Their Dark Hunter (Masters of Darkness) (17 page)

“Melody, we’re about to cross into North Carolina.” He sighed. “I miss you. I really feel like we’re going in the right direction, but I don’t know. I wish I could hear your voice. See you.” Trace let the light go out and slammed his fist into the dash. “I fucking can’t take anymore. I’m going to gut that son of a bitch alive when we catch up to him.”

Vex glanced over at him. Dark circles were under his eyes. They hadn’t slept in days. It was nonstop, hitting the stores, motels, asking the bums standing outside. They did everything they could to catch a break.

“Get in line. Leon is mine.”

The tension between them was so thick that Trace knew it wasn’t going to be long before one of them snapped and they, themselves, started fighting. Without Melody, he and Vex were incomplete. It was as simple as that.

“Maybe we’ll get lucky and find
them here,” Trace said, low.

“You
’ve said that in every state we’ve gone through. At every stop. They’re not even close to us. I can feel how they grow further away. I feel like they’re so fucking out of reach that we’re never going to catch up.”

A growl came from Trace’s mouth. “Then what do you suggest we do?”

Vex rubbed his eyes, and glanced over. “We’re not stopping in this state. I know they’re not here.”

The need to argue was automatic, but Trace bit his tongue. He knew Vex was right. Melody and Leon were not in the state of North Carolina. As they passed exits and signs, Vex’s head snapped in the direction. “We’re getting off the main path. For once, we’re following our damn instincts. If we have the need to stop, then we will, but we’re wasting too much time hitting every town along the way.”

“Agreed.” Trace looked out of the window. “Head west.”  He wasn’t sure why, but the direction was calling him, and for once, he was going to listen.

***

For two days they’d been driving around the state of Tennessee. The sickening feeling in Vex’s stomach was overwhelming. Still there was no contact from their mate. The only reason he knew Melody was still alive was because of their connection. Her emotions were all over the place, and it was hard to make it through the day imagining what she was going through.

Rain was pouring down from the cloudy
sky. As Vex and Trace ran into the fifth convenience store since they’d entered the state, they headed for the clerk. The picture of Melody was held tightly in his hand and he couldn’t bear to put it down. Not even when he was driving.

“Hi, can I help you?”

The older woman looked at him with light blue eyes. He tried to muster a smile, but knew it wasn’t much of one. “Yes, I’m looking for my wife. She was taken a few weeks ago, and I have reason to believe that they’ve been through this area.” Well, they didn’t really, but he and Trace were hoping. The pull was sure leading them down this path. Everything told Vex he was on the right trail, but it was a slow process of back tracking and staying on the right course.

“Oh yeah.” She went to take the picture, and Vex was hesitant to hand it over. He swallowed hard and let go. “I think I have seen her. Yesterday, actually
––she was with a man. Long, dark hair,” she said, motioning with her fingers. “Beautiful man, that’s the only reason I remember. He was pumping gas.”

Trace held up the picture of Leon. “Is this
he?”

“Yes!”
The woman got quiet as she looked in the direction of the gas pumps. “He was pumping gas into a fancy car. Looked kind of nervous. The woman, though…she was in the front, staring out of the window. She looked so sad. Lost, really. I remember it,” her hand came to her chest, “as it really hit something, inside.” The woman brought her hand to her cheek. “She had bruising or something on her face. At least I think that’s what it was. There was a tint of dark yellow, probably a few days old or so, but I saw it when she turned to look at the man.”

Vex’s heart broke, but he couldn’t stop the rage he felt for the immortal, either.
His eyes went to Trace. The eternal’s face was pale as he stared at the clerk.

Leon was going to pay
for what he was putting them all through. And he didn’t just mean to make him pay by death. Demons didn’t believe in an easy way out, and that’s what he was deep inside. Leon was going to wish that he never met Melody, or even looked twice in her direction.

“Were they headed
north?” Trace asked.

The woman
nodded her head. “They headed that way, so yeah, I’d say north.”

Vex took the picture back. “Thank yo
u. You’ve been a great help.” They rushed from the store and jumped back in his Maserati. If they were here only yesterday, then they weren’t as far behind as he’d thought. Leon and Mel must have stopped somewhere for a longer length of time. He wasn’t sure. All he knew was that at some point they’d find them. There was no way he was going to let this man continue to hurt their mate.

The car hit the main road, and Vex
looked over at Trace. “How are you? You don’t look so good. Do I need to stop and get you something? Food, or water?”

No, don’t stop,” Trace said, panicked. “I want Melody back. Any delay is going to put them further ahead.”

Vex nodded. He rested his hand at the top of the steering wheel, palm up, and let the golf ball-sized light glow against his skin. “Melody, Trace and I just left a store where a woman recognized you. I’m in Tennessee and still on your trail.” He sighed. “I miss you.” He’d told her a million times already, but he couldn’t stress the words enough. He positively ached for her. It was one thing when she’d distanced herself from them before, but now that she was separated against her will, the longing and anxiety that filled him was a million times more intense.

Vex passed an exit and felt his stomach drop. Instinct made him pull off at the last second. Although he knew he should continue north, the pull to the south suddenly threw him for a loop. “Melody, I don’t know why but I feel the need to go back.” A green road sign listed upcoming towns. Vex looked over them. “Atlanta. God, Mel, are y
ou two going south, now? I don’t know what to do.” He knew he was rambling. He turned to Trace. “What do you feel? Are you getting the pull to the south now, too?”

“I am.” H
is hand grabbed onto the dash. Vex was sure Trace was going to be sick.

Melody gave no response and he headed in their new path
. He let the light disappear and growled, slamming his hand against the steering wheel. There had to be an easier way. They couldn’t just spend the rest of their lives trying to track her down, and praying that someday they’d get lucky. There needed to be a way to get her away from Leon right this second.

Vex pulled off to
a rest stop and the moment he stopped, Trace rushed to the restrooms. He’d been fighting the nausea now for days, and Vex couldn’t quite understand it. Apart from being exhausted, he was fine.

He began to pace and look around.
All these talents and gifts he’d been given, and not one of them could help him find his mate? It didn’t seem right. She was a part of him: His other half. There had to be a way to summon her to him, or him to her. He could materialize whole buildings or cars, but not his mate to his side?

A little girl ran up to his side and pulled at his jeans. Vex looked down
, confused. “Hello, there.” He glanced around, looking for her parents. The dark hair down her back looked so much like Melody’s that it made his heart ache. Even her eyes were the light color of his mate’s.

“Where are you going
?” she asked, curious. Her facial expression made him smile.

“I wish I knew. I think I’m lost.”

She twisted her mouth and looked over at the Maserati. “You have a nice car. I think I’ve seen it before.”

“Have you?
” That immediately piqued his interest. Leon and Melody were in the exact same car. “Well, thank you. I happen to like it.” He raised his eyebrow at her. “Where are your parents?”

The bottom of her lip pouted out, and Vex felt himself panic. He’d never been around children before. If she started crying, he wasn’t sure what he was going to do. “Now, now. No tears. Are they lost? I can help you find them.”

“No. You can’t. You said you were lost too.”

He sighed. “Yeah, but I’ll find my way.”

“I know you will.” A grin instantly came to her face. It was so out of nowhere that it confused him. “You should go to Florida if you’re lost.”

“Florida, huh? What’s there?” Vex leaned back and tried to see his way into the opening in between the restroom areas.

“Melody’s there, silly. West. Palm. Beach.” She clapped after each word. Vex’s eyes came to her slowly.

“I beg your pardon? Did you say, Melody?” Vex crouched down to look at her, again.
He let his instincts kick in and suddenly realized this little girl wasn’t what she seemed.

“Yep.” She started clapping
, again.

Vex looked deep into her eyes. Before he could see into her thoughts, yelling erupted off in the distance.

“Victoria!” A woman rushed forward from the building. “There you are. I told you not to leave without me.” She grabbed the little girl’s hand and pulled her away.

Vex rushed forward. “Ma’am, please
… wait.” He leaned down to the little girl. “How do you know this?”

Victoria’s fingers reached forward and rested on his temple. Flashes displayed before his vision
, blocking out everything in front of him. So clearly he could see Melody in a hotel room. There was fighting between her and Leon on several occasions. Not just the one time like he’d thought. Multiple scenes of her tied up in the car. The signs she passed as they flipped around and headed south, instead.

The little girl stepped back, and Vex blinked as the images disappeared. He watched the mother gently grab Victoria’s hand. She looked at Vex nervously, and turned to her daughter. “Vicky, what did I tell you about your gifts?” 

“It’s a secret.”

“Yes, it is. Now go to your father.” For the first time Vex saw a man standing outside of a car. He knew he was a demon
, instantly. He rose and faced the woman, who was human. “You and my daughter are the same,” she said.

Vex tilted his head. “She’s an eternal?”

“If that’s what you call it. All I know is that her gifts are great. Whatever you saw is the truth. Whatever she told you will come to be, or is.”

A
shuddering breath left him. “I owe her more than she’ll ever know. Thank you.” Vex turned to see Trace walking back over. He made his number appear on a card and handed it to her. “Call me if you ever need
anything
. And I would like to hear more about your daughter’s gifts, in time. But right now I must find my mate.”

She nodded and
headed back to her car. Trace walked over, and Vex noticed he didn’t look good at all. “Get in the car. I know where Melody is.”

“What? How?” Trace jumped in the car, and Vex explained the happenings between
him and the little girl. A smile was on Trace’s face for the first time in a long time. He actually looked like he felt a little better.

If Melody was in West Palm Be
ach, Florida, or would be, they were going to be there to find her. The tires squealed as he headed back onto the highway. He pushed the car to lightning speed, masking his view from anyone who might see them. The time had come. Next time he stopped, it’d be in the same place Melody was.

Chapter
Fourteen

Vex and Trace’s voices were the only things keeping Melody sane. She was sure she hadn’t talked out loud in days. The lack of emotion or response to Leon kept her from lashing out and getting him angry all over again. It had taken almost a week after they’d left Louisiana for her to learn to keep her mouth shut. More bruises and a busted lip later, she refused to acknowledge him at all. Although it made him mad, it didn’t get her hit.

“Look at the water and the color of the sky, Mel. Isn’t it beautiful?” Leon had gotten into a habit of mindlessly talking to her. The response wasn’t expected, and for that she was thankful. If it were up to her, she’d tell him to stick the water up his ass and rotate.

He walked around to the large, sliding glass door and stared across the white sand beach. The way he had her positioned and tied to the chair was directly in view of the damn water. She hated it. Had hated it, for the last few hours.

“I think after dinner you and I should cuddle on the back porch swing, what do you say?” He turned to face her. The blank stare she gave him obviously wasn’t what he was looking for. Leon walked over and kneeled before her. The light blue sundress he’d dressed her in lifted over her knees as he wedged himself between her legs. “We can light the tiki torches, and have the sound of the waves crashing in the distance as background noise for our romantic evening. It’s a very picturesque vision in my mind, if I do say so myself. Just you,” he trailed his hand down the length of her face, “and me. The way it’s supposed to be.”

Melody stared straight ahead. His touch continued, and she tried her best to numb out the sensations of his fingers crossing her lips.

“Tonight’s our night, Mel.” He stood and s
he tried not to tremble against the disgust she felt. Pain raced through her abdomen and she closed her eyes over the discomfort and nausea. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten much of anything. With Leon feeding her, she could hardly stomach the food.

Vex’s last words filtered through her mind. He wa
s in Florida, and on his way. Neither of her mates had really said much after that, and that had been over a day ago. Hope was diminishing. Even if they did make it to the state, knowing the way Leon changed his mind at the drop of a dime, they’d probably be leaving before Vex and Trace even got close to them.

“Leon.” The thickness in her voice had her clearing it. He looked at her surprised.

“Welcome back. What is it, sweetheart?”

She hated that she had to break her resolve, but the queasiness was getting worse
the longer she waited. “I’m hungry.”

“I haven’t ordered dinner yet. You’re going to have to wait.”

Melody looked down. After a moment of silence, he walked out of the kitchen with a banana and a bottle of water. As he peeled it, Melody could feel her mouth watering. The hunger was quickly taking over everything.

The first bite had her moaning at the taste. The second bite was her undoing. She paused mid-chew and felt her eyes grow big. She was going to be sick. The jerking against her binds was useless. Leon backed up
, as she got sick all over herself.

Sobs escaped and she let her head fall back, feeling completely drained. “You poor thing. Why do you have to be so stubborn? You went way too long without eating.” Fabric brushed across her body and she looked down at a towel he was holding. “Let’s get you in the shower.” Leon untied her, and carried her to the small bathroom.

The sound of water filled the air and he stood her up, clothes and all, into the tub. The cold had her shivering, instantly. Although she wasn’t restrained to the chair anymore, her hands were still bound. Those restraints never came off, anymore.

“I’m going to take off your dress.” His fingers pulled at the
bodice and Melody held her breath. He’d given her showers before, but not once had he touched her indecently. She prayed this time would be the same.

The weight of the dress hitting the bottom of the bathtub was loud. Warm water kicked in just as Leon turned it off and wrapped the towel around her
, tucking it in between her breasts. He hadn’t even used soap, but she wasn’t complaining. The last thing she wanted were his hands touching her. A plastic cap of Listerine was placed to her lips and she swooshed it around and spit it into the bottom of the tub.

“You’re running out of clean clothes, Mel. I guess now that we’re at a place with a washer and
dryer I should probably try to clean them. I’m not sure how long we’ll be here, but I want to be prepared to leave at any given time. Let’s go see what you have left.”

Again he lifted her. She was so tired of him carrying her everywhere. She could walk, dammit. Well, a little. The weakness in her legs had
increased from lack of use.

As they rounded the corner of the dark room, movement
from the living room area caught Melody’s eye. She looked but it was gone just as fast. Leon flipped on the light and stood her next to the bed. Everything in her wanted to walk back to the door and look down the hallway.

“Well.” Leon held up a black sundress, and a pair of shorts. “Sundress, it is. Guess you’re out of shirts.” He pulled the towel off and sighed. “Great. Now I’m going to have to undo your arms. You fight me...” His hand brought her face up to look at him. “Just don’t fight, okay? I don’t want to have to hurt you
, again.”

Leon paused and took in her body. “Such a pity you even have to put clothes back on.” His hand lifted and hovered over her breast, but never made contact. “Tonight,” he whispered. “It has to be tonight. I’m tired of waiting and fighting this need.”

Melody swallowed hard and turned around so he could undo the binds. Just the thought that his hand would make contact with her skin almost made her sick again.

“Did I tell you to turn around?” Leon’s hand gripped her hair hard and he pulled her nude body into his. His chest pressed into her back and his lips moved level with her ear. “I tell you what to do. Maybe I’m not ready to untie you yet.”

“Please,” she whispered. “I think I’m going to be sick again. I want to lie down.”

Leon’s grip loosened. “Next time, tell me that before you turn you
r back. I don’t like you just dismissing me.”

She nodded, and prayed he would hurry up and dress her. Aching from her shoulders nearly brought Melody to her knees. No matter how hard she tried to lift her arms to put them in the dress, they wouldn’t respond. Leon doing it for her caused her to cry out at the locking sensation. It only made him angrier.

“You did this,” he growled. “Quit crying. If you would just stop using your gift to contact those mates of yours, then all of this would be fine. We could have been happy, Mel!” He pulled down the dress to cover her body and jerked her hands behind her back, fastening the belt. The moment Leon swept her into his arms and they spun around, she and Leon both froze.

Vex
and Trace stood there, their eyes glowing a bright white. Black mist swirled around their feet. The pure evil and rage projecting from them had Melody in awe. She couldn’t move, or speak, yet all she wanted to do was rush and throw herself in their arms.

Fingers gripped into her shoulder and thigh. Leon’s body began to hum underneath her, and she remembered the last time that had happened. Harvey had been toast. Out of panic, Melody instantly started thrashing her body. Leon glared and grabbed her hair, letting her legs fall down to the floor.
The impact had her crying out. “
These
men are who you want?” Leon jerked back hard, and Melody screamed out against the pain. “When I kill them, and they go back to Hell, you know it means neither one will come back, right? Not for a long, long time.”

Vex laughed, and the evil was evident in his tone. “Same goes with you, Leon. When you die, you are going to
Hell this time. You, my friend, will have to work your way up to get back here, and I doubt that will be for hundreds of years. You see, we’re already masters. We’ve put in our time.”

“But I’m not g
oing to die. Both of you are.” Leon eased to the back door, and pushed it open. Vex stalked toward them, and Trace followed. Melody couldn’t ignore how pale Trace looked. It worried her.

Darkness was almost upon them. The lights decorated along the pier
leading down to the beach, were already on. Melody’s hair blew into her face from the wind, but she was so focused on making her legs work that it was only a minor annoyance.

“Let go of our
mate and quit hiding behind her,” Vex growled.

“I’m never letting go,” Leon yelled. “She was mine long before she was ever
either of yours.”

Melody pulled against him, trying to break free.
Leon’s grip left her hair and wrapped around her throat.

“She’s sick, Leon. I saw you c
leaning her up. If you loved her, you wouldn’t be putting her through this.” Vex advanced fast. She watched both of her men break off to the side, as if trying to surround him to keep him from going either way.

The sand was suddenly beneath Melody
’s feet. Waves crashed loudly behind them and she stared across the deserted area surrounding them.

“Don’t tell me how I feel. I was taking care of her. If it weren’t for you, we’d be living happily, just the two of us.
She would have come around! I know she would have.”

Melody shook her head wildly. “No, Leon. I wouldn’t have. It wasn’t like that between us. Ever.”

Water rushed past Melody’s ankles and she tried to look down, panicked. Still, Leon pulled her back. Vex’s advance stopped, and he was suddenly gone. Melody searched the beach looking for him. Trace was still there, and his eyes never left her. By the second, he got closer.

Before she could focus on what was happening, she felt herself falling toward the water. Leon’s grip loosened and she slid through, falling over to the side. With her hands still tied behind her back, it was impossible for her to push herself up. Water rushed across her face, and
Trace was suddenly pulling her into his arms.

Salt water burned the back of Melody’s nose and throat. She coughed, and almost threw up from the amount she’d taken in.
As Trace carried her to shore, she could see Vex standing behind Leon with his arm around his throat. So many thoughts went through her head as she took them in. It didn’t matter how well you knew someone. Some people had sides to them you never saw until a breaking point appeared. Both Vex and Leon were at theirs, and she knew this wasn’t going to turn out well.

***

Vex
slammed Leon’s head under the water, wanting him to see how it felt to fight for air. That was exactly the feeling he’d experienced once he realized the immortal had taken his mate. Leon pushed against his hand, but Vex didn’t budge. Just when he thought he’d had enough, he pulled him up and let him gasp for air.

Coughing filled
the air and Vex leaned forward, lowering his voice. “You know why she’s sick, Leon? Because she carries our child. Mine and Trace’s,” he hissed. “Mine. Not yours.” Vex submerged his head back into the water and let him thrash a bit more. Pressure pushed against his legs and Vex felt them slide out from under him.

Leon came up and threw his hands in the air. The
wind picked up violently, and a deep yell came from the immortal’s mouth. Bolts of electricity shot down from the dark sky and Vex stared at them stunned. He threw out his hands just as Leon sent a blinding light his way.

Pressure hit his glowing energy right in between him and the immortal. The fight over whose power was stronger was
a life or death struggle. Vex knew he couldn’t give up. He had never dreamed what Leon was capable of, but as he felt it firsthand, he knew he was going to be in trouble if he didn’t think of something fast.

Vex closed his eyes and reached deep within. Vibrations were shaking his whole body. The little girl had
shown him that eternals were capable of so much more than he could imagine. His eyes slowly opened and he looked down at his feet. This whole time, he, Trace, and Melody had been tapping into immortal powers, but they weren’t immortals. They were eternals. Their real powers stemmed from darkness. Vex lowered one of his hands and groaned at the sheer will it took not to let the arm fighting Leon’s power snap backwards.

Fire burned his palm as he held it facing toward the water. The heat that surged through him gave off the impression of home. He knew that sensation like nothing else. It was liquid lava pouring through his veins. He jerked his hand forward and pushed the core of his body out. Orange light intertwined with white from his other hand and connected with the b
right ball in the middle. The mixture exploded back in Leon’s direction. He gasped as he watched the immortal go up in flames and incinerate.

Vex took a ragged breath. He couldn’t believe what he’d just done. He turned to Melody
and Trace, and raced toward them. Tears streamed down her face, and Trace handed her to him. “Shh.” He held her tightly while she sobbed into his chest.

“I never thought I’d see y’all
again.” Her hands were untied, but were like dead weight at her sides. Vex leaned down and kissed her head, the length of his fingers buried into her hair.