by Emma Shade
The blood drained from my face, and my eyes widened when I finally grasped that I hadn’t imagined Ashton’s voice. Those were his thoughts. And he was able hear mine. Those weird ripples under the muscle were healing pains. I drank Ashton’s blood. Holy shit.
Glancing down, I passed my fingers with my free hand over the stitches in astonishment. I was shot at Mystique. Sure, I was upset and annoyed over the fact that Ashton had fed me his blood. But when I really thought about it, how could I be angry that he saved my life?
“Are you going to say anything?” Ashton pleaded, and massaged my fingers with his again.
His nervousness and unease floated on the air like leaves in a windstorm. His mind was shut tight, so I wasn’t able to sense what he was thinking. And I’d shut down as well, throwing up that invisible brick wall in my psyche. But if the emotions he projected were any clue, he worried about my reaction more than he led on.
“Can I have a minute alone, please?” I asked with a whisper.
“Of course,” Ashton murmured, and pressed a kiss on my forehead. He hesitated before dropping my hand. “I’ll be down in VIP if you need me. Okay?”
I nodded, afraid to speak for fear I’d say something I’d regret. Ashton walked towards to the stairs and glanced at me one more time before making his way back into the club.
The clock on the far wall ticked in time with my thoughts. I wanted to be angry with Ashton. I wanted to hate him for what he did and lying about Sam. But it was impossible to loath somebody whose actions saved your life and your friends. Actually, it was romantic in a masochistic way. Ashton, not willing to lose me, put his heart on the line by attempting the one thing I denied from the beginning, even if I hated him for it.
At the same time, Blake floated through my mind, his dimpled smile and carefree nature was most likely stretched thin after Ashton’s confession. Yet, I wasn’t able to push away the admiration I felt towards Ashton and what he’d done.
Then, I wondered who wanted to kill me? I almost guaranteed the Enforcers and the Contingent followed my every move, but how?
Footsteps pounded up the stairs and broke my inner rambling. Sam and Paige came into view and I smiled at their arrival.
Sam rushed to my side, tucking a stray hair behind my ear, and inspected my face.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, sitting on the coffee table where Ashton sat moments ago.
“I don’t know,” I admitted.
“Pfft. It sucks having another person’s thoughts inside your head, doesn’t it?” Paige said, hand on her hip.
Sam rolled his eyes. “Paige, you have no freaking idea how annoying it is. Imagine accidentally picturing somebody’s memories on top of that. Some memories can’t be unseen.”
Paige chuckled. “I can only picture what you’ve picked up on.”
Sam waved her comments away with a smile, and focused back on me. “Are you in any pain? Do you remember what happened?”
“No and no. I remember a bit of pain, but that’s it,” I said, shrugging.
It was the oddest thing. I knew what Ashton told me about the incident, but from the time I strolled down the couple of steps until I woke up at Revive, my mind was a blank slate.
“It happens. I don’t remember getting impaled by a sword either. It must be the way our bodies adjust to the pain and shock of the injury,” Sam suggested. “You’ll eventually get flashes here and there, but nothing playing out the entire injury.”
“What are you going to do about Ashton?” Paige cut in, changing the subject and inspecting her nails as though her question hadn’t mattered.
Yet it had mattered. It shed a whole new light on Ashton. Which made things all the more complicated. Being that I was part vampire, and consumed Ashton’s blood, what did it mean for me? And for us? The unstipulated consequences of his actions saved my life, but it also put an abundant weight on my shoulders. I was hesitant of what was expected of me and how this possibly changed our relationship.
I ignored her question, and instead asked, “How’s Blake taking this?”
Paige shrugged. “Pissed off as expected. But he also understands that there weren’t many options at the time and he couldn’t have done any better. That alone drives him up the wall.”
“I can see that, but I feel bad he’s hurting,” I admitted. Hurting Blake was the last thing I wanted to do. “Any clues on who shot me?”
“Ashton suspects Blake or Alistair behind the shooting,” Sam said, shaking his head. “I think he’s very wrong. Either way there is somebody behind the assassins always finding you no matter where you go, Lily.”
“Who would it be? I can’t see anyone we know ever wanting to harm me,” I insisted, frowning at Sam’s statement.
“My thoughts exactly, but either way, a person close to us either has spilled the beans or somebody we don’t know has been following you from the beginning,” Paige stated.
As impossible as their statements sounded, my secret was out and the Enforcers followed me from Nevada to Indiana. Now, the vampire’s Contingent found me. However, I still hadn’t believed somebody wanted to kill me. Even though the evidence, and the bullet removed from my chest, contradicted my doubts about the threat.
Raised voices resonated in the space, coming up the stairs with pounding footsteps. All three for us swiveled our head in the direction of the voices.
Jeremy and Alistair came into view and I gasped. My boss, and leader over our little troupe, had arrived to melt out his punishment for leaving the assignment.
Jeremy glanced between each of us, and then hovered his narrowed eyes at me. Stomping forward with determination, he headed my way only to be intercepted by Sam.
Sporting fangs, Sam growled, “Don’t you come all up in here like a jackass. Lily is not in the mood nor the health to listen to you berating her on leaving Las Vegas.”
Jeremy glowered at Sam, as if was unsure if he was a threat or not. “Fine. I won’t be cruel about it. I just need to ask a few questions.” He shrugged, and then narrowed his eyes. “What happened? I noticed commotion between Ashton and Blake downstairs. Something about a gun?”
“She was shot, dumbass,” Paige replied, sneering at her boss.
“Shot? When?”
“Shows how much you know, Jeremy. Last night,” Paige snapped.
“Last night? Are you okay, Lily?” he questioned, taking in my appearance.
“I’m fine now apparently. What do you want?” I stared back at him and tried to ignore the nervous tension in the room at his arrival.
Sam narrowed his eyes, and said, “Yeah. What do you want?”
“Can I at least have a few minutes to speak with her?” Jeremy asked, rolling his eyes.
“Fine,” Sam said, pointing two fingers at his eyes and then aiming them back at Jeremy. “But I’m watching you, buddy.”
My heart thudded behind my ribcage, fear paving way to uncertainties if I’d ever see Paige again. The woman drove me up the wall most of the time, but I considered her a friend. She was a great person after you peeled back her wall of bitterness and contempt.
“So I can’t speak with her alone?” Jeremy asked, eyeing Alistair and Paige like they were nothing more than pebbles in his shoe.
“No,” Sam said, taking a stand.
Alistair and Paige hesitated, shooting skeptical glances in my direction. Jeremy Morrow was their boss and means of employment. If they stood their ground, they’d likely lose said employment. I never wanted that to happen.
“You guys can go. I’ll be fine,” I insisted, throwing a small reassuring smile in their direction.
Yet, while they tentatively left the room, I wondered where Blake and Ashton were. Ashton knew I wanted time to think, but Blake and boundaries hadn’t gotten along very well. From the very beginning, Blake threw caution to the wind, stepping on toes and pushing the limits with our attraction. And now he was absent? It was so unlike him that my thoughts wandered for a minute.
“Did you hear a word I just said, Lily?
” Jeremy asked, frowning in displeasure.
“I’m sorry, I must have remnants of the drugs left in my system,” I lied, aiming my full attention on Jeremy’s blueish-green eyes.
“I asked why you left your assignment behind and headed back to Indianapolis,” Jeremy asked again, clearly frustrated and impatient.
“Well, in case you haven’t heard, Lily has somebody after her ass,” Sam sassed, hands on his hip like Peter Pan. “And was shot because of it.”
“Alistair filled me in on the Enforcers. But that’s still no excuse to leave your post and the vampire behind to cause more havoc,” Jeremy barked.
I blinked in surprise. He clearly had no qualms about my safety. I swallowed back the irritation, and asked, “Are you saying that my life isn’t as important as finding the vampire in charge of the prostitution ring?”
Jeremy frowned. “That’s not what I said.”
“You implied it, Jeremy. I’m sorry, but I trusted you to take me under your wing and teach me what it was to be a part of an impenetrable force of comrade. Along with unlimited recourses and training, I assumed that abandoning my assignment for my own sanctuary would’ve been of the upmost importance.”
“True. And I’m sorry if I came across as crass. But you should’ve have called me with further instructions. I would’ve seen to your well-being,” Jeremy insisted, recanting his original statement.
Sam scoffed, his annoyance plain as day, and drew my attention to him. Pondering if Sam could get into Jeremy’s mind, I inconspicuously rubbed my temple and tapped it a few times. He quickly shook his head once as a no. I wasn’t sure if that meant he wouldn’t do it or if he couldn’t do it.
The music from the club thumped as the door opened to the apartment. Blake and Ashton spilled in to the room with purpose, both men eying Jeremy with contempt. After all, Jeremy was behind my sudden disappearing act. So I understood their animosity.
“I’m sorry to interrupt your conversation with Lily, Jeremy,” Ashton derided, “but we need to remove stitches from Lily’s wound.”
Jeremy nodded in reluctant agreement, and said, “I think we’re done for now. We’ll meet up later, Lily.”
With one last look, and an expression I couldn’t name, Jeremy left the room and headed downstairs to the club.
“What did the jerkwad want?” Blake questioned, and pointed with his thumb over his shoulder towards the stairs.
Sam huffed. “He was asking all kinds of questions about why she left the assignment. He wasn’t very understanding about it.”
“Surprise, surprise,” Blake muttered.
“You ready to get those stitches out?” Ashton asked, running his knuckles against my cheek.
“Is it going to hurt?” I whispered.
“Nah. Just a tickle,” Blake answered, smiling ear to ear, his boyish dimples visible.
“Sam, go into the bathroom and get me the blue first aid kid under the sink,” Ashton instructed, and headed to the kitchen to wash his hands. “There should be some small surgical scissors and tweezers in there.”
“Should I ask why you have surgical scissors?” Blake questioned, eyebrow elevated.
Ashton chuckled, “Probably not. But I have a scalpel and medical grade pliers in there too if you’re curious.”
“I don’t even want to know,” I muttered, wiping a hand over my face. It was a scary thought why Ashton may have needed them.
Within a few minutes, Sam sashayed out of the bathroom with a stethoscope draped around his neck, surgical gloves on his hands, and held up the two items Ashton asked him to retrieve. He turned as though he was a fashion model, and quipped, “The doctor is in to see you, baby cakes.” Turning his attention to Blake and Ashton, he winked and snapped the pliers open and closed. “You boys want to play doctor? You won’t need suction tubes for blood and body fluids with me around.”
Blake rolled his eyes, but smiled. “Sam, the line was drawn and you crossed it by a mile, again.”
Sam snickered, and replied, “Well, you have no idea what you’re missing out on.”
Shaking his head, Ashton held out his hand with a smirk. “Sam, can I have those now?”
Laughing at Sam, and glad to have him back in my life, I called out, “Scissors!”
Sam echoed like we were performing surgery, “Scissors.” He plopped them into Ashton’s waiting hand.
After a few snips of the stitches, Ashton set the scissors on the coffee table and held out his had again.
“Pliers!” I instructed, grinning ear to ear.
To which Sam replied, “Pliers.” And placed them in Ashton’s hand.
“God, I missed you, Sam,” I admitted, closing my eyes and flinching at the tug of a stitch from my skin.
“Me too, bestie. Life was pretty boring without you around,” Sam said.
One after another, the stitches were gently pulled from my wound. It hadn’t hurt, but felt odd as they slid out from my skin.
Lips touched the healed laceration, and I snapped my eyes open to see the top of Ashton’s head as he attempted to kiss away the injury. It was the sweetest thing, albeit throwing me back to my childhood as my adoptive father kissed away bumps and bruises.
My eyes swerved up and observed Blake. A frown plastered on his face, he glowered at Ashton, but said nothing. Without his rebuttal to Ashton’s lips on my skin, I felt guilty at my hurtful words about his lies. His stiltedness to react seemed to be my doing, berating him for what he’d held from us all. Either that or it was his own remorse eating away at his soul.
Sam, glancing between Blake and me, must have caught on to my thoughts and sighed. He said, “Okay, boys. Let’s give Lily some space and let her rest. She needs it after everything she’s been through.”
“You’re right, Sam,” Ashton agreed. “I’ll be right downstairs if you need me, Liliana.”
After Ashton scooped up the stitches and threw them away, they both made their way towards the stairs that led down to the club. I called out, “Blake? Can I talk to you for a second?”
He stopped in his tracks, ignoring the scowl from Ashton, and turned his eyes towards mine. Nodding, he left Ashton at the peak of the stairs and sat on the coffee table in front of me.
“She’ll be fine, Ashton,” Sam assured him, shooing Ashton away with his hands. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Once Ashton was gone, I said, “Sam, can you give us a minute alone, please?”
Sam huffed. “Are you sure this is a good idea.”
“Positive, Sam. Blake would never hurt me. You know that.”
Sam nodded in agreement. “Okay, but I’ll be inside the guest room if you need me.”
“Be sure to close the door too, Sam!” I warned, and smirked after he snorted and closed the door. It wouldn’t matter if the door was open or closed, Sam was going to hear us either way.
I focused my attention on Blake’s face. Haunted and forlorn, he appeared at a loss. Almost as he’d given up, he stared down at his hands in indifference. It broke my heart.
I murmured, “Blake, are you okay?”
His gray eyes met mine and he offered a small smile. “Sure. I’m fine.”
“You’re a horrible liar,” I said.
“Apparently I’m better at it than you think,” he replied, running a hand over his face. “God, I wanted to die when I found out you’d been shot.”
“Yeah, bullets tend to hurt just a little bit,” I stated with a smile, trying to joke about the situation. But Blake just glared at me like I’d lost my mind. I sighed, turning serious. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”
“Nothing,” he said, and at my defiant stare, he let out an exhausted breath. “I don’t know what to do.”
“To do about what, Blake?”
“You. Me. Everything,” he said.
“What do you mean?” I asked, reached forward, and grabbed his hand.
Blake toyed with the bracelet he gifted me with his other hand. “I’m a liar. A fraud. Why would you even wa
nt to be with me, Lily?”
I frowned, trying not to dwell on his words. “This is so unlike you. Why are you being so hard on yourself? You made a mistake. You don’t think I’m perfect, do you?”
With a small smile, he murmured, “Lily, you are perfect. I want nothing more to spend the rest of my life with you. But how can we be a couple with Ashton’s blood running through your veins? It makes me sick to my stomach to think that jerk has a link with you that I’ll never have.”
“Oh, Blake,” I whispered, my heart aching for him. I squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry I said all those mean things back in Vegas after I found out about your sister. You’d never purposely hurt me or the ones around you. As far as Ashton’s concerned, what makes you think we’re linked after he healed me?”
Blake snorted, shaking his head. “Don’t apologize just yet, Lily. This nightmare has only just begun. And besides, I’m not stupid when it comes to the blood link and Ashton. I’ve been there before, remember? It’s just a matter of time until he sinks those nasty fangs in you and you’ll be his forever.”
Reaching forward, I ran a hand through his blonde hair. “You don’t know that. Hell, I don’t know what the future will hold myself. And I’m the one with premonitions, remember?”
A smile blossomed on his handsome face, and my heart soared at the glimpse of the old Blake. Even if it was only for a moment. His eyes penetrated mine, as though he wanted confirmation that we’d be together forever. I stared back, unsure what to say in this fleeting moment.
“Lily...” he whispered, eyes focusing on my mouth.
His leaned in and his lips hesitantly met mine, gently at first. Testing the waters, Blake’s mouth moved against mine with more potency. His powers caressed my skin at the touch and I internally shivered. It was wrong, yes, but I reveled at his soft lips against mine. It may be the last time we’d kiss again if I lost my life, and even though my heart was torn in two different directions, I let him snake his hands in my hair.
Blake better not be crossing the line in there, or I’ll kill him. Ashton’s voice blasted through my thoughts like a megaphone.
I pulled away from Blake’s kiss with a gasp. He pressed his forehead against mine, hands still raked in my hair.