Shon (The Seeker Series Book 2) (13 page)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Some of the burning sensation had eased in Laura’s thighs. Her stomach pain still teetered on unbearable, making it difficult to speak. “A deal?”

Shon avoided her gaze. “It’s not important now. All that matters is that you get well. The blood you took will heal your wounds, but you will need to sleep to speed up the process.”

Ember rushed back into the room, holding a foul-smelling concoction. She leaned over the side of the bed and held the glass to Laura’s lips. “Drink it all.”

Shon snaked his arm behind her neck and lifted her enough that she could drink without choking.

“All of it,” Ember urged, tilting the glass slightly higher.

Laura finished the disgusting drink and lay back against the pillows with a shudder. “I’m naked.”

Shon quickly dragged a sheet over her body. “Not anymore. How are you feeling now?”

Laura gingerly moved her arms and legs. “It still hurts like hell, but it’s mending.” She met Shon’s gaze. “Thank you for saving my life.”

“Don’t thank me,” he growled. “I’m the reason you’re in this situation to start with.”

Ember bent and kissed Laura’s forehead. “I’ll leave you two alone to talk before the medicine kicks in. I love you, my friend.”

“I love you too,” Laura whispered, watching as Ember left the room. She pulled the door closed behind her.

Laura returned her gaze to Shon. “You fed me your blood. Does that mean we’re bonded now?”

Shon shook his head. “I did not take blood from you.”

Laura’s heart began to pound. “That would bond us? If you took my blood as well?”

“I’m not going to do that to you. I won’t.”

A different kind of pain sliced through her heart. “It was merely a question.”

“Laura…”

Quickly changing the subject before she burst into a fresh set of tears, Laura stared at a spot above Shon’s shoulder. “The guy that did this to me is a Seeker. His name is Ellis. I’m pretty sure he acted alone. I didn’t see or hear anyone else there but him.”

“Then why take you? It makes no sense.”

Laura’s gaze wavered. “He wanted me to call Ember and Angel. To lead them into a trap. When I refused, he…he tortured me.”

“I’m so sorry. If I could go back and take your place, I would gladly do it. I’d give anything to take away your pain, your memories of what happened.”

“I thought I’d never see you again,” Laura choked out, turning her head away.

Shon tucked a finger beneath her chin and gently brought her gaze back to him. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

She watched in a sleep-induced haze as Shon’s beautifully full lips slowly descended toward hers. He brushed them against hers before adding a slight pressure.

Laura moaned into his mouth, glorying in the feel of his tongue sweeping across the seam of her lips. She opened for him, loving the taste of his delicious tongue swirling around her own.

He pulled back, softly kissing the tip of her nose. “Do you want to see me again?”

“Yes,” Laura whispered, staring into his beautiful brown eyes.

Shon leaned in and rested his forehead against hers. “Are you sure?”

Laura couldn’t speak around the lump in her throat. She nodded instead.

“I’ve waited so long for you,” he rumbled, his warm breath caressing her face.

Finally finding her voice, Laura whispered. “I’ve wanted you since high school.”

Shon lifted his head and brushed the hair back from her injured eyes.

Bitterness reared its ugly head at the years they’d lost due to Laura’s mother. He swallowed the feeling back, pushed it to the far recesses of his mind. The last thing Laura needed right now was his anger. “I wish I’d known.”

“I know. I’m so sorry for what my mother did.”

Laying a finger against her lips, he shushed her. “It’s water under the bridge.”

Shon stiffened, turning his head toward the door.

“What is it?” Laura questioned in a drowsy voice. Ember’s concoction had begun to work. The pain in her stomach had subsided enough that she could finally take a deep breath.

Shon’s shoulders visibly relaxed. “The shifter.”

Nita stepped into the room and studied Laura a moment before turning her accusing gaze on Shon. “You fed her your blood.” It wasn’t a question.

A muscle ticked along Shon’s jaw. “She would have died without it.”

Anger sparked in the shifter’s eyes. “What do you want me to do with the piece of shit cowering in the trunk.”

“Nothing,” Shon stated in a soft tone. “No one touches him but me.”

“Be my guest,” Nita muttered on the way out. “But I suggest you hurry before he’s discovered by one of the condo residents or Dracula looking for a snack.”

Laura touched Shon on the arm, bringing his attention back to her. “What are you going to do?”

“Kill him. Slowly.”

Sorrow welled up inside her chest at the thought of what killing Ellis would do to Shon’s soul. “Let someone else do it,” she slurred, fighting the effects of the drugs.

“He hurt you, Laura. And he’ll pay with his life.”

Visions of Ellis leaning over her, sinking that blade into her flesh, taunting her, tormenting her flashed through her mind. “We will never be safe as long as he lives. Do what you must.”

Shon brushed another kiss across her lips. “Get some rest. I will be right here when you wake up. I won’t let anything happen to you ever again. I swear it.”

Laura’s eyes began to drift shut. The pain had subsided, thanks to Shon’s blood and Ember’s concoction. The last thought Laura had before sleep finally claimed her was how grateful she felt that everyone she cared about was safe.
For now
…

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Shon watched Laura’s eyes drift shut. He remained at her side until her breathing grew even before leaving the room and heading downstairs.

Rage burned in his gut at the thought of what Laura had endured at the hands of the Seeker. The guy would pay for what he’d done to her. And not without equal amounts of suffering.

Shon opened the trunk of Ember’s car to find Ellis lying in the fetal position, bound and gagged. “Are you up for a little fun, Mr. Clean?”

Ellis shrank back as far as the trunk would allow. Pleading sounds came from behind his gag, garbled and desperate.

“What was that?” Shon taunted, bending to pull a knife from his boot. “You’d like for me to untie you?”

Ellis stilled, his eyes huge as Shon toyed with the tip of his blade.

Shon laughed without humor. “Scared? No worries, Gollum. I’ll be just as gentle with you as you were with Laura.”

Closing the trunk, Shon skirted the car and climbed behind the wheel. He would take Ellis to the same lake where he’d tossed the pimp’s remains.

It took less than five minutes to arrive at the abandoned strip mall. Shon parked around back and opened the trunk once more.

Ellis screamed behind his gag as Shon jerked him out and tossed him over his shoulder. He blurred his way through the woods, stopping on the shore of the gator-infested lake.

He tossed Ellis face down on the muddy bank, retrieved his knife from his boot, and severed the asshole’s bonds.

Yanking the gag from the Seeker’s mouth, Shon dropped to his haunches next to him. “We’re going to play a little game, you and I.”

“W-What kind of game,” Ellis stuttered, his gaze darting around, obviously searching for an escape route.

“I ask a question, and you answer honestly. If you lie to me, I’ll begin removing body parts.”

Fear seeped from every pore the Seeker had, the pasty color of his skin glowing in the moonlight. “If I tell you what you want to know, you won’t kill me?”

Shon touched a finger to the pointed tip of the knife. “No. I’m definitely going to kill you, Kojak. But how and to what degree is totally up to you.”

Ellis scrambled back a foot, his Adam’s apple rapidly moving in his throat. “Please. I’ll tell you anything you want to know. Just don’t do this.”

Shon took a patient breath, images of Laura’s mutilated body swirling through his mind. “Who sent you?”

Shaking his head, Ellis opened his mouth without sound.

With lightning-quick speed, Shon gripped one of the Seeker’s hands, removing his pinky finger at the second knuckle.

Ellis screamed, a high-pitched sound that ricocheted off the trees. “Gina. Gina Calimari sent me,” he sobbed, attempting to pull free of Shon’s hold.

“Sent you to do what?”

“To kill Angelo Dimitrov, along with his wife and child.”

More rage slammed into Shon’s already pissed-off brain. “Why hurt Laura?”

Ellis continued jerking his arm, desperately trying to break Shon’s grip.

Shon removed the man’s middle finger at the same knuckle.

Another ear-piercing wail burst from Ellis’s throat. “We weren’t expecting Vlad to show up in town,” he cried, tears streaming down his disgusting face. “It was the only way to draw Angelo and his family away from the Impaler. It wasn’t personal. I swear.”

“How many more Seekers are there?”

“Close to a hundred.”

Shon released Ellis’s hand and yanked the man’s pants down to his knees.

Ellis began to fight in earnest, flailing about like a fish out of water.

Subduing the insane piece of pond scum, Shon sank the blade of his knife deep into one of Ellis’s thighs. “Where are they located?”

“In Anchorage!” Ellis shrieked, his back bowing off the ground.

Shon slowly pulled the knife free before sinking it into the guy’s shoulder. “Where?”

A gurgling sound bubbled up in Ellis’s throat. His eyes rolled back, and his body went limp.

“Fuck,” Shon snarled, shaking the unconscious man with enough force to nearly snap his neck. “Wake up, you son of a bitch.”

“It would appear that he’s dead.”

Shon shifted his gaze to Vlad’s cloaked form. “What are you doing here?”

“The elders have gathered. Calimari will be arriving at any moment. You are needed as a witness.”

“I need another minute with this asshole.”

“He no longer lives,” Vlad pointed out, dropping to his haunches next to them.

Shon bit back the growl of denial that rose in his throat. “He can’t be dead. I didn’t cut any major arteries.”

“The shifter beat him severely prior to returning with him in the trunk. I’m sure he had internal injuries as well as blood loss. You merely finished him off.”

Shon was beyond livid. “He was just about to give me the location of the Seeker Society.”

“At least you were able to locate their home base. That is a hell of a good place to start.”

“You heard that? Damn. How long have you been here?”

A soft laugh came from beneath Vlad’s hood. “I followed you here. You were too filled with revenge to pick up on my scent. Always stay aware of your surroundings, young Shon.”

“I’ll try to remember that. Now, would you mind helping me dismember Doctor Evil? The gators are beginning to salivate.”

Vlad laughed, a rusty sound that reminded Shon of fingernails sliding down a chalkboard. “Take the car and go get cleaned up. I’ll handle things here.”

That surprised Shon. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. The elders do not like to be kept waiting. And I prefer that you arrive ahead of Gina.”

Shon stood and clapped Vlad on the shoulder. “Thank you.”

Closing the trunk, Shon got behind the wheel once more and turned the car back toward the condos.

It would appear that Laura and Nita would both be on the premises while the elders were in attendance.

Not a good combination, Shon thought, glancing in the rearview mirror. The swirl of a dark cloak caught his attention a second before Shon turned the corner and lost sight of Vlad altogether.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Laura slowly opened her eyes, taking a moment to allow them to adjust to the darkness around her.

“Hello?” she whispered, scanning the shadows for signs of life.

“You’re awake.” The shifter that had saved her life lounged on a chair in the corner of the room. “How do you feel?”

Laura tested her injuries by moving her legs. “Much better. Where is Shon?”

Nita stood and sauntered across the room to the bedside table to switch on a lamp. “He’s in a meeting with the casket liners.”

“The…casket liners?” Laura chuckled a moment before sobering. “Thank you for everything. If you hadn’t shown up when you did…”

“Don’t mention it. Mind if I take a look at your wounds?”

Laura shook her head and pulled the sheet down to her belly button. “The one in my stomach was the worst one.”

Nita took a quick peek before meeting Laura’s gaze. “It’s completely healed up now.”

“What?” Laura breathed, lifting her head to have a look. “Oh my God, it’s gone.”

“That’s good news,” Nita murmured. “Personally, I’d rather die than be owned by a bloodsucker.”

Laura replaced the sheet, covering her nakedness. “Owned?”

“You drank the blood of the damned. The one called Shon. He owns you now.”

“No, he doesn’t. He said that we weren’t bonded. That I—”

“You’re not bonded,” Nita hissed, cutting Laura off in midsentence. “He didn’t drink from you, only you from him. He now owns you.”

Laura’s stomach tightened with anxiety. “What exactly does that mean for me?”

Pity entered Nita’s beautiful amber eyes. “It means that you will never want another. It will always be Shon that you crave. He, on the other hand, is free to pick and choose. To take who he wants, when he wants.”

“But he drank from Gina, and he doesn’t want her,” Laura argued.

“Shon is a vampire, Laura. You are human. The pull will be a hundred times stronger for you.”

Laura sat up in bed, propping her shoulders against the headboard. “What can I do?”

“There is nothing you can do. If he loves you, he will crave your blood as well as your body. That blood, combined with his love, will bind him to you for as long as he lives.”

“And if he doesn’t love me?”

Nita shrugged. “Then you will be a nice, tasty meal. Nothing more.”

Laura’s heart ached with dread. What if Shon’s feelings for her didn’t go beyond lust or friendship? She would be sentenced to spend the rest of her life in love with a vampire, craving him and needing him while he merely tolerated her.

“And there’s no way for me to rid myself of this bond?”

“Only if he dies.”

Laura’s heart stuttered. Nothing Shon could do would ever warrant her wanting him dead. Life without Shon would be unbearable.

Attempting to imagine herself as a vampire, Laura drew a blank. “I couldn’t see myself as one of them. Not that being different is a bad thing. It’s just that, well, no more food, no warm, sunny days spent lying on the beach. My career would be over.”

Nita sat on the edge of the bed. “You sound as if you’ve thought about it.”

“Once or twice, out of curiosity. But that’s it.”

“It’s not a life you would want,” Nita persisted. “Always hunted, hated, and feared. Vampires are the stuff of nightmares.”

Laura tilted her head. “Why do you hate them so much?”

“Because of what they are, where they originate from, but mostly from what they do.”

“Not all of them hurt people,” Laura defended, feeling herself growing agitated inside. “Ember is a good person. Vampire or not.”

Nita ran a hand through her ink-black hair. “But she is still capable of killing. It’s in their nature.”

“Any of us is capable of killing, depending on the circumstances.”

The door opened and Ember stepped inside, carrying a sleeping Lucius in her arms.

Ember side-eyed the shifter perched on the side of the bed before rushing over to give Laura a hug. “How are you feeling?”

“Almost as good as new,” Laura replied, hugging Ember back. “Is the meeting over with already?”

“No. It’s getting pretty intense. I didn’t want Lucius exposed to all those…”

“Shadow huggers?” Nita finished for her.

Ember cut her eyes in the shifter’s direction. “I suppose I can let that slide since I’m pretty sure you have your own dachshunds to battle.”

Nita stared back at Ember for several heartbeats. “Touché.”

“What happened to Ellis?” Laura whispered, interrupting the tension in the room.

Ember took a seat at the foot of the bed. “He’s dead. That’s all you need to know right now.”

Nita glanced back in Ember’s direction. “Why don’t you tell her the truth?”

“What is she talking about?” Laura questioned, sitting up straighter in bed.

Ember narrowed her eyes at the shifter before responding. “It’s nothing. The point is, he will never be able to harm you or anyone else, ever again.”

Laura blew out a shaky breath. “Just tell me.”

“He’s gator food right now,” Nita barked. “Shon tortured him, killed him, and Vlad took the liberty of tearing him limb from limb. Vlad tossed the body parts into a gator-infested lake.”

Nausea rolled through Laura’s gut at Nita’s description, but she managed to hold it in. Laura was grateful that Ellis no longer lived, no matter how he met his demise. “He needed to suffer.”

“Well, he did.” Nita stood. “I’m going to make me a sandwich. Would you like one, Laura? It’ll make you feel better.”

Laura sent her a small smile. “I’m not hungry. But thank you for asking.”

“Sure.” Nita disappeared through the open doorway.

Ember quickly moved up to Nita’s abandoned seat beside Laura. “I’m not sure how I feel about her.”

“She saved my life, Em. I’ll forever be in her debt.”

“Yeah, I know. And I’m beyond grateful to her for that also. It’s just that…”

“What?” Laura prompted, nudging her with an elbow.

“The way she looks at us, always watching, studying. Sometimes when she doesn’t realize she’s being watched, I can see contempt in her eyes.”

Laura thought about her conversation with Nita. “Maybe she’s had a bad experience with vampires.”

“Angel saved her life,” Ember pointed out.

“Yes. He saved her from vampires.”

Ember sighed, meeting Laura’s gaze. “You’re right. I hadn’t thought about that. I have no idea what she’s been through in her life. I suppose I shouldn’t judge her.”

Laura rested her head against the headboard. “Nita pointed something out to me earlier that’s got me more than a little concerned.”

“Concerned about what?”

“Taking Shon’s blood. She claims that I’m now bonded to him for the rest of my life.”

“And that’s a bad thing?”

Laura pinched the bridge of her nose. “Yes. Especially if he isn’t bonded to me in return.”

Seeing the moment that realization dawned in Ember’s eyes, Laura continued. “I don’t want to be bound to a man that doesn’t feel the same as I do.”

“How
do
you feel about him?” Ember pressed.

“I have deep feelings for him, Em. I always have.”

“You love him,” Ember stated. It wasn’t a question. She continued before Laura could interrupt. “Shon has the power to release you from a bond, but he can’t release you from the love you have for him. Only you have the power to control that.”

“Then, I’m screwed…”