“What? Jonas, why are you making these things up?” Rising from his chair, Jonas stalked toward him slowly. “The time I was stabbed with a gold blade? I almost died, and you sat with me the entire time.”
Nicholas shook his head. While garlic, holy water, crucifixes, and silver were purely Hollywood fiction of how to kill a vampire, there were other things that proved quite lethal to them. Silver, steel, or whatever—being stabbed hurt like hell, but they could heal from it.
Gold, however, was toxic to their systems.
A stake through the heart would kill anyone, whether it be human, shifter, or vampire. It didn’t even have to be through the heart.
Vampires could bleed to death if the wound didn’t heal quickly enough.
Nicholas couldn’t remember Jonas ever being stabbed with gold, though. What kind of game was he playing? “This isn’t funny anymore, Jonas.”
“I don’t find it very humorous, either. You said we’re friends, right? Tell me what you remember. We’ve known each other for hundreds of years. Tell me what you remember about us.”
“You’re my guard. We’re friends. You want to make me unhappy by keeping me away from my mate.” Nicholas closed his mouth as his eyebrows drew together. “Why did I just say that?” It was true, but that hadn’t been what he’d wanted to say, and it didn’t answer Jonas’s question at all. Strangely, he couldn’t remember anything else about Jonas or any time spent with him. “What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I remember?”
Jonas smiled sadly and shook his head as he fisted his hands on his hips. “I’ve been trying to tell you for months now. That fucking bitch, Natalie Halstead, cast a spell so that you’d become infatuated with the first person you saw. That person was Malakai.”
“No.” Nicholas took a step back and waved a hand in front of him.
“You’re lying. You’re trying to trick me and make me doubt my feelings for Malakai. She said you would do this.” Jonas arched both eyebrows. “Who said that?”
“I…” Nicholas’s brow furrowed as he concentrated. “I don’t know.”
“Then let me help you remember.” Jonas sounded almost pleading as he advanced toward Nicholas again. “Let me help you.” Stumbling backward, Nicholas shook his head frantically. “This is wrong. Something’s wrong.”
“I know, Nicky,” Jonas cooed. “You don’t have to be scared. We can fix this.” He paused in his steps and held his hand out. “Trust me.”
“W–What did you call me?” The name stirred something inside of him and made his heart flutter, though not uncomfortably. No one ever called him anything but Nicholas or Leader McCarthy. So, why did the nickname sound so familiar coming from Jonas?
“Please, Nicky.” Jonas took a step closer with his hand still outstretched. “Trust me.”
Something tickled at the fringes of his memory, but it disappeared before Nicholas could grasp it. Just a moment ago, he’d been so sure that he knew exactly what was going on, but now he felt confused and…afraid. He didn’t much care for either feeling. “Jonas?”
“We’re going to make this right, but I need your help. Don’t make me beg.”
Tentatively, Nicholas reached out and placed his hand in Jonas’s.
What choice did he have? He had questions, and Jonas was the only one who could give him answers. That didn’t mean he implicitly trusted the man, though. That stupid nickname was making him weak.
“I’m in.” He squeezed Jonas’s hand before releasing it. “But don’t call me Nicky.”
Chapter Two
“No, absolutely not.” Stavion shook his head in finality as he shuffled through the papers on his desk. “I can’t have you gallivanting Nicholas McCarthy all over the damn country in his condition.”
“Gallivanting? Who the hell uses that word?” Jonas threw his hands in the air as he paced the floor of Stavion’s office. “He’s starting to realize that something’s wrong. He doesn’t know exactly what, but there are parts of his memory missing, and he knows it. Stavion, I’ve known that man for most of my life, and he can’t remember a single moment of us being together. He’s scared, not dangerous.”
Stavion pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed before looking up at Jonas. “I get that, and I’m sorry. He can’t leave Haven.”
“How the hell am I supposed to save his goddamn life if you won’t let me do what I need to do? You put this on me, and I’m not just going to sit around with my thumb up my ass and hope he remembers on his own.” Jonas could hear the desperation in his voice.
Recreating some of their memories was the only way he could think of to help Nicholas. Haven held none of those memories. To Nicholas, it was just a prison.
“You asked to come here because you couldn’t handle him on your own. You needed extra eyes, ears, and hands to keep him from hurting himself or someone else.” Stavion stood from his chair, rested his palms flat on the desktop, and leaned forward. “He’s not leaving.”
Before Jonas could explode on the coven leader, the office door opened, and Jory walked in with a big smile on his face. “Hey, guys. Why so growly?”
Jonas dipped his head, and Stavion gave his mate a curt greeting.
“We’re just having a little disagreement. Did you need something?” Jory nodded, still smiling brightly. “I need you to stop being such a dick.”
Stavion closed his eyes and groaned before addressing Jory once again. “I’m not being a dick. I’m trying to keep people from getting hurt. Nicholas McCarthy is unstable. I can’t allow him to leave Haven with only Jonas to watch after him.”
“Then send someone with them.” Jory shrugged as he glided across the room to stand beside Jonas. “Jonas is doing everything he can to save his mate’s life. I think the least we can do is help.”
“I knew there was a reason I liked you.” Jonas looked down at Jory and winked. With the little man on his side, he might just win this one, and the knowledge went a long way in lifting his spirits.
Jory winked back and bumped their hips together before returning his attention to his grouchy mate. “Send Raven and Demos with them. Raven will love it, and Demos needs to get his unsocial ass out of the house.”
Stavion glared at them both for a full minute before sighing and dipping his head. “I’m going to regret this,” he mumbled under his breath. “Okay, fine, I’ll send Raven and one of the shifters. I want someone watching McCarthy day and night.”
“He’s a vampire,” Jory said sweetly. “He can’t go out in the day.” Stavion wasn’t appeased, though. “It doesn’t matter. If he wants to badly enough, he’ll find a way, and I want someone able to retrieve him if necessary.”
“He’s not a fucking newspaper.” Jonas growled. Then he took a deep breath and let it out slowly, reining in his emotions. “Okay. Thank you.”
“Don’t fuck this up,” Stavion responded. “Natalie spent some time with the witches in Nevada, so I’m going to send Bannon. I’d rather send Cassius to talk with the covens, but with the new baby and all, it just doesn’t seem fair to ask him to go. Bannon’s the best Tracker I know, but he’s also got a silver tongue when it comes to wheedling information from people.”
“Thank you,” Jonas repeated as he hurried out of the office before Stavion could change his mind. Maybe trying to recreate some of Nicholas’s past wasn’t the best plan in the world, but it was the only one he had. It probably wouldn’t make Nicholas love him, but again, it was all he had.
“Whoa, where’s the fire?” Raven asked as he jumped out of the way to avoid a collision with Jonas.
“Pack your bags. We’re going to Vegas.”
“Really?” A huge grin spread over Raven’s face. “Not that I care, but why are we going to Nevada?”
“I’m going to try to get Nicholas’s memories back, and you’re going to help babysit him.”
Raven’s smile slipped a notch. “Well, that doesn’t sound like nearly as much fun. We’re still going to the casinos, right?” Jonas laughed and clapped the En
forcer on the shoulder. “Yes, we’re going to the casinos, and we’re going to have the time of our lives. I just need an extra set of eyes to make sure that Nicholas doesn’t get himself into too much trouble. Well, no trouble that would land his head on the chopping block with The Council, anyway.”
“Then count me in. Who else is coming with us and when do we leave?”
“Stavion is going to talk to Bannon Murphy, and we leave tomorrow night.”
“How long are we going to be gone?”
Jonas resisted the urge to growl. Raven’s questions were valid, but Jonas had more important things to do. “I’m not exactly sure. We need to make a detour to Washington before we hit Vegas.”
“That’s a hell of a detour, man.”
“We’ll be back before the end of the month. That’s all I can tell you.” He probably should have let Stavion in on that little part of the plan, but he’d been too afraid that the leader would refuse him. It was going to take more than one night and a couple of drinks to open Nicholas’s eyes to what he’d forgotten, though.
Jonas tried to sidestep Raven and continue on his way, but the vampire stopped him again. “Do you think we should take that witch with us?”
“Natalie?” Jonas couldn’t hide his growl this time. “I don’t want that bitch anywhere near Nicholas.”
“No, not the whore in the basement,” Raven said with amusement.
“I meant the new guy. What’s his name?”
“You mean Torren? The pups’ father?” Raven bobbed his head. “He might come in handy if Nicholas gets out of control. There is only so much we can do by force without exposing all of us. He’s got that witchy voodoo shit, though.” It actually wasn’t a bad idea. Plus it would give Raina and Teegan a little more time to prepare for the parental showdown. “You talk to Stavion about it. I get the feeling he wants that man as far away from here as possible, so I’m sure he’ll agree to it.”
“Right, I’m on it. I’ll meet you at the front gates tomorrow night with the shifter and the witch.”
Jonas chuckled and said his good-byes. They were walking parodies of themselves—the shifter, the witch, and the forgetful vampire. All they were missing were a full moon, some wolfsbane, and a wardrobe.
* * * *
“I don’t like flying.” Nicholas gripped the armrests of his seat and closed his eyes. He snapped them right back open when the plane dipped and sent his stomach rolling. “I really don’t like flying.”
“No,” Jonas said with a chuckle. “You never did. It’s not far, though. We’ll be landing in about ten minutes. Just sit tight.”
“Easy for you to say. You’re not the one who’s about to embarrass himself by hurling all over the seatback.”
Jonas laughed again and squeezed Nicholas’s thigh. “Take deep breaths and relax.”
He took deep breaths, but the relaxing part was a lot harder.
Luckily, they landed minutes later as Jonas had promised. Nicholas felt shaky as he stepped off the plane, but he pushed his shoulders back and stood tall. He was an important man with an entire coven looking to him for guidance. It wouldn’t do to appear weak in front of them.
To his shock and disappointment, no one waited for him at the bottom of the stairs. “Where is everyone? Where are my guards? Where is my coven?”
Jonas took his elbow and led him to an SUV with tinted windows waiting for them on the tarmac. “No one knows you’re here, and we’re going to keep it that way. This is still your coven, but it’s best if we keep a low profile until you’re feeling more like yourself again.”
“I feel fine,” Nicholas argued. Why did Jonas keep saying that?
There was nothing wrong with him besides the fact that everyone kept treating him like a ticking time bomb. Well, that and none of them would let him see Malakai. “Is my mate here?” Jonas sighed as he held the back door open and motioned for Nicholas to get in. “If you mean Malakai, he isn’t your mate. He’s returning to Haven tomorrow with his mates.”
“But I was just in Haven! Why did you bring me here if you knew Malakai was coming back?” Nicholas was pissed, but it was nothing compared to the look of rage on Jonas’s face.
“Malakai is flying back to Wyoming because you’re here. He doesn’t want you. He’s happy. Just leave him alone.”
“You want him for yourself,” Nicholas accused.
Jonas growled and shoved Nicholas to get him moving. “Get in the fucking car and shut up. Everything out of your mouth is pissing me off.”
With a growl of his own, Nicholas slid into the backseat of the vehicle and looked out the window. Why was he back in Washington if not to reclaim leadership of his coven and be reunited with his mate? He’d known he couldn’t trust Jonas. The man had deceived him every step of the way.
“You can pout all you want, but this is for your own good. Please, Nicky. I’m trying to help you.”
Nicholas felt some of his anger drain away, and his shoulders sagged. Why did the nickname affect him so much? Reaching his ears in Jonas’s deep, smooth voice, it sounded almost like an endearment.
That couldn’t be right, though. Jonas was his guard. They were friends. He wanted to make Nicholas unhappy by keeping him away from his mate.
The Enforcer would try to trick him. She’d told him this would happen.
Nicholas frowned, and his brow wrinkled. Who had told him that, though? It was definitely a feminine voice that repeated the words inside his head. If he and Jonas were friends, why couldn’t he remember anything about the man? “I hate this.”
“What’s that?” Jonas asked.
“Nothing.” Nicholas glanced toward the front seat, eyeing the two men sitting there.
Jonas followed his gaze and frowned. “Where’s Bannon?”
“There’s nothing for him to do in Washington,” the man driving answered. “He’s meeting us in Vegas.”
“Who are they?” Nicholas jerked his head toward the men up front. The one driving seemed harmless enough, but the other guy made him uneasy.
“They’re friends. They’re going to help me keep you safe. The man driving is an Enforcer at Haven. His name is Raven Whitmore. The guy with the black hair and more bulges than a thief’s pockets is Torren Braddock.”
Nicholas didn’t appreciate Jonas talking to him as if he was a child, but at least he’d gotten the information he wanted. “That one is a witch. He’s not to be trusted.” He pointed toward the one named Torren as his upper lip curled over his fangs. “Get him away from me.”
Jonas looked startled for a moment before he went back to his neutral expression. “He’s one of the good guys. He’s here to help. You can trust him.”
“No.” Nicholas’s fingers curled into claws, and he tensed, preparing to launch himself at Torren. “He’s here to hurt me.”
“Who told you that?” Raven asked, glancing at Nicholas in the rearview mirror as he sped along the service road that led away from the Olympia Coven’s private airstrip.
Again, Nicholas didn’t know. It wasn’t really a voice this time but more of a feeling. It was anger but also something close to fear.
Torren Braddock was dangerous.
“I have to get out of here.” He reached for the door handle, but Jonas was faster, grabbing his wrist and jerking him back.
“Nicholas, stop being a whining twit. This isn’t like you. When have you ever backed down from a challenge? You’re acting like this lost little boy, and honestly, it’s making me want to hit you. Snap out of it, damn it!”
“I’m scared, Jonas.”
“No.” Jonas grabbed him by the face and stared right into his eyes. “You’re built like a brick shit-house. You have one-inch fangs. You rule your own goddamn coven. Never—you have never been afraid of anything!”
That wasn’t true, though. He was terrified of the things he couldn’t remember and what they would mean if he did. He didn’t know if it was his own fear or if it was fabricated within him by something he couldn’t name, but it
scared the shit out of him nonetheless.
It was as though the fear had become encoded in his DNA. He couldn’t remember a time he’d ever been without it. That couldn’t be true, though. How could he lead his people when he couldn’t even control his own emotions? How had he gained power in the first place? He couldn’t remember any of it. The only thoughts and emotions that felt real were the ones involving Malakai. Yet, he couldn’t remember any time ever spent with the vampire.
“Was I good leader?”
Jonas released his face and eased back in his seat, shifting so that he still faced Nicholas. “You are an amazing leader. Your coven adores you and everything you do for them.”
“How did I become their leader?” Either he’d been born to the position, or he’d fought and won against the former head. He could picture his parents’ faces, but when he tried to recall more about them, he came up blank and his temples began to pound. “Did I fight someone?”
“Yes,” Jonas answered cautiously. “You challenged the former ruler of our coven because he was hurting our people. I guess it was about three years ago.”
The corners of Nicholas’s mouth turned down in a confused frown. “Did I kill someone?”
Jonas looked at him with pity shining in his eyes. “Yes. It was self-defense, though. You didn’t want to kill him, but he left you no choice.”
Nicholas wanted to believe that, but it didn’t take away the fact that his hands were tainted with the blood of one of his own people.
That was something he should remember—something he wanted to remember. Whether the death was deserved or not, what kind of man did it make him if he could forget taking a life so easily?
“We’re almost there,” Raven called from the driver’s seat.
Jonas leaned sideways to look through the windshield and nodded.
Haven 3: Forgotten Sins Page 2
