Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
I glanced over at Lucas. We’d been on the road for an hour and for most of that time he sat silently in the passenger seat, staring out the front window. His head was somewhere, and I didn’t bother him. My mind was elsewhere, too.
His words repeated in my head. He wasn’t addicted to my blood—just me. Not the words every girl wanted to hear, but not every girl dated a vamp. I grinned and glanced at him, but he didn’t notice me.
He didn’t seem bothered by our fight the night before. I’d been childish about him taking blood from me, but I was getting that itch. The one I got every time I thought about my past. My mistakes. There was a time when that itch was enough to make me want to run. I didn’t feel that anymore. Not since Lucas. The itch just created different side effects, making me cranky and stubborn.
In the end, he’d taken more blood than I’d expected. It had been an erotic moment. An odd thing to say, but there it was. The only question was whether my past would make him look at me differently.
I glanced over again then dropped my gaze to the phone in his hand. He hadn’t made the call.
“Are you waiting for a particular reason?” I asked.
“What?” He glanced at me, then down at the phone. “No. Maybe.”
“Like a Band-Aid.”
He gave me a curious stare.
“You know. When you need to remove a bandage, it’s easier to rip it off fast.”
“You didn’t do that with my bandages.”
My cheeks warmed, and I kept my eyes on the road. But I felt his on me. “Special case.”
He chuckled. “I see.” He dialed the number then looked out his side window. “It’s me. I’m alright. We ran into some trouble, but we’re back on the mission.” A long pause. “Yes.” A sigh. “No, we have a lead on Fiona.” Another long pause, and he ran a hand through his hair. “I understand.” He heaved another sigh. “Fayetteville, Tennessee. We should be there by morning.” Another long pause and, this time, his hand fisted for a brief second before releasing to rub his thigh. His tone held a note of irritation. “We know what we’re doing. If you want to do that, that’s your call. You know where we’ll be.” He hung up and dropped the phone in the console.
“That didn’t go so well.”
“He wants us to go to New Orleans and meet up with Bella and Jacques.”
“And you don’t agree with that.”
“Why drive all the way there just to turn around and double back? It’s a waste of time.”
“Did Sergi agree with that reasoning?”
“It doesn’t matter. Devon gave me the assignment. Sergi was assigned to monitor the situation, not make decisions when he doesn’t have all the information.”
“Alright.” I wasn’t privy to how the cadre worked, but Lucas didn’t report to Sergi. This had been Lucas’s passion since first hearing about the book. He knew what he was doing.
Lucas took my hand and squeezed. “I wasn’t the youngest in my family, but I was the youngest male. Perhaps I’m just as rebellious as you.”
I grinned and squeezed back. “Now, that’s something I can work with. What do you want to do about the rental?”
He picked up the paper map with all their notes. “We need to make a detour. It’s a bit out of the way, but we can pick up a new car, and I can get some blood. After that, we’re going dark. Bella and Jacques will have to use their tracking skills if they want to find us.”
I snorted. “That won’t take long.”
“I know. But at the moment, I’m not in the mood to make everyone else’s life easier.”
“So, why did we drive all the way here just for a new rental?” I crawled out of the car. I’d driven non-stop since morning, only stopping to eat and pee, and my legs refused to work.
Lucas had slept most of the way, and the blood I’d given him the night before continued to heal him. But he wasn’t strong enough to wield a dagger or sword. And if he could, he wouldn’t have the necessary speed required to fend off more than a single vamp.
“We’re not getting a rental. Can you get me some water and maybe some fruit, if they have it?”
The convenience store was busy with humans, so it should be safe enough to go in alone. “What are you going to be doing?”
He was already striding toward the street, and he yelled over his shoulder, “I won’t be long.”
There he was going off on his own again. I doubted the vamps were aware of our location, but I wasn’t born yesterday and wouldn’t be surprised again. And that thought lasted about a minute as Lucas jogged across the street and walked into a local bank.
What the hell?
Sure, no problem. Just take some time to catch up on your banking.
Then I considered why a bank. The vamps he’d killed had a lot of money on them. Lucas still had his own stash. The money I’d spent on supplies barely touched it. Maybe he just wanted to be ready in case of another emergency.
I locked the car and marched into the store, turning my focus to simple shopping. I bought a case of water, two bottles of orange juice, bananas, apples, and, finally, road trip snacks for me. Ten minutes of staring out the car window dragged by before Lucas stepped out of the bank and hurried to the car.
“Let’s go,” he said as he closed the door. “At the light, make a right. There’s a used car dealership a couple of blocks down.”
“You’re going to buy a car?” My voice squeaked.
“No one will be able to track us. Sergi included.”
“Oh. I hadn’t thought of that.” It was a great idea to keep the bad vamps away, but he was making Bella’s task harder to find them. Although, she’d most likely consider it an acceptable challenge.
An hour later, with what had to be the fastest sales transaction the salesman ever made while he unknowingly donated half a pint of blood, I drove out of the lot in a ten-year-old white panel van. There weren’t a lot of conveniences, but it wasn’t all bad. The van had an upgraded radio with satellite stations, drove smoother than I expected, and the seat was higher so I could see over the top of most cars.
We bypassed the interstate, found the state highway, and headed west. A few hours later, Lucas selected a small town for us to overnight. We picked up dinner from a grocery store and found a nondescript motel on the edge of town next to a diner. At least we’d have something hot for breakfast.
I eyed him as we ate premade salads while an old musical played on the TV. “You seem quite capable of slumming it.”
He glanced up with a mouthful of salad and washed it down with a swallow of wine from a plastic cup. “You think I can only survive in five-star hotels?”
“They’re the only ones you’ve taken me to.” I held up my hands, fork waving. “Not that I mind. I just thought that’s how vamps always traveled.”
“It’s common for the House Leader, cadre, and many others in the Family, but there are times when surveillance dictates other accommodations.”
We finished the bottle of wine and watched TV until it was time for sleep.
“Come closer. I haven’t been able to hold you for days.” Lucas held the sheet open for me, and I curled up next to him, his arms holding me tight. “I owe you so much.” He kissed my forehead, my cheek, and then my lips. It didn’t last long, but it was passionate.
“Why do you think you owe me anything?” I asked.
“Because, my sweet angel, if you weren’t as smart and quick as you had been that night, I’d be in the afterlife looking down on you, sad for all the days I would miss having you in my arms.”
I clutched him tight, the import of his words reminding me of what I’d refused to consider. I’d almost lost him. And our mission was far from over. For the first time since Lucas mentioned it, I was happy Bella and Jacques were on their way.
We’d been watching the same grocery store for three days. Thank god it wasn’t an open-all-night store or we’d be sleeping in the van. At least I’d talked Lucas into buying an air mattress, just in case. The day before, we thought we’d found Fiona, but it wasn’t her. At least, she wasn’t a vampire, and Lucas assured me only vampires could be library custodians.
“How long are we going to try this approach?” I asked while picking through an assorted nut mix, searching for the last hazelnut before switching to almonds.
“At least a week. Bella will find us soon, and then we’ll have more options. The store has a delivery boy, and I’ve been considering following him on one of his runs. Fiona might stock up on dry goods, but she’ll eventually need fresh food. Whether she’s with Philipe or not, she’s been living on the run for too long to ignore its necessity. She’ll also require blood and could take it from the delivery boy if he doesn’t visit her often, otherwise, she’ll need to come to town.”
“So, either the delivery boy or some other unsuspecting human ends up their unsuspecting donor.”
He shrugged. “A minute to mesmerize, take the blood, leave them with a pleasant thought, then send the human on their way. No fuss. No muss.”
“What does it say about me that I’m no longer fazed by that?”
He grabbed my hand, kissed it, then stole the can of nuts. “It says that you’re intelligent and understand more of how the world works.”
“I guess.”
“Think of it this way. When you were trying to keep me safe, not knowing how to stay hidden, what if you didn’t have money to buy food, rent a room, or buy gas?”
Money had been one of the first things I took stock of once I checked on Lucas and hid the dead vamps. I didn’t have to run through the situation we’d been in to know what I’d have to do. I would have risked the call to Sergi, but it would have been at least a day or more before he could get to us. Lucas had a credit card, but using it would have left a trail the bad vamps could have picked up. The bottom line was that I might have done something I wasn’t proud of to keep Lucas and me alive.
“When you put it that way, I would have done things I thought I’d left behind in the Hollows.”
“Survival is a strong instinct. It doesn’t matter the species.”
“I’ve never asked, but do you think this book can be as damaging as everyone believes? Cressa doesn’t talk about it. Does it really hold the truth of vampire and dreamwalker history?”
“I can only guess at what might be in the book, but it must be something that could upend vampire society. Fiona and Philipe have been in hiding for decades. That either makes them extremely paranoid or terrified of the book’s authenticity.”
“My ass hurts. I think I’ll run in and get us dinner. The store will be closing soon.”
We ate our premade salads and fruit at the table in our motel room. I finished my glass of wine and disappeared into the bathroom after grabbing a bag out of the duffel.
I slipped out of my clothes, took a quick shower, and put on a skimpy nightie I’d found on sale. Cressa always said I could find a gem in a coal mine. It wasn’t fancy, but it showed plenty of skin, which was the entire point.
We hadn’t had sex since the night before he’d been injured. During our stakeouts, he’d take a break to run through his training program while I watched the store. He was back to his fighting speed, which told me he was ready for other vigorous exercises.
I grinned as I folded up my leggings and tunic and stepped into the room. He was head down studying a local map and making notes. I didn’t know what he was hoping to find, but sometimes it was his general interest in learning rather than anything to do with a mission.
He didn’t notice as I dropped my clothes on the duffel and stepped up behind him. I ran my hands over his shoulders, gently massaging them. He leaned into it, though partly by reflex, while he remained focused on the map. When I moved my hands down his back, continuing my massage, he dropped the pen as I moved below his hips.
Satisfied I had his attention, I moved my hands back up to his shoulders and down his chest while I nibbled at an ear and then his neck. When that didn’t seem to be enough, I blew a soft whisper along the back of his neck.
He moved so swiftly, I gasped, then giggled when he lifted me in his arms. His gaze glowed an electric blue when he took in the nightie.
“You read my mind.” His kiss was hot, passionate, and unforgiving.
I writhed in his arms, his lips never leaving mine as he laid me down, covering me with his body. I pushed at him, wanting to be the seducer, but he wasn’t going to budge. And the molten heat sweeping across my body overrode any salient thought I had.
He pushed the strap off my shoulder and freed a breast. After that, I’m not sure I could recall anything else. It was all arms and legs and breasts and cock and heated touches. Lips and tongues, and the erotic feel of skin on skin.
I lost track of time, and we didn’t come up for air until we were both damp with sweat, our breaths coming fast, our heartbeats pounding against each other’s chest. It was raw and desperate. I wanted more, but we fell asleep in each other’s arms. I’d take care of the next round in the morning.
Sometime later, a knock on the door made us both jump out of bed like someone had thrown the melted remains of the ice bucket over us. We dressed quickly before each grabbing a weapon. I moved toward the bathroom, hovering in my fighter’s stance.
At this point, the nightie seemed an unfortunate clothing choice. I should have taken the time for leggings, but Lucas was too fast. He moved on silent feet and peered through the peephole. Then he laid his forehead against the door.
He glanced back at me, was going to say something, but a strange smile caught the corners of his lips. He opened the door and swung it wide.
“Hello, Rom.”
A dark-haired vamp stood in the doorway, giving Lucas a studied perusal. He gripped Lucas’s upper arms, pulling him in for what I assumed was a brotherly hug when his gaze caught mine.
He stared as a slow grin spread across his handsome face.
I was still in my fighter’s stance, dagger in my right hand, and in my nightie. My cheeks flamed with embarrassment at being caught like this.
He was still gripping Lucas, but his eyes never left mine when he responded to Lucas’s greeting. “Ah, mon pote. Who do we have here?”