Bad Mouth(34)

“What happened?” she asked. “Who were those vampires?” She shifted gingerly toward her right side so she could see him. He had leaned back into his chair, his long legs stretched out in front of him. With his hair messy and an obviously borrowed hunter-green button-up shirt open to his navel, she could eat him up, licking him from head to toe. Then she noticed the bandage at his shoulder. “Were you shot?”

“Don’t worry about me. I’m nearly healed already.” His words were toneless, distant. They made her feel cold. “They were Dominorum Enforcers.”

She gasped. “Why would they attack us?”

“I believe the Ancients had something to do with that. They took Will.”

Her brows rose. “Do you think they made him?” He simply nodded but said nothing more. His demeanor reminded her of the first night they met, how she’d had to drag everything out of him. Her irritation flared. “Well?”

“I think Will’s being there was a trap. I don’t know how yet, but they knew we’d come. They weren’t expecting you, though.”

“They’ve attempted murder now,” she said.

“You’ll never be able to prove it.”

She knew that, but darned if it didn’t annoy her that he said it as if it didn’t matter. After how close they’d been over the past day, why would he behave so callously? And then she remembered. She’d refused transformation. That was why he’d pulled away from her.

Maybe this was for the best. He wouldn’t want to watch her age and die. But the thought of moving on with some other man and having a family struck her heart like the bolt hitting her again. She could never forget him, making it impossible to give her all to another man. When she looked at him, so handsome and endearing despite exhaustion heavy in his expression, it hit her that she would never get over him.

“What can we do about the Enforcers? Do you know where they took Will?”

“You will do nothing about this.” His face hardened, his tone firm. “You’ll stay here until you’re better, and you’ll get on with your life.”

“This case is part of my life, Kade.”

“The team’s working on finding Will and Graham to bring them in. We can do nothing until they’re found.” He leaned forward. “You’re job now is to get rest and heal.”

“What about the Ancients?”

He shrugged. “I’ll deal with the Ancients. That’s not for you or the team to do.”

“They’ll kill you, Kade.”

“Then I’ll take them to hell with me.” He didn’t sound like he cared. She was about to call him on it, but he kept talking. “Alice called about Ginger and Jenna. She said they’ve been arrested. She also said to tell you the Ancients did it. What was she talking about, Val?”

“I had Alice track down the VLO staff who signed off on your transformations. Sounds like they cooperated.” She shook her head in exasperation. “What kind of game are those vampires playing?”

Kade threw up his hands. “You got me. I’ve never understood them.” He stood, stretching his brawny body and then headed for the door.

“Kade, wait!”

He stopped, but didn’t look at her. “I stayed to make sure you’d pull through. You look…fine.”

“Kade—”

“Don’t worry. We’ll let you know when we find anything. You’re investigation’s safe.” He glanced over his shoulder. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you, Val.” And then he was gone.

Her heart sank to her toes. It didn’t sound like he intended to see her again. He’d been so close to her, his body near enough to touch, yet he’d been so far away. But she didn’t blame him. She’d rejected transformation, and in doing so, she’d rejected him.





Chapter Twenty-five


“Damn, my old friend. You’re like a grizzly woken midhibernation.”

“Fuck you, Ezra.” Kade was in no mood for his gruff friend’s humor. The few days without seeing Val had been torturous. He didn’t know how he could last centuries without her in his life. How could his feelings have changed so drastically in only one week?

“Well, if you’re willing…” Ezra laughed and kept up his infernal prodding. “It’s been three days, brother.”

“And?”

“Have you even called her?”

Kade ran a hand through his hair. If he’d had breath, he would have expelled it. He hadn’t called. She’d left messages, which he’d thought better left unanswered. “When will you stop this nonsense?”

“The day you admit you’re in love with a human.”

“All right then.” Kade nodded. “I’m in love with a human, Ezra. I’m in love with Val. Does that make you happy?”

Fuck, he’d said it. The weight of it hit him like a semi to the chest, but it was real. He loved everything about her. He’d lied to her, used her, but she’d given him a chance to put everything right. She’d listened and trusted him to give her the truth. She’d treated him like a man when everyone else saw only his position of power. She challenged him like no other female had, made him face things he needed to face. She’d been there for him during some of his worst moments since childhood.

“I’m thrilled,” Ezra said. “Now you should tell her. You’re hurting her, you know.”

“Not much, and it’s for her own good.”

“You should let her make that decision.”

Kade’s gut clenched with the memory of her rejection. “In case you’ve forgotten, she made her decision.”

Ezra’s smile disappeared, and he got that stern, stop-f*cking-around face. “You’re not being fair to her, Kade. She was in midcrisis. You gave her no time to decide. She didn’t have a minute to come to terms or to make such a decision.”

“Time wouldn’t matter, my friend. She’d still refuse.” And that killed him more than anything.

“I’m not so sure. She’s in love with you.”

Kade walked onto the balcony, welcoming the whip of cold against his skin. “She’s never said so.” It would make no difference if she had. He’d have no chance with her unless she agreed to transform.

Ezra, ever the pest, followed him. “Neither have you.”

“You’re the f*cking devil at my ear. Why do you harass me?”

“Why do you think?” Ezra clapped him on the back. “Because I love you, my dark prince. Go talk to your woman and ease her pain.”

“Can we change the subject please, you albino motherf*cker?” He turned to his friend. Damn, Ezra was a great friend. He was lucky to have such a man at his back, even when the stubborn vampire was a huge pain in the ass. Now his friend’s face tightened with displeasure. The man hated being called albino.

“I met Alice at the hospital. Sexy, little raven-haired sprite.”

Kade grunted. He was beyond pissed that Ezra had visited Val every night when Kade couldn’t allow himself one measly phone call. It burned in his craw. This was Ezra’s way of rubbing it in. “You’re an ass.”

Ezra continued as if Kade hadn’t spoken. “Alice said the Ancients are responsible for your one-track variety of subjugates.”

“Yes. Val told me she had Alice look into the transformations. What about it?”

Ezra frowned. “Seems to me your parental units were priming you for war against the humans.”

“If they want a f*cking war, they could start one with the crook of a finger.”

“Makes perfect sense. They like their little reindeer games, and the kickoff wouldn’t be as fun as receiving. Think about it. They make the humans torture you. They keep you away from the day-to-day relations with humans. They send you the vilest subjugates. According to Val, they took pleasure in selecting you to work with the VLO. They thought they’d warped you enough.” Ezra met his eyes with a serious look. “They thought you’d kill the liaisons and start the war yourself. I’d bet my life on it. You’re the only one who could keep the Immortalis together.”

Kade leaned heavily on the balcony railing. “They knew Val hated vampires. They’d turned Will, so they knew her history. They thought she’d piss me off. Instead—”

“Instead, you fell in love and f*cked up all their plans.”

“I was never supposed to meet Dannon, either. Ezra, we have to find Will before the Anti-Transformation Bill goes to a vote.”

If that bill passed either chamber, the Dominorum would declare war on the humans, their only option to fight extinction. Soon after, the Immortalis would fight each other. World War III was about to become reality.