by Jaime Reed
He’d done that on purpose! Knowing my weakness, he always uttered something random and sweet to expel the sound cussing that was his due. Why was he doing this to me, on my break, no less?
His eyes pleaded for understanding, but they also glowed with hunger, a freak exhibit unfit for the public. I glanced to the book floor for witnesses.
“Come with me.” I marched to the small recess by the front of the store that led to the stockroom. I punched my employee code into the keypad, not checking if Caleb followed me. I knew he did, so I opened the door and stepped inside. Surrounded by boxes and columns of yet-to-be-stocked books, Caleb stood by the wall, trembling from chemical withdrawal. His hands fidgeted at his sides; his blunt nails dug into his pants.
“You have to feed from me—Capone demands it. Let me guess, you’ve been sniffing behind me all day, taking the traces of energy left in the air.” When he didn’t deny it, I continued, “Is this what we’ve been reduced to, sneaking around like criminals? Why settle for crumbs on the floor when you can eat at the table?”
He drew deeper into the room, meandering through the maze of inventory. “I don’t want to need you like this. Wanting you is bad enough. This feeling is running our lives and I can’t have anything rule over me like that. I thought we’d have more time, but now, I don’t know.” He stopped and pressed his forehead against a bookshelf; his hands gripped the metal framework.
“No one’s stopping you from living your life. I’ve got plans of my own, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be together.” I crept behind him, noting how his body tightened in strain.
Sensing my approach, he looked at me over his shoulder. “Do you love him?”
I didn’t need to ask who he meant, and bringing him up in conversation killed and buried the mood. “No. He’s a monster, and if he had his way he would try to make me just like him.”
“How so?”
“He will live as long as I do. He’s gonna want to extend his shelf life. The only way to do that is to make me a demon as well,” I explained. “Maybe that’s why Nadine wanted to get away from him. She knew what he wanted her to do.”
“That doesn’t stop Lilith from wanting him,” he disputed. “She’s indecisive, but it’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind. Isn’t that what they say?”
Oh, that did it. I got right in his face. “Caleb, I don’t care what she wants. She might get a kick out of suitors fighting over her, but I’m sick of it. No one wants me, not even Tobias if you think about it. It’s all about Lilith. You are the only one who wants me, short, chubby, loud-mouthed, bossy me. As crazy as you are, you keep me sane. I love you and no one else.”
His hand slid from the support bar on the shelf, revealing the hand-sized dent in the metal. There was no way Caleb could’ve done that without “inside” help, and I realized this private party was getting crowded. I looked to Caleb for an explanation, but paused at the blast of violet light. His injuries ran deeper than I’d thought, and Capone was trying to make a break for it. Mr. Baker was one wounded creature, a malady he hid well from the outside world, but not from me.
I reached out and tucked his hair behind his ear. “Stop fighting. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”
He closed his eyes and leaned into my touch. “Don’t you see this is what he wants? It’s a trap. No one is going to manipulate me; nobody will run my life but me. I won’t let Tobias win.”
I pulled back my hand. “Is this some sort of male ego thing? You gotta see which one of you can beat the other? Or are you so caught up with Lilith that you can’t see me anymore?”
Silence met my question. I could feel the war waging within him, but his face lay dead to emotion, his eyes cold.
Lost for words, I grabbed the ends of his collar and pulled him to me. My arms roped around his waist under his coat. His heart drummed against my ear, his chest expanded under my cheek. My eyes closed, shutting out the world, centering myself on his touch and the hot, shaky release of his breath.
Caleb didn’t fight as I’d thought he would and instead stood limp in my embrace. “Do you feel it?” he asked.
I nodded. The draw was strong, his hunger intensified to the point of pain, and being this close to him made it a thousand times worse.
“If you can feel it, then you know what I’m dealing with. It’s not because of Capone, not some base need for satisfaction, but you. What I wouldn’t give to go back to how we were this summer, to have just a few moments alone with you. But even now in this empty room, we have no privacy. Our wires are being tapped and monitored by the enemy. I can’t go on like this.” The tips of his fingers trickled down my arms, and I fumed from the unfairness of it all. The smallest of caresses, sentiments meant only for me, now required censorship. This was no way to live.
“Caleb,” I began, but stopped at the finger to my lips.
“Samara.” He rarely said my full name, but when he did, it always sounded like the only word he knew, the soft prayer of a dying man. His body pressed into mine, knotted with tension as he deliberately avoided my mouth, but took his fill on the rest of me. It was infuriating, but the gesture was kind and therapeutic, a soothing balm for my injured pride.
“Don’t abuse your influence and be careful how you tempt me,” he warned against the hollow of my throat. “I’m weak, beat up, and in no shape to deal with what you’re offering. You’re stronger than I am right now, so go before I do something we’ll both regret.” He pulled away and turned his back to me.
For both our sakes, I granted his wish and went back to work. This tug-of-war was cramping our style, but we had to play by the rules until we found another strategy. At this rate, Tobias wouldn’t have to lift a finger; the separation would kill us first.
Though it was Sunday, Buncha Books was staying open until ten for the holiday rush. However, Samara Marshall was clocking out at six on the dot and not a second later.
After standing outside for ten minutes, I realized that my daring escape had been for nothing, and waiting for Mom to pick me up was a lesson in humility. At least now I understood why Caleb had worn such a big coat, though he’d looked like he was about to steal something from the store.
Christmas music chimed through the speakers outside. Window shoppers strolled past me, herding around the surrounding shops while I shivered under the awning in a flimsy jean jacket, looking homeless. Maybe Mom was stuck in traffic. I was ready to call her when a heavy cloth draped my shoulders.
Caleb drifted beside me. “You look cold.”
I adjusted the ends of his coat so I could slide my arms through the sleeves. The warm interior thawed my skin and I hummed at the familiar smell of vanilla and sugar. “I thought you left.”
“I had to make sure you got home safe. Is your mom picking you up?” he asked.
“Supposed to, but she’s running late,” I answered through chattering teeth. “God, I miss having my own car. It’s weird. I have keys, I got my bag; I step out of the building, and there’s no car. My pattern’s broken.”
“I could give you a ride. Finally got my Jeep back from the shop,” he offered.
I considered the option for a moment. The idea was hella tempting given the subzero climate, but sitting alone with him for any length of time was bound to end badly. “Nah. Mom would freak out if I’m not here when she shows up.”
“Your call.” He gathered both my hands in his and began rubbing the icy digits. “Your hands are freezing.” He lowered his head and blew hot air between my palms. My thumb grazed his soft bottom lip while his hands ventured lower, stopping at the pulse on my wrist. My fingers curled to cup his chin and he stopped to look up at me under thick lashes. The world froze again and this time I wanted to stay locked in this moment. No words were spoken, but I knew he felt the same kinetic energy, the mystical force pulling us further into madness.
The sound of a throat clearing caught our attention. Caleb and I looked up at the same time, identical expressions of annoyance on our faces.
David Ruiz stepped out of the crowd and touched my arm. “Are you all right, Samara?”
Caleb took the defensive position and pulled me behind him. “She was fine until you came along. What are you doing here?”
“I came to pick up Samara,” Ruiz said curtly, still looking at me. “Your mother’s not feeling well and she asked me to pick you up.”
“Is she all right? Is she hurt?” I asked, punching numbers into my cell. I didn’t remember exactly when I’d taken out my phone, but fear made the body work on autopilot.
“Not in any way that I can see. But she’s safe at home, resting and taking some medication,” Ruiz explained.
The phone rang four times before Mom picked up. She sounded groggy but calm, a sign that the anti-anxiety medicine was doing its thing. She confirmed that Ruiz was my escort and instructed me to do everything he said.
I passed him the phone to report to Mom. I couldn’t help but notice the worry in his voice as he kept asking if she was okay, making sure she ate and drank plenty of juice. The energy fanning off him was pure and sweet, a familiar vibe I often received from Caleb. He assured Mom that I would be home soon, then ended the call.
Caleb glared at Ruiz with distrust. “It’s a good thing you came when you did—a bit convenient, even.”
“I do what is required,” Ruiz said. “I need to get you home. Don’t want to worry your mother.”
I took a step back. “If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather ride home with Caleb.”
“I’m afraid I can’t allow that. I’m under strict orders to protect you.”
“From who? Who the hell are you?” Caleb demanded.
Ruiz loosened his cuffs and rolled up his sleeves, revealing two strong and hairy forearms, a clear prelude to a throw-down if I ever saw one. “Who I am is not important. The main concern is why I’m here. I told you, I’m here to investigate the happenings taking place in Virginia. The Ross family ruffled a lot of feathers in the Cambion world, what with Nadine Petrovsky’s murder, Nathan Ross’s death, just to name a few.”
And the truth finally comes out, I thought. I’d known he had inside knowledge of our existence, but to hear him say it aloud didn’t make it any better. The big mystery, however, was why Caleb froze up all of a sudden.
Before my eyes, he turned pale, even paler than usual. At the moment, he seemed more angry with himself, as if there was some key element he’d overlooked, a dark secret coming back to haunt him. I gave him a hard stare, though I wasn’t surprised that he would keep this tidbit from me. I just added it to the list of vital knowledge that conveniently slipped his mind.
Ruiz enjoyed Caleb stirring in the hot seat, and this entire ordeal seemed better suited for an interrogation room. “I advise that you go home, Caleb, and remember what we discussed at the station. Stay close to your brothers; make sure they don’t leave the country. I’ll contact you if I need further information, and I expect your full cooperation. I suggest you use an alternative method of feeding until further notice. If there are any more reported accidents before then, our next meeting won’t be as civil. Are we clear?”
“Crystal.” Caleb turned to me and pressed his forehead against mine, his anger made apparent by the trembling hands locked around my arms.
Our cold noses rubbed together while our lips danced around each other, never quite meeting. The second they did—that gentle ghost of a touch—he pulled back and walked away in a tight knot of frustration.
“Caleb.” I reached out for him, but he escaped my grasp and disappeared into the swarm of shoppers. I didn’t need an empathic link to tell that he was furious, and it was probably a good idea for him to cool down. He would get cool in no time seeing that it was thirty degrees and I still wore his coat.
“Come on, Samara. The car is this way.” Ruiz extended his hand.
I dug in my heels, refusing to budge. “I’m not going anywhere with you until you tell me what’s going on. What did you discuss with Caleb? Who sent you here to look after me?”
He looked at me as if the answer was as plain as day. “Evangeline Petrovsky—who else?”
24
Though I only lived a few minutes away from work, it was the longest road trip of my life.
I didn’t look at Ruiz during the drive home, and sharing breathing space with him made me sick. An army of thoughts hijacked my brain, and I was too busy trying to reach Angie on my cell to talk anyway. I’d had a feeling she wouldn’t leave well enough alone, but how could she betray my confidence like this? How much had she told the detective?
After the third call that went straight to voice mail, I gave up.
“You probably won’t catch her for a few days,” Ruiz said behind the wheel. “She’s in New York now, delegating with the Cambion family. I believe Broderick Ross is with her, interceding for his brothers. Not sure what good that would do, but it saves us from hunting him down.”
I sat in a deadened state, too burned-out from this screwed-up world to be shocked anymore. I heard the words, the information knocked at my head, but no one answered. But at least I knew where Brodie had disappeared to. While Haden and Michael looked after Caleb, Brodie was working behind the scenes to bail them out.
The detective kept his eyes on the road, his thumbs tapping the steering wheel. “I’m not explaining myself very well, am I? I keep forgetting how little you know. Let me begin by introducing myself. My name is David Manuel Ruiz, emissary and inquisitor for the Cambion family of New York. I’m sure you’ve heard of them.”
I nodded. Haden had told me about a Cambion authority and how older families governed the smaller ones on their turf. “This family has dominion over all Cambions on the East Coast,” he explained. “They never interfere in the lives of their subjects unless abnormal behavior catches their attention. The events in this town fall under that category, don’t you agree?”
I leaned in with intrigue. “That’s great, but what does this have to do with me?”
“Samara, you’re a new Cambion under a different name, a new strain who could begin your own lineage should you choose. Since you’re still a minor, you’re under the Petrovsky title. On the same note, you were born within the family’s territory, so you’re under their protection and authority as well. Nadine’s death occurred on this family’s soil, under their watch, so they’re obligated to investigate and document the event. And considering your ... conversion, you’ve incited an interest with my employers. You are the first self-made Cambion to come along in centuries.”
Fabulous! Not only was I a sideshow attraction, but I had more rules and protocol to deal with. Yay. “Who are you to this family, their messenger boy?” I asked.
“Again, who I am is not important.”
“I think it is,” I countered.
He said nothing until he rounded the corner leading to my neighborhood. “Believe it or not, I’m here to protect you, Samara. Your involvement with Caleb is dangerous, what with his history with women and all.”
Whatever argument I had crumbled at once. “What are you talking about?”
“For centuries, the major Cambion families have set out to eradicate all incubi from the Earth. They’re an abomination to human existence, as are any Cambion on the verge of transformation.” Ruiz looked at me. “Caleb and his brothers knew that their father was on the brink, yet they failed to report him. The accidents this summer make the Cambion family of New York believe that Caleb’s following in his father’s footsteps.”
My eyes grew wide with horror. “He’s not.”
He lifted a brow in a challenge. “Do you care to explain why three nurses went into cardiac arrest the very night Caleb went missing from the hospital? He’s lucky he didn’t kill them. I have to wonder how far he’s willing to go before the conversion starts.”
“He’s not converting. He doesn’t want to turn into a demon. He’s a good person,” I argued vehemently, but there just wasn’t enough evidence to support my case. And after the Caleb-Capone
mash-up on Thanksgiving night, I didn’t have a leg to stand on, and neither did Caleb. The only leverage we had was that Ruiz didn’t know about the mishap. At least I hoped he didn’t.
“That may be so, but he’s unstable, and I have the right to report this and take the Ross brothers back with me to New York for trial,” Ruiz said.
“You can’t!” I cried. Caleb may have been irking my nerves right now, but there was no way this guy was taking him away. If it meant kidnapping—or worse, calling up my grandpa to pull some strings—I’d do it.
“Caleb and I are linked. If something happens to him, it happens to me, and we wouldn’t want to upset Evangeline, would we?” I said. He wasn’t the only one who knew how to strong-arm people around here.
He pulled up to the curb in front of my house and cut off the engine. The leather seats squeaked as he turned to me. “I’m aware of your entanglement, Samara, and I truly sympathize. But this cannot continue and risk harming innocent women. Think of your mother. This is a highly sensitive situation and I can’t afford to have this leak to other Cambion families. As I said, Mrs. Petrovsky is meeting with the family, trying to straighten things out. If all goes well, no one will be harmed, but we’ll have to see. In the meantime, no one is allowed to leave town until I receive word.”
I fell back in my seat, swaying from a sudden head rush. I’d known Angie had connections and influence, but to have her pull rank like this was creating more problems than solutions. This world was so complicated, and if Ruiz’s convictions were true, Caleb would need a good lawyer. If he ever decided to talk to me again, I might even do it pro bono.
Did Ruiz open the door and tell me to tuck and roll? No, he escorted me to the house and came inside as if he lived there. I was too concerned with Mom to care. I found her upstairs, nursing a mug of herbal tea and covered in a blanket.
“Mom, you okay?” I sat next to her on the bed.
“I’m fine. I’m just overwhelmed. There’s so much going on and too little time to process it.” She stretched her stiff muscles and adjusted the sleeve of her frilly nightgown. “I talked to your father and told him about the storm. I hate lying to him; I was never good at it. He always said my nose twitches when I do, so it’s a good thing he didn’t stop by. We need to tell him soon, baby. He can’t be left in the dark forever. He’s worried sick about you.”
