Tempted by Blood

by Laurie London

  She must’ve made a noise because the vampire suddenly snapped his head up. His eyes were black, his mouth smeared with blood. Red, torn flesh covered the spot that used to be Carter’s neck.

  Carter mouthed something to her that she couldn’t make out then pointed a finger in the direction they’d been heading, giving her a thumbs-up.

  He was telling her to run.

  Well, she would if she could, but she had the slight problem of getting past this bloodthirsty vampire first. An odd pang of gratitude settled in her gut for this man who was both her betrayer and her rescuer.

  “Pull this out of me, bitch,” the Darkblood hissed.

  The silver…it was keeping him weak. Which meant he was extremely desperate.

  She took a few steps backward and her leg brushed up against the stacked wood. The Darkblood went back to what he was doing, replenishing his depleted blood and energies from Carter until that supply ran out. Jackson had said that silver poisoning leaches a vampire’s energy like the sun, but at a much higher rate. Clearly, this Darkblood didn’t consider her to be much of a threat, as he did nothing to restrain her. No doubt he’d turn to her next, as soon as he was done.

  Slowly, she reached down and her hand closed around a two-by-four. With the Darkblood in this weakened state, all she needed to do was knock the guy to the side and run past him. If Carter wasn’t dead already, he soon would be. Her first priority was getting to Krystal.

  She lifted the board above her head and swung down hard. Right as she did, the Darkblood lifted his head. With a loud thunk, it hit him square in the forehead and his body slumped to the side.

  Yes!

  Tossing down the wood, she made a move to sprint past him. A hand shot out, closed around her ankle, and she went down.

  “Fucking bitch.”

  With blood streaming down into his face, the Darkblood crawled over Carter’s prone body as she kicked and scrambled to get away.

  “Aren’t you a clever one? When I’m finished with him, I had planned to have you for dessert.”

  Carter groaned. She glanced over to see his fingers pulling at his pant leg, exposing a thin dagger strapped to his ankle.

  “But I changed my mind. I’m having my dessert now.”

  The Darkblood lunged. She rolled and reached for Carter’s blade. Her movement must’ve caught the guy off guard because momentum brought him crashing down in the space she’d just occupied. She pulled the knife from Carter’s holster, twisted her body and plunged the blade into the guy’s back.

  He writhed, arched his back like a coyote howling to the moon. Had she pierced the heart muscle? Then, remembering something Lily had told her, she gave the hilt a good twist and felt a little pop as the blade went deeper.

  Almost immediately, smoke started coming off his clothes and the top of his head. Bingo. She must have hit it. He rolled away and his body started to shrivel in on itself. It had to be the most disgusting thing Arianna had ever seen. The pile of ashes lay next to her along with a couple of zippers, a gun, another knife and some items she didn’t want to know about.

  Trying not to inhale as she pushed herself to her feet, she thought about lemons, Pine-Sol and the smell of spring showers rather than the stench filling her nostrils. It made her want to snort bleach when she got out of here.

  The back of her neck prickled. Jackson’s concern was clamoring inside her head.

  I’m—I’m fine. Carter let me go and I just killed my first Darkblood. You should’ve warned me about the smell.

  She was pretty sure she could sense him laughing.

  JACKSON SPOTTED ARIANNA COMING out of the mine-shaft opening. In an instant, he shadow-moved to her and she was in his arms.

  “Thank God you’re all right,” he mumbled into her hair. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if something had happened to you.”

  “It’s a good thing I can see you move like that, otherwise I’d be a little freaked out right now.”

  He held her out at arm’s length to drink her in. Her hair was a mess. There was dirt on her face. Her jeans were ripped in both knees and her flimsy T-shirt was stretched tight over her breasts. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

  “What? I smell like Darkblood?”

  “You’re gorgeous,” he said. “Let’s get you out of here.”

  She squeezed his hand. “While I want nothing more than to get away from here, Darkbloods have Krystal. She’s on a boat anchored nearby. Or at least she was.”

  She quickly relayed what Carter had told her. Using a phone she didn’t recognize, Jackson fired off a text to both teams as they headed toward the cove.

  “Dom, Lily and Kip are securing the east entrance, but Santiago and Mitch will meet us on the beach.”

  “Oh, I found something of yours.” She handed him his dragon blade.

  “How did you—?”

  “Shh. I’ll tell you later.”

  Several minutes later, they were standing with the region commander and Mitch behind a large rock outcropping. A large yacht was anchored in the moonlit cove with guards positioned at the helm and the stern. A dinghy had been pulled ashore and was also being watched by a Darkblood.

  “I can go get our little boat. It’s tied up around the corner. Take me ten minutes or so to row it over,” Mitch said.

  Arianna pointed behind them. “We don’t have time, there’s Ventra.”

  A woman in a white flowing dress was coming down the rickety stairs, followed by three men. The boat’s engines roared to life.

  “They’re leaving the island,” Mitch said.

  Santiago palmed a knife. “Let’s go.”

  Jackson grabbed the man’s arm. “No, if we attack them onshore and those goons on the boat see us, they’ll leave with Krystal. We need to get to her first.”

  “And how do you propose that? We sneak on board their little dinghy?”

  He closed his eyes for a brief moment. He had no other choice if he wanted to ensure they’d get Krystal back alive. Once Santiago saw him go invisible, there’d be no getting around the fact that he was reverting.

  “That’s precisely what I’m going to do.” He turned to Arianna and brought her hands to his lips. “I want you to know that you’re the best thing that ever happened to me. And no matter what happens, I’ll always love you.”

  He dropped her hands and stripped off his shirt, jeans and boots, thanking the good Lord that he’d decided to wear underwear today.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Santiago asked. “You’ll never be able to swim out there before their dinghy gets there.”

  Focusing his energies inward, he felt electricity sparking along his skin, and when he checked his hand, it had that blurry, underwater look again. “I’m not swimming.”

  “Dude, that’s so intense,” Mitch murmured.

  Santiago chimed in. “You’re fucking kidding me. You’re going invisible? That’s impossible.”

  “I wish it were impossible, but it’s true. I’m going to use it to save Krystal.”

  “Be careful, Jackson,” Arianna said softly.

  “I will.”

  He jumped off the rock and sprinted across the beach toward the dinghy. The only visible sign that he was there were the footprints his feet made in the sand.

  One of the Darkbloods was just launching the small boat when Jackson arrived. He waited till the man climbed in before he waded into the water and grabbed onto the back. The water was cold, but he clenched his teeth and hardly noticed it.

  There’d be no turning back now. Santiago had seen the evidence with his own eyes. There would be no question that Jackson was reverting. His only hope would be to give them Krystal then disappear forever. Given this special ability, he might be able to resist bei
ng captured by Guardians. He’d go see-through and they’d never be able to find him to take him in and prosecute him. But it was the end of his life as he knew it. No more hanging with his buddies, shooting the shit with Dom, teasing Lily about her potty mouth. And Xian. Fuck. The guy was like his own personal manager, keeping him in line and fed.

  But most of all, he’d miss Arianna. The one woman who’d been able to see through his mask and uncover the real him. She’d fallen in love with the real him, not the caricature. He’d let down all his walls and she still loved him. Hell, she knew him better than he knew himself.

  When the dinghy drew close to the yacht, he let go and swam noiselessly to the other side. He held on to the swim platform while the woman and three men climbed aboard. He counted to ten then pulled himself up.

  If there was any doubt whether or not Krystal was on board, one whiff was all it took to know that she was. He peered up over the deck into the cabin to see her standing awkwardly next to a table while the others were sitting. After glancing at his hand to make sure it still had that fuzzy, underwater look, he readjusted his leather weapons strap and climbed onto the deck.

  Not having to come up with an element of surprise, he walked right up to the guard on duty, thrust a blade through his chest then tossed him overboard.

  He waited for a gust of wind, then opened the cabin door and walked right in. Four vampire males sat at the table. Two wore sunglasses and were clearly Darkblood thugs, but he wasn’t sure about the other two. In business suits, they looked like corporate types. Very wealthy corporate types. The woman sat on the edge of the banquette. He recognized her instantly from the Night of Wilding party.

  She glanced over and scowled, lifted her nose and sniffed. He held his breath, hoping she hadn’t picked up his scent.

  “Elan, close that thing. And make sure it latches this time.” She turned back to her guests.

  Jackson stepped aside, careful not to make any noise, as Elan closed the door. He could take this one out right now, it’d be an easy stake through the heart, but Krystal was too close to the woman. If only he could separate her from the herd, then he’d have free access to do what he needed to the others.

  “Ma’am, Fitch is not at his post.”

  “Well, then, go out and check on him. My orders were for him to keep watch at the stern until we’re under way. He’d better not be up top talking to the captain like he was before. If he is, stake him.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Good. One less idiot to deal with. Then a mechanical sound came from the belly of the boat. Shit. They were pulling anchor. He didn’t have much time.

  “So, gentlemen, as I was saying, I appreciate your patience with what happened back there. Raids by Guardians, while annoying, are par for the course sometimes, but it happens far less up here than in the hotter regions. I’ve had several of these little soirees that have gone on without a hitch.”

  Guardians had missed other sweetblood killing parties in the area? How many? Where were they? Had there been signs, but they’d missed following up on them? It had to be Hollow Grave.

  “That’s why your sectors, like mine, are ripe for this business opportunity. Not only is the Guardian presence very thin in our areas, but the humans our people are used to feeding from aren’t as energy rich as in the southern sectors. Besides, most have never had Sweet from a live host. So our clientele wants the product we’re selling as well as the experience. And many are willing to pay top dollar. This, my friends, is a business opportunity that I can help you get started.”

  Ventra had to be in charge of the area’s Darkblood operations. Alfonso had come to the field office and given a presentation about how the Alliance was structured, but Jackson hadn’t been paying attention. She must be the head honcho here and these men had to be leaders of other sectors somewhere.

  “Tell us more,” one of the men prompted.

  The woman continued to talk sales numbers, franchise percentages and start-up fees. Jackson was astounded. She was fucking making a business out of killing humans. Capitalizing on most modern vampires’ reluctance to do so, yet knowing the dark nature lurked inside all of them. It just needed to be coaxed out.

  Santiago and Dom would be very interested in hearing all this.

  “As a gesture of goodwill,” the woman was saying, “I’ll let you have the girl and you can experience it for yourself, firsthand. Then you be the judge on whether the vampires in your areas would be interested in paying for such an experience themselves.”

  A sob escaped Krystal’s lips and she took a step away from the table. The two men looked at her, their eyes reflecting their hunger.

  “Come on, ma belle fille,” the woman crooned. “It’ll all be over soon.”

  Now was his chance before the other Darkblood goon came back.

  He shoved Krystal backward. With a knife in each hand, he charged, stabbing the remaining Darkblood and one of the sector leaders. They didn’t know what hit them.

  The other man climbed over the table to the other side of the banquette, wildly searching for the cause. The boat lurched just as Jackson threw two blades. The first hit the man square in the chest, but the second one only nicked the woman’s arm.

  She hissed in pain. “An Unseen. You must be Jackson.”

  What the fuck? How did she know his name?

  He hesitated a fraction too long. Before he drew another weapon, the woman had Krystal by the throat, her fangs fully extended.

  “Your human woman has told me all about you. So lovely to make your acquaintance.”

  “Jackson?” Krystal’s eyes widened as the woman pulled her out onto the deck.

  “I’m here, honey.” He moved away from where he’d spoken.

  With the woman’s teeth at the girl’s throat, he had to be careful how he did this. One wrong move and she’d slice into the girl’s artery. If that happened, he could easily dispatch the woman, but with Krystal’s sweetblood and him barely able to control his urges, he wouldn’t be able to seal the wound without draining her. One wrong move and he’d turn into the monster he’d been fearing all these months.

  “Does this make you nervous, Jackson? Is that why you haven’t attacked me yet? You afraid of a little sweetblood? It’s delicious. You really should try it.” Her tongue darted out and she licked the girl’s neck.

  The temperature of his blood ratcheted up.

  “You must’ve heard the old stories about the Unseen. Violent, even by modern Darkblood standards. Is that you? Are you afraid you’re reverting into one of them? Unable to control your natural instincts? Must be awfully difficult for a Guardian to know he’s turning into the very enemy he’s sworn to fight.”

  The boat shifted and Jackson steadied himself; he hated boats and hadn’t been on one since Betsy died.

  “What would happen if you smelled a little of this?” She scraped her fangs on the girl’s neck, drawing blood.

  Its sweet smell permeated the air, like an invisible finger pulling him closer.

  “Stop!” He’d been around Krystal but never in his Unseen form when he felt at his most raw and ragged.

  “I was right. You are scared.” The woman plunged her teeth into the girl’s neck.

  Oh, God. His mouth watered as his fangs elongated from his gums. He couldn’t fucking do this.

  Krystal screamed, tried to hang on to the railing, but the woman pushed her overboard.

  “Jackson, help! I can’t swim.”

  With Krystal’s blood on her mouth, the woman looked pleased with herself. “So, do you dive in to save her and risk biting her yourself? She is rather tasty, I must say. Or do you stay with me. We’d make a good team, the two of us. With those special powers of yours, there’s not much we couldn’t accomplish.”

  Elan came up behind her,
a gun leveled in the vicinity of where Jackson was standing. He heard Krystal splashing as the boat continued pulling away. He could stay and fight or go save her, but he couldn’t do both. He glanced into the inky depths and remembered his sister. He’d made bad choices that day, which had led to her death. He would not do it again.

  “I will never join you.”

  He dove in and prayed his willpower would hold just long enough to get her to shore.

  SANTIAGO WATCHED AS JACKSON walked through the surf with the girl in his arms and handed her to his woman.

  What the fuck?

  Two puncture wounds were clearly visible on her neck.

  “Dom, can you help?” Jackson was out of breath from the long swim to shore. “The woman bit her and threw her overboard. I didn’t think I could stop if I tried healing the wounds.”

  Dom leaned over the girl and soon her wounds were healing.

  Jackson turned to Santiago. Several pieces of seaweed clung to his skin and pretty-boy hair, the girl’s blood on his arms. “I know that Guardians who revert must be turned over to the authorities.”

  “Yes, that’s true,” Santiago agreed.

  “But in consideration of the years I’ve been with the Agency, I’d like to offer up my resignation, so you’re not obligated to bring me in. I’ve not killed a human yet. I’ll check in at a treatment facility and see what they can do.”

  “No. I can’t do that.”

  Arianna rushed to Jackson’s side and positioned herself slightly in front of him. Her eyes blazed with indignation. “How can you say that? He had every opportunity to kill my cousin, not only in the water but for the past few weeks when we stayed together at Lily and Alfonso’s house. Are you so cold and heartless and rigid about those rules of yours that you can’t see what a big mistake you’ll be making? He’s clearly not a threat. Hell, I’d say with this ability of his, he’s even more of an asset to your cause than he was before. You saw what he did. He’d have killed Krystal if he were reverting.”