Tainted Blood (66 page)

“I don’t like this at all,” he maintained.

“Neither do I. Believe me, I want her nowhere near you, but we have to do this.”

He sighed and then reluctantly agreed.

While the others set to work with the rest of the details, and Oliver moped nearby, Kiera pulled me into the kitchen. In a hushed voice she said, “Since when do you understand that language they speak?”

“What are you talking about?” I questioned quietly.

“I couldn’t understand a word those two were saying, but you seemed to understand them.”

I looked at her in surprise. “I-uh…” I had no clue that they’d been speaking in Vampiric. Zoey and Carter didn’t seem surprised by anything and that’s when I realized that Kiera was probably the only one of us who had no vampire association. Maybe she was the only one who didn’t understand. With Oliver’s blood inside of me, I was sensing all sorts of things on a different level; maybe this was one of the perks. But, I’d understood Vampiric before… Maybe Oliver’s blood only amplified my own hidden abilities.

“Laney!” Kiera said to get my attention. “Whatever,” she huffed and then stomped back to the table.

I eyed Oliver for a moment and wondered.
Does he know if I have a vampire line?
Oh, I planned to ask, but not right then. There were others things I planned to do as well, but, again, not right then. I joined the others at the table and we finalized our plan.

Once we had our plan in place and Oliver had sulked off to the bedroom, I headed for the kitchen to get the dishes started while Carter and Felix walked the girls to their cars. I began loading the dishwasher. Most of the dishes already looked spotless since Kiera was one of those people who cleans as she goes, a trait which is both wonderful and frustrating. I cannot tell you how many times I’d put dirty dishes away thinking they looked like the dishwasher had run through its cycle before Kiera bought us one of those magnets that says clean and dirty. You just got to flip it to the right side and hope that everyone remembers to do the same. I usually forgot.

A glass slipped from my hand and I tried to stop it from hitting the floor, only to make it shatter across the tile countertop, slicing my hand in the process. It stung badly and there was a fairly long gash on the outside of my palm.

I reached for a paper towel and froze. I watched in disbelief as the skin on my hand slowly began to knit back together. Out of pure curiosity, I licked the cut and then watched it disappear. It still stung a little but it was completely healed. “Whoa,” I breathed. Oliver was right behind me. I turned to face him.

“You were bleeding.” His voice was low and concerned. I nodded and showed him my uninjured hand. His green eyes grew wide. “It healed already?” I nodded. “It would seem that you have acquired many of my bonuses.” He smiled seductively and took a step closer. “Any chance you can feel what I’m feeling right now?” he asked and his lips found mine and his hard body pressed me against the counter. I couldn’t feel what he was feeling but I didn’t need to. There were parts of that man that made it obvious what he was thinking.

“So?” he said after he ended the kiss. His gorgeous green eyes held me in place. He brushed my hair away from my shoulder. “Any idea what I’m feeling?”

“I have more than an idea,” I smirked, and he chuckled softly.

“I love you,” he said tenderly. He kissed me again and then he looked down at me with a crooked grin.

“What?” I asked.

He shook his head slightly. “I’m just happy that we’re okay.”

“Me too.” I stretched up on my toes and pecked his lips. “Now, help me clean up this glass.”

He chuckled at me then said, “Well, apparently I’ll do anything for you, so why not?” I knew he was trying to be okay with the fact I was sending him right back to where our nightmare began. I didn’t want it any more than he did.

We were just dumping the last of the glass into the trash when Felix and Carter returned. Felix freaked out as soon as the two of them came in the door, and Carter followed suit. Felix had Oliver face down on the floor in one quick movement and had his knee in his back and his hands clasped behind him. Carter had me trapped in a corner of the kitchen with his back to me.

Oliver was yelling, “I didn’t do anything!” While I was shouting, “What are you doing!” and “Get off of him!”

Felix growled, his deep voice rumbling around us, “He bit you! I can smell it!”

“He did not!” I shouted while Oliver was shouting “I didn’t!”

“I broke a glass and cut my hand! See!” I shoved my hand past Carter to show Felix, but there was nothing to see. Shit. “It healed on its own,” I told him, and his brow furrowed. “Oliver didn’t have anything to do with it,” I finished desperately.

“I smelled her blood when she did it and her hand was already healed when I got to her,” Oliver said with his face pressed to the kitchen floor. “I had no desire to bite her.”

“None?”

“None, Felix. She’s fine and I’m fine.”

Felix stayed there a moment longer, then he pulled Oliver up off of the floor and nodded to Carter to let him know he could let me go. Oliver pulled me into his arms and held me tight as I wrapped my arms tightly around his waist. I’d been terrified that Felix wouldn’t believe us and I feared they’d take Oliver from me again. We needed to get past this nonsense. And most of all, we needed to bond so that no one could have a say in what we did any longer. Mostly, it was just well overdue.

“Well, I suppose this is good news,” Felix said with what might have been meant to be a reassuring smile. It wasn’t.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I fear that tomorrow could set terrible things into motion, and I fear it may set your progress in reverse,” Felix told Oliver.

“I had that same fear,” Oliver replied. “But I don’t believe that now. If I was going to crave anyone it would be Laney.”

As sweet as that sentiment may have been (insert sarcastic tone), I was truly afraid of what this mission would bring. I was terrified I might lose
my
Oliver once more. It was something I wouldn’t be able to bear. But this had to be done, and I believed he could do it. I had to.

Felix and Oliver discussed the situation a little more, and Felix actually left for the evening. He said he wouldn’t be far if we needed him. Carter sat at the table, studying for an upcoming exam and I think he was still a little uneasy with Oliver and me being alone together. I couldn’t blame him but I knew in my heart that Oliver and I were fine.

Oliver helped me finish loading the dishes into the dishwasher then he helped by drying the items that needed washing by hand. Once we were done he leaned with his back to the counter and slung the dishtowel over his shoulder. He looked way too damn sexy. “I don’t like this idea, Laney.”

His concern caused the cutest little frown around his perfectly kissable lips. I leaned against the counter beside him and slipped my arms around his waist. “I don’t like it either but I know you can do it. Just play it up. If you follow the plan, the most contact you will have to make is holding her hand, possibly a hug.” I felt my whole body shudder and he wrapped an arm around me.

“Then I’m wearing something I can burn afterwards,” he said, and I laughed pretty darn hard.

Chapter
34 - Taking One for the Team

The next morning we put the plan into place. Zoey had made plans to have lunch with Avery. Telling her she would pick her up around noon. Unknown to Avery, Oliver was scheduled to show up at 11:50.

But before Oliver and I headed to the Weslins’, he took me to the mall and bought me a pair of sunglasses. I may have gotten several vampire bonuses, like the healing thing and awesome senses, but I’d also developed a sensitivity to the sun. My eyes watered like I was bawling when I stepped outside. It was like I’d just watched Leo, aka
Titanic’s
Jack Dawson, sink to the bottom of the Atlantic. Again.

Oliver parked across the street from Avery’s, his car facing the wrong direction so I could have a better view. He cracked the windows so I’d have a better chance of hearing. “Remember,” I told him. “Just go sit by the pool. You probably won’t even have to say anything. She’ll do all the talking, she usually does.” Much like her brother.

“I hate this,” Oliver said. “I actually feel sick to my stomach.”

I leaned over the console and pressed my lips to his, but I didn’t give him too much. I wasn’t stupid. There was no way I was getting him all excited and then sending him off to Avery. Hell no! I pulled away, only slightly and said, “You can do this.” In a breathy voice I continued, “And when this is over, and we have that stupid book, we can focus on us. Just us.”

I saw his eyes spark with excitement. “Just us,” he whispered back, a mischievous smile playing at his lips.

“I love you,” I said softly. “Now, get in there and mess with that poor girl’s heart.”

He grinned, chuckled softly, and kissed me once more before he left the car, heading for the House of Doom. I lowered down in the seat, sportin’ my new shades, and watched. Oliver glanced back at his car just as he got to the door of the Weslin house and I watched my boyfriend raise his hand and knock on my arch nemesis’ front door.

I had an unfortunate perfect view of the sleaze ball as she opened the door and happily jumped on my boyfriend. The overwhelming desire to defend what was mine struck and my hand hurt from gripping the door handle so hard. It took everything thing in me not to jump out of that car and beat her head into the pavement. I watched with a racing heart as she grabbed his hand, led him inside, and closed the front door.

This was a terrible idea! I suddenly felt like
I
was going to vomit. My body was white hot with rage and I was shaking. As I sat there with a feeling of hot and cold rushing through me, I wondered if this was another wonderful vampire trait I’d inherited. ‘Cause it sucked! I’d been jealous before, but this, this was borderline torture! I even had an overwhelming urge to prove that he was mine with the mental image of busting through the door and proving it in front of whoever was around. I’m talking
actually
proving it. I closed my eyes tight and tried to shake off the overpowering feelings that pulsed through me.

I opened my eyes to find Zoey pulling up in front of the Weslin house. She was a few minutes early and I was so thankful. Zoey eyed Oliver’s car for a moment then she headed up to the front door, dressed as stylishly as ever. She couldn’t see me through the dark windows, but she knew I was there. She had a job to do and she was on it.

I took a deep breath as I watched Zoey knock on the Weslins’ door and then wait. A few seconds later she knocked again and in the next moment Mr. Weslin appeared. I watched as he invited her in. She declined just as planned.

Zoey was to claim that she was having car trouble and ask for Mr. Weslin’s help so that Oliver could excuse himself to the restroom, leaving Avery by the pool. He would then sneak into Mr. Weslin’s office for the book and then back out to Avery. I watched as the plan unfolded. Avery’s dad took the bait and followed the ever-charming Zoey to her car.

A few minutes later, Avery and Oliver exited the house holding hands, my stomach turned and I had to swallow back bile. I sank lower as Avery acted as if she would walk Oliver to his car. Avery hollered a greeting to Zoey who pretended not to notice the two walking down the front walk. She had Mr. Weslin listening to her engine, which was perfectly fine, and when Zoey looked at Avery and Oliver, the next part of the plan fell into place.

“You!” Zoey shouted. She rounded her car in a hurry, her long, dark skirt flowing behind her. She poked her finger into Oliver’s chest. Avery stepped back and Mr. Weslin inched closer to his daughter. “What are you doing here?” Oliver raised his hands in surrender, which got him free of Avery, and Zoey continued. She spun toward Avery and her dad. “This guy is bad news! You would be wise to keep your daughter away from him if you want to keep her alive!”

Zoey hurried to the driver’s side of her car and got inside, driving away quickly and leaving Avery behind at her father’s side.

Oliver turned toward Avery and her dad, that’s when Mr. Weslin told Oliver that it was best if he left. He rushed his daughter inside, but not before I heard Avery say, “But, daddy.”

Oliver trotted to the car and slipped inside. I locked the doors as his closed, and before he could say a word I was across the console and in his lap. Every part of me wanted to rip our clothes off and complete our bond once and for all. My tongue was in his mouth and my hands were everywhere. I bit down his neck and he growled as I did so. “I need you,” I panted. Both of his hands grabbed my bum and pressed me against his boyhood to show me that the feeling was mutual. I dug my fingers into the back of his hair and pulled his head back so that I could look into his eyes. “Now,” I demanded.

He smiled wickedly at me, his fangs poking out between his lips. “I see you developed another one of my many wonderful traits.” He seemed amused. I glared down at him, my fingers still tugging in his hair. “Now you know how I feel every time another man gets near you.”

A lot of things clicked into place right then and it was like I’d suddenly come back to myself. I released Oliver’s silky curls, sat back, and took a deep breath.