by T. S. Ryder
"No," Wanda whimpered.
What would Jonas do to her to get at Adam? What use was a hostage if he handed her back over? She would be separated from Adam forever and remain in Jonas's clutches… The thought made her want to vomit. She thought she had finally escaped that beast. But now it seemed like she would have no escape.
"I have to protect the woman I love."
"There has to be another way. Please, Christopher. Don't do this."
Christopher swallowed hard. "He won't hurt you. You're worthless to him dead. But Melissa? If I don't do what he says, he will kill her. I can't live with that."
"And what about Adam?" she asked. "What about him?"
"I know he'll kill me for this. But Melissa is worth it. Please, try to understand. I love her. I haven't loved anybody since I lost my wife when I was human. I can't let another person I love die because of me."
She yanked off her seatbelt. If she couldn't get away, she'd jump from the car. Christopher saw what she was doing, and grabbed her firmly by the wrist. She yanked away, but his grip was too tight. When she unlocked the door, Christopher yanked her over, pulling her half onto his lap, arm tight around her waist.
"No!" Wanda screeched, trying to yank the steering wheel around. Even one-handed, Christopher was too strong. "Please, you don't know what he'll do to me."
"He won't hurt you. He's not suicidal, and if he hurts you, he's got nothing against Adam."
Wanda jabbed her fingers at Christopher's eyes. He slammed her back into her seat, then grabbed her by the collar and all but threw her into the back. Her hand slammed against the window and she cried out, black spots waving before her eyes. The locks back here weren't accessible; she tried to scramble back to the front, but Christopher threw out an arm and stopped her.
"He will get you back, one way or another," he mumbled, still sounding like he was trying to convince himself. "He'll save you. Tell him… Tell him I'm sorry."
"I'm not doing anything for you," Wanda hissed. "You selfish, horrible—"
"I'm doing it for Melissa. And what about you? If you had told Adam about the other girls that Jonas has as prisoners before this, then he could have dealt with him long ago! You call me selfish for trying to save the woman I love? What about you, who escaped his clutches and then did nothing to stop him?"
Wanda froze. All her excuses flitted through her mind, but in the end, she could do nothing to deny it. She had been selfish, horribly selfish. It was her fault that those girls were still in Jonas's clutches. Yes, she had told Adam about them, but only after weeks of being free.
How many of them prayed that she would come back to save them?
She sat huddled in the back for the rest of the trip. She wanted to plead or bargain or scheme, to find some way that Christopher could still save Melissa without handing her over, but nothing she thought of would work. Even if she did come up with a plan, she was certain Christopher wouldn't listen. He was too focused on saving Melissa. Any deviation from the plan he had been given by Jonas would put her in danger.
When they pulled into the garage of a large two-story house on the opposite side of town from the palace to find Jonas waiting for them with a dozen guards, Wanda nearly threw up. This was what she had been dreading more than anything, and it had happened. Her heart palpitated, hands trembled, and every cell in her body felt like it was frozen. She didn't even fight against Christopher when he dragged her out of the car and passed her over to Jonas.
The familiar bruising grip made Wanda whimper. She wanted to punch or spit at him, but her survival instincts kicked in and she couldn't make herself do anything but stand there, staring at him.
Jonas grinned at her. "Finally, I have something that I can use against His Royal Majesty. Who knew that a pitiful little human would do the trick?"
"He's going to kill you," Wanda blurted, finally finding her voice. "Adam is going to tear you to shreds, and when he's done, there won't even be a body for them to find."
Jonas chuckled. At any other time, he would have hit her for daring to speak back to him, but he knew he held all the cards. Wanda tried to free herself unsuccessfully. He grabbed her by the neck and pulled down her collar, revealing the scars he had given her.
"You always belonged to me," he whispered. "And you always will. My brand will always be there."
"Where is Melissa?" Christopher demanded.
Jonas cast him a disdainful glance and gestured behind him. Two of the guards left the garage through a door into the main house and returned with Melissa pinned between them. Her eyes were wide frightened, but she looked none the worse for wear. When the guards released her, she ran into Christopher's arms. When she saw Wanda, she froze.
"What did you do?"
"Are we free to leave?" Christopher asked, wrapping his arms around her.
Jonas nodded.
Melissa pulled back a little. "What did you do?"
Christopher ignored the question, picking her up and running back to the car. Wanda watched them go silently. Dread filled her, but she pushed it back little by little, focusing on her situation. Jonas wanted to use her against Adam? Well, she would just have to find a way to make sure that couldn't happen. She had always been able to escape before. No matter where they put her, she would get out. She would make her way back to Adam.
And Jonas would pay for what he had done.
Chapter Eleven – Adam
Jonas's house was utterly empty. Adam and his men searched it for almost an hour and found nothing. From the state of it, it looked like it had been empty for almost two weeks.
This was more than a tip-off. This was planned. Jonas expected him to come and took steps ahead of time to make sure that he wasn't going to be caught. Frustration and anger welled in Adam, but he couldn't deny that he had been outsmarted in this instance. Still, Wanda's testimony was not for nothing. He would still get Jonas in jail on all charges.
"I want an APB out on Jonas and all of his associates," he ordered as they left the house. "I want that vampire found."
He threw himself back into his vehicle, grinding his teeth together. Where had he taken the drugs and girls? He hadn't fled town after his arrest; Adam had seen him around.
I should have just kept him in the dungeons, he thought bitterly. I should never have released him on bail.
His cell phone beeped. Adam checked it; it was a text message from Christopher. Adam's heart stopped beating. All it said was, He has her. Go alone, and an address, but that was enough. Christopher delivering a kidnapping demand? Jonas must have them both and be using Christopher's phone.
Go alone.
Adam growled under his breath. If Jonas had Wanda and his brother… He had to do as instructed. He couldn't lose them. He stuffed the phone into his pocket and closed his eyes as the vehicle pulled away from Jonas's house. If this was how it was going to be, then it would be so. But the question remained: what did Jonas want? It had to be more than just keeping himself out of jail. Money? Power? Freedom to keep running his drugs?
No matter. Adam let out a breath. He'd know soon enough.
***
Jonas had a cocky, arrogant smirk on his face when Adam barged into the house he had been directed to. He pulled in a deep breath and smelled the distinctive perfume that Wanda liked to wear. Fury flooded his chest and he wanted to attack on the spot. He glowered at Jonas, making the smirk falter.
"Where is Wanda?"
"Safe." Jonas pulled himself up. "With the rest of my girls."
Adam growled. "You disgusting pervert."
"Pervert? I give them jobs, shelter, food. They were all living on the streets when I found them. And I certainly do not dabble sexually with them or permit my men to touch them." Jonas actually looked affronted. "I am not a pervert."
"What do you want?" Adam didn't care what the pervert claimed. If he got that chance, he'd rip the other vampire's head off.
Jonas smiled, back in control. "Well, what I've wanted from the start… I thought that I co
uld provoke you to anger, to do something that would be unforgivable to turn the public against you, but apparently your temper has been overstated. What I want is for you to step down from being the king. I want you to give me the crown."
Adam laughed, too surprised by this to take it seriously. "Why would I do that?"
"Publically, because I am a savvy businessman and I can pull our struggling economy back from the brink. Unofficially… because I will kill Wanda and all the other humans in my employ if you don't."
At that moment, Adam wanted nothing more than to rip off Jonas's head. He started forward with a snarl on his lips but just managed to stop himself. Jonas probably had given orders to kill the girls if anything happened to him. As much as he wanted to kill him, Adam couldn't risk it.
"Nobody will accept that. If you try, you'll have a civil war on your hands in no time."
Jonas shrugged. "If you don't do as I say, then you'll have a dead Wanda on your hands. Which one are you more willing to risk?"
Adam growled again. He sucked in a deep breath and nodded reluctantly. For the first time in what felt like forever, he had someone who didn't fear him, who looked at him and saw who he was, not the demon-king he was reported to be. He couldn't let anything happen to her.
"And my brother?" he pressed. "You'll release him from—"
"Release him?" Jonas barked out a laugh. "You think he's my prisoner? No. He's the one who handed the girl over to me in the first place."
Ice flooded Adam's veins. Christopher had betrayed him? No! It couldn’t be! Christopher would never have done that. He opened his mouth to tell Jonas that he knew he was lying, but before he could, the doors leading into the room burst open. Wanda, followed by a half-dozen girls carrying weapons that ranged from kitchen knives to knitting needles, streamed in.
"We don't belong to you," she shouted. She caught sight of Adam and her eyes widened. "Adam, kill him! Kill him now!"
All the girls let out wild screeches and attacked the vampires with their pitiful weapons. Jonas let out a strangled yelp, shock flashing over his face. A vampire grabbed one of the girls with a knitting needle and Wanda sunk her steak knife into his arm. As he howled, the needle girl stabbed her weapon through his eye. The vampire stumbled back as blood spurted into the air.
Adam leaped into the fray. The girls cut and stabbed with all their strength but the vampires were far stronger. Their initial attack may have drawn blood, but the tide turned quickly.
Jonas growled and lunged for Wanda. Red washed over Adam's vision. With a roar, he tore his suit jacket apart, freeing his range of motion. He was on Jonas before the other vampire knew what hit him. Knee to stomach, elbow to the back of the neck. Jonas fell. Adam turned to the next vampire.
All the noise seemed to fade into the background. Adam's heartbeat remained steady and even, the rage and fury washing away as he methodically grabbed first one vampire, then the next. Fist to kidneys. Take a knife from one of the girls. Slid it through a vampire's ribs. Next attacker. Grab the head, slam it against the wall. Twist sharply as the vampire dropped. Next one, knitting needle up under the ribs. The vampire grabbed a girl as a shield. Break both arms, wait for the girl to slip away, tear open vampire's throat.
When the last vampire dropped, Adam came back to himself. He stared around at the carnage as if waking from a dream. Bile rose in his throat, and his hands began shaking.
"No," he whispered. The taste of blood was strong in his mouth.
The berserk blood rage hadn't taken over him since the last battle he had been in. He didn't want to be this… this mindless killing machine: the beast that used his anger and temper to defeat his enemies when it might have been able to be resolved peacefully…
A hand laid on his arm. Adam jumped, then glanced down to see Wanda. Her eyes were wide like saucers, but she still wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly. He embraced her back, shoulders shaking. The other girls stared at him in shock and fear, but they weren't cowering from him.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" one of them said, her voice hushed. "You saved us."
Adam blinked. He looked around again. Some of the vampires groaned, in pain and maimed, but not dead. He hadn't killed them all? His arms tightened around Wanda. She was here. There wasn't a scratch on her. The other girls looked worse for wear, but he hadn't hurt any of them. The other vampires had attacked, but he had protected them.
The king swallowed hard. "I… didn't hurt any of you."
"No." Wanda cupped his face in her hands. "You saved us."
Relief washed over him. With a cry that was half-triumphant, half-sob, he wrapped his arms around her again. He wasn't a mindless killing machine. He didn't always hurt those he loved. Unexpected tears filled his eyes as Wanda clung to him. He wasn't what he had always feared – and it was time to let go of the past and move on… to the future.
Chapter Twelve – Wanda
Several weeks after Jonas was taken down for good, Wanda was outside, eagerly struggling through Harry Potter when a car pulled up to the front of the palace. Christopher and Melissa got out of it. Wanda bolted upright, jaw dropping. There had been no sight of the king's brother since that day. He looked better rested than when she had seen them then, but he was grim-faced. Melissa clung to his hand as they headed in.
Wanda jumped to her feet. Adam had been terribly hurt by Christopher's actions, and now he was back. What did he want? Did he think that he was just going to get off scot-free? Her lips pursed tight and hands clenching, she followed the two in. Christopher walked fast, and Wanda was out of breath by the time she caught up – right outside of Adam's office.
"What do you think you're doing?" Wanda hissed at him at the same time as a joyful cry came from inside the office.
They stepped in and Lena threw herself at Christopher. She hugged him tightly. Wanda skirted them and stood by Adam. The king was utterly frozen, anger and grief mingling on his face. He reached his hand over to Wanda and she took it, squeezing gently.
She scowled at Christopher. Hadn't he done enough? Why come back and put Adam in this position?
"Adam," Christopher said stiffly. He stepped past his mother, releasing Melissa's hand. "I know that what I did was… I'm here to turn myself in. I will accept whatever judgment you pass on me. But I want you to know I would have done it again. I love Melissa, and I had to save her no matter the consequences. I'm sorry that I put Wanda in danger, but—"
Adam held up his hand, silencing his brother. He stood slowly, hand still in Wanda's. She squeezed again but had no idea what he was going to do.
"Adam, he's your brother," Lena said. "Your brother."
Adam didn't reply to that. He rounded the desk, only releasing her hand when their arms were stretched out to the fullest. The air was thick with tension as he stepped up to his brother. Christopher shivered but stood straight and tall. He swallowed and nodded, clearly expecting Adam to do something horrible.
The king put his hands on his brother's shoulders. "Christopher. I've been so worried for you."
He pulled him into an embrace. Christopher's eyes widened, shock flitting over his face. Adam held him tightly like he was never going to let go. Lena smiled. Wanda frowned, but, after a moment, nodded. Maybe Christopher had betrayed him and would be punished for it, but Adam still loved his brother. There had been enough pain. It was time for the healing to begin.
"You could have told me," he said. "I would have given you the money."
Christopher sniffed, eyes shining with tears. "I didn't think you would care."
Adam flinched at that. "And that is my mistake. I should never have been so cold that you would think that. I am going to have to have you prosecuted, you know. But given the circumstances, I think the judge will be understanding." He released his brother and smiled at Melissa. "And how soon will it be before I have a niece or nephew?"
That was a rather nosy question, Wanda thought, but Melissa answered with a small smile of he
r own. "Six months."
Lena clapped her hands. "I'm going to be a grandmother! Oh, this is so exciting. We have to celebrate at once. Come on." She linked arms with Melissa. "You'll have to tell me all about yourself. Come along, Christopher. We have a lot to talk about."
Wanda suppressed a snort. She followed them to the door, but Adam had returned to his desk. Warmth spread through her as she looked at him, and she locked the door. Adam noticed and glanced up at her with a half-smile on his face.
"He's lucky to have a brother like you," she said. "Someone warm and sensitive."
Adam snorted. "Me, sensitive?"
"Yes." Wanda wandered over to the desk and pulled herself up onto it. She pressed her feet to Adam's thighs. "You are. And you know what? Seeing you be so sensitive… it really turns me on."
Adam's eyes darkened as his smile widened. He cupped his hand under her legs. "Oh, really?"
"Mmmm. Really."
He slid a hand up under her skirt, long fingers tracing her thigh gently. He leaned forward, kissing between her breasts, and wrapped his hand around her thigh. Wanda let her eyes drift closed and moaned softly. Adam's mouth lifted to hers, and Wanda wrapped her arms around his neck.
He swept a hand over the desk, knocking everything off. His intent was clear, and Wanda laughed giddily, right there with him. She lifted her hips so he could remove her underwear, all the while grinning wildly. She had never been happier in her life.
They had been sleeping in the same bed, naked, ever since he saved her from Jonas, and things had gotten quite heated. But they had not gone all the way yet. Now, though, Wanda held nothing back. She fumbled with Adam's belt, all but tearing his pants off, while he ripped open her shirt, pushing her bra up and out of his way.
As he took one nipple and then the other into his mouth, Wanda groaned. She hugged his hips with her knees and let out a breathless laugh.
"I love this," she said, finding him with her hand. He moaned as she began moving, using the tricks she had been learning for the past few weeks. "I love your mouth on my skin and I love knowing what you like."
