you for getting between me and my mate.”
“Watch your ass with him,” Trinity replied coldly.
Later.” Ennis ran from the building.
Chapter Eighteen
Ennis watched the death stalker, Altrin Simmer, stride toward him in the small café they’d agreed upon for the meeting. Ennis had brought two of his best men with him and he was certain Simmer had done the same even though he didn’t see them.
He stood and shook hands with the six-foot-two death stalker leader. “I’m glad you could meet with me,” Ennis said.
“Gogh said it was a matter of war and peace,” he said coolly.
“Good afternoon, gentlemen.” A waitress came to their table. “How may I serve you today?”
They ordered drinks, and she scurried away to get them.
“There have been four death stalker murders in my city, and I’m starting to get the feeling it’s someone who has something to lose if he’s found out.”
“Each of my six lieutenants would have their lives as well as the lives of their families to lose if they dared to go against my directive concerning hunting,” Simmer said quietly. “We don’t hunt humans in this city, only animals. There is too great a risk of them crossing into dangerous territory and growing addicted to human essence.”
Ennis waited for the waitress to deposit their drinks, ask if they wanted to order anything, and then leave before saying, “I know death stalkers. You never fully go off human essence.”
“Living this close to a gray spade, I would never risk my own life or that of my family by feeding off humans,” Simmer retorted.
“Because your breed can never stop with a taste,” Ennis said. “You have to devour everything you touch.”
Simmer took a sip of his soda. “I resent your implications,” he drawled. “If you’re accusing any of my people of anything, come out and say it. I’m not fond of guessing games.”
“I’m putting you on notice,” Ennis told him coldly. “If my mate is attacked again, I’m going to destroy you and your house, do you understand? I’ll leave no death stalker alive in the tri-city area.”
“Gray spades are such bullies,” Simmer said coldly.
“I’m just giving you a chance to work with me,” Ennis told him flatly. “I want your assurance that if one of your men is behind what’s going on in my city, you will put him down like the rabid demon he is.”
“I won’t give you any such promise,” he retorted in a hard tone. “Don’t think for one second I’ll back down from you and your house. I earned my place in this state, and I’ll not be run out of it by you.” Simmer got to his feet and turned to
go but Ennis grabbed his arm and leaned toward him.
“This is your only warning, Simmer,” Ennis said in low tones. “I will destroy everything you’ve built, if you or anyone else fucks with my mate. As for the murders committed in my city, whoever is responsible will be held accountable even if I have to kill you to get to them.” He released the other man and strode from the café.
* * * *
Jase finished up a photo shoot for a teen magazine and spent a few minutes chatting with the model before heading to the outdoor studio where they did several shoots for teenagers. He ignored Trinity, who followed him out and took a seat on a bench beneath an oak tree which provided shelter from the sun.
He had known Ennis most of his life and had never seen anything amiss about him until today. What he’d seen in the car this morning could have been a trick of the sun, but what if it hadn’t been?
He lowered his head to rest in his hand.
Would it matter if Ennis was a vampire?
Vampires weren’t blue, so he had to be something else. He had to be the same thing as the man that attacked him.
Jase sighed in utter confusion, so unsure what his next step should be especially when the only thing he really wanted was Ennis.
“Are you okay?” Trinity asked, sitting down next to him on the bench.
Jase looked up. Trinity was wearing dark shades like Ennis. Whatever Ennis was, Bale and Trinity shared his heritage. “I’m fine,” Jase said quietly. “You could have kept an eye on me from inside.”
“Those aren’t my orders,” he answered gently. “Besides, you’re important to Ennis, and Ennis is important to me.”
“Are you lovers?”
“No.” Trinity shook his head. “I know what’s been going on is crazy, but Ennis will take care of it. Your life will go back to normal soon.”
Normal was kind of relative since the only thing he was concerned about was whether Ennis was human. He knew somehow that Ennis would protect him from the danger stalking him.
“How long have you known Ennis?”
“All my life,” Trinity answered.
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