Beware, p.11
Beware, page 11
Ben pushed his way in, shutting and locking the door behind him. He gave Joel a wan smile before settling into the couch next to him, pressing his head against Joel’s shoulder. Joel shifted and wrapped an arm around Ben’s shoulders and tugged him in a little closer. Dropping a kiss onto Ben’s head, Joel breathed in Ben’s scent and closed his eyes. He wasn’t sure if Ben knew, but this had been exactly what he’d needed.
“Aunt Deidre will be going home soon. She finally booked a flight.”
Joel grunted. “Probably a good thing. At least Molly will be a little more relaxed if she’s not in the house.”
“Yeah.”
Joel brought his hand up and threaded his fingers through Ben’s messy mop of hair. “I worry about you.”
“Why?”
“What going off this medication is doing to your body?”
“Molly and Amachon both say it should be out of my system already.”
Joel pressed his lips together tightly before drawing in a deep breath. “Yeah, it should, but your body hadn’t worked without it in a long time, so there are some adjustments to your own hormones and chemicals that it needs to figure out. I worry what damage is being caused by all this.”
They fell into a long silence, Ben saying nothing, but his emotions were loud and clear. He went from concern, to anger, to frustration, and finally landed on determination. Ben turned his chin up, wrapped a hand around Joel’s neck and brought their mouths together for a very long sweet and comforting kiss.
“Maybe. But couldn’t you ask the same thing about taking the medication? What damage is being done by not allowing my body to be in its truest form?” With another quick peck to Joel’s lips, Ben sighed. “I didn’t come here to talk about this.”
“Oh?”
Ben gave Joel a weak smile. “Molly.”
“What about her?”
“She’s up to something.”
Joel smirked. “When is she not?”
“True.”
“Do you know what it is?” Joel had an inkling of what it might be, but he wanted to see if Ben had come to the same conclusions he had. Then he would know they were on the right track.
Ben shook his head, and once again, they fell into a comfortable silence. Joel had a patient coming within the hour, so they couldn’t stay there much longer. Shifting in his seat, Joel reached over and pressed a hand firmly on Ben’s thigh.
“When do you think you’ll start trying to shift?”
Ben shrugged. “I have no idea. I haven’t felt anything that might make me think I can at this point.”
Joel raised an eyebrow. “What are you waiting for?”
Ben’s lips parted and then closed. Shaking his head, his eyes wide, he said, “You know, I’m not really sure, I guess. I just thought I’d feel something.”
“Like what?”
“I dunno.”
“Have you talked to Faye about it?”
“Why would I talk to her?”
Joel narrowed his gaze. “She essentially shifts from one form to the other when she goes from being a human to a vampire and back. That, to me, is similar enough to what you’re looking for that she might be able to answer the question.”
“I hadn’t really thought of it that way. I just asked her if it hurt, once, well, a long time ago I asked her that.”
“What’d she say?”
“Yes.”
Joel wondered if that was also part of the reason Ben was avoiding shifting, but he didn’t want to comment on it. Bringing Ben closer with a firm hand to his cheek, Joel kissed him sweetly. “Ask her.”
“I will.”
“I’ve got a patient.”
“And I’ve got work to do, no doubt Molly has something else she wants me to beef up security on.”
Joel smirked. “You are the best at it.”
“Some days,” Ben trailed off as he stood up to leave. He turned last minute to stare down at Joel and shook his head. “I bet it’s Malek.”
“I know it’s Malek. The question is what is Molly trying to get out of him.”
Ben shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. You know she keeps that stuff pretty close to her until the rest of us to know. Besides, they have a history.”
“They—what? They have a history? Wait…what does that mean?” Joel was standing before he even knew what he was doing. Ben’s raised eyebrow of curiosity didn’t sway Joel any.
“You mean…you don’t know.”
“Know what?”
“Crazy. I never know shit before you.”
“Out with it, Benjamin.”
Ben grinned and crossed his arms. “Molly and Malek have a history.”
“So you said, and so I gathered from him being here, but what you said…it seemed more than just acquaintance.”
“Do you know much about the ancient folds?”
Joel shook his head.
“Might want to research that.”
“Why?”
“Very misogynistic if you ask me.”
Joel narrowed his gaze. “There has to be more to it than that.”
Chuckling, Ben stepped closer to Joel and ran a hand down his arm. “Oh, there is, but you get to do your own research on that. For now, just know that Malek and Molly were matched, she didn’t want to be, he let her go, but I’m betting that he’s back because he’s tired of waiting.”
“Waiting for what?”
“He wants to fold to continue.”
“Stop being cryptic.” Joel bit his lip when he realized his tone was edging on anger.
Ben snorted. “He wants bow-wow-chicka-wow-wow.”
“Oh.”
“He wants a baby.”
“Yeah, I get it,” Joel answered. “I still think there might be more to it than that.”
“There probably is. You know immortals, they hide shit for days.”
“Years.”
Laughing, Ben nodded. “Yeah, you’re right about that.”
With one last peck to his lips, Ben left Joel’s office. Joel turned toward his desk with a huff. He’d have to wait until after his patient left to dig into that one, but Ben had dropped probably the best hint into why Malek was there that he could hope for.
###
Molly stepped through the door to her office and stopped short. Faye sat on her couch, legs sprawled with a hand down her pants. Shutting the door immediately, Molly locked it from the inside—the only way the door would lock. She didn’t dare take a step closer to Faye, whose dark eyes locked on her as the sun faded over the horizon. She wasn’t sure what to say. For the first time in a long while, Molly was left speechless.
Faye, however, was not.
“Come over here.” Her voice had that deep quality to it, the one that meant she wasn’t in her human form, and Molly was sure that if she flicked the lights on to illuminate the room properly, she’d see Faye’s long teeth and even longer nails, minus the ones on the hand currently down the front of her pants.
“I will not,” Molly whispered, but her body wanted to move forward, to rest in Faye’s embrace, to feel the excitement and heat and energy that only Faye could bring her.
“Molly.” Faye dragged out her name.
Molly cocked her head to the side, and with a short breath, forced herself to move closer. Faye flicked her wrist toward the side lamp on the table next to the couch and it came to life. Sure enough, Faye sat in all her vampiric glory. She looked so much paler this way. Her skin had a silver glow to it, her eyes black as midnight, not just the irises but every part of it. When Faye turned her gaze on her, Molly shivered under the stare, her nipples standing to attention as the cold from the open parapet doors finally touched her skin.
“What’s going on?” Molly slid onto the couch next to her. “This is wildly unlike you.”
“I can’t stop thinking about you.”
Molly narrowed her gaze and gripped her fingers around Faye’s wrist, feeling for her pulse. It was as rapid as if she was in the middle of a fight. Faye moved forward and pressed her nose to Molly’s neck.
“I want to taste you.”
“Yes, this is very much unlike you. I know you, Faye, and drinking my blood is not typically something you desire.” Faye’s teeth scraped against the hollow of Molly’s neck, and Molly shuddered, thoughts and images rampaging through her mind as she almost gave in to Faye’s sexual demands. This wasn’t the blood-thirsty Faye from the docks, but this was a blood-thirsty Faye.
Faye’s hand moved to the front of Molly’s dress, cascading upward and over her breast. “I want you.”
“I can see that.” Molly tried to push Faye’s hands down. “The question running through my mind is why.”
“Because I love you.”
Molly, startled, gripped Faye’s wrist far tighter than she intended. “You do not.”
“I do. I want to taste you.”
Closing her eyes, Molly firmly moved Faye’s hands from her body and pressed them into Faye’s lap. “You don’t. You’re high. On what, I’m not entirely sure, but I suspect it’s this.”
The small baggie she held between her fingers was enough to get Faye’s attention. Faye tried to grab at it, but Molly jerked it out of Faye’s reach then settled it on the coffee table in front of the couch. She stared Faye down, wishing she could more often see her for this length of time in her vampiric form. In fact, this might be the longest Molly had ever sat with the vampire part of Faye, the longest she’d ever been allowed to gaze upon the beauty of force and nature that she was.
Cupping Faye’s cheek, Molly held her gaze steady. She didn’t have time to linger on wants or desires, she had to figure out what Faye was up to. “I see you cut the pills.”
Faye nodded. “One is too much.”
“You can control it better this way?”
Closing her eyes, Faye licked her lips. “The smell of your blood is alluring.”
“Stay with me. Where did you get them?”
Faye eyes shot straight to Molly’s face. “I won’t tell you that. Then I’ll never get more.”
“Faye.” Molly drew in a deep breath. “This drug is wreaking havoc all over my city. I need to take care of it.”
“It’s the best one I’ve ever had.”
“Because you need so little?”
Faye’s chin bobbed in her answer.
“Have you wondered how and why you need so little?”
At her parted lips, Molly knew she had her. At least Faye with only a quarter of the pill in her system was far easier to talk to than raging angry Faye with at least one or two pills in her.
“Do you remember the club?”
“Yes.”
“Did you do it?”
Faye shook her head.
“Do you remember anything after you took the pill?”
At Faye’s blank stare, Molly knew she had her. Faye took the drugs she was given and that was all she remembered until Molly showed up. She didn’t need magic of manipulation to know that. Sighing, Molly brought their foreheads together and closed her eyes.
“How many times?”
“How many times what?”
Molly licked her lips. “How many times have you taken so much you’ve blacked out?”
Faye shook her head. “I don’t remember.”
“Fuck,” Molly whispered and pulled back, grabbing at the small baggie again. “You do realize, Faye, that you are the only Tainted to survive taking this.”
“I—I can’t be.”
“You are.” Molly dropped the bag onto the wooden table to make her point. “You are the only one, and I’m betting it has to do with the fact you’re immortal, which is a rare gift among our kind, but also because you have the gift of healing. I’m willing to bet that your blood thirst when you’re high like this isn’t because you want to rip my neck out but because your body is telling you that you need to heal.”
Without warning, Faye transformed back to her human form. Slate-gray eyes stared up at Molly, wide with worry. Molly reached up and cupped her cheek again, brushing her thumb across Faye’s lips.
“There you are.”
“What did you mean I’m the only one to survive?”
“That’s exactly what I meant.”
Faye’s lips parted in surprise, and Molly bent, pressing her lips to them for a brief moment of what she always seemed to take for granted, Faye’s calm. Faye breathed out, her eyelids fluttered shut. “If you want me not to try for your blood, you better stay back.”
“I will, just one more.” With her fingers wrapped in the hair at the back of Faye’s neck, Molly held their mouths together, swiping her tongue out along Faye’s lips. She hesitated only for a moment when she ran into Faye’s long vampiric teeth that must have come back out to play. She neatly avoided them as she tangled Faye’s tongue with her own.
Faye jerked back. “Enough.”
Molly smiled. “All right. Where did you get the drug?”
Faye’s jaw tightened.
“Faye, please.”
She shook her head. “I won’t tell you.”
“I need to know.”
“No.”
“You’re not getting them at the club anymore, so where?”
“It’s a stash that I had from there.”
Molly narrowed her gaze and sat back, her spine rigid. Faye was lying. It didn’t take her magic to see that, but what she couldn’t figure out was why. “No more.”
“Where have I heard that before?” Faye rolled her eyes and grumbled.
A light smile lit up Molly’s lips. “Perhaps having a drug-addicted vampire in the house isn’t such a good idea.”
“You like it.”
“I like you.”
Faye’s cheeks tinged with red, and Molly was pleased with herself.
“Have you seen Malek?” Molly changed the subject to give Faye the relief she needed.
“Yes.”
“When?”
“The other day.”
Molly grunted. “High or sober?”
Faye didn’t answer, which told Molly as much as she needed to know. Blowing out a breath, Molly relaxed and took Faye’s hand in hers. She’d thought they’d been making progress, but perhaps she had been too blind to what Faye could give her to truly look at what was happening in her house.
“We need to find out why he’s here.”
“I tried,” Faye whined. “I did.”
“You need to do it sober. Like me, he won’t want you when you’re high, and our blood seems to do nothing except feed an addiction much like the drug itself.”
Pursing her lips, Faye raised her gaze without raising her chin, so her stare could be taken as either shameful or daring. “I’ll stop.”
“Please do.” Molly raised Faye’s head with a finger under her jaw. “Because I would very much like to see this again when you are sober.”
Blushing furiously, Faye shoved up from the couch. “To Malek.”
“Sober first.”
“Fine.” Faye heaved a sigh but zipped her jeans and walked out of Molly’s office with an extra sway to her hips. Molly couldn’t help but to follow every swing and then flush when Faye sent a knowing look over her shoulder before shutting the door behind her.
“Cheeky,” Molly muttered.
Chapter Thirteen
Molly had given Faye two full days to sober up. She’d hoped Faye would, but she was far from surprised when Faye maintained her small high. How she’d gotten more drugs, or where she’d gotten them from, still remained a mystery, one she needed to rectify. If Faye wasn’t going to give her that information, she was going to have to find it herself.
It was nearing dusk, and she finished up the paperwork she had on her desk. She’d run her plan by Joel, more like she told him what her plan was, and when she’d insisted on taking Malek with her, he’d hesitated. Molly knew Joel didn’t trust Malek, which didn’t surprise her any. People rarely trusted him because he wasn’t very trustworthy. He had broken more than a dozen promises to her in the first few years they’d known each other, and one major promise by showing up at her house.
Since Faye was still flitting around high, she would have to take matters into her own hands to figure out why he was there. In some ways it felt as though she’d lost her partner in crime, but she knew even through Faye’s haze, she was tactfully observant. She knew that for a face, seeing as how Faye had been quite high the first few years they’d known each other and had managed to function properly just about every day she needed to.
Putting away her papers and closing down her computer after one more check through of the systems, she pushed away from her desk. Malek. She’d have to entice him to go with her. It shouldn’t be too difficult, but she’d have to work a way to get information from him without divulging too much herself—that was the tricky part. He was her match in every way when it came to being cunning. Faye was her wild card, and she needed her in order to make everything work. They’d have to have another discussion.
Smoothing her hands down the front of her dress, Molly stepped from around her desk and toward the door to her office. The rest of the house would be doing exactly what they needed to be doing—checking on the creatures they housed, prepping for dinner, Amachon would still be at the clinics no doubt. His work had intensified lately in a way neither of them had ever expected.
Stepping from her office, she shut the door behind her and ran straight into Malek. Surprised, her lips parted before she caught herself. Cocking her head to the side, Molly eyed him carefully. “Did you need something?”
Her voice was huskier than she’d intended, but when he returned her look in full force, Molly decided it may have worked to her advantage.
“I was coming to make sure you were taking a break.”
Raising a thin eyebrow, Molly smirked. “I doubt that was the only reason.”
“It wasn’t.” He gave her a slight smile. “I wanted to see you.”
“Well, good thing you did. I have a mission for us.”
“Oh?” He threaded her arm through his as he turned to face the stairs.
Molly normally would have objected, but if she needed to get close to him to make any headway on obtaining information, she’d have to let him touch her and play that role. Taking her free hand, she wrapped it around his bicep and squeezed once before stepping forward toward the spiral staircase that would lead her down to the main floors of the house from her attic office.
