Violet Midnight (Violet Night Trilogy) (5 page)

“Wow.” Jake let out a long breath. Emma didn’t think it was possible to hold that much air in a set of lungs. “That
is
something. You haven’t mind-wiped me, have you?”

“Doubt it’d work. Want to try?” She sat straight, shifting her weight more over the boulder seat.

“No thanks.” He tunneled his hand through his dark hair and faced skyward. “And you said two years ago all this happened?”

“The crash started it all. Changed everything.”

“It was the morning after I turned twenty-three that all my changes happened. And that was two years ago.” His eyes glazed over, like he was in thought.

“What are you thinking?”

“It wasn’t your birthday the night of your crash, was it?”

“No, my birthday’s in June.”

“Okay, well, that’s not it. My birthday’s September—”

“Oh, God. What day in September?” Emma’s heart nearly cracked a rib.

“Twenty-first. Why?” Jake reached for her hand. “What’s wrong?”

Her face must have reflected the shock surging through her. Darkness rounded the corners of Emma’s vision. Her pulse spiked out an erratic drum beat. “That’s when—” She coughed. “That's when the crash happened. When my folks died and I changed.”

“Holy shit. And I don’t remember anything after eleven o’clock that night. I was studying in the lab. I thought it a cruel joke having a big exam so soon after school started. But, the only thing I remember is being really tired. I’d been studying like crazy for that exam. I’d gotten a B on the first paper we’d turned in, my first B ever, so I wanted to ace that one. But I could hardly stay awake. Right in the middle of studying, I fell asleep. At least, I’m assuming that’s what I did. Because I woke up in my bed the next morning.”

“Really? In your bed?”

“Woke up just in time to get to class.”

“Like, were you in PJs or in your clothes? Were your books around?”

“Everything was normal, it was like I’d walked home and gotten ready for bed or something. I just didn’t remember doing any of it.”

“Well, I’m about to add to the strange-factor. Get ready. It’s a doozy.” Her stomach flipped. “According to police records we crashed at 9:04pm.”

“And I remember nothing after eleven,” he whispered. “Here in Arizona, right? I was up in Minnesota, so that’d match time zones.”

It all slammed home for Emma. They’d changed at the same time. She and Jake
did
find one another for a reason.

Emma was no longer alone. She’d finally found another Hunter.

After several minutes of silence, Jake asked, “How’d you learn to fight like you do?”

“Boy. You really did see a lot that night at the Frat house, huh?”

“You were a thing of beauty fighting those creatures. Vamps. Vampires. Shit, I can’t believe they’re really real.” He linked his hand with hers. He’d been doing that ever since Emma had told him about only feeling heat with him. His touch. She didn’t mind at all—she craved it.

Craved
him
.

“Tell me.” Jake’s mellow voice cut through Emma’s distraction, bringing her back to the boulder, to the sunshine. To the fresh smells of the flowers lining the banks of the stream.

“There sort of was someone, who helped me try and figure out what was happening to me.” Her pulse skyrocketed. Thinking of Gabriel usually did that.

“I see.” Jake focused straight ahead and tightened his grip on her hand. “Can you tell me?”

“His name was Gabriel. He was a janitor at the hospital. He took care of my room.”

“A janitor?” Jake’s eyebrows came together, creasing his smooth forehead.

“I know. Sounds weird. He was only a few years older than me, and he was nice. Liked to talk. We got to know each other.”

“Did he have special gifts, too?”

“No. He was human. Or normal. Whatever you want to call it. Well, at least that’s what I thought. Now, when I look back, I know he was something more.”

“What?”

“I’m leaning toward an angel maybe.” She cleared her throat and swallowed hard. “There was just something about him.” Something extraordinary for sure. For her to fall for him so quickly and so intensely, it was the only explanation. And the feelings starting to surface for Jake, just as quickly—it both scared and intoxicated Emma. Fear tried to stamp its ugly mark on her elation by throwing in the sight of Gabriel’s body, broken and bloody from the Vamps.

She shook the thought out of her whirling mind.

“So, he helped you? Tell me about that.” Jake’s hand skimmed over Emma’s shoulder, leaving a wake of warmth, and found a home at her neck.

He could do that all day as far as Emma was concerned.

“Gabriel had this idea I was created for a reason. You know, because I’d survived the crash and woke up changed. I was alone. No family. Friends gone to college.”

“He took you in.”

“Yes. After my first glowing-wrist-Vamp incident, he got me into martial arts. He spent countless hours researching my abilities on the internet, weird social groups, Bible studies. You name it, he looked into it.”

“He didn’t find out how Vamps were created or anything?”

“No, not specifically. Some myths, but I didn’t get much into the research. I was the muscle, he was the brains. All I needed to know was how to kill them.”

The breeze picked up and carried a floral scent to Emma’s nostrils. She analyzed her sacred spot. All was calm, peaceful. A ten-ton weight vanished from her shoulders.

“Why did he care?”

“I asked him that so many times.” She leaned sideways and propped her shoulder against Jake’s. “He always said it was his duty, that he was meant to help me.”

“You loved him, didn’t you?”

“I think I did.”

“He’s gone?”

She straightened up as another memory flashed through her mind of Gabriel laying on the ground, drained by a pack of Vamps, her body draped over his, crying.

“He died before I came to college here.” Emotion rattled her voice. She felt Jake’s stare bearing down on her, but she focused on the grass beyond her dangling feet. Gabriel and Emma had only been together barely four months after her change, but it had been long enough to know she loved him.

“How’d he die?”

“Vamps.”

Jake cleared his throat.

“They tortured him.” Tears stung. “Drained him slowly before he turned to dust.”

“I saw the Vamps turn to dust when you stabbed them, but humans, they can, too?”

She’d seen a few humans return to dust because of the Vamps. Too many. “My wrist glows when they’re near, but I still have to find them. If I don’t get to the victims in time, and too much blood is gone, the humans return to dust.” She straightened. “Only theirs is white, like the sands of an hourglass. Not that sooty black crap the Vamps turn into.”

“Look, I’m sorry. I—”

“No. It’s okay.” She slid the back of her hand over her cheek, wiping the moisture creeping down her face. “They grabbed him in a fight. I followed my Vamp detector, found him, and started kicking ass. But by the time I got to him, they’d drained him too severely.”

“Oh, Em.” Jake’s warm hand gripped her shoulder.

“He taught me everything I know. He believed God created me for a purpose.”

“You think that? Really?”

“No, not really. I mean, a little maybe. I started to. But when he died, I—” She choked on the lump wedged in her throat. “I got pissed. To see him die like that. It was too much. I was left alone to face these creatures. I mean, come on.”

“What’d you do?”

“I bolted. Came here, started school that winter semester, met Ava. Tried to get away from things.”

“Why here?”

“Everyone else my age was in college, I thought it was a good enough idea. Short of closing my eyes and pointing at a map, I picked this place. After everything was settled with Mom and Dad’s insurance and wills and stuff, I had money so I left.” She had plenty of money to live on, but she’d rather have her folks.

“But you still fight?”

“I could get away from where it all happened, but not the glow. Can’t turn that off.”

“What do you mean?”

“The glow in my wrist doesn’t die out until the Vamps it’s detecting are vanquished. But that’s okay. Every kill gives me a little more peace. Like Gabriel’s death wasn’t totally for nothing.” She scrubbed her face with her hands and leaned to the side. “Look. I don’t mean to be going on about him like this.”

“It’s okay. I want to know everything about you.”

“Even love lost?” She grinned.

“It made you who you are today.”

She pivoted at the waist, facing him front on. With a hand on each cheek, she held his face steady. “And he left me a trunk full of goodies. More than the weapons I call to kill the Vamps. Documents.”

“What kind?”

“Things he’d found about me. About Vamps and Hunters. I haven’t looked at very much, though. Couldn’t bear to.” She leaned in. “Until you came along.”

He wove his arms around her waist and urged her astride him. “Me?”

A delicious warmth radiated through her core from such intimate contact with him. “I can’t get enough of your heat. It feels amazing. How is this possible?” She wanted to dive in and never come up for air.

“You can have as much as you want of me. But after you tell me what you meant by documents in a trunk.”

She brushed her lips across his. “Maybe there’s something in there about you--more about Hunters and how to find them. I thought I was alone, Jake. The only one. But if you’re a Hunter, too, there must be more.”

His smoldering hands curved over her hips and found a home on her backside. “And I transferred here just in time to meet you. To find out what I truly am.”

She wanted to add that he probably showed up here at the same time as the Vamps because he was needed to fight them. But she’d dumped enough on him so far. The thought of him showing up like this both confused and comforted her. She wouldn’t have to fight the beasts alone, but she also didn’t want to get attached to anyone. Ava had weaseled her way into Emma’s heart already, and she worried for her friend’s safety enough as it was, but now Jake?

From the first second she’d seen him at the party she was attracted. Who wouldn’t be, he was beautiful. The full package. What she thought was only lust and loneliness had morphed into something more now that she knew about his abilities. The instant connection made more sense.

“I need help with something, Em.”

“What?” She tilted back to get a full view of him, but rested her elbows on his shoulders and filtered her fingers through his hair.

“Train me.”

“You’re pretty safe with that impenetrable skin trick. Wish I had that.” Emma rubbed her shoulder. “Stupid Vamp got a couple of good bites in the pool last night.” Sure, somehow they’d healed while under water, but the memory of the teeth slicing through her skin was still there.

“There’s got to be something out there that can break through my skin, so I need to know how to fight.” He kissed her cheek, and she eased off his lap. “Wait. Where are you going?”

“Might as well start now, right?” She spun completely off his lap and planted her palm to his chest.

“Wait—”

With one hard push, Jake was airborne.

Jake landed on his back with a lung-freezing thud. Thankfully, the grass softened the blow.

A little.

“Wait. Em.”

She was on him in the next moment, hand to throat. “Got to be quick on your feet.” She smiled. “Er—back.”

He palmed her hips and arched his back, propelling her over him. With one quick roll to his stomach, he pushed himself up.

“Nice,” Emma said. She stood, legs bent and arms out, ready.

God, she was the sexiest thing alive.

“See how I’m standing? Copy it. Always be ready to move. Aware of what’s around you.” She crept to the side.

Jake followed suit, moving, watching her every movement. She lunged, quicker than he registered her moving, and planted her foot in his chest. His back cracked against something hard.

Damn. The boulder.

“Especially what’s behind you.” She leaned in and nipped at his neck. “Vamp just got you.”

She spun away, leaving him…teased. “Not fair, Em.”

“Vamps don’t fight fair.” She grinned and waved him to her.

With only action movie fight scenes flashing within his head, he attacked, hands aimed for her throat. With one swift move, she deflected his advance with her forearm. She ducked beneath a swing and stopped her hand from slamming into his throat a millimeter from his skin.

Jake stumbled back, eyeing this beautiful, strong, fighting machine. “You’re too fast.”

“Might be a little faster than a human, but you’re a freak like me, too, so you must be fast. Come on.” She stood straight. “Grab me from behind.”

“Em.”

“No, seriously.” She showed him her back. “I want to show you something. If one of those Vamps gets you from behind, here’s how you can break free.”

Feeling totally inadequate, he crept toward her.

“Don’t worry. I won’t hurt you.”

He pulled her against him, arm around her neck and one around her waist. But that led to him wanting to do things other than fighting.

“Okay, watch.” She jabbed her elbow to his ribs, and he jerked forward, loosening his hold. She twisted to the side, stepped on his foot, and followed with a light blow to the nose with her elbow. She stopped her knuckles an inch before connecting with his groin.

Short of breath and stunned, Jake leaned forward. She easily guided him to the ground. If she was being gentle to show him her moves, he could only imagine how hard she really could hit.

“Breathe.” She eased onto her back and faced the sky. A deep breath forced her already snug tank top taut over her breasts. “It’s what refuels us.”

He mimicked her action. A cool breeze entered his chest like a refreshing drink of water. He drew in another deep breath, and this time the air carried a subtle scent of sugar—strawberries or melon. He leaned toward Emma, and the scent magnified.

Must be her perfume. His mouth watered to taste every inch of her flawless, smooth skin. He skimmed his hand across her abdomen and gripped her hip.

“Love that. It’s almost like I can feel the sun cooking my skin.” She smiled, eyes still closed. “I remember how it felt. I used to lie out in the sun all the time. Had a wicked-dark tan before all these changes happened.”

“Come here,” Jake whispered and rolled her toward him.

She flashed her violet eyes. The black pupil ate up the purple irises. The earth-shattering feel of her firm body on top of him propelled him into another turn, rolling her almost completely beneath him.

“So you do know some moves.”

He claimed her mouth with his. Tongues rolled. Despite her chilled skin, his body flamed, burned with need to be closer. To feel more of her.
All
of her. He leaned heavy into her body, his thigh wedged between her legs.

She moaned into his mouth and darted her hands up the back of his shirt. At first, the cool temperature of her skin startled him, but he pushed the thought from his consciousness as he trailed kisses along her jaw to her neck.

Soft, smooth, delicate flesh. He traced his tongue along the throbbing vein to the base of her jaw.

“Wow,” Emma whispered. “Jake.”

“Are you okay? Is this okay?”

“Someone might see.” She suckled his earlobe. “You feel so good. I’ve never felt anything like this before.”

“My house is close,” he whispered. She was right. This wasn’t the place. But damn, he wanted her with a force he could hardly control. “We could—”

“Getting lots of studying done, I see,” a woman’s voice sliced through the thick passion wrapped around Jake’s senses.

Emma flinched beneath him. “Ava?”

Jake rolled to the side.

“What—?”

“Sunday. Brunch. Remember?” A knowing smile curved Ava’s painted lips. “The pool, Frat bedroom, and now behind a church…” Her left eyebrow lifted, and Ava jutted out her hip.

Emma sat up. “Zip it, girl. Caught you doing much worse.” She smiled at Jake and planted another kiss on his mouth. “Ready to face the firing squad?” she whispered.

Jake leaned back. “What’s that?”

“Lunch with me and Ava.” Emma swiped her thumb beneath Jake’s bottom lip.

“You eat? But I—”

“There are plenty of ways to hide food or nibble enough to keep her satisfied.” She touched a kiss to his nose. “Or, I just do a mind wipe.”

“Okay. I’m with you.” He cupped her cheeks, holding her close. “But we’re going to finish this later.”