by Kayleigh Sky
Fated.
He popped off, gaze running along the body before him. Muscle and bone, lean and long, with hard curves. His belly and pecs had a whisper of definition, the hair under his belly button as soft as down and damp with sweat. The eyes on Otto now were hot and serious and predatory.
“Fuck me,” Jessa whispered.
Oh yeah.
Otto reared up and ripped his shirt off. He grinned as Jessa’s lips parted and his chest rose and fell.
“Show me that hole.”
A moment later they were back where they’d started before Otto’s strange fantasy took over. And it was strange, the sight of guys sucking themselves off firing his lust like molten lava in his balls. And Jessa, so innocent. So eager. So… Fresh. As though the Upheaval had never happened. As though vampires were only a myth. But if they were… No. No thinking of a world without Jessa when he lay right here on Otto’s bed with his arms around his legs, thighs framing his cock and balls, glowing eyes at half-mast.
The baby prince.
With a shudder Otto kicked his pants and boxers off, grabbed his lube out of the table beside the bed and slicked his over-heated dick. The thing jumped in his hand, and his hips lurched. Fuck.
Jessa whined and wiggled.
“Not fair,” Otto whispered.
“Put it in.”
“You mean here?” Otto asked, shoving his finger up Jessa’s ass.
A guttural groan fell from Jessa’s lips. “Touch it.”
Otto crooked his finger, found the spot, and stroked.
“Oh God.” Jessa’s eyes rolled, the tip of his tongue protruding as he panted.
Glorious.
Otto slicked up, tossed the lube, and sank into Jessa’s body.
The tightening of thighs around his ribs crushed the air out of his lungs. “Ooooh.” The low moan rolled out of him like a wave. Hot silky flesh surrounded his aching dick, squeezing and rippling around it.
He bent down and met Jessa’s lips.
While his cock burned like an overworked piston, all the rest of him floated, drifting in Jessa’s embrace. Pillowed by his lips, rocked by his arms, sustained by the energy burning in his core.
Jessa rocked, and Otto slammed into him. The delicious, blissful friction ripped him from his daze. He pulled most of the way out, Jessa’s rim contracting, holding onto him. The vamp’s face contorted. He snarled, fangs as sharp as ice picks glistening in his mouth. Otto plunged back in, fire consuming him. Fuck. So fast.
Jessa thrashed and bucked, whipping his dick in a frenzy.
“Let me see you come,” Otto groaned.
The edge was there, Otto was tipping, but…
Scowling and grunting, Jessa threw his head from side to side, bucking to meet Otto’s thrusts, slamming into him with reverberations of aching pleasure. Darkness seeped into the edge of Otto’s vision. His chest burned.
“Oh… Oh…”
Jessa spasmed, clamping down, spilling sweet sour spunk all over his chest and belly, sending Otto spiraling skyward. He shot without a sound, locked in rigid pleasure, his balls tight, cock pulsing.
Moaning sounds teased the edges of Otto’s consciousness before emptiness swallowed him, and he fell into a bottomless dark.
39
Murder Once More
A body… a body…
At Comity House, but Otto said he didn’t know whose it was.
The front door slammed. Jessa dragged on his pants and stepped into his shoes. Footsteps approached, and Otto appeared in the hall, shrugging into his coat, pulling it closed over the holster strapped to his shoulder. “Let’s go.”
Jessa’s mouth went dry, but he nodded and followed Otto outside.
The street was quiet, only an edge of daylight seeping into the sky. Skeins of mist under the street lamps.
It was cool and Jessa shivered. Even summer was cool now though and it was only the end of May. He got into the car and braced his fingertips against the dash as Otto jerked the engine into gear and took off. He sped through the empty streets. The twinkle of distant lights was incongruously beautiful, until they abruptly winked out and the streets fell dark.
“Great,” Otto muttered.
Jessa swallowed against the dryness in his throat. “Was it a burglary?”
“I don’t know, Jess. I wish I could tell you. I think… You should probably stay in the car. Let me check it out first.”
“I’m not brittle,” Jessa bit out.
“I didn’t say you were. Jessa, you know these people. I’m a cop. This is my job.”
“Well, it’s my job too right now. I can’t sit in the car. What if it’s…” Wen or Isaac?
“I don’t know anything right now, only that Wen wasn’t at the center or his family’s house. Does he ever stay anywhere else?”
Anya’s? “I don’t think so.”
Jessa’s shoulder hit the door with the next turn. The lights flashed on again, and Comity House took shape up ahead. The car thudded over the entrance into the parking lot. Jessa unbuckled as the car squealed to a stop at the steps.
“Wait!”
Otto tried to grab him, but he bolted from his seat and rushed into the old lobby. Empty and dark. The glow from the skylight in the atrium drew him. The place was silent. Was anybody here? Was it a trap?
He rushed through the palms, following the twisty pathways in the ghostly light floating down from above.
Otto caught up to him at the stairs and spun him against his chest. Jessa relaxed for a moment, melting into the kiss Otto pressed to his temple. The cold that enveloped him when Otto pulled away froze him to the bone. Voices reached him, humming like chants.
Jessa followed Otto upstairs and down the hall. A light led them around a corner to a room Jessa had never been in before. Cavernous and deep. Luxurious swaths of fabric and furnishings. Tapestries on the floor and walls. All gold and blood red. Otto strode in, and Jessa stood alone in the doorway.
Nobody looked his way. His gaze darted from place to place, probing through the cops, seeking—
Anya.
She stood at a window, a silhouette against the coming day.
Strangers. Wandering. Milling around. Bending over a… body. Jessa stared in bleak horror. Was it Mateo? His hair was dark but his eyes were empty, and Jessa couldn’t tell. A plastic sheet fell over his face, and Otto materialized from the crowd and headed Jessa’s way.
Jessa gazed at him, searching his face. “Is it Mateo?”
Otto nodded and rested his warm palm on Jessa’s arm, but a commotion at the door drew him away again. Two humans in white uniforms wheeled a gurney to the body. A square of gray plastic was folded on the mattress. A body bag. The humans shook it out and laid it on the floor, and Jessa fixated on it. A few quick, efficient movements later and the bag fell open. The humans uncovered Mateo, lifted him, and set him down again on the bag. A ripping sound followed the zipper from bottom to top. After settling Mateo on the gurney, they wheeled him away. Most of the cops followed.
“I don’t care.”
Jessa stepped farther into the room. Otto’s glance flickered over, the anger on his face washing away. With most of the people gone, Jessa’s line of sight shot straight to a couch with Isaac sitting on it. Jessa’s knees weakened, relief making him dizzy. Otto took his arm. “Come sit. Listen to me though.” His grip held Jessa back. “Wen’s car is here, but he isn’t anywhere in the building. Has he ever just walked off before?”
Jessa shook his head, looking at Anya still standing by the window, her lips pressed to her steepled fingers, the white streak in her hair otherworldly in the dim light.
“I don’t think so.”
Otto loosened his grip, and Jessa rushed to the couch where Isaac sat buried in a blanket, his chin against his chest.
Shaking.
Dr. Cameron stood behind him, a palm raised, but Jessa dropped to the cushion and wrapped Isaac in his arms anyway.
Above him, the doctor sighed. “I have no issue with the pri
nce being here, but you have to wait. No questions until the boy calms down. I insist.”
“Unless you outrank the King, I don’t give a fuck what you insist on.”
“The boy is hysterical.”
“Your boss is missing, and another boy is dead.”
“I can talk,” said Isaac.
He shuddered, but his voice was strong. Jessa held him tight, his attention following Otto’s stare. Several beds with red satin coverlets formed a half circle on the far side of the room. Otto turned and stared at Anya.
“Seems your boss wasn’t as on the up and up as he said.”
Anya dropped her hands, eyes narrowing. “This room is for comfort.”
Otto snorted, yanked a coffee table in front of Isaac, sat down, and looked up at Dr. Cameron. “You can go.”
“You can’t—”
“And take Anya with you,” he added.
Otto looked pale, tight lines on his face, and a deep crease down his forehead. Like somebody in pain. While Jessa… Jessa didn’t feel anything. Otto met his gaze, then shifted it to Isaac.
Wen was missing. Was he dead? Was that why Otto didn’t want to hold his stare?
Wen.
Would Jessa feel him die? They weren’t really bonded though.
Isaac made a strange sound, half growl, half moan. “I can’t believe this.”
“What part?” asked Otto. “You were keeping shit from me, and this is what happened.”
Isaac reared back, and Jessa held on.
“I didn’t want this.”
“It doesn’t matter. You made a bad call, and now you need to talk to me.”
“He’s dead.”
“What was he doing here, Isaac?”
Isaac’s mouth opened and shut. He drew in a deep breath, exhaled, and said, “Money. I was going to give him some to get out of town.” A weak laugh spilled from his lips. “God, how that sounds. Like they couldn’t find him wherever he went anyway.”
“Who is they?”
Isaac’s eyes widened and fixed on Otto. He shook his head. “I don’t know. Vampires, I guess.”
“You’ve known all along it was Mateo with Brillen.”
“No. Mateo wasn’t with him,” Isaac said. “He set him up with a friend who’s still working as a blood whore.”
Otto straightened. “What friend?”
Isaac stiffened, a flat look coming into his eyes, a cynical twitch to his lips. “I don’t know. I didn’t ask.”
A muscle jumped in Otto’s jaw, irritation flashing in his eyes. “Whatever you do know, tell me. Include everything tonight.”
Jessa shook Isaac, who curled his shoulders, locking up on himself. “You have to. Something’s happened to Wen. He wouldn’t just leave.”
Isaac shot him a startled stare. Well, why wouldn’t he be surprised at Jessa’s worry? Everybody knew Jessa and Wen weren’t in love. But Jessa didn’t want this. He’d never want this.
“I’m sorry, Jessa.” After another breath, he looked back at Otto. “I always thought some vampires got special privileges. I don’t know if Mateo was a part of that or not. I don’t think so. I think Mr. Acalliona got turned away because he was a stranger. Mateo said Mr. Acalliona contacted him, so he set him up with somebody else because he didn’t take private jobs anymore. The next day Mateo was gone. I didn’t know where he was the first time I talked to you.”
“But he got in touch.”
Isaac nodded. “I guess the other guy, the one with Mr. Acalliona, came and told Mateo what had happened. Mateo was scared that whoever killed Mr. Acalliona would come looking for him, maybe thinking he was the one at the scene.”
“And you don’t know who the friend was?”
“I think they just knew each other. Not really friends. Mateo hid out by himself for a while, but he ran out of money, so he snuck in here, and I hid him in my room. I have money saved.” His chin quivered. “It was just for the night. I went to get us food and…” Tears started. “Somebody saw him come in, I guess. I didn’t even get back to my room before somebody grabbed me and brought me here. Mateo… Mateo was on the floor. I tried to get him to wake up.”
“Was he alive?”
“I… I think so. The vampire…” His voice trailed off.
“Can you describe him?”
“Big. Older, I think. A-A vampire. I don’t know…”
“It’s okay,” Otto said. “Just keep talking. Get it out.”
“I thought I was going to die. I couldn’t move. I never saw… saw Mr. Wrythin come in, but then he was there, and he told the vampire no. That he had to go. That Comity House was Mr. Wrythin’s, and he took care of us, and nobody was going to hurt us. They… they fought. I couldn’t get to the door. I wanted to. I think the vampire did something to me.”
The eyes he turned on Jessa flared with a kind of panic. Jessa looked at Otto. Other than dimming in the gray light of dusk and dawn, vampires had no hidden powers, but Isaac had turned stiff again under Jessa’s arm.
“Fear can do that,” said Otto. “It wasn’t your fault.”
Isaac took Jessa’s hand and squeezed it, and Jessa stared at the place their fingers linked as Isaac’s words floated into his head. “I saw Mr. Wrythin lying on the floor, and the vampire coming at me. I think… think he was going to drain me. And I froze.”
Wen’s dead.
And Jessa had felt nothing. No sign at all. He wasn’t sure what he felt now, but when Isaac said, “And then I saw the fog,” he dropped Isaac’s hand, his heart pounding blood into his head.
Otto went rigid then slowly leaned forward. “Fog?”
“In the room,” Isaac said. “It… got the vampire. I can’t explain it, but I felt somebody else in the fog. The other vampire disappeared into it. They fought, and I didn’t do anything. I couldn’t even run. The vampire got free somehow and jumped out the window.”
Jessa glanced over his shoulder, baffled he hadn’t noticed the cold air blowing in or the glitter of glass on the floor. Shards rimmed the open window space like vampire fangs.
“Who was in the fog?” Otto asked.
“I don’t know,” Isaac said, but his face had shuttered. “It blew away. There was nobody in it. I thought I’d dreamed it until I remembered Mateo. But this time… I knew he was dead. I guess I-I passed out. Anya woke me up and waited here with me.”
“And Wen?”
“Was gone.”
Dead.
And still Jessa felt nothing. Isaac rested his elbows on his knees and ran his hands through his hair, and Jessa stood and approached the window. The crack of glass ripped through him. There were no other cops in the room now. He might as well be alone. Even Otto’s warmth behind him froze in the cold.
Otto squeezed his arms. “I’ll find him.”
“You won’t. I don’t feel him. All I feel is the fog.” Though the day was clear. Gray deepening to blue. The sun visible, the mountains green and lush. “It follows me.”
40
Aftermath
The little room looked bare without its books, though the plump cushy chair, the bed, the lamps, and the pictures on the wall remained. Even Isaac standing in the middle of the room with his bag draped over his shoulder looked out of place. He gazed around with a slightly frantic look, as though afraid he’d leave something behind and never be able to come back for it.
Otto leaned against the doorframe behind them. Finally, he straightened and said, “Let’s go,” and Jessa reached for Isaac’s hand, surprised he didn’t pull away. Giving him a tug, Jessa led him outside.
Fritt met them at the door of the castle, waiting inside the threshold where the shade fell.
They had many unused rooms, but Jessa took Isaac downstairs to the suite by Rune’s studio. Isaac was quiet through the trek down the gloomy basement hall, but his eyes widened when Jessa opened the door on the light-filled rooms.
“You have your own door to the garden here and your own space. You don’t have to worry about anything anymore.”
“Rune’s studio is next door, but he’s away right now. Make yourself comfortable. I’ll find Bettina and get us something to eat, okay?”
“Sure.”
Isaac’s smile brightened, and Jessa headed for the kitchen. He paused in the receiving room and looked out the open front doors. Otto stood in the driveway, his satellite phone to his ear. Jessa hurried to the kitchen where Bettina was already cracking eggs.
“I hear you brought home a stray,” she said.
“My friend.”
Bettina looked over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow. “Nice ring to that.”
It had a nice ring to Jessa too, but it also stabbed him through with guilt, and Bettina left her eggs and came over to him.
“Child.” She cupped his face. “What is it?”
“Wen. I think…” I know. “Somebody was killed, and Wen is gone.”
“Gone? You don’t think Wen had anything to do with it?”
“I think Wen is dead, Bettina.”
She stroked his cheek. “Do you feel it?”
“No. That’s the worst part. I don’t feel anything.”
“That’s not your fault. You aren’t to blame. I don’t approve of arranged marriages.”
“Yours was arranged.”
She rocked his face in her palms. “I am the exception. Go to your detective and tell him to come inside for breakfast.”
Without another word, she went back to her eggs.
Jessa hurried outside just as Otto started the car. He flew down the steps and grabbed onto the handle of the back door. The car stopped, and he staggered forward a few steps before rounding back and climbing in.
“Get out,” said Otto.
“I saw you on the phone. It’s Wen, isn’t it?”
“Jess.”
