Unbound (15 page)

“I’m not leaving you here like this, man. You look like you might need me to fetch you something sweet to feed on. How long has it been anyway? You aren’t gonna be any good to sleeping beauty in there if you go under.” Cayden was beginning to feel real concern for his oldest friend.

Chase kept everyone in his life at arm’s length. He’d felt a closer connection to Sam at one point, but the long absences between visits, and knowing she had other guys had taken a toll on him. Better to be lonely than to be hurt seemed to be his attitude toward relationships in general, but he and Cayden had always been close.

Cayden had a point. It was now very early on Monday morning and Chase hadn’t fed since Friday night. He was feeling weak and confusion was setting in. “Fine. I need to feed but I’m not leaving. Maybe you can get one of the regular girls to come over.” Crickets could have filled the silence that followed his request.

“Wait a minute. Did you just agree to feed in your house? I can call a couple girls over?” Cayden was astonished. Chase didn’t respond except to nod in defeat. This was a big no-no for Chase. Watching him pace like a caged animal, Cayden decided he’d better act quickly before things got out of hand. The boy was seriously wigging out. Extracting his cell from his jacket, Cayden quickly had two girls on the way. Chase didn’t bring girls home with him because that was his private space not to be invaded or tainted by outsiders. His home was his temple.

Changing the subject Chase asked, “How did it go with Samantha earlier?”

“She was pissed I wouldn’t tell her who you carried in with you. I acted like I didn’t know and was just the driver. She went off on a tear about how I’m a bad influence on you and in the future things will be different, until her phone rang. Whoever was on the line had her upset and she left before finishing her tirade. Dude, does she think you guys are gonna be together, like bonded together? That’d really suck for both of us.”

Doc came out looking annoyed before Chase could answer, “I need to know the exact circumstances that led you to this girl and how she got so polluted and bruised. I believe she has a few broken ribs and her back looks as though she’s been kicked or beaten. I’ve taken a blood sample to run some tests but I’m sure she has been drugged. You can smell it, but it’s nothing I’m familiar with. There was another girl found earlier tonight in the same condition. Actually the other girl was in better condition because she wasn’t beaten, just drugged.” Doc slumped into a chair at the dining table, pinched the bridge of his nose and continued. “I may need to move her to my office for x-rays and observation. She isn’t healing as quickly as she should, and her breathing is too shallow for my liking. When I get these results, I’ll return to check on her again. Now, one of you needs to fill me in.”

Anger bled through Chase’s tone after hearing the extent of his Lovely’s injuries. He relayed the story of finding Danielle at the club and all the detail
s
Vince had given him. Doc Stevens listened to him incredulously until the story was finished.

“So she reached out to you telepathically in her condition? Asked for help, and when you responded, she ‘showed’ you where she was? Astonishing! What is the child’s name? I’m sure her parents will be looking for her.”

Chase hesitated, and then lied, “I only know her first name is Danielle.” Chase didn’t want Danielle taken away from him just yet, unless it was in the best interest of her health. So he played dumb in order to keep her with him. That annoying protective instinct was on high alert after finding her the way he did.

“While I’m gone I want you to try to reach her again. It’s obvious she has a connection to you if she picked you out of all the people in the club and called to you by name. Try to speak to her telepathically and verbally. The gifts of some vampires are
stronger with skin contact. I
f you’re not opposed to touching her it might help.  If you can get through to her I need you try to get some details about what brought her to this
end?
I’ll call shortly to let you know when I’ll be back.”

“Do you think this is connected to the other girl? What happened to her exactly?” Chase was pondering the Doc’s earlier comment.

“You haven’t heard? I think that may be something you need to speak to your father about, Chase. You know I do my best to stay out of
Council
business. I’m going to go now.” Fearing he had already said too much, Doc picked up his conventional black doctor’s bag and retreated. Chase was going to have to put some feelers out to get information about the other girl. The last thing he wanted to do was involve his matchmaking father. When he returned to the bedroom with Cayden on his heels, Chase realized the Doc had stripped Danielle of all but her underwear.

“Damn Chase, it must be your birthday ‘cause that is a sweet little present right there. I bet touching her
is gonna be a nightmare for you,
” Cayden drawled sarcastically. Chase immediately pushed Cayden out into the hall and shut the door. Laughing Cayden said through the door, “Let me know if you get tired man. I can come and relieve you for a while. I’d hate to see you do all the hard work.” Cayden’s voice faded down the hall, “I’ll let you know when dinner arrives.”

Chase stood by the bed doing his best to think about things like football, cars and his grandmother as he covered the nearly nude beauty up and tucked the sheet under her arms, careful not to disturb her bandaged ribs. After going out on the patio for some fresh air to wash away the cloud of lusty thoughts he didn’t want to think just then, he returned to the bed. He pulled off his shirt to get some skin contact and climbed into the bed with Danielle, focusing on doing what Doc asked of him, not of his awakening desire. As he snuggled in closer, he noticed something different about her. The
white streak in Danielle’s hair now had
red strands
running through them
. He was sure it hadn’t always been that way. He held one of her hands in his, his chest against the length of that arm and laid the hand of the arm he was leaning on across his Lovely’s forehead. Taking a deep breath, he cleared his head again and reached out to her with his mind and voice, resolve
d to bring her around before
Doc returned. “Come on, Lovely. It’s time to wake and talk to me.”

* * *

It felt as if she were under water. She could hear a muffled voice from very far away. Her limbs were too heavy to lift and her eyes wouldn’t budge. Dani struggled against the weight and pushed for conscious thought, wishing she could remember where she was and how she’d gotten there. She should have stayed home with her mom, but she’d needed to get away from Lucas. Fear set in as she began to recall the evening. Going to Thirst had been a huge mistake. That’s where he had tried to hurt her. Why had she bitten the bartender? He wanted her
to do it and it tasted so good. It felt so good u
ntil he bucked her onto the floor and kicked her repeatedly. The pain exploded in her chest but she’d been too weak to defend herself. She couldn’t move.

He stood over her amused and mocked, “How does it feel to be the one hunted, you little bitch!” Then he kicked her again and she heard the crunch of bone.

The bartender dragged her down the stairs cursing the whole time. Telling her his ‘master’ would be pleased with such a gift, and would reward him handsomely. Oh God. He was taking her away and she couldn’t move, couldn’t fight back. Her self-defense training taught Dani not to allow someone to take her to another location.

H
e dragged her down to the lower level by her feet.
The back of her
head hit every step,
rattling
her teeth
and
her brain
. Pain and anger filled
Dani
. S
he clearly remembered wanting to see his
head smack against the door
they were approaching. She wished he would feel the same pain she was in. The metal door ma
de a loud ringing sound when
he released her leg and
flew across the room to stri
k
e
the door with force. She’d watched him rise from his sprawl on the floor and shake off the co
bwebs. He was coming at her again so she planted him back against
the door with a fearful thought. She had no idea how she’d done it
, but she knew
that
somehow
she had made his sick twisted head hit the door. He cursed and staggered away promising to come back for her very soon.

* * *

Chase focused on reaching Danielle. He only left her for a few minutes to feed. Feeling refreshed and energized, he went to her and began pleading again.

“Please tell me what happened to you, Lovely.” The shock pulled him up short when events began pouring from Danielle’s mind into his. He was sickened to see and hear the events as Danielle had in the moment. He felt the sorrow and confusion that brought her to the club, but not the reason for the sorrow. He tried to dig for it to no avail. He felt every kick to her torso and every step against the back of her head. Danielle was answering his questions vividly. He pulled her closer, turning her in his arms to bring them chest to chest and listened while she reviewed having heard his thoughts of her as she lay helpless, begging for his help. He was a bit embarrassed to hear himself ache for her, knowing now that she was fully aware of his feelings. He asked her again to open her eyes.

“It’
s too deep. I can’t break the surface.  Don’t leave me. Please,”
she
murmured
the
plea to
his mind.

* * *

She could hear him now. It was Chase talking to her. He came when she called and he saved her. Dani begged him not to leave. She was so afraid that man would come back before she could fight. She couldn’t even see anymore. No way could she repeat her earlier performance.

“Can you hear me, Lovely?” Chase called to her. 

God yes she heard him and smelled him. He begged her to open her eyes. Over and over, he pleaded with her to open her eyes and speak to him. She was trying to reach him but the water was so deep. She kept trying to swim up to find him but her body wouldn’t work.

“Where am I? I’m afraid.
” She sent to him through the depths. He showed her a room with a king size bed, smoky gray sheets and big puffy pillows. She could see French doors that look like they led outside. She snuggled up close to a warm chest and wrapped in a protective pair of arms. It must be his bedroom. This was crazy. She was askin
g questions and getting answers telepathically
.

“You’re safe at home with me, Lovely,” he reassured.

“Do you know why Nathan wanted to take you?” She said “no” but he didn’t seem to hear it because he asked again. It was quiet for a while and Dani took in his warm sunshine scent. It was so intense here in his room. He giggled. Shit. Guess he heard that one. How embarrassing. She helplessly mooned over his very
presence and he was listening. How pathetic was that?

“I could smell what you smelled just then. How do you do that?” She had no idea. Dani didn’t even know who she was anymore, much less how she was communicating with him. Pain crept up her side and she remembered being kicked. Sensation was returning to her body. Unfortunately, her body was in bad shape. Chase’s sharp intake of air made her realize she was causing him pain also. She tried to pull back away from his mind but he wouldn’t allow it.

“Don’t you dare leave me now, Danielle!” he barked sharply. He must be pissed if he used her actual name. “I need you here with me. Please stay,” he pleaded in a more gentle tone.

“Distract me. It hurts,
”
she pleaded through the depths
as it became more and more shallow.

He must have gotten the message because a movie clip began to play in her head, complete with sounds and smells. He was showing her the night of the party. The night he spent in her bed. Holy Hell! She looked like shit when he took her out of that other guy’s car, Cayden was his name. She decided she would never drink again. Chase had taken her to her room and tried to leave, but he didn’t want to and, oh God, she took her clothes off and asked him to stay. She smelled like vanilla and something floral. It was driving him crazy. He showed her everything and she was mortified. She had mounted the poor boy and he had turned her down out of respect. He was so good to her that night when she really needed it, and he’d only groped her a little. But she had disrobed and climbed him like a jungle gym. Now he was caring for her again.

Time passed slowly. Eventually, she was able to open her eyes. She was wrapped in Chase’s arms, his face in her hair. His hot breath running down her neck sent chills running down the entire right side of her body, and she moaned a low, hoarse sound of contentment. His head snapped up and eyes, the perfect blue-green color of summer, popped open. Relief washed over his expression and he kissed her gently but with heat, delicious wet heat.

“You scared me to death. I thought I was losing you, Lovely. Please don’t do that to me again.” The words whooshed out of him. She felt so safe and protected there in the haven of his arms as he held on tight and told her of the affection he held deep in his heart. She knew already after hearing his mind chatter earlier, but hearing him say the words to her face with the expression of a man lost to any other woman was enough to make her heart explode. Chase wanted her to know before they separated again that he wanted her to be his. He wanted her to be his “Lovely” alone with no others between the two of them.