Angel Of Mercy (Cambions #3) (22 page)

McKayla

Shoving him on his back, I straddled golden boy’s hips. Taking his kiss, I drank deep the nectar that was the forbidden fruit of all that was holy in this world. Even though he had been tainted by Mercy’s love, he tasted so sweet. Goodness funneled into me bringing us back from what that stupid girl had done, expending all our energy and nearly killing us in the process.

When I opened my eyes, I saw the recognition on his face. He was panting, no doubt from all that I took from him. Wide eyed, he could do nothing but watch me leave him and head for the trees. I was in control. This time I wouldn’t waste time by allowing him to gather himself and catch me. I wasn’t exactly sure where I was going, but I headed to the other side of the island.

I was running, high off all the life I’d stolen from Mercy’s angel. Soon, he’d come after us, so I pushed this body to the brink of what human flesh could do. Grandfather would have all that we needed stashed in that little town of his. How convenient. I couldn’t be mad at Mercy for tiring herself out so much that I could take control. I bided my time waiting. My patience had paid off in no time. I’d made it up and over the mountain. I run along the tree line by the road but not in the clearing in case someone came down with the car looking for me. The sun was high and I took a moment to breathe.

I crossed the street and stepped into the heated sand feeling sweat pour off me. I was still far enough away from all the people at the beach. I stepped back into the ocean but only far enough to cool off. I tied the wet shirt in a knot at the small of my back with just enough skin showing to lure prey. The shirt was plastered to me leaving no doubt what hid underneath. And with bare feet that bled, I walked in the water hoping for healing or the cool water to staunch the flow before I encountered people.

Nearing, I saw the buffet of hard bodies and soft ones. Beautiful humans in all different flavors played in the sand and sun. I had to smile at how resourceful Grandfather was. I longed to stay with him. I had no doubt we could wreak havoc on the world together.

And there he was, a tall slim boy with a face that caught my eye. The closer I got the more his face appealed to me. He was of Asian descent with black hair and dark smoldering eyes. Surrounded by several girls, he stood straight but poised in a way that screamed confidence. Oh, I liked him. Never say I wasn’t up for a challenge. I saddled up to the bar.

My prey put a tube in his mouth. A blonde girl sensually moved closer to him ostensibly to take other end of the tube in hers.  Beating her to him, I took the other end and pressed myself into the guy. He only had a moment of surprise before he blew and I sucked what turned out to be a combination of jello and alcohol. Swallowing all of it, I removed it and offered him my hand. Still grinning, he took it.

The blonde cursed me and said, “That was my suck and blow shot. I paid for it.”

Ignoring her, I led the guy towards the hotel that was directly ahead. “Do you have a private room?” I asked. Since Mercy was sharing a room with her annoying friend, I figured it might be human practice to do so. Not that it really mattered all that much. I just needed the intel for what I may be walking into.

“Of course,” he said. His voice was deep and didn’t disappoint.

By the time we stepped into the lobby, I was nearly dry from the heat of the sun. Letting him lead, I counted the steps until there was no doubt in my mind this was going to happen. Luke, Flynn, Maggie, Tom, even Brent and Doug couldn’t help Mercy now.

We were the only ones on the elevator that was headed up. My prey wasted no time cornering me. I couldn’t blame him. I’d sent him all the signals that said this was nothing but a slam dunk for him. Wrapping my hands around his neck, I looked forward to the sweet taste of his life force. Closing my eyes in anticipation, they opened immediately when the boy suddenly left my grasp.

Standing before me in a tornado of fury was… “Bastian,” I cried out wrapping myself around him. I no longer paid attention to the human whose light had gone out and was now sprawled against the floor behind us.

“McKayla,” he said, like my name was carried on the wind. His eyes were pitch black matching mine for sure. He slammed my back against the wall.

He looked like a medieval warrior wearing a Scottish kilt and no shirt with metal arm bands on his biceps. His lips crashed onto mine with the gale force winds that blew him in here with me. The elevator seemed to shudder and come to a stop.

The kiss was everything I’d wanted from the Prince of Darkness since the beginning. There was nothing sweet in the way he pressed me against the elevator and kissed me while his hands gripped my hips with bruising force. “Mercy,” he breathed.

That woke me up. Fury balled up in my fist and knocked it in his hair. Shocked he released me and took a few steps back. I fell to the balls of my feet dangerous anger burned in me and matched his. “How dare you?” I spit. “I’m not her.”

With two steps, he was in my face. “Doesn’t matter, you both belong to me. How dare you chance to give what belongs to me to that human,” he said, pointing back to the guy still lying in a crumpled mass of limbs. I wasn’t sure if he was still breathing and didn’t care. But Mercy’s conscience forced me to look until I saw the rise and fall of his chest.

“Don’t you ever confuse us. I won’t play second to her. This is as much my body as it is hers. In fact more so, if you count the soul I’m force to share space with. It doesn’t belong here.”

“You will not do anything with anyone else,” he dictated.

“Since when do you care? You aren’t even around much anymore,” I dared to say. “Hell, she and golden boy almost got it on if not for—”

“What,” he growled. His hand raised so quick, I flinched back. But he stroked the side of my face.

“They were nearly there,” I said chin lifted.

He closed his eyes. “He won’t do it. His sense of right and wrong with her is too strong.”

Not disagreeing, I tried a different tack. “What about Flynn? Something isn’t right with that boy. He didn’t come out of the near death experience alright.”

“So it’s happened.” His voice was flat.

Then it dawned on me just what he was saying. Nodding, I said, “I think so.”

“Time is nearing,” he said absently. “It doesn’t matter. He won’t act on it. Not with Luke so close.”

“You sure trust a lot of people to act rationally. If anything, you guys don’t act rationally with her around. And you not being here isn’t helping.”

“I’m protecting you both and it’s no easy feat. Father seems to want me to prove something.”

“What?” I asked since he was being so forthcoming.

“I have to go,” he said.

“Of course you do.” I said rolling my eyes.

His hand came around my throat and squeezed just a little. Black eyes that filled every inch of the peep holes bore into me. His head tilted side to side before he said, “Don’t question me. Time nears and this all will be done.”

His grip constricted my airways, but I refuse to beg to breathe even with my eyes. When I thought I might pass out, damn this human body, he released me. I could help but gag as he leaned down and picked up the boy and spoke a few words. “You never saw us. Go take a nap.”

Then he came at me, taking a handful of my hair. I blinked once and we were back in the  room we shared with Maggie. He placed me on my bed and commanded, “Sleep McKayla. Release Mercy and keep her safe.”

When consciousness returned to me, I heard voices. Or maybe it was the voice that returned me to consciousness.

“Did you see her return?” Luke asked.

“No, I was looking for her like everyone else. I just came in and found her like this. Then I called you,” Maggie insisted.

There was silence, but I felt the covers draw off of me. I think they were inspecting me to see if I was okay. My eyes were still so heavy, I couldn’t open them.

“She’s fine, right?” Maggie asked.

Silence. “I think so.” Luke sounded tired. What had I done? Or rather… I feared the worst.

“So that demon thing in her took over?” Maggie asked. Luke didn’t answer. “Is it safe?” More silence. So my best friend feared me. That sucked. And I didn’t hate her because of it. I had no idea what McKayla had done this time.

“Perhaps you should temporarily move rooms. Flynn is on the room on the opposite side. Doug is at the end of the hall.” He didn’t have to add it was probably the furthest point away from Brent. “So choose a room between this one and Doug’s. I would suggest not getting so close to Doug though. His scent on you will drive Brent insane.”

“What am I supposed to do about that?” Maggie pleaded.

“I can’t help you there. Brent’s my friend and he’s not in a good way right now.”

More dead air. “I love him Luke, but—” The bed shifted and I knew Maggie was looking away from Luke. He had a way of looking into your soul. “It’s just it wouldn’t be fair to Doug, you know.”

“Maybe, but it’s not fair for Doug to think he has a shot at you if he doesn’t.”

“Are you always this wise, Dalai Lama?” Maggie quipped.

“Not wise, I just know how I would feel if Mercy was stringing me along.”

Now I wished for unconsciousness. “Flynn.” Oh crap, Maggie had said it.

“Has she said anything to you?” Luke asked sounding almost helpless.

I willed my eyes to open. I needed to stop this. But I couldn’t. “She’s never admitted anything but that she loves you.”

An exhale of breath that sounded like the world had been lifted off his shoulders, escaped Luke. 

“Look, I’m going to pack up. But I feel bad, I don’t want to leave her.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll stay with her.”

The bed shifted again and I was pulled into the cocoon of Luke’s love. Cuddled with him, I finally drifted back off into oblivion.

When I woke, I rolled over and found myself alone. I got up and took time in the bathroom. Maybe I just didn’t want to face my boyfriend and my best friend who now feared me. Whatever, I was sure I’d never been cleaner in my life. Getting dressed, I found the most conservative outfit I’d brought, an extremely loose tee shirt along with khaki shorts.

Heading downstairs, I found Maggie and Sara in the kitchen. Maggie hesitantly looked at me. I met her gaze dead on, giving her a view of my own eyes. She smiled. “Hey sleepy head.”

“What did you guys eat?” I asked feeling the hunger grow in my stomach.

Maggie pointed to a pan of half burnt hot dogs and hamburgers. “Oh,” I said.

“Apparently, breakfast is the most anyone around her can manage,” Sara said with a smile. Damn her for being nice this morning.

“Where are the guys?” I asked.

Conspiratorially, the two girls looked at each other. Sara crooked a finger, beckoning me outside. Following with Maggie in tow, I stepped outside to see a sight I would never forget see. All five boys were passed out on the couch together.

We giggled but Sara shushed us. “We should get a picture.” Maggie and I nodded in agreement. “But this needs something. Wait here.” She disappeared and returned moments later with a tube of lipstick. “We should make this picture more interesting.”

She handed the tube to me. Unable to resist, I took it and walked over to Tom. In the next few minutes, I’d painted his lips, then painting my own, and left a kiss mark on his forehead. Then I painted Luke’s lips, and kissed his cheek. Passing the torch, I handed the lipstick to Maggie who happily took it from me. In turn, she painted and left kiss marks on Doug and Brent. She then passed off the lipstick to Sara who took care of Flynn.

The guys were shirtless. They’d been swimming, and Sara wrote
#1 Lover
on Flynn’s chest. Maggie and I had a hard time not busting out in full out laughter. Sara handed the lipstick back to me. Taking it, I wrote
Lion King
on Tom’s chest and
Surfer Boy
on Luke’s. Maggie finished it off with Skater Boy on Doug and paused. She stood back not knowing what to write on Brent. Then she put Moon Called.

Sara finished it off by drawing arrows pointing toward Flynn plus an arrow on Flynn pointing to his pants. Taking out our phones, we took lots of picture, even posing them at certain points. Thankfully they were so drunk, they didn’t wake up.

“We should go out and see what night life has to offer down the mountain,” Sara said. I didn’t trust her, but I didn’t want to be here when the guys woke up.

We headed upstairs to get ready. The boys were still passed out when we piled into the SUV and left. I did leave a note on the refrigerator telling them where we’d gone. I didn’t want Luke to worry.

Parking in the lot near the beach bar, we got out. “We should go get drinks,” Sara said, taking control of our trip.

“I don’t have fake ID,” Maggie declared.

Sara scoffed. “Don’t worry about it. You won’t need it.”

On the sand, we headed to the simple square hut with bar stools all around. Several girls sat there talking. When we walked up, the girls focused on us. Rather, they focused on me. “Hey isn’t that the bitch?” said a girl with a short mop of brown curls said. A blonde girl turned around and planted her hateful stare on me. “Yes,” she said viscously.

They stood. Sara turned to face them, stepping in front of me, which was odd. “Problem,” Sara warned. I couldn’t see Sara’s face, but the girls in front of her paled and turned around then moved away as fast as they could. Maggie and I traded glances. Sara faced us with a grin and said, “I guess they were mistaken.” Mischief was written across her face like a tattoo.

Summoning the bartender, she ordered some drinks for us. Three clear shots came our way. Maggie picked hers up with no hesitation, and I followed suit. Soon enough we were drunk and were shaking our hips on the beach when starlight canopied us.

Dancing was my second favorite thing to do next to cooking. I was caught up in the rhythm of the beat, sandwiched by two guys who took more liberties than I might have allowed if I hadn’t been drunk off my ass. Hands were on my hips only to find my bottom. Other hands skated my rib cage and skimmed the underside of my breast. The boy at my front, with sandy hair and grey eyes that sparkled like the stars above, dipped his head as if to kiss me. I leaned back into boy number two to avoid him; I wasn’t drunk enough to cheat.

Boy Number Two spun me around to face him, his hair was cut close and his ebony skin contrasted with mine making an interesting combination. His face was nothing short of gorgeous, which everyone on this island seemed to be.

When he pulled me tight to him, grinding into me to let me know just how happy he was to do so, I finally came to my senses. Or was that my phone vibrating in my pocket? I pulled away from both of them, stumbling to a stool at the bar to answer it.

“Heelloo,” I said, and laughed, not at all sure what was funny.

“Mercy,” my beautiful boyfriend said. He sounded concerned.

“Heeyyy babbbyy,” I slurred.

“Where are you?” he asked.

“Dancing,” I managed to sound reasonably sober.

“Where?” he asked.

“Between two guys on the beach,” I confessed. When the pause became uncomfortable, I said, “Luke.”

It was a moment or two before he said, “Are you in town?”

“Yes, you didn’t find my note.”

“No,” he answered.

“Sorry. But Sara’s been really nice. She got us drinks.”

“I bet,” he said. “Is Maggie there?”

“Yeah, but she is soooo drunk,” I giggled.

“Do you see Sara?”

I looked around suddenly. “No.” Where had she gone?

“Do you have the keys to the car?”

I felt around in my pocket. “Yes.”

“Hey, where are you going?” Boy Number One asked.

“Nowhere,” I said, swaying to the beat.

“Too much to drink,” he said helping stay on my feet.

“I’m on the phone with my boyfriend,” I said.

“I guess he should be here.”

Around the corner, a head of blonde curls appeared. “He is,” Luke said dangerously.

Boy Number One shrugged then winked at me. “You know where I’ll be if you get bored.”

“She won’t,” Luke said with finality. Boy Number One slunk off back to the dance floor floating in the middle of sand.

With Luke’s hands on me, I pulled his head down to kiss him with all the passion I felt. Letting him up for air, his eyes were dark with desire. “I need to get you home.”

Wrapping myself around him, I pulled him in tight. “Don’t go.”

“Mercy,” he said. “We need to find Maggie.”

Sighing, I let him help me to my feet. Maggie wasn’t hard to spot stuck in a man sandwich. Luke left me for a second to pull her away warning off the guys with a glare.

“Let’s go,” he ordered.