The Vampire SEAL Collection, page 121
I was at a loss for words. I’d been so worried about what Steven would think of me falling for his daughter, when he had done the same with my sister.
He wiped a lone tear away then squeezed my shoulder. “You can’t leave the military. I need you, and not because of Jo. I need to take some time off. I’m not making clear decisions. My head is not in the game. I know that’s the last thing the council will agree to if we don’t catch Edmund. But if they don’t, I will recommend you take my position. I have to spend time being a father to Jo and Sam.”
Again, I was at a loss for words. He was baring his soul, something Steven Mason never did.
Sam and Olivia ran in with sweat running down their red faces.
“Edmund got away,” Olivia said. “He jumped into a stopped car at a light.”
Sam eyed his father wearily. “Pops, are you crying?”
Olivia darted her dark gaze to me.
I flicked my head at the door. “Tripp needs help.”
Olivia grabbed Sam’s arm. “Come on, big guy.”
With a blank expression, Sam kept his eyes on his father.
“Go, Son,” Steven said. “We’ll talk later.”
Once Olivia and Sam left, I dropped down on the bench, heaving a sigh, and not at the fact that Edmund had gotten away. Frankly, I wasn’t surprised. If Edmund was as powerful as Steven, Jo, and Sam, then killing him would be a monumental task, which meant we would be fighting forever. In turn, that meant Jo and I would never be able to live a quiet life.
Steven sat beside me. “You’ve been awfully quiet. I know you loved Kate.”
“Kate told me when I met with her that she still wanted me dead, and I shouldn’t feel remorseful or sad, but as I look at her dead body, I do. She was my family, regardless of her actions.” I shoved both hands through my hair. “Jo killed her, and I hate that she’ll carry around guilt for defending herself. More importantly, I blame myself for Kate’s actions and death. I wasn’t there for my sister.”
Silence stretched between us. We were both distraught over the choices we’d made. But there was one choice I wanted to make sure I did right.
I slid a sidelong glance at Steven. “Can I have your daughter’s hand in marriage?”
He chuckled. “I wouldn’t want any other man to marry her.” He slapped me on the back. “You have my blessing.”
I covered my face with my hands, when I should’ve been running to Jo and kissing her as though she was heaven and earth and everything in between. She was, but my body was shutting down… well, until I heard her voice. Then my blood fired on all cylinders, especially when she came around the corner with a smile that rendered me speechless. I knew then that nothing on this planet could stop me from marrying the one woman who could split open my heart and sew it back together at the same time.
26
Jo
Dad, Sam, Webb, and I sat in the front pew of the base chapel, listening to a sermon about how the dead were free from their demons. I prayed that Sloan, Quade, Crowe, and Kate were somewhere having the time of their lives. I certainly wasn’t. A week had passed, and I couldn’t get past Kate’s dead body or how I was the one to kill her. I also didn’t understand why she died and I didn’t. I knew one thing. I was far from free of anything. Edmund was on the loose. I was no longer the prime prospect in his plan to build his army, although he’d said he needed me. But my guess was that he needed me for an entirely different reason other than my DNA. He wanted me to work for him. I suspected he wanted me to help him get his daughter, Abbey. But I would die before I put that little girl through hell. I was thankful that Dad had found a safe place for Abbey and her mom. I was also relieved that Dad didn’t and wouldn’t tell anyone their whereabouts. I didn’t want to be responsible for leaking to Edmund that I knew where Abbey was.
Webb slid his hand over mine. My stomach did one of those flips whenever I was around him, although I’d hardly been with Webb since I killed his sister. It wasn’t that he was avoiding me or I was avoiding him. He had work to do with my father. Dad was making arrangements to take some time off, and he was leaving Webb in charge. I was surprised since Webb had mentioned he had submitted his discharge papers. Dad had argued with him, telling Webb he was positioned to receive a promotion and was slotted to fill my dad’s position one day, but Webb had declined. I stayed silent on the issue. I didn’t want to sway Webb’s decision. He had served in the military for way more than the allotted twenty years. He’d told my dad that he was better off as a contractor for the military. That way, he could go undercover on missions like the one to catch Edmund.
“Amen,” the priest said.
Sniffles echoed around. Fabric rustled together, and people sighed as they began to leave the chapel. The families of Sloan, Quade, and Crowe were set to give them a proper burial. As for Kate, Webb hadn’t mentioned anything about where she would be buried, and neither had my father. I couldn’t bring myself to ask, at least not right now.
Dad went over to talk to the priest. Sam and the sentinels who had been sitting in the pew behind us started for the exit.
Out of nowhere, Ben stalked up to us, all six feet of him. “I’ll meet you in the training room,” he said to Webb.
Webb nodded. “I’ll be there in ten.”
Then Ben bowed his head to me before he disappeared. I was happy that Ben had found a place to call home. He was training to become a sentinel along with my brother.
“Has Ben reached out to his father?” I asked. I hadn’t talked to Ben since he’d shown up on base, and the last time I’d seen him, he was knocked out on the floor in the prison building.
“He has,” Webb said. “He’s told his father that he joined the military and he would be in contact with him soon.”
I smiled for the first time in a week. I was happy that at least Ben was able to finally talk with his dad.
Webb pushed to his feet before he extended his hand. “Let’s go someplace quiet. We haven’t seen each other in a while, and I’m dying to kiss you.”
My heart soared. “It will have to be my bedroom since my dad hasn’t lifted my punishment.”
A devious grin broke out on his rugged face. My cheeks flushed as I grabbed his warm, massive hand.
Then Dad returned. “Jo, I need to talk to Webb.”
I eyed my father’s drawn features. He needed to take a long vacation.
“I’ll be up in a little while,” Webb said as he kissed me quickly on the lips.
I wanted to protest, but the last thing on my agenda was getting on my dad’s bad side. He’d been through hell as much as the rest of us. He was mourning Kate’s death more than anyone else. My heart hurt for him. I’d had no idea he was in love with Kate. I kissed my dad on the cheek then headed for the exit. When I walked into the chapel’s entryway, Ms. Costner and her dad waltzed in.
She immediately threw her arms around me. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
I eased away to find tears streaming out of her pretty blue eyes. “How’s Matthew?” The last time I’d seen him was in our infirmary. He was in and out of consciousness as were the other humans who’d survived the change.
“He’s good,” Victor said, towering over me. “We have to wait and see how the change affects him.”
I craned my neck to look up at Victor. “Let’s hope he’s like Ben.”
Ms. Costner patted her nose with a tissue. “We just wanted to pay our respects, but I see we’re too late.”
Victor glanced through the doorway into the chapel. “I need to speak with your dad.”
My father locked eyes with Victor then strode up with Webb beside him.
Ms. Costner opened her mouth to speak, when the doors opened once again. Gregory Hollings, one of the newly appointed elders, breezed in with four guardians in black suits. The elders always had bodyguards with them. In my world, the elders were like the human president, only we had more than one elder who ruled the vampire nation.
Hollings unbuttoned his expensive suit jacket as he set his dark-colored gaze on my dad. “It pains me, Steven, to have to do this. But the council has strong evidence to charge you with the murder of the Secretary of the Navy.”
I rushed to Dad’s side only to be blocked by two of the guardians who were the equivalent of the police in the human world. Webb gently grasped my shoulders and guided me to him. Ms. Costner paled, and pity washed over Victor’s face. Suddenly, I remembered the conversation with Victor when we’d been in the conference room. Let’s not forget you’re in the limelight. The council is still investigating you for the death of the Secretary of the Navy. You want to operate by the book. But Dad had operated by the book, at least I thought he had.
“You’re under arrest, Steven Mason,” Hollings said, not too proudly. He had respect for my father and had been lenient with me at my trial. “Until we can convene a trial by a jury of your peers, you will be remanded into custody at headquarters in Boston.”
“You can’t do this,” I blurted out. “My dad operated by the book. Victor, tell them. We did everything to save Matthew.”
Victor’s pitiful expression only deepened. “My words don’t carry any weight in this instance.”
Webb’s arms encircled me. “We’ll figure this out,” he said in my ear.
Hollings gave me a weak smile. “I’m sorry, Jo. But the evidence is pretty strong.”
One guardian cuffed my dad.
“Webb, give Mr. Rose a call,” Dad said. “Have him meet me at headquarters.”
Webb nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Hollings then turned his attention to Webb. “Lieutenant London, your discharge papers have been denied. You are now in charge of this base until further notice.”
Webb tightened his hold on me. He’d been banking on the council approving his discharge. Now, everything was changing, even the vacation Dad, Sam, and I had planned to a secluded place somewhere in Michigan.
“Gregory,” Victor said. “What about Edmund Rain? I want him captured and sentenced to death for what he’s done to my grandson.”
Hollings raised his chin, and some type of look I couldn’t quite decipher washed over his angular features. “We have our guardians searching for him. Once we catch him, he’ll be prosecuted to the fullest.”
I almost laughed. Not if I got to Edmund first. “My dad didn’t kill the Secretary of the Navy. Edmund did.”
Everyone glanced at me.
“That’s not what the evidence says,” Hollings said.
Dad shuffled over to me then kissed me on the forehead. “Mr. Rose is a good lawyer. We’ll get through this.”
I remembered Edmund telling me he was the one who’d killed the Secretary of the Navy. But that was just hearsay. I had to have hard evidence. Dad couldn’t take the fall for something Edmund had done. It was time to take Edmund up on his job offer.
On the Edge of Infinity
Book 5
1
Webb
I paced the carpeted floor of Hollings’s chamber. Jo and I had traveled to Boston to visit with her father. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do with the state of our affairs. I couldn’t get out of the military. My discharge papers had been denied. Steven Mason was in jail for murdering the Secretary of the Navy, and I was now in charge of a bag of shit. Yet, all I could think about was marrying Jo. I’d asked her to marry me, and she had said yes. But we couldn’t tie the knot until we were free and clear of the hornets’ nest we were in.
Jo was convinced that Edmund had killed the Secretary of the Navy and pinned the blame on Steven. It wasn’t that I didn’t believe her, because what she said was probably one hundred percent true. The pile of crap we were stuck in was figuring out how to prove Steven’s innocence when the evidence the elders had against him seemed to prove his guilt without a question. They had the murder weapon—the dagger that slit the secretary’s throat—with Steven’s DNA on the blade. Why the dagger suddenly showed up months after the murder was also a burning question.
I shoved a hand through my hair, the back of which fell out of the leather strap.
Jo glided in, all five feet six inches of her. Her black hair was unbound and flowing like a smooth wave on a subtle breeze.
After two weeks of not being able to visit or talk with her father and working hard to help Dr. Vieira in the lab, Jo appeared tired and dazed. She hadn’t been sleeping. I knew firsthand since I’d insisted on staying with her in the apartment that Steven called home on base. She hadn’t protested, but I didn’t think she would. I was the one having a hard time controlling my libido. I was the one who wanted to wait until we were married to make love. I wasn’t sure I would be able to keep the promise that I’d made more for me than for her. Actually, I’d made the promise mostly to show her father that I was a gentleman. Still, with her long, silky legs and lavender scent, I could barely keep my hands off her, let alone sleep. But I would torture myself if it meant that she was happy and safe.
“How did they find the murder weapon? And where?” she asked for the millionth time.
I grabbed her by the shoulders. “The where doesn’t matter. Your father’s DNA is all over that dagger along with the secretary’s.”
Her nostrils flared. “The where does matter. It could lead us to the real murderer. I would bet the trail leads to Edmund. If you recall, around the time of the secretary’s murder, Edmund and your sister, Kate, stole my dad’s blood.”
I flinched when she said Kate’s name. Part of me had come to terms with her death. I flinched more when Jo looked away as she said my sister’s name. She’d killed Kate in self-defense. I got that. I didn’t blame Jo at all, but if the tables had been turned, I probably would have felt the same remorse if I’d killed her brother, Sam.
Jo waved a hand in front of my face. “Webb?” Then her nails grazed my unshaven jaw. “I’m sorry to bring up Kate. I’m also sorry that I was the one to end her life.”
I met her silver gaze. Immediately, I relaxed. Jo had a way of calming me with her soft look and equally soft touch. She was my family now, and the earth could crumble, but we would get our happily ever.
I sighed as I dragged my fingers down her cheek. “Please stop apologizing. Kate made her choice. You were protecting yourself.”
She wrapped her arms around me. “I can’t help but think that one day you’ll hate me for what I’ve done.”
I grasped her arms gently then eased back as I peered down at her. “Never, angel. I love you. You’re my life now. Forever.”
Her eyes bled from silver to violet, water pooling in them.
“We’ll get through this,” I whispered since I was getting choked up too.
She angled her head as the color of her eyes turned a dark violet. “My dad is innocent.”
“I know he is. I recall that day vividly.” I started pacing again in front of the large cherry credenza while Jo watched me. “Your dad met with the Secretary of the Navy that morning after we dropped you and Sam off at school. If you recall, that’s the same day you killed Blake Turner. So your dad had to rush out of his meeting when I called him. When he left a room full of government officials, the secretary included, no one was dead. But the evidence is damning. Maybe we’ll have luck with coroner’s report. That should show the time of death, which could prove your father’s innocence.”
She pursed her lips. “Not if Edmund bribed the coroner or threatened him. Or if he’s bribing one of the elders. Maybe one of the elders is in on Edmund’s plan to take out my father. Remember, Edmund wants to run the military. Again, he told me so two weeks ago when I was having a decent conversation with him.” She ran her tongue across the tip of one of her fangs.
“Jo, please. You have to calm down.” I had to calm down. I was as worked up as she was, not only because of her father’s circumstances but because Edmund knew about his daughter, Abbey, and Steven had yet to divulge the whereabouts of Abbey and her mom, Rachel.
I couldn’t protect them if I didn’t know where they were. Edmund wanted his daughter, and if I knew him—and I did—he wouldn’t stop until he got Abbey. I couldn’t blame him. After all, she was his daughter. The problem was that Rachel didn’t want Abbey anywhere near Edmund. Steven and I didn’t, either. Edmund would use his daughter as a lab rat, especially when he found out the little girl had supernatural powers at the age of four, which was unheard of in our world.
Jo darted over to Hollings’s desk that sat in front of the window. “What I need is to get to Edmund. I need to find him and—”
“And what? He’s not going to confess. He’s not coming in to get locked up or put to his death if Victor has any say in this.” Victor Costner was a ticking time bomb who wanted Edmund’s head on a platter for injecting a new form of vampire serum into Victor’s grandson, Matthew. “And let’s not forget that Edmund wants Abbey.”
She sifted through files on the desk. “I would stake my life on the fact that Edmund mailed the murder weapon to Hollings with a letter.”
I hurried over to her as she threw one folder aside and dove into another. I caught her wrist. “Stop. Are you insane? If Hollings walks in, he’ll throw you in a cell.”
She shrugged out of my hold. “So?” She started opening drawers.
I grasped her arm and pulled her to me. She pushed me, but I was stronger.
She let out a soft growl. “I can’t sit around and do nothing. I’m tired of Edmund screwing up our lives. I want him dead.”
I glanced around, hoping the walls weren’t thin. “Keep your voice down. If Edmund did show up dead somewhere, you would be the first one they’d implicate. Besides, if Edmund is responsible for the secretary’s murder, then we need him alive.”
