by Jenny Allen
“Oh god.” Gregor looked as white as a sheet and he slumped back against the glass door.
Lilith remembered Spencer’s vicious words from earlier. Putting Miriah’s body in her office wasn’t part of the plan. “I don’t think Spencer knows all of Ashcroft’s motivations. He actually told me that Miriah wasn’t supposed to be found in her office like that. He reasoned it away by saying that he was sure He had his reasons. If Ashcroft is keeping him in the dark, then Spencer is just a pawn.”
“That makes sense. This may be the twenty-first century, but Ashcroft hasn’t changed. Our families were mere peasants to him. There’s no way he’d consider Spencer as anything but a useful dog. He isn’t going to share any secrets, any real power, with him.”
The hotel door shoved open, making everyone in the room jump. The joking conversation between Alvarez and Cohen died the second they saw their dismal faces. The two dropped all the luggage by the door and frowned around the room.
“What did we miss?” Alvarez looked pointedly at Gregor as he walked toward the chairs, Cohen trailing behind him.
“Oh just Ashcroft’s possible motive for leaving Miriah like he did. He’s launching an anti-publicity campaign against us.” Chance summed it all pretty well actually.
Something else occurred to her. “Dad, when I called you, about Miriah, you asked about her hair. What’s the significance of her hair being washed?” That earned her a pointed look from Cohen. Yeah, they’d be having that conversation later. She was stepping on all kinds of toes, but right now she didn’t give a damn. There was too much at stake to tip toe anymore.
Gregor blinked a few times, trying to focus on what she’d asked. “It’s an ancient burial tradition in the highlands for women that have passed. It’s believed that hair is the source of their womanly powers, so the hair is washed to give the soul the strength to carry on to the next life. Every female victim we killed in the Orrick family received that right. We didn’t want to punish them in their future lives because of what some monster related to them did in this one. It’s a message, a clear message that he is the one responsible. That’s why you saw it with Miriah and not with Malachi.”
“Ashcroft didn’t kill Malachi.” Okay, totally shocked looks from Gregor and Cohen this time.
Cohen spoke up first. “Wait. So you saw Miriah’s body? And her husband was killed too? Where the hell is his body? And when the hell did you see Miriah’s body?”
“Yes, I found Miriah. I couldn’t exactly call it in. We were the obvious suspects even without being found standing over her corpse. I examined the body, very carefully to leave no traces. And yes, her husband is also dead. He was killed in New York.” She turned to Gregor before he could say anything. “There are two reasons I say Malachi wasn’t killed by him. First off, Ashcroft attacked me the first night at Duncan’s. With the time of death and flight patterns, there is no way he could have done both. Secondly, the wounds were nowhere near the same. Similar style, similar positions, but even the cuts themselves were crude, hesitant. I think Ashcroft has taken Spencer under his wing and is teaching him the trade.”
She spent the next few hours filling everyone in on what happened since they arrived, Chance putting in his two cents every now and then. His tone and demeanor still told her how upset, angry and hurt he was, but she didn’t have time to explain, not yet.
Once everyone was caught up, it was almost one in the morning. Detective Cohen apologized, but he had to get back to the station, give Whitmore something to tide him over. Alvarez was absolutely wiped out and still pretty confused about things. He seemed more concerned with the idea of vampires going public than anything else.
Gregor agreed that they all needed some good solid rest. He called down to the lobby and was able to reserve the adjoining rooms. Not even ten minutes later a bellhop arrived at the door with a key to the other rooms. They were pretty fast and efficient in this hotel.
As Alvarez shuffled off to one room, Chance headed into the adjoining room without a word, or even a look. Lilith stared after him, a heavy weight on her heart. Gregor’s voice behind her almost made her jump. “He’s pretty upset. Why is that?” She turned to see Gregor’s inquisitive eyebrow crooked in a very familiar position. Not a good one either.
“Dad, we don’t need to have this conversation now.”
“The hell we don’t. I sent Chance because I knew he would do anything to protect you. I didn’t send him here to romance my daughter or vice versa.”
“Look. I’m perfectly aware of the full story now, so just drop it. I don’t know what your problem is with him. He does a great job for you, you obviously trust him. So what’s the deal?”
“I trust him to do his job. How can he do that when he’s blinded by emotions or anger? The boy cares for you beyond reason, he always has. That’s his downfall.”
“Why is it a downfall?” Lilith stopped and held out a hand. “No, you know what, I don’t want to know. I’m a grown woman and he’s a grown man. We are capable of making our own decisions without your help.”
“Just as long as you’re prepared to live with the consequences.”
“What? Like you do?” She instantly regretted saying that. The drawn, pained look on her Dad’s face made her wish a thousand times that she could take it back. She knew right there in that moment that things would never be the same between them. The wide-eyed adoration was burned away with vicious reality and a deep part of her mourned that loss. “I’m sorry, Dad. That was uncalled for.” She patted his shoulder affectionately, scared to give him a hug after her talk with Cohen. “I love you, Dad, but you aren’t going to make all my decisions for me.”
“I love you more than you could ever know, Lily. That’s why this can’t happen. It cannot last. He’s a half-blood. He’ll only live to be 90 or so if he’s lucky and only if his career choice doesn’t get him killed first. Are you honestly prepared to deal with the practicality of that?”
“Dammit. You sound just like Alvarez. It doesn’t matter.”
Gregor stepped closer with true concern pulling at the light wrinkles of his face. “Lily. He’s going to grow old and die before you even look thirty.” His face fell with tears of old memories haunting him. “Do you know how painful it is to put someone you love in the ground? It’s unbearable. I don’t want that for you. You deserve more than that.”
A small part of her understood what he was trying to say, but the moral high ground wasn’t exactly working in his favor at the moment. With all the insane crap that was happening around them, the simple fact that Gregor would hone in on this to talk about really irritated her. She gritted her teeth and stared her father right in the eye. “This is the least of our concerns right now, not to mention that you still are not telling me the whole story about Chance. I’ve dated plenty of normal human guys and you never once gave this damn lecture. So please do not stand there spouting philosophical high points at me.” She couldn’t hide how torn up she felt about this new image of her father and he could see it plainly on her face. There was no sense sugar coating it now. “I can’t deal with this right now, Dad. I love you, I really do, but knowing what I know… Please, do not lecture me about Chance.”
With that, she stepped into the adjoining room and closed the door. Lilith leaned against the hollow wooden door, closing her eyes and just breathing for a few minutes.
“You wanna tell me what’s going on now?” Chance’s voice loomed from the far bed. Lilith squeezed her eyes shut, wishing for just a moment that she had her own room so she could avoid this conversation.
She slowly opened her eyes to see him stretched out across it and had to bite her lip. He’d thrown his shirt in a lump on the floor, leaving him half naked. All his smooth lean muscles were keyed up and tense. His jeans hung low on his hips, revealing part of the mysterious tattoo and she noticed he’d taken the time to remove his shoes and socks. He looked casually relaxed lying across the bed, but she could see the tension underneath.
She pull
ed her robe tighter around her as butterflies danced in her stomach. “I don’t want to hurt you, Chance.” She didn’t move or even breathe, because every single part of her wanted to run her hands over his muscled chest. She was drawn to him like a magnet and she couldn’t tell if it was because of how she felt or if it was because of Cohen’s blood.
He pushed up on one elbow and stared at her. “Why would you hurt me? I don’t get it. What? Did Gregor finally change your mind?”
“No. Of course not. It’s nothing like that. Cohen’s blood…it did something to me. I don’t know if it’s temporary or permanent, but there’s… there’s a possibility I could really hurt you just by touching you.” Tears threatened to spill, making her eyes red again. “The last thing I ever want to do is hurt you.”
Chance softly patted the bed. “Come here, you won’t hurt me, Lily. I’m fully capable of defending myself.”
She just shook her head. “Not against this. It’s like I can feel your energy, your emotions and I can use them. If I take too much…”
“That’s why you asked if I was okay earlier?” She nodded. “And that’s why you didn’t want me to kiss you?” She nodded again and he laughed. It totally startled her. Definitely not the reaction she was expecting and definitely not the reaction he should have.
“It’s not funny. This is serious. If I got too carried away I think it could kill you.”
Chance slowly pulled himself off the bed, rising to his full six foot three height. She just stared at him. God, he was perfect. Her eyes caught every single muscle as he stalked around the bed. Every step closer made her heart beat a little faster. He stopped just inches away, his head stooped to look her right in the eye. She lost herself in those hazel eyes and he seemed to be just as lost staring at her olive ones. It felt like a magnetic field between the two of them, sparkling and crackling like magic.
“You won’t hurt me, Lily.” His hand reached out and she shied away at first, but the wall was at her back and there was a bed to either side. There was nowhere for her to go. His fingers slid across her shoulder, up her neck and then he pulled her toward him. His lips crushed against hers in such an explosion of passion that her knees went weak. He slid an arm around her waist, supporting her and drawing her tight against him as his tongue caressed her lips.
She didn’t have the strength or the desire to fight him. Beyond that, she really, really didn’t want to. Lilith slid her arms around his neck, her lips nudging against his hungrily. She felt his energy, his desire, burn down her body and it just made her want more. Chance growled against her lips, the sound rumbling along her nerves, as his fingers slid into her wet, auburn curls. Her heart raced in her chest as her lips parted. Her tongue caressed against his and it was pure magic that made her head spin. Suddenly, he moved forward, putting her back against the wall, his hands tightening around her.
Chance broke the kiss, leaning his forehead against hers, panting for breath. His body still held her tight between his and the wall. Every single nerve in her body trembled as she fought to just breathe. “Lily.” His eyes were squeezed close and his voice came out a little shaky. Still, it held such an intimate tone that it made her body ache. She brushed her lips, feather-light, along his neck and he groaned. The sound was like music to her ears, making her stomach tighten.
Chance’s hand tightened in her hair and his panted breaths tickled along her shoulder. Her teeth grazed faintly along his skin. He tasted so warm, so deliciously intoxicating. Her fingers curled over the back of his neck, memorizing every tiny sensation.
“Lily.” He forced the words out through a soft groan as his fingers tightened. Reluctantly, he pulled his head back, his hazel eyes a deeper green than she’d ever seen them. His chest heaved with every pant as did hers, breathless in the passionate moment. “I…If we…God, Lily.” He leaned his forehead against hers for a moment, gathering his strength. His eyes closed and he released a deep breath that tickled across her skin and made her whole body sing.
“If you keep that up…I won’t be able to stop.” Chance’s voice still trembled, but there was a warm, intimate humor to it.
“You started it.” Her voice whispered out like warm honey and she could feel his heart pound a little faster in his chest. Her flat palms caressed over his shoulders and along the top of his chest, relishing the feel of his skin, the tightness of his muscles.
“I did…but…” He breathed out in a soft groan at the feel of her soft hands gliding along his skin. It made her heart race even faster. “I want to Lily…God you have no idea how much I want to.”
She nudged her lips against his in a brief little caress. “But…” She felt so powerful, so alive and it was purely intoxicating. Everything felt amazing and vivid. The warm softness of his skin, the amazing scent of him, the tension pulling their bodies closer, the rough sound of his voice, the feel of his hand in her hair, her back firmly against the wall.
“But…your father is just on….”
Lilith interrupted him by wrapping her long legs around his waist and crushing her lips against his. Chance grunted against her lips as his body moved against hers with raw need. It took everything he had to pull his lips away from hers. When he panted for breath this time, it was definitely rough and jagged. “and…” His eyes slowly opened, holding hers in a burning stare. “I’ve wanted this for so long, Lily. I…I just want you to be sure…that it’s what you want.”
Her hands slid up his neck, resting on his cheeks as she stared right into his deep hazel eyes. “Chance, please stop questioning what I want.”
“I just don’t want you to think that…”
“What?” Lilith leaned her head back against the wall with a deep sigh. Aggravation began eating away at the magical moment and it was making her irritable. “Do you really think I’m so impressionable that I just fall into any man’s arms that shows me attention?”
“No! No, that’s not what I meant. Lily…”
Lilith quirked an eyebrow at him. “Then what did you mean?”
Chance opened his mouth to say something, closed it and then tried again. “I…I just don’t want to pressure you.”
She wanted to be irritated, but she just couldn’t. It made her feel like she was back in high school. “Just shut the hell up and kiss me already.” Her smile chased all the panic out of his face and his lips played along her neck. His warm breath made her shiver as he moved along her jaw line and finally reached her lips. The tender building pressure of his lips brought the heat of the moment right back, but sweeter and less primal.
And then her cell phone chirped annoyingly bright from the pocket of her robe. Always something. They paused just staring at each other and she knew they were both trying to decide if she really needed to answer it. In the end, Chance was the one to pull away, though his smile betrayed just how reluctant he was.
Lilith fished the phone out of her pocket and jammed the answer button. “Lilith.” Her tone definitely rang ‘it better be damn important’.
Chapter 17
“Ms. Adams.” Richard Coffee’s deep voice rumbled hesitantly over the phone. “I’m sorry to disturb you, but you asked me to inform you when Dr. Nichols arrived at the lab.”
“He’s there? Right now?” Chance looked over at her in a mixture of confused interest.
“Yes, Ma’am. He just went into the Division 2 lab.” There was a pause in his voice that made the hair stand up on the back of her neck. “He seems more agitated than usual. Skittish and definitely in a hurry.”
“Do not let him leave, Richard. Keep him there. We’re on our way.” Lilith’s heart was pounding violently in her chest as she hung up the phone. Something was very wrong.
“Something’s wrong.” Chance was staring at her from his perch on the bed. His words completely startled her. It was like he’d plucked them right out of her brain.
“We need to go to the lab. Now.” She didn’t wait for him to ask anything else. Lilith swung the inner door open, and stormed through. Gr
egor whipped around, wide eyed, from the balcony window. Relief washed over his face and pulled his lips into a smile.
“Lily. I was hoping I could talk to…” His words died away as she soundlessly grabbed her suitcase and Chance’s duffle bag before crossing back toward the inner door. Gregor moved as fast as he could and grabbed her shoulder. “Lily?”
She whirled around and, reluctantly, faced her dad. She still needed time to process everything and time was the one thing she didn’t have. “I can’t talk about things right now, Dad. I just got a call from Goditha Labs and we need to head there immediately.”
Gregor nodded as his hand rubbed against his close cropped beard. “All right. Let’s go.”
Lilith sighed heavily and readjusted the bags in her hand. “You can’t go. You have to stay here.” Before Gregor had a chance to respond, she stepped up to the inner door and tossed the bags through it. “I don’t want to hear any argument.” Lilith turned back toward her father, steeling herself. She definitely wasn’t used to giving him orders.
“This is my mess, Lily.” It wasn’t a plea, it was a statement. His warm face was covered in fine lines, all drawn into a resolute look that immediately made her want to be obedient. This was bigger than her daddy issues, way bigger.
“It is, but… when Spencer was bashing my head in, he told me that part of the plan was to get you here. Now here you are. You need to stay in the hotel where you’re relatively safe.” She looked around the room as something occurred to her. “Is Alvarez still next door?”
