Another swig and the bottle was finally empty. He dropped it on the floor beside the bed and flopped back on the flat motel pillow. As he began to finally succumb to the numbing effects of the alcohol, he thought about his ritual tomorrow. He always took the day off after this particular binge. He’d nurse his
hangover for a good portion of the day, pick up marigolds, her favorite flower, and make the long drive to northern Wisconsin to visit her grave.
I miss you so much, Jamie. That was his last thought before he blessedly passed out.
Chapter 30
Dev
For indeterminable seconds, Dev simply stared at Kate standing in the doorway of the boardroom, not believing the sight before him. How had she found the lower levels? How had she made her way to the boardroom in the pitch black of the tunnels?
Two things happened simultaneously. T, one of Damian’s guards, growled and in a lightning fast move, lunged toward Kate. At the same time, Kate screamed and threw up her hands in a protective gesture, stopping T dead in his tracks. Not dead, as in literal, but she had rendered him completely immobile.
What. The. Fuck?
Kate turned and fled, making it half way up the stairs before he was able to flash in front of her. Seeing him in front of her so suddenly threw her off balance and she stumbled backwards, cracking her head on the limestone wall right before he could catch her, preventing her complete tumble down the hard steps.
The minute her skin split apart, her sweet blood pooled to the surface. Involuntarily, his fangs shot down and his dick hardened painfully. Holy. Mother. Of. God. Her blood smelled better than a forest full of lilac bushes in full bloom. Fuck, Dev. That was such an inappropriate thought, you asshole.
Dev pushed back his involuntary bodily reactions. Taking care of Kate was his only priority. As he cradled an unconscious and bleeding Kate against his chest, he knew he would never forget the confusion in her eyes as she opened the boardroom door. Or the fear in her eyes as T lunged toward her. Or the betrayal in her eyes as she looked up at him on the stairs. Goddamn it! He did not want her to find out this way. He’d planned on telling her tomorrow, but on his terms.
He didn’t know whether she was unconscious from shock or the fall, but he could hear her strong and steady pulse, so he prayed she would be okay. She had to be okay. Please, Kate…be okay. I can’t live without you, love.
“Giselle, keep everyone in the boardroom.”
The last thing he needed was a bunch of vamps running around the house while his Moira was bleeding all over.
“Ren and Leo, I need your help in my bedroom. Now. I need some wet cloths and bandages ASAP. Flash in. Be prepared, she’s bleeding and unconscious.”
“Right away,” Leo answered.
Ren’s response was a bit different. “What the fuck just happened, Dev?”
“I have no fucking idea. Just get up here and we’ll figure it out later. All that matters right now is Kate.”
He didn’t know what the hell happened. Kate had found them. How had she found the secret passageway? She’d immobilized T with a flick of her hands. How could she do that? Dreamwalkers didn’t possess powers like that. As powerful as he was, he didn’t possess that power and even if he did, they hadn’t bonded yet, so she wouldn’t be able to access it. He felt like he’d entered the twilight zone, probably much like Kate felt. Shit hit the fan in a matter of seconds.
Dev laid Kate on his bed, careful of the wound on the back of her head. He opened her eyes to see her pupils fully dilated and unresponsive, but everything else seemed okay. Her pulse was strong and steady, her breathing even. Ren and Leo flashed in with some medical supplies.
Leo wanted to help, but Dev shoved him aside, not wanting anyone else touching his Moira. Both men stood to the side, letting Dev care for Kate, knowing better than to say a word or interfere. After he cleaned the blood, he was relieved to find the wound was superficial and the bleeding had pretty much stopped. It had seemed worse earlier. His shoulders sagged in relief, and he let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.
Removing his bloodied blue silk shirt, he crawled on the bed, gathering a still unconscious Kate in his arms.
“You gonna tell me what the fuck is going on, Dev?” Now that it appeared Kate was out of immediate danger, Ren had started pacing again. Dev was sure the dude had restless leg syndrome. He never sat still.
“First of all, calm down, Ren. And if I knew what was going on, don’t you think I would tell you? I have no damn idea. I’m just as confused as you are.” Dev kept stroking Kate’s back, looking for signs of consciousness. Nothing.
Ren continued ranting like Dev hadn’t just spoken, his voice going higher with each word.