On the Edge of Destiny (Book 3) (A Vampire SEAL Novel) (11 page)

“Ben, let go of me, then we can talk.” I planted both hands on his chest.

“You don’t know how bad I’ve wanted to see you.” He sniffed my neck.

My eyes widened.
Sniffing
me? Maybe he really wasn’t human anymore. Did he…

“Ben, please.” I didn’t want to make him angry, even though my own anger started to surface.

I need to get her somewhere where they won’t find her, especially London.
There was his voice again.

Ignore his voice. Get the Taser.

As fast I could, I reached into my cleavage and withdrew the Taser. Ben glanced at the tiny device in my hand before he smirked.

“What is that?” he asked. His lips were inches from mine.

“Ben, I don’t want to hurt you.”

He brushed his lips over mine. “You can’t hurt me, Jo. I can match your strength. Unless you think the lipstick in your hand is going to hurt me.”

I smiled. I’d seen a vampire get Tasered before, and he went down as a human would when hit. The only difference, though, was the vampire’s skin burned from the cobalt in the Taser.

“Are you saying you’re a vampire?” I searched his face. His eyes were still red. I flared my nostrils, and his usual burned-sugar scent had turned acrid, nasty.

His grip loosened. His smirk turned into a frown as his eyes changed back to their normal brandy color. Then he released his hold on me and ran a hand through his hair.

“Let us help you,” I said softly with my finger ready on the Taser, just in case.

“And what is it that you think you can help me with?” He shoved his hands in his jean pockets. “You think you can turn me back into a full-blooded human? I doubt no one on this universe knows how to change animals into humans. Not even your uncle.” Disgust coated every word.

I wasn’t surprised. From the day Ben learned I had the DNA to change into a vampire, he tried to talk me out of my decision to give up my humanity. He’d said he believed in a world where people grew old and had families, not a world where vampires lived and fed off of humans. He wanted nothing to do with vampires. Well, with the exception of me. When he was in the hospital recovering from when the Coast Guard pulled him out of the ocean, he’d told me he didn’t see me as a vampire.

“Go ahead. Try and see if you can take me on,” he said. No hint of anger or sarcasm in his voice.

“I told you. I want to help you. What did you mean earlier when you said the plan was working? What do you want?”

“I didn’t say that out loud.” He cocked his head to one side.

A sudden strong wind ruffled my dress and hair.

“Ben, step away from my sister,” Sam said from somewhere behind me.

Son of a bitch. Her fucking brother is a pain in my ass. And I thought London was going to rescue her. I wanted to take him on. Damn, that woman didn’t follow through on her end of the deal.
Ben’s voice was loud and clear in my head.

Ben stepped toward me as his eyes changed from brandy colored to red again. “I can promise you, we’ll have our time together, Jo.” He dragged the backs of his fingers along my cheek before stalking past me.

“You didn’t learn your lesson, Mason,” Ben spat out.

“Bring it on.” Sam sneered. “You don’t stand a chance.”

“Ben, wait.” I ran toward them.

Sam pivoted on one leg and struck out with the other. His foot connected with Ben’s jaw. Ben’s head bobbed back then forward. Ben lunged and threw an elbow to the side of Sam’s head. Fist after fist hit Ben, then Sam. The two were beating each other to a bloody pulp, and Ben’s strength seemed to match up with Sam’s.

They separated, staring each other down, both breathing heavily.

“Stop, Sam! We need to help him.” I inched closer to my brother.

Ben laughed. “I don’t need your help. I told you that.” He stared at Sam.

“Sis, go back to the mansion. Webb is on his way.” He pushed me behind him.

The air thickened. The wind picked up again and began swirling and howling. Leaves rustled. Several streetlights popped, covering the area in darkness. After a second, my vision sharpened, adjusting to the dark street.

Time stood still. Leaves and other decaying plant life hung suspended in midair.

I glanced at Sam then at Ben. Both seemed frozen. Then Sam fisted his hands at his side, and he began opening and closing them, not taking his eyes off of Ben.

In slow motion, the wind picked up again, gathering all the leaves and other debris into a ball. Sam seemed to be using his powers, which he hadn’t shown before now.

The ball of leaves grew bigger as Sam continued to open and close his fists. He was building a weapon of sorts. Even a ball of leaves could hurt—maybe even kill—someone if he used enough force.

If I hadn’t seen my own powers in action when we fought Edmund that night, I wouldn’t believe manipulating air or water could hurt anyone.

Ben stood, entranced as he reached for his neck. The glow in his red eyes dimmed, reminding me of what Blake had looked like right before he collapsed. Was Sam trying to…

Sam couldn’t kill him. I was already scheduled to stand in front of the council for the death of Blake. I couldn’t let Sam go through the same fate.

Before I could react, several sentinels stormed the street. Tripp tackled Sam to the ground. Instantly, the ball of debris dropped, spraying in all directions.

Ben collapsed, his eyes rolling back into his head. Olivia and Sloan ran to him. Tripp stood, pulling Sam with him.

“Sam?” I ran over to my brother.

His eyes were open, but he wasn’t acknowledging me.

Tears clouded my vision. What happened to him?

“Jo.” Tripp’s voice was gentle. “Give him some room.”

I took his advice and stepped back.

Strong hands came around me and settled on my stomach.

I screamed. “Get away from me!”

“Shhh, beautiful. It’s just me,” Webb whispered.

“No. Let me go.”

“Lieutenant, get my daughter out of here,” Dad said from somewhere nearby.

“Sam, please, if you can hear me—” I cried.

His eyes drifted shut, and then he collapsed in Tripp’s arms.

“Come on. He’ll be fine.” Webb’s voice was soft.

“Jo, he’s used a lot of energy,” Tripp said. “Webb’s right. He’ll be fine. His pulse is strong. He just needs to sleep it off. I’ll take him back to base.” He glanced behind me.

“Stay with him until he wakes,” Webb ordered.

“Yes, sir.” Tripp carried Sam away.

“Hey.” Webb’s lips skimmed my ear. “Sam will be fine. I promise.”

His words, his voice, his touch all made me sink into him until I remembered why I was out here.

I kicked his shin with my bare foot. “It’s all your fault.”

He held me tighter. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

“Get Ben out of here,” Dad commanded from somewhere nearby.

“Let me go, Webb.” My voice was shaky.

“No. Never.”

“I said…to let me go.” I gritted my teeth.

Dad walked up. Webb straightened a little but kept his hold on me.

“Young lady, why did you run like that?” Dad only called me “young lady” when I was in trouble.

“It was my fault, Commander. I—”

“You don’t have to stick up for her. I know why she ran.” Dad stared daggers at me.

Yeah, he was mad. The vibration in his voice was a dead giveaway. No matter. After my ordeal in the ocean, I’d made a decision to be an adult about things, which meant I would own up to my mistakes.

But running from the party hadn’t been a mistake. Displaying my powers in a room full of humans would’ve been worse.

The deep line between Dad’s brows softened, as though he had read my mind.

“I’m not sorry for running, Dad. My powers were about to take over.”

Webb let go of me as car doors slammed; engines started and faded into the distance.

Dad let out a breath. “Take my daughter home, Webb.”

“That’s it? You’re not going to yell or reprimand me or anything?” I asked.

“Not tonight, Jo. I get that you took the lesser of two evils. Although jealousy will get you in trouble every time,” he said casually.

“What?” I couldn’t believe Dad just broadcasted my jealousy in front of Webb. I wanted to cringe.

“I’m not dead, pumpkin. You two are dealing with something. What? I don’t want to know. But jealous rage will always end in disaster.” Dad scrutinized both of us. “Get your issues resolved before you return to base. I have very little patience with stuff like this.” Dad stalked off, into a waiting Hummer.

I went to find my sandals. I had no idea how Webb and I were going to resolve anything, especially if he didn’t want to talk about it.

Chapter 9

S
ilence hung in the Audi as Webb drove. He sped through the streets of Fall River as though he were on a racetrack, heading for the finish line. I should’ve been frightened, especially when he almost clipped a side mirror from a parked car, but I wasn’t. My body was numb as I thought about the night. Out of everything that had happened, I was worried about Sam. Did he kill Ben?

Nausea churned in my stomach. I hated the thought of Ben being a vampire or whatever he was.

Was he still human? His thoughts… Oh my God, had I actually been reading his mind? I straightened against the leather seat. Had I been reading Matthew’s mind while we were walking through the gardens?

No. I refused to believe I had that power. It had to be all the magic Ms. Costner put on the place. That was it.

Relaxing my shoulders, I peeked at Webb. His gaze was fixed on the road, lips pressed into a thin line. Mt. Hope Bay passed by on my right in a blur. The lights of the military base drew closer. Hadn’t Dad said to get our problems worked out before we came back?

As we reached the first set of iron gates, I said, “Webb, we need to talk.”

The Audi came to a stop, and Webb rolled down his window. “Sentinel.”

“Lieutenant.” The sentinel nodded to the guardhouse, and the gates opened.

Webb’s window slid shut as he gave the Audi gas. The next set of gates slowly opened as the sentinel standing at his post saluted as we drove through. I flashed back to the first day I had stepped foot on the base and how nervous I’d been. I held my hands tightly in my lap as a sense of déjà vu washed over me. Back then I sat next to Webb, wondering what in the world was going on with my life. He’d been quiet as I tried to ask him questions about my brother, who’d gone missing. But he wouldn’t answer me.

Now, as we drove through the base, he was quiet, looking straight ahead. I stared out the side window, trying to prevent myself from crying. Maybe he didn’t want anything to do with me after dancing with Nicki. Maybe he realized he did have feelings for her. All of a sudden I couldn’t wait to get out of this car and run to my room and hide as I normally did when anything bothered me.

The winding road seemed to go on forever. Just as the main building came into view, Webb veered left toward the wooded area of the base.

“Where are we going?” I hated the damn woods.

He still didn’t say anything.

The Audi slowed as a small A-frame building peeked out from the tall evergreens that towered over it. Was this one of the safe houses that I kept hearing about? Tripp had been ordered to take me to one the night they picked me up from the Coast Guard Cutter. Webb parked in a small paved spot, and without a word, he jumped out, trudged up to the front door, and unlocked it. As soon as he disappeared inside, a light came on.

I sat in the car. Should I follow him? Maybe he was getting something before he took me home. An owl hooted from somewhere deep in the forest, and I flinched. Well, I wasn’t staying in the car. Ever since I heard the story of the girl who’d been killed in the Fall River State Forest back in the mid-seventies, woods gave me the creeps.

I let out a low, frustrated sigh at myself for being a little scared, but also at Webb who was driving me crazy with his quiet attitude. I jumped out, not bothering to put on my sandals. I decided I was more comfortable in my bare feet.

I scanned the area while picking my way from the car to the front door. I stepped cautiously around several branches and rocks, ensuring I didn’t snag the gown or poke a hole in my bare feet. The front door was ajar, so I walked in. “Webb!”

My toes sank into soft carpeting. A soft glow illuminated the room.

Warm colors painted the walls. A comfy brown sofa sat in front of the large-screen TV. An office area with a desk, a computer, and a few filing cabinets lined the left wall.

This didn’t strike me as a safe house.

“Webb?” I called again.

I ambled to the arch leading to the next room and crossed the threshold into a brightly lit kitchen. A fridge, a stove, and a table for two made up the small room. Webb stood against the sink, sipping from a mug.

“Is this a—”

“This is my home on base,” he said abruptly. “We converted a few safe houses for the sentinels.” He tipped back the mug then set it down.

“So why doesn’t my dad have a place like this?” It would be nice to live in a small house away from the main building, where the sentinels didn’t stand guard, watching every move I made.

The recessed lighting highlighted the sadness on his face. He’d confused me more in the last few hours than he had since I’d known him. Part of me wanted to run and jump in his arms. The other part of me wanted to shake the words out of him, for why he was angry or sad or whatever emotions he was holding back.

“Your father likes to be close to his work. He’s always been like that. Come here, Jo.”

His gentle voice certainly did match his outward appearance. Regardless, I wasn’t going to jump every time the vampire changed moods. Webb and I were brand new at this relationship thing.

Still, I needed to be strong, not only for him but for us. “No. Not until you stop being an ass. You’ve treated me horribly tonight.”

He ran his hands through his hair.

After a long agonizing minute, he had said nothing.

Fine. I could find my own way back home. I huffed and stalked out. My feet dug into the carpet when he scooped me into his arms.

“You’re not going anywhere,” he whispered in my ear.

“Webb, put me down. If you’re not going to talk to me, then take me home.”

He wasn’t going to kiss his way to an apology, although his lips did feel wonderful.

“I told you that I’m not letting you go.” He carried me to the couch.

“Well, I’m not giving into your…”

He raised an eyebrow. “What? This?” His lips smashed onto mine.

I pushed him.

“Jo.” Pain coated my name. “I know I was an ass. I’m sorry.” He dropped down on the couch with me on his lap. “I need you.”

Huh? I knitted my brows. “You have a funny way of showing it.”

He untied his bow tie. Then he traced the outline of my sweetheart neckline, his fingers dipping inside. “You scared the crap out of me.”

Was he talking about before or after the fundraiser? “When?”

“When you ran out. I just knew what was going to happen.”

“What?” I tried to straighten, but he grasped my hip, keeping me on his lap.

“Hear me out. Kate was never going to show up. Nicki lied to make sure you would be there. She was supposed to slip into the event and lure you away to Ben.”

“What the—”

“Wait.” He pressed a finger to my lips. “Remember when we were at my house in Maine, your father told me that things around here were a little hectic, and we had intruders on base? Well, she was one of them. She was trying to get to me.”

“And let me guess, she ran into Ben?”

He nodded, removing his finger from my mouth.

“Why didn’t she just go to the gate and ask for you?” I placed my hands on his chest.

“She’s not allowed anywhere near the base. We had her banned from here.”

I wasn’t going to ask why. After her little stint in Maine, I had an inkling, anyway. “So how did she know we would be there tonight?”

“She’d been lurking outside my house.” He fingered the ruby on my neck. “Pretty.”

I looked down at it. The jewel was pretty, but that wasn’t the topic. “And how was she supposed to lure me out to Ben?” I lifted my gaze to his.

“After your run-in with her in Maine, she knew you would come to her without any reservations.”

I couldn’t argue with that. Only I probably would’ve killed her.

“And she told you all this?”

He let go of the ruby and gently wrapped his fingers around my wrists.

“Not at first. When I asked her where Kate was, she blackmailed me into dancing with her. Said she would make a scene if I didn’t. So we danced. She seemed to let her guard down. She told me she hadn’t heard from Kate since before the night at the mansion. I knew then she was up to something. But I assumed she wanted me. Then she brought up Ben, and I put two and two together. One of the sentinels had seen a female lurking around the base shortly after we left for Maine, and Ben had been at the base, too. When you ran out, she laughed and said Ben was going to eat you alive.”

He didn’t seem to want to eat me alive. When he let me go, I thought I could reason with him and get him to talk.

“What happens now?” I laced my fingers through his.

“I don’t know. I have no idea where your father took Ben. I don’t know what happened to Nicki, either. When I saw you take off, everything became a blur. I gathered the sentinels and your father, and we went in search of you.”

“Webb, are you mad at me? Did I say something wrong in the car on the way over there?”

“No.” He placed his hand on my cheek. “You take my breath away, and… I was having a hard time controlling myself in the car. All I wanted to do…” Black wove through his blue eyes as they began to change.

“What is it?” I prodded.

His lips grazed mine. “When I first saw you in that dress, I thought my heart stopped. Then in the car when I was able to kiss you, it stopped again. But what sent me over the edge was hearing you say that you’re crazy for me. At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to bring you back here and…”

I think my heart stopped. Or was it beating so fast I couldn’t feel it anymore?

“I’m here now, baby,” I whispered.

He groaned.

My chest rose and fell as he trailed his fingers over my jaw and down my neck.

His fingers stopped in my cleavage again. I sucked in a breath.

“Stunning,” he said.

In this moment in his arms, I knew, without a doubt, I was in love with him.