Hear Me When the Sun Goes Down (22 page)

Bishop didn’t think for once, he just acted.  His lips covered hers, unrelenting, coaxing, begging entrance.  Anja froze at first, her hands pressing against his chest at the sudden invasion, but he didn’t let her pull away, not yet… he wasn’t done gambling.  And then she was kissing him back, lips soft and sweet, her tongue sweeping out to meet his.  Her fingers curled into his lapel, holding him close as he drank in the familiar taste of her. 

But she wasn’t his anymore, and when he felt her resistance rise to the surface again he left off his tender assault, giving her the chance to pull away.  She wouldn’t meet his gaze, her eyes trained on the floor as she sucked in a quick succession of breaths.  When she didn’t bolt from his arms, he leaned in again, but this time she pushed against his chest more firmly.

“Bishop…” She used his name as a warning, or was it a plea?  He couldn’t tell. 

“I know.  I wanted to have done that one more time, just in case.”

“You make it sound like we might never see each other again.”

“Would that bother you?”

Her eyes flew up to meet his, startled and wide.  “I have to go.” 

This time Bishop let her escape without protest, smiling at the way her boots clopped on the stairs.  She might be running away from him for the moment, but he knew what he’d felt in that kiss.  And it was definitely worth fighting for. 

Great googly moogly, what had I done?  Recognizing the fact that my security staff would take it the completely wrong way if I came barreling out of the building at full tilt, I paused at the bottom of the stairwell to get a hold of myself. 

It was just a kiss.  Nothing to freak out over, it wasn’t like he’d swept me up and carried me to his bed and… a rush of memories of him doing that exact same thing made me gasp as I tried to steer my train of thought to a safer destination.  It was only a kiss.  A kiss that he’d started, that was an important distinction, right?

But I’d kissed him back!  What the heck was I thinking?  I
wasn’t
thinking, that was the problem, and now, now Bishop probably thought he had a chance again and… I held my breath, counting backwards by fives from one hundred and then forward in German, forcing my brain to think about something else until the panicky sensation started to fade.  It helped after a while, but I still felt hot and flushed when I climbed into the back seat of the car with Rob and Gunnar in the front.  The other security team followed in a separate car.

“And how is Ulrik?” Rob asked.

“Why did you call him that?”

He gave a half shrug.  “Ain’t in the Order, Bishop ain’t his name no more.”

“He’s still Bishop to me.”  And he probably always would be.

“I see.”

“You see what?”  My head came up, trying to meet his gaze in the mirror, but he looked out the window. 

“Doesn’t matter.”

Was something bothering Rob, or had my guilty conscience read too much into it?  Deciding I shouldn’t go looking for trouble, I brought the subject around to greater issues.  “So, listen up guys, we’re about to go back into the Sanctuary business.”

That got Rob’s attention.  “How do you mean?”

I told them about the bombing of the Order’s headquarters and my offer of Sanctuary to the remaining members.  “I’ll want to call an emergency session of the council tomorrow to address this before we have full blown war on the streets.”

“But you have promise to Jakob not to invite anyone else into the house,” Gunnar reminded me.  I was all kind of aware of the ramifications of my offer, but I wasn’t going to let Jakob intimidate me.  Not about this.

“I don’t care.  I’m not turning my back on them.  If I hadn’t spoken out about the Order to begin with, we might never have ended up where we are.  Besides, it’s not like they’re total strangers.  Jakob said I couldn’t invite anyone he hasn’t approved, but anyone who’s in the Order has gone through a vetting process and he established that process, right?”

Rob didn’t bother to hide his scowl.  “He won’t be happy about this.”

“You don’t seem to approve either.”  What did he want me to do, let them get picked off one by one?

“It’s not for me to approve or disapprove
.  You’re the Elder, ain’t ya?”

“That’s the general idea.”

“I am sure he meant it for strangers, boss,” Gunnar offered, playing peacemaker.  “He will understand the circumstances.”

Rob didn’t say more on the subject, and it was silent and uncomfortable for the rest of the drive home.  I gave them both a list of instructions to carry out.  Gunnar
was to oversee the preparations for additional guests, making sure the attic space was hospitable again.  Rob was to send out a couple of reliable men to see what they could pick up from the crime scene.  If we had something concrete to link it back to Byrne, maybe we could sic the Order on him instead of them targeting all of San Francisco when Rome inevitably responded to the attack. 

I stayed up later than I normally would have, sending emails to Felix and the council, requesting they come to my house for an emergency session the next night as soon as it was dark.  I also put in another call to Jenessa, asking her to get back to me and offering her a safe place to stay if necessary. 

Rob appeared at my office door very near dawn, his features tired and drawn as he closed the blinds and shut the black out curtains.  “It’s getting late.  Won’t do no one no good if you was to fall asleep at your desk here and fry to a crisp.”

“Oh, come on, Rob, you’re not so mad you wouldn’t save me from turning into a crunchy critter, are you?”

“What makes you think I’m angry?” he asked, his expression mild. 

“It’s not like you made a secret of your disapproval over my opening the house up to the Order.”

“Just makes my job harder is all.  I’ll end up sleeping outside your door like a dog before this is over.”

“Where’s Tucker when you need him, right?” I said with an impish grin and he raised a single brow.

“You trying to be funny?”

“Apparently not,” I muttered.  “You’re overlooking the obvious here.”

“Which is?”

“This is a perfect excuse for you to have to share a room with me.  Maybe even a bed.”  I waggled my eyebrows at him, but he didn’t so much as crack a smile.  “Try not to freak out so much.  For all we know no one will even show up
.  Those guys are pretty tough and I haven’t made myself a particular friend of theirs lately.” 

The frantic knock on the front door said otherwise. 

We were out in the foyer in a flash, Rob shoving me behind him as he darted a look through the window.  “It’s Mason and someone, can’t make out who,” he reported, and that was enough for me.  I flung open the door, wincing in the rapidly growing light to find Corazon hanging limp under Mason’s arm. 

“She’s hurt bad,” Mason
announced, no trace of his usual jocularity evident.  They both wore their standard tactical gear, Mason’s hulking frame filling the doorway.  There were cuts and scrapes on his body and dried blood on his forehead that told me their injuries were pretty recent, and tiny bits of broken glass peeped out of his shaggy brown hair. 

Corazon was dwarfed by his bulk, wholly depending on his support with barely one foot under her.  Her dark hair was pulled back into a thick braid, matted and slick with blood from a partially healed gash to her left temple.  A deep stain on her abdomen oozed slowly and her eyes rolled, unfocused. 

“Come in, both of you, quick,” I ushered them in, ignoring Rob’s scowl of disapproval.  They both passed the house’s protection spell though and that was all that mattered.  “Let’s get her up to the attic.  Mason, can you manage or are you hurt too?”

“I’ll live, but she’s in bad shape.”  Once inside, Mason hefted her up in his arms, taking the staircase at a quick clip.

I followed along behind them, trailed by Rob and Gunnar.  “What happened?” 

“Her and Stone got ambushed coming out of Dead Lazlo’s.  Another car bomb, but it went off too early.  They got pinned down by heavy gunfire and Stone was able to call in for backup, but I was the only person dumb enough to be out on the streets.” 

“Lucky for them,” I murmured.  “Where’s Stone, is he alright?”

Mason shook his head, pausing on the landing to readjust his hold on her before he took the next flight
, and I could tell he wasn’t up to his usual strength.  “Nothing left but ash by the time I got there.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

“Corazon took one in the gut and two to the leg, nicked her femoral artery by the size of the pool of blood she was in when I found her.  I tried to give her some blood, but it didn’t go very far and I had to stay sharp to get her out of there.”  He paused again at the top of the stairs, catching his breath.  “Damn, this place keeps going on and on, doesn’t it?”

“Rob, could you?”  Rob took Corazon from Mason’s arms, taking her up the last flight of stairs to the attic while I steered Mason in the right direction.  His steps were a
little unsteady, but he made it without too much trouble.  “You did the right thing bringing her here,” I said, kneeling on the mat where Rob had laid her out.  Corazon’s caramel skin held an ashy pallor, that couldn’t be good.  “She needs blood, and she needs it now.”

Rob held out his wrist, but I pushed it away.  “I don’t think that’s going to be enough, not with how much she’s lost.  It’s going to take something a lot stronger.”  I held my wrist to her blue-tinged lips, but she didn’t stir, sweat standing out on her brow as her body consumed itself to repair the damage.  I’d have to help her out. 

“Are you sure about this?” Rob asked as I brought my wrist to my lips, fangs descending. 

“Her body will shut down soon if she doesn’t get enough blood.”  Mason panted from where he slumped on the ground, leaning against a support column.  “She’d survive it, as long as we got her more blood eventually, but it could seriously fuck up her brain for a while if she gets that far gone.”

“It’ll be fine,” I said, tearing into my wrist deep enough to get the blood flowing.  The first pull hurt like a motherfrakker, as her fangs lengthened and sank into my flesh, and I saw Rob start toward me.  “It’s fine,” I managed to get out, the pain receding as the next draw of her mouth sent a frisson of delight dancing along my veins. 
Definitely fine
. 

Corazon drank freely, a low growl of hunger muffling against my wrist as her throat worked to swallow.  I grasped under her shoulder to pull her closer, my body curving toward hers protectively by instinct.  Her eyes remained closed, but one hand bound my wrist to her mouth as she drank, the other slid across the top of my thigh, caressing, intimate. 

My head fell back, fangs descending as I fought the urge to reciprocate, knowing it would defeat the purpose of giving her my blood entirely.  Instead, I gazed through slitted eyelids at Rob, his heartbeat taunting me from across the room.  More than anything I wanted his salty sweet taste in my mouth, and I moaned as the memory of his blood mingled with the bliss coursing through me as Corazon took her fill. 

And then Rob was there, offering himself to me, and I didn’t have the strength to say no.  I took his wrist into my mouth, his low groan sending a tingling ripple through me as the taste of his blood exploded across my tongue.  One arm wrapped around Corazon, the other splayed across his chest, feeling the rapid throb of his heart mirroring the pulse of blood rushing into me. 

Rob sat perfectly still, but I could tell from his labored breath it took everything he had not to touch me in kind as the pleasure danced between us.    

“That um… that looks more than fine,” Mason swallowed, transfixed by the spectacle. 

I didn’t care if we had a witness, I was too drunk with sensation. I wouldn’t have cared if Jakob walked in at that very moment.  More than anything I wanted to take it to the next level.  To shove Corazon aside and lose myself completely in Rob’s embrace.  Heck, I might’ve pulled her in for a threesome if that’s what it took to be with Rob again, but luckily, for my psyche as well as theirs, Rob remained clear headed to put an end to it. 

“That’s enough,” Rob said gruffly, pulling my wrist from her mouth when he deemed she was out of danger.  The pain as her teeth tried to keep me there was enough to cut through the haze of pleasure, and I let go of my hold on Rob, wincing until my flesh knit back together.  

“Thanks,” I said, sucking in a deep breath as Rob produced a handkerchief, pressing it to his wrist.

“No problem, miss.”

“Here, let me heal that for you,” I offered, but he shook his head, knotting it tightly.  Was he angry with me?  Corazon gave a lazy stretch, her dark eyes fluttering open.  “How are you feeling?” I asked.

“Like I need a cigarette,” she said, raising a brow as she took in the unfamiliar surroundings and our positions.  “Something I should know about?”

“I gave you some of my blood, that’s all.”

I expected a smart aleck remark, or maybe even a protest that she didn’t need my help
; at best she’d been prickly with me before.  Instead, her dark gaze held mine. “Thanks,” she said, her voice husky. 

“Anytime.”   

Now came the smirk I’d come to expect and I backtracked a smidge. 

“Well, anytime you’ve been mortally wounded.”

“Too bad,” she sighed, eyes drifting shut again as she fell back asleep. 

Rob stood, tugging his cuff lower to cover the makeshift bandage.  “Sun’s up,” he declared.  “Finish your business, I’ll wait for you downstairs.” 

I realized he thought I meant to give Mason some of my blood as well, and he didn’t want to stick around and be a part of it.  “You don’t have to leave,” I said, trying to give him the message that I didn’t intend to do anything of the sort. 

“I’ve given all I have to spare, miss.  I’ll send someone else up if you require more blood.”  His voice was utterly detached, as though he was my servant and nothing more.  I tamped down the urge to chase after him, knowing it would defeat the purpose. 

“No, I’m good.  Thank you, Rob.  That’ll be all.”  I watched him leave, hearing the door open below, but not click shut, knowing he would be there, listening in case I needed him. 

All at once I remembered Mason, feeling a
tad guilty as I scooted away from where Corazon slept to check on him.  He’d fallen silent, still propped up against the support beam. 

“Are you okay?  You look kind of
scraped up yourself.”

He shot me a lopsided grin.  “Apart from needing a cold shower?  Nothing I can’t recover from.”