That was interesting. Leisha wasn’t sure how useful that information was to her, but stored it away and shrugged her shoulders. No way was she going to tell him that vampires had heightened senses. If he hadn’t discovered it in his “research”, that was his problem.
With a little testing, she could tell that the constraints would hold her down pretty well. She could possibly try to break through them, but she would need blood to restore her strength afterwards, and couldn’t bring herself to draw so much on Samantha’s energy.
She had stopped bleeding. Leisha could feel the bullet still in her hip. The one in her shoulder had exited out the other side. The bullet in her hip would need to be removed since it would recurrently damage tissue then heal again.
Rolling his shoulders, Mason pushed a button on the wall with his thumb. It scanned his print before opening a panel. He retrieved tweezers and a scalpel. “This wasn’t the form of torture I was preparing for today, but we can take care of that bullet before we get to the main event.”
Pulling her pants down to her knees, he dug right in.
Biting her lip to keep herself from screaming, she forced herself to see what he was doing to make sure there was no foul play.
She had to give the man props for efficiency. He cut straight to the bullet and used the tweezers to yank it out in no time. He didn’t bother to staunch the bleeding, nor had he sterilized anything before he had begun.
Mason left the room, but returned a few minutes later with his hands cleaned up. “Now we can get on to the real reason why I’m here.”
He went back to the panel and pulled out the thick needle.
Heart rate picking up speed, Leisha’s mind raced. She had more strength in her legs than her arms, so maybe if she freed her feet and defended herself that way… no, it wouldn’t work fast enough to prevent the redhead from keeping her pinned.
Mason was getting closer, his eyes focusing on her stomach. Once he reached her side, he pulled up her shirt. As her belly was bared, she felt a ripple of the baby’s movement that could be seen under the skin, as if he were pushing an elbow out along her stomach.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Redhead grow pale. At least he had some kind of conscience. Mason showed no reaction. He put his empty hand over her belly and felt around. “I think we can do this without the ultrasound,” he muttered.
After a few minutes of probing, he lifted his needle.
“I swear I don’t know where they are,” Leisha burst. She could feel perspiration beading up along her brow and upper lip. She hated herself for breaking, but it was her baby. She flashed back to when Ptah threatened her daughter, Adanne, so he could convince Leisha to become a vampire. It hadn’t taken long before she’d broken under that pressure as well.
“Please,” she whispered. “You must know that I’m telling you the truth by now.”
Ignoring her plea, Mason aimed the needle at her side and towards the baby. Leisha feared it would impale her child completely.
“Stop!” she screamed. “I don’t know, I swear on my child’s life!”
With a steady hand, Mason pierced her skin. She sobbed for her baby more than at the pain. Leisha wasn’t sure if she should hold completely still or try to struggle.
The needle was slowly pushing deeper into her stomach. Leisha was about to start squirming when she heard a subtle sound that she wasn’t sure the others had heard.
“What the—” Mason cut off as he looked down at his procedure. “It won’t go any farther.” He pulled the instrument out.
Gasping at the searing pain, Leisha looked down at a large chunk of her flesh that had been ripped out with the needle.
The needle was no longer straight. It looked like someone had bent it backward.
Shuddering, Leisha glanced at her belly. She wasn’t sure how an unborn child could do something like that, but was relieved.
Shaking his head, Mason opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the buzz of his cell phone. Sighing, he pulled it out and looked at the screen. “Looks like you were saved by the bell,” he muttered before answering the phone. “Hang on a minute. I need to get to a more secure location.” His skin appeared a little pale as he turned to Leisha and removed the phone. “Don’t think this is over. I will find a way get the answers I want.” He nodded to Redhead, who promptly picked up his unconscious companion and followed Mason out the door.
Once she heard the door click, Leisha closed her eyes. Mason was a brilliant man with unlimited resources. He would figure out a way, and it would probably be incredibly painful. She had to get away before that happened.
Chapter 22
Samantha couldn’t stop pacing, even though there was nothing she could do to help her friend. She knew she should try to store up as much energy as possible, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself.
“You should probably take some more iron pills and have another fillet,” Nik said.
Grimacing, she agreed. She’d been downing iron pills and eating rare steak for the last two days. She wouldn’t miss the meat if she never saw it again, but it did seem to help a little.
If she went out with Nik and drank blood from a human, it would probably fix her fatigue problem as well as restore Leisha’s strength, but she couldn’t bring herself to do that. Not yet.
She followed Nik into the kitchen of their small apartment and watched him season the steak and get the stove ready. She poured herself some water, grabbed the bottle of iron pills, and swallowed two. “They should have been here by now.”
Nik shrugged as he cooked, the steam rising to his sandy hair. “They’ll get here when they get here.” Studying her face, his brow crinkled slightly. “You need to calm yourself. That will help Leisha more than anything.”
Sautéed spices wafted toward Samantha from the the skillet. “She can’t feel my anxiety.”
“No, she can’t. But when you become overexcited, it pulls on your energy more. You need to reserve as much as you can.”
Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she nodded her agreement. “Do you think the baby’s okay?” It was not the first time she had asked.
“You witnessed his birth in your vision,” Nik answered patiently. “Remember that.” It wasn’t the first time he’d given this answer, either. She nodded and went into the main room to sit on the horribly drooping couch that came with the apartment.
It had been two days since her episode in Chicago. When she’d collapsed in the car, poor Nik couldn’t get out to help her because his big hoodie was in the trunk. She had rested her head on the steering wheel for thirty minutes before the manager of the motel had come out to investigate.
She had made up a story about having anemia. The manager wrote down her information and credit card number and filled in the paperwork so she could check in. Then he helped her walk to her room and sent his son out to buy iron supplements for her.
Nik had waited in the car until sundown before joining her in the room. He’d been able to figure out which one was hers by her smell. After he had told her that, she’d soaked in the bathtub for an hour. She’d needed to get cleaned up after staying in that abandoned house and being in the car for several hours, anyway. But for some reason, Nik’s comment was the catalyst that sent her to the bath.
The iron pills had helped, and Nik had gone out for steaks from a local restaurant. She’d wanted to try some Chicago deep dish pizza, but he kept her on the beef, iron pills, and a spinach salad diet. Not to mention lots and lots of water.
While at that motel, she had emailed both Tafari and Rinwa, telling them that Leisha was in serious danger and she’d appreciate it if they could fly out to discuss it.
She and Nik had left the next night and had ended up in Kansas City. They had found a crappy, two bedroom apartment that rented by the month. Samantha had sent her location to Tafari and Rinwa. It was just an hour later that Tafari had emailed her back with their flight schedule.
Samantha wasn’t sure how they co
uld help, but she hoped that they could use their connection with the immortals to find her father’s new compound. She knew he wouldn’t be in Vegas anymore, not since that compound’s security had been so easily breached by his teenage daughter.
Nik brought the steak to her and she forced herself to eat. Then she sat back and let her body digest. It was amazing how fast her metabolism was now that she was a human servant. It seemed as though she could eat all day and not gain any weight, but the downside was that she needed to eat more frequently.
A knock came at the door and Samantha quickly got up to answer. She didn’t bother to check the peephole since Nik didn’t protest her getting the door. As soon as she saw Tafari and Rinwa on the doorstep, she ushered them in. Tafari put his bags down and opened his arms. Without a word, Samantha walked into them, tears pouring over her cheeks.
She knew that Nik and Rinwa were watching but she couldn’t seem to control herself. It stayed quiet for a few minutes. Once she pulled away, she gave Tafari a watery smile. He returned it, though his was more of a grimace than a smile.
“Thanks for coming so quickly,” she said as she wiped her face. She gestured for them to sit on the only couch in the room.
“I’ll stand,” Rinwa said, giving a pointed look at Nik. “I’m assuming since that thing is here with you, you’d be pretty upset if I killed him?”
“You could try,” Nik countered in his usual, unaffected way.
Folding her arms, Rinwa said, “I have a very good record when it comes to butchering your kind.”
Not rising to the bait, Nik simply met her stare.
“Alright kids,” Tafari said as he lowered himself down, then fell into the couch. He shifted a bit before muttering, “This thing just sucks you right in.”
“I know.” Samantha smirked. “I really have to work hard to get myself out of it.”
He shifted his weight again, then seemed to give up and crossed an ankle over a knee. “Do you need a moment, Samantha, or shall we get straight to the point?”
Sighing, Samantha said, “My dad has Leisha.”
Rinwa leaned a hip onto the armrest beside her father. “So? He’s taken her before and she got away.”
“Not without my help.” Samantha hesitated. “Plus, her condition is different this time.”
Lifting his eyebrows, Tafari asked, “What do you mean, her condition? Her circumstances?”
“That too,” Nik said. “The soldiers containing her have found a way to give themselves extra strength and speed.” He looked at Rinwa. “You’d be surprised at what a challenge they can be in a fight.”
“There is that.” Samantha continued. “She’s also… well, that is…”
“What?” Rinwa asked with a bored expression. “Has she been sewn to a cow or something?”
Samantha couldn’t help the chuckle that burst forth. “Where do you come up with these things?”
Waving a hand, Rinwa stared at Samantha. “Well? It sounded like you were about to tell us something.”
Samantha chewed her lip and then met Tafari’s gaze. “Leisha’s pregnant.”
Tafari was off the couch instantly. “What?” he barked at the same time Rinwa said, “You must be joking.”
“It’s true.” Samantha continued to look at Tafari. “I think you very well know who the father is.”
His silvery blue eyes intense, he shook his head. “It cannot be. Rinwa is right, it is impossible.”
“Look, I don’t know how it’s possible, but technically, both of you were human when you, er… you know, did it.”
Everyone started when Rinwa burst out laughing. “It’s called sex, dearest. You can say it without being struck by lightning.”
Samantha felt her cheeks heating, but gave a tight-lipped smile anyway.
Tafari shook his head, his mouth tight. “Plenty of immortals engaged in intercourse while we were human and not a single one became pregnant.”
Rinwa rolled her eyes and touched her father’s shoulder. “Your shock is blinding you to what everyone else has figured out by now.” When he didn’t respond, she continued. “Tafari, you and Leisha have most likely conceived the prophecy child.” She looked up at Samantha with her eyebrows raised.
“Yes, we believe the same,” answered Samantha.
Putting a hand to his head, Tafari slumped back into the couch. “Bloody hell.”
“Actually, it makes sense.” Rinwa looked thoughtful. “After all, the prophecies talk about him being connected to both the immortals and vampires in some way. I guess that’s how.” Suddenly her eyes widened. “I’m going to have a brother.” She shook her head. “That’s so bizarre.”
“I think my situation is a lot more difficult to swallow than yours,” Tafari mumbled.
“Look,” Samantha interjected. “I know this is a crazy huge shock, but Leisha’s in some serious danger, and…” Tears misted in her eyes once more. “And I don’t know what my father will do to the baby, but I guarantee it will not be good.”
Shaking his head as if to clear it, Tafari said, “You are right, Samantha. I am glad that you reached out to us. Now, we will help get her out.”
Nik finally spoke up. “I’m not sure if you really can help. But Samantha needed you guys here anyway. So I didn’t protest when she contacted you.”
Rinwa looked the vampire up and down. “You didn’t protest? And when did you become her keeper, oh mighty one?”
Samantha waved a hand. “It’s not like that. This is Nik, I mean Nikita. When the vampires found out about Leisha conceiving, they tried to kill her. Us. Anyway, we couldn’t have escaped if it weren’t for him, and he’s been with us ever since.”
Rinwa pursed her lips, studying Nik’s features, but stayed quiet.
Tafari brought the issue back to hand. “Do you know where they’re keeping her?”
“No. They attacked us in Canada, but I don’t think they’re up there. To be honest, I have no idea how to find my father’s compound, and time is running out.”
When the immortals asked her to explain how she knew time was short, she took a deep breath and looked away, unable to meet their eyes as she explained. “There was a little emergency when everyone changed back into vampires. In order to save me, Leisha sort of had to turn me into her human servant.”
Tafari stared at her with cold eyes. “Could she not have done something else to save you?”
Rinwa’s face was red and her lips were pressed together. “No.” Samantha cleared her throat, relieved. She hadn’t realized until that moment, but she’d been expecting them to ostracize her or something now that she was part of the vampire circle. “It was the only way. I promise that it was a last resort.”
The immortals glanced over her shoulder and Samantha turned to see Nik’s face passively not telling them anything. It was obvious to her that Nik didn’t like addressing this subject again.
“Anyway, because of that link, I can feel her pulling on my energy. She’s not doing well and I’m worried that if we don’t get her soon, she won’t survive.” She blinked back tears.
Rinwa walked over to Samantha and patted her shoulder. “We’ll get her out, Samantha.” Her tone hardened. “Then I’ll kill her for changing you.”
“I told you she did what she had to do,” Samantha insisted. She couldn’t help defending Leisha, even though she knew Rinwa was at least partly joking. “I’m over it. Besides, I kinda like that I can eat whatever without gaining a pound.”
Rinwa huffed. “If feeding you were all I had to do to convince you to become an immortal, I would have made that argument when you stayed with us last year.”
Tafari had been quiet during their exchange, looking like he was contemplating something. Suddenly, he stood. “I think I may know of a way. It would be a considerable risk, but if we prepare for it properly, we would be able to overcome the odds.”
Leaning against the wall, Nik said, “Do tell.”
“Well, we could use me as the bait. I was exposed to those gu
ys last year when they chased us in South America. I fought one of the men and he had to have noticed my quick healing.”
“Yes, I remember,” Samantha said.
“If I offered them my blood in exchange for some kind of political gain, I am certain they would take me to the same compound. Once we know the location, we can infiltrate it and get Leisha out.”
“Tafari, that won’t work,” Rinwa protested. “Mason would accept your deal, and then lock you up and do whatever the hell he wanted. We’d have to rescue both of you after that.”
Tafari shrugged and turned to Samantha. “We have a kit that we always take with us—in case we find vampires. It includes tracking equipment.” As if just realizing Nik was there, he glanced at the vampire in alarm.
Nik waved a hand. “Oh, don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. Besides, they probably already know that anyway.”
“Oh, we weren’t worried about that,” said Rinwa as she put her arm around Tafari’s waist. “There are other, less innocuous tools in there that we could use on you now.”
“Rinwa,” both Samantha and Tafari cautioned in the same tone.
Rinwa shrugged, pulled out a knife, and began twirling it deftly between her fingers.
“Let’s jump on this plan, Tafari,” Samantha said. “We still have hours until sunrise and I know we can get this thing moving along before then.”
Looking up at Nik, Rinwa said somewhat arrogantly, “We could move a lot faster if we didn’t have to wait around for you to sleep your lazy behind through the day.”
Samantha threw a warning glance at Rinwa, but Nik spoke up. “You’re right. Just give me some way to check in with you and I’ll catch up when I can.”
“But we need you,” Samantha spurted. “I don’t want us to get separated. What if the vampires or my dad’s soldiers find you?”
Nik walked over and embraced her. “Then I’ll be glad to know that you’re safe while I fight my way out.” He pulled back. “You don’t need to worry about me, Sam. I always come out fine.”
Defiance Page 17
