Violet Midnight (Violet Night Trilogy) (17 page)

A hand slammed into Emma’s back. She pushed off a tree and whirled, aiming her crossbow.

Click
.

Dust.

“Em.” Jake launched a Vamp into the air.

Emma clicked. More dust. A growl from behind her demanded her attention. Two Vamps charged. A quick click got one, but the other landed a solid hit to her already bruised cheek.

A steel bat would have hurt less.

It dropped her to the ground, and the Vamp jumped on top of her, fangs bared. She bucked, but the weight was too much for her position.

Jake rammed into the Vamp, and they rolled off Emma. She hopped to her feet, “Crossbow.”

But a plume of dust ignited below Jake. He held his hand back as if he’d stabbed the Vamp. But no dagger. Ava had that.

She scanned the area. All clear.

The orange glow emanating from Jake’s entire arm faded.

“Now that’s going to be tough to hide. There isn’t a watch big enough for that one.” She reached for him. “How’d you—”

He held up a bolt. “Sorry, but I kind of ripped open your spare magazine of bolts you shoved in my pocket.”

“Hey, whatever works.” She hoisted him up. “You got the rest of the Vamps?”

He smiled. “Trained by the best.”

“I would so tackle you to the ground and kiss you silly right now, but we have to get back to Ava and Greg.” Emma turned a circle, working to orient herself. “This way.”

“Okay. But I’m taking a rain check on the kissing silly.”

“Deal.” She took off running.

So, Jake had the glowing arm, strength, and eyes. With any luck, they’d have a breather to figure this out before the shit-storm rained. Instinct told her Rosa and Marek weren’t going to be too happy with what happened.

Especially with Emma.

Yep. This might get ugly.

***

“Here, almost cleaned up.” Jake swiped the medicated gauze against Emma’s neck. She swore the fire of Hades burned through her veins. “I’m so sorry, Em.”

Sorrow-filled, chocolate eyes peeked out at her from beneath thick, black lashes. She sat on the bathroom counter, next to the sink at her dorm, the perfect height to be face-to-face. She cupped his warm cheeks and held him steady. “It’s okay, Jake,” she whispered. “You’re safe, that’s all that matters. I’m tough. I’ll heal quick.”

She nipped at his bottom lip. “If you’re a Hunter now, glowing arm and all, I wonder why you still feel warm to me.”

“All I know is
you
feel warm now. It’s kind of nice,” Jake said.

She leaned back as he taped on a band-aid and tossed the gauze into the drawer.

He reached in and pulled out a thermometer. “Should we check for sure?”

Emma snatched it from his hand. “74.7. Let’s see if you’re cold.”

She popped the tool into his mouth and started kissing her way along his neck. His pulse throbbed against her lips. Warm, indeed. Hopefully, that wouldn’t change. She craved it, was addicted, and hours earlier, thought she’d lost it.

Hell, she’d tried to kill him. That was almost worse than him biting her.

His hands skimmed up her thighs, and he parted her legs with his waist. That started a little fire, a hair south of her belly button. He looked so cute with the thermometer sticking out from his mouth.

She snaked her arms around his waist and rested them on his firm backside. One tight hug brought her to the end of the counter and right into him. Jeans separated them, but she still felt every bit of him.

And she liked it.

She nipped at his neck, and his grip tightened.

The thermometer beeped.

“You were trying to spike my temperature, weren’t you?”

She looked up, and his mouth claimed hers with a bruising kiss. He stayed attached to her for a long time before she pulled away for breath. “What’s the thing say?”

“Couldn’t care less right now. I’ve been wanting to kiss you like that since we left Ava and Greg at the hospital.”

She coiled her legs around his waist and hooked her feet together. A zing of heat shot up through her core, and she bit back a moan. She leaned to the side and swiped the thermometer from his hand. “74.7, on the nose.”

“I really am a Hunter, aren’t I?” He combed her hair from her face and kissed her eyelids. “Really.”

“I’d venture a big yes on that.”

He tilted her head to the side and suckled her earlobe. “I’m almost scared to believe it.”

“You read my mind. But, Jake, you chose. Your mark is gone. It’s something new. And big.” She chased her hands up his arms, outlining the contours of his muscles. “You’re strong.”

“Ava’s staying with Greg in the hospital, right?” His steamy breath whispered into her. “All night?”

She gulped and managed a nod. He traced his finger along the curve of her shirt collar and down between her breasts, then around her backside.

She fisted her hands in his hair and brought his face to hers. He met her with a spark of energy and dove right in. Her body warmed at his touch, and she tightened her grip with her legs. His hands grazed around her butt and up the front of her.

“This shirt is ruined, right? That blood won’t come off?”

Her pulse roared like a river through her body. “Ruined.”

Rip.

Right down the front, he split the shirt. Leaving her open to him. He slid the fabric over her shoulders, kissing a trail over her skin until the ruined cloth was in the sink.

He reached behind him and pulled his shirt over his head.
Forged from steel
came to mind at the sight of his heaving chest. She palmed his sculpted pecs, and he leaned in for more of her mouth.

She got lost in his warmth. Rested in the comfort of knowing she truly wasn’t alone any longer. He was a Hunter.
Her
Hunter. A flash of him leaning toward her, fanged out, biting her, ignited in her mind. His moaning at the ingestion of her blood.

A shiver sliced down her spine.

“What?” He leaned back, his swollen lips shining. “Did I hurt you?”

“No.” She took control of his mouth again.

In the next breath, he hoisted her from the countertop and moved into the main room. The soft mattress met her back, and his weight on her triggered a heat storm through her stomach and around her spine.

“Jake,” she whispered.

He found a steady rhythm with his kisses and his body movements. He hit every trigger on her, and she approached the edge of the cliff. He eased down, kissing a trail to her belly button.

“Jake, wait.”

“It’s okay, Em. Not all the way.” His tongue teased her innie. “Just need to feel you close. To touch you. You can trust me.”

“I do.” She arched her back, and he worked his way back to her mouth. “With my everything.”

“I love you.” He settled between her legs again with a heightened sense of urgency.

Sweet, loving words chased her over the ledge and into the haze. She’d needed this as much as he did. The love. The connection. She’d almost lost him. He was tricked, deceived into believing a lie. Almost becoming something he despised.

But he was safe, alive, and a Hunter.

“Em,” Jake whispered.

She opened her eyes, and his swirled like dark and milk chocolate melting together. He’d eased off her and propped his head up with one hand, while the other rested on her bare stomach, branding her his, like the marks on their wrists.

Marks of the Hunter.

“Sorry. Got lost there a second.”

He kissed her nose. “Me, too. Thank you for trusting me. I needed you, to touch you.”

“Yeah, well, I hated every minute of it.” She snatched his hand and nipped his wrist.

His smile brightened his face. “It’s going to be difficult to wait. I want you so much.”

She ran her hand down his chest, emotion robbing her voice. God, he was so respectful. No pressure. Only love. And she wanted him, too.

“Have I said thank you, yet?” He wove an arm beneath her neck and cradled her to him. “For saving my soul?”

“I just showed you that you had a choice.”

“You fought and didn’t stop fighting for me.” He turned toward her and nestled his leg between hers. “You did try to kill me, though.”

“Well, you bit me and sucked my blood.” She gripped his side, anchoring herself to him. “So we’ll call it even.”

Jake huffed.

“Okay, well, not even, because you know I’m going to have to kill your parents now, right?”

“Okay, so spill everything you learned about Vamps.” Emma slammed the car door shut and plopped into the passenger side of Jake’s Mustang. “Since you’re now the resident expert.”

Jake did not want that honor. To think how close he was to losing everything. “I am kind of surprised there wasn’t more in Gabriel’s research about how people become Vamps.”

“He was doing the best he could. Only human—well, until he came and saw me yesterday.”

Jake steered his car onto Main Street toward the hospital. The thought of Gabriel, Emma’s first love, showing up as an angel and talking to her blew Jake away. Interestingly, not a hint of jealousy, though. “Too bad he didn’t tell you more about what was going on.”

“That’d be too easy, I guess. It’s the journey, evidently.” Emma stared forward. “So, what’d Mom and Dad tell you? Vamps are marked. Random?”

“For me, it was different. I was the lucky one
born
into a prophecy. My parents are Vamps. But in regular situations, it works a little different.”

“How? I already know you can’t be changed by being bitten.”

“How were you chosen to be a Hunter?” Jake asked.

“Just was, I guess.”

“You had an inner strength, maybe.” He snatched her hand. “From what Rosa said, it works much the same way with the Vamps. Only it’s not God doing the choosing if you know what I mean. The person is chosen and marked. It’s their fate. No changing that.”

“Really?”

“Of course, they fail to mention the person really
does
have a choice.”

“Liars. It’s what they do. They deceive.” She shuddered. “Think of how many people turn into Vamps that don’t have to, didn’t know about their choice.”

“I know,” he whispered.

“That’s why you’re a Hunter now.”

“What do you mean?”

“First marked to be a Vamp, but chose Love instead. You’re a walking billboard for other Vamps-to-be, Jake.”

Of course. It made perfect sense now. He’d survived. Found a way out. He could share that. Help others avoid the damnation of turning into a Vamp. Well, if his parents didn’t kill him, first, for turning his back on them.

“But that also makes me a big target once that gets out, right? I mean, these Vamps must communicate and have a network out there if they have prophecies, and elder Vamps and all that,” Jake asked.

“I’m not so sure. Didn’t seem like anyone knew about me, and I’ve been killing those things off a few at a time over the last two years.”

“True. You’d think someone would notice Vamps coming here and not returning to wherever they…live. They have houses and stuff?”

“With people like Cynthia and Dylan helping. Probably.”

“That’s going to complicate things.”

“I’m thinking—and it’s just a feeling—that it’s more the older Vamps, like your folks, that have these little conversion rituals and junk like that. Because the stragglers I’ve seen around, and especially down in the city before I got here, seemed more scattered, loners.” Emma let out a long sigh.

“What?”

“I think this is way bigger than I could ever imagine. And I’m kinda pissed at myself for not paying attention when Gabriel was taking notes and learning things.”

“You were nineteen, had just lost your parents, then less than six months later you lost him.” Jake worked his fingers beneath her hair to her neck. “Starting right now, we’ll start learning everything we can. Me and you.”

“I’m in.”

“So. Marek and Rosa are gone for now. Any chance they’d leave peacefully? Since there isn’t a Trinity any more?”

“Not likely. They’re probably regrouping right now,” Emma said with a chuckle. “Put out the bat call for their little Vamp friends to come gather.”

“This is going to get interesting.”

“That’s why we need to freaking find them.” Emma cracked her knuckles against her thighs. “I’d like to get my hands on Cynthia and Dylan, too.”

“So, Vamps have humans helping them.”

“First time I’ve run into that, but it makes sense. Vamps can’t be found out. That’d ruin things, right? They need help. Why not find some loyal humans to make them fit in more. Help them navigate the human world.”

“Enough evil out there to find some, that’s for sure.” Jake veered the car onto Exit 10. He’d seen enough evil growing up in a broken system, foster home after foster home. Not to mention the group homes. “But they don’t have me, so they’re weakened. No more prophecy.”

“Bet they weren’t counting on that, were they?”

“No, but they told me part of this campus was on hallowed ground. It’s where they’re most powerful.” He cleared his throat. “Where
we
were going to be most powerful.”

“They didn’t happen to mention where, did they? The college isn’t even a century old.”

“I kind of figured it was Cynthia and Dylan’s parents’ house. I mean, they had a concrete slab that could pass for a sacrifice Altar. And it’s out in the middle of nowhere.”

“But it’s pretty far off campus. And it’s not like Arizona has been around for ages, you know? What’s so special about this place?”

“Some head Vamp overseas sent Vamps over here way back in the late 1400s. Remember Columbus?” Jake maneuvered into a parking spot on the last row and put the gear into park. “When he came here to check things out. These dumb Vamps hitched rides and have been here ever since. More mobile, stronger, surviving the elements, diseases, everything was easy for them.”

Emma rested her head back. After a few seconds, she said, “Look. Jake. I’m sorry about your parents. I mean your
real
parents. To find out they are what they are.”

It was what he’d always wanted—to be rescued by his birth parents. For them to swoop him up into their arms and cry over him. He remembered all the nights he’d dreamed that while dodging the fists of various foster home parents or group home bullies.

“It’s every orphan’s dream to find their real parents.” She twined her fingers with his, and he settled into his seat, letting the sun rest on him. He no longer felt its heat, but he remembered the calming warmth. “I guess I got part of the dream, right? Parents found me. Sure, it was because of some psychic, demonic ESP. And it was to deceive me into becoming a Vampire and ruling the night with them…but at least they came back, right?”

“Sometimes I wonder what’s worse. Never knowing your folks and growing up in foster homes like you, or having parents for nineteen years then losing them to a crash all of a sudden.” She glanced at him. “I’m thinking your situation sucks major worse than mine.”

“Like you said, though, the journey is what makes you, you.”

“Made you pretty okay,” Emma said. “I’m just glad I didn’t have to kill you, Jake. I wouldn’t have recovered from that.”

“I’m glad, too. But the fact that you would have, to save me from that life, is something I’ll never forget.” He combed her hair back.

“What was it like?” She shivered. “You were, like, two minutes from becoming fully transformed into a Vamp.”

“The rush from the senses was amazing, yet overwhelming. I could smell and hear everything. That’s both good and bad.”

She laughed and turned in the car seat to face him more.

“But the worst things were the blood and the pain.” He sucked in a deep breath at the thought. “The fact that blood smelled and tasted like sugar. That makes me sick. It’s like I knew it should disgust me, but I couldn’t stop.”

She swirled her thumb over his hand.

“Then there was the pain. I thought my insides were going to implode. Or that I was going to combust.”

“Oh, Jake,” she said.

“And the pain I caused you.”

“Me?”

“When you came to my house, and I sent you away. Biting you. You being chained to a slab of concrete.” Jake shook his head. “I’m so sorry. I was torn by so many things. The smell of you, wanting to be with you, angry because I was going to be your mortal enemy… So many things. I couldn’t handle it.”

“It’s okay. It doesn’t matter.” She leaned in. “It’s over. You’re a Hunter. We’re together.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“I know. And now we’re going to kill those Vamps together. Side-by-side.” She touched a kiss to his cheek. “Right after we check on Greg and Ava. That was one major mind-wipe I did on Ava, and with Greg’s head injury, we need to make sure everything held up okay.”

“Then I’m thinking we might start at Cynthia and Dylan’s house. Give that one more look now that it’s daylight.” Jake pushed open his door and stood.

“You think it’s the place?” Emma peered at him over the top of the car.

“Something tells me it might look a bit differently in the daylight.” He slammed the door shut. “And I’m kind of hoping we run into Cynthia and Dylan as well.”

Ten minutes later, Jake and Emma made their way down the hallway toward Greg’s hospital room. Ava stormed out, hands buried in her hair.

“Ava?” Emma said, hurrying forward.

Her friend whirled and scurried toward Emma. “Oh, Em. Thank God you’re here.”

Jake took in the area. A nurse’s station on his right, and a handful of medical people roaming the halls. Barely before noon on a Saturday made for a quiet time.

“Is Greg okay?” Emma snatched Ava’s hand. “What’s wrong?”

“I think he hit his head super hard. Em, he’s talking about monsters, demons, and vampires. He’s crazy. They’re going to sedate him.”

“What?” Emma peeked through the doorway into Greg’s room. “Shit.”

Jake peered over her shoulder to see Greg tossing and turning in the tiny hospital bed. A bandage covered the corner of his forehead and IVs sprouted from his arm.

“What happened at that party, Em? I only remember having a great time. I didn’t drink too much, but we were dancing, hanging out. It was really fun. But he doesn’t remember any of that.”

Evidently, Ava’s mind-wipe worked very well, but not Greg’s.

“I need to get in there and fix this,” Emma whispered.

“Or, talk to him and see if he heard anything or got any helpful information.” Jake urged her into the room. “Try it.” He leaned back and said, “Ava. Let’s go get something to drink. I’ll—”

“No. I’ll go. I need some fresh air.” She patted the front of her wrinkled shirt down. “See if you can calm him down.”

Jake followed Emma in and shut the door behind them. “Okay, Em. Work your magic.”

She hurried to the bed and gripped Greg’s forearm. “Greg?”

He tensed, then focused on Emma’s face.

“You saw them. You. You. Crossbow.” Greg turned his head side-to-side. “So many. They got Ava.”

“Shhh, Greg. She’s okay. She’s fine.” Emma pushed his damp hair to the side. “She’s downstairs. You’re safe.”

Greg’s gaze bounced from Emma to Jake back to Emma. “What are they, Emma? Those creatures.”

“Vampires. You’ve heard of Vampires before.”

“Not real.”

“They are, Greg. You saw them.”

“No one believes me.”

“Who have you told?” Jake asked, moving to the foot of the bed. “About the vampires?”

“Ava. The nurses. A doctor.” He settled back.

“What do you remember, Greg? Did you hear them say anything?”

“No one believes me.”

“We do,” Jake said. He glanced out the window into the parking lot. “Tell us what you saw. We’ll go take care of them so everyone’s safe.”

“Never safe.” Greg reached for the bandage on his head.

“What’d you hear, Greg?” Jake went to the opposite side of the bed as Emma. “Tell us, buddy. We can help.”

“The one carrying me out. He said hell was coming, and I should be happy they were taking me and my girl out of this town.”

“Out of town?” Emma sat up. “Where?”

No response.

“What’s coming? Did they mention the Trinity?” Jake asked. “A Trinity coming?”