The Original Sin (Skye Morrison Vampire Series, #3) (15 page)

I looked over at him and sighed.  “Is it horrible that I’m glad?”

Jameson bent down to take the proffered tug rope from an excited Styvi.  “No one can fault you for it.  We all know how alarming his presence is for you.  I’m just sorry they asked that of you.  It was pretty insensitive if you ask me.”

I bit my bottom lip in deep thought.  “Shouldn’t I try to help find him if I can?  I mean, I don’t want to, but if it’ll help catch Amun sooner…”

“You do what you want,” Jameson growled suddenly as he frustratedly ran his fingers through his hair.  “You’ve been doing it for the last few days with no thought to anyone else’s feelings…why stop now?”

My jaw dropped in shock.  Jameson’s sudden outburst was so unexpected and unlike him.  I closed my mouth as I took a deep breath.  “You’re pissed at me,” I said softly.  “I get it.  I broke your heart and I’m a major bitch for doing it.  I’m sorry, Jameson.  I can’t take back what happened.  I was hoping that we could just move on and be civil to one another…hell maybe be friends even, but it looks like you aren’t ready for that.”

“You’re damn right I’m not,” he seethed, fully turning his body to mine. “I was in love with you, Skye.  We had an amazing, beautiful relationship and you throw it all away because of something I had no control over, something I didn’t even participate in!  You passed judgment on me when you did the others.  I SAVED you.  I HEALED you.  I didn’t hurt you like they did and still, you break up with me?  And the best part of this whole fucking situation is that you’ve got something going on with Archer, my fucking brother, my father!  You wasted no time jumping into his arms after he hurt you.  What the hell is that?  I save you, you dump me.  He facilitates your heart attack and almost kills you and you lust after him?  Don’t think I can’t see what’s going on between you two.  I smell your attraction to him and it’s tenfold now that you’ve dumped me.  I don’t get you, Skye.  I thought I knew you, but it’s obvious I know nothing.  The girl I was in love with would never have hurt me like you did.”  I watched helplessly as he turned and flashed around to the front of the house.

“Shit,” I sighed as I put my hand to my forehead.  Styvi sat down at my feet and whimpered in the direction that Jameson had fled. 

“I know, girl,” I whispered sympathetically.  “I’m sorry.” 

I was devastated that I had hurt Jameson and I was hurt by his words, but every one he spoke was the truth.  I didn’t know what the hell I was thinking or even doing right now.  Half of me hated Archer and all vampires for that matter, but the other half of me loved them.  Conflicting emotions warred inside me and tugged at my soul.  I felt horrible that everything had gotten so messed up between Jameson, Archer and me. 

I looked down at a still whimpering Styvi Nix and reached down to gently stroke her head.  “I’ll fix this, superstar.  I know you love him.  I do too.”

I picked up her tug rope and she reluctantly followed me back into the house.  As I tossed her rope onto the hardwood floor, I looked around the room.  Everyone was looking at anything but me and I could immediately tell that they had heard Jameson’s rant. 
Oh hell.
  I sighed as I squared my shoulders and walked into the kitchen for a glass of carrot juice.

“Give him time,” Aoife whispered behind me and I jumped at her unexpected nearness.  I turned to face her, bottle in hand, as she continued.  “He’s angry but he’ll get over it.  He always does.”

“Not this time,” Trey said from the kitchen table as he stared into his glass of blood.  “I’ve never seen him this hurt before.  Not even when Amani dumped him for that Dark One back in ’43.  He’s not getting over this one.”

“Ouch,” Quinn said from the doorway of the kitchen.  “I remember that.  He wasn’t right for a few years afterward.”

I swallowed thickly and moved to put the bottle of carrot juice back in the refrigerator.  I suddenly felt sick to my stomach.  “So you guys heard all that, huh?” I asked as I closed my eyes tightly, horrified and embarrassed.

“Aye,” Seamus said from the couch.  “You’ve made a’ bloody mess o’ that situation.  Lad’s all bolloxed up.”

I cringed and sighed as I closed the refrigerator door and rubbed my right temple; I felt a wicked stress headache coming on.  “Dammit,” I swore under my breath.

“Back off,” Hunter growled protectively from his spot on the couch by Seamus.  “This is between Jameson and Skye.  Just because you heard the argument doesn’t mean you have to put in your two cents.  Theirs is a private matter and it needs to stay one.”

“Jameson is my friend,” Trey huffed angrily as he stood up from the kitchen table.  “I think it’s only fair that the person who hurt him knows just how devastated he really is.”

“Trey,” I pleaded sadly, but he raised a delicate hand to silence me.

“I love you, Skye,” he said with sad, hurt eyes.  “You are like family to me, but what you did to him was unfair and I have a right to be angry with you.”

“I have my own rights, too, you know,” I frowned as I straightened my back indignantly.  “I’m still angry at what you participated in yesterday.  You held me against my will and helped them hurt me.”

Trey huffed and dramatically threw his hands up.  “
Ifreann na fola
!  We all apologized to you, Skye!  I was just following Archer’s orders and he had damn good reasons for them.  If you had actually been what he feared, you could have killed us all!”

“But I wasn’t!” I shouted back at him.  “You could have just talked to me and told me what was happening!”

“No, he couldn’t,” Aoife said gently from beside me.

“Stay out of this, Aoife!” Trey and I both yelled in unison.

We were silent for a few moments as we stared daggers at each other.  Both of us were hurting and nothing we said right now in the heat of the moment was going to help the situation. 

“I love you Skye,” Trey said as he turned and walked out of the kitchen, “but I don’t like you very much right now.”

“Ditto Trey!” I yelled after him.  I walked over to the seat he had just vacated and sat down, putting my head in my hands.

“Come on, guys,” Quinn said quietly, “let’s give her some peace.”

I heard the room clear out and I sighed in relief.  I crossed my arms on the table and roughly put my head down on them. 
This day can’t possibly get any worse.

“Careful,” Archer said gently.  “The day isn’t over yet.”

I groaned and lifted my head to see him standing in the kitchen doorway, his arms crossed over his chest, a sympathetic look on his face.  I groaned again and put my head back down.  “I can’t deal with this shit anymore,” I mumbled into the table.  “Everyone is mad at me and I’m mad at everyone.  I shouldn’t be here.  I don’t belong.  I wish The Faithful would hurry the hell up and catch Amun so I can go back to my normal, quiet life and you all can go back to yours.”

I heard Archer sigh as his footsteps fell on the hardwood, coming closer to me.  I felt his hand gently caress my neck as he spoke.  “You do belong with us, Skye.  I know living and working with vampires is an adjustment, but I hope it’s one you’re ultimately able to make.  Everyone is on edge right now, but things will blow over; just give it time.”

“I don’t know if I can,” I said, looking up into Archer’s eyes.  “Honestly, Archer…I’m tired of being scared; tired of loving you on one hand and hating you on the other.”

“It’s only been a day and a half, love.”

“It feels like an eternity when your heart is torn in two,” I whispered sadly as I stood up and faced him fully.  “Irreparable damage has been done to all of us.  Take me out of the equation and your family happily goes on as it once was.  Leave me in it and we’re all miserable.”

“That’s not true,” Archer growled lowly.

I shook my head and sighed.  “I don’t want to fight with you.  I don’t have another round in me, Archer.  Let’s just go to work and get it over with.”

Archer ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.  “Okay Skye.  I don’t want to fight with you either.  We have to swing by your house first to let
An Dílis
in and then we can go to the club.  They arrived an hour ago and have been waiting for us.”

I nodded my head, gathered my bag and followed him to the front door.  When I looked around the driveway, I noticed that all of the cars were gone except the Escalade.  Hagan politely opened the door for me and I climbed into the back seat.  Thankfully Archer took the front and I was alone with my thoughts up until we pulled into my driveway.

“Greetings,
dheartháir
,” Hagan called to the group of men mingling around my front yard as he got out of the car. 

Archer got out next and opened the door for me.  I quickly exited and made my way over to Hagan and the group of six.  I listened and politely waited as everyone greeted each other in Gaelic.  Handshakes were given and pats on the back were passed around.  It looked like Hagan knew these men well, but I had never seen them before. They were a different group than had visited The Mausoleum a few weeks ago.

Someone elbowed me and smiled as they chittered to me in their language.  His brown eyes took in my outfit, head to toe, and he smiled widely at me.

“
Eist
, Shannon!” Hagan admonished before looking over at me apologetically.

“What?” I asked confused.  “What did I miss?”

“Nothing,” Archer growled as he slung his arm around my neck, very obviously staking his claim to me, and pulled my hip up against his thigh.

“Shannon said he’d love for you to take him out and show him a good time while he’s in town,” Hagan said, trying to stifle a smile.

I pursed my lips at the handsome man and tsked when he suggestively wagged his eyebrows at me.  “Not going to happen, big boy,” I shook my head as I disengaged myself from Archer’s hold.  “You’re a day late and a dollar short with me.  I’ve sworn off dating vampires.”

“He doesn’t ‘ave to date ya’ lass,” one of the other men chuckled in his thick Scottish accent.  “He jus’ wants a lil’ dig at your diddies.”

Both Archer and Hagan yelled at the man in Gaelic and the rest of them cringed as they quickly wiped the smiles off their faces.

I laughed and rolled my eyes.  “Immortal or not, boys will be boys,” I shrugged as I walked over to my front door.  Archer immediately flashed to stand beside me and took the keys out of my hand. 

“Let me open the door.”

“Have at it,” I shrugged again as I took a step back and watched him insert the key and carefully unlock it.  He swung the door open wide, took a deep breath in and stepped inside. 

“Invite them in,” he said without turning to me.

“Gentleman, won’t you please come in?” I asked with a flourish of my hand as I stepped further out of the way.

The group flashed inside and I watched them disappear into different areas of my house.  I heard someone clear their throat behind me and I turned to see the man that had hit on me.

“Sorry,” he whispered as he shifted his feet uncomfortably.  “That was rude of me.”

“Don’t sweat it,” I smiled and shook my head.  “I thought it was kind of funny actually.”

He smiled at me, winked, and flashed inside to join the others.  A minute later, Archer came out with a sigh.  “Come on.  Let’s get you back in the car.  Hagan will be out in a minute. 
An Dílis
will need to stay for a bit, but they’ll lock up and get your keys back to you tonight.”

I bit my lip as I listened to him, suddenly worried.  “They aren’t going to like…go through my things are they?  I mean, I’d positively die of embarrassment if they found my collection of vibrators.”

Archer seemed to choke for a second and I looked up at him anxiously.  “Are you okay?”

“
Dhuine
!” Archer chuckled as he patted his chest.  He composed himself and looked down at me in amusement.  “I did not expect that, Skye.  You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?  You lively, wicked girl,” he winked playfully.

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest.  “I’m serious here!”

Archer slung his arm around my neck with a wide smile and led me to the car.  “They are professionals, Skye.  They’ve been doing their jobs for hundreds of years.  I’m sure the boys have seen a naughty knob or two in their day.  You needn’t worry.”

I put my head in my hands as I sat down in the back seat of the Escalade.  “This is so embarrassing,” I whined. 

“It’s kind of hot, actually,” Archer said as he climbed into the front.  “I like a woman who knows what she likes in bed.”

I blushed furiously and groaned with renewed embarrassment. 

Hagan joined us a few minutes later and spoke quietly to Archer in Irish Gaelic as he backed us out of the driveway and headed downtown to the club.  I had no idea what they were saying, but it looked very involved as I watched the two of them converse.  Archer was asking questions and Hagan was rapidly answering them.  Suddenly, Archer swore loudly then nervously looked back at me, almost like he had forgotten I was sitting in the back seat.

“What?  What’s wrong now?” I asked worriedly.

“Nothing,” Archer said as he resumed his conversation with Hagan.

“Don’t lie to me,” I huffed.  “Something is wrong, I can tell.”

Archer ignored me as he retrieved his cell phone from his pants pocket.  He dialed a number and spoke to whoever answered in hushed Gaelic tones.