Kira knew he meant the Vampire Council. Something her granddaddy and daddy had served on for years.
“Oh, good. Now, Caleb.” Kira yanked Caleb up and twisted his arms behind his back. She used a pair of silver cuffs to bind him. “Let’s get going. I can’t wait to see what the Council’s going to do to your butt.”
“Aron’s out for the count. Do we tear this place apart to get the information on where the hits are?”
“No, I’ve a better idea.” Malachi moved to Aron and knelt down. He placed his hands on both sides of the man’s head, bent his head to the man’s neck, and closed his eyes. A moment later, he stood to his feet and wiped a drop of blood from his lips.
“I’ve got the locations.”
“Gareth, Kira will take you back to the White House. I’ll wait until a team arrives to transport Aron to jail. I’ll also call in some of our people to take care of Caleb and disarm the bombs before returning to the White House.”
Kira turned to Gareth. “Well, guess we have our orders. You ready to head back?”
It was Gareth’s turn to growl. “Double hell no! I want to make sure those bombs are disarmed.”
She touched his arm. “Look, I know it bites, but it’s too dangerous.”
“Sorry, love, I know you’d rather be in on the action, too. You would be if I wasn’t here.”
“Don’t worry about it, Gareth.” Kira ran a hand lightly over his mussed hair. “Come on, I can have us back in a second, and we can get the sleep we missed earlier, or we can relieve some of this tension by doing a little exercise.”
“What type of exercise?”
Kira grinned at Gareth’s question as she wrapped her arms around his waist. “The kind that requires us naked on a bed. Now hold on tight.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Kira stood in front of the bedroom mirror, holding up the sheath dress she planned to wear the next day for the Memorial Day celebration. The last few days had flown by. The bomb crew disarmed all five of the bombs. One definitely would have taken out the Capitol, and the others were located at the Lincoln and Washington Memorials, as well as the War Memorial, and Arlington National Cemetery.
Aron Stewart deserved to be hanged, fried, and guillotined, all in that order, for what he’d tried to do to the country and to Gareth. Poor Malachi still suffered some of the side effects of the tranquilizer Caleb had given him.
And what about her, what side effects would she carry? Every time someone tried to kill Gareth, her heart cracked a bit more. The man was too stubborn to stay behind the scenes. He had to get up close and personal with guns, bombs, you name it.
She slapped at and then smeared a blood-red tear. Stupid things, they always popped up when she didn’t want them. She’d held them back the night they captured Aron and Caleb. She’d hid them from Gareth after making love that night, but for some reason she just couldn’t stop them from coming.
“Kira, you in here?” Gareth’s sexy voice caused a panic to well up inside Kira. She couldn’t, wouldn’t let him see she was scared, make that horrified, he would die.
Okay, just suck it up, girl. You can do this!
“Yes, I’m reading.” Kira tossed the dress aside, grabbed the book she’d been trying to read for a week, and jumped on the bed. She settled on her stomach and tried to look like she could see the words, but all she saw was Gareth and that damn bullet coming straight toward him.
“Hey babe, I thought you were going to take a nap.” Gareth nuzzled her neck before sitting on the side of the bed.
“I couldn’t sleep. I thought reading might help.” Liar, liar. Lord she was gonna end in up in hell at the rate she was going.
“You need more rest. You haven’t been sleeping much for the last few days.” Gareth leaned in again and gently pushed Kira over on the bed. “You need to be in the middle. Put up the book, and I’ll rub your back.”
Tears again, damn!
“It’s okay, you don’t have to. I’m sure I’ll fall asleep in a bit.”
“I do have to. I’m not going to have my wife risking her life every night without any sleep.”
Kira’s vision blurred. Her risking her life was nothing. She was immortal, or enough so it would take a lot to bring her down. Gareth was fragile, although he would hate that term, his mortal life precious, his mortal body susceptible to all kinds of weapons, age, illness. God help her, how would she get through the next decades of marriage if he didn’t allow the binding and change?
“Honey? Kira? What’s going on?”
She had never allowed Gareth to see her tears. Beside the fact their color might freak him out, she just wasn’t the type to unload. Maybe she should.
Kira turned over on her back and faced her husband.
“Oh Lord, Kira, don’t cry. Whatever I did, I’m sorry.”
Gareth’s words just made her cry harder.
“Oh shit, you have to stop. I can’t stand to see you upset.”
“Well, I’m sorry. This is what you’ll probably see every time someone tries to kill you.”
Strong arms slid under her body and pulled her up to lean again his broad chest. “Kira, it’s over. Aron is behind bars, maximum-security isolation, actually, and Caleb’s been incarcerated by the Vampire Council. It’s done. I’m fine.”
“You are this time, but what about next time, Gareth? Will there be someone to stop you from getting killed then? What if I’m not around? What if they sneak up when I’m on rounds or asleep?”
Gareth smoothed a hand over her cheek. “Kira, I do have other agents who can protect me.”
“Yeah, but they can die too. I’m the only one, outside of Malachi, who can keep you safe!”
“Hell, Kira, is this why you aren’t sleeping? You’re afraid something’s going to happen?”
“What if it is? It’s my life.”
“Oh no, darling, it’s my life also.” Gareth pulled her tighter against his body. “When you put yourself in danger, it affects me.”
“Then why can’t you understand how I feel?” Tears streaked a path down her face, stinging, reminding her the man she married was mortal.
“Kira…”
“What? What did you want to say, Gareth? Can you tell me you won’t die? That some maniac won’t leave me without my soul mate? No! You can’t.” Kira tried to pull away, but Gareth wouldn’t let her go.
“Please…just leave me alone for a bit. I need some time, Gareth. Please!”
“I don’t like leaving things like this. We need to talk about it, try to put things in perspective.” His words sounded hollow, as if he didn’t know how to fix what was wrong with her.
Men could be so dumbass.
“I don’t want to talk. Just go…please.”
“All right, but I’ll be back.”
* * * *
Gareth slapped Malachi on the back as he strode down the corridor to the Oval Office. “I need to talk to you.”
He didn’t wait to see if the vampire followed him or not. He entered his office and slumped in the chair behind his desk.
“What’s up, Gareth?”
“It’s Kira…”
“What about her? Is she okay?” Malachi’s eyes glinted almost silver.
“She’s up in our room. I don’t know if she’s okay or not. I tried to talk to her, but she told me to leave.”
Malachi’s chuckle didn’t help the situation. Maybe he was making more out of a woman’s tears, but Kira never cried.
“Shut up, Malachi! Kira was crying!” His words dropped into the room, and his friend jerked straight up from the couch.
“Kira never cries!”
“Yeah, I know that. I have no idea what’s going on. She babbled stuff like someone else could kill me and that she couldn’t sleep—she had to stay on guard.”
“Damn. I never thought how badly this would affect her. We talked for just a moment about what happened in the warehouse. She seemed okay. I should have made her see a counselor. Standard procedure when an agent
is in the line of fire. Damn, I should have insisted after she was knifed and her throat was slashed. But, Kira’s not a regular agent.” Malachi groaned. “I forget she’s human at heart.”
“So what do we do?”
“Do? I don’t know. You’re her husband. Maybe she just needs some time. Besides, with this being a holiday weekend, I couldn’t get her in to speak to anyone if she agreed. Let’s just wait until after the holiday is over. She may snap out of it on her own.”
“I think Kira’s right.” Gareth picked up a pencil from the desk and snapped it in half. “You’re chicken.”
“No, just cautious. I don’t want to upset her.” Malachi’s words were even, but smacked of a lie to Gareth.
“You just don’t want to make her mad.”
“Neither do you!”
Another pencil went the way of the first. “You’re right. Damn shame to be afraid of your own wife.”
Malachi’s rumble of laughter hit Gareth like a ton of bricks. A second later, he joined in. Just maybe Malachi was right. They’d defeated the bad guys, so surely she would be her old self in a few days.
* * * *
Kira lay on her side, dressed for bed. She’d sent a note downstairs saying she wouldn’t be joining Gareth and Malachi for dinner. She just didn’t feel like eating. The small salad Claude brought up after Gareth’s visit sat in her stomach like a jar of molasses. Fear ate its way through her veins. She couldn’t shake the feeling something was going to happen to Gareth.
Something horrible. Something deadly. Something that would steal him from her forever.
The door to the bedroom eased open. She’d heard Garth come up a bit ago, but he’d stayed in the den watching the news.
“Kira, are you awake?”
Gareth’s whisper only set up a dread the size of Texas in her mind. He’d want to talk about her problem. Why couldn’t he understand it wasn’t just hers, but his? He was the one in danger.
“Yes, I’m awake. Did you need something?” Kira resolutely kept her face turned away from his side of the bed. She couldn’t look at him. Those damn tears would start up again, and she’d just stopped crying from the last time a few moments before.
“I just wanted to see if you were okay.” His tone was louder now, but reminded her of the type of voice you used with a skittish animal.
“I’m fine, Gareth. Go to sleep.”
“All right. I’ll leave you alone.”
She heard the soft rustle of his shirt being tossed to a chair. She heard his sigh of relief when he unlaced and kicked off his shoes. A slither of sound signified his pants were now off. If he followed routine, his boxers and socks would be next.
The mattress dipped, and he nestled next to her. A second later, his arm snaked out and curved over her waist. He pulled her to his chest.
Kira pulled away.
He pulled back again.
She took his hand and removed his arm. “Gareth, don’t.”
“Don’t what? Don’t touch you?”
“Yes.” Kira fought the compelling urge to turn and bury herself against his warmth. She couldn’t do it—making love with him would just remind her of all she would lose when he died.
“Why?” Gareth’s voice carried hurt and confusion.
“Because, I need some time to think about things.”
“Things? That makes no sense.” The timbre of his tone went deeper. He wasn’t happy, but neither was she.
“Yes, things. Do you have a problem with that?” She now resisted the urge to slap him with a pillow. She’d had a bad day—no, make that weeks of being turned upside down. If anyone was entitled to pitching a fit, she was.
Gareth dropped his arm across her body again and then, in one swift move, flipped her on her back.
Kira moved to get up.
He caught her legs with one of his and held her immobile.
“We’re going to talk. I don’t care if we have to stay this way all night.”
“So talk.” Her words sounded staccato. Pissed did not properly describe her current mood.
“Look, I know you’ve been going through a lot. Malachi said—”
“You discussed me with Malachi?” She bucked her body up and off the mattress, but couldn’t dislodge Gareth’s grip. For a mortal, he was extremely strong, or maybe she was just bone tired.
“Lie still! I’ll be happy to tell you what Malachi and I talked about, but you need to behave.” Now Gareth sounded ticked.
“Fine, hurry up then. I want to go to sleep.”
“Look, we’re both worried. You never cry…” Gareth’s voice trailed off.
She knew he was confused, but darn it, her private emotions were her own—not to be discussed. Yet, in that deep inner part of her heart and soul, she knew he’d only run to Malachi because he cared. Should she make him pay for her frustration?
Kia looked up into his concerned gaze. “I know, and I’m sorry I upset you. It’s just something I need to work out.”
Gareth caught her hand and brought it to his lips. The soft caress he placed on her palm drenched her heart in love. She just needed to have him understand her, why she felt like she did. So, why didn’t she just tell him?
“Gareth, I need you to listen to me. For years, I never thought I’d find someone who could love me.” Kira used her free hand to swipe at an errant tear.
“You came along as my assignment. Simple. Guard the president, no big deal, but it was so much more. The first time I laid eyes on you, I wanted to know more about the man behind that desk. I wanted to know what made you tick. You acted like such a chauvinist.”
Gareth’s soft chuckle helped her rein in the woman side of her, the part that wanted to just burst into tears, cover her head, and hide under the covers.
“And do you know more now?”
“Yes.” Kira tugged her hand from his and returned the caress he’d given her. “I know if I live a hundred years, two hundred years, I’d want you with me. I don’t want…no…I can’t stand the thought of you lying in a grave somewhere. It would kill me.”
“Darling, I’m not going anywhere.” Gareth’s words were well meant, but lies.
Without him agreeing to the blood ritual and changing, he would die. “Don’t say something you can’t mean. You have no way of knowing what will happen in the future. Gareth, if you don’t change, you’ll get old and die and leave me alone.” Kira banged her hand on the mattress.
“Kira, all I can promise is I’ll be careful while I’m in office and when I retire. None of us know what’s facing us tomorrow. That’s life.” He tugged her closer into his body. “You can’t tell me, even with your immortal longevity, you might not die before me. It’s already almost happened. How do you think I felt?”
The tortured emotion in his voice hurt Kira’s heart. He was right. She’d not given any thought to how he might feel.
“Again, I’m sorry. I’ve been so consumed about your safety, I didn’t realize how hard my being who and what I am might be on you. I know you tried to tell me, but…”
“It’s okay. Although you’re a vampire, you still maintain a human heart. We all make mistakes and have misconceptions. I just want to put it behind us.”
Kira wanted that, too, but she needed him to allow the blood ritual. “Are you willing to complete the ritual with me?”
“You mean change—become a vampire?”
“Yes, but it’s more than that. We would have decades together with good health, memories we could make, and it would strengthen our love.” The last part of her sentence came out in a rush.
Would he agree to be turned?
“We could do all those things without me turning. I don’t know if this is what I want.” Gareth’s words shattered whatever hope she’d carried deep inside into desolation.
“Well then, I don’t think I can stay married to you. I won’t live my life in constant fear for you.” Kira almost choked on her words and would not meet Gareth’s gaze.
“I’m not giving
you a divorce. You are stuck with me until death do us part. Now, I think it’s time you fulfilled another wifely duty.”
Gareth barked his words at her, and for the first time that evening, she felt the kernel of temper build inside her.
“If you mean make love, forget it. I have a headache, a huge presidential ache.”
Gareth’s lips were on hers almost before she finished speaking. His tongue eased into her mouth, which remained open, and she saw stars. The man could kiss with ease, but when in a rage, the caress seduced her more. Her blood began to heat to a slow boil, and she felt the wet need of desire between her thighs.
His hands were everywhere. Touching her nipples, sliding up her legs to the center of her ache. Apparently, whoever said makeup sex was fantastic knew what they were talking about. Although she couldn’t stay with him unless he changed, for now, this one night, she would relish the fury of their love.
She clenched her thighs against his hand, holding his sweet, tortuous touch in place. The proof of his desire surged against her hip. She wanted to touch him, to caress him, to make a memory she would take into the future lonely decades.
“Kira, you’re killing me…” Gareth’s statement ended in a groan, as she wrapped her hand around his arousal. She felt the soft texture of its length before she raised and lowered her hand in rhythm with her own desire.
“I don’t want to kill you. I just want to love you. I need tonight.”
“You have all my tonights.” He nuzzled her neck before licking a path to her breasts. The crowning tips strained toward his advancing mouth. At the first touch of his tongue, her hand worked him harder, eliciting another groan from her husband.
“Stop. If you don’t, I’ll be spent before I can get inside you. And I have to be inside you.” Guttural, but effective, and what she wanted also.
“Then do it.” Kira raised her hips to welcome his entry. The sleek feel of him as he slid to the hilt made her tremble. She matched each of his movements with one of her own until they were both breathless with desire.
The momentum grew within her center until waves of intense lightning drew her closer and closer to the edge. As she struggled to wait on Gareth, he lightly pinched her woman’s nub, and her body exploded with the heat and fire of her climax. Her vision weeped red, and she wrapped her arms around his muscular back. His shaft pumped in and out so fast the friction ignited her body again. She strained for her release. The spirals of heat grew longer, deeper, until she went up in flames a second time.
Smith, Faith V. - Presidential Heat [Vampire Government Protectors] (BookStrand Publishing Romance) Page 21
