Lisa Renee Jones (10 page)

Aiden shifted her so she was across his lap again, so that he could carry her to the house. Troy covered her with a windbreaker he’d had somewhere in the vehicle before Aiden slid out of the door and headed to the porch.

A few seconds later, all three of them were inside the old historical white house. Kelly tossed around in his arms, crying out in pain.

Aiden headed to his bedroom to the right, down a short hallway and set her down on the mattress. She cried out again then screamed with pain. Her body jerked, her fingers curling into the blanket.

“Wake her up and undress,” Troy said quickly, about to climb onto the bed.

Possessiveness, and anger, roared inside Aiden and for an instant he actually wanted to rip his brother’s throat out. He grabbed Troy by the shirt. “Touch her and you die.”

“This isn’t the fucking time for cock fights,” Troy growled. “She’s dying and don’t think I haven’t been around. You won’t survive losing her.”

Kelly screamed and Aiden felt the pain in that scream all the way to his soul. He shoved Troy away from him and Troy righted himself with just a little too much agility, climbing onto the bed and sitting against the headboard. He pulled Kelly against him, her back to his chest, his hands covering her breasts, tweaking her nipples.

Kelly moaned, this time with pleasure, the pain in her face relaxing. Realization came over him. This was about pain and relief for her. About need. This wasn’t about him or Troy. This was about what would save Kelly’s life. She wasn’t his to share or not share. She was his to save.

***

“Were going to take good care of you,” a male voice whispered near her ear, his fingers tugging and twisting her nipples.

“Harder,” she pleaded. “Harder.” Fingers brushed her stomach, her thighs, the touch warm and wonderful, yet painful. Why did the pleasure hurt? Why did the pain cause pleasure? Her skirt was tugged down her hips. Someone was undressing her. Oh, thank you. Yes. Thank you. She wanted the clothes off.

She wanted to be fucked. “I need to come,” she panted. “I need to come now.”

“And you will,” the man promised, doing as she’d asked. She didn’t know who he was, she didn’t want him here. She wanted Aiden. Yet the stranger was tugging and twisting her nipples and she was afraid he’d stop, as surely as she wanted him to. Aiden was here and he trusted this man, and that meant something to her. Aiden. She needed Aiden. “Aiden!” she cried out, lifting her head, trying to find him, suddenly not sure where he was. He could make the pain go away.

“I’m here,” he said, kissing her stomach, his fingers sliding between her thighs, pressing inside her. “And I’m not going anywhere. Lay back with Troy. Let me take care of you.” Troy. She knew that name. She knew Troy. She slowly eased back against the no longer nameless man.

Aiden wanted her to, so she did. And he was kissing a delicious path downward. She didn’t want him to stop.

“Hurry,” she cried out. “Hurry.” She wasn’t even sure what she wanted him to hurry and do. Only that it was imperative that he did.

Warm heat slid between her legs – Aiden’s breath trickling along her core, a moment before his mouth closed down on her clit, suckling her. She sank deeper into Troy’s arms, sensations blasting through her –

delicious, wonderful pleasure that eased the pain. Kelly moaned. ”Yes.” Her hands covered Troy’s, melding them against her breasts, the rise of orgasm building inside her, taking her to the edge. One of Aiden’s hands cupped her backside, as the other lifted one of her legs over his shoulder, before his fingers slid back inside her, pumping into her. She exploded into release, spasms shaking her to the core. Finally, finally relief.

But as sure as pleasure had come, the pain began again. “Oh God. It won’t stop. The pain won’t stop.” He pulled her down beneath him, away from the other man, and only then did she realize he was naked, his cock settling long and hard, between her thighs. “I’ll make it stop.” His long dark hair brushed her face and in the midst of the pain, the burn, his beauty, his strength calmed her. Memories flooded her mind – the Detective, the drug, the fear and pain.

“What if you can’t? I don’t want to die.”

“I can,” he promised, spreading her wider, sliding his cock against the sensitive folds of her body. “I will.” He entered her, pressing inside her, stretching her. And in that moment, she believed he could, and would, save her. She believed he would make the pain stop.

Chapter Sixteen

Kelly moaned at the welcome invasion of Aiden inside her. “Yes. Yes, Aiden. Deeper. Please, deeper.” She felt no inhibition, no limits. The drug had made sure of that, the drug and the man she trusted to get her through this. “Kiss me,” she ordered. “I need you to kiss me.” Instantly, his mouth came down on hers, his tongue stroking hers, demanding and hot. Yes, so very hot.

She liked being hot. She wanted to be closer to him, to crawl under his skin. She didn’t want to know where she stopped and where he started. She lost herself in the slide and grind of his cock.

“More,” she cried out. “More, Aiden.”

Aiden pushed to his hands, his powerful arms flexing, his face etched with passion. He pounded into her, thrusting harder and harder, faster and faster. There was no pain. There was only Aiden. Aiden inside her.

Aiden on top of her. The pleasure. She wanted it, but it hurt. It hurt so much. She felt the rise of orgasm, felt the pleasure of release, and braced for what came after it, the feeling of glass splintering through her body.

She grabbed the sheet, held on as wave after wave of pleasure tumbled over her. Aiden kept pumping, kept thrusting, and finally shaking with his own release.

The splinters started the instant he stopped moving. Her skin was acid, burning her from the outside in.

The glass was blades cutting her from the inside out. Wetness clung to her cheeks, and she thought she might be sobbing, but her body was not her own. Her body was alien, a monster far worse than any vampire.

Aiden buried his face in her neck, running his hand over her hair. “Talk to me, beautiful. Tell me what you need.”

She dug her nails into something – maybe his back. She hoped it wasn’t his back. But she hurt. She hurt beyond explanation. “Make it stop. Please. Make it stop.”

“I will,” he promised. “I will. It’s just going to take time.” He called over his shoulder. “Troy.”

“I’m here.”

Aiden shifted their bodies, rolling with her, so that they were facing each other, on their sides. His hand stroked her hair, her cheek. Then suddenly, Troy was behind her, his hard body wrapping around her from behind, his cock pressing against her back side.

“Aiden?” she asked, and then moaned as he kissed her in reply. He was still inside her, his shaft thickening, expanding her. Troy’s fingers invaded her behind, stroking between her cheeks, pressing between them with something wet and warm. Aiden’s hand caressed her breast, teased her nipples. His teeth closed down around the swollen bud. Reality faded, and sizzling sensations took over her mind, her body. There was no acid, no glass. There was just pleasure.

She gasped into Aiden’s mouth, as Troy pressed inside her, his cock entering her from behind. They were both inside her now, both moving, both thrusting. Their hands traveled her body, all over her, and still, she wanted more. She needed more. She needed them deeper and harder. She panted a plea, an order, a scream.

She didn’t want them to stop, but she didn’t want to come. Please don’t let her come. The pain always followed the pleasure. But she did, she came, she came hard, and fast, but there was no pain. They didn’t let her feel the pain. They were both still inside her, still moving, still thrusting. Pumping, grinding. They weren’t stopping, she realized, they weren’t going to stop fucking her until the pain went away. But, what if the pain never went away? She must have said it out loud, because Aiden answered her.

“It will,” he promised, his teeth scarping her lip, his tongue soothing it. “The pain will go away but I won’t.”

***

Hours had passed and Aiden held Kelly, tugging roughly at her nipples, while Troy settled between her legs, his mouth clamping down on clit to suckle. He grabbed his phone and dialed Marcus, not sure what the hell to do. Evan had called him a good dozen times and he’d taken one of calls. He’d told Evan to find Marcus and hung up.

Even now, Kelly cried out at the loss of one of his hands on her body, further proof that she was no better now than she had been when they’d first arrived at the house.

The phone rang and this time, to Aiden’s surprise, Marcus answered on the first ring. “Where the fuck are you?” Aiden shouted into the phone.

Marcus materialized in the bedroom, his long blond hair sweeping his leather clad shoulders.

Aiden had no idea how Marcus materialized at will, and he didn’t care right now. “About damn time.

Where the fuck were you?”

“When have I ever not answered if I could?” Marcus asked sharply, his gaze taking in the scene before him. He arched a brow. “And though I do appreciate the urgent invite to the obvious orgy, I gave them up a few centuries back.”

“She was given the drug. Do something to help her.”

He faded away and reappeared with one knee on the bed.

“Aiden?” Kelly asked lifting her head to gape at Marcus.

“Call me Marcus sweetheart.” Marcus glanced at Aiden. “Shall I let Troy finish her or-” Aiden growled. “Damn it Mar-”

Marcus touched her forehead and she instantly went limp. “Healing sleep for her body and mind,” he said, standing up. “She’ll be fine when she wakes up, free of any emotional or physical distress.”

“Thank the good lord above,” Troy sighed, scrubbing his jaw and standing up. “I’m fucking exhausted.” Aiden pulled the sheet over Kelly’s naked body. “You’re sure?” he asked Marcus. The man had some freaky abilities, but this drug was pretty damn freaky itself.

“Positive,” he said. “I didn’t erase her memories. I didn’t know what information she might have that will be helpful. It needs to be done though and quickly. When she wakes up, find out what we need to know, then erase her memory and get her back to her life.”

It should be what Aiden wanted, it was what he was duty bound to do. Wardens protected the vampire world from exposure, from the dangers of a race war. But it wasn’t simple with Kelly, and though some of those reasons were personal, he focused on the one Marcus would care about.

“It’s not that simple,” Aiden said.

Marcus narrowed his eyes on Aiden. “There’s nothing complicated about the law. No human is left with the memory of our vampire world. Those who do, inevitably end up dead.”

“Andres is still on the loose. He was there tonight. He’ll come for her. He knows she matters to me.” Troy tugged his shirt over his head, his leather pants already back on. “Aiden’s right. She’s in too deep.

We can’t erase her memory, not if we want her to live. Besides, Aiden won’t tell you this but I will. He loves her. He will be destroyed if he loses her which means you’ll end up losing a damn good Warden.” Marcus studied Troy a long moment without reacting to his words. “You and I have business to attend so don’t even think about leaving.” His gaze shifted to Aiden, his brow arching. “Are you petitioning for the woman’s conversion? Because if you are, change her now. Leave the council no options. I’ll tell them I approved it to save her life.”

“They could kill you for that,” Aiden said. “You have to know that.”

“Yes well, remember the council member that was feeding Andres information that almost go your brother killed?” he asked, without waiting for an answer. “He was replaced with a certain female who is rather fond of me. Besides, I owe you a debt of gratitude. Besides, I don’t die easily. In fact, I’m a good thorn in many a side, and I love every second of it.”

“You owe me nothing,” he said, knowing Marcus referenced the secret he had long held of their Warden-in-Charge, and had never revealed it to anyone, not even to his brothers. Aiden went still, icy inside, unable to stand the idea of her hating him when she woke. “You saved Evan and his wife from sure death.

And I won’t change her without her permission.” Nor would he even allow himself hope that she might welcome such a thing.

Marcus smiled. “You’re a good man, Aiden Brooks, too much so for your own good. You will protect your new woman from my quarters inside the council headquarters. I will ensure her conversion is approved, if she so chooses to take that path. Otherwise, you will wipe her memories, and return her to her life.” He snapped his fingers and transported Aiden and Kelly to the inside of a plush bedroom and the leather décor screamed of Marcus. And his heart screamed for the woman in his arms who’d seduced him from the instant he’d set eyes on her.

***

Kelly blinked awake and jerked to a sitting position. “Aiden!”

“I’m here,” he said, quickly pulling her into his arms. “I’m here.” He stroked her hair. “You’re okay.

Everything is okay now.”

“Where is here?” she asked, looking around at the plush room. “What is this place?”

“The council headquarters,” he said. “This is the best place for you to recover safely. You’ve been asleep almost a full twenty-four hours.”

“Because of the drug?” she asked. “That’s what happened, isn’t it? Wright gave me the drug.” He nodded. “A high dose. You almost died.”

Memories rushed over her in a sudden, dizzying cluster. The parking lot, the stairs and the man with orange eyes. The coppery taste of the drug and the sex. Lots and lots of sex. “Did we… did I? Did…” Her chest tightened and she buried her face in his shoulder, fighting through the shadows in her mind. The memories of being with Aiden and Troy came back to her.

“We saved your life, Kelly,” Aiden said, his hand stroking her back, soothing her with his touch, the conviction of his words. “I had to save your life.”

He had to save her and he’d needed Troy. In her mind, she replayed the events, dug through the shadows and found Aiden there protecting her, Aiden telling her he loved her over and over. Aiden desperately trying to save her life, and Troy desperately trying to make sure his brother succeeded, that Kelly survived. Troy who she’d all but written off as a monster, when Aiden had not. She understood Aiden’s belief in Troy now, understood, and knew she had to help Aiden find answers for Troy.