Page 21 of Redeemed
When my knees complain loudly enough, I hitch around and sit on the edge of his bed. He makes a sound, sort of a choked-off sigh and I move closer to him. By the time I hear Connor come back in, Trajan and I are lying side by side and I’ve got an arm around him, my cheek on his shoulder.
Connor taps on the door and asks if I want anything to eat. “No, I’m good.”
He fades away and Trajan draws in a deep breath. “Thank you, David. You shut him up.”
“Connor?”
“Jacques. He’s in my head, talking and talking and talking.”
That sounds appalling. “I didn’t know vampires could do that.”
He laughs, short and bitter. “I didn’t either, but apparently a sire’s power expands so they can torment their offspring in situations like this.”
“That’s fucked up.”
“Once the sun rises, I should be okay. He can’t get at me when I’m dead, so you can sleep in the other room if you want.”
“Nah.” I scoot closer. “I’m staying right here.”
And I do. After a while, Trajan relaxes completely. I squirm around to get my phone out of my pocket. Sure enough. Sun’s up. I set my alarm for two p.m. I might show up at Ron’s Books and Trinkets a little early, but my new BFF Albion Bird better have my trinket ready to go.
When Trajan rises, I want to have a ward in place to block that bastard Jacques from getting into his head.
Chapter Eight
Trajan
THE FIRST THING I notice is the quiet. I lie still for several luxurious minutes, reveling in the peace. David’s got some jangly disco stuff playing through his laptop and Connor asks him to turn it down, uncharacteristically grumpy. David’s laughing answer makes me smile.
Because for the first time in days, there’s no one whispering in my ear, demanding that I do anything at all.
The next time Connor bitches about the music, I get up, feeling lighter than I have in a week, maybe two.
I pause in the doorway. I need to clean up some and maybe run a rake through my hair, but there’s only one bathroom and neither of my men has noticed me yet. Both of them are on their laptops—David on the bed and Connor at the desk.
Connor’s jeans are perfect, his hair is pulled back into the world’s smallest ponytail, and the sleeves of his worn UCLA sweatshirt are pushed up to show off his muscular forearms.
David’s dressed in his usual kooky grab-bag: a torn white tee shirt stitched together at the shoulders with rainbow-colored yarn, baggy silver trousers, and a slouchy black cap covering most of his bleached hair.
I want them both.
Neither looks up until I clear my throat.
“Hey, it’s a vampire sighting.” David uncurls from around his laptop and hops off the bed. “You’re with us again.”
He doesn’t stop moving until we’re belly to belly. Up close I can see the shadows under his eyes, and I flash on the memory of his body next to mine at sunrise. “I am. Did I miss anything today?”
Connor’s nearby, his arms crossed as if he’s scared to reach for me. I don’t blame him. It can’t be pleasant to have someone around who’s constantly threatening to kill you.
“David made a deal,” Connor says.
I wrap my arms around the werewolf and ask, “What kind and how much did it cost you?”
His smile is brilliant. “I got us a ward that’ll block Jacques from messing with you, and whatever it cost is more than worth it.”
I’m at a loss. “Oh, puppy…seriously?”
He reaches up and I think he’s going to caress me but instead he slaps my face. Gently. “It looks like a hacky sack, to be honest, but we can take it with us when we move from place to place, and it’ll keep Jacques out of your head.”
