Seduction In Black & White

SEDUCTION IN BLACK AND WHITE …His eyes were dark, his gaze heavy, especially when it returned to the strip of leather ...

Author: Craig Jamie

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SEDUCTION IN BLACK AND WHITE

…His eyes were dark, his gaze heavy, especially when it returned to the strip of leather around Jesse’s neck. Gideon lifted his hand and ran his finger along the edge, and though he barely touched the skin, a thrill of anticipation slithered over Jesse’s flesh. “Be grateful I’ve got you.” His voice was rougher, rich with promise. “Though I’d be more grateful if you were naked.” “I can do that.” Gideon didn’t have to tell him twice—in fact, Gideon usually didn’t have to tell him once. If he had given Jesse a few more minutes before following him into the dungeon, Gideon probably would have found him in nothing but his collar. Within moments, his clothes were discarded, and he was standing in front of Gideon, visibly calm, though he knew the vampire heard his heart racing. Gideon didn’t touch him. He didn’t have to. A flicker of his gaze downward was enough to get Jesse’s cock at full attention. “Oh, sure, I get all dressed up, and the first thing you do is strip Jesse out of his clothes. I should have guessed it.” The amused glint in Gideon’s eyes was all Jess needed to know he’d known Emma had been standing in the doorway the entire time. He glanced over, a comment ready on his lips, only to have it fade away when he saw her.

“On your knees,” Emma said, her voice husky. Jesse immediately obeyed. Emma did not often take the dominant role, which made the times when she did even more thrilling. He watched her coil the leash around her hand, tugging until it pulled at his neck, and he fell forward onto his hands…

ALSO BY JAMIE CRAIG Keeping Time Master Of Obsidian Mosaic Moon Unveiled

SEDUCTION IN BLACK AND WHITE BY JAMIE CRAIG

AMBER Q UILL PRESS, LLC http://www.AmberQuill.com

SEDUCTION IN BLACK AND WHITE AN AMBER QUILL PRESS BOOK This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. Amber Quill Press, LLC http://www.AmberQuill.com All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review. Copyright © 2007 by Pepper Espinoza & Vivien Dean ISBN 978-1-60272-162-3 Cover Art © 2007 Trace Edward Zaber

Layout and Formatting provided by: Elemental Alchemy

PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA


CHAPTER 1 Jesse knew the penthouse was equipped with a so-called dungeon, but he hadn’t been expecting an actual dungeon. The room was large enough to shelter a small family, and it almost put Gideon’s collection of floggers, whips, chains, bars, knives, candles, and other assorted toys to shame. Almost. But combined with the collection Gideon brought with him from Chicago, it was almost frightening. Well, it could have been frightening. For Jesse Madding, it was just very, very exciting. He heard Emma moving around in the bedroom, methodically unpacking her clothes. He didn’t know what Gideon was up to. Securing the perimeter for all Jesse knew. 1


Even though Gideon had spent the last month contacting old friends in New York and looking for the best possible location for their vacation, he was still nervous. Well, Gideon claimed he was just nervous. Jesse thought he was paranoid. But Jesse didn’t say anything about it. He was just happy Gideon had ultimately agreed to a vacation at all. Three weeks in New York City. Three weeks without clients breaking down their door at all hours. Three weeks of shows, fine restaurants, and sightseeing. And, oh yeah. Three weeks of the dungeon. Of uninterrupted time with Emma and Gideon. It was his first vacation since he began working for Gideon, and it was probably Gideon’s first vacation ever. The vampire had seemed a bit unclear on the concept the first dozen times Jesse broached it, first avoiding the subject, then outright refusing, and then finally letting Jesse sway him into agreeing. Jesse took a step into the room, and his skin already felt a bit tighter. He didn’t even dare imagine the things Gideon would do to them in this room. The way he would make them bleed, and scream, and cry, and beg for more. He set the bag containing his most personal items on a high bench. The collar Gideon liked to see him wear, its matching leash. The cock ring that always pinched just a little, just hard enough to remind him it was there. The silk scarf Gideon used as a blindfold. The gag that fit between his teeth and held his mouth open. Gideon was in charge of the other items in their collection, but these small objects were his, and his responsibility. 2


The leather collar fit snugly around his neck as he secured it. Gideon hadn’t told him specifically to put it on, but Jesse knew he’d like to see it. Emma had her own collar she kept with her, and Jesse thought she’d probably slip it on before she finished unpacking her clothes. She enjoyed Gideon’s small smile of satisfaction—the one you’d almost miss because it was just the upturn of the corner of his mouth—as much as Jesse did. “Well?” The single word drew him around to see Gideon in the open doorway, one broad shoulder leaning against the jamb. Half his face was in shadow, his dark eyes hidden, but the cant of his mouth was hopeful. “Does it pass inspection?” “Yes. It’s…rather surprising. I hadn’t expected anything quite so big.” “Funny what you can afford when you don’t take a vacation in…forever.” Jesse smiled. “I suppose it helps that you’re the stingiest vampire on the planet.” “I’ll remember that next time I look the other way on one of your book buying fiestas.” Entering the room, Gideon wandered along its borders, stopping once in a while to inspect a fixture attached to the wall. Though the drive had been long and arduous, forcing them to travel at night over the course of two days, he looked as polished as he always did. His dark trousers were impeccably cut, barely a wrinkle where they molded over his powerful thighs and tight ass, and his pullover only made his broad shoulders seem even broader. In this environment, with 3


these accoutrements surrounding them, the effect made Jesse’s cock thicken. “Odessa’s got better taste than I remember,” Gideon mused. He’d stopped and was testing a hook on the wall, its mate strategically passed several feet away to allow for a body to be chained in place. “Remind me to send her a thank you gift after we get back to Chicago.” “I’ll make a note of it.” Jesse crossed to Gideon’s side. “I can definitely imagine spending hours and hours in here.” Looking down at obvious bulge in Gideon’s pants, he added, “And I guess I’m not the only one.” “Because I haven’t had the chance to touch either of you the way I want since we left.” The glance he cast at Jesse was knowing. “Unlike two people I know who came back from their so-called picnic smelling like come.” Jesse knew they hadn’t fooled Gideon, of course. He had hoped since Gideon hadn’t said a word about it before, he wasn’t going to say anything about it at all. But apparently, he had only been waiting for the right opportunity. “It was just a quickie. To blow off some steam.” “Well, I’m glad somebody got blown.” He leaned back against the wall, folding his arms across his chest. His gaze flickered for a moment to Jesse’s collar, and his mouth curved again as he said, “I don’t suppose you took that chance to try and work on Emma some more about moving in.” “I asked her if she had reconsidered her decision. She said she’s happy in her apartment. But, you know, we have three weeks to change her mind.” He paused. “Or convince her 4


she’s insane for spending time with us.” Gideon rolled his eyes. “I am not going to scare her away. I wouldn’t have agreed to this vacation if I thought I’d fuck it up by making her run in the opposite direction.” Jesse touched his arm reassuringly. “Just don’t come across as too strong. You know you can be a bit…intense.” He didn’t say a word. The subject of Emma’s living arrangements had been an increasingly common one over the past month, always ending with Gideon’s request she do so and then her polite demurral. Jesse understood her need for some independence, but it was a disappointment, nonetheless. He loved both of them; having both of them all to himself under one roof would be heaven. “Do you think that’s why she’s fighting this? Is it me?” “No. It’s not you. But moving in with somebody is a big step, even when the relationship is completely normal. Our relationship is far from that, and our lifestyles aren’t exactly compatible right now. She’s…she’s still living in the regular world. We’re not. I think that worries her. Just give her a bit of time, Gideon.” “This would be a hell of a lot easier if I could just fuck her bloody like I did you.” He rubbed a weary hand over his face. “Fine. Time. I’ve got lots of that. Three weeks of it, even. Unless Emma’s serious about seeing the town as much as she is. I can’t believe she packed so many clothes. I should’ve given her the same memo I gave you about clothes being optional for this vacation.” “You’re kidding, right? There’s no way she packed more 5


clothes than you did. I’m surprised there was even room in the car for my bag.” He moved closer to Gideon, eliminating the space between them. “It would be easier if you could treat her the same way you treated me, but unfortunately, she insists on being her own person. What can you do?” His eyes were dark, his gaze heavy, especially when it returned to the strip of leather around Jesse’s neck. Gideon lifted his hand and ran his finger along the edge, and though he barely touched the skin, a thrill of anticipation slithered over Jesse’s flesh. “Be grateful I’ve got you.” His voice was rougher, rich with promise. “Though I’d be more grateful if you were naked.” “I can do that.” Gideon didn’t have to tell him twice—in fact, Gideon usually didn’t have to tell him once. If he had given Jesse a few more minutes before following him into the dungeon, Gideon probably would have found him in nothing but his collar. Within moments, his clothes were discarded, and he was standing in front of Gideon, visibly calm, though he knew the vampire heard his heart racing. Gideon didn’t touch him. He didn’t have to. A flicker of his gaze downward was enough to get Jesse’s cock at full attention. “Oh, sure, I get all dressed up, and the first thing you do is strip Jesse out of his clothes. I should have guessed it.” The amused glint in Gideon’s eyes was all Jess needed to know he’d known Emma had been standing in the doorway 6


the entire time. He glanced over, a comment ready on his lips, only to have it fade away when he saw her. In the process of unpacking, Emma had changed for the fancy late dinner Gideon had promised them. Normally, she wore comfortable clothes, flowing skirts or jeans, soft sweaters or loose blouses. There was the odd occasion when they got the chance to dress up, but not nearly enough for Jesse’s taste. Her attire now only proved him right. A sleeveless black dress flowed over her lush curves, highlighting her porcelain skin, and she’d pulled her dark blonde hair up, off her neck, exposing the black collar Gideon had given her the first month the three of them had been together. In this ensemble, it looked like a simple choker. Only they knew the significance of it. But what surprised Jesse the most were the heels on her feet. Emma had gorgeous legs, but she rarely wore shoes to highlight them. While changing, she’d slipped on a pair of black patent pumps, with a thin, nearly four-inch heel. They heightened the promise of taut legs wrapped around his hips as he drove into her. “You probably should have guessed. But I hope he doesn’t strip you just yet. You look…amazing.” She did a quick pirouette. The dress hugged her ass, molding like a liquid skin over the ripe swells. “Is it okay? I wasn’t going to get the shoes, but the girl at the mall said they made the outfit.” “They do,” Gideon said. “In fact, I might make it a vacation rule that you’re not allowed to wear any other shoes.” 7


“I like that rule.” Jesse’s eyes were drawn to her legs again. “Those shoes, that collar…the dress wouldn’t even be necessary.” “You heard the man, Em. The dress isn’t necessary.” Her brows shot up at Gideon’s almost order. The sudden wave of desire flowing from her was dizzying, but Jesse was riveted by the deliberate lift of her arms, the thrust of her breasts as she reached behind to unzip the garment. “I’ve got my chains on,” she commented as the dress fell away. It exposed the silver links hanging from the center of her collar to each bare breast, attached to her nipples by small clamps. “Jesse looks naked without his.” “Hmmm.” He glanced back in time to see Gideon assessing him carefully. “I think she’s right. Where’s your leash, boy?” “It’s still in my bag.” Jesse nodded at the bench, but didn’t take a step toward it. Gideon caught Emma’s eye and inclined his head. That was all she needed. She crossed the room, her heels tapping against the floor, and pulled out the long chain that acted as his leash. Jesse kept his gaze locked on her as she threaded it her through her fingers. Each fine, silver link reflected the light from overhead. She walked deliberately across the room, her hips swaying, her nipples tight peaks. Emma paused when she reached him, looking at him with half-lidded eyes. He offered her a small smile before she snapped the leash into place. The immediate weight around his neck made his balls ache. 8


“On your knees,” Emma said, her voice husky. Jesse immediately obeyed. Emma did not often take the dominant role, which made the times when she did even more thrilling. He watched her coil the leash around her hand, tugging until it pulled at his neck, and he fell forward onto his hands. “I brought a few special toys for our vacation. Let’s get Jesse as pretty as you are, shall we, Emma?” Lifting her foot, Emma slid the toe beneath Jesse’s chin and nudged his head upward. The heel scraped across his throat below the collar, and his cock jerked at the slight sting. “I’m not sure he deserves it.” He loved how she threw herself into Gideon’s games without blinking an eye; she’d done it like that almost from the start. “Do you think you deserve it, slave?” Jesse didn’t answer with words. He lowered his head slowly, but watched her through his lashes, keeping his gaze locked on her face. Jesse’s throat felt tight as she watched him with unwavering eyes. He didn’t know if Emma had ever imagined herself in this role, but he thought it was a part she was born to play. He didn’t look away until his mouth was less than an inch from her shoe. His tongue darted out, and he ran the tip of it over the toe of her pumps. Her breath hitched, the chains swaying against her luscious breasts. “I don’t know, Gideon. I think Jesse looks plenty pretty just like this.” Dark and dangerous, Gideon suddenly appeared at Emma’s back, his arms stealing around her waist. He bent 9


over her, resting his chin on her shoulder, in order to gaze down her body at Jesse. “Only because you haven’t seen what I’ve brought yet. I’ll bet it makes the boy scream even before it’s all the way on.” The ripple of lust shooting through Jesse might have been just his, or just Emma’s, but he had a distinct feeling she was channeling all their desire at the moment into a single, hot funnel that would make him shoot long before he even got to see the toy. Deliberately, Jesse licked along the black patent again, this time catching some of the skin at the top of her foot, and the shudder that rolled through Emma almost made him smile. “You heard him, slave.” She tugged on the leash. “Let’s go.” Jesse dutifully followed Emma as she led him out of the room. From his point of view, he had a fantastic view of her ass, and he couldn’t resist watching it sway as he crawled across the hard floor. He snuck a glance at Gideon from the corner of his eye. His face was passive, but Jesse saw the golden glint in his eye. The back of his neck tingled with anticipation. Gideon’s surprises were always frightening and wonderful. He followed Emma close enough to keep slack in the chain, and Emma followed Gideon across the apartment— which seemed much larger to him now—to the bedroom. By the time they reached the master suite, Jesse was nearly shivering with excitement. A sharp tug on the leash forced him to heel without Emma 10


ever uttering a word, and they waited by the door while Gideon strode inside to where he’d left his suitcases. It didn’t take him long to pull out a small box from an inside pocket. When he turned around, his erection was even more pronounced, and he rested the box in the palm of his hand as he nodded once at Emma. She dropped the leash at the same time Gideon barked, “Come here, boy.” The leash dragged across the floor as Jesse crawled to Gideon’s feet. This room had thick carpeting, designed for comfort, not for play, like the dungeon. It was rich against his bare skin, and the added texture only heightened his senses. He felt another surge of lust, and knew it was coming from Emma. When he reached Gideon’s feet, he paused, waiting for his next order. “Take it.” Jesse blinked. Oh. He meant the gift. Sitting back on his heels, he reached out and took the small box from Gideon’s palm. It was deceptively heavy, and his fingers shook slightly as he lifted off the lid. Gideon chuckled at his sharp intake of breath. “Something tells me you’re not going to need a cock ring with that little baby.” He thought Gideon might be right. The gift was a thick silver ring, with six gold spikes ringing it. Each screwed in and out of the industrial metal, allowing whatever was caught in the ring to experience the sting at whatever intensity a 11


master might want. “Stand up. And spread your legs. Emma? Would you like to join me? I think I might need your expertise in just how tightly we fix these onto our boy’s balls here.” It took a moment for Jesse to push himself to his feet. His legs weren’t quite cooperating. How was he going to be able to support himself once they got the ring on him? Hopefully, Emma would put him back on his knees. He stood with his feet planted wide, his cock jutting up against his stomach. Gideon plucked the box from the palm of his hand as Emma kneeled in front of Jesse. He didn’t look away as she accepted the heavy ring from Gideon. She circled his sac with her forefinger and thumb near the base of his cock, holding him as she gently slipped the toy over his balls. Jesse gasped as weight pulled against him, a dull, vague pain immediately spreading through his lower stomach. But he didn’t flinch. He knew it was nothing compared to what would happen next. Gideon didn’t kneel. He stood next to Emma and dropped a hand to Jesse’s cock, fisting it in a too-tight grip without looking away from his eyes. “Screw in the first spike.” The corner of his mouth lifted, but there was nothing amused about his half-smile. It was far too dangerous. “So you really think I’m the stingiest vampire on the planet, boy?” Jesse knew there was no good way to answer the question. But it didn’t matter, because a response wasn’t necessary. Plus, he couldn’t speak even if he wanted to. Emma twisted the first screw a mere half-turn, but it was enough to press the 12


tip into his balls. Sharp pain lanced through him, bringing every nerve ending to life. Another half-turn. His mouth fell open in a silent gasp. He cried out at a quarter-turn, unable to stop the sound from escaping his chest. “Second screw.” Gideon continued to regard him as Emma obeyed, stopping at the same painstaking point as the first. After he gave the command for the third, he added, his voice deceptively soft, “I think you’re probably right, you know. About me being stingy. Because what I want more than anything right now is to fuck our darling Emma until she screams.” He smiled, his fangs descending, his eyes fully gold now. “And all you get to do is watch.” Words of protest immediately rose to his lips, but fortunately, they were cut off by Emma twisting the fourth screw into place. The pain was almost exquisite now. Gulping for breath, he tried again. “I didn’t mean it.” “Oh, but you did.” He stroked Jesse’s cock, a long pull that countered a small measure of the fire radiating through his lower body. “And if you want anything at all from me when I’m done with her, you’ll be the perfect little slut while I’m doing it. That means no touching yourself, no moving, nothing.” He dragged his palm over the wet tip, collecting the pre-come. Holding out his hand, he added, “Clean this off for me, will you, Emma?” Jesse bit his lip as Emma’s tongue darted out. She dragged it along Gideon’s palm, closing her eyes as if to savor the moment. He expected her to pull away, but she swirled her tongue around his hand over and over, trying to chase the salty 13


taste. Gideon gripped Jesse’s chin with his other hand, forcing him to look away from Emma and meet his glowing eyes. His gaze was demanding. Do you understand? “Yes, sir.” With a smirk, Gideon stepped back, breaking contact with both of them. “I think we can leave the ring the way it is right now.” He toed off his shoes. “This way, there’s room for punishment in case someone forgets the rules.” Jesse shivered as Emma straightened, sliding up his body. The cold chains of her nipple clamps dragged over his overheated skin, but it was the soft texture of her flesh that made it worse. Grabbing his leash, she yanked and forced his head to the side, leaning up to lick along the edge of the collar, finding the oldest and most sensitive of Gideon’s bite marks with the tip of her tongue. “Oh, Jesse’s not going to misbehave.” Her breath was hot and sweet, making his mouth water. “He wants the spoils too badly.” Gideon chuckled. His shirt was already off, exposing the heavy muscles that hurt in all the best ways. “I think that means he wants to get fucked too badly.” Just the thought of Gideon fucking him made his cock jerk, which sent more red spirals of pain down his thighs. Emma was still pressed against him, and he couldn’t touch her. His fingers clenched into fists, his nails digging into his soft palms. Gideon’s pants fell, revealing the impressive length of his erection, and Jesse bit his tongue as a fresh wave of desire 14


flowed through him. Gideon and Emma smiled at the same time, both fully aware of what they were doing to him. “Maybe I should let you fuck my ass.” She glanced back at Gideon. “Show Jesse what he’s got coming if he’s a good boy.” “No.” His eyes glowed as he stalked over and curled his arm around her waist, plucking her away from Jesse’s quivering body like she was a doll. Stepping back so Jesse saw everything, Gideon thrust his thick cock between her thighs, glistening with both his pre-come and her juices when it poked through. “Don’t you know how good you smell, Emma? I’m half-tempted just to eat you out.” Her lips parted at the suggestion, her head falling back against his chest. “I think we should make Jess choose.” “And I think…” Gideon licked along her neck, his teeth dangerously close to the skin. He had never bitten Emma, and Jesse knew he never would until Jesse let him, but the threat was always still there, every time his fangs got near her. “…that’s an excellent idea.” Jesse wanted to drop to his knees in front of them and bury his face between her legs and suck and lick them both until they were quivering and their come coated his mouth. Instead, he held his hands behind his back, his fingers tight around his wrist. “I think you should fuck her.” If Gideon ate her out, Emma’s pleasure would shoot through him and make him want to explode. If Gideon fucked her, her satisfaction and Gideon's raw hunger would be channeled through Emma and 15


straight to Jesse. “He’s looking a little weak in the knees there, don’t you think?” Emma commented. She twisted to run her tongue along Gideon’s jaw, ending at his mouth where she carefully traced a sharp fang. “Maybe we should make him kneel while he’s waiting his turn.” Gideon turned into her caress, capturing her lips in a hard kiss. When he pulled back, droplets of blood dotted her swollen mouth. He caught Jesse’s eye at the same time he let Emma slide back to the floor, and deliberately licked away what lingered on his lower lip. “Go to it.” He slapped Emma on the ass. “Get him how you like him.” Emma reached out and traced his skin just above his collar. Her fingers felt unnaturally warm, but the brief contact sent a chill down his spine. She leaned forward, as though she planned to kiss him, but she didn’t touch him. Her mouth was close enough to his jaw that he felt the moisture from her breath. Jesse was so distracted by the way she wasn’t touching him, he didn’t notice her grab the chain around his neck until she yanked on it. “Pay attention.” Jesse nodded, but paying attention was much easier said than done. She wrapped the chain around her wrist twice and pulled him down. The tightness in his thighs forced him to move slowly, and a fresh wave of pain washed through him when his balls brushed against the floor. But it was better than standing and trying to support his weight. 16


Slowly, Emma circled him, her eyes nearly black as she examined his posture. He was sitting on his heels, but his spine was as straight as he could manage, his hands locked firmly in position behind his back. By the time she appeared in front of him again, a pleased smile curved her mouth. “The only question is…can you hold it? No matter what the distraction?” Before Jesse had the chance to answer, Emma slid her foot between his spread legs and nudged the thick ring around his sac. Jesse’s eyes rolled back. The pressure was unbelievably intense, and the contact, as brief as it was, tinged the world red for a moment. Each breath was an effort, taking energy he couldn’t afford to expend. He couldn’t remember the last time he had throbbed like this, or the last time his cock had been this hard. “I can hold it.” He said the words through gritted teeth. “I won’t move.” She stepped back, only to meet the hard wall of Gideon’s chest again. “Ol’ Jesse’s a pro,” he murmured in her ear. His cock appeared between her folds, but this time when he pulled back, it was only to as far as her opening. “The real test is going to be when we come. Make sure you’ve got those walls good and down, Em. I want him to feel everything.” On his final word, Gideon slammed forward, driving into Emma’s body in a scream-inducing stroke. She arched away from him, only for Gideon to grab the chains of her nipple clamps and yank her back. Sheets of fire washed through Jesse 17


so strong he nearly cried out as well. But the beauty of the two bodies clashing in front of him kept him focused. His ass clenched, his muscles flexing every single time Gideon thrust forward. His fingers shook, and the tremors fled through him. His breath, when his lungs worked at all, mimicked the rhythm of Emma’s shouted gasps. Emma had obeyed him well, and there wasn’t a single thin barrier between them. It would have been difficult enough to tolerate Emma’s pleasure and satisfaction, but Gideon’s appetite was something with a razor edge, slicing through Jesse’s body. Though Gideon often taunted Jesse with the threat of forcing him to watch while he was the one to take pleasure with Emma, this was the first time he had actually followed through on it. It was both better and worse than Jesse had imagined, the rapture in watching the two people he loved most in this world competing with the need to be a part of them. His vantage allowed him to see every pink fold of Emma’s pussy, the prominent vein running the length of Gideon’s cock as it plunged in and out of her tight passage. He wanted to reach forward, just to touch, but every time his body shifted, even in the tiniest increments, fresh slivers of agony radiated through his aching balls. “Look at him,” Gideon whispered. It was meant for Emma’s ear, but he said it loud enough for Jesse to hear. Jess was certain that was intentional. “He’s dripping already. I’ll bet you want to get down there and just lick it all off his stomach, don’t you, Em?” It seemed to take forever for her eyes to focus on Jesse, 18


and her tongue ran over her full lips more than once as she fought to speak. “God, yes.” “He does taste good. I’m tempted myself. But we both know if I let you, you’d swallow his cock down, and we can’t have that.” His eyes glittered as they locked with Jesse’s. “Can we, boy?” Jesse had a lot of practice at keeping himself, and his responses, under control. Now he had to call on every bit of reserve in his body to answer Gideon’s question. “No, we can’t.” And they both knew why. Cock ring or no, the second Emma swallowed him, he’d come. He knew he would. “So you’ll just have to imagine it.” His thrusts grew more violent, his hand sneaking down to trace around her clit. Emma was shuddering with every stroke now, the twin spots of colors on her cheeks betraying how close she was to coming. “Shouldn’t be hard. He’s had his cock buried in your throat often enough.” Emma’s eyes widened, and he was immersed in another torrent of lust. Knowing she was doing exactly what Gideon told her to do, knowing how much it affected her, knowing she wanted to get on her knees to swallow his cock was more powerful than any desire she channeled into his body. Of course, it wasn’t new. Of course, he knew she wanted him. But it didn’t change anything for him. He absorbed it all from her, and then concentrated as much as possible, and sent it all back. Emma caught her breath, and for a moment, everything 19


was frozen in place, before her scream sliced through the air, sliced through him. He knew he needed to stay in place, knew he couldn’t touch her, but he doubled over, his skin and palms slick with sweat. He didn’t echo her scream, but his moan vibrated from his throat to his impossibly tight balls. Gideon’s snarl shredded the scarlet fog enveloping Jesse. He looked up in time to see him slide Emma down his body, his cock shiny with her juices. A single step brought Gideon around her limp body, and another half step brought him to Jesse. A powerful hand threaded through Jesse’s hair to yank his head up, while the other wrapped around Gideon’s thick shaft. “Someone moved,” Gideon growled. In fierce strokes, he stripped his length, up and down, the tip bobbing from the force. The head was only inches from Jesse’s face, the scent so rich, his mouth watered from it. He actually saw Gideon’s balls tighten, felt the approach of his lover’s orgasm in pinpricks of pain along his scalp, and against his will, parted his lips in anticipation of tasting him very soon. With a roar, Gideon stroked one more time before a blast of thick come hit Jesse’s cheek, followed by a second and then a third before the first even had a chance to start dripping down his skin. Jesse automatically stuck his tongue out, eager to begin licking the sticky fluid as it slowly rolled down his skin. The hand in his hair tightened until the back of his eyes tingled. That wasn’t enough to quell his desire for a taste, and he tried once again, even though he knew better. 20


“Mine.” In the next moment, Emma was kneeling in front of him, a warm hand cupping his balls. Fresh needles of redhot pain arced through his legs when she tightened one of the two remaining spikes, and he cried out at the same time she dragged her tongue along his jaw, gathering Gideon’s come for her own pleasure. The swipe of her tongue across his skin was far, far worse than the fresh pressure between his legs. She was deliberate with her mouth, lingering, chasing every drop. He wanted her to kiss him, so he could at least taste Gideon on her lips. There wasn’t anything better in the world, as far as Jesse was concerned, and she knew it, and she denied him that, too. There was nothing he could do but remain still, the sighs escaping his lips almost turning to whimpers. She didn’t stop until his face was clean. His throat was tight when she drew away. Gideon hadn’t moved from where he held Jesse’s head still, but as Jess watched, he shifted his angle and offered his cock to Emma. He was close enough for Jesse to see the come still caught in the slit, though that disappeared, too, as soon as she closed her full lips over his sticky shaft. Gideon sighed, a long, drawn-out sound of pure bliss. “Maybe if you hadn’t moved, it might be your mouth cleaning me off.” Jesse watched with heavy, hungry eyes as she licked Gideon with the same deliberate motions she had used on Jesse. He was starting to feel more than a little light-headed. “Gideon…I’m sorry…please…” 21


Gideon ran his tongue over his fangs. “Please what?” “Please…need you…touch you…” He knew he was speaking in fragments. He was thinking in fragments. “Let me…just taste you…Gideon…” “Just a taste?” A contemplative gleam appeared in his eye as Emma pulled off his cock. It hung thick and wet between his legs, still semi-hard. “What do you think, Em? Do you think our boy deserves a taste?” Jesse shuddered as she leaned forward until her lips grazed over his. He smelled Gideon’s come on her breath, and it made his mouth quiver. “I don’t think he’ll be happy with a taste. He’s greedy. He’s going to want more.” “Then we just have to give him incentive.” Gideon reached down and pulled Emma away, stepping closer to put his cock in the same position her mouth had been. “Get me hard again, and I’ll fuck you, boy. But you’ve only got two minutes to do it.” Jesse didn’t waste a single precious second. His lips parted before Gideon even finished speaking, and he circled Gideon’s head with his tongue. Jesse tasted Emma’s juices on his cock and a faint trace of his come. He only licked for a few moments before relaxing his jaw and moving his head forward. Jesse didn’t swallow him completely. He moved his mouth over Gideon in slow, wet, sloppy strokes, concentrating intently on every twitch, every jerk of Gideon’s cock. He was so absorbed in his task he didn’t even notice Emma moving behind him. 22


A light hand stroked his ass, and a mouth pressed to the back of his neck. “I think you’re going to do it.” Her fingers strayed to trace between his cheeks. “Should I get you all nice and slick so he can sink into you straight away?” “Please, Emma, please,” Jesse panted without moving his mouth from Gideon’s shaft. Her finger teased his hole as he spoke, and he was very, very thankful for the ring. She pulled her hand away, but only for a moment. When it returned, her fingertip was slick and cool, and she pressed it past the tight outer muscle without pause, reaching between his thighs to jostle the closest spike. The sharp ribbons of pain were enough to counter the pleasure of being penetrated, but Jesse still gasped, his teeth catching along Gideon’s cock for a fraction of a second. Gideon growled, and his length thickened. Molding his hand over Jesse’s skull, he forced his head down until the tip of his cock slid into Jesse’s throat. “This is the best way to get hard.” Jesse swallowed again and again, his muscles tightening around Gideon’s cock. He felt Gideon hardening further, until he was fully erect and filling Jesse’s throat. He closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the familiar length, the taste, the weight against his tongue. Emma slipped a second finger into his ass, and his cock jerked hard against his stomach, brushing sticky pre-come across his tight muscles. He couldn’t move his head, couldn’t speak around Gideon’s cock, so he looked up through his lashes to meet Gideon’s gaze. He didn’t try to hide a single 23


desperate desire, a single need, a single silent plea, from his eyes. “He wants you.” Her fingers scissored inside him, and he knew from the specific way she did it that she was deliberately avoiding his prostate. “And I think he’s ready if you are, Gideon.” “Always.” They both let him go at the same time, and Jesse almost fell over again from the sudden release. In seconds, they had switched places, and Gideon’s strong hands gripped each cheek, pulling them apart almost painfully to expose his waiting hole. “Be a good girl and make sure he doesn’t come too soon,” Gideon said to Emma over Jesse’s shoulder. With a violent thrust, he tore into Jesse’s ass, burying himself to the hilt. Breathe, his brain insisted. His lungs didn’t cooperate. His chest wouldn’t move. Gideon didn’t let Jesse’s sudden paralysis slow his thrusts. Jesse would almost think Gideon wasn’t aware of it, but he knew that was wrong. Gideon was aware of everything. Emma’s fingernails scraping across his tight sac startled him out of his stasis, and the air rushed out of his lungs as Gideon angled his cock against Jesse’s prostate. “Love it when you’re this tight.” Gideon’s mouth was at his ear, and he curved his hand around the front of Jesse’s collar, finding the leash and coiling it round and round his fingers until it was taut. “Reminds me that you’re mine.” “I am…” I am. “I am.” Jesse didn’t really know where his thoughts ended and his voice began. The leash forced his head 24


back, so he was looking at Gideon’s face. His fangs were startling white, his eyes a vibrant yellow. Jesse stared at him, transfixed. He could already feel Gideon’s teeth sinking into his neck. But it was hard to concentrate, because Emma was still fiddling with the ring around his balls, alternately tightening and loosening the screws, seemingly at random. It just tightened the bands around his chest. He knew he was going to split in two. Each drive into his ass was fiercer than the one before. “I’ve got other toys for my boy, you know.” Gideon leaned in and pressed a hard kiss to Jesse’s mouth, splitting his lower lip almost immediately. “Toys for looking good. Toys for bleeding. Toys for using on Emma until she’s the one screaming to come.” “Hey,” she protested softly. Gideon chuckled, his strokes never losing momentum. “I think she’s almost as greedy as you are.” Jesse barely heard him. Blood dripped from his lip, onto his tongue, and down his chin. He tilted his head toward Gideon, and the ruby drops attracted Gideon’s attention. He pressed his mouth against Jesse’s, sucking the blood from his lip until it was clean, then scraping his fang against Jesse’s delicate skin again. “Gideon… please… please. Bite me… let me come… please.” When he pulled back, Gideon’s eyes shone. With hunger, with need, with love. “You heard him, Emma.” The collar tightened as Gideon used the leash to yank it out of his way. 25


“Time to finish this.” He didn’t strike swiftly as he usually did. He waited. Unmoving except for the pistoning of his cock harder and harder into Jesse’s throbbing ass. It was only when Jesse felt Emma’s light touch loosen the spikes around his balls and the heavy ring slip free of his flesh that Gideon moved. Even then it looked like slow motion as he dropped his jaw, tilted his head, and buried his fangs into the tight sinew of Jesse’s neck. The pain in his neck was sharper, more exquisite than all six screws against his balls, but it was much briefer. Almost as soon as it registered as pain, it flashed into a nameless pleasure burning through him, scalding him from the inside out. Emma’s fingers wrapped around his shaft, and it only took a single, light stroke to spark his orgasm. He shot his come in several long streams, and he forced his eyes open. The white fluid coated Emma’s breasts, dripped off her nipples and the clamps. He stared at her, his body trembling against the hard wall of Gideon’s chest. As Gideon withdrew his fangs, licking over the fresh puncture wounds, Emma dragged her fingers through the come and then held it out, reaching over Jesse’s shoulder to paint it across Gideon’s lips. She gasped when he sucked her fingers into his mouth, her lashes fluttering shut. In the next moment, she was pressed to Jesse, her kiss hot and desperate, her body shivering almost as violently as his own. Jesse wrapped his arms around her, though they were sore and stiff from remaining still for so long, and clung to her as she deepened the kiss. Gideon was still pressed to his back, 26


teasing the bite again with his lips and tongue. Jesse’s body was slick with perspiration, with come, and everything was still burning from his thighs to the space behind his eyes. Jesse might have fallen forward, but Gideon had a strong arm around his waist, supporting his weight. When Emma finally pulled away from the kiss, Jesse rested his forehead on her shoulder, panting for breath. “I think we can probably move this to the bed, don’t you?” Her mouth moved over his sweat-damp temple, gentle and soothing. “Unless your legs still aren’t working.” Jesse nodded. He didn’t know if his legs would actually work, but the bed had to be better on his knees than kneeling on the floor. Emma leaned back, giving him space to stand up, but Gideon didn’t release him. Instead, he stood and pulled Jesse up to his feet with him. Once they were both standing, it was easy enough to get to the bed, and he collapsed on the mattress thankfully, stretching his stiff legs. His balls were still sore, and every bit of contact made something warm, but not unpleasant, slither in his lower stomach. Gideon stretched out beside him, but Emma knelt between his legs, carefully pushing them apart. Jesse barely had a chance to glance down to see what she was doing before she bowed her head and began caressing his sac with her tongue. Each stroke was soft and soothing, and in spite of the sensory overload, he sighed and closed his eyes. “Not a bad start to our vacation, I think.” Jesse shook his head, momentarily lost in the warmth of Emma’s mouth. “Not bad at all,” he managed, before turning 27


his head to rest it against Gideon’s arm. The skin was warm from Jesse’s blood now flowing freely through his body. He didn’t have the concentration to speak again until Emma lifted her head. “Can’t wait to see what other toys you packed.” She licked a path up his stomach, her hard nipples dragging over his body until she was nestled atop him. “What makes you think he’s the only one with surprises for this vacation?” He ran his fingers over her hair lightly. “I don’t think that at all. You’ve already surprised me.” “In a good way, I hope.” “In a good way. A very good way.” Her lashes tickled against his chest as she closed her eyes. Gideon’s free arm came around to encompass both of them. “Rest up. Or did you miss the part where I said this was the start of our vacation?” “Yes, sir.” Jesse shifted his weight, so he was pressed even closer to Gideon’s body. Closing his eyes, he inhaled the mingled scent of their bodies. By the time he exhaled, he was asleep.

28


CHAPTER 2 Emma was the first one awake. Gideon was spooned behind Jesse, his face buried in his neck, while Jesse had his knee sandwiched between her thighs, pressing just lightly enough against her wet pussy to make her squirm. She glanced back at them over her shoulder, smiling softly at the look of contentment on their faces, and eased out from Jesse’s arms. Sometimes she couldn’t do it without waking one or the both of them; Gideon had the uncanny knack of knowing exactly when either of them left his bed. But this time she got lucky. She slid off the side of the bed and stretched, sighing at the soft ache in her nipples from the clamps. 29


Vacation was good. Showering was better. Being as quiet as possible, she padded out of the room, waiting until she was in the bathroom before removing the chains and collar. She loved to wear it for Gideon, but it was leather and would get ruined in the water. Of course, he’d use that as an excuse to get her a new one, but she didn’t want him to have more reasons to lavish her with gifts. He’d use it as bait in trying to tempt her into moving in with them, and Emma was having a hard enough time keeping him at bay on that topic. Gideon was very persistent when he got stuck on something. At least, Jesse was respecting her wishes. The water scalded her when she stepped inside the shower, and she ducked her head beneath the spray, relishing the sting of it against her skin. She hated saying no to Gideon. She knew he wanted this—though why, she wasn’t entirely sure— but no argument she posed against it seemed to make a difference. Something was worrying him. She knew that much. Without directly asking, though, all she could gather was vague impressions. Being with him and Jesse made it both easier and harder to read Gideon. Easier, because she became more intimate with his body language in order to interpret what she got. Harder, because he got better at blocking her empathic attempts. She heard the faint click of the bathroom door before Jesse said, “I thought something was missing.” He pulled the curtain back a little and smiled at her. “Mind if I join you?” Just the sound of his voice was enough to make her heart leap. Pushing her wet hair out of her eyes, Emma returned his 30


smile and held out her hand, the warm spark jumping between them when he took it and climbed in. Though four months had passed, it still felt wondrous knowing she was his. Jesse had changed her life. Saved it. She’d thought nothing could be better than his friendship. She’d been wrong. He had taken off his collar prior to coming into the bathroom, but his neck was still slightly chafed from its edge. Emma leaned in and skimmed her tongue along the redness, savoring the saltiness of his skin. “Not too sore, I hope.” Jesse sighed, tilting his head back and wrapping an arm around her waist. “Sore in all the right places. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I’ve been sore like this.” He gripped her chin gently with his free hand and forced her to look up before claiming her mouth in a slow, deep kiss. It was almost sleepy, like he wasn’t quite awake yet. Water sluiced over their faces, the drops mingling where their lips met, warming her mouth and tickling her sensitive skin. There was an unmistakable flare of lust coming from him, but it was muted by something sweeter. Emma let the kiss slow even further, reluctant to break the enchantment. Her fingers toyed with the hair at his nape, missing the curls that always came when he let it grow long. It would happen again soon enough, and she would relish it when it did. She cherished every second she had with him. “We’ve still got three more weeks,” she said against his mouth. “Lots of time to make plenty of memories.” “Honestly, I’m still surprised Gideon agreed to a full three weeks. I was almost willing to settle for three days, if he kept 31


being so stubborn.” She pulled back, twisting around to reach for her sponge and shower gel. “Don’t let him know that. He’ll drag us back to Chicago.” “No. He promised three weeks, and I’m going to hold him to that. Chicago won’t burn to the ground while we’re gone.” “Maybe that’s what happened the last time he took a vacation.” Jesse snorted. “Maybe.” He gently took the sponge from her and worked it between his hands into a full lather. He didn’t speak for several beats as he washed the sponge over her chest, scraping her skin clean. “Did you want to go out tonight?” “I’d like to try.” Though she was still relatively new at it, Emma had gotten better about blocking out unwanted emotions from others. She kept her walls down around Jesse and Gideon because it was safe, because it drew them closer as a threesome, but it hadn’t always been like that. Once, she’d been ruled by the feelings she soaked up from others. Not anymore. And she owed that completely to Jesse. He had saved her from being auctioned off as some collectible and made it possible for her to have a life of her own. A real one. Nothing she ever did would repay him for that. “Do you think I can handle it?” “Well, the night is still young…ish. And it would be a terrible shame to keep you locked up…as tempting as it is to keep you locked up.” He rinsed the soap from her chest before 32


cupping her breast, massaging her nipple with his palm. “On second thought, there’s a set of chains in the dungeon that I’d like to see you modeling.” Her eyes fluttered shut, a soft sigh escaping her throat. “I suppose I can always drag you out with me tomorrow while Gideon’s asleep. He won’t mind if we go out during the day, will he? I can’t tell anymore.” Jesse’s hand paused. “What do you mean?” She opened her eyes again to see his blue gaze fixed on her in concern. “I just mean, he’s been really closed off lately. Haven’t you noticed it?” “No…” Jesse frowned, his eyes growing thoughtful. “I mean, this last week has been a bit busy, while we’ve been getting ready. And I know he’s had some things on his mind. But I wouldn’t say he’s been really closed off.” “Oh. Well. It’s probably nothing. I guess I’m just getting spoiled, being able to feel you whenever I want. I expect the same thing from him, and I just…forget I can’t.” “How long has he seemed closed off to you?” Jesse asked, as though he didn’t hear her dismissal at all. Emma paused to think about it. It had been so gradual, she hadn’t considered it before. “A month maybe?” She nodded. “A month. At least. Ever since you found the girl in the sex shop.” Her eyes pricked at the memory. Jesse had carried the guilt of being too late to save Deacon Gowdy’s assistant like a shroud. “A month?” Jesse wiped his other hand over his face, clearing the water from his eyes. “That’s about when he 33


started his current campaign to get you to move in with us.” “Started?” Emma snorted. “He’s been on my case ever since we got together.” “Well, yes. But it’s definitely been on his mind more in the past few weeks.” “But why would he push me away if he wanted me to move in? That doesn’t make sense.” “No, actually with Gideon, it does make sense. He wants you physically close, he just doesn’t want you inside his head, for whatever reason. Gideon is a pro at this particular mixed signal.” Her mouth slanted. “I suppose you’re the expert on his sort of signals.” “I have been studying them for years now. But to get back to your original question, I don’t think he’ll mind if we go out tomorrow while he sleeps. That way, we won’t be taking any time away from his entertainment.” Taking the sponge from his hands, she added more soap to get fresh lather. “You don’t have to go with me to the museums if you don’t want to. They probably all start to look the same to you after awhile.” Jesse moaned softly as she ran the sponge over the red mark on his neck. “Well, I’ve seen your itinerary, and I do want to go to a few of the museums. Why don’t we meet for lunch, and hit a few tomorrow afternoon?” “I like that. We’ll do the Frick. That’s probably more your style than the Guggenheim.” “Sounds good. Why don’t we finish up in here, and go out 34


to get a late bite to eat? Gideon is probably awake by now.” She didn’t want to escape the water yet. The trip had been long, and her senses were drowning. Being with Jesse was a balm to the overload, but the intensity of being with both of them at the same time could weigh her down when she wasn’t careful. It was one of the reasons she still fought Gideon’s suggestion to move in. Sometimes, she simply needed to escape from all of it. Gideon didn’t understand. “Do you mind if I stay in here a little longer?” She smiled, hoping he’d see it as the tease she meant it. “I don’t have the practice you do in recovering yet.” She didn’t feel anything except understanding coming from him. Gideon may not get it, but Jesse did. He tilted his head, brushing his lips across hers, his tongue darting out to lick the drops of water from her mouth. “I don’t mind a bit.” Her arms went automatically around his neck, her soapy body pressed as close as she could get to his. She loved Gideon, yes, but this with Jesse had always been different. Nobody ever made her feel as safe or treasured as he did; nobody else understood. “You can always stay until he comes in and drags you out. That would be fun.” Jesse’s fingers moved down her spine in a light caress. “That would be fun. Unfortunately, I don’t think my recovery time is quite what you think it is.” “Even more reason to stay.” She knew she was pleading, but she looked up at him anyway. “Just for a few minutes.” “How could I say no to that?” His lips moved to her 35


forehead. “Turn around, and I’ll get your back.” The smile she shot him was brilliant, her relief palpable. Turning in his arms, she deliberately wiggled her ass against his semi-hard cock before pulling her wet hair out of his way. “This is always my favorite part.” “Just because you know you’ve got me wrapped around your finger.” She sighed and closed her eyes as his hands slid around to her breasts again. Apparently, her back was going to have to wait. *

*

*

Though the running water muffled their voices, it was enough just to hear their rhythmic heartbeats as Gideon stretched out on the bed. The shower was big enough for all three of them, but from the sound of it, Jesse and Emma were taking their time enjoying each other. For all he knew, Jesse might be talking to her more about moving in. Gideon would give them these moments uninterrupted. Three weeks was a long time to be away. He hadn’t been out of Chicago that long in decades, and the slight worry of something happening in his absence nagged enough in the back of his mind to make it difficult to truly relax. Emma had picked up on his concern already. He had hoped a quick romp with Jesse in the dungeon while she unpacked would take the edge off, but then Emma had walked in, and he knew in the first second before she teased them that she knew. At least she’d played along. If there was anything he knew he could 36


count on Emma for, it was for trusting them enough to follow blindly. Except for the moving in. She wasn’t following blindly there. She’d dug her heels in, and she wasn’t going to budge, no matter what. The one time he needed her more than ever to accept what they said, she refused. It was incredibly frustrating. The bathroom door opened and closed, and Gideon turned his head to see Jesse emerging with a towel wrapped around his waist. He glanced over Jesse’s shoulder and frowned. “Emma’s still in the shower?” “Yeah, she’s taking a bit of time to herself.” Jesse sat on the edge of the bed, the towel draping over his thighs. “I half expected you to come in and join us.” Gideon rolled onto his side. “I’m on vacation. Aren’t you supposed to be coming to me?” “Oh, right. How silly of me to forget.” His hand slid up Gideon’s leg. “But it’s my vacation, too, you know. Maybe I can get a break from serving you.” “Since when is serving me not your favorite thing in the world?” “Well, you’ve got me there.” His hand came to a stop on Gideon’s hip. “Is there anything I can do now to serve you?” Gideon knew a thousand things Jesse could do, but before anything decadent sprang to his lips, the sound of the shower reminded him where Jess had been. “You can tell me you’ve managed to convince Emma to move in already.” “No, though the issue did come up.” Jesse frowned, and 37


Gideon knew something was on his mind. Something besides serving him. “And now I’m kind of wondering just what is going on with you.” He shrugged it away, stretching out on his back again. “Nothing a vacation isn’t supposed to fix, remember?” “Except you didn’t want to go on this vacation. The only reason you agreed to it was because I used Emma as bait. And now we’re here, and you’re not letting it go. When you get this tenacious, it’s because something is going on. So what is it?” He wanted to turn it into a joke. Just a bone I’ve been gnawing at. Wanna share it with me? But Jesse’s firm tone and steady gaze said a joke probably wouldn’t go over well. “Nothing’s going on. I just think it’s time all of us were under one roof. She practically lives with us now anyway, so why waste her money on an apartment she doesn’t really use?” “Because she’s happy keeping the apartment she doesn’t really use, and I don’t think she needs a reason beyond that. And what do you care how she spends her money? The only reason you’re on my back all the time is because I’m actually wasting your money.” Jesse paused, before asking in a softer voice. “Does this have anything to do with the Deacon Gowdy situation?” The unexpected name made him stiffen, and almost immediately, Gideon cursed himself. Jesse was too astute not to notice, and the last thing he needed right now was for Jess to be distracted from the matters at hand. 38


“It has to do with the three of us being together. All Claudia’s death did was remind me that nobody’s safe. Getting Emma to move in means we can watch her better. We can be there to stop anything from hurting her.” Jesse’s brow arched. “Are you suggesting she move in with us, or are you angling to lock her in your cage and never let her out of your sight again? Because that’s what it sounds like you’re suggesting, and I can tell you right now, she won’t be agreeable.” “But at least she’d be alive to argue with me about it.” Jesse blinked. “Okay, you are freaking me out. Do you have any reason, any good reason, to believe there’s somebody out there who would hurt her? Or is this just general paranoia because you can’t control the situation?” There was no good way to answer Jesse’s questions. Though their relationship had them sharing more and more as time passed, there were still some corners Gideon preferred left alone. The biggest of those was his past. He had lived for centuries before changing his ways, and his history was littered with more blood and even more bodies than Jesse could ever accept. More than that, some of those deaths continued to haunt Gideon, decades after they were dust. He could live with the guilt, but he didn’t have to share it, no matter how often Jesse might ask him to. “How many people have I pissed off in Chicago? Are you going to tell me you don’t worry about her? She can’t defend herself. Hell, she’s already been put on the auction block once. Why can’t I worry about something like that happening 39


again?” “Right. So, what you’re telling me is this is general paranoia because you can’t control the situation completely?” Gideon growled in frustration. “You make me sound crazy when you say it like that.” “Because you’re sounding crazy right now. And I know you’re not. So this brings us back to the original question, doesn’t it? Is this related to Claudia’s death somehow? Emma noticed that’s when you started distancing yourself from her, even as you insisted she move in.” Damn it. He’d hoped Emma hadn’t been quite as aware as that. Though, in retrospect, he should have known better. Lying had never sounded so good before. Except Emma might walk in at any minute, and the last thing he needed was for her to pick up on something he didn’t want her to. Not to mention the fact that Jesse would hate him if he learned what Gideon did after the fact. “Claudia reminded me of Mary.” Maybe mentioning her name would be enough. Jesse chewed on his bottom lip thoughtfully for a moment before speaking. “Why?” “Does it matter?” He rolled away, sitting up and rising from the bed. “Why can’t that be enough?” “I think it does matter, Gideon.” Jesse stood as well, his chin set with determination. “Your history with Mary affects so much of what you do, of who you are. Every bloody day you make decisions based on this whole part of your existence that I know next to nothing about. Don’t you think that matters 40


to me?” “How did this conversation turn into being about you and not Emma? I know you hate it, Jess, but there are some things that are better left buried. Mary’s one of them.” “This conversation wasn’t about me or Emma. This conversation was about you.” Emma’s shower stopped. Jesse glanced at the closed bathroom door, then scooped his unpacked bag off the floor. “I’m going to get dressed. Emma wants to get some dinner.” Gideon felt every step Jesse took to walk out of the room. At every step, he felt the urge to call out to him, to tell him to stop, to apologize for not wanting to talk about it. But every step went uninterrupted, until Jess was gone and Gideon was the only one left in the room. “Shit.” This was not how he’d wanted to start his vacation.

41


CHAPTER 3 Jesse normally didn’t mind Emma reading every emotion passing through him, but now he was thankful she kept her walls up any time they went into an unknown environment. The conversation had made him angry, but more than that, he was hurt. He knew Gideon wanted to leave the past in the past, and Jesse accepted that. But Gideon was not leaving the past in the past anymore. Gideon clearly thought Jesse was asking for too much, but Jesse disagreed. He tried so hard to respect Gideon’s boundaries. He denied his innate curiosity. He put aside his questions. And at this point in their relationship, he knew exactly what questions needed to be left unvoiced. But that 42


didn’t mean Jesse understood. Because he didn’t understand why Gideon tried so hard to keep him locked out. And that’s what it came down to, really. Jesse would give any bit of himself to Gideon. All he had to do was ask. Sometimes, he didn’t even have to do that. There was no part of his life, no part of his body, no part of his heart or mind, considered off-limits to Gideon. The same held true for Emma. His lovers were welcome to every piece of him, if that’s what they wanted. But now it seemed more apparent to Jess that Gideon would never reciprocate in kind. It shouldn’t have mattered. Not enough to hurt like it did. Jesse already had so much from both Gideon and Emma. More than he would have ever hoped to ask for. Maybe more than he had any right to. But Jesse couldn’t dismiss this with logic. His response wasn’t logical. It couldn’t be rationalized away. Gideon’s reticence to talk to him hurt on a level reason couldn’t touch. Even though Emma had her walls up, he couldn’t block her completely. She had eyes, and there was no way she missed the way he and Gideon carefully talked around each other over dinner. She sent him questioning glances, but he pretended not to see. By the next morning, Jesse knew he’d have his thoughts fully corralled and segregated to the back of his mind. Where they belonged, apparently. “Do you want to share a bottle of wine?” Jesse asked, lowering his menu slightly to address Emma. “Oh. I don’t know about a whole bottle. I think a glass might be my limit until I get used to the crowds here.” She 43


looked to Gideon. “But you’d help us finish it, right?” He gave them a crooked smile. “I’m up for anything that lets me take advantage of you two.” She rolled her eyes, turning her attention back to her menu. “Oh, please. Like you have to get us drunk to do that.” It wouldn’t hurt, Jesse thought, his eyes going back to the rather impressive wine list. In fact, the entire menu was rather impressive. Jesse had wanted to just find a pizza joint or something, but Gideon had insisted they go out to a real restaurant. He wished he could enjoy it. “I don’t mind just ordering a glass if that’s all you’re going to have. What museums were you planning to visit tomorrow morning?” “I’m starting small. Tomorrow, I was going to go to the El Museo del Barrio and the Goethe House, since they’re both on the museum mile.” “When you’re up to it, you should check out The Cloisters at the Metropolitan Museum,” Gideon offered. “Some beautiful tapestries there.” “That’s on my list.” She folded her menu and looked back to Jesse. “I can always change my plans, though. If you wanted to come with me tomorrow, we can go check out the Morgan Library.” Gideon snorted. “Take him there, and we won’t see him until it’s time to leave.” Jesse shrugged. “You don’t have to change your plans for me. I was just thinking it might be nice to tag along.” Another furtive glance between him and Gideon. Emma 44


knew this was more than about museums, but her quick question about something on the menu meant she wasn’t going to press. She was like Gideon in a lot of ways. At heart, both were very private people, though hers sprung from years of fearing her empathic abilities. When Emma felt safe in a situation, she opened up, though Jesse wasn’t so blind not to see that really was only with him and Gideon. Was that Gideon’s problem? Didn’t he feel it was safe to talk about it? His swift response was no. It was a control issue, just as getting Emma close was a control issue. Gideon was a creature of habit. When the status quo got rocked, so did he. The story of how they’d come together was proof of that. He only managed it when he was the one doing the rocking. They ordered, and after the wine had been poured out, Gideon leaned back in his seat. “Well, whatever you do for tomorrow, how do you feel about seeing a show tomorrow night? Odessa left me information on where to get good tickets for just about anything that might interest us.” “Sure.” Jesse’s mind really wasn’t on going to see a show. “Is there anything you wanted to see, Emma?” “Something light. All those emotions bottled in a small space like a theater…even with my walls up, it can get intense.” “A comedy then.” Gideon nodded, like it was a done deal. “We see too much drama in the day-to-day as it is anyway.” Jesse almost argued he’d rather sit through a good drama, just to be contrary. And maybe he would have, if he wasn’t 45


concerned about Emma’s well-being. Well, that, and it would have been a little too childish. “A comedy sounds good. What do you say to Spamalot?” Emma’s eyes brightened. “Do you really think we can get tickets to that?” “If that’s what you want.” Gideon’s eyes leveled with Jesse’s. “Anything else I can get for you?” Gideon might be holding him at arm’s distance in some ways, but Jesse still read him easily. And he knew Gideon was sincerely asking. Jesse knew he could name anything, and Gideon would have promised to obtain it, regardless of the effort. “No,” Jesse said softly. “Thank you.” Gideon’s ghost of a smile was almost lost by Emma’s gasp at the smell of their appetizers arriving. He sipped at his wine while her enthusiasm filled the gaps between them, and when Jesse felt the slight nudge of a foot against his ankle, he knew exactly who it belonged to. Gideon didn’t break the slight contact even as Jesse and Emma sampled their food. It didn’t happen until the waiter was clearing the dishes to make room for their entrees. Gideon straightened so suddenly he nearly knocked over Emma’s wine. His dark gaze snapped to the door, and his entire body went bow-tight. “Did you guys hear that?” Jesse hadn’t heard anything, but he didn’t have a vampire’s ears either. “What was it?” “A scream.” He didn’t wait to elaborate. Shoving back his chair, 46


Gideon tossed his napkin onto the table and stalked out. Jesse leapt to follow, but when Emma rose as well, he pushed her back into her seat, urging her to stay. The night was clear when he rushed out onto the empty sidewalk, but the sounds from the alley said exactly where Gideon had gone. Jesse rushed to the mouth, just in time to see Gideon tearing a burly vampire off the shrieking form of a small brunette. Another man hovered nearby, his features indiscernible in the shadows. He caught the woman when she scrambled free, but Gideon was too caught up in fighting the attacker to notice. The vampire was surprisingly quick on its feet, and it eluded Gideon each time he made a move to knock him down. Jesse cast his eyes around the narrow alley, and found a wooden produce crate. He hurried over to it, his gaze darting from Gideon to the brunette huddled next to the man who didn’t make a move to help Gideon. He wasn’t even making a move to run. In fact, he was watching the whole thing like it was the night’s free entertainment. Jesse smashed the crate with a well-placed kick, sending it into several smaller pieces. “Gideon!” Jesse tossed the makeshift stake his direction. Gideon moved with a liquid grace, twisting away from his opponent to snatch the stake in midair. His revolution didn’t slow, years of practice with Jesse at his side guiding his motions, and he surprised the other vamp by burying the unexpected weapon in its chest. He danced back as the vampire’s eyes widened. In the next moment, it crumbled into 47


ash. “Are you okay?” Jesse asked, turning to address the young woman. Her face was buried against her companion’s arm, and she didn’t look up or acknowledge the question in any way. Jesse took a step forward. “Ma’am? Are you okay? Were you hurt?” “She’s fine. Now.” The man’s voice was cultured, the words carefully enunciated. It was the result of either too much education or not enough, but in the dim light of the alley, it was impossible for Jesse to tell the difference. “Thank you for your intervention. I’m not sure what I would have done otherwise.” Gideon approached, brushing the ash from his dark shirt. “You could try not hanging out in alleys in the middle of the night.” “It was our pleasure to help, but he has a point. Try to avoid dark alleys, empty parking lots, and the like.” He stepped closer, trying to get a good look at the girl. He wasn’t worried the vamp got a piece of her. If she were bleeding, Gideon would have sensed it by now. She seemed to be trembling. “Maybe you should go back inside and get a drink.” But the man wasn’t moving. “You have to let me repay you in some way for this.” He extended his free hand, though it seemed to be directed at Gideon. “Marcus Brooker.” Gideon took the offering, but the handshake was perfunctory, firm and brief. “You don’t have to do anything. Just don’t do it again.” 48


Something like anger, or maybe disappointment, flickered across Brooker’s face. It flashed so quickly, Jesse doubted whether he saw it at all. The woman tugged at his arm, finally lifting her head to reveal a very pretty, if waxy, face. “I just want to get out of here, Marcus. Please.” “Of course. Thank you, again.” Jesse nodded, stepping back to allow the two of them to pass freely. When they slipped around the corner of the building, Jesse turned to Gideon, finally getting the chance to study him closely. He reached up, his fingers tracing a dark spot on Gideon’s jaw. “I think you’re going to have a bit of a bruise.” Gideon surprised him by turning into the touch instead of brushing it off. “Son of a bitch was faster than he looked. I practically walked into a couple of those punches.” “It’s a good thing you heard her when you did, then,” Jesse said, his hand lingering. Now that he was touching Gideon, he wasn’t keen on breaking the contact. “I’m surprised she wasn’t hurt. I couldn’t even see a scratch. Did you smell any blood?” “No, he hadn’t bitten her yet. When I got out here, he seemed more interested in scaring her than feeding. Probably getting off on how terrified she was.” Shaking his head, he reached out to hook an arm around Jesse’s waist and tugged him close. “Couldn’t have done it without you. Thanks for the save.” Jesse didn’t resist Gideon’s half-embrace. And his body, entirely unconcerned about what the rest of him was up to, 49


automatically responded to Gideon’s proximity. “You’re welcome, but I was just doing my job, wasn’t I?” It took a moment for Gideon to respond. His eyes were dark pools, too inscrutable to properly read. “That doesn’t mean it’s not appreciated. Or that you aren’t.” Jesse sighed as the last threads of his anger fluttered away. This was Gideon’s attempt at an apology, and as far as attempts went, Jesse thought it was pretty damned good. His hand moved from Gideon’s cheek to the back of his neck, and he pressed his mouth against Gideon’s in a soft kiss. Which was the best attempt he could make at telling Gideon he accepted his apology. Gideon didn’t pull away when the tender caress ended, resting his forehead against Jesse’s. “Your dinner’s getting cold.” “I know,” Jesse said, in the same tone he’d use for I don’t care. “But that’s why God invented microwaves.” “I think Emma might object to being put in the microwave.” “I think Emma might just be happy if we’re on speaking terms again when we go back inside.” “Are we?” Gideon pulled away enough to meet his eyes again, though his hand remained firm at the small of Jesse’s back. “I don’t like it when things are tense between us, Jess.” “Believe me, I don’t like it either.” Jesse took a deep breath, trying to gather his thoughts. “Look, I’m not happy about the situation, and you know that. But I know you have your reasons…and they’re not malicious. It’s just a bit 50


frustrating at times.” “Frankly, I’m surprised you don’t get frustrated with me more than you do. You’re the only one who’s ever really understood me.” The corner of Jesse’s mouth lifted. “It’s because of my nearly inexhaustible reservoir of patience. Which, you always find the most interesting ways to test.” Some of the sobriety surrounding Gideon dissipated, and he tilted his head toward the mouth of the alley. “Let’s get Emma so I can show both of you just how patient I can be, too. I think I have a night to make up to you.” Jesse nodded and took a step back. “I think that sounds like an excellent plan.” Jesse knew this would continue to be a sore point between them, but for now, it was a point he’d ignore. For Gideon’s sake, as well as his own. He would just have to trust if it were ever truly necessary for him to know about Gideon’s history, the vampire would share it with him. Until then, it wasn’t worth lingering on. *

*

*

Marcus managed not to snap at Simone for the entire cab ride back to her apartment. He managed not to snarl in frustration when she fumbled with her keys, and he managed not to wrap his hands around her neck to strangle the life out of her when she gushed about the handsome stranger who’d swept in to save the day. He was very proud of his selfrestraint. A lesser man would have broken at any one of those 51


points. It wasn’t until he was back home, with the door of his penthouse closed firmly behind him, that he let go of the tight leash on his fury. Gideon hadn’t recognized him. He hadn’t even blinked when Marcus had offered his name, and he couldn’t let go of his hand quick enough when Marcus had offered it. He acted like Marcus was any man off the street and not the one who had been there when the so-called love of his life had been slaughtered like an innocent lamb. It shouldn’t have been possible. But it was. He had the brush-off to prove it. He didn’t even mind so much that Gideon had interrupted the attack. Simone lived to be vampire food another day, and Marcus got out of paying Edgar for the courtesy. What he did mind was being treated like nobody important. He hadn’t spent the last forty years building a new life for himself, only to have that same life dismissed with a brusque, “Be careful.” He certainly hadn’t done it to have the person doing the dismissing be Gideon Keel. Gideon Keel. Here in New York. He looked exactly the same. Marcus had always thought his own appearance hadn’t changed much, but apparently, he was wrong about that, too. Going into the bathroom, he splashed cold water over his face in a vain attempt to dispel his foul mood. It didn’t work. Too many questions buffeted his brain. Did Gideon think about it at all? Had any of it mattered in the long run? Did he even care about the people he had ruined 52


in that one ineradicable night? So much pain. And Gideon didn’t even seem to have been bothered. Gallivanting around the city, rescuing damsels with his typical churlish behavior. No thought at all about the plans he was interrupting or the people who might be affected by the actions he took. Or those he didn’t take. Through the red haze of his anger, one fact cemented in his mind. Gideon Keel was in his town. This was Marcus’s turf. He smiled, his reflection in the mirror over the sink like a beast about to pounce. This was his game now.

53


CHAPTER 4 As much as he didn’t like fighting, Gideon had to admit the making up afterward almost made it worth it. Which was why he was holding the door open for Jesse and Emma when they got to the penthouse. The sooner he got them inside, the faster they could get past the disquiet of the past few hours. He wanted—no, he needed—to show them how much they meant to him. “Wait here,” he said in the living room. He strode past them for the bedroom, going straight to the drawer where he’d stashed the other gifts he’d brought for his lovers. They were meant to be a surprise for before they left, but the urge to give them now was overwhelming. He could always get them 54


something else before they returned to Chicago. The boxes were small, as small as the one he’d already given Jesse, and he kept them hidden in his hands as he returned to the outer room. “I expect these to be modeled right now. I’ve wanted to see you two in these for weeks now.” They each accepted their boxes—Jesse with a look of curiosity, Emma with a grin of anticipation. Both of their faces transformed into delighted smiles when they saw what was nestled inside. The anal plugs were gold plated with a cut jewel at the end. Emma’s jewel was amber colored, and Jesse’s was a light blue. “Wow. These are…” Jesse looked up. “They definitely deserve to be modeled.” “Yeah,” Emma breathed in agreement. “Come here,” Jesse said, setting aside his gift. “Let me help you get out of that dress.” As she moved to stand in front of him, Gideon settled in the overstuffed leather chair to watch. This was one of his favorite parts. He watched Jesse skim long, slim fingers up her shoulders, going to the closure at her neckline to slowly lower the zipper. Gideon rested his ankle on his opposite knee, relieving the pressure on his hardening cock as her full breasts came back into view. She hadn’t put the nipple clamps back on, though her collar was still firmly in place. But it didn’t stop the dusky tips from puckering in the warm air. “Leave the shoes on,” he instructed as Jesse slid the dress from her body. Once the garment was gone, Jesse ran his hands back up 55


her thighs, taking the time to explore her skin. He turned her away from him, pressing his chest against her back as his fingers hooked around the band of her panties. He pushed the flimsy garment down slowly while he kissed her neck and shoulder. By the time he finished undressing her, her breath was coming faster, and her cheeks were flushed a soft red. Emma turned around without speaking, her hands immediately going to the buttons of Jesse’s shirt. He loved watching them together. The contrast of her porcelain skin against Jesse’s tawnier tones. The fragile vibrations of their heartbeats making their muscles quiver. Her softness against his more sculpted muscles. By the time Jesse’s shirt fluttered to the floor, Gideon was fully hard, and his fangs itched to descend. Rather than go to his waistband, Emma leaned in and ran her tongue over Jesse’s chest, drawing tighter and tighter circles until she reached his nipple. Then, she caught the tip between her teeth, sinking them in hard enough for Gideon to hear the spike in both of their pulses. Jesse buried his hands in her hair, massaging her scalp gently as she moved her mouth further down his body. He caught his breath when her lips caressed the tense muscles of his stomach. Emma lowered herself to her knees and mouthed his erection through his trousers. Jesse moaned, his fingers flexing against her head. Gideon noticed the playful glint in her eyes as she looked up at Jesse through her lashes, and they shared a smile before she finally worked his belt free. As Jesse’s cock came into view, Gideon shifted his weight, 56


his mouth watering when Emma grasped Jesse at the root. She ran her tongue up the length of his shaft, around the crown, deliberately avoiding the pre-come collecting in the slit. When Jesse attempted to guide her mouth over the head, she sat back on her heels and reached for the blue jeweled plug. “We’re supposed to be modeling these.” Without looking away, she sucked the gold metal into her mouth. Slowly, she moved the plug in and out of her mouth, and Jesse’s cock jerked every time the gold disappeared. His heart was already racing, his blood close to the surface of his skin, and his arousal had a very obvious effect on Emma. Gideon itched to join them, to feel their hot flesh and even hotter mouths all over him, but he didn’t move. Emma finally stopped. Leaning forward, she caught the head of his cock with her lips and held it there as she reached around his hip with the plug. Jesse widened his stance, his breath catching as the tip nudged at his ass. Gideon watched intently as Emma pushed the toy deeper, until the gold had completely disappeared and only the jewel was still visible. “Blue was definitely the right color choice,” Gideon murmured. Jesse twisted his head around. “I think I’m going to have to take your word for it here.” He gripped Emma’s wrists and easily pulled her to her feet. “I think we should see if he’s two for two on the color selection.” But Jesse didn’t immediately reach for the box. Instead, he circled Emma to stand behind her and ran his tongue down her spine. He sank to his knees, his hands moving to grip her ass. 57


Gently, he pulled her flesh apart, allowing his tongue to move further down her body. Gideon knew the second Jesse’s tongue touched her tight ring of muscle, because Emma gasped and arched back, her body taut with expectation. Her skin glistened, her eyes even shinier. “That doesn’t feel like the plug.” “I almost think this is better,” Gideon commented. “Bend over, Emma.” She obeyed automatically, her hair curtaining her face as she bent and grasped her ankles. It opened her even further, and he finally gave in to the urge to begin unbuttoning his shirt. He would be joining them soon. He wanted to be ready. Jesse gripped her hips, pulling her closer as his tongue delved into her hole. Gideon tossed his shirt aside and stood, his eyes never leaving Jesse’s mouth as he explored Emma’s ass. Jesse always seemed to be happiest when he had his mouth on somebody, and now was no exception. His eyes were closed, and it looked like he could happily stay in that position all night. But Gideon had other plans for him. He kicked his shoes off, then stood and unzipped his pants. As soon as he stripped, he picked up the box Emma had set on a nearby table and plucked the plug out. He tapped Jesse’s shoulder with it lightly, and Jess reached to take it without pause. Gideon ran his tongue along the edge of his teeth as Jesse wet the metal with his mouth before nudging the tip at her tight pucker. Emma gasped as the cool plug sank into her ass, and the heat from her flesh jumped in noticeable degrees. It 58


was impossible to resist any longer. Gideon sank to his knees, kneeling next to Jesse as he licked a path along the soft swell, his strong fingers grasping the cheek in order to keep her wide open. “Let’s taste her together,” he said, just loud enough for Jesse to hear. Jesse inclined his head in acknowledgement before tracing the round jewel. When he pulled back, Gideon dipped his head and followed the path Jesse had marked with his cooler tongue. Emma moaned so softly Gideon felt it more than he heard it. Her reaction was much louder when Jesse’s tongue joined his. His mouth grew hotter with each swipe across her flesh. She had lowered her walls on the taxi ride home, but the anticipation that had filled the cab was nothing compared to the lust rolling from her now. His tongue tangled with Jesse’s, but when he threatened to break away to kiss him, Gideon clasped the back of his head and held him in place. Jesse grunted with frustration, but didn’t try to pull away from Gideon’s grasp. His hand slid down Emma’s hip and dipped between her thighs. Emma’s pulse surged as Jesse brushed against her clit. He didn’t linger there, though. Gideon relied on the subtle shifts of Emma’s body to trace Jesse’s progress as he ran his fingers up and down Emma’s swollen flesh, and the sweet scent of her arousal drifted around them. When he was sure Jesse wasn’t going to move, Gideon trailed his hand down the other man’s spine. He reached the cleft of his ass and continued downward, only stopping when 59


he reached the faceted jewel. Lightly grasping its edge, he rotated it in Jesse’s hole, taking pleasure in the groan coming from his throat. Jesse nudged Gideon out of the way and closed his teeth around the perimeter of the jewel. He slowly pulled the toy out of her by an inch, and then pushed it forward again. A surge of desire came from Emma—Gideon smelled as well as felt it as it washed over both of them. Emma wanted more than just the smooth plug, that much was clear. Judging from the soft moans coming from Jesse each time Gideon rotated his toy, Emma wasn’t the only one eager for more. Gideon shifted, draping over Jesse’s back without ceasing the revolutions of the plug. The head of his cock dragged a slick line along the smooth skin, and he pressed his mouth to Jesse’s ear, letting his fangs descend tangibly to prick the other man’s skin. “Can you feel how much she wants you to fuck her? Almost as much as I need to fuck you.” Jesse shuddered, his entire body trembling against Gideon’s. He continued to gently fuck Emma’s ass with the toy, each thrust heightening the desire Gideon sensed from both of them. Jesse moved his hand, so his fingertips teased Emma’s pussy, and Gideon watched as he pushed two fingers into her passage. “Please, Jesse…” Gideon raked his fangs above Jesse’s collar. “I don’t think she wants it enough, do you?” Jesse shook his head, moaning softly. Regardless of how 60


she sounded, they both felt how much she did want it. And Jesse usually had a very hard time denying Emma anything she wanted. Beads of blood welled in the shallow scratches Gideon made, but he only gave them a cursory lick. Instead, he focused on wriggling the plug in Jesse’s ass so that it hit new angles, while he reached his free hand around their bodies to cover the one buried in Emma’s pussy. Adding two thick fingers to Jesse’s slimmer ones, Gideon matched his smooth thrusts into her slick channel, sinking each one in to the knuckles. Emma buckled and nearly fell forward, but Jesse wrapped his other arm around her, holding her tightly. “Oh, God. Oh please… Jesse…please… I can’t… oh, God…” Jesse twisted and writhed against Gideon’s hand, clearly affected by Emma’s pleas. But the steady thrusts into her pussy continued unhurried. Soon both Emma and Jesse were jerking their hips, demanding—begging—for more. Gideon wondered if they realized they were moving in time with each other, or if Jesse was purposely matching Emma’s body. Jesse pushed the plug until it was buried in her ass up to the hilt once again, and then slid his mouth down further, lapping up the juices coating her flesh and their fingers each time they pulled out of her. Gideon finally broke when Jesse scraped his teeth over the heel of Gideon’s hand. “Need to get in you.” He pulled his hand free of Emma’s 61


body and curled it into the link on Jesse’s collar. Yanking him upright, he shoved the plug in once more before pulling it out, lining his hips up at the same time. “I’m going to fill you up, boy. And I want you to fuck our girl so good she creams all over your balls, understand? I want to be able to taste her when I clean you up after.” “Get on your hands and knees,” Jesse rasped, resting his hand on her thigh. Emma released her ankles and lowered herself to her knees, then leaned forward, supporting herself on her forearms. His hand was still wet with her arousal, and he ran his palm over his cock, her juices mingling with his pre-come. Once his cock was slick, he pulled the toy from her ass. Gideon managed to hold himself back until the head of Jesse’s cock pushed past her stretched muscle, but that was the best he could do. He filled Jesse with a single, smooth stroke, driving him forward, and deep into Emma’s passage. The three of them sighed, almost at the same time, the cascades of satisfaction rippling through each body to settle at the base of Gideon’s spine. The heat clenching and unclenching around his cock called for him to plough into Jesse’s tight channel, and it took all his restraint to slowly pull out. Maybe if it was just the two of them, he’d take the liberty to fuck Jesse raw, but it wasn’t just the two of them. Emma’s presence didn’t necessarily preclude such vicious play, but his need to make up for their spoiled dinner did. Jesse moved deliberately, almost delicately, though Gideon knew his body well enough to know he was having 62


almost as much trouble as Gideon was. He wanted to pound into her. But he didn’t begin to move faster until Emma cried out and slammed back without warning, burying Jesse’s cock completely, and driving Jesse all the way back on Gideon’s shaft. Jesse let his measured self-control slip, and he began to move faster—but only as fast as Gideon would let him. He kept one hand tight on Jesse’s hip, fingers tight enough to make the blood pool and bruise beneath their tips. The other curled around the front of Jesse’s throat, stroking along the leather collar in anticipation of pulling it out of his way. His hunger was fierce, every scent seeping from Emma and Jesse’s bodies making him salivate. He wanted to strike and strike hard, feel the flesh quiver on his tongue. He would have loved to taste Emma as well, but he was going to satisfy himself with licking every drop of her juices from her thighs when they were done. Jesse tilted his head back, exposing his neck further, and he reached behind him, burying his fingers in Gideon’s hair. His wrist was right next to Gideon’s ear, and Gideon heard the steady thrumming of Jesse’s pulse, the intoxicating rhythm of Jesse’s blood rushing through his veins. The skin smelled of his own sweat, and Emma’s body, and beneath the heady combination was the rich fragrance of his blood. Gideon turned his head and inhaled deeply, and Jesse caught his breath at the brief contact against his sensitive skin. Emma, completely in tune with Jesse, gasped at the same time. His tongue darted out to trace along the vein. Each thud 63


echoed through him, deafening him to anything but the need reverberating through all three. Emma, and her pleas of “harder, faster.” Jesse, and his wordless pants, the silent calls Gideon knew better than his own name. And Gideon, his love for both of them a wild thing he had to fight to control at moments like this. But then Jesse’s body shifted, and Emma cried out, and Gideon knew exactly what Jesse had done to pull the shattering scream from her wracking body. His hand flew up to catch Jesse’s wrist. As his orgasm coiled in his gut, Gideon pierced the fragile skin, the first hot wash of blood on his tongue sending him spiraling over the edge. Jesse shouted, a wordless burst of surprise and pleasure. He jerked hard, and more blood spurted into Gideon’s mouth as Jesse’s orgasm washed through him. It seemed to sweeten the thick red blood flowing against his tongue. Jesse’s pleasure ricocheted through Gideon’s body, amplified by Emma’s response. He felt the curl of Jesse’s fingers into his cheek as he swallowed down draught after draught of blood. It wasn’t until he felt Emma shudder that he realized she was experiencing Jesse’s light-headedness with the loss, and he slowly retracted his fangs, licking around the newest marks to catch stray droplets. Jesse moaned, his muscles going lax. He hooked his arm around Emma’s waist and pulled her up, so her back pressed against his chest. His head dropped forward, resting on 64


Emma’s shoulder, and Gideon heard the soft sound of Jesse dropping tiny kisses on her skin. “I don’t know about you,” Jesse said against her skin, his voice muffled, “but I think that was a very thoughtful gift from Gideon.” “Anything that gets you into my ass more is a thoughtful gift,” she teased, breathlessly. Gideon chuckled. “Somehow, I don’t think that is ever in danger of waning.” He wrapped his arm over Jesse’s, pulling them both more tightly against his body. Their heat was overwhelming, their sated pleasure even more so, and for the first time in a while, he carefully opened his heart up to Emma’s empathic abilities. He didn’t want them aware of his fears or worry, but he had far too much love and happiness to contain at that moment. Emma gasped. In the split second before he buried his face in Jesse’s neck, he saw her twist around to stare at him, her dark eyes shining. “We should take this into the bedroom,” he said, hoping to distract them. “God, Gideon,” Jesse breathed, the words barely a sound at all. But it was enough for Gideon to know Jesse felt what Emma was feeling, and the invitation to move to the bedroom didn’t have the desired effect. Jesse tilted his head, his ear brushing against Gideon’s hair. Though it was one of the more difficult things he’d had to do in awhile, Gideon released his hold on them, peeling away from Jesse’s slick body and slipping out of his ass. “Remind 65


me to get pretties for you two more often.” He picked up the two jeweled plugs. “I think I like how grateful you get.” “You know, I’ve always said you should buy us more gifts,” Jesse said, gently pulling away from Emma. She found her feet first, but Jesse wasn’t quite so willing to pick himself up from the floor. Gideon wouldn’t have been surprised if he was still a bit woozy from the blood loss. Gideon stood and offered a hand, aiding Jesse upward. Emma wrapped herself around his arm as soon as he was straight, keeping him steady. “Thanks,” Jesse said, brushing his lips across hers. “I like Gideon’s idea of the bedroom. It lets me touch both of you.” She reached out to graze fingertips across Gideon’s jaw. He knew she was seeking out more of the emotional connection he had extended earlier, but that was already safely secured beyond her reach. He had exposed so much already; any more might drive her away instead of pull her closer. “It also lets you two get some sleep before tomorrow.” Gideon began guiding them toward the open doorway. “Because I fully intend to take advantage of being cooped up inside all day.” Her laughter and Jesse’s soft chuckle dispelled the last of Gideon’s fears that there might be residual resentment about the fiasco of dinner. With a lighter step, he led them to bed.

66


CHAPTER 5 Jesse didn’t know where Emma found all her energy. Gideon had kept them both up most of the night, and Emma had left ridiculously early that morning, prying herself from Jesse’s arms. He hadn’t been pleased to let her go. By the time they met for lunch, Jesse had only been up for an hour and still felt groggy. Emma was damned near trembling with energy, her eyes bright, her smile wide, as she narrated everything she’d seen while he had been sleeping. Jesse decided to blame Gideon for his lethargy. Not only did Gideon keep him up most of the night, Jesse wasn’t accustomed to being out and about during the day. His normal sleeping schedule was erratic at best, but it tended to be inline 67


with the vampire’s. Emma’s enthusiasm continued from lunch as they made their way to the Frick Museum. She had obviously done her research before they arrived, because she knew exactly where to go, and exactly what she wanted to see, and everything from the date of the work to the historical context. Jesse couldn’t help but appreciate her passion, even when it wasn’t directed at him. After they made their way through the museum, Emma went to the gift shop, and Jesse wandered to the center, drawn by the sound of muted conversation and water pouring over a fountain. He found a bench directly across from the fountain in the center of the room, happy to watch the other museum patrons drift back and forth as the sun from the skylight glinted off the water. “Excuse me…” A man’s familiar voice drew Jesse’s attention away from the display, to the side where he stood next to the bench. He was dark-skinned, medium height and slender of build, with odd, yellow eyes and too-white teeth. Someone was clearly too in love with his dental products. Now, he smiled, almost apologetically. “This is probably going to be a very odd question, but were you at The Flask late last night for dinner?” Jesse frowned slightly, trying to place the stranger’s voice or face. “Yes, I was.” Relief made the man relax. “I thought so. It was dark, and I heard you speaking to that young woman earlier in the foyer, so I thought it was you, but…” He thrust his hand out. 68


“Marcus Brooker. You and your friend helped me with that thing attacking Simone.” Jesse rose to greet the man, shaking his offered hand warmly. This sort of thing happened all the time. People often wanted to thank Gideon for his help, and Jesse often intercepted them. “Of course, Mr. Brooker. Is Simone okay? Sometimes people discover injuries after the shock of the attack has worn off.” “She’s fine. She just chose to stay in for the day to rest. I’m scheduled to make up for her spoiled evening by taking her out again tonight.” He glanced around, casually noting the others in the vicinity before dropping his voice. “I have to admit to being rather surprised at your friend’s aid, however. I mean, he’s a vampire, isn’t he?” Jesse tensed slightly, instantly alert. Gideon was generally careful not to vamp out when he was around people, for various reasons. Including the fact Jesse had asked him not to, because it frightened already traumatized victims. Which meant, this Marcus Brooker had sensed it somehow. “Why do you think that?” His thin cheeks flushed, but his eyes remained level. “Well, there’s his strength, his speed. I would have questioned it from that, but frankly, I realized who it was after Simone and I got home. Your friend is Gideon Keel, isn’t he?” Jesse was no longer surprised when meeting somebody who knew Gideon. After four centuries, that sort of thing was not only expected, it was a regular occurrence. But Jesse 69


didn’t relax. Brooker’s revelation only answered one question among many. “Yes, he is. I’m sorry, he didn’t tell me he knew you.” Marcus waved a hand in dismissal. “Oh, I’m sure he doesn’t remember me. We knew each other years ago. In Chicago. I didn’t even know he’d moved to New York.” “No, no. Gideon is still based in Chicago. He’s just here on a short trip. I had no idea New York was so small, though. Imagine our paths crossing like this. Twice.” “I’m considering it fortuitous. I haven’t seen or talked to anyone from the old days in years.” Marcus took a seat on the bench from which Jesse had just risen. “I don’t suppose you would mind indulging me for a few minutes? New York’s home now, but nothing will ever be like Chicago.” Jesse settled beside him, careful to keep his distance. He hadn’t always been this wary of strangers, but he still didn’t quite know just what sort of creature he was dealing with. Especially since he referred to old days, which could have been any days since the sixteenth century. “Of course. I’ll be happy to, though I can’t stay long. I’m waiting on somebody.” “Oh?” Marcus seemed to perk up, looking around the courtyard with more interest before noticing the sunlight. He shook his head in self-deprecation. “I can’t believe I actually thought for a moment Gideon was with you. Are the two of you visiting someone here in the city?” “No. I’m here with…my girlfriend. She’s in the shop right now, though I expect she’ll be awhile.” 70


His head turned in the direction of the shop, but he didn’t rise. “They’ve some nice things here.” He smiled. “I hope for your sake she doesn’t buy out the entire store.” Jesse returned his smile. “Well, she can have the store if it makes her happy. Not my money she’s spending, anyway.” Though his implication didn’t go unnoticed, Marcus didn’t do anything more than chuckle. “So tell me about Chicago. I haven’t been back in forty years, though it doesn’t look like Gideon has changed much. He even had human partners back then, too.” It felt like Marcus had punched him in the chest. Forty years. Chicago. Human partners. It wasn’t hard to put the pieces together, but it was very hard to keep his sudden excitement under control. “No. Gideon hasn’t changed much. Well, I’m assuming so, since that was all a bit before my day.” “Sometimes I wish it was before mine. Those were interesting times. Gideon, Mary, and Hal certainly set that city on fire.” Hal? Hal? Who the hell was Hal? “Not literally, I hope,” Jesse joked, trying to disguise his eagerness. But his wariness was dissipating with each word Marcus spoke. “Well, there was that one time…” Marcus laughed and waved it off. “Nah, I’m just kidding. Gideon liked a lot of things, but it would take a pretty damn big fire to distract him from those two.” Jesse blinked. He didn’t know what to think, and he didn’t 71


know what to make of the silvery thread of jealousy winding through him. He opened his mouth, but before he made a sound, Emma’s hand came down on his shoulder. “Jess?” He looked up quickly. “Oh, Emma. All finished?” She glanced curiously at Marcus when he immediately rose to his feet. “There’s this gorgeous print I wanted you to see. I think it’ll look great in the office, but I don’t want to get it if you don’t like it.” “Oh, please, don’t let me keep you.” The smile Marcus gave Emma was sincere and charming. “Far be it for me to keep a woman from her shopping.” Jesse felt a twinge of annoyance from her at the slightly condescending comment, but she hid it with a smile. He stood as well, and took her elbow gently. “This is Marcus Brooker. He and his companion were at the receiving end of last night’s vampire attack. He just wanted to thank us again.” Her eyes widened at the introduction. Gideon had told her the broad strokes of what had happened in the alley, but she hadn’t pressed. She never did when it came to the violence of what they did. Jesse suspected it was hard enough for her to separate the reality with the memories of what she’d experienced herself. “Well, I’m glad everybody’s safe now. But then again, Gideon is good at helping people.” Marcus blinked, and then nodded. “Yes. That, he is.” He turned to Jesse. “I don’t suppose you’d let me buy you a coffee or something when you’re done here? Considering 72


Gideon wouldn’t take anything last night, it seems the least I can do. Maybe we can continue talking about old times.” Jesse was very tempted to take him up on his offer, but he didn’t want to take time away from Emma’s day. She had been far too excited for far too long about her itinerary. Not to mention that Gideon was waiting for them. “Thanks, but I can’t today, unfortunately. But maybe our paths will cross again.” “Old times?” Emma looked up to Jesse. “I didn’t realize you two knew each other before.” Jesse shook his head. “He doesn’t mean our old times. He knew Gideon.” He paused, catching her eye. “About forty years ago.” She slipped her hand into his. To anybody else, it would seem perfectly normal. Now, though, it brought a connection between them that was denied anybody else. A swell of questioning confusion washed from her to him, and he casually tightened his grip on her, focusing back the excited curiosity he’d felt at the tidbits Marcus had already dropped. “Actually, coffee sounds good. I could use a break.” She smiled at Marcus. “I’ve been up since dawn. There are so many museums here, and we only have a few weeks of our vacation. I want to see as much as I can.” “I can tell you which ones are worth your time, then.” They both looked to Jesse. “If that would be all right with your boyfriend here.” “It’s fine. I suppose if we’re going to have coffee, I should actually introduce myself. Jesse Madding, and if you didn’t 73


catch it, this is Emma.” “My pleasure, Jesse.” Plucking a business card out of his pocket, he scribbled down an address before handing it over. “There’s a small café a few blocks from here. Meet me there when you’re done. No rush.” Jesse took the card from his fingers with a slight nod. He felt another small surge of excitement, and Emma squeezed his hand in response. “Right. We’ll see you in a bit.” He tugged on Emma gently. “Come on, show me that print you were looking at.” *

*

*

To say he was excited was an understatement. Gideon’s scent was all over that Jesse Madding, but then it was all over Jesse’s girlfriend as well. They were both intimate with Gideon Keel, in one way or another, and now, he was going to discover just how much. He had only hoped to have a conversation with him in the Frick courtyard, but this meeting over coffee was a sheer bonus. Jesse was clearly excited about hearing Gideon’s history. Marcus suspected all he needed to do was offer enough tidbits to loosen Jesse’s tongue. He wasn’t entirely sure what he was going to do with what he learned, though. Gideon Keel was the last person he’d ever anticipated running into, especially after all these years. If his actions the night before were any indication, he was still butting his nose into business that wasn’t his concern. His nosiness could pose a serious problem. Marcus needed to find out exactly how long they were going to be in town, and then 74


make sure Gideon stayed out of his way. He was on his second cup of coffee when the doors of the café pushed open, and Emma and Jesse entered. Marcus smiled and waved them over, scooting his chair back to make room for them at the circular table. “I see the print was a success,” he said, gesturing toward the tube tucked beneath Jesse’s arm. “It was. Emma has an amazing eye for these sort of things,” Jesse said, and there was no mistaking the warmth in his voice. “I’m afraid I’m a complete blockhead when it comes to art.” “Only because this happens to be what I’ve done most of my life.” She really was a beautiful young woman, Marcus observed. She and Jesse made a striking pair, with her classical features and his lean lines. “I would be the blockhead if it came to trying to do some of the things he does.” Her hand was on his arm again. Marcus had noticed she’d touched him quite a bit back at the Frick. “What is it exactly you do, Mr. Brooker?” He caught the waitress’s eye and waved her over. “I’m in development. Real estate. Commercial properties, mostly.” He smiled up at the young woman who stopped at their table. “I think my friends are ready to order, Dakota.” “I’ll just have a cup of the house blend. She’ll have a double cappuccino with no whipped cream.” Marcus didn’t miss the way he ordered for her, like it was second nature. “Sounds like you’re a busy person. I hope we’re not tying up too much of your time.” 75


“I had a free afternoon. I like to get lost in the city when I’ve got a few spare hours. I find some of my best deals that way.” He toyed with his cup, unwilling to drink in front of them until theirs arrived. “So what kind of business brings Gideon to my little town?” Jesse smiled. “What do you think, Mr. Brooker? Emma wanted to see the museums, and who could say no to her?” Emma slapped his arm playfully. “It wasn’t like that. These two needed a vacation.” “Gideon taking a vacation?” Marcus didn’t even bother holding back his incredulity. “I thought you said he hadn’t changed much.” “Let me repeat myself, Mr. Brooker. Who could say no to her?” His teasing tone was tempered considerably by the adoration in his voice. “Gideon tried at first, but even he couldn’t do it.” Though he smiled along with both of them, Marcus mused over what kind of relationships were going on here. There was no denying the feelings between Jesse and Emma, but there was also the unmistakable scent of Gideon on both of them. Maybe it only came with working so closely together; if Emma was buying art for Gideon’s office, she could be the secretary or something. Though that didn’t say much about her affinity for art. And what kind of boss was swayed to go on vacation with a business partner and his girlfriend? “Well, make sure Gideon takes a break and actually enjoys himself. If memory serves, he always had a tendency to be a little obsessive about his work.” 76


“He is,” Jesse agreed. “But that’s probably a good thing. If he wasn’t a bit obsessive, Simone could have gotten something worse than a good scare last night.” “But she didn’t. Which is the important thing.” “How did you know Gideon?” Emma asked. Her eyes were large and guileless, and Marcus warmed to her in spite of the directness of her question. “Mutual friends. Which is probably why he doesn’t remember me. I was too busy hanging in the background, worshiping the ground he walked on.” An odd little smile played on Jesse’s lips for a moment, and then was gone. “Perhaps. There’s also the fact that Gideon can be very…focused at times. It’s very possible if you met him under different circumstances, he would have a different reaction.” Dakota arrived and set their orders down in front of them. “But you must have been very, very young when you knew him.” “I think we all were. Back then.” The ghosts of Mary and the others rose in his mind’s eye, and Marcus picked up his coffee, grateful the distance of years kept his hand steady. “I have to admit, I’m surprised Gideon stuck with it after all this time. I mean, he is a vampire. I would’ve thought he’d revert to his true nature, sooner or later.” Jesse’s shoulders straightened. “I suppose that’s a common enough misconception. That Gideon wouldn’t have the integrity or desire to do good because he’s a vampire. But it’s not true. Vampires have complete control over their actions, and Gideon is committed to his fight.” 77


It was the mantra of a believer. Marcus had heard enough of those in his lifetime to recognize one when he heard it. He almost wished he had the heart to tell this earnest young man and his lovely girlfriend the whole truth about their so-called friend. Almost. “Well, like you said, he’s very focused. Good for Chicago.” Jesse smiled wryly. “Yes, it is good for Chicago. But you think I’m being foolish, or at the least, very naïve. Right?” Marcus shrugged, more amused than not. Perhaps this discerning ability to read people was one of the talents Jesse brought to Gideon’s table. “I think, perhaps, you’re a bit of an idealist, yes. But then again, you haven’t seen what I have, so who am I to judge?” “Such as?” Jesse asked. He answered without pause. “Friends come and go. Friends turning their back on each other, just when they need them the most. Friends getting killed because choices were made that should’ve been different.” He offered a sad smile to Jesse; he mostly believed it. “Gideon might be committed to his fight now, but he wasn’t always. And the only reason he ever had to stick to it is long dead. Time will eventually fade those memories for him, and then where will he be? Where will Chicago be?” He watched both Emma and Jesse closely for any sign that his words had hit their target. Emma’s features remained smooth, but she seemed to be holding onto Jesse’s hand tighter. Jesse still wore the same expression of wry 78


amusement. “I think, perhaps, you’re a bit too cynical. But then, you haven’t seen the things I have.” His coffee was getting cold. He had a very strong feeling he could sit here and drink with these two all afternoon, and he wouldn’t learn much more than what they had already shared. There were some barriers he couldn’t break right now. But he would eventually. And when he did, he could find out more of what he wanted, what he needed, to exact the revenge he deserved. Smiling, Marcus drained his cup, even though it was thick going down. “You’ll have to tell me about some of the things you’ve seen some time.” Rising to his feet, he pulled out his wallet and tossed enough money onto the table to cover all their drinks and more. “But cynicism is just the not nice way of telling the truth, you know. Ask Gideon about Hal some time. See if I’m being too cynical then.” He nodded at Emma. “It was nice having the chance to meet you. I hope you enjoy the rest of your vacation.” He walked out of the café without looking back. He didn’t need to. Jesse Madding wasn’t the only person who could read others. Marcus had learned a long time ago how to figure out what made a person tick. Curiosity would get Jesse, sooner or later.

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CHAPTER 6 Jesse stared at the space Marcus Brooker had occupied for a long beat after he left before turning to Emma. He didn’t quite know what to think about this meeting. And he couldn’t shake the feeling this wouldn’t be their last meeting. But that raised one very important question. Did he want to see Marcus again? “That was certainly interesting, wasn’t it?” “Is that what we’re calling it?” She chewed on her lower lip, preoccupied by thoughts he imagined closely matched his. “It almost felt like I’d walked into the middle of the wrong movie. I don’t get him at all.” “Were you sensing anything dangerous from him?” 80


“Dangerous? No. He’s…” Her voice trailed off, her gaze straying to the door. “Sad.” “Sad?” Jesse frowned. “What do you mean?” “Talking about Gideon upset him.” Emma shrugged. “Maybe it’s just nostalgia. It all happened a long time ago.” “Yes, quite a while ago. He doesn’t even look forty now, and he should be close to sixty, at least.” Jesse drummed his fingers against the table. “So, I’m going to put aside for a moment who he is, and wonder what he is.” “I don’t know if it helps, but he was pretty easy to read. I would’ve said he was human if I didn’t know how long ago it was he knew Gideon.” Jesse nodded. It was good to know Marcus didn’t have any supernatural shields blocking Emma’s abilities. “Are you curious about what he knows?” It took a moment for his question to sink in. When it did, her brows shot up. “You mean, about Gideon? What he knows that we don’t?” “Yes, exactly. If he really was there, and you didn’t feel any deception or anything coming from him, then he’s a literal wealth of information.” But for as excited as he was about the possibility, Emma seemed less so. Her slim fingers toyed with the handle on her cappuccino mug, her composure pensive. “But Gideon has all that information, too. Why go to a stranger you barely know? I thought things were more open between you two now.” “Why do you think that?” “Just how good things have been. You even got him to 81


take this vacation. I guess I just assumed that after what happened…” Her voice trailed off. They didn’t talk about the events that had brought them together very often. Emma pretended otherwise, but Jesse knew it still bothered her and she felt partially responsible for putting her sister in jail. Lizzie Coolidge had been part of a group of so-called art aficionados who specialized in live victims, and Jesse and Gideon had infiltrated the private club in order to break it up. Tensions ran high, and a particularly nasty argument had ended in Emma linking them emotionally, in an attempt to help them understand what the other was going through. It made sense she might assume things were more open afterward, but they weren’t. Not really. Jesse sighed. “Last night, I tried to get him to tell me what was going on. Why he was suddenly so insistent you move in. He did admit Claudia reminded him of Mary. When I asked why, he essentially told me to mind my own damned business. I can’t even imagine what sort of reaction I’d get if I asked about whoever Hal is.” He paused. “Wait. Yes, I can. And I don’t think our vacation is a good time to pick that fight.” “He’s never mentioned this Hal before?” “No. He’s not even the one who told me about Mary. No doubt if he had his way, I wouldn’t even know the little bits and pieces I know now.” “So, if you’re so curious about this Hal, can’t you find out about him the same way you found out about Mary?” Jesse shook his head. “No, not really. His relationship with 82


Mary is fairly common knowledge among people who are interested in…vampires. Like my father. Not the specifics, of course. And Gideon must have worked hard to keep the details of her death from being leaked, because I can’t find any written record anywhere, beyond the fact she died. Trust me, Emma, if there was any way at all to learn the details of Gideon’s past, beyond asking him, I would have.” “And I suppose asking him about Mr. Brooker would start the same kind of fight.” “I…I really don’t know. He looked right at Mr. Brooker last night and didn’t seem to recognize him at all.” Jesse took Brooker’s business card out of his shirt pocket and ran his fingers over the thick paper. “Or he was just pretending not to recognize him. Gideon’s got a hell of a poker face.” Emma sighed and drained the rest of her coffee. “I’d offer to ask him to see what his reaction is, but considering how bad I’ve been at reading him lately, that’s probably a waste of time.” “Yeah. If Gideon wants to keep somebody out…I don’t really think there’s much we can do about it. I can tell you’re a bit…wary. Do you think I should just let it go?” Her dark eyes grew soft, and she reached out to skim his cheek with fingertips artificially warmed by holding her hot coffee. “If I thought it would make a difference, I’d tell you to drop it. But we both know if you do, it’s going to eat at you.” That was putting it mildly. If he dropped it now, it would gnaw at the back of his mind until he was completely obsessed. He leaned forward, lowering his voice slightly. 83


“Doesn’t it eat at you? At all?” “A little. Sometimes I think it would be easier to understand some of his moods if I knew more specifically what he’d gone through. But then I think he’s got his reasons about not wanting to relive it, and I don’t really relish the idea of making him experience that kind of pain again. Or Mr. Brooker, even.” Jesse didn’t want to hurt Gideon either. And he didn’t need to have Emma’s empathic abilities to know thinking about his past—any aspect of his past—did cause Gideon pain. But he didn’t have the same reservations about Marcus Brooker. “That’s exactly why I don’t think we should talk to Gideon about any of this right now. Because he would definitely try to stop me from talking to Brooker again.” “So…does that mean you’re going to call him?” “You said it yourself, didn’t you? It’d be easier to understand Gideon if I knew his past, and what he’s been through.” Jesse slid the card back in his pocket. “But I don’t think I’ll call him while we’re in town. I don’t want to cut into our vacation time with this.” There was obvious relief in her smile. “Do you want to call it quits for the day and head back to the hotel? Gideon might be ready for company by now.” Jesse stood and took Emma’s hand, pulling her to her feet. He didn’t have any intention to let Brooker distract him from his time with Emma and Gideon. But as they walked out of the café, he couldn’t stop thinking about the business card. It weighed heavily in his pocket, and on his mind. 84


*

*

*

His cell phone woke Gideon up. He’d expected the call, but that didn’t make it any easier to reach for it on his nightstand or mean he had to open his eyes as he hit the talk button. “You sound like you’re still in bed.” Derek O’Dell’s friendly voice cut through Gideon’s sleep fog, and he rubbed at his face, hoping it would do something to help wake him up. This might be a vacation, but Emma and Jesse were making it impossible to get any real sleep, except when they were both gone. Not that he was complaining. This was his favorite way to be tired. But calls from cops in Chicago had to find a way into his schedule somehow. “Do you know what time it is?” Gideon grumbled. “Hey, don’t complain at me. You’re the one who told me to make my calls on my lunch break. I’m just following orders. You want me to start giving you a hard time with that, it would be my pleasure.” Gideon peered through slits at the digital clock. Threenineteen. Jesse and Emma were likely to be out for a few more hours. She was far too excited about her first full day in the city, and Jesse couldn’t resist her when she lit up. Which was precisely why he’d asked Derek to check in when he knew they would likely be gone. It wasn’t a guarantee for privacy, but it lengthened his odds. “Tell me you at least have something good to tell me.” Papers rustled. Derek must be eating at his desk. “I’ll let you be the judge of that. You’ve got such a warped idea of 85


good that I have no idea what works for you anymore.” “You’re slipping in your old age. There was a time when you would’ve known that without having to think so hard.” “I was seventeen and didn’t know better.” “You were seventeen with a hard-on for danger.” “She was hot.” “She was a vampire.” “And since when does that mean she can’t be hot?” Gideon grunted as he sat up. As long as he was awake, he might as well start getting ready. “So let’s hear what you’re not sure is good news. Jesse could come back any time.” “You know, I still don’t get why it matters whether or not Jesse hears this. You two are partners. He was the one who found Claudia in the first place.” “Because Jesse is on vacation, and I don’t want to bother him, that’s why.” “You’re on vacation, too.” “Well, I’m used to being bothered. Now, are you going to tell me, or do I get to hang up and get some more sleep?” Derek sighed. “Oh, sure, spoil my fun. Fine. That sex shop you wanted me to look into is clean. Well, as clean as sex shops get. No illegal activity, no missing permits, nada. The owner doesn’t even have any outstanding parking tickets. He’s so clean, he squeaks.” “Damn it,” Gideon muttered. He sat back down, resting his head in his hand. When they had found Claudia Joplin’s mutilated body, he had hoped to be able to lay some of the blame for her death on the slimy owner of the store in which 86


she’d been found. He’d spent a lot of the past month combing the underworld for answers, but when nothing had come up, he delegated Derek to try more official means. Someone had to pay for Claudia’s death, and he refused to believe Deacon Gowdy had anything to do with it. “How is this good news?” “Because in looking at the sex shop, I found something else. Did the good Deacon tell you Claudia had family?” “What?” Gideon stiffened. “No, she didn’t. She was an orphan. She was a ward of the state until she turned eighteen, and then she moved in with the Deacon and his wife when she took the job at the church.” “Well, the orphan part is true. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have any family. All her records were sealed, but I pulled a few strings to get a peek, and it turns out there’s a whole branch of cousins nobody knew about. Well, nobody official anyway.” “Are any of them still in the area?” “A few. You want me to see if I can link any of them to the sex shop?” “Please.” That would ease a lot of his headaches. So far, everything kept coming back to the Deacon, though there wasn’t enough evidence to convict him. Gideon wanted somebody behind bars for Claudia’s murder. He didn’t want more girls to die. Enough had already. The sound of a pen scribbling came over the line. “How’s the vacation going so far?” In spite of his mood, Gideon smiled. “You don’t really want the details.” 87


“I didn’t ask for details. I just asked if it was going good. I don’t need to be thinking of your pale ass whenever I call.” “Oh, we both know it’s not my ass you’re interested in.” Derek snorted. “Yes, but Emma doesn’t even know when I walk in the room anymore. Not since she finally admitted how she feels about Jesse.” “Hey, I’m part of this relationship, too, you know,” he said, affecting mock hurt. “Give me a break. You’re the last person in the world to need his ego stroked. And please don’t turn that into a double entendre about what you do need stroked. I’m eating my lunch here.” Gideon laughed. It was surprisingly easy. “So when are you going to call again?” “Hmm. Two days? Same time. Unless I find something good out, in which case, all bets are off.” “Sounds good. Talk to you later.” He hung up, feeling considerably better than when he’d woken up. It wasn’t an answer, but it wasn’t a dead end, either. There was still hope to be had. Even better, if he could get one more murderer off Chicago’s streets before he took Jesse and Emma home, he’d sleep all that much easier. Stretching, Gideon tossed the phone back onto the nightstand and headed for the bathroom. He had plenty of time to take a long, lazy shower before the others returned. He wanted to be ready for whatever they wanted when they did.

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CHAPTER 7 Jesse shifted his weight as the floor warmed beneath his feet. It wasn’t hot enough to hurt him, but he was getting a bit uncomfortable. Though he shifted from foot to foot, he tried to keep his head level and unmoving. Otherwise, the delicate skin at his throat would scrape against the spikes in his collar, and fresh blood would run down his chest. He didn’t mind when that happened so much, but since he had no way of knowing when Gideon would be returning, he wanted to cut down on the amount of blood drying on his skin. It made him itch. Gideon had made use of the cage in the playroom before, but it was much larger than the small cell waiting for them in 89


the dungeon. Gideon’s cage was big enough for Jesse to move around freely—if he wasn’t shackled in place—but this space was much smaller. So much so that Gideon hadn’t bothered with the cuffs and shackles. Jesse only had just enough room to turn around. Keeping an eye on the closed door, Jesse tugged at the chain hanging from his nipple. The clamps had actual teeth, and when Gideon had secured it on Jesse’s flesh, involuntary tears had stung his eyes and blinded him. His chest was marked with the tiniest tracks of red from the clamps, and Jesse carefully pulled at the chain again, just hard enough to send shivers of pain down his spine, but not hard enough to break the skin. Gideon had told him not to touch anything, but it was difficult to keep his order in mind. Impossible, even. Gideon had known what he was doing when he walked out of the room. Jesse was in just enough pain to keep him alert, to keep him on the edge for more, but not enough to be truly pleasurable. And there was no way of knowing how long this torment would last. The dungeon was soundproof, so he couldn’t even tell what Gideon was doing, or if he was even there. He could be napping, watching television, reading a book, or running an errand. Of course, it was morning, but Gideon knew how to move around during the day. Jesse was actually relieved Gideon had gone directly to the cage that morning after ordering Jesse to strip. He hadn’t felt even a twinge of complaint when Gideon took Jesse’s leather collar from his neck and replaced it with the steel collar he wore now. He deserved it. Gideon didn’t know that, of course, 90


but Jesse privately suspected Gideon might believe he deserved much worse—or much different. For now, though, this would be more than sufficient. The faint creak from the door knob turning made his heart race, but Jess kept utterly still as he watched it open. It raced even more when he saw Gideon outlined in its frame. He had changed his clothes, stripping out of his jeans and shirt he’d thrown on to have breakfast with Emma. Now, he wore only the leather pants that rode low on his hips, low enough to see every rippling muscle, every inch of pale, perfect skin, before it disappeared beneath the black waistband. He hadn’t bothered with a shirt. Jesse swallowed. When Gideon didn’t wear a shirt, that meant he was planning on there being bloodshed. His cock jerked within the tight confines of its ring. “You smell absolutely delicious,” Jesse swallowed hard. It wasn’t just the blood attracting Gideon’s appreciation. The head of his cock was already slick with pre-come and anticipation, and his thighs and arms glistened with a sheen of sweat. Gideon approached, his eyes heavy-lidded and dark. Jesse shifted his weight to his back foot, reaching up to grip the bars. When Gideon came to a halt in front of the cage, he cocked his head, his gaze raking over Jesse’s body. This close, there was no mistaking the line of his erection, or the ravenous gleam in his eye. “I almost think I could fuck you just like this.” Jesse reached out, unable to stop himself. Gideon hadn’t 91


bound his wrists, or given him specific instructions to keep his hands to himself, and Jesse just wanted to feel his smooth skin. Gideon was just within touching distance, and he skimmed his chest with the tips of his fingers. “You think you could just fuck me…but I have the feeling you’ve got something else in mind.” “I did say, almost.” He stepped back, circling the cage to go to a cabinet mounted on the wall. Jesse followed his movements with his eyes, watching as Gideon opened it up. But all he took out was a pair of leather gloves, pulling them on over his broad hands. “So how are you enjoying our vacation so far?” The question was asked casually, as if they were sitting in their kitchen, having a morning cup of coffee. “Are you and Emma having fun?” “It’s been great.” His eyes were still trained on the gloves. He had acquainted himself with most of the objects in the room, but he hadn’t thought to look at the gloves. “We’ve both been having a great time.” “Has she worked up to the Metropolitan Museum yet?” Gideon loomed in front of him again, and while his words remained conversational, the hard glints in his eye said something else entirely. “That was her big goal, wasn’t it?” Without looking away, he reached through the bars and ran a single leather-covered finger over Jesse’s nipple. Jesse’s answer caught in his throat. There was something sharp embedded in the glove’s leather, and it caught on his nipple, making a shallow cut and drawing the thinnest line of 92


blood. It didn’t hurt him, but it did surprise him. More than surprise him, it excited him. How would it feel if Gideon ran all ten fingers over his body? “No. I think…I think she intends to this afternoon. Or tomorrow.” Gideon looped the same finger through the chain, tugging with enough strength to make the steel slide into the open cut. Jesse inhaled sharply, but held his tongue. There would be ample time—and reason—to scream later. “And you?” So fixated on watching the hand at his chest, Jesse hadn’t noticed the other approach his cock. Gideon ran another finger along the line at the junction of hip and thigh, leaving the same pricking sensation in its wake, only an inch from his balls. “What have you been doing to keep yourself out of mischief?” Jesse averted his eyes. It didn’t matter if he hadn’t actually found any mischief yet. “I…I’ve just been accompanying Emma.” Gideon moved his finger up and down his thigh lazily, almost thoughtlessly. But Jesse understood Gideon knew exactly what he was doing. “Letting her play tour guide, you know.” “Well, at least the pair of you haven’t been coming home smelling like come.” The corner of Gideon’s mouth lifted. “All the more for me to enjoy now.” Jesse coughed slightly, trying to clear his throat. It wouldn’t matter where they were, or what they were doing— when Gideon smiled like that, it severely affected his ability to speak. “Not for lack of trying. She’s just…really interested in 93


the museums.” A brow shot up. “I think you’ve forgotten who owns you, boy. Your cock, your come, your ass. All mine. But maybe you need to be reminded.” The grip on the chain tightened, yanking Jesse painfully against the bars. With his cock jutting out between the cold iron, and his body held firmly in place, all he could do was watch as Gideon closed the distance between them. Leather brushed against the wet tip of his shaft, eliciting a whimper from Jesse’s chest. His heart thudded even faster. “I like this cage,” Gideon murmured. His hand disappeared from Jesse’s thigh. “It doesn’t leave you any room to run.” The hand returned. Not at his hip, though. That single, barbed, dangerous finger touched down at the top of the crease at Jesse’s ass and slid downward between the tense cheeks, stopping at Jesse’s clenching hole to press its way inside. Jesse whimpered, and he might have dropped to his knees if Gideon hadn’t been holding him up by the chain. Gideon pushed his finger deeper, and the whimper turned to a high moan as a narrow ribbon of pain sliced through him. “I’m sorry…I’m sorry…I won’t forget… I belong to you.” Gideon stroked the inner wall of the tight passage. Each pass grew a little slicker. “The trick is, to make sure you have a reminder when you leave here. I want every move to make you ache, every thing you put in your mouth to taste of me.” “I do. It does.” Jesse didn’t even quite know what words were coming out of his mouth. He would have said anything, anything he thought Gideon wanted to hear. Gideon’s nostrils 94


flared with each thrust of his finger, and Jesse knew the scent of the thin rivulet of blood flowing down the back of his thigh was enough to drive Gideon crazy. “Please, Gideon.” “Please what?” Jesse stopped, trying to search for the right answer. He couldn’t very well say stop because that stings. Pain was the entire point of the exercise, after all. That wasn’t what he was trying to convey anyway. “Believe me.” For a second, those fathomless eyes softened. For a second, Gideon’s nostrils flared. For a second, the world disappeared except for the vampire who would forever hold his heart. Then it passed. Gideon slowly dragged his finger out and cupped Jesse’s ass, five fresh pricks wrapping coils of fire around his spine. Bowing his head, Gideon dragged his tongue through the closest course of blood, cleaning it away until the skin gleamed. “I’ll have to take care of your hole before I fuck you raw again,” he said. Meeting Jesse’s gaze, he deliberately licked the stray droplets from his own lips. “Blood makes a terrible lubricant.” A shiver danced across the back of his neck at the thought of Gideon chasing every drop of blood seeping from the fine cuts. Jesse pressed against the bars even tighter, unconsciously straining for Gideon’s mouth. His grip tightened on Jesse’s ass, and soon he felt fresh warmth pooling up on his flesh. Jesse dragged his gaze from Gideon’s face to the hard line of 95


his erection against his pants, and he curled his hands into tight fists, his fingers itching to reach out and close around Gideon’s cock. Gideon chuckled. “I love it when you’re so fucking hungry.” “Can’t help it,” Jesse murmured. He lifted his hand, but stopped short of reaching for Gideon. “May I?” The hand on his ass tensed, the barbs digging deeper into his flesh. “You may.” Jesse started by touching Gideon’s lips. It wasn’t exactly the kiss he wanted, but Gideon’s lips were smooth and already warm from the contact with Jesse’s blood and flesh. He moved his fingers down the strong tendons of Gideon’s neck, and then over the smooth lines of his chest and stomach. This close, it was easier to see the slight imperfections, nearly invisible scars from ancient injuries. Each held a story, a reminder of the past Gideon kept locked away from any and all to see. Once, early in their relationship, Jesse had dared to ask about them, but Gideon had refused to talk about it. That had stopped Jesse from ever bringing it up again. His touch was every bit as gentle as Gideon’s was rough, until he reached the fastening of Gideon’s pants. He freed it with the ease of months of practice. Jesse hadn’t realized he was holding his breath until he palmed Gideon’s shaft and the air rushed out of his lungs. Gideon’s only visible response was a single blink. But when his eyes opened again, the warm brown irises had been replaced by feral gold. 96


“You’re so warm.” He smoothed his hand up Jesse’s spine, leaving scratches stinging in its wake, and cupped the back of his neck. “Have to taste that, I think.” Leaning in, he ran the tip of his tongue over Jesse’s lower lip, tickling the corner. “I want to feel my cock along yours, boy. Take me out.” Jesse parted his lips, silently willing Gideon to do more than just tease him with his tongue. But Gideon didn’t quite deepen the caress. Jesse just barely felt him against his mouth, which was somehow more maddening than the deepening pricks of pain against the sensitive skin at the base of his neck. He obeyed Gideon’s order, pulling his cock free from his pants. His smooth tip brushed against the wet skin at the head of Jesse’s cock, sending a shock through both of them. “Stroke them.” The words fanned across his mouth, a husky demand made huskier with desire. Gideon released the hold he’d had on the nipple chains and slid his hand between Jesse’s thighs, fingertips grazing over his sac. “And if you’re really good, I’ll let you shoot on my balls. I know how much you like cleaning me off afterward.” Jesse’s cock jerked as Gideon increased the pressure, allowing the sharp points on all five of his fingers to work deeper into his thin skin. A part of him wanted to twist away from the pain, but he understood pulling away would only make Gideon hold him tighter, squeezing until he stopped moving. It felt like he was covered in small cuts and blood. Gideon wouldn’t let that blood stay on his skin for long. Jesse pressed Gideon’s shaft against his and wrapped his hand around both. His breath quickened as he began to stroke, 97


Gideon’s cooler skin warming considerably from the growing friction between them. “That’s it,” Gideon growled. Pressing a hard kiss to Jesse’s lips, his fangs sliced into the sensitive flesh, flooding their mouths with the coppery flow of blood. Each sweep of his demanding tongue was accompanied with a deliberate stroke on Jesse’s sac, making the muscles in his thighs quiver. As much as he loved being trapped by the cage, this was the time when he started to hate the restriction. He wanted to feel his blood-slick skin sliding against Gideon’s chest without the impediment of bars between them. Jesse had already been close to the edge before Gideon ever stepped into the room. But now each second pushed him closer and closer. The tightness of his skin, the coppery taste flooding his mouth before Gideon swiped it away with his tongue, the sharp stings of pain between his thighs, accompanied with new streaks of red he knew Gideon would lick and suck away, and each electric slide of his cock against Gideon’s. He moved his wrist faster and faster, expecting Gideon to tell him to stop, or force him to slow down, but Gideon didn’t put any fresh restrictions on his movement. It was the promise of dropping to his knees and cleaning Gideon’s sac and shaft with his tongue that ultimately made him explode. Gideon growled as the first splash of come coated their stomachs. He sucked at the open cuts on Jesse’s mouth before tearing away, his lips scarlet. Taking a step back, he dropped his hands to his side as Jess shot over and over again onto his 98


cock, the thick fluid wetting the dark hair and slowly dripping down to coat his balls. “I think that deserves something.” Without disturbing any of the come, he pushed the leather pants down his legs, revealing powerful thighs when he stripped them away. “On your knees, slut.” Jesse didn’t realize how much the cage restricted his range of motion until he tried to kneel. But he didn’t dare tell Gideon he couldn’t do it. Not obeying Gideon was simply not an option, and if he tried to resist, Gideon might not let Jess use his mouth on him. He lowered himself slowly, his shins sticking awkwardly through the bars, his knees burning from the heated metal floor. The brush of his balls across his thighs made the back of his eyes sting, but he didn’t look away from Gideon’s face. A frown furrowed Gideon’s brow as he regarded the tableau. “Well, that’s not going to do.” With long strides, he walked to the wall and retrieved the spare key, humming under his breath as he came back to the cage. The lock clicked free, and he stepped back as it opened, giving Jesse a little more room to sit comfortably. “Much better. I can actually get all the way down your throat now.” Jesse’s mouth opened involuntarily at the thought of Gideon filling his throat completely, and he licked his lips, gathering up drops of blood from his broken skin. Gideon watched the simple movement with half-lidded yellow eyes, and Jesse’s mouth watered. He didn’t move until Gideon lifted his cock out of the way and pushed his balls into Jesse’s face. 99


Jesse immediately began lapping at the smooth skin, gathering his own come against his tongue. The muscles twitched in Gideon’s thighs. “Eat it all, boy. There’s going to be more where that came from.” He groaned in satisfaction when Gideon let go of his cock, the thick weight resting against his cheek as he sucked the sac into his mouth. He was almost disappointed to hear him peel off the leather gloves, but when his hands came back down— one threading through Jesse’s hair to pull him even more firmly against his balls, the other dragging over the bloody cuts on his neck—Jess decided the contact was worth the missing sting. Gideon would find new ways to make him hurt. In a dungeon like this, without having come once yet, Gideon wouldn’t lack for ideas. The pressure on the back of his head forced the hollow of his throat against one of the sharp screws in his metal collar. He wasn’t sure if it was blood or sweat beneath the collar, but he wondered how Gideon could stand the fresh waves of copper and salt and desire as each scent assaulted him. But it wasn’t Jesse’s concern. All he cared about was sucking each drop of salty fluid from Gideon’s skin. “Do you want it, boy?” Jesse glanced up through his lashes to see him licking the blood he’d collected from his fingers. “If you want my cock, say so.” “I want it. I want to taste every inch of your cock. Please, fuck my mouth, sir.” The hungry smile curving Gideon’s mouth sent a shiver of anticipation down Jesse’s spine. “Hate to disappoint my 100


favorite slut.” Grasping the sides of Jesse’s head, he held him utterly still as he pulled back far enough for his cock to slap across Jesse’s lips. “Open.” Jesse didn’t need to be told twice. His mouth watered as the scent of his come filled his nostrils, and then the silken head was sliding along his waiting tongue. Immediately, he closed his lips around the sticky shaft, ready to start licking it clean, but Gideon wasn’t waiting. He continued pushing forward until the head nudged the back of Jesse’s throat, then continuing on until his entire length was buried in it. Gideon shuddered and started to thrust. “Fucking love your mouth.” He wasn’t allowing Jesse to move at all. “One of these nights, I’m going to strap you to the bed and bury my cock in you until the sun comes up.” Jesse moaned his agreement to that plan, and Gideon shuddered again as the vibrations traveled through his shaft. He relaxed his muscles as Gideon continued to fill his throat with powerful thrusts. He watched Gideon’s face, captivated by the naked pleasure on his features. He loved the way Gideon tasted. He loved the way Gideon felt against his tongue. He loved the way Gideon forced himself down his throat. But Gideon’s obvious satisfaction was the best part by far. Shudders became grunts. Grunts became growls. And with each shift, Gideon’s grip tightened a fraction more. The strokes grew more forceful, increasingly erratic, but it wasn’t until Jesse let his teeth start scraping down the shaft that Gideon finally pulled him hard against his groin, burying his 101


nose in the dark thatch of hair as he blasted shot after shot down Jesse’s throat. He gasped for air when Gideon finally relaxed enough to ease him off, but still, Gideon kept the heavy weight of his cock mostly inside Jesse’s mouth. “Make sure I’m good and clean before I pull out.” There was an almost sleepy quality to Gideon’s voice; his orgasm must have been more intense than Jesse had thought. “I don’t want to see a drop of come on my cock.” Jesse nodded, swirling his tongue around Gideon’s shaft as he moved his mouth to the base. He dragged his lips back to the head, making sure his tongue reached every single bit of skin before sinking forward again. Gideon may not have wanted a single bit of come left on him, but Jesse wouldn’t dream of it anyway. Once he reached Gideon’s head again, he swiped the flat of his tongue across the tip over and over, licking him until his skin no longer tasted salty. “That’s enough.” The abrupt release of his head made Jesse jerk forward. There wasn’t time to right himself before Gideon bent down and grabbed the chain, using it as a leash to pull Jesse up and out of the cage. “I can’t get to all that gorgeous blood with you in there.” His legs were rubber as Gideon led him over to a tall post bolted to the floor. Taking Jesse’s wrists in a single large hand, Gideon turned him around so that his stomach was pressed to the cold steel, twisting his arms overhead to secure them in the shackles mounted at the post’s top. His legs spread 102


automatically, and he felt Gideon slide down his body to snap the same cuffs around his ankles. “As long as we’ve got you bleeding, might as well do it right.” His heart was pounding, the sweat starting to drip down his forehead. Gideon strode over to the wall and stood before the array of implements, finally selecting a leather whip. There were a dozen woven strands, each well over a foot long, and at their tips was a jagged metal spike. It was definitely one of the more dangerous looking weapons in the room. Every muscle in his body tensed long before Gideon returned to his side. He was accustomed to the pain of a whip, but this wasn’t one of Gideon’s weapons, and Jesse had no way of knowing to expect. His breath came in ragged gasps, and he twisted against the chains, but he wasn’t afraid. It was more of a bitter anticipation. For a brief second, he wondered if Emma had told Gideon about their meeting with Marcus Brooker. Maybe he was being punished for it, or at the least, for not telling Gideon himself. “How many lashes?” The question barely made any sense to Jesse. “I…what?” The whip cracked. Jesse jumped, though it hadn’t met his skin. “How many lashes do you want? I won’t ask again. And if you don’t say, I’ll strip you bare, boy.” “Five,” Jesse blurted. “Five.” “Then we make it ten.” This time when the whip cracked, the strips of leather 103


snapped against his shoulder blades. There were small scratches there from Gideon’s gloves, and Jesse felt the skin split further beneath the heavy weapon. Hissing, he arched away from the contact, pressing his chest into the iron pole, but no sooner had he done so, the leather was whistling through the air again, this time across his buttocks. Jesse usually withstood the whippings with a certain amount of stoicism, but silence was simply not an option now. He howled as the third blow landed across his thighs, and it felt like a million tiny sharp points pierced his skin. He didn’t beg Gideon to stop, but it felt like all the pain and arousal and tension needed an escape somehow. Some of it seemed to seep out of him with the blood on his back, but the rest found release in long shouts. “Screaming on three?” Gideon clicked his tongue. The small sound didn’t mask the fresh crack of the whip as it snapped along the left side of his back, though. Another pained cry split the air. “Remind me to get one of these little babies for back home.” Jesse screamed on five, too. And he didn’t know how he was going to make it through another five. His cock was fully erect now, but he barely even noticed, or the growing tightness of his groin. His attention was entirely focused on the way the sensation in his back had totally eclipsed pain to become something white hot and endless. Hot blood dripped from his ass, tickling the back of his legs in droplets that were lost on six, seven, then eight. On nine, his voice broke, and he felt the distinct trickle start down 104


his forearms as the shackles keeping his wrists secure rubbed away the skin. He waited for ten, both wishing and dreading its excruciating sting. Instead, he got Gideon pressing into his back, body cool and hard as his mouth settled at Jesse’s ear. “And what was it you weren’t supposed to forget?” he murmured, his tongue snaking out to lick the inside of Jesse’s ear. “I’m yours,” Jesse said hoarsely. “My cock. My ass. Everything. Yours.” “Everything.” Wrapping his powerful arm around Jesse’s waist, Gideon let the whip brush gently against his aching cock. “Ten.” Jesse gasped, a high-pitched, strangled sound, and sharp pleasure coursed through his veins. For a moment, he thought he would come again, but that passed quickly, leaving him tightly wound and quivering. “Oh, Gideon…I don’t know…how much more I can take.” “Yes, you do.” His dark voice was laden with promise. “You can take this, and so much more. Because I already promised you I wasn’t going to fuck you using blood as a lube. That wouldn’t be very nice of me.” “No, it wouldn’t.” He wouldn’t argue with Gideon. If he said Jesse could take more, then he could. And he would. Because the decision wasn’t Jesse’s to make. He opened his mouth again, but before he spoke, Gideon dragged his tongue across his split skin, wiping the blood away. Whatever else Jesse was going to say was totally forgotten, and he slumped 105


against Gideon’s arm. He stayed like that while Gideon coaxed the blood out of the cuts scoring his shoulders. When he reached the edge of the steel collar, he eased his tongue beneath the metal, but quickly growled in frustration. “As pretty as it is, that has to go, too.” Cool air stung the circlet of punctures in his neck when Gideon removed the collar, almost immediately replaced by the soft suction of his mouth. He was careful with his fangs, never creating new cuts, and he moved from spot to spot until every inch was thoroughly clean. The tremors running through Jesse’s body turned to full shivers. He couldn’t stop shaking, and each time Gideon found a new patch of skin to suck, the trembling increased. Once his neck was done, Gideon moved down his back, following the trails the whip left across his shoulders. Gideon’s chest pressed against him, and it stung, but Jesse didn’t want to lose an inch of the contact. In fact, he wanted more. He wanted Gideon to be closer. The arm at his waist loosened when Gideon slid to his knees. Jesse was suddenly cold without the protective wall of muscle at his back, but there was only a moment to contemplate it before strong fingers grasped his flesh, separating his cheeks and exposing his ass. “Did you like the gloves?” In the next breath, his tongue dragged down the crease, skimming over the tight pucker to continue downward to the soft sac. “Yes,” Jesse hissed. “Very much. I…” Gideon gently 106


sucked his balls into his mouth, rolling his tongue around each one. Jesse paused, taking a deep breath, and managed to say, “I like everything you do.” “They might be something to try on Emma.” His mouth was back at the ring of muscle, tracing it almost delicately with the tip of his tongue. “I was using a lot of force, but they don’t have to sting if you don’t want them to.” Gideon pulled the cheeks apart even further. “She’d probably love it on her breasts.” “Yes. She would.” His cock twitched sharply at the thought of watching Gideon using the gloves on her nipples—or using the gloves himself. The tightness in his groin was nearly more painful than the lashes had been, and the image Gideon introduced to his mind didn’t help. But even that tantalizing thought fluttered away when Gideon traced the outline of his hole with the tip of his tongue. Each probe vibrated from the rhythm of Gideon’s satisfied moans. His fingers dug into Jesse’s flesh, holding him still when he had the overwhelming urge to press back into Gideon’s mouth. Jesse had to settle for feeling his firm tongue sinking into his ass, soothing the stings over and over again in ever-slowing strokes. Gideon moved deliberately. Excruciatingly so. Jesse caught his breath, holding it until his lungs burned, waiting for Gideon to increase the rhythm, but he didn’t. What new torture is this? Clearly one designed to make his already weak legs start shaking. In a way, this was almost worse than pain. 107


Drops of sweat rolled down his neck and shoulders, stinging him each time perspiration came in contact with open skin. Slowing turned to stopping. But when Gideon straightened, it wasn’t to press against Jesse’s back. His footsteps echoed away from the whipping post, and Jess twisted against the chain in order to see where he was going. He stood in profile at the rack of weapons, hanging up the whip. His flawless skin was now streaked in red, blood drying where it had transferred from Jesse’s flesh to his. Standing the way he was made his cock look even harder, thicker where it jutted from the dark hair, and mouth-watering pre-come already collected in the slit. As Jesse watched, Gideon reached onto a high shelf and pulled down a small tube, opening it and squeezing its contents onto his fingers. Not once did he look over to Jess as he proceeded to lubricate his cock, taking his time to coat his length in stroke after languorous stroke. Watching Gideon thoroughly cover his shaft was too much for Jesse. His ass clenched, and his heart began pounding erratically. All he could think about was Gideon inside of him, Gideon stretching him, Gideon pressed against his tender back, Gideon’s mouth on his neck. And these thoughts spilled out of his mouth in a jumble of words and sounds. “Gideon…please. I need to feel to you. I need you so much. All the time.” He gulped for breath. “Please fuck me. Please…just…need you.” Gideon’s sensual smile made Jesse shiver. Without saying a word, Gideon sauntered back, his hand continuing to work over his length. When he stood behind Jesse, he dragged the 108


tip through the crease before reaching around to clamp powerful fingers around the base of Jesse’s cock. “Something tells me you’re a little close,” came the sultry murmur at his ear. “It wouldn’t do for you to come too soon.” He was close. Close enough that the pressure from Gideon’s fingers was almost too much to tolerate. But Gideon knew exactly where to grip him, and exactly how hard to hold him, and Jesse knew he wouldn’t be coming again until Gideon allowed it. “Please,” Jesse whispered. More pleas escaped with each exhalation, and they didn’t fall on deaf ears. Gideon pushed the head of his cock just past his ring of muscle, but the strong thrust Jesse expected never came. Jesse stood perfectly still, trembling, waiting. When Gideon was at his hungriest, he had no qualms about taking what he wanted. Jesse had long ago lost count how many times the vampire had torn into his waiting hole, pounded into his trembling body without mercy, established vicious rhythms that seemed impossible to maintain. And Jesse loved it. Every bruising, violent second. Got hard just thinking about it. This wasn’t like any of that. With one grip around Jesse’s cock, Gideon pushed into his unstretched passage excruciatingly slow, treating him as if he were a virgin and Gideon frightened of hurting him. His other hand came around and caressed Jesse’s savaged nipples, tracing the hard tips in their clamps before trailing down the silver chain. He looped the links around his fingers until there 109


was no more give, each end pulling taut and painfully at Jesse’s flesh. Still, he hadn’t completely entered him yet. “You’re so fucking hot.” The tip of his tongue explored the now-clean cuts on Jesse’s shoulder. “Was this what you had in mind, boy?” It wasn’t exactly what he had in mind, but it didn’t matter. Gideon could take it as slow as he wanted. Gideon could drive him completely mad, if he wanted, as long as he didn’t pull away from him. “I want more,” he whispered . Gideon’s chuckle vibrated through Jess. “Oh, there’s always more.” As if to prove it, he pushed even deeper into Jesse’s ass, only stopping when the soft slap of his balls caressed the taut flesh. But then he didn’t move, didn’t do anything for seconds that ticked over into forever. It wasn’t until Jesse reflexively squeezed around the thick length that Gideon began the long slide out again, matching the same languid pace he’d set entering. After the second endless stroke, Jesse realized Gideon didn’t have any intention of increasing the tempo or changing the rhythm. And Jesse knew Gideon could keep up this pace for as long as he felt like it. Did he mean to completely turn Jesse to mush? Was the goal to destroy him before the end? “Have I thanked you yet for being so insistent about a vacation?” Gideon had switched from licking to sucking at the cuts, alternating between unmarked skin and open scratches. The next stroke brushed across Jesse’s prostate, but when Jess 110


jerked, Gideon tightened his holds. “This was a fucking fantastic idea.” The words filtered through the haze surrounding Jesse’s brain, and he finally understood this wasn’t a punishment for anything Jesse had done—or was considering doing. This was his reward. As far as rewards went, it ranked right up at the top. “It was. So glad…to be here with you…both.” Gideon’s tempo picked up. Only slightly, but it was enough for Jesse to notice. “You and Emma…you know I’d do anything for both of you, right?” The answer came automatically. “Yes, Gideon. Of course.” But that wasn’t quite true. Gideon would not do anything, and even as the thought occurred to Jesse, he hated himself a little for it. He felt…ungrateful If Gideon noticed, he didn’t register it. If anything, his thrusts sped up a fraction more. “But you…” Kisses rained along Jesse’s shoulder, bathing him in goose bumps beneath the sweat. “You’re always going to be my boy. You’re the only one I can completely relax with. The only one who understands it all.” My boy. Jesse couldn’t think of anything else that brought him more satisfaction than those two simple words. His skin flushed, and everything seemed to twist and turn inside of him. Did Gideon know that? Did he understand? No matter what, he was always going to be first and foremost… “Yours,” Jess exhaled. 111


The simple word proved the only impetus needed for Gideon to stop his agonizing strokes, moving harder, deeper, harder again as he picked up speed. He tugged on the chain, sending sparks from cock to nipple, and he sought every raw patch of skin he could reach, finally settling by clamping his mouth over the punctures left by the spiked collar. Sucking without breaking the skin, Gideon growled with each thrust. The growls made Jesse’s head spin. He recognized the sound, knew it better than he knew his own voice. It meant Gideon would be coming soon, filling Jesse’s ass as he sunk his teeth in Jesse’s flesh. And Jess had no doubt this would end with Gideon’s bite, and several long swallows of Jess’s blood. The thought made him clamp around Gideon’s shaft, and a fresh hunger overwhelmed him. “Gideon…bite me, please. Now. Please.” Gideon was done with words. The hand on Jesse’s cock stripped down his length at the same time Gideon stretched his jaws wider and sank his fangs into the pliant flesh. Jesse opened his mouth to thank him, but his gratitude was lost in a ragged scream as Gideon’s fingers tightened around the tip of his cock. That, combined with the exquisitely sharp points of Gideon’s teeth in his neck, was all he needed. His limbs weakened, and he felt detached, but completely alive. Vibrant, even. The chain rattled over his head as shudders wracked his body, and he shot hot fluid over Gideon’s hand like he hadn’t orgasmed in weeks. Neither moved, even after Gideon’s thrusts slowed to a stop. Extracting his fangs, Gideon licked over the fresh marks 112


like a delicate caress, then lifted his hand to his mouth to do the same with the sticky come coating his fingers. He splayed his hand wide enough for Jesse to reach as well, an invitation Jess couldn’t refuse, and together, they sucked away the fluid until Gideon’s skin shone. “Love you,” Jesse murmured against Gideon’s hand. Gideon caught Jesse’s chin and tilted his head back to meet his eyes. “I meant what I said. Don’t forget that.” Jesse swallowed, his tongue and throat feeling like sandpaper. “I won’t. I won’t forget it.” The soft kiss that followed was as gentle as the session had been rough. Tender hands reached above them and undid the shackles, Gideon easily taking his weight as soon as Jesse lost his support. “Why don’t we take advantage of the Jacuzzi? I’ll set the jets on low, but the heat should do you good.” Jesse wrapped his arm around Gideon’s shoulder, and the stiffness he was already feeling in his back told him he would need a lot more than the Jacuzzi, though it would be a good start. He didn’t have the energy to do anything but helpfully drag his feet as Gideon guided him out of the dungeon. He briefly thought of the business card still in his jacket pocket. If he was going to tell Gideon about the meeting, about the offer, about his curiosity, now would be the time. But Jesse sank into the Jacuzzi’s hot water, still firmly in Gideon’s arms, and allowed the chance to slip by.

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CHAPTER 8 Emma opened the door onto a silent suite, her excited greeting dying on her lips. None of the living room lights were on. She had been running late, sure, but she didn’t think she’d been that late. The sun had only set half an hour earlier, tops. Gideon and Jesse wouldn’t have gone out without her…would they? Dropping her bags by the door, she ventured two steps into the penthouse before a wall of emotion smothered her. Pain, and euphoria, and guilt, and more pain, and… Emma stopped, gasping against the shock. Her walls came slamming up as she squeezed her eyes against the assault, shoving away the heated scarlet strands before they wound 114


around her throat and choked her. The hand that reached for the back of a nearby chair shook, and she had to take several gulping breaths before her body started to cooperate again. When she opened her eyes, the room was still dark. “Jesse?” It had to be him. Gideon’s emotions were never so stark unless she touched him. “In the bedroom,” came his faint reply. Keeping her walls firmly in place, Emma ventured into the master bedroom. Jesse was stretched on his stomach across the bed, his head dangling off one side, his feet off the other. The lamps weren’t on, but there was enough light coming through the window to give her a pretty good idea of what Jesse and Gideon had been up to while she had been out. Large red welts covered his back in long stripes, and there were several perfectly round, deeply red marks on his neck. “Gideon’s out,” Jesse said, without looking up. “And he just left you like this?” She stifled her annoyance by going straight to the nightstand. Jesse had packed triple his usual supply of the ointments he used to speed up the healing process when his and Gideon’s games got a little too rough. Most of the time, he kept the evidence of just how rough it got away from Emma, though considering they had both been naked in a club like Sangre when they met, she’d never been sure why. Now she knew. Because Jesse realized seeing him like this—even knowing it was done with full consent and he probably got even more sexual satisfaction from it than 115


Gideon did—would hurt her. Perching on the edge of the bed, she unscrewed the lid off the jar as she surveyed his back. “I’m not even going to ask if you had a good day.” She dipped her fingers into the cool cream. “Where did Gideon go?” “He didn’t just leave me like this.” He finally met her eyes. “He was hungry, and I wanted some quiet time. It was…hard to rest with Gideon nearby. I told him to go.” She paused where she was going to spread the ointment. “Do you want me to go, too?” “No. No, not at all.” He smiled slightly. “You’re a much more peaceful presence than Gideon is. Unless you plan to prowl through the penthouse like a caged animal. Then that might be a problem.” Relieved, Emma returned his smile. “I look silly when I prowl. And my feet are killing me anyway. I’ll just slather you up, if you don’t mind.” “Are you sure you want to? I know it’s not your favorite thing to do.” “I hate seeing you like this even more.” The confession was blurted before she had the chance to think, and Emma ducked her eyes as she began to smooth the cream over the nearest of the cuts. It was cool at first touch, but it warmed quickly when it came into contact with human skin, the faint scent of bayberry wafting on every stroke. Jesse’s blue gaze was steady on her as he watched her work, but it took several seconds for her to not to be so embarrassed in order to look at him again. 116


“I guess you’re not going to be in the mood to do anything tonight,” she said, keeping her tone casual. “No, no, not really.” He sucked his breath in sharply as she brushed her finger over a deep cut, and she immediately pulled away. “No, don’t stop. I’m fine. You didn’t have your defenses up when you came in, did you?” She felt the heat rise in her cheeks. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking about what you two might have been doing while I was out today.” “Don’t apologize to me, Emma. I’m not the one who’s upset.” He reached out and brushed his fingertips across her cheek. “I really am fine, though. Gideon…you know he wouldn’t do anything to harm me.” “I know.” And she did. Really. She just sometimes wondered if Gideon thought about the far-reaching consequences of some of his actions. Like surprising Emma with a blanket of pain when she walked into a room. “How long does this stuff take to work?” she asked. “Are you going to be up to cuddling on the couch and watching old movies with Chinese takeout?” “Oh, absolutely. In fifteen minutes, my entire back is going to be numb for the rest of the night. This stuff is really brilliant. So are your hands, by the way.” “What about Gideon? When’s he supposed to be back?” “I don’t know, actually. He said he was just going to find something to eat, and you know, he hasn’t had much of a chance to look around the city. But I’d be surprised if he’s out much later than midnight.” He turned slightly, and she got a 117


glimpse of his chest. It didn’t look much better than his back. “How was your day?” It took several seconds for his simple question to sink in. “Good. Great, even. I only had one bad incident, and I got a ton of souvenirs. I even found something I think John will like.” “That’s good.” He licked his lips. “What have you got planned for tomorrow?” “Nothing so far. I was going to see what you two wanted to do.” Her smile softened, some of her earlier anxiety disintegrating in the face of Jesse’s gentle voice. “Maybe I was hoping to spend it with my two favorite fellas.” “Nothing wrong with that plan. But I was thinking about going out tomorrow morning to hit some shops Michelle recommended.” “Oh.” Book stores. Jesse’s favorite haunts. The morning would stretch into a whole day in a brand new city. “Did you want me to go with you?” “Actually, Emma, I…” He rolled back to his stomach and let his chin rest against the edge of the bed, his eyes fixed on the floor. “I was thinking about going by myself. I don’t want you to languish from boredom. Or book dust.” There was something he wasn’t telling her, something on his mind more so than worry about her exposure to his feelings. If her walls weren’t up, she might have been able to decipher it a little more clearly, instead of relying upon just how well she knew Jesse, but that was something she couldn’t risk experiencing again. His emotions were too raw at the 118


moment for her to deal with after a day of fighting off the city. “Then I guess I spend it with just one of my favorite fellas.” She deliberately kept her tone light. “You want to make a bet on how long it takes Gideon to bring up the moving in issue when it’s just him and me?” “Probably that’s how he’ll wake you up. Good morning, Emma, how did you sleep? What would you like for breakfast? Oh, by the way, why won’t you move in with us?” He stopped talking while she smoothed cream over the top of his thigh. “This is one of the reasons why, isn’t it?” Emma kept her eyes averted. “It’s intense. I don’t think he realizes how much.” “No, I don’t think he does. And if you think the aftermath is intense, I don’t know if you’d be able to tolerate being around during the actual festivities. Because that whip…it didn’t tickle.” Jesse sighed. “I know it sounds like I’m arguing against Gideon on this issue. I’m not, but I don’t think it’s fair to expect you to experience…this…if you don’t want to.” “It’s not that I don’t want to…” Or was it? Emma wasn’t even sure anymore. “I don’t mind most of the emotions you feel. In fact…well, you know. When my walls are down and we get going, it all snowballs and I get just as excited as you do.” She wiped the excess cream from her fingers along the outer rim of the jar before reaching for the lid. “I’m still adjusting. Maybe someday it’ll be easier for me to absorb, or repel, or something. Right now, I still remember what it was like before I could stop it all from drowning me.” “I know. Can you even feel the difference between the 119


good pain and the bad pain? Or is it all just…uncomfortable? Don’t put that away just yet,” Jesse said, slowing rolling onto his back. “Gideon had these gloves…” Her eyes widened at the sight of the slivered cuts streaked across his chest. Most of them were focused on his nipples, but these created a very different response in her than the heavier lashes on his back. She was very well aware of how good clamps could feel, or Jesse’s teeth, and these gloves he referred to looked like they had created much of the same feelings, if a little bloodier. “Oh, I can tell the difference.” Her voice was a little higher, a little breathier than before. She was touching him, skimming over the damaged skin, before she realized she didn’t even have any cream on them. “It’s just…the heavier stuff reminds me too much of Andre’s house, that’s all.” “I know.” He watched her hand for a few moments before catching her wrist. “Let me in a little. You don’t have to lower your walls all the way.” It was on the tip of her tongue to ask why, but Emma brushed it aside. The why didn’t matter. If that’s what Jesse wanted, that’s what she would give him. The pain was still there, but it was easier to handle now. She didn’t want to immediately block it out and run away. As soon as Jesse sensed she had lowered her defenses, he released her wrist and she dipped her fingers into the jar of cream. When she touched his nipple, she felt a flash of shock quickly tempered by pleasure. Now the pain seemed even more muted, and warmer feelings flared with each gentle caress. 120


“See? It’s not so bad anymore.” It wasn’t, and Emma smoothed in the rest of the cream without a word. It wasn’t until she had covered the last scratch that she asked, “What do you want? Honestly. Forget how I feel, forget what Gideon is pushing for. Do you want me to move in?” “I don’t know. That’s not very helpful, is it? I’d love to get the chance to see you, and be with you, more. But then I think about the way our work day doesn’t ever really end. It’d be wonderful to wake up beside you every morning, but then I remember sometimes I don’t go to bed until most people are breaking for lunch. I don’t know if our worlds would mesh seamlessly. Gideon doesn’t think about that. He lived by himself for forty years, and when he met me, I was more than happy to throw out a normal life. And I’m scared that’s what’ll happen to you now.” The corner of her mouth lifted. “I thought we decided a long time ago that my life is never going to be normal.” “Maybe normal isn’t the right word for it. But some of the people…some of the things…that come through our door.” Jesse sighed, closing his eyes like he was trying to gather his thoughts. “If you announced you wanted to move in, I’d put up the banner and the balloons and do everything in my power to make the apartment your home, too. But I worry about you the same way Gideon does. Except, the thing he fears, whatever it is, is out there, somewhere. I worry about all the things marching through our office on a daily basis.” She remembered it vividly. When she had first met Jesse 121


and Gideon, they had let her stay at the apartment for safety purposes, and she had experienced firsthand the clientele that came marching in whenever the fancy took them. Some of them were totally benign, like Derek O’Dell, but others, like the drug-addicted vampire, Rina, Gideon favored time and time again, were less so. On a whim, Emma bent and brushed a kiss across his mouth. By the time she straightened again, Jesse’s eyes were open and dark as they regarded her in curiosity. “We all worry too much. And we’re supposed to be on vacation. So let’s let it all go, okay?” “It’s not a matter of convincing me.” He trailed his fingers up her arm in an idle caress. “You need to convince Gideon. Or give him something else to think about if he starts in on you again.” “I’m not nearly as good at that as you are.” “Oh, I think you’re better at it than you give yourself credit for.” Jesse looked at her from beneath his lashes. “But you could always practice on me, if you’d like.” Her brows shot up. “You didn’t get enough with Gideon today?” “Well, I thought I had, until you came in here and started touching me.” “That wasn’t touching. That was nursing.” “Technically, there was both. Plus, I think there’s something in this cream that makes me all…touchy.” This time, Emma laughed out loud. “You made the cream yourself, and you’re telling me you 122


deliberately put some kind of aphrodisiac in it?” She shook her head. “You are the last person on this planet who needs help getting aroused.” “Just in my special we’re-on-vacation batch.” Jesse folded her hand between both of his. “You’re not feeling anything?” She was, but she wasn’t going to fall prey to his whims just yet. “Hungry. Feed me some good Chinese, and I’ll do anything you ask.” Daringly, Emma lowered her walls a little bit further, extending the threads of desire that particular promise evoked. “Anything.” “You drive a hard bargain, ma’am.” He lifted her hand to his lips. “Let me get dressed, and I promise I will find the best Chinese New York City has to offer.” Emma rolled away, giving Jesse room to rise and go for his clothes. Already, he moved as if the lashes across his back were nothing. But she kept her eyes upward all the same. *

*

*

In Chicago, Gideon rarely hunted. There were too many memories, too many faces that knew him, too many opportunities for things to go wrong. The pull was still there— fuck, sometimes, the pull was almost too much to resist—but Gideon found other means to sate his hunger. Bagged. Animal. Jesse. He did his best not to lump Jesse into a food category, but if he was being honest with himself, there were days when their play and sex afforded enough blood to merit a full meal. Today was a prime example of that. 123


But his presence had been unsettling Jesse, so he’d left with little argument. He was too wired to sit still, which almost always happened after such a vigorous session, and Jesse needed something gentler than he offered. Hopefully, Emma would be home soon enough to tend to those needs. Gideon smiled in the darkness. Emma was very good at making Jesse feel cherished. If he sometimes wondered how he figured in her feelings, there was no doubt about what she felt for Jess. Hunting in Manhattan, however, was different than hunting in Chicago. Here, nobody knew him. Crime might riddle his hometown, but New York was an entirely different bird. All anyone had to do was look down the alley to see someone unworthy of the gift they’d been given. There was blood for the taking. All he had to do was find it. He was nearing Times Square when he saw them. The streets teemed with people, bodies bundled warm against the impending night chill, the distinct tang of sweat and perfume mingling with motor oil and exhaust. Neon from the sex shops lining the sidewalks splayed across their faces, but it was the glint of red off a fall of long dark blonde hair that made Gideon look twice. A woman with a male companion. A tall, slim, brunette companion. The pair disappeared around the corner, and Gideon caught a glimpse of the man’s stubbled jaw. If he didn’t know Jesse was too sore to be dressed, let alone walking around Manhattan, he almost would have thought he’d come out with Emma to look for Gideon. But it couldn’t be them, and there 124


were millions of people in the city. The coincidence wasn’t all that unheard of. Still, he rounded the corner anyway, curious to get a closer look. More people separated them, but when the woman tugged on her partner’s arm and pointed toward a nearby alley, Gideon frowned. What were they doing? The narrow space between the buildings was dark, and the ripe scent of garbage almost overwhelmed the smells of the street. But the man shrugged and acquiesced to the woman’s lead, disappearing with her out of view. It was none of his business. These were strangers. He wasn’t going to feed from them, and what they decided to do in the privacy of an alley in the middle of a row of sex shops had nothing to do with him. His steps slowed as he approached the alley’s mouth. He wasn’t going to stop. He was just going to peek in and make sure they were all right. After all, it was a dark alley in the middle of a row of sex shops. Anything could happen. A woman’s muffled whimper made his skin crawl. His final steps were much faster, and then they stopped altogether. The couple wasn’t alone. The man leaned against the side of a Dumpster, and in his arms was a plump redhead, her back to his chest. His hand was clamped over her mouth, and though she struggled in his arms, his strength kept her from getting away. Gideon couldn’t see his face. It was buried in the woman’s neck, the sound of sucking all too clear. The blonde knelt in front of their victim. She had torn open the woman’s shirt to expose a soft stomach and softer breasts, 125


and Gideon saw the drops of blood rolling down the pale skin where the blonde had her fangs deep in the woman’s tit. The scent of hunger and feeding made his head spin and his stomach growl. It was probably the latter that alerted them to his presence. The man’s head snapped up, blood staining his wide mouth. “Time to run, Emma,” he growled, shoving the woman away. It made the blonde fall to her ass, but Gideon was too stunned to stop them when he grabbed her wrist and yanked her toward the other end of the alley, fleeing from the scene. Emma? Coincidence. That’s what it was. But his fingers were on his cell phone before he’d reached the bleeding woman’s side, punching in the number for the penthouse before bothering calling emergency. *

*

*

Jesse stared at the phone like he had never seen one before, like it was the phone’s fault he didn’t understand what Gideon had been on about. The conversation had been strange, bordering on the absurd. Yes, he was still in bed, right where Gideon left him. Yes, Emma was here. Yes, they were both perfectly fine. No, neither of them had any intention of leaving the penthouse that night. “Why?” Jesse had asked. “What’s going on?” But Gideon didn’t explain himself. Of course. And it wasn’t like him to make random calls just to check in. And it certainly wasn’t like him to make random calls to check in while sounding so…afraid of hearing the answer. 126


“Who was that?” Emma asked, coming into the bedroom with an armful of food. “Just Gideon.” “What did he want?” “Just wanted to see if you were back yet.” Emma was satisfied with the explanation, but Jesse was not. Something was definitely going on with Gideon. And if Gideon didn’t want to tell him what it was, then Jesse would just have to do what he did best. Investigate.

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CHAPTER 9 Jesse wasn’t supposed to meet Marcus until eleven, but he quietly slipped out of the penthouse, leaving Gideon and Emma in bed, just after seven. He hadn’t been completely lying to Emma. There were some bookshops he wanted to check out while they were in New York. And Marcus wasn’t the only person who might have the answers Jesse was seeking. There was a chance Michelle knew about this mysterious Hal, and a smaller chance Derek had heard the name. If either of them could shed any light on this enigma, then maybe he wouldn’t have to meet with Marcus Brooker at all. But Derek was not answering his phone. And Michelle 128


was less than helpful. “Hal who?” Jesse sighed. “I don’t know his last name.” “Then why are you calling me?” Michelle was clearly annoyed. “Because I thought you might know. I mean, how many people named Hal could Gideon know?” “I don’t know. Dozens? I’m not his social secretary, Jess. That’s your job.” “This Hal, whoever he was, apparently knew Mary.” “That’s none of my business. It’s really not yours either.” “Well, I think it is.” “Why?” “Because Gideon is my business.” “Why don’t I tell you about Chip Dexter?” Jesse perked up. “Who’s Chip Dexter?” “He was a boy Gideon killed on Christmas night in 1961.” “Yeah. Thanks for your help, Michelle.” “Any time. Look, I’ve got to go. I’ve got a store to run. Do you have the list of books I gave you?” “I do. Don’t worry, I’m not going to forget to run your errands.” Jesse had disconnected the call with the same sense of unquiet he had the night before when Gideon phoned. He didn’t think Michelle was as ignorant as she claimed, and he was getting damned tired of being kept in the dark. He wasn’t looking for state secrets. He just wanted to know what the hell was going on. And if nobody he trusted would, or could, tell 129


him, then that left one option. Talking to somebody he didn’t quite trust. The address Marcus had given him was the thirtieth floor of a skyscraper in Manhattan. The receptionist seemed to be expecting Jesse, and she greeted him with a very warm smile and immediately gestured him through a pair of glass doors. “Mr. Brooker is waiting for you in there. Would you like anything to drink? Coffee? Or maybe something to eat?” “Water would be good, thank you.” “I’ll bring it right in.” She pushed the conference room door open. “Mr. Brooker?” He looked much as he had when they’d run into him at the Frick a week earlier. Same immaculate grooming, same brilliant smile, different expensive suit. Closing the file he’d been perusing, Marcus rose from his seat at the head of the long, glass table and came to the door, extending his hand in greeting. “I’m so glad you called. How are you enjoying your vacation?” “It’s been very relaxing.” Jesse gestured at the file. “I’m not interrupting your work, am I?” “I’m always working. You’ll find my day of hooky at the Frick was quite the anomaly.” Marcus nodded toward the receptionist. “Thank you, Adrienne. That’ll be all.” She nodded and backed out of the room, shutting the door behind her. Marcus gestured at a chair, silently inviting Jesse to have a seat, then settled himself across the table. The chair was very comfortable. Looking around the conference room, 130


he could appreciate Marcus’s eye. “I promise not to take up too much of your time.” “The break will do me good. I work too much anyway.” Leaning back in his seat, he folded his hands across his stomach, watching with a curious eye. “So, did you get a chance to talk to Gideon about Hal?” Jesse hadn’t even tried to ask Gideon about Hal. He knew exactly how Gideon would have responded if Jesse tried to broach the subject. And at no point in the past week did Jesse feel like starting a fight, or being told to mind his own business. “Actually, I never did get the opportunity. I kept waiting for the perfect time, but you know how it can be sometimes.” Marcus chuckled, nodding in understanding. “And I know just how unapproachable Gideon can be. That’s probably why he doesn’t remember me. I was a lot less direct in the old days. Mary was one of the few with the strength to stand up to him.” Jesse thought of how distant and downright frightening Gideon could be now, and tried to imagine what he must have been like forty years earlier. “I’ve often thought she must have been an amazing woman. I have tried to ask Gideon to tell me more about her, but she’s one subject that is absolutely verboten.” He softened, his eyes growing distant. “She was. Amazing, I mean. We were all more than a little in love with her, but once Gideon came into the picture…” Jesse leaned forward. “But how? How did Gideon come into the picture? I may not know much about that period, but I 131


know who Gideon was before he met Mary, and quite frankly, he doesn’t seem like somebody anybody would really want to spend time with.” “You really don’t know how they met?” “No. There’s not a record of it. Gideon’s not talking. And if anybody else knows…” Like Michelle. “Well, they’re not talking, either.” “She staked him. Well. She tried. Obviously, she didn’t succeed.” Jesse knew what happened to people, and vampires, who tried to stake Gideon. They often didn’t live long enough to make a second attempt. “What did he do to her? Usually such attempts do not endear people to Gideon.” Marcus frowned. “What did he…” Sudden understanding smoothed his features. “Oh, I see what you’re thinking. No, he didn’t do anything to her. He crashed what he thought was a midnight mass at her church. It was actually one of Mary’s rallies. She got pissed about getting interrupted, so when he got all cocky and started pretending to preach at us, she grabbed a cross and stuck its long end through his back.” Jesse could imagine Gideon being impressed with a young woman who had the nerve to stab him with a cross. Or perhaps too injured by the attempt to retaliate immediately. A million more questions jumped to mind, but Jesse tried to bite them back. He didn’t think Marcus would want to sit there and reminisce all afternoon, and if Jesse asked every question he wanted to, they would definitely be there all day. “Was…Hal there that night?” 132


“Of course, he was. Until Gideon showed up, he and Mary were partners. Leaders, really.” His smile grew wistful. “They were going to change the world.” Sitting forward, he caught the edge of the file folder he’d been looking through and slid it across the glass toward Jesse. “I dug those up when you called me. I thought you might be interested to see them.” Jesse picked up the folder as slowly as he could manage, fearing his excitement about this new information would manifest in shaking hands. As soon as he opened it, a small photograph fell onto his lap, and he picked it up, his heart pounding as he looked at it. It was black and white, gone soft around the edges, the resolution grainy with time. In it, two people sat on a low, stone bench in front of a church, smiling for the unknown photographer. They were young, both in their early twenties, and it was obvious who at least one of them was. Mary. She had been tall and slender, long dark legs in white shorts stretched out in front of her as she leaned back on her hands. High cheekbones, huge dark eyes, a smile as wide and inviting as Jesse had ever seen. More striking than beautiful, but even with the distance from the camera keeping the details elusive, he could see how any man would be attracted to her. “That’s Hal sitting next to her. His family disowned him after he and Mary started up, but then again, the O’Dells never did understand just what it was he was trying to do.” “O’Dells?” Jesse brought the picture closer to his face to study Hal’s features. They were definitely familiar. And if 133


working with Gideon taught him anything, it was that Chicago was actually a very small town. “Hal O’Dell? What happened to him?” Marcus shrugged. “I don’t know exactly. He was still there when I left. Someone told me he’d gotten married and started a family, but I don’t know if any of that’s true.” “Sounds likely. How long were Gideon and Mary involved before…she died?” “Depends on who you ask. Some would say too long. Twenty-six months. Just over two years.” Two years. Two of the most pivotal years in Gideon’s entire existence, and Jesse knew nothing about them except the scraps Marcus had just offered. “I came here to get some questions answered, but it seems instead of getting answers, I just found more questions.” The look of concern returned. “I’m sorry. That certainly wasn’t my intent. But if you want—” The intercom buzzed, startling both of them. “Excuse me.” Going to the phone on the sideboard, Marcus answered it, speaking in a low tone as Jesse stared at the picture again. “My apologies again,” he said after hanging up. “It would seem one of my contractors has an emergency and needs my presence as soon as possible. Perhaps we can continue this at a later time? Over dinner maybe? You can bring your beautiful girlfriend with you this time.” He smiled. “I was a little surprised not to see her today, actually. I hope she’s feeling well.” “Oh, she’s fine,” Jesse answered automatically. “She’s just spending the day with Gideon. I don’t know if she’ll be able to 134


make it to dinner, but I’d certainly love to have a chance to pick your brain some more.” He smiled a little sheepishly. “If you don’t mind all of this…reminiscing?” “Of course not. I wouldn’t have invited you otherwise.” Gesturing toward the folder, he retreated to the doorway. “There are a few other pictures in there for you. Feel free to keep them.” Marcus smiled as he opened the door. “I even managed to find one of Gideon.” “Thank you. That’s very kind.” Marcus left him alone in the conference room, and Jesse knew he should follow him out, but he couldn’t resist the temptation of the photographs. It didn’t matter if he could watch and stare at Gideon as much as he liked, he was always excited and greedy when it came to new images. But when he saw the photograph, a part of him wished he hadn’t. It was a candid shot. Jesse would bet Gideon had no idea anybody had even witnessed the scene, much less immortalized it with a camera. He was holding Mary in a tight embrace, his arm around her back. Mary’s face was hidden against Gideon’s neck, but Jesse could see Gideon’s. Gideon was smiling. Genuinely smiling. It wasn’t a sly grin, or a cold curve of his lips. He didn’t look hungry, or annoyed, or calculating. He didn’t look like a predator. His hair was a little longer, hanging over his ears and eyes, and he was just wearing a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. He looked downright normal, but more than that, he looked happy. He looked content. Like he had found what he was looking for, and no power on this Earth was ever going to take it from him. 135


Jesse blinked, confused by the sudden coldness in his chest. He was sure Gideon must have looked that way, must have felt that way, with him. At the moment, though, Jesse couldn’t think of one specific instance, and the look on Gideon’s face was almost alien to him. And Jess knew better than to be jealous of a woman who had been dead for forty years. She wasn’t a threat to him. He tucked the photograph back into the file and checked his watch. It was only half-past eleven. Gideon and Emma were expecting him home around lunch, but they also thought he was shopping for books. They wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t come in until closer to dark. Because if Gideon didn’t sense his unease, Emma would. Jesse stood. He’d find Michelle’s books and, hopefully, by the time he made it back to the penthouse, he’d feel better. *

*

*

It wasn’t the first time Gideon had woken up to only Emma in the bed with him. Jesse was notorious for waking early and slipping off to go work, and the absence of his body almost invariably woke Gideon up. But this time, he woke with her full breast in his hand and his erection nestled in her soft ass, and he was glad to have some time alone to be able to appreciate her heat. The vampires the night before had done a real mindfuck on him. He knew Jesse thought his phone call was weird, but what was he supposed to tell him? “Oh, I saw a couple of dead ringers for you and Em, 136


draining a poor woman in an alley. Just wanted to make sure you hadn’t gone out and gotten yourselves killed in the half hour since I left you alone.” Yeah. That didn’t sound insane at all. Jesse already thought he was paranoid about being afraid for Emma in Chicago. Throw this onto the fire, and Gideon was never going to get his way. The important thing was, they were safe now. The couple the night before was a coincidence, because Jesse was off book shopping by the bright light of day, and Emma was curled up against his body, drooling slightly on her pillow. He gazed down at her and smiled. She really didn’t know how much better their lives were with her in them. “Good morning,” she mumbled without opening her eyes. “It’s still morning, right?” “Still morning.” He let his thumb trace around her areola, feeling it pebble against his skin. “Sleep well?” Emma sighed and arched against his hand. “Very well. I love this bed. And the company isn’t bad either.” Emboldened by her response, Gideon nudged into the crook of her neck, inhaling her clean scent as his tongue tickled along her shoulder. “No reason for us to leave it until Jesse gets back, then. Unless there’s someplace you need to run off to, too.” She rolled, turning to face him. Her hand moved over his shoulder, and she ran the side of her foot down his leg. “I don’t have any plans today, except whatever you want to do.” With her face still flushed with sleep, and her breasts soft 137


and heavy where they pressed to his chest, there were a lot of things Gideon thought they could do. Some of them were offlimits, like sinking his fangs into her inviting flesh, while others meant escaping the sanctuary of the bed. But what he wanted was for her to know just how good this really felt, and how much better it could actually be. “Do you want some breakfast?” He tilted his head toward the doorway. “It shouldn’t take me long to throw together an omelet if you want.” Emma pulled herself closer to him and ghosted her lips over his mouth. “No. I think I’d rather you stay in here with me and help me work up an appetite.” Gideon turned his head to capture her in a kiss expressing just how much he liked her idea. She opened immediately to the assault, and he threaded his hand through her thick hair as he rolled onto his back, taking her with him. He was still getting accustomed to her lesser weight atop him; Jesse’s harder, heavier lines weighed Gideon down in distinctly different places than Emma’s softer, lighter curves. But there was nothing unfamiliar about the feel of his cock trapped between his body and one rising in temperature. And when Emma parted her legs, letting her wet pussy glide along his balls and the base of his shaft, Gideon groaned in satisfaction. “Now, isn’t this a nice way to start your day?” “It’s very nice,” she agreed, shifting her hips to grind against him. Her mouth found his again in a long, sleepy kiss, and he could still taste sleep on her breath. He felt her heart 138


hammering, and the blood flowing close to her skin, and the rhythm of her lungs. “Very, very nice.” “Could do it every day, you know.” He traced her full, lower lip. “All you have to do is move in when we get back to Chicago.” Emma lifted her head and studied his face for a moment before she started to laugh. It began with a light chuckle, but soon, her whole body was shaking with the force of her amusement. “I’m sorry…I know, it’s not that funny. But…” Gideon frowned. Laughter was not the reaction he expected. Or wanted. “But what?” “But…” She snorted, and then sobered with visible effort. “This is exactly what Jesse said you would do. Ask me how I slept, offer breakfast, and then try to convince me to move in with you again.” His frown deepened. “This is not convincing you. This has nothing to do with convincing you.” She arched her eyebrow. “Then why did you bring it up again?” “Because you haven’t said ‘yes’ yet.” “And you’re not going to let it go until I do, I know.” She tilted her head, her hair brushing against his shoulder. “Well, maybe since Jesse was right about what you’d say, he’s right about the other part, too.” He knew they talked a lot when he wasn’t around, but Gideon didn’t like contemplating the possibility they were talking about him. “Right about what?” Emma smiled playfully. “About the best way to distract 139


you.” The twinkle in her eye said more than the tone of her voice. This was going to be worth playing along. Deliberately, Gideon grasped her hips and slid her off his body, sitting up against the headboard and folding his arms over his chest. “There isn’t anything I want more right now than getting the three of us under one roof. So do your worst, little girl.” “Maybe it’s a good thing I agreed to practice on Jesse last night,” Emma said as she straddled his thighs, her lips twisting with amusement. She wasn’t going to get him that easily. “Practicing on a man who couldn’t even move when I left him alone last night?” Gideon snorted. “Yeah, that takes a lot of skill.” Emma shook her head. “I don’t know what he puts in that cream he uses, but it wasn’t long until he was moving. Quite well.” His eyes narrowed slightly. She hadn’t just compared them, had she? “Our boy’s a natural.” The corner of his mouth lifted. “Except for what I taught him, of course.” “Oh, of course.” She slid higher up his thighs and gripped his wrists. He allowed her to pry his arms apart and bring his hands to his sides. “I’ve never had any complaints about the things you’ve taught him.” Still holding his wrists, she leaned forward, sliding her nipples along his chest as she kissed the line of his neck. Once she reached the firm flesh where his shoulder met his neck, she paused and then gently caught the 140


skin with her teeth. Gideon hissed. Everywhere she touched him burned, and the added sensation of her bite made his fangs wish to descend. It was a trick she’d picked up from watching Jesse, he was sure, but the kicker of it was, it worked. Every. Single. Time. He moistened his suddenly dry lips. “One of these days, we’re going to have to talk about the irony of how you and Jesse have carte blanche to bite me, and I’m the one who’s the vampire.” Emma ran her tongue over the bite slowly, like she was licking something sweet from his skin. It was maddening and deliberate, and his cock twitched with each swipe of her tongue. “It’s not ironic. We do it because you’re a vampire.” It would be simple to lift his arms and wrap them around her, lift her up and bring her back down on his cock. But even as his head eddied from the growing sensations, Gideon recognized breaking her fragile hold on him would be taking away her power, potentially reminding her of his need to keep her in control. If she saw how willingly he’d yield to her here, perhaps it would make her more flexible on the living arrangements as well. “Am I going to get the pleasure of returning the favor?” She nuzzled her face into his neck and rocked her hips forward. His shaft slid between her thighs, and it would only take the slightest shift to finally be inside of her. He felt the air brush against his skin as she inhaled. “Absolutely.” Emma’s mouth moved down his chest until 141


she reached his nipple. She teased him with his tongue until the flesh hardened. She looked up at him through her lashes before pulling his nipple between her teeth, rolling it along the sharp points. “If you’ll return this favor, too.” “Absolutely not a problem.” What was a problem was keeping his arms at his sides. While Emma’s talented mouth worked its magic, his hands itched to touch her soft skin, feel the desire racing through her veins, so tantalizingly close to the surface. Already, his hips were squirming beneath hers, grinding against her wet pussy so the tip of his cock brushed across her clit on every other stroke. He wanted to do more than squirm. He wanted to pound into her hard enough to hear her scream. That required moving. And Emma hadn’t given any indication he could do so yet. So he did the only thing he could. He curled his fingers through hers and concentrated on the force of his desire. Emma moved further down his body, never breaking the contact between his skin and her mouth. Gideon closed his eyes, tracking her movement with his mind’s eye. Some things he thought she must have learned from Jesse—like the exact spot on his ribs that made him writhe every time. But other caresses and licks and nibbles were all Emma, and his desire increased with each second. Hers, too. He smelled her arousal, growing richer and headier. Her fingers loosened and she looked up at him with bright eyes. “Are you distracted yet?” The fact that it took him a second to figure out what 142


exactly she was referring to answered the question for him, if not for her. With a wicked slant of his mouth, he slid a leg out from where her body pinned it, hooked it around her hips, and swiftly flipped their positions, forcing her onto her back with their heads at the foot of the bed. “My turn.” Her breath caught the moment he lowered his head. He didn’t bother with licking as she had done. He raked his teeth along her shoulder, angling straight down to the upper swell of her breast. As Emma’s hands flew to his back, he traced the dusty pink areole with the tip of his tongue before catching it hard between his teeth. Her back bowed beneath him, and she pushed against his mouth. He increased the pressure, and was rewarded with a sharp moan vibrating through her chest. She hooked her leg around his hip, grinding herself against his cock. “God. Oh God, Gideon.” Personally, Gideon thought Emma would love the fangs. She loved being bitten—hell, she creamed hardest when she had teeth gnawing at her succulent flesh. It was just the tiniest of steps to go from this intense pressure to the pinpricks of entry, one he was sure she could manage. Jesse was wrong keeping them from her, and more, keeping her from Gideon, but until he gave the okay, Gideon knew he couldn’t break his trust. As painful as it was, sometimes. Without letting up on her nipple, he shifted his hips, angling the head of his cock at her wet opening. The tensing of 143


her calf muscles was all the invitation he needed to slam into her, burying his length in her tight channel, and he held there for a moment, adjusting to the rush of heat surging between them. When they were that close, with nothing between them, and Emma had all her walls down, it was almost overwhelming. Every bit of her pleasure and desire poured into him, spurring him to move faster, to thrust into her harder. She tightened her legs around him, and her nails curled into his back, leaving ten deep crescents in his skin. She was soundless at first, breath and words lodged in her throat, but soon she was moaning and gasping for more. Gideon peeled away from her searing skin, propping himself up on his knuckles without breaking his rhythm. Emma was beautiful like this. The blood roaring to the surface of her skin to make her so deliciously pink. Her head pushed back onto the bed as she arched up into him, her neck elegant and inviting. Her swollen lower lip caught between her teeth, before she had to release it to cry out. He waited until she opened her eyes to gaze up at him before shifting their positions again. Sliding his hands beneath her knees, he broke the hold she had on him to lift her legs over his shoulders, creating a new angle for him to plough into her pussy. “Remind me to thank Jesse for letting you practice last night.” “Yes…yes…yes…” Each word was a sharp pant as she gripped the blanket beneath her. “Thank him.” 144


Her head dropped back again and he was riveted by the way her pulse pounded in her throat. His fangs itched, his mouth watered, and he took out his frustrations by slamming into her with more speed. “Oh, God, Gideon…I just…” But the wave of emotions coming from her made talking unnecessary. She didn’t need to try and tell him how much she wanted, or what that might be. And he definitely felt how close she was to her breaking point. The warmth of her body finally pushed him too far. Waves and waves of heat, pouring from her flesh and through his, making his skin burn. She clenched around him, her muscles contracting and quivering and squeezing his shaft. He moved his hand down her leg to cup her mound, his thumb pushing through her swollen flesh to find her clit. But he didn’t quite touch her. He waited until she was looking at him again, her pupils blown. He pulled every bit of hunger he had for her, every frustrated bit of desire, and sent it through her body as he pressed her clit with his thumb. She erupted around him, a shout ringing in his ears as her body convulsed, practically forcing his orgasm. His cock jerked against her trembling muscles, and aftershocks rolled through her body. Gideon released her legs, letting them fall from his shoulders to the bed. She reached for him and he settled on the mattress beside her and pulled her against him. One glance at Emma, and Gideon’s mouth was on hers, searching and sweeping as he tried to show her with that single caress how badly he wanted her with him and Jesse 145


permanently. He knew his own walls, artificial as they were, would have to go up soon, and he hated it. But Emma didn’t need to be exposed to his fears, and she certainly didn’t need to be exposed to his guilt. She needed him to be strong. She needed him to be there. Hopefully, she needed him period. In the end, that might be all he got.

146


CHAPTER 10 The last time Jesse felt like a teenager sneaking in after curfew was when he was fifteen, and he had been sneaking in after curfew. Not that he had a curfew now, of course. He came and went as he pleased, and if it pleased him to stay out until after ten o’clock on his vacation, then he damned well would. But his bravado didn’t change the threads of guilt winding through him. He had called Marcus just a few hours after the end of their meeting and asked if they could meet for dinner that night. Dinner turned into dessert, and drinks, and coffee, and time escaped from Jesse. Marcus had regaled him with stories of Gideon and Mary, and Jesse had lapped up every 147


single word, captivated. They were stories Gideon wouldn’t want him to know. They were stories about a vampire who wasn’t quite good, but a little better than bad. They were stories about a vampire Jesse had, quite honestly, only seen hints of, even when Gideon was at his darkest. And Jesse had listened with the sort of objectivity that only came with absolute faith—he wasn’t frightened by the stories because the man he adored was not the man he was hearing about. But Gideon still would not be pleased. If ever he hated living with a vampire and an empath, it was now. If he wasn’t careful, he’d betray himself. He desperately wanted to talk to Gideon about Marcus, about what he had learned, but he was equally as desperate to avoid having a big fight with Gideon. He didn’t want Gideon to be angry, or disappointed, or even, God help him, betrayed. And this did sort of feel like a betrayal. But Jesse had learned a few tricks to hold on to what bits of privacy he could, and he called on those now, as the elevator stopped at the penthouse, doing his best to shield the guilt and anything else suspicious. The entryway and living room were dark when Jesse stepped out of the elevator. For a brief moment, he wondered if Gideon and Emma were out. He noticed a band of light coming from the bedroom, but there was no sound. Jesse deposited the heavy bags of books—Michelle’s request and his alibi—on the couch and shrugged off his coat, before going to the bedroom to investigate. As soon as Jesse opened the door, he realized he needn’t 148


have worried about sneaking in. Emma was laying on the bed, covered in small love bites and finger-shaped bruises, her head hanging off the edge, her mouth open and full of Gideon’s cock. He was standing over her, his knees braced against the mattress, his head dropped back. Jesse caught his breath, and for a moment, thoughts of Marcus and ancient history were completely banished. He stepped forward to join them, but paused. If he touched them, what defenses he had would be gone. The veins stood out in Gideon’s neck as he clenched his jaw. He was the one doing the thrusting, driving into her mouth deeper each time, but it was Emma and her wicked fingers reaching around his hip and sinking between his ass cheeks that brought him to his peak. With a roar, Gideon buried his shaft, his muscles clenching and unclenching as he shot into her throat, and Jesse watched as she swallowed every drop down, the faint sound of her pleased humming filling the room. “I think it’s my turn to watch you fuck her face,” Gideon rasped as he pulled out of her mouth. Emma opened her eyes and smiled at Jesse at the same time Gideon glanced back at him. “She is doing everything she possibly can to be a distraction today.” “That’s because every time I try to get out of bed, you bring up moving again.” Emma slapped at Gideon’s ass playfully, giving his shiny cock one last lick before rolling over onto her stomach. “A girl has to do something.” “Is this all you two did today?” Jesse asked, hoping to 149


deflect Gideon’s suggestion that he have a turn with Emma. Declining sex would raise more red flags than anything short of a full confession. “I took a nap around two,” Emma offered. Gideon shrugged. “And I’m on vacation.” “You don’t have to explain yourself to me.” He glanced at Emma. “Did you eat today? I could put together some dinner, if you want.” “Food kind of took a back seat.” “There’s a Hawaiian pizza in the fridge,” Gideon said. “I ordered it while you were asleep.” At the mention of her favorite fast food, Emma visibly brightened and leapt from the bed as if she hadn’t just spent the last twelve hours in carnal delights on its surface. “I’ll be in the kitchen.” She paused long enough to grab her robe and brush a kiss across Jesse’s cheek. “Is that going to be far enough away to avoid the fireworks when you tell Mr. Tightwad how much of his money you spent today?” “Hey!” Gideon folded his arms over his chest. “Mr. Tightwad bought you dinner.” She blew him a kiss. “And I love you for it. Thank you.” Jesse watched her walk away with a smile before advancing further into the room. “For what it’s worth, Mr. Tightwad, I didn’t spend any of your money today. This shopping trip was purely on Michelle’s dime.” Gideon’s pretend glower broke into a wide smile. “Well, then, I hope you spent a small fortune. Have fun?” Jesse sat on the bed and kicked off his shoes. “Not as much 150


fun as you did, apparently. I like shopping for books, but not that much. Since you got to spend the whole day in bed, will you be terribly put out if I take Emma away tomorrow?” “Well, if you’re going to make me share…” But the grin Gideon shot him as he went into the adjoining bathroom was mischievous. The light came on, followed by the sink. “Where are you going to go?” Jesse took the simple invitation out of his pocket and turned it over in his fingers. It was for a very exclusive party prior to an unveiling of a huge sculpture in Central Park. It was an installation piece, and apparently quite the big deal. Jesse had never heard of it, or the artist, but he thought Emma probably would have. Marcus had given it to him toward the end of their meeting. At first, he had hinted that Jesse should attend as Marcus’s guest, but when Jesse balked, Marcus quickly included Emma in the invitation. “A party in Central Park tomorrow afternoon.” Jesse took a deep breath, hoping to steady his nerves for the lie. “One of Michelle’s friends here gave it to me.” “That sounds like fun. Hopefully, the weather will hold for you.” The tap turned off and Gideon reappeared in the doorway, wiping his mouth. “What kind of party?” “I don’t know. I guess we get to drink champagne and meet the artist and get a front row seat when they finally pull the curtain open, or whatever it is they do.” Jesse held the invitation out for Gideon to see. “I thought Emma would enjoy it.” At first, he didn’t think Gideon was even going to look at 151


it. He took it from Jesse’s fingers almost distractedly, holding it by the corner to glance down at the embossed lettering. But something almost immediately caught his eye, and what started out as a quick perusal turned into a deliberate read. Complete with Gideon’s darkest frown. “Emma’s not going to enjoy it.” With a single hand, he balled the invitation up and tossed it into the wastebasket next to the nightstand. “Because you’re not going.” Jesse tried to think if there had been anything on the invitation itself that would set Gideon off, but to his eye, it had been entirely innocuous and mundane. Irritation instantly surged, but he pushed it down. Maybe Gideon had an explanation. “Why am I not going?” Gideon didn’t even look back from where he was walking over to get his robe. “Because I said so.” Jesse stared at Gideon’s back for several beats, thinking of and discarding responses. Gideon’s terse response had been the last thing Jesse expected to hear. Gideon never spoke to him like that. “Because you said so? What is this? You’re issuing me orders now?” “It’s not an order.” It sounded like an automatic response, said swiftly enough to even take Gideon by surprise. Slipping the robe on, he scowled as he reconsidered what he’d said. “Okay, it is an order. But it’s for your own good. Trust me. Don’t go.” Jesse probably would have shrugged and let it go if Gideon 152


had given him a real answer. But it was yet another nonanswer after a series of evasions. “No.” He marched over to the nightstand and rescued the invitation. “I think I deserve an actual explanation if you think you can dictate where I go and what I do.” Gideon froze. “I’m keeping you safe. Since when is that a crime?” “It’s not. But what are you keeping me safe from? Is there a specific threat this time?” He didn’t react, but he didn’t have to. Each second of silence damned Gideon a little bit more. “Maybe you can help me out, Gideon, and tell me exactly what I’m not allowed to do anymore. Or even talk about, for that matter.” That startled a reaction. “Damn it, Jesse! What is so fucking special about this one thing I ask of you? Huh? I’ve been bending over backward for the past week to make sure you’re having a good time. That you’re getting everything you want. That you and Emma are happy and having the times of your lives. And I ask for one thing in return, and this is what I get?” Jesse blinked, stung by Gideon’s outburst. This was exactly the sort of argument he had been hoping to avoid, and yet, he found himself in the middle of one anyway. How did that happen? “You didn’t ask for anything, Gideon! You fucking told me. Have I ever done anything you’ve asked me not to do? What’s so special about this is, yet again, you refuse to tell me 153


what’s going on, like I’m a child or something. I don’t understand that at all.” Before Gideon answered, the door flew open. “What is going on in here?” Emma demanded. Her dark eyes jumped from Jesse to Gideon, and back to Jesse again, and she almost immediately paled. “What are you two fighting about?” Jesse never took his eyes from Gideon. He didn’t want Emma to be dragged into the middle of this argument. He was angry now, but he knew if Gideon started in on Emma at all, the fight would really kick into gear. “It’s nothing,” Jesse tried. Gideon growled. “So wanting you safe is nothing now, is that it? Thanks for letting me know.” He whirled on his heel and marched out of the room, slamming the door so hard behind him the glass in the windows shook. Jesse stepped back and sank to the bed, holding the damned invitation loosely between his fingers. “I’m sorry.” Emma immediately came to his side, sitting down and wrapping her arms around him. “What was that about?” Jesse leaned into her embrace, opening himself to the positive feelings she always tried to send him when he was upset. “I got an invitation to some party tomorrow.” He held up the paper. “I told Gideon I wanted to go. He informed me I would not be going because he says so. I didn’t like his answer.” She didn’t even look at it. She was too busy focusing on him. 154


“Did he have other plans for us or something?” “No. No explanation offered. Not for lack of trying.” “Oh.” She paused. “Do you want me to go try talking to him?” “No. If Gideon had any intention of explaining himself, he would have. I’d rather you not get in the middle of this.” “Okay.” She laid her cheek on his shoulder, her breath warm and soothing. “So what are you going to do?” Jesse took a deep breath. “Try to get some sleep.” Which wasn’t a possibility at all. “Because we’re going to have a long day tomorrow in Central Park.” *

*

*

“Please stop screaming, Simone. Nobody can hear you, and I’m trying to concentrate here,” Marcus said, unbuttoning his collar. But she kept carrying on like she hadn’t heard him at all, each scream piercing his sensitive ears. Normally, he didn’t mind if they screamed, but it felt like she was making his entire brain vibrate. “Simone, I’m disappointed in you.” He untied his tie and folded it into a tight ball. “I didn’t want to gag you, but if you insist…” He gripped her chin and shoved the silk down her throat, immediately cutting off the endless noise. “There, that’s better.” She looked at him with wide eyes, tears streaming freely down her cheeks. He never thought she was anything special before, but now she looked beautiful. Succulent, even. His 155


mouth watered and the back of his neck itched, but he held back the urge to shift. It would be better if he waited. He never got quite the same surge of power in his other form. Marcus continued undressing without taking his gaze from her. The chains might have been a little overboard. Typically, he didn’t hang his dates from the ceiling, but he wanted to test his new set-up. With a little luck, the next time he had somebody shackled to the ceiling, it would be somebody considerably stronger. Chains might not be necessary for a woman Simone’s size, but they would be absolutely necessary for a vampire. Especially a vampire as strong as Gideon. She tried to close her eyes once he was naked, but he gripped her jaw again. “Don’t do that, baby. It’ll be easier for you if you don’t make me keep your eyes open.” Simone looked at him again, the pleas in her brown eyes louder than any of her screams. He frowned, studying her face. There was more than just pleas reflected there. He leaned forward and licked one of the salty tears from her face. Strength immediately surged inside of him. Every cell in his body responded. “Oh, I see. You think you’re in love with me, don’t you? Love makes everything sweeter. Love…” Marcus’s voice trailed off and he looked up at the chains. Maybe he wouldn’t need them for a vampire. He wasn’t convinced Gideon could really love anybody except himself, but he managed to attract good people to him. Mary. Emma. His new friend, Jesse. Marcus smiled. “Of course. Why didn’t I see that sooner? 156


Thank you, Simone. I think you might have saved me a great deal of time.” He turned away from her and perused the weapons hanging on his wall. There were all sorts of implements of death to choose from. He had originally thought to go with slow and painful, but Simone had inspired him to the perfect idea, and he was sincerely grateful. Besides, he only needed a little bit of power for now. An appetizer. The big meal would come later. Marcus bypassed a gun in favor of a long knife. Just because it was an appetizer didn’t mean he wanted it to go by too quickly. He intended to savor Simone, after all the time and effort he’d invested in her. Plus, the taste of her he got behind the restaurant, before Gideon had ridden in to her rescue, had been unbelievably delicious. She was so sensitive. Each tiny bit of suffering was a delectable morsel. Even now, her fear coursed through his veins, making him stronger by the second. He positioned himself behind her and fisted her hair, forcing her head back. As her terror spiked, so did his thrill. A physical hunger settled in his stomach, but he had more pressing matters to attend to. “Now, don’t worry,” Marcus murmured, his lips against her ear, the knife against her skin. “This is only going to hurt for a second.” Simone didn’t even have a chance to whimper before he sliced the knife through her throat. As her dying breath was forced out of her nose, Marcus’s skin tightened and her force, 157


her energy, her very essence filled his body. It was different with everybody. Some people felt dark and heavy. Others were light. Others could only be described as colorful. Simone felt as sweet as her good-natured smile. Marcus closed his eyes, savoring as he intended to. But he couldn’t for long. The blood called out to other, more primal instincts. A long growl escaped his throat, and then the bear was forcing itself forward. The knife hit the floor as his hands changed to paws. He growled again, this time in agony, as the change overtook him. He could almost always keep the beast under control, but these little rituals dropped his guard, abolished his self-control. The blood on his tongue drove him to new frenzies, and soon, the only sounds in the room were his hungry growls and her body rattling on the chains.

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CHAPTER 11 Sneaking out of the penthouse under a vampire’s nose was infinitely easier when the vampire was nowhere to be seen. Jesse noticed Gideon’s shoes and jacket were near the door, so he was fairly certain Gideon had returned home, but he hadn’t come to bed. And he wasn’t in the guest bedroom. Jesse assumed he was in the dungeon, but he didn’t want to risk looking and waking him up. Jesse had gone to bed the night before with every intention of going to the forbidden party, but by the time they were dressed and ready to leave, the party seemed pretty insignificant. He just wanted to get out of the penthouse for a few hours. Emma apparently felt the same way, because she 159


didn’t offer any argument. She just quietly dressed and folded her fingers around his as they slipped out the door. It was surprisingly warm in the park. It felt more like autumn than winter. It was the sort of day that made you glad to be alive, but not even the warm sun and the mellow blue sky could boost Jesse’s spirits. They walked through the park slowly, hand in hand, but Jesse’s mind was still in the penthouse. “Do you want to talk about it?” Emma asked gently. For a moment, Jesse wanted to tell her everything. He wanted to tell her about the pictures he was still carrying. He wanted to show her Mary. He wanted to tell her about the meal with Marcus. But he couldn’t. If Gideon ever found out, and if Gideon learned Emma knew the whole time, there would be hell to pay. “I don’t know. I just wish I knew what was going on in his head. I’m not usually at a complete loss.” She sighed and nestled closer into his side, resting her cheek against his arm as they continued to walk. “He seemed so much better yesterday. Like he was finally starting to relax. He felt like…he felt like those first few weeks after Lizzie got arrested. When you guys didn’t have an active case, and he was spending all that time trying to make it up to you for the displays.” Jesse smiled at the memory. Gideon hadn’t wasted any time in those weeks, as though he intended to replace every second of every negative memory with his touch. By the time they did get a new case to distract Gideon’s attention, the art 160


displays had been a very distant and vague memory. And Gideon had gone to the trouble for one simple reason. Jesse was his. “Either he has a good reason that he just doesn’t want to share with me, for whatever reason. Or he doesn’t have a good reason and he’s just being extra controlling this week. I’m not sure which one is worse.” “He thinks he’s protecting you. That much is obvious.” “Yeah. It is. But he could save us both a lot of trouble if he trusted me to tell me what he’s protecting me…us…from.” Emma didn’t have a response, not that he really expected her to. She had experienced the same confusion about his shift in behavior in the shower that first night in New York City. The difference was, she was far more willing to let it go than Jesse was. Too many years of not being able to control when or how she experienced other’s emotions had left her sensitive to respecting privacy. Even when curiosity compelled her not to. “I don’t like seeing you two like this,” Emma said. “I keep wanting to fix it all.” “Honestly, I’d love it if you could fix it all. Do you have any suggestions?” She glanced up. Her dark eyes reflected the sunlight filtering onto the path. “Maybe I should tell him I’ll move in. That might let go of at least one bug in his ear so he’ll talk about the other.” Jesse grimaced. “No. If you move in, it should be because it’s what you want to do, not because Gideon is sulking. Or 161


pressuring you. Or because you have to play peacemaker because Gideon and I are incapable of having a conversation that doesn’t turn into a shouting match, apparently.” “Part of me wants to.” It was the first time he’d ever heard her make the concession out loud. “Part of me loves the idea of what that would mean for all of us. You and Gideon are the two most important people in the world to me.” “What would it mean for all of us?” Her small teeth worried her lower lip as her gaze shifted to the trees lining the path. “We’d know,” she murmured. “We’d know we were well and truly together. That none of us ever has to be alone again.” “Is that what Gideon’s afraid of?” Jesse stopped walking and turned to face her. “Are you afraid of that, Emma?” She swallowed, though it was slow and looked painful. “All I ever had was Lizzie. Then I lost her, and all I wondered about for so long was did I ever really have her in the first place. But that brought me into your lives, and…yeah, I’m afraid it’s all going to happen again. Not for the same reasons, because I know you two aren’t lying to me about wanting me around. I know your feelings are real. But things happen. And I’m not stupid. I know life can change on a dime, even when we don’t want it to.” “But Emma…” He reached behind her neck and gently pulled her hair out from beneath her collar. His other arm went around her back to pull her closer. “I appreciate the symbolic importance of you moving in with us, and I already told you my feelings on that decision. But you’re never going to be 162


alone. Not as long as I’m walking this earth. Does Gideon…have you sensed the same thing from him?” “I’ve always sensed that.” Her voice was muffled against his jacket, her slender arms slipping beneath the heavy material to wind around his waist. “I’ve just always thought that’s part of who Gideon is.” “Well…it is. Generally. But I didn’t think…” He rested his brow on the top of her head. “I didn’t think this…fear…was so heavy on your minds.” She half-shrugged. The gesture made her full breasts rub against his stomach. “I can’t speak for Gideon, but I know I didn’t want you to worry about me. Well, not any more than you usually do.” Her warm breath seeped through his shirt, calm and soothing. “It would make sense if that’s what’s bugging Gideon. Isn’t that what you said his favorite mixed signal was? Physically close but not in his head. So we can’t see just how afraid he really is.” “Yeah. Yeah. You’re right.” But why? That’s what Jesse couldn’t let go of. Gideon was not given to wild flights of fancy. If Gideon was afraid of something, Jesse needed to know what that something was. “It’s getting a bit cold out here. Do you want to go back where it’s warm?” Emma pulled back to gaze up at him. “What about the party?” “I never really cared that much about the party. Do you?” “Nope.” She laced her fingers through his and tugged him down the path. “Let’s go home.” 163


*

*

*

The penthouse was still quiet when Jesse pushed the door open, but the sense of relief at crossing the threshold into the cool darkness was palpable for both of them. Though he had changed the course of their conversation to something lighter, it wasn’t until the door closed behind them that Emma felt the weight lift from his shoulders. They had needed to get out, to escape the somber atmosphere, but they had needed to return just as desperately once some of the confusion had lifted. “I think Gideon’s still asleep,” she whispered, glancing down the hall toward the dungeon. “Do you want to go wake him?” “No, not yet.” He tugged her the opposite direction. “Let him sleep. He probably didn’t come in until around dawn.” Emma followed without hesitation. Instead of stopping in the bedroom, however, Jesse continued on past until he reached the closed door of the spa where the Jacuzzi was located. “You were so cold, you have to warm up this way?” she teased when he pulled her inside. “How have you managed to live in Chicago all this time?” “Well, I’ve been trying to talk Gideon into relocating to Miami, or San Diego, or Honolulu. He’s not interested in locations with a lot of sun.” He gently tugged the coat down her shoulders. “So I do what I can to keep warm.” Her blouse came next, his fingers only feathering over her skin before he moved down to her jeans. Emma toed her shoes off as she watched him focus on her clothing, every gesture 164


gentle, every touch tender. By the time she stood there in her bra and panties, she was quivering. She coiled her arms around his shoulders when he straightened, pressing as close as she could get. “You’ll always have me, too, Jess.” Jesse smoothed his hands down her back to cup her ass, his fingers massaging her flesh through the thin material of her panties. “That’s good. Because you are very, very warm.” Sometimes, she thought Jesse was the most beautiful thing she had ever known. Gideon was arresting in his dark and dangerous way, but there had always been something different about Jesse, something more. It might have been the warm gleam in his clear blue eyes that always shot through her, or the long lines of his face that made her fingers itch to trace them. But as he bent his head to kiss her, she thought it was probably his mouth as much as anything else, the way just a hint of a smile made the entire world brighter. Her hands went to his shirt when he deepened the kiss, and she pulled it free of his jeans, forcing her fingers beneath the cloth to find his skin. Despite his claims otherwise, his skin was hot. She was careful about where she touched him—the cream had helped him, but she knew his back was still sore. He broke from the kiss long enough to lift the shirt over his head, and then he found her mouth again. She had kissed him while her walls were up, and it was always better when she didn’t have any defenses. She tasted his desire against her tongue, which told her more than any words did. 165


While his long hands cupped the back of her head to keep her still, Emma’s skimmed down his sides to the hard edge of denim at his waist. She traced along the line to the buttons, and one by one, popped them open until his erection sprang free. They both groaned when she curled her fingers around the shaft. “We need to start the water soon,” she breathed. “Because otherwise, we’ll never make it.” “Oh.” Jesse smiled, all boyish charm. “I forgot all about that.” He gently pulled away from her and turned to the tub. He started the water and hit the button, turning on the jets. “It’ll be a few minutes before it fills up.” Jesse wrapped his fingers around her wrist and pulled her against him again. “Where were we?” She giggled as he guided her hand back to his cock. “Somewhere around me trying to resist getting on my knees.” Jesse pushed against her hand while deftly unsnapping her bra. “Oh, you know, I don’t think that’s an impulse you should try to resist. At least, not until the tub is full.” The twinkle in his eye was too hard to resist. So was the drop of pre-come her thumb caught. Watching him through her lashes, Emma shrugged out of her bra as she sank to her knees, slapping his hands away when he attempted to push his jeans down the rest of the way. “I like it like this.” Licking her bottom lip, she reached inside and lightly cupped his balls, protecting them as she pulled them out. “It’s like you couldn’t even wait to get 166


undressed to feel my mouth on you.” “I usually can’t.” He rested his palm on the back of her head, his fingers threading in her hair to caress her. “Because you have such a…” Her tongue darted out to gather the clear fluid gathering on his skin, momentarily stopping his words. He didn’t try to speak again until she finished licking him clean. “Nice mouth.” Emma grasped his cock and held it up, stretching the soft skin of the sac below. Blowing across it, she closed her eyes against the billow of desire coming from Jesse, her breath quickening as she struggled to tamp it under her control. She took it in, held it close, then added it to her own. That was when she sucked his balls past her waiting lips. Jesse gasped sharply, and his fingers curled tightly against her scalp. His breathing had been normal before, but now he was taking deep, open mouth breaths, and she felt the heat building beneath her mouth. She inhaled deeply, enjoying the earthy smell of his skin and sweat. She couldn’t help but note the differences between Gideon and Jesse when she was this close to either man. Gideon’s skin was smooth and a little cool to the touch, but Jesse always felt so hot, and she could always feel his pulse hammering beneath her lips. Gently, she ran her tongue over the sac, caressing one ball and then the other before finally releasing them. Tilting her head, she ran her lips up his long length, letting the edge of her teeth catch just often enough to make his cock jump. By the time she reached the head, fresh fluid had collected in the slit, and she dipped in to savor it, wrapping her mouth tightly 167


around the crown. Emma glanced up to see Jesse’s attention fixed on her face, like he didn’t intend to miss a second. His grip tightened on her head and he slowly thrust forward, pushing his cock deeper and deeper into her mouth, watching as every inch of him disappeared past her lips. The raw desire she felt from him surged, met her own hunger, and ricocheted back through his body. Emma knew once they started this sort of feedback loop, the feelings and sensations would grow in magnitude until they were completely overwhelmed. Jesse moaned and released her before stumbling back. Emma looked at him with wide, questioning eyes, already missing the pressure of his cock against her tongue and the roof of her mouth. “We should…” He gestured at the tub. Her gaze flickered to the water nearing the rim. “That was a fast few minutes.” Chuckling, he stepped out of his jeans, while Emma shimmied out of her panties and climbed into the Jacuzzi. A long, shuddering sigh escaped her as the scorching heat assaulted her a split second before she felt the first jet across her pussy. She tilted her head back to rest against the edge and closed her eyes. “Oh, my God, this is amazing. Tell Gideon if he gets one of these, I’ll move in that night.” Emma felt the water shift as he stepped over the side, then sank to his knees in front of her. But she didn’t open her eyes until his mouth closed around her nipple, his tongue flicking 168


over the pebbled flesh. His hand went to her other breast, the flat of his palm sliding against her skin in slow circles. “I definitely want one.” His mouth was still on her nipple, each word a new caress. “We’ll have to find the right time to ask.” She let the force of the water part her legs, scissoring them behind Jesse’s slim hips to pull him closer. The heat made the hair at his nape curl, even as short as it was, and she toyed with the damp strands, curling them even more around her fingers. “You guys would never get any work done.” His teeth scraped across her areole, and she arched away from the side of the tub. “And I’d get fired for turning into a mermaid.” “It might be worth it.” As Jesse spoke, a wave of relief washed through her, and she realized the water was easing the soreness in his back. “Work is overrated anyway. It’s always distracting me from more important things.” “Such as?” “This.” He scraped his teeth over her nipple again. “And this.” His hand moved down her stomach and between her thighs. “And this.” His lips abandoned her breasts to seek out her mouth, his tongue pushing into her mouth as he brushed his thumb over her clit. Emma’s cry was swallowed by his determined kiss, and she clung to him, already trembling, as the water lapped between them. Each roll mirrored the bliss buffeting between their bodies, and each sweep of his tongue spiraled her need even higher. She had to struggle not to hold him so tightly she 169


aggravated his back, though the casual glances across her pussy made that next to impossible. When they parted to gasp for breath, Emma reached down to stroke the long line of his cock. “Are you warm yet?” “Very warm,” Jesse breathed. He wrapped his arm around her and pushed himself off his knees, carrying her with him as he settled back. She straddled his lap, her knees pressing against his hips, and his cock sliding against her pussy. Jesse trailed his fingers down her spine and she arched back, her nipple brushing against his mouth. He caught a drop of water with his tongue, sucking it and her skin between his lips. “Emma…I…” He lifted his head. “You know I love you.” “I know.” She did. It was almost a tangible thing when they were like this, taking on a life of its own as it wrapped both of them in its embrace. Drifting up with the water, she caught the head of his cock with her opening, sinking back down until he was fully sheathed. The searing pleasure rippled back and forth, and she pressed to his chest, opening her heart to him as much as she could. “You’re the single best thing that has ever happened to me,” she murmured. “I love you so much.” Jesse’s hands were all over her body, not staying in any one spot for longer than a second. He caressed her shoulders, her back, her ass, her thighs, her stomach, the swell of her breasts. His mouth was just as busy as his hands, and she surged against him again and again, spurred by each kiss, 170


caress, whispered word of encouragement, and the growing storm of love and desire. Her head spun. Everything raged, from the jets of water pulsing around her legs, to the torrent of emotion threatening to engulf her. Gideon warned them constantly about the dangers of this loop, how easy it was for them to feed off the other, but at times like this, Emma was glad she and Jesse ignored him. She needed this. Jesse needed this. Especially with the tension winding between him and Gideon. It started as a coiling, deep inside her flesh. With each stroke along his cock, Emma felt it grow tighter and tighter, burn brighter and brighter. Her breathing became harsh, labored and rough, and she tried to smooth it out by slamming her mouth to Jesse’s. She didn’t want to, but her nails dug into his arms, trying to keep from shivering out of her skin, and it was the sharp pricks of pain Jesse deflected back at her that finally drove her over the edge. As soon as the orgasm flashed through her, Jesse shouted into her mouth, like he was giving voice to her pleasure. She writhed against him, and the water lapped up her back and over the side of the tub. He just held her closer, his arms wrapping around her in a tight embrace. His leg kicked out, sending more water splashing over their heads and up on the walls. His cock jerking against her walls triggered another explosion, wrenching a moan from Jesse’s throat. One minute, then two, and Emma finally felt the drugging effects of the orgasms start to wane. Her hands slid along the edge of the tub until she was sagging against Jess, and she 171


opened her eyes to see his burning bright. “When we’re like this,” she breathed, “I feel silly for ever being afraid.” “Well,” he cupped her cheek gently, brushing his thumb across her chin, “next time you are afraid, just remember this.” Jesse kissed the corner of her mouth. “Do you think I can get from here to bed without letting you go?” “I think we should at least try.” And as he lifted her from the Jacuzzi, Emma thought maybe it was time to tell Gideon she could at least try living with them for awhile. She would never know if they would work until they put it to the test.

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CHAPTER 12 It had been a long time since Gideon had woken up on the floor. In spite of his more dangerous tendencies, he had always been a vampire of creature comforts. He liked a good whiskey, a better steak, and a firm mattress. The cold floor of a dungeon with his arm for a pillow was not his idea of a good time. Grimacing, he sat up, rolling his neck until it cracked. Jesse and Emma had looked comfortable when he’d poked his head into the bedroom at dawn, but the sight of the invitation sitting on the nightstand, the way Jesse had refused to take his word, kept him from venturing in to join them. His reaction had been extreme, and he knew all it would have taken to ease 173


Jesse’s mind was to tell him why, but… How to explain seeing the name of a dead woman embossed in careful script across the top of the invitation? Dedicated to M.E. Straughn. Your family misses you. M.E. Straughn. M for Mary. E for Elizabeth. The only family she had ever had was her mother and the people who believed in her cause. And Gideon. He rubbed his eyes. It couldn’t be his Mary; he knew that now. His Mary had never left Chicago in her life, and the people who had followed her were scattered to the winds. Most of them were dead. Georgia Straughn had long ago gone to the grave. Worrying Jesse would run into somebody Gideon would rather he didn’t was ridiculous at best. He was going to have a hard time justifying this one. And he had little doubt Emma would use this as yet another reason not to move in. Padding out into the living room, he was halfway to the bedroom door when he realized the penthouse wasn’t deserted as he’d thought. Two distinct heartbeats came from behind the door. Gideon glanced at the clock on the DVD player. One-eleven. The party should be in full swing. But Jesse and Emma weren’t there. They were here. His gaze swung back to the door. Jesse hadn’t gone. Those final footsteps to the bedroom were much slower than the first half. Cocking his head, Gideon listened to the low murmur of voices for several seconds, debating what he 174


should do. He couldn’t apologize without explaining why. He couldn’t continue the fighting, either. But he couldn’t do anything at all standing on the wrong side of the door. Gideon pushed the door open slowly, expecting to find Jesse and Emma more or less the way he left them that morning. But they were both wet, like they had just stepped out of the shower, and wrapped around each other, their heads close. They both looked up when he stepped in. Emma’s smile was immediate, but Jesse’s was a bit more hesitant. “Morning,” Jesse greeted. “Or…I guess it’s afternoon now, isn’t it?” “Yeah.” He looked to the window. Even with the curtains closed, he knew it wasn’t raining outside. “I didn’t think you’d be home.” “We went out this morning. But it was a bit cold. And we decided we’d rather be here.” Gideon’s heart twisted. Jesse had come back. Maybe it was Emma’s influence, maybe it wasn’t. It didn’t matter. They were both here. He leaned against the jamb, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Doesn’t staying warm usually require clothing of some sort?” Emma flushed prettily. “Those are by the Jacuzzi.” The other brow went up. Now the shock of seeing them was wearing off, Gideon noticed the distinct scent of sex in the air. No wonder they’d been wrapped up in each other. “Can’t imagine sleeping in the dungeon was very 175


comfortable.” Jesse nodded at the empty space on the oversized bed. “And you don’t look like you got enough rest.” It was an olive branch, and considering the circumstances, more than he thought he’d get this soon. Trying to appear more casual than he felt, he pushed off the jamb and walked over, but instead of stretching out like he knew Jesse expected, he sat on the edge of the bed. “I’m not sure wet sheets are much better than a stone floor,” he said, though he cracked a smile to soften the remark. “What happened to using towels?” “We considered towels,” Emma said. “But towels were deemed an unwarranted distraction from the main goal. Which was to get Emma back to bed.” Jesse smoothed his hand over the sheets, his fingers not quite brushing against Gideon’s. “And I thought I’d have time to change the sheets. Didn’t expect you to be up this early.” “I guess that makes two of us taken by surprise, then.” Unable to resist, Gideon reached across Jesse’s naked hips, sliding his hand between their pelvises where Emma had her leg hooked over Jess. He brushed across Jesse’s soft cock to sink two long fingers deep into her still-wet pussy. Her eyes widened, gasping at the intrusion. She gasped again when Gideon suddenly withdrew, bringing his glistening hand to his mouth and licking away the sticky fluid. “Haven’t I taught you anything?” he said, directing the question at Jesse. “You haven’t even cleaned her up yet.” Jesse’s attention was riveted on Gideon’s fingers and mouth, like Gideon knew it would be. Gideon, always attuned 176


to the subtle changes in Jesse’s body, also noticed his pulse was beating just a little bit faster. “No, I guess I forgot.” Gideon brushed his wet fingers across Jesse’s upper lip, withdrawing his hand when the other man opened his mouth. “Tell me how you can possibly forget that scent.” Jesse licked his lip, dragging his tongue over his shiny skin. “I was remiss.” He swallowed, then asked in a low voice, “May I make up for that now?” He glanced at Emma. Jesse’s heart wasn’t the only one quickening. “You may.” When Jesse started to roll over, however, Gideon’s hand shot out and pushed him back onto the mattress. “I didn’t tell you to move. Emma’s coming to you, boy.” Her confused frown smoothed over almost immediately. Rising to her knees, Emma kept her eyes on Gideon as she crawled over Jesse’s body, positioning her dripping pussy over his face, her back to the headboard. Then, she waited. Like the good girl she was. “Feeling sticky, Em?” “Yes, sir.” “And what is it you want?” Her throat worked. It was as hypnotic as watching her pulse hammer in its hollow. “For Jesse to eat me out.” With a smile, Gideon stood up and nodded. “Sounds like we’re all on the same page.” He pulled his shirt over his head. “You heard her, boy. Get to work.” 177


Jesse gripped her thighs, his long fingers pressing into her flesh as his tongue slid down her slit. Emma shivered, her head dropping back as a soft sigh escaped her lips. Jesse did the same thing again, and again. Each time he teased her with the tip of his tongue, she trembled, and her neck and cheeks began to color. She shifted her hips, sliding her pussy against his mouth, and Jesse responded by tightening his grip on her and pushing his tongue deep in her passage. Gideon didn’t know why Jesse had changed his mind, or why he was putting their fight behind them. There was always the chance it would continue later, maybe when Emma wasn’t a mitigating factor, but for now, Jesse was offering peace. Had done so twice. Offering sexual control to Gideon was his preferred method for making Gideon feel better. Gideon wasn’t going to throw the opportunity away. He removed his jeans, his semi-hard cock heavy against his thigh. Jesse couldn’t see, but Emma did, and she caught her lower lip between her teeth as she watched Gideon slowly stroke himself to a full erection. “You can have it. Once Jesse’s hard.” Her gaze shot down to Jesse’s hips. Her legs tensed to move, and then she remembered her place. “May I, sir?” Gideon’s mouth watered at the sight of Jesse’s shaft slowly thickening. “Do it.” Emma bent at the waist, settling herself more firmly on Jesse’s face as she lowered herself over his torso. Her breasts brushed against Jesse’s stomach, her hair flowing down 178


around her shoulders and blocking her face from view as she began to lick the tip of Jesse’s cock. Jesse, for his part, didn’t slow his thrusts into her pussy. Gideon couldn’t see Jesse’s mouth from his angle, but he heard the soft moans coming from Emma’s throat, only to be echoed in Jesse’s. Gideon’s fingers brushed against Emma’s back, and he was immediately struck by the strong wave of arousal coming off both of them. “What have I told you two about that?” he chastised softly. He knew his words would land on deaf ears. They would hear his warnings about the loop they created with the intensity of their emotions and mean to obey, but ultimately, they’d fail. They always did. They had shared a connection from the very first time they’d met, and for as dangerous as it could prove to be, Gideon wouldn’t take it away from them for the world. It was a rare gift, and he loved them both too much to deny them it. He skated a hand over Emma’s shoulder to Jesse’s thigh, tickling the coarse hairs before veering inward to the soft, velvety sac. Jesse immediately spread his legs wider, and Gideon chuckled. “I think we need to tattoo the word, ‘insatiable,’ across your ass, boy.” Jesse made a sound like an agreement. He never denied it—not that he could. Gideon massaged Jesse’s sac for several moments, slowly increasing the pressure against his balls. Jesse jerked his hips, lifting his ass off the bed and pushing his cock further into Emma’s mouth. Gideon put his other hand on Jesse’s thigh, holding him against the bed easily. 179


“Let’s see how hard he is, Emma.” Obediently, she lifted her head, letting Jesse’s cock slap against his stomach, long and glistening. Her eyes shone with desire when they locked with Gideon’s, and her swollen mouth curved. “Just as you ordered, sir.” He knew what she expected to happen now. She thought she was going to take turns blowing them, but Gideon had other plans for the moment. He climbed onto the bed and settled between Jesse’s legs, shifting forward to rub the length of his cock along Jesse’s before fisting both of them. Jesse groaned, his knuckles whitening where he gripped Emma’s hips. Keeping his grip firm, Gideon angled both cocks until the wet tips were inches from her mouth. “Both of them.” Emma hesitated for a just a moment, her gaze darting from Gideon’s cock to his face and then down again. The warmth from Jesse’s cock seeped through Gideon’s skin, but it was nothing compared to the heat of Emma’s mouth as she dragged her tongue over both their heads. She took a deep breath through her nose and opened her mouth wide, relaxing her jaw enough to get around both cocks. His satisfied sigh coincided with Jesse’s whimper. Emma couldn’t take much more than the heads into her mouth like this, but even that was near nirvana. The suction was tight, her lips pulsing from the force of her heartbeat, and her tongue never stopped moving, stroking and darting until his senses were spinning. 180


Only one thing could make this better. Leaning forward, Gideon grasped her hips and pulled her away from Jesse’s mouth. “Let me hear how much you love this, boy.” Jesse arched his neck, his mouth opening and closing as he gasped and moaned, the rhythm of the sound matching Emma’s as she swiped her tongue over them. But Gideon knew he could do better. His fingers went back to Jesse’s balls, and he squeezed with enough pressure to change the small groans into a sharp yelp. “I love it,” Jesse panted, “love it. Please don’t stop… please.” Emma folded her hand around their cocks, her fingers not quite reaching as she stroked the shafts she couldn’t reach with her mouth. Gideon slid his closer to the bases to allow her room, but already, the fire was coiling in his belly, only made worse when Emma slid up and scraped her teeth over the heads. “Fuck…” His curse turned into a growl as she tilted her head and did the same down the lengths of both cocks. Letting go of Jesse’s balls, he tangled his hand in Emma’s hair and jerked her mouth away. “Enough. I want you wrapped around all of me, not just this fucking teasing.” Jesse let his hands fall to the bed, releasing Emma, allowing her to move freely. Gideon knew if he stretched Emma out on the bed and fucked her right there without another word, Jesse wouldn’t make a single sound of protest, even though he was completely wired. Gideon didn’t need 181


Emma’s empathic help to sense that. Emma sat up and Gideon wrapped his arm around her, pulling her down Jesse’s body until she was straddling his thighs. Jesse’s cock was pressed against his stomach, his skin glistening. Gideon held Emma close to his chest and slid his cock against her pussy, her swollen lips coating his shaft in her juices. Each time he dragged his cock against her flesh, Jesse jerked beneath them, his cock twitching like invisible fingers were wrapped around his shaft. He mouthed Emma’s shoulder, watching Jesse with heavylidded eyes. “She smells sublime, don’t you think? I bet she’ll smell even better when she creams all over my cock.” The hand at her back splayed downward, his fingers sliding between her ass cheeks. Jesse’s gaze followed the movement, and his breathing hitched when Gideon pressed into her tight hole. “Or maybe I’ll fuck her ass.” Emma practically vibrated in his arms. “We could strap you to the bed and fuck on top of you again.” Jesse blinked, his eyes darkening. A string of pre-come stretched between his cock and his stomach, and every muscle was tense and quivering. The corner of Gideon’s mouth lifted while he waited for Jesse’s response, and he pushed his finger deeper into Emma’s ass. She gasped, clenching around him, and Jesse’s breath hitched. “Gideon…” Jesse licked his lips. “Please don’t do that. Please let me…” He paused, and Gideon ran his lips over Emma’s shoulder again, watching Jess closely. “Please let me 182


fuck her, too.” Gideon slid his mouth to her ear. “Did you hear that, Em? Our boy wants to fuck you. He even said please. I almost think I should let him.” Her head turned, her hot tongue licking a path along his jaw. “You should. Won’t I be even tighter with both of your cocks in me?” “Yes, you will,” he growled. Pulling his finger free of her ass, he sat back on his heels so he wasn’t touching either of them. “You better slick us up then.” Emma leaned back, momentarily trapping Jesse’s cock as she reached for the bottle of lube. Jesse moaned like she was doing it just to torture him, but he still kept his palms flat on the bed, instead of grabbing her like Gideon knew he wanted. Once she grabbed the bottle, she poured a large amount in her hand and gripped Gideon’s cock. She pumped him slowly, spreading the slick lubricant up and down his skin, from his base to the tip, rotating her wrist to press the heel of her hand over his sensitive head. Her touch was different from Jesse’s, lighter, her nails long enough to scratch at his skin. Each time she did so, whether purposeful or not, a fresh tremor ran down the back of Gideon’s thighs. In order to take his mind off it, he plucked the lube out of her hand and tossed it onto Jesse’s chest. “Get her ass ready for me.” He cupped her breast and bowed his head to bite at her taut nipple. “I’m not in the mood for waiting.” Gideon watched furtively as Jesse coated his fingers. His 183


hand moved from her breast to her ass, and he pulled her cheeks apart. Jesse didn’t start with one finger. He eased inside her hole, scissoring them as he pushed deeper and deeper. Emma gasped, eagerly pushing back against Jesse’s hand, and sharp pleasure spiked through Gideon, starting at each point of contact and spreading beneath his skin. Jesse blinked rapidly, and the scent of his arousal was almost as overpowering as the sensations coming from Emma’s body. “Enough.” Curling his arm around her waist, Gideon scooped her up and turned her around so that she faced the other way, keeping her close to his chest. With his free hand, he grasped Jesse’s cock, pumping it once, coating the pre-come across his palm. The look on his lover’s face almost undid him. “Do you want her?” All the gratitude and all the relief he’d felt at seeing them when he’d walked in poured out. “Do you want us?” “Yes,” Jesse breathed, his hand covering Gideon’s. “Always.” Gideon squeezed his shaft gently, then nudged Emma forward. Jesse didn’t move his hand away as Gideon guided him to Emma’s swollen flesh. Jesse’s only visible reaction to finally reaching her passage was to swallow. His hand tightened on Gideon’s for a brief moment before releasing him, and then Emma was sinking down onto his shaft. He didn’t want to wait. As soon as Jesse was buried inside her, Gideon put his hand on her hip to keep her still. Shifting his hips, he angled the tip of his cock at her tight pucker, then 184


carefully pressed in, groaning out loud at the incredible heat surging through his shaft. “Fuck, fuck, fuck…” His brow fell to rest on her shoulder, his arms straining where he kept himself propped up over their bodies. He had to take it slow—there was no way he could pound into her ass like he did Jesse’s—but every inch was killing him. When his balls finally slapped against her flesh, brushing against Jesse’s at the same time, Gideon shuddered. One of Jesse’s hands went to Gideon’s hip, the other to Emma’s waist. He ran his fingers over Gideon’s skin in an almost gentle caress, while his mouth found Emma’s. Gideon kept the pace slow, holding himself on the tightest rein while he directed the rhythm of all three of them. Jesse lifted his hips, rising to meet Emma, yet never attempting to do anything but follow Gideon’s lead—his extremely restrained lead. He felt Jesse’s cock with every slide, only the thinnest of membranes separating them. He felt Emma’s heartbeat with every kiss, only the soft porcelain skin holding it back. But on top of all of it, Gideon felt the crush of their emotions, love— not just Jesse’s—that was rich and wide and not what he expected. He started to pick up speed, skimming his mouth along Emma’s shoulder. She broke away from Jesse’s mouth, turning her head to capture Gideon’s, and the moment she gasped for breath, Gideon bent to taste Jesse’s as well. Jesse moved his lips against Gideon’s, and a whisper of 185


sound fluttered between them. “Gideon.” But it wasn’t the sound of his own name that cut through Gideon—it was the undeniable expression of emotion behind it. The kiss was brief, but the taste of both Jesse and Emma mingled on his lips, temporarily satisfying him as Emma and Jesse were drawn back to each other, Emma dipping her tongue into Jesse’s mouth as she rocked forward on his cock. They were beautiful together. They moved without thinking, breathed in tandem even when their strokes quickened, turned to him at the same time without batting an eyelash. Gideon pressed his mouth to Emma’s neck, inhaling her scent, and as he strengthened the force of his thrusts into her tight passage, he murmured a single word. “Come.” It wasn’t a trick he used often, but it always had an almost instantaneous effect on Jesse. Of course, it would. Gideon had spent too many hours—days even—conditioning Jesse to respond to the simple command. Jesse slammed into Emma, and Gideon felt his cock jerking again and again through Emma’s thin skin, his shaft sliding against Gideon’s to create more friction. Jesse’s body was still trembling when Emma shouted into his mouth, and her body convulsed so tightly around Gideon that he couldn’t help his moan. Her muscles fluttered, squeezing his shaft, and both bodies beneath him vibrated. He shot deep inside her ass, his arms closing around them to hold them still while the world and everything else shattered. For the first time in a month, Gideon relinquished 186


the control he maintained on his emotions, casting it aside in order to share what Jesse and Emma were offering. He might regret it afterward—hell, part of him regretted it even as he made the choice—but it was something he had to do, at least for the few seconds while he rode out his orgasm. He bundled them back as soon as the shaking in his legs stopped, but he buried his face in Emma’s neck anyway, to protect what he feared glimmered in his eyes. “I think the sheets are even wetter now,” he joked. He felt Jesse’s fingers smooth through his hair and over his ear. “No harm done. They’ll dry.” Gideon burned with satisfaction at the small motions of Jesse’s hand, pressing a long, lingering kiss to Emma’s shoulder. “Yeah. I guess they will.”

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CHAPTER 13 Gideon wasn’t actually humming in the kitchen, which was good, because if he had been, Jesse would have been seriously freaked out. But he was almost smiling, and he had every burner going, plus the oven as he expertly chopped, minced, sliced, and tenderized meat. “What is he cooking in there?” Emma asked softly. “I don’t know. He just shooed me out of the kitchen with this.” Jesse held up the bottle of wine. But Jesse didn’t mind being sent out of the kitchen. He wanted to talk to Gideon, but he understood the chance wasn’t going to come that night. Jesse was just pulling the cork out of the wine bottle when Gideon’s phone started to ring, audible 188


even though it was still in the bedroom. “Do you have to answer that?” Jesse nodded. “Gideon doesn’t get a lot of social calls, you know?” He recognized the number at a glance, and his heart jumped. He tried to tell himself it was just Derek. Nothing to be excited about. But Derek was a potential rich source of information, and he didn’t even know it. And he probably wouldn’t be quite so reticent to answer a few questions about his own father. But instead of answering the phone with a question on his lips, he merely carried it into the kitchen for Gideon. It rang again just as he entered, drawing Gideon’s attention away from the frying pan. A small line appeared between his brows as he took it away from Jesse, but he didn’t look away as he answered. “This is not your lunch break,” Gideon said into the phone. He paused for a second, listening, before adding, “Hang on.” Turning around, he lowered the heat on the burners. “Can you keep an eye on this for me for a minute?” he asked Jesse. “I’ll be right back.” He didn’t wait for a response. He left the kitchen, brushing past Emma where she stood in the doorway. “Who is it?” “Derek.” Jesse smiled slightly. “You know, I told him I wouldn’t even take his calls while we were in New York. I guess Gideon didn’t convey the same message.” “Considering what it took to get him here, I’m not 189


surprised.” The scent of the food drew her to the stove, and she picked up the wooden spoon to stir at the sauce bubbling in the smallest pan. When she lifted it to her mouth to taste, she blew gently across the surface first. She closed her eyes and moaned in delight as soon as the spoon passed her lips. “I am so glad he’s in a better mood. He always makes the best stuff when he’s happy.” “Yeah.” Jesse folded his arms and leaned against the counter. “I knew he’d be happy we didn’t actually go to the party, but I don’t think I realized he’d be quite that happy.” Her tongue darted out to lick a stray bit of sauce as she set down the spoon. “So you felt it, too?” “I did. I really did. You know, it’s funny. Just yesterday I was thinking…” Jesse paused, thinking of the photos he hid. It wouldn’t do to mention those. Not now. “When he opens up like that, he still surprises me.” Emma regarded him with dark, luminous eyes for several seconds. “Did you feel the other part? The…not happy part?” “I always do,” Jesse said softly. “That’s why…it’s why I can get so frustrated. He doesn’t have to keep all of that locked inside, festering and…feeding on itself. He’s lonely. Did you feel that? Which is ridiculous.” “He thinks he’s protecting us.” “I know. But I don’t think I need to be protected from him, of all people.” He threaded his fingers through hers. “Do you?” It took longer than he expected for her to respond. “I’m not 190


afraid of Gideon. But…I think I understand why he does it. He’s got centuries of memories and emotions locked up inside his head. Remember that night you found me in Sangre? The last thing I would ever want is for you to have to feel what I was feeling that night. Not personally, but…everybody else. The way I had to absorb what everybody else was going through, and how overwhelming it was. I think it’s kind of like that for Gideon.” Her explanation made sense to Jesse, but his mind kept returning to the same thought over and over. “The thing is, he doesn’t want to be alone, and that’s why he’s been so insistent about you moving in, to the point that he’s willing to overlook very valid concerns and objections. But he’s never going to stop being alone until he stops…until he’s not so afraid of what’ll happen if he lets us in.” “But he let us in today, and he did it completely unprompted.” She shrugged. “I think that means something.” “It does.” He swallowed hard. “It means a lot.” It meant Gideon might be willing to do it again. Jesse knew his patience wasn’t completely exhausted. When it came to Gideon, it never would be. Because for every maddening, confusing move, there would always be an equally thoughtful action—sometimes fumbling but always sincere. The love he knew he’d never be able to hide—would never want to—flooded between them, drawing a smile to Emma’s swollen mouth. Before she spoke, though, the vampire in question’s heavy footsteps interrupted the moment, and they looked up to see Gideon frowning as he approached the stove. 191


“Don’t tell me it’s possible for both of you to not realize the meat is burning.” He reached past Emma and picked up the spatula, poking at the sausage in order to turn it over in the frying pan. “How the hell you two managed to feed yourselves before I came along, I’ll never know.” “Well, thank God you’re here now.” He gently pulled Emma toward the door and smiled wryly. “We’ll just get out of your hair so we don’t find a way to spoil the whole meal.” Once they were in the living room again, Jesse released Emma’s hand. “Why don’t you pour the wine? I’ll be right back.” He didn’t give Emma a chance to ask where he was going before he slipped into the bedroom and pulled his own phone out of his pocket. Derek’s phone only rang once before he picked it up. “Didn’t I just get done talking to you guys?” he greeted. “Gideon didn’t fill me in on the details. Plus I’ve missed the cheery sound of your voice.” Derek snorted. “I just can’t believe I lost the bet.” “Which bet and what were the stakes?” “How long it would take you to break Gideon down. I figured he’d throw Emma at you as long as possible to keep you off Claudia’s case while you’re there.” Jesse’s mouth thinned. “Is that why you called just now? Claudia’s case?” “Yeah…” He drew the single word into multiple syllables, his tone suddenly wary. “That’s not why you called, though, is it? Shit.” 192


“No, it’s not. But don’t worry about it. Did you at least call him with good news? I need to know how the rest of the night is going to be.” “Well, I didn’t think it was, but Gideon seems to disagree. Surprise, surprise.” “That’d explain why he still seemed in a good mood, then. What was it?” “He’s going to kill me if I tell you. You’re supposed to be on vacation.” “I won’t let on I know, I promise. Gideon will never know I heard anything from you.” Papers rustled on Derek’s desk. “I cleared the Deacon of Claudia’s murder. Turns out one of the clerks at that sex shop was a cousin of hers, mixed up in a whole lot of bad news. Claudia found out, he shut her up. But he shot both the uniforms who showed up to arrest him, and now we’re trying to find him.” He sighed. “Great news, eh?” Jesse blinked. “I agree. Gideon has a weird definition of good news. But at least you know who you’re looking for. That always makes the process easier. I actually had a few…non-official questions for you.” “There’s stuff in our lives that’s non-official? Oh, wait, you’ve got Emma now,” he answered good-naturedly. “Lucky bastard.” “One of these days, I’ll share the secret of my irresistibility with you. Then you’ll be beating people off with a stick.” Jesse sat on the edge of the bed. Despite being friendly with Derek, neither of them had ever let the conversation drift from 193


work-related topics. “I actually wanted to ask about your family. Your father to be specific. Was his name Hal?” “Harold,” came the automatic response. “Though my mom always refers to him as Hal when she’s talking to my aunts.” He paused. “What’s this about, Jess?” “You probably wouldn’t believe me if I told you I developed an insatiable curiosity about your family, would you? It’s not really something I feel comfortable explaining over the phone. Especially since my time is limited. I just have one more question. Did he ever mention he knew Gideon?” Another pause, this one even longer. “No, that’s not how I found out. He died when I was six. Shot in the line of duty. I didn’t find out he knew of Gideon until I was a teenager and found a box of his stuff in the attic.” “Is that when you met Gideon? When you were a teenager?” “Yeah. He saved my neck from a girl I had the hots for. Literally, since she was a vampire. Where is all this coming from?” “I met somebody who claimed to know your father…well, he claimed to know a Hal O’Dell. I just wanted to double check his story.” “Really?” All of a sudden, Derek’s tone changed, from confusion to almost eager. “From how long ago? He didn’t say he was family or anything, did he? Because I never did get to know Dad’s side. They didn’t like his marrying Mom.” “No, not family. I guess it was probably around sixty-two, or sixty-three, when Gideon…Oh. Fuck. Look, Derek, I’ve got 194


to go. Thanks for humoring me on this. I owe you one.” He had only just hidden the phone away in his pocket when the door opened and Gideon poked his head in. “Emma’s setting the table. You better be hungry. I made a lot of food.” Jesse’s appetite was completely gone, but he smiled anyway. “I’m starving. I’ll be right there.” Instead of leaving, though, Gideon stepped inside. “Are you all right?” His gaze flickered briefly to the bed, and his eyes darkened. “We weren’t too rough for your back, were we?” “It’s nothing some cream won’t fix. Want to help me out with that after dinner?” “If that’s what you want.” But Gideon wasn’t moving. “Look, I wanted to do this later, preferably after a lot of wine, but…well, I’m sorry about overreacting to the invitation. You…deserve better than what I did.” Jesse very much wanted to ask what had prompted Gideon’s overreaction, but he didn’t think Gideon would be willing to answer him. Now. Later, perhaps, his chances would be better. He stood and crossed the room to touch Gideon’s arm. “Thank you. I…I really appreciate that.” He slid his hand up Gideon’s shoulder to cup the back of his neck, guiding Gideon’s mouth to his. It was a simple kiss, more a caress than exploration, and just the faint touch of the tip of Gideon’s tongue to his was enough to make Jesse shiver. Lightly, Gideon grasped his 195


hips, long, powerful fingers a reminder of the pleasures they had already shared, a hint at what pleasures would likely yet come. “Tonight,” Gideon murmured against his mouth, “when we’ve had our fill of food and wine, I want to stretch out on our bed with you and Em like I should have done last night. Let me show both of you how much I love you.” “I really like the way that plan sounds.” Jesse slipped his tongue between Gideon’s lips for another brief caress before stepping back. He knew if he didn’t break the contact, he’d forget about food and wine. “I missed you last night. I don’t like sleeping without you.” His dark eyes were even darker, gleaming with the same emotion Jesse had glimpsed earlier, and his mouth slanted into a small smile. “That’s because you and Emma drape all over each other and get too hot. You just like having me to cool you off.” Jesse snorted. “Of all the things you could be accused of doing, cooling me off is not one of them.” “Never heard you complain.” “That’s because I wait until you’re out of earshot,” Jesse said with a grin as he followed Gideon out of the room, but his mind was elsewhere. He had every intention of devoting all of his attention to Gideon and Emma, but half of his mind was already churning. Marcus was too young. Marcus hadn’t aged a day. Jesse had seen enough, read enough books, heard enough stories to be suspicious of anything remotely out of place. And Marcus Brooker was very, very out of place. 196


CHAPTER 14 Nothing was impossible if you were willing to pay the price. Eternal youth, stunning beauty, superhuman strength, and exceptional power were all within the reach of anybody who had the desire and the means. But the price was always higher than any sane person would agree to. Vampires had immortality and strength, but in exchange, they had to feed on blood. Constantly. It wasn’t a hunger that could be quenched or ignored. It went through a vampire, into the depths of his bones. Vampires never stopped hunting. Not really. They could never have an existence that didn’t revolve around fulfilling an unquenchable desire. But that was just the example Jesse was most familiar 197


with. Marcus Brooker clearly was not a vampire. Jesse had seen him outside in the middle of the day. But it didn’t matter what Marcus Brooker was—or what he had become—the underlying principle was the same. Marcus Brooker was clearly an influential and wealthy man in New York. He had it all. In other circumstances, Jesse might have investigated the terms of the deal Marcus Brooker had obviously brokered. Was it magic? Was he part demon now? All demon? Did he owe somebody his first-born? Was there some sort of virgin sacrifice involved? Jesse was definitely curious, but not curious enough to get any more involved with the man than he already was. Emma and Gideon were languishing over the eggs Gideon made for breakfast while Jesse moved around the bedroom, gathering up every single item traceable to Marcus. His business card. The invitation to the party. The file with the pictures. The receipt from the coffee meeting and their dinner. What Marcus wouldn’t take back, Jesse would throw out. Including the photographs of Gideon—it didn’t matter, because he had the images seared to his mind. “Hey.” Jesse stood in the kitchen doorway. “I’ve got to run out real quick. I should be back before lunch.” Both were far more sober than when he’d left the room. Emma glanced up from the newspaper resting between her and Gideon, the morning glow that usually settled in her porcelain skin after a satisfying night now gone. Jesse didn’t need to be able to feel her emotions to know something was distressing 198


her. But Gideon was the one who picked up the paper and slid it across the table toward Jesse. And it was the way Gideon’s dark eyes locked with his that drew Jesse back into the room. “You need to read that.” Jesse read the article Gideon pointed at with a deepening frown. Once he reached the bottom of article, he started over again. And then read it a third time. A body had been discovered in Central Park, which wasn’t unheard of. But the details were grotesquely bizarre. “Mauled by a bear?” “They found it right by where we were walking yesterday,” Emma said. Gideon’s mouth was tight. “Someone at that art installation thing discovered the body. How well do you know this friend of Michelle’s who invited you guys?” “Not very.” Which was the truth. Mostly. He didn’t elaborate. “Are you thinking something a bit more supernatural than a bear?” “How many bears do you think wander through traffic in New York City?” “Do you really have to go out? Gideon’s going to call around and see if he can dig anything up that the paper’s not reporting, but…” She chewed at her lip. “We were there, Jess. The paper says the body was probably dumped right around noon yesterday.” Jesse dropped the paper on the table. “We were there, but so were hundreds of other people, if not thousands. It’s 199


Central Park. It’s probably a really horrible coincidence.” “You said you were going to be back by lunchtime?” At Jesse’s nod, Gideon picked up Emma’s unfinished eggs and stood, carrying it over to the trash. “Good. You can help me go over what I find. And then you can go back and smooth over the feathers I’ll probably ruffle.” Jesse bent and brushed his lips across Emma’s temple before backing up to the door. “I guess no vacation can last forever, huh? The really crazy thing is, I actually miss smoothing over the feathers you ruffle.” Gideon shot Emma a grin. “Told you he was ready to get back to work.” Though Jesse knew her heart wasn’t in it, she stuck her tongue out playfully at Gideon. “This just makes me very glad I don’t work for you.” “Cutting into the vacation is the least of it. Low pay. Long hours. But the benefits package isn’t bad.” Jesse turned to the door, but paused. A large part of him really was ready to get back to work. A demon that made authorities think of a bear? He couldn’t think of any demons similar to bears off the top of his head, and this new puzzle was almost enough to distract him from his other troubles. But the demon-bear thing could wait until lunchtime. The wind was startlingly cold and sharp when Jesse stepped out of the building, like a brisk slap across the face. He pulled the collar up on his jacket and buried his hands in his pockets, trying to protect himself against the chill. But it seemed to cut through him, and the coat did nothing to block 200


the wind. He flagged a cab and gave Marcus’s address from memory. Forty-five minutes after leaving Emma and Gideon, Jesse stood in the same conference room where he’d met Marcus, just two days before. He placed the file in the center of the table and declined the bottle of water Adrienne offered. His wait was less than five minutes. “Well, this is certainly a surprise.” Marcus’s perfect smile was firmly in place as he came strolling in. “You should have called ahead. I would have made arrangements for lunch.” “This isn’t really a social visit.” Jesse gestured at the file. “I just came here to return this.” Though the smile faded, Marcus didn’t make a move to take it, instead perching on the corner of the table. “I don’t think I understand. That’s yours.” “At the risk of seeming ungrateful, I don’t want it. I can’t deny being curious about Gideon’s past, but this isn’t how I want to learn about it.” “And you think you’ll learn about it some other way? This is Gideon Keel we’re talking about.” Jesse merely offered a tight-lipped smile. He knew there was a chance Gideon would never tell him. There was the chance, years from now, Gideon would finally be ready to share everything. But it was Gideon’s past, and Gideon’s story to tell. Jesse understood—he didn’t like it—but he understood it. He didn’t expect Marcus to. “What’s your interest in telling me? I know these are not fond memories for you.” 201


“Because I don’t see any reason why others should suffer the same disillusionment I did,” came the even response. “I’m not in any danger of that,” Jesse replied without missing a beat. “I don’t know what Gideon did to you, but he won’t do the same to me.” “Oh? Because you’re so different from Mary? He loved her, too, and he still let her die. Are you telling me he’s never once put your life in danger because he thought he knew what was best?” Jesse’s silence was damning, and the smile on Marcus’s face was snide, knowing. “I’m sorry for taking up so much of your time,” he said, moving to the door. He never saw the man move. One moment, he was sitting on the table behind him. The next, he blocked the now-closed door. “We’re not done, I’m afraid.” His smile was gone. “Far from it.” Jesse took a half-step back, unable to mask his surprise. He hadn’t armed himself—there was no reason to bring weapons with them on their vacation—and he wasn’t sure he could take Marcus in hand-to-hand combat. “I’d love to stick around for more tales of your misspent youth, but I don’t really have the time. But I’m sure there’s somebody out there who’ll hang on your every word.” “Funny you should phrase it that way. Then again, knowing Gideon’s particular kinks, that’s probably part of your everyday vocabulary.” He took a step closer, though he kept himself between Jesse and the door. “I’ll bet you spend a 202


lot of time on your knees, too. Does he make you beg for it?” Jesse took another involuntary step back. “What’s going on here? Are we acting out some sort of fevered revenge scenario? Or is this one of your particular kinks?” The smile returned, mirth-free. When Marcus bared his teeth now, it looked feral. “I honestly thought I could help you. You and your beautiful girlfriend. I thought, he’s a smart young man. He just needs to know what it is exactly he’s got himself into. But maybe you’re not that smart.” “I’ve been accused of worse things.” Jesse’s hand brushed against the back of a chair, and he wondered if he could use it as a weapon. Or at least a distraction. “But I guess I’m beyond help. Sorry for wasting your time.” “Oh, you were never a waste. At the very least, you’ve been…informational.” Jesse’s throat felt dry. “How so?” “I know Gideon’s still alive, for one thing. More importantly, I know he hasn’t changed. He still harbors no qualms about who he corrupts.” Jesse already thought Marcus was a little bit unhinged, but something about the tone in his voice and the gleam in his eye convinced Jess Marcus was actually mad. “Well, he is very set in his ways.” He knew he couldn’t stay in that room anymore. He needed to at least make the attempt to sidle past him. Instead of backing up again, he began to move to the left. Marcus didn’t move, though his gaze tracked Jesse’s every movement. “It’s a shame you disregard your own testimony. 203


Because somewhere deep inside, you think he’s different now. You think he isn’t the same selfish bastard he always was. Because of you, perhaps. Or maybe because of your girlfriend. I’ve never been able to figure out which of you came first, or if maybe you were a package deal.” Another smile, just as malicious. “With Gideon, it was always the more, the merrier.” Jesse moved along the far wall, as far out of Marcus’s reach as possible, though he had the sinking sensation Marcus could move as fast as Gideon, if he wanted. “With all due respect, Emma’s relationship with Gideon is none of your business. And I don’t have to defend Gideon to you. It doesn’t matter to you if he spent the past forty years saving puppies and fighting for the American way. You’re still just going to see what you want to see.” “Forty against four hundred? I’m not sure I see the equality there, though it would seem you do.” “Maybe he’ll never be able to make up for everything he’s done, even if he lives another four hundred years. But he’s making the decision every single day to do the right thing. What sort of decisions are you making? How many lives have you destroyed to get where you are?” Everything about Marcus hardened. “You have no idea what I’ve gone through in my lifetime. What losing Mary did. Don’t presume to judge me until you’ve spent some time in my shoes.” He finally moved, backing away from the door to give Jesse a clearer path. “I wish you all the best, Mr. Madding. You’re going to need it.” 204


Jesse thought the only thing he needed was to be with Gideon and Emma, far, far away from Marcus Brooker. And it actually looked like Jesse was going to get his wish. Marcus didn’t do anything to hinder him as he reached the door, and the bands around his chest loosened as soon as he stepped out of the conference room. The rich aroma of coffee instantly assaulted him, and he noticed a freshly brewed pot on the counter behind Adrienne’s shoulder. She smiled at him like they were old friends. “Would you like to schedule another meeting with Mr. Brooker?” “No.” Jesse smiled tightly, hoping he sounded normal. “No thanks.” “Have a good day,” she added pleasantly as he approached the elevator. “Yeah. You, too.” “Be sure to button up, Mr. Madding. I heard on the radio there’s a storm moving in.” “Thanks for the head’s up,” Jesse said, without slowing his stride across the lobby. He resisted the temptation to look over his shoulder and make sure Marcus wasn’t following him. He would hear the other man walk across the marble floor. That would be enough of a warning. Still, his heart was lodged in his throat by the time he reached the elevator bank and pushed the call button. Jesse focused on the numbers overhead as they lit up, one by one. The numbers above the second elevator were falling. Twenty-six, twenty-five, twenty-four. The ascending elevator 205


paused for a small eternity on the twenty-eighth floor, prompting Jesse to look around for an emergency exit. He thought he could race down thirty flights of stairs before the damned elevator would reach his floor. And he never checked, but he was certain Marcus was watching him. He imagined the other man, leaning against the doorjamb, his arms folded, that feral grin marring his face. Watching. For what? Jesse couldn’t say. Finally, the elevator began moving again, and seconds later, the doors parted. There were two other men waiting in the small space, but Jesse kept his head down and avoided eye contact. They didn’t acknowledge him either, just stood and watched as he pushed the button marked for the lobby. None of the other buttons were alight. Jesse looked up, just before the doors closed, and met Marcus’s dark eyes. He was standing exactly like Jesse had imagined, smiling just like he had pictured. He winked as the doors swooshed close, and the elevator jerked into motion. Just a few more minutes. Just a few more… He would have to tell Gideon about Marcus. The man clearly had a serious grudge against Gideon, and he needed to be warned… But Marcus must have known Jesse would run straight to Gideon and tell him everything. What Marcus had said. Where Marcus could be found. How Marcus had threatened him. And if he knew Gideon at all, he would know Gideon would not appreciate that sort of behavior. Did he want Gideon to find him? 206


No. Jesse didn’t think he did. The elevator came to a sudden, sickening halt. Jesse’s body stopped moving, but his stomach didn’t, and he had to swallow the sudden nausea. They were between floors, and as the tall man on his left leaned over to hit a new button, reversing the direction of the car, Jesse understood why Marcus had allowed him to walk away. The man to his right stepped forward and forced Jesse against the wall, invading his space completely. Before Jesse could resist, or even speak, something sharp stabbed through his collar, embedding itself in the back of his neck. Needle. He got me with a needle. Gideon won’t know where to find me. Should have told him…should have called him and… The world went black before Jesse finished the thought.

207


CHAPTER 15 With a growl, Gideon disconnected the phone and tossed it onto the bed before he yielded to the urge to throw it against the wall. So much for looking up old friends to help him out. Not one person he had contacted had been able to offer anything of use. Why are you bothering? had been the most common response, followed closely by, What’s one more death? This is New York. He was so ready to get back to Chicago. The next time Jesse talked him into a vacation, he was going to chain him up in the play room and fuck the notion out of him. His steps were heavy as he marched out to the living room. Emma sat curled up in the corner of the couch, trying to watch 208


television in order to distract herself from the news story, but the slightly glazed look in her eyes said that it wasn’t succeeding. She looked up when he entered, turning to face him when he slumped down in the opposite corner. “I hate this fucking town.” Emma chewed on her bottom lip. “I wonder if we could get a copy of the police report? Maybe Derek knows somebody here? At least then, you might have more details than the newspaper could provide.” “Or we could just go home. This isn’t any of my business anyway.” Emma slid across the couch, closing the space between them to loop her arm around his and rest her head on his shoulder. After a deep breath, she said softly, “I think we should keep trying. I think she…whoever she was…deserves that much, even if it’s not any of our business.” She was tender and warm, and her voice washed through him like a gentle evening breeze. She was also right, which only made his ill humor fester more. Because he knew he wouldn’t give up, as much as he might want to. “I’ll let Jesse call Derek then. I’m not in the mood to deal with this bureaucratic bullshit right now.” “He’ll probably know where to look to find information about demons that might look like bears. That’s kind of a scary thought, isn’t it? A demonic bear?” “It’s probably a shifter of some kind. We’ve never really had that kind of problem in Chicago, though. I always thought it was because it was too urban, but if there’s a shifter here in 209


New York…” He frowned as he recognized the soap opera playing on the TV. “Did you record this or something?” Emma lifted her head. “No. I don’t even know what this is. It was just the only thing I found that wasn’t news or a talk show.” “It doesn’t come on until after lunch. What time is it?” Emma freed her arm to look at her watch. “It’s twenty past two.” After two o’clock. He’d been so wrapped up in trying to find anything about the dumped girl that Gideon had lost track of time. “Where the hell is Jesse? Did I miss him calling to say he’d be late?” “No. I don’t think he called. I might have missed it, too.” She fished her thin cell out of her pocket and studied the display. “No. He didn’t call me. Maybe he just got caught up in whatever errand he was running.” “Maybe,” he grunted. But he didn’t think so. If he’d been running late, Jesse would have called. He had been reluctant to leave that morning, especially after finding out about the bear attack. Besides, he always became even more courteous after they made up from fighting, like he owed something to Gideon. He would have called. Gideon was positive. “Do you have any idea where he was going?” “No. He didn’t mention anything to me yesterday about going out, and he was pretty vague this morning. I figured he was just going out to buy more books or something.” Emma 210


frowned. “But that doesn’t sound like it’s so important he absolutely had to go, does it? Plus, he probably would have said something about it.” Yes, he would have. “Do me a favor…” Rising to his feet, Gideon headed back to the bedroom. “Call Michelle and find out what friends of hers Jesse might have hooked up with here. Maybe he went to see one of them.” “Yeah, no problem. Gideon? You don’t think something… is wrong, do you?” The worry in her voice made him pause in the doorway, but it was the fear in her eyes that stabbed deepest. “I’m sure everything’s okay,” he lied. “I’m probably just overreacting.” He gave her what he hoped was a comforting smile and went into the bedroom, closing the door behind him. He didn’t want her to worry more than she already was. Derek answered on the second ring, sounding far too cheery. “I need you to do a favor for me,” Gideon said, interrupting the greeting. “Now.” Any other time, Derek might have protested he had an actual job to do, besides being Gideon’s errand boy. But something in Gideon’s tone must have stopped him. “Who’s in trouble, and what do you need?” “I need you to check with NYPD and find out what you can on a girl who was found murdered here yesterday.” Briefly, he relayed the sparse details they’d read in the paper. “Jesse ran out to do a quick errand this morning, but he was 211


supposed to be back hours ago so we could start investigating it ourselves. He hasn’t even called to say he’s running late. I’ve got a bad feeling he decided to nose around a little himself.” “Gideon, I’ll do what I can, but you know, the NYPD doesn’t really play well with others. They’re not going to want to hand over information on a case like that. Not without damned good reason.” “Just do what you can, okay? Make up a story about a local girl gone missing or something. I don’t care. I wouldn’t press if this wasn’t about Jesse.” “Yeah, I know. Look, I’ve got a shitload on my plate today. I’ll get back to you on this as soon as I can. But Gideon…it’s not like this would be the first time Jesse’s gone off to investigate something on his own. He knows how to take care of himself.” He did. But that didn’t make Gideon feel any better. He waited until he heard Emma cease speaking in the outer room before walking out. “Well? What did Michelle say?” Emma took a deep breath, and Gideon knew before she said a word he wasn’t going to like her answer. “Michelle…never arranged for him to meet any of her friends. She did ask him to pick up a few volumes for her, but that was it.” His stomach fell. “Where the hell was he the other day then?” he demanded. “He spent the whole fucking day shopping. And he said that party invitation came from one of Michelle’s friends. If she didn’t set anything up, who did he 212


get it from?” “I don’t know. But there must be some sort of…of mistake. Because Jesse wouldn’t…he wouldn’t lie to us, Gideon.” He wanted to believe Emma was right, but the more he heard, the less he liked. “Then what has he been doing with his days? The ones he hasn’t been in with me. Where have you two been going? Was there a museum or anything he particularly liked? Or someplace he said he wanted to go?” “I don’t know. He didn’t seem very interested in looking at the museums. He always seemed more interested in what you were doing. He was always really distracted by whatever’s been going on between you two. The only time he showed any interest in anything else was…” Her voice faded. “When we met that guy for coffee. Marcus something. Brooker, I think.” Gideon stopped in his tracks. “What guy? Jesse didn’t tell me about this…what did you say his name was? Brooker?” “Yeah. I’m pretty sure it was. He found Jesse at the Frick Museum. He said he wanted to take us to coffee to thank Jesse for helping him the night before. Remember when you killed the vampire at the restaurant?” That night wasn’t something he was likely to forget, though the details of the fight escaped him. He remembered the cries of the woman who’d been attacked, and he remembered her leaving with her date, but beyond that, all he remembered was the discussion afterward, the look on Jesse’s face when they’d mended the fences of their fight. They had been fighting a lot during this trip. But that 213


couldn’t be the reason Jesse had kept details of the meeting secret. Could it? The sharp ring of his phone stopped him from pursuing that train of thought much further. “That was quick,” he said to Derek. “Don’t get too excited. All I’ve got for you is an ID. Simone Covington. Nineteen years old. She was reported missing by her mother four weeks ago.” The name meant nothing to him, but it was more than he’d had. It gave him a potential trail Jesse might have followed. “Thanks, Derek.” “No problem. Call me and let me know what’s going on.” He was about to hang up when he thought to add, “Do the same for me, will you? If Jesse calls you, about anything, I want to know about it. And tell him to call me.” “Of course. Wait. You know, he did call me earlier about something. It was kind of weird. Have you been telling Jesse about my dad?” “What? No, why would I…” Gideon’s voice faded. He’d never mentioned Hal to Jesse; it was hard enough whenever Mary got brought up. But that had been the original source of their fights on this trip. Hell, it was the original source of most of their fights. Jesse must have continued digging around, even after they’d supposedly moved on from it. “Did he ask about anything specific?” “He asked if Hal O’Dell was related to me. I told him his name was Harold. Only my mom ever called him Hal. And he 214


asked when I met you.” If he had needed confirmation, that was it. Somewhere, Jesse had learned Hal’s name, which meant at some time, Jesse had been asking questions. The invitation with Mary’s name on it hadn’t been a coincidence, after all. He thanked Derek again and disconnected, his mind turning all this over. He had no doubt this was what Jesse’s errand had been that morning. It was why he hadn’t said anything specific about where he was going. But according to Emma, they hadn’t met anybody new. Except for the man they’d helped at the restaurant. Gideon wracked his brain, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remember a thing about this Brooker. Shortish. Hadn’t he shaken the man’s hand or something? Maybe. He tried to picture it with his mind’s eye, but the details eluded him. All he knew was the name. “What did he say?” Emma asked, interrupting his thoughts. “What? Oh. He had the name of the girl they found. Simone Covington.” He looked at Emma with a frown. “You had coffee with Brooker, right? What did he look like?” “He was about my height. And he looked to be about my age, or maybe even a little younger. Black. Short hair. White teeth. His eyes were kind of strange. I guess they were hazel, but they looked more yellowish than anything. But Jesse said he wasn’t going to call him back, or talk to him again. He told me he wasn’t.” Now that Emma prompted him, Gideon vaguely 215


remembered the dark shade of the man’s skin against his own when they shook hands. But something she said made him pause. “Why would he want to talk to him again?” “He said he knew you. That the two of you had…mutual friends. He mentioned Mary, and Hal. Jesse believed him, and I didn’t get any sense he was lying.” So that was where Jesse had learned the name. From this Marcus Brooker. Mutual friends? He didn’t even know who… And then it hit him. A memory of a young assistant pastor, earnest and eager, giving Mary whatever resources she had needed at the church to conduct her meetings, the rallies where she talked to any who would listen about their rights as men, where she’d entranced everyone who listened. He had the sudden image of a small man lurking in the sidelines, watching her with rapt fixation. Pastor Brooker had adored Mary, so much so that he’d given her carte blanche to use the church however she wanted. Including the fateful night when she’d been ambushed. The only problem was Emma said this man was young. The Brooker he had known—if he still lived—would be in his sixties. Was this his son? But then how would he have known to bring up the issue of Mary and Hal with Jesse? “We need to find out what we can about this Brooker. What he does in town, where he lives, where he works.” “Jesse had his business card. I know he mentioned he was in development. And from the look of his suit, he’s done very, very well for himself.” 216


A business card meant he was likely to be listed. Pulling out his phone, Gideon called directory assistance, and after only a single inquiry, had a number for Brooker Building Incorporated. He scribbled it down, then passed it over to Emma. “Call him. You met the man. See if Jesse had an appointment or something to see him today.” Emma dialed the number without protest, not looking away from him as she brought the phone up to her ear. It rang for several seconds before a woman with a pleasant sounding voice picked it up. “Hello. This is Emma Coolidge. I’m calling to see if Jesse Madding had an appointment to speak to Mr. Brooker today?” “I’m sorry, Ms. Coolidge. I can’t disclose who Mr. Brooker meets with.” “I understand. But I just need to know if Jesse Madding was there at some point this morning.” “I am sorry, but Mr. Brooker’s meetings are kept confidential.” “So, he was there this morning?” “I can’t answer that.” “Is Mr. Brooker there now?” “He’s left the office on a short business trip. I can schedule a meeting with him, if you like. He’s got a slot open next Wednesday.” “No. I don’t want a meeting. I just want to know if he met with Jesse Madding this morning.” “I’m sorry, I can’t…” 217


“You can’t answer that,” Emma cut in. “Yes, I heard you.” “Is there anything else I can help you with?” Emma’s face twisted. “No. You’ve been quite enough help already.” “The man’s got a life here,” Gideon said when she’d hung up. “You start digging for everything you can find on him, and I’ll see what I can do on my end. Maybe start with talking to that girlfriend of his Jess and I saved. You can probably figure out who she was by looking through the gossip rags online. If Brooker’s some kind of local hotshot, there’ll be talk somewhere.” “Well, I know her name. It was Simone.” “Great, that’s a…” All I’ve got for you is an ID. Simone Covington. Nineteen years old. She was reported missing by her mother four weeks ago. Found dead at the same party dedicated to the memory of M.E. Straughn. Not for the first time, Gideon wished he had never agreed to a vacation.

218


CHAPTER 16 Gideon couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so impatient for a sunset. The hours between Emma’s phone call to Brooker’s office and the moment he knew he could safely step outside stretched like a deserted highway across the plains in front of him, long and lonely, even with Emma’s constant presence. The only time the phone had rung was when somebody returned a phone call. Not one of them had been Jesse. “Stay next to the phone,” he ordered Emma as he got ready to go out. “The second you hear anything—anything—you call me.” She agreed with a tight nod, her eyes huge. Gideon was 219


halfway to the door before he came back and cupped her head in his hands, holding her still as he gave her one last kiss. Her nails dug into his arms as she kissed him back, but the entire caress was colored in desperation. Neither one of them was willing to admit just how terrified they really were. The night was cold and clear, the perfect night for hunting. Any other time, Gideon might have taken pleasure in the way the scents carried to him, like delicate ribbons wound through the air, ready for him to shred upon reaching their source. This wasn’t that time. This might be a hunt, but it was steeped in necessity, not hunger. He needed to find Jesse, to bring him home. He needed Jesse as surely as he needed blood. He took a cab to Brooker’s office building. Gideon was convinced, in spite of the stonewalling the secretary had done, that the building had been Jesse’s destination that morning. It was the only reason he conceived of that would keep Jesse from telling them what he was doing. He would start there, and hopefully, follow the trail Jesse had left. The building might as well have been Fort Knox. Security guards watched the front lobby, with electronic surveillance monitoring the sidewalk. The red blinking on the control pad next to the door meant anything short of a power outage would likely bring officials running, and while throwing police at Brooker might succeed in scaring up some honest answers, Gideon knew it was just as likely to make the man run, too. He stuck to the shadows, out of the camera’s range, assessing his options. The front door was out. That left the roof. 220


Gideon found an unsecured building three doors down and flew up the stairs. He came out on the rooftop higher than its neighbor, and with a nimble leap, easily cleared the distance between them. The second leap was more of a challenge, vaulting into the air an extra two stories in order to catch the ledge and swing upward, but the third was an easy drop, landing with a nearly silent thud onto the tarmacked surface. A single door marked entry into the building. There wasn’t a security pad on this one, but the steel lock meant Gideon had to force his way inside, hesitating in the entry to listen for the peal of far-off alarms. When they didn’t come, he slipped into the darkness, pulling the door shut behind him. Brooker’s office was on the thirtieth floor. But when Gideon reached the landing in the stairwell, he found himself face to face with another of the electronic keypads, the red light blinking to denote its activation. “Damn it!” Gideon growled. Without thought, his fist shot out and punched the wall, his knuckles raging in protest when the hard cement only gave slightly around his fingers. He could break his way in, but that would alert security, and he wouldn’t have time to look around. The other floors weren’t protected in the same way, which meant he could always go there and take the elevator to thirty, but he was sure any unexpected usage would spark the same kind of attention. The trail’s probably cold anyway. It was the only rationale capable of soothing his frustration as he made his way back to the roof. He called Emma, checking in to see what she might have 221


discovered. Her voice was high-pitched, her words rushed, and he cut off the conversation as quickly as he could after hearing nothing had changed. They needed to keep the phone lines open, just in case. And it wouldn’t do either one of them any good to hear how terrified the other was. For a moment, Gideon considered breaking the security on the building anyway. A handful of policemen hardly posed a threat, and if Jesse was inside, the trade-off would be worth it. But then, there was always the possibility he wasn’t and he’d tip off Marcus Brooker that he was on to him. Or this entire hunt was a wild goose chase. Jesse could have been grabbed by any other psycho on the street, or hit by a car, or just about anything. Except Gideon’s gut told him Brooker was the key. There were too many oddities about the whole situation. Brooker’s absence. His connection to Mary. The party invitation. The dead girlfriend. Marcus Brooker was a threat. Of that, Gideon had no doubt. He returned to the streets, inhaling the scents of bodies and exhaust clogging the city’s arteries. Somewhere out there, Jesse was waiting for him. If Gideon had to tear down every door, he would find him. When he did, the person responsible for separating them would pay. *

*

*

Emma was grateful to be out of the penthouse. The night 222


before had been the longest of her life, each minute crawling across her nerves. She tried to convince herself there was nothing to worry about. She tried to convince herself Jesse would walk through the door any second, smiling apologetically and explaining he’d found a lead, or a book, or the demon itself. But he never came home. He never came home. And Gideon didn’t have to tell her what he was thinking, because Emma had her own fears entwining themselves around her until she thought she would suffocate. This hadn’t been the first time she waited in vain for somebody she loved. The night Lizzie disappeared, and the following days, had been a nightmare Emma never wanted to relive. Somehow, the waiting, the goddamned waiting, had been worse than when Andre held her captive, worse even than when he sent her to Sangre to be sold to the highest bidder. Gideon would find him. Gideon would tear the entire city apart with his bare hands to find Jesse. Gideon would march down to hell and back if that’s what it took. When the night slipped into the early morning hours, Emma began watching for him, certain he would have Jesse in tow. Certain if he didn’t, he would have news. Gideon wouldn’t stop until he found Jesse. But Gideon had returned alone. Empty-handed. And then it was her turn to leave, to use the light of day to search for her lover and hope it was enough to keep her safe from whatever danger lurked in this strange city. She could do something. She could help. She could tear apart the entire island, too, if 223


she must. But once she was out of the penthouse, she realized she didn’t even know where to start. Gideon had contacts, and he knew how to search for people. Where would she look? Where could she even start? She had been so absorbed in the waiting, and the praying to gods she didn’t know that it was all a big mistake, and in the exhausting panic, she forgot to try to form some sort of plan. She was doing this blind. It wasn’t her job to search and investigate. So what would Jesse do? What would he do if she had left the house just after breakfast and never returned? Where would he begin? They had seen Marcus and his girlfriend at the restaurant. Marcus had met them at the Frick. Had that been a coincidence? Emma didn’t think so. Marcus had arranged to meet them at a coffee shop. Did he go there often? Would anybody there recognize his description? And finally, they knew where Marcus worked. His secretary might be a bit more helpful if Emma showed up and forced the other woman to talk to her, face-to-face. The restaurant was a bust. Nobody there knew anybody who recognized Brooker’s description. He obviously wasn’t a regular customer. Before she left the penthouse, Gideon gave her a stack of money and told her to use it if she needed to. A crisp twenty dollar bill and a flirtatious smile was enough to confirm Marcus Brooker did have a reservation at the restaurant the night Gideon and Jesse rescued him from a vampire attack, but that was the extent of the information. 224


What if we never find him? It was too early to think like that. It was too early to even entertain a thought so bleak, so dark. Because Emma didn’t know what she would do if they never found Jesse, and she certainly didn’t know what Gideon would do. A part of her understood they would just go on living, continue existing somehow. But it didn’t seem possible. How would she even begin dealing with that sort of grief? She wasn’t prepared for that. Emma reached the coffee shop in the lull after the morning rush and before the lunch crowd. A perky young woman was behind the counter, yellow and purple hair hanging over her eyes as she cleaned the espresso machine. “Excuse me?” She looked up and smiled, and Emma saw the tag declaring her name was Dakota. “How can I help you?” “I’m actually looking for somebody. A friend of mine. We got separated this morning, and I was hoping he’d come to wait for me here.” The lie came easily, and Emma risked letting down her shield a little bit, trying to read Dakota. Her perky smile was more than skin deep. The mild dose of happiness was almost painful against her own tumultuous emotions. “Nobody in here now. Maybe he was in earlier?” “Maybe. He’s about my height, and he looks around my age. Um…he’s black, and he’s got really short hair.” Emma smiled apologetically. “I know that’s really vague. He’s also got really interesting eyes. Sort of hazel and…” 225


“Yellow?” “Yeah.” Dakota smiled. “Mr. Double-White-Mocha-WithWhipped-Cream. He comes in every morning and orders the same thing.” Emma returned her smile. “Yes, that’s him. Was he here this morning?” “We were really slammed today, but I don’t remember seeing him. Which is weird. He usually comes right after opening, orders his mocha, and reads the business section. But maybe he’ll be in later. Do you want me to tell him you were looking for him?” “Oh, no. But thank you. I’ll probably just go by his office and see if he’s waiting for me there. Oh, I have one more question. Did he ever come in here with another young woman?” Dakota’s smile widened. “Lots. He’s always got a new girlfriend, it seems. I’ve considered slipping him my number a few times, but he seems like something of a player. I mean…you’re not seeing him are you?” “No, no. He’s just a friend. Thanks for your help.” “No problem. Can I get you anything else?” Emma ordered some tea she didn’t really want, and slipped an extra twenty in Dakota’s tip bowl to show her gratitude. Why had Jesse lied to them? Why had he intentionally kept them in the dark about what he was doing? She understood his desire to avoid a confrontation with Gideon, but why not tell her the truth? She would never have betrayed 226


his trust, not even to Gideon. And it wasn’t like she didn’t understand his curiosity. She did. She even understood why Gideon’s tendency to shut himself off from them hurt and frustrated Jesse. Maybe she was more willing to be patient with Gideon because he hadn’t been shutting her out that way for nearly four years. Maybe Jesse had a four year expiration date on his patience. Emma sat outside the coffee shop, cradling her cup of tea between cold fingers, and watched as the throng of people moved past her. If she lowered her shields now, not only would she be hit with the ecstasy, grief, anger, pain, love, and frustration of the human condition, but each one of them would feel her own impatient, simmering panic. She wouldn’t be able to hold it back, to stop it from infecting them. If Marcus were a bad person, why couldn’t she sense it? If he intended to hurt Jesse, why didn’t she know? Why couldn’t she do anything to warn him? To protect him? And why Jesse? What had he ever done to Marcus? What if Marcus Brooker wasn’t responsible for Jesse’s disappearance at all? Gideon thought Marcus was a reasonable place—the right place—to start looking. But what if his meetings with the strange man and his disappearance were just a coincidence? What if they were looking in the wrong place, for the wrong things? What if they were wasting time? She flagged down a cab and gave Brooker’s address. She spent the entire journey practicing the speech she would use to get past his secretary. She was so wrapped up in what she would say, it never even occurred to her that she would be 227


blocked. A security guard at the door stopped her with a hard look and a raised hand. “Can I see your security pass, please?” “Security…I don’t have one.” “Then you can’t go inside.” “I wasn’t told I needed one. I’m supposed to meet somebody in there.” “They’ll have to call down to give you permission for a temporary pass. Who are you meeting?” “Marcus Brooker.” “I’m sorry, Mr. Brooker isn’t in the office today. If you had a scheduled meeting, you’ll need to call his secretary, Ms. Jones, and arrange for a different time.” Emma considered offering him a bribe, or flashing a bit of skin, or even trying to force his will on him. She had never attempted the latter option on anybody, and she had no reason to believe it would work, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and she knew she would do anything it took. But good sense prevailed. If Marcus Brooker had done something to Jesse, it wouldn’t do any good to force herself into his space, and potentially put herself in danger. Then Gideon would be searching blind for both of them. The risks far outweighed the rewards, so Emma merely smiled and returned to her cab. The alarm on her watch went off, notifying her it was time to check in with Gideon. She wished she had more to report— she wished she had something to report. Marcus was probably 228


missing as well. It was enough to increase suspicion, but it was far from the so-called smoking gun. The gray clouds above broke with cold sleet, peppering her face and hands before she reached the taxi. Emma knew if the day remained overcast and stormy, Gideon would want to risk leaving the penthouse. Which meant he would want her to come back so she was there in case anything happened. A part of Emma would be happy to go back, but she knew Gideon needed to get a little bit of rest before he went out again. They wouldn’t do Jesse any good if they worked themselves into exhaustion. It sounded good in theory, but Emma knew, ultimately, neither of them would be swayed by logic. She’d have to do what she could to take care of Gideon. That’s what Jesse would do. Make sure he ate, and rested when he could, and silently, steadily, offer any sort of support Gideon needed. And they’d find Jesse together. They would find him. Because the alternative wasn’t something she could think about.

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CHAPTER 17 Forty-eight hours. Forty-eight hours since Jesse had kissed her good-bye and left. She had played the entire exchange in her head over and over, looking for any sort of clues. Had she missed something? If she tried to relive every second with Jesse since they arrived in New York, would she find a clue then? Were they both missing something? Forty-eight hours. Emma had never kept such a firm grip on her emotions. Her walls had walls. She put up layers and layers and layers, because she did not want Gideon to sense the fear weighing down her muscles, sitting heaving in her lungs, churning her stomach. Of course, she couldn’t really hide it. All he had to 230


do was look at her—all she had to do was look at him. And they both knew. But that didn’t mean she wanted him to feel it. “I don’t know where to go today,” Emma confessed when Gideon came home, looking like he had walked every street in New York. “And I’ve been thinking about everything. Trying to figure it out. Why Jesse? Why would Marcus take Jesse?” His shoulders were slumped, the shadows under his eyes pronounced. For as much as he was supposed to be resting during the day, Emma knew he wasn’t. He wasn’t eating, either. He looked as bad as she felt. “I don’t know.” The simple words made her ache. “I don’t know why Brooker’s son would give a damn about what happened before he was even born.” “What did happen, Gideon? I know you don’t like talking about it. But…well…maybe it’s time.” He sat on the couch, resting his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands. Carefully, Emma took the seat next to him, curling up to face him, but far enough away to keep from crowding. “It was all so long ago…” His voice was low and rough, and the subsequent growl sounded more like frustration than anger. “I don’t understand why people can’t just let the past stay where it is. It’s not like there’s anything we can fucking do about it now.” Several things came to Emma’s mind—like those who ignore the past are doomed to repeat it—but she rejected it all as platitudes. Useless platitudes Gideon didn’t need to hear. 231


“No, we can’t change the past. But maybe something in the past can help us now. The only connection between Marcus Brooker and Jesse is you. You might know something about what he’s doing…or why…and not even realize it.” “I don’t know the man,” Gideon snapped, then rubbed his hand over his face as he realized how harshly it had come out. “I knew his father. He was the assistant pastor at Mary’s church.” Emma didn’t know how to ask this delicately, so she just plowed ahead. “Did you do something to his father?” His mouth made a thin, white line, and for a moment, she thought he was going to storm off to the bedroom and slam the door shut behind him. This was the most assertive she’d been in asking about his past since they’d first met, and she wasn’t entirely sure their strained nerves could take it. But then Gideon ducked his head again, and she knew the crisis of conscience had passed. “I wasn’t the same back then. All I cared about was Mary. And Hal, eventually, but that was shot to shit when she got killed. All the rest of them, well, let’s just say if I could find a way to shock them, I did. Brooker was just one of the flock.” “But you weren’t the only one who cared about Mary, right? This Brooker…he cared for her, too?” “They all cared about her. That was her magic. Mary started talking, she looked into your eyes, and…nothing else mattered.” Emma could tell just by the sound of his voice a part of him would always be deeply in love with Mary. Which would 232


explain why the topic was so difficult for him to talk about. Even now, with all her shields up, she sensed new tendrils of pain drifting around him. “Did she love you, too?” His knuckles went white where he was clasping his hands together. “Eventually. That was probably her biggest mistake.” Emma’s heart twisted. “It’s not a mistake to love you, Gideon.” “It is when it gets you killed.” Emma would have protested that Gideon couldn’t blame himself. But she didn’t know. For all she knew, Gideon had killed her with his own hands. She didn’t believe that for a second—Gideon could never hurt anything he loved. But any comforting words from her would be hollow until she knew the truth. She touched his arm gently, wishing she could send him something positive, something soothing. “What happened to her?” His hair had fallen across his brow, hiding his eyes. But she saw him swallow, and then she saw him swallow again, and the tendrils she’d felt earlier thickened into something more. “What has Jesse told you about her?” he asked, his voice surprisingly even. “The civil rights thing, probably. Anything else?” “Gideon, I don’t think Jesse knows anything else.” There was no mistaking the way his jaw tightened. “No, 233


right, I knew that. I just…I forget sometimes.” He paused. “In my head…she’s still there.” “Maybe Jesse sensed as much, and that’s why he tried to push for more information. She’s clearly still a part of you…and that’s important to him.” Gideon nodded as she spoke, seemingly agreeing with her assessment. “My life would be a lot easier if I could just fall in love with people a little more self-centered,” he tried to joke. “But you asked what happened to Mary. And I’m not doing much to answer your question.” When he looked up then, his lashes were damp. Emma scooted closer, unable to resist stroking the tense length of his arm. “The whole first year I knew Mary,” Gideon went on, “I didn’t give a fuck about her cause, or her people, or what it was driving her to try and right what she thought was wrong. Hell, most of that first year, all I wanted was to get into her pants. It wasn’t love at first sight. I was too much in love with what I was to see beyond that. It was lust. Pure and simple.” “So…you weren’t exactly her Prince Charming, at first. But I guess you changed your mind about not giving a fuck?” “Changed my mind, had it changed…it was all the same in the end. The only way to be around Mary was to be part of what she was, so that’s what I did. Someone got in her way, I took care of it. She needed someone to listen to her, I took care of it. Until she asked me to stop hunting. That’s when I balked.” Emma knew Gideon still occasionally went out to hunt, 234


though it was something neither he nor Jesse ever talked about. Once, Jesse assured her Gideon wasn’t targeting innocent people. He didn’t elaborate, and Emma decided if that was good enough for Jesse, it would be good enough for her. Jesse was not the sort of person to look the other way when somebody—even Gideon—did something he found to be morally reprehensible. “What did she do when you balked?” Gideon snorted. “What did I do, you mean. I lied and told her, ‘Sure, not a problem,’ and then went ahead and hunted anyway. I thought it was stupid to pretend I wasn’t a vampire, or that I didn’t need to hunt to survive. And Mary never knew the difference. Not even at the end.” Guilt radiated from him like heat. It was in the way his shoulders slumped, and the way he kept his eyes on the floor, and the disgust in his voice. For the first time, Emma really understood what Gideon was protecting them from. The depth of his own self-loathing. She wrapped herself around his arm, resting her head on his shoulder, trying to give him as much of her warmth as she could. “What happened in the end?” He picked at one of his nails before finally answering. “Mary and Hal showed up at my place one night right before sunset. I was starving, and I’d planned on going out to eat and then meeting up with them later. But then Mary said there was a special rally that night. That she’d finally managed to convince one of the councilmen to come in and talk to her, and would I come and listen. Be there for support in case she 235


needed it.” His hands knotted together again. “It sounded like every other time she’d gotten excited. And Hal didn’t help matters. He was so in love with her, he didn’t see it. But I thought I did. And I told her I’d meet up with her afterward. Pick her up at the church and we’d celebrate then.” “Oh, Gideon…” Emma didn’t want to make him finish the story. It wasn’t that she couldn’t stand to hear it. She just couldn’t stand to see him reliving it. Plus, she could probably figure out how it would end. Something bad happened at the rally. Something Gideon wasn’t there to stop. Did the details matter that much? Maybe Gideon was right, and it was best to just leave it alone, because it couldn’t be helped. “It was a fucking ambush.” Bitterness laced his words, and the muscles in his arms quivered from how tightly he was holding himself. “I got there, and I was so high off the hunt, so glutted and full, I didn’t even smell the blood until I tried to open the front door. But then when I did…” His nostrils flared. Emma would bet he could still smell it now, forty years later. “The bastards had locked them all in. Some of them were dead, but most of them had been tied up and sat in the pews to watch what they did to Mary. Hal had a front row seat.” “Who…” Emma’s throat was so tight, she could barely force the words out. “Who did it?” “Vampires. They’d set it up, figuring I’d show. Then when I didn’t, they decided to use Mary as an example.” “Oh, my God,” Emma whispered. Silence stretched between them for several seconds before she asked, “Did 236


Brooker…was he there? Did he survive?” Gideon’s nod was almost imperceptible. “I remember…him staring at me when I cut her down. But they were all staring at me like that. Even Hal. They knew whose fault it was.” Emma closed her eyes, concentrating on separating and containing her emotions. She couldn’t keep her distance from him anymore, and she didn’t want him to feel the knot of apprehension that had settled in the pit of her stomach permanently. When she sensed the emotions she wanted— understanding, sympathy, love, and even sorrow for what he had been through—she slowly let some of her defenses down. Gideon jerked as if he’d been shocked. When he tried to stand, Emma tightened her hand around his arm, silently willing him to stay. Interminable time ticked away as he sat there, half-poised to flee, and then his shoulders hitched, and he started shaking his head. “Don’t do that. I don’t…it doesn’t help Jesse.” “It does. Because I want you to know…I want you to know I’m here. That I’m not going anywhere because you told me the truth. And we’re going to find Jesse.” He lifted his head, and the eyes that bored into hers were nearly black with desolation. He didn’t have anything more to say, though. He simply wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her neck. *

*

*

At first, Jesse tried to keep track of how much time passed. 237


The early hours were easiest to track, before hunger, and then exhaustion, began to wear on him. Then the pain, that wasn’t really pain at all. It was a discomfort. Numbness. Blood drying on his neck, back, chest, and thighs. Not a lot of blood, by any means. Whatever Marcus intended to do to him, it wasn’t bleed him out. Just small cuts and tiny streams of blood that eventually flaked and made his skin tight. The early hours were easiest. But there were no windows in this room, and only a single door that didn’t allow any light or sound to pass through. Not even a single bar on the floor. When Marcus left him—though he never left for long—he turned off the lights, and then Jesse was caught in a horrible limbo, his arms extended above his head, his feet shackled to the floor. The chains around his wrists and ankles were heavy, and there was more blood and sweat under the cuffs. His shoulders had long since lost feeling, as had his fingers and toes. Jesse thought it was around twenty-four hours when he stopped counting. After that, it mattered less. He had a vivid image of Gideon in his mind’s eye, and he clung to it. Because Gideon would find him. Gideon had to find him. Gideon wouldn’t be too late. Gideon wouldn’t lose track of time, and let the hours race away from him until there weren’t any hours left. Gideon’s influence kept him from shouting out, and frustrated Marcus’s more sadistic efforts. Because if nothing else, Gideon had trained him about how to not give into the pain. Even though Gideon had never kept him chained in place 238


for so long, had never hurt him, had never humiliated and mocked him, had never shut him in the dark. Oh, God, the dark. When he was in the dark, his other senses came alive, and he could smell sweat, and blood, and fear, and it was too overpowering to be his alone. How many other people had Marcus brought to this room? But Jesse knew his silence was a hollow victory. Because Marcus would not give up until he heard Jesse scream, until he heard him beg and plead for mercy. Jesse had vowed he would not. Not ever. Not once. But sometimes those sorts of things were an involuntary reaction, and Jesse didn’t know how he could keep his self-control indefinitely. Marcus would keep pushing him and pushing him because Marcus hadn’t yet begun. What were small cuts and a few blossoming bruises in this den of horrors? Because the lights weren’t always off. And when it wasn’t dark, Jesse saw everything. Whips. Spikes. Chains. Hammers. Rope. Knives. An axe. A saw. Blow torches. Broken glass. A large red toolbox, the sort you’d see in a mechanic’s garage that somehow seemed more horrible than anything else in the room. Jesse knew each drawer was full of items straight out of nightmares. Jesse never closed his eyes, if he could help it, because it was the damned red toolbox he saw. Jesse didn’t quite understand what Marcus wanted with him, but he did understand he was paying for Gideon’s sins. And he was paying for his own sin of loving the vampire, and trusting him. Maybe if he lost that spark of hope, Marcus 239


would leave him be. Why not? Wouldn’t the loss be the surest sign that Jesse was broken? And what fun was it to play with a broken toy? But he wouldn’t give Marcus the satisfaction. Even if it meant, somehow, saving himself. Not that he really believed Marcus would ever let him go. Near as he could tell, there were only two ways out of these chains. Gideon or death. No other option existed. The bright bulbs overhead blazed into life. Jesse winced and immediately shut his eyes against the glare. The lights always meant Marcus would be coming in. Jesse cracked one eyelid open and waited until the sharp pain behind his eye subsided to open the other one. Marcus was dressed as he was always dressed when he came to Jesse. Bare feet. Loose-fitting sweats allowed him room to move. A white T-shirt molded to his chest like a second skin. The shirt was always white. Jesse suspected it was because Marcus liked seeing the contrast of the blood splattered across it. In his hand was a sports bottle with a long straw, and he held it up to Jesse’s mouth. “Sleep well?” he asked, squeezing until water bubbled onto his lips. Jesse opened his mouth automatically, the water cooling his tongue and the back of his throat even as impotent anger made his stomach roll. It was never quite enough water to satisfy his thirst, but it was enough to keep him from dehydration. “We’re so civil around here, aren’t we?” 240


The corner of Marcus’s mouth lifted. “Old habits die hard. And believe it or not, I really do care how you slept. It would be interesting to know if you had a dream or two.” Jesse might have slept. More than once, he found himself wondering if he was really awake, or asleep, or in some space between. “I did, in fact, have a dream. Gideon was here. He ripped your heart out and shoved it down your throat. Do you think that might have a hidden meaning?” Marcus chuckled, a cold sound that reverberated off the walls. “I think that’s what we call wishful thinking.” Setting the sports bottle on the low table edging one side of the room, he regarded the rack of weapons hanging over it thoughtfully. “Any requests today? I’m feeling generous.” “Yes. One. You tell me why you’re doing this. Because you’re obviously a very intelligent person. Yet you’re signing your own death warrant.” Slim fingers toyed with the leather strands of a flogger. “I thought my reason was obvious.” Plucking the weapon off the wall, he smiled as he turned back to Jesse. “I like seeing you in pain.” Jesse eyed the flogger with the closest thing to relief he could feel in a situation like this. Marcus wasn’t light with his floggers and whips, but it was a pain Jesse knew he could tolerate. Marcus probably knew it, too. He hadn’t missed the fading welts and marks on Jesse’s back. In fact, Jesse tolerated it so well, Marcus could probably keep him conscious for weeks—and wasn’t that a cheerful thing to consider? 241


“And I guess I’m not the only one, huh? It really puts all your self-righteousness in perspective.” The flick of his wrist might have been a casual dismissal if he hadn’t been holding the flogger at the time. The leather scored across his bare stomach, a glancing blow that still managed to leave behind a slight sting. “I had an excellent teacher.” Marcus swung a second time, grazing over the same spot. “If there’s one thing Gideon knows, it’s how to inflict pain.” Jesse held his breath as the whip hit the same spot a third time, then a fourth time. It cracked the skin on the fifth time, and thin lines of blood slithered down his bruising skin. Marcus watched the blood with heavy eyes, then chose a new spot, just above the bleeding welt. “This isn’t going to make up for whatever he did to you,” Jesse said through gritted teeth, though he knew it was pointless. Speaking at all was a pointless exercise that wasted what little strength he had. But he couldn’t help himself. The next blow was twice as hard as the worst of its predecessors, driving the air from Jesse’s lungs. “Nothing is ever going to make up for what Gideon did. He let her die. He let those monsters get to her, when all they wanted was him, and then he had the balls to take her away, away from everybody who loved her.” Another blow, and fresh blood joined the first trickle. “He thought he was the only one allowed to grieve.” More rapid blows, like Marcus wanted to beat the knowledge into him, tattoo the history into his skin. Jesse tried 242


to ride out the waves of pain, but there was a certain furious strength in his arm now that had been lacking before. But he wasn’t so furious he lost his focus. He kept targeting Jesse’s stomach, and now Jesse finally caught his wayward tongue. He had no desire to provoke Marcus into cutting his skin into fine ribbons. “He didn’t hear her scream. He wasn’t there when they slashed her throat to shut her up. He had no idea how many times she’d shouted for him before those bastards got tired of listening to it.” A maniacal gleam had set in those tawny eyes, fuelled by his continuing strokes. “Oh, he finally showed up, if that’s what you’re wondering. In his own sweet time. After he’d gone out and had his share of killing for the night. But it was too late for Mary. Just like it’s going to be too late for you in the end.” Jesse focused on what Marcus was saying instead of the agony spreading through him. Not that this story was much better. His heart throbbed with each beat. For the woman he never knew. For Gideon. Even for Marcus, because if he was telling the truth, if he really witnessed Mary’s murder, then that person, whoever he was forty years ago, deserved a bit of sympathy. Jesse bit his tongue to stop the words of protest, until blood was coating his teeth, but he couldn’t let the last sentence go without speaking. “No.” He spit, narrowly missing Marcus’s bare toes. “That’s not true.” Marcus paused. “Why? Because you’re so different from Mary? Because Gideon loves you?” He moved closer, close 243


enough for the blood on Jesse’s stomach to smear across his shirt. “That’s what he told her, you know. And she worshipped him. Saw him as proof things could change. Convinced the rest of us if a vampire could see the way, could give up killing innocents like Gideon had, then it was only a matter of time before the rest of the world would wake up and treat us like equals. There was only one problem with that.” Marcus jabbed the hard handle of the flogger into Jesse’s ribs as he leaned in. “He lied to her. He told her what she wanted to hear, and then went ahead and killed who he wanted anyway.” Jesse knew it would be easy to believe every word Marcus said. An exhausted, pleading voice begged him to just accept what Marcus was telling him, maybe that would dampen Marcus’s anger. But he didn’t give in to the impulse. He still had his own mind, and though he had made some mistakes in his life, he knew what the truth was. He had watched Gideon do so much good over the past four years. Marcus couldn’t make him doubt what he knew. Not yet. “No, not because he loves me.” Jesse lifted his head. “Because he saved me once before when he could have let me die. Because that’s what he does now.” Marcus sneered. “This isn’t Chicago. This is my town.” “He’ll come for me because it’s the right thing to do. But he’ll rip your city apart, and you with it, because he loves me.” He stepped back so abruptly, Jesse swayed within the chains. Blood stained the front of his shirt and coated the back of his hand where it had brushed across Jesse’s skin. But Marcus seemed oblivious to it. 244


“And what about your beautiful Emma? Does he love her enough, too?” Pointedly, he looked up at the ceiling, his gaze turning thoughtful. “The chains will have to be longer, of course. She’s not quite as tall as you are.” Jesse reeled back, and tried to swallow, but Marcus’s words had been like a kick to the throat, crushing his voice box. He couldn’t even choke out a threat. Not that a threat would do any good. There was absolutely nothing he could do to keep Marcus away from her. He tried to tell himself Gideon wouldn’t allow it. Gideon wouldn’t let him take her. But Gideon couldn’t stop him from taking you, could he? Marcus picked up the sports bottle and went to the door. When his hand went to the switch, however, he hesitated and glanced back. “Let’s leave the lights on, shall we?” He smiled. “I’d hate for you to miss the reunion.” Without another word, he walked out, the lock echoing where it clicked into place. Jesse closed his eyes, dropping his chin to his chest—an action that increased the pressure on his shoulders and back, but he didn’t care. He wasn’t the sort to pray. He didn’t really think there was anything to pray to. But he sent one up now, and he didn’t care who received it, or what they did with it, as long as somebody could hear it. Just let him keep her safe. Even if that means going back to Chicago, or the other side of the planet without me. Just do that.

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CHAPTER 18 The last thing Gideon saw when he left the penthouse was Emma’s soft eyes. She hadn’t pressed any more after his confession, and in fact, they’d spent much of the afternoon wound around each other on the couch. Except for a single errand, neither had said a word about her going out to look for Jesse. He had actually been glad of the company. He didn’t know why he had broken. Exhaustion, maybe. Fear they were going to be too late. Despair. Maybe he just needed to do something, or have Emma tell him this wasn’t his fault. Nobody had heard even a fraction of the details Gideon had shared since the night in question. Now Emma knew. And she didn’t hold it against him. 246


That didn’t make it any easier to look into her eyes, though. Because though he might feel relief at sharing the burden, nothing had changed. Jesse was still out there, and it was still Gideon’s fault. Emma feared they were chasing the wrong trail, but the more he thought about it, the more convinced Gideon got this was the way to go. Pastor Brooker had loved Mary. Gideon was responsible for her death. Even if this was his son seeking revenge, it made perfect sense. Too many factors pointed in that direction. They had a new address to try, a recent property of Brooker’s that was in the process of being refurbished. Emma had scoped it out briefly before sunset, confirming major portions of the building were devoid of activity. In Gideon’s mind, that made it the perfect place to hide someone. Brooker could have Jesse stashed there, waiting for Gideon to find him. Even better, security around the building was minimal. It was going to be easy to get in and look around. Though if he didn’t find Jesse tonight, he was giving up worrying about the security measures at Brooker’s office. He’d storm the man’s workplace and tell the circumstances to fuck off. He was only a block away from the penthouse when he saw them. The tall, dark-haired vampire with his blonde companion strolled along the sidewalk, hands clasped, heads tilted toward each other like lovers. They looked like they had the first time, but unlike the first time, Gideon wasn’t fooled. There was something wrong with them, too coincidental in their striking similarities to Jesse and Emma. It might be his 247


biggest fear, but… If someone really wanted to get to Gideon, torturing him with this image was exactly how to do it. The two vampires noticed him at the same time he noticed them. He could have sworn the one resembling Jesse smiled at him, but they kept up their sedate pace, as though they were daring him to catch up. Gideon immediately began to follow, but they had only gone a half of a block before a large tourist group swallowed them. Muttering a low curse, Gideon angled to the edge of the sidewalk in order to try and see inside the crowd. He quickened his pace, closing the distance between them, but there were too many for him to pick out the pair. Just when he’d thought he’d singled out the man, he’d catch a glimpse of the profile and realize he was wrong. So intent on searching the pack, he almost missed it when the two darted across the street, horns blaring as they raced through the traffic to the opposite side. He took chase, breaking into a run. His coat whipped around his legs, but he avoided all the cars, his feet barely touching the pavement when he hit the other walk. Ten feet ahead, the woman’s long blonde hair streamed out behind her as she ran. It made an excellent beacon to follow. They cut down alleys and side streets, winding their way around dozens of New Yorkers and tourists, never breaking stride or looking over their shoulders. But Gideon didn’t slow, and he didn’t let them shake him from their trail, no matter how quickly they ducked and dodged. He would chase them 248


all the way back to Chicago, if that’s what it took. Finally, they were forced to slow, and Gideon took advantage of the unexpected break in their pace, jumping through the air to land on the man’s back, tackling him to the ground. The woman clawed at his face, and without looking up, Gideon backhanded her, sending her flying against the wall. It dazed her long enough for him to shove the man harder into the cement, the stake in his free hand and poised over the vampire’s back. “Who sent you?” “Fuck you. That’s who.” The woman tried again, and this time he used his fist, knocking her out completely. “The way I see it, you’ve got a choice.” Gideon pushed the point of the stake in deeper, through the vampire’s coat until he felt the resistance of bone. “You either tell me who sent you, or that sidewalk is the last thing you’ll ever see.” “Brooker,” the vampire said quickly. “That’s all I know.” Gideon froze. He’d known it, but hearing the name said out loud chilled him through. He was surer than ever that he had Jesse, too, and now, Gideon had one of his employees, tight in hand. Hauling him to his feet, he glanced at the unconscious woman slumped against the building. It only took a second to make the decision, and the stake whistled through the air, embedding in her chest before she disintegrated into ash. The vampire wriggled in his grasp, but Gideon tightened his hold, forcing him to walk at his side. “Let’s go have us a 249


little chat. Just the two of us. I think you’ve got some interesting stories to tell.” *

*

*

Emma half-heartedly took a bite of the sandwich she’d made, but her appetite was completely gone. The jam tasted like sawdust on her tongue, and she only tried to choke down a single mouthful before discarding her dinner, tossing it into the trash. She was studying the contents of the fridge, looking for anything remotely palatable, when the penthouse door flew open with a loud crash. Emma hurried out of the kitchen, just in time to see Gideon drag Jesse—no, it wasn’t Jesse. Emma blinked, trying to make the scene in front of her make sense. A flash of yellow eyes told her this strange person was a vampire. A vampire who looked like Jesse? “Gideon?” Gideon didn’t even look at her. He marched the vampire into the dungeon and went directly to the chains hanging from the ceiling. Emma watched silently until the vampire was firmly secured, then tried again. “Gideon, what’s going on? Who is this?” “We have a little visitor,” he said as he tore the man’s shirt from his body. “Courtesy of Mr. Marcus Brooker.” The vampire growled, trying to snap at Gideon’s face like a furious dog, but Gideon was well outside of reach. “He knows where Jesse is?” “That’s what we’re going to find out.” He was halfway to 250


the wall of weapons, his dark features grim and intent, when he realized she was still standing in the room. “Go away, Emma. You don’t need to see this.” “No.” She saw the surprise on his face, and she lifted her chin in response. “I told you, we’re going to find Jesse together, and I meant it.” “That doesn’t mean you have to be in the same room when I strip the skin from this son of a bitch.” “It does if this guy had anything to do with Jesse’s disappearance.” Casting one last look at the hanging vampire, Gideon marched over to the door and grabbed Emma’s arm, pulling her to the side. “I know you want to help…” His voice was soft, almost gentle, though his muscles were still wire-taut. “But this could get ugly if he doesn’t talk. You’ll sleep better if you don’t see it.” She didn’t need to have her walls down to know what was really bothering Gideon. He didn’t want her to see him in an even nastier light than she already had with his stories about Mary. “This isn’t about helping, Gideon.” Her own voice was low. “You’re not the only one willing to do whatever it takes to find Jesse. I’ll strip the skin from the son of a bitch myself, if that’s what I need to do.” His gaze fixed on her, heavy and solemn, as he weighed her words. Finally, he nodded and let go her arm. “Do me one favor, though. Put your walls up.” Gideon didn’t have to specify that request. She had 251


absolutely no intention of leaving herself vulnerable to the vampire’s pain—and whatever emotions would be coming from Gideon. “Of course. Anything else?” He looked like there was plenty more he wanted to say, but Gideon just shook his head and walked back to their so-called guest, standing in front of him with his hands stuffed in his pockets. “I’ve had a really shitty couple of days,” he said, his tone surprisingly conversational. “So I’m not going to fuck around. I’m going to assume Brooker put you up to your little masquerade just to mess with my head. What I really want you to tell me is where the hell he took the man you’re supposed to look like.” “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was paid to hang around and watch you. That’s it.” Gideon grimaced and shook his head. “See, now that might be a hell of a lot more believable if I hadn’t heard you call your little girlfriend Emma. That tells me you’re in this a little deeper than hanging around.” Undoing the buttons on his cuffs, he rolled up his sleeves as he walked back to the wall. The vampire tracked his every movement, from grabbing a pair of gloves off a shelf and sliding them on, to randomly selecting a long stiletto. “It’s up to you, of course.” Gideon took something else off a different shelf—a small box—and brought it back to his original position. “But the sooner you tell me what I want to know, the easier this is going to be on you.” 252


Emma started when she heard her name, and took a curious step toward the chained vampire. Marcus had hired him to what…torment Gideon? Or had it been something more insidious than that? Had it been meant as a warning? Was Jesse already…? No. No, she wouldn’t think about that. Her gaze slid to Gideon and the easy way he handled the stiletto between his leather-clad fingers. Emma didn’t know what the vampire was hoping to prove by remaining silent. Didn’t he see Gideon truly meant to skin him? “I called her Emma because that was her name. I never even met Brooker. I just know the money was coming from him.” “And I suppose your name is Jesse, too.” His hand moved so swiftly, Emma only saw a black blur. But she heard the vampire’s sharp hiss as he tried to arch away from the blade. Gideon grabbed the man’s waistband and dragged him back, holding him still as the tip of the knife danced over the man’s stomach. She crept around the edge of the room. Gideon wasn’t skinning him. He was cutting him. Dozens of tiny little slivers leaving trickles of blood running down his tense muscles. “Sure. Why not? Brooker can call me whatever he wants for what he’s paying me.” Gideon pressed the tip of the knife even deeper in the vampire’s flesh. A few more inches, and a flick of his wrist, and Gideon would gut him. “Fuck.” “Did he tell you who I am?” Emma half expected the vampire to lie, or continue to 253


evade. But maybe it had some sense of self-preservation—or no desire to see its own intestines spill over its feet. “Told me your name. And I heard what you did to him. That’s all anybody’s been talking about.” Gideon’s jaw hardened. The blade made a sucking sound where he pulled it out of the vampire’s stomach, and he set it aside to pick up the small box. Pulling out a tiny wooden cross, he shoved it into the open cut he’d just left in the vampire’s flesh, burying it until only the tip was visible. “Believe everything you hear.” The vampire howled, its pain evident. Emma waited for a flash of sympathy, or empathy, or even disgust. But she just felt cold. And angry. Why not just tell them what they needed to know? Smoke sizzled up from its skin and flesh, and a sickening sweet smell filled the room. The blood around the open wound boiled and festered against its skin, and Emma wondered if the cross would burn a hole right through its body. Finally, Gideon pulled the cross out of the vampire’s stomach. “Look man,” now the vamp didn’t sound cocky, just desperate. “It has nothing to do with me. Fuck, it happened before my fuckin’ parents were born.” “But he’s talked about it to you. Which means you know Brooker.” He tossed aside the bloody cross and reached for another in the box. “And that means, you have information I can use.” “It’s not like he’s my best friend or something.” Gideon chose a new spot to use his knife—just below the vampire’s 254


arm. The stiletto slid between his ribs. “There’s just been talk. Just talk. About…fuck. I don’t know her name. That girl.” “Simone?” Emma asked. “Yeah. Her, I guess. We knew something was happening because he’s…strength. Building his strength.” Slowly, Gideon turned the blade, though his intense gaze was locked on the vampire. “What do you mean, building his strength? What is he?” Emma watched the thick red liquid find its way down his thin form. She waited for Gideon to shove another cross into the wound, but he seemed happy to continue turning the blade. “I don’t know. Just. He eats…I’ve never seen it. But he’s like us. Only he doesn’t survive on blood. He wants the…pain.” “Kind of like a psychic vampire.” Gideon said it more to himself than as a genuine part of the conversation. Emma saw the thoughts whirling inside his head. “Does he kill? Or just torture?” “I don’t know.” The knife came out of its ribs, replaced with the cross. “Fuck, I don’t know.” Dark smoke drifted up, obscuring the vampire’s features. “Rumors. Heard rumors. He tortures them. Then he eats them.” Gideon didn’t move for nearly a minute. The stench of burning flesh coagulated into something palpable, and Emma placed her hand over her mouth and nose in an attempt to block the worst of it out. She wasn’t going to leave, though. This was proving their best chance at finding Jesse, and she refused to withdraw when they were right on the cusp. 255


Gideon finally asked the question that was burning on her brain. “Where does Brooker take his victims?” The vampire growled—but it sounded more like a whimper. “How…am I…supposed to know that? He’s got places all over the city. Warehouses. Office buildings. Places upstate, too. I don’t even know where the fucker lives.” Without looking away, Gideon thrust a finger into the open wound and dug around for the cross, taking his time in extracting it. He dragged it over the bare skin once it was free, and not even the smear of blood clinging to its porous surface was enough to stop a fresh burn from searing the vampire’s flesh. Ignoring the cries of pain, he tossed it to the floor with the first and marched for the door, jerking his head at Emma to follow. “I’m going to leave him hanging in there for right now,” he said once they were out in the hall. Extracting a large keyring from his pocket, he locked the dungeon door before passing the ring to Emma. “He’s not going to be able to get free, but if you don’t feel safe here for the night, tell me now so we can make other arrangements for you.” “I’m fine here. I just…he eats his victims? How are you going to find him?” “I’m going to go check the property you found today. While I’m gone, make a list of every known holding he’s got. We’re going to go over it one at a time until we find Jesse.” Emma nodded, but she thought she was going to throw up. Every second they spent looking over real estate listings, 256


Marcus was getting stronger, and Jesse was…getting closer to being consumed. “What if there’s not enough time?” Hearing the words out loud just intensified the ache in her stomach. “Don’t think that.” Even Gideon realized how harshly the words had come out, and he growled in frustration as he ran his hand over his hair. “Jesse’s strong. And we’re going to bring him back where he belongs, safe and sound. Believe it.” “I do,” Emma whispered. She knew Jesse was strong— stronger than most people would expect. And he had to know they were doing everything they could to find him. She hoped that thought was enough to give him more strength. Gideon surprised her with a hard kiss, leaving her breathless. “I’ll call with what I find,” he promised as he took long strides for the front door. “Be ready for me.” “I will be,” Emma said, though he was already out the door. She hesitated for a moment, her mind going a million different directions. She knew she needed to have a list ready for Gideon, but the vampire’s words wouldn’t leave her alone. Marcus was feeding on Jesse’s pain—probably growing stronger with each passing hour. What kind of demon was he? And how could he be stopped? If Jesse were here, those were the sorts of questions he’d be grappling with. She didn’t have his library, but his laptop was there, and she knew he had a number of books scanned onto the hard drive. She’d have more than just a list for Gideon when he came back. 257


CHAPTER 19 Sharp, gripping pain tore through his back with each shallow breath. Jesse wasn’t sure why. It might have been a broken rib. It might have been a bruised kidney. It might have been both. He wasn’t bleeding anymore, but only because Marcus had switched from sharp to blunt at some point. Right around the time he stopped trying to draw Jesse into a bizarre parody of a conversation. He seemed disappointed when Jesse refused to speak—refused to utter a single sound—but he soon found other distractions. “Where’s Gideon? I have to say I’m a little let down. I was expecting him by now.” Marcus tossed a heavy paddle aside. Jesse glared at him through a swollen eye. 258


“I asked you a question. Where’s Gideon? Do you know it’s been almost four days? What do you think he’s doing?” Marcus pulled a kerchief from his pocket and delicately blotted the blood from Jesse’s lips. Jesse shuddered with disgust at the light contact, but Marcus ignored it. “You know what I think he’s doing? Fucking that girlfriend of yours. Just between you and me, that’s what I’d be doing in his shoes.” Once the blood was gone from his mouth, Marcus tossed the soiled rag aside. But he didn’t step away from Jesse. He wasn’t a big man, but he was making it even more difficult to breathe. “Can you picture them? The two of them? You don’t have to imagine it, do you? I bet Gideon has forced you to watch him fuck her before. Well, it doesn’t really matter what he’s doing now. He’ll be here soon enough. One way or the other.” Jesse barely heard him. It was surprisingly easy to tune Marcus out. He just turned inward, forcing himself to focus on the Gideon he knew—the Gideon he had always known—and not the man Marcus kept referring to. *

*

*

In hindsight, wandering around a strange city after dark had not been the best plan Jesse ever had—even if it had seemed like the only option available to him. He couldn’t stay at his motel, because they expected to be paid and didn’t take kindly to squatters. And was Chicago really so different from London? They were both big cities. They were both full of 259


strangers. Yes, Chicago had a notable vampire population, but so did London. And Jesse was his father’s son through and through—he knew how to stake vampires. He even carried stakes with him. The only thing he didn’t take into consideration was the fact that Chicago vampires roved the city in gangs. London vampires were loners, more or less. They were the tigers of the vampire world. Chicago vampires were the lions. Hunting in packs, working together to target his British ass and corner him in an alley. Why hadn’t his father ever mentioned that particular fact? Didn’t he pride himself on knowing everything there was to know about vampires? The only times he spoke to his son in the past decade was when he had a new lecture about vampires. Why wasn’t one of those lectures entitled “Chicago Vampires are Crazy and Will Hunt You Like a Gazelle”? Jesse tightened his grip on the stake and felt the cold brick wall against his back. One week in Chicago, and it came down to this. He never should have left London. He couldn’t even remember why he had left London to begin with. Had he actually been looking for vampires? That seemed like an even stupider plan than wandering around the strange city after dark. He counted six vampires, but there could have been more. Around the corner. On the roof above him. Did it matter how many there were? He couldn’t fend off more than two. Three if he got lucky. And they were just fucking with him now. He almost wanted to shout at them to just get on with it then. 260


Almost. One stepped forward, and Jesse reacted on instinct, slamming the stake through its heart before it even realized he was moving. That was the sign for the other five to stop fucking around with him. Three rushed at the same time, and every muscle in Jesse contracted in anticipation of ducking and trying to run. He aimed his stake at the closest, but as his foot lashed out to kick another in the balls, the sound of clapping from the end of the alley startled all of them. “Six against one,” an amused baritone said. “Pretty impressive. Of course, I remember the days when a respectable vamp didn’t need his buddies around to back him up in case the prey got a little feisty. But I guess nobody’s ever taught you they taste better if they put up a little fight, huh?” Jesse tried to look over the shoulders of the vampires surrounding him to get a glimpse of his savior. Well, Jesse hoped he was his savior, and not just looking for easy pickings. Whoever he was, the other vamps seemed pretty interested in him and were momentarily distracted. Jesse began sliding against the wall, trying to move further from the pack without attracting attention to himself. “What do you want?” one of them asked. “A piece for yourself? We don’t mind sharing.” The stranger chuckled. “You must be new in town. Cute. This’ll be fun then.” 261


Jesse had managed to put a few feet between him and the vampire pack, and he could have made a break for it. He should have made a break for it. But all of a sudden there was a flurry of action, and he couldn’t look away. The first vampire disappeared in a cloud of dust before Jesse even realized the stranger had moved. No human could move that fast. Jesse wasn’t even sure vampires moved that fast. While he was still trying to figure out what he saw, the second vamp joined his comrade as a big pile of dust. The two remaining vampires gave him a wide berth, circling in an arc that shielded Jesse. The poor light kept the stranger’s features in shadow, but there was no hiding the tall, broad body or the stake dancing between his fingers. Run. Run. Run. Why aren’t you running yet, you tosser? Go! He’s going to rip your throat out when he gets done with these two… More dust, this time close enough to Jesse to coat his face and get in his nose. One. Fuck. “In case it’s not obvious…” Another vampire exploded in a blur of motion. “…I don’t share.” But Jesse really was his father’s son, and he couldn’t step away from the carnage until it was over. Because he had never seen anything like this before in his life. Not once. And he had gone out in London with seasoned vampire hunters. He had certainly never seen a vampire so calmly and efficiently kill five of its own kind. Then it was just the two of them, facing each other in the alley, with a mere yard between them. Neither of them spoke for a full two minutes. Then… 262


“In case it’s not clear, this is the part of the program where you go home, lock your door, and pray to whatever god you believe in that there are still vampires out there who’d rather hear themselves talk than go for the final kill,” the stranger commented. “I don’t have a home to go to,” Jesse blurted, which seemed like an incredibly stupid thing to say, but he apparently had a reputation to uphold when it came to stupid moves. “Thank you. For helping me. I didn’t really expect to be cornered.” Hoping the stranger didn’t have any intention himself to go in for the final kill, he took a step forward. The other man seemed surprised by this and shifted to the right, just enough to put him out of the shadows. Jesse’s heart went from beating in double-time to freezing. “Oh, my God.” He’d seen pictures, of course. He’d seen them, and he’d stolen them, and he’d hidden them at the back of his wardrobe only to pull them out when he knew it was safe and he wouldn’t be caught. He’d even brought them with him to the States. But not one of them did Gideon Keel justice. Pictures didn’t show how tall he was. Taller than Jesse, even. They didn’t show how broad the shoulders were, or how slim the hips, or how his expertly tailored clothes looked like they belonged on Savile Row and not in a dirty Chicago alley. They showed the dark brown eyes and the hair that looked like it had a tendency to flop over his forehead, but they didn’t reveal the sensuality of his mouth or the faint lines that appeared at the corners of his eyes as they narrowed. 263


Pictures were nothing compared to the real deal now standing in front of him. Gideon fidgeted under Jesse’s stare, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “Go back to your hotel, then. Chicago’s not the best place after dark.” “No hotel either,” Jesse muttered, still caught up in studying every detail and mentally comparing it to the photographs he had stuffed in his backpack. “I mean, I was staying in a cheap place, but I was supposed to meet a friend of my father’s, and I don’t know what happened to him, but he’s not answering his phone. In fact, I was going to start searching for him tomorrow because he’s…” Jesse took a deep breath. “And I’m rambling and you probably don’t care.” “You are, and you’re right. I don’t.” Jesse blinked. That stung. A lot. But to be fair, Gideon didn’t know him from Adam, and he probably seemed insane. And stupid. Mustn’t forget that one. In Gideon’s shoes, would he react any differently? Probably not. “Well, thanks again.” He tossed the stake in the air and caught it again. “I’ll try to avoid the roving packs from now on.” He forced himself to turn to the mouth of the alley, and forced himself to put one foot in front of the other. “Stop.” Jesse came to an immediate halt. It was like Gideon’s order bypassed his brain and went directly to his legs. Taking a deep breath, he turned back to face the vampire. Who was standing closer now. Jesse swallowed the odd flutter in his throat. “Yes?” 264


“Do I look stupid to you?” “Not really, no.” “So why do you think I’d save your life, just to let you go wandering off into the night for somebody else to pick off?” “I…don’t know. If you don’t want me to wander off into the night, what would you like me to do?” “Honestly? Not be my problem.” Running a hand over his hair, Gideon growled in frustration before taking long strides toward Jesse and the mouth of the alley. “Come on.” Jesse didn’t move immediately, because he wasn’t quite sure he had heard correctly. Was Gideon inviting him to go somewhere with him? Jesse couldn’t think of any alternative meanings to come on. He hurried after Gideon, his backpack hitting his shoulder as he caught up with him. It was clear he was putting the vampire out. Any other time, Jesse might have gathered what remained of his pride and simply gone off on his own. But at that moment, pride was the furthest thing from his mind. Gideon was moving fast, but Jesse fell in step beside him without problem. “Where are we going?” Jesse ventured, after several minutes of silence. “Home.” Gideon was taking him back to his home? Jesse bit back a dozen more questions. Where was home? Why not just give him a few bucks for a motel? Did he always seem this angry about helping people? But the answers to those questions didn’t seem terribly important, because home might be warm, and have a comfortable couch, and honestly, Jesse was 265


exhausted. Gideon didn’t volunteer any more information, and Jesse didn’t try to engage him in conversation. It seemed like a better idea to just keep his mouth shut and follow him. Until they reached a building that didn’t look like it could be anybody’s home. “Is this it?” Gideon ground to a halt and leveled an inscrutable gaze at him. “I don’t do the cemetery thing. It’s clichéd and dirt gets everywhere.” Jesse chuckled. “Yes, graveyard soil can be a real bitch to get out of silk.” He eyed Gideon’s shirt. “Or cotton, as the case may be.” “I have a couch that pulls out,” Gideon continued. “You can crash there for the night. We’ll find your father’s friend tomorrow.” Jesse swallowed. We’ll find your father’s friend. Not you. Not I want you out at first light. And he didn’t doubt Gideon meant it. Somebody as taciturn as Gideon wouldn’t waste words on lies. He followed Gideon into the building and down a narrow flight of stairs. Jesse expected something dank—weren’t basement apartments supposed to be dank? But Gideon apparently didn’t do cemeteries and he did not do dank. Jesse stood at the foot of the stairs, trying to hide his surprise. Of course, anybody who dressed like Gideon probably wouldn’t live in squalor, but still. The couch in question turned out to be leather, the small 266


space immaculate. “Bathroom’s through there,” Gideon said, pointing toward a closed door. “Kitchen’s the other way. There’s not much in it, but you’re welcome to help yourself.” He nodded toward another set of stairs at the opposite end of the room. “My office is up there, but I’ll know if you go up there, so don’t.” “Okay.” Jesse lowered himself to the couch, testing it, and sighed with relief. It was about a hundred times more comfortable than the torture device that passed as a bed at the motel. “Look, Gideon…Mr. Keel…I don’t really know how to address vampires. Never mind. It’s not important.” He smiled a little sheepishly. “I’m just trying to say I really, really appreciate you going to the trouble.” The gratitude seemed to make Gideon squirm, and he retreated for the second of the closed doors off the living room. “Don’t worry about it. Just don’t drool on the leather, okay?” With his hand on the door knob, he paused. “I never introduced myself to you.” “No, you didn’t,” Jesse agreed slowly. “I recognized you from my books. I have a lot of books about vampires, and demons, and other things…” His voice trailed off. “I’m not some sort of weird vampire groupie or anything, if that’s what you’re thinking. I guess my father might be. I just…read a lot.” “Sure.” Though he sounded unconvinced. “You can call me Gideon. I’m old enough without having to make it worse.” “Okay. Gideon. My name is Jesse, by the way.” Gideon simply nodded. With a quick flick of the wrist, he 267


opened the door and disappeared. Jesse stared at the closed bedroom door for several seconds. He was just on the other side. Sleeping. Gideon was sleeping on the other side of the door. Or maybe not sleeping. It was still night, after all. Maybe he was just tired of talking to Jesse. Jesse didn’t take that personally—it didn’t seem like Gideon much enjoyed talking to anybody. Jesse changed into a pair of sweats and pulled the sofa out, moving as quietly as he could. He didn’t want to disturb his host. He thought he was too wound up to sleep, because he was in Gideon Keel’s home, and sleeping on his couch. But his eyes began to droop as soon as he curled up under the blanket he found. He had hoped maybe his path would cross with Gideon’s at one point. How could he not hope to run into Gideon as soon as he arrived in Chicago? But he never dreamed he’d be sleeping just feet from the famous—even infamous—vampire. He might have been insane to feel safe sleeping under a vampire’s nose, being utterly vulnerable to an attack, but Jesse did feel safe. Safer than he’d felt since he disembarked from the plane. He drifted into an easy sleep. And dreamt about the vampire who had saved him. *

*

*

“He’ll come,” Jesse whispered. “Uh, yeah. I just told you he would be. Oh, but not because he’s on his way to rescue you. I’ve seen to it he’ll receive an invitation he can’t refuse.” He paused, studying Jesse’s face, 268


but Jesse kept his expression blank. “I thought that would cheer you up. Don’t you want to see him one more time?” Jesse couldn’t even guess at what Marcus thought he was playing at. And he didn’t even care, either. Regardless of what he was trying to do, it would all end the same way.

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CHAPTER 20 The vampire’s screams wore at her nerves until she felt raw and jumpy. And the dungeon was supposed to be soundproof. That’s what Jesse had told her their first day in the penthouse. The screaming wasn’t only loud, it was constant. She wanted to stake the vampire herself, but Gideon hadn’t said anything about staking his captive, so she resolved to ignore it. But apparently vampires with holes in their ribs and guts would not be ignored. Not for long, at any rate. When she realized she was grinding her teeth together, and the resulting headache was spreading down her neck to her back, she knew she needed to get out. Emma closed the laptop. Air. Some 270


fresh air would help, as would silence. And if she couldn’t find any silence, she could at least take a walk down to the corner store and buy herself some Coke and a candy bar. The sugar boost wouldn’t hurt. Carrying her cell phone and notebook with her, she slipped out of the penthouse and took the elevator down to the lobby. It was completely empty, except for the doorman. She smiled at him as she walked by, and he returned the gesture, but then the look in his eyes changed from politeness to alarm. “Oh! Ms. Coolidge. I have something for you.” Emma stopped short. “For me?” “Yeah. Or Mr. Keel. But I was told I could give it to either one of you.” “Who is it from?” He pulled a thin envelope from his jacket pocket and handed it to her. “I don’t know, actually. It just came from a bike messenger.” Emma accepted the envelope with a frown, absently passing him the dollar bills she had intended to use for her Coke. She couldn’t even wait to get back to the penthouse to open it. There was no reason to think it was anything important—the envelope looked like it belonged to a birthday card, more than anything. But that didn’t matter. She was more than certain this envelope contained something very important indeed. She tore the thin paper open and dumped the contents into the palm of her hand. Her breath caught, and she could only stare for several long seconds. Finally, some part of her brain 271


jumped into life, prompting her to dial Gideon’s number on her cell phone. “What is it?” Gideon didn’t even bother with a greeting. “Are you all right?” “I think you can stop looking for an address,” Emma said, her voice reedy. “He sent…I think it’s an invitation. And hair. Bloody hair.” A long hiss came over the line. “Read it.” She stumbled over the words, the uptown address, the note at the bottom that said, “No RSVP necessary.” “And there’s some kind of dedication,” she finished. “‘For M.E. Straughn. Your family misses you.’ What does that mean?” “It means the son of a bitch doesn’t realize Mary was my family, too.” A horn blared in the background. “You said the invitation was for tomorrow night?” “Yes. Tomorrow. I don’t think we were supposed to get this message now.” “How do you know that?” “Because the doorman didn’t send it up as soon as he got it. He was holding onto it. I could ask, but I bet he just planned to send it up in the morning with the paper.” “No, don’t ask. So you’re down in the lobby?” “Yeah. Why?” “Because I’m on my way. We’re finishing this. Now.” *

*

*

Jesse saw black and red on the edges of his vision, and he 272


knew he was holding onto consciousness by a sliver. If he let go, if he let himself slip away, the pain would stop. But Jesse couldn’t shake the fear that if he went to sleep, he’d never wake up again. And it wasn’t so bad he was willing to risk death just yet. Marcus was sitting near the red toolbox, one leg crossed over the other as he polished the knife in his hand. He had a whole assortment of tools and weapons resting at his feet. Drying. Soon, he would need more than a simple rag to clean the weapons. Jesse tried to look away, but his eyes wouldn’t focus. He tried to choose another memory to follow—the first time Gideon told him he loved him, his first time with Emma—but it didn’t matter how well he knew these memories. He no longer had the ability to concentrate on anything at all. “It’s exhausting, isn’t it?” Marcus glanced up, waiting for Jesse to respond, but when it didn’t happen, added, “But maybe you’ve never had to wait for Gideon before. Never had to be stuck, not knowing how much time was passing, whether he was even going to show up to put you out of your misery. Well, I can tell you. There’s nothing worse.” Jesse had heard everything about the night Mary died, in bits and pieces. Marcus didn’t spare him the intimate, grisly details. He knew Mary’s dying words, and knew her blood had splattered on a young Marcus Brooker’s face and clothes. He knew Marcus still had those bloodstained clothes. A timeless testament to a moment Marcus would never forget anyway. “What would she think of this?” Jesse asked, though the 273


words were mushy and thin. Those yellow eyes gleamed, and his mouth tightened to the point of disappearing. “It doesn’t matter, now does it? She’s dead. She can’t think anything anymore.” Jesse was almost envious of her on that point. He didn’t want to die, but he wanted this to be over. “You’re going to be, too, you know.” Marcus snorted. “Oh, I don’t plan on dying for a very long time. And thanks to you, I should be strong enough to finally take care of Gideon, once and for all.” Jesse knew he should be able to figure out what Marcus was talking about, but it was nothing but gibberish to him. “How?” “Did you think I was hurting you for no reason?” The knife glinted in his hand as he rose to his feet. “I’m not Gideon. I don’t cause pain because I’m bored, or because I think it’s funny.” He ran the flat of the blade along the curve of Jesse’s ribs, the razor tip drawing a sliver of blood in its wake. “It’s about power. It’s about feeding from your pain. It’s about being strong enough so that I never, ever have to endure another night like Mary’s death.” “The more you hurt me, the more you can hurt Gideon,” Jesse said numbly. And if Jesse didn’t know this, would Gideon know it? How would he find out? “So how strong are you now?” Marcus smiled. Jesse really loathed that smile. “Strong enough not to need any of these fun toys to kill you.” Without looking away, he dragged the knife downward, 274


running along the top of Jesse’s thigh, just inches away from his flaccid cock. “But if you’re dead, my feeding’s over, and where’s the satisfaction in that?” Jesse’s money would always be on Gideon, in any fight. But if he wasn’t prepared for Marcus’s strength, he would be at a distinct disadvantage. And Gideon would have other distractions. If Marcus extended some sort of invitation, he probably didn’t bother adding the small print at the bottom that said, “Oh, by the way, this is a trap.” “You won’t bother keeping me alive after you get your satisfaction from Gideon.” “Oh, I won’t bother keeping you alive before I get my satisfaction with Gideon.” A second line appeared on Jesse’s other thigh. “But we’ve got hours before he gets here. And I plan on taking advantage of each and every one of them.” He turned away abruptly and tossed the knife into the toolbox. There were streaks of blood staining the back of his shirt; Jesse had no idea how they had gotten there. Marcus blocked Jesse’s view of what he was doing, but maybe that was a good thing. It spared him a few seconds of anticipation before the next onslaught. That relief fled as soon as Marcus straightened. In one hand was an engraved, silver Zippo. In the other, a two-tined fork, each spear honed to a sharp point. “I told you how the vampires bit Mary, didn’t I?” Flicking on the lighter, he added the scent of sulfur to the blood smell already coating the room as he held the fork in the dancing flame. “Over, and over, and over again. Feeding from her in 275


just small enough amounts to keep her alive.” Jesse didn’t want to die in that room. He lifted his head, studying the chains hanging from the ceiling. Nobody wanted to die in this room. Marcus knew that. Marcus planned for it. And he didn’t want to die before Gideon got there. He didn’t want Gideon to discover what was left of his mangled body. The first stab of the tines through his thigh was more painful than he anticipated. He had expected it to be more like Gideon’s bite, but it wasn’t. It wasn’t at all. The tines slid through his flesh easier, and the hot metal singed his skin. The blood oozing out of the puncture wound felt as hot as the fork did. Marcus leaned in and caught the dripping blood on his tongue. The contact was cool, almost soothing, fooling Jesse for a second into relaxing. That lasted only for a moment, though, only until Marcus clamped his mouth around the fresh wound and sucked. Hard. Jesse had to bite the inside of his cheeks to keep from screaming. It was worse, so much worse, than any bite he had experienced before. At the moment, it seemed worse than anything he had been forced to endure, period. It felt like more of a violation than anything. Marcus had been completely uninterested in using Jesse’s body sexually, and he never seemed aroused by what was going on. But for Jesse, this was a sexual act. An act that belonged to Gideon. Marcus lifted his head and looked at Jesse with a grotesque, red smile. The urge to scream was replaced with sharp nausea, and he opened his mouth, but there was nothing 276


in his stomach except a little water, and his midsection cramped. “What…?” Jesse couldn’t manage anymore. What the fuck was that? What’s wrong with you? What are you? Marcus sucked at something between his teeth, then swiped his tongue over his lips to catch the blood still staining them. “Oh, you are delicious. No wonder Gideon can’t keep his fangs to himself.” “Do you feed…on flesh, too?” Jesse took a deep breath, trying to calm his stomach and ignore the pain in his back. “Or have you just developed a taste for it?” “Not like this.” Marcus straightened, flicking the lighter on again to heat the fork. “I save that for after I’ve shifted.” Jesse watched the flames dance, fixated, his brain sluggishly trying to connect the dots. There was something there. Something dancing within his grasp. Something about a girl, and a coincidence. And Gideon. Had been so upset. Because there aren’t any coincidences. “Into a bear.” His dark head nodded, but his gaze remained as locked on the lighter as Jesse’s. “It cost me my soul, but after Mary’s death, I figured it wasn’t worth that much anyway.” “You sold your soul. You must believe in them.” Jesse looked away from the flames. “Where’s Mary’s soul, Marcus?” The sudden stab over his right nipple made him arch against the chains, all the air vanishing from his lungs, but Jesse was jerked into place again by a tight hand curling into 277


his hair and yanking his head back. “Don’t ask where it is,” he growled. “Ask where it should be. Because by all rights, she should still be alive. She should be bouncing grandchildren on her knee, and she should have lived to see the fruits of her labor. But no. Gideon took that away from her. And he took her away from us, away from everybody who loved her.” His lip curled into a sneer. “Because only Gideon’s feelings matter, apparently. The rest of us mean nothing to him.” Marcus pushed the fork in deeper, and Jesse struggled to take a single breath. He didn’t have the energy to speak again. And he didn’t want to. There was no reasoning with Marcus, no sense, no logic. The pain had literally consumed him to the point he was nothing but a coward, turning to the very darkness people like Mary gave their lives to resist. The fork disappeared, and Jesse half expected Marcus to suck down another mouthful of his blood, but he was apparently saving that treat for later. He pushed the fork through Jesse’s shoulder, and he realized Marcus was going to keep getting closer and closer to his neck. “Maybe I should nail you to the wall the way they did Mary. Then I can watch Gideon’s face when he walks in and sees you.” Jesse realized Marcus wasn’t merely musing on a possibility. That had always been part of the plan. He also understood he was going to start screaming soon, and once those floodgates opened, there would be no stopping it. “Wasn’t seeing it once enough for you?” 278


His eyes bored into Jesse’s. “I see it every night when I go to sleep. Welcome to my nightmare.” Marcus raised the fork again when an alarm began to sound. At first, Jesse didn’t understand what he was hearing. It came to him through layers and layers of cotton. But Marcus clearly knew what he was listening to. He dropped the fork immediately and hurried over to the door, swearing under his breath. Security? It must have been security. Nothing else would make Marcus hurry out like that. Nothing else would make him thoughtlessly leave the door ajar. Jesse’s shoulder and thigh were still bleeding. Any other time, it might not have meant much to him, physically. But he was already drained in every sense of the word, and without Marcus to focus on, everything began to swim and blur and darken. He heard the hinges creak rather than saw the door push open again. There was a sharp intake of breath, but as he struggled to open his eyes, something tickled at his bare chest. Something warm. Something soft. “Oh, my God…oh, Jesse.” There were two options, as far as Jesse could tell. He was hallucinating. Or Marcus had made good on his promise. His cloudy brain couldn’t make it make sense otherwise. And she was far too warm to be a dream. His heart slammed against his chest, and his blood roared in his ears. No, she can’t be. No, no, no. She can’t. Don’t do this. No. Please, please, please… “No, no, no. No. No. No.” His voice cracked, but he couldn’t stop his denials, or his pleas. 279


CHAPTER 21 He hadn’t wanted to bring Emma along. There had been a moment when he had seen her wide eyes in the lobby of the apartment building that Gideon had wanted to throw her over his shoulder, take her upstairs, and lock her safely away before heading out to take care of Marcus on his own. He had come “thisclose” to actually doing it. But then she had held out that damned invitation to him. Didn’t say a word. And the scent of Jesse’s blood had assaulted his senses. It carried with it the stench of fear, and the sinking feeling Emma had felt that—even from this kind of distance—had convinced Gideon he couldn’t leave her out of bringing Jesse home. 280


Besides, he might need her. The heavens were on their side. Though it was still the wee hours of the morning, a storm was swiftly approaching the city. By dawn, it would be blanketing Manhattan in thick clouds and heavy snow, buying Gideon extra time should he need it. He prayed he wouldn’t. He wanted to get into the house, get rid of Marcus, and get Jesse out. When the alarms went off, he wasn’t surprised. The two guards who tried to stop him from entering, however, were. “Go,” he ordered Emma. He stared at the bank of monitors they had watching over the private residence and pointed at the shot of Marcus emerging from a room. “That’s where you’re going to find Jesse. I’ll take care of the rest.” She bolted. She didn’t have to be told twice. Gideon watched Emma as long as he could, ensuring she didn’t encounter their unsuspecting host. His gaze moved from screen to screen as he watched Marcus’s progress, settling into the chair one of the security guards had kept warm and propping his feet up on the desk. His eyes were on the door when Marcus came marching through, a mocking sneer on his lips. “No offense, but your rent-a-cops leave a lot to be desired.” Gideon looked pointedly at their broken bodies on the floor. “Well. They did, at least.” “You’re early. The party favors aren’t even ready yet.” He wiped the corner of his mouth with his thumb. “Which is a shame, because the bit I sampled was delicious.” It took every ounce of Gideon’s control not to leap over 281


the desk and snap the man’s neck right there. He hadn’t seen it on the monitors, but now, the blood staining Marcus’s lips was all he could see. Gideon inhaled the incoming aromas. “Emma said she thought you were human,” he mused. “But she’s wrong. You’re not a vampire, though…” He sniffed again, and slowly, the realization dawned on him. There was age in those pores. This wasn’t Brooker’s son. This was Brooker. “You should’ve said something.” Swinging his legs down, Gideon rose and came around the desk to lean against its edge. “We could’ve gone out for a beer or something. Caught up on old times.” “Going out with Jesse was much nicer. He’s a wonderful conversationalist. But I did find a way to shut him up. A few ways, actually. And you’re right. I’m not human. Not anymore.” He paused, his small smile disappearing. “Not since the night you let Mary die.” The desk splintered in Gideon’s hands. “Mary would hate what you’ve turned into, Pastor Brooker.” He used the title on purpose. Not that he thought it would make a difference, but at one point, this had been a man of the cloth. A man of conviction. Of faith. Maybe there was a grain of that man still somewhere inside. “At least I continued the mission. I’m not the one hurting innocents.” “Who? Jesse? Please, Gideon. I’ve seen the marks on him. Smelled you all over him.” His eyes lit up. “Oh, you mean the treat I left for you in Central Park? The girl you tried so 282


valiantly to save? I thought you’d like that.” Marcus took a step closer. “I learned more from you than I ever learned from Mary. I learned this world is nothing but pain. And if you want to survive…well, it’s best not to be on the receiving end.” Each word stabbed. He didn’t remember much about Marcus Brooker, but he did remember how Mary had valued her church, how important the people in it had been to her. And it had been Brooker who’d been stuck on the altar with Mary when the vampires had savaged her so viciously. The scars he bore ran deep, justifiably so. What hurt the most was…Gideon knew Mary wouldn’t even blame him for what had happened to Brooker. She’d find some way to shift it away from him. Because that was the kind of woman she’d been. He remained still as Marcus advanced again. “You don’t want this fight. You’re going to lose.” “No. I’m not. Because you can’t hurt me, Gideon. And you can’t beat me. I can feel it, you know. How hurt you are when I say her name. Mary, Mary, Mary. And that just makes me a little bit stronger. And honestly, I’ve been gorging myself for the past four days.” Marcus kept walking as he spoke, until he was within striking distance. Gideon didn’t realize his intention to strike until his fist connected with Gideon’s face with enough force to send him flying back to the wall. There was concrete beneath the plaster coating, and it jarred Gideon’s spine to the point his ears rang. His head 283


snapped back, another distinct crack splitting the air, but he leapt back to his feet, fangs descending in preparation for the fight to come. The sight of Marcus laughing only made him angrier. He didn’t waste words. The time for talking was over. Summoning every ounce of his rage, he vaulted over the debris at his feet, hands ready to tear the bastard apart. Marcus swatted him out of the air as easily as a cat swatting at a fly. Gideon found himself on the floor before he even realized what was happening. Marcus crossed the room and slammed his foot into Gideon’s ribs, almost hard enough to crack them. “Did you think it would be easy? Did you think I haven’t spent the past forty years preparing for this?” Another hard kick. “And you didn’t even recognize me. Imagine all of the pain you could have saved your friend if you weren’t so selfabsorbed.” The strength surprised him. The vampire he’d tortured had warned Marcus was feeding off pain, but if he was this powerful, what did that mean for Jesse? Gideon rolled out of the way of another kick, ignoring the pain of his bones scraping against each other. “Maybe I didn’t recognize you because I moved on. It’s fun. You should try it.” Marcus grabbed him by his shirt and hauled him to his feet, slamming Gideon against the console of monitors. “I can’t move on.” He punctuated the declaration with a sharp punch to Gideon’s nose. “Not until you’re destroyed.” 284


Blood spurted from the blow, dripping over his mouth. Gideon tried to knock away the hand holding him, but it was like steel, coiled into his shirt. Marcus drove another fist into Gideon’s jaw, and then again, and then again, each one marked with more of the hatred he’d already spewed. His eyes burned, and his head was spinning. In a last ditch attempt to get free, Gideon slammed his knee into Brooker’s midsection. All he managed to do was slide down the console, lying flat on the counter instead of across the security screens. Marcus took a deep breath, his eyes flashing with power. “This is better than I expected.” He grabbed Gideon by the hair and smashed his head against the counter. “I never fed off a vampire before.” He smashed Gideon’s head again, and his vision began to darken. He swung wildly and landed a blow against Marcus’s throat, but the blow barely slowed him. “I was just going to stake you but now…” His words faded as the monitor behind Gideon caught his attention. “Well, what’s this? You brought me a little treat.” He pulled his fist back behind his shoulder and it flew through the air before coming down just below Gideon’s eye. “I normally don’t like it when my plans are changed, but this is better.” He brought Gideon’s face close to his and smiled. “I’ll keep you both for awhile. Jesse really doesn’t have much left to give me.” Gideon slumped to the floor when Marcus suddenly released him. The world had gone to black by the time Brooker stepped over his body. 285


*

*

*

“Be fast.” That’s what Gideon had told her before they’d arrived at the house. Be fast. Because time was of the essence. Because Jesse had been gone from them too long already. Because they had no idea what Marcus had done to him. Because there was no more time to waste. But Gideon hadn’t known what she was going to walk into. He hadn’t prepared her for the awful reality of seeing Jesse hanging from those damn chains in the ceiling. He hadn’t told her she was going to have to remain calm and collected in the face of seeing the man she loved so… Broken. It was obvious where the patch of hair had come from, because he had a bloody bald spot the size of a silver dollar above his ear. One eye was entirely swollen shut. His cheeks were purple and black, his lips cracked and bleeding from bite marks. His chest, neck, and shoulders were covered in cuts— some of them deep and oozing, some of them no more than scrapes. There were a series of holes in his flesh—the culprit obviously the fork dropped at his feet—and fresh blood on his thighs. Bruises marred his legs, his hips, and no doubt, his back. All shapes and sizes. His stomach was the worst. Marcus had stripped him raw with a whip. There might have been some skin left, but Emma couldn’t see it under all the blood. How could one person bleed so much and still be alive? Was he still alive? She had to touch him. She had to be sure. 286


Her touch seemed to rouse him, and she expected to see relief in his eyes. She didn’t expect the immediate terror, or the sobs of protest. “Ssshhhh…” she tried to soothe. “It’s okay. It’s me. Everything’s going to be okay.” But nothing she said made a difference. His hoarse babbling continued. Her gaze flew up to the shackles holding him in place. She needed to get him out of here. Where would the key be? What if Marcus has it? We didn’t think about that. But if Marcus has it, then Gideon will get it off him, and we’ll get Jesse out of here together… She whipped her head around, scanning the room anyway. The alarm had gone off suddenly. Marcus had bolted from the room; she’d seen it on the monitors. He might have left the keys behind. It took all her strength to step away from Jesse. It took even more to turn her back on him in order to search through the nightmare of tools surrounding them. Emma tried to search for the keys without touching anything. He couldn’t have used all these tools—all of these weapons—on Jesse. She refused to believe that. And the smell. It was overwhelming. She held her breath and scanned the counter, moving further away from Jesse as she searched. Finally, something caught her eye that wasn’t bloody, or rusty, near a red toolbox. She grabbed the key ring with a sound of triumph, but that feeling died quickly. The ring was heavy with keys. 287


“God, which one?” She rifled them through her fingers as she rushed back to face Jesse. There were too many. She was never going to be able to figure out which one was for the cuffs. Jesse’s babbling stopped. Emma froze. When she lifted her eyes to look at him, he was staring at the keys in her hand, at the small, silver one currently in her fingers. “This one?” He might have blinked. It was hard to tell with how swollen his face was. He definitely made a noise, though. “Well, it’s a place to start, at least.” Stretching as high as she could reach, Emma grasped Jesse’s arm to hold him still, wincing when a fresh trickle of blood leaked out from beneath the iron shackle. Her vision swam, but she blinked away the tears as she slipped the key inside. No crying. Not in front of Jesse. He needed her to be strong. Emma knew he wasn’t going to be able to support himself, and she didn’t know if she could hold him up. She decided it would be best to unchain him and help him to the floor. Gideon would need to carry him out, because he wasn’t going to be walking anywhere. Emma braced herself and turned the key in the lock. It clicked, and the cuff swung open, freeing one arm. Jesse swung forward, like she thought he would, and she was forced to wrap her arm around him, nearly dropping the keys in the process. His wrist was rubbed raw, and his arm fell uselessly to his side. 288


By the time she managed the second cuff, Emma’s legs were quivering from holding his weight against her. Unceremoniously, she dropped the keys and, slipping her other arm around Jesse, eased him to the floor. What do I do? I need Gideon. I can’t carry Jess, I can’t do this on my own. Gideon needs to help me. Except Gideon was taking care of Marcus. Be fast. How was she supposed to be fast when Jesse couldn’t walk? Emma knelt in front of Jesse and only then noticed the cuffs around his ankles. She grabbed the ring again and found a silver key similar to the one she used to unlock his wrists. Jesse whimpered when she freed his right ankle, and she wasn’t sure if it was with relief or something else. The lock stuck on the second cuff and her slick fingers didn’t help matters. Neither did the sight of fresh blood leaking from beneath the cuff. “Emma… Gideon needs… he needs to know that Marcus…” “We know.” She reached out to skim her fingers over her cheek, lowering her walls just enough to try and ease some of his pain. “But it’s okay. Gideon’s strong. He’s not going to be taken by surprise.” Emma’s only warning was the sudden spark of pure terror that jumped from Jesse’s skin to her fingers. Before she looked up, she felt a strong hand curl around her hair, and then she was being yanked to her feet. “He’s strong, but…” Marcus took a deep breath. No, not breathing. He was sniffing at her. “Not strong enough, I’m 289


afraid.” Panic swelled in her throat. It crawled over her skin, made the blood rush in her ears. The second she heard the hungry growl at her neck, however, Emma realized her mistake. He fed off pain. Off fear. She hadn’t spent so much time learning how to protect herself from wayward emotions to make things even worse for Jesse. She had to help. In the only way she could. Twisting to face him, she ignored the streaks of blood marking his dark skin to focus on his yellow eyes. “He’s not the man you think he is.” She pressed her hands to Brooker’s chest and concentrated on all the love and hope Gideon and Jesse inspired in her. “And you’re not nearly as badass as you think you are.” *

*

*

The first thing he felt was blood trickling into his eye. The second was the bitter bite of rage. Gideon bolted to his feet, reeling enough from the sudden shift for his hand to shoot out and grab the counter for balance. His head swiveled, looking for Marcus. Where had the bastard gone? You brought me a little treat. His gaze snapped to the monitors. Emma. Fuck. He ran without waiting, following the trail Marcus had left. There was blood—Jesse’s—and there were the pheromones 290


betraying just how little humanity Brooker had left. Gideon raced blindly through the corridors, jostling against corners that leapt out of nowhere, leaving smears along the beige walls when he fought to retain his balance. He had told Emma not to dawdle, to get Jesse out of there as fast as she could, and he’d wait for her outside. And now, he had to be faster to keep Marcus from hurting another person he loved. The blood assaulted him long before he reached the door. It drove the demon inside harder, created a hunger that wasn’t about devouring those who had suffered the loss. Everything inside Gideon wanted to tear apart the monster responsible for spilling the blood in the first place. He would find Marcus, and he would tear the son of a bitch limb from limb. Because enough innocent people had died already. Emma and Jesse would not be the next. Whatever he had scented in the hall, however, was nothing compared to the barrage that struck him when he reached the doorway. Jesse was slumped on the floor, wilted in onto himself. His body was bruised and bleeding from more than just a whipping or two. There was evidence of branding, biting, slicing, and skinning. His stomach was raw, the muscles beneath his shredded skin twitching and exposed, and the limp way he held his arms suggested further injury deeper than any eye could see. For a second, Gideon wanted to forget everything else and go to him. Pick him up, take him out, closet him away where 291


he could never feel pain again. But something stood in the way of his desire. Because between Jesse and Gideon, Marcus Brooker held a resolute Emma in his arms. Or rather, she was clinging to him. She was trembling. Her cheeks were pale, her eyes black, and the hands she had fisted in Brooker’s stained T-shirt were white-knuckled from how desperately she was holding on to him. The bombardment Gideon had walked into wasn’t the blood. It was the rash of feeling Emma had unleashed. Marcus fed on fear. Love had to be poison. Marcus’s face began to shift, his features extending and then shrinking, his teeth growing into wicked incisors, and getting too close to Emma’s face. But she didn’t let go. Marcus struggled, howling and shouting, the sound tearing through Gideon’s head. And she still held on. Emma didn’t let go until Marcus’s hands turned into paws, his fingers growing razor-like claws. The fresh scent of her blood assaulted Gideon, but he could tell at a glance that her injuries were mere scratches. More startled than hurt, she fell back. But the intense feelings didn’t cease. Marcus spun around to face Gideon—not human, but not a bear. His eyes rolled wildly, his claws flexed, and his teeth were bared. “Stings, doesn’t it?” Gideon snarled. He launched forward, his shoulder slamming into Brooker’s chest to drive him back against the opposite wall. Marcus raked at his back, but this time, the pain was welcome. It reminded him he was still there to fight, and Gideon 292


embraced the sensation before turning his gratitude back outward. Gideon aimed for Marcus’s ribs and hit him several times, each blow sharp and direct. His bones snapped beneath Gideon’s assault, but it wasn’t quite enough to stop Marcus. He was fighting wildly now, the precision gone from his actions. Occasionally he would hit Gideon with his claws, but he barely felt it. Once, Marcus tried to bite his throat, but Gideon fended him off with a pointed jab across the nose. “Told you he’d come.” Jesse’s voice from behind him. The words were mushy, but the emotion in them was clear. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Emma folding her arms around Jess, holding him close while both of them watched the fight. It was that vision, the reminder of what he had to gain, of what he had to protect, of what he refused to lose, that prompted Gideon to grab the sides of Brooker’s head and twist as hard as he could. The sound of the bones snapping crackled throughout the room. The snarl that had bubbled from Brooker’s throat died in the very next breath. Gideon let go, and the man crumpled to the floor, his head lolling at an awkward angle. “Oh, my God,” Jesse whispered. Gideon spun around, forgetting Marcus’s body at his feet. Jesse’s head was resting on Emma’s shoulder, but he was looking at Gideon with naked relief. “We’ve got to get him out of here,” Emma said softly. It took three long steps to reach them. Crouching down, Gideon searched past the bruising and the cuts, meeting 293


Jesse’s one eye that wasn’t swollen shut. He reached out to touch, but fear tempered the motion, leaving him to ghost his hand an inch over his lover’s body. “What about you?” he asked, turning to Emma. “Are you okay to walk if I carry him?” “I’m fine. Just a bit…tired. As long as we don’t have to run or do any heavy lifting, I should be fine.” She cupped Gideon’s cheek gently. “What about you? Are you okay?” No, he wanted to shout. He wasn’t okay. His muscles were screaming, he was pretty sure he had at least one broken rib, and the two people he loved most in this world were huddled on the floor, bleeding and exhausted because of him. Because of choices he had made. Because of his mistakes. He wasn’t okay. He wasn’t even sure he knew what okay was anymore. He slammed up every defensive wall he could to protect Emma from his destructive thoughts. “I’m good,” he heard himself saying. “Now let’s go home.”

294


CHAPTER 22 More and more, Jesse found himself choosing to stay in the dark, where it was cool, and quiet. Each time he felt himself swimming back to consciousness, he fought it, greedily clutching the good dreams, and trying to avoid the nightmares that always seemed ready to swallow him whole. The only time he did make the concession to wake up was when the pain returned. He felt like his bones had been ground down to splinters and dust, and his skin was as dry as parchment, and his blood was powder. Then he woke up and Emma was always there, ready to feed him soup and water and give him his pills. He would let himself drift away again after the drugs. 295


Because nothing hurt in the darkness. And he was afraid—so afraid—of what he’d find if he allowed himself to return to the world. He didn’t want to see his body. He didn’t want to know if he was as mangled and misshapen as he felt. He didn’t want to know if it horrified Emma to look at him, and if it did, he didn’t want to see her try to hide her reaction. He didn’t want to know how long it would take to heal, how long it would take to be a complete person again. And he was afraid to face Gideon. Sometimes, right before the dope wore away, and the pain was a bleak promise, his mind would fall into a loop, like a record skipping on the same track, over and over. It would be the same memory, but with the vivid quality of a dream—Gideon smiling at him. The first time Gideon smiled at him. He had been pleased with something Jesse had done, and he had smiled, and Jesse had puffed up a little. But something told him Gideon wouldn’t be smiling at him now. Because Jesse had lied to him. Because Jesse had gone behind his back. Because Gideon might view the events leading to Jesse’s captivity as a sort of betrayal, and Jesse didn’t think he’d be wrong. Jesse didn’t even know if his fear was unreasonable. It seemed the part of his brain dedicated to those sorts of judgments had shut down, and now Jesse was just left with fear. Reasonable. Unreasonable. Logical. Illogical. They were utterly meaningless words. He could have asked Emma about Gideon. Maybe he had? If pressed, he would say he had several conversations with Emma, but if pressed, he would also say he had abandoned his body a dozen times to fly over 296


the city. It was better to sleep, anyway. Better for his body if he gave it the chance to heal. Better for his mind, so he couldn’t dwell. Better for his nerves, which were raw and sore and needed time, or he was likely to cry for no reason and wince every time somebody moved toward him. But the darkness began to clear, and no matter how hard he tried to wrap himself in oblivion, his body was having none of it. The first thing he noticed as the light splintered behind his closed eyes was that the pain had faded. It wasn’t gone, but it was far from sharp. Jesse knew this level of pain quite well— in the past it had always been a vague but welcome reminder of everything he had shared with Gideon. Now it was a reassurance things were healing. Skin, and flesh, and bones, knitting back together. Jesse listened before he opened his eyes. He could always hear Emma in the room, even when she was asleep. Her breathing wasn’t like his. It didn’t sound forced. And she always greeted him. Good morning, Jesse. But the room was silent, except for the slight whistling accompanying each of his exhalations. He cracked one eye, and for a brief second, he thought he would see the room that had acted as his cell for far too long. But no. It was the master bedroom in the penthouse. Not quite as comforting as being home—and God, he wanted to go home—but close enough. And there was sun on the far wall. Just a single line, because the blinds were closed. But enough to let him know he wasn’t trapped in the windowless room. 297


Jesse hesitated before opening both eyes. If he did wake up, and he wasn’t doing it just to get food or painkillers, he would have to deal with the reality of his body. And he’d have to do it alone. But maybe that was for the best. Maybe this was something he’d have to do alone… It was dim enough that when he opened his other eye, it didn’t hurt. He blinked for several seconds, waiting for everything to come back into focus. He lifted his head enough to look down at his chest and legs. He was still covered in bandages, but either they had recently been changed, or each of the cuts had completely healed over. Either way, Jesse didn’t see any telltale drops of blood staining the white ribbons on his skin. Which was a start. Jesse let his head drop to the side, and he noticed the figure in the corner for the first time. It didn’t startle him. He knew Gideon’s shape, even if he couldn’t see his face. Right there. Just feet away from him. Had Gideon been sitting there the entire time? Watching over him? Waiting? And could he blame his raw nerves for the sudden warmth behind his eyes and the pure relief surging in his chest? Because Gideon wouldn’t be there, watching him, waiting for him, if he was angry. Right? “Gideon.” His name barely took shape in Jesse’s dry mouth, but he knew it would be enough. “How’s the pain?” The query came without movement, soft and concerned as it reached out to him through the shadows. “Do you need me to get anything for you?” 298


Jesse licked his dry lips, and his tongue felt like sandpaper. “Water, please.” When Gideon stood, he half expected him to walk out of the room. Instead, he took long strides to the dresser and picked up a pitcher resting there. Ice clinked unseen inside when he poured, promising refreshment, and Jesse licked his lips again as Gideon brought the full glass to the bedside. A strong arm slid tenderly beneath his shoulders, easing him up enough to drink without choking. Gideon never said a word as Jesse sipped, only laying him back down once he’d had his fill. “Are you sure you don’t need any painkillers? The doctor said…there’s plenty if you need it.” “No. No drugs. I’m feeling better today.” Jesse watched Gideon carefully, already missing the contact. “Where’s Emma?” Gideon stuffed his hands in his pockets, as if he didn’t know what to do with them. “Grocery run. We’re out of coffee, and she’s tired of ordering in.” Jesse lifted his hand partly off the bed, just to see if he could. It responded well, and the ache he had come to associate with any movement was basically gone. His other hand responded as well. Gideon continued to hover, not moving any closer, or stepping away. “Coffee sounds really good,” Jesse murmured. The more he thought about it, the more he realized a lot of things sounded good. Coke. Ice cream. Pizza. Gideon not being so far away. Tentatively, Jesse lifted his hand again, this time 299


reaching out to touch Gideon’s leg. The muscles were hard beneath the fabric of his pants, twitching as soon as Jesse’s fingers touched them. Gideon made a strangled sound in his throat, ending with a small cough, but he never moved. “Anything else sounding good? Emma’s only been gone for a little bit. If you want something special to eat, all I have to do is call and tell her to bring me what I need to make it for you.” Jesse considered naming a few of his favorite dishes, but he wasn’t sure he could eat solid foods yet. Also, he was a little afraid Gideon would use his list as an excuse to leave the room. He certainly didn’t seem to be comfortable standing there. Maybe Gideon was worried about hurting him? Maybe he had been right about Gideon being upset with him? “No. I should probably stick with chicken broth for awhile. Can you…sit here with me?” He gestured toward the edge of the bed, so Gideon couldn’t misinterpret what he wanted. It took a deliberate glance downward, his dark eyes veiled, for Gideon to reach some sort of decision. Carefully, he perched on the edge of the mattress, bending one leg so he could angle and face Jesse directly. “The swelling’s gone down around your eye.” He smiled, or half-smiled, at least. “It’s good to see both of them at the same time.” “Yeah.” Jesse touched his eye gently. “It feels like the swelling has gone down everywhere. How long has it been?” 300


“Four days. The doctor I got in wanted to take you to the hospital, but we talked him out of it.” He gestured vaguely toward the nightstand. “Emma’s been using your cream to speed everything up.” Jesse nodded. He remembered packing extra. More than he thought even he could use during the vacation—he had been optimistic. Now he was glad for his optimism. But Jesse didn’t miss that Emma had been nursing him, seeing to him, waiting for him to wake up. “Gideon…” Jesse half-heartedly plucked at the bandage around his stomach. Maybe he should just drop it. Go back to sleep. Sleep was good. And when he woke up, Emma would be back, and she wouldn’t keep her distance. “I’m sorry.” “What? What the hell do you have to be sorry about?” Jesse grimaced, and kept his attention focused on his stomach. “I shouldn’t have…shouldn’t have lied to you. I should have told you about Marcus…about everything.” The stretch of silence that followed made him want to look up, but Jesse didn’t know if he could bear seeing the anger on Gideon’s face. It was bad enough his voice was tinged with the short-tempered severity that always preceded one of their fights. “Stop doing that.” Abruptly, he leaned over and grabbed Jesse’s wrist, pulling it away from where he’d been picking at the tape holding the bandages in place. He didn’t let him go, though. His strong fingers circled Jesse’s chafed skin, relaxing to ease any kind of pressure that might irritate him. “God, Jess…look at what he did to you. How can you even think 301


about apologizing?” “Because…I don’t know why you’re trying to stay away from me. And I’m scared that…” Jesse paused, looking at Gideon’s long fingers. “I am sorry. I am very, very sorry. If I had handled it…better, if I had done things differently, maybe…things would be different.” “Stop. Stop apologizing. Just…stop.” Gideon released his wrist and stood up, pacing the length of the bed once, twice, three times before coming back to the head. He didn’t sit down again. He leaned over and braced his knuckles on either side of Jesse’s pillow, completely filling Jesse’s vision. “Don’t be scared,” he murmured. “Please. I’m scared enough for all of us, and it’s taking everything I’ve got not to fly apart right now.” Jesse reached up, trailing his fingers along Gideon’s jaw. Four days was enough time for Gideon’s injuries to heal, but the bruises still hadn’t faded completely. He was close enough Jesse could lift his head just an inch to touch his lips against Gideon’s. “Why are you scared?” The muscles in Gideon’s throat worked. “I can’t lose you.” “I’m here. I don’t plan on going anywhere. And you ripped Marcus’s head off, right? I didn’t dream that part?” “Snapped his neck. Close enough.” He wasn’t moving. If anything, he looked like he was even closer. “What about when the drugs wear off? When you look at me and realize I’m the reason you got hurt? How can you say you’re not 302


going to leave then?” Jesse swallowed hard. It never occurred to him Gideon thought he would want to leave him. And it never occurred to him to blame Gideon for what happened. Not even when Marcus was explicitly telling him it was all Gideon’s fault. “I’m not that drugged. And when I look at you, all I’m going to see is the man I fell in love with about two seconds after I met him.” Jesse slid his hand to the back of Gideon’s neck and pulled him forward, closing the final inch between them so their foreheads were touching. “Assuming Marcus was telling me the truth, I know….well, I know a lot of things you probably didn’t want me to know. But it’s not your fault Marcus was…insane.” “It was. It’s my fault Mary’s dead.” “After she died, you both had a choice to make. Marcus chose to trade his soul for the chance to hurt everybody the way he’d been hurt. You did the brave thing. You chose to try to make the world better.” “Brave.” The breath it took to form the single word fanned over Jesse’s cheeks, but at least Gideon didn’t pull away. “Yeah, I’m so brave, I couldn’t even tell you about Mary. And that’s the only reason you went to Marcus. Because I wasn’t giving you what you wanted.” “And now we’re back to what I was sorry about. We’ve come full circle. Do you want to do another lap?” Jesse smiled a little, but sobered. “Please, don’t be afraid I’m going to leave. I couldn’t leave you.” Gideon was the one who tilted his head, and it was Gideon 303


who brushed his mouth across Jesse’s, but it was Jesse who sighed in satisfaction. It felt like an eternity since he’d had one of Gideon’s kisses. He didn’t want to have to wait an eternity for another one. “I love you,” Gideon murmured. “More than you will ever know.” “I know you do,” Jesse said before Gideon kissed him again, another brief caress. “Will you lay down with me? It feels weird, having this bed to myself.” Gideon sat back, his gaze flickering to the space beside Jesse before returning to the bandages that nearly covered his body. “You don’t need me crowding you. You’re still healing.” “You can crowd me a little. I feel better. And I miss you.” Jesse smiled a little. “Plus, I promise I’ll keep my hands to myself.” Gideon snorted. “Uh huh. Emma warned me about what was in that cream.” “I knew I shouldn’t have told her about my secret ingredient,” Jesse muttered. “Just how much more healing do I have to do? Is it as bad as I feel?” Dropping his gaze, Gideon stroked Jesse’s arm, caressing across his collarbone before skimming up to his jaw. “Your shoulders had it the worst. The strain on them was…and your stomach. But I’ll make you a deal. If you’re up to it, when Emma changes the bandages tonight, we’ll get in the hot tub. Put the jets on low.” His eyes were soft when he met Jesse’s again. “The heat should do your muscles some good.” 304


“I think I’ll definitely be up to it. That sounds wonderful.” Gideon’s fingers moved back down his collarbone and arm, finding a path unmarred by any trauma. “How did you know where we were? And what Marcus was?” “Oh, no. We’re on vacation, remember? I am not talking about any of this until you’re strong enough to drag me into the hot tub yourself.” “Just as well. I might forget we’ve had this conversation, and we’ll need to go through it all again.” Jesse glanced over to the chair in the corner. “Have you been in here for the past four days?” Gideon’s touch grew even more tender. “Where else would I be?” Jesse swallowed. “He kept saying…well, he said a lot of things. But his favorite routine was the old ‘Gideon Isn’t Coming’ song and dance. And I tried to warn him…more than once. I never…I didn’t let him break me down.” “Of course not.” The distant sound of a door opening and closing pulled Gideon from the bed, but before he took more than a few steps, the bedroom door cracked open and Emma peered inside. “Is he…?” Her query faded as her eyes settled on Jesse, and a smile lit her up as she pushed the door the rest of the way. “You’re awake,” she said, coming to the bedside. “How do you feel?” Jesse took a deep breath. “A lot better than I expected to feel.” He couldn’t stop himself from reaching for her hand— 305


her warm fingers folded around his easily. “I haven’t been a difficult patient, have I?” “Never.” Her free hand touched everywhere she could reach. “You haven’t been awake enough to be difficult.” “Well, that’s all going to change. I hope. I feel like I don’t want to go back to sleep for a long time.” He closed his eyes as she smoothed her fingers over his brow, wondering if he could convince her to join him, since Gideon wouldn’t. He cracked an eye, and noticed the way Gideon was watching them. He’d probably tell Emma not to crowd him. “I got a hold of Odessa. She’s agreed to let us keep the penthouse for another week until it’s easier for you to travel.” Shifting, Emma curled up on her side next to Jesse, clearly ignoring Gideon’s disapproving frown. “I called the Institute and told them there was an emergency here in New York,” she said. “Plus, I let them know I’m going to have to take an extra day off once we get back to Chicago.” Emma wasn’t quite touching him, but the added weight and body heat to the bed was enough to make Jesse happy for the moment. “Why do you need an extra day off?” “To move my stuff in.” Jesse didn’t miss Gideon’s small smile of satisfaction, and he couldn’t help his own smile. He knew there were still problems with the idea, but for the life of him, he couldn’t think of what those were. They didn’t seem to matter as much. But he did wonder if Emma’s practical side had won out, ultimately. Because even with semi-magical cream, Jesse knew he was going to be laid up for awhile. 306


“So I get my own live-in nurse? What’s your policy on sponge baths?” Her fingertips touched his mouth, her gaze softening. “Whatever you want.” “Within reason,” Gideon added. Emma wrinkled her nose. “Someone’s a party pooper.” “Someone just wants to make sure that someone else gets back on his feet sooner rather than later.” “So somebody can put me back to work,” Jesse said under his breath. “But I suppose I can be reasonable about whatever I want.” His arm went around Emma’s shoulders, and now she was crowding him a bit. Gideon’s frown of disapproval deepened. “Emma…” “Don’t make me get up, Gideon.” Lifting her head, she turned pleading eyes to the vampire hovering at the foot of the bed. “It’s been over a week since we’ve been able to touch Jesse like this. He needs this just as much as he needs anything else.” “It’s fine. I promise. She’s very gentle.” Jesse was actually more than fine. For the first time since he woke up, the pain took a backseat. Gideon wasn’t mad. Emma wasn’t horrified. He was warm and comfortable. There had been points where Jesse thought he would never be this content again. “Now, sit down. Stop hovering. And if I start to feel too overwhelmed, I’ll kick you both out.” When Gideon glanced over his shoulder at the empty chair in the corner, Jesse’s stomach dropped. He didn’t want Gideon 307


so far away. It was better knowing he wasn’t angry, but the distance was still too much, too soon. It was more than relief flooding through him, then, when Gideon sat down on the foot of the bed, careful not to disturb either of them. “Aren’t you supposed to be getting groceries?” he gently chided Emma. “I forgot my phone. I came back to get it.” Jesse brushed his lips across the top of her head. “You’ll have to send her out later, I suppose.” For a moment, there was just the sound of Emma’s breathing, and the gentle weight of Gideon’s hand on the top of Jesse’s foot. He considered just focusing on that, but the longer he stayed awake, the more Marcus crowded into his brain. And the things Marcus had said. “Gideon…I think… Well, I think we’re going to have to talk soon. About what he told me about you. And Mary. Because he was very specific about certain details and I…would rather not just have his version of events.” Emma’s lashes tickled where she turned to look down at Gideon. Gideon, in turn, had suddenly become very interested in picking at his fingernails as soon as Jesse had uttered the word, “talk.” “I know,” he said quietly. “All I’ve been able to think about for the past week was how I should have told you all about this ages ago.” “Gideon—” “Don’t, Em. Just…don’t. Maybe it’s better this way. Hell, it can’t be worse.” 308


“We don’t have to do it right now,” Jesse assured him. “I’m not going to be impatient about it. I just…don’t want this thing to be between us.” “No. Now. I need…I need to do this.” He looked up. His eyes burned, but they didn’t waver from where they met Jesse’s. “The first time I saw Mary was at her church, and I thought her ideas about changing the world were meaningless. But she was passionate about what she believed in, and when she talked…she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen…” Gideon continued to speak in an even tone, rarely pausing, his gaze fixed on Jesse. Jesse watched him struggle with each word, like he didn’t want to be carried closer and closer to the end of this particular tale. Jesse didn’t blame him, but Jesse didn’t see it as an end. Because it had really been a beginning.

309

JAMIE CRAIG

Jamie Craig is the collaborative efforts of Pepper Espinoza and Vivien Dean. Both successful authors on their own, they began working together in early 2006. Pepper lives with her husband and cats in Utah, where she attends graduate school, and Vivien resides in northern California with her husband and two children. *

*

*

Don’t miss Chaos And Communion, by Jamie Craig, available Spring 2008 at Amber-Allure.com!

Six months after Jesse Madding is brutally tortured by Marcus Brooker, he is still experiencing flashbacks, panic attacks, and jumping at his own shadow. His lovers, Gideon Keel and Emma Coolidge, would do anything to help him, but Jesse cannot tolerate the thought of being alone, and refuses to be hospitalized for treatment. Desperate for a change, Gideon and Emma suggest a radical solution. Jesse wants to fix his life. More than anything, Jesse wants to be normal again. He doesn’t want to live in fear. He doesn’t want to be ashamed of his scarred and mutilated body. He doesn’t want to shy away from Gideon’s touch. Certain that

the holding pattern will kill him, he agrees to Gideon and Emma’s proposed solution: travel to an alternative dimension and save Marcus Brooker from witnessing Mary’s grisly murder, in order to save Brooker’s soul.

AMBER QUILL PRESS, LLC HOME OF AMBER ALLURE! QUALITY GLBT FICTION IN BOTH PRINT AND ELECTRONIC FORMATS

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