by Jenn Windrow
He reached out and stuck his fingers in the deep hole in my chest. Forcing me to cry out in pain, and even though my brain fritzed and the lights dimmed, I refused to pass out. The beast surged, giving me the extra bit of energy I needed to shove the stake into his murderous vampire ticker.
The hard wood drilled through his flesh, bone and went on a one-way journey straight into his heart. I expected flames, ash, and satisfaction. But instead the stake bounced off the wall in front of me.
Delano was gone.
The stake hit home, of that I was sure. Was it possible that the man had escaped death twice in one lifetime? If so, he was one lucky bastard.
The liquid silver was still in my system and now that Eddie had retreated, my eyes crossed, and my feet wobbled.
Nathan placed his hand inside my chest and tiny beads of silver fell to the floor. Then he started working on the new gaping hole. I hadn’t lost as much blood as the first time, so my natural healing powers helped him heal all my wounds.
Then he reached out, wrapped his arms around me and pulled me tight. “I would have missed you.”
Tears of pain, relief, frustration and self-loathing rolled down my cheeks. And I allowed myself just a few moments to bask in my own pity before rescuing everyone else.
Nathan stopped hugging me and floated over to Reaper. “He’s alive, but unconscious.”
I followed him over, hopped up on the conveyer belt, and gently lifted Reaper off the meat hook. I cradled him in my arms and laid him on the floor. “Nathan, lend me a hand.”
I grasped Nathan’s hand and we worked to heal Reaper’s wounds. His eyes fluttered open. I held back the new set of tears that filled my eyes.
Reaper rolled to his side and coughed up a glob of blood. “Is he dead?”
“I don’t know. But he’s gone.”
Reaper sat up. “Good enough for me.” He surveyed the room, gaze falling on the dead man. “Terrance?”
I lowered my head. “Me.” The word low and shaky. One battle was over, but another was about to begin.
Nathan grasped my hand, solidified, and spoke up. “I will not allow you to blame her, to harm her, over something that saved your bloody ass from being turned into vampire. Saved everyone in this room from death.”
Reaper’s brow crinkled. “Relax spook.” He looked at me. “Accident?”
“I blacked out. When I woke up he was in my arms and I was feeding from him. I tried to stop. I really did. But the hunger was too strong. I couldn’t stop and before I knew it his heart stopped beating.”
Reaper stood and dusted off the back of his pants. He didn’t say another word, just hopped up on the conveyer belt and began to lift the first woman off the hook. I stood below him and helped her to the floor.
She was conscious and when I released her, she wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tight. Her sobs filled my ears and her tears wet my shoulder.
She backed away. “You saved us. All of us.”
I hid my embarrassment by stepping up to help with the rest of the victims. We left Julia hanging. She was her brother’s problem.
I wandered over to where Julian still lay. “Nathan.”
We performed an emergency triage on the hurt werewolf and watched while his body shifted back into his human form. The small cuts and bruises that covered his flesh faded into nothingness before he even opened his eyes. His lashes fluttered, then his lids opened. He smiled at me; it was small and weak, but there.
His lies still didn’t sit well with me, but that was a problem for another time. My pathetic issues seemed like nothing compared to what we all just went through.
I pointed over my shoulder. “I didn’t know what you wanted to do with her.”
He pushed off the ground, very naked, and went to his twin. Within seconds she was removed from her hook and in his arms. She didn’t fight or kick or scream. Instead she buried her head in her brother’s chest and wept.
They walked to the door, but before Julian crossed over the threshold he stopped. “I’ve got to deal with the repercussions. There’s going to be a fallout in the pack. I promise I’ll come see you when things calm down. I still owe you that explanation.”
He turned and I watched his glorious naked ass leave.
The humans were safe, Reaper was safe, and the bad guy was gone. Maybe not forever, but I couldn’t focus on the negative.
Reaper touched my shoulder. “I have to call Coleman. He needs to know what happened here.”
I handed him my phone. “Get it over with.”
Reaper glanced back at the man I’d killed. “Maybe you should disappear.”
“I’m sick of running.” I planted my ass in a chair. “It’s time to face the consequences of my actions.”
Reaper dialed and asked for James Coleman and I sat and waited for my fate to be decided.
Chapter Thirty-One
The sound of sirens got closer to our current location, carrying with them my judge, jury, and executioner. The urge to run, to hide, to escape judgment, moved my feet against the chipped grey floors.
The man I’d killed lay just a few feet away, his dead eyes accusing me of the vilest crime. Guilt over the man’s death twisted its fingers in my soul, and rang out any bit of hope I had that I wasn’t the monster the world believed me to be. Life wasn’t worth living anymore, knowing what I did, what I could possibly do again.
Reaper sat with the other victims, the ones I’d managed not to kill. Helping them come to terms with what they’d just witnessed. Nathan stayed close to me, offering his comforting presence without any inane chit-chat.
The sirens stopped out front. Gravel crunched under the heavy tires of what sounded like multiple vehicles. Footsteps and shouted commands joined a few moments later.
Time to let Detective Coleman and the VAU have their way with me. Time to do the right thing.
I pulled my chair back farther into the shadows, not wanting to be on display when the VAU walked in. I’m pretty sure they had a stake first, ask questions later policy. If anyone was going to take a stake to my heart, it would be Coleman or maybe Reaper.
Reaper patted a young man on the back and made his way over to greet the cavalry. The first officer on the scene walked through the door, took one look at the pile of guts, bottles of blood, and dead man, and promptly fled through the door and puked.
“Get it together, Rookie.” Detective Coleman’s voice preceded his body through the door.
Coleman marched into the room followed by a barrage of paramedics and uniformed officers. He stood in the center and surveyed the scene, never once flinching at the horrors that upset the rookie.
The others scurried around, pulling together the survivors. While the paramedics checked their vital signs and patched up the fang and knife marks, the officers asked questions, and took notes.
The youngest officer in the group motioned for Detective Coleman to come over during his interrogation. He showed Coleman his notepad. The detective nodded, then knelt down so he was face to face with one of the humans I’d saved. They talked for a few moments; Coleman rubbed her shoulder, and stood.
Standing in the center of the room, his gaze roamed over the gore, but settled on the dead man off to the side, now surrounded by several people examining my bite marks.
My partner moved to stand at his side, but remained quiet until Coleman spoke one word, a word I hoped he wouldn’t have gotten to until much later in the investigation. “Alexis?”
Reaper followed his line of sight to my victim, “She couldn’t help it.”
“Is she here?”
Reaper scrubbed his hands over his crew cut, then pointed in my direction.
Coleman headed my way, side stepped several busy medical personnel, and took a seat in the metal chair next to me. “You killed a man.”
“Yep.” There was no use denying I was the vampire that caused his death, they already had my DNA on file. And Julian would be the one to extract it.
“That makes you a
n enemy of the VAU.”
“My lack of heartbeat makes me an enemy of the VAU.”
“True, but I could have overlooked the lack of a beating heart. I can’t overlook the death of an innocent.”
I held out my palms. “Do what you have to do.”
The solid silver handcuffs clinked when he removed them from his belt. The bracelet snapped around my wrist, the metal burned into my skin. He stood, hand on my arm, ready to help me up, but before I got out of my chair, the officer he spoke to earlier interrupt him.
“Sir.” He cleared his throat. “My witness would like to speak to the…ummm.” His face paled when he looked in my direction.
“Vampire?” Coleman finished for him.
Red crept into his cheeks. “Yes, sir.”
“Bring her over.”
Coleman helped me up. “Don’t try anything.” His fingers dug deep into my flesh.
“If I wanted to leave, I’d be gone.”
A woman in her forties, covered in blood, with a bright yellow blanket wrapped around her small frame approached with the officer. She held out a shaky hand between us and waited.
I looked down, unclear on her intention.
“I wanted to say thank you.” She noticed the handcuffs, reached over and took my hands in hers, then pulled me close in a tight hug. “You saved us.”
She let go of my hands and turned to face Detective Coleman. “Without her we would have all died.”
The rest of the survivors left their various positions around the room and joined our little party. They circled around me, all murmuring their heartfelt gratitude.
A tall, balding man, covered with tattoos glanced at the cuffs. “What are you doing with her?”
“She’s a vampire. The law’s simple. She killed one of ours, she must be executed.” Detective Coleman tried to be the voice of reason.
The man put a barrier between the heavily armed VAU agents and me. “That monster would have killed us if it wasn’t for her. She deserves a medal, not death.”
The woman wrapped in the yellow blanket took the vacant spot next to the man. “Vampire or not, she’s a hero.” Her warm hands found mine. “There’s plenty of evil vampires in the world, we’ve all seen the proof, but there’s evil humans too. What you are doesn’t make you evil, or wicked, it’s who you are on the inside. What’s in your heart and soul that makes you the person you truly are.” She wrapped her arm around my shoulder and pulled me close. “She’s a good vampire, a good person.”
My eyes welled up and the tears began to tumble at her words. I wanted to believe her. To believe I wasn’t evil or wicked or a bad egg. But seeing the man I had murdered in cold blood being loaded into a body bag made it impossible.
How ironic, Eddie, who I’ve loathed for the past two years was the one thing that gave me the strength and power to save a room full of humans. Power to get us all out of one hell of a situation. How ironic that a group of humans who less than an hour ago had been horribly abused by a vampire, now stood in a line. Protecting me. Fighting for my life. Even though I killed one of their own.
“It’s not my choice, ladies and gentlemen. It’s the law, but I will do my best to see that she is treated fairly. This way, Alexis.” Coleman grabbed my arm and escorted me past the line of survivors, out the door and into the night. We stopped by Reaper’s car. He didn’t remove the handcuffs, but he did release his hold on me. Then he leaned against the hood.
“Those people owe you their lives.” He paused, swallowed deep, and added, “I owe you an apology.”
“For what?”
“For the way I treated you.”
“You had your reasons.” I brushed off his apology.
“Not good ones.” He rubbed his chin. His eyes. His forehead. The man standing in front of me was tired. “The truth is I needed your help. I knew it and I used you to do what the VAU couldn’t. I planned on taking you into custody when this was all over and executing you. That’s what the VAU does.”
I picked at the holes in my now bloody tank top. “Is that still the plan?”
“I don’t know.” He lowered his chin and stared at his shoes. “We couldn’t have saved the victims without you. Officers would have died. More innocents would have died. Unnecessary bloodshed.”
I wet my lips and swallowed hard. “I have some bad news. Terrance wasn’t Terrance. He’s Delano Melazi.”
Detective Coleman stood up and closed his eyes.
“He’s still alive. Injured, possibly close to death, but alive.”
He slumped back down onto the hood of the car. “Then we need your help more than ever. I need your help. The VAU can’t fight this fight alone. We can’t go up against a vampire like Delano and expect to win”
“Over one hundred trained military men and women aren’t enough to battle the Chicago vampire population?” I cocked my head and my brow.
“Not even close. I need someone who knows the vampires. The way they think. The way they move. From what Reaper tells me, you’re already doing your part to help us, just without the official title.”
“I do what I do for my own reasons and I only go after the creatures that hurt others.”
“Then help the VAU and get paid for fighting evil.” He met my eyes. “You would still work alone, but you’d be a consultant. My little secret.”
Coleman’s little secret. His chance to move up in the ranks of the VAU, take out more vampires than any other agent, and make a name for himself.
Laughter erupted from my mouth. “I’ve already got one boss I can’t stand, and you expect me to have another.”
Coleman placed his hand on my shoulder and pressed down. “Not a boss, a partner.”
“What makes you think I want to help?” I lifted my chin and looked into the starry night.
“Because tonight you stepped up and saved a room full of people.” His words were complimentary.
“I didn’t have a choice. Terrance had Reaper.”
One of the officers peeked his head out of the door and called for the Detective. Coleman removed the handcuffs and then handed me Reva. “You’re free to go, but I really hope you consider my offer. I’ll call you in a few days to hear your decision.”
I rubbed the charred skin on my wrist, happy to be rid of the shackles, and slipped Reva into her sheath. It wasn’t a bad offer. It got the VAU off my butt, plus it gave me the opportunity to satisfy my contract without hunting on my own. With the added perk of taking out more of the bad guys. But could I work with the VAU? With Coleman?
That was a problem for another night. Right now I wanted to go home, take a hot bath, and forget about contracts, the VAU, Delano.
I walked into the warehouse, approached Reaper and Coleman. As I walked up I heard the tail end of their conversation.
“I owe you an apology too,” Detective Coleman said to Reaper. “I thought you were insane to be working with a vampire after what happened to Lorelie. But after meeting Alexis, and seeing what she can do, I understand why. She’s a powerful weapon to wipe them out.”
I cleared my throat. Both men looked at me. “Ready, Reaper?” Without looking back I marched to the front door. The good detective’s words ringing in my ears. A powerful weapon to wipe them out.
Some prejudice ran too deep. Some words hurt to hear.
On the way out, Reaper said, “He told me about his offer. Are you going to take it?”
I shrugged one shoulder.
“Would it really be that bad to help them out?”
I ignored the question and slid into the car, slammed the door and settled my head against the window.
The drive to my apartment was long, quiet, and strained. I didn’t feel like talking for once. Nathan didn’t feel like talking. And Reaper never felt like talking. The mood was somber, and the air was heavy with unspoken words.
The car slowed in front of the warehouse, and I went to open my door. Eager to be inside. Alone. Reaper’s hand on my arm stopped me.
“Thanks fo
r coming back for me.”
“Did you think I would leave you?”
“After the way I’ve treated you, I wouldn’t have blamed you.”
“That’s the difference between us Reaper. I would never leave a man behind.”
I stepped out of the car and slammed the door. He didn’t pull away for several seconds, and I didn’t look back. He deserved to carry his guilt around with him.
I looked at my ghostly companion. Reaper could take a few lessons from him. Hell, I killed Nathan. Ran a stake through his heart, and he found a way to forgive me.
I opened the door to my apartment, stripped off my boots and flopped onto the couch, still in my tattered blood-covered clothes. Nathan took the spot next to me. Raja curled onto my lap, purring. I stroked her fur.
The air in front of me blurred and a chill crept through the room. Caleb filled the space.
“I see you’re still around to be a pain in my ass.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Caleb stood in front of me, hands on his hips, lips curled in a smile that belonged on a devil, not an angel, and his expansive black wings blocking my view of the television. After saving the day, I didn’t have the energy to exchange witty repartee with the angel of snark, but I doubted my opinion mattered.
I leaned to the side and placed my head on Nathan’s shoulder. “Could you move to the left? I like this part.”
Caleb stood his ground. “Is he dead?”
My eyes never left the TV screen. “Define dead.”
Caleb snapped his fingers and the TV went dead. “A large pile of smoldering ash on the ground.”
Since I couldn’t actually answer his question, I decided to volley one of my own. “Did you know that Terrance was Delano?”
“We heard rumors, but didn’t know if they were true.”
I tossed the remote control on the table and Raja jumped. “And you didn’t feel like sharing. Warning me about what and who I might be going up against?”
