The Return of Jonas (Pearl Vampire Chronicles #4) (14 page)

“When are you going to start Matt on…” Carlos said.

I shook my head. “We’ll figure that out tomorrow, okay?”

Carlos nodded
.  “Fine, but we can’t wait too long.”

“I know, Carlos. 
Goodnight.  Sleep well.”

“Night,” he said as he settled back into the pillow.

Matt and I stopped by the kitchen to feed before heading to our room.  I brushed my teeth for a good five minutes, trying to get the taste of Jonas out of it.  Then I took off my brace and climbed in the shower.  One hand was useless, and I was just trying to figure out how to wash myself one-handed, when Matt climbed in with me.  He washed my hair, my body then he began massaging all the tension from my body.  He began with my neck, then my shoulders, then down my arms being careful with my wrist, then my back, all while gently kissing the back of my neck.  He reached the bottom of my back and his hands moved around to the front and down between my legs.  I groaned and pressed my good hand and my forehead against the shower wall as his fingers danced in all the right places.  It wasn’t long before he unleashed a much-needed climax that rocked my body and would have sent me to the floor if he hadn’t held me up.  As soon as I could think again, I growled as I spun around and crushed my mouth down on his.  I was desperate for more. I jumped up, wrapped my legs around his waist and shivered as I felt him enter me, but I kept wincing because I couldn’t stop my wrist from trying to move.  Very gently, he shut off the water, climbed out of the shower and set me down on the rug, pressing one hand lightly on my arm so it wouldn’t move, as he began moving inside me.  Our tongues danced around as I reached my mind to out to his.  My scarred hand was the one with the broken wrist, so I was afraid to move it, but I desperately wanted to feel everything. Matt knew this, though, and he ever-so-gently rested his palm on mine, close enough for the scars to touch, but never too close that I felt any pain.  I arched my back and sunk my teeth into his neck as the power of the moment coursed through every part of my body, feeling like it would have no end.  He waited though, waited for me, with gritted teeth and every ounce of strength he had, he waited, until I was almost finished, almost but not quite, knowing that his climax would then trigger another one of mine to start all over again.  I pulled my teeth out of his neck and he smiled at me.  I began kissing him again, my surprise turning to pure anticipation as I realized what he had done and what was coming.  I felt him then, felt him in every cell in my body as he exploded.  I cried out as my body instantly responded… every one of my spasms matching his, every shiver matching his, every pulse matching his… and I really didn’t care if it ever ended.

Chapter Nine

We slept right where we were all night, never bothering to move to the bed.  I woke first and for a brief instant I felt overwhelmed at his tenderness.  He was still on top of me, sound asleep, with his head on my chest, but it was his arm that amazed me.  His arm was still gently resting on mine, keeping my wrist from moving during the night and causing me pain because I had fallen asleep before I put my brace back on.  Who? I thought. Who is that gentle?  I ran my fingers through his hair with my other hand and laid my head back down.  He yawned, then I heard the smile in his voice as he said, “This really is my favorite pillow, you know.”

“Ummm, that would be pillows, I think,” I said.

“Why, yes, it would,” he said as he kissed each breast.

I smiled at him then I grew serious.  “Honey?” I said
.  “The good blood.  Is it really a good idea?  It scares the heck out of me.”

“It
scares me too, but I’m worried that we don’t stand a chance without it.  Don’t you think we need to be on more even footing with him to beat him?”

“Can we beat him?” I whispered.

“We have to Sarah, what other choice do we have?” he said.  My silence answered his question for him.  He looked up at me. “Oh hell no, Sarah.  You do not get to even consider going off with him in order to save us. Hell no, no way.  You get mad at me for always wanting to protect you, yet you’re always so willing to sacrifice yourself in order to save me… and Carlos.  Not this time, Sarah.  I can’t fight this fight with you if I’m worried about that.  I have to know that you will be by my side until this is over, however it’s over, however it ends.  We have to be side-by-side, together.  Promise me that, please promise me that,” he said.

I stared at him for a while.  He was asking me for something more than I’d ever promised anyone in my entire life.  Something more tha
n I’d ever thought I was capable of.  How could I not leave that option open?  How, if it came to that, how could I choose to let him die rather than save him, even if saving him meant leaving him and being with someone that I completely despised?  How the hell was I supposed to promise that?  I saw the fear in his eyes as he desperately waited for my answer.  How could I not promise to die by his side rather than leave him? Wasn’t that what I was supposed to do?  No matter how hard it was, wasn’t that the right thing to do?  “I promise,” I whispered.  I felt the relief flow from him as his mouth came down on mine.  “Wait,” I said.  He stopped and looked at me.  I pointed to the counter. “Hand me my brace.  I don’t want gentle this time,” I smiled. 

“I’ll do you one better,” he said as he scooped me off the floor and carried me to the counter, setting me on the edge with my back pressed against the mirror
. “Get it yourself,” he growled as his mouth crushed down on mine.  I groaned as I fumbled to put the brace on, fastening the Velcro just before the first wave hit me.  It was hours before we finally left that bathroom.

‘Hungry, Sarah.  It’s time to eat.  Please, please?’
Carlos thought as I was gasping and trying to catch my breath.
‘What’s wrong?  Your heart, your heart is racing.  You’re shiver… Oh! Oh, shit! I’m sorry. I’m going.’

‘No, it’s okay, now.  You don’t have to go.  We’ll be there in a few minutes, okay?’ 
I thought.

‘Okay,’ 
he thought,
‘and I’m sorry.  I’ll try to remember to check first next time.’

“Carlos is hungry,” I said.

Matt stared at me for a second then he shook his head.  “I don’t think I want to know,” he said.

“No,” I said, “he popped in right after.  Nothing like almost getting caught to get the adrenaline pumping
.” I smiled.  “I need to go see Cameron anyways.  We may have messed up my wrist that last time.”

Matt gasped
. “Did I do that?”

“Relax, sweetie,” I said, “that o
ne was all me.  I needed more… leverage.”

“Stop,” he groaned, “you’re going to get me going again.”

“Yeah, me too, but I promised Cameron I’d be there first thing in the morning,” I said.  “I think we’re a little past that already.”

We got dressed, stopped by the kitchen for breakfast, grabbed an extra pint for Carlos, then I headed to the clinic, reluctantly leaving Matt in the hall
. “I really should at least check in with Derek,” he said.  We promised to meet for lunch.

As soon as I reached Tanya’s desk, I borrowed her phone to call Missy, asking her to set up an appointment with Bahiti today at eleven.  I walked in to Cameron’s office at nine.  He put the
X-rays on the board a few minutes later.  “Geez, Sarah.  I swear it looks worse than it was yesterday.  You do some boxing last night?  No, scratch that, forget I asked, ‘cause I really don’t want to know the answer.  I’m going to have to re-set it, again.  Then, please, keep the brace on at all times, except to shower… ALONE… please,” he said.  I smiled, but didn’t answer – that I was definitely not promising.

After fixing my wrist again, Cameron walked me to the door of Carlos’ room then said he had other patients to see.  I walked in…
and tried not to panic.  Carlos was not in his bed.  As slowly as I could, so I didn’t startle any humans in the waiting room, I went to Tanya’s desk.  “Do you know where Carlos is, Tanya?”

“Huh?
Oh yeah, he’s taking a walk in the courtyard with Maria,” she said.

“He’s walking?” I said, but I didn’t wait for an answer.  I headed out the door and into the sun, easily finding them heading toward the bench by the waterfall, his arm linked to hers to help him.  I wandered over to them just as they sat down.  “Oh, hey, Sarah,” he said
. “Maria suggested a walk while I was waiting for you.”

“That was a great idea,” I said
. “I didn’t know you were well enough to be up and around already.”

“I’m feeling much better,” he said, “the pain’s not too bad.  How
’s the wrist?”

I looked at my arm
. “Healing,” I said.

“It’d heal faster if you stopped using it,” he grinned
as he winked.

I smiled at him.  Yeah, he knew me too well.
 

“I’m hungry, how about we go back in now
?” he said, as he sat there bouncing his leg.  I’ve seen that before.  He was already hooked again. This is not good, not good at all, I thought.  “Can you help me up, Sarah?  I don’t want to hurt Maria’s back.”

“Sure,” I said as I went to stand in front of him, offering my good arm for him to grab onto. 

“On three,” he said, “one, two, three,” he grunted and winced slightly, but made it up without too much pain.  He wasn’t kidding when he said he’d heal twice as fast.  He placed one hand through my arm, the other through Maria’s, and we slowly made our way inside.  As he climbed on his bed he said, “Can I have more, Sarah?  To heal faster?”

More? I thought.  He was already feeding more than Matt or I ever did, but here he was asking for more.  I turned to Maria
, “I’m sorry, Maria, but can I have a minute alone with Carlos?”

“Of course,” she said as she opened the door.

“Wait,” Carlos said, “will you come visit me later, Maria?”

Maria blushed bright red and smiled
. “Yes,” she shyly said as she scurried out the door.

Carlos glared at me
. “What the heck, Sarah.  That was kind of rude.”

I sat down on the bed, facing him, and took his hand in mine.  “Carlos,” I said, “I hate seeing you like this.  You’re already hooked.  How bad is it going to be when you’ve been on it for a few months?”

“Back off, Sarah,” he snapped. “I’m fine.  You need to make up your friggin’ mind.  First you want me then you don’t want me.  First you want me to get better, now you don’t.  I can’t keep up with your crazy-ass shit.”

I knew this was the addiction talking, but I couldn’t keep the hurt from my eyes.  I knew he saw it and I knew he felt bad for saying it.  “Two things will never change, Carlos.  I will always love you and you will always be my best friend.”

He squeezed his eyes shut. “I know, Sarah.  I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean what I said.  I’m trying really hard to keep it together, but I’m so anxious to get better so I can kick his ass.”

“I’m anxious too, Carlos.  But you,
we
, need to be smart about it.  If you’re too heavy into this addiction, you’ll be useless in a fight.  You’ll be strong, but not smart and you’ll lose,” I said. “And I won’t be smart because I’ll just be worrying about you.”

“And I won’t be smart because I’ll be worrying about both of you,” Matt said, smiling as he walked over and wrapped his arm around me.
“Hello, my love,” he said as he leaned down to kiss me.

“Okay, okay,” Carlos said
. “I’ll keep it under control.  Same amount? Please, Sarah?”

I looked at him for a few seconds then nodded my head.  “I’ll get it,” I said.

As I walked out I heard Matt say to him, “So, I heard you were walking around today, that’s amazing.”

I was smiling and daydreaming as I made my way to the coolers, but then I slowed and tensed up as I started to feel nauseous
.
‘Hey sexy.  Miss me?’
Jonas thought.

‘What do you want, Jonas?’
I thought.

‘You know what I want,’
he thought.
‘I want you.’

‘You can’t have me, Jonas
.’

‘You’ll change your mind,’
he thought,
‘soon.’

‘
No I won’t.’

‘Oh, yes you will,’
he thought.
‘You know you were getting turned on up there yesterday
. 
Your nipples got hard.  You wanted more.’

‘Nipples do that however they’re touched, Jonas, it’s involuntary.’

‘Your heart was beating faster.’

‘Your arm was around my neck, threatening to break it
.’

‘
Whatever, Sarah.  You win this time.  But you’re going to be begging me to fuck you, soon.’

‘Gee, how romantic,’
I thought.

‘Romance is highly overrated,’
he thought.

I opened one of the coolers.  In the clinic they were side by side, but clearly marked.

‘What cha doin’?’