by Victoria Zak
RC stood and took a step back as he stared at Charlee’s lifeless body. His mind numbed. His heart threatened to shatter. He couldn’t fix this.
“Come on, RC.” Tibbs ushered him to the door and Kit followed.
Hours passed as slow as molasses in January. RC paced outside the infirmary as he waited for Selene to give him an update. He wished he could trade places with Charlee. He even pleaded to God. Hell, he’d dance around a fire naked talking in tongues if he had to—anything to save her. It drove him insane that he couldn’t do a damn thing. He was half vampire, yet not strong enough to give her life.
The door to the infirmary creaked open and Selene came out. RC froze. The sorrowful expression on the vampire’s face read loud and clear. His knees buckled, but he regained his balance.
“Darlin’, I did all I could. I’ve stitched the wound and stopped the bleeding.”
“That’s good, right?” RC held onto hope.
“She’s lost a lot of blood—”
“Well, you’re a vampire. Give her some of yours,” RC demanded.
“She’s too far gone. I’d have to give her a lot of blood, and that’s too risky. She’ll be lucky if she makes it through the night. I’m sorry, darlin’.”
RC glared at Selene as he walked past her and into the infirmary.
“You’re a piece of work,” Kit addressed Selene.
“Look, I did all I could.”
“Bullshit!”
Selene approached Kit. “What’s your problem, Cowboy?”
“My problem is you have the ability to save that girl, yet won’t do it. You’re too much of a heartless bitch.”
“Save her? Do you actually think turning her into a vampire is saving her?” She jabbed a finger at his chest. “I’m not turning her without her consent, and even if I had it, I still wouldn’t do it. I know what it’s like to live in the shadows. To hunt humans for their blood. It took a long time to learn to accept myself for what I’ve become. I wouldn’t wish this life on anyone.” Selene turned to walk away, but Kit grabbed her arm and spun her around.
“RC loves that girl. She’s his life. It will destroy him if he loses her. If nothing else, turn her for love. Please,” Kit pleaded.
Selene held his stare. “I don’t play Goddess.”
15
Selene couldn’t get away from Kit fast enough. She knew he was watching her walk away. On any other day, she’d give him an eyeful and exaggerate that country girl hitch in her step; give him a show he’d remember for a while. Nothing felt more satisfying than to see him sweat with desire. Fair play, considering he rattled her cage like no one else could.
She loved the way he hurt her when he lashed out, and she missed the misery when he wasn’t around. It made her feel alive in some demented way.
She rounded the corner, out of Kit’s sight, then rested her back against the cold, concrete wall. She fisted her hands and looked up at the ceiling, lightly banging her head. He’d crossed the line. The reason he wanted her to turn that girl was nothing more than a jab at her, reminding her of how she’d broken his heart.
“Turn her for love,” Selene spat. Like this was supposed to soften her up or change her mind about their relationship. Yep, it was definitely a personal attack.
There was no denying the passion he brought out in her. Kit made her feel human again. Like secondhand smoke, she breathed him in, craving more. Yet she hated herself for wanting more than she deserved.
She was a cold-blooded vampire, damned to hell. Even though he was half vampire, there was a side she couldn’t be a part of. At least that was what she told herself, because in reality there was always going to be one male who stood between them, and he was immortal. A threat that would never die. A threat she’d protect Kit from at all costs. Love was a high-stakes game in her world, and she didn’t gamble.
She took her frustrations out on the concrete wall, banging her head harder, trying to get Kit out of her thoughts. But that was the problem; once he was in, he made himself at home. Sweet Lilith, it irked her how he got under her skin. But what bothered her the most, was how she allowed him to affect her. Why did he have to be so damn irresistible?
Heartless bitch. Kit’s words cut her to the bone. Why did she care what he thought of her anyway? That girl wasn’t her problem. How dare he make such a request! Turning a human wasn’t taken lightly.
She had a precise purpose here and didn’t need any distractions. Years ago, she’d joined Roman because she believed in his vision—all life matters, human, vampire, and dhampir.
All life matters.
Roman couldn’t afford to lose a soldier over a broken heart. It was too dangerous for RC not to have his head in the game. They needed every cowboy mentally and physically prepared to beat Mace.
Shit. She had to save that girl.
Selene shoved off the wall and strode back to the infirmary. Her nerves got the best of her for a brief moment as she stood in the doorway watching RC sitting bedside, holding the girl’s hand. This wasn’t going to be easy. She was about to go against the one thing she vowed never to do.
Taking in a deep breath, she approached the bed, meeting RC and Kit’s confused glares.
“How much do you love her, cowboy?” Selene asked.
“I’d take a silver bullet straight through the heart for her,” RC said.
Selene glanced at Kit, then back at RC, taking a moment to find her brave, kick-ass side. “All right.” This whole situation irked her. “Once I turn her, she’s your problem. Understand?”
RC didn’t say anything, he just stared at her.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “She’s not coming back to life any quicker with you sitting there, eye-fucking me. Get out so I can do my job.”
RC slowly stood and gave Charlee a kiss on the forehead.
“I’ll come and get you when it’s over.”
RC nodded and she watched him make his way to the door. Kit stepped closer and she shot him a don’t-you-fucking-dare-talk-to-me glare. If looks could kill, she’d just sent him deeper into hell.
Late the next day, Selene awoke to a moan. As she wiped the sleep from her eyes, her hand stung. Shit, she was still hooked up to Charlee. Ripping the needle from her arm, she stood and checked on Charlee. It had been twelve hours since she’d started the turning process and she was exhausted. She must have dozed off.
She despised this whole procedure. Every time she drained a human, a piece of her soul died. She understood the horror blondie would wake up to. The excruciating pain in her gut, the unquenchable thirst for blood. The sedative Selene had given her would take the edge off, and the O-positive blood dripping from the IV line should help control the initial bloodlust. But the girl was still facing hell.
Once the pain and cravings dulled, the realization would hit her cold and hard—she was no longer human, but vampire. A decision someone had made for her.
Selene felt Charlee’s head for fever. It didn’t surprise her that she had one. As soon as she was a hundred percent vampire, the fever would break. It was just her body reacting to the foreign substance invading her blood, fighting it like a virus. But there was no cure for her now.
Slowing her IV drip, Selene decided she was through baby vamp sitting. That was RC’s job now. Once she was satisfied blondie was stable, she left the infirmary, dialing RC’s cell.
He answered in one ring. “Yeah?”
“Tag, you’re it. She’s in recovery and will need your assistance once the sedation wears off.”
“Selene?”
“What?”
“Thank you for saving my girl.”
Selene hung up and shoved her cell in her back pocket as she walked down the hallway toward the elevator, then stepped inside. She needed a shot of whiskey. Okay, a bottle of Scotland’s best would do the trick. It was still light out, so there was no going top side to the D&D. She tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for the big silver box to stop.
At the top level of the compound
, Roman had converted an old room into a western themed saloon. She’d definitely find some whiskey there.
The elevator stopped and Selene stepped out. She hung a right down the hall, making her way to the saloon. She swung the double doors open. The springs creaked and echoed. The lights were off. “Thank Sweet Lilith,” she sighed.
The whiskey bottles were beckoning her as she walked behind the bar and reached for a bottle of Highland Single Malt. She placed it on the bar while she hunted down a glass. Why she was hell bent on finding a glass was beyond her when she intended on emptying the damn thing. Perhaps after what she had just done to blondie she felt the need to be classy. She checked the drying shelf. “Aha.” Two rows of crystal tumblers.
She poured herself a shot. Consuming it in one swallow, she slammed the glass down. She shook her head and squinted her face at the smoky aftertaste. The first shot was just a warm up.
She filled her glass again and then noticed the jukebox’s lights glowing from the back wall. Hell, if she was drinking, she might as well get drunk with her friends. Emptying her glass, she poured another, then sauntered to the box. She flipped through the old forty-five records and made her country-girl-blues selection, starting with Johnny Cash’s, “Ring of Fire”.
She raised her glass to the first line of the song as it played. “You’re telling me, Johnny.”
She turned on her heels, dancing her way back to the bar stool where she’d spend the night sulking in the whiskey and listening to country singers belt out their sorrowful tales of lost love. At least she wouldn’t be alone.
The song ended, and another forty-five flipped over, taking its place. Patsy Cline’s rich, soulful voice sang out. She closed her eyes, taking in the lyrics and feeling their sting. She hummed along while her heart shattered into a million cold crystals. Goddess, with all the heartache in her life, she could write her own country song.
The swinging doors moaned open, breaking the moment—she wasn’t alone. The air heated and a bead of sweat rolled down her spine. She could tell by the familiar way his boots hit the floor, who had walked in. There was only one man who could send a shiver through her body without saying a word.
“Pardon me, pretty lady, is this seat taken?” Kit drawled.
She motioned for him to sit. Probably a huge mistake on her part, being as she was half way towards drunk and numb.
Kit rested his elbows on the bar. “Look, I’m an asshole.”
She raised a black brow. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
“Selene, I’m sorry—”
“Cowboy, I’m too drunk for all this sentimental bullshit. Don’t kill my buzz.”
“Fair enough.”
A few moments passed in silence. Selene got up and went behind the bar. She returned with a tumbler, poured a drink, and placed it in front of him. “I hate drinking alone.”
As he tilted his strong neck back, she watched him swallow the whiskey. His veins bulged underneath his skin, reminding her of how he tasted. Spicy-sweet. They had gone too far. She was never supposed to fall for her boss’s son. If Roman knew the games they played, he’d have a shit fit and throw her out of the coven. But then again, if it was exciting and terrifying, why not pursue it?
Like a good hostess, she refilled his glass. With her drink in hand, she stood next to Kit, leaning her back against the bar. The record flipped again, and this time a song played about a man falling in love with a Mexican girl from El Paso. Another tragic love story.
“Dance with me, Cowboy.” Selene turned around and set her whiskey on the bar.
She swung her hips seductively to the music, dancing toward the jukebox. She glanced over her shoulder and grinned at Kit as he glared at her with smoldering hunger in his eyes. She motioned for him to join her.
Kit downed his shot, licked his lips, and stood, never taking his eyes off her. Her heart raced. Goddess, the man had swagger. He could set her on fire without a single touch.
She teased him some more, swaying her arms over her head, playing the part of the wicked Lolita, casting her spell on the poor defenseless cowboy.
Kit wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. Her breasts pressed against his chest; their bodies melted together. She looked deep into his eyes; this was no game. The sternness in his steel-gray eyes burrowed straight into her soul. She absorbed his strength, because, Goddess only knew, it was only a matter of time before she cracked and crumbled in his arms.
She laid her head on his shoulder and nuzzled his neck. She closed her eyes and breathed in that comforting spice and evergreen scent that was all Kit. Why do you have to smell so good?
With a soothing touch, he rubbed her neck, then ran his fingers through her hair. “Darlin’,” he whispered.
The stubble on his chin raked across her ear, tingling her skin. She fought the urge to moan.
“Let me take care of you tonight.”
Her body tensed. She knew exactly what he meant. By the end of the night, she’d be screaming his name, and in the morning hating herself for being so reckless. He’d leave her wrecked once again.
She lifted her head. And there is was…that pull. A connection she fought, yet she couldn’t resist. “No strings attached?”
“No strings attached.”
“Then take me home, Cowboy.”
16
The wind blew in from an open window in her bedroom. She was back home at the ranch. The frigid air passed through her white sheer nightgown chilling her to the bone as she climbed out of bed, and padded across the room to shut the window. The curtains danced and snapped against the gust making it difficult for her to close the window.
She locked the window and turned back to go to bed, rubbing the cold from her arms, then froze. Something was moving. She squinted through the darkness to gain a better look; her eyes widened and her heart quickened when a man stepped out of the shadows, filling Charlee with a stampede of terror. Mace?
He reached out to her and his icy pull drew her in.
Mist permeated the air and clung to her body, and suddenly all fear was gone. Slowly, the weight of her troubles floated away like a balloon slipping from her hands and fading into the sky. Yet something deep within warned her not to let go of the string.
Charlee gazed into his dark depths searching for some clarity. Her mind fought against her body, telling herself to wake up, this was a dream, but her body ignored the demand and she stepped into Mace’s wintry embrace.
She closed her eyes and laid her head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. The tighter he held her, the more her troubles disappeared as if he was absorbing them. Mace breathed her in. “There’s no escaping me now, gorgeous.”
Her eyes flew open and she took a step back.
A smile widened across his face. “Welcome to the family.”
Charlee woke, thrashing her head from side to side, screaming no.
“Charlee?”
She opened her eyes and squinted against the brightness of the room. Everything around her was clearer, more vibrant. This wasn’t a dream.
“It’s too bright.” She coughed through the dryness of her throat. It itched like she’d swallowed sand.
“Hold on, baby.” The lights dimmed. “Is that better?”
She cracked one eye open, then the other. “RC? Is that you?”
“Yep, I’m right here.” He held her hand.
She tried to sit up, but her head spun. What had happened? Like an old homemade movie flipping frame by frame, grainy bits and pieces were coming together. The smell of strawberries and vanilla, a knock at her door, duct taped to the driver’s seat of a broken-down RV. The picture got worse. Mace’s white fangs, blood pooling at her fingertip, the deed to her home. Oh God, make it stop! An explosion, RC and her running for their lives, and then she’d blacked out. The images faded, leaving her stunned like she’d just watched a horror show and was left speechless at the shocking ending.
Her body ached to the bone. Even though the room was
quiet, it was deafening. Am I actually hearing RC’s heartbeat?
“What happened to me?” she asked.
RC stared at the floor. “I’m so sorry, Charlee girl.”
“For what?”
“Do you remember the explosion?”
“Yes, I mean, I think so. Everything is still foggy.”
“We didn’t quite make it to the safe zone.”
Charlee saw his face harden. This wasn’t going to be good news.
“I failed. I didn’t protect you. A piece of shrapnel pierced your stomach. You were bleeding out fast and…” RC stopped before he broke down.
“I’m no longer human, am I?” Charlee’s voice quivered.
RC shook his head.
“I’m a…”
“Vampire. It was the only way I could save you.”
“You turned me?”
“No, darlin’, Selene did. I asked her to.”
Her eyes widened. Charlee couldn’t believe what she was hearing. It was too much to take in. Her breathing quickened. Vampire?
“Charlee, look at me.” He squeezed her hand. “I’m going to make this right. I’m going to help you. I know I’m a selfish bastard, but I couldn’t let you go. Not when we just found each other again. I hope you’ll forgive me someday.”
Charlee stared at the ceiling, paralyzed with confusion as a tear rolled down her cheek. How could he have allowed this to happen to her? He’d promised her protection, and he’d allowed her to become a monster.
An image of Mace flashed before her, sharp fangs and an evil smirk, staring at her, and she shivered. He’d gotten exactly what he wanted; the ranch and her soul. His essence flowed through her veins; she could feel him inside her and it shook her to the core.
“RC, you have no idea what you’ve done.” She swallowed back the lump in her throat. Her mortal life was dead, yet her immortal existence would forever be tied to Mace. She was damned either way.
“It was the only way.” RC hung his head.
“I want you to leave,” she whispered.
