by Mary Abshire
After I calmed and could breathe normal again, I wiped my face with water, then patted my cheeks dry with the towel. My red eyes revealed my weariness. Jeremy was right—I looked like shit.
Composed and ready to negotiate, I left the bathroom and headed toward the kitchen. Jeremy sat on the same stool. His attention appeared to be on the phone in his hands. I curved around the counter and he set his cell aside. As he stared at me across the table, I slipped my hands inside the pockets of my vest.
"You ask too much of me. I can't—"
He shot up. "Get out."
"What?" I thought I'd misheard him.
He pointed to the door. "Get out." His voice was elevated.
"Jeremy, please—"
"Get! Out!" He walked around the table toward me.
I stepped back. "Please, can we talk?" My chest ached again from an overactive organ pumping.
"There is no negotiation. None." He grabbed my arm and dragged me into the living room.
"Please, Jeremy," I pleaded. "Please just work with me."
My efforts were useless. He unlocked the door, then opened it.
"Jeremy, I'm begging you…"
He pushed me outside. "My offer stands. Take it or go."
I faced him with more tears in my eyes. "Please—"
"We have nothing more to talk about." He closed the door, then secured the lock.
I fell to my knees and buried my face in my hands. Despair swallowed me, chewed on me, then spit me back up. I had nothing, no hope and no friends. Without him, I had no chance of finding Drake.
I crawled to the corner of the door, leaned against it, then scrunched up my legs. The tears flowed like a river. My body ached and my head throbbed. I welcomed an end to all my misery, but I knew it wouldn't happen. Fate had other plans for me.
While I cried, I rubbed the underside of the ring Drake had given me and thought about Jeremy's deal. Drake had left to try to free me from the VETOV. Hostage or not, he gave his immortal body and soul. Was I willing to give as much for him? Jeremy wasn't asking for my soul, he was asking me to bond with him and produce his children. He was even giving me an opportunity to leave after their thirteenth birthdays. Whether I could do it or not was another matter I couldn't contemplate yet. My sacrifices seemed small compared to Jeremy's. He was risking his life, giving up his career, and endangering the lives of his friends. I hated to think about someone else dying for my cause. Too many had been killed already and the guilt would stay with me forever. But Jeremy was my only hope. If I found Drake and freed him, my life would be miserable, but not nearly as horrible as it currently was.
I wrapped my arms around my legs and rested my head against the doorframe. Moisture continued to flow down my cheeks. My heart knew what to do, but my mind rebelled. As the two fought, I closed my heavy eyelids. The coolness of the air and the quiet night propelled me into slumber.
Chapter Five
The sound of birds chirping brought me out of a haze. Warmth blanketed me. An aroma of bacon and eggs encouraged me to wake up. I did and found the bright sun shining upon me. I squinted and held a hand up to shield my eyes. The blue sky looked beautiful and brought a smile to my face. Crisp air filled my lungs. Gazing at the snowy lawn, I remembered where I was. Serenity wouldn't last, so I enjoyed it as long as I could.
The click from the lock gathered my attention. As the door moved, I rose to my feet. My stiff bones ached from sleeping in a fetal position, but my mind was clear. I'd made my decision.
Jeremy stood in the open doorway, staring at me. He wore a pair of sweatpants and nothing else. His toned body was difficult to ignore. Swallowing, I fought to keep my gaze above his sculpted chest.
"Want some breakfast?" he asked.
I gave him a slow nod, then he stepped aside for me to enter. Truth be told, I had no appetite, but the aroma sure smelled good.
I walked into the kitchen and saw two plates on the counter in the center of the room. Each dish had stacks of bacon, a huge pile of scrambled eggs, and two pieces of toast. A fruit tray waited on the side. And to top everything off, there were two mugs full of coffee.
"Sit," Jeremy said as he walked around the table.
I went to the same stool I'd planted my rear on hours earlier. Jeremy sat across from me and shoved a strip of bacon into his mouth. As he stared at me, I noticed his bloodshot eyes.
"Did you sleep well?" I asked.
He took a sip of java and shrugged. "You need to eat." He set the mug down, then chomped on more bacon.
I looked at the wealth of food in front of me. All of it looked delicious. Under normal circumstances, I would've devoured everything. Given my emotional state, I feared any substance would cause my stomach to repel it. I decided to stick with caffeine and lifted the hot fluid to my lips.
Jeremy swallowed, then lifted his fork. "Did you decide what to do?"
I set my drink down and nodded.
"And?" he asked.
With a heavy heart, I said, "I'll agree to your terms."
For a while, he stared at me, or maybe he was waiting for me to say something else. What more could I say?
"You'll have to come with me to practice. You shouldn't be alone." He scooped up a pile of eggs, then ate them.
"I thought you were going to leave your hockey career behind."
He finished chewing. "I am, soon. But there are a couple of players from New York who can help. Since they're in town, I can make a deal with them."
Again, I wasn't sure how to respond. He was in charge now. He had the contacts, the funds, the means to set everything into action. I had nothing to offer but my soul and an unfertilized egg in my ovary. Whatever strings he had to pull, commands he had to give, I had to stand by him and agree to go along.
"Just so we're clear, no photos or videos. I need to see flesh and blood—a body," I said.
He stopped eating. "Or ashes."
I inhaled a calming breath. "He's not to be harmed. Freed. Not harmed."
He shoveled more food into his mouth.
"Agreed?" I pressed him for a formal acknowledgment.
"Agreed," he mumbled, then continued chewing.
I sipped on more coffee.
"And just so we're clear, if he is being held hostage and we release him, you will come to live with me, we will be bonded, and you will produce my offspring."
The way he spoke gave me a chill. His words sounded so demanding.
"I said I agreed," I replied, sullen. "What is this bond anyway?"
"It involves a spiritual ceremony to join our souls." He scooped up more eggs, then ate them.
"Is it like getting married, but in a non-physical sense?"
He lifted a shoulder. "Something like that."
The thought of being connected to his soul frightened me. From what I understood, a demon's soul bounced from body to body. I learned in Alaska that going through a ceremony at one's thirteenth birthday allowed our souls to return. I'd never gone through the ceremony, so my soul was destined for eternal servitude in Hell upon my death unless my father, the devil, decided otherwise. I wondered if bonding with Jeremy would change anything.
He paused eating. "I want you to dye your hair back to the original color. I can't stand blonde on you."
With all the tasks to do, his first thought was changing my hair shade. Had I made the right choice to bargain with him?
"Eat." He pointed with his fork.
I eyed my dish and slowly picked up a slice of crisp bacon.
"When’s the last time you ate a meal?" Jeremy asked.
I looked away as I tried to remember.
"If you have to think about it, then it's been too long."
"I'm sorry, but watching a good friend die because of me doesn't provide a lot of inspiration to eat." I set the bacon strip back on my plate.
He lowered his fork. "People die. It's part of life."
Sorrow swelled within me. "How can you be so cold?"
"I have survived for over two thousand ye
ars. I've seen wars, famine, plagues…plenty of death. This body is a shell, and so is yours. People come and go. It's a never ending cycle until the powers that be decide to stop it."
A tear escaped my eye. I wiped it away. "I'd almost forgotten how old your soul was. You've told me so little about your past. But in all those centuries, haven’t you ever fallen in love? Didn't you ever meet people that you cared about and kept close to your heart?"
"I met plenty of people I cared about. And I watched them all die. That's how life works. And yes, I have fallen in love a few times. Some died in my arms. It was painful to watch, but there was nothing I could do. Another lover of mine was killed in front of my eyes for some petty argument over land. So, I'm not as heartless as you think. But I've seen enough death and suffering that I know how to handle it. I know my role in this world. We all have one."
I swallowed hard. His words made sense. Over the lifetimes, he'd loved, lost, then returned to start over again. The thought of surviving so long frightened me. No wonder he was immune to heartache. He'd endured plenty.
"I can't begin to imagine what it must be like to have survived as long as you have, seen the things you've seen, and watched so many loved ones pass on. But I'm not like you. I'm not full-blooded. I haven't bounced around through time, at least, not that I know of. I live in the here and now, and it pains me to witness those I love murdered so callously. If you could keep that in mind and show a little compassion every now and then, I would really appreciate it."
He gave a lazy blink of his eyes. "I'll try."
His admission gave me hope we could work through this. We had to, especially since we were going to be living together and I'd agreed to provide him with children one day.
"Thank you," I said.
While he continued to devour his food, I attempted to get a few bites in me. I managed to consume two strips of bacon and one piece of toast. My stomach grumbled. Either it wanted more or it was telling me to slow down. I banked on the latter.
I washed the dishes and stuffed them in the dishwasher while he showered and changed. When he hadn't returned, I took a seat in the living room and watched the local news. The big talk of the town was the hockey playoffs.
Jeremy rounded the corner of the staircase carrying a gym bag in one hand and a pair of shoes in his other. He'd dressed in jeans and a thin cream-colored sweater. But it was his face that captured my attention. He dropped the bag next to the recliner, then sat in the big comfy seat.
"You shaved," I said.
"Yeah." He pushed his feet into his shoes. "Anything good on TV?"
"Not really. Everyone is hyped up for the playoffs."
Bent over, he tied the laces for his sneakers. "This is a huge hockey town. I'll miss it."
Part of me felt bad that he was giving up what he loved to do in order to help me out. Yes, he could be a real prick sometimes, but it didn't stop me from feeling sympathy for him. I was half-human after all.
"I need to get my car," I said. "It has a few of my belongings in it." The vehicle mostly had my clothes. Since my funds were low, I needed to hang on to the little I had.
"That's fine." He grabbed the bag, strode to the kitchen, then snatched the keys on the counter. "Have you been followed at all?"
"No, not that I've noticed. The last vamp I saw was in Indy and I'm pretty sure he burned to death." I powered off the television, then strolled from the living room into the dining area.
"You set a vampire on fire?" he asked, surprised. "How?"
"It was kind of luck. Kyle and I were meeting at a barn we had investigated once. There were several gasoline containers sitting around. I guess the owner was going to burn the building. In a way, I sped up the process. The vampire got caught in the explosion."
Jeremy grinned widely. "That's my girl." He passed by me and proceeded down the hallway to the door leading to the garage. "Let's go to the arena. I'll figure out a way to get your car back here."
Minutes later, we were in his SUV and heading to Pittsburgh. I stared out the window and kept checking the mirror. It was habit from being on the run for so long and I doubted I'd ever stop.
"You said he left three years ago?" Jeremy asked, gathering my attention.
"Yeah. A little over that."
"So, where have you been staying?"
"Different places."
"And before he left, where were you?"
I inhaled deeply as I faced him. "We were in different parts of Alaska for a year, then we moved to Canada."
"He must have hated the cold weather."
"Yeah," I said softly, and nodded.
"A man will do anything for the woman he loves." He briefly gazed at me.
I resumed looking out the window. Jeremy had feelings for me years ago. It was becoming clear he still had them. The problem was, I loved Drake and he could never change that.
"Do you honestly believe he hasn't been destroyed?" he asked.
The question was difficult to answer. I didn't want to believe he was gone. He was immortal and had worked with the VETOV for centuries. Surely, they wouldn't have ended his existence so easily. But three years was a long time to be away, at least, for a human.
I threaded my fingers together in my lap. "I don't know. He got rid of Dimitry. I'm sure they'd want some kind of retribution."
"You realize you could be walking into a trap. They could be holding him to see if you will look for him."
"That's why I came to you. If they are keeping him against his will, then we'll need help and manpower to get to him and get out."
Lips pressed together, Jeremy stared at the road. When enough silence had passed, I turned to my window.
"I don't want you endangering your life for him," he said, and I veered my attention back to him.
"He risked his immortality for me. You said earlier a man would do anything for the woman he loved. Well the same is true for a woman, at least this woman."
Jeremy shook his head. "I'm going to do everything I can to protect you and abide by the terms of our agreement."
I was certain he would since he wanted me all to himself after his part of the deal was completed. But first he had many challenges to face. Finding Drake might not be difficult through his various connections. Setting Drake free would be entirely different and very dangerous. He'd have to deal with a group of vampires. While demon bones healed and his touch could start fires, he could still die from a knife or gunshot wound. We had to be careful. We had to be smart. Together, I had faith we could accomplish my goals.
Jeremy parked on the surface lot behind the arena. He grabbed his bag from the backseat, then met me behind his SUV.
"You can watch us practice and walk around inside if you'd like," he said, heading for the entrance.
"What about my car? I've got clothes in it and a few other things I need to get out."
He held his palm in front of me. "Give me the key."
I dug inside the pocket of my vest, then placed my key in his hand. "I'll have someone drive it to the house. I don't want you far from my sight."
The guard by the door opened it for us. I followed Jeremy inside.
"I wasn't followed," I said as we walked down a hallway. "I've been in Pittsburgh for over two weeks and no vamp has surfaced."
Jeremy stopped and faced me. "You've been here that long and you just now contacted me?" The snippiness of his tone led me to believe I'd offended him. "What have you been doing?"
"Watching you. I wanted to make sure it was safe before I approached you."
"You were stalking me?" He arched one of his brows.
I crossed my arms. "I wouldn't call it that. I just didn't want to risk your life if a vamp was monitoring your movements."
Half grinning, he continued walking. "I can handle a bloodsucker."
"Yeah, well, I've seen one sneak up on you before and break your neck. Then he tried to drain you. Remember?"
"You don't need to remind me," he mumbled.
"They're quick, and
every second counts when dealing with them."
He stopped near a door that had a big Pittsburgh Penguin logo on it. "I hear what your saying. I do. But if we're going to get this plan into action, there's a few things I have to do."
"And playing in a hockey game is one of them?"
"A playoff game, and yes. It matters." He dug into his back pocket, withdrew his wallet, then handed me several bills. "Get some clothes here if you want. Buy some food. I don't care. Just stay in the arena while I'm practicing. I'll have your car moved to the house. It will be there by the time we get home."
"How long is practice?"
"Two hours."
I stuffed the cash in my vest pocket. "Okay."
He pointed down the hall. "Keep walking straight, then make a right. The entrance to the rink will be on your left. You can sit anywhere in the stands."
Sighing, I proceeded down the hallway. Spending two hours in an arena watching men skate on ice appealed little to me, but what could I do? I'd already handed over my car key and I doubted I could persuade him to return it. Why he had to be here was beyond my understanding, but he obviously had reasons. I hoped they were good ones.
Finding the entrance to the rink, I climbed up the steps and found a seat midway up before the next level. Let the boredom begin.
Chapter Six
"A staff member had someone take your car to the house," Jeremy said as we exited the arena. "I confirmed with him a few minutes ago that it was delivered. He left the key under the seat."
"Good. I really want to clean up and change my clothes." I squinted my eyes as they adjusted to the bright sun.
"I need to make a few calls and go online before we leave for the game tonight. You're welcome to do what ever you want in the house, but I recommend you get some sleep. You look like you could use it."
Glad to be out of the stadium, I hopped into his SUV. The two hours of practice had lasted longer. As I watched, Jeremy had chatted to a few of his teammates, blocked a few pucks from the goal, talked a little more, shot at the goal, then played a mock game for an hour. My butt had numbed and my spine still hurt from the hard seats. When it came time to leave, I rushed for the exit. But I had to wait another twenty minutes for him shower and change. I really hoped he had a good reason for playing since we had higher priorities to deal with.
