My Immortal (17 page)

“How?
He senses what we do.” Allan drummed on the sides of his empty cup. “Nothing’s a lure.”

“We’ll use Stevie.” Todd shifted in his chair. The creak split the air.

“No.” Storm pounded both fists on the desk top.

“She’s the best bet.” Todd snorted. “He wants her and will stop at nothing short of killing you to get her.” As he shoved his chair away from the desk, Todd crossed his ankles. “She’s a doll, but what the hell has she got that he’s so fired up to take?”

“That’s my sister, muscle man.” Gypsy thumped Todd’s bicep. “Be nice or I’ll kick your ass.”

“That’s enough out of you,” Todd snapped.
“Spoiled brat.”

“Stop, both of you!” Storm jumped out of his seat and began pacing. His blood pressure spiked. His head throbbed. “Me—I’m his first victim and I’m the oldest. If I’m dead, he’s assuming the vampires I sired will choose to follow him.” He stopped walking and stooped his shoulders. Too many thoughts raced through his mind. “She’s the lure. If he takes or changes her, then he figures I’ll go back to his dark side or kill myself to end my suffering.”

“Come on. That’s ridiculous.” Todd stood as well. “Stevie, I’m sorry. But that’s ridiculous, Storm. You’re a good man and I’m not gonna roll over and follow his twisted lead because he offs you.”

“Although I don’t want to think of anyone dead, sometimes the simple answer is the best answer.” Stevie scooted out of her chair and wrapped her arms around Storm. “I know you won’t go rogue to satisfy him, but I think our safest bet is to let me entice him.”

Storm grabbed her shoulders. “Have you lost your mind?” He cupped her jaw. Illogical thoughts tumbled in his head. “I refuse to let you put yourself in harm’s way.”

“You can’t keep carrying the guilt from the initial attack.” With a curt tilt of her chin, Stevie shook her head. “I’ll meet him. I want to see this bastard fry, or whatever you all do when you die.”

“Turn to dust.” As Storm turned his back on her, he thrust his fingers into his hair. His voice dropped to a whisper. “We turn to dust and fade away.”

“What?” The heat from her touch seeped down to his bones and chipped away at his restraint. “I didn’t hear you, Storm.”

Allan resumed drumming on the desktop. “For fuck’s sake, we turn to dust when someone finally impales us or hits the target and shoots us with a silver bullet. Didn’t you tell her that, Storm?”

Storm slapped his thighs. “I didn’t have time.” Not when he’d rather spend every waking minute making love to her. Damn his libido and his bodily response to having her in his arms.

“Right.”
Allan drew his word out on a sigh. “I’m sure you had better things to do.”

“It’ll be okay.” Stevie smoothed her fingers along his clenched jaw. “We’ll have time after I convince him to come out and play. Then you can shoot, stab and mutilate the man as far as I’m concerned.”

“I’m with you, sis,” Gypsy shouted. “I wanna kick some vampire ass.”

“Hush,” Stevie said over her shoulder.

“I don’t like this, babe.” Storm yanked Stevie close, crushing her within his grasp. “I don’t like this at all.”

“I’m not fond of him hovering like a damn cloud over our relationship.” She nuzzled his neck. “If we can stop him, then we’ll do it.” When she looked up, Todd stood a foot away.

“We can have the showdown at the Starlight.” Todd scratched his chin. “We have the room and the equipment close.”

“He’ll smell a set-up.” Allan sighed. “He always knows.”

Giving her some space without letting go, Storm relaxed a bit. “Or his fucking hormones will coerce him to meet her. He’s led by his dick.”

Gypsy laughed out loud. “Aren’t all men?”

All four spoke in unison. “Shut up, Gypsy.”

“I’m just sayin’.” Gypsy returned to working on her doodle of a penguin. “I don’t get any respect.”

Todd aimed his thumb at Gypsy. “What do we do with the stand-up comic?”

“Send her off to a convent,” Storm muttered. “Or bring her along. We’ll need the help.”

“I wanna help this hunk of man!” Gypsy hopped out of her chair and threw herself against Allan. “If we’re goin’ down, I want him to protect me.”

Red streaked across the Allan’s cheeks. He toyed with his hands, half wrapping one arm around Gypsy. “You’ll be the death of me.”

“We need the ‘hunk of man’ for backup, if you don’t kill him with your natural charm first.” Stevie snickered.

Gypsy clapped her hands and squealed. “You’re good with a gun, too? Here and I thought you just made great eye candy.”

“You babysit the brat. I’ll watch Stevie’s back.” Todd twined his fingers behind his head. “I love to watch a train wreck.”

“Yes! I’ll bet we’re destined to be together.” Gypsy stuck her tongue out at Todd and squeezed Allan.

“You get the bullets ready and I’ll find plenty of stakes.” Todd crossed his feet on the table. “I assume his newly turned minions will be called to help him wage war. Are you in, Stevie?”

Stevie glanced at Allan. “In. Are you?”

“In.”

“In,” Gypsy said in a sing-song voice.

Todd nodded. “I’m in. What about you, Storm?”

Storm touched his forehead to Stevie’s and sighed. “I want to rip the bastard limb from limb for starting this, so I am very much in.” Visions of his and Stevie’s time together played on a filmstrip in his mind. She brought joy and light back into his dark existence. She made him whole. He’d die without her, even if she never admitted she loved him.

“Then we meet tomorrow at the Starlight—” Stevie nodded sharply, “—to end this.”

If it meant losing his own undead existence, for Stevie, Storm would risk everything.

Chapter Fifteen

At ten past midnight, Storm followed Stevie into the parking lot of his office. God, he could watch her ass sway and never get tired of it. If only he could relish it instead of worry she’d be taken from him. He rolled his tongue over his fangs, needing a taste of her one more time. Damn, he wanted to go home and wrap himself up in her love.

In the distance, a streak of lightning lit up the sky, while the squeal of tires blotted out the hum of the traffic on the nearby freeway. The clean scent of rain mixed with an acrid stench filled the air and clogged his lungs. Storm’s brain tingled and his jaw clenched. The vision of Stevie on the ground reappeared in his mind. Blood-soaked, she grappled with his hand.
Help me, Storm.
Please.

He stopped mid-stride on the unforgiving cement walkway. Something rumbled under his feet.
Jamison.
Fuck.

“Get back in the office, Stevie and load your gun with the bullet clip in the safe.”

“What’s going on, Storm?
Why did you stop?” Stevie clutched Storm’s sleeve, crushing his forearm in her grasp. “We can’t leave. That’s Edie’s car.”

“I don’t like this.” Storm clenched his fist. Electricity sizzled in the night air. “I don’t like this one bit.” The sky, already black, turned darker, as if someone extinguished the stars and the moon. The wind picked up, tossing Stevie’s hair about her shoulders and tickling his cheek. Her perfume and a strange new scent danced on the cool air.

The car, a red sedan with a dent in the right front fender, screeched to a halt in front of the office. Throwing open the door, Edie burst out and strode onto the sidewalk. “I have your money.” She thrust a thick manila envelope into Storm’s hands. “And thank you for your services.”

“Well, hello to you, Mrs. Tripp.” Stevie disengaged from Storm to shake hands with Edie. “I’m sorry things didn’t work out better for you.”

“Huh?
Yeah, hi.”
Edie backed towards her car and glanced over her shoulder twice. “Look, thank you. I’ll file for divorce in the morning. I—I need to go.”

Storm stepped forward and placed his hand on hers on the door handle. “What’s wrong? You left your car door open. Are you in trouble?” Try as he might, he couldn’t pry his way into her mind. Blank. But for a split second, he saw the situation through Edie’s eyes. Jamison turned Bruce right in front of her. To feed his bloodlust, Bruce killed Cherylyn. Edie’s fear and confusion hit him hard. She was scared out of her wits.

“I’m fine.” Edie’s eyes widened. “Forget what you saw.” She peeked over her shoulder again, but this time she screamed. “I need to go now.” Without any further explanation, Edie scrambled to her car, threw it into gear and peeled out of the parking lot.

“Storm?
What just happened?” Stevie stepped before him.
“Storm?”

Storm gritted his teeth. A chill swept through him. He felt Stevie’s arms around him. Hell, he heard her voice as she spoke, but the onslaught of emotions and feelings slammed over him. Try as he might, he couldn’t process everything fast enough.
One moment he saw the future—Stevie in a pool of crimson blood.
The next moment, he saw Gypsy crying and his own form screaming. What the hell!

“Dammit. Show your face, motherfucker. Stop playing games and show your fucking face.” Once he dropped to the sidewalk, Storm balled his fists and pounded the scarred surface. “Make this a fair fight.”

“Talk to me. I can feel something strange in the air.” Stevie’s soft hand gripped his chin as she turned his gaze to hers. Her blue eyes blazed with fear and determination. “It’s time, isn’t it?”

Behind her, Todd and Allan thundered across the parking lot. Storm didn’t have to look away from Stevie to know Gypsy clutched both men. All he saw was Stevie hurting.
Stevie dying.
He couldn’t stop the pain—not by himself.

“Is it time?” Stevie pressed her forehead to Storm’s. “I’m right by your side through all of it. I’m not backing down now or ever.”

“I love you, Stevie.
No matter what.”
He pressed a kiss to her lips, using the energy of her love to build his strength.

“Storm.”

Stevie’s eyes misted over, tearing at Storm’s heart. Her lack of confidence wounded him. Storm peered into her mind. She wanted to tell him how she felt, needed to. She didn’t know how to tell a vampire she loved him when she knew damn well she’d die and he never would.

When she looked away, Todd strode from his place on the sidewalk with Allan and Gypsy hot on his heels. “We’re gonna need those guns, aren’t we, Todd?”

“Get into the office with Gypsy so you don’t get hurt, Stevie.” Todd’s low voice rumbled in the room.

Storm drew a long breath into his lungs. His throat burned. He wanted to scream. “Go, so I can protect you better.”

“Jamison’s here.” Gypsy’s voice cracked. “And he wants blood—from all of us.”

“Oh fuck,” Stevie whispered. She twined her trembling fingers with his.

Storm squeezed her hand. “As long as I have a say,
he’s
fucked.”

Stevie stared at her sister for a long moment. The bastard wanted her blood?
Fine.
He wanted to kill Storm to get it?
More than likely.
She tipped Storm’s chin to meet his gaze once again. The soft mocha of his eyes burned a deep crimson. Heat, passion, revulsion, hatred, fear and longing rolled off him in waves. If she could take away his pain and end the nightmare of his existence, then she’d do it in a heartbeat. She’d do anything for the man she loved, including telling him how she felt.

Behind her, the wind blew the glass foyer door wide open, shuffling papers about in its wake. Squaring her shoulders, Stevie strode out onto the centre of the parking lot. “I’m here, bloodsucker. Show yourself.”

As she expected, Jamison materialised in the white glow of the lot light. “Ah, you’ve pleased me.” Dipping his chin, Jamison flashed a toothy grin and snapped his fingers. “Come my children, the time is near.” As he opened his arms, he closed his eyes. “I’m ready to take my bride.”

“Your bride?”
Stevie planted her feet and widened her stance. “Bullshit.” She belonged to one man—Storm.

“Such a mouth.
I’ll cure you.” Jamison snapped his fingers once more. This time, Lettie appeared in a flowing white gown at his side. Her hair whipped in the wind as if she were part of some sexy commercial for life after death. Her eyes blazed the same crimson as Jamison and Storm. Next to her, Bruce appeared. His eyes glazed and blood dripped from his cleft chin.

“Come out, come out,
Storm
.” Lettie opened her arms. The sheer fabric of her dress plastered itself against her perky breasts, displaying her engorged nipples. “Come out and finish what we started, lover.”

Revulsion swept over Stevie. She knew Storm well enough to know he’d never cheat, but what about when they were apart? Could he have stumbled into the arms of the blond vixen? Forcing the negative feelings aside, Stevie stood firm. “Go to hell.”

“Never.”
Lettie’s brows crinkled and her eyes narrowed to angry slits. “Go to your king. Storm needs
me
.”

Although she didn’t see him, Stevie felt Storm’s strong presence at her right. Todd and Allan stood to her left. She focused on the positive energy of her lovemaking with Storm. “I have no king.”