The Vampire SEAL Collection, page 45
Whoa! My eyelids flew open. Dad actually swore? All those times he had reprimanded Sam and me for our language. I had to file this moment away for a rainy day.
Slowpoke Sloan finally joined me. He raised his eyebrows and shrugged as if he were trying to tell me I told you so. He rapped his knuckles against the door.
Suddenly, pain pierced my forehead, then my ears. I grabbed the sides of my head and squeezed my eyes shut.
“Hey, what is it?” Sloan asked, pulling me up off the floor.
I blinked a few times, the blackness closing in, the pain compressing my temples. It was like someone had placed my skull inside a trash compactor. After a few seconds, Dad’s voice burst through the darkness.
I’ll be just a minute.
I winced as the pain spread to the back of my head. No way! Why couldn’t a girl catch a break? First, he was reading my mind. Now he was talking in my head? Just great!
“Are you all right?” Sloan asked again.
“My father’s voice.” I kept my hands glued to my skull, waiting for the pain to go away.
“He’s in your head, isn’t he?”
I nodded, now rubbing my temples.
“Odd feeling, huh? It gets easier. The pain won’t grab you so much after a while.”
Ooh, lucky me. I hate this life.
Easy, young lady.
Really, Dad? Get out of my head.
Silence.
The door to his office opened, and a young-faced vampire walked out. Blond hair and moss-green eyes met my gaze as he nodded. Cute. I moved to the side to let him pass while Sloan moved to the other side. I twisted my mouth, and Sloan just shrugged one shoulder.
“What happened?” I asked.
“He screwed up on a job,” he whispered.
I didn’t think he wanted my father to hear him, low as his voice was.
“Jo,” my father called out. This time he spoke out loud.
Sloan nodded for me to go in. “I’ll be right outside,” he said as if I was going to need his help.
I walked in and squinted from the bright light shining in through the windows. My father’s office looked to be half the size of the apartment. He had a couch, two chairs and three tables that made up a sitting area. Nothing fancy. The furniture didn’t look comfortable at all. A large steel desk sat in front of three medium-size windows, which banked one of the longest walls in the room. Bookcases stretched along the far wall, and a door was framed in the corner. I couldn’t make out if it was a closet or a bathroom.
Dad sat behind his desk, closing a folder. “Have a seat.”
His voice had an irascible edge to it. Maybe it was just the remnants of his outrage with his soldier. If not, the consequences for either him or me wouldn’t be good. I slid into one of two wooden armchairs in front of his desk.
He looked up. “Christ, what happened?”
“Is my eye still black? I wasn’t sure how fast I would heal on my way here. It was yellowish-blue when I left.”
“It’s yellow, and you’ve got blood all over your nose.”
I wiped my nose again with my fingers. I still had a small amount of dried blood crusted underneath.
He rose from his chair, tucking in his shirt and adjusting his belt on his khaki uniform. I couldn’t help but stare at all his military ribbons pinned to his upper left chest, above a pocket. He had several of them, all with different colors and patterns. I had no idea what they were for, but it was the first time I had seen my father in a full military uniform. Normally, the Sentinels wore their cargo pants and a T-shirt.
He stepped around his desk. “Let me see. Tilt your head back.”
I did as he ordered, keeping my gaze focused on his ribbons while he surveyed the damage.
“You can thank Sam for the nose,” I said. “It was cracked earlier.”
“It looks like it hasn’t set right. Don’t move.”
He pinched the bridge of my nose and squeezed tightly, moving it back and forth. The bones cracked once more, and again my eyes watered. Damn it.
“That’s better,” he said as he leaned against the desk. “Did you learn anything with Olivia?”
“You called me up here to chat?” Boy, that would be a first. I rubbed my nose. The pain slowly dissipated as the bones fused back together.
His desk phone beeped. “Commander.” A sweet female voice burst through the speaker.
“Yes, Ruth?”
I recognized her voice. It was the blonde receptionist who sat behind the circular desk at the main entrance. Sloan had been flirting with her the other day.
“Your guests are here.”
“I’ll be a few minutes. I’ll let you know when I’m ready.”
“Yes, sir.”
My father leaned over and hit a button on the phone, then resumed his position.
“I got a call from Hollings yesterday.” He gazed down at me. His lips tightened into a thin line. Then he bit his bottom lip, let go and continued. “He got a call from a government official within the human government. It appears the Jackson boy’s father has some friends in high places. He’s worried about you and Sam. He hasn’t seen you two since you left school with Lieutenant London and his team. And since we kept Ben here for a few days, it seems Mr. Jackson has been curious about us.”
“Is Ben okay?” The sheer mention of his name sent sparks flying through my veins.
He nodded. “Ben is fine. I’ve invited Mr. Jackson to take a tour of our facility to dispel any suspicions he may have. And Hollings feels we should allow you and Sam to see Ben. This will also extinguish some of Mr. Jackson’s concerns about your wellbeing. Of course, I don’t agree with any of this.”
“Really? I can see Ben?” I wanted to jump out of my chair and scream for joy.
“Did you hear what I just said?” he asked.
I drew my eyebrows together.
“I said, I don’t like it. Not one bit.” He glared at me.
“You don’t like it. I get it. So why are you telling me any of this, then?”
It was all I could do not to strangle my father. Was he trying to torture me?
“Jo, this is a serious situation you haven’t thought through. There are many things about the human and vampire relationship that don’t mesh well. And I have many more concerns about this now that Mr. Jackson has gotten the attention of some government officials. Humans aren’t prepared to know we exist. Sure, we have some humans within the government who work with us. There aren’t many, though. And we have control over those humans. The elders within our vampire government are getting nervous. So while you think I may be the worst dad in the world, I’m laying down demands to protect our species and to protect you as well as the Jackson boy. Having feelings for a human, when you’re a young vampire, can be deadly. I don’t use the last word lightly. Do you understand what I’m telling you?” he said in a terse tone.
I dropped my gaze.
He leaned down and raised my chin. “I need an answer.”
I met his eyes and swallowed. “As a human I struggled with my identity and where my life was headed. Now that I’m a vampire, life has only gotten more complicated. I’m not aware of everything about vampires or all the government stuff you talk about. I’m just a teenager trying to find my way in life. And why do you keep saying I have feelings for Ben? He’s just a friend.”
“So you’re telling me you don’t have feelings for the boy?”
I couldn’t believe I was having a conversation with my dad about boys.
I let out a deep breath. “I’ve never had a boyfriend. So how would I know?”
My father scratched his head. “This is one of those times I really miss your mother.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to ask you about the birds and the bees. Way too awkward.”
“Look, Jo.” His tone was calm now. “You’ll meet with Ben under my supervision. However, after this one meeting, you’re not allowed any contact with him either on the phone or in person. You need to do everything in your power to put distance between you and him and forget the young man, whether you have feelings for him or not. His father has made too many inquiries. I’m extremely nervous. We have too much going on right now with the Plutariums for me to worry about any other issue.”
“So you’re saying I can’t see Ben after this one meeting? Like ever?” I held my breath. Was he insane? Did my father even know what it was like to have friends?
“That’s correct,” he replied, a barren expression etched on his face.
He didn’t look mad, didn’t look concerned and wasn’t emitting any of his power surges that followed a state of rage or madness. It was almost as if he had locked down his emotions.
“You really are a mean dad.” The words just tumbled off my tongue.
“I still want an answer,” he said, ignoring my comment.
“Does it matter what my answer is?”
I didn’t agree with him. I didn’t know what I agreed with anymore. I did want a normal life, to be an ordinary kid in a normal family who had normal friends, but I was living in a different world. A world where I was a stranger myself. How could I know what was good or bad? My brain seemed human, the way I thought, my feelings, my beliefs were all still as if I had my humanity intact. Would all that change? Would my father make me into something he wanted me to be? I didn’t know the answers. However, one thing I did know—I might be giving up this one fight, but I wasn’t giving up the battle.
“It would be nice to hear that you agree. Clearly you don’t, which just makes the stakes that much higher.”
“Huh? You’re reading my mind.”
He gnawed the inside of his cheek. The first sign his patience was waning.
“It’s kind of hard not to. Let’s move on. Mr. Jackson and his son are downstairs waiting to come up. This is your only meeting.”
“He’s here now?! Seriously?” I started tapping my foot. I hadn’t even thought about what I would say to Ben and Dad had just soured my mood. Argh! “Why now?”
“This was the only time he had. Mr. Jackson said Ben’s been busy with baseball. They’ve made the regional finals, and he’s getting ready to go out on the road for the next week. Plus, I don’t have time for all this. We have a war brewing.”
“Can I at least talk with him first without Sam in the room?”
I didn’t want Sam around. I didn’t want anyone around. Sam would probably dominate the conversation. After all, Ben was his best friend, and they had a lot of catching up to do.
Dad nodded. “I will be here, though.”
I had been given a green light to see Ben with my father in the room. Oh joy! A girl’s worst nightmare. Suddenly, nerves took over. Did Ben even want to see me? What would I say with my father watching us? All this time I had been longing to see Ben. Now that the time was suddenly here, I wasn’t so sure anymore. My physical state was in question. I’d just gone a few rounds with my brother. This wasn’t the look a girl strives for: loose sweatpants, blood on my shirt, a just-fixed cracked nose and hair as disheveled as if I had walked out of a hurricane. Not to mention the sweat leaking from me. I didn’t have to smell my underarms to know I stank like a wet dog.
“You smell fine,” my father said.
“Okay. Some ground rules. I can’t have you in my head while I talk to him, Dad. I just can’t. Are you sure you want to stay while I talk with Ben?”
“I don’t like it any more than you. The last thing I want to do is listen to my daughter talk with a boy. It’s bad enough I can read your thoughts.” He pushed off from the desk and went around to his chair and grabbed his cell phone. He punched a few buttons. “Lieutenant, I need you in my office,” he said into his cell phone.
“Why did you call Webb up here? He’s not staying in the room with us, is he?”
My father holstered the phone to his belt.
“While you and Sam are talking with Ben, I need two people to take Mr. Jackson on a tour, and I need one other person in here as back up.”
Just fantastic. I had to talk to a human boy I might like in front of a vampire boy I might like. I honestly couldn’t catch a break.
“Do you seriously think I’m going to attack Ben and drain all his blood?”
“I’ve seen it done before, sweetie. It’s not a pretty sight.”
I wasn’t even going to ask. I was already a basket case. I didn’t need to know about my father witnessing a crazed vampire draining some human, although the memory of my brother attacking Ben did come to mind. I rose from the chair to get the blood circulating through my legs. I paced the length of his office, thinking hard about what I would say. I stopped in my tracks, then walked over to the door in the corner and peeked in. I let out sigh. It was a bathroom. Thank the Lord.
Without hesitation, I barricaded myself in and stuck my head in the sink, letting the cold water run all over my face. After a minute or two, I patted my face, and then examined myself in the mirror. My eye had a hint of yellow, but my nose looked straight. I pulled out the band in my hair and bent over, letting my hair hang while running my fingers through the strands. I lifted my head, grabbed all my hair and twisted it into a bun, securing it again with the band.
I drew in a breath, relieved that my appearance looked halfway decent. My stomach lurched. Nausea, piranhas, and butterflies all vied for attention inside me. I splashed on more water, breathing in and out slowly. I wiped my face again.
A soft knock on the door made me jump.
“Yes?”
“You coming out of there?” Dad asked.
“Is he here?” I sniffed the air.
“No.”
He was right. I didn’t smell any humans yet.
I opened the door and Dad stood there, holding a stainless steel container.
“Much better,” he said. “Here, drink this.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“I don’t care if you’re not. Drink it. It’ll take the edge off.”
I took the container and glanced at the doorway. Webb’s woodsy scent drifted in, tickling my nose. Then his voice filled the hallway.
I drank a few swigs, then decided to drink the whole thing. I hadn’t realized how thirsty I was. When I finished, I handed the bottle back to my dad and wiped my mouth with my hand. At that moment, Webb walked through the doorway dressed in his standard black cargo pants and black T-shirt that clung to his well-toned chest.
Yeah, this day kept getting better and better. I looked like hell, I smelled like swine, and my nerves were about to explode. I didn’t think I could do this. Dad, Webb and Ben all in the same room with me. Watching me. Listening to me. These guys were insane. No way would I be able to say one word. I had to focus, to tune out at least Webb. While I might be a bit embarrassed with Dad here, it was going to be worse with Webb in the room. Focus, focus.
Dad looked at Webb before sweeping his gaze over me. He looked confused.
“Is there something you want to tell me?” Dad grabbed my arm.
I scrunched up my nose. “No.”
“Sir?” Webb’s voice diverted Dad’s attention away from me.
“One moment, Lieutenant,” he said, letting go of my arm. “Young lady?”
“Let it go, Dad. If you’re going to read every thought of mine, then I suggest you take a few valiums. I’m a teenager. Get used to it.”
He shook his head and walked over to his desk.
I silently laughed as I recalled the last of my thoughts about Webb. Was that what Dad was reacting to?
“Lieutenant London, as you know, Sam and Jo will spend some time talking with Ben Jackson today. He and his dad are in the lobby waiting. I need you to select two Sentinels to give Mr. Jackson a quick tour of the grounds.”
“Sure, Commander. I’ll have Olivia and Sloan give the tour. Olivia is down in the lobby with them right now. Do you need me to stay? The Jackson boy can be rather excitable. It took two of us to restrain him at one point when he got out of control with me.”
Please say no. Please say no.
“I’ll need someone here with me, so, yes,” my father replied.
Ugh! I was so screwed.
My father pushed a button on his desk phone.
“Ruth, have Olivia escort them up, please.”
“Yes, Commander. Will do.”
My father hit the off button, then looked at me. “I don’t want you to get upset,” he said. “The last thing we need is for Ben to see your new powers.”
I wasn’t promising him anything. I couldn’t even promise myself I wouldn’t get upset. I had no idea how I was going to react to any of this.
Voices sounded as soon as they exited the elevator. Mr. Jackson was telling Olivia how she looked just like one of his students at school. My heartbeat ramped up slowly. Anticipation was a bitch. Their footsteps grew louder, and so did the beat of my heart.
My eyes flashed to vampire violet.
Webb snapped his head, glaring at me. “Commander, this isn’t a good idea.”
“I’m not comfortable with it either. Let’s stay alert.”
They both sounded like they were getting ready for battle, as though their enemy was close. Dad stood leaning against his desk. Webb had taken a stance behind one of the wooden armchairs, Sloan stood at the door, and I settled on the edge of the other wooden armchair, my knees shaking.
A plenitude of power filled the room as Webb continued to stare at me. His deep blue eyes swirled in a mad storm, turning, shifting, flickering and, finally, settling into deep, dark shades of black with specs of what looked to be red flames of fire inside.
“Both of you get yourselves under control, please. Lose the vampire eyes,” my father commanded.
Webb tore away his gaze. I dropped mine, taking in a few deep breaths to quell my nerves. Olivia poked in her head, and my father nodded. She came in, followed by Mr. Jackson, then Ben.
As soon as Ben walked through the door, his heady masculine fragrance of burned-sugar with a hint of spice and a flavoring of trepidation just about knocked me out. I could almost taste his fear, his hesitation. He peered at me through lowered lashes. His brandy-colored eyes glistened as he smiled, highlighting his come-to-me dimples. His hair was crazy messy with the ends curling at the edges. He wore a short-sleeve Black Sox T-shirt that showed his muscular arms.
