Love Sucks! (10 page)

W
e left quick, fast, and in a hurry before the Bborim decided to come back. I called Ryan to warn him, but he didn't answer his phone.

“He'll be safe tonight. That thing wants you because it knows you're a key holder. It doesn't suspect Ryan could be one as well. Besides, it was injured and weakened, so it won't be back this evening,” Lex said.

“I hope you're right.”

“Are you okay, sailor?” Lex asked.

“Fine.” My voice sounded distant, even to me. I rubbed my shoulder and stared out the window.

Are you sure?

Robbie drove while Lex and I sat in the backseat.
As soon as Lex whispered into my mind, I shut the door again. Lex pulled away a little. Like me closing off my thoughts was equal to shutting him out.

And maybe I was in a way. I was so overwhelmed. On top of being the target of some crazed demon, I had my real-life teenage drama to add to it.

Ryan was single but unavailable. Bridget and Malia, my two best friends since forever, seemed to hate each other. And now Bridget was spending private time with Ryan—in a dark building where God only knows what could happen.

Not that anything would happen. Bridget was still crazy about Grady. Right?

I reflexively licked the lingering taste of cinnamon from my lips. I knew damn good and well what could happen in that building. Lex had kissed me stupid back there. So stupid that I had forgotten that Ryan was in the same county, much less on his way to walking in on us.

So stupid that I had forgotten the kiss was all for show.

Disappointment fluttered in my belly. This whole thing was confusing. Lex had always been nothing but a player, but I sure enjoyed every moment of his game. He
touched me like I was a rare silk. He looked at me like I was his last meal. And he kissed me like I tasted better than nectar.

How hard was it for him, though? Getting bored with every girl because he knew what she was thinking before she did? Sure, it would be fun at first, but I couldn't imagine living with no surprises. I thought maybe I'd changed his game a little. And I liked that idea a lot.

Now he had just saved me from being kidnapped by the Bborim. He'd risked his life for me. I had to admit, it sure was sexy the way he protected me, even if it was a little Cro-Magnon.

I had reached to unbuckle my seat belt and slide over next to him when my cell phone rang. I fished it out of my pocket. It was Auntie Tave.

“AJ, there's been a terrible accident. You need to get to the hospital. Immediately. And call Ryan.”

“What's happened?” I asked, panic burning my throat.

“It's your mom and Rick. I'll explain everything when you get here.”

I don't even know when Lex slid next to me and wrapped me up in his arms, but his warmth comforted me. I ended the call and dialed Ryan immediately. He
didn't answer. Again. I tried him and Bridget several times. Nothing. I left voice mails.

“Call Doreen and ask her to call Ryan,” Lex said. “He won't ignore her.”

“Good idea,” I said as I dialed. She answered on the first ring.

“Hello.” Her voice was weary.

“Aunt D, it's AJ. I'm on my way to the hospital, but I can't get Ryan to answer his phone to tell him. Can you call his cell phone for me?”

“Of course, dearie. And ye be careful, ye hear?”

“Yes, ma'am. Do you know details?” I asked.

“They're both in surgery. Tha's all I ken.”

I closed my phone and blinked away the hot tears that burned my eyelids. “They're in surgery,” I said.

Lex kissed my forehead. “Let's wait 'til we get there to worry, love.”

I leaned into him and closed my eyes. I tried to release the worry balled up in the pit of my stomach, but all I could picture was losing my family. And wondering what it would be like to face the world without the people I loved the most.

Including Ryan. Because if the worst did happen and we lost both of our parents, that would permanently split
the earth between Ryan and me, all the way to the bedrock. The damage would be irreparable.

 

Robbie dropped Lex and me off at the door, then went to park. We hurried to the elevators, which seemed slower than ever. When one finally opened for us, I punched the fifth-floor button and hoped the damn thing would suddenly develop warp speed.

By the time the elevator stopped, I had almost chewed my thumbnail to the quick. Auntie Tave was waiting for us.

I rushed into her open arms and let her hold me while I tried to get hold of myself. Panicking wouldn't do me any good. And it wouldn't change things.

“What are the details?” I asked. “Aunt D said they're in surgery. What happened?”

Auntie Tave took my hand and walked me to the waiting room as Robbie got off the elevator. He and Lex followed behind.

“There was a car accident. We're not really sure what happened. Maybe a hit-and-run, but we're not positive. After you called me earlier, I phoned Rick and he came to the hospital to make sure your mom got home safely. They weren't far from the house when it happened. There were no witnesses. Somebody just happened by the car
after the fact. It was smoking and upside down. They had to be cut out.”

“Mom and the baby?” I choked on my words.

“The baby is being delivered now by emergency C-section. Liz was almost eight months pregnant, so unless something really bad happened during the accident, the baby should be fine. But your mother has lost a lot of blood, AJ. And with what her body has been through with the pregnancy, it's not looking good.”

My knees buckled, and Lex stopped me from just collapsing to the floor. He walked me over to a chair and forced me to sit.

“What about Rick?” Lex asked.

“He had some trauma to the head. He's in surgery to release the swelling. They are cautiously optimistic about his recovery, but he will be in the hospital for a while.”

Ryan walked into the waiting room just as Tave was talking about Rick. As soon as Tave saw him, she backed up to the beginning—to where Mom left the house because she couldn't stop herself.

His eyes widened in shock.

After the information registered with him, Ryan turned on me.

“This is your fault,” he said. “You brought those
bastards to us. If I lose my dad, I'll never forgive you.”

“Ryan!” Auntie Tave said. “I know you're upset, but don't say things you'll regret.”

Bridget walked in then, but Ryan just grabbed her by the arm and pulled her out.

My mouth was suddenly like sand as the crack between us grew wider. Couldn't he have at least waited until our parents were out of surgery before he attacked me?

A doctor I didn't recognize came into the waiting room.

“Hello, Octavia. Is this Dr. Fraser's daughter?” he asked.

“It is. AJ, this is Dr. Douglas. He was your mother's surgeon today. And he's fully aware of her special condition.”

Code for “He's one of us.”

“The baby is doing well. She was a little over seven pounds and came out screaming bloody murder. We have her in the NICU for the time being, but I think she'll be moved soon.”

“And Mom?” I asked with a cracking voice.

“She lost a lot of blood. The accident caused an abruption, which is why we had to deliver your sister so early. And because of her already tenuous circumstances, this
extra blood loss has really taken its toll on her. She's extremely weak and still in critical condition.”

Lex wrapped his hand around mine as I sat there dazed. “Can I see her?”

“Soon. ICU has visitation every three hours. Next one coming up is at nine.”

“Can I see my sister?”

“Absolutely,” he said.

“Is there any word on Liz's husband, Rick?” Auntie Tave asked.

“I can check, but it will probably be a little while longer. Octavia, can you show AJ to the NICU?” Dr. Douglas asked.

“Yes, thanks, Jim. For everything,” Tave said as Dr. Douglas left the waiting room. “We need to tell Ryan about the baby,” she said to me. “He should come see her.”

We all walked down the fluorescent hallway, which felt a little like walking toward the electric chair. Ryan and Bridget seemed lost in conversation as they stood next to the vending machines.

“Ryan,” Octavia said. “Your baby sister is in the NICU. We're headed down to see her and thought you might want to join us.”

His dark eyes turned to ice as he glared at me. “I'll go later. Thanks.”

I tried to swallow the painful lump that had formed in my throat. “We're still family, Ryan,” I said. “No matter how you feel about me right now, the fact is, we're still family. We're all in this together.”

“Sorry,
sis
. This isn't an ‘all for one and one for all' moment. You worry about your family and I'll worry about mine.”

“C'mon, love. Let's go see your sister while duffer here acts like a selfish git.” Lex entwined his fingers with mine and pulled me away. I was shaking like a kitten caught in the rain, but holding Lex's hand helped calm me a little. I was so grateful I had him to lean on right now.

“Ryan will come around,” Auntie Tave said. “Some people really don't know how to handle stress, so they lash out at those they love.”

I tried to stop the laughter when I felt it bubbling in my chest, but I couldn't. It escaped in a loud hoot, and I was powerless against it. I laughed until I was gasping for breath and tears were streaming down my face.

“Love,”
I mocked with an eye roll. “Yeah. Ryan's all about the love, isn't he? Sorry, Tave. I know you mean well, but he's in a really bad place, and frankly, he can
stay there. Alone. Or, if Bridget wants to go there with him, more power to her. But he's not dragging me into his drama. I need to make sure everyone is healthy, and then I plan to keep them that way. With or without his help.”

Auntie Tave looked at me with big, sad eyes. “I just don't understand what happened,” she said.

“It started out as jealousy because of Lex and me, but it's turned into something much more,” I answered. “He's basically of the mind that we vampires should stick to our own kind.”

The look of shock on Tave's face was priceless. “Surely you're exaggerating,” she said. But instead of looking at me, she looked at Robbie and Lex for confirmation.

Both shook their heads no.

Tave seemed to lose herself in thought as we continued on our way to the NICU. I leaned in closer to Lex and worked on keeping Robbie out of my head. I think I finally figured out how to tell when he was in there. When Lex was in there it was obvious; it was a physical sensation, like he was pounding on a door to get inside. Robbie was so different. He was quiet and unassuming in real life, which meant he was exactly the same way in empath life. He was like an electronic bug in a room, hidden so well that he could only be found by accident.

Which is exactly how I discovered him. I had noticed in the car that even though I shut the door to Lex, something was still there. Something small but noticeable. Like a tack on the floor. Nobody sees it until they step on it. But once they step on it, they can't believe they missed it.

I must have stepped on Robbie in my head as I shut out Lex. And I'd been focusing on getting him the hell out of my head ever since. I wanted to be alone in my own skin again, thank-you-very-much.

The NICU was on the same floor, but it seemed to be fourteen miles away from where we had been. We arrived at the secured area, got our family wristbands, and after what seemed like forever, finally got to see the baby.

She was in this plastic incubator thing, connected to an IV and heart monitor. She had a shocking full head of black hair. All the Ashe girls had blond hair.

Oh. Right. She wasn't an Ashe girl. She was a Fraser. Well, technically, she was an Ashe-Fraser.

A tear slid down my cheek as I watched her little chest move up and down, working for every breath. Where did she fit into this fractured family?

Poor thing. So weak, so tiny, and born into such turmoil.

That's when it dawned on me. She was here. Alive. And unprotected.

“Oh no,” I said. “She's not at home. She's not in the house. She's not protected.”

Octavia nodded. “Someone will have to stay with her twenty-four/seven.”

“Is there some protective spell Aunt D can cast to help?”

“Yes, but she'll have to do it later. When there aren't so many people around.”

That's when I realized that with all the drama, we hadn't told Tave about our latest brush with the Bborim.

“Auntie Tave, you might want to get Aunt D up here as quickly as possible. We were attacked again tonight. Nobody's safe right now. Nobody.”

R
ick came through his surgery fine. They expected a full recovery, provided there were no complications. He would be in the hospital for a few days while he recovered.

I wasn't really worried about Rick. Something inside me told me he'd be okay. But Momma? I didn't have the same confident attitude.

Her body was not responding to any of the transfusions. It was like she was refusing the blood. Like maybe her body thought it was water instead.

But even though her vitals were weak, they were steady. And steady was good. If we could just get her to accept the blood, life would be okay.
Her
life would be okay.

Lex and Robbie dropped me off at the house a little after midnight. Aunt D and I were two ships passing in the night, as she was just headed to the hospital to cast some major protection juju on the baby.

Robbie and Lex followed me into the kitchen. I went immediately to the fridge, grabbed three hemoshakes, and passed them out. We were all famished.

And exhausted.

I took a long pull from my drink and almost grimaced.

“Once you've tasted real blood, these hemoshakes just don't quite do the trick, do they, sailor?” Lex asked.

“Tastes better than Mr. Charles's blood, though,” I said with a laugh.

But he was right. The hemoshakes were almost bland compared to the velvety richness of real blood. And I wanted to taste it again.

Actually, I wanted to taste
his
blood again.

But there was no time for that right now. We had more important stuff to talk about. Like the runes that we hadn't even looked at yet.

We all took a seat at the island in the middle of the kitchen, with our cans of fake V8, and wearily watched as Lex pulled the dirty brown package from his pocket and untied it.

He dumped the contents between us. There were several stones, some gravel, and one palm-sized smooth black rock with some weird lettering on it.

“There's only one,” Robbie said, confusion clear in his voice. “There should be three, but there is only one.”

“Maybe there was only one to begin with,” I offered.

Lex picked up the rune and studied it. “No. There are at least two more. This one is marked ‘tra,' which is three.”

“Do we need to go back and look again?” I asked.

“No. They're not there. I'm sure we would've been guided to them if they were. We just have to keep looking. And we can't let Ryan get to them first,” Robbie said.

Sadness shadowed my heart with his words. The one person I used to trust the most was now public enemy number one. Or maybe public enemy number two. I was pretty sure the demon was first on the list. At least for now.

Robbie looked at me and smiled. “You did good today. Blocking me, that is. I couldn't get in for about two hours. And that was during stress. So you're getting there.”

“Thanks. You've taught me well. Now, if I could just keep the bastards out of my head at night.”

“Is it getting better?” Lex asked.

“Somewhat. But they're still there. I can always feel them. They might not be knocking on my door, but they're definitely looking through my windows, and I don't like it.”

“We're staying here tonight,” Lex said. “There's no telling when Doreen will be home, and you guys aren't going to be here alone. We'll sleep in the living room, so don't worry about your virtue.” He winked. “It's completely safe with me.”

“Good to know,” I said with a laugh. “Actually, I'm glad you're staying. This whole thing has me on edge.”

Lex put the rune back in his pocket and walked me upstairs to my room.

“There are linens in the closet under the stairs,” I said, suddenly nervous. “Anything you'll need to keep warm.”

His smile was slow and lazy as he propped himself against my door frame. “You could keep me warm.”

My belly flipped. “Good thing I know you're just playing with me to get a reaction, Alexander Archer.”

His chuckle was low, throaty, and melt-in-your-mouth sexy. “You know that for sure, do you?”

I stood on my tiptoes and brushed my lips against his. “I do. Because no matter how much you play at being a bad boy, you're a good guy at heart. And you would never
try to seduce me while my mother was fighting for her life. Plus, I'm barely eighteen.”

His eyes went from playful to serious in a split second. “You know all that about me, do you?” he asked.

“Am I wrong?”

“No. What gave me away?”

I reached up, cupping his face in my hands. “The eyes. They give everyone away.” I touched my lips to his. He responded with a sigh.

“Good night, kitten,” I said, smiling as I closed the door to my room.

“Just so you know, I have no trouble with your age,” he said.

I leaned against the door and listened to Lex's footsteps as he went back downstairs. I heard the linen closet door open and shut, and just as I was walking away from the door, I heard Lex mutter, “You had to get tangled up in a smart one, didn't you, Archer, you stupid git.”

I smiled. Alexander Archer might be one helluva tough guy and vampire trainer, but he was a powder puff at heart. And I liked that about him.

 

The dreams came at me like a runaway train: full speed and out of control.

I couldn't tell what was real, what was imagined, and what images were being forced on me.

Panic seized me as I lay in my bed completely paralyzed, in a state of semiconsciousness. I couldn't stop the images flashing in my head.

I was being crowned queen in front of a faceless crowd. I was happy, enjoying the moment. And then the lights panned across the audience and all I could see were fangs and blood. Everywhere.

Suddenly I was gasping for breath. Trying to figure out what had happened. Did I betray my family? Myself? Did I rejoin the Serpentines?

I wanted to let out a scream, but it was stuck in my throat. I wanted to run, but my feet were stuck to the floor. Stuck. That was exactly what I was.

Wake up, love. Wake up. It's just a dream.

Lex's voice was a light in the darkness. I couldn't see where it was coming from, but I could feel it. It offered warmth and protection, so I latched on and followed it.

That a girl.
C'mon. Follow me.

I didn't know where I was going; I just knew this was the right path.
Keep talking.

I had a dream about you last night, sailor. We were on the beach, holding hands, watching the sunset over the ocean. Your
eyes matched the water. To quote a song, they were deep-blue, need-you eyes, and I couldn't stop staring into them.

My heart was racing, but I was no longer scared.
Tell me more.

He paused.
I think you're the first girl I want to introduce to my mum.

And with that, I was no longer paralyzed in my bed. I wiggled my feet, moved my legs, and opened my eyes.

Lex was sitting on the side of the bed, staring at me intently. I blinked away the sleep and confusion and tried to get my bearings.

“You all right?” he asked. “That was some dream.”

“You could see it?” I asked.

“I could. Woke me right up when I thought I was being crowned. I don't look good in tiaras—not that I've ever worn one before.” He laughed and winked at me.

“I've been doing so well keeping you out of my head. Why now?”

“When you go to sleep, you have less control over your subconscious. It just takes some more training. That's all. I know you can do it. You're already blocking Robbie, which is amazing. So don't worry, love. You'll be fine.”

I sat up and rubbed my face. The sky was slowly turning to gray as dawn was creeping to the surface. His words
nestled into a small corner of my heart and warmed me. But as much as I wanted to explore the whole mum thing, we currently had more urgent things to tackle.

Resolve took hold of me like a vise grip.

“We have to find the other two runes,” I said. “Where are we going to start?”

“We'll figure it out tomorrow,” Lex said, pulling the rune from his inside jacket pocket. “It's as cold as ice to me. Is it still warm when you touch it?”

I took it from him and heat filled my palm. And then suddenly I saw the second rune in my head. It was like looking at a picture in an album. “It's trying to tell me where the second rune is,” I said.

“What do you mean?” Lex asked.

“I mean, when I hold the stone, a picture of another rune flashes in my head. They're trying to communicate with me. Or with each other. The rune isn't buried, but I can't tell where it is.”

“Let's sort it out at breakfast. I bet we can figure it out together.”

“Sounds good.”

Lex lifted his hand to my hair, pushing it away from my face. “You okay now, sailor?” he asked.

I placed my hand over his and smiled. “Better.
Thanks for waking me.”

“That's what we bodyguards do,” he said with a sad laugh.

“You're definitely one of the good guys, Lex Archer.”

“So you keep saying. But even good guys have their limits. I better leave now or else I'll be risking my virtue as well as yours.” He gently popped the strap of my tank top and winked at me.

I swatted his hand away sleepily. “I'm going to shower, then I'll be downstairs. We can go on the great rune hunt after we check on Mom, Rick, and the baby.”

Lex stopped at the doorway and turned back to me with a slow smile. “I'll be taking a shower as well. A long, cold one.”

“Shut up.” I threw a pillow at him, which he easily dodged.

“Guess I know what we'll be working on at our next training,” he said.

“What's that?”

“Target practice.”

“You're funny.” I rolled my eyes as he walked away.

“Uh-oh,” he said from the hallway. “Brace yourself, sailor.”

I slid out of bed and wrapped the comforter around
me to go see what Lex was talking about. Before I got to the hall, I heard Ryan's angry voice.

“Unbelievable.”

I stood in the doorway and watched the two guys in my life glare at each other on the stairs. Ryan looked at Lex, then over at me. “Maybe he should've slithered out of your room a little earlier, AJ.”

“Ryan, it wasn't like that. I had one of my nightmares and he woke me.” Even though I didn't owe him an explanation, I wanted to give him one.

“I thought the nightmares had stopped,” he accused. “And honestly, AJ, how could he have known you were having nightmares unless he was in here with you? I'm across the hall and I don't hear you. I thought he had to be in the vicinity for his Jedi mind trick to work.”

How could I explain it? Ever since my training, the dreams had stopped—I'd been sleeping like the dead. But yesterday's mental exertion and battle with Tall, Dark, and Ugly must have drained me. I wasn't strong enough to keep them away.

“He was downstairs and got pulled into my dream with me,” I said.

“I like how you're using his mind trick as a cover. Very smart.”

“Listen, mate. It's not like that,” Lex said. “Why don't you just calm down? You're worried about your family, you've been up all night, and you're just a little punchy right now. Get some sleep, then let's all talk this afternoon. We have a lot to discuss.”

Ryan clenched his jaw. I could almost see the steam pluming from his ears. “You're not my family, you're not my
mate
, and you don't belong in my house. Get out.” He nearly spat the words at Lex.

“Grow up, kid,” Lex said as he tried to pass Ryan on the stairs.

That sent Ryan over the edge. He shoved Lex hard in the chest, knocking him backward.

“Ryan!” I yelled. “What the hell?”

A strange look flitted over Ryan's face, then immediately he masked it.

“Feel better now?” Lex asked.

Ryan smiled, and suddenly he seemed very calm. “I do feel better, actually. I'm outta here,” he said as he turned and started back down the stairs. “Later.”

“What was that about?” I asked.

“I'm not sure. His mind went blank just after he shoved me. But I can tell you one thing, sailor. Wherever he's going, we need to beat him there.”

“I
have
to go to the hospital. If you want to follow him, go for it, but my family comes first.”

“Okay, I'll go after Ryan. If I find out anything, I'll call you.”

Lex and Robbie took off after Ryan like bloodhounds hot on a trail.

Aunt D called to tell me she'd be home soon and asked if I'd wait for her. I took a long shower and tried desperately to wash the stress away.

I let the kids sleep in since we wouldn't be going to school today. They hadn't been to the hospital yet, and now that everyone was out of surgery they could finally go visit.

The kitchen was filled with early-morning sun and the smell of fresh coffee. Thank the java gods for automatic brewing. I wasn't sure what I needed more right now, a shot of hemoglobin or espresso.

I pulled a hemoshake from the fridge, downing it without tasting it as I poured my first cup of wake-up.

“Now, what to eat for real breakfast.”

Just as I began to forage for food, I heard a knock on the kitchen door. I grabbed a key-lime yogurt out of the fridge, then turned to see who was there, fully expecting it to be Bridget or Malia.

I promptly dropped my yogurt, splattering the floor, the fridge, and the wall with blobs of spring green.

It wasn't one of my friends.

It was my father.