Jared (The Protectors #2)(8)
Her eyes shot to the back door as it swung open praying it wasn’t Adam. Another warrior walked in, not as big as the others, but he had Adam’s eyes, the eyes of a half-breed. “He’s good. He covered his tracks well.” He announced to the others before his mismatched eyes landed on her. “Having a little trouble boys?”
“She’s coming around.” Jared replied glancing back at her. “Aren’t you honey?”
Tessa had about enough. She was scared as hell and had to pee like a race horse. Her red headed temper was legendary and as hard as she tried to keep it to a slow simmer it was getting ready to steam ahead. Fear usually sent her over the edge in a stupid kind of way.
“We already know all about you and your brother, honey.” Jared continued. “We just need to know where he is before things get out of control.”
“I’m not your honey, vamp.” Tessa hissed. “And you don’t know a damn thing about me.”
“Afraid we do…honey.” He laughed and pulled a packet out of his back pocket throwing it on the table next to the baseball hat and sunglasses. Tessa eyed the packet of paper.
“Don’t think she believes you Jared.” Sid shook his head as he leaned casually against the wall.
“Tessa Pride. Twenty-three years old. Graduated at the top of your class. Bartends at the Sand Trap nights. Had to drop out of teaching academy to pay bills. Adam Pride. Eighteen years old. Graduated a football star with a full ride to Penn State. Mother, Rose Pride, was killed in a head on car accident. Father, Frank Pride, is still alive, but left over a year ago. The only other living relative is Ollie Pride aka Gramps, who now resides at Villa Springs Nursing Home.” Jared never took his eyes off her. “You want me to keep going or do you get the point….Tessa.”
When she didn’t say anything, just looked at the packet, the half-breed took a step forward. “This is your last chance.”
Tessa’s eyes slowly rose to his mismatched gaze, her head tilted slightly, eyes narrowed daring him to lay a finger on her. He didn’t have to. A pressure started to build behind her eyes spreading throughout her entire head. Closing her eyes, she tried to keep it together, but the pressure turned to pain in a split second dropping her to her knees. Not wanting to give the bastards the satisfaction of screaming she bit her lip so hard she tasted blood. Doubled over on her knees all she could do was pray she died quickly to end the pain.
Jared had to give it to the gutsy red head; she was tough. A room full of vampires and she hadn’t cracked…yet. He’d seen grown men crack under the pressure and pour their guts out. She was also more curvy than he remembered. Damon might have the right of it. Give him five minutes alone with her and he could have her singing like a little bird, at least it would be fun trying. Her hair was the color of burnished copper in a shaggy cut reaching past her shoulders. Just enough to hold on to when he was licking his way up her back to her neck. Her eyes were the color of lake moss and shaped like tear drops, drooping down on each side. Oh yeah, he would have loved to have met her under different circumstances.
Shocked, Jared watched as she sank to the ground holding her head. Pushing away from the counter he rushed to her side, cursing himself for paying more attention to getting her in bed than what the hell was going on.
“Hey.” He tried to lift her face to his, but she was so stiff he was afraid of hurting her. Glancing up for help, he looked right at Levi who was glaring at Tessa, his golden eye now black, rimmed in red. Standing up quicker than the human eye could track he had the half-breed against the wall by the throat. “What the hell are you doing?” Jared roared.
With the contact broken Levi looked at Jared. “I’m getting the information we need.”
Jared slammed Levi against the wall hard once before letting go. “We do not hurt women.” Jared’s hiss should have been warning enough.
Levi got right back in Jared’s face. “You don't want to f*ck with me warrior. I can have you removed from your duties with a snap of my finger.”
“The day the Council allows us to hurt women is the day I walk. So you go on and snap that finger, breed.” Then in a split second he grabbed Levi’s shirt pulling him close. “And you definitely don’t want to f*ck with me. Now get the hell out of here and let us do our job.”
“The Council wants me here.” Levi pulled away. “I’m the only half-breed in the Council so they think I can get this situation under control.”
Duncan, who had been quiet up until now stepped forward. “I think under the circumstances they will understand since I am giving them a full report.” Duncan, who usually showed no emotion at all, gave Levi a nasty grin. “You are on thin ice as it is Levi. I suggest you step back from this one.”
Out of the corner of his eye Jared saw something flying through the air. Dodging to the left he watched a glass shatter against Levi’s chest. Turning he saw Tessa standing, chest heaving in anger, grabbing for another glass. “Get out!” Tessa screamed, her hand drawing back to let go of the glass.
Jared barely had time to bat the glass away before it made contact. This time it was headed toward him. All hell broke loose. She grabbed another glass aiming toward Damon this time. Levi headed toward her, his golden eye blacker than midnight. Jared grabbed him by the front of the shirt again lifting him off his feet slamming him to the ground, planting his knee on the half-breed’s chest. He felt a glass bounce off his back.