Beautiful Eternity (The Bloodmarked Trilogy Book 3)

by Alicia Deters

  “Well, technically, you were fighting me the whole time, so why did it only happen in the middle of it?”

  His hands had been supporting his head, but he clasped them together and they fell forward in front of him. His elbows still rested on his knees, but his eyes intensified.

  “Lucy, my purpose is so entwined with your life that you can control my fate just with your feelings. I was denying my purpose when I came after you, yes, but it wasn’t until you feared me that it hurt me. You thought I was a threat to you, so my blood intervened on my soul’s behalf.”

  His gaze dropped to his thumbs, which were now twitching nervously back and forth. I covered them with my hand and slipped it in between his palms to lace our fingers.

  “I’m still alive. You weren’t the real Gavin and you can’t keep blaming yourself for that.”

  “But it was a part of who I am. I have to carry so many bad memories with me, but that was by far the worst, Lucy. Seeing the fear in your eyes that I put there is not something I can ever get past.”

  “Yes, you will. Look at me.”

  His tortured gaze moved slowly from our joined hands to my eyes. It was my turn to break through his walls and bury myself deep inside his soul.

  “You’ll get past it every time you look at me and see the crazy amount of love I have for you. In case you haven’t noticed, it’s the strongest weapon I have in my arsenal, so I’m pretty sure it can do amazing things if put to the test. Keep your eyes on me, Mr. West, and you’ll get past it.”

  Those bright blue eyes warmed, and I leaned in to plant a soft but firm kiss on his lips. I pulled away and could have sworn I caught a glossy sheen to his eyes, but then the little boy who was playing beside me bolted past us in an effort to keep up with his parents. It was time to board the plane.

  We touched down in two different cities, but other than that, the trip was dull. Gavin and I never spoke about his unsettling thoughts again, but I sensed he needed a little more time to come to terms with his darker side. One day, he would be free of his torment. I would make sure of it.

  5

  We arrived in St. Louis during the early evening hours, and I stepped out of the airport, inhaling deeply. Every city seemed to have its own unique smell, and this one could only be described as home, or at least, it could be once you got past the polluted, fishy Mississippi water and the greasy but comforting Midwestern cuisines. The feeling that overcame me was, oddly, one of comfort considering my history with this place.

  For so long, it had been a place of sadness and loss, suffering and regret, but underneath that was a sense of belonging, despite the banishment ordered by the Chief of Police. I fought for this city, nearly died for it several times, and I grew up here. I transitioned from a cocky girl who knew next to nothing about the world of vampires to a confident woman who no longer had use for that self-imposed imprisonment.

  The guilt and sorrow no longer plagued me, and I was able to view this city as a stern parent who taught me life’s lessons when I was too young and naïve to recognize them for the learning experiences they were. I rebelled and lashed out against it, but I never hated it, even when it punished me and kicked me to the curb in a demonstration of tough love. Whether or not this city welcomed me back with open arms or open fire, it would always feel like home. I wasn’t ready to give up on it, and I had a strong feeling it wasn’t ready to give up on me either. I guess we were about to find out.

  Our first stop was the police station.

  “Please stay out of sight,” Gavin reminded me for like the thousandth time.

  I rolled my eyes. “What do you think I’m going to do, walk in there and dance around Holly’s dad singing ‘Ha, ha, you can’t catch me’?”

  He shot me a bland but somewhat amused look. “Something like that.”

  I acted as though I were seriously considering it. “Actually, that’s not a bad idea,” I teased.

  He sighed, and I laughed. “Relax, Mr. West. I’ll stay completely out of sight from every single person there, like a ghost, or a ninja. Happy?”

  “Ecstatic,” he deadpanned.

  Gavin sent our cab driver away with a hefty tip and orders to drop our bags off at his penthouse to be deposited in the loft by his staff.

  I posted about nine stories up on the roof of the police department as Gavin went in for questioning. I didn’t mind lying low for now. It gave me more time to take in my city. I loved the view from up here, but it wasn’t as impressive as Gavin’s 61-story view. Thinking about the penthouse made me all warm and fuzzy inside. I was itching to get back to it.

  A familiar voice broke my reverie, and the eavesdropping began. “Mr. West. Thank you for your cooperation in this investigation.” That voice was filled with thinly veiled contempt.

  “Chief Beckett,” Gavin responded coldly. I pictured him staring down Holly’s dad in a semi-threatening way.

  “Is she here?” His voice was strained.

  “Don’t worry about her. She won’t cause any problems.”

  “Is she here?!” the chief shouted, letting go of that restraint. I imagined he was in Gavin’s face at this point.

  A moment of silence passed until I heard Gavin’s chilling answer. “No.”

  It was safe to say I could now drop the ‘semi’ from threatening. I knew Gavin was daring Chief Beckett to say one more word about me in the quiet seconds following that vaguely honest response.

  Technically, I wasn’t there.

  A woman’s voice cut in before any other presumed challenges could be tossed around. “Chief! I think it’s best if you let me take it from here.”

  I heard his grunt of submission and his footsteps as he walked away. I contemplated the dangers involved in coming back here, but were they any worse than the dangers I faced outside of this town?

  That would be a hard no. I didn’t have the luxury of running from all of my enemies. They were in every state.

  I listened as the woman, who introduced herself to Gavin as Detective Ross, ushered him into her office. Gavin answered the detective’s redundant round of questioning courteously, whereas I would have lost my shit after the fifth time of telling her that Helen had no other family and no known enemies.

  She seemed to get caught up on Helen’s father for some reason, asking Gavin if Helen ever mentioned their relationship. He had no clue if she had any lingering daddy issues. When she was satisfied with this useless information, things got interesting.

  “Mr. West, I want to show you something from the crime scene to see if you could shed some light on it.”

  There were some shuffling noises, like she was flipping through files. “This may be a bit disturbing to see, and I’ll only show you if you’re comfortable with it.”

  “I’m fine,” he replied evenly.

  The sound of a piece of paper sliding over a hard surface came next. “This picture was taken in Ms. Lancaster’s apartment. Do you have any idea why it would say—”

  “No, none,” he interrupted hastily. His voice sounded cagey as he attempted to steer the conversation away from the picture. “I don’t know what that means. Maybe you’re dealing with a lunatic.”

  He didn’t want me overhearing what was on that photo. That much was obvious.

  Hmmm… you know it doesn’t work like that, Mr. West. I love you, but that protective nature of yours can be so damn frustrating.

  Whatever. I was done here. He could just meet me back at the penthouse.

  I vaulted over the roof ledge and welcomed the biting cold air whipping through my loose jacket and hair. Freefalling was a rush as good as running. I landed gracefully on the back side of the building, springing upright after absorbing the impact. Straightening my clothes, I spun in the direction of Gavin’s building when I heard someone shout.

  “Freeze! Put your hands above your head,” a brisk male voice commanded.

  Did he honestly think that would make me less dangerous? I turned toward the sound of the voice. At the corner of the buildin
g, two officers trained their guns at my chest. One was young with dark, clean cut hair, probably just out of the academy and doing everything by the book, while the other was a veteran in his fifties with white and blond hair. With my spiked adrenaline, I heard their erratic heartbeats, as well as a third coming from behind me.

  “Look guys, I don’t want any trouble.”

  “Then you shouldn’t have returned,” said the hidden heartbeat. But I didn’t need to see him to know that voice.

  “Chief.” I turned my head to see him step into my peripheral vision.

  The other officers closed in on me so that I was backed against the station. If that made them less trigger happy, I’d go along with it.

  “I knew you’d come back with him. I told you that you weren’t welcome here.” I looked into his denim eyes and noticed the dark circles underneath. There was more grey to his blond hair than the last time I saw him.

  “Look, I miss her too. Everyday, I miss her, and I feel responsible for what happened.”

  “You are responsible!” he shouted.

  “But this is as much my city as it is yours, and I won’t hide from my past anymore, so if you don’t want to see me, I’d suggest looking the other way. Because I’m not going anywhere.”

  “You’re a plague on this town.”

  “This town? Or on you?”

  “My little girl wouldn’t be in the position she’s in if not for you. She wouldn’t have been taken. It’s your fault!”

  Odd choice of words. He sounded incapable of fully accepting Holly’s death. This was a man on the verge of coming undone.

  “Chief Beckett, I can’t tell you how sorry I am for dragging Holly into my world, but she came willingly. I think you need to take some time away from your job to cope, maybe go visit her grave.”

  “There’s nothing there for me! I can’t see her anymore. She’s too far away from me now.” He started rambling incoherently to himself and his eyes were manic, bouncing all over the place.

  What the hell was he talking about? Hide your kids. Hide your wives. Craziness on the loose.

  When he came back to himself, he continued his warning. “And don’t tell me how to handle myself. You should be more worried about yourself right now. Those guns pointed at you are filled with bullets we’ve been testing on other bloodsuckers. They’re pure silver soaked in holy water.”

  Was he for real? I once compared my life to a horror movie, and some days I came close to believing it. Silver? Holy water? He was trying his best to convince me he was the real life Van Helsing.

  He carried on like this was a part of his normal, everyday conversations. “We’ve been working with local churches to have each weapon blessed in order to ensure they have similar effects to actual weapons of a divine nature.”

  Wow. I was not expecting to come back to a human resistance, but with the direction in which things were headed, I should have. Something about the way he phrased it rattled me, and I reached for my charm bracelet out of habit, seeking comfort from my angels and sacred token.

  An image of a great sword flashed through my mind. Could these consecrated weapons have a similar impact as the Sword of Michael?

  Holy water and religious items didn’t bother me since I technically had angelic blood and my soul was still in limbo waiting for me to reclaim it. But the Sword’s sole purpose was to eradicate the unnatural beings created by forces other than God. Was the effect of these guns purpose driven? Could the fact that they were created to kill vampires give them power, or was the Sword the only thing that could harm me?

  I wasn’t sticking around to find out. When I gave away my intention, several shots rang out into the evening. Time slowed down around me. Screams echoed from the parking lot opposite us, as many people were leaving their offices for the day.

  I fell to my hands and knees, gasping when the pain finally registered. “Damn it!”

  I haven’t been shot since my adventure in Gem City. It hurt a lot more than I remembered. The blessing must have worked to some degree, because it added an extra kick to these bullets.

  Footsteps and shouting caught my ear as people rushed to their office windows, wanting a glimpse of the commotion on the street below. Anger swelled inside me at how careless they could be in such a highly trafficked area. Any one of these people could have been caught in the crossfire.

  The forming crowd distracted them long enough for me to use my remaining strength. I snuck around the corner, hoping to eliminate their excuse for target practice before anyone was injured. As I circled the building, I barreled straight into a very pissed off Gavin. One look in his eyes told me he had other plans.

  After checking my nonfatal wounds, he gently set me against the building and bolted toward the mayhem. I peeked my head around the corner to see him relieving the good policemen of their guns. When he snatched Chief Beckett’s weapon, he got in his face.

  “That wasn’t very nice. I wouldn’t try that again. You don’t want to test my patience.”

  “I’ll never stop,” he spat.

  “I would advise not going down that road, Carl,” Gavin said, using the chief’s first name and speaking to him man to man. “But if you insist, don’t drag your men down with you.”

  With that final warning, Gavin tossed their mangled weapons to ground at their feet and made his way through the growing chaos. Other officers ran out of the building, shouldering past Gavin in the direction of the their commanding officer.

  He swooped down to collect me in his arms, worry creasing his forehead. I reached up to smooth out the lines, telling him with my eyes that I was fine.

  And I was. The bullets were taking longer than usual to be purged from my body, but they were already on the move. The little parasites burned their way through my torn muscles on the way out, stinging worse than when they entered.

  I smiled at Gavin’s behavior. “Well, look who’s taking cues from my reckless behavior handbook. You’re drawing quite a bit of attention to us, darling.”

  He grinned down at me. “They’ll come up with a lie to tell the people. But they sure as hell can’t shoot you and not expect retaliation. How are you doing, gorgeous?”

  “Oh, you know, I’ve been worse.”

  “Yeah, let’s get you home.”

  After the day I had, that sounded like a gazillion thread count Egyptian cotton sheets and a cold Mountain Dew on a summer day.

  Heaven.

  6

  He sprinted through the streets, weaving through rush hour traffic as I watched the play of waning sunshine across his face. Every building we passed, shrouded in the long, late evening shadows, created a strobe effect when we hit the sunlit breaks between each structure. Within seconds, he was depositing me onto the sidewalk in front of the massive Gothic tower he owned.

  I winced at the stretching of muscle and skin around the bullet holes, but by the time my feet hit the pavement, the bullets dropped with me, clinking softly against the concrete.

  Gavin wound his arm around my waist to keep me supported while I held onto his shoulder with one hand. He opened the door and we headed into the grand lobby. Just as I remembered, a cavernous space greeted me. The walls were done in a midnight blue, and the center of the room hosted a seating area with grey couches and a glass coffee table with a silver frame. The plush floor rug of patterned blue and white shades warmed up the cool marble beneath it. A large crystal chandelier hung above it.

  And when I looked to the left, who was seated behind the front desk looking bored as always? None other than my biggest fan, Gregory. His perfectly styled and gelled blond hair was shaped into a faux hawk. When his whiskey brown eyes lifted from his current trashy magazine and noticed me by Gavin’s side, he visibly panicked, looking like a mouse trying to avoid a heavy boot. His head darted left to right in search of an escape, but he sighed when he realized he was stuck.

  “No, just no. I haven’t had enough tequila to deal with you yet today. I can’t do it.”

  “Aw
, did you miss me, Greggy?” He hated when people shortened or abused his full name.

  “As much as I miss hemorrhoids.”

  Gross.

  Gavin cleared his throat in a warning to be nice. I shot him a dirty look, but when I glanced at him, his gaze was trained on Gregory.

  Huh? I was used to being the one on the receiving end of his disapproval. But I wasn’t this time. It was… refreshing.

  “That was just mean, Greg. And TMI.”

  The vein on his forehead bulged. I smiled sweetly. His eyes bounced back and forth between Gavin and I as if he were waiting for Gavin to give him permission to fight back, but my man knew what was best for him.

  Defeated, Gregory sighed audibly and mumbled, “Have a nice night.”

  “You do the same, Greg. And get some Preparation H for that little problem of yours.”

  As Gavin and I moved toward the elevator, we heard a choking sound behind us. “I think he’s really warming up to me.”

  Gavin rolled his eyes and stepped into the elevator behind me, reaching around me to key in his floor code. “Please try not to give my employee an aneurism.”

  I scoffed. “I would never. He loves me.”

  “Doesn’t everyone?” he said dryly.

  “Exactly,” I agreed, ignoring his sarcasm.

  When I heard the dinging noise, the doors slid open and I bolted into the hallway to the front door, turning back to eye him pointedly. He walked casually over to me, keeping his ice blue eyes trained on me while he unlocked it. As soon as the door swung open, I sprinted to the fridge and found what I needed. Bullet wounds really brought out a girl’s thirst.

  After rinsing my used glass in the sink, I turned toward Gavin but came face to face with something shiny and metallic. A key ring dangled from his outstretched fingers. My eyebrows scrunched in confusion.

  “I had it made for you a while ago, but I haven’t had many opportunities to give it to you.”

  I stared at it like it might bite me and made no move to take it. “Are you serious?”

  He laughed. “Are you really asking me that? Lucy, don’t act like this is too fast for us. In case you weren’t listening, I love you, and I want you in my life forever.”