Tempted by Blood

by Laurie London

He took a deep breath and tried not to sound as if he was in too much pain. “For some reason, Darkbloods seem very focused on finding Krystal. They’ll no doubt try to pick up our trail. That’s where you come in. I need you to muddy it up. Go to her house and lay some scent-masking crystals to throw them off our track.”

  “Okay, I can do that, but where are you going to take them, then?”

  He leaned back on the headrest and closed his eyes. “Hell if I know.”

  He didn’t have a place of his own and he certainly couldn’t take them to the field office. Given that Krystal was a sweetblood, it really limited his options.

  “I just want to know that…wherever we go, Darkbloods won’t be showing up…a few hours later.” Lily was a class A scent tracker and if she said a scent was untraceable, then he believed her.

  “Will do.” He started to relax, but then she added, “When are you going to tell me what happened to you?”

  Damn. Why did she have to be so perceptive? “What are you talking about?”

  “Don’t bullshit me. It’s clear that you’re in pain. A trained monkey could figure that out. You sound out of breath and exhausted.”

  He glanced over at Arianna sitting on the curb then dropped his voice. “And how do you know I wasn’t just rolling around in the sack with someone?”

  “You’re a man whore, Jacks, but I’m not an idiot. Did you take a silvie hit?”

  Why had he even bothered? “Just a small one,” he said, gingerly holding his arm. “No big deal.”

  “Has a medic looked at it yet?”

  “No,” he said a little too quickly. “Like I said, it’s not a big deal.”

  “Given that DBs have gotten their hands on that high-grade silver alloy and are making blades and bullets from it, you really should have your injury checked out. Don’t you remember what happened to Kip?”

  Kip was her trainee who’d been abducted by Darkbloods and tortured with silver spikes slipped under his skin. He’d been really messed up. Still was, though most of it was mental now. DBs had really fucked with his head.

  “But, hey,” she continued. “It’s your body. Just don’t be bitching to me when you have to go through regen treatment at Mom’s clinic.”

  There was no fucking way he was going up there. Lily’s mother was the last person he wanted to see. A well-known tissue-regeneration specialist, she’d been instrumental in helping Alfonso get back full use of his leg after a devastating injury, and she was the one who’d treated Kip. But she would also run tests, take tissue samples and probably a whole bunch of other shit that he wasn’t interested in knowing about. The results would show Jackson’s abnormal energy and blood needs and then the whole Agency and Council would know he was on the verge of reverting. No, thank you.

  “So the woman and her sweetblood cousin. Where are they?”

  He thought about lying, but figured she’d just see through him anyway. “They’re with me.”

  “And you didn’t slip up?”

  “What do you mean? In the past few days I’ve killed—” He counted quickly. Two at the Pink Salon, one on the street that Arianna saw, two in the woods behind her house, then one in her driveway. “Six DBs. I wouldn’t call that slipping up.”

  “I mean you didn’t fuck up and take their blood. Especially that of the sweetblood girl, given that you’re low on blood and energies with that injury.”

  “Hell, no.” Then, because he knew she’d ask… “Besides, after I got nicked with the silvie, I had Arianna cuff me to the car door.”

  “I’m impressed, Jacks. You meet a woman and right away, you’re pulling out the handcuffs. I like a man who’s not afraid to tell a woman about his kinky sexual needs.”

  “Screw you.”

  She laughed.

  He could always count on Lily to sex up any conversation.

  “If I didn’t know you like I do, I’d think you were worried about these two human females. Why don’t you just wipe their minds and be on your way?”

  She was right. That was what he should do. “I…I am worried about them. I wouldn’t feel right about leaving them for other DBs to find. Plus—” He debated whether he should say anything, but then he was pretty sure he could trust Lily not to go running to Region.

  “Yes…” she prompted.

  He decided to risk it. “It’s possible that Arianna is immune to the memory thing, that’s all.”

  The line was silent for a moment. “Shit. Given what she’s seen and what she knows, that would not be good. Do you want me to go take care of it for you? Maybe you were just tired and—”

  “No,” he said. He sure as hell didn’t want to arouse suspicion that he wasn’t capable of doing it himself, even if he was talking to one of his best friends. If a Guardian even suspected another of being on the verge of reverting, it was their duty to turn in him or her to the authorities. He wouldn’t want Lily to feel she had to lie for him. She needed to be responsible and do what was expected of her. She had a family and was getting married soon.

  “Have you ever known me to be tired when it involves a woman? Besides, if she is immune, then you’d have no choice but to bring her in.”

  “Are you saying you wouldn’t?”

  “Yes…no. Shit. I don’t know what I’d do. Maybe I’ll lay low with them for a few days until this blows over and Darkbloods have moved on to someone else.”

  “Then what exactly are you proposing on doing with her if lying low doesn’t work?”

  “I haven’t gotten that far yet. I just know that I can’t allow anything to happen to her. It…it wouldn’t be right. She’s all her cousin has. If something happens to Arianna, then Krystal has no one. And for a sweetblood teenager, that’d be a disaster.” He didn’t want to admit that there was another reason for him not wanting anything to happen to her, but he could hardly accept the fact himself.

  There was something about Arianna that intrigued him beyond the way her energy affected him, but he wasn’t sure what it was. She certainly wasn’t like the other women he usually surrounded himself with. He felt…almost normal around her rather than a caricature of a man, which was how others tended to see him. Maybe that was the difference with her. She seemed genuinely interested in what he had to say and what his opinions on things were and not just that he had big muscles, a killer smile and was good between the sheets. Hell, she had no idea about that last part, which, he had to admit, was refreshing.

  Lily sighed. “I’ll handle the scent trail, so don’t worry about that, but what about you?”

  “What about me?”

  “For one thing, are you going to be able to get energies and blood? I mean, with that injury, you’ll need a little more than normal to help in the healing process. You’re probably on the minus side with all that you’ve lost.”

  He’d need more than just a little, given the earlier injury, as well. If only he could stop at a safe house. To cater to the needs of their clientele, they usually had vials of blood available, but he couldn’t risk exposing Krystal to other vampires. Besides, most safe-house proprietors weren’t keen on human guests.

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “You’d better be, Jacks, because if you’re not, I’ll kill you.”

  “Wow, that’s touching.”

  She made a kissing sound over the phone and the line went dead.

  THE YOUNG WOMAN AT THE front desk leaned forward on her crossed arms, pushing her breasts up. It made her cleavage hard to ignore even for Arianna, though Jackson barely batted an eye. With a starry, fangirl expression plastered on her face, she handed him the room key.

  “I hope you find it to your liking. If not, please don’t hesitate to call the front desk. My name’s Summer.” She pointed to her name tag, which said Miss Winters. Arianna stifled a smile, but
Miss Check-Out-My-Boobs didn’t seem to notice. “I’m working all day and would be happy to assist you.” She cast a curious glance in Arianna’s direction and Arianna became all too aware of how disheveled she must look. Especially compared to Jackson.

  His hair was tousled, not messy like hers, and his leather coat, which was partially zipped, revealed his bare chest, making him look celebrity chic, not backyard barbecue like her ripped jeans and flour-covered shirt. She’d helped him remove his bloody T-shirt in the car earlier, but maybe that had been a mistake. The women they’d encountered tonight couldn’t seem to take their eyes off him.

  The first time it happened with the waitress at the all-night diner where they’d stopped for coffee and hot chocolate, Arianna found it mildly amusing. But by the fifth time, it was just plain irritating how women—and even a few of the men—reacted to him. At first, she’d assumed he was playing those little mind tricks on them, but she didn’t once see him touch them before they started fawning. Women took one look at him and wanted to get to know him better. One word would be all it’d take for him to arrange a quickie or two back by the bathrooms. A few times he did shake their hands or touch their arms, but Arianna was pretty sure he was just taking their energy. They’d walk away, yawning, and the weariness behind his eyes didn’t seem quite so pronounced…for a few minutes, at least.

  “I’m sure it’ll be perfect,” Jackson told Summer, flashing that killer smile of his.

  The woman blushed a deep crimson and gave a nervous little schoolgirl laugh. “You know where I am if it’s not.”

  When they stepped into the elevator a few minutes later, Arianna turned to him. “Do you always have that effect on people?”

  “What?” he said, looking confused.

  Did she have to spell it out for him? Surely he noticed that people treated him differently, didn’t he? It was as if he was in a totally different class from everyone else. “The woman at the front desk, the waitress, the man on his way to the restroom…” Counting on her fingers, she listed a few others.

  “Yeah,” Krystal chimed in, one earbud dangling. “It’s like you were a celebrity or something.”

  His eyes widened. “Really?” He seemed totally clueless, as if he had no idea that others weren’t treated the same way he was. Then, without skipping a beat, he added, “What can I say—I’m magnetic.”

  Normally, she’d have been irritated; that was something her father would say. But Jackson’s charm was natural—a part of who he was, like the color of his eyes or the way he walked. It was clear he enjoyed people and liked making them smile. Unlike her father, Jackson’s personality wasn’t turned on with a switch in order to score. Although, she’d imagine, there’d be plenty of that without him even trying.

  The elevator dinged and the doors opened. She cast a sidelong glance at him as they stepped into the hallway and headed toward their room. Dark circles shadowed his eyes and a sheen of sweat covered his forehead, despite the fact that he’d just rubbed it with the back of his hand a minute ago. She hoped that all he needed was to get some rest.

  Once inside the junior suite, she waited until Krystal was in the bathroom brushing her teeth. Jackson had asked for three generic toiletry kits when they checked in and Summer was more than happy to oblige.

  “How sensitive are you to daylight? I mean, I take it you don’t need to sleep in a coffin. At least I hope you don’t. Although, I suppose if you did need one, Miss Summer Winters would be able to find one for you. I hear Costco is selling them now.” She didn’t really think he slept in a coffin—over the course of the evening, he’d dispelled many of the common vampire myths—but being this close to him with a bed right here made her want to make light of the situation.

  Coffins: A Vampire’s Home Away From Home

  Coffin, Tea or Me?

  Those people weren’t the only ones charmed by Jackson tonight.

  He sat on the edge of the bed. “Any sunlight will sap my energy, but the stronger the UV light, the faster it happens.”

  She examined the window coverings and noticed that the so-called blackout curtains seemed pretty flimsy and ill fitting. Who knew how much light would filter in through the edges? With daybreak less than an hour away, she didn’t want to wait and find out. Opening up the closet, she found an extra bedspread on the top shelf along with two more pillows and a blanket. “I want you to sleep in the smaller bedroom because it has a smaller window. I’ll secure this over the existing drapes to give you some added protection when daybreak comes.”

  He started to get up.

  “No, I’ve got it.”

  The weariness in his eyes seemed more pronounced, but his relief was obvious. “Thanks.”

  It pleased her to know there was something she could do to help him. He’d sacrificed so much tonight in order for them to be safe like this. Not only did he fight to protect them and get hurt in the process, but based on his expression when he was on the phone with his friend Lily, he was risking even more.

  A million questions burned in her head, but she voiced the only one she could manage. “You want me to take a look at your arm?”

  “Nope. I’m good.”

  She hoped sleep was all he needed, though she had a feeling it wasn’t.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  THE SMALL POUCH WITH scent-masking crystals hit Kip in the chest.

  “You were supposed to catch those,” Lily said.

  His trainer was trying to joke around with him, but he wasn’t amused. Nothing made him laugh anymore. He felt dead inside, trapped in a world not of his own making. Without looking at her, he bent and picked it up from the floorboards of her Porsche.

  “Where do you want this shit sprinkled?”

  “You’re going to tell me,” she said as she exited the car.

  “Fuck,” he said under his breath. He did not want to be here. He didn’t want to be doing this.

  “I heard that.”

  No longer did the delicate art of scent tracking appeal to him. Tiptoeing around, trying to pick up on the subtlest of clues. It was a job for someone who cared about the little details, and frankly, he didn’t. At one time, he thought he did, thought it was the greatest fucking job in the world. He’d aspired to become a class A tracker like Lily, who was sought after around the region and all the other field offices in North America. He’d thought maybe he’d like to teach one day at the Tracker Academy, to coach others looking to make a difference.

  But not any longer.

  Hell. All he wanted to do now was beat the shit out of someone. And if it involved staking a Darkblood, well then, that would make this whole fucking week worthwhile. He could go back to his room at the field office and drink himself into oblivion. Correction: self-medicate was the term his counselor wanted him to use, not fucked-up, shit-faced or wasted.

  They’d parked a few blocks from their intended destination so as not to make the neighbors suspicious. Lily’s red Panamera didn’t exactly blend in with the surroundings. As soon as they got closer, they’d slip in with the shadows and no one would know they were there.

  “We’re going to start at the house and work our way outward,” Lily said. “I don’t know the direction Jackson took with the woman and the sweetblood girl, which is good. I’m going to have you tell me which way they went and we’ll cover their trail as we go, eh?”

  Peachy.

  Although it was just past sundown, an old man at the corner house was still out working on his yard. With a headlamp strapped to his forehead, he was planting…flowers.

  As they shadow-moved in the darkness at the base of the hedges, Kip had the urge to kick over the garbage cans or rattle the garden tools stacked against the garage. Everything was so mundane and ordinary around here that it would be satisfying to upset the quiet.

  Lily ga
ve him a look that said, “Don’t you dare.”

  “What?” he mouthed, pretending to be innocent. The old guy would just think it was the wind.

  God, it sucked to have your instructor know you so well.

  The fourth house down was small by today’s standards. With a decent-size yard in an older, established neighborhood, it was surrounded by many trees and shrubs, which meant more shadows to hide in. Unlike the ultramodern neighborhoods with no trees where the houses were so close you could wipe your ass then pass the roll of toilet paper to your neighbor in his bathroom. If you sneezed in your kitchen, your neighbor would say gesundheit from theirs…and you’d hear it. Then you’d tell them to shut the fuck up.

  No, that kind of neighborhood didn’t have as many shadows as this one had. Plus, the streets had better lighting. Except for grandpa with his headlamp, this one had none.

  “Can you pick up the sweetblood girl’s scent yet?” Lily asked as they stepped out of the shadows. They stood near the large Douglas fir in the front yard and faced the house.

  How could he not? The air around the house was thick with the smell, bringing back a shitload of memories he’d just as soon forget. “Yes.”

  “Can you tell me how many people live here?”

  His irritation ratcheted up a notch at such rudimentary questions. “Two. Both females.” He struggled to sound civil and engaged, like a student eager to learn from the master.

  “Good.” She slanted him a sideways glance, clearly not fooled by his acting job.

  He’d have to do better covering up his bad attitude. He wouldn’t put it past Lily to bust his chops if he didn’t tone it down at least a little. But then duking it out inside the field office’s boxing ring did have a certain appeal, even though she could take him to his knees with just a twist of his pinkie finger. His trainer was a badass, there was no doubt about it.

  They made their way around to the back of the house where they could move around a little more freely without being seen.

  “Jackson said they were attacked by DBs,” she said. “Can you tell how many?”