by Mary Abshire
Although my mind and body thirsted for more sleep, I wanted to be awake. I'd lost so much time stuck in my cell. I longed to move freely, watch the sun rise and set, and so much more.
"How long have I been sleeping?" I asked.
"It's only been about five hours."
"It feels like longer."
He used his free hand to brush hair away from one of my eyes. "He gave you a strong sedative. I didn't want you to feel any pain while the doctor removed the stitches, then sewed you back up."
I surveyed my surroundings. The lamp on the nightstand cast light into the room. A flat screen television hung on the wall facing me. There was an open door next to the TV. To my right, shades covered the windows and white cabinetry took up the lower half of the wall. The modern décor made me wonder if I was in a hotel room, but then the room seemed to sway slightly and there was a constant soft hum.
"Where are we?" I asked.
"We're on a boat off the coast of Auderville, France."
"A boat?"
He gave me a wide grin. His pearly whites even showed. "Did I ever mention how wealthy I am?"
If my chest hadn't been so sore, I would've laughed. "I seem to recall you were a millionaire."
"You have no idea," he said, then a knock at the door took his attention. "I'll be back."
His hand slipped from mine before he walked away. Dressed in a plain black shirt and beige khakis, he answered the door. I couldn't see around his masculine build to learn who was there. I couldn't hear what they were saying either.
With a deep breath, I stared at the ceiling. Questions began to flood my mind. How had I gotten on a boat? How had Jeremy gotten here? What day was it? What happened at the Fort?
I bent my knee up and the blanket pulled away from my chest. At that point, I noticed I didn't have any clothes on except a pair of underwear. Who’d undressed me? I flattened my leg on the bed and tugged on the cover.
Jeremy closed the door, then walked toward me with his attention directed at the phone in his hands. When he reached the bed, he set the cell on the nightstand.
"Why am I naked?" I asked.
Of course, he smiled. "Your stitches had torn. Remember?" He sat on the bed, then took my hand into his.
"What happened, Jeremy? How did you get here?" I asked. "I thought you were going to die in Pittsburgh."
"Well…" He took a deep breath and his chest expanded. "I woke up within twenty-four hours after you'd left."
"Seriously?"
He nodded. "Were you…sharing your strength with me?"
"Yeah."
"I thought so. I think that's why I woke up. When I wasn't able to feed from your energy, I knew something was wrong."
"Wow." I couldn't think of another word.
"And I remember this strange feeling of having an infinity symbol drawn on my hand. It's so strange, but when it was gone…"
I smiled.
"Was that you, too?"
I gave a nod. He bent, then planted a kiss on my forehead.
"You're amazing," he said.
"Tell me more."
"After I woke up, I checked myself out of the hospital within hours. Ryan told me he was working on something with Shawn—"
"Shawn? Is he okay?" I asked excitedly.
"He's fine." He grinned. "I've known him and Ryan for a while. Both are good, trustworthy friends. I knew they'd keep their eyes on you."
"What do you mean?"
"Ryan knows you well and how…tricky you can be."
"I must have picked up the trait from you."
A light chuckle slipped from him. "He suspected you were plotting something. He stayed in close contact with Shawn. Together, they played a critical part in freeing you. Ryan monitored you through the phone he gave you. Shawn stayed at your side until you went to the Fort. He remained on the island for several days, surveying it from every angle and taking pictures. He figured out the best way to get to you. While he contacted locals to acquire boats, Ryan and I gathered troops, weapons, and planned your escape."
Those crafty men. "So you're not mad at Shawn for helping me get to the Fort?"
He pressed his lips together and took a deep breath. "I can't be. You were going to get to the island one way or another. By him helping you, he got to check out the Fort for weaknesses and ultimately help free you."
"He's a good guy. I'm glad you're not going to chop off his balls."
"Did he think I would?" he asked with a mischievous smile.
I shrugged. "He was worried."
"He is a good friend and he still has a role to play."
Feeling the pull of lethargy, I yawned.
"You need to rest more," he said as he rose from the bed.
Before his hand slipped away, I gripped it and shot up. But I didn't make it far. A sharp pain sliced through my flesh near my abdomen. Wincing, I let go of my hold of him and fell back on the bed.
"Jessie, stop," he said strongly, then kneeled on one knee on the mattress. "You'll tear the stitches."
Perspiration surfaced above my brows. "Please stay with me." I took quick, short breaths to help ease the stinging sensation.
He stretched out beside me, on top of the covers and with his elbow on the pillow, propping up his head. Here I was, naked under the covers, and he didn't even try to sneak a peek. I found it interesting. Any other time, he would've taken the opportunity. Why had he changed? But the more I stared into his eyes, the clearer I started to see him. And it frightened me a little.
"Thank you," I said as I took his hand into mine. "Will you stay with me for a while?"
He gave a compassionate smile that warmed my heart. "Sure."
I knew he cared about me, but it was more than that. His love was deep and it was powerful. That's what scared me. I still mourned for Drake. He was my love. He gave up immortality in an effort to save me. But he still couldn't. He took the easy road out and left me.
With morbid thoughts and despair flowering within me, I turned my head away from Jeremy. I pressed my lips together, fighting the grief that wanted to surface. I'd wept enough already. I didn't want to anymore.
I tugged on Jeremy's hand, but I couldn't look at him. I didn't want him to see my heartache. "Will you hold me, please?"
The bed moved as he scooted closer. He positioned his body as close to mine as he could with the covers separating us. Then, he curled his arm above my head and gently rested his other one under my breasts.
"Is this okay?" he asked. "I don't want to hurt you."
"It's fine."
I'd tolerate the little bit of soreness in order to have him hold me. I needed to feel his warmth, his love. I needed to know I wasn't alone.
"Thank you for staying," I said as I fought tears from flowing. My voice cracked a little and I hoped he hadn't noticed.
He kissed my cheek ever so gently. "I will stay with you and hold you forever," he whispered in my ear. "I promise."
I swallowed hard. "Thank you."
He laid his head near mine. His breath lightly brushed my neck. It calmed my soul and encouraged me to sleep.
"I doubt I will be able to wear a bikini anymore," I said as I started to snooze.
He stirred his face in my hair. "You'll always be beautiful to me."
After a few more deep breaths, I succumbed to sleep.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
"No," Jeremy said softly. "Keep a distance. Don't engage yet."
Curious, I opened my eyes. Sunlight spilled into the room from around the shaded windows. I smiled at the little bit of rays. Freedom was a wonderful thing.
"Track them. I want their heads brought to me," he said.
I twisted onto my side. The entire upper half of my body ached horribly, but I managed to move. I considered it a big accomplishment.
Jeremy must have felt the bed shift. Phone pressed to his ear, he turned to face me. "Watch them. I'll call you in a little bit." He set the cell on the nightstand.
"What was that about?" I asked,
holding the blanket above my breasts.
He scooted next to the length of my body. "Nothing you need to worry about." He rubbed his thumb over my chin. "How are you feeling?"
"Better. Still very tender."
"I can help, you know?" His lips twitched as he gazed at my mouth.
I took his hand from my face and lowered it, but I enjoyed his heated touch too much to let go. "I'm okay. For now. But tell me, what is this nothing I don't need to worry about, but you want their heads?"
He closed his eyes briefly and grinned. "A couple of vampires managed to escape when we attacked the Fort. A few werewolves followed them. I sent a couple demon friends of mine to help."
The news ignited a fire within me. My blood heated. Carefully, I pushed myself upright while I clenched the blanket to my chest. I felt a couple of twinges, but nothing to warrant a return to lying flat on my back. Jeremy rushed to help. He shoved pillows behind me.
"I have everything under control," he said as he settled down at my side.
"Do you know who the vampires are?" I asked.
He shook his head. "I have pictures and I don't recognize them."
"May I see the pictures?"
While he reached for the phone, the names of two vampires came to my mind—Viktor and Isabel. Jeremy hadn't met them since he didn't know they were the survivors for Dimitry and Renaud.
"How did you manage to attack the Fort without causing a media circus?" I asked as he tapped the screen of his cell.
"Oh, there's a media circus," he said, so nonchalantly.
"Seriously?"
He handed the phone to me, then rubbed his eyes. "Terrorists are being blamed." He accidently pushed up his hat and it fell back, away from him. My eyes widened when I noticed he was bald. At closer inspection, a little stubble had grown.
"Your hair…" I said.
He smiled. "What do you think? Should I keep it this way?"
"You're scary."
His eyes pulsed with intrigue. "Nice. Maybe I will."
I tilted, trying to see the wound near the back of his skull, but there was a bandage over it.
"It's healing," he said. "I shaved the rest of my hair off since half was gone already."
I nodded, then looked at the phone in my hand. Jeremy had several photos of Viktor and Isabel. All the pictures showed them together. As I scanned over them, a blaze in my belly flamed.
"They're staying in a small town called Caen," Jeremy said. "Do you recognize them?"
"Yes."
Intense heat flowed through me, fueled with anger and loathing. Sweat surfaced on my head. If Viktor and Isabel were walking, they were mine to take. I wanted their souls. I handed the phone back to him.
"Your face is flushed," he said. "Are you okay?"
I scrubbed an arm across my forehead. "Viktor and Isabel are survivors for Dimitry and Renaud."
"Survivors?" He scrunched his brows.
"When a vampire joins the VETOV, he or she must identify a survivor in case something happens."
"You've got to be shitting me," he said with a straight face.
"No. And I want you to take me there. I'm sending their motherfucking souls to Hell. Argue all you want. I'm going. Either you take me—"
"Stop right there," he said flatly. "I want their heads. You want their souls. We can both get what we're after."
Jeremy's eyes held the same loathing I felt deep in my heart. It was nice to have a companion with the same goals. And working together, I was certain we could achieve them.
"How many heads did you take from the Fort?" I asked.
"Three," he said. "One was too charred."
If he destroyed four vampires, then there were others missing besides Viktor and Isabel.
"Who did you decapitate?" I asked.
"Ramon, Elissa, Sophia, and Quon."
"Quon?" I asked, brows arched. "You actually severed Quon's head?"
"Would you like to see it?"
The coldness in his eyes informed me of his truthfulness.
"I believe you," I said. "But there were eight VETOV who sat at the table after we destroyed Anton. You destroyed four, and two are being tracked by your men. That leaves two others."
"I know," he said grimly. "Nassar and Constantine."
I lifted my palm up. "So you know they’re missing?"
He sighed heavily. "They weren't there when we attacked. They had to have left before we arrived."
I recalled the last conversation I had with Nassar. He seemed disturbed about what his peers had done and planned to do to me. The coward gained no sympathy from me. He was still my enemy. He'd left angry. I wondered if he had decided to leave the VETOV and convinced the quiet Constantine to go with him. If he had, his decision had come too late. It didn't change anything for me.
"Were there any humans at the Fort? There should have been. Did you leave any alive?"
He shook his head once. "There were maybe a handful of humans and they're all dead. We couldn't take a chance of any of them talking."
Ire building, I clenched my fists in my lap. I couldn't place blame on Jeremy or his crew for what they had done. The responsible parties were the vampires for starting this whole mess. And it peeved me to know Nassar and Constantine had gotten away. They contributed to Drake's demise. They stood by while I was being cut open. Nassar even watched. The fuckers deserved to spend eternity serving the devil.
Jeremy covered one of my clenched hands with his. "We'll find them. I put a bounty out for information about them. I'll find them. We will get them."
"I want their souls. After what they did…"
I looked away from him. Grief wanted to surface, but I doused it with rage.
"Hey." Jeremy placed his hand on the side of my face. "You don't have to tell me now. When you're ready, give me the full details."
His warm touch soothed my soul that yearned for revenge. He would protect me at all costs and deliver what I sought. The demon held no boundaries when it came to me. I could see it in his eyes and the way he spoke. While Drake had loved me, he couldn't always protect me. He chose to believe centuries of experience could aid him. It landed me without him. I wanted vengeance and I would claim it.
"Viktor and Isabel are evil and ruthless. Nassar and Constantine are just evil cowards. They're all responsible for destroying Drake. And do you know why they cut me open?" I paused to swallow. "They wanted to study me. Viktor came up with the idea. Isabel encouraged him. They didn't even put me out or give me any painkiller as they sliced into me, then used a saw to cut through my bones. Nassar stood there and watched."
"Jesus, Jessie," Jeremy said as he rubbed a hand over his head.
"I don't know if they took anything out of me. I have no idea if all my organs are still intact. I don't know—"
He captured my face with his hands. "When we get back, I'll take you to a doctor who can check you out. We'll get through this. I promise. And we'll destroy those motherfucking bastards once and for all. You will get their souls."
His strong words filled me with hope and strengthened my desire. I was grateful and lucky to have him in my life. Funny thing was, if it weren't for Drake, I wouldn't have met Jeremy. And if I hadn't met Drake, I wouldn't have had to deal with vampires. What a twisted tale. Even more perverse, I was now in league with a demon to destroy vampires. And I hadn't reached thirty yet.
"I will take great pleasure in sending their souls to damnation," I said.
Jeremy stared deep into my eyes as if he were searching for something. When he smiled, I wondered if he found what he was looking for.
"I know you will," he said.
I inhaled a calming breath. "Take me to them."
"Yes, ma'am," he said with a wicked grin that brought a smile to my face.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Seagulls chirped as they flew in the distance, near the shore. The bright sun warmed my skin while the clear blue sky made me smile. A gentle breeze brushed over my bare arms. Although I'd only been kept a p
risoner for around two weeks, I'd missed the simple things in life.
Leaning on the rail of Jeremy's boat, I watched a pair of men tugging on nets to gather crabs or some kind of fish. And the vessel I stood on was more of a yacht. I hadn't ventured through the entire ship, but what I had seen were long halls, different levels, and a lot of rooms. If I had attempted to look around, I was certain I'd get lost.
"We can stay here for a while, if you'd like," Jeremy said, standing nearby with his elbows on the rail. He'd changed into black cargo pants and a gray shirt. "After we're done cleaning up, of course. And not here in France, but on the boat. Cruise for a bit."
While I liked the idea of traveling, I'd done enough over the last five plus years because I was on the run from the VETOV. Moving around and seeing different places had worn me out. The time had come to return to some kind of normal life. Hell, just a home would be nice.
"Thanks, but I'd like to settle down for a while somewhere," I said as I tucked strands of hair behind my ear.
He moved closer until he bumped my shoulder slightly. "Is there a place in mind you'd like to settle?"
I looked back at the coast. I'd once entertained the idea of living by an ocean so I could enjoy all the seafood. Swimming in the ocean was another perk. But living near water had risks, such as hurricanes. Drake and I had discussed this long ago. When we were on the run, I wanted to live somewhere warm. He'd said vampires hated the cold, so our safest option was to stay in places with a consistent cold climate. Now that the VETOV didn't exist, I could possibly fulfill my wish and live somewhere with plenty of sunshine. A little snow every now and then would be acceptable.
"I don't know," I said. "I want to live in a place where it's sunny most of the time."
He grinned. "Sounds reasonable. I can work with that."
Not knowing how to respond, I half-grinned and stared at him. He didn't owe me anything, especially not a house. Unless he was thinking of our deal and the children I had to give him one day. We had yet to talk about our bargain.
"Hey you two," Ryan said as he strode toward us dressed in jeans and a cream-colored sweater.
The werewolf brought an instant smile to my face. I straightened as he drew near. "Hey yourself." I held out my arms. "Give me a hug."
