“What about you?” I asked. “You sure you’re up to this?”
He rubbed a hand over his belly. “This?” he scoffed.
“Yeah, that.” I put my hand over his. “If I lost you now…” I bit my lower lip.
He caught my hand, brought it to his mouth. “You won’t, cher. I really am better. And it has to be me. At this point, I don’t trust anyone else to extract your brother.” He pressed a kiss to my palm and curled my fingers around it.
My throat tightened. “Thank you,” I managed to say.
“Thank me when we get him back. Now, get dressed. We leave in ten minutes.”
“I’ll be ready.”
At some point, my new clothes had been moved to Gabriel’s walk-in closet, what was left of them, anyway—the pricks had slashed up most of them. But two dresses, a pair of sneakers and a motley collection of shirts, shorts and a pair of cropped jeans had survived. And they’d somehow missed the underwear, even the sexy stuff.
Now I pulled on a purple top and the cropped jeans, then twisted my hair up into a messy bun. Meanwhile, Gabriel dressed in slim dark pants and a green T-shirt. He tucked a switchblade into each pocket, and wordlessly handed me a third.
I looked from it to him. “Thanks,” I said as my fingers closed around the silver handle.
A shrug. “Hey, you earned it.” He handed me a leather duffel bag. “Bring some extra clothes. We’ll stay in Manhattan for at least one night, maybe two.”
I nodded and added some clothes into the duffel bag. The switchblade went into my back pocket.
Lougenia met us in the foyer with an insulated lunch bag packed with food and drinks. She was neatly dressed, the fuzzy slippers nowhere in sight, but her face was drawn and she had dark smudges under her eyes.
“Here.” She handed me the insulated bag. “I packed you some breakfast.”
Taking the lunch bag, I pulled her into a hug. “I’m so sorry about Chandra.”
“It should’ve been me,” she rasped. “She was so young. Had her whole life ahead of her.”
“I know.” I hugged her tighter. “I know.”
She drew a slow breath and let it out before pulling away. “Thanks, ma p’tite.”
Gabriel squeezed her shoulder. “You okay, love?”
She gave a listless shrug. “I called Chandra’s family a few minutes ago. Told them you’d be in touch.”
“Good. I’ll take care of them, don’t worry. I’m sorry, Lougenia.”
She nodded and shuffled away down the hall, looking a decade older than she had yesterday.
Outside, the sun had risen on a beautiful summer day. A cool breeze ruffled my hair, and the wide blue sky was dotted with cottony clouds. It was almost too perfect, like the weather had somehow mixed its signals and sent sunshine when it should’ve been smothering us in dark rain clouds.
My spirits lifted anyway.
Gabriel slung the duffel bag over his shoulder and took my free hand. The helicopter had been damaged in the attack, and he’d decided to drive us himself instead of taking the limo. “They’ll be watching for that,” he said.
When we reached the garage, the big blond vampire I knew only as Tomas waited next to a blue sedan along with a dark-skinned female vampire. My step faltered.
Gabriel set his palm on my lower back as Tomas’s mouth stretched in a smile I knew not to trust. “So this is Mila.”
A chill ran over my skin. Why was he pretending we hadn’t met?
On my back, Gabriel’s fingers tensed. But all he said was, “This is Lieutenant Mraz. He’ll be heading the team to extract your brother.”
This was the lieutenant?
I gave Mraz a jerky nod, playing along until I could get Gabriel alone. “Nice to meet you.” An automatic response that I instantly wished I could unsay, because it wasn’t nice to meet him—not this time, and not the first time, either.
The big blond lieutenant never lost his smile, but his gaze raked over me, taking in every detail from the sunflower on my tank top to my purple tennis shoes. Dismissing me as a weak, silly human.
I lifted my chin—and smiled right into his cold, muddy-yellow eyes. All I cared about was getting Joey back. If pretending to like this grinning bastard of a vampire was necessary, then I’d pretend with everything I had.
“Why are you bringing her?” Mraz asked Gabriel.
“Until my security here is fully back on line, she’ll be safer at my penthouse.”
Mraz moved a big shoulder, clearly not caring if I lived or died. In fact, I’d bet he was disappointed I’d survived the night.
We headed out, me and Gabriel in a silver sportscar; Mraz and the other vampire following in the sedan.
As we pulled onto Route 27, I unzipped the insulated bag and stared at the sandwiches, search for the best way to put this. Gabriel clearly trusted the blond vampire. He wouldn’t be heading the team to rescue Joey otherwise.
Gabriel spoke first. “I didn’t know you knew Lieutenant Mraz.”
“I wouldn’t say I know him, but we met. Once.”
“When?”
I zipped and unzipped the bag.
Three years ago, it had been Tomas Mraz who’d given me a hundred thousand in cash to leave town. He’d also advised me—strongly—to depart without telling Gabriel.
“Don’t contact the prince,” Mraz had said. “Not even to tell him you are leaving. He is half-vampire, and we’re possessive bastards. He will not accept that you do this thing for his own good.”
God, I’d been a coward. I’d told myself that sneaking out of town was best for both of us, but that was a lie. It had been for me, because I didn’t have the courage to tell Gabriel straight to his face that I was leaving.
“Three years ago, right before I left. But I think you already guessed that.”
“Not until today, but yeah.”
“Who is he, anyway? A lieutenant—that’s pretty high up, right?”
“He’s my dad’s righthand man.”
“So you trust him?”
His glance was sharp-eyed. “What’s this about?” Before I could answer, he muttered a curse. “He was the one who threatened you, not my father.”
“Lieutenant Mraz?” I shook my head. “No.”
“The truth, Mila. No more lies. I can’t help you if you won’t tell me exactly what happened.”
I scowled. “It is the truth.”
“But Mraz gave you the money you used to leave and told you never to come back. You’re not going to tell me my father wasn’t behind that.”
“You want the truth?” I blurted. “Fine. Your dad did want me gone, but I could’ve turned down the money. The lieutenant didn’t threaten me into leaving. Nobody did. I’m sorry, but that’s the God’s honest truth.”
His nostrils flared. It was the only indication that I’d hurt him. “Go on.”
I fiddled with the zipper, trying to order my thoughts, as we drove into a nature preserve. Short, salt-bitten pines lined either side of the highway. A sign announced we had entered Napeague State Park.
“Your mother came to see me first.”
“My mom?” His chin jerked back. “Why the hell would she do that?”
“To find out how serious things were between us. And when I said I loved you, she hugged me and said, ‘Oh, honey. Bless your heart,’ then invited me back to your house for coffee.”
“And?”
I moved a shoulder. “I went.”
Rosemarie Kral had served me coffee and sugar-dusted beignets in a gazebo draped with thick wisteria vines. Nearby, butterflies had flitted among the summer flowers, and cicadas had chirred in the trees.
Gabriel’s mom had a dhampir’s inhuman beauty. Her chic jade dress fit her perfect body like a glove, and her smooth golden-brown skin was unlined except for tiny smile lines like parentheses on either side of her mouth. “I like you,” she’d said with a kind smile—and proceeded to break my heart.
“She said I seemed like a sweet girl. Which is why she wanted me to know what m
y life would be like if I—if we mated. Not that you’d asked me,” I hurried to say. “But she seemed to think you were going to.”
A muscle jumped in his jaw. “I see.”
“Don’t be mad at her. She was nice to me. She said it was for my own good, that I should know what it was like for a human in your world.”
Rosemarie Kral had seemed genuinely concerned for me. After we’d finished our coffee, she’d invited me for a walk in her lush, beautiful garden. She’d linked her arm through mine and explained what her life was like.
A bodyguard everywhere she went.
A mate who never aged so that she’d been forced to become a dhampir if she didn’t want to leave him broken-hearted when she died.
And meanwhile, her human friends and family kept aging at the normal rate.
“But you love him, right?” I’d said.
“With all my heart.” Her smile was poignant. “But what you’re really asking is was it worth it? I’d say yes, except a part of me thinks I was selfish. I only considered myself and Karoly. But there are three other people involved.”
My heart sank. “Gabriel and his brothers.”
Rosemarie had nodded, her expression troubled. “No one told me how hard it would be for them. Karoly says it toughened them up, but I’m their mother. To a vampire, a dhampir is a lesser life form. They’ll never consider Gabriel and his brothers their equals. And with you, Mila, it would be even worse. Gabriel is half vampire, but your children would be only a quarter vampire.”
Gabriel downshifted. I watched the ropy muscles in his arm flex. He was so strong, so capable. How could anyone, even a vampire, believe he was somehow less than them?
“Go on,” he said, tight-lipped.
“She said you and your brothers have had to fight for every inch of respect. That behind your back, the vampires say you’re weak. She thinks that when your father is gone, they’ll try to block you from becoming Primus. That you’ll be fighting off challengers left and right.”
He cursed, low and vicious, his fingers white-knuckled on the steering wheel. “And you listened to her?”
Setting the insulated bag on the floor, I toed off my sneakers and hugged my knees into my chest.
After leaving Black Oak, I’d driven to the park adjoining the Krals’ land and walked for hours. My heart felt like it had developed cracks. They fractured and spread outward until I thought I’d break apart.
Knowing that if I stayed with Gabriel, I would be a liability. That other vampires would sneer at me and our kids.
And that I’d always be on edge, wondering if this was the night I’d lose him to a challenge.
“The next night,” I said, low-voiced, “you asked me to accept the blood bond.”
A hard glare. “When—if—you said yes, I was going to ask you to mate with me. A human marriage ceremony, too, because I knew that would make you happy. I even bought the fucking diamond ring.”
A crater-sized lump filled my throat. “I…I didn’t know. I hoped, but…”
“Damn it,” he exploded. “Why didn’t you just tell me? Why run? You knew I wouldn’t have forced you to accept. Hell, I even told you to take some time to think it over. Instead you left everything behind, even your family. What the fuck was that about?”
The hurt in his voice made me hug my knees harder.
“I did know,” I said lowly. “I didn’t run because I was afraid of you, or what you would do. I want you to know that.”
“What else was I supposed to think? One text ending it, and then you disappear. Your own parents didn’t even know where you were.”
I opened my mouth to say I was sorry, and then shut it. Some things, you couldn’t make right with an apology.
“Mraz said that you wouldn’t let me go. That it was best just to make a clean break.”
“And you believed him over me? I promised the decision was yours. You could’ve trusted me that much at least.”
I took a deep, pained breath. He was right, and I was wrong. But damn, it was hard to hear how much I’d hurt him.
“I fucked up,” I admitted. “But I did it for you—and for our kids.”
“The hell you did.” His look was alive with fury. “I never said anything about kids. I wanted you, Mila. Yeah, I want kids someday, but I have two brothers. When—if—I take over as Primus, I’d be happy to name them or their children my heirs. Fuck, my father’s probably going to live another five centuries or so anyway.”
“Well, maybe I want kids,” I shot back.
“Then we’d have them,” he growled back. “And I’d protect them with every resource at my disposal. Which by the way, is a hell of a lot.”
For a second, we glowered at each other. Then I sighed. “There’s more.”
“Go on.”
“That last night, after I left you, Lieutenant Mraz was waiting. He told me that if I didn’t leave, you’d never be Primus. That as a dhampir, it was going to be hard enough for you to fight off challenges once your father died. A vampire mate could protect herself, but me, I’d be a weakness. Something they could use to get to you.”
It had been too much, coming after my talk with Rosemarie Kral.
I’d caved.
Shame tightened my stomach. “I couldn’t do that to you, Gabriel.” I was speaking to my knees. I made myself turn my head, look at him. “The Syndicate is your life. I know how hard you’ve worked to make your father proud, to earn the right to be the next Primus. A human mate will just bring you down.”
His curse was low and vicious. “The hell with the Syndicate. You think I didn’t consider that before I asked you to accept my oath? You’re mine, Mila. I’d burn the whole damn Syndicate to ashes before I’d let them hurt you. And if I can’t fight off a challenge, then I don’t deserve to be Primus.”
“Don’t you see?” I cried. “Lieutenant Mraz was right. I am a weakness. It happened just like he said—Andre Redbone used me and my brother to get to you. Maybe you’re right about kids; we could’ve figured that out. But Mraz said a challenge is to the death. How many could you fight until you lost?” My voice broke. “You almost died tonight, Gabriel. Because of me.”
“It’s my right to protect you,” he snarled. “Do you think I want to live if it means I can’t have you?”
“Do you think I could live knowing I was responsible for your death?” I growled back.
Gabriel’s snarl was more animal than human.
I stiffened my spine. It was the truth, damn it. I was not going to apologize.
For a time, we drove in silence. Gabriel stared straight ahead, a muscle jumping in his cheek.
“There’s one thing I don’t understand,” he said at last. “Why did you keep running? I let you go. I promised the decision was yours, and I meant it—the blood bond, us mating... You could’ve trusted me that much, at least.”
He doesn’t know.
I’d told myself he didn’t, that if he knew he’d have stopped them, but I hadn’t been sure. Maybe he’d just washed his hands of me. After all, he was a rich, powerful Kral, and I’d walked out on him without even saying goodbye.
“Someone found out about us,” I said. “A vampire, maybe more than one. They’ve tried to kill me three times.”
“What?”
We were in one of the small, pretty towns that dot Long Island. Gabriel swerved to the curb and slammed on the brakes. Tomas continued past, stopping a little further up the street.
Gabriel shut off the car and turned to me, his expression pure predator. “Why the fuck didn’t you let me know?” His phone was on a small shelf between us. Before I could answer, it lit up. He tapped it and barked, “I need a minute here, Tomas.”
Gabriel unbuckled first his seat belt and then mine. He dragged me toward him so that we faced each other across the console.
Green eyes blazed into mine. “You should’ve got hold of me. It’s because of me you were targeted. If someone was threatening you, the least you could’ve done is contact me so
I could stake the motherfucker.”
I shoved at his chest, but it was like pushing on solid rock. “I didn’t know what to do, damn it. They didn’t just threaten me, they threatened my family. If I returned to you, if I even tried to contact you, they’d kill them one by one, starting with my nonna first.” My voice broke.
“Who?” He tightened his grip on my shoulders. “I want names.”
“That’s just it,” I returned, fighting back tears. “I don’t know. The calls are always anonymous, and the voice is disguised. It’s just this weird computer voice—you know, like a robocall. And the vampires always attacked after dark, so I didn’t even get a good look at them. I’m not sure how I got away, actually.”
“They were toying with you.” His eyes closed. Beneath my hands, his heart beat heavily. “You could’ve died, damn it. And I wouldn’t have known until it was too late.” His Adam’s apple bobbed in a noisy swallow. “You could’ve died.”
“But I didn’t.”
“So you kept on the move.”
I dashed the tears away. “I kept thinking they’d give up.” I moved a shoulder in a helpless shrug. “I mean, how long were you going to wait around for me, anyway?”
“They would’ve never given up. To a vampire, you’re prey, and they like to stalk their prey—especially the old ones, the vampires who’ve forgotten they were ever human. It’s a fucking game to them.”
A chill ran down my spine. I had felt like prey. Outgunned and outsmarted every step of the way, like a mouse being toyed with by a cat.
Except it was multiple cats with unlimited resources at their disposal, and I was just a single poor, puny mouse.
Gabriel buried his face in my hair. “They would’ve never given up,” he repeated in a raw voice. “Especially since they know that killing you would gut me. Because Mila? I would have waited for you forever. That part of me is all vampire. When we mate, it’s for life.”
My heart stumbled. My arms came tightly around him. “I did miss you. Every single fucking day. I knew it was a mistake almost as soon as I left. But then the threats started… I swear, if I could’ve come home, I would’ve.”
“Gods,” he gritted. “I could kill Mraz right now. And my father, too. I know he was behind this. Mraz doesn’t make a move without his say-so.”
Pursued: A Vampire Syndicate Paranormal Romance (The Vampire Syndicate Book 1) Page 16
