A Demonic Bundle (53 page)

“D
oing what?” Not his snappiest of comebacks, but the taste and scent of Jo had him more unnerved, more aroused than he’d like to admit.

“Why are you acting like we are a couple?”

Maksim might be a little mush-brained at the moment, but not enough so that he was going to answer that one honestly. He’d been acting the way he was because he’d been blind, raging jealous.

He hadn’t initially recognized the emotion, because frankly he hadn’t ever felt it before, and really he didn’t understand what he was feeling until he was already heading down the bar toward Jo and the drunk, dullard college boy.

And when the dumbass had asked her if she had a boyfriend, he just knew he couldn’t hear her say no. He just couldn’t.

Boyfriend? Were demons ever anyone’s boyfriend? That seemed oddly incongruent. But in that moment, Maksim was damned well going to be her boyfriend.

“Maksim, didn’t this morning make things pretty clear?”

Hell, no. Nothing had been clear this morning. Her words, her stance, her reaction had all been as confusing as hell. And believe you me, he knew how confusing Hell was.

“I don’t think we really agreed on anything,” he said.

Jo stared at him as if he’d lost his mind.

“We agreed that things were too complicated. That the idea of just—” she dropped her voice, “having sex is not going to work out.”

“I don’t recall agreeing to any of that. I remember you saying that you thought things were too complicated, and when I asked why, you didn’t answer.”

She didn’t answer for a moment again, and he had no doubt she was replaying the events of the morning in her mind.

Finally she sighed. “Well, that’s the reason. Having sex isn’t going to work out for me.”

“Why?”

Jo shook her head, then fiddled with a nick in the bar’s glossily shellacked wood. “It just isn’t.”

“Because the sex isn’t working for you, physically?”

She didn’t answer, but just continued to finger the deep scratch.

“Because it sure seemed to be working for you last night.”

Jo eyes snapped back to him. “That isn’t the point.”

“What is the point?” Maksim really did want to understand. He wanted her to say something, though he couldn’t say exactly what the something was.

“I just think it’s going to become too difficult. These things never really work out. Someone ends up getting hurt.”

“Are you afraid I’m going to get hurt? Or you?” Maksim’s first thought was to tell her that he’d never hurt her, but he held his tongue. Why would he tell her that? He couldn’t keep a promise like that. He wasn’t exactly a gallant knight who’d swoop in on his white charger and carry her off to safety and love.

He didn’t know how to love. Demons weren’t created with that particular ability. Coveting, lust, desire, craving, even obsession—those were all things that demons could disguise as love. But they never,
never
cared for some other soul more than their own damned ones.

Jo didn’t answer, and he wasn’t surprised. She didn’t easily let down her guard.

“Josephine, I won’t ever hurt you.”

He heard the words as if someone else had control of his body, as if he hadn’t just told himself that he couldn’t promise her anything akin to security or devotion.

Jo didn’t react. She clearly didn’t recognize what a huge pledge that was. Maybe if she knew what he was, she’d understand. But that was the trick, wasn’t it?

Telling someone you care about you’re a demon was bound to hurt them.

“You know,” Jo smoothed her hands down the skirt of her jumper, “I have to go.”

He frowned. He had just told this woman more than he’d ever told anyone, and she was leaving.

“We haven’t resolved this,” he said.

“I’ve told you already, I can’t do this.”

“Jo.” He started to reach out for her, but she shifted out of his grasp.

“No,” she said to him. “No.”

She was clearly upset, but he didn’t know why. Out of instinct, he poised on the edge of her brain, ready to jump in, tired of not having a clue what motivated this woman. But he stopped.

He told her he wouldn’t hurt her.

He rose from his stool and followed her, catching her arm in just a few steps.

“Jo, I think you are making a mistake. I think we have something pretty special starting here.”

Jo stared at him, the heartbroken look she’d seen so many times darkening her eyes to nearly black in the dimly lit room.

“Maksim, I just can’t.”

She extricated her arm from his hold and turned to walk down the length of the room. Maksim watched her, having no idea what to do or say to make her stop. To change her mind.

He didn’t want to hurt her. But letting this all go wasn’t an option. Without further thought, he jumped. He jumped right inside her mind.

Jo hesitated at the doorway into the stairwell. She gripped for the doorframe, overcome by a fullness in her head, like her brain was chock-full. She remained still unwilling to move, not because her head ached. It didn’t hurt, exactly—it just felt heavy and she couldn’t seem to think clearly. Thoughts came, but not in any consistent order.

She blinked. Then blinked again. Gradually the feeling dissipated. She had no idea how long it had taken for the strange episode to pass, but she was relieved that her thoughts seemed to be coming back to order. Her head felt normal, no longer crowded.

Using the wall for balance, even though she didn’t think she wasn’t going to pass out or anything, she entered the stairwell and started down the stairs.

Green neon light bathed the concrete steps, bright enough to make it easy to see, green enough to make it just a little disorienting.

She clutched the handrail, keeping her gaze focused on the steps. Three steps down, something ahead of her shifted, moving into her downcast line of sight.

She moved closer to the wall, offering the approaching person room to pass her. But the person stopped a few steps below hers.

When she looked up to politely acknowledge the person, she didn’t get out a smile or a courteous comment. Instead her mind blanked, her eyes fastened on the individual in front of her. Her mouth gaping wide in shock. No sound, no breath escaping her seized lungs.

No, it couldn’t be. Not here. But it was her. Long dark hair, wet and clumped together. Large eyes that Jo knew were was dark as her own. Thin, pale arms and legs bare and glistening with a faint sheen of water. This wasn’t just a flashing impression, a snapshot of an image. She was there—right in front of Jo.

“Kara?”

The name escaped Jo’s lips as her vision narrowed, rapidly fading to black. Only the faint sound of someone crying out her name reached her, before all light, all comprehension disappeared.

Maksim stood at the top of the stairs, when he saw Jo come to a sudden halt. Her hand clutched the railing, her knuckles gleaming white even in the pale green light of the neon beer signs.

He started down the stairs, realizing something was wrong and just as he would have grabbed her, she crumpled.

“Jo!”

He tried to catch her, his fingers brushing the back of her dress as she lurched forward, escaping his hold. Maksim watched helpless, sick, as if in slow motion she rolled down the stairs and hit the wall below, ending up in a crumpled heap at the base of the stairwell. She didn’t move.

Taking the stairs two at a time, he reached her side, kneeling. He started to scoop his arms under her, his first instinct to pick her up, to protect her. But some logic surfaced through his panic.

What if she’d broken her neck, her back? He rose, shoving a hand into his pocket, finding his phone. He dialed 911.

“There’s been an accident,” he said as calmly as he could to the voice on the other end of the phone.

He answered the subsequent question as he returned to her side, gently touching her face, her hair. She was warm. She was breathing. That had to be good, right?

Once he was certain the medics were on the way, he rose again and stood in the doorway, scanning the bar until he spotted Erika swaying by the stage, watching Vittorio.

Maksim waved. He made several attempts before he caught her attention, but once she saw him, deep concern marred her features and she hurried toward him.

“Jo fell,” he said simply when she got to him. He moved aside to reveal Jo’s prone body to her friend.

Erika cried out, shocked and clearly scared.

Damn, he was scared, Maksim realized. Terrified.

Erika dropped down beside her, touched her face and hair in the same searching way he’d just done. She turned to glare up at him.

“What did you do to her?”

He gaped at Erika, stunned that she was blaming him, then his breath left him as he realized she was right. This was his fault. He didn’t physically push her down the stairs, but he’d created the reaction that did.

He’d jumped in her head, and whatever had happened to Jo was a direct result of his selfish action.

Erika didn’t wait for him to answer. She jumped up. “We need to call an ambulance.”

“I called 911.”

“Okay.” She looked back at Jo, clearly debating something. “You wait here,” she finally said, although leaving him alone with her definitely wasn’t her first choice. “I’m going to get the others.”

She narrowed a warning glance at him, and he nearly told her he would never do anything to hurt this woman, but stopped himself. He’d just made that vow to Jo directly, and look at her now.

Oh, God, look at her.

So he only nodded.

Erika dashed away, and soon Maggie, Vittorio, and Ren were all there, all checking Jo. All talking in low, concerned voices.

All looking at him accusingly.

And he couldn’t say anything in his own defense. So he left them with her and walked outside the bar to see if the paramedics had arrived.

In the distance, Maksim heard a siren and within minutes, even with the pedestrian-laden streets, an ambulance managed to weave its way through the crowds.

“She’s this way,” Maksim said, approaching the EMTs before they could even jump out of the vehicle.

Sprinting back to the stairwell, Maksim called out for the friends to step aside. They did so, only resenting his order for a moment.

Maksim then watched helplessly as the EMTs did their jobs, immobilizing Jo’s neck, checking her briefly for broken bones, then carefully sliding her onto an AZ backboard—stabilizing her neck.

Two of the men lifted her, their movements fast but steady. Maksim followed right behind as they wheeled her out to the street.

“I’m riding with her,” Maksim said as they lifted her into the ambulance.

“No,” Erika appeared at his side, addressing the medics, “we’re going to ride with her.” She gestured to Maggie, who looked even paler than a lampir normally did.

“I only have room for one of you,” a medic with tree-trunk-sized arms and a barrel chest said, giving them an impatient look.

Maksim turned to the two friends. “Please. Let me go with her. Please.”

Erika looked as if she was going to argue, then Maggie touched her arm. “Let him. Jo needs to get to the hospital now. We’ll meet them there.”

Erika still looked like she wanted to disagree, but she nodded, knowing Jo might not have time to wait while they bickered.

Maksim hopped up into the ambulance taking a seat beside Jo. Another EMT, a woman, who now took Jo’s blood pressure and other vitals.

Carefully, Maksim took Jo’s hand, again pleased that her fingers were warm, but amazed at how fragile they felt against his palm.

“You are going to be okay,” he murmured to her, pressing those delicate fingers against the side of his face.

God, he prayed she would be okay.

T
he hospital was a complete whirlwind when they finally arrived. Jo was wheeled away as soon as they entered the ER, even though Maksim asked everyone he encountered if he could go with her.

A doctor in a white coat with a pair of scrubs underneath that were pink with heads of a little white cats with bows on their heads, was the final person to tell him no.

“Just wait here,” she told him firmly, pointing to some vacant plastic chairs lined against a peach painted cinderblock wall. “Someone will be out as soon as we can to tell you what’s going on.”

Maksim didn’t sit. Nor did he follow the doctor as she disappeared through gray swinging double doors.

He gritted his teeth, hating every minute of the helpless feeling coursing painfully through is body. And he didn’t know if he trusted Jo’s well-being to a woman in cartoon-covered clothing.

But he knew causing a disturbance wasn’t going to help Jo, so he began to pace.

Very soon, Jo’s friends appeared in the waiting room.

“Is there any word?” Erika asked.

“They just took her back.” That was the problem with preternaturals. They expected everything to happen instantaneously. Waiting was hell.

The four lampirs sat down. Maggie leaned against Ren. Vittorio held Erika’s hand. Maksim continued to pace. And no one spoke.

Finally Maggie said, “Maksim, you didn’t hurt her, did you?”

Maksim paused, looking at her, warring for what to say.

“Not on purpose. No.”

Maggie nodded as if that was good enough for her. Erika didn’t look as convinced, and Maksim couldn’t blame her.

Because the truth was, his greed had gotten the better of him as always. He might not have wanted to hurt her, but he’d done something he’d know wouldn’t help her in any way, just because of his selfish need to know.

He dropped into a chair several over from the others and dropped his head into his hands. What was he going to do if she wasn’t all right?

Just then, the swinging door swished open and the doctor in the pink and cats appeared.

She gestured for Maksim to follow her.

Erika and Maggie rose, but the doctor held up a hand to stop them.

“She will be fine,” the doctor said. “No major damage. A good-sized knot on her head, some nasty bruises, and a pretty tender shoulder, but nothing that won’t heal in a few days.”

“Can we see her?” Maggie asked.

The doctor nodded. “But let’s let the father have a moment with her first.”

Maksim frowned, confused, but allowed the doctor to usher him out of the waiting room. Once they reached a closed door past several others lining one wall, the doctor stopped and faced him.

“First of all, let me say, she was very lucky.”

Maksim nodded. He’d seen the fall, every horrible moment of it, and he had no doubt about that fact.

“The baby is fine, and…”

The rest of the doctor’s words faded away as he tried to wrap his mind around what she’d already said.

The baby. The baby?

An overwhelming, breath-stealing, knee-weakening rush of joy filled him. Jo was pregnant? She was having a baby. His baby. He suddenly felt buoyant, estatic.

Then the feeling faded, his feet quickly returning to the ground. Even if she was pregnant with his child, it would be far too soon for her to know. Far, far too soon.

“…she is going to have to remain off her feet for a few days. I’d be pleased if she could do a whole week. She does have a concussion, so we are going to admit her for tonight.”

Maksim found himself nodding even though nothing was really making sense to him.

“You can go see her, now.”

The doctor pushed open the door, waiting for him to enter. He hesitated, still unable to wrap his mind around this news, unsure of what to say to Jo.

But he couldn’t very well just continue to stand there like an idiot. He stepped over the threshold and the door closed behind him.

Jo lay on the bed, looking pale and drawn and frightened. She didn’t move as she saw Maksim. He lingered by the door for a moment, then couldn’t stay away. She so desperately looked as if she needed someone to protect her.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, irritated that his voice sounded thick with emotion.

“Okay,” she managed to say, her own voice strained.

“Does your head hurt?”

She nodded slightly, clearly not able to jar it any more than necessary.

They were silent for a few moments, then Maksim had to touch her. He caught her hand, gently squeezing her fingers reassuringly.

“The doctor told me the baby is fine.”

Jo pulled in a shuddering breath as if she’d been waiting for those words, then tears began to roll down her cheeks.

“I’m sorry.” Her voice quavered painfully.

“Sorry? Why?”

“I should have told you, before…well, before all of this.”

Maksim shrugged. “Why didn’t you?”

Jo laughed, the sound broken and watery. “I was in denial. Very, very deep denial.”

That shouldn’t have surprised him, but it did. “Why?”

She laughed again, though there wasn’t an ounce of humor in the sound. “That’s a long, pretty pathetic story.”

He squeezed her hand and leaned forward. “Tell me anyway.”

She looked at him for a moment, her teary gaze roaming his face, her eyes so large and dark and wary.

“Who is the father?” he asked, when she didn’t speak, surprised at the emptiness in his chest now that his brief moment of fatherhood was over.

“A man I had a relationship with in D.C.”

That was hardly a revelation, since she’d just moved down here, what? A month ago.

“How far along are you?”

“About thirteen weeks.”

He nodded, realizing that he’d seen her naked, quite extensively, twice, and hadn’t noticed any signs of pregnancy on her body. But why would he? He’d never seen her unpregnant, and he didn’t have much pregnant sex to compare it to. Any, really.

“So did you decide you didn’t want the father to be a part of the baby’s life?”

She laughed again, and he was beginning to hate that broken, pained sound.

“Oh, I wanted him to be a part of our lives. He was the one who wanted nothing to do with us. Turns out he was married, which I didn’t know. Fool that I was, he duped me completely. And when I told him my news, he made it very clear that I was never anything but a fling. And I was welcome to keep the baby, but he wasn’t going to be any part of it. Seems he really, really loves his wife.”

She laughed again, more pain and this time so much self-derision he ached for her.

They were quiet again, then Maksim realized that silent tears rolled down her cheeks again.

“What is it?” he asked.

“What the hell kind of mother am I going to make? I have an affair with a complete ass without even realizing it until I’m pregnant with his baby. I move to start a new life, but can’t even manage to tell my very best friends why I’m here. I can’t even bring myself to deal with my impending motherhood. Then I sleep with a man who I know is utterly unsuitable.”

Maksim raised an eyebrow at that, but she didn’t notice.

“Not once, but twice. And then a fall downstairs in a bar, because I’m nuts and seeing…” She stopped and just shook her head. Fresh tears trailed down her cheeks.

“I’m a mess.”

Maksim sighed, then rose to go in search of a tissue. He found some on a counter by the door. He returned and dabbed at her cheeks.

“You will be fine. No one can know everything about a person. Believe me, I know.” He had no idea what she was thinking most of the time. “You can only know what he told you. And he lied.”

He finished wiping her cheeks, then handed her a second one, just in case.

“And you will be a great mother. You are just scared. It’s a lot to take on by yourself.”

She nodded, sniffing. Then she met his eyes. “I’m so glad I didn’t lose this baby. I was terrified I had when I regained consciousness.”

He nodded. “I’m glad you didn’t, either.”

And he realized that was true, and not just because of the role he would have played in the loss. But because she would have been devastated. And he couldn’t watch her go through that. Her pain now was hard to bear.

He smiled then, trying to lighten the mood, because he couldn’t manage all these foreign emotions roiling through him.

“You do realize that the doctor thinks I’m the father?”

Jo returned his smile albeit weakly. “If only.” Then she immediately blushed, the pinkness making her look much healthier, even if it was brought on by embarrassment rather than wellness.

His own chest tightened with that weird need from earlier. Before either could say anything further, a knock sounded on the door.

“Come in,” Maksim called, relieved that they were getting an interruption.

Maggie, Erika, Ren, and Vittorio came into the small room, their presence taking up most of the space and pushing out some of the strangeness of their last words.

“How are you feeling?” Maggie asked, going over to the other side of the bed. Her eyes paused momentarily on Maksim’s hand holding Jo’s, but he didn’t release it, and Jo didn’t try to pull away.

“I’ve definitely felt better. But I’ll be okay.”

“What did the doctor say?”

“That I’m here for the night.” Maksim noticed that Jo didn’t tell them about the baby’s welfare. Clearly she still wasn’t ready to take on that conversation, and he couldn’t really blame her. Today had been emotional enough for her.

“And everything is okay?” Erika asked, emphasizing there was more she wasn’t saying.

Then he remembered her friends were lampirs. They could likely sense or smell or something Jo’s pregnancy. From the very concerned looks on all their faces, it was pretty clear they knew something.

And here he was a demon, and he didn’t have a clue. But maybe that was the explanation, he couldn’t read pregnant humans’ minds. Not that there should be any reason for that.

“I’m going to be fine,” Jo assured her friends, her voice more resolute than he’d heard it since stepping inside this room.

Her determination calmed him a little. Jo was tough; he knew that without seeing inside her head. And she would be fine. She would be a great mother. She would survive.

And her resolution seemed to solidify something within him. He would be there for her. He would take care of her.

It was the least he could do, given the pain he’d just caused her. Even as he told himself that, he knew that wasn’t his motivation.

Whether he wanted to accept it or not, Josephine Burke had been on his radar from the moment he met her, and she wasn’t about to leave it. He’d do what he had to do to make sure she was okay.

“So what do they recommend for you to do?” Ren asked, his gaze interestingly enough going from Jo to Maksim and back to Jo.

Apparently all her friends were trying to figure out what was going on between the two of them.

“They said one night here, just for observation. Then if all goes well, I’m going to be sent home. But they want me on bed rest for a few days,” Jo said.

“A week,” Maksim corrected.

Jo rolled her eyes, but she did concede. “A week.”

“You will stay with us,” Erika said.

Jo started to shake her head, but Maksim interrupted. “No. She’ll stay with me.”

All eyes in the room turned to him.

Jo opened her mouth to protest, but he pressed a finger over her lips.

“No arguing. You are staying with me.”

She stared at him for a moment, then nodded.

He turned and gave the others in the room a hard look, silently warning them not to challenge her decision.

Ren narrowed his eyes, suspicion clear on his face. Vittorio looked mildly annoyed. Erika looked wary and Maggie worried. But none of them said a word.

“Okay, folks,” said a nurse from the doorway. “We need to let Ms. Burke get some rest.”

Her friends said their good-byes, telling her they would check on her tomorrow. Only Maksim lingered behind, and again because the nurse assumed he was the father of her child and thus her significant other, she left, allowing him to stay.

“Are you sure?” she asked, not needing to explain what she was asking any more than that.

He nodded. “I want you with me.”

She nodded again, although she looked unsure.

He couldn’t help himself, and leaned down to kiss her. Her lips clung to his, sweetly vulnerable, yet hungry for him.

Maksim rested his forehead against hers, his chest swelling and filling with such strong, confusing emotions.

“I’m going to take care of you,” he vowed, knowing he’d finally found someone he had to put before himself.

And that knowledge scared him.