Bad Mouth (16 page)

Chapter Twenty-four

Val awoke disoriented. The ceiling looked like the one in her office. She focused
on the tiny holes speckling the white squares. The bed under her was too flat, and
when she struggled to lift her head, it felt like a lead weight. A chair creaked next
to her and Kade’s gorgeous face hovered above her.

“Doc said you can sit up a little, but not too much. Want the bed lifted?”

She nodded, her throat too dry for talking. He pressed the button and the head of
her bed rose, easing the pressure on her chest. Her belly was on fire. Sharp pain
radiated from the center all the way to her toes. She moaned, and he stopped.

“Too much?”

“No,” she croaked. He poured her a cup of ice water and held the straw to her lips.
She sucked greedily. She tried to lift her left arm, but it felt heavy, too. A stiff
board was taped under her left elbow, and an IV attached dripped fluid into her veins.
In a rush, the attack popped into her head.

“What happened?” she asked. “Who were those vampires?” She shifted gingerly toward
her right side so she could see him. He had leaned back into his chair, his long legs
stretched out in front of him. With his hair messy and an obviously borrowed hunter-green
button-up shirt open to his navel, she could eat him up, licking him from head to
toe. Then she noticed the bandage at his shoulder. “Were you shot?”

“Don’t worry about me. I’m nearly healed already.” His words were toneless, distant.
They made her feel cold. “They were
Dominorum
Enforcers.”

She gasped. “Why would they attack us?”

“I believe the Ancients had something to do with that. They took Will.”

Her brows rose. “Do you think they made him?” He simply nodded but said nothing more.
His demeanor reminded her of the first night they met, how she’d had to drag everything
out of him. Her irritation flared. “Well?”

“I think Will’s being there was a trap. I don’t know how yet, but they knew we’d come.
They weren’t expecting you, though.”

“They’ve attempted murder now,” she said.

“You’ll never be able to prove it.”

She knew that, but darned if it didn’t annoy her that he said it as if it didn’t matter.
After how close they’d been over the past day, why would he behave so callously? And
then she remembered. She’d refused transformation. That was why he’d pulled away from
her.

Maybe this was for the best. He wouldn’t want to watch her age and die. But the thought
of moving on with some other man and having a family struck her heart like the bolt
hitting her again. She could never forget him, making it impossible to give her all
to another man. When she looked at him, so handsome and endearing despite exhaustion
heavy in his expression, it hit her that she would never get over him.

“What can we do about the Enforcers? Do you know where they took Will?”

“
You
will do nothing about this.” His face hardened, his tone firm. “You’ll stay here until
you’re better, and you’ll get on with your life.”

“This case is part of my life, Kade.”

“The team’s working on finding Will and Graham to bring them in. We can do nothing
until they’re found.” He leaned forward. “You’re job now is to get rest and heal.”

“What about the Ancients?”

He shrugged. “I’ll deal with the Ancients. That’s not for you or the team to do.”

“They’ll kill you, Kade.”

“Then I’ll take them to hell with me.” He didn’t sound like he cared. She was about
to call him on it, but he kept talking. “Alice called about Ginger and Jenna. She
said they’ve been arrested. She also said to tell you the Ancients did it. What was
she talking about, Val?”

“I had Alice track down the VLO staff who signed off on your transformations. Sounds
like they cooperated.” She shook her head in exasperation. “What kind of game are
those vampires playing?”

Kade threw up his hands. “You got me. I’ve never understood them.” He stood, stretching
his brawny body and then headed for the door.

“Kade, wait!”

He stopped, but didn’t look at her. “I stayed to make sure you’d pull through. You
look…fine.”

“Kade—”

“Don’t worry. We’ll let you know when we find anything. You’re investigation’s safe.”
He glanced over his shoulder. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you, Val.” And then he
was gone.

Her heart sank to her toes. It didn’t sound like he intended to see her again. He’d
been so close to her, his body near enough to touch, yet he’d been so far away. But
she didn’t blame him. She’d rejected transformation, and in doing so, she’d rejected
him.

Chapter Twenty-five

“Damn, my old friend. You’re like a grizzly woken midhibernation.”

“Fuck you, Ezra.” Kade was in no mood for his gruff friend’s humor. The few days without
seeing Val had been torturous. He didn’t know how he could last centuries without
her in his life. How could his feelings have changed so drastically in only one week?

“Well, if you’re willing…” Ezra laughed and kept up his infernal prodding. “It’s been
three days, brother.”

“And?”

“Have you even called her?”

Kade ran a hand through his hair. If he’d had breath, he would have expelled it. He
hadn’t called. She’d left messages, which he’d thought better left unanswered. “When
will you stop this nonsense?”

“The day you admit you’re in love with a human.”

“All right then.” Kade nodded. “I’m in love with a human, Ezra. I’m in love with Val.
Does that make you happy?”

Fuck, he’d said it. The weight of it hit him like a semi to the chest, but it was
real. He loved everything about her. He’d lied to her, used her, but she’d given him
a chance to put everything right. She’d listened and trusted him to give her the truth.
She’d treated him like a man when everyone else saw only his position of power. She
challenged him like no other female had, made him face things he needed to face. She’d
been there for him during some of his worst moments since childhood.

“I’m thrilled,” Ezra said. “Now you should tell her. You’re hurting her, you know.”

“Not much, and it’s for her own good.”

“You should let her make that decision.”

Kade’s gut clenched with the memory of her rejection. “In case you’ve forgotten, she
made her decision.”

Ezra’s smile disappeared, and he got that stern, stop-fucking-around face. “You’re
not being fair to her, Kade. She was in midcrisis. You gave her no time to decide.
She didn’t have a minute to come to terms or to make such a decision.”

“Time wouldn’t matter, my friend. She’d still refuse.” And that killed him more than
anything.

“I’m not so sure. She’s in love with you.”

Kade walked onto the balcony, welcoming the whip of cold against his skin. “She’s
never said so.” It would make no difference if she had. He’d have no chance with her
unless she agreed to transform.

Ezra, ever the pest, followed him. “Neither have you.”

“You’re the fucking devil at my ear. Why do you harass me?”

“Why do you think?” Ezra clapped him on the back. “Because I love you, my dark prince.
Go talk to your woman and ease her pain.”

“Can we change the subject please, you albino motherfucker?” He turned to his friend.
Damn, Ezra
was
a great friend. He was lucky to have such a man at his back, even when the stubborn
vampire was a huge pain in the ass. Now his friend’s face tightened with displeasure.
The man hated being called albino.

“I met Alice at the hospital. Sexy, little raven-haired sprite.”

Kade grunted. He was beyond pissed that Ezra had visited Val every night when Kade
couldn’t allow himself one measly phone call. It burned in his craw. This was Ezra’s
way of rubbing it in. “You’re an ass.”

Ezra continued as if Kade hadn’t spoken. “Alice said the Ancients are responsible
for your one-track variety of subjugates.”

“Yes. Val told me she had Alice look into the transformations. What about it?”

Ezra frowned. “Seems to me your parental units were priming you for war against the
humans.”

“If they want a fucking war, they could start one with the crook of a finger.”

“Makes perfect sense. They like their little reindeer games, and the kickoff wouldn’t
be as fun as receiving. Think about it. They make the humans torture you. They keep
you away from the day-to-day relations with humans. They send you the vilest subjugates.
According to Val, they took pleasure in selecting you to work with the VLO. They thought
they’d warped you enough.” Ezra met his eyes with a serious look. “They thought you’d
kill the liaisons and start the war yourself. I’d bet my life on it. You’re the only
one who could keep the
Immortalis
together.”

Kade leaned heavily on the balcony railing. “They knew Val hated vampires. They’d
turned Will, so they knew her history. They thought she’d piss me off. Instead—”

“Instead, you fell in love and fucked up all their plans.”

“I was never supposed to meet Dannon, either. Ezra, we have to find Will before the
Anti-Transformation Bill goes to a vote.”

If that bill passed either chamber, the
Dominorum
would declare war on the humans, their only option to fight extinction. Soon after,
the
Immortalis
would fight each other. World War III was about to become reality.

Chapter Twenty-six

Kade stood outside Val’s hospital door for several minutes, his gut in knots. He was
completely lost. Despite his attempt over the past few days, he realized he could
never live without her. He’d take her any way he could, even old and frail. She meant
too much to him to let go so easily. With a sigh, he pushed the door open.

If he’d expected to see a woman in pain, it wasn’t what he got. Instead, he faced
Val’s fury. When she saw him, she swiped up a slender vase of flowers at her bedside
table and threw it at him. Her reaction stunned him, and for once, his reflexes failed.
The fragile vase struck the center of his chest, shattering against him and dousing
his T-shirt. Her eyes flew wide. Apparently, she’d never intended to hit him. He brushed
off the glass clinging to his shirt before his gaze returned to her. She was fully
dressed and packing a small bag.

He scowled. “What are you doing out of bed?”

Her surprise hadn’t lasted long. She scowled right back, her ire flaring anew. “How
dare you? You’ve ignored me for days, and now you think you can come in here and tell
me what to do?”

“I haven’t ignored you.”

“Kade, I’ve called you every day. Not returning my calls constitutes ignoring. Now
get out of my room. I’ve been released, and I’m waiting for Ezra to come and pick
me up.”

“Ezra, is it?” He stalked toward her. She backed up slowly until the back of her thighs
met the bed.

“Y-yes. Ezra.”

“He’s not coming for you.”

“N-not?” She peered up at him, her candy-coated eyes liquefying his insides. Her body
heat permeated his chest only an inch from her delicious breasts. He slid his fingers
into her sexy, blond curls. Her breath hitched, and his ignited with a lurch. His
blood surged, bringing heat to his limbs. Her palms rubbed over his chest. Did she
realize she was fondling him?

His lips curled into a smile. She looked at her hands and dropped them to her sides.
It only made him laugh. If she couldn’t help but touch him, maybe he had a good shot
at getting her naked before taking her home, despite her anger.

She shoved him, but he didn’t budge. No way would he leave her alone right now. He
burned to taste every inch of her, burned to stroke her pale, supple skin, burned
for her.

“I missed you,” he murmured, his eyes searching hers.

She frowned. “That’s your fault.”

“I had a case to solve.”

“That doesn’t stop you from using a cell phone.”

He stroked his thumbs in lazy circles over her temples. Her pupils dilated, and her
lids lowered. She couldn’t hide her desire from him. He brushed his lips across hers,
earning a soft moan from her. Pressing his thigh between her legs, he slid his hands
down to cup her ass, riding her hard against him.

“Tell me no,” he whispered.

“No,” she whispered back, but she didn’t resist. Instead, her lips parted and her
arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him deeper into their kiss. She pressed her
breasts into his chest and tightened her legs around his thigh. He was a goner.

…

Her resolve was shot. Three minutes with Kade, and she was pawing him like an oversexed
teen in the backseat of a car. How did he do this to her? Yes, that was
her
hand stroking him through his jeans and he was certainly happy to see her, from the
feel of things. He thrust his hips against her hand.

He groaned with approval into her open mouth and then broke away, his breath heaving.
The sound of it and the pound of his heart at the pulse on his throat flattered her.
She couldn’t believe she had such a strong effect on him.

“Right there, baby,” he said. He covered her hand with his, pressing harder against
his erection. He thumbed the button open on his jeans and lowered the fly.

“Not so fast, Romeo,” she said, her voice raspy with arousal. Now that he was in front
of her, she didn’t want to spend her time angry with him, but she couldn’t make it
easy for him either, could she?

His eyes pleaded with her. A fine sheen had appeared on his brow. “I’m sorry, all
right? Don’t stop.” His expression showed his suffering. Maybe he’d hurt himself as
much as he’d hurt her with his absence. She kicked her sandals off, eased onto the
bed, and tugged her skirt up. She couldn’t help smiling because he looked like he’d
scored the winning touchdown.

“Oh fuck.” He slid her panties down her legs, his lips planting kisses along the way.
He climbed on the bed, kneeling between her legs, and then froze. “Are you—can you
do this now? Do you hurt?”

She caressed his hair-roughened face, her heart swelling at the tenderness in his
eyes. Even at his crudest, he was sweeter than syrup. “I’ll hurt if you don’t make
love to me right this minute. I know you’ll be careful.”

His pained expression softened. “I wouldn’t hurt you, Val.” He smoothed his hands
up her legs and pushed her shirt up, then frowned, his jaw clenching.

“Oh, baby. If only I’d—”

She put her fingers over his mouth. “It wasn’t your fault. Kiss it better?”

Kade didn’t hesitate. He lowered his head to the reddened scar under her ribs. It
looked worse than it was. The scar was smaller than a dime and would fade soon enough.
Luckily, the crossbow bolt had missed everything that counted and hadn’t gone deep.
Kade’s lips tickled her belly. He licked his way toward her breasts, where his hand
worked underneath the shield of her bra. He spread her shirt open, exposing her to
his gaze.

He sighed with pleasure. “You’re so beautiful.”

“Take off your shirt, Kade. I want to see you.” He smiled and obliged.

She sucked in a breath when his chest was bare to her view. Sexy didn’t begin to describe
it. He wasn’t bulky, monstrous muscle but had definition that was pure perfection.
Sleek strength rippled under his skin as he moved over her, the hottest male specimen
she’d ever laid eyes on.

He braced on one arm over her while his other hand wandered, and his mouth blazed
a trail along her neck and her breasts. He’d pulled one breast out of the cup and
fixed his mouth over her nipple. His fingers moved lower until they brushed the curls
at the juncture of her thighs. She moaned and strained her hips toward his touch.
He released her nipple with a pop.

“That’s so nice,” he said. He slid those skillful fingers through her folds. “Mmmm,
I want to taste you there.”

She wasn’t about to protest. She dragged her fingers through his hair as he lowered
along her body. His breath on her tender bits spiraled her anticipation. She quivered
with it, spreading her thighs apart for him. After a moment, she looked down at the
top of his head. She was panting for his tongue, and he was busy worshiping her with
his eyes. She tapped his head lightly.

He looked up at her and chuckled. “Can’t help it. You have a pretty pussy, Val.” He
cupped a hand under her rear. “And this, too.” He stroked a thumb over her other entrance.
She gasped. His face grew tight and strained. “I want to fuck it. Goddamn. Please,
Val, let me fuck it.” Another hard stroke over her rim sent a jolt of pulsing current
to her clit. Her inner muscles clenched hard.

She cried out, her hips writhing against the pressure of his thumb. She’d never considered
that spot an erogenous zone, but heaven help her, he was turning her on like a reactor.

“Kade!” She reached for his shoulders, pulling and scratching. “Not this time. I can’t
wait. Come inside me. Now. Please now.”

He got in a quick taste of her, a long lick and a hard suck at her aching center before
he lifted up and pressed at her entrance, squeezing into her tight grip. He kissed
her, his tongue exploring the shape of her mouth, the softness of her tongue, the
curve of her teeth. And then he filled her with the slow burn of his rigid girth.

“Perfect. Perfect,” he whispered against her lips. “Look at me, Val.” With a grand
effort, she opened her eyes. His glowed as they met hers. He plunged into her again
and then again, making her body drunk with pleasure. “I want you to see this, to see
me. This is me making love to you.”

His words, his gaze, his touch, all drove her over the edge of rapture. She screamed
into his shoulder, her legs clamping around his hips, while her body shook with release.
He shuddered against her, his teeth biting into the pillow beneath her head. The jet
of his orgasm slid onto the inside of her thighs as he relaxed against her. He kept
his weight on his elbows. She loved the feel of his face against her throat, his hot
breath spreading across her skin.

She closed her eyes and let out a soft moan. “I can’t walk after this. You’ve turned
me into a wanton hussy.”

His chest shook against her. Thought it was funny, did he? He shifted to her side
and cupped her chin, turning her face in his direction.

“You are the most incredible woman. Come home to my place so I can take care of you
while you finish healing.”

“AKA, you want to screw my brains out.”

His brows rose in mock surprise. “Such language. Don’t tell me I’m rubbing off on
you already.”

Her hands went to his face, stroking his jaw on either side. A warm surge of emotion
seized her breath. She never thought she would think it of a vampire, especially this
vampire, but he was a good man. He might believe himself some kind of barbaric hater
of humans, but his actions had shown otherwise. At the core of him, he simply couldn’t
stand the thought of any innocent, human or vampire, violated by cruelty. And he’d
been risking his life to put an end to it in the only way he could.

“Kade, I don’t care how angry you are or how guilty or how sad or how anything you
are. Don’t you ever abandon me like you did the last few days.”

He frowned. “I never abandoned you.”

“Could have fooled me. You left me alone.”

“Ezra was here every night.”

“He’s not you. Do you want him to take your place?”

Kade growled, his brow creasing with anger. She smoothed her hand over his forehead.

“He’s good company, but I didn’t want him. I wanted you, Kade.” Those must have been
the right words. He melted against her, his hands sliding around to hold her close.

“I wanted you, too,” he said against her shoulder.

Thank God. She’d had doubts about his feelings for her. He hadn’t said he loved her,
but his words and actions were enough for her right now.

He kissed a trail along her collarbone. “I guess we should get out of here before
I wear you out again.”

She ran her hands over his back and shoulders and then through his hair. “It feels
so good to touch you.”

She’d missed him like crazy. Even after spending nearly every waking minute with Kade
since the day they’d met, it nevertheless surprised her how deeply he’d imbedded beneath
her skin. Their intense physical attraction had been instant, but the gradual unfolding
of her feelings for him had only grown as she learned more about the man beneath the
facade.

“Goddamn, you turn me on,” he said. By now she was getting the hang of how to read
him. This was his way of telling her how much he cared for her.

“Well, your language hasn’t gotten any better.” She pulled his hair until he lifted
his head away from her throat. “This time apart has been bad for you.”

He laughed and then sat up and slid off the bed to grab his shirt from the floor.
“Guess you should move in with me. Somebody’s gotta keep me in line.”

He didn’t look at her, but tension stiffened his movements and his lips formed a hard
line. He kept his head down while he donned his shirt and buttoned his jeans. Was
he seriously asking her to move in? Her heart leaped and skipped a few times before
her brain righted itself. She’d call his bluff.

“I will then, and right away, too. I don’t think anyone else is up for the job.” She
kept her tone light but her eyes on him. He froze with his hands at his fly and then
turned to her.

He cocked his head. “Will you now?”

“Were you asking?” She sat up, hanging her legs over the side of the bed. Her pulse
raced. She had to be insane to even consider this. They’d met only a week earlier,
but her heart didn’t give a damn about time and it pounded against her ribs at the
idea of being this close to him every day.

He half shrugged. “Testing the waters.”

She grabbed his hand and tugged him closer. “The waters are warm, Kade. Hot even.”

He stepped between her dangling legs and gave her a kiss to end all kisses. And then
his cell rang.

She groaned in frustration. “Why are you so popular?”

“Jealous?” He pulled out his cell and slid it open instead. “This better be good,
asshole.” She could barely hear the raspy voice on the other end.

“Traitor!” she called loud enough for Ezra to hear.

Kade grinned at her but listened intently. She slid her sandals on and straightened
her skirt out while she waited for him to get off the phone. He walked toward the
window, murmuring into the cell, with his free hand balled into a fist hard enough
to turn his knuckles white.

This had to be bad. A hit of nervous adrenaline made her feel shaky. She stepped next
to him at the window and rubbed his back as much for her comfort as his. He glanced
at her, his expression bleak, and pulled her against his side.

“Ezra, I have no choice. They’ve thrown down a gauntlet. I will answer it, but you
don’t have to. None of you have to.” He listened to Ezra’s answer and apparently didn’t
like it. “They’ll kill all of you for treason if I lose.”

He listened a little longer and then his shoulders slumped. “I’ll meet you in five
hours. If you die because of me, you bastard, I’ll never forgive you.”

Kade called his merry men after that, but when his next call went to Ptolomy, her
heart wedged into her throat. Whatever had happened was beyond bad. He was gathering
backup.