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Authors: Sarah M. Ross

Tags: #vampire, #paranormal romance, #fantasy, #new adult

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BOOK: Avenge
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For weeks I physically ached to touch
him again, or simply be near him. At first, I thought it was young
love stuff. But it only got stronger each day, causing me to think
I was being one of those needy, clingy girls I always hated in high
school. He eventually told me that during those few weeks when we
didn’t see each other before Jessica died, he had severe headaches
every day and twice almost abandoned everything to come back to see
me.

We came up with the theory that
because we were each half of a whole, we were stronger united. And,
consequently, weaker divided. It made the most sense. And both of
us were happy to use it as a valid excuse to move in together. It’s
hard to imagine that someone could be thankful that a drunk driver
rammed her car, killing them in the process. But I was. Max was my
world, my light, my everything. He filled my heart until I was sure
it would burst from within. When we were together, my world was
complete. My soul was his, and his was mine.


So what exactly happened
tonight? How did I end up in bed passed out for six hours?” I
mentally replayed last night as guilt washed over me for missing a
meeting (even if it was going to be long and boring). That wasn’t
professional of me.


I told you that you needed
more rest. We came back with your latte, and you were fast asleep
on the couch. I was going to let you sleep for a half hour or so,
but when you started snoring and drooling on the leather, I knew
you were done for the day and I needed to get you back to
bed.”

Heat rushed to my face and I knew I
must be several deep shades of red. “Oh, that is so embarrassing.
Tell me no one else saw.”


Um, let’s just say you
might want to avoid the Christmas party this year. There are a few
videos out there, and I may have forgotten to mention that you talk
in your sleep.”

I buried my face deeper into his
chest, mortified. “Do I want to know what I said?”


No, sweetie, you don’t.”
He kissed the top of my head and tilted my chin up so I could see
him. “No matter what, you know that I love you, right? Nothing you
could ever say or do would stop me.”


I know. And I love you,
too.”

I sat up a little straighter and
decided a change in topic was needed to get my mind off of the
videos floating around the different realms, probably as I sat
there. “So what happened at the debriefing?”


James agreed to postpone
it until everyone got some much-needed rest. That last mission was
exhausting for everyone.”

I nodded in agreement and took a
closer look at Max’s injury. He’d removed the now watery baggie
from his head to reveal a completely healed nose, which I promptly
kissed. His arms wrapped tightened around me and I sighed. Being
with him, in his arms and surrounded by his love was better than
Christmas morning, Thanksgiving dinner, and Fourth of July
fireworks combined. He flipped the TV off mute and we sat there
enjoying each other’s company for a long while.


Come on, let’s go to bed.”
I stood up and reached out my hand, but Max scooped me up and threw
me over his shoulder caveman style.


Oh we’ll
go to bed, but I don’t plan on doing much sleeping.”

Chapter
Three

 

Sitting in the debriefing room with a
fresh latte while holding Max’s hand, I thought back over the last
six months and how my life—or rather afterlife—changed so
drastically.


Hey,” Max leaned over and
whispered to me. He lifted our entwined hands to his lips and
kissed my fingers. “We got this. With Elizabeth and James calling
the shots now, there’s no way we’re not going to be able to flush
out the spy and stamp out all those bloodsuckers and hairy
beasts.”

Cassie leaned in from my other side.
“Yeah, I couldn’t be happier with our new team. I’m so glad that
Lizzie and Marco agreed to petition the Council to let us actively
hunt rather than only play defense. I get a rush every time I suck
the soul that’s been trapped back out of them.”


Yeah, but everyone still
thinks it’s a front, and that I pulled some type of special favors
to have us all working Jessica’s case.”

I hated that people thought that. I
mean no one even knew what our team really did—it was all very
classified. They only knew that we constantly left for missions and
couldn’t take any other assignments. In the past, the role of the
Patroni was always defensive, never offensive. But with the influx
of vampires and werewolves stealing souls and becoming more
aggressive, it was a necessary change. Both the Council for the
Alpha and Omega agreed, allowing us to add two more team members,
and we officially became Team Gideon, which meant “destroyer” and
“mighty warrior.”


Please,” Cassie said
dismissively. “If they only knew. I mean, we’ve recovered double
the souls of any other Patronus team in the South during the last
few months. They’re jealous and mad they can’t be as cool as
us.”

Max chuckled at Cassie. “They don’t
even know what we do. How can they be jealous?”


The same way any little
kid is jealous at someone else’s birthday party. They don’t know
what the wrapped up presents are, but they know they don’t get any
and they’re mad. It’s simply psychology.”

Max rolled his eyes at Cassie and
turned to talk to Marco, who was sitting across from him. I took
another swig of my coffee and sighed.


Girl, you’re fixin’ to be
on my last nerve with all that moping. Seriously, stop looking
short term. Look around you. You have a man who loves you to the
moon and back—and is literally half your soul. You are surrounded
by friends who care about you. Focus on the positive,
sweetie.”

I leaned my head on Cassie’s shoulder.
“You’re the best, you know that? And you’re completely
right.”


Of course I am.” She
winked at me.


I tend to be too
pessimistic these days. Thanks for keeping me in check.”

Cassie gave me a small hug. “That’s
what I’m here for.”

I needed to work harder at hiding my
emotions around her. Every time I’d start to feel happy or do
something fun, guilt would erupt in my stomach and sour everything.
How was I supposed to laugh and joke? It didn’t seem fair to
Jessica. So I searched, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t
seem to make headway. Every time I thought we got close, or even
had a lead, she slipped through my fingertips. Recovering Jessica’s
soul was not the team’s primary focus, but as we went on mission
after mission, I secretly hoped I’d find her. But our efforts were
fruitless and most of the leads were dead ends or planted. As the
false leads piled up, it became clearer that we, in fact, had a
mole within our realm. Someone—a spy—was sabotaging our attempts to
save souls.


Think Marco’s got any new
info on the spy?” I asked, keeping my voice low. I knew the whole
topic made everyone uneasy, especially Marco.

Cassie frowned. “You know
Marco, if there was, I doubt he’d wait this long to tell us. Or
he’d at least have a smirk on his face.” I nodded in agreement, and
she continued. “Did I tell you what I did the other day? He
finished making his rounds at the Commons by the coffee stand, but
he didn’t see me behind the pool table. So I started thinking about
him—you know, like
really
thinking about him. How hot his long pointed ears
were, and how much I wanted to run my hands over his pale, lean
body. Stuff like that. I knew he was still aimlessly listening in,
so when he finally picked up on my thoughts—oh you should have seen
the look on his face. Priceless! I think I laughed for three
hours.”

Marco looked over at us and scowled. I
bit my lip to keep from bursting out laughing but snickers still
escaped. “Cassie, that’s really mean. Funny, but mean. You know how
hard he’s been working for us.”

With Marco now a member of our team,
he took residence on our realm, which allowed him to use his
abilities to search the minds of others. He would take long walks
for hours or sit in the Commons—a task that he deplored—listening
to the antics of the other Patroni. It was heartbreaking that
someone we trusted, someone who was supposedly loyal was in fact
working against us. One of the people I ate meals with, or played
pool with, or even maybe one of my neighbors was working for the
enemy to steal innocent souls. And one of those souls belonged to
my eleven-year-old sister.

A few days earlier, the team sat for
hours in our dwelling debating the possible motives of the
mole.


I still say it’s a plant.
Someone who was sent here from the start and has always been
working as a spy,” Adam hypothesized. “I think a double agent is
much more likely than a turncoat.”

Cassie shook her head. “No,
the spy never would have made it into our ranks if they’d been
against us from the start. The Alpha would have seen right through
them. I’m telling you, I think whoever the mole is has been
threatened or forced to spy. I don’t think they are doing it
because they suddenly hate us.”

Adam scoffed. “Then why
wouldn’t they tell someone and try to get help? I don’t buy it. I’m
telling you, it’s classic military strategy: infiltrate enemy
lines.”


Well, if you ask me,” I
interrupted before they could start a real argument. “I think it
was someone who started out good, enjoying being a Patronus and
protecting souls, but then something happened to make them angry.
Maybe a loved one going to the Omega where they couldn’t see them,
or maybe they disagreed about a decision and were sick of staying
neutral?”

James stood up to get
another Coke. “It doesn’t matter.”


What do you mean? Of
course it matters!”


The possibilities for
their motives are endless, and trying to guess will drive you
bonkers. What’s important is the who, not the why.”

We finally narrowed it down
to someone who recently became a Patronus. We all highly doubted
that a member who’d been guarding and protecting for centuries
could be capable of such a thing. And since the influx in stolen
souls hadn’t started until the last few years, odds were it was a
newbie.


We need to befriend and
get to know more of the newest members—people who have been a
Patronus for less than fifty years. Anytime we’re not away on a
mission, do what you can to gather intel,” James
ordered.

It was our best plan, but
it was hard. I met a few amazing people who before all this, I
would never have suspected they could be involved. Now, however, I
looked at everyone with a critical eye and trusted few. Even
fun-loving Cassie, who made friends everywhere she went, lost a pep
in her step knowing we had a spy.

But the spy was the key to
finding Jessica’s soul. Nothing would stop me from finding that
person and forcing information out of him—or her—one way or
another.


Good morning, everyone,”
James began as he entered the conference room and got right down to
business. Due to the secrecy of our new team, we were granted
access to a building I’d not seen before on the south end of the
realm. It was invisible to the naked eye, instead appearing to be a
shimmering wading pool. The first time I tried to find it, I ended
up walking in on an elderly spirit who was stripping down to take a
dip. Now that’s a mistake I’ll never make again!

People needed to have a special pass
code to break the illusion of the water and be able to see the
solid oak door below the surface, then a second code to unlock the
door. It was all very hush-hush and made me feel like a top-secret
CIA operative.


If you’ll turn your
bracelet to the secure feed I emailed you all earlier, we can get
started.” Hearing his voice, I turned my thoughts back to James. “I
have the minutes from the last mission archived if anyone is
interested and a fresh agenda is ready for you now.”

I resisted rolling my eyes. I couldn’t
be mad at him for being so thorough at his job, but he seriously
needed to unwind a bit. Hopefully after we found Jessica I could
convince him to take a vacation or something.

I glanced around at the long oak table
surrounded with all of the members of my team. We added two new
members since Gideon was formed, and the new members were
fantastic. First, we added Zander. He was only nineteen when he
died from a shark attack while he was surfing off of the coast of
Australia in the 80s. At just under six foot tall with lean, tan
muscles and sun-bleached hair that hit the tips of his shoulders,
he was the newest crush of all the girls. That accent certainly
didn’t hurt either. He was a professional flirt, always saw the
glass as half full, and had a wicked sense of humor. He and the
other guys became good friends after he hustled them one Thursday
during their weekly poker game. All the guys, even Marco, found it
hard to stay mad at him, and he quickly became a
regular.

BOOK: Avenge
11.32Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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