Bad Mouth

by Angela McCallister

  He dodged the other vampire’s strike and landed a stab into the artery on the man’s arm. The Dominus screamed like a bitch and the blood spurted out of him.

  The Dominus came at him again, but the wound had weakened his thrust. Kade ducked the blow and came up slicing his wicked blade through a femoral artery. The vampire couldn’t match Kade’s speed. His block was ineffective, and with another thrust of Kade’s knife, the Dominus lay in a heap soaked in blood from the man’s jugular.

  Kade ripped the bolt from his shoulder and engaged the next contestant. He tried not to let the exhilaration go to his head. It’d been a while since he’d participated in a battle and it brought back fond memories. From glimpses, he saw his team doing fairly well. No losses yet. None in the end, if he had any say in the matter. A second later, the next Dominus had lost his head to Kade’s expertise.

  “Val!” The yell came from the window. Kade glanced up to see Douchebag standing outside the window. “What in God’s name are you doing here?”

  “Graham?” Val cried.

  One Dominus grabbed Graham by the scruff and pulled him away, and the remaining Dominorum retreated. Kade moved to go after them, but Val screamed with anguish. She was lying on the floor, a crossbow bolt protruding from her midriff.

  “Fuck!” He knelt, ripping his shirt away to bundle around the bolt. Her precious blood pooled next to her body. Agony whipped through him. He should have gotten her out when the battle started. Her eyes glazed over with pain, and her eyelids fluttered shut. She was going to die and he could do nothing. He had no juice to transform her. He searched the room.

  “Ezra!” Kade called. “Ezra, I need you. Turn her. Turn her now!”

  Ezra dashed to his side and knelt, but Val’s hand clamped with surprising strength onto Kade’s wrist.

  “No!” Her eyes were wide with terror. “No, Kade. I’d rather die. Please don’t do this to me. I could never forgive you.”

  His world dimmed as the shock of her words struck. She’d rather die than share his life. He’d known she might not consider turning, but to choose death over a life with him made it abundantly clear how she felt about him.

  Guns squeezed his shoulder. “Ambulance is almost here.”

  “She’s conscious. She’s breathing. Pulse is rapid, but steady.” Luc offered encouragement. “She’ll be all right.”

  Were his feelings that plain to see? He nodded, his gaze returning to the woman he loved. Her eyes had closed, but she still breathed, her heart still beat, and the bleeding had slowed. If she died, it would be because he’d fed from her, weakened her. Siren wails reached his ears. They were close, but not close enough to ease his tension.

  He scanned the room. Will was gone, the chains broken where he’d been restrained. Lucky for the team, these Dominorum had lacked skill and focus. What purpose would they have for freeing Will?

  Ezra walked over to examine one of the dead vampires. He checked two others before sinking onto the deck. “They’re fucking Dominorum Enforcers.”

  “Yeah. Thought so.” Kade made eye contact with each of his teammates. Grim awareness filled their expressions. If they went after the Enforcers who took Will, they’d face the entire Dominorum along with the Legion at their command. Fuck.

  In one night, he’d gone straight from heaven into a hellish nightmare. His parents were behind this attack. The full effect of that knowledge didn’t even have the chance to fully sink in. He was too consumed by his worry for the woman he knelt beside. She may have spurned his race, the very core of who he was, but he’d be damned if he’d let her die like this on a cold, dirty floor of an abandoned warehouse.

  His teammates were right. She was stable, though pale and unconscious, and she would recover from this. But he wouldn’t. He had to do what was destined from the day he met her, the incredible, brave human who’d turned his life upside down. He’d let go of her, let her get on with her life, while he spent his centuries alone to dream of how things could have been for them. Yeah, this was a fucking hellish nightmare.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Val awoke disoriented. The ceiling looked like the one in her office. She focused on the tiny holes speckling the white squares. The bed under her was too flat, and when she struggled to lift her head, it felt like a lead weight. A chair creaked next to her and Kade’s gorgeous face hovered above her.

  “Doc said you can sit up a little, but not too much. Want the bed lifted?”

  She nodded, her throat too dry for talking. He pressed the button and the head of her bed rose, easing the pressure on her chest. Her belly was on fire. Sharp pain radiated from the center all the way to her toes. She moaned, and he stopped.

  “Too much?”

  “No,” she croaked. He poured her a cup of ice water and held the straw to her lips. She sucked greedily. She tried to lift her left arm, but it felt heavy, too. A stiff board was taped under her left elbow, and an IV attached dripped fluid into her veins. In a rush, the attack popped into her head.

  “What happened?” she asked. “Who were those vampires?” She shifted gingerly toward her right side so she could see him. He had leaned back into his chair, his long legs stretched out in front of him. With his hair messy and an obviously borrowed hunter-green button-up shirt open to his navel, she could eat him up, licking him from head to toe. Then she noticed the bandage at his shoulder. “Were you shot?”

  “Don’t worry about me. I’m nearly healed already.” His words were toneless, distant. They made her feel cold. “They were Dominorum Enforcers.”

  She gasped. “Why would they attack us?”

  “I believe the Ancients had something to do with that. They took Will.”

  Her brows rose. “Do you think they made him?” He simply nodded but said nothing more. His demeanor reminded her of the first night they met, how she’d had to drag everything out of him. Her irritation flared. “Well?”

  “I think Will’s being there was a trap. I don’t know how yet, but they knew we’d come. They weren’t expecting you, though.”

  “They’ve attempted murder now,” she said.

  “You’ll never be able to prove it.”

  She knew that, but darned if it didn’t annoy her that he said it as if it didn’t matter. After how close they’d been over the past day, why would he behave so callously? And then she remembered. She’d refused transformation. That was why he’d pulled away from her.

  Maybe this was for the best. He wouldn’t want to watch her age and die. But the thought of moving on with some other man and having a family struck her heart like the bolt hitting her again. She could never forget him, making it impossible to give her all to another man. When she looked at him, so handsome and endearing despite exhaustion heavy in his expression, it hit her that she would never get over him.

  “What can we do about the Enforcers? Do you know where they took Will?”

  “You will do nothing about this.” His face hardened, his tone firm. “You’ll stay here until you’re better, and you’ll get on with your life.”

  “This case is part of my life, Kade.”

  “The team’s working on finding Will and Graham to bring them in. We can do nothing until they’re found.” He leaned forward. “You’re job now is to get rest and heal.”

  “What about the Ancients?”

  He shrugged. “I’ll deal with the Ancients. That’s not for you or the team to do.”

  “They’ll kill you, Kade.”

  “Then I’ll take them to hell with me.” He didn’t sound like he cared. She was about to call him on it, but he kept talking. “Alice called about Ginger and Jenna. She said they’ve been arrested. She also said to tell you the Ancients did it. What was she talking about, Val?”

  “I had Alice track down the VLO staff who signed off on your transformations. Sounds like they cooperated.” She shook her head in exasperation. “What kind of game are those vampires playing?”

  Kade threw up his hands. “You got me. I’ve never understood
them.” He stood, stretching his brawny body and then headed for the door.

  “Kade, wait!”

  He stopped, but didn’t look at her. “I stayed to make sure you’d pull through. You look…fine.”

  “Kade—”

  “Don’t worry. We’ll let you know when we find anything. You’re investigation’s safe.” He glanced over his shoulder. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you, Val.” And then he was gone.

  Her heart sank to her toes. It didn’t sound like he intended to see her again. He’d been so close to her, his body near enough to touch, yet he’d been so far away. But she didn’t blame him. She’d rejected transformation, and in doing so, she’d rejected him.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  “Damn, my old friend. You’re like a grizzly woken midhibernation.”

  “Fuck you, Ezra.” Kade was in no mood for his gruff friend’s humor. The few days without seeing Val had been torturous. He didn’t know how he could last centuries without her in his life. How could his feelings have changed so drastically in only one week?

  “Well, if you’re willing…” Ezra laughed and kept up his infernal prodding. “It’s been three days, brother.”

  “And?”

  “Have you even called her?”

  Kade ran a hand through his hair. If he’d had breath, he would have expelled it. He hadn’t called. She’d left messages, which he’d thought better left unanswered. “When will you stop this nonsense?”

  “The day you admit you’re in love with a human.”

  “All right then.” Kade nodded. “I’m in love with a human, Ezra. I’m in love with Val. Does that make you happy?”

  Fuck, he’d said it. The weight of it hit him like a semi to the chest, but it was real. He loved everything about her. He’d lied to her, used her, but she’d given him a chance to put everything right. She’d listened and trusted him to give her the truth. She’d treated him like a man when everyone else saw only his position of power. She challenged him like no other female had, made him face things he needed to face. She’d been there for him during some of his worst moments since childhood.

  “I’m thrilled,” Ezra said. “Now you should tell her. You’re hurting her, you know.”

  “Not much, and it’s for her own good.”

  “You should let her make that decision.”

  Kade’s gut clenched with the memory of her rejection. “In case you’ve forgotten, she made her decision.”

  Ezra’s smile disappeared, and he got that stern, stop-fucking-around face. “You’re not being fair to her, Kade. She was in midcrisis. You gave her no time to decide. She didn’t have a minute to come to terms or to make such a decision.”

  “Time wouldn’t matter, my friend. She’d still refuse.” And that killed him more than anything.

  “I’m not so sure. She’s in love with you.”

  Kade walked onto the balcony, welcoming the whip of cold against his skin. “She’s never said so.” It would make no difference if she had. He’d have no chance with her unless she agreed to transform.

  Ezra, ever the pest, followed him. “Neither have you.”

  “You’re the fucking devil at my ear. Why do you harass me?”

  “Why do you think?” Ezra clapped him on the back. “Because I love you, my dark prince. Go talk to your woman and ease her pain.”

  “Can we change the subject please, you albino motherfucker?” He turned to his friend. Damn, Ezra was a great friend. He was lucky to have such a man at his back, even when the stubborn vampire was a huge pain in the ass. Now his friend’s face tightened with displeasure. The man hated being called albino.

  “I met Alice at the hospital. Sexy, little raven-haired sprite.”

  Kade grunted. He was beyond pissed that Ezra had visited Val every night when Kade couldn’t allow himself one measly phone call. It burned in his craw. This was Ezra’s way of rubbing it in. “You’re an ass.”

  Ezra continued as if Kade hadn’t spoken. “Alice said the Ancients are responsible for your one-track variety of subjugates.”

  “Yes. Val told me she had Alice look into the transformations. What about it?”

  Ezra frowned. “Seems to me your parental units were priming you for war against the humans.”

  “If they want a fucking war, they could start one with the crook of a finger.”

  “Makes perfect sense. They like their little reindeer games, and the kickoff wouldn’t be as fun as receiving. Think about it. They make the humans torture you. They keep you away from the day-to-day relations with humans. They send you the vilest subjugates. According to Val, they took pleasure in selecting you to work with the VLO. They thought they’d warped you enough.” Ezra met his eyes with a serious look. “They thought you’d kill the liaisons and start the war yourself. I’d bet my life on it. You’re the only one who could keep the Immortalis together.”

  Kade leaned heavily on the balcony railing. “They knew Val hated vampires. They’d turned Will, so they knew her history. They thought she’d piss me off. Instead—”

  “Instead, you fell in love and fucked up all their plans.”

  “I was never supposed to meet Dannon, either. Ezra, we have to find Will before the Anti-Transformation Bill goes to a vote.”

  If that bill passed either chamber, the Dominorum would declare war on the humans, their only option to fight extinction. Soon after, the Immortalis would fight each other. World War III was about to become reality.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Kade stood outside Val’s hospital door for several minutes, his gut in knots. He was completely lost. Despite his attempt over the past few days, he realized he could never live without her. He’d take her any way he could, even old and frail. She meant too much to him to let go so easily. With a sigh, he pushed the door open.

  If he’d expected to see a woman in pain, it wasn’t what he got. Instead, he faced Val’s fury. When she saw him, she swiped up a slender vase of flowers at her bedside table and threw it at him. Her reaction stunned him, and for once, his reflexes failed. The fragile vase struck the center of his chest, shattering against him and dousing his T-shirt. Her eyes flew wide. Apparently, she’d never intended to hit him. He brushed off the glass clinging to his shirt before his gaze returned to her. She was fully dressed and packing a small bag.

  He scowled. “What are you doing out of bed?”

  Her surprise hadn’t lasted long. She scowled right back, her ire flaring anew. “How dare you? You’ve ignored me for days, and now you think you can come in here and tell me what to do?”

  “I haven’t ignored you.”

  “Kade, I’ve called you every day. Not returning my calls constitutes ignoring. Now get out of my room. I’ve been released, and I’m waiting for Ezra to come and pick me up.”

  “Ezra, is it?” He stalked toward her. She backed up slowly until the back of her thighs met the bed.

  “Y-yes. Ezra.”

  “He’s not coming for you.”

  “N-not?” She peered up at him, her candy-coated eyes liquefying his insides. Her body heat permeated his chest only an inch from her delicious breasts. He slid his fingers into her sexy, blond curls. Her breath hitched, and his ignited with a lurch. His blood surged, bringing heat to his limbs. Her palms rubbed over his chest. Did she realize she was fondling him?

  His lips curled into a smile. She looked at her hands and dropped them to her sides. It only made him laugh. If she couldn’t help but touch him, maybe he had a good shot at getting her naked before taking her home, despite her anger.

  She shoved him, but he didn’t budge. No way would he leave her alone right now. He burned to taste every inch of her, burned to stroke her pale, supple skin, burned for her.

  “I missed you,” he murmured, his eyes searching hers.

  She frowned. “That’s your fault.”

  “I had a case to solve.”

  “That doesn’t stop you from using a cell phone.”

  He stroked his thumbs in l
azy circles over her temples. Her pupils dilated, and her lids lowered. She couldn’t hide her desire from him. He brushed his lips across hers, earning a soft moan from her. Pressing his thigh between her legs, he slid his hands down to cup her ass, riding her hard against him.

  “Tell me no,” he whispered.

  “No,” she whispered back, but she didn’t resist. Instead, her lips parted and her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him deeper into their kiss. She pressed her breasts into his chest and tightened her legs around his thigh. He was a goner.

  …

  Her resolve was shot. Three minutes with Kade, and she was pawing him like an oversexed teen in the backseat of a car. How did he do this to her? Yes, that was her hand stroking him through his jeans and he was certainly happy to see her, from the feel of things. He thrust his hips against her hand.

  He groaned with approval into her open mouth and then broke away, his breath heaving. The sound of it and the pound of his heart at the pulse on his throat flattered her. She couldn’t believe she had such a strong effect on him.

  “Right there, baby,” he said. He covered her hand with his, pressing harder against his erection. He thumbed the button open on his jeans and lowered the fly.

  “Not so fast, Romeo,” she said, her voice raspy with arousal. Now that he was in front of her, she didn’t want to spend her time angry with him, but she couldn’t make it easy for him either, could she?

  His eyes pleaded with her. A fine sheen had appeared on his brow. “I’m sorry, all right? Don’t stop.” His expression showed his suffering. Maybe he’d hurt himself as much as he’d hurt her with his absence. She kicked her sandals off, eased onto the bed, and tugged her skirt up. She couldn’t help smiling because he looked like he’d scored the winning touchdown.

  “Oh fuck.” He slid her panties down her legs, his lips planting kisses along the way. He climbed on the bed, kneeling between her legs, and then froze. “Are you—can you do this now? Do you hurt?”