Wicked Kiss (Nightwatchers) (18 page)

“You can help by letting us do our job,” Bishop said
firmly.

“Yeah, really stellar job so far.” I glared at him.
“Bravo.”

His lips thinned. “I know you’re frustrated. It hasn’t been
easy. But it’s not going to get any easier if we don’t find Stephen.”

“He’s long gone.” That defeat I’d felt earlier that I’d been
fighting hard against was rising up off the mats, ready for another round. “It’s
over. My soul is gone. I’m a gray and all I feel is hunger, Bishop. It’s all I
am now.”

“It’s not all you are.” He drew closer to me.

Too
close. I pressed my hands
against his firm chest and he froze, looking down at where I touched him. But
then I surprised him by shoving him backward. “Honestly. Just stay back, would
you? Are you
trying
to make this more
difficult?”

“I don’t know,” he growled, his gaze darkening. “Are you
trying
to be a bitch?”

That comment made me let out a half gasp, half laugh of
shock.

The other three watched us with varying degrees of wariness and
interest. I only saw them peripherally. My focus was entirely on the angel who
was currently glowering at me.

“What did you see earlier? With me?” he asked, his voice
low.

He was cheating by changing the subject on me. “It doesn’t
matter.”

“The way you’re looking at me right now makes me think it does
matter. A lot.”

“How am I looking at you?”

“Like you despise me.”

“Am I?” I didn’t despise Bishop, just the opposite. My feelings
toward him were very confusing, true, but I didn’t hate him. I didn’t think I
could ever hate him.

“Oh, please,” Kraven said evenly, with an extra helping of
sarcasm. “Share with the class. We’re fascinated by everything you two do
together. Good times.”

“What did I see?” I repeated, still focused only on Bishop as
if he might disappear the moment I took my attention off him, like Seth had.
“Just a glimpse of your past. And let me tell you, it wasn’t exactly a
joyride.”

“A glimpse of his past?” Cassandra asked, frowning. “How is
that even possible?”

Bishop ignored her, his blue eyes fixed on mine. Something much
less than sane slid through his gaze then. “You wanted to learn more about my
past, Samantha. I guess you should be careful what you wish for.”

“We’re wasting time here,” Roth said sharply.

“You’re right,” Bishop replied, tearing his gaze from mine.
Finally, I could catch my breath. “Like I said before, go home, Samantha. Now.
And let me get back to trying to save your damn life.”

I actually flinched at that, his words as sharp as any blade.
“Don’t bother. I can look after myself. What happened here—” I thrust my chin
back in the direction of the club “—shows you need to focus on your mission, not
on me. There are other people at risk in this city. Actually, about a million of
them. I don’t want to be the one you blame for failing to save them.”

His gaze returned to mine, now guarded. “That’s not what I’m
saying.”

“No, but it’s what
I’m
saying.” I
swallowed hard, ignoring the burning sensation moving swiftly from my throat to
my eyes. “I get it, Bishop. I’m an ongoing problem you need to deal with. And
part of you hates me for it.”

His expression tightened. “It’s been a long night. You’re
tired.”

I let out a sharp laugh. “You’re right, I am tired. Of all of
this. I’m tired of caring what you think about me. I’m tired of my hunger and
how it draws me to you. It’s a problem for me, too, in case you didn’t realize
that. My life was a hell of a lot easier before you came into it.”

Kraven and the others smartly chose not to be a continuing part
of this conversation. They’d backed off, letting Bishop and me have this
standoff all by ourselves.

“Is this you being honest with me again?” he asked. “While I
hold back?”

“Yeah, what a shock.” I crossed my arms tightly over my chest.
“But thanks to that memory meld, now I know why you’re so secretive.”

His teeth were clenched together, madness sparking in his gaze.
This conversation was working to unhinge the shaky hold he had on his control.
“What happened back then is none of your business. Not yours, not
anybody’s.”

My ankle still hurt from being twisted earlier; I hadn’t had a
chance yet to ask Cassandra to heal it. But that was the last thing I cared
about at the moment.

“You win. I’m leaving,” I said softly. “But can you do me one
favor, Bishop?”

He didn’t reply for a moment. “Of course.”

“Stay away from me.”

Surprise slid through his eyes. “What?”

My stomach churned, but I knew I had to say this. Too much had
happened tonight. That murder victim had been the final straw. Bishop spent too
much time worrying about me, and not enough time keeping everyone else in this
city safe. That had to end, and it had to end tonight.

“Being around your soul...” I pushed the words out. “It’s too
difficult. I don’t like how I feel when I’m near you. So I want you to do what
Cassandra suggested, what the others think you should do, and stay away from me.
I want all of you—every one of this team—to stay away from me.”

“Me, too? I’m staying at your house right now, remember?”
Cassandra said uncertainly.

“Except for Cassandra,” I amended, glancing in the blonde’s
direction. “But you need to give me my space, too. I’m not part of the team
anymore.”

“You never were,” Roth grumbled.

Bishop just fixed me with a steady look, his face tense, his
eyes glowing soft blue in the darkness surrounding us. “You’re so damn
stubborn.”

I tore my gaze from his. “Just stay away from me, Bishop.
Please.”

He hissed out a breath. “If that’s what you really want.”

“More than anything.”

I started walking away, my ankle crying out with pain with
every step I took. I focused on that pain, welcoming it into my life so I
wouldn’t start to cry for real. Or turn around and tell him to forget everything
I said, that it was a momentary burst of craziness that I already regretted.

It was the right thing to do. He had to regain his focus. The
sooner he did, the sooner this mission would get back on track. And the sooner
he could go back to Heaven and be cured.

I wanted to think it was the gray’s dead victim that had
inspired this decision, but it was something earlier. Before Stephen, before
Seth. It was when Bishop had let me kiss him. How he hadn’t fought it. He’d
wanted it as much as I had.

I could have killed him tonight, without any resistance at
all.

I cared about him too much to ever want to hurt him like
that.

Instead, I’d hurt him in other ways if it would keep him away
from me.

I’d gone a few blocks from Ambrosia toward the nearest bus stop
before I realized somebody was following me.

My shoulders tensed, but I didn’t have to turn around.

“Did he tell you to come with me?” I asked tightly.

“Uh-huh,” Kraven said. “I’m just a humble foot soldier
following orders.”

I let out a groan of frustration. “Awesome. So he’s already
ignoring what I asked for.”

“Your charming list of demands? Yeah, well, maybe this will be
a onetime thing. Wouldn’t want to cramp your new girl-power lifestyle
choices.”

“I can find my own way home.”

I started to ignore him again, but just like last time, he
followed me onto the bus when it arrived. He sat in front of me, leaning over
the back of the seat to eye me curiously.

“So what’s up?” he asked.

I tensed. “Are you trying to annoy me?”

“Is it working?”

“Yes.”

“You’re grumpy. Did somebody have a fight with her beloved
tonight?” He rolled his eyes. “You two are way too intense, even apart from each
other. Together, it’s like...ugh. Spare me the drama.”

I crossed my arms, refusing to rise to the demon’s bait. “It’s
great how you can ignore death and mayhem so well.”

“It’s a gift.”

I shifted my gaze to look directly at him. “One acquired before
or after Bishop killed you?”

That wiped the grin off his face immediately. “You really know
how to bring down a fun evening. Is that your special talent? Other than the
mind reading and zapping?”

“You could tell me the truth about what happened.”

His smile returned, only it was colder this time. It gave me
the chills. “I could. But if there’s one thing you should know about me,
Samantha, it’s that you should rarely trust anything I say.”

Only at rare moments like this did I think I was chipping past
the demon’s thick armor and seeing the real James beneath it all. I found that
oddly encouraging. “You called me Samantha.”

He cocked his head. “It’s your name, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. But I usually get gray-girl or sweetness.”

“Two adorable nicknames.”

“Two sarcastic slurs.”

“Potato, po-tah-to.”

And just like that, his mask of smart-ass indifference was back
up. I gripped the edge of my vinyl-covered seat as the bus turned a corner. My
dagger pressed against my right leg, which only served to remind me of the night
Bishop visited me in my bedroom, kneeling in front of me to help strap the
sheath around my bare thigh.

“I honestly have no idea what to think about you, Kraven,” I
said, turning my gaze to the city streets speeding past us.

His grin widened. “Are you saying you think about me? Like...in
the shower, maybe?”

I shot him a look. “You wish.”

“Where’s a genie when a guy needs one?”

I kept looking at him, trying to see past that mischievous
sparkle in his eyes to the real Kraven underneath. “I’m sorry that happened to
you. Really. I know how much you cared about him.”

His expression froze and something raw and pained slid behind
his amber-colored eyes. “Forget it. I have.”

“Sure you have.”

I’d succeeded in making the demon stop talking to me just when
I
wanted
him to talk. But even I knew when to stop
pushing.

The bus came to a stop and I got off, favoring my ankle. I
wasn’t an expert, but I didn’t think I’d hurt it as badly as I’d initially
thought. It already felt better than earlier.

It surprised me that Kraven continued to follow me. I thought
I’d more than outstayed my welcome with him tonight.

“Ready to talk?” I asked without turning around to look him in
the face.

“You know, maybe you should focus on the problems you have
right now rather than look to others’ problems as a distraction. It won’t fix
what’s broken.”

He knew me a little too well. “Let me ask you a couple
questions.”

He caught up to me so we walked side by side. His expression
was so serious that for a moment I could really see the resemblance between him
and his brother in the line of their jaw, the shape of their eyes, and along
their cheekbones. It wasn’t always so obvious. “Why? Is it because you’re madly
in love with him and you want to find the answers to save him, body and
soul?”

His words were like a punch to my gut, hearing them spilled so
carelessly out in the open. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Or maybe you want to save me.” His elusive smile returned.
“Maybe ever since our little experiments started you can’t get me off your mind
and you’re dying to kiss me again. You’re all—Bishop’s kind of cute for an emo
angel boy, but that brother of his?
Way
hotter.”

I glared at him. “Who’s Kara?”

“Pass.” He kept his eyes on the sidewalk in front of us.
“Next?”

“I think she must have done some spell to make him go
crazy.”

He raked a hand through his hair. “Crazy. That’s a good
word.”

“Was she a girlfriend?” I persisted, undeterred. “Yours or
Bishop’s? What happened to her?”

“Next question,” he hissed out from between his teeth. “Or I’m
leaving.”

I deflated. I didn’t doubt he’d just walk away. I’d tread on
dangerous territory. But what wouldn’t be dangerous territory when it came to
him and Bishop?

“Is Kraven your last name?”

“Yes.” He gave me an unpleasant grin. “See? That one wasn’t so
tough.”

“You said once that you and Bishop had different fathers, which
is why you have different coloring. Who was your father?”

He was silent for a few heavy moments. “A man who had a great
deal of money, but wasn’t interested in claiming a bastard as his son. I took
his last name anyway just to piss him off.” His lips curved to one side and
there was a dim red glow to his eyes now, betraying his fluctuating emotions.
“Believe me? Or do you think I’m lying? Do you think this is some sort of
interesting puzzle? That solving it will help everything make sense? You’d be
wrong.”

He was right about one thing. Focusing on his past helped me
forget my own present, if only for a few minutes. “I’m not wrong.”

My house was at the end of the block. I was limping now and he
noticed, not that he said anything or offered to slow down.

“My turn,” he said. “I have a couple questions for you
now.”

I kept my focus on my driveway. My mother’s car was parked
there, giving the illusion that someone was home. I’d left a light on in the
living-room window. No one would guess the house was completely empty.

“You can ask,” I said tightly. “I can’t guarantee I’ll be any
more cooperative than you’ve been.”

“Noted. Okay, so I’ve been thinking a lot about your special
skills, gray-girl. Blondie seems to think you have supernatural intuition.”

My stomach started churning nervously. “I guess that’s what I
have.”

“Yeah, but why? That’s the question. What makes you so
special?” When I didn’t answer him, he leaned closer so he could whisper. “I was
right, wasn’t I? You
are
adopted. And I’m guessing
your birth parents were a little...unusual. Maybe a true case of opposites
attracting, if you know what I mean? And I think that you do.”