by Beth Alvarez
The thought of Drake du Coudray dissolving into mist filled her head and Felicity shuddered.
“Indeed,” Thaddeus murmured. “But your kind outnumber us, thousands upon thousands to one. No matter how powerful we become, you hold the power to destroy us. So to preserve ourselves, the best thing we can do is keep our heads low. By maintaining equality in our power, we keep our own kind under control.”
“And you think after this, he won’t be? Under your control, that is.” Felicity refused to let herself think of the pure animal hunger she’d seen in Kade’s eyes when he’d killed Drake. Instead she focused on the feeling of him in her arms, the place he’d found refuge in his moment of need.
“Well,” Thaddeus chuckled. “I suppose time will tell.” He touched a finger to the brim of his hat, then departed.
Felicity watched him leave, blinking when she felt Kade sigh.
“Are you awake?” she asked, surprised.
“Wasn’t sleepin’,” Kade said. He lifted his head slowly. Dried blood crusted his chin, but she focused on his eyes. Soft hazel, warm and inviting, but weighted with exhaustion.
She hugged him tight, his arms wrapping around her middle in response. “Are you all right?”
“I dunno. I guess so.” His eyes slid closed and he rested his forehead against her chest. “Filly?”
She smoothed back his hair. “Hmm?”
“Let’s go home.”
“Yes.” She kissed his forehead, pushing herself up and offering her hands. She didn’t have much strength, but he seemed to appreciate the help. “Just one thing.”
He frowned as she raised a finger, telling him to wait.
Felicity wove between the workers cleaning out the lab, bending over to snatch something from the floor. She dusted it off, then turned to present it with both hands. “Don’t forget your hat.”
Kade’s tired laugh was the best thing she’d ever heard.
TWENTY-ONE
* * *
“THINK WE’RE IN trouble?”
Kade shrugged. “Can’t be any worse than what we’ve been through already this week.”
Felicity squinted against the blue lights flashing in the mirror as she pulled to a stop, shifting into park and taking her purse from the floorboard between the seats.
Kade passed her a paper from the glove box. The SUV’s insurance information was printed at the top.
A flashlight tapped against the window and Felicity took her license from her wallet before rolling down the glass.
The window tint had dulled the beam and she squinted at the increased brightness, squeezing her eyes closed when the officer shone it directly in her face.
“Felicity?” a familiar voice boomed, tone colored with surprise.
She cracked an eye open and the beam left her face. When she could see again, she leaned back into the headrest, breathing a deep sigh of relief. Finally, a stroke of luck.
Sam Foster stood on the other side of the car door.
The officer ducked to look through to the passenger seat, his thick brows climbing. “Is that Colton?”
Kade flinched away from the light, offering a strained smile. “Yes, sir.”
“Lord almighty!” Sam straightened, wiping his face with a broad palm. “The whole department was sure you had to be dead!”
Laying a hand over the partially-healed gunshot wounds in his stomach, Kade let out a rueful chuckle. “Well, I gotta admit, officer, it don’t feel much better.”
“If I hadn’t found you, it would have been worse,” Felicity reminded him. She turned her license between her fingers, unsure if she still needed it. “We’re okay now, Sam, we just want to get back to the Hilltop House and get some rest.” The drive back from du Coudray’s mansion was a long one, and sunrise was only a few hours off.
The officer nodded, straightening and giving the SUV a once-over. “Whose vehicle is this?”
“It belongs to Kade’s uncle Thaddeus.” The lie rolled off her tongue with ease and she wondered how often she’d find herself lying to cover what they’d done. What she’d learned. She went on, surprising herself with how easy the story came. “The heater in Kade’s truck is out so we traded when we left the hospital. Not good for him to get chilled while he’s recovering, you know.”
Sam’s eyes narrowed. “You got family out here? I thought you were from Tennessee.”
“I am,” Kade said. “My uncle’s my next of kin. He drove out to see me when I called and told him I was in the hospital.”
“You got proof of his insurance?”
“Right here.” Felicity provided the paper alongside her driver’s license, just in case.
Sam took both, inspecting them by flashlight before nodding. “Hold on just a minute, I’ll be back.”
Rolling up the window as the officer walked away, Felicity flashed Kade a nervous grin. “He’s going to check the license plate and insurance to see what name is on the policy.”
Kade looked at her, guarded curiosity and surprise in his eyes. “How’d you know that?”
She knew her lie had taken him off guard. They’d been so candid with each other. “Sam does everything by the books. It’s not that he doesn’t believe us, just that since he’s a small town cop, he worries about other departments accusing him of going easy on people he knows.”
He grunted softly in understanding. “So he’s just taking precautions. Not a bad idea, I suppose.”
Sam reappeared at the window, tapping on the glass. He passed the paper and ID back when Felicity rolled down the window, clearing his throat. “Were you aware you have a tail light out?”
“Yes, sir,” Kade said. “Felicity backed into a concrete retainer when we were leavin’ the hospital earlier.”
Heat flooded her cheeks and she punched his arm. He flinched away with an antagonizing grin.
Sam burst out laughing. “Well, it sounds like the two of you have been through a lot tonight. I wouldn’t normally do this, but I know you’re both tired. Get over to the shop in town and see if you can get that tail light taken care of tomorrow, all right?”
“Of course.” Felicity smiled shyly, ducking her eyes. “Thank you, Sam.”
“You’re both missing people, you know. There’ll be a lot of paperwork to go with me seeing you.”
“We’ll be more than happy to sign things after we’re back home.” She hoped she’d caught his insinuation correctly and wasn’t about to offend him.
To her relief, Sam nodded and stepped back. “Drive safe. I’ll be over to find you some time tomorrow morning.”
“Thank you, Sam,” she repeated, this time with her voice full of emotion.
The serious old officer smiled and turned away, lifting his radio to his mouth, though his words faded off behind them as he returned to his vehicle.
“That went well,” Kade said as she put her license away and dropped her purse between their seats.
“It did,” Felicity agreed, reaching to take his hand. He twined his cool fingers with hers, and she gave them a squeeze. “Let’s go home.”
* * *
No lights shone in the windows of the Hilltop House, the darkened glass panes reminding Kade of forlorn eyes. Strange as it was, he wasn’t surprised. Felicity was the heart of the bed and breakfast, whether she knew it or not. It was her presence that made it warm and welcoming. When he agreed to take her with him, it was like stealing the life out of the place. Would returning her make any difference, when all was said and done?
“Dad’s is the only car here,” Felicity remarked. “Normally at this time of year we have every room rented out.” Her eyes turned to the living room window where the curtain was drawn to show the decorated tree on the other side. Unlit, it was only a shadow on the other side of the glass. She deflated at the sight.
Kade shut the hatch on the SUV and held out her bag, hitching his a little higher on his shoulder. He left the other in the back; for now, clothing was all he needed. “It’s the middle of the night, he’s probably sle
epin’. You got a key for the door, right?”
“Of course.” She took her bag and hurried up the steps, unlocking the front door and pushing it open.
He followed at an easy pace, breathing deep when he crossed the threshold. The scent of pine greeted him, nothing more. He’d grown so used to the spiced and sweet aromas that came from her baking that he almost forgot she hadn’t been there to cook.
Felicity glanced toward her bedroom door on the other side of the Christmas tree. “Home sweet home.” She sounded relieved, but she stood ramrod straight, betraying her uncertainty.
“You tired?” He stepped closer, wanting to touch her, willing himself not to. When she’d rescued him from the police, he’d wanted nothing more than to tear her throat out. It took every ounce of restraint to keep from hurting her. Space would be easier for both of them, no matter how badly he wanted her in his arms.
“Exhausted. Never thought I’d be so happy to see home. I just . . .” She sighed, smiling, pressing a hand to her chest. “It feels full, you know? Like everything’s going to be all right.”
Kade nodded. Weary as he was, it was hard to be enthusiastic. Especially with the violent thoughts that crowded his head. He forced himself to smile, agreeing for her sake. “Yeah. I know what you mean.”
A light popped on in the hallway upstairs and they both looked up as Felicity’s father appeared at the top of the stairs.
Emmett stared down at them, his mouth hanging open. Relief and joy flooded his expression. “Felicity!” He thundered down the stairs, sweeping her into his arms.
“Daddy.” She beamed, hugging him tight.
“I thought I’d lost you,” Emmett whispered, rocking her and blinking hard.
Lowering his head, Kade turned away. It felt like an intrusion to watch the way Emmett kissed his daughter’s hair, both their eyes filled with tears.
“I was going to call you, but everything kept getting in the way, and then-”
Emmett raised a hand to silence her. “It doesn’t matter, buttercup. Not anymore.” Then he looked up, as if realizing for the first time Kade was there. He stared, astonished.
“I had to help him, Daddy,” Felicity murmured. “If I didn’t, I was afraid no one would.”
Kade took his hat off his head, holding it to his chest. “Bein’ honest, sir, she saved my hide. I don’t know that I would’ve made it without her.”
“We saw Sam on the way into town,” she added before her father could speak. “He’ll be by tomorrow to close the case. I’m sorry, Daddy. It wasn’t supposed to happen like it did. I didn’t mean for anyone to worry.”
“You’ll have to tell me what happened,” Emmett said.
From the smile Felicity gave him, falling short of reaching her eyes, Kade knew she wouldn’t. He’d thank her for that, someday. For tonight, he’d give them their peace.
Settling his black Stetson back on his head, he slid past them without a word and started up the stairs.
Felicity turned after him. “Are you going to bed?”
Kade paused, flashing her a grin. “Ain’t much that sounds better. Sleep well when you tuck in, Filly.”
She didn’t reply.
He slipped into the suite and shut the door behind him. Dropping his bag on the floor, he kicked off his boots and tossed his hat onto the bed.
What was it like, having someone to miss you? Someone to wait for you? A home to go back to? He’d left those things so far behind that he couldn’t remember anymore.
He thought again of his father. The man had crossed his mind more during his stay in Holly Hill than the rest of the decade before. He had no doubt his father was still alive; the stubborn old goat would probably live longer than Kade, vampire or not.
Shaking his head, Kade stripped out of his clothes on the way to the bathroom, turning on the tap and waiting for the shower to get hot.
From the moment he’d gotten his teeth in Drake du Coudray, a shadow had been breeding in his head. Bitter thoughts, bloodthirsty intentions, things he didn’t think were his. The wounds in his stomach were already almost gone, and that worried him, too. He hadn’t fed again after leaving du Coudray’s ranch. The wounds should have lasted a few more days. But the water felt good, washing away the weariness of trial and travel, the rivulets that coursed his body carrying off the worries that plagued his mind.
He emerged both refreshed and resigned. No matter how badly he wanted to rest, his job wasn’t quite done.
He wrapped a towel around his waist and opened the bathroom door, not a lick surprised to see Felicity sitting on his bed.
She met his eyes, smiling shyly, her hands clasped in her lap. Here they were again, just like they’d been at the beginning of the end. Except this time, there was hope in her eyes.
“Dad went to bed,” she said as if that explained everything.
Kade lingered in the doorway. “Does he know you’re here?”
“It’s not really any of his business.”
He couldn’t argue with that.
Felicity turned her back to him, peeling her sweater off overhead. He couldn’t help the way his eyes feasted on the curve of her back, desire bubbling in him like a wellspring. He closed the distance between them, trailing his fingertips up her bare arms.
No matter how many times he had her, it wouldn’t be enough. She melted into his touch, her skin like warm velvet under his hands, reminding him for the hundredth time of the chasm that stood between them. He couldn’t make her change; not if she didn’t want to. But he didn’t have to be alone. He could throw himself to his prey when it was over, or walk out and give himself to the sun. But the very thought was so crippling that he felt sick in the pit of his stomach for the first time in years.
Violence flashed through his head again. The memory of her blood on his tongue, the surging desire to take it all. He’d done this to himself, and the knowledge burned. He should have denied it when she offered him a taste, but his nature had demanded it. A nature she could never fully understand.
Her mortality didn’t deny them a future, but thinking of eternity without her made his heart ache. And when it really came down to it, he realized, he was a coward. It was easy to stay there, nestled in the shelter of her arms, savoring her soft cries of pleasure as their bodies merged and his fangs pierced her flesh, surrendering his heart to all the punishing emotions he’d failed to shelter it from.
It was harder to do what he knew he needed to, and as they slipped over the edge of pleasure into ecstasy, he wondered if she knew it was his goodbye.
TWENTY-TWO
* * *
THE PILLOW BESIDE her was cool, but knowing what she did now, Felicity wasn’t sure that meant much. Granted, Kade wasn’t as cold as she’d always thought vampires would be, but he didn’t suit her idea of a vampire, anyway. He certainly had the sensual charisma she’d always read about and seen in movies, but in books and movies, vampires didn’t wear boots and Stetsons. They didn’t wear plaid or speak with a Tennessee drawl, either. But Kade did. With or without a living body temperature, he had warmth. It didn’t make him any less of a vampire, but it did make him Kade.
Groggy, she lifted her fingers to her neck, gently exploring the soft skin where he’d bitten her during their lovemaking the night before. That was all still a wonder to her; she’d never imagined it could be so pleasurable, or that she’d heal from it so fast. No one would ever know unless she told them—or unless they walked in on them. She pictured her father opening the door on them and shuddered.
She knew she didn’t have to explain herself to her father. After all, she was a grown woman and could do anything she pleased. But he wouldn’t approve of finding her in a man’s bed when they weren’t married, and as long as she was under his roof, she was compelled to follow his rules.
Except it wouldn’t be her father’s roof much longer. The thought filled her with wonder and she pushed herself upright, gathering her clothes from the floor. She was the one who had saved the Hilltop House,
gone out risking life and limb to win them the money they needed to change their lives. Once she paid off the mortgage, she was sure her father would insist on putting her name on the deed. It wasn’t that she didn’t think she deserved it. She’d put herself through more than she realized she could take to secure their future. It was that she’d saved the Hilltop House, and she hadn’t even told him.
Felicity dressed in a hurry, slipping out of the suite and creeping downstairs. The mouth-watering scent of bacon greeted her nose and she followed it to the kitchen, oddly surprised to see her father cooking.
“Morning, pumpkin,” Emmett said, smiling so wide that she thought he must have known the fruit of her labor. But he couldn’t, not unless Kade told him.
Kade. Where was he? Her brow furrowed and she crept to the back door, peeking out through the window. The drive behind the house was empty. The sleek black SUV was gone.
“What’s the matter?” Emmett asked.
“Did Kade leave?” It wasn’t really a question, though it left her lips with disbelief.
Her father frowned, leaning to look out the window before going back to cooking. “I don’t know. I didn’t see him. Did you check upstairs?”
She caught her lower lip with her teeth, staring out for a heartbeat more. Then she pulled herself away. “There was a tail light out on the SUV. Maybe he went to get it fixed.” Or went to check on his horse; he had mentioned wanting to look in on Dex as soon as he could. She sat at the table, yawning and rubbing her eyes.
“So.” Emmett planted a plate of bacon and eggs in front of her. “Want to tell me about the rest of your trip?”
Felicity hadn’t said much the night before, just enough to put his mind at ease. She’d told him of her relief when she’d found Kade was alive and that she’d made sure he would recover, but she hadn’t gone into specifics. That was obviously what her father was interested in. She wet her lips and hesitated.
