by J. J. Bonds
My mood is shot by the time we head back to the airport. I sit in the middle row with my eyes closed, not moving or speaking to anyone, which seems to suit my guards just fine. After everything we’ve witnessed tonight, none of the Linkuri are really in a talking kind of mood either. Meditation may not scrub those awful images from my mind, but it will at least keep me calm. It also gives me time to consider the facts and the one hundred and twelve lives that were cut short by the Order.
“We’ve got company.”
I bolt upright, hoping I misunderstood. But no, Viktor’s eyes stare back at me in the rearview mirror as he watches the road behind us. I glance at the speedometer and watch as the needle climbs from 110km/h to 130km/h. Twisting in my seat, I see two identical SUV’s advancing on us. Both black, both with tinted glass.
“How do you want to play it?” Alex asks, pulling her weapon. Nik does the same. Moldoveanu and Ursu reach over the backseat and grab more ammo for their Uzis. Me? I come to the gross realization that a crossbow won’t be of much use in this situation. Not that they’d let me engage the enemy, anyway.
“I’m going to try to outrun them.” Viktor punches the accelerator, and the vehicle leaps forward, tearing down the expressway. Viktor weaves in and out of traffic expertly, putting distance between us and our pursuers. “Call the pilot and tell him to be prepared for a quick takeoff. I want that plane rolling as soon as she steps on board.”
I cut my eyes at Nik. “Remind me again why we’re running? Last I checked, we needed a lead on the Order, and I’m guessing there are like eight viable ones back there.”
“It’s too risky. We’re outnumbered, and we can’t take the chance.”
He means they won’t take the chance. Not with me along for the ride.
Hell’s bells!
I glance at the vehicles giving chase. They’re gaining on us. Fast. There’s no way we are going to be able to outrun them. We’re going to have to fight.
“Give me a weapon,” I order Moldoveanu. He looks to Alex for approval, and I glare at him for all I’m worth.
“She’s well trained,” Nik advises, as usual doing his best to smooth over an uncomfortable situation. “There isn’t a weapon in this vehicle she can’t handle.”
Apparently satisfied I won’t shoot one of them, Alex agrees. Moldoveanu hands me a pistol. Not exactly what I had in mind, but it’s better than nothing.
“You are only to use that as a last resort,” Alex warns, twisting in her seat to face me. “For now, I want your head between your knees. Get down. And stay down.”
I obey without argument. The last thing I want to be is a distraction.
A minute later, the back end of the SUV lurches to the left. The crunch of metal reverberates through the interior of the vehicle. We’ve been hit.
“You can’t outrun them.” Alex grabs the oh-shit handle to steady herself, bracing for another impact. “How good are your defensive driving skills?”
I peek up just in time to see them exchange a smile.
“Hold on.”
That’s all the warning Viktor gives before jerking the SUV to the right and slamming into the vehicle that clipped us. The screech of metal on metal is hell on my ears as the vehicles tear one another apart. The seatbelt bites into my hip and chest as my body slams against the restraint.
Then the gunfire starts. Pop. Pop. Pop. The muzzle flash illuminates the cabin, and it’s impossible not to curl tighter into myself. Nik’s hand touches my thigh, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
“Bulletproof glass,” he whispers. It does little to set my mind at ease. The way things are going, I’m more concerned about becoming an expressway pancake. What’s bulletproof glass going to do for me then?
I can’t see the speedometer with my head tucked low, but I have a feeling we’ve reached the vehicle’s max. The vehicle to the right pushes back, slamming into our SUV and giving me another good shake.
“Can you run them off the road?” Alex shoots a quick look at Viktor, still holding on to the handle above her head for support.
“I’m sure as hell going to try,” Viktor bites out, “because it’s us or them.”
The SUV lurches forward again, proving it has a little something left under the hood as Viktor fights to maintain control. Gunfire pebbles the back window, coming from the second chase vehicle. This is so not how I pictured my life ending.
“Brace yourselves,” Viktor warns. “I’m going to make my move on the overpass ahead. It’s going to be rough.”
As we race toward the cement columns, I say a silent prayer, hoping we don’t end up wrapped around one of them.
Viktor pulls the car left, putting space between us and the vehicle he intends to ram. Then, without hesitation, he punches the gas and brings the car right, crashing into our pursuers at top speed.
I can’t help it. I have to look. I bolt upright just in time to see the other vehicle lose control and collide with the cement upright supporting the overhead bridge. The force of the collision crumples the SUV. No human could have survived that crash. Vamps, on the other hand? They’ll survive, but they won’t be bothering us again anytime soon.
One down, one to go.
I whip around, looking at my companions. They are all far too composed. You’d think this was a daily occurrence judging by the looks on their faces. Me? I’m totally freaked out. I just want this to be over.
“We’ve got to take out the other vehicle,” Alex tells Viktor, stating the obvious. “Pull straight in front of them, and when I give the signal, reduce your speed. Keep it steady.”
She turns in her seat and fixes the Linkuri behind me with that intense stare of hers. She’s completely in control now, completely in her element. I tuck my head down before she bites it off for disobeying.
“Katia, I want you on the floor. All the way down.”
Bloody hell! It’s hard enough for me to sit here and be totally useless; it’s another thing to cower on the floor like a helpless child. I growl under my breath as I sink to the floor, lying flat on my stomach and hating every bloody second of it.
“Ursu, I am going to release the back hatch. When I do, you are to open fire on that SUV. Aim high. Take out the driver if you can, but your primary objective is to provide cover for Moldoveanu.”
“I assume you want me to take out their tires?” Moldoveanu asks. I hear the sound of the charging handle slide home, putting a round in the chamber of his M4.
“Do it fast.”
Has Alex lost her bloody mind? Once that rear hatch is open, we are sitting ducks. They will have a clear shot right into the SUV. Which is why she wants me on the floor, I realize. I’m the only one considered indispensable.
“Everyone ready?” Alex asks, directing the question to the Linkuri in the back. “Here we go.”
I hear the whine of the motor as the rear hatch begins to open. No sooner does it move than we are hit with another round of gunfire. Wind rips through the back of the vehicle, tangling my hair and creating a wind tunnel. Ursu and Moldoveanu open fire on the car behind us. The sound of their weapons firing in tight quarters is deafening.
Bullets tear through the vehicle, piercing the leather seats above me. I can’t be sure where they’ve landed, but I hear them make impact. The car jerks slightly and straightens out again. Viktor’s been hit.
“Get it done!” Alex bellows.
Ursu’s Uzi goes quiet, and I hear the sound of a magazine being ejected and replaced with a fresh clip. The firing resumes as he sprays bullets across the front of the SUV behind us.
Seconds later, the men in the back make a celebratory noise, and I know they’ve completed the mission. The danger has passed. The rear hatch whirs again as it descends back to the closed position.
I roll to my side and see Nik grinning down at me. “I think it’s safe to get up now.”
Chapter Sixteen
By the time we get back to the manor, I know I’m in for an ass chewing Viktor-style. He’s too disciplined to tea
r me apart in front of the other Linkuri, but I know it’s coming. He’s been simmering since we got on the plane and hasn’t said a word to me. I’m sure it didn’t help that Alex spent the better portion of the flight digging bullets out of Ursu. He’ll survive, but he’ll need to feed heavily in order to heal completely and regain his strength. Viktor also had to suffer the indignity of having a bullet removed from his right shoulder, which I’m guessing only solidified his pissed-off mood.
“Let’s get this over with,” I tell Viktor, leading the way to Aldo’s office. Nik tags along, and I don’t bother to send him away. I can’t imagine a scenario more humiliating than the one that played out in the back of the SUV, so he might as well see this too.
Viktor shuts the door to the office and turns to me. “Do you have any idea how lucky we got tonight?”
“Don’t sell yourselves so short. You’re all well trained, which you proved this evening. For that I am grateful.”
Viktor goes from pale to cherry-faced in an instant. Apparently my response is not the one he was looking for. No surprise there. I never say the right thing.
He points at me, stabbing the air with his finger to drive his point home. “We got lucky. That SUV is built like a tank. Without the weight advantage of the armor, we’d have been screwed.”
“Luck had nothing to do with it,” I counter. “You protected me. You did your job, and that includes ensuring we have the right protective equipment, whether it be guards, guns, or transportation.”
I glance at Nik, who’s leaning casually against the bookshelves with his hip cocked and his arms crossed over his chest. Isn’t it his job as my boyfriend to come to my defense when I need him?
“I think Viktor’s point is that it was an unnecessary risk for you to leave the manor and go to Cluj-Napoca.”
Apparently Nik didn’t get the Boyfriend 101 memo. That or he thinks his responsibilities to the Linkuri supersede our personal relationship. I sigh, knowing the latter is more likely when it comes to my safety.
“You cannot risk yourself like that,” Viktor barks, rubbing a hand over his weary face. “You may be the last of the Lescinka bloodline, and I have no interest in seeing the line come to an end on my watch.”
“Viktor, we all know the truth here. There’s no need for false pretense now. If Aldo doesn’t return, the line will end, whether I carry on in his name or not.”
“You are wrong, you know,” Viktor challenges, catching me off guard with his unusually impassioned words. “Aldo’s blood flows through your veins too. As long as one drop remains, his bloodline continues.”
I drop my gaze from Viktor, focusing on my ragged nails instead. I’d never thought about it that way before. Could this be the true reason Aldo shared his blood with me? The reason he continues to place his faith in me? He has no other heir. I may have been a poor choice, but I’m it.
“You have to understand—”
“No.” Nik corrects me, pushing off the shelves and crossing the room to stand by Viktor in a show of solidarity. “You have to understand. We cannot properly protect you when you act impulsively.”
“It wasn’t my intention to put myself in danger,” I say, trying to appease both Viktor and Nik, which is not exactly an enviable position. It never occurred to me I’d have to defend myself to both of them when Nik showed up. I know they want what’s best for me, but keeping me from fulfilling my duties isn’t it. “But I had to go because it was the right thing to do. Like it or not, I am an Elder now, and I understand that means additional security, but it also means I have responsibilities. Part of that responsibility is owning the carnage the Order has wrought on our people. I cannot hide in here and pretend to understand what’s happening out there. I have a duty to see it firsthand. How else can I earn the trust of my people?”
“There are other ways,” Viktor insists. “Ways that do not carry so much risk.”
Viktor carries the guilt of Aldo’s disappearance on his conscience, and for the first time I wonder if that guilt is interfering with his ability to advise me properly. Or perhaps these men simply cannot understand my position because they have never had to carry this burden of responsibility themselves.
Sitting on the Consiliul de Batrani and being responsible for so many lives? It’s crushing. Every day I feel it a little bit more, the weight of this responsibility chipping away at me until the day comes that nothing remains. Frankly, I don’t know how Aldo has done it for so many years without losing himself.
Be strong.
The words come to me like a whisper on the wind, reminding me of who I am and what I must do.
“Look, we’ve all made our choices. Linkuri. Elder.” I look them both in the eye, not wavering, and hope they see the determination I feel burning inside. “We can’t turn back now. We push forward, and whatever happens, we’ll have to live with the consequences. We can’t let our actions be controlled by fear. What’s happening out there is bigger than any one of us.”
Viktor and Nik exchange an unreadable look. Must be a Linkuri thing.
“As much as it pains me to say it, you are right. But that doesn’t make it any easier.” I swear I see a ghost of smile on Viktor’s face as he turns to leave. “Make sure you are well rested for the ball tomorrow. You will need to be in top form.”
“Hell’s bells!”
Nik shuts the door behind Viktor and turns to me with that seductive smile of his. The one that turns my insides to mush. The one I can’t resist. The one that can make me promise anything. Self-preservation suggests I move. Fast. I edge away from Nik. I need to stay in the “no touching zone.”
It’s pointless. Undeterred by my evasion, Nik advances. He stalks me like a panther preparing to pounce. Only I’m not helpless, and I’m no one’s prey. I’m an Elder. And he’s my boyfriend. I have nothing to fear, right?
I glue my feet to the floor, refusing to yield another inch despite the warning bell clanging in my head. I’m so going to regret this.
“You know,” he says, stepping within arm’s reach and trailing his fingers gently down my arm. They slide from my shoulder, past my elbow, to my wrist. And then his fingers are laced with mine, our palms pressed firmly together as he raises them to his lips. My body comes to life as though Nik’s fingers possess a magic all their own. My skin burns everywhere he touches, begging for him to extinguish the flames that writhe just below the surface. “If anything had happened to you tonight, I would have come undone.”
“Undone?”
“Yes.” He kisses the back of my hand. A delicious warmth spreads through my body, emanating from my belly. “Undone. I can’t bear the idea of losing you. You have to be more careful.”
“I will,” I lie. I don’t want to lie to Nik, hate it even. But it’s for his own peace of mind. It’s not like I have a death wish or anything. It’s just that I can’t promise I won’t do what I think is right when the time comes.
“Promise,” he counters.
Shit. He knows me too well. “Promise what?”
“That you won’t act rashly and that you won’t take chances with your safety.” He cups both of my hands in his own capable hands. “Promise that you will let the Linkuri do their jobs, which include taking down the Order and keeping you safe. No heroics.”
“Heroics?” I try to make it sounds like a joke, but my nervous laugh gives me away. Nik’s eyebrows shoot up, and he gives me a disbelieving look. Might as well be honest then. “I can’t promise those things. We both know I’d make the promise with the best of intentions, but when it comes down to it, I may not be able to honor it.”
Nik’s eyes roll skyward, and his chest heaves with frustration. “Will you at least try?”
“For you? Yes.” And that is the truth. I don’t want to hurt Nik, and I’m in no hurry to score a front-row seat in Hades.
“Then I guess that’s all I can ask,” he murmurs, slipping his hands around my waist and pulling me closer.
I tip my chin to his and raise myself up on my
toes, locking my hands behind his neck. “There’s something I need to ask of you too.”
“Oh, yeah? And what’s that?”
“Kiss me.”
He doesn’t even hesitate. His lips are on mine in an instant, consuming me with the fiery passion of his kisses. Our lips crash together, slanting back and forth as we wrangle for position. And then his hands are on my back, my waist, my bottom. They’re everywhere. Touching, probing, massaging. It feels so damn good.
Without warning, he lifts me onto the desk, pushing my knees apart. I wrap my legs around his waist, loving the feel of his hard chest pressed to mine. And I want more. So much more. Why shouldn’t I?
I part my lips, inviting Nik to deepen the kiss. His tongue darts into my mouth, mating with my own. I feel a rush of pleasure when he groans in response to this new sensation. In Nik’s arms, I can almost forget about my problems, forget about everything that happened this evening.
Almost.
I pull back, extricating myself from Nik’s kisses.
“Remind me again why we can’t be regular teen vamps with regular problems?”
Nik’s mouth hooks up on the left, and his eyes sparkle with laughter. “Babe, there’s nothing simple about us.”
He plants a light kiss on my nose.
“Never will be.”
Isn’t that the truth? Especially if Aldo doesn’t return. I slam the lid shut on that train of thought. This isn’t the time. Besides, I want to hold on to the levity of the moment as long as I can.
“All right, Loverboy,” I tease him, straightening my blouse and smoothing my hair. “We have a big day tomorrow. Time to get back to work.”
Nik flashes me a dimpled smile. His eyes still shine from our stolen moment. “Your wish is my command. What did you have in mind?”
“We need a break, and I still think Keegan is it. He could be the key to unraveling this whole bloody thing.”
