Jia threw a knife at the nearest soldier holding a pistol, then dove to the ground to roll as bullets meant for her tore up the tree. Her knife thudded into the shooter’s chest, and he collapsed. Meanwhile, with vampire speed, Russell wrenched the pistol from the other soldier’s hand and punched him. He dodged a sword, clobbered the first swordsman, then spun around to land a kick on the second swordsman’s head. One soldier lay dead on the ground; three others were unconscious.
The last soldier had his sword lifted overhead, ready to swipe it down onto Jia. She rolled toward him, whipped out another knife, and plunged it into his leg. He cried out, dropping his sword. Russell leaped on him and snapped his neck.
The soldier fell half on top of Jia, splattering her with blood. Russell pulled him off and she jumped to her feet, breathing heavily as she pulled out another knife.
“Are you all right?” Russell asked.
She looked frantically about. “It’s over?”
“Yes. Are you injured?” He inspected her quickly, but she appeared unharmed. The blood on her clothes wasn’t hers.
She glanced at the knife in her hand, then grimaced as she rammed it back into its sheath. “I had to kill again. I hate that.”
“That’s a good thing.”
She frowned as her gaze lingered over the two dead bodies. “How can you say that?”
“If you actually enjoyed killing, you’d be a sick bastard.” He plucked her knife from the soldier she’d killed. “You want this back?”
She wrapped her arms around herself and shook her head.
Russell wiped the knife clean and pocketed it. Then he retrieved the one embedded in the last soldier’s leg. The design of these knives might be traced back to Tiger Town, so they couldn’t be left behind. He quickly scanned the area to see if they’d left anything that might identify them. Three of the soldiers were still alive, so he dove into their heads and erased their memories of the last hour.
“We should go before they wake up.” He turned toward Jia and noticed she was visibly shaking. What an idiot he was that he’d bragged just moments ago that he could keep her safe.
He pulled her into his arms, and her trembling body nearly killed him. This was all his fault. He’d known the soldiers were on alert.
She grasped his coat in her fists. “Take me home.”
His heart sank. “To Tiger Town?”
“No.” She blinked with surprise. “I meant . . . our home. The cave.”
He stared at her a moment, his chest squeezing so hard he couldn’t breathe. Then he gathered her close and teleported.
They landed in the kitchen area in the dark. He stepped back, planning to light some lamps, but she held on tight to his coat. A shudder racked her body.
“Don’t . . .” She leaned against him, her brow resting on his chest. “Just a little bit longer.”
He wrapped his arms around her. How many times over the last few days had he held her and thought to himself, Just a little bit longer?
She nestled her cheek against his chest. “I can’t seem to stop shaking.”
“That happens sometimes afterward, but you were strong and brave when you needed to be.” He rubbed her back, recalling how panicked he had felt after his first skirmish in Vietnam. How heavily the knowledge that he’d killed other human beings had weighed on him. But tonight he had killed with no remorse, feeling nothing but rage that they had dared attack Jia.
What a cold, heartless monster he had become.
She shivered again. “I was so outnumbered. I thought I was going to die.”
Guilt ripped at his heart. “I shouldn’t have left you alone.”
“I told you to go.”
He shook his head. “I screwed up. I won’t leave you alone again.”
“Then how will I sniff out—”
“I don’t give a damn.” He held her tighter, his right hand cradling the back of her head. “I’m not leaving you alone.”
With a small shock, he realized the full import of what he’d just said. Somehow, in the last few days, Jia had become more important to him than his quest for revenge. “I promised everyone I will keep you safe, and I will.”
She looked up at him, then touched his cheek. “I can hardly see you.”
“I know.” She couldn’t see what a monster he was. Somehow, miraculously, she still believed in him. He cupped her face and wiped her tears with his thumbs.
She rested the palm of her hand on his cheek. “Thank you for charging to the rescue.”
“Anytime.” He kissed her brow. He continued to caress her cheeks with his thumbs, then slowly his thumb inched over to her mouth. Softly, he rubbed the pad of his thumb over her lips. Her mouth opened.
An invitation. His groin hardened, and his vision went red.
With a gasp, she stepped back. “You must be hungry.”
“No, I—”
“Of course you’re hungry. You used a lot of energy in the fight.” She fumbled along the table till she reached the ice chest. “Let me get you a bottle.”
“I’m not going to bite you.”
“I know that.” She pulled a bottle from the ice. “Do you need it warmed up?”
“This will be fine.” He opened the bottle and took a long drink of cold blood to cool off the onslaught of desire. “I’ll light a few lamps.” He set the bottle on the table and soon had two lamps lit. Glancing down, he winced at the bulge that persisted in his trousers. He looked back at Jia, but she was totally focused on the bloodstains on her tunic.
“What a mess. I’d better wash this before it dries.” She removed her boots and socks, then waded into the river, where she pulled off her tunic.
He sipped more blood as he watched her, still tinted pink from his glowing red eyes. She leaned over, vigorously scrubbing at her tunic. No doubt she wanted to erase the bloodstains, along with the terror of tonight’s skirmish, but her action was affecting him differently. Her movements made her breasts jiggle and agitated the water enough to dampen the camisole she wore. Her nipples hardened as the cool river water soaked through the thin silk.
He turned away. His groin and his vision would never return to normal as long as he was ogling her. He took off his coat and put away his weapons, then grabbed an extra blanket from the bookshelf. As he passed the bed, he snatched his pillow, then continued walking to the far reaches of the cave.
“I’ll sleep here,” he announced, tossing the blanket and pillow on the ground. “You can have the bed.”
“I can’t do that.” She stepped onto the riverbank, wringing the water out of the tunic. “It’s your bed.”
He glanced toward her and groaned. Her wet pants and camisole were glued to her body, showing every dip and curve. “It doesn’t matter where I sleep. I’ll be dead. I could sleep on a bed of nails and not know it.”
“Well, if you insist.” She stretched out her wet tunic on the nearby drying rack.
“I insist.” He grabbed a clean towel off the rack and draped it around her shoulders.
“What—” She glanced down at herself and gasped. “Oh my God, I’m . . . sorry.” Her cheeks turned pink as she clutched the edges of the towel together.
“Go back to the kitchen so I can shower. And no peeking like last night.”
She huffed. “I didn’t—” Her cheeks blazed a hotter shade of pink. “Of all the crazy things . . .” She marched back to the kitchen area and slipped his coat on.
Did she think that made things better? She was in his home, wearing his clothes. This was torture.
A cold shower, that’s what he needed. With vampire speed, he filled the tub and overhead bucket, then stripped and showered. He glanced over at Jia a few times, but she was steadfastly ignoring him, eating chips and studying one of his books.
He’d come so close to kissing her. If his red glowing eyes hadn’t startled her, he would have kissed her. Hell, he might have done more.
She’s engaged, he told himself for the hundredth time. He’d promised he wou
ld keep her safe. That meant safe from him, too. She had a prince waiting for her. He couldn’t screw up her chance for a happy future.
He grabbed a clean towel off the rack to dry himself, then put on the underwear that Jia had washed the night before. She’s engaged, he reminded himself again. He couldn’t kiss her. Shouldn’t even think about her.
“Don’t mind me.” He strode toward the table. “I just need to brush my teeth before going to bed.”
Her eyes widened at the sight of him in his underwear, then she quickly looked away. “No problem. Just pretend I’m not here.”
His gaze landed on the tin cup with their toothbrushes resting side by side. We are pretending, he thought. Pretending they were only business partners. Pretending they didn’t want more. Who were they kidding?
Rule number one was shot to hell.
He was asleep. Dead, to be precise, but she didn’t like to think about Russell that way.
She’d stayed in the kitchen, ignoring him, but with every second that the sun had inched toward the horizon, she’d been achingly aware of him. His breathing had grown more labored and tinged with pain. Each time he’d exhaled, she’d wondered if it would be his last breath.
And then it was. Silence.
Her heart squeezed in her chest.
The cave became lighter as more sunlight filtered through the roof. But across the cave, in the furthermost corner, it was dark and quiet.
She turned off the lamps, then removed his coat. Her cheeks grew warm as she recalled how transparent her wet camisole had been. She’d been so intent on getting rid of the bloodstains that she’d never thought about how exposed she would look in wet clothes.
At the time, putting on his coat had been the only remedy she could think of. She’d brought only two sets of clothes with her, and the clean ones were on the drying rack next to the bathtub. There was no way she could walk over there when he was showering.
But now he was dead. He couldn’t tease her about peeking. Couldn’t tempt her with the way he held her and stroked her face.
“Russell.” She approached him for a closer look. His hair was still damp, the ends curling. He looked so sweet and peaceful, not at all like the raging warrior who had plowed through three soldiers in about three seconds.
She brushed his hair back from his brow, then smoothed her hand down his face. With a finger, she rubbed the little indentation where he had a dimple when he smiled. It was surrounded by prickly whiskers.
She touched his lips. It had happened again. She’d wanted him to kiss her.
With a sigh, she straightened. The attraction was growing, but this couldn’t be love. Not with a vampire. She was merely reacting to his proximity. And his masculinity. And the way he believed in her. And protected her. The way he looked at her with those hungry eyes. The way his hands sometimes lingered at her waist longer than necessary when they teleported.
She shook her head. It would be best not to think about him. So she spent the next thirty minutes doing laundry, then taking a hot bath.
Before going to bed, she needed to assure her cousin that she was alive and well, so she called him.
“Are you all right?” Rajiv asked. “I sent Jin Long to get you, but Russell pulled a trick on him—”
“What do you mean?” Jia glanced over at Russell while she heard about his little trip to the Himalayan mountains. Her mouth twitched. So that’s where the rascal had gone. “Is Jin Long all right?”
“Yeah. He’s happy now that Winifred is back.”
“Oh, that’s good.” Jia smiled, recalling how smitten Jin Long had been with the warrior woman Winifred.
“She came with Angus and Emma and a bunch of MacKay employees,” Rajiv continued. “Tiger Town is full of Vamps and shifters again. You should come back to see everyone.”
Jia bit her lip. “Did they bring the dragon babies with them?”
“Yeah, you wouldn’t believe how much they’ve grown.”
“And Freya?” Jia asked about Winifred’s sister, who had actively pursued Rajiv. “Did she come?”
“She stayed in England. Apparently, she has a job now with her brother. And a new boyfriend.”
Jia winced. “I’m sorry. I know you liked her.”
“I was flattered that she liked me, but I always knew there couldn’t be more to it than that.” Rajiv sighed. “I’m in the same boat you are, Jia. I have to marry a were-tigress. And a princess, most likely. She’ll definitely have to be approved by the Council of Elders. I can’t bring dishonor to my family or my position. And neither can you.”
A jab of guilt needled Jia. She’d resented her cousin’s interference in her life, but in reality, he was just as trapped as she was. “What about love?”
“There’s no reason why we can’t find love with our chosen mates,” Rajiv assured her. “This prince of yours is trying very hard. He sends a gift every day. Today, it was a framed portrait of himself. The court ladies all agree that he’s very handsome. If you just give him a chance, I know you could be happy.”
Jia sighed, not wanting to think about it. “So why did Angus and everyone come back?”
“Winifred can communicate with winged creatures, so we’re hoping she and the owl can figure out where Xiao Fang is being held. And then we would know Han’s location, too.”
“I see.” Jia wondered who would find Han first. It needed to be her and Russell.
“Tonight we attacked one of Han’s camps and took all the supersoldiers prisoner,” Rajiv continued. “They’re in the clinic now so we can return them to normal.”
“That’s good.” News of the attack must have spread, Jia thought. It would explain why the soldiers at the last campsite had been so eager to kill anyone in the area.
“Angus wants to attack a different camp every night,” Rajiv explained. “It will deplete Han’s army and eventually lure him out of hiding.”
She nodded. “It’s a good plan.”
“It is. You should come back here so you can be part of it.”
She glanced at Russell. “I think our plan works well, too.”
Rajiv let out a groan of frustration. “I don’t like you living with him. Something could happen—”
“He’s doing his best to keep me safe.”
“Promise me, Jia, if you’re mortally wounded, you’ll make him bring you back here.”
“I’m not going to die, Rajiv.”
“There’s something . . . I don’t think Grandfather ever told you. He was so adamant about keeping you innocent. And of course, we always assumed you’d never get mortally wounded as long as you were living at Tiger Town. You would always be safe here.”
Jia frowned. “What is it?”
“When were-cats die and progress on to the next life, they . . .”
“Become more powerful? I know that.” Being able to shift at any time was a great advantage.
Rajiv groaned. “There’s more. When they wake up, they . . . they have an overwhelming desire to . . . mate.”
She blinked. “Mate?”
“Yes.”
She snorted. “That’s crazy. You’re on your second life, and you don’t have a mate.”
“Well, I . . . it doesn’t matter,” Rajiv stammered. “The need is so strong that you find someone . . . or take care of it yourself.”
She made a face. “Is that what you did?”
“I’m not talking about it! I’m just warning you. You’ll need to come home.”
She scoffed. “I don’t have a mate there. Besides, it’s not going to happen. I have no plans to die.” Overwhelming need to mate? How laughable. She’d never even kissed a man. She wouldn’t know an overwhelming need to mate if it bit her on the ass.
“You shouldn’t be there alone with Russell,” Rajiv insisted.
Her mouth dropped open. That’s why Rajiv was so worried. He was afraid she and Russell would . . .
Her cheeks blazed with heat. “There’s nothing between us. It’s a business partnership.”
She stiffened. “Why? I know he’s not going to bite me.”
“Red eyes don’t just mean hunger. It also means lust.”
Her breath caught. Lust?
“You haven’t seen it, have you?”
“No, not at all.” She covered her mouth. What was she doing? She’d never lied to her cousin like that before. “I should get some sleep now. I’ll call tomorrow.”
She hung up and paced around the cave. Soon her steps led her to Russell.
She’d already suspected he desired her. Now she had proof. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized he’d done a good job of behaving himself. He’d never actually confessed or attempted to seduce her. In fact, he usually kept her at a distance.
It was her behavior that was questionable. For even though she knew she was living with a vampire who desired her, she didn’t want to leave.
Chapter Twelve
I remain a prisoner of the man with the golden mask. I hang my head in false surrender whenever he visits me, but deep inside my dragon heart, I am filled with hope. Even though the sacred mountain of Beyul-La has been destroyed, the warrior women still live. Norjee lives. The other dragons live. I am not alone.
And soon I will be free.
A few days have passed since I talked to Queen Nima’s owl. By now, I believe the owl will have found the village of were-tigers. Norjee and Winifred will be able to communicate with him. They will seek to discover my location. They will not give up on me. Although they are mortal, Winifred is like a sister to me. Norjee is my brother.
I have tried calling the local birds, but I am not certain that I am reaching them from this underground prison. I need to be aboveground, where they can see me and know where I am. Only then can they spread the word of my location.
Today I have removed the papers taped to my wall. The same word is written on all of them. Home.
Crouching Tiger, Forbidden Vampire Page 13