by Tigris Eden
“We will figure something out. Don’t give up.”
There wasn’t a proper response to Jesminda, so she nodded her head instead. As they made their way to the front, a black SUV was parked on the street.
“Xee told us you have amazing eyes.” Jesminda looked in her direction, taking in her appearance. Jo had her contacts in so all the other woman would see was light brown irises. She looked puzzled as if light brown eyes weren’t all that amazing. Jo smiled before saying.
“Contacts.”
“Makes sense. Are you going to take them out during our trip? You know, no one will think of you as odd or different. We all have our quirks.”
As if to prove a point, Jesminda touched Jorunn, and then Jo was seeing herself as if she were standing in a mirror, only she wasn’t. The woman across from her, was her, but wasn’t. It was Jesminda.
“That’s pretty cool.”
Jesminda changed back into her form and winked.
“It has its perks.”
At least Draven’s mate could blend in.
“That it does.”
They both got into the SUV, and Jes turned towards Jorunn.
“You ready?”
“Yeah, but we need to stop off somewhere first. Then we can grab my stuff from my place.”
Jesminda didn’t say anything as they pulled out into traffic. They had passed a few streets before they were in Jo’s neighborhood. Two blocks over, was a dealer she knew of and had been able to score a vial or two of VAB from him in the past. He was human, and her father would totally ream her ass if he knew she went to him. But it was past time for her daily dose. She just needed something to keep her level. Phineas dealt exclusively to those who were clear of the Unit and had health issues. They even had to register with him. After they did, he supplied VAB in moderate doses. Lately, she’d been having to VAB up every three to six hours before going into complete meltdown mode.
Her hair was already excessively dry, and her skin was beginning to flake up.
“Can you hang a left here at the next light?” She asked Jesminda. “I just need to make a quick stop before we reach my place.”
Jesminda eyed her sideways before taking the left. The neighborhood wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t the worst either. She hadn’t dealt with Hammer in months. Hopefully he remembered her. Jes parked the car in front of the complex that Jo had pointed out.
“You already said that. You sure you’re okay. Need me to go in there with you?”
Jo shook her head. “I’m good. You can leave the car on. I’ll be in and out.” Jorunn stepped out of the vehicle and made her way over to the gate. She punched in the code and waited for the buzz. When she walked in, she was immediately hit with the smell of blood and alcohol. Someone had partied well into the day. For humans, VAB was used as a stimulant. Those who knew about their immortal community, or had permission from her father, could sell it on the streets. After Marcus went missing, Phineas had had to recruit a new dealer. Jo had never liked Marcus to begin with, and she had questioned his means for securing blood from Vampiris. Teresa Deadcrest had been a donor of his, and when her grandfather Dagas alluded to her disappearance, Jo’s father had put out inquiries. A few months later, she’d turned up. Safe and sound, case closed. Marcus had gone underground and hadn’t been seen or heard from since. Of course, that was the rumor. But she’d heard Khalid and one of her father’s men talking, and they’d mentioned he got himself dead. Very dead. Good riddance.
Hammer had been one of his customers, now he sold the drug. His dependency was worse than hers. A dealer using his own product was a bad combination. Approaching his door, Jo knocked twice. She could hear music in the background, and wondered if her knock was even heard. She raised her hand to knock again, when the door swung open and the guy on the other side pointed a gun in her face.
“Wrong apartment,” the guy spat. Jo was at a loss for words. She wasn’t scared all that much, but she was definitely worried. A big, “how you doin’?” Her brain was smashed. Why that had popped into her head, she couldn’t say. This wasn’t funny in the least. She wasn’t immortal-immortal. She could be hurt, and easily killed. Especially with a semi-automatic weapon. The human pointing the gun in her face was clearly trigger-happy.
“No worries. I’ll just turn back around and–”
“Who’s at the fucking door, Sullivan?”
Sullivan reminded Jo of a weasel with pockmarks on his face and eyes that were beady and bloodshot. His eyes were also glossy. She knew that look, had seen it on her own face a time or two. He was jacked up on VAB.
“It’s some bitch. I got this shit covered, yo.”
“Yeah, well tell that trick to get to steppin’ or you’ll introduce her to our buddy the undertaker.”
“You hear that, bitch? Get gone or get dead.”
Jo quickly turned and bumped right into Jesminda.
Fuck all!
So much for waiting in the car.
“What seems to be the problem?” Jesminda asked, looking between Jo and the gunman. She wasn’t the least bit worried that Mr. Trigger Happy could put a bullet in the both of them. Sullivan looked Jes up and down, a grin on his face before yelling back to his partner.
“No, we got two bitches at the do—” He didn’t get out the last word because Jesminda reached out with her left hand and yanked the gun from his grip, catching him off guard. She decked him with her right hand, sending him back inside the apartment. He didn’t even get a chance to retaliate.
“Motherfucker!”
Sullivan went down on his knees, holding his face, and Jesminda sidestepped his body on her way into the apartment. Easy enough, Jo thought. At least she wasn’t going to get shot. Or she hoped not, as two bullets whizzed by Jesminda. The third bullet caught Jes in the shoulder, but it didn’t stop her movement. Jo took in the scene in front of her. Jesminda slid underneath a table and kicked the legs of the chair the guy was sitting in, bringing him crashing to the floor. When he landed with a thud, she was right there on top of him, gun in hand, pounding the guy in the face. He was out before she struck him a third time.
Hammer was laid out on the couch. A bullet to his head and chest. A Vampiri female was strapped to a chair, tubes inserted into various places of her body. The tubes were attached to some sort of collection container. Jo took in the scene and became physically ill. It was clear by the look on the female Vampiri’s face she’d not come willingly as a donor. The setup alone would have been painful to anyone. Jo recognized the woman as a member of one of the Royal houses. She was also a member of the immortal movement. The tattoo on her neck showed that she was one of Phineas’ earlier members. The guy that was sitting at the table was now out cold on the floor. Vials of VAB had spilled to the tile, and a container was touching the instep of Jo’s shoe. Another guy stepped from the hall. He was tall and menacing, with a long scar across his left eye that touched the right side of his lip in a diagonal slash.
“Sweetheart, this party is by invitation only.”
“That’s too bad because I totally intend to crash this get together,” Jes spoke as if she were having an everyday conversation. Her shoulder was bleeding, but other than that, she looked fine.
Just when Jo thought shit was about to hit the fan, Jesminda raced forward and went straight for the guy’s legs. She kicked out, taking him to his knees before jabbing him in the throat. When he realized he couldn’t breathe, his eyes grew wide with concern. He choked, spit a few times, and tried to stand, but Jesminda kept working him over until he finally passed out. Jesminda Stone was one hell of a party crasher. Turning in Jorunn’s direction, her chest sawing in and out in rapid movements, she advanced.
“What was so important that you almost got us killed? Is this her apartment?” Jes pointed to the Vampiri in the chair.
Well, fuck. How did she get out of this without further damaging herself?
“I was on my way to see Hammer. She’s his girlfriend.”
Jes looked to th
e dead guy on the couch and visibly paled. It was like she was seeing a ghost that haunted her nightmares.
“He used to be one of Marcus’s men,” she whispered.
How did she know that?
Jesminda leaned in closer to Jo. She grabbed Jorunn by the arm and pulled her closer to her face.
“Why did we come here? Is this some sort of sick joke?” she accused.
Jorunn tried to take a step back.
“I told you, I needed to make a quick stop. That’s all. I had no idea this was what would greet me.” Before she could stop the direction of her eyes, she quickly looked down at her feet to make sure the vial was still there. Junkie, her mind whispered again. Jesminda didn’t miss the movement. She bent down and picked up the vial.
“Do you have any idea what this shit does to immortals? Humans?”
Yes, she did. She knew the pros and cons of taking VAB. However, she wasn’t about to explain herself to anyone. She did what she needed to in order to survive. VAB was the immediate fix for now.
“What? You’re not going to say shit, are you, junkie?” The last word was sneered.
Jo flinched. She knew what she was, but it wasn’t her fault. The VAB kept her alive. Her last and only lover, Ren, had caught her injecting the VAB into her arm and had called her all sorts of vile things. She couldn’t help it. It was the only way to beat back whatever was happening to her.
“Can we leave before they wake up?” Jo asked quietly.
Jes could have burned her alive with the look she was throwing Jo’s way. She released her and stepped back before pulling out her cell from her jeans.
“I need a cleanup… Yeah, I know. Don’t fucking yell at me… Send someone, Draven. It’s a drug house. VAB.” She nodded her head as if her mate could see her on the other end of the phone. Jesminda ended the call and put the phone back in her pocket. Her eyes scanned everything from Hammer dead on the couch to the Vampiri tied to the chair.
Shit. The girl in the chair.
Jo stepped over to her and started undoing the tubes. The female Vampiri remained quiet eyeing both her and Jesminda as if her world were coming to an end. When she was finally released, she dropped to her knees in front of Jorunn.
“Please… Please don’t tell your father. Hammer told me I had to do it or else I’d be cut into pieces and sold on the black market. I was forced.”
“Honey, no one can force you. Hammer was a human. You’re a Vampiri,” Jes snapped, walking over to the girl and kneeling in front of her. “What does Jorunn’s father have to do with any of this?”
The female bowed her head but confessed nothing more. There was no way out of this. Jo needed VAB and quick. She pulled her phone from her skirt pocket and sent a quick text to her brother. He would be able to at least get her one vial, if not two. At least until her father could mix the blood he had gotten from the twins.
“I don’t want you anywhere near the children. Stay off the fourth floor when we get back to base.” Jesminda voice was commanding as she stood and dusted her hands on her pants. She watched as Draven’s mate tossed the vial on the table. It didn’t stay put but rolled until it landed on the floor. It was like the vial of blood wanted to be ingested by her. Jo stood straighter.
“I don’t have to explain myself to you or anyone else. I’m no junkie.”
Jesminda eyed her up and down, and Jorunn knew what she saw. Dry hair, cracked skin. She was sweating under her arms, and her back was soaked. It was almost as if she were going through withdrawals. She was a mess.
“Don’t want to hear your excuses. Draven will address them back at the Unit. For now, let’s get your stuff and head back. These guys won’t be going anywhere for some time.”
“What about her?”
Jes looked to the Vampiri.
“Do you require assistance? We can wait, or I can take you somewhere.”
The Vampiri stood on shaky legs. When she took a step forward, her foot hit the vial on the floor and it rolled over to where Jo stood.
“I require no assistance. I have a place just up the road. I can make it there on my own.” The woman looked to Jo. “Will you tell your father?”
Jo shook her head no. The relief in the other woman’s eyes was evident as they filled with tears.
“Thank you.”
The woman ran to the back, dressed, and was out the door before Jorunn could get the VAB at her feet. She knew Jesminda saw her pick it up, and she didn’t care. She needed it, or things would get worse before they got any better. Was she ever going to catch anything other than a case of people assuming the worst about her? Her life had an expiration date. She couldn’t be bothered with people and their judgments. Not now. No matter how bad it made her feel.
Chapter 9
“Jes called in a cleanup for a VAB house,” Draven sad as he stopped Dietrich in the hall.
“Do I look like I’m the trash guy? Get your dog Sam to do it.”
Draven grabbed him by the arm and shoved him into the wall.
Who the fuck did wolf boy think he was touching him and shit? Did he really want things to go down?
“Don’t stare at me like that! I’m getting tired of your lack of participation. We all need to work together, as a team.”
Funny.
Hell, it was extra funny, with a side of who gives a fuck. Maybe he should respond. Help the wolf out and explain some things. Like, if it weren’t for him, his kid would be a total basket case. Or how about the fact that he was feeding mostly false bullshit to the Agency that basically wanted to tag all immortals and lock their asses up.
“Ask me if I care?”
“Excuse me?” Draven snarled.
Fine. Draven wanted to try for the, “I’m your boss, do as I say” shit? Cool, he’d play that tune, but after he fucking scrambled the lyrics on his song.
“Look here, motherfucker. First, get your paw off my arm. Touch me again and we will be having more than words. Second, there is no I in team but there is in Dietrich. Two, in fact, which means I am twice as selfish. So back the fuck up. I’ve been here too long for you to up and ask me to pull cleaning detail. Ask someone else. I got shit that’s pressing, like washing my balls.”
Dietrich yanked his arm away from Draven and made it two steps before the wolf was again in his way. Son of a biscuit eater, this dude was persistent.
“D, man, I asked Sam, and despite what you think, we’re all on the same side. Faith’s mom’s out there with Jorunn. You may not like me or even Jes, but I know you have a soft spot for our daughter. I just need you to assess the scene, maybe check up on the girls. Jes is still new to all this, despite all the crazy shit that’s happened.”
So the wolf wanted to go for what he thought was a weak spot. Normally, he would have something to say, but Faith would be devastated if something happened to her mom. Growling, Dietrich nodded. He turned back the way he’d come and headed out to assess the situation as Draven had called it.
“Tag me with the coordinates and tell Sam he’s riding shotgun and to be out front in five.”
Draven didn’t respond, but D knew he’d make it all happen.
~ ~ ~
Jorunn made quick work of grabbing what she thought she’d need for the trip. Long pants, long-sleeve shirts, sneakers, and turtlenecks. What’s the weather even going to be like in France? She wondered. She’d been rushing, and she hadn’t noticed that Jesminda had followed her into her apartment. She’d left the woman downstairs in the shop. She would have preferred that Jes stay there, but that apparently wasn’t going to happen.
“Someone sure has a green thumb,” Jesminda mumbled under her breath. Jorunn stopped for a moment to take in what the other woman was seeing. There were plants everywhere, and beautiful night moths came and went freely from her open bedroom window. To Jesminda, her room probably looked like some sort of florist’s haven. To Jo, it was just her room.
“It’s something that calms me,” was her only response.
Jesminda hadn’t
taken the vial of VAB from her, she still had it, and it was burning a hole in her skirt pocket.
“Feel free to look around, I’m gonna grab some items from my bathroom.”
Draven’s mate was busy looking at the plant life, inspecting them, and acknowledged Jo with a slight lift of her chin. Jo still hadn’t heard from her brother and hoped he would show up soon with another vial or two.
Jo walked into the bathroom then turned and locked the door. She needed to move quickly. She turned on the faucet and splashed water on her face. When she looked up into the mirror, the woman staring back at her did look like a junkie. Her eyes were bloodshot and glassy. Her contacts were starting to burn. She wouldn’t need them around the Unit so she took them out, splashed another helping of water onto her face, and noticed how flushed and blotchy her skin was. She was red in some places as if she’d been sunburned. And her hair, gods, her hair…if she tried to pull a comb through it, or even a brush, it would break right off.
Her fingers were starting to get numb. Shit, she needed to get the VAB into her system now before she couldn’t do anything but lie on the floor comatose. Jorunn reached into her medicine cabinet and pulled out a small case. When she’d first started using VAB, she was able to ingest it. Now, after about seven years, it wasn’t hitting her system fast enough. These days, she had to inject it straight into her bloodstream.
She opened up the case, set the VAB on the sink, and placed the syringe and rubber tubing next to the VAB. She left the water running, hoping Jes wouldn’t bother her. Jo rolled up her sleeve, secured the rubber around her arm, and waited for her veins to surface. The blue strands stood out against her light skin, and Jo didn’t hesitate as she quickly prepped the syringe and injected the blood into her veins.
Warmth infused her entire body and she could feel her cells getting stronger. It was like she’d been holding her breath for a long time and was finally able to exhale. Dizziness swamped her as the VAB worked its way through her system. A kind of euphoria overtook her as her body did a mental stretch, relaxing her further until the only sound she could hear was the beating of her own heart. A gentle calm washed over her, and Jorunn smiled. This was how she always wanted to feel. Alive, but slightly on the verge of sleep. A relaxed state that still kept her feeling alert.
