by Amie Gibbons
But they already made it clear they weren’t leavin’, especially Grant.
So I settled for the ‘bury your head in the sand’ approach and just closed my eyes.
A rough wet tongue ran slowly over my sore neck, leaving it sticky with the healing saliva. My entire body shuddered with it as my muscles relaxed.
Whoa! Bottle that and you could make a fortune in massage oils.
“When the flash grenade went off, she thought it was the real thing,” Grant said.
Huh?
Ohhhhhh, he was sayin’ what happened in the hall.
“I pulled out my weapons as soon as she walked you past and hit the charge.”
The tongue moved down to my shoulder blades and I moaned as hands started kneading my neck.
It was a good thing my eyes were closed cuz I couldn’t look at Grant right now.
“It looked like she was trying to shove you away while she twisted your neck, but you hit the wall, and I double tapped her as soon as you were out of the way,” Grant said.
I couldn’t even imagine how fast he would’ve had to move to do that considering her vamp reflexes.
“She’s dead,” Grant said.
Good.
Milo ran his tongue down my spine and grabbed a big handful of my bottom, just cuz he needed to rest it some place as he leaned over, I’m sure.
The hands on my neck froze. “Milo, if you do not remove your hand, I will remove it for you,” Quil said.
He probably didn’t mean he’d just take the hand off my bottom.
“Oh fine,” Milo said, moving his head. “Now that she’s all oiled up, I’ll take over the massage, since I’m the one who knows what I’m doing after all.”
Is it wrong that I’m enjoyin’ this?
Ya know what, I was injured, could barely speak cuz someone had tried to strangle me then tossed me into a wall, I wasn’t gonna worry about it.
Milo’s hands replaced Quil’s at my neck and I had to admit he was quite clever with them.
“Saved me?” I asked, still not opening my eyes.
“You’re my agent,” Grant said.
“We helped,” Milo said.
“No you didn’t, you were busy with other things,” Jet snapped from somewhere behind me.
“What happened there?” I asked, still dyin’ for some water. Just a bit to pour down my throat.
“Marie had a backup plan just in case the gris-gris didn’t work. They were supposed to jump me at her command and take me out while she got away with you then used you to bargain with,” Quil said. “But she didn’t anticipate Milo being there, ready to fight just as I was, and she didn’t know I let Grant in with silver bullets and that whip.”
“Why didn’t tell me?” I asked.
“I have to tell you everything now?” Grant asked.
“No, sir,” I mumbled, driftin’ on a sea of comfort as Milo worked his saliva into my back.
What else could their saliva do? And why didn’t they use it in hospitals or something? Hell, maybe they did.
“My shoulder?” I asked.
“Don’t think about that,” Milo said, and for once didn’t sound like he was undressing me with his voice. “You just tensed up.”
“We’re going to pop it back in,” Quil said. “You’re going to have to be brave, okay?”
“‘Kay. Grant, summoner?”
Milo worked his hands harder and I suddenly found it very hard to think of anything but them.
“We can’t take him out yet,” Grant said. “If we kill him before killing or banishing the demon, the demon will be free for the night. We have to find it and take it out first. And the summoner can’t know we know until it’s time.”
“Kill?” I asked.
I could almost see Grant frown. “I meant arrest him.”
No, he didn’t.
I drifted away and bobbed back in.
I saw what happened to those girls. It was his fault.
And the worst circle of Hell is reserved for those who betray.
“After what he did, he’ll be getting off lucky,” Grant said.
“Who is it?” Quil asked.
“No,” Grant said. “The only way this works is if no one knows.”
“You know.”
“I can hide it.”
There was a pause then Quil said, “All right, I’m trusting you here.”
Milo chuckled and rubbed a bit harder.
I floated on his hands.
Was it me, or did everyone go really quiet all of a sudden?
Small hands touched my shoulder.
“She tensed again,” Kat said, pulling her hands back. “Ariana, I’m sorry, if I told you it was coming...” She trailed off.
“I get it.” My throat burned even more as I tried not to cry.
“I have an idea,” Quil said and I felt more than heard movement around me. “You want me to help, you need to move.”
He must’ve been talkin’ to Grant cuz next thing I knew, my hand was dropped, then picked up by a colder one.
“Sweets, open your eyes,” he said.
The first thing I saw were his blue-green eyes sparkling with worry, right next to my face. He stroked my cheek. “I’m going to bite you, just long enough for her to pop your shoulder back while you’re relaxed.”
Bite me? In front of everyone? No way!
I blinked twice.
“Without drugs, I’m not getting this arm in without a lot of pain and possibly more damage,” Kat said.
“Ariana, please, I know this is embarrassing, but this will make you better,” Quil said.
“Let me,” Grant said. Quil moved away and Grant leaned over my head. “Ariana, listen to me.”
I blinked once.
“We need you mobile, and we need it fast because every minute that passes, we risk that demon getting away. Whatever happens when he does this, none of us will think any less of you.”
“Promise?” I asked.
“Ariana, if you can do this, if you can accept this will help, no matter what you feel or how embarrassed you are, if you can deal with that and move on, then all that will show me is you can do the job when necessary,” Grant said. “If all that’s holding you back is your embarrassment, then get over it, because you will not lose my respect.”
I blinked once.
He nodded and backed away and Quil took his place.
Milo chuckled again. I swear that man never did anything but smirk and laugh and make suggestive comments, though in all fairness I’d only known him about an hour.
“Say it and I will silver-shoot you right here,” Quil said.
“Say what?” Milo asked. “That all it took was Grant asking her to do it and she jumped? Say that you mean? Okay, I won’t say it.”
He was still massaging my shoulders, and it still felt good, but I lost all love for him in the moment and wanted to silver-shoot him myself.
“Shush, troublemaker,” I said, throat burnin’.
Even when I’m not supposed to talk, I can’t help it.
“After I heal you and we catch the demon and summoner, you can take me and that whip in back and tell me to do whatever you want,” Milo whispered in my ear suggestively.
I blinked twice and looked at Quil.
Quil kissed my forehead. “I can ignore him, sweets.”
I smiled.
How was he so calm?
Nothing fazed him. He wasn’t being all jealous. He wasn’t being petty.
He just wanted me better.
“Love you,” I said, closin’ my eyes.
Quil kissed me lightly. “I’ll say it when I know we both mean it. Right now, you’re a little high.”
I was? Probably the vamp saliva.
His fangs scraped my neck and I tensed, makin’ pain shoot down my spine.
He bit down and pleasure swamped me.
Small, desperate whimpers escaped my throat and I rubbed into the floor beneath me, wantin’ him on top of me. He sucked harder and I moaned,
throat not hurtin’ now.
Or maybe I just couldn’t feel it.
“Hold her down,” Kat said. “I can’t have her moving while I do this.”
One hand held down my left shoulder. I knew its feel and tried to move back into Quil.
Two hands pressed down on my back, holding me in place and helpin’ build the pressure underneath. They were big enough to stretch the length of my back at the waist and the calluses spoke of a man who worked his whole life.
I didn’t need to be psychic to know they were Grant’s hands.
“This is wrong in so many ways,” Kat whispered.
On some level I knew what was coming, I just didn’t care.
Pop!
The pleasure amplified as my mind went black with ice and fire feuding in my shoulder.
It should’ve hurt.
It didn’t.
The hands holding me down did it to make me hot. The teeth in me was like something else inside, makin’ me tighten.
The vamp bite makes pain pleasure, some voice inside said as the wave took me.
A ragged scream tore from my throat, only adding to my agony fueled pleasure and my body arched as I came.
Tears streaked down my cheeks and my body twitched with the memory of the pain my mind wasn’t allowed to acknowledge.
I don’t know when Quil pulled back. Sometime between the popping back in and when the glow wore off enough for me to think again.
Strong hands pulled me up and helped situate me in a large lap.
“It’s okay, you did great,” Grant whispered as he cradled me and stroked my bare back.
Huh?
Oh crap! He thought the moaning and everything was from pain?
Maybe I didn’t need to correct him on that one.
My top was stiff so everything was still covered, but it was slidin’.
I opened my eyes and Quil sat in front of us.
Just watchin’.
Grant scooped my hair out of the way and retied the top and zipped me back up.
I’d need to adjust the ladies before it fit right, but I wasn’t doin’ that in front of the guys.
“Need help standing?” Quil asked once Grant was done.
I couldn’t think so much to focus on the actual words, just the beautiful mouth sayin’ them, so I shrugged.
Ouch! Bad idea!
The pain snapped me back to reality outside those eyes and I reached for Quil.
He held me by the waist as I climbed to my feet. Grant stood behind me and the others were still bunched in the hall with us.
My legs gave out and Quil and Grant caught me from each side.
Grant let go and Quil pulled me into his chest. I held onto his thick arms like life preservers as he turned and gently pushed me into an office chair someone must’ve brought into the hall.
“Sweets, you’re very week and still injured. I think you could use some of my blood,” Quil said, kneelin’ in front of me.
I blushed and he grinned. “I know. This isn’t an intimacy I like sharing with a crowd either, but your team’s pretty adamant about not giving us privacy, so.”
I opened my mouth and my seared throat made me close it again. I blinked once.
In for a penny, in for a pound.
“Oh, please, please let me help,” Milo said.
I glared at him.
He held up his hands, blinkin’ innocently. “I’m offering to help. You look like you could use an extra boost, and like you give good sucking.”
My face burned and I stuck my tongue out at him.
Quil held up his arm and I looked at him.
He didn’t expect me to bite him in front of all these people? Suckin’ was bad enough.
He nodded like he understood and looked around. “Does anyone have a knife? Not silver?”
Grant pulled a Swiss Army knife out of his boot and handed it over.
I gave Grant a look.
I didn’t know what I was asking of him until he got it and turned around, takin’ a few steps so he could give us some room. The guys and Kat turned too.
Milo didn’t.
They couldn’t leave us in case anything happened, but they could turn their heads without too much worry about something getting us five feet away.
I looked at Milo and he winked at me.
I sighed, givin’ Quil big eyes.
Quil kissed me, short but deep.
He pulled back and sliced his arm so fast I gasped.
“Ryder?” Grant asked.
“Cut,” I said, throat burnin’ so I couldn’t get the volume up.
Grant turned around and Quil held up his bleeding arm. Grant nodded and turned back around.
“Decent of them to give us some privacy,” Quil whispered.
“If I give her some of my blood, she’ll have an easier time getting visions,” Milo said.
Quil looked over his shoulder at him. “And have her bound to you?”
“We still have a summoner and a demon to catch. Can’t let anything get in the way of that, now can we?”
“True?” I asked Quil, hopin’ that was enough so I didn’t have to say more.
“Yeah. We can transfer powers through blood if the person is already susceptible to it. Here, I believe him.”
I blinked once and Quil shot a glare at Milo as he hit his knees in front of me way too fast.
Quil held his arm in front of me and I closed my eyes as Milo leaned in, taking a long sniff.
I sucked on his wound and a small sound escaped Quil.
He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me to my knees in front of him, pressing me straight against him so he could rub against me.
I took another long drag and let him go.
He stared down at me and kissed my bloody mouth, pullin’ back too soon with a sigh.
“I’m going to need a cold shower before I go out there,” he whispered, resting his forehead against mine.
Milo cleared his throat and I looked at him.
“Are we seriously going to do this?” I asked.
My voice was back!
The blood going down must’ve healed it too.
“You want a psychic boost? I’m the original Energizer Bunny, baby.”
“You better be talkin’ batteries. And I’m not your baby.”
I took his arm and pushed him back by his other shoulder when he tried to press against me too.
Which was about as effective as pushing a wall.
“Don’t even think about it,” I said.
“Too late.” He grinned. “I’ll think about it all I want, but if you want to pretend you’re not attracted to me and push me away, I’ll settle for fantasy land.” He brushed my lips with a finger. “For now.”
“Milo,” Quil said, “stop it.”
“I’m just saying, a threesome with death outside the door would be hot. We even have a crowd to cheer us on.”
I looked at Quil. “Is he serious?”
“The eternal question,” he said, holding the knife out to Milo. “Milo, please hurry.”
“I don’t need that,” Milo said, biting his wrist and holding it out to me.
Oh dear God, what the guys must be thinkin’ listening to all this.
I took his hand in both of mine and kept my eyes on Quil as I bent down and sucked.
His blood had the same thick, sweet taste as Quil’s, but seemed to have a crisper edge.
Quil licked his lips.
“Do I taste better?” Milo whispered against my ear, lips quivering.
I shook my head and pulled back. “Different, but you’re both pretty much the same goody-wise.”
Did I honestly just say that?
“Most humans can’t tell the difference. That’s impressive.”
“Then put me in a vamp blood blind taste test I guess.” It was supposed to be snide, but came out in a soft whisper to match his.
He scooted forward and pressed against me and God help me, I didn’t have it in me to push him back. He br
ought the bleeding arm to my lips again and I ran them slowly over the wound before clamping on to suck.
Quil glanced over at the guys and inched closer to me.
“I’m shocked how arousing I find this.”
I let go and shook my head at him. “Don’t even suggest it.”
He grinned. “Then I’ll just watch.”
Milo made a motion with his hands and something flashed in the hall between us.
“Shield,” Milo said. “They won’t see anything but you in the chair and us in front of you if they turn, and won’t hear me.”
“No!” I said.
“Not sex, I just don’t want to be quiet as you do this.”
Milo inched behind me and pulled me tight against him, putting his wrist to my mouth. Quil pressed against my front and arousal shot through me.
I shook my head and Quil nodded.
“Bad timing,” he said, but stayed up against me.
Like a human sandwich.
I switched to his arm and sucked him hard, makin’ his head toss back.
His mouth jumped and quivered from a smile to desperate O to a smile again as he moved against me.
I let him go. “No time.”
“I’m going to need to put some cold water on me then. Milo, behave.”
Quil got up and rushed down the hall and Milo rubbed against my back in a rhythm and I went to his wrist, pullin’ on him.
He cried out and I bit him hard, makin’ him groan.
Flash.
Milo flew across the room and smacked his head on the corner of a chair hard enough to crack the skin over his head open so I could see bone.
“Milo!” his brother shouted as he jumped on the back of an assailant whose face I couldn’t see. He had a broad back and was at least seven feet tall, way bigger than even the built Carvi.
Carvi secured his arm around the attacker’s neck and got tossed over its shoulder.
The vision rotated. The attacker had some sort of long snout of a nose and bright pink eyes.
Demon!
It slammed a giant foot down on the vampire’s middle so hard he had to have caused damage.
Carvi jerked and rolled up on himself with a groan as the demon drew his foot back.
The glint of metal on the edge of the large boot told me he had spikes on them and the poor vamp screamed as it slammed into his face, digging a hole into the side of his head the size of a candle.
A small woman with streaming red locks jumped in, caught the foot, and rolled with it to use the demon’s momentum to take it down. I knew even before she bounced back up and turned that it was Blanche.
