And to Cherish: Vampire Assassin League #23

by Jackie Ivie

  A feeling threaded through their coupling, driven into existence with his thrusts. Building with every move. Growing broader and stronger with every continued union of her groin against his. Harder. Tantalizingly deeper.

  Again.

  More.

  The feeling swelled to consuming level, warping the bedroom about them. It was dark. Misted. Heated. Strands of Samson’s hair swished about them before they stuck in place. The effect, one of enclosure. Fusing them. Samson started grunting with each thrust. Low-toned. Harsh. Moisture beaded his skin, drawing a touch. Muscles bulged. His thrusts increased, the sensation swelled to shattering level, and then it erupted.

  She jerked upward, off the mattress, her move plastering her to Samson as wonder exploded within her, encasing her in a bubble of indescribable bliss. It shattered her experience. Rinsed her memories. Cleansed her soul. She barely heard Samson’s growl as he shoved a final time into her, but she was watching as he went rigid, pinned against her, his body shuddering in throes of seeming agony. He even sounded like he might be in pain, although it looked like absolute pleasure was etched onto his features. She’d never seen anything so stirring. Never experienced anything so precious.

  They dropped back to the bed. The mattress jounced with their arrival. And something else fell. Cherish accepted his weight readily. Easily. Her heart had swelled or something, gaining depth and strength as it pounded heat and happiness through her veins. And then somewhere in his apartment a phone started ringing.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  That had been incredible. Amazing. Stupendous. Beyond description, actually. Sam licked his lips. Rapture had been given a physical presence and then it had been gifted to him. And the damn phone wouldn’t quit shrilly interfering. He felt Cherish lift her head. He wasn’t moving. He kept his eyes closed, his senses open. He was absorbing the experience of making love to her. She even had her ankles locked behind him still.

  “Your phone...is ringing,” she told him.

  His lips twitched. “You don’t say?”

  “Yes. I do.”

  He smiled. She was cute. Her phrasing so unique. As if she’d been kept in a bottle her entire life. Secluded. A third ring sounded, annoyingly loud as it echoed down the hallway.

  “Are you going to answer it?”

  “Not a chance. Even if my legs allowed it.”

  He felt Cherish raise her head, her neck reached his shoulder as she craned her head. As if checking the status of his legs. And when she spoke, he knew that’s what she’d been doing.

  “Why wouldn’t your legs allow it?”

  He laughed, shifting things. Cherish jerked. Her legs tightened about him. And that was indescribably awesome, too.

  “What is so amusing?” she asked.

  “Oh, Cherish. This is so out there on the believability scale. Way out there. Holy sh—. I mean crap. I’m in awe. Absolute and complete awe.”

  “You are?”

  “Well...uh. Yeah. You just made me the most special man on the face of the earth. I’m still in shock. Almost too much shock to realize how ruined I am.”

  “Ru...ined?”

  She broke the word in two, her voice young. Unsure-sounding. The phone rang again, almost in concert. He waited for it to finish.

  “Yeah. Ruined. You know...like for other women.”

  “Other women?”

  Her voice didn’t sound unsure anymore. If he had to peg it, he’d say she sounded surprised and on the way to angered. Or just angered. Man. Oh man. It figured he couldn’t even get a compliment out right.

  “Wow. Let me try that again. I...well. I’m not exactly experienced. But even I can figure out there’s not another woman anywhere to compare with you. And what just happened. You are that awesome. Making love to you is...um. Yeah. Pretty unbelievable. I think you even overwrote my fantasies.”

  The phone rang again. Insistently. Loudly.

  “Don’t even think it, okay? I don’t care who is calling, or what they want. Or that it’s the middle of the night. I’m not answering it. I’m not wasting one moment away from how this feels.”

  “It might be...important.”

  Her voice caught on the words. That might mean he was saying the right thing for a change.

  “This is going to sound corny, but what the heck. I just had the best experience of my life. The most important thing in my life at the moment is you. What just happened. Where I am. And how this feels. Okay? That means the phone and whoever is on the other end of the line, can take a flying leap.”

  He lifted onto his elbows, put his nose alongside hers, and touched a kiss to her upper lip. Everything throughout his chest felt like it melted. Swirled about with a fluttery feeling. And then solidified into an absolute feeling of joy.

  The phone stopped. A click came next, followed by his voice in an automated greeting. Clear. Loud.

  “Ignore that, too. Okay? I have an answering machine. That’s kind of odd. I must have it on super volume. It’s not normally that loud.”

  The recording ended. There was an audible click, and then came the hang-up noise that grated on his ear until that, too, silenced.

  “See? It wasn’t even important enough to leave a message. And...now that that irritation is over, we can get back to what matters. You. Me. This. Uh...where on earth did you come from again?”

  “I told you. Here. St. Louis.”

  He chuckled. He should ask her if she’d stay the night. Maybe the entire weekend. He’d see her safely home on Sunday. He opened his mouth. Unauthorized words came out.

  “I don’t suppose...you’d consider moving in with me?”

  She stiffened. Oh shit. What was he doing? The best thing in existence got delivered to him, and he was trying to scare her off?

  “Move in?” she asked.

  “I meant, stay the weekend. Gee. I’m really in over my head, here. I’m just—. It’s just—. Man. I can’t seem to even finish a sentence.”

  “I can’t move in, Samson.”

  “How about the weekend thing, then?”

  “This place is...too open. There are too many large windows.”

  “Well yeah. It’s a corner apartment. I pay extra for that. Most of these old buildings have really small apartments. You either have to hang a lot of mirrors, or find a place with large windows to compensate. If you don’t like them, we can move.”

  “There are too...many humans.”

  “What a way to describe it. Okay. Got it. You don’t like crowds. And you aren’t fond of big windows. I think we can work around those minor obstacles. Really.”

  “What?”

  “I’m going with the flow here. You didn’t say no. I’m thinking that means you’re actually amendable to the idea of cohabitating with me, but...we’re going to have to move somewhere different. Stop me if I’m wrong. Oh. Wait. You probably already have a place, don’t you?”

  “Y-yes.”

  “Is it near the sanctuary?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Where is it?”

  “It’s Bellefontaine. On West Florissant.”

  “Sounds familiar. But I’ve been here less than a year. I’ll check it out. I’m going to guess it’s big and old and really quiet. And it has small windows. Right?”

  “Um. It’s...not very large.”

  “Well. I only need space for my science stuff. And the flat screen.”

  “It’s not that. It’s—.” Her voice stalled.

  “I know. I’m jumping the gun. It’s too soon. We just met. I’m sounding like a crazy stalker-type. I feel like if I don’t snatch you up, you’re going to disappear. Just like how you showed up. Out of the ozone somehow. Like magic. Or some fantasy.”

  “Oh, no. No. That won’t happen.”

  “So...you’re saying you’ll think about it?”

  She was quiet for long enough he counted three heartbeats in his ears. They each had an echo. That was strange. Sam sighed and rolled onto his side. The move separated them. It wasn’t an is
sue. He’d been killing the moment ever since he opened his mouth. He’d probably been crushing her with his weight, too. She didn’t unlatch her legs from him, so she rolled as well. And then the telephone started ringing again.

  “Stupid thing. I knew I shouldn’t have kept a home number and line.”

  “Will you answer it this time?” she asked.

  “Of course not. But I might yank the darn thing out of the wall, given any further provocation. We’ll just wait it out. They’ll hang up again. Watch. Listen.”

  They listened through four more rings. He kept his gaze firmly locked to hers. That was another oddity. He had a large window in his bedroom but it had blinds on it. The street lights might be on, but the room was dim. Yet, he could see her easily. He could even make out the golden brown shade of her eyes. Weird.

  His recorded greeting answered the call, just like before. But this time John spoke up and got recorded. Sam heard him easily.

  ‘Doctor Reid! It’s John. I sure hope you’re listening. A military commando group met me here at the sanctuary! They just left. They’re looking for that smoking hot chick from the show. Apparently, she’s some kind of terrorist and—!’

  His mind couldn’t grasp it. His body was having trouble, too. Shock had to be the sensation slapping at him. He was instantly cold while everywhere started shaking. Cherish didn’t have any of those problems. She was off the bed, had her underwear in place, and was pulling the legs of her pants right-side out before the connection even ended, cutting off John’s frantic words. San had never seen anyone move that fast.

  Ever.

  “Quick, Samson! Get up! Dress!”

  He slid off the far side of the bed, pulled his drawers and trousers up before he stood. Not because she said so, but because it helped. It muted the cold. Conquered some of the vulnerable feeling. He needed a shirt though. All he wore on his upper body was torn shirt cuffs. But she was on the side of the room with his dresser. All he had on this side was a nightstand.

  And a big window.

  “What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “Because...uh. Yeah. Maybe because I just found out you’re a terrorist. Yeah. That could be it.”

  “I don’t even know what a terrorist is.”

  “Right. Like I believe that. Everyone knows.”

  “This is wasting time! And it doesn’t matter. They’re Hunters. They’re not after a terrorist. Oh! I knew I should have kept my sword.”

  She shoved her feet into her denims, yanked them on, and then she started fastening the hooks of her corset. She didn’t fasten her pants. The view was extraordinary. Compelling. And pretty dang hot. Despite John’s warning.

  How is that even possible?

  “Please, Samson. Get dressed. We have to leave! They are coming!”

  “Why?

  “They are after us!”

  “Why me? I didn’t do anything. I’m the furthest thing from a terrorist on the planet. I don’t even own a gun. And any blades I have are in the kitchen drawer.”

  “There is no easy way to say this. They are coming because they are vampire hunters. And I am a vampire.”

  Sam stared. She looked serious. But he couldn’t stop the bubble of mirth. Nor could he prevent the laughter that followed.

  “It is not funny. Take my hand. We’ll use the window.”

  He stopped laughing, but was still grinning. “For what?”

  “Escape!”

  She picked up his dresser and heaved it toward him. Sam ducked. The dresser smacked into the window aperture, pulling down blinds, and creating a bulls-eye on the glass. It didn’t break. Sam barely missed getting pegged by the furniture’s rebound. And he was completely sober when he regained his feet.

  “I think that’s safety glass. And you’re crazy,” he managed to say.

  “You don’t understand! Hunters kill vampires! And they enjoy it!”

  “Cherish. Calm down. Please? Before I completely lose my security deposit. Or the neighbors call the cops. You are not a vampire. Okay? They don’t exist.”

  “Yes, we do,” she replied.

  “Cherish, I have a Doctorate in Wildlife Biology. I’ve studied every species on the planet. My specialty is winged creatures. Raptors. Trust me. There is no such thing as a vampire.”

  A red light suddenly appeared in his hall. Blinding. Intense. Sam’s eyes instinctively narrowed. A loud whistle sound came the moment the light touched his chest. But before he could react, Cherish was in front of him. He watched in seemingly slow motion as a long, thin projectile slammed into her belly. And he was still watching as it launched her right through the window beside him.

  “No!”

  Sam’s cry was loud. Shocked. Horrified. He’d been right. It was definitely safety glass. Nothing shattered. But the entire window ripped free of the wooden frame and disappeared out into the night. Taking Cherish with it.

  “Eric, you dumbass! You were told not to use the rocket!”

  “Why not? It’s cool. And that was a perfect shot!”

  “Perfect shot, my ass. If you want to kill, you have to do a chest shot. That was a gut shot. And now we have to go find her.”

  “So? She’ll be injured. Easy to hunt. Besides...”

  Sam held to the torn remains of his sill, looking out onto the parking lot below him. He was on the fourth story. Too high for a jump. Way too high to survive a killing blast and then a fall. The moon was still out there, shedding light beyond the street lights. There wasn’t a sign of Cherish. Or what had been his bedroom window.

  “We still have her mate. Hey, Buddy? Want to turn around?”

  Something was wrong with his comprehension skills. He was a scientist. He dealt with scientific method. Theory development. Hypothesis. Laboratory and field testing. Results. Conclusion. None of this was possible. The world didn’t operate like this. It couldn’t be happening. Therefore it wasn’t. Denial was a solid platform. This had to be a dream.

  No.

  A nightmare.

  “I really hate to shoot a guy in the back.”

  “No way, Eric. You already screwed this up. We need him alive.”

  “I was only going to put him out. Got the bag?”

  Sam turned around slowly. The room looked packed with guys wearing camouflage. Large goggles. Face masks. He watched somebody chuck a black bundle onto his bed. It unfurled into a human-sized bag. He looked back up.

  Somebody fired a weapon at him, hitting him mid-chest. The recoil staggered him backwards. Sam looked down at the dart sticking out of a pec. His knees wavered a moment later and then failed. He dropped. And just before he fell on his face, he wondered – if this wasn’t real – why it hurt.

  CHAPTER NINE

  “Samson!”

  The cry came from her heart, burning her breast. It tore through her throat. And then it brought tears to her eyes. It also lifted her, but a restraining arm prevented her from rising far. She dropped a few inches back onto her gunnysack-covered liner. What had happened? Was she back in the mausoleum? And how?

  “Ah. Cherish. Good. I see you’ve decided to awaken after all.”

  “Akron?”

  “In the flesh. Calm, now. You’re not quite finished with your platelets.”

  “My what?”

  “Transfusion. You lost a bit of fluid. We’ve been replacing it.”

  “Hey! Sir! Did she say John?”

  The sound of footsteps thumped across a floor, penetrating the wooden walls of her coffin, shaking the flimsy structure.

  “Your hearing is not quite correct, Nigel. She said Samson. I believe that means you lost.”

  “Dang it! Why can’t it ever be the kid? Huh? Is that too much to ask?”

  “What kid?” Cherish asked.

  “The intern. I’ll explain. We knew your mate worked at the bird sanctuary. We also knew he’d been at the fund raiser. That meant it could be, either a pompous fellow named Larry, who is the director on the board of trustees, a photogenic and much
vaunted Ornithologist named Samson, or a young intern, John. We didn’t have much to go on. Even the Hunters have been reticent on naming him on their communications network, although the moment they mentioned his lengthy hair, I was certain. Nigel was not. He tends to hope for different outcomes in situations, even when given evidence.”

  Hunters had Samson? Cherish jolted upward again. Akron stopped her.

  “Calm yourself, Cherish. Please. Or I will cease my explanations for now.”

  “But the Hunters have him!”

  “True. It doesn’t mean much at the moment, however. They haven’t even advanced to the stage where they talk to him about being bait. In the event you survived their attack, that is. He isn’t being harmed. They are showing an immense amount of patience actually, if you ask me.”

  “They are?”

  “He’s a scientist. Scientists seem to be born stubborn. Judgmental. Closed-minded. It’s rather entertaining, actually. Apparently, he’s refusing to believe we exist, despite their pharmaceutical persuasion techniques and video proof. Their communiqués are quite amusing. Besides, we can’t do anything until nightfall. You have at least an hour.”

  “Where are we?”

  “Inferno Suite. St. Louis. Millennium Hotel. It’s quite nice still, although the amenities are not what they used to be.”

  “Amenities?”

  “You know. Electricity. Running water. That sort of thing. The structure closed last year. Pity. Although...it is provident that there isn’t anyone about to notice odd happenings in the penthouse area. Things such as coffins being carried in through the balcony.”

  “You moved my coffin?”

  “Had to. Someone I know gave her name and address to a certain scientist. He gave that information to the Hunters earlier today. Couldn’t risk their actually getting lucky and locating it. Oh. And I had to see to it personally. Nigel doesn’t have enough solar protection yet.”

  “Samson...told them where to find me?”

  “Oh. Not on purpose. They were using sodium thiopental on him. He is now suffering a case of hiccups that will not cease. That’s a side-effect of the so-called ‘truth’ drug. He was not amused. Consequently, he is even more uncooperative. I told you their communiqués are amusing. And it was for nothing. You weren’t in the gravesite, and he still refuses to believe in vampires, even when it’s on video.”