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

BOOK: On the Edge of Destiny (Book 3) (A Vampire SEAL Novel)
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I rolled my eyes. Well, I’d known that, since her green eyes had flickered toward black when she first spotted Webb. Plus she certainly didn’t have the delicious sweet scent of a human.

“So, Trina…” Webb kept looking around.

“No worries, young man. Aside from the love of my life in the back, no one else is here.”

I guess I didn’t have to be jealous of the woman.

“Did you see the brown-haired lady who was in here earlier?” Webb resumed his position on the stool next to me.

“The human? Yes. She was arguing with someone on the phone in the ladies’ room. I couldn’t make out the whole conversation, but she repeated your name a few times.” She wiped the countertop. “Do you know her?”

“No” was all Webb said.

“So, she didn’t ask you about Webb?” George asked.

“George, old man, you know better than that. She didn’t, but if she did, I wouldn’t share any information about any of my friends.”

“I had to ask,” George said.

The concern in his voice led me to believe he wouldn’t betray Webb.

“What happened, anyway?” Trina propped her elbows on the counter. “Someone said they saw an orange glow up on the coast.”

Webb explained what happened while Trina served apple pie à la mode to George and me. I found it curious that she didn’t give Webb a piece.

“Have you seen that woman in here before tonight?” Webb asked.

“No.” She filled a cup with coffee and placed it in front of George.

The bell dinged, and in walked a tall, dark-haired man with a badge and a smirk.

“Gee, London. How many times do I have to tell you this is a quiet town? We try to keep a low…” He let out a whistle as his brown eyes swept over me. “Who’s the beauty at your side?”

Webb growled, jumping to his feet.

“Easy, London. I know she’s off limits.” The man with the badge held up his hands.

I swiveled on the stool toward him while Webb decided to lean against his stool with his back to Trina. He and the sheriff exchanged handshakes.

Then the sheriff offered me his hand. “Hi. I’m Stan, the local sheriff around here.”

“I’m Jo.” We shook.

“Please to meet you, Jo,” Stan said. “Be careful. He’s one of the most possessive vampires I know.”

I’d thought Webb was being protective. Yet the more I said the word
possessive
in my head, the more it started to make some sense.

Then again, what alpha male wasn’t? Heck, my father exemplified the word and seemed to be proud of it. “You haven’t met my dad.”

Stan laughed, letting go of my hand. “If he gets too smothering, you let me know.”

“Stan,” Webb barked.

“Cool your jets, London.” He rolled his eyes.

“You’re a vampire too?” I knew the answer. I was just trying to break the tension between the two.

Stan nodded. “Now. What happened?” he asked, shifting to an all-business demeanor.

Webb explained to Stan that he’d been on the beach most of the day with me, and George added in where he saw fit. While the men chatted, I bit into a piece of the apple pie and lost all sense I was a vampire. My human memories flooded back. None of our foster parents had been big on giving Sam and me sugar, especially before bed. But that hadn’t mattered to us. We would still sneak into the kitchen late at night and steal dessert.

As I closed my mouth around the next spoonful, I wondered… Who was Lauren Dryer? How did the brakes fail? Was someone trying to kill us? How did she know Webb’s last name? Did she know vampires existed? As the delectable treat melted on my tongue, the questions likewise vanished.

By the time I scarfed up the last of the pie, Stan and Webb had finished their conversation. I suddenly became queasy. I guessed my vampire system wasn’t used to sweets. Placing a hand on my abdomen, I stood.

“What’s wrong?” Webb asked.

“Not feeling good.” I blew out breath.

He looked at the plate then at Trina before his eyes landed on me.

“Are you going to throw up?” Stan covered his mouth as though he were, too.

Acid rose in my throat. “Bathroom.” My body became warm, and the room began spinning.

“This way,” Webb said in a strained voice.

I followed him around the counter and down a small hall into the ladies’ room. I threw open the stall door before dropping to my knees.

“I shouldn’t—” I lost every bit of apple pie.

“You’re right,” Webb whispered as he held my hair behind my head.

How sweet was he to help me when I was puking?

After I heaved the contents from my stomach, Stan drove us back to Webb’s place. I relaxed against Webb as the police cruiser rolled up the coast. Dizziness still lingered, so I closed my eyes. In the front, George repeated his day’s routine to Stan. Both speculated about what could’ve happened to the brakes.

Webb didn’t contribute to the conversation. Not that I wanted to read minds like my father, but right then I would have loved to be in Webb’s head. His heartbeat was rapid. I couldn’t imagine he was nervous. Was he thinking about the sleeping arrangements, like me? He only had two bedrooms. One was his, and the other belonged to George, since he stayed at the house most of the time, helping Webb with the upkeep of the property.

Stan pulled into the long driveway and let the engine idle. “George, buddy, why don’t you crash at my place? I’ll let you borrow one of my trucks in the morning.”

“Not a bad idea,” George said, turning and looking at Webb. “My car is in Boston. Is that okay with you?”

“Sure,” Webb responded. “Jo and I will be staying for a few days. I want to check out the accident site tomorrow. Maybe we can fish the car out of the ocean.”

“There are a lot of rocky areas off the side of the cliff,” Stan said. “More than likely, it’s sitting on the rocks. However, I doubt you’ll be able to find much, especially if it went up in flames. But I agree. We’ll take a look tomorrow.”

We said our good-byes and slid out of the cruiser. We waved as the headlights faded from the driveway. When darkness replaced the light, my heart jumped into gear. Now what?

“No need to be nervous,” Webb said as he unlocked the front door. “I’m not going to bite.”

I laughed nervously. Maybe I wanted him to.

Once inside, an awkward silence stretched between us. Webb sauntered into the kitchen. I didn’t move from the small foyer. It was as if someone had injected lead into my feet. Or maybe it was the ten thousand needles pricking my stomach. After all, a sexy-as-hell vampire and me alone all night spelled all kinds of heart-racing, mind-twisting thoughts.

He said something, but the buzzing in my head drowned out his voice. I closed my eyes, trying to calm my nerves, and his hand touched my cheek. “Hey?”

The closeness of our bodies only served to increase the jittery little beasts poking sharp pins into my tummy. My lids slid open, and his eyes latched on to mine.

“I told you I don’t bite.” He traced my bottom lip with the pad of his thumb. “But I do kiss.” A smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth.

My heart did several jumping jacks. Nope, I wasn’t going to make it through the night.

“You take my bed, and I’ll sleep on the couch.” He must have sensed my trepidation.

“I…can…sleep on the couch.” I swallowed. “Or I could sleep in George’s room tonight.”

I couldn’t take Webb’s bed. This was his home.

His thumb moved to my cheek. “No way. George’s room isn’t clean. No arguments on this.” He placed a soft kiss on my nose before taking my hand. “Come on. Let’s get you tucked in.”

I released a long, pent-up breath, and the pricking sensation in my stomach slowed. “Webb, I can stay on the couch.” I didn’t move.

I’d slept in worse conditions in foster care. I even slept on the floor once. It had only been temporary, since one of the other foster kids was scheduled to leave the home the next day.

“I insist. And if I have to carry you up to my room, I will. Your choice.” He raised one eyebrow.

I stared at him. I could protest, but his don’t-argue-with-me look told me I wouldn’t win, and I just wanted to get through this freaking awkward moment.

“Would you stay with me?” my mouth said ahead of my brain.

My blood stopped flowing.

His eyes darkened to vampire black.

I lost my vision for a split second before my own eyes shifted while my heart fell to the floor. I mentally whacked myself a few times. What was I thinking? I wasn’t ready for this. Sure, I’d slept next to him in his hospital bed, but that was a place where Dr. Vieira came in to check on him, and even my dad sat in the room, talking to him while I slept.

This was different, very different. It was him and me. Alone.

Chapter 2

I
had a restless night. Webb had declined my offer to stay with me. I tried to reassure him it was just to sleep, nothing more.

“As much as I would love to,” he’d said, “it would be best for me to sleep on the couch.”

I hadn’t argued or questioned his decision. He seemed a little nervous himself, and I’d recalled my dad’s words. “Webb knows I’d cut his head off if he did anything.” Part of me was disappointed, yet another was relieved. I wasn’t prepared for more than kissing.

A soft knock sounded through the door.

I sat up, adjusting my blouse. I’d slept in my clothes last night. Yep. Call me crazy. I had a hang-up about sleeping in my underwear in Webb’s bed.

“Come…in.” My voice cracked.

The door opened, and Webb’s woodsy scent wafted in along with the imposing vampire.

“Good morning, beautiful,” Webb said. “Sleep well?”

Between his scent and his voice, I could barely speak. I swept my gaze over his entire body, my tongue glued to the roof of my mouth.

A black Henley stretched across his broad chest. Jeans hung low on his hips. His long lashes fanned out at half-mast as his blue eyes latched onto mine with such intensity I swear the vampire wanted to devour me. My inner voice told me to run for the hills. My heart told me not to.

I shook off the drunken dizziness that always seemed to hit me when Webb walked into a room. I hadn’t experienced feelings like this before. Actually, I’d never had so much attention from anyone. Boys didn’t give me the time of day in school.

“I did. What about you?” I asked, thankful I’d formed two complete sentences.

The mattress dipped as I combed through my locks.

“Come here.” He tucked his fingers in the waist of my jeans.

I sucked in a sharp breath at his touch.

A smile ghosted his lips while he urged me toward him. As if I had a choice. Even if I wanted to run—which I didn’t—the hold he had on me, and the look in his eyes was enough to reduce me to nothing. With his help, I inched my way to him.

“You slept in your clothes,” he said, our noses practically touching.

I nodded.

He brushed the backs of his fingers ever so lightly against the exposed skin underneath my shirt.

My eyes widened. A shiver crawled up my spine as a warm flutter slid down my belly. What was happening to me? Yesterday, I’d spent the entire day alone with Webb, holding hands, cuddling, kissing, and talking, and I didn’t feel this nervous, scared, or excited. Was it because we were alone in his bedroom and I’d slept in his bed? Or was it something else?

His soft kiss brought me back from my thoughts. “You’re thinking too much this morning, and the sun isn’t even up yet,” he said against my lips.

With vampire speed, he gripped my waist and placed me on his lap. I was now straddling the hulking vampire.

His hands coasted down my arms, and he swept his gaze over my face as though he were trying to get into my brain. I slanted my head. He smiled, and his lips grazed over mine.

In two heartbeats, we were in a heated kiss. I groaned his name in protest—only because of morning breath. He took possession of my mouth, obviously misunderstanding, so I gave in and buried my hands in his hair. My nails scraped along his scalp.

His hands stopped on my hips while his vampire eyes drifted shut. A low growl sounded in the back of his throat. After a moment, he grasped my wrists, pulling them down while he broke away.

“I’ve been wanting to kiss you since I woke up hours ago,” he said in a velvety voice.

“Why didn’t you wake me up then?”

“Because you’re beautiful.” He traced circles on my lower back.

I scrunched my eyebrows together. “What kind of answer is that?”

A wolfish grin was etched on his handsome face as his lips grazed mine. “One that you’ll have to accept for now. Let’s go for a walk on the beach. We have some time before George gets here.”

I pouted, sticking out my bottom lip. I wanted to keep kissing.

“No. That look isn’t going to work on me,” he said as he pushed to his feet, lifting me off him before setting me down.

A girl had to try.

He opened the wall of curtains, exposing French doors that led out to a deck overlooking the beach. A faint blue tinted the sky in the distance. The sun would be up soon.

“Why don’t you freshen up? The bathroom is right here.” He waved a hand at the open doorway. “I’ll meet you downstairs.” He crossed the room. “Don’t take long. I want to watch the sun rise.”

“Uh… What about clean clothes? I didn’t bring a change or anything.”

“We’ll go into town and pick up a few things for you.” The door closed behind him.

I took in the warm, inviting room, this time in daylight. The walls were painted a muted gray. White woodwork framed the perimeter of the ceiling and baseboards. Splashes of blue, gray, and white complemented each other, creating a calming atmosphere. A natural wood dresser sat against one wall, while an oversized upholstered chair faced the ocean view.

I traipsed into the bathroom. I decided to forgo a shower until I got clean clothes. Instead, I plucked a washcloth from the basket on the sink and washed a few important body parts. I swept a brush through my hair then pulled it into a ponytail with a band I had around my wrist.

I checked myself in the mirror one last time. Silver eyes stood against my sunburned cheeks. Apparently spending all day in the sun yesterday had an effect on me.

Now if only I had a toothbrush. I glanced around and spotted a tube of toothpaste. I squeezed a small amount on my finger before sliding the pasty stuff along the tops and bottoms of my teeth, then rinsed my mouth a few times. It wasn’t the greatest way to get the crud off, but it would sure help with morning breath.

As the word
morning
slid through my brain, my throat began to burn. At the thought of blood, heat rushed through me.

I had to stop thinking about the taste of Webb’s blood. Otherwise, I wasn’t going to last here with him for the next few days.

Satisfied I was at least presentable, I left in search of my flats. I spied them nestled in front of the chair in the bedroom. After slipping them on, I found Webb in the kitchen, sipping from a mug. One sniff, and my fangs descended.

He set down his mug on the counter and retrieved a bottle from the fridge.

“Here.” He kissed me on the lips as he handed me my breakfast. “Enjoy.”

I wasted no time. The blood cooled the fire in my throat. I loved the stuff. My fangs retreated as soon as I finished.

“So on the phone yesterday, you told my dad something about what you drink. What type of blood is it?” I didn’t think it was the flavored stuff, but I wasn’t sure. I rinsed out the bottle.

He joined me at the sink as he downed the last of his own breakfast before washing out the cup and placing it in the dish rack. “The blood the sentinels, including your father, drink comes from one of our suppliers. It’s not flavored. It is, however, filtered for any impurities like chemicals, manufactured substances, fructose, and preservatives.” He wiped his hands with a paper towel. “Come on. The sun is almost up. Let’s go sit on the beach.”

Well, that answered what type of blood my father drank.

The doors leading to the deck, according to Webb, were pivot doors—four of them—and all were glass. Two of them were ajar, and salt air trickled in.

Webb grabbed the flannel blanket from the barstool as I trailed behind him.

“So the blood you drink is human, right?” I asked, stepping onto the massive deck.

“It is. The blood banks have to dispose of older blood, sooner or later.”

“And I’ll be able to drink that type eventually?” Without thinking, I grabbed his hand as I climbed down the last step to the sand.

“I imagine,” he replied. “Your father doesn’t like the flavored blood. I don’t, either. It’s not healthy. They put too many artificial ingredients in it.”

I liked the flavored blood. “But we’re vampires. We can’t get sick.”

“Jo. You know our systems can’t tolerate some things.”

Case in point, my recent puking stint after I ate the apple pie. I let the subject drop.

Holding hands, we walked toward the water. Webb settled on a spot several feet from shore, where he spread out the flannel blanket. The horizon had a tint of orange. It wouldn’t be long now before the sun peeked out.

He made himself comfortable on the multicolored blanket, kicking out his jean-clad legs and bare feet while he rested on one elbow. I toed off my shoes, sat down, and folded my legs underneath me. It was nice just to stare out at the serene ocean and listen to the soft caress of the waves and nothing else. The air was surprisingly warm for this time of morning, especially near the ocean. Or maybe the heat stemmed from the vampire next to me.

“You’re thinking too hard, Jo.” His husky voice tickled my ears.

I slowly swung my gaze to him. I hadn’t realized my hand was in his.

“You want to talk about it?” he asked.

That moment might be the perfect time to talk, since George wouldn’t be here until later. “How do you think the boulder moved last night? I mean, it was big, and the limo didn’t hit it.”

“The force of the limo barreling up the hill could’ve caused the rock to move.”

Maybe he was right. Besides, if someone did sabotage the brakes, how would they have known we would end up at that particular spot?

“So I know you don’t think it was George, but what about…” I met his blue gaze, hesitant to bring up his sister Kate.

His eyebrows knitted.

I glanced out. Waves crashed along the surf. “Do you think Kate or Edmund had any part in this? She does know you own this house, right?”

“Look at me, Jo.” His voice had a sharp edge to it.

I followed his command, meeting his vampire black eyes. My pulse quickened as I did. I didn’t want to upset him.

“How would Edmund and the Plutariums have known we were here? I didn’t decide to come up here until I had you in my arms in the medical facility. I didn’t tell anyone except your father. Sam didn’t even know. I did that for a reason. We still have a mole inside our group.”

“They could’ve been waiting outside the base then followed us.”

“True, but George and I didn’t see anything suspicious on our way here. Your theory is plausible, but I have a hard time believing the Plutariums would show themselves only a day after we fought them at the mansion. Knowing Edmund, he wants to regroup before he does anything else.”

“So if it wasn’t the Plutariums, including Kate, who else would want us dead?”

“Until we can see the limo, I’m not going to speculate. It doesn’t do any good to jump to conclusions. The brakes could’ve easily failed from wear and tear, Jo.”

He had a point. So why did I feel it had been something different?

Webb sat up. “Come closer, Jo.”

I scooted over to him. Our thighs barely touched, and electricity zinged up my leg. Did he feel it, too? I glanced at him and sucked in a breath. He was looking at me through hooded eyelids. Suddenly, the world around me vanished except the beat of his heart—or was it mine?

He slid his hand onto my thigh, and I laid mine on top of his.

The wind seemed to shift as the sun rose. We both turned our attention to the reason why we were out here. Orange brightened the sky as the ball of fire rose. The waves crashed along the shore, and a few seagulls cawed along the ocean’s edge.

“I’m glad you’re here, Jo. I’m also relieved nothing happened to you last night.”

He wrapped an arm around my waist, and I rested my head on his chest.

“I’m glad nothing happened to you too,” I whispered.

His fingers skimmed down my arm then back up as he kissed my hair.

The sunlight glinted off the water.

“Incredible,” I said. “I’ve never seen such a beautiful sight before.”

“I have, and she’s sitting right next to me.” He tugged me closer. “You do things to me I’ve never thought were possible.” His lips hovered over my mine.

I almost pinched him to be sure he was real. The vampire soldier stole a piece of my heart every time he batted his blue eyes at me or whispered words I’d never imagined anyone saying to me. I closed my eyes, trying to prevent the tears from surfacing. I didn’t want to cry, but my heart was filled with so much emotion…

“Open your eyes.” He kissed my nose.

I lifted heavy lids and met his gaze, which was heated with desire. One heartbeat later, he pressed his lips to mine. The tips of our tongues touched ever so lightly, and we both explored. He nibbled, suckled, and kissed, and I did the same. I wanted to stay in this spot with him forever.

His cell phone rang, ruining the moment.

Breaking away, he plucked it out of his jeans. “Hey, George. Yes, Jo and I are down on the beach. No, we’re fine. Sure, I’ll see you in a couple of hours.” He threw the phone on the blanket. “Where were we?”

The blue in his eyes sparkled. The first time I saw his sister, Kate, she’d walked into the hall in the women’s barracks on base with the same sparkle in her blue eyes.

I still couldn’t wrap my mind around Kate trying to kill him. I wanted to make sense of it. Was he ready to talk about it? “Webb?”

His body tensed, apparently at the sound of my voice.

“What’s wrong?” I touched his hand.

He searched my face. “Your tone. It sounds like you’re afraid of something.”

I was, simply because I didn’t know how he was going to respond.

“Can we talk about Kate?” I held my breath.

He tensed. “I’m not sure what you want to know.”

I threaded my fingers through his. “Why would Kate side with Edmund?”

I avoided the dreaded question of why she wanted him dead. Maybe if we understood why she switched teams, we’d uncover the reason she wanted to kill him.

His grip tightened on my hand, and I winced. “I can’t honestly find any reason, other than she’s in love with him. My sister tends to fall hard for someone she loves and will do anything for him.” His eyes glazed over. “Our dad was one of the leading Mafia bosses in Boston. He hired a sharp young man who became his number one lieutenant. Well, Kate and he fell in love. And he convinced her to run away with him and get away from the Mafia business. Our father found out and went… Well…he got upset. He and Kate argued. During the argument, she managed to threaten my father with a cobalt dagger. She was no match for him.” His delivery was deadpan.

BOOK: On the Edge of Destiny (Book 3) (A Vampire SEAL Novel)
3.93Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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