by Mary Abshire
"Sure." Enjoying the tranquility of his touch, I didn't move my hand.
Minutes later, we were at the long-term parking area. Jeremy took the first spot he found instead of searching for the closest one to a bus stop. As we unloaded our heavy bags from the trunk as a plane above thundered in the sky. The loud noise reminded me I was about to spend over five hours, thousands of miles in the sky, with a demon and two vampires. My stomach twisted. If I lasted without spewing, it would be a miracle.
We headed for one of the plentiful terminals, dragging our luggage over the newly paved road.
"I don't know about you, but I'm starving," Jeremy said.
"I'll pass on any food for a while." The thought of it was even making me sick.
Jeremy and I waited a few short minutes before a mini bus showed up. The night was humid and my body temperature rose fast since I wore jeans. Once we sat in the cool confines of the bus, the dampness on the back of my neck and forehead slowly evaporated.
Drake and Kuri waited for us at the ticket counter inside the airport. The minute I laid my eyes on Drake, I wanted to kiss him and melt in his arms. His cool vampire energy was a soft caress over my skin while his welcoming smile made my insides quiver with desire. We hadn't seen each other since our brief and quick encounter a few days ago in the parking garage. Yet, it was a pleasing memory I referred to often.
"The demons finally made it," Kuri said with a cocky grin.
I glowered at him. "The demons are ready to go."
"Over here." Drake led the way to the appropriate counter.
After we checked our bags with the airline, we headed for the security checkpoint. The busy airport thrived with activity as we waited in line. People took off their belts and shoes, unloaded their bags, and filled the plastic tubs. When it was our turn to stroll through the detector, we passed through with ease.
Jeremy and I stayed a few steps behind Drake and Kuri on our way to the gate. On occasion, Jeremy glided his hand down my back, sending warm zings along my spine. As we passed by a coffee stand in the middle of the wide walkway, the rich aroma prompted a gurgle from my stomach.
"Want any coffee?" Jeremy asked.
I wondered if he'd heard my belly. "No. I'm fine." While the smell pleased me, I feared anything going into me may come back out.
Drake and Kuri grabbed seats not far from the terminal door. Jeremy and I sat across from them. Kuri fixed an evil gaze on Jeremy. It was no secret the Asian vampire wanted Jeremy dead, especially after Jeremy had set him on fire in Phoenix.
I veered my attention to Drake. His gaze jumped from Jeremy to me, as if he'd sensed me looking at him. My belly made another obnoxious sound and his mouth twitched.
"Hungry?" Drake asked.
"I'll probably get sick if I eat anything." I turned my eyes to Kuri. "Then again, I don't care if I vomit on you."
Kuri threw me a frosty glare. "I am very much looking forward to the meeting."
Anger burned in my veins. Oh, I hated him. Hated. Hated. Hated him. I bit my tongue from telling him where he should go and that I would gladly send him there.
Drake fidgeted in his seat, capturing my attention.
"Are all your meetings at this island we're going to?" I asked him.
"No, we have meetings in different places around the world."
"Oh," I said. "The one you came back from, was it at the island?"
Drake shook his head. "No."
I narrowed my gaze at him. "Then why did they select to have this one at a fort on an island?"
Jeremy leaned closer to me. "Why do you think?" His warm breath tickled my cheek.
I suspected the VETOV selected a place far enough away from public so they wouldn't be noticed, which gave me an uncomfortable feeling. Out of sight meant they could do anything to us. "Please tell me they're not going to lock us up in some dungeon."
Drake clasped his hands together over his lap. "No, the fort is a rental property the VETOV own. The accommodations are very nice. I've stayed there several times before."
A touch of relief eased my worrying mind. At least we were staying in a comfortable place.
"So we won't be locked up?" Jeremy asked.
Kuri's lips curled slightly. I shifted my gaze to Drake. His lack of a prompt response alarmed me.
"Drake?" I asked.
"I don't know," he replied. "I will argue against it, of course."
"Of course," Jeremy mocked.
Gritting my teeth, I turned to face one of the long windows overlooking the runway. The miniscule amount of comfort I'd felt just a minute ago had vanished within a blink of an eye.
"How many people will be at this meeting?" I asked, returning to Drake.
"Nine members will be presiding."
"And how many do I have to convince that I'm not a threat to them?"
"All of them," Kuri said.
All nine? The tempo of my pulse accelerated.
"And how many have you persuaded already?" I asked Drake.
"Six members."
Well, six out of nine was a great start. I only needed to focus on three.
"Anton had not officially voted in favor of her," Kuri said.
"Excuse me?" I asked, confused.
Drake sat up straighter. "There is one member, Anton, who was in support of you as an ally, but he did not officially cast his vote. I don't foresee a problem with him when the time to vote arrives."
Okay, so maybe I had to sway four out of nine. "What are the names of the ones I need to worry about?"
"Quon, Dimitry, and Renaud," Drake replied.
I committed the names to memory. "Are there any women?"
Drake gave a nod. "Yes, two other women will be there."
Inhaling, I weighed the positive aspects to boost my confidence. I wouldn't be the only female around, I only had to persuade three vampires, maybe four, and we were staying on a cozy piece of property. The list was short, but it gave me hope.
An announcement over the intercom indicated our flight would start boarding soon.
I stood. "I'm going to the bathroom."
The weight of their stares pressed upon me as I walked away. I found it oddly amusing the restroom was a safe hiding place, even if only temporarily. Would they actually storm into my stall if I took too long? How embarrassing that would be for them. Yet, humorous for me.
On the way to the facility, Sean's words came to me, reminding me how serious the meeting was. His warning fueled my anxiety and my stomach churned. I was a fool to think I could walk away from this meeting alive. We were flying onto an island and staying at a fort. I would have no chance of escaping. Why was I even going? Because Drake believed I could win their votes? He spent six weeks pleading for me. Six weeks. If he couldn't influence all of them to vote in favor for me in that amount of time, how long would it take me to win four votes? The feeling of impending doom weighed heavily on my intestines.
I stepped into one of the stalls and shifted the small metal lock. Bending over the open mouth of the toilet, I let loose, spewing what little I had inside me. For several minutes, I hovered over the commode. Tears rolled down my face and tight spasms from my belly were almost as painful as taking a punch. When nothing more spilled from me, I scrubbed the back of my hand over my chin and wiped away my tears.
Standing at the sink, I rinsed my mouth and washed my hands. The awful taste no longer remained, but a touch of nausea lingered. I glanced in the mirror. My skin was as pale as Drake's and dark blotches appeared under my eyes. Frightening best described Jessie Garrett. I took a paper towel from the dispenser, then dried my hands. When I heard the boarding announcement for our flight, I tossed the towel in the trash on my way out.
Jeremy stood a few feet from the door with one hand in the pocket of his jeans and my purse in his other hand. He narrowed his gaze at me. "Are you okay?"
I sniffled and took my bag from him. "Yeah, I just emptied everything I had in me. Good thing I passed on the coffee." I started toward the gate.
"You're whiter than the vamps."
I frowned. "Thanks for noticing."
Drake stood near the open door waving tickets. His stiff posture and fixed stare were good indicators he sensed something wrong.
"Is everything all right?" he asked.
No, my mind shouted. "My nerves are getting the better of me."
"The flight is over five hours. You should try to get some rest," Jeremy said.
The reminder of waiting on a plane with a demon and a vampire that wanted to kill each other dampened my mood. I'd never get any rest, not that I could anyway. I nodded to ease their concern.
Once the doorman reviewed our tickets, Kuri led the way to the airplane. With each step, our feet thudded over the carpeted floor. I'd always enjoyed flying, but this time I dreaded it.
I followed Drake down the narrow walkway of the plane. Kuri sat in the first class section off to the left near the window. Drake took the seat next to him. Our eyes met and he pointed across the aisle.
I stepped past the row, spun around, and faced Jeremy. "You can have the window. I may need to get up in a hurry."
Without hesitating, he scooted over to the window spot. I sat next to him and placed my purse under the seat in front of me. Before I had the seatbelt over my lap, Jeremy cranked up the air above and positioned it over me.
"Does that help?" he asked.
The cool air brushed over me and offered microscopic relief. I wasn't going to complain. "Yeah, thanks."
"There's a bag in the seat pocket if you need it."
"A barf bag?" I asked with a hint of a smile. Throwing up on a plane was something I wanted to avoid, especially in the company of others and within small confines.
"Those bags are a lifesaver. I had a bad hangover after a game once and we had an early flight out to another game. I ended up using a couple."
Speaking of games…"When does hockey season start?" I asked.
"Well, training camp is less than a month away. Why?"
"What if we end up stuck at this island for more than a month?"
Jeremy leaned forward and angled his gaze at Drake and Kuri. Both of them turned to look at us.
"If they can't decide in a week, then we'll need to be concerned."
The great demon fighter wasn't worried, but in a week's time, he would be.
After all the passengers had boarded, the flight attendants performed their traditional lifesaving routine. I followed along this time, since we were crossing an ocean, and I needed a distraction from my worries. When the plane taxied along and prepared for lift off, my stomach flip-flopped again.
"Here comes the best part," Jeremy said, smiling while the hum of the engines grew.
I bit down on my lip as the plane accelerated. A warm hand touched mine and a current of heat traveled up my arm, soothing my tension. Jeremy kept watching me.
"I'll be fine," I said in a soft voice.
"Got any gum?" he asked.
"Yeah. Want some?"
"Not for me. For you."
I waited until the plane leveled out, then dug inside my bag for a stick of gum.
"Sure you don't want one?" I held it in front, tempting him, and he snatched it. "Thought you might." I took another piece for myself, grabbed the book I'd brought along, then shoved my purse back under the seat.
The taste of spearmint soaked my tongue, ebbing the churning in my stomach. Score a point for Jeremy, this time.
"What are you reading?" Jeremy asked.
Chomping on my gum, I held the front up to him.
He read the title. "Demons and Warriors. Where'd you get that?"
I avoided the question, not wanting to cause a scene, and flipped the book over. Drake had given me the book the first time we met at Bruce's bar. Tucked inside was a small note. I kept the paper in my wallet, hidden. In a way, the book was the beginning of our relationship.
"The author, Aretha Thibodeaux, is a voodoo priestess. She's also an acquaintance of Sean's. I met her in Louisiana and helped her with a couple of evil spirits." I pointed to her picture on the back.
"Ah, I see. They do have a lot of souls running wild down south."
I chuckled. "You have no idea."
The short time I was in Louisiana, I’d seen enough spirits to last a lifetime. I'd visited the east coast once, and saw many spooks there, too. To say some places in America had an overpopulation of evil souls was an understatement.
Leaning back in my seat, I glanced over my shoulder. Drake was watching me. I held the book up to him and a trace of a smile formed on his face.
"Did you bring your iPad?" Jeremy asked.
A ding sounded and the seatbelt light went off. I grabbed my purse, then fished out my iPad. I could've loaded books on the device, but I still preferred to hold them.
"I don't want to hear any complaints," I said as I handed the device to him.
He switched the iPad on. "Got any movies on here?"
"Yeah, a few. I think Goodfellas is on there."
His eyes widened in a flash. "You're teasing me. That's one of my favorite movies."
Why was I not surprised? Shaking my head, I watched him scan through the menu.
"It is here," he said, enthusiasm in his tone. "Oh, I love you." He pecked my cheek.
I chuckled at his excitement over a movie. How he managed to stay so upbeat amazed me. He had nerves of steel, a quality I lacked.
Again, I glanced over my shoulder at Drake. Cold eyes stared past me at Jeremy and he clenched his jaw. His vampire hearing must've picked up Jeremy's words. His calm demeanor was a huge accomplishment. I dared not think what he would do if he'd lost his temper on the plane, mid-air.
I opened my book and turned to the first page. Five hours with a demon on one side and two vampires on the other. If we survived the flight, I had confidence we could make it through the meeting. The clock was ticking.
Chapter Eleven
"Jessie, wake up." Warm fingers caressed my cheek. "Time to wake up," Jeremy said, his voice recognizable as I crawled from my slumber.
I forced open my eyelids. The plane was dark with small lights glowing overhead. Aside from the hissing of air and hum of the engines, it was silent.
"The plane's getting ready to land soon," Jeremy said.
I rubbed my eyes. "What time is it?"
"Almost two. They said we should be landing in twenty minutes."
I stretched, pushing my arms up and straightening my back. The book on my lap slid down my leg, then crashed on the floor. The light thud didn't stir anyone. I bent and shoved it into my purse.
"Here's your iPad." Jeremy handed the device to me.
I took it from him. As I was stuffing it into my bag, I glanced at the vampires across the aisle. Drake was watching me. I suspected he'd kept a close eye on me the entire time I'd been sleeping, which was a good thing because I didn't completely trust Jeremy. Without Drake or Kuri, the demon might have tried to undress me to sneak a peek at my goods, or touch me. It wouldn't have surprised me. I gave Drake a small nod.
"How long was I asleep?" I asked as I sat upright.
"About an hour and a half. You needed the rest, so I didn't want to wake you. But when you started drooling, I tilted your head the other way. I didn't want your slobber on me." He grinned and so did I.
Jeremy often tried to humor me. It was a skill he was good at. Still smiling, I brushed my hand over my chin. Though it was dry, I believed Jeremy one-hundred percent. I'd always been a drooler.
Feeling stiff, I rose from my seat. The wide aisle gave me plenty of room to stretch. Arms bent and hands on hips, I twisted my back and several bones in my spine popped.
"Fixing popcorn?" Jeremy asked.
"Ha ha." I turned in the opposite direction and heard a few more snaps from my back. At the same time, my bladder reminded me of a pressing matter. "I'm going to the bathroom."
Jeremy looked from me to the vampires across the aisle. Drake was texting on his phone while Kuri looked as still as a ma
nnequin. He was staring at the seat in front of him. To my surprise, we'd made it through the entire flight without so much as an argument. Maybe we would survive the meeting. I resumed my mission and headed for the restroom.
The soft lights above guided my way to the front of the plane. Most passengers were still sleeping. I passed by an older man who was snoring. If I had a choice between snoring or drooling, I'd always take the latter since it didn't disturb anyone.
Two female flight attendants sat in the area in front of the pilot's door. They were looking at a phone until they saw me approaching. I gave a quick smile before I entered one of the two vacant stalls.
The small bathroom smelled clean and the stainless steel fixtures and toilet shined. A soap and lotion dispenser clung to the wall near the faucet. After I finished my business, washed, then lathered my hands, I gazed at my reflection in the mirror. The dark circles under my eyes hadn't changed much. I hadn't had a good night's sleep in weeks, since before training. And the last couple of days had been the worst. Jeremy's occupation of my bed and the stress of the pending meeting had taken a toll on me. At least I didn't feel like puking anymore. With a deep breath, I pushed my fear and anxiety back down to the pit of my belly and unlatched the lock on the door.
I stepped into the hall and nearly bumped into Drake. Although the walkway in first class was bigger than coach, it was still too easy to run into someone, which I almost did. Our eyes met and my heart leaped. He dropped his gaze to my lips. My blood warmed quickly. The urge to kiss him overwhelmed me. I wondered if he felt the same.
"Are you feeling better?" he asked.
"Yeah," I said with a jittery nod. I noticed the phone in his hand. "I'm just…nervous."
He brushed his cool fingers down the side of my face. "I will be with you every step of the way." His pink lips hinted at a loving smile. I wanted them pressed to mine.
"I want to get this meeting over and done quickly. I can't wait to return home so we can be together without interruptions."
"Nor can I."
The phone buzzed, stealing his attention.
