Dangerous Lovers (215 page)

Nixie looked a little sick when she glanced down at the vampire whose head had twisted at an unnatural direction. She usually didn’t go on kill missions, but we needed to get Audrey back and I didn’t care what the consequences would be at this point. I only wanted Audrey safe.

We moved silently through the building. Elijah and I killed a few guards and Nixie knocked out a few that we didn’t have time to stop and finish off. I don’t know what it was that was leading me, but I felt something tugging me toward the middle of the building. It was maze-like and Nixie followed me, I think her own bond led her forward. Elijah didn’t question us, but moved with us, waiting for any other guards to appear. Finally we stopped.

“She is here. Somewhere.” Nixie closed her eyes as if she was going to go off of feeling alone.

I agreed with her, but there was nothing. It was driving me insane. I started to pace, a growl forming in the back of my throat.

“There is a hidden door.” Elijah stepped up and pushed at a white wall.

I waited for something to happen, but nothing did. Elijah stepped back and kicked his leg out unexpectedly. Nixie yelped at the sound of splintering wood. We were now staring into a small office. Bookshelves lined the wall, and two elegant chairs sat in front of a large mahogany desk. I couldn’t focus on the furniture though. My eyes focused on Audrey’s scared face.

A tall, dark haired man held onto her arm. His eyes matched Audrey’s. She must not have realized that she had stepped closer to me because she looked surprised when he pulled her back. He bared his teeth at me with a snarl, long sharp canines that were much different than a vampire’s. They were shaped like a serpent’s teeth, but much bigger. He was big, but so was the Gargoyle behind him.

“Stone.” Audrey barely whispered my name, but the man holding her heard it. He turned his eyes down to her.

“Who is this?” He growled down at her.

Audrey flinched and shrank back into herself.

I stepped toward Audrey. The man pushed her behind his back, defensively. The Gargoyle hissed at me and stepped forward, but Elijah met his attack. The man lashed out at me. An easily anticipated strike that I dodged. Nixie started to ease around the pair, but the Gargoyle’s tail wrapped around her neck.

“Stop!” It was the first time I heard her voice so strong.

“Stop, Drake.”

I didn’t realize that the other paranormal had moved. He was inches from me. I snarled back at him wanting nothing more than to attack him.

“So it seems that you have escaped the cells, and I am assuming you left a trail of dead bodies behind you. All for the sake of Audrey. Done like a true Braden. Tell me, did you also kill Tom the Stone Giant? You know there are only about twenty Stone Giants left in the world. I know how much Cain would enjoy completely irradiating them from the face of this earth.” The Gargoyle snarled at us. His hold on Nixie tightened slightly and I saw her eyes widen and her breath stop. Audrey fell backwards a little clutching her heart watching Nixie.

“Stop! Stop choking her!” I roared. The Gargoyle snarled at me.

“And why the hell should I?” He yelled back at me.

“You’re killing them both. Nixie is bonded to her.” Elijah stated looking at Audrey as well. The man I was toe to toe with turned to look at her. He rushed to her side and held her up. I knew that people bonded to sirens could feel their pain if the siren left the bond open.

“Xavier.” Drake called out. The Gargoyle released his tightened hold on Nixie.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Audrey

I was so scared seeing Nixie like that, a pain was filling my heart as I gasped and backed away clutching my heart. Her pain reflected back into me. I could feel the tightening around the throat. The loss of breath. She was my best friend and I couldn’t face the fact that she was in pain because of me. Because she was trying to save me. Finally Xavier loosened his hold on her and she slumped a little forward. I let out a struggled whine. Xavier lifted the unconscious Nixie in his arms and gently placed her in his chair. I moved to go to her, but my father held me back.

“What did you do to Audrey?” My father growled watching Stone.

Stone who was here, he was here, though he was taller, and bigger than the Stone I knew him to be. I tried to move from behind my father again, but he moved with me as if knowing the direction that I was headed. Stone’s eyes flashed a dangerous red color and I knew that he was beyond pissed with my father.

“I did nothing. What did you do to her?” He growled back. Looking at Stone made me realize how much his almost betrayal had affected me. While moments before my heart was hurting from the pain I saw Nixie in, it was so full now seeing Stone there. He had come for me. He was here.

“Nothing, I am her father, I would never hurt her.”

“You left her! You left her and she was tortured for years!” Stone’s eyes flashed as he looked at me then back at my father. His eyes did something I never seen before, they turned a cold hard black. One second Stone stood across the room, the next he held my father up against a wall, choking him. I flinched at the loud bang they made colliding with each other.

“How can you live with yourself? You’re a bastard. She was tortured for years.” Stone’s form kept shifting but his eyes remained the same, completely black. Xavier moved faster than I could follow and tried to pull Stone off, but Stone pushed Xavier away. I moved next to Stone.

“Stone?” I touched the arm that was keeping my father captive.

Stone didn’t take his eyes off my father, but I felt his arm relax slightly under my touch.

“Please don’t hurt him.”

Stone looked at me and let go of my father. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me so close that I could barely breathe. I felt Stone push his face into my hair, burying himself further into it. He was touching where he could, as if to reassure himself that I was there. But I was touching him as well, I couldn’t stop touching him. He was here, he came for me. Xavier held back my father when Stone finally let me go.

“We’re leaving. Now.” Stone looked at Elijah, who nodded and went to pick up Nixie who was still unconscious on the chair.

“Not with my daughter,” my father roared.

“Calm down Drake.” Xavier grabbed my father’s face and stared at him waiting for him to calm down. I watched with rapt interest. I had never seen anyone calm my father down like that.

Finally my father’s slit eyes returned to his human blue eyes.

“He is not going to take her away.” My father snarled quietly to Xavier.

Stone growled and started to speak again, when I pressed my forehead into his chest and shook my head no.

“None of you will be leaving.”

Fear snaked its way down my spine.

“You can’t keep us here.” Stone growled, pulling me toward Elijah who had picked up Nixie and stood closer to the door.

“Stupid shape-shifter, do you really think I would let you leave with her? I will not allow the Bradens to destroy her.” That only seemed to piss Stone off more. He let go of me, turning so that I was pressed behind his back and he was a step closer to Xavier.

“I would never harm her, Gargoyle. We know about what the Vedenins did to her. I won’t allow you to send her back.” Stone answered.

“Send her back? I am a York and no friend to the Vedenins or the Bradens. Your clan seeks to use her.”

Stone’s face grew rigid. “So you have her best interest at heart?” He gave a sharp laugh. “You would use her just like they did.” Stone started to push me backwards.

“We would never do that her. We are trying to save her!” My father tried to push past Xavier again.

“We know about the alliance between your clan and the Vedenin clan.” Stone replied still shielding me. Elijah stood next to him with Nixie in his arms. She was starting to stir a little. I tried to reach out and touch her arm, but Stone quickly pushed down my arm to keep me hidden from sight.

“We have no alliance with the Vedenin clan. Your information is wrong.” My father was still struggling against his friend. Xavier touched my father’s cheek gently, which seemed to calm him down slightly. Then he turned to face us.

“I guess that you received a lot of false information. Though you, wraith…I am shocked that you would go along with the façade that your precious Jacobs has been flaunting around for Cain.” Xavier looked smug and Stone stiffed. His head turned toward Elijah.

“What is he talking about?” Stone snarled.

“Jacobs was not honest with you. He was planning on destroying her.” Elijah’s black eyes were on me, watching for my reaction. He knew all along. I was it, I was to be destroyed. Nixie must have woke up during the conversation because a loud crack rented the air.

“You asshole! Put me down now before I bust your damn eardrums!” Nixie started to twist her way out of Elijah’s arms who, instead of trying to hold on, simply dropped his arms. She almost fell on her back, but twisted just in time. “You fat whale.” Nixie said as she pushed herself off her knees into a standing position. “Well, you boys sure know how to yell and be all caveman like, but how about you tell us straight out what the hell is going on?” Nixie stood with her hands on her hips and looked like she was ready for business.

“Cain wants to kill off the returning paranormals.” My father growled. His voice was becoming unrecognizable again.

“Sorry I don’t understand deep throat? What?” Nixie asked looking curious, but cautious of Xavier.

“Thought to be extinct paranormals are resurfacing. We are calling them the rebirths. Cain wants to kill them off, and the Vedenin clan are planning to control them. Simple enough? So if you leave, and take her back to your clan, you are ensuring her death,” Xavier announced staring at Stone.

After that, things got a little hazy for me. Stone didn’t say anything, but he radiated anger. I could feel it pouring off him. Nixie’s eyes were filled with infinite sadness. I knew she had no idea about this, that she would never try to kill me. Elijah, who never showed emotion anyways, made no indication of not knowing or even feeling slightly remorseful if he did.

Elijah agreed to stay as long as we were staying. Xavier promised them that if the others wanted to leave within a couple days after learning everything he had to tell them they could. I was another story. I was not allowed to leave. My father made sure everyone knew that. He tried to grab me away from Gabriel, but I was kept hidden behind the strong back of the man that I was starting to completely trust. Xavier took my father aside and talked to him in hushed tones. Finally my father agreed that I could stay in my own room.

Xavier offered to show to their rooms. I walked next to Gabriel.

Nixie looked deathly pale when Xavier almost touched her. It was the only time she did talk since waking up in Elijah’s arms.

“Do not ever touch me, York. Ever,” she hissed. She moved past him and went into the room, slamming the door firmly behind her.

My father walked behind us. When we arrived at my room, he grabbed me into a hug. It felt…normal to have his arms around me again. A piece of my past that I longed for. Gabriel watched the interaction, and said nothing. As they headed away to show the boys their room, I walked into the small room. It was simple with a bed and dresser. I curled up on the bed and tried to breathe.

I hadn’t realized that I started to count the stitching in the quilt. It thrummed in my head. Four-hundred seventy-seven. Then I started to count a new sound of pounding. One. Two. Three. Four-five-six. Seven.

“Audrey?”

I went back to counting the quilt. Four-hundred seventy-eight.

“Audrey?” Something moved me away from the quilt. I couldn’t count it if I couldn’t touch it.

I looked at the face that was forcing its way into my view. Beautiful green eyes, worry. That is what I was seeing in his eyes, a sort of empathy with worry.

“Hey you are safe. I will never let anyone hurt you. I promised didn’t I?” Stone whispered in my ear as he pulled me closer. I could feel his intake of breath and the slow exhale.

“My father promised no one would ever hurt me either. But he has. So many times.” I whispered. I was scared. I was so scared that Stone was going to take me back to his family, his clan.

“What do you mean he has hurt you?” Stone asked quietly. His lips touched the side of my face. My eyes closed involuntarily.

“I deserved most of these scars. But,” My hand went instinctively to touch the one on my face, but Stone’s hand was already there, touching unflinchingly at the puckered, revolting scars.

“No, you didn’t deserve any of these scars. Especially these.” He leaned down and kissed each scar length for length.

I closed my eyes against the sweet attack. Though he had held me earlier, he laid me down now, his body lightly touching mine, but never pressing on me. When I opened my eyes, his were a deep purple looking back at me.

“You are the most stunning woman I have ever met.” He leaned down and kissed my lips this time.

I lifted my head slightly when it felt like he was going to pull away.

My hands moved to his hair. I now understood why his hands had always sought out my hair, even when I don’t think he realized he was doing it. At the cabin, which felt like weeks before, we would be on the deck and his hand would touch and lightly tug strains of my hair. I never complained because it set me into this relaxed feeling. Now touching his hair, feeling how it slipped past my fingers, leaving trails of strange tingling feelings, I couldn’t stop.