Blood Judgment (Judgment Series) (41 page)

She didn’t reply.

“My brother almost caused your death. Do you know how hard that is for me?”

“It’s over. I want to move past this, if I can.”

“Thank you for not going after Slade. He was wrong, but…”

Killing or injuring Slade wouldn’t help anyone. Though Julian would never forget it and he would never trust Slade, he wasn’t going to let it destroy his chances of getting into the Resistance. He’d paid for his crime. They couldn’t ask any more of him and he no longer had to worry about getting caught.

“Believe it or not,” he said. “This was for the best. Everything’s going to be okay.” He would just never turn his back on Slade again.

She stroked his cheek. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“Tell me what happened the night you were attacked. I know you remember. I see it in your eyes.”

He hesitated.

“Please tell me.”

He couldn’t meet her eyes. “My father tried to kill me.”

“Oh, my God.”

“He’s a serial killer.”

“What?”

The story poured out. And with it came relief as if he’d lanced an infected wound.

“I…” He met her eyes. “What if I’m like him? What if his evil is inside me? I have bad blood in my veins.”

“Julian! You are not like your father.”

Oh, please let that be true
. Because if he was like Christopher, he shouldn’t be permitted to live.

“You’re good and decent.”

He shook his head. “I’m not.” He’d almost raped her because she’s refused him during her heat. He was no better than the bastards who had done it. “While I was gone, I found those two fuckers, Jeff and Bobby, and I killed them.”

She sucked in her breath.

“I wanted them to die hard and they did. I enjoyed killing them.”

“Julian, listen to me. You are perfectly normal. There is no evil in you.”

“God, Saranna, I hope you’re right.”

VALI HUNG up the phone and slid down on the mattress, where he curled on his side. His stomach hurt, cramping into hard knots that had nothing to do with hunger.

He wrapped his arms over his midsection. The pain was deep, stabbing him mercilessly. But it would pass. All he had to do was ride it out until the next bout.

Despite the pain, pleasant warmth enveloped him.

He had a secret.

Unlike his deteriorating mental state, he kept this secret not because he was ashamed and frightened that he might be thrown away, but because he feared the moment he said something, the budding friendship would shatter like barely-formed ice under a boot.

He clutched a creased sheet of paper. He unfolded the color printout. A photo of Nissa. She’d sent him a couple of shots the week before and he’d printed them. He kept them with him, either in his jeans’ pocket or tucked inside a book at his bedside.

They’d developed a phone relationship over the last few weeks. She’d reached out, calling him the day after they’d met. Now, the calls went both ways and he looked forward to talking with her every night.

Maybe, just maybe, things would be all right. Maybe he had a chance with Nissa. Maybe he had a chance at a future. He had to find the balls to go see Jason.

Chapter Forty-two

VALI WAS close to finishing his analysis of the last ledger. Once he had the names and addresses entered into the worksheet, he would sort them into customer order and see if anything interesting popped up.

He sat on the sofa with the ledger beside him and positioned the laptop on his legs. He worked for an hour and a half without stopping, until the last transaction was entered in the spreadsheet.

He sorted the data. Over two thousand transactions filled the spreadsheet, many listing multiple purchases.

He paged through the data until a large block of transactions from the same person caught his attention. They weren’t records of vampires sold, just astounding payment amounts.

“What the fuck?” Vali pulled up Google and entered the man’s name. The search results popped up.

“Oh, my God.” He sat in shocked silence and waited for the others to awake. He took deep calming breaths that didn’t do a thing to help him.

A half hour later, he heard the others stirring in their rooms.

Julian made his way slowly from the spare bedroom. In the week since he’d been whipped, he still hadn’t fully recovered, though he never complained. However badly his back hurt, he never said anything about it.

Ashton and Slade entered the kitchen through the rear and rummaged around for something to eat.

Vali was going to ruin their breakfast. “Guys, I need you to come in here for a minute.”

“What’s wrong?” Julian carefully sat next to him and fiddled with the remote.

“Wait for it, man.”

“That bad?”

“Dead up.”

Minutes crawled as Ashton and Slade rummaged in the kitchen. “Will you guys quit anal spelunkin’ in there and come here for a minute?” Vali snapped.

Moments later, they came into the great room.

“What’s up?” Ashton asked.

“I finished the ledgers. There’s a name in this list of someone who paid a lot of money to the traders every week for the last two years.”

Vali fidgeted. “Over the last month, he paid them a lot more. I didn’t know the name, so I Googled him.” He turned the laptop so they could see the screen. “Ryan Banks, Director, Washington Department of Vampire Control and Security
.
It doesn’t get much worse.”

“Fuck.” Ashton’s hands curled into fists. “Those fuckers are on Banks’ payroll.”

“This puts an interesting spin on things,” Julian said. “I wonder who else the government is paying to put a dent in our population.”

“Anyone they can,” Ashton said.

Slade looked as if someone had kicked him in the balls.

Ashton took the laptop. “What the fuck else are the bastards hatching against us?”

“That drug. The experiments?” Vali rubbed his leg.

“You can bet your ass on it,” Slade said.

“What are we going to do?” Vali sank his fingers into the sofa cushions to keep the others from seeing them shake.

“First thing we have to do is report what we’ve learned.” Ashton clapped the laptop shut. “Nothing’s changed. We can lie down and wait to be victimized in whatever fashion they devise, or we can fight them. To the death if necessary.”

He ran a hand through his shaggy hair. “But understand we’re facing something beyond what any of us expected. Our odds aren’t good.”

“I’m not giving in,” Julian said.

Slade took a deep breath. “I hate those bastards. I’m not quitting.”

Vali swallowed hard. “I can’t do much, but I’ll do anything I can to help defeat those sons of bitches.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Ashton said. “You made the link.”

Vali nodded, though Ashton would have made the connection if he’d been given the spreadsheet. Maybe Vali could do something to help, even if it was nothing more than keeping the place clean while the others fought the bastards.

Ashton stood and paced about the room. “We’re going to have to come up with a strategy. And we’re going to have to recruit. Not right away, but eventually.”

“This is impossible,” Vali said. “The odds were bad before we knew this. How can something like this be stopped?”

“I don’t know if it can be stopped.” Ashton ran a hand through his hair. “But if we do nothing, we deserve what they give us.”

“Agreed,” Slade said.

“What about taking the books to the media,” Julian said.

“Why bother?” Slade said. “No one would believe they were real. They would say we forged them.”

Ashton flipped on the TV.

“So what are we going to do about those bastards?” Slade scooped up the ferret and rubbed its head.

“We’re not doing anything yet,” Ashton said. I’m going to report what we’ve learned and wait for orders. We can’t take the bastards out without major complications. And I’m not putting us in a position for repercussions from superiors.”

“I didn’t know the Resistance worked like that,” Julian said.

“You mean accountability and punishment?” Ashton said.

“I thought every group kind of did their own thing.”

“Most of the time, we do. But, since we were given orders to target those bastards, we are subject to following Resistance protocol.”

“What if you don’t?”

“Punishment can vary from being stripped of your recruits to being executed. Depending on the infraction.”

“Holy shit.”

“The Resistance is serious and if you want to be a candidate, you have to realize this isn’t a bunch of rogues working without cohesion.”

Julian nodded.
Shit
. If he couldn’t follow the playbook he’d never be allowed in.

“You do want in, don’t you?”

Slade’s lips thinned, but he kept his mouth shut.

“Yes.” No point in playing like he didn’t.

Ashton nodded. “You aren’t there yet, but I’m mostly pleased with you so far.”

“Mostly?”

“You still tend to cowboy it too much. I can’t have that.”

“I understand.” Boy, did he.

“I think you’ll get there with a little time and training.”

“Thanks.” Warmth spread through him. He would get there. All he had to do was control his impulsive nature.

“I have something for you.” Ashton pulled out his wallet and took out five one-hundred dollar bills. He handed them to Julian. “We get paid, too. That’s for what you’ve done so far.”

Julian stuffed the bills in his pocket. “Thanks, man.”

“How are things with Saranna?”

“Ashton!” Slade looked like someone had tweaked his nuts.

Ashton quelled him with a glance.

Julian shrugged. He didn’t want to go down that road, especially with Slade there. Though Saranna had permitted him in her bed and they’d shared limited intimacies before the Foster event—as he’d come to think of it—she hadn’t exactly invited him back.

“You should give her something with bloodstones.” Ashton clicked on the Late News.

“Bloodstones?” Julian quirked up an eyebrow.

Ashton waved his hand. “Jasper. Vampires react to jasper.”

“How so?”

“They have some interesting properties. They turn red when you’re in a dangerous situation, plus they work a little special magic between mates. Give her green jasper and see what happens.”

“Ashton,” Slade said. “Shut the fuck up, will you?”

“No, they’re mates, might as well let them do it right. She could do a hell of a lot worse than Julian.”

Julian stifled a grin of secret pleasure at the compliment.

Ashton’s gaze fixed on the TV when the female news anchor began reporting a story. After a moment, he asked, “You guys want to watch some movies?”

“Sure, if you can rip your eyes off that human female,” Julian said.

Ashton’s expression made Julian snort laughter. “Admit it, man, you want to do her.”

Ashton looked offended. “I watch the news to keep up with what’s happening across the country. Our people are suffering in every state. Some worse than others.”

Julian couldn’t deny that and he wouldn’t try. But Ashton was mistaken if he thought it wasn’t obvious he had an enormous case of lust for the pretty news lady.

THREE HOURS later, Saranna came in and quietly closed the door. Julian left the others and went to greet her. He stopped in shock. “Saranna? What’s wrong?”

“I’m just tired.” She gave him a wan little smile that looked fake and strained.

“Are you hungry? Can I fix you something?” He didn’t like the dark shadows under her eyes.

“I’m starving, but I need you to take care of that upstairs. I’m sorry to ask while you’re still hurting, but I need it. I don’t feel so hot.”

If she needed him, he would give her his last drop of blood. “I’m just a little sore. Come on.”

“No you aren’t. You’re in pain. I can see it in your eyes.”

“It’s okay. All that matters to me is that you are taken care of.” He took her hand and led her upstairs to the bedroom. “Want me to run a nice warm bath for you?”

“No. I’m exhausted. I want to feed and sleep.”

He grabbed the long tee she slept in. “Here, make yourself comfortable and let me take care of you.” He’d intentionally left most of his things in the bedroom on the hope of being invited back. He went to the dresser and rooted through his clothes until he found his favorite sweatpants. He stripped off his jeans and pulled on the sweats.

Saranna turned her back and changed into the tee before burrowing into the bed and pulling up the thin blanket.

He dimmed the bedside lamp to a soft glow and slid under the covers with her.

“Wait,” she said, arranging pillows to cushion the headboard for him. He settled and held out his arms for her. “Come on, take what you need.”

She pushed down the blanket and climbed into his arms, fitting against him like they were made for each other. Her skin brushed satin soft against his and triggered instant desire.

He breathed in her lilac scent and the citrus shampoo she’d used earlier. “Drink,” he said.

God, he wanted her back. He needed her. His life wasn’t the same without her.

She nuzzled his neck, a soft touch of her lips before her fangs sank into his flesh.

Julian groaned and his cock hardened, pushing against her stomach. She moaned, but gave no indication that she wanted him as anything but a blood source.

His chest squeezed his heart and made it ache.

After feeding slowly for a long while, she backed off the wound and licked his neck clean.

“Thanks. I feel a little better.” She eased out of his arms and settled on the bed. A tremor ran through her body and she pulled the covers over her.

“Can I stay?” He
needed
to be with her. “No sex. I just want to be with you.”

She hesitated. “Yes.”

Rearranging himself, he urged her to move closer. She curled into him, pushing her rump against his crotch, but made no move to initiate anything between them. He stifled a groan of frustration and slipped an arm around her. “You’re shaking?”

“I can’t stop.”

He swung his legs over the edge of the mattress. “I’m taking you to Jason.”