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Stephan’s grip loosened and his hands slowly dropped away, but he said nothing. And for just a moment, the young man’s face was completely empty. That emptiness vanished swiftly, his eyes flickering twice before turning black. The tears running down Stephan’s face did nothing to hide his rage.
The air around them surged angrily. The furniture rattled and windows began to crack. Some even shattered, unable to handle the immense power undulating from the young man. Lashing out violently, it slid like hundreds of small blades over them, slicing through clothing and into skin at each rise.
Dante stared wide-eyed at the ball of uncontrolled fury that Stephan Everwood had become. The transformation was startling.
Sending a murderous glare his way, Jayden picked Stephan up.
Cuts formed rapidly on the man as he strode quickly away.
Once out of reach of Stephan’s powers, Dante’s body began to heal. Taking a shaky breath, he peered at Liam. As if nothing happened, the man walked over and calmly sat on the couch across from him.
“I’m sorry. I hadn’t meant to say anything.”
“I figured. You were always bad at keeping your mouth shut when reading someone,” Liam said stiffly.
Dante winced at the anger in his friend’s voice. “You knew.”
“I did.”
“And you helped him.”
“I did.”
Dante loosened his tie, then grabbed a few napkins from the tray and wiped away some of the blood the healed cuts left behind. “How did you find out?”
“You didn’t see?”
“I was shoved out before I could.”
“Two years ago Stephan’s uncle came for a visit. The way Jayden looked at him…never have I seen such hatred shine in the young man’s eyes. In fact, before then I had never seen any type of emotion
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in his eyes at all. The rest of his face, sure, but his eyes had always been empty. I’m sure he feels his own brand of hatred toward his other ‘victims,’ but the way he looked at Grant, it was…”
“Terrifying?”
Liam chuckled. “To most, it would have been I suppose. Jayden would have known what the man had done the minute he met him.
Yet he held back…that is something he would only do for Stephan. I understood why he didn’t want Stephan to know. I didn’t either.” He sighed and crossed his legs. “By the time I found out, he must have already found a way to beat his tracker. I distinctly remember Mr.
Helven having an ‘accident’ only a few weeks before. Jayden probably had plans in motion to kill him, not to mention the woman who helped him get away with it.”
“Would you show me?” Dante asked. “I know it’s not exactly right for me to ask after what I revealed. But I doubt Jayden will allow me back inside.”
He could practically see the wheels turning in his friend’s head.
Liam had never been one to share.
It wasn’t as if Dante was asking to read him. He just wanted the man to share the specific memory. In Liam’s case, it would be sharing an in-person escapade. Personally, he preferred it that way. Dante lamented the fact that he could only show memories as if they were a film.
Projecting a memory was less invasive than allowing another into your mind. For the one invading, unless skilled, it was difficult to search for a specific memory without seeing everything that was even slightly related—useful or not. Later thoughts of the events could sometimes tint or influence the actual memory. Of course, that was something easily avoided as long as you knew what you were doing.
For the person being read, it left them vulnerable. It was difficult to stop someone from doing more than reading once they were inside.
Vampires were semi-resistant, but not infallible.
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Other immortal species did not possess the ability to share memories, so, unfortunately, it was the only method that could be used on them. For vampires, the method was usually only used on criminals. Of course, there were the rare individuals who just couldn’t be read at all.
As for entering Liam’s mind, it had been years since he’d last done so. Definitely an experience Dante would never forget, and one he did not wish to repeat.
Liam may not have a solid entity as Jayden did, but there was certainly enough darkness inside him to create a little monster of his own. Whatever was there, Dante had no interest in facing it again—it hadn’t liked him.
“I can. However, I do not think Jayden has much left to show you,” Liam said at last, and held out his hand, mirroring what Jayden had done earlier.
Dante clasped his hand and allowed the memory to pull him under.
Liam suppressed a yawn as he watched Stephan giggle and gossip with his Uncle Grant. Ugh, it was…disgusting.
He didn’t want the man here—or anywhere near Stephan, for that matter. After the custody battle, Grant was permanently on Liam’s shit list. Not that the man had ever been likable. Aston Everwood’s little brother had always been an asshole.
The man was also an idiot. Honestly, it was the only reasonable explanation for the bastard thinking Liam would have ever let him get his grubby little hands on Stephan—or Stephan’s money.
He rubbed the back of his neck as an odd sense of dread filled him.
The air tasted bitter, and there was a feeling of pure hatred. It wasn’t his.
Looking around, he eyed Jayden, who was leaning against the wall to his right. Waves of hostility emanated from the man. Jayden’s usually empty eyes were filled with rage. Following his gaze, Liam
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found himself staring at Grant. Then again, who else would Jayden be looking at? Certainly not Stephan.
A side of him that he kept deep inside shivered and rose at the implications of Jayden’s look. Liam could feel his eyes starting to bleed black.
Slamming them shut, he swallowed painfully as he forced it away.
Letting a small hole form in his mental walls, Liam allowed Jayden a peek inside for just a moment.
“Jayden, I wish to speak with you alone. Now…” he said in his mind.
Message sent, Liam closed the opening. Jayden’s head snapped toward him—in a single blink, the burning hatred was gone.
Waving his hand toward the entryway leading to the stairs, Liam walked off, but not far until he heard Jayden begin to follow.
The young man looked utterly confused when Liam directed him into his bedroom. Confused or not, Jayden went in, and they soon sat across from each other.
“So what are we doing here?”
“What did he do?”
“What did who do?” Jayden drawled.
Liam narrowed his eyes. He had no patience, no willingness to hold back his anger. The deaths of his best friend and his the man’s wife, the torture Stephan had been put through, all of it had left a permanent stain on his heart. Aston had meant everything to him—
Liam had barely survived losing the man. That they’d never found who planned it all had been infuriating and left him crying out for vengeance. A vengeance that had never been satisfied.
“Grant! What did Grant do to warrant such a look of hatred?”
Liam snapped. “And do not lie to me!”
Jayden gaped as Liam willingly let his eyes bleed to black. “There is a monster in all of us, Jayden. Some are just better at hiding it.
Now tell me.”
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The fury that Liam had seen earlier returned. “He’s responsible for everything! His greed took away Stephan’s childhood! His innocence! And for that, he will pay.”
“I want in.”
Jayden jerked. “What?”
“I want in, and I don’t want Stephan to know any of this. I know how to turn off the tracker without Stephan knowing, but I will only do so if I’m allowed to help. I’ll even let you kill Grant as long as I can watc
h. But there was another person involved, wasn’t there?
Them, I want, because they knew but did nothing.”
Eyes piercing, Jayden tilted his head. “You’ve blown away my previous conception of you. You’re hiding some pretty interesting secrets, aren’t you?”
Liam smirked. “Aren’t we all?”
Instead of asking questions, Jayden confirmed his suspicions.
“You’re right. There is someone else. A woman named Jill Kaln.
She’s part of the Zay—”
“Zaytari,” Liam growled. The darkness inside him screamed for blood at being betrayed by one of his own.
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Chapter Fourteen
Reddish-brown spots stained the covers beneath them, stains identical to the patches on Jayden’s skin and clothes.
They were both a little bloody, him more than Stephan. As the blood was all his, it made sense. At least the thousands of cuts Jayden had received were healing—though his clothes were a loss, as were Stephan’s.
The man’s powers had quieted, but his eyes hadn’t returned to normal.
While Jayden’s heart ached at the loss, if the beautiful lilac never returned, he would still love Stephan. Dante Kozen, of course, would die slowly for his part in causing the change.
Though…Jayden might still kill the man, even if they did revert back.
“There is no might. We will kill him!” his monster snapped.
Ignoring the voice in his head, he tried to coax Stephan back to him. “Sweetheart…Stephan, I’m sorry.”
Stephan tilted his head up, looking at him. When lilac began to wash away the darkness, Jayden sighed in relief.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want to hurt you.” Staring down steadily, Jayden threaded his hand into Stephan’s curly strands. “And I knew him disappearing would hurt you less than knowing what he did.”
“I had a right to know.”
“You did…but I still didn’t want to tell you.” Hesitantly, he divulged, “And Liam felt the same.”
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As Stephan already knew the worst of it, telling him about the man’s involvement now felt like the right thing to do.
The man’s eyes widened. “Liam knew?”
“Yes, he also helped. He killed the woman involved. His eyes, they turned black when he found out what your Uncle Grant had done.”
Stephan scrunched his nose up. “Black, but that’s…” His words trailed off.
“What did Liam do before coming here?”
“My father…I think he said Liam worked for the Zaytari. He dropped everything to take care of me.”
“How did you know Dante Kozen’s group had no executioner?”
“What? Liam told…”
“I suppose if he had been the previous one, he would know.”
* * * *
Could Jayden be right? Had Liam been the executioner? Did it matter?
No, Liam was still Liam. It didn’t change anything. Besides, the fewer people who knew what the man had done, the safer they were.
“Stephan…I know this is a stupid question. But are you all right?”
He laughed bitterly. “No, not really. Not only was Grant my last blood relative, but he was responsible for my parents’ deaths. I let my parents’ murderer into my home.” Stephan swallowed back the bile that formed at the thought. “The man wanted me dead. They…they were supposed to kill me, as well, after they were done.”
“I know. I read it from his mind.”
“I have no family left.”
“That’s not true. You have Liam. While he’s not blood-related, he does love you. And then…there’s me. If you’ll have me, that is,”
Jayden murmured warily before kissing the top of his head. “I love you, Stephan. You’re not alone.”
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Stephan let out a sob and plastered himself to the man. Jayden cupped his face and leaned down to place a soft kiss on his lips.
He needed this, to feel something, something other than the betrayal plaguing him.
After scooting up his body, Stephan deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue past Jayden’s lips. As he hardened, he whimpered and began to rub his erection against Jayden’s abs.
Growling, Jayden rolled them and pinned Stephan beneath him.
The man sucked on his bottom lip before pulling away completely.
“We should stop,” Jayden rasped.
Stephan’s voice cracked when he asked, “Why?”
“It wouldn’t be right…you’re upset. I won’t take advantage of you.
It would make me as bad as them.”
They both knew who “them” was. Even so, Stephan wanted him.
He wanted to be with him, even if he was scared.
“I want you…I don’t want to wait, please,” he begged.
“No, not now. Later, yes. But not now. Once you’ve rested and your mind has cleared.” Jayden bent down and gave him a quick kiss.
“It may be selfish, but I can’t. Not this way. I need to know that you’re with me, not because of shock, but because you want to be.
Because you’re ready to be.”
“You want me though, right?” Feeling uncertain, he asked, “You don’t think I’m damaged?”
“No! I would never think that. You’re perfect! There is nothing wrong with you, don’t ever think there is. I love you, Stephan, and I will always want you.”
Biting his lip, he nodded. “Okay.”
Jayden slid off of him and began to tuck him in. “Now, you should rest.” He paused. “Though…maybe you should take a bath first. You’re a little bloody.”
“Later…”
“Well, I’m going back out there to talk to our…guest.”
The word “guest” ended in a growl—it didn’t bode well for Dante.
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“Okay.” Stephan sniffled. “But don’t hurt him.”
Jayden huffed. “I won’t if that’s what you want. Even if I really, really want to.” He leaned down and kissed Stephan’s cheek. “Now rest.”
* * * *
After closing the outer door of Stephan’s room, Jayden started down the hallway toward his own. Thanks to the dry blood, his dress clothes were even more uncomfortable than before, plastered as they were to his skin. He fully intended to change before dealing with Dante again.
Once in his room, he kicked off his shoes and quickly stripped away his ruined clothes. Jayden strode nude into the bathroom, then grabbed a washcloth and wet it in the sink. He wiped down, trying to get as much blood off as possible.
After throwing the bloody piece of cloth into the trash, he re-entered his bedroom.
“Now, what do I wear?” Jayden murmured to himself.
He could put another dress shirt and whatever on, or he could go for comfort. Considering what Jayden wanted to do to Dante at the moment, he didn’t feel talking to him warranted nice clothing.
Jayden opened his dresser and grabbed a pair of black boxer briefs, black jeans, and a black T-shirt. Once fully dressed, he looked around for his slippers—over the years he’d been living with Stephan, Jayden had gotten into the habit of wearing them.
“You threw them away a few days ago because of all the holes,”
his monster reminded him.
“Shit, I forgot.”
“You don’t have to talk out loud for me to hear you. Just think words at me. Oh, there’s always the pink ones Stephan got you for your birthday?”
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Jayden snorted in disbelief. “I know that, but I prefer it when we’re alone. And you can’t be serious.”
“But they’re so fuzzy! Also, I bet Stephan would be happy if we wore them.”
Apparently, not only did his monster share his homicidal tendencies, but also his love for Stephan.
“He
’s mine, as well! You have to share! Be fair!”
Considering that his monster was a part of him, he
supposed…nothing, he supposed nothing, as he had no interest in closely examining his monster’s claim.
Sighing, Jayden pulled the fuzzy pink slippers out of his closet and slipped them on. After leaving his room, he closed the door behind him and started off toward the staircase.
“I want a name. I don’t like being called ‘monster.’”
Eyebrows rising, Jayden mumbled hesitantly, “I’ll think about it.”
“You do that…we should kill him.”
“We can’t.”
“Why not?” His monster whined and stomped his foot.
Jayden caught himself as he stumbled on one of the steps, his eyes widening at his monster’s childish display. “We can’t kill him. It would ruin Stephan’s plan.”
“What if the man refuses and tries to hurt Stephan?”
“Then we’ll kill him.” Jayden chuckled darkly.
Almost to the living room, he picked up the conversation going on.
“So you killed Jill,” Dante surmised. “We always wondered what happened to her. No clues and no body.”
Liam laughed. “I couldn’t leave a body behind.”
“No, I suppose not. The methods you used to torture and kill her would have led us right to you.” The man sighed. “Even if you didn’t trust the rest, why didn’t you come to me? You know I would have made them pay if I had known, Liam.”
“I couldn’t. You know what would have happened if what Grant had done had become public. Such a high-profile figure, there would
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be questions. And then on top of having to deal with his anger and grief, Stephan would have been hounded by reporters. Reporters trying to break him down just for a story,” Liam snarled. “Not to mention, it would lead you right to Jayden.”
“There is some truth there,” Dante agreed, but the man sounded hurt.
“So I was right. You were an executioner at one point,” Jayden drawled as he sauntered in.
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