“I hate how quiet it is,” Dante spoke up, breaking the silence. Even his voice sounded hollow in the air. “I miss the cars, the people, the daily grind.”
“I once thought how annoying people were with their busy behavior and rush to get from one place to the next. But I have to admit, I too miss it a little. How’s the knee? Are you sure it’s up to this?”
“It’s a little sore but manageable. Cooper is a wonder with his hands. He put this liniment stuff on it and it takes the ache away just like that.” He snapped his fingers and the sound reverberated around them.
“Yeah, he’s the best. But you let me know if it starts bugging you and you can take the car home and I’ll keep patrolling.”
“Yeah, sure, whatever.”
Basil knew the guy well enough to know he had no intention of telling him. So he’d watch him for any signs of being in pain. “So how is it going with Gypsy? Aside from the sex that the two of you seem to have on an hourly basis.”
“It’s not hourly, and it’s going good. I think I have her convinced to come work for me when all this is over. It’ll be good for Lexi. She won’t have to deal with me seven days a week now. She’ll have her hands full anyway, cleaning up the bar.”
A lot of people were going to have their hands full when they returned. Plenty of shops had been vandalized since the cloak had been projected over the city. And it wasn’t just the vampires who’d done it. Several non-vampires had gone on a rampage right after the sun had been blocked, looting what they could from defenseless shop owners.
The bad guys weren’t always the one you most expected.
“What are the odds, you think, that Jonah is still alive? It had to be addressed,” Dante added when Basil gave him a sideways glance.
He was right, and it was a thought that ran through Basil’s mind more than once. “With Chaos? Who knows. The guy is as flakey as they come. He could very well be keeping Jonah alive to feed from him, knowing keeping him would be driving Trinity crazy.”
“Which it is.”
Basil nodded. Trinity was really worrying him. Her emotions were all over the place with Jonah being gone and Ariel having been killed. The sooner Jonah was found the better. “Yeah. Then again, he could have drank him dry just to get even with Trinity.”
“Either scenario sickens me. I was really growing to like the guy.”
Basil kicked a rock in his path and watched it skip along the road. In the distance a rat scurried away. They’d be next on the list to be taken for food, Basil thought, now that the humans were gone. “He has that effect on people.”
“Why don’t the two of you get along?”
“I cheated on Trinity. He’s like her protective older brother and when he found out what I’d done, he came over and ripped into me. I let him have his say mainly because he was right, but if you ever tell him that I’ll rip your eyes out and shove them up your ass.”
“Ouch! Don’t worry, I won’t say a word. He’s cool with you now knowing why you did it right?”
“I think he’s still on guard with me, not trusting me entirely.”
“But you did it to save Trinity.”
“Yeah, but…I cheated.” And it still pained him to know how much that had hurt Trinity. Even if it had been for her own safety.
“I guess so. What are we doing out here? No one’s out so how are we going to grab someone and beat some answers out of him?”
Basil was thinking the same thing, still… “Someone might come out, and we’re not just looking for someone, we’re looking for some place. Wherever Chaos is hiding there will be activity. They’ll be restless and a restless vampire is not a quiet one.”
“I guess all we can do then is keep our eyes open. But couldn’t we just as easily do that from the car?”
“Knee hurting you already?”
“No, but we can cover more ground in a car than on foot.”
“You take the car, I’ll stay on foot.” And with that said, Basil transformed into a dog and scampered off.
***
Feeling refreshed from his shower, Jonah wheeled himself back to his room and found Raven changing the bedding. He also noticed she’d found a cot and had placed it near the window, shoving the chair into the corner. The cot was a mere foot and a half from his bed, leaving no room on that side of the room to move around in.
He wondered if she wouldn’t be more comfortable in a real bed in her own room. But he knew suggesting it would only bring out a protest in her claiming that being near him was for the best in case he needed her for anything.
So he kept his thoughts to himself.
As he approached his bed, he saw the packet of blood on the table. He didn’t feel the need to drink it, still feeling full from his earlier meal. Bypassing it, he wheeled right up to the bed. “I don’t know about you, but I feel ten times better after that shower.”
She turned to him her hair sweeping over her face as she smiled. “I know what you mean. You even have more color in your face.” She stood up and rubbed her hands together. “Ready for some exercises?”
He was but he wanted something else first. “I’d like to try standing up again before we get to the exercises.”
“I don’t know that you’re ready for that yet,” she said, moving towards him.
“We won’t know unless I try. I have to try, Raven. I’m done sitting on my ass and I’m done feeling sorry for myself.”
Her face lit with excitement. “That was a really fantastic shower. Welcome back to the world of the living, Jonah. Okay, let’s give standing a try.”
He felt giddy inside and scared to death as he set his feet on the floor. But he was determined to do this. No matter what. But just as he was about to grab the bedrails, she took his arm and swung it around her neck. “What are you doing?”
“Helping you to stand.”
“I was going to just pull myself up by the bed.”
She shook her head and held on to his arm. “And have a repeat of the shower rack? We’ll try it this way first. Put your weight on me.”
“I’ll break your back.”
“I’ve lifted heavier people than you, Jonah, and besides, I’ve carried you before. Put your weight on me.” She nudged him with her head.
Giving in with a heavy sigh Jonah did as she asked. As she pulled him up, he grabbed the bedrail to steady himself. He felt the cool tile beneath his bare feet, felt the pressure in his hips and in his back as he straightened up..
“Go slow,” she warned him, holding him up with one arm around his waist, the other hand holding the arm around he had around her neck.
He didn’t want to go slow. He wanted to stand like he had for the majority of his life. But he knew if she let him go now, he would drop like a wet sack to the floor. He didn’t have enough strength in his back, hips, or legs to hold himself up. Defeat was a harsh bitch and she was laughing at him now. “I can’t do it…”
“Yet…” she finished for him then shifted his weight. “We’ll get those legs into shape and then you’ll be as good as new.”
He really hoped that was true. With her help, he maneuvered himself into the bed. The instant he was lying down, she climbed onto the bed near his feet. Grabbing hold of his left ankle, she placed her other hand beneath his knee and bent his leg. As she leaned forward, bringing it to his chest, she pressed hers to his leg. He felt the swell of her breast beneath the deep blue nurse’s shirt she wore and that she wasn’t wearing a bra.
He actually felt her nipple against his knee.
He felt it!
But he wasn’t about to tell her that and kept it to himself.
“Do you feel anything?”
His eyes darted up to her a little quickly for his liking until he realized she couldn’t read his thoughts. “Like what?”
; “Your muscles stretching?”
“Yes,” he said simply with a nod of his head. When she straightened his leg, then repeated her earlier motion, he felt her breast again. And it went straight to his loins.
“So what made you change your mind? What’s with the sudden change of heart?”
He shook his thoughts aside, trying not to focus on how soft her breast felt against his leg. “It was you, what you said about my wife. She wouldn’t want me to give up. She’d kick my ass actually, and tell me to stop being a baby and do something about my situation. She was a strong woman, and you remind me of her for your strength.”
“Carrying you isn’t so tough,” she admitted, turning to the right leg.
He had more feeling in this leg and the touch of her hand on his ankle combined with the press of her breast against his knee was a driving force for the boner he was beginning to get. “Not physical strength, Raven. You’re strong inside. You lost a child and you kept on going.”
“Only because I was kidnapped and held against my will. I’m not so strong, Jonah. I did let a monster drink from me, remember?”
He remembered and thought of himself sucking on her vein to draw her blood into his body. “And you could have found a way to end your life while being held against your will, but you didn’t, so that tells me you really didn’t want to end your life. You are strong, Raven, and you made me see just how weak I was being. So thanks.”
“Anytime. Can I ask you something?”
He shrugged. “Sure.”
“Why is me exercising your legs giving you a hard-on?”
He was sure his face went beet red. He’d hoped she hadn’t noticed but as he looked down, he saw clearly the large tent in his pajama bottoms. “Jeez.”
“It’s good…I mean, that you can get it up.”
“Don’t go any further, okay. I can feel your breasts against my leg when you press it to my chest.”
“Oh…oh,” she said with a smile on her face. “And you can tell I’m not wearing a bra.”
“Yeah.” Was there a rock he could hide under now?
“I wanted to wash my underwear,” she explained, releasing his leg.
Great, now he knew she wasn’t wearing panties either. “Do you think we could resume this later?” When his mind wasn’t focused on her body.
“Sure, I guess. I’ll just go see if my underwear is dry yet and when I get back we can continue.” She hopped off the bed, and her face softened with a smile. “I’m flattered. Do you want me to get you something to jack off in?”
“What?” he gasped.
“Maybe the urine jug?”
“No! I wasn’t…I didn’t….that’s not why I asked to stop.” She thought he wanted to get himself off.
“It wasn’t?”
“No,” he chortled. “I just wanted some time to cool down.”
“It’s okay, you know, if you want to. Might be a good idea to make sure it still works properly—”
“Raven…” He took a deep breath before continuing. “Just let it go.”
“Okay. I’ll be back in a bit.”
He slapped a hand over his face as she exited the room. Dear God! Then he lowered his hand to look down at his crotch. It wasn’t completely deflated but it was getting there. He felt like he was betraying his vows by lusting after another woman.
He saw the blood packet on the table and turned away from it. He was still having trouble accepting that part of his new life. Seeing the telephone on the bedside table, he decided to give Trinity a call. He really should let her know he was okay. He could do that without telling her where he was.
That part of his life he wasn’t ready to go back to just yet.
Too many memories.
But Raven was right about that as well. He should at least let Trinity know he was okay. So he picked up the phone, grateful that it still worked, and dialed. When she answered her voice warmed his heart. “Hey, Trin.”
“Jonah? Is this really you? Where are you? Where does Chaos have you?”
“It’s me and slow down with the twenty questions. I’m okay. I’m safe and not with Chaos. I got away.”
“Oh thank God! Where are you? I’ll come get you. Do you know how worried I’ve been about you?”
He closed his eyes. “I’m sorry I worried you. That’s why I’m calling now. To let you know I’m okay.”
“Great! Where are you?”
“I can’t tell you that. Not yet at least.”
“What the hell do you mean you can—What?” she shouted and nearly deafened him. “Shit!”
“What’s up, Trin?” The sound of worry in her voice bothered him. “What’s going on?”
“Someone’s approaching the house.”
“Is the alarm system running?’
“Yes—what the hell are they doing out there? You’re kidding me?” She spoke to someone, leaving Jonah confused.
Raven entered the room and saw that he was on the phone and made herself busy by her cot. “Trin, what the hell is going on over there?”
“I don’t know. There are some vamps on the front yard and it looks like…no fucking way.”
“What? What the hell is going on?” He heard the loud crash, then screams right before the phone went dead. “Trinity!”
Chapter Nine
“What’s going on?” Raven wanted to know.
“I don’t know but I have to get to her. Forgetting he didn’t have two strong legs to stand on, he tried to move off the bed and couldn’t. “Damn it!”
“Let me help you and you can explain what the hell is going on. Who were you talking to?”
It pissed him off that he needed her help now. “Trinity, my friend. She said there were some vampires on the front lawn, then there was a huge bang and a crash and some screaming before the phone went dead. I have to go to her, now.”
“Okay, I’ll take you. Just tell me where to go.” Slipping her arm around his waist, she helped him out of bed and shifting him, set him in the chair.
“To the castle. What are you doing? We have to hurry.” She was slipping those ugly ass hospital slippers over his bare feet.
“You need to protect yourself and it’s a little chilly out there.” Then she wrapped a blanket around his shoulders.
“I don’t give a damn about me right now. We have to hurry,” he growled.
“Oh, put your fangs away. I’ll get you there.” She grabbed the keys from the bedside table then pushed him out the door.
If anything happened to Trinity…
***
Raven had driven like a maniac only because Jonah had continually told her to speed up. It wasn’t often that he was in the passenger’s side of any car, preferring to drive, and the memory of his last car ride came barreling back at him like a sledge hammer to the gut. Would anything have been different if he’d been in the driver’s seat? No one would ever know that. Did he blame Dante for the accident? No! He’d done the best he could under the extreme circumstances they’d been under. He hoped to God that Dante and Gypsy were okay.
The bright orange and yellow flames licking the dark sky up ahead caught his attention and nearly stopped his heart. “No!”
“What the hell happened?” Raven pulled into the long driveway behind a shit load of vehicles. “This doesn’t look good.”
She was right about that. Not only was the front of the huge ass castle Basil and Trinity called home up in flames, but there were at least ten vampires hanging out front. Waiting.
“I’m turning around.”
“No!” he shouted, grabbing the steering wheel. “I am not leaving her to deal with this.”
“And going into it is suicide, Jonah. We can’t fend them all off alone.”
A car sped past them and Jonah recogni
zed it as Basil’s. “We’re not alone. We have help.” He pointed to the car as it came to an abrupt halt only feet from the vampires.
“What makes you think they’re here to help and not more vampires?”
“Because that’s my friend’s car. Pull in behind him.”
“I don’t like this, Jonah.” But she did as he asked.
Jonah saw Dante climb out of the driver’s side of the car but no Basil. Dante was a sitting duck alone. “Shit. I have to get out there.”
“And do what? They’ll attack you the instant they see you.”
“I have to do something. I can’t just sit here—” He stopped, his own words like daggers to his heart. All he could do is sit. He wasn’t capable of fighting anyone off from his wheelchair. “Run them down.”
“What?”
“Run the bastards down with the car. Floor it, Raven.”
“You want me to run them down?”
“Either that or we all become food. Your choice, but we’re running out of time. Here they come.”
She gunned the engine and pressed her foot on the gas.
He gripped the door handle and held on. As they barreled towards the crowd of vampires waiting for the flames to dissipate, she began to squeal. When they hit the first vamp she screamed but kept on plowing through. The sound of bodies hitting the car was not one he would soon forget and he had to remind himself that they were vampires and that they were the bad guys.
Wasn’t he a vampire now too?
He wasn’t one of them.
Raven came to a halt so abruptly that if he hadn’t put his hands out, his face would have slammed into the dashboard. Even with the seat belt in place.
“I can’t do that again.” Her voice was more than a little shaky.
He hoped they didn’t have to either. Then he saw Dante race towards them and he rolled his window down. “D,” he called out to him.
“Jonah? Holy fuck! Is that really you?” Dante yanked the door open, his face lit with a smile.
“It’s me. Thought we’d give you a hand. What the hell is going on?”
“Just got here myself. I gotta check this out. Better call Basil first.” He grabbed the cell phone from his pocket and dialed. “Jesus, man, we thought Chaos had you. Basil…we got trouble. Vamps bombed the house.” He pulled the phone from his ear when Basil appeared beside him. “Jesus, man,” he gasped.
Shiela Stewart - [Darkness 03] Page 8
