Jaxon (Blood Angel Chronicles Book 1)
Page 18
I hear the door burst open, and Shellie is next to her rubbing her back. “Mait, Mait, are you okay?” She glares at me for only a moment before she realizes I’m not the source of Maitlins anguish.
“She had a nightmare.” I kiss the top of her head and pull her protectively toward me. I can feel the tears streaming down my chest as petrified sobs escape her. Her heart is beating so fast I can feel its rhythm over my own. “Can you go get her some water, please?” I ask Shellie, who nods and runs out of the room.
“Shhh, I got you. You’re okay, sweetheart.”
Handing me the water, Shellie sits back down on the bed. “I heard her scream, and then I saw… I thought.”
I shoot her a heated stare. “I know what you thought. She’ll be okay. You can go back to bed,” I say harsher than I intend, but she did run in here thinking I was attacking her friend, not that Maitlin was having a nightmare after the day she had.
“Thank you for being here for her.”
I don’t say a word, and I pull Maitlin tighter to my chest. “It was only a nightmare, baby.” I begin to rock with her in my arms.
“I’m sorry,” she cries against my chest. “I’m so sorry you have to see me like this. This isn’t who I am.”
“I know.”
“I’m not this weak, helpless woman, and I’m not… He just—”
I don’t even let her finish that sentence. I know what he did to her, what he tried to do to her. “I saw the scratches on his face, baby, and I would never think you were weak. Not for one minute. You’re one of the strongest people I know.”
I hand her the water, and she takes a few sips and wipes the tears from her eyes. I brush her messy, matted hair from her sweat-covered forehead. I’m sure she would think she looks awful, but to me, she’s innocently beautiful.
“Wanna tell me about your nightmare?”
I can see her pondering my request, trying to bring the dream back from the recesses of her mind.
“It was so bizarre,” she starts, as if a disclaimer for it is required. “Neil had his hands wrapped around my throat, and he was squeezing so tight.” I watch as her hand goes to her bruise-covered neck. “He was… he was calling me a whore and something about letting a blood-sucking vampire fuck me. I feel stupid for carrying on, now that I’m saying it out loud.”
She laughs, evidently at the absurdity of her dream, but my blood runs cold. She’s not only recalling a strange twist of a nightmare, but remembering what Neil said and did to her. Who the fuck is this Neil that he knows about the existence of Blood Angels or vampires? There is always the possibility that he is part of a guardian family, but to spout such hate doesn’t make any sense.
I rub her leg, urging her to continue. “Go on.”
“It all seems so silly now. But it was so real. Everything was just so real… as if it was all happening again.” She covers her mouth and shakes her head. “Then, the dream got wicked strange.”
“Wicked strange,” I tease. “Is that stranger than average strange?” Her smile is like a reward for my heart.
“Yes, as a matter of fact, it is.” She takes another sip of water, then continues. I climb on the bed and lay down next to her, resting my head on my hand as I listen. My fingers on my other hand draw lazy circles on her bare hip, teasing at the hem of her shorts. “Then… the next thing I know, this huge white tiger or lion, or something, rips Neil off of me. I don’t even know where it came from. One second, Neil is strangling me, and the next, a huge cat thing has him pinned to the ground.”
Son. Of. A. Bitch. What. The. Fuck.
“Really,” I laugh, but there is no humor in it at all. I want to call Mason and ask him what the fuck he was thinking after beating the shit out of him. He’s a big guy with the strength that puts him well above even the strongest of humans, and he could have pulverized Neil with just his fists.
But to shift in front of a human wasn’t done unless… Fucking hell, unless they’re protecting their mate.
“Yeah, weird, right? Then, when this thing that was standing on Neil's chest and was about to tear into his throat, it looked over at me, and I swear it told me to shut my eyes, so I did. The next thing I know, Detective Stone is cuffing Neil and coming over to me to make sure I’m okay.”
I take a minute to process everything she’s just said. On top of hearing her account of Neil’s attack, which sealed his long, drawn-out and painful death at my hand. She’s also told me that Mason shifted in the presence of a human to protect her. Can she be his intended mate? Not possible. Fuck.
“Jaxon,” she whispers. “Weird dream, right?”
Grabbing her hand, I bring it to my lips and pepper kisses across her knuckles. “Is that what happened?”
“What do you mean is that what happened? You think some mystical tiger thing is running around New York City, looking for damsels in distress? Or maybe Detective Mason is part of the new tiger task force?”
“No, but…” I stop myself. Fuck, I’ve never had such a moral dilemma before. Every cell in my body wants to tell Maitlin everything, show her the real world she lives in. Take her in my arms, love her like she should be loved, and make her fucking mine... forever.
But the consequences are too high right now.
And, is it even my place anymore?
Certainly not, if she’s Mason’s mate.
“But?” she asks, rolling into me, wrapping her leg around mine, pulling me closer to her. I can feel the heat between her legs as she presses her body to mine.
I take in the fantastic scent of her arousal and look out over the city as I try to contain my growing need for her. It must be close to five in the morning, the darkness looming heavily over the city in the moments just before dawn. I sit up and swing my legs off the bed and drop my head into my hands, knowing that I have to lie to her and hating myself for it.
“I have a call I need to be on with China at six, and I have to go.” The words are bitter as I say them, like the lie they are. But I can’t lay next to this amazing woman when she’s meant to be with someone else — a man who won’t bring more nightmares into her life.
“What do you mean you have to go? You suddenly remember you have a call to be on.” She’s kneeling on the bed as I pull my clothes from the closet and get dressed. “I call bullshit, Jaxon.”
I stand before her with so much I’d rather be telling her. But I let the slew of lies I seem to be spouting so quickly flow. Maybe I’m a fucking coward, I don’t know. But what I do know is that Mason would not have shifted if she wasn’t his intended mate, and not even I can cross that line… again. And if I stay here with her in bed, I will cross it. Multiple times.
“Look, it’s business. I run a multi-trillion dollar corporation, Maitlin. Do you think it just happens via magic? I can’t just stay in bed with you all day.” God damn it. At this moment, I hate myself more than ever.
“All day? It’s five A.M. You know what? Just go,” She glowers at me as she flops back down on the bed.
I turned without another word. What can I say?
The moment I leave the apartment, I shoot Zach a text.
Me: I’m heading your way.
I don’t expect him to answer. In these early hours, he is most likely fucking his way through half of Manhattan. But I don’t give a fuck. I insert my key card into the elevator slot and ride it down to my private parking garage.
The Lenox isn’t far, but I don’t want to chance an early sunrise by walking. All my vehicles, like my residences, are all custom built with specialty glass to protect anyone from sunlight, bullets, and probably even a rocket launcher attack.
At this time in the morning, it won’t take me more than a few minutes to drive from The Tower to The Lenox. And let's face it, I need to be away from here and away from Maitlin.
I walk through the lobby of The Lenox like I own the place, which I do. I go straight up to the executive suite level and Zach’s usual room. Banging my fist so hard against the wood of the door, I’m shocked
it doesn’t fall off the hinges.
As the minutes tick by, the more heated I get. I give another powerful knock on the door, and I’m moments away from using the master key card to enter when I hear shuffling on the other side.
“What the fuck!” I hear Zach's voice shout from the other side of the door. “Somebody better be fucking dead.”
The door bursts open, and Zach stands there naked, cupping his dick in his hands. It takes him a moment to realize it’s me, which makes me question his current attire even more. “What the fuck, Jax? Come to party?”
He sways a bit while standing, and his glassy, hooded eyes are just further evidence that he’s still drunk or high or both. It’s not easy for a full Blood Angel to get inebriated. It takes copious amounts of drug or alcohol-laced blood to get even the slightest buzz. I step inside. By the looks of the place, the party just ended.
“She’s Mason’s fucking intended mate,” I blurt out as I head to the bar, stepping over several people passed out on the floor. I’m tossing empty bottles into the sink in the bar, looking for a full bottle of anything, not that is going to do any good. “Don’t you have any scotch?”
“No, but I have a lovely, perfectly aged Amber in the bedroom that you’re more than welcome to sample. I’m pretty sure her blood is ripe with cocaine, so probably a bit out of your comfort zone.”
“You want to put some fucking pants on. I don’t need to look at your junk swinging while I’m talking to you.”
He gives me the finger but grabs a pair of jeans haphazardly tossed over a bar stool. He zips them up, but they hang off of his hips. I didn’t realize the tour was taking such a toll on him physically. While still a formidable individual, he’s looking thinner than I’ve ever seen him.
“You look like fucking shit.”
Two women walk naked out of the bedroom, holding hands. The redhead, who I can only imagine is the amber Zach was referring to looks between us before she speaks. “Are you coming back to bed? It’s getting lonely in there with just the four of us.” She glances my way and smiles while twirling a finger around her pert nipple. “Bring your friend.”
Zach raises an eyebrow at me, and I shake my head. Maybe a few weeks ago I would have joined the fun. But now my heart isn’t in it, because it is currently residing at The Tower.
“Amber, honey, come here.” The sexy redhead with mile-long legs and a killer body sidles up to Zach. When he wraps his arm around her shoulder, she leans her head to the side, and he kisses her neck. “See my friend over there?”
He points over at me, and she nods her head. “Yes.”
“He owns this entire hotel, but he’s sad.”
She lets out an aww, and as if I need to feel any worse, he continues, “He just found out that his girl belongs to someone else.” I stand, shaking my head at the audacity he has. He isn’t in the right frame of mind to discuss what I should do about Maitlin.
Her bottom lip juts out in a pout, and he goes on, “I think he would love to get a taste of how sweet you are.” I continue to watch in abject horror as he runs his fingers down the length of her neck. “Wouldn’t you love the feel of his fangs sinking into you?”
He smiles over at me, his fangs on full display.
“Fucking hell, Zach.” I brush past them to leave. “You better clean up your fucking mess.” He knows I’m not talking about the destruction of the room. I don’t give a fuck about it. But everyone in here appears to be human, including the woman he’s about to sink his fangs into. “Come find me when you’re fucking done here. We have important business to discuss.”
I’m barely out the door before he has her riding his dick while he feeds from her neck. Add strung-out rock star to my growing list of issues.
MAITLIN
Waking up, I reach over, hoping that Jaxon came back after his childish temper tantrum. Once again, he turned from handsome, put-together Dr. Jekyll to the infamous and irrational Mr. Hyde right before my eyes.
The sun streams through the windows just as I imagined it would. Though, when I asked Jaxon to keep the blinds open, it was in hopes of making love as the sun shined in.
Reaching over, I grab for my phone but quickly remember that I am currently technology impaired, thanks to Neil. That will to be the first thing on my list of errands this morning, replacing my phone.
There is nothing I would love more than to lounge here all day, safe and secure. Sadly, I have several things that need to be dealt with, and lounging isn’t one of them. I have an enormous amount of shit to get accomplished, including making a trip to the police station and contacting Detective Stone.
The light knock on my door had my hopes rising once again, hopeful that it might be Jaxon, until Shellie opens the door.
“Hey.” Her voice is soft and tentative, as if speaking too loud might break me. “I made some coffee.” She holds out two mugs.
“Thanks.”
Stepping in, she looks around. “Where’s Jaxon?”
“Gone,” I say flatly as if it's all the explanation that’s required.
“Oh… Is he coming back later?”
“Doubtful, since he left at five for a call to China that he apparently forgot all about.” My voice drips with sarcasm. Shellie and I have been friends long enough that I’m sure she’ll drop the inquisition about Jaxon’s whereabouts, but no such luck.
“I’m sure he’ll be back. He was worried about you last night after you woke up screaming.” She hands me the coffee and sits on the bed. “He cares for you.”
“What were you so angry with him about last night? When the two of you were talking in the hall.”
“What do you mean?” I can hear in her voice that she’s trying to avoid this topic of conversation. But with Jaxon’s strange behavior and Shellie going on about him biting me, I’m beginning to feel like I’m losing my mind.
“You know what I’m talking about, so stop pretending that you don’t. You smacked him across the face, for God’s sake. I’d say that was more than nothing.” I watch as she fidgets with her coffee cup before she abruptly gets up. “I took a brunch shift today, so I have to get going.”
I glower over at her as she makes her way out of my bedroom door without answering my question. She’s my oldest friend, and I know when she’s hiding something from me. But if I'm honest with myself, I don’t think this is something I want to know, or maybe I want to have Jaxon tell me instead.
*~*~*
After taking a shower, I do my best to cover the marks around my neck. They’re a reminder of what Neil tried to take from me. Jaxon’s hickey, the most significant purple mark, no longer bothers me. It’s the other small bruises marring my flesh that I try to hide.
When I leave the apartment, I’m a bit surprised that I don’t see Cole standing guard as he was ordered. Then again, I’m not exactly sure if he’s supposed to be obvious about following me. I pause only for a moment, debating on leaving on my own. But in a city of eight million people, is anyone ever alone?
As I walk along the crowded streets, heading back toward our abandoned apartment to retrieve my busted phone and pick up a few personal items, I find myself looking around nervously. In my head, I tell myself that no one is going to jump out and get me, and the feeling of being followed is most likely Cole trailing behind me like Jaxon said he would.
But the unease inside me continues to build with each street I cross. An impending feeling of doom is looming over me, nagging me to turn around.
“You're just silly, Maitlin,” I tell myself over and over as I walk.
I’ve never experienced a panic attack before, but as I stand and wait to cross the street that takes me to my apartment, my body freezes, crippled in fear. The ringing in my ears nearly drowns out the sounds of the city, and my heart threatens to beat out of my chest. My body is trembling as I struggle to take my next breath. All I have to do is cross the street but I can’t will my legs to move, so I stand gripping onto the street light for three light cycles.
A hand on my shoulder makes me jump, and a scream escapes my lips as I turn to look at the stranger next to me.
“Are you okay, miss?” the elderly gentleman asks.
My eyes dart around, searching the street for danger like I’m a frightened animal. My mouth is too dry to answer, so I nod my head.
The gentleman's eyes are kind as he leans in to speak over the traffic. “Do you need me to call someone for you?”
Quickly, I shake my head back and forth, trying to answer, but my voice is unsteady and wobbles as I speak. “No, thank you. I’m… I’ll, I’ll be okay. I just need a minute.” I can see the steps to our brownstone just down the street from where I’m standing. If I could move, I would run and barricade myself inside, but I can’t. My legs still won’t budge.
“Are you sure you don’t need a hand crossing?”
His offer makes me smile. He has to be in his eighties, if not closer to ninety years old. I should be the one asking him if he needs help crossing, not the other way around. He stands with me, waiting to cross for another few light cycles, and I’m grateful to have him there.
Finally, after a few minutes, I regain my composure and press the button to cross. When the walk sign comes on, I hold out my elbow for the man to take, and we walk across together.
“Thank you for waiting with me,” I tell him, giving him the best smile I can muster up.
I swear he blushes. “Well, in my day, you didn’t just walk by someone in need, and you looked like you needed someone. Will you be okay to get where you’re going now?”
“Yes,” I point down the street. “I only live a few doors down.”
He smiles and nods his head as he turns and walks in the opposite direction from me. The steps to my home loom in front of me, and the slight panic from the corner is now creeping back into my brain.
The front door has been repaired from where Detective Stone kicked his way through. I only hope the lock hasn’t been changed, or I’ll need to venture down the alleyway to the back door, not exactly something I want to do.