Chapter 12
Noah hated dealing with dead bodies. He finished cleaning up the mess in Abby’s kitchen as she lay down in her bedroom after a truly impressive time retching over her avocado green toilet.
In a million years, he’d never figured his mate would puke for thirty minutes upon learning that she’d been mated. It was enough to give a guy a complex.
He viewed the now pristine kitchen—except for the body now wrapped in garbage bags that smelled like the ocean somehow. Duct tape held it all together, even the head, which he’d put by the jackass’s feet. He’d avenged Clyde’s killer, but the moment felt hollow.
His phone chirped, so he drew it from his back pocket. “Siosal.”
“Hey. It’s Raine. My intel says Petersen is headed back your way. The guy wants your head.” Boisterous music sounded in the background.
“I took his,” Noah returned, staring down at the still form.
The music shifted to hard rock. “Well, congrats. You avenged your friend,” Raine said. “You splitting town now?”
“Not quite yet,” Noah said. “A few things to work out.”
“Good luck. I still owe you one,” Raine said.
Noah stiffened. “Wait. Any chance you have connections in town with the coroner? Or anybody with an industrial powered fireplace?” He could bury the body if necessary, but burning it was easier and cleaner.
“No,” Raine said. “Bury it. Even if he’s dug up, humans wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.”
They hadn’t in the past, but human science was catching up too quickly. At some point, the secret of their existence was going to be out. It was inevitable. Well, unless the apocalypse happened and humans returned to an earlier age. Totally possible. “Okay. I’ll be in touch.”
He slipped his phone back into his pocket and moved silently toward the bedroom.
Abby lay on her back, a washcloth over her eyes.
In her T-shirt and jeans, she was curvy and fragile.
His heart thumped. Hard. He’d told her the truth about fate, but now he wondered.
It felt like she was meant for him. The idea of letting her go prodded the beast at his core, but she’d been through so much, her life had to be her choice.
The good news was that he had thousands of years to court her, if needed.
And he fully intended to keep her.
It just might take some time to convince her that she wanted to keep him. He was one of the most talented hunters on earth, and patience was in his arsenal. It had to be.
She moved the washcloth from her eyes. “How is this so easy for you?” she asked, her gaze direct.
He straightened. “What?” Killing? He’d been taking out enemies his entire life. She probably wouldn’t understand, and he had no idea how to explain it to her.
“Mating. Forever. You and me.” She sat up, her T-shirt tightening across her full breasts.
Desire rolled through him, landing in his groin.
He forced himself to concentrate. “My people believe in fate. It’s in our genes.
” He dug deep, trying to make her understand.
“I feel you. In here.” He placed a hand over his heart.
“The second we met, the moment we touched, something awoke in me for the first time. I understand if it’s different for you.
” Some things made sense on a level to demons that others just didn’t get. The words were hard to find.
“What does that mean?” she whispered.
She had every right to ask, and she deserved the truth.
“You’re inside me, Abs. I know it’s fast, and it doesn’t make sense to you, but you’re here.
I’d die for you, and no doubt I’ll kill for you.
In an instant and without question.” It’s what he knew and who he was.
“My people court wars, and danger always lurks. You’re safe.
No matter what, you’re safe.” The vow was absolute, and he could only hope she’d learn to trust it and him.
She tossed her head, and her glorious mahogany hair flew. “I won’t be told what to do. Forced to be somewhere.”
“I can protect you from afar, but that’s not my choice,” he returned. “But you should probably know, as your body changes on a cellular level, you’ll want me more than you do right now.” He lifted his nose, scenting the air. Her arousal was sweet and spicy. “And you want me pretty badly right now.”
She blinked.
He didn’t press her, but he did smile. “I can make you feel better.”
Her eyes widened. “You want to have sex with a dead body in the other room?”
He paused. Good point. That was probably uncomfortable for her.
“You know, I’ll go take care of that right now.
I’m not going to ask much from you, but for now, please stay here until I get back.
Mating takes a toll, and you’re going to need to sleep more than you probably realize.
” Then he paused and frowned. Wait a minute.
“Check that. I’m taking you to my place. ”
“I’ll stay here,” she mumbled.
“Not until I handle Monte,” he returned.
She pulled her legs up to sit crossed-legged. “Handle? Exactly what do you mean by that?”
He kept his gaze stoic. There was a man still walking the earth who’d hit what was his.
He’d managed to stay calm while she told him the story, but inside, he’d raged so hard his blood pressure had tripled.
Didn’t matter one iota that it had happened before Noah had met her.
“That’s irrelevant. Stay here for the moment, and I’ll be back for you.
” He turned on his heel to get the body out of the house before she saw it again.
He threw Petersen over his shoulder and walked outside, not seeing any witnesses.
After setting the corpse in the cargo hold beneath the lid, he strode back inside.
She probably wouldn’t want to ride in the truck, but he didn’t have a choice. “Come on, Abs,” he called.
Silence. Complete and utter silence.
He sighed. Her stubbornness was a turn-on, actually. But he was on the clock here. “Abby. Come on.” He strode through the demolished living room to the bedroom. It was empty. A quick search of the bathroom had his temper rising.
She’d gone out the back door.
He ran for the small slider off the kitchen and looked in both directions. Nothing. Damn it. He obviously hadn’t explained matehood well enough to her yet.
That was going to change.
Abby finished shoveling in a bag of veggie chips at the mini-mart at the end of her block. She was starving. The white BMW skidded into the lot, and she waved, running and jumping into the passenger seat. “Thanks for picking me up,” she said.
“Sure.” Tabi spun out of the parking lot, sending water from mud puddles spraying. “I almost didn’t answer the phone. Whose number was that?”
“The clerk at the store,” Abby said, her stomach grumbling. “Sorry.”
Tabi pushed her glasses down her straight nose. “Want me to grab lunch?”
Abby shook her head. “No. I’m good.” She sure wasn’t making a very good impression in front of her new boss.
“I’m sorry about all of this. I’m sure my life will slow down soon.
” Yeah, right. She’d just mated a demon-vampire hybrid and her chromosomal pairs were somehow changing.
And he’d been a little insistent that she stay safe.
Tabi zipped out of town. “Abby? Why did I have to pick you up at a gas station?”
Because there had been a pissed-off hybrid and a dead body at her apartment. “I just thought I’d go for a walk, and then I decided I needed chips,” she said in lieu of the truth.
“Uh huh,” Tabitha said, pressing harder on the gas pedal. Businesses and then homes and finally trees sped by outside too quickly to gauge. “Anything you want to talk about? I’m a great sounding board.”
Abby snorted and then quickly recovered.
“No, but thank you.” If she told the pretty blonde the truth about demons and vampires and matings, the woman would probably scream and run for the hills—after calling for the guys with straitjackets.
It was too bad Abby had lost touch with her friends from before the accident.
It’d be nice to reach out to a couple of them, but it wasn’t like she could tell them the truth, either.
Tabi drove through the industrial park, going to a sprawling maroon colored metal building in the back. “I need an assistant, and I think you’d be fantastic. Somebody to organize me as we get things off the ground.”
Abby craned her neck, curious. “What are you going to manufacture here?”
Tabi shot her a secret smile. “I’ll show you.” She stepped out and frowned as rain started to fall. Sighing, she slid her sunglasses onto the dash and then hustled for the nearest door, using a keypad to unlock it.
Abby followed. She should probably get a better idea of her duties, anyway.
Tabi moved inside, and Abby stepped gingerly over a large mud puddle before crossing through the doorway into a reception area built with hand-cut wood and heavy dark granite. “Tabi Enterprises,” she murmured, reading the wide wooden side that arced across the reception desk.
“Yep.” Tabi flipped on lights and walked beyond reception to a long hallway.
“These are all offices.” She moved to the left down another hallway and pointed to a pristine lab.
“Research and development.” Then she pointed down to a wide metal door.
“Design is to the left, and manufacturing to the right. We’re almost ready with the product. ”
Abby blew out a whistle. The metal outside really hid the updated interior. “This is fantastic. What are you researching and developing, anyway?”
Tabi turned to face her in the quiet hallway. “Better spray and even masks that prevent cameras from recording faces. We have some elementary ones in the market, but it’s time for some much better devices.”
Abby paused. “For the government?”
Tabitha sighed and shook her head. She looked down and then back up. “No. For immortals.” Slowly, sharp fangs slid down between her perfectly pink lips.
Abby backed into the wall and quickly righted herself. “Are you kidding me?” she yelped.
“No.” Tabitha retracted her fangs and smiled.
“You’re a vampire.” Abby shook her head. Were they all around, or what?
Tabi scoffed. “Of course not. Vampires are male only. I’m a demoness.”
Well, of course. Why wouldn’t vampires be male only? How silly of her to ask. Abby put her hands on her hips. “Why are you telling me this all of a sudden?”
“Because you mated Noah,” Tabi said easily, brushing invisible wrinkles out of her silk blouse. “You’re on the inside now, girl.”
Abby’s eyes widened. “He told you?”
“No.” Tabitha’s laugh was a soft tinkle with a hint of hoarseness.
Well. “What is there? Some sort of mate registry?” Irritation she couldn’t quite define ticked through Abby and made the hair stand up at the base of her neck.
“No. I can smell him on you.” Tabi licked her lips. “Noah has a bit of a reputation for being a deadly assassin, you know. Those kind of guys usually are shockingly good in the sack. He as good as I think?”
Abby’s mouth gaped open. “Assassin?”
“Mercenary, soldier, sniper, assassin,” Tabi said easily. “Same thing in our world. You didn’t answer my question.”
“Yeah, Abby,” came a low voice from down the hallway. “How about you answer the question?”
Abby jumped, turning to see Noah lounging in the doorway. Her mate.
Tabi walked toward her and looked between them. “Why am I getting the caveman mate vibe?” She glanced at Abby. “Wait a sec. Why exactly were you waiting at the Minimart for me?” She bit her lip as if trying not to laugh.
Abby turned to face Noah. “I had a job to do, and here I am.” She edged next to Tabi. Girl power and all that.
Tabi laughed. “Oh, my friend. My newly mated friend who decided to poke the bear, or rather the demon, on the first go around.” She patted Abby’s shoulder.
“I like you, quite a lot. Good luck.” Winking, she sauntered down the hallway, nodded at Noah, and headed out the door.
“The first crew arrives in two days, so please leave the place as you found it.” Then she shut the door behind herself.
Abby watched her go, her mouth agape. What in the world had just happened? She lowered her chin, facing Noah.
For the first time, he didn’t look amused or even lazily irritated.
He looked...primal. His eyes glowed a warning green rimmed with black, and he appeared even bigger than usual.
More animalistic—all muscle and strong sinew.
“You said you understood all of this was my choice.” She wanted to sound reasonable, but challenge edged her tone.
“Your life is your choice. Your safety is mine.” He loped toward her like any predator playing with prey. “If there’s a threat out there, and I tell you to stay put, you do it until I clear the path. It’s the only thing I ask.”
Her head jerked. “You’re not asking.”
His smile was an impossible mix of danger and sin. “Now you’re getting it.”