On the Edge of Destiny (Book 3) (A Vampire SEAL Novel) (7 page)

I wanted to believe him. There were too many unknowns. What if Kate tried to kill him again? When was Edmund going to make his next move? He did want revenge against my family, and now he also had a vendetta against Webb.

Not to mention all the loose ends. Like what about Ben and his father? My sixth sense was telling me Mr. Jackson might be more of a problem than Edmund right now. After all, Dad had his own worries about the man.

Still, the one worry that overshadowed everything was my hearing. What if I was convicted of murdering Blake? Would I go to jail?

“You’re thinking too hard.” The deep timbre of Webb’s voice brought me back to reality.

“Webb? What do you think Kate wants to talk to you about? And why at the fundraiser?” Another issue that worried me.

“I have no idea. My guess is she knows the fundraiser is a public place where I won’t make a scene, and she won’t, either.”

“Do you think any of the other Plutariums will be there, like Edmund?”

“Not sure. It’s always a possibility.”

I tensed.

He pressed my fingers to his lips again. “Don’t worry. Nothing is going to happen. The guardians and sentinels will make sure the event goes smoothly.”

“Why would Edmund and Kate even go? You said Edmund was lying low right now.”

“Again, I’m not sure.”

I didn’t have a warm and fuzzy feeling about the black-tie event.

“Let’s not worry. We need to get in there.” He nodded to the building behind us.

We both jumped out of the truck and headed for the back of the building. As soon as we reached the sentinel at the entrance, Webb switched into soldier demeanor. His body straightened, and his face tightened, losing the softness that I’d come to love about the vampire.

“Lieutenant.”

The sentinel and Webb exchanged nods as the sentinel opened the door. Once inside, another sentinel stood guarding yet a second door. Dad wasn’t messing around with security.

“Wait here, Lieutenant,” the inside sentinel instructed as he called the control room.

“Why?” I asked Webb.

“Our entire security system changed. Until I have access, I can’t get in.”

We waited for five minutes before we were cleared to enter. Webb and I headed to Dad’s office first. Actually, Dad had told the sentinel to send us directly to his office.

As soon as I set foot beyond the door, cold air rushed at me along with the sterile feeling I’d come to know very well. I was home. So why wasn’t I happy?

Chapter 5

N
o sooner had I walked into Dad’s office than he had me in a bear hug. I missed my dad, but being back on base had my claustrophobia squeezing its way up my throat. I’d gotten a taste of freedom. Granted, I’d almost lost my life, but I still needed to experience more of the outside world whether people were trying to kill me or not.

“Pumpkin, how are you?” Dad asked. “I was worried.”

From the dark circles under his eyes and the deepened worry lines on his forehead, he looked as though he hadn’t slept in days.

“Lieutenant, thank you for keeping her safe,” Dad said as he returned to his desk chair.

Jeepers. Dad spoke as if he’d paid Webb to stash me away for a couple of days while he took care of business around here. I quickly discarded the idea. Webb wouldn’t accept a bribe to spend time with me. No way.

Webb sat down in one of the chairs in front of Dad’s desk.

Standing behind the brand new wingback chair next to Webb, I surveyed Dad’s renovated office. The windows had been repaired from the recent explosion. The walls smelled of a fresh coat of paint, and the furniture had been replaced. Aside from the two wingback chairs, a mahogany wood desk replaced Dad’s old steel one. Even the sitting area had new furniture.

Wow! I had only been gone two days. Whoever remodeled his office had to have worked at vampire speed. Out of all the new furniture and décor, one thing was missing.

“Where’s your safe, Dad?”

“I moved it.”

Dad’s safe had been broken into on two separate occasions. Kate had taken his blood reserves and given them to our enemy, Edmund Rain, who sought to build an army of vampires out of humans. He had used my father’s blood to change his first test subject, Blake Turner. But as a man-made vampire, Blake had one flaw—a sun allergy, which according to Edmund, was unacceptable. He wanted vampires who could function twenty-four hours a day.

Webb shrugged. I guessed Dad wasn’t telling anyone where his safe was or where he kept his blood.

“I’m going to find Sam,” I said. “Where is he, by the way?”

“He should be in the apartment. There’s a surprise for you on your bed,” Dad said, eyes brightening.

“What is it?” My own eyes widened.

He rose from his chair and walked me out. “You’ll see.” He gave me another hug. “It’s good to have you home, pumpkin. I’ll be up in a bit. I need to talk to you about the fundraiser and a couple of other things. Okay?”

I glanced over my shoulder at Webb, and he winked. I loved it when he did that. I returned the gesture with a smile when a soft tickle breezed across my nape.

I miss you already, angel. I’ll talk to you as soon as I can get things in order with your dad.

Promise?

With my heart and soul.

I smiled again at Webb’s words.

Then Dad kissed my forehead and went back into his office.

As I headed down the long corridor, I realized this place was different. I pushed in the door to the stairwell, trying to analyze what had changed. I’d only been back a few minutes. It couldn’t be this place. No, it had to be me.

I climbed the stairs, thinking about the past few days. The way Webb held me, kissed me, looked at me. How his heart raced and how he trembled under my touch.

Still, the turning point in my mind was our time in the truck. My tummy knotted. He tore away my reticence, shattering my shyness.

I smiled at my revelation. I kept the grin plastered on my face until I saw concern flickering across my brother Sam’s face. All thoughts of Webb vanished.

“What’s wrong?” I shut the door to the apartment.

Sam was playing with a cell phone. He glanced at me then back at the phone. He tapped the screen before jumping up from the couch.

He adjusted the waist of his low-slung jeans. “Sorry, Sis.” He threw his arms around me. “How are you?”

I hugged him back before edging away, giving him a once-over. His forest-green eyes lacked the usual glint. His quiet behavior reminded me of those times we had spent in foster care.

“You don’t seem too happy to see me.” I stuck out my bottom lip.

“It’s not that.” He went back to the couch, looking at his phone.

“Is that yours?” I followed.

“Yeah. Yours is on your bed,” he said as he typed on his phone.

Oh, that must be my surprise Dad had mentioned. Finally. I’d asked Dad for one over a month ago. If Sam and I had cell phones, we probably could’ve gotten out of a few pickles we’d been in. I was excited to be part of the new age of technology, but right now, I had to find out why Sam was acting different. I wasn’t the Empath in the family—Sam was the one who could read and feel other’s emotions. He still hadn’t mastered his skills, but he had learned how to block some emotions, although he had a tougher time shielding Dad’s, especially when the powerful vampire was in a fit of rage.

Still, I didn’t have to be an Empath to know something was amiss. “Sam, what’s going on?” I kicked off my shoes and dropped down on the oversized chair next to the couch.

Letting out a breath, he set his phone on the coffee table and ran his fingers through his shoulder-length raven hair. He smiled, but it never reached his eyes. It was the same look he’d given me just before we were shipped off to another foster home.

“Did I miss something while I was gone?” I tried to get the conversation going again without freaking out.

“I don’t want you to go bonkers. Okay?” He stared at me, waiting for my answer.

I laughed nervously.

He took that as his cue to continue. “Remember how Pops kept saying Mr. Jackson was going to be a problem?” He paused. “Well, so is Ben.”

“Come again.” I slanted my head.

I’d last seen Sam’s best friend in the medical facility.

“While you were gone, Ben showed up at the main gate, demanding to see you. Is there something you want to tell me about you and Ben?” Sam leaned forward, elbows on his knees. His tone reminded me of Dad’s when he got all commander on me.

I shifted my position and crossed my legs underneath me. I’d never told Sam that Ben had asked me to the high school dance or anything else about Ben and me. I had my reasons. Mainly, I didn’t want Sam killing his best friend because I might’ve wanted to be more than friends with Ben. Regardless, once I became a vampire, I realized my bloodlust for Ben outweighed anything else I felt for the human. Not to mention my heart was reserved for someone else.

“Well? Sis. Tell me,” he demanded.

For a moment, I considered bolting out of the apartment and running off the base. I had come back to a dad who was cranky and a brother who was treating me as though I were one of his soldiers. But I knew Sam was just protective of me. So I told Sam the story from the beginning. He didn’t say anything until I was done.

“So you’ve never kissed Ben, led him on or anything?” Sam eyes never wavered from mine.

“No. I thought I had feelings for him, but I was confused. He’s human, and I’m a vampire. Call it puberty or the change of my body, but all I really wanted to do around Ben was sink my fangs into him. But he’s stubborn, Sam. Even when I was talking to him while he was in the medical facility the other day, he wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

Sam lowered his shoulders. “I know. Pops told me Ben said he wasn’t giving up on you and him. And I can tell you, Sis, he’s not. He’s certainly not the same person I knew. Or maybe I’ve changed. He’s angry, hostile, and man, he’s strong. Like, really strong.”

“What do you mean?” I furrowed my brows.

“When he was here yesterday, we didn’t let him in. Pops had some concerns about Ben being on base, especially after Mr. Jackson came to pick him up the other day. Anyway, I went out to the gate to talk to him. He told me that he’s in love with you. I laughed. I didn’t mean to. I think it was more of a nervous laugh. He threw the first punch. We fought. I was trying to go light on him given my vampire strength. Then out of nowhere, he threw me clear across the freaking road. I mean a vampire-strength throw.”

I gasped. What the… How could this be?

“Dr. Vieira said Ben was human…right?” My voice cracked while my blood felt as if it froze.

The Plutariums had kidnapped Ben and pumped in several vials of a concoction known as the Human Vampire Serum—or, as Edmund dubbed it, HVS-1. The formula had been developed by Dad’s brother, Patrick, a renowned genetic scientist who switched sides a long time ago. Even after several injections, the serum never seemed to work on Ben, although I did see his eyes flash red when we were both stranded in the ocean. Edmund’s eyes had the same color when they shifted.

“Did you know Ben is in love with you, Sis?”

“I knew he liked me.” I wasn’t so concerned about Ben’s feelings about me. “I’m worried about the vampire strength you said he seems to have. What if the serum is working on him? What if it just took longer for his system to acclimate to the change? You saw what it did to Blake. He was a monster.”

I didn’t want to see Ben changed into something that resembled evil with red eyes. We knew little about the effects of the serum on ordinary humans. Dr. Vieira had done the autopsy on Blake and said he was part human. I still wasn’t convinced my powers were what killed him.

“Well, I can tell you he isn’t a vampire. He doesn’t have fangs or anything,” Sam said.

“Did his eyes change to red?”

“I don’t think so. Then again, as soon as he threw me, three sentinels swarmed him. They escorted Ben to his car. I didn’t see him again.”

“The sentinels didn’t see anything unusual about Ben?”

He shrugged. “I didn’t ask.”

“Has he returned today?”

“No, but he’s been texting me.” Sam checked his phone.

“How did he get your number? Didn’t Dad just give you the phone?” It wasn’t as if I’d been gone a week or a month.

Sam glanced up. “I got it the day you left, and I called Ben. I wanted to check on him. When his father picked him up, Mr. Jackson and Dad got into an argument. He told Pops he believes we’re being held against our will. So he threatened Pops. He’s going to alert the military.”

My mouth was catching flies. “You’re kidding me?”

“Think about it, Sis. You end up in a hospital because of our foster dad, which created a whole domino game. We ran from a vampire who beat a cop into a coma. We then asked Mr. Jackson for help. He gladly went out of his way to help, including smoothing things over with the chief of police and the state social workers. One week later, I was kidnapped, and the military arrived at school to take you away. Then Ben disappears for a few days because a vampire has mauled him. We both turn vampire, and no one bothers to tell Mr. Jackson we’re all right. Then Ben ends up in Dr. Vieira’s care again because of the Plutariums. Really, what would you think?”

Since he put it that way, I couldn’t argue.

“What’s Dad going to do?”

“No clue.”

“Does Dad know Ben is in love with me?” I asked. I hoped not, but as I prayed, Sam gave me an I’m-sorry look.

I wasn’t certain what Dad would do with this knowledge. I knew he didn’t like Ben. I’d told Ben we couldn’t be boyfriend and girlfriend. He’d lashed out, grabbing me by the wrists as Dad walked into the room. He almost took off Ben’s head for touching me.

“I had to tell him. I’m sorry, Sis.”

“Crap.”

The door clicked opened, and Dad strode in.

“What’s crap?” Dad’s brows furrowed.

“Nothing,” Sam said, shaking his head at me.

He didn’t have to warn me to drop the subject of Ben.

“Pumpkin, are you sure you’re okay? I know I asked you earlier, but—” Dad set his keys and phone on the small table near the door.

“What’s going on? What does he mean by okay?” Sam straightened.

“You didn’t tell him, Dad?” I unfolded my legs and brought my knees to my chest.

“Sorry, things around here have been quite hectic.” Dad joined us as he took a seat on the couch next to Sam.

I glanced at my brother. “Someone cut the brakes on the limo when we were coming back the other night.”

Sam’s eyes immediately shifted to vampire black as his brows shot up. “What? Son of a—”

“I’m fine, Sam.”

“Obviously, but who could’ve done that?” His heart sped.

I said, “We don’t know,” and then shared the rest of what had happened, including Nicki’s antics. The only thing I didn’t share were the intimate details between Webb and me. Sam and Dad didn’t need to know, and I didn’t want to give Dad a heart attack. I also needed to keep my mind empty of anything I didn’t want Dad to know.

Sam pushed to his feet, and in two steps he pulled me up and hugged me. “I’m sorry, Jo.”

He let me go when his phone rang. “Shit.” He swiped it off the coffee table.

“Problem, Son?” Dad asked.

“It’s…” He bit the inside of his cheek, a nervous habit he shared with Dad. “Ben.” He hit a button on the phone, and it stopped ringing.

Dad growled as silver bled through his green eyes.

The majority of vampires had black eyes when their emotions changed. Dad’s shifted from green to silver. Edmund Rain’s brown eyes flashed to red, and mine turned from silver to violet. No one had yet explained why to me.

A muscle ticked in Dad’s jaw as he swung his gaze from Sam to me.

“How come you didn’t answer it?” I asked.

Sam grabbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know what to say anymore.”

“Son, have a seat,” Dad said, his voice dropping.

The blood slowed in my veins. I didn’t like the growl in Dad’s tone.

Sam obeyed as he tossed the phone on the middle cushion between him and Dad.

I hadn’t realized I was still standing after Sam had hugged me until Dad looked at me and flicked his head down. I eased down onto the edge of the chair, spine straight and my hands on my thighs.

“Both Mr. Jackson and Ben are becoming more of a problem than I’d expected, especially Ben. I knew I would have my issues with his father, but we have bigger problems with the boy.”

Sam and I kept our eyes on Dad as he sat forward.

He stopped talking. The suspense was killing me, and not in a good way.

I started tapping my foot. “Well, Dad?”

“I’m not sure where to begin.”

Was it that bad?

“Pops, I told Jo what happened with Ben yesterday. Is there something else?” Sam asked.