Drawing on a maneuver she’d taught me earlier, I lifted her, her little black dress inching up her creamy thigh. Wrapping my hand around her thigh, I wrapped it around my waist as I held her against the wall. Not giving her a moment to breathe, I pressed my lips against hers.
She kissed as aggressively as she fought. Demanding and forging ahead, she tried to take control. Nipping at her lip, I slowed her down to take it back.
Acacia smiled against my lips and dug her nails through my hair. The other hand caressed against my pulse, and she shivered.
Desperate for more, she touched her tongue to my lips. Allowing her in, I tangled with her tongue, giving her only a brief preview of what was to come later.
I pulled back so I could breathe, the taste of her lingering on my lips.
“Apartment.”
****
The moment we arrived inside, Acacia pulled at my clothes, tugging off my shirt. My fingers searched for a zipper, but I couldn’t find any seams in her dress.
“Did you paint this on yourself?”
“Get creative, necro.”
Giving her a crooked smile, I lifted my finger to tell her to give me a second, then pulled out my dagger from my back holster and dragged it down her dress.
Her fangs flashed as she smiled brightly at me.
“Clever.”
“Just wait.”
Her breasts were free immediately since she hadn’t worn a bra, but her black lace panties covered her still.
“Fuck, you’re gorgeous.”
“You don’t need to humor me.”
“Just telling how it is.”
“You already have me naked, necro. No need for your pretty words.” Acacia stepped closer to me, running her fingers over the muscles on my stomach. When her fingers brushed the band of my jeans, I couldn’t help but groan. Fuck, the thought of her even touching me lower right now….
She dipped her hand into my pants. Cupping me through my boxer briefs, she gave me a hard tug upward.
“Hmm, big boy. I thought you would be.” Acacia licked her lips, and the move sent a carnal desire flooding through my veins.
Pumping my hips into her touch, I wanted—no, needed more. Grabbing her wrist, I pulled her hand out from my pants. I touched her hips as I dropped to my knees, putting my face level to her core. Her fingers brushed through my hair as she arched her back.
“I’m not looking for you to do me any favors, Abel.”
“Not a favor. Trust me… this is all for me.”
She let out a little laugh and threw her head back.
“If you insist.”
I tugged her panties down her legs, revealing her womanhood. And just as aggressively as she moved in a fight, I plunged ahead. She cried out and gripped my shoulders, mumbling to herself as she grew slicker between her thighs.
I worked her until she cried out once again and sagged into me.
“Wow, necro. That’s a wicked tongue you have.”
“I’m not done with you yet.”
I stood and lifted her, her legs wrapping around my hips as I carried her to the guest bedroom, not wanting to be with her in my brother’s room. I laid her down, pressing kisses to her breasts and toying with her nipples until they were hardened peaks.
She breathed heavily, her fangs peeking past her lips. “Get your pants off before I tear them off.”
It was my turn to laugh as I took a step back and unbuttoned my jeans. Immediately, I felt a momentary relief before my dick raged to life again at Acacia, ready and waiting for me on the bed. I tugged down my boxer briefs, and Acacia’s gaze immediately went to my dick, encouraging me on. She slowly licked her lips as I stepped forward.
“You’re going to do just fine.” She reached out, touching me reverently, fixated on the precum at the tip. She leaned forward, pressing her breasts together, and my lust roared, my blood hot and boiling.
She opened her eyes and stared up at me as she used her hand to lead me to her mouth. Once her full lips closed over me, I threw my head back, my neck straining as I held back the urge to thrust as deep as she would allow me.
She sucked me hard once before she pulled back. “Look at me.”
I looked down at her, still watching me with a new heat in her eyes that made them flash red.
“Fuck me hard, necro.”
She placed her lips back on me and dug her nails into my ass. Encouraging me with a tug, she brought me closer and harder into her mouth. She moaned deeply, closing her eyes as if savoring every lick of me. Her tongue swirled, touching sensitive veins and nerves.
Losing myself in the sensations, I pumped hard again, and when her moans grew louder, so did mine.
Close to coming, I pulled out of her mouth and flipped her over. She laughed, throwing her hair over her shoulder and smiling at me, fangs fully extended.
“Not the first time with a vampire, necro?”
“It is, but I’ve felt your fangs scraping ever so gently.”
She laughed again and positioned herself better.
“Well come on, big boy. I’m all wet, and you have somewhere to be.” Her gaze dropped pointedly to my dick covered with her wetness.
My gut clenched as I moved behind her. Thrusting forward, I cupped her breasts and gave her nipples a tweak as she cried out in bliss.
“More. Give me all you got, necro.”
And for her, I did.
****
Acacia didn’t seem like the snuggler type, but she stayed with me well after we’d both finished. A couple of times. And while I came down from my high, I realized how little I knew of my companion. I’d trusted her enough to sleep with her; hopefully she would trust me enough to tell me a little more about herself.
For the first time, her hair was in disarray, and she had a look of contentment on her face. The line of worry that always creased her brows had smoothed just a little.
“What exactly did you do that made you an outlaw?” I asked, not willing to tiptoe around the subject anymore.
Acacia rolled over to face me. A moment of brief shame crossed her features before she wiped it away and replaced it with her steely determination.
“Killed someone I shouldn’t have. What else makes someone an outlaw?”
She kept my gaze, refusing to break it.
“Regretting what we did now?” she asked flippantly like she didn’t care, but it was more of an insult toward me.
“No. I didn’t say that.”
“But you’re thinking it over. Deciding how it affects us. Look, Abel, I’m well older than you. I can have sex for the itch it scratches. Can you?”
“Yes.” And I could, but by doing so, we’d tied ourselves a little closer to one another, even if we refused to acknowledge it. This would always be between us. There were still a lot of secrets between us too, but I knew without a doubt that by her sticking around to help me, she would be putting her life on the line.
“What do you know about the Morris Coven?” I asked.
A brittle smile crossed her features.
“I thought I’d just effectively dodged the ‘who did you kill’ question.”
“And what exactly does that mean?”
“It means we all have a past, right? But to answer the question I know you’re dying to ask, I don’t know anything about the contract they made with your family. I was long gone from that coven before they made any deals. I wasn’t even part of it to begin with.”
Pike had mentioned the coven was new, though for vampires, that could mean they formed only a couple centuries beforehand. When had Acacia’s crime occurred? Who was so important that they would still be chasing her centuries afterward?
“Tomorrow, I think we need to follow a different lead. We gave Pike too much information tonight as it was.”
“Where are you thinking?” Acacia asked.
“I’ll start another search later. I’d need the help of older necromancers. Someone will recognize our last name and probably have information, either from
rumors or stories passed around the time he passed away.”
Before our curse, we were a very sought-out family. Even still, other Mystics recognized the name Hayes as a powerful family and would often seek us out for jobs. My father still helped the Guard with some cold cases from time to time. If Rowan’s identity was ever revealed, she would be in more danger than she already was. I could get away with being a son of the Hayes family, but as the twin of the first girl born who broke our curse, I’d be screwed.
Acacia slipped out of bed and glanced over her shoulder at me.
“What we did tonight doesn’t change anything. We’re still working together, one favor for another. And even though you managed to get a little more out of me, be warned. It comes with consequences.”
Acacia left the room, and I heard the shower crank to life a moment later. I’d have to follow after her and take one, but for now, I needed to mull over the information I’d learned.
Horace wanted me to trust her. Despite what she said, something had changed between us. We trusted each other to at least fuck, but I still couldn’t trust her with all of my secrets.
Chapter 14
“Is this supposed to be productive?” Acacia asked me when she woke up and strolled out to the living room. I’d been awake for a couple of hours, unable to sleep.
Horace had been absent since our meeting in the Other Side. Had the necromancer demanded stricter rules on him? Had I caused that?
I needed to be more careful. During my research for different necromancer families in the area, I tried to avoid any businesses owned by the Quintano family. The rumors were they were the family who placed the curse on us. Even if it wasn’t true, our families had never gotten along.
Eventually, I found a small PI firm where a necromancer from a good family worked. I figured he would be our best bet. Afterward I would try to contact Horace. He’d be our best source of information, if I could get close enough, not only about the contract but about his death. He’d been able to skirt around his master’s restrictions before, so hopefully he could do it again.
Acacia was dressed in yoga pants and a tight tank top as she wandered through the apartment. I couldn’t help but wonder again who she’d killed. Mystics had a higher kill rate than humans, as more often than not, scuffles broke out between different races. And while some races abided by the ruling force’s laws and involved the Guard, vampires and werewolves often dealt with criminals in their own way.
“What’s your story, Acacia?”
She stopped, her back straight as she sucked in an unneeded breath.
“I thought we decided to put an end to these sorts of questions?” she said, looking over her shoulder.
“I need to be able to trust you.”
Acacia turned on her heel and glared at me, her hands on her hips.
“And what about you?”
“You know all you need to know about me. I’ll do anything to protect my sister. I don’t know how far you’re willing to go.”
“Far enough. Let’s leave it at that.”
“Who did you kill?”
“A tyrant only to be replaced by another. I already told you too much. The less you know, the better.” With that, Acacia disappeared into Ever’s room.
She was probably right. My problems had already become overwhelming. If her stuff didn’t interfere with mine, then I needed to leave it be. She didn’t ask for me to help with that, only to get her living soul back.
Still an impossible task.
I wrote down the address to the PI firm and headed back to the guest room to grab my weapons and change clothes. Acacia exited her room at the same time, dressed in her standard leather, but I noticed a couple of extra weapons.
“Preparing for the worst?” I asked.
“A girl can never have too many weapons.”
I nodded because after the night before, I’d added to my collection as well.
“Where’s our next stop?” Acacia asked as she headed to the couch.
“A necromancer’s PI firm.”
“Should we stake it out before we waltz right in?”
“It wouldn’t be the worst plan,” I said. “Doesn’t look too far from here. I think we better just walk. The map says it’d only be a couple of blocks.”
“Let’s get going. We should try to be back before nighttime.”
The sun had just started to drop behind the horizon. Acacia’s paranoia was valid. Vampires had the upper hand in the night. While they were just as powerful in the sunlight, some vampires couldn’t handle the light. It may eliminate some unwanted guests.
Acacia and I stepped out of the apartment, both armed a little heavier than the night before. I hoped this trip would be more fruitful. We needed answers. If I could get closer to finding my uncle’s killer, I could possibly contact him again, and he might be able to give me the answers we needed to free Rowan.
We walked to the PI’s building which only sat a couple of blocks from Ever’s apartment. It worried me that we hadn’t gotten any solid information the night before. We were no closer to finding the rest of the contract for Rowan than when I left Alaska. How much time could I buy her?
Acacia tugged on my arm, leading me in a different direction, expertly guiding us through the alleyways. Stopping at a fire escape, she motioned for me to step back. The area was dirty and littered with trash, and even with the bit of sunlight we still had, the back of the alley was completely dark besides a muted streetlight.
Acacia jumped up, grabbing the end of the fire escape ladder and swinging from the bottom. Her biceps bunched as she forced herself up to pull it down. The ladder creaked and eventually dropped.
As her feet hit the ground again, she glanced over at me. “Ready?”
“Just waiting on you.”
She glared at me before climbing up the fire escape. I followed behind her, staring at her perfect ass encased in her standard leather.
“Stop staring, and start climbing.”
Laughing, I continued up the fire escape. When we reached the top of the building, Acacia led me to the edge of the roof. Across the road sat the office building housing the PI service. Nothing stood out about it, but I could sense the familiar tang of another necromancer’s powers.
Acacia glanced around as if checking out the area.
“Finding anything?” I asked.
“No, you?”
“Just what I already knew. A necromancer is working as a PI specializing in the undead.”
“Hey, do you know what a necromancer’s favorite band is?” Acacia asked as she kept her eyes roaming.
“Couldn’t begin to guess.” I knew the answer. The joke was a favorite for anyone who hadn’t spent more than five minutes with a necromancer.
“The Grateful Dead.”
My face remained deadpan, and she glanced over at me.
“What, you don’t even want to fake laugh?”
“Nope. I respect you too much for that.”
“Aw, you respect me.”
“Don’t let your head get too big,” I said, but the words tasted bitter. Maybe over the last few nights, she’d earned my trust in a way I hadn’t expected. Did I trust her with my sister’s secret? Not entirely. But she’d been pissed when the other vampire ratted her out, twice. She didn’t take betrayal easily. I believed once we concluded our business, she would go back to find Pike and kill him.
“Don’t worry about it, necro.” She gave me a snide smile.
“But I do trust you.”
Acacia looked at me, sadness filling her eyes before she wiped away the look. “Don’t.”
“We’re going to have to eventually, Acacia. It’s the only way this will work.”
She didn’t say anything, just indicated that we should leave the rooftop. Neither of us was getting any more information up there, so I agreed and followed her down.
****
“You must be very distracted, honey.” Acacia stepped closer and wrapped her hand around mine. Relaxing flui
dly into the act she started, I brought our joined hands up to my lips and pressed a light kiss to the back of her hand. We walked down the block and returned, heading in the opposite direction to the office building. The other necromancer’s powers had spiked and distracted me from our surroundings.
“Sorry, what were you saying?”
“That we really should give your brother some more time before you hire a PI. Sweetie, we’re going to get married in a couple of months. He may still show up.”
“No, we need to find him. I don’t feel comfortable knowing he might hate both of us.” I released Acacia’s hand and wrapped my arm around her shoulders. I turned my head, leaning close and pressing a kiss to the side of her head. She played along as I glanced behind us. Sure enough, someone was keeping a specific distance from us.
Fuck.
“Oh, here.” Acacia tugged me into the building labeled Norm’s Finds.
I shook my head at the name of the business. Hopefully, the building would give us some cover from our tail and a moment of privacy so Acacia and I could come up with a plan. I already had at least ten different solutions running through my mind, but they would need to take a back seat until we finished our business with Norm.
I opened the door for Acacia and resisted the desire to look behind us to see if our tail had stopped or continued. Instead of letting on that we knew he’d been following us, I stepped in after her. The air conditioning blasted us the moment we walked in. A stale scent hit my nostrils, and Acacia wrinkled her nose in distaste.
“Hmm, the infamous vampire and necromancer couple I’ve heard so much about.” A stout man with a large belly stood in the doorway of an office, beady eyes watching us closely. “Come on in. You’re here to see me.”
The man, who I assumed was Norm, stepped back into his office, and I followed. It didn’t surprise me that he was aware we were there for him. He probably had ghosts wandering the front of the building, collecting information for him before his clients even got inside. The trick seemed genius; it might make humans or even some Mystics think he was extraordinary at his job.
“Now, you’re searching for your brother?” he asked.
“Yes, Horace Hayes,” I replied.
Secrets of the Dead Page 9
