by Deanna Chase
He helped me to sit up and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, careful to not bump my wing. “Sorry.” He grimaced. “I didn’t tell anyone. I honestly didn’t know if I could pull it off or what the ramifications would be.”
“No one?” My voice rose with my disbelief.
He shifted and jumped off the bed, running a hand through his hair. “Look at what happened with your Influence. I couldn’t take the chance of anyone trying to manipulate this. It’s too dangerous.”
His concerns weren’t lost on me. A potion that boosts strength and numbs the senses is wrought with dangerous potential. Mortals would be a lot harder to bring down. In the hands of criminals, such a drug would be a nightmare. Still, of all people, I’d think I was the one Talisen could talk to about this. “So dangerous you couldn’t trust even me?”
Talisen met my eyes and then came to stand right in front of me. “I didn’t tell anyone.”
I climbed out of bed, marveling at the steadiness in my legs. Minutes ago I’d thought I’d never get up again. His numbing juice was a work of genius. “Yeah, but we spent all summer together. You never once even hinted at this.” I waved a frustrated hand at the cup. “I tell you everything.”
He leveled a hard stare at me, one eyebrow slightly raised. “Not everything.”
“What are you talking about? Of course I do.” I started to pace, antsy from the argument and his potion.
“Really? You never told me how serious it was with David. You said you’d casually dated someone, but it was over. Yeah, I spent all summer with you. And only you. You never once told me how you felt. But then again, it hardly matters now since you’re clearly not over the vampire.”
I stopped and placed both hands on my hips. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“This.” He took two steps, grabbed my upper arms, and yanked me to him. His lips met mine in a hard, demanding frenzy, his hot tongue claiming mine with each expert stroke.
My hands came up, curling in his shirt as I met him with passion, all the years of pent-up, barely hidden desire pouring out of me.
Tal’s arms came around me, cradling me close against his lean frame. His teeth scraped my bottom lip, holding on for just a moment before he murmured, “Dammit, Willow. I’ve been waiting ten years to do that.”
A short, startled laugh bubbled up from deep in my throat as I choked back emotion. “Don’t wait so long next time.”
He smiled against my lips and pulled me tight, kissing me softly. Slower this time. A sweet, savoring kiss. I melted into him. How many times had I imagined this? Dreamed of being wrapped in his arms? Wished he’d finally get around to choosing me?
Then Beau had died.
Fresh, raw pain blossomed deep in my chest. There were reasons why we’d never pursued a relationship. Really good reasons. I took a deep breath and pulled away, clasping my hands over his wrists and holding him at arm’s length. “We can’t do this.”
He took a small step forward, his cocky I’m-too-cute-for-words grin in place. “Who says?”
“Tal.” I sighed, blinking away the tears burning my eyes. “I say. You know why.”
His eyes narrowed as he pressed his lips together. “Your vampire? You know that will never work, right? It’s doomed from the beginning.” A trace of uncertainty flashed over his features. “Are you seriously telling me you’d rather be with him than me? Your best friend?”
David. God! What a horrible person I was. I hadn’t even asked about him. Or thought about him at all. And where was Maude? Panic took over. “Where is he? Did they get him out? Is he still locked up at the Void building?” I spun, heading for the door.
Talisen didn’t move. “So that’s it, then? You’re in love with a vampire.” His voice was hard and flat. Cold.
“No! I…” Shit! I forced myself to walk back to Talisen, even though every cell screamed to go find answers. I took his hand, clamping both of mine around his, my heart breaking into a million pieces. “No. I’m not in love with him.” At least I didn’t think so. I cared for him. And if I was honest, I was still wildly attracted to him. Vampire and all. But love? “My reason for not pursuing a relationship with you has everything to do with Beau. Not David. Or anyone else.”
“So you’re turning me down? You think Beau didn’t think I was good enough for you?” The hurt was plain on his face.
A lump formed in my throat. Why did we have to do this right now? “No.” I bit my lip and stared at my feet. “Beau loved you like a brother,” I choked out. “I’m sure if he was here, he’d give his full blessing.” I forced myself to meet his tortured eyes. “But he isn’t here. And you…” I swallowed. “I can’t risk losing you. If this didn’t work out…”
His stormy eyes darkened with raw emotion. “You’ll never lose me. We’re family. No matter what happens between us. You have to know that.”
I shook my head, standing taller. “I’ve seen firsthand what happens after one of your relationships ends. Have you spoken to any of your exes? Ever? I’m sorry, Tal, as much as I think I want this, I can’t risk it. Not with you. After Beau, I wouldn’t survive the loss.” And if I did open my heart to him, I’d die if I had to watch him with another faery. A wave of nausea rolled through my stomach at the mere thought.
Talisen jerked back as if I’d slapped him. “You think this is some passing infatuation or that I haven’t thought this through? Jesus, Willow. Why do you think those other relationships never worked out?”
What could I say? That he had a wandering eye? He didn’t take his relationships seriously? That he wasn’t ready? None of those statements would help. I said nothing and studied Link, still curled up, sleeping on my bed.
He let out a frustrated huff. “None of those other women were you.”
A strange ache in my chest made it hard to breathe.
Using two fingers, he tilted my head up. “These last few days, seeing your strength and your willingness to fight for what you believe in, no matter who’s on the other side, has only made me want you more. As if that was possible.” He closed his eyes for a moment. When he reopened them, pain reflected back at me. “And the agony of seeing you hurt. Willow, I’ve never been more scared in my life. I want to fight with you. To be by your side through it all.”
I stepped back, surprised. Did he really just say he wanted me? Joy burst from my heart, followed by blinding fear. The two emotions fought for dominance as I imagined us hand in hand, kissing and laughing at nothing. And then the pair of us fighting, stalking away from each other, our relationship damaged beyond repair. My thoughts jumbled, too overloaded with what might come to pass in our future. “I can’t do this right now,” I stammered, backing up toward my door. “There’s too much going on. I can’t process.”
All the vulnerability disappeared from his expression, leaving a blank mask.
“I’m sorry, Tal. We’ll talk later.” I whirled and ran out the door, ignoring the all-encompassing urge to throw myself into his arms. Let him hold me. Feel his strong, safe arms around me again. Bask in the love I’d always thought might be there, but was too afraid to act on.
I shook my head, dislodging the thoughts. The last week had been a roller coaster of emotions. What if he woke up in another week and changed his mind? I couldn’t risk it. I loved him too much to lose him. I took the stairs two at a time, anxious to put distance between my thundering heart and the man I’d always wanted more than anyone else. Even David.
“Phoebe,” I cried, running into the almost-tidy living room. There was still a pile of debris in one corner, but most of the broken furniture and trash had been removed. I kept running, following a low murmur of voices coming from Phoebe’s office. “Phoebs?” I called again.
“In here.” Her voice was low, hushed, as if she was in a library.
She looked it, too. All her books and some of mine were stacked up against the walls, waiting to be put away. I paused in the doorway.
Pressing a tiny speaker to her ear, she used her other
hand to frantically scribble notes on a legal pad.
When she didn’t look up, I cleared my throat.
That got her attention. She finished writing and then threw me her keys as she grabbed her notepad, pen, and the silver beetle attached to the tiny earphone. Grabbing my arm, she pulled me to the front door. “Hurry. We’re running out of time.”
“David?” Fear stopped me in my tracks. “Does the Void still have him?”
“No. Allcot’s lackeys stormed the building right after you busted out and tackled Maude.” She ran down the walk and yanked the passenger-side door open. “David’s back at Allcot’s club. Hurry. You don’t want to miss the action.”
I glanced up the stairs, finding Talisen and Link watching me. “I have to go,” I told him.
He gave me a resigned nod and turned around, slamming my bedroom door behind him.
I sighed. “Keep an eye on him, Link.”
The Shih Tzu yelped once and went to the door. A second later, Talisen reappeared and my sidekick slipped in, the door closing this time with a soft click.
“Willow!” Phoebe called.
I ran down the front walk and jumped in the driver’s side of her Camry. I gripped the steering wheel and threw the car in gear. The tires squealed as we shot down the street.
Phoebe eyed me with suspicion. “Are you okay?”
I gripped the steering wheel tighter. “I’m fine. Don’t I look fine?”
“Sure. I mean, Tal said you were. I had no reason to not believe him, especially since you’re upright and walking under your own steam.” She leaned back and studied me. “There’s something else though.”
I tsked. “Of course there is. I need to talk to Maude. Where is she?”
“Allcot has her.”
I turned to her, horrified. Maude needed healing and rest after everything she’d been through. Not an interrogation. And a vampire that powerful wouldn’t give up until he was satisfied there was nothing else to get. “What’s she doing there? She should be back at the house with Talisen healing her.”
“Uh, Wil? What’s going on? Why are you worried about Maude? She deserves everything she gets.”
I slammed the accelerator to the floor. “No, Phoebe. She doesn’t.” The car skidded around a corner, barely missing a parked van.
“Whoa. Watch it. I’m all for some speed racing, but I’d rather not end up wrapped around a tree.”
“You don’t understand.” I pressed on, barely making it through an intersection before the light turned red.
She clutched the dashboard. “Enlighten me, then.”
I glanced at her once, that pain in my chest returning. “She’s been Influenced for three years! It’s not her fault.”
Phoebe let out a low gasp of surprise. “Oh, shit.”
“Yeah.”
She turned slowly in her seat and I could feel the tension streaming off her. “Faster, Willow.”
Another tire squeal. “I’m going as fast as I can.”
The car bounced, and the underside scraped on the asphalt as we hit a pothole while going sixty through the city streets.
“Goddamn it.” She banged a fist on the dashboard.
“What?”
“We didn’t know. Talisen said you mumbled something about helping her, but we didn’t know what that meant.”
“Phoebs?” I warned. “Spit it out.”
“Your aunt… shit! David’s torturing her right now.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
I slid the car catawampus into a tight space about a block from Eadric’s club, The Red Door. The key was barely out of the ignition before I jumped out onto the sidewalk. In my haste, I fluttered my wings to fly, but the instant pain kept my feet on the ground. Ouch! Talisen had done what he could to help speed the healing, but I wouldn’t be flying for quite a while. I broke into a run, ignoring the throb in my shoulder blade.
The crowd waiting to get in cast me aggravated glances as I pushed past them.
“What’s the hurry, honey?” The bouncer looked me up and down and motioned to the back of the line. “You’ll have to wait your turn.”
I lifted my chin and cocked a hip. “Tell Davidson Laveaux Willow’s here.”
The bouncer blinked.
Raising my eyebrows, I took a step closer. “You heard me, right?”
A dark shadow crossed over his features as his eyes narrowed.
Phoebe finally caught up, breathing heavily. “Jesus, Willow, you could’ve parked so the ass of the car wasn’t blocking half the street. I had to do a spell to set a caution flare.” She glanced between me and the brooding bouncer. “What’s going on?”
I fought to keep from barreling past the asshole. Getting clocked by the doorman wouldn’t get me inside any faster. “Mr. Power Trip won’t let me in. Nor will he take half a second to call David.”
Phoebe pulled her phone out of her pocket. I frowned, wondering when I’d last seen mine. Cripes. It was still in my purse on the floor in Maude’s office. She held a finger over the screen. “You have two seconds before I press call.”
The man straightened his back, towering over us. “You’ll need to leave the premises now. Mr. Allcot has specifically asked for his family to not be disturbed.”
Phoebe sighed. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
I glared at the jackass bouncer in front of me. Clenching my fists, I dug my nails into my palms. What I wouldn’t give to take a swing right then. Phoebe spoke low into her phone. I couldn’t hear her over the growing buzz of the crowd.
A girl behind me whined. “Jeez. What makes you so special? Just because you have wings doesn’t make you better than the rest of us. Go to the back of the line or get the hell out of the way.”
I spun, anger streaming off me in waves. “Fuck off.”
The girl huffed out a laugh and glanced at the two men beside her. “Hear that, boys. The faery wants a piece of this.” She ran her hands over her chest, cupping her breasts, and blew me a suggestive kiss. “But I’m not into skinny, entitled bitches.”
I took a step forward, all the stress of the last few days churning inside me, straining to explode. The fury on my face must have been a warning because the smirk disappeared from the curvaceous blonde, and she took a few steps back.
“That’s enough.” The bouncer grabbed my arm.
“Let go!” I tried to shake him, but his iron grip held me firmly in place.
“You’re causing a scene,” the bouncer said quietly. He leaned down, his breath rancid with onions. His harsh tone sent an angry shiver down my spine. “Either leave under your own power, or I’ll force you to.”
The thick sensation of vampire energy coated my skin. I stilled.
“Lucas,” a silky female voice said from behind us. “What are you doing?”
The bouncer straightened and glanced back. “Ms. Pandora. My apologies. This faery”—he said faery as if we fae were toxic waste—“was just leaving.”
Pandora’s elegant face flashed from breathtakingly gorgeous to vicious terror. Her fangs popped out and her eyes turned red. “Let go of Ms. Rhoswen.”
The bouncer froze, his eyes going wide with fear.
“Now,” she growled.
In slow motion, he let go and stepped back. The blood pulsed through my bruised arm. Phoebe pushed me forward into the club while Pandora waited for us to pass.
“Next time,” the vampire hissed, “you’ll not only let her in, but you’ll alert the residence we have a guest. Or else Eadric will void your contract for eternal life. Understood?”
I peered over her shoulder. Good Goddess, he was on the list to be turned? He’d be terrifying as a vampire. I swallowed the ball of unease rising in my throat. There was absolutely no time to be worrying about future vampires when a present one was torturing my aunt.
Without waiting for Pandora, I took off, Phoebe close at my heels. We headed straight for the back stairs. It wasn’t long before I felt Pandora catch up to us. I increased my pace, taking two stai
rs at a time.
The big double doors loomed in front of me. I came to an abrupt halt. Maude. What had David done to her? No time to be a chickenshit. Maude needed me.
I flung the doors open. A blast of vamp energy hit me full force. I let out a muffled groan and pushed my way through the thick, invisible mass.
Allcot leaned back in his chair and nodded in Pandora’s direction. “Davidson’s expecting you.”
Pandora nodded once and disappeared.
I glanced around the empty room and then stalked to his desk. “Where is she?”
He raised his eyebrows in exaggerated calm. “Nicola is recuperating. On behalf of Pandora and myself, we extend our appreciation for the role you played in her recovery.”
I planted my palms on the desk and leaned in. “Not Nicola. My aunt, Maude. Where. Is. She?”
He brought his hands together, holding his index fingers and thumbs in a triangle. “Davidson is handling her interview. As soon as he’s satisfied, you’ll have a chance to speak with her before she’s terminated.”
Horrified rage exploded from deep in my gut. “Terminated!” I shrieked and ran to the nearest door, trying but failing to yank it open. It was locked.
“Willow,” Phoebe demanded in her don’t-fuck-with-me voice. “Stop. You’ll never leave this room unless Allcot decides he wants you to.” She huffed in disgust and turned to glare at the vampire. “Isn’t that right?”
“I’d say that’s accurate,” he agreed.
“That’s what I thought.” She jerked her head, indicating I should join her. “Agent Rhoswen has reason to believe Maude was under the Influence, and now she isn’t. Your tactics are highly inappropriate.”
“Where is she?” I asked again, this time my voice low and barely controlled.
He ignored me and studied Phoebe with interest. “My tactics?”
She held up the tiny silver beetle and flicked a switch. David’s voice boomed, filling the room. “Your lies are only prolonging our time together.” He paused and there was a moment of silence before a low, tortured moan turned my heart to stone.
Phoebe flicked the switch and tossed it on Allcot’s desk. “David has an identical one. I’ve heard his demands. Her pleas. Every scream, every protest, and every fucked up vamp-biting moment.” She pulled out her sun agate and aimed it at him.
