Riggs grinned. “And is it also true that he recently signed himself out due to his condition suddenly disappearing?”
“Yes.”
“Can you please explain this to me?”
“Explain what?”
Riggs spread his arms wide. “What happened? Was it a miracle cure? Holy intervention?”
“No, I cured him.”
Riggs sighed.
“I didn’t tell you before? I’m a nullifier. I have the ability to nullify magic. A witch had put a curse on him that took his memory. I lifted it.”
“Miss Cross, if you insist on continuing with this façade, I’ll be forced—”
“Forced to do what? Arrest me and bring me in for questioning? Your higher-ups told you to back off the case. So why don’t you?”
“Something’s going on here, and I’m going to find out what it is.”
“I’ve already told you what’s going on.”
“Ah, yes. A vampire killed your sister and you killed the vampire.”
Gabby looked at him as if to say, “Uh, yeah!”
“Do you think this is some kind of game?”
Gabby didn’t like where this was going. She needed to distract him from his questions. She knew that he had a thing for her; he had been coming over every chance he got, and there was an unmistakable chemistry between them. He looked at her the way Michael sometimes did, though he seemed just as guarded about his feelings. She had to fluster him, shake him up a little.
What would Maggy do?
She moved toward him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I know why you’re really here.”
His brow furled. “What?”
“You’ve been told to drop the case, but you refuse. You come here every other day to ask me the same questions over and over.”
“It’s my job.”
“No, it’s not. Your job is to listen to your superiors and not waste the department’s time and money on dead leads. The truth is, you’re into me.”
Riggs laughed, though she could see the effect her touch had on him. “You are out of your mind.”
“Am I?”
Gabby kissed him before he could get out another word. At first he pulled back. She felt him go rigid in her arms, and she realized she’d probably made a hasty mistake. But then, surprisingly, she felt his tense lips relax beneath hers. He parted his mouth and suddenly kissed her back. He lost himself to passion and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Their tongues danced and their hands roamed freely. Gabby felt him hard against her, and she grabbed ahold of him through his pants. Riggs groaned and lifted her up. Their kiss became frantic, and Gabby wrapped her legs around him as he parked her ass on the island, knocking over the cereal box and sending the empty bowl crashing to the floor. Gabby had meant to distract him with the kiss to get him to shut up, but now she felt hot passion boiling deep inside of her. She guided his searching hands beneath her nightgown, and he parted her swollen folds. He worked his fingers in a circle and Gabby held him close, burying her face in his neck and taking in his intoxicating aroma. Groaning with passion, he pulled the nightgown down from her shoulders and bit her left nipple.
Gabby frantically unbuckled his pants and yanked down the zipper. Riggs’s kisses became more frantic as she guided his throbbing manhood, wetting it with her passion. He let out a groan and pulled her hair back as he thrust into her. Gabby cried out and pulled his bare ass toward her, gyrating against his shaft. Their passion boiled over as they frantically grinded against one another. The love making was fast and hard, and Gabby could tell that Riggs would soon erupt. She pulled him close and kissed him deeply, tongues dancing and lips flirting. Riggs began to tense, and Gabby cradled his head against her chest. He suddenly swelled and erupted inside her, thrusting deeply and holding her firm as his body quaked with jerks and spasms.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
Riggs reeled back drunkenly and stared at Gabby wordlessly.
The doorbell rang again.
“I…I’m sorry,” Riggs stammered as he tried to get his belt back in place and searched for his hat.
Gabby grinned to herself as she watched him bumble about, stuttering and stammering apologies.
This must be what it feels like to be Valentine.
“Riggs, your hat is on the coat rack,” said Gabby. She fixed her nightgown and tied off her robe before moving to the door.
Valentine stood there, looking flustered at having been made to wait. But her expression changed the instant she saw Riggs. She looked from the detective to Gabby and raised a brow.
“Am I interrupting something?”
“Ah, no, no, I was just about to leave,” said Riggs. He tipped his hat to them both and told Gabby that he’d be in touch.
“I look forward to it,” she said, smiling as she watched him leave.
Valentine looked her over, amused.
“He came snooping around again this morning asking his annoying questions. I think I managed to scare him off good this time.”
Valentine studied her with a mischievous grin.
“Don’t ask,” said Gabby playfully.
Chapter 24
“Coffee?” said Gabby, retrieving hers.
“Yes please, six sugars,” said Valentine.
“Six? Wow.”
“I like it sweet.”
Gabby poured her a cup and placed it on the island, where Valentine had made herself comfortable.
“You sounded so urgent when you called. What is it?”
“I had another dream about the castle. Victor’s maker Lilith was in it.”
“Lilith?”
“Have you ever heard of her?” Gabby asked.
“Doesn’t ring a bell.”
“Anyway, she told me that if I go out to the island, she will give me the cure my father needs.”
Valentine looked disturbed. “What does she want in return?”
“She wouldn’t say.”
“You’re not going to do it. Are you?”
“I have to. It’s the only way I can help my father.”
“I don’t know, Gabby. Sounds pretty sketchy to me. Did she tell you to go alone?”
“Yes.”
“Yeah, no. Not a good idea.”
“Look, I didn’t invite you over here for your opinion. I need your help in getting away from the weres.”
“So you’re just using me?”
Gabby raised a brow to that. “That, coming from you?”
Valentine took in a shocked breath. “I don’t use people.”
“Save it for someone who doesn’t know better. Will you help me or not?”
“I’ll help you, but you’ve got to think this through. What if this Lilith wants to kill you? You’ll be walking into a death trap.”
“If she tries anything, I’ll nullify the shit out of her. Besides, I didn’t feel anger in the dream, she seemed more curious than anything.”
“You think she’s not going to want revenge for Victor?”
“She might. Hell, she’s already got it. If she doesn’t give me the cure for my father, he’ll die. And why would she go to all this trouble if she was going to kill me?”
Valentine thought about it and shook her head. “I still don’t like it. I would go with you, if you asked me to.”
“You can’t. I don’t want to do anything to break my end of the bargain.”
“I guess she’s got you by the balls,” said Valentine. “Fine, I’ll deal with the weres and help you sneak out.”
“Awesome. Now I just have to figure out a way to get a boat.”
“I’ve got you covered.”
“You have a boat?”
“I have several, actually. Two of which are docked in the harbor.”
“You’re a lifesaver,” said Gabby, hugging her.
Valentine melted into the hug lovingly, and Gabby kissed her cheek to give her a little extra. She got a rush out of flirting with the succubus, knowing that dozens, if not hundreds or thousan
ds of people had succumbed to her incredible sexual energy. Now it was Valentine who was under the spell.
When Gabby pulled away, Valentine let out a sigh. “You’re a tease.”
“Aren’t I though?” said Gabby with a grin and a wink. “I’ve got to shower and prepare for tonight. Help yourself to whatever.”
“If you need any help in there, don’t be afraid to holler,” Valentine called behind her.
Gabby stopped in the hallway and offered Valentine her sexiest duck-lip pose and arched her back. “I won’t hesitate to ask,” she said in an exaggerated voice.
“Such. A. Tease,” said Valentine with a mock pout.
Gabby laughed and walked down the hall to the bathroom. She started a steaming shower and disrobed, half wishing that Valentine would join her.
“What the hell is wrong with me lately?” she asked the steadily fogging mirror. “And what the hell was that with Riggs?”
Her reflection had no answer, and so she shrugged and got into the shower, shifting her thoughts to more serious affairs, like meeting with Lilith after sundown.
After her shower, Gabby suited up in the white room and checked herself in the full-length mirror that she had brought down from the house. She stared at her reflection and repeated the same mantra over and over.
“You can do this, Gabby. You’re a badass nullifier.”
She was distracted by the thought of the vampire blood stashed away in the drawer beneath the weapons. It had been days since she used, and already she was beginning to feel the effects of withdrawal. Gabby had done her share of drugs in high school and college, but she had never become addicted to anything. Now, she worried that her control over the potent vamp blood was waning. She found herself thinking about it all the time. On vamp blood she felt strong. It gave her increased focus, speed, and power, and it had saved her life more than once. The only downside was that it made her weaker against vampires. Juliette had warned her that if she continued to use, she would soon find herself unable to nullify vampires at all. There was other blood, however, such as werewolf.
“Look at you,” Gabby told her reflection. “Trying to figure out how to get a blood fix. Get your shit together, Gabby. Get your shit together.” She told herself as much, still, she grabbed a vial and pocketed it.
She left the white room and replaced the bottle that was used to open the vault door. Valentine was waiting for her upstairs. She had changed into one of Maggy’s slutty-looking dresses, and even Gabby had to admit that she looked like a knockout. Her blonde hair fell about her shoulders in waves, and her lips were cherry red. She didn’t wear any other makeup; she didn’t have to. Aside from her overwhelming sexual power, Valentine had a timeless beauty that was enough to turn heads and swell hearts.
“What?” said Valentine, and Gabby realized that she had stopped at the top of the stairs and was staring.
“Sorry,” said Gabby, shaking her head clear. “You’re just so beautiful.”
Valentine blushed and smiled shyly. “Thank you.”
“Are you ready?”
“Oh, I’m ready. The question is, are the weres ready for me?”
“Try not to hurt any of them,” said Gabby, moving to the door and opening it for Valentine.
The succubus stopped at the threshold and touched Gabby’s face lovingly. “You be safe out there. You hear me?”
“I will.”
Valentine leaned forward and kissed Gabby on the lips. She lingered for a long time, pressing her soft lips against Gabby’s and then pulling her into a hug.
Gabby felt passion stir inside of her and pulled away before she acted on her desires. “I’ll be fine.”
“Of course you will,” said Valentine before striding gracefully out of the house to get the attention of the weres.
In less than five minutes Valentine was back, leading a group of six weres through the door like the Pied Piper. Gabby watched, awestruck and all but invisible to the mesmerized men as Valentine led them to the bedroom. The door closed, and Gabby hurried out and jumped in Valentine’s Cadillac, not trusting the car that Michael had given her as a loaner. It most likely had a tracking device somewhere on it, and Gabby didn’t want to take any chances.
She headed for the docks, unbelieving of what she was about to do.
You can do this, Gabby. You’re a badass nullifier.
Chapter 25
The harbor was quiet, too quiet. The dark waters lapped steadily against the docks, rocking the many boats gently, as though lulling them to sleep. The sky was overcast, which took away any light that the moon might provide. Shadows ruled here, and the darkness of the lake became absolute only a few hundred feet from shore.
Gabby found herself glancing over her shoulder every few seconds. If anyone was actually watching her, they would no doubt think that she was up to no good. She quickly made her way to where Valentine said her boat was docked, and found the pink speedboat waiting for her. On the side, written in big bold sparkly letters, was the name Aphrodite.
Valentine had given her the keys and a crash course in how to operate the craft, which was pretty straightforward. Gabby untied it from the dock and sat in the pilot’s chair. She turned the key and was surprised by the rev of the double engines. The power of the craft was apparent in its deep rumble. She turned on the lights and slowly crept out of the harbor. When she was a few dozen yards away she gunned it, excited to see what the boat could do. The speedboat shot forward, pressing Gabby back into the leather seat.
She was alone and on her way to face a dangerous and powerful vampire, but she had never felt more alive. There was a power to freedom, a magic all its own. Gabby had spent so many days feeling helpless, and now that she had taken matters into her own hands, she found that her mind was calm, her resolution absolute.
The lights of the boat split the deep darkness, but Gabby soon hit the wall of fog that had gathered upon the surface of the choppy water. She kept it under twenty when the fog became so thick that she couldn’t see five feet in front of the boat. The GPS told her that no obstructions lay ahead, but she didn’t trust it as much as her own eyes. Heading north from the harbor, she punched in the coordinates for Widow’s Island. The GPS reported that it was fifty miles northeast of her location and two hours away at her current speed.
Gabby continued on through the fog for a half hour. When it finally parted and the moon peeked out from beyond the clouds, she gunned the throttle and gave a triumphant cry as the speedboat shot across the water at breakneck speeds. Gabby dared sixty miles an hour, delighted by the way the boat soared over the choppy waters, touching down only long enough for the propellers to catch and launch the boat forward once more.
She arrived at the island a half hour later and circled it, careful to stay away from the jagged rocks. Gabby saw no dock, but there was a small beachy area on the south side that would do. There were no other boats along the shoreline, which gabby thought was curious indeed. It was possible that Lilith had flown to the island, and the thought of her winged form sent a shiver down Gabby’s spine. Victor had looked like an onyx demon, with leathery wings and twin horns curling up from his smooth forehead. She could only imagine what Lilith might look like in her true form, for Victor had told her that the older a vampire was, the more grand their appearance became.
After leaping from the boat, Gabby pulled it in and tied it off to a sturdy-looking tree, whose roots were married to a large boulder sticking out of the water. The forest of pine from her dreams spread out before her, covering the entirety of the island. She drew a pistol and took a steadying breath. Now that she was on the island, the dread returned tenfold. Her mind screamed a warning, and her senses struggled to pick up any signs of danger. But the island was eerily quiet. Only the whisper of the moaning wind through the pines and the slow lapping of waters could be heard. The air carried the smells of fall; damp leaves, wet earth, and the faintly fishy aroma of the surrounding lake. The moon, which was a few days from full, had come out of hiding and
seemed to have scared the clouds away. Silver light darkened the green boughs of the pine, which added an ominous quality to the forest of shadow.
“Stay calm, Gabby. You’re just on a deserted island with a vampire,” she said to herself.
A weak, shaky laugh escaped her. She considered taking the vampire blood. It would help her to hear her enemy’s approach, as well as turn night into day, but she told herself that it would be a waste. If her theory was right, Lilith wanted something from her other than her death.
Gabby started for the woods before she lost her nerve. In her dreams, the castle had been at the center of the island on a high bluff, and so she hurried on through the forest in that direction. The island was small, no more than fifty acres, still, the going was slow through the tight-knit forest. The ground was rocky and uneven. Ferns grew in bunches in those places where trees let in light. A deep, musty smell permeated the air, filling Gabby’s mind with thoughts of frogs and mud.
Fifteen minutes into her trek, she saw the castle looming before her like a monolithic relic lost to another era. She had learned that the castle had been built by a wealthy industrialist’s wife around the turn of the nineteenth century. The woman, Gillian Freeman, had planned it to be a summer getaway for her children and workaholic husband. However, a month before it was completed, the husband had died, and Gillian never returned. Rumor said that it was haunted by her ghost, who waited in the high tower for her husband to arrive.
Although unfinished, the castle was still impressive. It was built in a square, with high walls and many towers in various degrees of completion. A door of solid iron stood before her, daring her to open it and venture beyond the threshold.
“Gabriella Cross.”
Gabby jumped, startled by the sudden voice. She recognized it to be Lilith’s and suddenly felt eyes watching her from the many broken stained-glass windows.
She strode forth boldly and threw open the heavy doors, letting them bang against the wall. The deep thud echoed throughout the castle, and dozens of bats fell from the ceiling and flew over Gabby’s head and out the door.
Cross the Line: A Gabriella Cross Paranormal Romance Book 2 Page 11
