Chapter 25
“I’m being hunted.”
“I can’t put you in any more danger than I already have.”
“I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”
“I want you too, Ryder, so bad it hurts. But I can’t put you through this.”
“We can’t, it isn’t safe.”
He’d taken his hand out of his pocket to run it through his hair.
It was bandaged. He’d foolishly picked up the bullet, and the still-hot lead scarred his hand to the point where he needed first aid.
Someone from the tattoo parlor next door had still been working, heard the gunshot, and called the first responders.
My eyes burned at the memory of James breaking up with me on my doorstep a week ago. I downed my whiskey, flagging the bartender for another. I’d gone to a bar clear across town. Dani had been calling me for days, but I’d been too hungover all week to answer her.
Oh yeah, that was a new thing too—I wasn’t working. I hadn’t been to work in over a week.
“What about my job? Do you really expect us to work together after this? Because if you want me gone for good, you’ll have to fire me. Otherwise, I’ll see you on Monday and we can try this again.”
“Then you leave me no choice.”
My heart skipped a beat. “You’re firing me?”
He scrubbed his face with his free hand. “A leave of absence, until it’s safe.”
I was still getting paid, but that was so far from the point that they may as well have been in different zip codes.
When the bartender set my next shot down, he held out his hand. I knew what that meant: I fished around in my pocket and handed over my keys. I necked the shot, then gulped down a fair amount of water.
Another shot was placed in front of me. I sure as hell hadn’t ordered one, so I looked around—to my right, an arm was reaching over my shoulder to rest against the bar. Luke.
My lips attempted to twitch into a smile. “What are you doing here?”
“Just having a drink,” he shrugged. “Same as you. I owed you one from the night we met, so I thought I’d make up for it now.”
I wanted to protest, but that night only reminded me of James. I picked up the shot and drank it. “Thanks,” I said, wincing around the burn.
“Want another?”
“Not yet.”
An awkward silence fell between us. Luke hovered, not moving any closer but showing no intention of moving away either. I closed my eyes, relishing the way my head started to loosen. I straightened my back, surprising myself by not flinching when I touched him.
“Where’s your boyfriend?” Luke asked, breath puffing against my ear. I caught the scent of toothpaste.
I waved for another shot. “I don’t have a boyfriend.”
“Ah, things not going well with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Jealous?”
I deflected, downing the drink. “You going to sit down or just stand next to me all night?”
“I didn’t know if I’d be welcome.”
“You’d rather leave me here to drink by myself?”
He took the chair next to mine, I spun the empty shot glass around in my hands. The bartender refilled my water, dropping off another shot. “Can I get a Manhattan?”
The bartender returned a moment later with the drink, and I pushed it over to Luke. He chuckled in surprise, and the warmth that spread through my body at the sound calmed me.
“You remembered,” he said, scooting closer and lifting his glass to his mouth.
“You’re a hard man to forget.”
I snickered as Luke coughed and sputtered. It was refreshing to see his stoic facade waver. “You all right?” I asked, sliding my glass of water in his direction. His eyes watered from the alcohol that must’ve been burning his nose.
“Fine.” He reached for a napkin next to him, dabbing at his eyes. “You, um,” he leaned in closer, “you want to talk about it?”
I blamed what happened next on the booze. I launched into the whole story, obviously leaving out the part about my vampire boss and the hunter that seemed to be after both of us. I waved for another round when my voice started to crack at the part where James broke up with me.
“Damn, Ryder. I’m sorry.”
The bartender set another shot in front of me and after I took it, I asked, “Did you break into Liz’s?”
Luke’s chair creaked as he turned toward me, utter confusion on his face. “What?”
I searched his face for any evidence he was lying. “The weekend after our altercation in the parking lot, there was a break-in at the bar. The police found a necklace.” I hooked a finger on the collar of his shirt and pulled, revealing the silver cross he always wore. “Just like this one.”
He followed my eyes, running his finger along the chain until it bumped into mine. “It obviously wasn’t mine. It’s a memento, but it’s also just a silver chain with a cross on it. Anyone could have one.”
The cocky man I’d met at the bar was gone.
I gave him a more thorough inspection than I had before.
The man was attractive, and damn it if his kindness and compassion didn’t make him even hotter.
I let my eyes rake over him, noticing that he did the same to me.
He rolled his bottom lip between his teeth, pulling my eyes to his mouth.
I shifted, my jeans growing uncomfortable.
“Ryder…” Luke’s voice forced my eyes back to his. A strand of golden hair had broken free from its style and fallen into his face. I fought the urge to reach for it.
I wanted to mess it up.
Fuck!
“I have to use the bathroom.” I scrambled off the stool, only feeling the effects of the whiskey once my feet hit the floor. Luke reached out and steadied me with a hand on my waist.
“Do you want some help?”
“No, I’m fine.”
Luke let go when I’d righted myself, and I stumbled toward the restrooms. After I finished, I stood at the sink, splashing cold water on my face. The longer I stood there, the more appealing the thought of leaving with Luke became. I wasn’t seriously considering going home with him, was I?
I didn’t see anyone else volunteering to take his spot.
Raleigh—at least, single-Raleigh—had always said that the best way to get over someone was to get under somebody else. Funny how drunk Ryder always found Raleigh so wise.
I washed my hands and waltzed back to the bar with a little more confidence.
I half expected—and partially hoped—Luke would be gone when I returned.
Instead, I found him nursing another Manhattan while he chatted with the bartender, who looked to me as I approached.
“There you are,” he said. “You’ve had a lot to drink. I was worried.”
“I’m fine,” I told him with a smile. Then, to Luke, “Want to get out of here?”
I gave him the best bedroom eyes I could muster, and judging by the way he squirmed, they worked. I dropped my eyes to his lap briefly, but damn it, it was too dark for me to see anything against his black slacks.
“Hell yeah, I do.” He mopped up his drink while I closed out my tab.
I led him out of the bar and around the corner into the alley before pinning him against the wall, my hips flush against his, both of us fighting for dominance.
I claimed his mouth, earning a whimper of surprise.
I moaned as our cocks ground together. I leaned into him, expelling all thoughts of a certain vampire.
Luke pulled away from the kiss, nosing his way across my cheek and dipping into the curve of my neck.
“Your place or mine?” he asked.
“You pick. Fair warning: mine has a thirteen-week-old puppy who just found his voice.” I smiled against his skin as I pressed kisses to his neck.
“Guess that means mine,” he panted, stealing another kiss before taking my hand. “Plus it’s only a block away.”
We stumbled into his apartment in a mess of limbs, fighting to shut the door behind us in our haste. “Sorry about the mess,” Luke said between feverish kisses.
“We haven’t made the mess yet.”
I worked a hand between us, palming his chest and shoving him away so he’d lead me where I wanted. His clothes were disheveled, skin flushed beneath the dark moonlight. “Bedroom.”
Luke’s eyes widened slightly, but he grinned as I stalked after him. Next order of business: mess up that perfect hair.
Morning came too soon. I awoke with a pounding in my head and a weight on my stomach.
I peeled my eyes open. It was an arm, and it was digging into my full bladder.
I turned my head, getting a mouthful of blond hair.
I’d done a damn fine job mussing that perfect hairstyle.
I shifted, trying to get out from under him without waking him up.
It didn’t work. The arm over my midriff tightened, making me squirm.
“Don’t go,” Luke murmured. “You’re warm.”
“I’m about to be wet.”
“Yeah, you are,” he purred.
“No, I really have to pee.” I laughed, not helping my situation in the slightest. “Move!”
I fished around for my boxers and stumbled to the bathroom.
On my way back to bed, in my groggy state, I opened the wrong door.
I didn’t realize I’d entered the wrong room until my hip connected with the sharp corner of a desk that I was pretty sure wasn’t there last night.
I blinked, bringing the room into focus, but a blackout curtain kept the space in darkness. I felt around for the light switch.
The overhead light came on, and it took me a second to believe what I saw in the room was real.
The far wall held an assortment of large wooden crucifixes.
So many photographs and posters decorated the walls that I couldn’t tell you the color of the paint.
As my shock wore off, the photos looked familiar.
They were pictures of me, of James, and of people throughout history labeled and organized by year…
and Hannah walking Carlos. He’d been to my house, around my daughter.
“Ryder?”
I started, spinning around. “I thought you went back to sleep.”
Luke leaned against the door frame, arms crossed over his bare chest. “You were taking a while. I was worried you were sick.”
I motioned to the pictures on the walls. “Hannah and Kian were right.”
“About what?”
“Don’t play dumb with me, Luke. You think you’re a vampire hunter?”
“I am a vampire hunter. I work for an elite group of hunters. Yes, we’ve been watching James for a while. He’s elusive—we haven’t obtained the concrete proof our president needs to authorize a move against him.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It sounded like a low-budget movie, or a child playing make believe. “Who’s your ‘president?’”
He shrugged, surprisingly casual about my discovery. The hallmark of a zealot, maybe? “I don’t know. They’re secluded for their protection. All communication is conducted through text or email. I’ve never spoken to them, not even on the phone.”
“Why are you telling me this? What do you think is going to happen? Do you expect me to help you?”
Luke smiled, and it made my stomach sink. “Not at all. I didn’t walk into that bar intending to pick you up. I saw you there, and couldn’t walk away without trying.”
“You want to kill James?” I felt sick. I swallowed the churning in my stomach.
“I don’t want to. But it’s the only way to get rid of them.”
“Them?”
“Monsters,” he stated with a shrug, as if it were the obvious answer.
“You’re delusional.” I left the room, shoving him out of the way so I could get my clothes. “I’m out of here.”
I was already half dressed when he found me in his bedroom. “Ryder—”
“I never want to see you again. I don’t care if you’re Kian’s brother: you better stay the hell away from my daughter.” I tugged my shirt on, slipped into my shoes, and ordered a car from my phone. “I have a pet to get home to.”
My stomach had barely settled by the time I made it home. I let myself in, took the screeching puppy out, then fed the both of us. I stood in the kitchen eating scrambled eggs straight out of the pan, dropping a few bites to Carlos.
What the hell had my life come to? I loved Hannah, but since she’d come into my life, things had only become crazier.
From moving to taking care of my drunk daughter, to falling in love with a fucking vampire, I thought I’d finally gotten my life in order.
Then said vampire dumped me because he feared for my safety while he was being hunted by forces unknown, and I’d drunkenly hooked up with the very person responsible.
I finished eating, then downed a couple glasses of water. I didn’t have the resolve to deal with any of it. I showered, cleaned up the dishes, then reached for the bottle I kept on top of the fridge.