by Cat Miller
Lindsay’s stomach flipped at the reference to the ambush Kayden and his men had walked into back in South Carolina. He’d only recently admitted what had happened when Koren mentioned it in conversation. Kayden hadn’t given Lindsay the details because he didn’t want to upset her, but she knew it had been a close call for Kayden. Lindsay had picked up on his memories of the failed raid when he was sorting through what he should or shouldn’t tell her about it anyway, and the flashes of what Kayden could recall were enough to turn Lindsay’s hair gray.
She was anxious about the mission the guys were about to embark on, especially after hearing about Kayden’s injuries from a previous mission. Kayden and Hawk were flying to Virginia Beach to follow a tip they hoped might lead to Sheena. They’d headed off a near disaster in a club on Myrtle Beach that lead them to the discovery of Sheena’s nest and rescuing Lindsay. The owner of that club had contacted Kayden with information that came from his club in Virginia Beach. The nightclub owner believed a guy named Nick, who was distributing Hypnovamp for Sheena, had been seen at his Virginia location. He claimed there had been a rash of Hypno overdoses. Kayden was still working to verify the overdoses and identify the victims, but he hadn’t had any luck yet. If he could interview the people who bought the dangerous drug, Kayden might be able to confirm Nick’s presence in Virginia. He was hoping to find someone who knew how to contact Nick if they wanted to score.
“We’ll take the two most experienced strike teams. My father has insisted on going along with a team of his own. We could cut and run without them, but he’ll beat us there and take over if we do. Plus, if he goes we can hitch a ride on the chinook,” Kayden explained.
“I guess we’re getting a piggy-back ride then. It’s better than having them muck everything up before we get there.”
Hawk didn’t like anything about the Vampire Nation, including Gage who Lindsay would assume would be an asset given his access to so many warriors and equipment.
“Hello, Kayden. Is your mate ready to shop until we drop?” Samantha interrupted their conversation.
“Holy hell. Who are you and are you looking for a mate? A slave? Hell, I’ll settle for a one-nighter if you insist,” that was Owen’s voice.
Lindsay grinned at Owen’s antics. Lord, he was such a flirt.
“Sam …” Kayden said, in warning.
Lindsay peeked out of the tent to see what Samantha was up to. Samantha was stunning as always. Even in skin-tight jeans and heels, the woman was regal. Samantha brushed her long, curled, pale gold hair over her shoulder as she circled Owen, giving the guy a considering appraisal.
Lindsay couldn’t be sure, but she thought that was Hawk growling. Samantha shot Hawk a challenging glare, then she leaned in and whispered something to Owen that made his eyes roll back in his head and his knees buckle a little.
“Anytime, lady, you just give me the word.” Owen was reaching for Samantha and Hawk was bearing down on Owen when Lindsay decided to step in. What the hell was Hawk’s deal? Maybe, he feared some sort of reprisal from Griffin Vaughn, Lindsay’s father, and a councilman if anyone messed with his daughter.
“Samantha, there you are.” Lindsay stepped into the gap between Hawk and Samantha, causing Hawk to stop short or trample Lindsay. “You’re late,” Lindsay said, glancing down at her pretend watch.
She didn’t have a watch anymore. Or a cell phone for that matter. Those were two issues she planned to remedy during her shopping trip with Samantha. In the last week, Koren had taken Lindsay to the bank and the motor vehicle administration. So Lindsay now had a new driver’s license and she’d finally gotten a new bank card for the account she’d had since she was sixteen. Money wasn’t an issue for Lindsay even before her inheritance. Lindsay was ready for some new clothes and other accessories that would make her feel like a lady again. Who better to help Lindsay rebuild a basic wardrobe than Samantha?
Hawk slammed on the brakes and stopped just before he ran into Lindsay. She smiled up at him innocently. Hawk’s eyes were boring into Owen, but he only had eyes for Samantha, so he didn’t realize he was in jeopardy.
“I am not late,” Samantha scoffed. “Girl, you don’t even know what time it is.”
“I know it’s time to go.” Lindsay shot her eyes toward a fuming Hawk.
Refusing to acknowledge Hawk, Samantha just blinked innocently, as if she had no clue what Lindsay was talking about.
“Come here, Hellion,” Kayden demanded.
Lindsay loved it when he took that bossy tone with her. It meant he wanted to touch her. Lindsay obeyed her mate’s summons and went to him, smiling.
“How are you feeling? Will you be alright without me tonight?” Kayden wrapped his arms around her and lifted so they were eye-to-eye.
Kayden would be gone for at least one night if not more depending on what they found in Virginia Beach. They hadn’t been apart since they were mated so it would be weird to go to bed without him, and she would worry until he returned. Lindsay didn’t see the need to remind Kayden that she’d slept alone her entire life. The only other time she fell asleep with someone next to her was when she and Kayden had spent that one night together so long ago.
“I’ll be terribly lonely and worried about you.” Hugging his neck tight, she nuzzled the side of his face. He was clean shaven and smelled fresh like summer rain.
“I hate leaving you,” Kayden admitted.
“I’ll be okay. You have work to do. I’ll stay busy. I’m going shopping with Samantha, and later Koren and I are going to cook dinner together and watch some chick flicks.”
“You aren’t the only one who will worry, you know,” Kayden whispered and kissed her neck. “I love you more than my next breath.”
Samantha started making gagging noises. That made Hawk chuckle. He actually laughed. Lindsay hadn’t believed the stern man had the ability.
“Good Lord, break it up already. You’ll see dreamboat tomorrow,” Samantha said.
Kayden and Lindsay laughed then. They were acting like they might not see each other for a year.
“We can test our distance ability,” Kayden said seriously. “I’m curious to see how far we can be from each other and still speak through our bond.”
“Oh, I didn’t know it mattered.”
Kayden nodded. “It does. I think at some point we’ll be limited to just sense of each other’s feelings and the ability to locate the other if needed.”
“You know, not all mates can talk to each other through the bond. My parents never could,” Samantha inserted. “You’re probably true mates.”
“What does that mean?” Lindsay asked.
“It means we were meant to be, kind of like soulmates. True mates will follow each other from one life to the next, always connected by the thread of fate. Destined to find each other for eternity.” Kayden gazed into Lindsay’s eyes. He was so earnest in his explanation. “I love you,” he told her again.
“I love you, my one true mate.” She kissed him with all the love and devotion she felt deep inside. Kayden had changed her life. He’d given her hope and a reason to keep going when she wanted to quit. Now she couldn’t imagine life without him. “Please, be safe. Come home to me soon.”
Twenty
“What are you doing in town, Mom? You know Daddy will have a fit if he finds out,” Samantha said, pacing the sidewalk outside of the café where she and Lindsay were about to have dinner.
Lindsay stood at the next store-front admiring a watch that was elegant yet understated with a black mother of pearl face and a diamond accent at the twelve o’clock position, and tried not to listen to Samantha’s conversation.
“Oh well, you’ve already done it then, haven’t you? If you went to J.R.’s school, Daddy already knows.” Samantha sounded frustrated.
Lindsay knew it was Sarah, Samantha’s mom, on the phone. They were having a very personal disagreement, so Lindsay stepped into the jewelers to inquire about the watch. To her delight, the watch came in his and hers des
igns. Maybe it was silly, but she liked the idea of her and Kayden having matching time pieces. Kayden might not wear it on missions, though Lindsay believed they were sturdily built enough for him to wear it if he wished. Lindsay was excited by the idea of giving her first gift to him. The jeweler was happy to engrave the watch she bought for Kayden. They were going to call Lindsay at Koren and Gage’s house when it was ready, and she’d pick up both watches then.
Lindsay knew just how she would present the watch to Kayden, too. When he came home from his mission, Kayden would find Lindsay in bed wearing nothing but the pair of matching watches. The thought had her body heating up and her cheeks flushing. Samantha entered the store just as the merchant was handing over the receipt for the watches.
“I’m sorry about that. My mother is so …” Samantha didn’t finish the sentence. She sighed and looked at Lindsay guiltily. “I hope you don’t mind, but I told her we’d have dinner with her. She’s renting a townhouse not far from here. Lord help her when Daddy finds out. She thinks the fact that it’s a free country makes a difference. You’d think she would know better after being mated to a councilman for over two decades.”
Lindsay wasn’t thrilled with the idea of spending time with Sarah, who had been an informant for David when he was the rogue.
“I don’t know, Samantha.” Lindsay didn’t want to be rude and tell her only friend that her mother was a criminal and not a nice lady. On the other hand, nobody thought Samantha was nice either, and that couldn’t be further from the truth.
“Oh please, Lindsay, don’t make me go alone. It won’t take long, and I won’t have to hear her whine about how I’m not spending any time with her for at least a day. She knew we were going shopping today, so when she asked me to bring you along, I told her you were coming. If you come with me, I’ll have an excuse to leave right after dinner. Your mother-in-law is expecting you, right? And I’m driving, so we’ll have to leave together.” Samantha gave Lindsay a pleading look. The woman actually poked her lower lip out and pouted.
Lindsay felt sorry for the man who eventually mated Samantha. How could anyone say no to that face? What would it hurt to have a quick meal with Samantha’s mom? They’d eat over hopefully polite conversation and get out of there.
“All right, I’ll go, but Koren really is expecting me. I only have time for dinner before we need to get back on the road,” Lindsay agreed.
Samantha enfolded Lindsay in a hug and hopped up and down on her dangerously high heels. If Samantha wasn’t careful, she was going to break an ankle.
“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! It won’t take long, I promise. You have no idea the trouble you’re saving me. Mother is so demanding.” Samantha smiled gratefully.
They made a stop at Samantha’s Mercedes to drop off a few shopping bags. Lindsay reluctantly followed Samantha down the street a few blocks and around the corner while Samantha hesitantly attempted to prepare her for Sarah’s possible behavior.
“If she goes off on a rant about my father, I’ll get us out of there fast because there’s no stopping that train once it leaves the station.” Samantha chewed her perfect pink lower lip.
Lindsay was trying to be a good sport because she knew Samantha was feeling very isolated these days. She wasn’t keeping company with her old friends any longer, and Lindsay had to wonder why. According to Kayden, Samantha was a Vampire Nation princess of sorts, and she was popular, even sought after, with more friends than a girl could count. For some unknown reason, Samantha was very alone by her own choice. Samantha had helped Lindsay so much in her recovery. How could Lindsay say no to this small request? She couldn’t. That was what friendship was about. Occasionally, you take one for the team.
In no time Lindsay found herself standing on the doorstep of a gorgeous brownstone in the most prosperous part of downtown across the street from a manicured park. The doorbell was answered by Sarah, and that seemed to shock Samantha.
“Mother, where is your butler?” Samantha asked as she hugged Sarah.
It wasn’t an affectionate I’m-so-happy-to-see-you kind of hug that Sarah gave her daughter. No, it was more of a distant patting of shoulders don’t-wrinkle-my-dress sort of half-hug. It reminded Lindsay of her own mother. The woman she’d thought was her mother. Maybe that’s why Lindsay and Samantha got along so well. They both came from very wealthy families and were raised by distant parents. They had a lot in common. Lindsay had never answered a door until she moved onto campus. She’d never done much of anything until college.
“I haven’t hired a butler yet.” Sarah brushed the question aside.
Sarah took in Lindsay’s appearance with one sweep of her body from head to toe, and she didn’t look impressed. Lindsay wasn’t offended because there wasn’t much about Sarah that impressed her either. The older woman was beautiful and dressed like a queen at her leisure, but there wasn’t much else to recommend her. A pretty face only got you so far.
“So glad you could make it, Lindsay, right?” Sarah asked as she ushered them deeper into the house.
“Yes, thank you for inviting me to dinner.”
Sarah didn’t reply. She was rushing them down the corridor. They passed several rooms on the way to the dining room, and Lindsay wasn’t surprised to see the house was fully furnished. Sarah seemed like the kind of woman who would want a home to be completely ready before she moved in, but Lindsay was puzzled as to why a house Sarah had only recently rented was full of furnishings that were covered with drop clothes and dust.
“Mother, you rented this place furnished? Why is it still so dirty?” Samantha asked, looking just as perplexed as Lindsay.
“Yes, well, things aren’t like they used to be, are they? My funds are limited,” Sarah explained, which an explanation it wasn’t really at all. “Come, come, ladies. Our dinner will be ready anytime now. I’ll get us a drink while we wait.”
The dining room was a little more finished than the rest of the house, but not by much. The table and chairs and a sideboard were uncovered but nothing else. Samantha paused in the entryway and looked around uneasily.
“Mom, maybe we should reschedule. There was no reason to rush. I can come back another day,” Samantha said.
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re here, and your mother has missed you. Have a seat, darling.” Sarah sashayed over to the sideboard. She returned first with four glasses, then with a wine decanter. Sarah poured them all a healthy portion of wine. “I’ll be right back with some crudité and cheese.” Sarah left the room through a swinging side door that Lindsay assumed to lead to the kitchen.
Samantha was sitting with her mouth hanging open, staring at the door her mother disappeared through. She blinked hard over at Lindsay.
“She has never served anything. Ever. The last thing she fed me was breast milk.” Samantha took a sip of her wine. “She must really be trying to do this on her own. Otherwise, she would have household staff running circles around this place.”
Lindsay had a feeling it was going to be a long dinner. She picked up her glass and took a big gulp of red wine. As soon as the liquid hit her tongue, Lindsay felt her fangs begin to throb. She choked back the wine in surprise. The flavor was robust and laced with something Lindsay was not expecting. There was blood in the wine.
“Is there blood in that wine?” Lindsay choked out.
“Oh sorry! It’s a vampire thing. I didn’t even think to warn you. You know vampires can’t really get drunk unless we feed on an inebriated human, right?”
“Yes, that’s why the new drugs circulating are so popular.” Lindsay sniffed the wine and took another gulp. It wasn’t bad. It seemed she was finally getting used to drinking blood, even if she did prefer getting it bagged to being up close and personal.
“Right, and if you mix the blood of a drunken person in with alcohol, the effect is stronger. It lasts a little longer.” Samantha emptied her glass and refilled it. “We might need to get a lift home.”
“Here we go,” Sarah said. She
pushed backward through the swinging door carrying a silver platter laden with fresh fruit, veggies, and cheese. “So tell me, what have you girls been up to today?”
Sarah passed them small plates, and Samantha began picking food off of the platter.
“Lindsay had a lot of shopping to do. She needs a whole new wardrobe,” Samantha said.
“I see.” Sarah glanced over at Lindsay’s casual outfit of jeans, sneakers, and a heather gray hoodie with disdain.
Lindsay again ignored the disapproving look and instead snagged some strawberries and cheese cubes. She munched on her appetizer and finished her glass of wine while listening to Samantha and Sarah discuss a trip Sarah was planning to Europe. She was insisting that Samantha was going with her. Sarah refilled Lindsay’s glass. The two women were arguing over whether or not it was an appropriate time for a vacation. Lindsay kept munching and sipping her wine.
Her mind was wandering to the strangest places, like when it would be a good time to talk to Kayden about adoption and what color they might paint their house. Then she remembered they didn’t have a house yet. Lindsay pushed her glass away. That stuff was potent. When she started counting the seeds on the last strawberry on her plate, Lindsay new she was drunk.
Lindsay was about to tell Samantha that she was going to call a cab to get home when she realized that Samantha and Sarah were no longer arguing. Samantha was slumped forward in her chair with her head on the table. Sarah was nowhere in sight.
“Hey, Samantha, what happened to dinner? Did I eat?” Lindsay looked for dirty dishes. Nope, she still only had a small plate. “I … I … I think I drank too much. Did you?”
Samantha lifted her head a few inches off the table and peered at Lindsay.
“I don’t feel well. Can you drive? I think I need to see Doc.” Samantha’s speech was so slurred it was difficult to understand her.
Lindsay tried to focus on Samantha’s face, but it was hard to do. She was getting weaker by the second.
