Chapter 11 Kyle #2
Sam would meet Jason now. That put him in danger while she was still so close to Esmé. She was my mate, but I couldn’t exactly trust a thrall — even though that admission to myself pained me.
I opened the door and Jason stepped inside. “What’s with your strange impulse to eat?” He bit the question off abruptly as he reached the end of his sentence when his gaze fell on Sam. “Oh, shit.”
I nodded. Yeah. Shit about had it covered. “She’s hungry.” I only spoke the two words and he nodded as his nostrils flared. Then he turned his gaze on me, his eyes narrowed.
“Kyle?” He filled my name with a million unspoken questions — many of them which didn’t even need an answer, and I brushed him away with a quick gesture.
“No comment, Jason. But Sam needs to eat.”
“I’ll say.” He stepped forward and offered her the paper bag and chocolate malted shake I’d requested he pick up. “What’s going on, dude?” He spoke to me as Sam tore the paper bag and the aroma of curly fries and meat drifted into the room.
She made a noise of pleasure and bit into her burger as I took Jason’s elbow and led him away.
“She’s a thrall.”
He glanced over his shoulder as I spoke. “I can see that.”
I hissed my displeasure at his assessing gaze on my mate.
“She’s also my mate,” I clarified.
“Oh, I know that too.”
I sighed. Sure, he did. Any vampire who came in contact with Sam now would know she was a vampire mate, and that I’d staked my claim.
“Looks like you just made your mission a helluva lot more complicated.”
I cast my most scathing glance at Jason. “At least I don’t smell like a dog.”
He laughed. “That’s the best you can do?”
I opened my mouth to add another insult, a better one, but my phone buzzed from my pocket. “Saved by the bell,” I muttered.
“Mmhmm.” Jason didn’t sound convinced.
I glanced at my phone screen, expecting a name but just seeing a number. I’d forgotten I was doing this whole fucking burner phone thing.
I showed it briefly to Jason. “Want to guess?”
He squinted a little. “Can only be Temple or Seb.”
I didn’t want to speak to either of the other two guys. There was too much going on here now, especially with the Sam complication, and I’d definitely created a complication.
My greeting was little more than a grunt, and Sebastian didn’t introduce himself, which was good etiquette for the mission but was more likely due to his anger, given the rapid way he launched into talking.
“You dick!” He didn’t even pause to take a breath. “You intercepted my latest shipment and stole from me.”
I sighed. “Orders from the boss.”
“That was expensive stuff.”
I rolled my eyes. I hadn’t expected anything less.
“And you left two of my men for dead.”
I hadn’t, but I wasn’t about to have that conversation like this. I rolled my eyes again as Sebastian reiterated what my little stunt had just cost him.
“Cool.” I interrupted his rant. “I’ll keep you updated.” I didn’t have time for this shit. I was doing my part, and if Sebastian was annoyed that I was sticking to the plan to infiltrate the Blackbloods, that was on him.
I ended the call, and Jason whistled. “Balls that clank,” he said then chuckled.
That earned him another glare. “Well, if Sebastian will behave like a prize prick,” I muttered.
“And that might be my cue.” He stood from where he’d managed to make himself comfortable on a rickety dining room chair that he’d dragged out from some dark corner of this hovel. “Sam—” He turned to her and nearly offered her a fucking bow. “It was nice to meet you.”
She just nodded vaguely but her eyes were thoughtful as she watched me. “Nice to meet you, too.” But she didn’t look at him for long, like she wasn’t quite sure if she could trust him.
Before I shoved the door closed behind Jason, he melted seamlessly into the shadows, even smoother than usual, like he was picking up bad habits off those damn wolves.
Then I propped the chair he’d been using under the handle.
It wouldn’t stop a vampire from gaining access if they wanted to get in, but it would provide a little warning.
“So.” Sam’s voice was quiet but commanded my immediate attention. “What do we do now?” Some of her color had returned and all the food was gone.
I didn’t know if Jason had helped himself to a couple of her fries. They held no nutritional value for him, but it was the exact kind of thing he’d do anyway.
But yeah. What would we do now? I rubbed my hand over my head, unwilling to tell her that I hadn’t thought any further than keeping her with me, saving her.
“Kyle?” She spoke my name like a plea, like I had all the answers.
And I should have had those answers for her. I’d removed her from her home and brought her to mine. Only a fool would put her in that much danger without a plan.
Turned out I was such a fool. I sighed and shook my head. “I don’t know.”
Her mouth pinched a little at the corners, and I rushed on.
“But I’m not letting you go back to Esmé. You can’t go back there. She’ll kill you.” I withheld my shudder afterward, even though the idea of Sam’s death had a visceral effect on me.
When she smiled, it was sad, and her eyes glistened. “But I have to go back.”
I shook my head, refusing to believe her words. That was a load of crap. I had her now. I’d found her. She was my mate. Mine.
“I do, Kyle.” She used my name again and a small part of me melted.
I never fucking melted. I shook my head again, denying her words. Like I could change them by simply believing them not true.
But her sad smile returned, and she shrugged, the gesture despondent. “The lack of venom will kill me. And Esmé needs to feed. If she can’t have me, she might kill me, anyway.”
A growl rumbled through me. I had no fucking time for this logic.
“That’s not going to happen. You’re staying here, with me, where I can keep you safe. Esmé’s not the only vampire in town.” My gums ached with the need to bare my fangs.
“Oh my God! You bloodsuckers are all alike!” Sam screwed her hands into fists and stood from the sofa, my hoodie far too big on her small frame.
“You all want to control me and keep me with you. But you know what?” Her eyes flashed with green fire.
“We might have had sex and everything, but I don’t owe you anything at all.
You don’t get to tell me what to do. I can make my own decisions and I certainly don’t belong to you.
One night in bed together doesn’t mean anything — even if you’re playing the big bad rescuer now.
” She huffed her punctuation as she finished talking, and I stepped back, suddenly calm.
“Yes, it does,” I said. “The sex means everything. You’re my mate.”