chapter FOURTEEN
“How much longer are we going to stow away in this flea bag hotel?” Denver rubbed the towel over her head. “We’ve been here for two days.”
Reed stared at her, his eyes widening in surprise. Denver disappeared into the bathroom forty-five minutes earlier. She stepped out with her hair cut short and now a beautiful auburn in color. He opened his mouth, closed it.
“What?” Denver tossed the towel at him. He caught it with one hand.
“Nothing. It looks good.” He wondered if it was enough to fist in his hand. If not, he would surely miss it.
“Are you sure?” She stepped over to the mirror and stared at herself, her fingers fanning the loose strands.
“Oh yeah.”
He turned her, pressed his front against her back and fisted as much of her hair in his hands as he could. He then rolled his groin against her and kissed the back of her neck.
“Stop it, Reed. No fair.”
His voice rumbled with laughter, “It’ll do. It’s still long enough to grab.”
“Har-Har.”
He grabbed her around the waist, brought his face down to the curve of her neck and inhaled, loving the way she smelled, the way her body curved into his. “You look great. Now it’s my turn.” Stepping over to the bathroom door, he paused, “Give me a minute. I’ve got some ideas we can discuss.”
He closed the door behind him, glanced at his face in the mirror. He needed to get it together. The night was going to be a long one. He hadn’t told Denver the things happening to him, to his body, the dreams. He shouldn’t have taken her blood. It was a big mistake. What a charge it gave him. The extra energy was phenomenal to say the least. He could feel his torn muscles, ripped internal flesh mending, knitting back together. Now he wanted it all the time, like water and oxygen, a necessary thing for life’s survival. Damn, he wasn’t a vamp but he sure as hell felt like one. Did she get the same charge? Was he just as distracting? If he never tasted of her again, he’d remember that day. She was now his ambrosia, his lifeline. Splashing cold water on his face, he got busy with the task at hand.
Twenty minutes later he resurfaced. He stood in the bathroom doorway, rubbing his hands over his newly shaven head. Denver turned from the window, smiled and then walked over to him.
“Oh my.” She cupped his face, turned his head from side to side. “Now that’s what I call baby bottom smooth.” She kissed his forehead and then went to sit in the chair.
He laughed at her analogy of his head, moved over to her and sat on the side of the bed, facing her.
“Okay, this is what I think.” He knew the threat was still out there. It was a wonder they hadn’t encountered them again.
They’d gone out at night, scoping the area, back paddling to places he remembered encountering them prior to meeting Denver. They’d sent various messages to the leader, who Reed found out was Brian Schemellie. He didn’t know what his catalyst was or why but he vowed to find out and put an end to it.
Discouragement slapped at them on more than one occasion. They hadn’t found Magnimus, yet either. He figured they never would. The bastard was probably on the other side of the earth by now. He made a silent promise to himself that if he ever came in contact with the bastard again, he would pay for the sadness he brought to Denver. Reed glanced up and smiled at her, wondering what was going through her head. Her smile was very suspicious, yet told him nothing.
“I don’t just want to destroy them, I want them to pay for what they did to Laura.”
Reed nodded his agreement. “Can you get inside Laura’s apartment?”
“Sure. If it’s not surrounded by cops.”
“Well let’s hope not.”
“When do we move?”
“Tonight, late. First we get us a car, then…” He wanted to get to Laura’s home, procure some of her personal effects, things he could selectively place with Schemellie so when the police moved in he would not only be nailed for the murder of his brother but for Laura’s as well.
***
They hurriedly stepped into Laura’s apartment and closed the door. Reed moved over to the window and peered through the curtains to make sure they weren’t followed. He nodded satisfaction and then followed Denver into the bedroom. Laura’s home was small, cluttered chic books of all genres were placed haphazardly in each room. Bookshelves were stuffed to bursting with the same. The air was stuffy and a new layer of dust coated the furniture.
Denver walked past the table, her fingertips lightly skimming the surface. She brushed her hands on her pants and sighed. A knife sliced through his heart at the expression on her face. There would never be a day when he didn’t regret coming into her life. He’d turned it topsy-turvy and Laura’s blood would always be on his hands.
She paused just outside of Laura’s bedroom. Turning, she said to Reed, “When this is over, I’d like to go far, far away.”
“When this is over I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”
“Even to the other side of the world?”
“Even.”
She took a step toward him, pushed up on tippy-toes and planted a butterfly kiss on his cheek. “Thanks.”
“Get me her hair brush, a couple pair of panties and her wallet, will you.” She didn’t ask why. Together they collected the needed items and then backed out of the apartment the way they’d come, making sure nothing was disturbed.
Locking the door behind them, they made their way back to the car they’d parked down the block and secured themselves in. Minutes ticked into hours before they were back where it all began. The warehouse.
“I guess if I told you to stay here and let me go alone that would be a moot point.” He glanced at Denver, then his surroundings.
“Don’t even think it, Reed. I’m in this as much as you are.”
He knew that was going to be her answer, but he had to ask. There was no way he was going to keep her out of this. They were both in too deep. They moved through the trees surrounding the old building. It looked the same. Dark. Ominous. The moon cast eerie shadows on the ground and against the walls, reminiscent of people dancing around a campfire. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled, stood on end.
He stopped, tilted his head to the sky and sniffed. The air was congested with the scent of human. How stupid where these people that they would return to the same place. He’d thought when they arrived it would be vacated and the trail lost to them. But no, the same men were inside. He knew it from the putrid scents assaulting his nose. A soft smile curved the corners of his mouth.
“Don’t forget, Denver. If we get separated, you get back to the hotel. I’ll meet you there.”
She opened her mouth to object and he silenced her with the touch of his finger to her lips.
“No debate. I. Will. Meet you there.”
“I swear to God, Reed, if you get yourself killed--”
“I won’t and same goes. Now, let’s do this.” He pulled the first Molotov cocktail bomb from the bag.
They circled the building in lightning speed, tossing destruction in every window, nook and cranny. Screams and yells fractured the silence of the forest. Muffled moans followed. A small part of him wished they’d do more injury than insult. The tiny nails and minuscule shards of glass were going to be a pain to remove but they wouldn’t kill the bastards. At least they’d give them a small idea of the damage they’ve done to other people.
The end results were going to make up for the hole in his gut. They did more damage to the mind than the body. The blinding flashes of light allowed Reed to snap pictures of the people hiding behind the walls. The tacks, glass and buckshot gave them some of the pain he’d felt but it would never be enough. It allowed him to bring a little fear into his nemesis’ mind.
Gunshots rang out as they scurried behind trees, fallen timber and cinder blocks. “They’re shooting at the air,” Denver said, as she tried to catch her breath.
“Let them.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her through the trees back to where they’d hidden the car, hoping it hadn’t been found.
* * *
Reed slammed the door to their hotel room behind them. Denver dragged in, literally crawled up onto the bed and covered her face with her arm. He stared at her for a long minute, sat at the edge of the bed and sighed. Reaching out, he ran his hand down the length of her arm. “I’m sorry you got dragged into this. You’re exhausted. You should have fed before we left.”
“No.” She tried to yell it but it didn’t have any punch. “No more.”
Reed growled his frustration. “How do you expect to maintain any semblance of--”
She turned her head away from him. “I don’t.”
“And you’ll just let your body and mind die.”
“I’m okay, really I am,” she mumbled.
He stood, walked toward the bathroom and disappeared inside. Exhaustion swamped his body as well. God, he wished this was over. Nonetheless, he was thankful they weren’t caught or injured. Several close calls had him rethinking what he was doing, but it was something that had to be done. He stripped his clothes, turned the shower to full force. The sting of the scalding water awakened deadened nerve endings. He bowed his head, allowed the water to cascade across his shoulder, neck and back. Focusing his gaze on the grime and grit washing down the drain, he remembered the recent events. He craved the day he got his hands on the leader. He fisted his hands, thinking about the leader’s neck.
Stepping out of the shower, he dragged a towel across his body, wrapped it loosely across his hips and stepped back into the bedroom. Pausing, he stared at Denver. She lay prone on the bed, her breathing purring out in soft rhythmic motion. Watching her sent a wave of warmth through his body. The sensations he felt for her were like nothing he’d ever felt before. He wondered if it was love. He didn’t know, not ever being in love before. What he thought was love in the past, wasn’t.
He backed into the bathroom, turned the water on in the tub and waited for it to fill.
Slowly he divested her of clothes, dropping them into a heap on the floor next to the bed. Concern stabbed at him when she didn’t awaken. He needed to be careful in his quest. She wasn’t used to this. She would fight this battle until her body ceased to exist. Her claims earlier that she wouldn’t feed from him any longer were a useless point. He wouldn’t let that happen, couldn’t. It was the only way for her to gain her energy. She could be a master vamp if only she hadn’t allowed her body to become so weak. He refused to allow her to be broken more than she already was. He slid his arms around Denver’s body, lifted her into his arms. She moaned, stirred, her arms flailing above her head.
“No baby, shh.” He cradled her tighter. “I’ve got you.”
Stepping into the bathroom, he lowered her into the water filled bath. Her eyes fluttered open, closed and then a soft moan purred from her throat. “That’s right, baby. Relax.” He sponged water across her shoulders, arms, back. Gathering soap into the sponge, he lathered her skin, massaging as he slid the sponge across her skin. Long moments later, he was lifting her into his arms and carrying her to the bed. Her arms wrapped around his neck, her head pillowed on his shoulder. He slid into bed next to her, pulled her to him.
Knowing she needed to feed for the energy if nothing else, he placed her mouth to his neck. She turned her head away.
“No,” she murmured. “Don’t want it.”
“Denver, it’s the only way for you to maintain your energy. You know this.” He rocked her so her mouth rubbed against the pulsing vein in his neck.
“Damn you, Reed.” She drew in a breath.
The quick prick of fang was like a frozen ice pick and then soothing as her lips closed around the puncture mark and suckled, her fingers kneading the muscles in his back as she tried to pull him closer, tighter.
When she crooned, snuggled her face to his body, he glanced at the bedside table. The clock displayed oh-three hundred. Daylight wouldn’t come fast enough. He closed his eyes, wrapped his arms tighter around Denver and prayed for sleep.