The Pursuit: A Novella (Mind Sweeper Series Book 4)

by AE Jones

Kyle stood and walked closer to the bed. “Right.”

  Talia ignored her tone. “How long was I asleep?”

  “Two hours.”

  “How is Annie doing?”

  “Doc is the only person she’ll let near her without freaking out, and she’s not really talking to her either. I wish I could help.”

  “You can’t make her forget, Kyle. She’s a vampire now. Everything she does has consequences. Have we heard anything from the guys?”

  “Just that they’re still looking for Renato.”

  “I understand from Misha and Will that you’re pretty handy with a fire extinguisher.”

  “I felt bad for a split second, but then I thought, eh, she’ll heal.”

  “She’ll heal from the extinguisher, but it will take a long time before she heals from the forced turning.”

  “It sounds like you speak from experience.” Kyle held up her hands. “And before you go postal, Jean Luc didn’t tell me anything about your past. Your reactions are like a neon sign.”

  Talia fisted her hands before her claws extended. “I was turned by force. It’s like a form of rape. A violation. A taking away of my humanity.”

  “I’m sorry some S.O.B. thought he could do that to you.”

  “I’ve moved forward, but I’ll never forget.”

  “Is the bastard who turned you still alive?”

  Her nerves tingled in alarm, but Kyle didn’t look like she knew anything. “I believe so.”

  “I hope he gets what’s coming to him.”

  Talia nodded, her throat too tight to make a sound. He would get what was coming to him. She would see to it.

  * * *

  Jean Luc read the text from Kyle and took a deep breath. Talia was doing well. He stood in an alley down the street from the hotel, waiting for Leo to show up. He had practically threatened Misha with bodily injury to get the demon to let him meet with Leo alone.

  Moments later, Leo appeared and stood before him. “Jean Luc.”

  “Do you know where Renato is?”

  “I see we are going to dispense with the pleasantries tonight. I believe he is meeting with Jia Li.”

  “The founding vampire from Beijing?”

  “Yes.”

  “So they must be planning a tribunal.”

  “That’s what it looks like to me. But take heart. With the recent stain on Renato’s reputation, he won’t be ruling us.”

  “I am not convinced he is guilty.”

  “You’re sticking up for Renato now?”

  “Talia does not believe Renato is responsible, and I agree with her. Why would he risk something like this so close to the tribunal?”

  “Because he doesn’t believe rules are meant for him?”

  “Perhaps.”

  “Do you miss the old days Jean Luc?”

  Jean Luc raised his eyebrows in question.

  “Oh, I don’t mean The Wars. I mean the simpler times. What happened to solving disagreements with a few punches? Now we call attorneys or spread gossip through social media. Is this what we fought for?”

  Jean Luc thought for a moment before responding. “I think that what is truly important never changes. And we have to fight to preserve it in whatever way is necessary.”

  Leo frowned slightly before grinning at him. “Spoken like a besotted fool. I’ll get in touch with you when I know more about Renato.” He walked out of the alley.

  Jean Luc stared at his retreating back until he was alone. He might be besotted, but he was no fool. Four hundred years had taught him very few things really mattered in this world. And when you found the one who did, you held on tight.

  Chapter 14

  Talia stood outside Annie’s room, staring through the rectangular door window. Annie huddled in a ball on the bed.

  Talia clicked the lock, and Annie jerked, her eyes widening when Talia walked into the room. Talia stayed by the door so as not to stress her out and to maintain space between them in case the fledgling tried to attack again. Annie’s fledgling scent permeated the air. It reminded Talia of freshly washed linens. Why she hadn’t sensed it in the stairwell where she found Annie was a mystery to her.

  “How are you feeling, Annie?”

  “Okay.”

  “I don’t know if you remember me from earlier today?”

  Annie nodded and looked away. “I’m so…I don’t know what happened…I never meant to hurt you.”

  “It’s okay”

  “How can you say that?” She blinked, and a tear rolled down her cheek. “After what I did to you? I’m a monster.”

  “No. You’re a vampire.”

  She gasped. “That’s crazy. They’re not real.”

  “How else can you explain what happened?”

  “I can’t. Maybe I have some virus. Or maybe I’m just crazy.”

  “We want to help you. What do you remember from this morning? Before I found you.”

  “I was at the hotel bar last night.” She looked down at her hands. “I was trying to pick someone up. My friends told me if I was looking for a one-night stand, I should go to a nice hotel and sit in the bar.”

  “And did you meet someone?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you remember his name or what he looks like?”

  She frowned. “No, it’s blurry. Why would he be blurry?”

  “He made you forget.”

  “He can do that?”

  “What about his voice—did he have an accent?”

  “No. He sounded normal. Like you and me. He…” She stopped and rubbed her temples.

  “What is it, Annie?”

  “He called me something.”

  “Can you remember?”

  “Yes. He called me his beautiful girl.” Tears rolled down her face. “He told me if I was a good girl he wouldn’t kill me like the other one.”

  Talia’s throat closed, and she struggled for air. Chris. It was Chris. All of it. Melanie and Annie. Talia was going to kill him. Damn. She should have killed him before. And now Annie had to suffer because of her.

  “Are you okay, Talia?”

  God, Annie was trying to comfort her? “Yes. I’m fine. Why don’t you rest for a while? I’ll come check on you later.”

  She stepped out of the room and locked the door. It would be dark soon. She would hunt him then and kill him for what he had done to Melanie and Annie. What he had done to her.

  Talia ran down the corridor to her room. Someone had left her bag in the room and she pulled out fresh clothes. Before she could take off the hospital scrubs, tingling ran down her spine. Not now! Jean Luc was back. He would stop her. She couldn’t tell him the truth. He would go after Chris and die because of that damn blood oath.

  “What are you doing, Talia?”

  She turned to him and smiled. “I was going to take a shower and then change into something else.”

  “You are feeling stronger?”

  “I feel great. Have you found Renato yet?”

  “No. I spoke with Leo. Renato is meeting with Jia Li.”

  She stopped herself from gasping at his name. She had to keep Chris away from Jean Luc.

  She stared at his face, into his dark eyes. She loved him. Had never stopped, but now she had to leave him again. Had to protect him from her mistakes. From her stupidity in trusting Chris and then not telling Jean Luc the truth.

  He stepped forward and laid his hand on her cheek. “When this is over, Talia, let us renew our discussion, this time with honesty.”

  And for once, the emotions on his face, in his eyes, were front and center. He wanted her. If she were noble, she would walk away now. But she couldn’t do that, either. She wanted to hold him and be with him one last time. She was selfish, but she was already damned, so she had nothing left to lose.

  “Talia. Are you okay?”

  She placed her fingers over his lips. “Please. I don’t want to talk. I need you. Can you do that? Can you be with me?” One last time.

  He froze for a moment, stari
ng hard at her. Was he going to back away? He opened his mouth, and she started to lift her fingers away, but he grabbed her wrist and held it to his lips. She gasped when he ran his tongue along her fingertips and sucked them into his mouth.

  Warmth shot up her arm and filled her chest. His eyes flashed red, and when he finally opened his mouth to release her fingers, she could see his fangs were fully extended. He was the most gorgeous male—human or supernatural—she had ever seen.

  “I have missed you, Talia.”

  “I’ve missed you, too.”

  She leaned forward and brushed her lips over his. So soft, so perfect, as if their lips were made to be pressed together. Two pieces to a puzzle. No. She couldn’t think about what they could have had, what could have been. This would be her goodbye to him. In the future, when he thought of her, hopefully he would remember this moment instead of her betrayal.

  * * *

  Jean Luc’s lips tingled. Actually tingled where they met Talia’s. He thought he had remembered what it felt like to hold her, to make love to her. He had played it over and over again in his mind. But the reality was so much more delicious than his memories.

  He leaned back and looked at her face. At her eyes sparking gold. “Are you sure you are well enough for this?”

  She smiled, and it was like a siren call, and he was lost in a turbulent sea.

  “I’m fine. Your blood healed me.”

  She licked up his jaw and nipped his earlobe, and he groaned aloud like an inexperienced virgin. She chuckled and ran her hands down his arms, grasping his hands with her own before tugging him toward the bed.

  He stopped, and a sadness filled her eyes, as if she expected him to turn away. He kissed her hard, and then let go of her hands to walk to the door. He pulled the door blinds and locked it.

  “Visitors would be unwelcome at the moment.”

  He flashed to her, grabbing her around the waist. She laughed and rested her hands on either side of his face. Talia kissed him again, but this time the softness was replaced with hunger and passion as their tongues danced together.

  They fell on the bed, a tangle of limbs and wet kisses.

  “Help me get out of these scrubs.”

  The claw on his index finger suddenly appeared, and he sliced down the center of the top and then the pants. Within seconds, she lay naked before him, and blood surged through his body like lava. She was his once again, and he was not about to let her go.

  He stroked his lips along her neck to her pulse point, where he kissed and suckled lightly. Her lavender fragrance enveloped him, but he would not bite her tonight. She was still not fully recovered, and he would not risk it. But soon, he would once again draw her blood into his mouth and into his soul.

  His lips traveled south, and when he teased her nipple, she moaned. She reached for his shirt and yanked it over his head. He stood for a moment and divested himself of the rest of his clothes. Her gaze felt like a physical caress as it moved over him. She held out her hand, and he grasped it, crawling over her.

  He wanted to worship her slowly. But all thoughts of languid exploration evaporated when she ran her hand down his length and steered him to her. It had been too long, and he wanted her too much. He slid inside her in one stroke and held himself against her. Perfectly still. Willing his heart to beat in rhythm with hers so there was only one heartbeat between them.

  Only then did he finally begin to move.

  Chapter 15

  Talia hurried down the hall. She had slipped away from Jean Luc, her mission clear. It was time to end this with Chris.

  “Talia?”

  She hung her head at the sound of his voice.

  “Where are you going?”

  She turned and faced him. He had dressed again, although his shirt was open, his chest and stomach on glorious display. “To get some air, Jean Luc.”

  His eyes narrowed on her, as if trying to unlock her secrets. “Why do you insist on being alone? On pushing me away?”

  “I needed you tonight. But we can’t go back again, Jean Luc. You have to let me go.” She swallowed. “When this case is over, I’m leaving. Don’t make this any harder than it needs to be.”

  He opened his mouth to argue, but she held up her hand. “Please. Go find Renato and figure out who is doing this before someone else gets hurt.”

  His face shuttered, all emotions wiped away. He nodded and walked past her.

  She closed her eyes. Her breathing hitched. He would be safe, and that was what mattered. She would not let him die for her.

  Hands clapped, and she opened her eyes to see Kyle standing at the end of the hall.

  “That performance deserves an Oscar.”

  “What do you want, Kyle?”

  Kyle marched over and leaned in close. “Why are you shutting him out?”

  Talia had no time for this. “That’s none of your business.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. You’re hurting him, Talia. And I won’t tolerate that.”

  Talia stepped even closer. “You will not tolerate it? What do you intend to do?”

  Kyle shook her head. “Oh, I know you could gut me where I stand, Miz Tough Vampire. But you won’t.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because Jean Luc wouldn’t love someone who could do that to his family.”

  Talia froze.

  “For some reason you’re lying to him. You have some misguided need to protect him right now. I get it. I was you, pushing everyone away and lying to protect them.”

  Talia shook her head. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “I have no idea what your problem is, because you won’t tell us, but I know what I’m talking about. Let us help you. Let Jean Luc help you before you push him away for good.”

  Talia didn’t respond.

  Kyle stared for a moment, but when the silence stretched on, she turned and walked into a room. She shut the door with a definitive click.

  * * *

  Talia stood on the hotel rooftop and closed her eyes. Jean Luc had once told her a vampire could track their sire if they tried hard enough. That the link between sire and vampire was strong enough to make it possible. And Talia was all about the possible.

  A light tickle ran along her spine into her brain, and she turned to the south. It was as if a thread of sensation twisted around her arms and legs and drew her like a marionette toward Chris. But he would not be her puppet master. She would be in control, and she would end this before anyone else was hurt.

  She flashed along the quiet streets. Downtown Cleveland at night was not a popular area in late February. Talia stopped, her breath drifting around her in frigid waves. She was getting closer. The energy string now felt more like a thin rope wrapped around her wrists. She flashed again and found herself along the river leading out into Lake Erie. In front of her were several buildings that looked like out-of-business bars and restaurants.

  She stopped in front of one with a large window overlooking the water. The tingling had turned into a roar of heat in her brain. He was powerful, but she couldn’t back down now. Besides, he already knew she was here.

  Talia pushed open the door. It wasn’t much warmer inside, but at least the building protected her from the wind. She turned slowly to examine the room. Upturned chairs sat on tables covered with dust. A bar ran along the far wall with barstools sitting in a neat row, as if waiting for customers to return.

  A whimper sounded from behind the bar. Talia stepped slowly, her breath stuttering when she caught the fresh linen scent. She stepped around the bar. Annie was crouched down in the corner.

  “Annie? How did you get here?”

  She hiccupped a sob. “He found me.”

  Jesus. There was no time to ask for details. She pulled Annie to her feet. “Where is he now?”

  “I…I don’t know.”

  “I’m right here, Talia.”

  Talia spun toward the door and stepped in front of Annie. “Stay behind me.”r />
  Chris walked toward the bar. “Are you going to protect her from me, Talia? A little late, don’t you think?”

  A sultry chuckle sounded behind her, and dread shot along Talia’s nerve endings. Annie stepped around her toward Chris. Talia stared in shock as Annie’s scent changed. Her fresh linen aroma morphed into something spicy.

  “I’m so glad that’s over. It’s exhausting playing the damaged ingénue.”

  Chris reached for Annie and pulled her close. She rubbed herself wantonly against him while Talia’s skin crawled.

  “Talia, you’ve already met Annie, my wonderful actress. She had you fooled, did she not? When I turned her twenty-five years ago, this wonderful female surprised me. She is still able to pretend she is newly turned when the need arises. It is a unique power.”

  “Why, Chris?” Talia asked.

  “You need to be more specific, my dear. Why what?”

  “Why did you kill Melanie?”

  Chris stroked Annie’s chin, and she closed her eyes and practically purred. “I need beauty around me. Melanie was gorgeous. She would have made a glorious vampire. Unfortunately, I allowed Annie to taste her, and she got a bit carried away, didn’t you, my beautiful girl?”

  Annie smiled and batted her eyes like a heroine from a silent movie.

  Talia shook her head. “She didn’t accidentally take too much. She killed her on purpose. You didn’t want the competition, did you? Someone who was prettier than you attracting Chris’s eye. That wasn’t something you could risk.”

  Annie glared at her. “You’re just jealous because he kept me and threw you away.”

  Talia ignored her, directing her next words to Chris. “Why the production?”

  “When I saw you again after all these years, I couldn’t believe it. I thought you had died that day, but yet there you stood in front of me, swearing vengeance. And it made my blood race. Finally, a challenge! A new game to play. And I lobbed the first ball at you, telling you of Jean Luc’s oath to me. Instead of lobbing the ball back, you backed away altogether. You were willing to throw it all away to protect him.”

  “So you lobbed a bigger ball at me.”

  Chris grinned. “What could I throw at you that would force your hand? Make you come after me even if it meant Jean Luc’s life? A victim who had been turned the way I turned you. Someone who would remind you of what I had done to you.”