Steal the Light (Thieves #1)(88)

Dev shook his head in disbelief, his eyes sliding to Daniel. “I hope you’re right about this. I’ll do the first part, but I’ll die before I let the second bit happen.” He turned back to me. “You’re making a huge mistake, Zoey. I care for you. When you wake up to what he is…to what this whole perverted thing with him is, you call me, but I won’t stand here and watch him lead you into Hell.”

Dev stormed out of the room, and I wished I could have called him back, but he would never understand. Daniel and I were different. I wasn’t his property. He loved me long before his turn, and he loved me now. Whatever happened between other vampires and companions, it didn’t touch us. It didn’t define us. I was his partner. He would never treat me as less.

The door slammed behind Dev and Daniel lifted me into his arms and carried me into the big bedroom. We were in full agreement on how to spend our final hours together. I let the conversation with Dev go, and I let the day go, and I let whatever was going to happen tonight go, and lost myself in loving him.

He carried me to the bedroom, sinking on to me as we fell to the bed. We got out of our clothes, needing to be skin to skin. He stared at me, his eyes catching mine and holding them.

“I love you, Z.” It had taken five years for me to hear “I love you” from Daniel again, but each word was sweet.

“I love you.” I couldn’t hold those words from him if I tried. My whole body lit up as Daniel pressed me down. We nestled together, chest to chest, legs tangling, mouths merging, feet tickling.

He promised he would take care of me, and I knew it was a lie. There wasn’t anything he could do, but I also knew I would hold those words like a shield against the things that would happen. I had made my choice. I’d chosen that baby over both of us, but I needed to. She didn’t really belong to us, and I had to send her away. Summer. Our almost child.

Daniel kissed me, long and slow. His fangs grazed my neck, his hunger a palpable thing.

“Please.” I wanted him to feed. I was already caught in his power. There was a part of me that hoped he would take it all. His fangs pierced, sweet pleasure coursing through my veins. He could take it all. I would float away as Daniel fed and fed. It would be a pleasant way to go. I would just hold him and give to him and fade away.

“Stay with me.” He pulled away all too soon, his words warm on my skin. “Stay with me until the end.”

He opened a hole on his chest, just above his heart and cradled my head as I leaned over to drink. That blood took me to a different place, a better place. Maybe Dev was right, but in that moment, I didn’t care about addictions or reason. I wanted to fade away, to ride that blood and never look back.

“My companion. My precious blood.” Daniel kissed me after I’d had my fill. He laid me down and covered me again, his cock finding its home.

It was over too soon.

I didn’t cry until he told me it was time. I didn’t want to leave him. It was so f*cking unfair. I just got him back, and now I would lose him again.

“Shh, Zoey,” he whispered, strong hands stroking my hair. “It’s going to be all right. I won’t let anything happen to you. I’ll take care of it. Trust me. This is the way it is between us now. I take care of you. It’s my right, my duty.”

But there was nothing he could do. And I still wasn’t sure he wouldn’t be forced to go with me. I intended to argue that I was the leader of the crew. I’d made the deal. I’d pay the price.

He dressed me in a clean shirt and jeans I suspected Neil had provided. We’d spent hours alone together, but Neil had been shopping. I was distinctly zombie like. I had one goal and that was to not let Halfer drag me kicking and screaming. If I did one last thing on this plane, it would be to get out with some shred of dignity. Daniel held my hand and led me out to the living area where Neil and Sarah sat on the couch. She looked like I felt.

“No Joe?” I asked.

She shook her head. “I wanted to be here.” She looked up at Daniel, and I knew it took courage to face him. “I’m sorry, Daniel. I had my reasons, but I will do whatever I can to take care of her down there.”

Daniel just stared her down, but to her credit, she didn’t flinch.

“Someone’s coming.” Neil breathed deeply as there was a knock at the door. “Not demons. Vampires. Is the cavalry here?”

“Don’t expect help from them.” Daniel shook his head as if he’d been expecting this.

“Help from who?” I looked at him for some explanation, but he simply opened the door.

“Hello, Marcus,” Daniel said with a deferential nod to an impeccably dressed man who looked to be in his thirties. He was dark haired and impossibly attractive.

“Buona sera, Daniel,” Marcus said with a frown, his eyes narrowing in obvious impatience. “Che guaio sei tu in presente?”

“è niente Sono incapace verso riuscire.” Daniel responded. “Please, can we speak English? My Italian is rusty.”

I didn’t know his Italian existed.

“Of course, how rude of me,” Marcus said politely. Daniel stepped back and allowed him to enter. He was followed by three more men, all of them dressed in suits and stunningly attractive. What I didn’t find attractive was the coffin they carried between them. “Your Italian is rusty because you don’t use it. I assume your French is even worse.”