chapter FIVE
Denver was going to crave him like she craved the dark, the blood, the hunt. As soon as she’d latched her mouth to his arm and his blood touched her tongue, she knew it had been a huge mistake, one of the biggest of her life. She’d been careful in the past. She hadn’t been on this earth shy of one hundred and fifty years to make such a mistake. But this time she forgot. She forgot everything her guardian told her, but how could she have remembered? Her guardian hadn’t been alive for a few dozen years.
Reed had felt it too. He’d had too. There was only one thing that could have put that look in his eyes. His hunger for her would be absolute.
But, oh my God, the heat from his blood sent shivers along her spine only to settle at the core of her body, throbbing her center, twitching the muscles in her thighs. Even now, just thinking about his blood coating her tongue had her blinking back the surge of electricity igniting her body. His blood was like liquid gold, the sweetest nectar. She could have savored it for all eternity.
She should have paid attention to her father and her tutors when they’d attempted to warn her. Now it was too late. Damn.
Two hours later Denver braked to a halt two blocks from the hospital. They’d driven around the perimeter twice and she was thinking about a third time until Reed placed his hand over hers and tilted his head toward the curb.
She blew out a breath, sucked one in before she settled her gaze on his face. “Maybe this isn’t a good idea.”
“Probably not, but I don’t think I’ll be able to put up with you if you don’t check on your friend.”
She hunched a shoulder and glanced out the front window and up the block. She wondered if Reed could see how her hands trembled. Did he feel it when he touched her?
“So, how do we do this?”
“Stealth.”
“Stealth?” Denver turned in the seat and stared at him.
“How well do you know this hospital? Any idea where they’re keeping your friend?”
“I’ve only been here a couple of times, for workshops.”
Denver and Reed thought it was luck that Laura hadn’t been taken to the hospital where they used to work. Used to, being the relative term. She knew she would never be able to go back. It pained her because she was really getting used to it. She actually liked this one and was hoping for some tenure. Guess not. Not now, anyway. After this was over, if they were still alive, she’d have to relocate and start all over again. Damn. Well, it wouldn’t be the first time and if they survived, it most likely wouldn’t be the last.
“Before we go in you need to tell me every entrance and exit, the easiest way in and the fastest way out,” Reed said, interrupting her train of thought.
Denver pressed her palms against her eyes and blew out a harsh breath. “Let me think.” She twisted her body to shove his hand from her shoulder when he reached out to touch her. “Don’t--” She spat out each word on a rush of air. “—touch me.”
Reed withdrew his hand and turned so he could look at her face. “We need to get a few things straight. We--”
“We don’t’ have to do anything. I’m going to check on Laura and then get the hell out of here.” Denver settled her gaze on his face. “You don’t have to go with me.”
“The hell I don’t.”
Silence settled between them. Reed stared in the side view mirror and Denver policed the street in front of them. Ten minutes passed before Reed shoved the door open and stepped out of the car.
“Wait.” Denver dug in her jacket pocket and handed him a plastic card. One side had emergency codes on it, the other side blank. “Put it on.” She attached one to the collar of her scrubs. They’d lucked out and found several pairs of surgical scrubs at the house.
“And what’s to make security not stop us?”
“Everyone flips the picture around.” She hunched a shoulder. “They’re like DMV photos. Everyone hates them.”
“Okay.”
She stepped to the front of the car and paused.
“You alright?” He came up to her side, turned and faced her.
She nodded, a jerky motion of her head.
“Let’s do this.”
“Yeah, in and out. I just gotta see that she’s okay.”
“In and out.”
They took three steps and Reed stopped, grabbing Denver’s hand to still her movements. “One last thing, if this goes south and I know it will, don’t wait for me. Just run and don’t look back.”
She stared at him for a brief second. Did he really think she could do that now? Just run and not look back. God, she hoped this didn’t end the way her stomach felt. The queasy knots told her it was going to go to shit, but she had to check on Laura even if it meant her death. After all, it was her fault she was there.
Reed draped his arm across her shoulder. “You need to loosen up.” He paused. “I can smell your energy and it’s messing with my brain.”
“F*ck you, Reed.”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” He tightened his grip on her arm, stopped her movement. After turning her so she was staring into his eyes, he said, “I have everything my brother had. Well, almost. I can sense danger and smell fear and anger. With you putting off this strong scent, I might miss something.”
“I can go by myself.” She tried to shove his hand away. It didn’t budge.
“Take a damn deep breath, settle yourself and let’s get this over with.”
Denver stopped in her tracks, glared up into Reed’s face. “Something’s wrong.”
Yes, something was wrong and he couldn’t put his finger on it. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled as soon as they got out of the car. The feeling someone watched them gnawed at his gut. It may be nerves but the feeling wasn’t new to him. He’d had the same sensation the night these maniacs killed his brother and then again right before they damn near beat him to death. If it had been as strong as it was now, he might have been able to save his twin. That was something he’d have to live with and carry to his grave.
“Hey, it might just be the normal scents of the hospital.” He knew it wasn’t.
She didn’t answer.
He leaned down and whispered into her ear as they stepped through the door. “Where would they have Laura?”
Denver turned her head toward a long dim corridor. She grabbed the courtesy phone off the wall and asked for patient information. After a brief conversation she hung up. Holding up two fingers she then pointed to the elevator at the end of the hall.
Reed scanned the area as they moved toward the elevator. He nodded to Denver, realizing it was the service elevator. Not many people traveled the halls, and he saw no one who looked as if they were visitors. But then again, neither did they.
As they stepped out of the elevator on the second floor, the heat twisting his gut cooled. The nervous energy that had him regretting the moment he agreed to come to the hospital settled and for the first time since entering the hospital he was able to breathe.
He wondered how long it would last.
* * *
Denver stared at the closed door to room two-two-six. She’d wanted to burst into the room and find Laura awake and able to forgive her for what she’d done, but she couldn’t get her feet to move. She couldn’t get her hand to grasp the doorknob and turn the blasted thing. It was a simple task. It shouldn’t have been hard but it was. What if, what was behind the door wasn’t what she wished for? What if Laura wouldn’t forgive her? What if Laura told her to go to hell and started screaming for the cops? What if…
Reed reached past Denver flattened his palm on the door and slid it open. It only moved an inch but that was all they needed. The air rushed out and slammed into her like a sledgehammer. There had been so much pain, so much fear. She almost stumbled and would have if Reed hadn’t caught her around the waist and steadied her, pulling her tight to his body. Before she could object he pushed her into the room and slammed the door behind them.
He sucked in a breath and coughed as if something were choking him. The energy in the room, even though it was dissipating, was palpable. The room was in disarray and resembled a war zone. Opened containers littered the floor. Emptied intravenous bottles filled the trashcans. Denver knew immediately what it meant. She didn’t have to see the lifeless body stretched out in the bed, tubes sticking out of every orifice to know Laura was dead.
Her hand cupped her mouth to stop the scream seconds before Reed grabbed her and turned her body toward him. He cursed just as he buried her face against the hard muscles of his chest.
She tried to pull away. He brought her right back.
“No.” His hand slid down the plane of her back. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’--”
“May I help you?” The voice interrupted her words. “What are you doing in here?”
Reed and Denver stared at the nurse who had entered the room.
“Do I know you?”
Reed grabbed Denver’s hand and tugged her toward the door. At one point she thought he was going to pick her up and toss her over his shoulder.
“Hey! Aren’t you that woman who--”
The nurse’s voice trailed off as they hit the stairwell full force. They took the emergency stairs two at a time. Reed’s hand tightened on her wrist like a vice. Her heartbeat pounded so hard it vibrated in her ears. Denver wasn’t sure if it was from sorrow or anger. But nonetheless someone was going to pay and pay dearly for what they’d done.
She was literally tossed into the passenger side of the car and Reed was peeling away from the curb before she realized they’d left the hospital. She wanted to cry, needed to cry but the tears wouldn’t come. Anger and hatred held them at bay.
Denver pulled her legs up and tucked her knees under her chin. She wrapped her arms around them as she rocked her body. She didn’t dare look at Reed. He hadn’t said anything. He had to know. He had to know if given the chance she would kill the bastards who did this.
Reed didn’t say anything, couldn’t. The anger permeating from Denver thickened the air in the car. It tightened a band around his throat so tight he almost couldn’t breathe. He stole a glance at her from the corner of his eye. He hated that look on her face and he made a promise to himself that he’d kill the bastards that put that look in her eyes.
“I’m sorry about your friend,” He said after the scent of her anger began to fade.
She didn’t acknowledge him. He reached across the seat to touch her hand. She withdrew and cut her gaze toward him. Her eyes were blacker than he’d ever seen them.
Denver hissed at him, “Don’t. Touch. Me.”
The prickling of the hairs at the nape of his neck was back.