Chapter Twenty-three – Jack #3
“All right, boys. I’ve offered more than enough hospitality this evening.”
She was right. I had to get me and mine home before dawn.
I slid out of Paco with a sigh and heard him groan agreement.
But he was himself now—we’d abated the hunger, for tonight.
He stood and it was hard not to think about mauling him again.
How would I manage to keep my hands off of him all the way home? Would Luna be well enough to drive?
My eyes traveled up his body—and when my gaze reached his face I could see reality catching up with him. “Jack,” he whispered, looking down at himself, realizing everything he’d done.
I sobered up instantly. “I know. It’s a lot to take in.”
“What happened to Kristopher? Does he know?” Paco’s expression furrowed with concern. “What does he think happened to me? And—my business—what happened with that?”
Kristopher was Paco’s long-term monogamish magician boyfriend. I was just supposed to be Paco’s side-piece—like he was mine. When one of us had been a vampire and the other a human, it was the only way it could be.
“It’s only been three days,” I said, trying to downplay things.
“He must be worried,” Paco said.
“He doesn’t know what you are now, Paco. And honestly, I don’t think you should tell him.”
Paco swallowed. “I’m not going to not give the man closure. We lived together—I have to get my things—I owe him that.”
Maya cleared her throat. “Excuse me, gentlemen, but it is almost dawn.”
Paco moved to the side of the stage and started pulling on his clothing. I went after him. “You know I was just trying to help, Paco. Then—and now.”
Paco looked at me, his eyes dark. “I know. But you’re right—this is a lot.”
I put myself in his path. “Which is why I don’t want you to go through it alone.”
He paused, and kissed me, and for a blissful second I thought all was forgiven, until he pulled back. “I remember how you lived back then. I know how to do that.”
“Paco,” I protested.
“I’ll be okay. I just need to figure out some things.”
I leaned forward. I wanted to argue with him—and I had never been more tempted to whammy him in my life. I was his maker—his Master, technically—which meant even though we were both vampires, I could do that. I could make him do anything I wanted.
I just couldn’t make him be mine.
“Okay,” I said, nodding reluctantly. “You know where to find me.”
“I do,” he said, swallowing. He looked for a second more like he might kiss me—then jumped off the stage and walked for the door.
I turned, and found Maya watching. Her expression let me know what she thought of our exchange. “You are no Rosalie,” she said.
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” I quipped, sounding lighter than I felt. “Where’s Luna?”
“In the back,” she said. “I’ll show you.”
I followed Maya to a room full of bunk beds holding bloodslaves like they were at some vampire summer camp. “Really?” I asked her, but she didn’t answer me. Only some of them turned to look at us—most of them were snoring.
Maya led me through to the back, where there was a communal bathroom set with toilets and open shower stalls, and Luna, on the floor, with an almost empty IV bag of normal saline hanging off of a robe hook, with a long plastic line dangling down to her arm.
“What’s this for?” I asked, but I already knew the answer. Luna was normally pale and goth—but now she looked almost translucent. Blood loss, likely due to Paco—and what little blood she did have was creating lovely bruises on her head and around her neck.
“I found that Rojo bloodslave strangling her with a chain. Luna was trying to stop her. With this,” Maya said, holding out the strange bone weapon Luna’d used against Sam. “You ever see this before?”
“No,” I lied. “You?”
“Nope.”
“Maybe Rosalie gave it to her?” At least that’s what Luna had implied the other night.
Maya gave me a bemused look. “Our Rosalie?” she said, and laughed.
She was still laughing as she disconnected Luna from the IV line, easily picking her up to hand her over.
“If she’s going to die, she can die at your place today.
” I took her, and Maya tossed the piece of bone onto Luna’s stomach, then stared at me “Don’t ever say I didn’t do you any favors, Jack.
I’m the one whose ass is hanging in the wind here with the Rojo—and I spent quite an amount of liquid capital tonight, keeping your man alive. ”
“I appreciate it—but the Rojo were going to screw you anyways. They sent that bloodslave out tonight to meet me at a club and had her offer herself to me.”
She frowned. “They fed you? Before a fight? Why?”
“I suspect the word is on the street that I’m a lover not a fighter—they thought she’d entertain me, and I’d ditch you.
” I shrugged, hitching Luna closer, walking back through the club with Maya following me.
“They had her prick her finger for me on a rose’s thorn and everything.
She was an excellent actress, begging me to spend the night and help her spend her sugar daddy’s money on caviar. ”
“Well I’m glad you were able to overcome the temptation of imported fish eggs to help out.” Maya said, rounding me to hold open Vermillion’s door.
“And I’m glad you were able to keep my man occupied. I do know the risk your people took. Tell them I appreciate it.”
“I’ll pass it along.” I stood in the door way for a moment, feeling the cold night breeze, listening—sensing—for any Good Samaritans that might want to report a tattooed guy carrying a passed out girl to his car to the cops.
Finding none, I looked back to Maya. “I’m glad this worked, Maya, but let’s not do it again. ”
She grinned at me, still half-naked and looking feral, her teeth shining in the darkness. “Agreed.”
I stepped out into the night, and was halfway to my car when I heard her voice behind me. “Hey—Jack. You know he’ll come back to you, right?”
I didn’t respond to her.
“You’re his Master now. He’ll have no choice!” she shouted, and then laughed cruelly before I heard the door close and lock.