On the Edge of Destiny (Book 3) (A Vampire SEAL Novel) (18 page)

Chapter 16

T
he fridge sang behind my bedroom wall. A clock ticked loudly in the family room. My heartbeat even rang in my ears as I tried to close my eyes. Hours of tossing and turning ended when I kicked off the blankets and plopped into my clothes-infested chair. I refused to sleep. I didn’t have the courage to dream.

Even if I did, would it matter? Webb and Dad weren’t canceling the mission.

I pulled my legs to my chest, rested my chin on my knees, and gazed out at the night. The dark grey building across the way looked ominous beneath the moonlight.

A branch scraped at the edge of my window. I cleared my mind—or at least tried to, concentrating on the tattering of the branch kissing the glass pane.

In one hour, the sentinels were scheduled to depart for their mission. I had no idea where. The details were secret to everyone outside the SEAL team.

A light tap sounded before the door opened and closed softly. Boots scuffed along the wood floor.

“You shouldn’t be in here,” I whispered, rocking in my seat, not looking behind me.

Webb had never been in my room, and I was surprised Dad let him come in.

The bed creaked, and I glanced to my right. Webb was dressed in his black cargo uniform. Knives and daggers were strapped to his legs. His sentinel sword was clipped to his belt, and a gun was tucked in a holster on the other side of his waist.

“You plan on killing someone today?” I asked, swiveling my attention back to the moonlit night.

“Normal gear,” he said, low and silky. “Are you still avoiding me?”

He’d begged me to spend time with him last night and the night before. I refused. I was a brooding, crying, emotional wreck. I figured the more I distanced myself from him, the easier the toll would be on my psyche if he didn’t return. How idiotic was that? Regardless, it was my warped way of protecting myself.

“Would you at least sit with me?” His sad tone sliced at my heart. “I want to hold you. I don’t want to leave with you—”

“A basket case?” I stifled a nervous laugh.

“Nothing is going to happen to me. How many times do I to have to tell you?”

I growled and glared at him.

He grinned.

I jumped out of the chair and knocked him backward onto the bed, punching him. “If you die, I’ll hunt you down and kill you myself.”

He cocooned me in his arms as he peppered kisses along my cheek and neck. “I would like for you to kill me.” He rolled me over so he was on top. He pressed his hands into the mattress on each side of my head. “We should return within a week, if everything goes well.”

“And if it doesn’t?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Then we’ll be home sooner.” He pinned me with a soft look.

I licked my lips. “Does my father know you’re in here?”

His fangs dropped. “He’s downstairs, imparting his last words of wisdom to the rest of the sentinels.” He lowered his head, and his fangs grazed my pouty bottom lip. “Tripp will stay behind on this mission and accompany you to the hearing today.”

“Why? Dad and Sam will be here.” Wasn’t Tripp essential to helping him on this mission? After all, Tripp was Webb’s right-hand man.

“We need him to work with Viking II in the event we have any problems. And your dad wants him as your bodyguard.”

Viking II was the other vampire SEAL team. Normally, Dad had one vampire SEAL team on base while the other one was deployed. Since our raid at Edmund’s mansion, Dad had both vampire teams on base.

I could protect myself. I didn’t need Tripp to babysit me. Besides, Sam was more than capable of protecting me. After all, he’d been by my side my entire life.

None of that mattered at the moment. I closed the tiny space between us and kissed Webb. A rumble crawled up his chest.

When our lips met, my heart raced in two different directions—excitement to feel his warmth, his love… and sadness and fear at the unknown and what lay ahead.

He continued his soft, gentle kisses, staring into my eyes. The love in his eyes mesmerized me. With each kiss, each peck, each touch—our souls fused together, one stitch at a time. Tears surfaced, and I closed my eyes. I wanted to at least show him I could be strong for him, even though inside I was a mess.

“Open those pretty eyes, Jo.” He smoothed back my hair while the other hand was still on the mattress beside my head. “I don’t want to leave you. Please understand I have to do my job.”

“I know. I’m sorry for being a brat. I’m afraid for you, though.” I traced the outline of his lips. “I love you.”

A corner of his mouth curled. “That’s the first time you said it out loud. Say it again.”

“I love you.” The three meaningful words rolled off my tongue with ease and poured out of my heart with pain.

“You have my soul, angel. Completely.” He drew a heart over mine.

He rolled off me and lay on his side. He propped up on his elbow and traced circles around my belly button. We enjoyed the quietness of my room and each other. I wanted to stay like this forever. Time passed.

Fate knocked.

“Jo?” Dad called from the other side of my door.

We both sat up.

“I’ll be right out,” I replied.

“Your dad will know where we are at all times.” Webb assured me as he kissed me one last time.

I held on to him for dear life, my pulse beating wildly out of control. I prayed for him, the sentinels, and anyone else on the SEAL team who was headed into harm’s way.

He let go of me and walked to the door. “Jo?”

I lifted my head, tears on the verge of dropping.

“Your love will keep me alive.”

After he walked out, I collapsed on my bed in a heap of tears. I cried until sleep claimed me.

A bright orange sky glowed in the distance. I slowly shuffled forward, following a group of people. A man and woman in front of me had phones to their ears. The other people surrounding me whispered and tittered.

Suddenly, an explosion rocked the earth. I flew backward into a dark hole as the bright orange glow faded. Screams rang out.

I hit something hard and sucked in air.

“Sis? Jo? Wake up.”

I opened my eyes and looked around, disoriented. I shook my head slightly, trying to dislodge the fuzziness.

“You were dreaming again,” Sam said, eyes wide. “Did you dream of the panther?” He sat on the edge of my bed.

“No.” I couldn’t make hide or hair of my dream. So I shoved it aside.

He pushed off the bed. “Dad is getting ready. I guess I need to wear a suit,” he said, sounding disgusted.

“You don’t own one.” I smiled at my brother. He hated anything other than jeans and a T-shirt.

“I do now. Dad gave me one of his. It was either that or my school uniform. And I’m not wearing that clown suit.” He rolled his eyes as he ambled out of my room.

I guessed I had to wear something dressy. But what?

Then again, would my attire matter to the Council of Eternal Affairs?

Within an hour, Sam, Dad, Tripp, and I were in a black SUV that glided along the highway. We weren’t far from Boston; the tall buildings graced the skyline in the distance. Rain pelted the windshield. Dad and Tripp talked about some new military weapon. Tripp nodded every now and then, keeping his hands on the wheel at ten and two. Sam had ear buds in his ears—listening to music, I imagined. As for me, I passed the time daydreaming about Webb, mostly. I’d wanted to ask Dad tons of questions, but I couldn’t. If I did, I’d cry.

“Pumpkin,” Dad said. “What was your dream about this morning?” Concern colored his tone.

“Nothing really. Why? Did something happen to Webb and the sentinels?” I held my breath.

“Relax. They’re fine. They left on a plane out of the base in Newport two hours ago.”

I expelled the air in my lungs. The Boston city skyline made me remember… “Dad, are my DNA results back yet?”

“Dr. Vieira said the lab is working on it now.”

Traffic grew heavier as we got closer to Boston. Before long, the car slowed as we inched through the Boston tunnel. When we emerged on the other side, Tripp flicked on the blinker. We eased off the freeway onto the side streets. Red light, green light, red light was the pattern until we turned down a long driveway of a very tall building. Tripp braked at a black wrought iron gate and pressed a button on a box just outside the driver’s window.

“State your name and who you’re here to see,” a baritone voice blared through the box.

“Commander Mason and company. We’re here for the Turner hearing,” Tripp said.

“Park in the visitor’s spot near the elevators,” the male voice instructed.

The gate slid to the right. When it opened wide enough, Tripp drove underneath and into a visitor spot. He killed the engine. Sam pulled out his ear buds.

“Before we go in,” Dad said, “I want you, Jo, to follow Mr. Rose’s instructions. Don’t blurt out anything. And please don’t use your powers in this building. It is forbidden to use any of our abilities in any vampire government facility. The only one allowed is telepathy. Are we clear?”

“Yes, sir,” I said. I prayed I didn’t get angry. While I’d learned how to control my powers, I wasn’t perfect.

“Son, same goes for you.”

“I get it, Pops. I’m not as talented as my sister, anyway.”

I stuck out my tongue at my brother.

“Still, any use of powers will get you jailed and fined,” Dad said as he opened the door.

Once Dad said his peace, we piled into the elevator. Sam fidgeted with his black tie. Dad had given him a gray suit. The dullness of his attire made his green eyes stand out like a lighthouse cutting through the dense fog. Dad, on the other hand, was outfitted in his blue dress uniform, with all his metals on display. Unsurprisingly, Tripp wore his black cargo uniform, although he didn’t have all the weapons strapped to him like Webb had. The only one visible, anyway, was his sentinel sword.

“Do they allow weapons in here?” Sam asked, seemingly admiring Tripp.

“Only the sentinel sword,” Tripp responded, arms folded across his chest.

“Why?” We weren’t allowed to use our powers. A weapon wasn’t that different.

“It only responds to my touch. It would be of no use to anyone else. And the sentinels have special permission to enter with weapons.”

I’d thought of a host of other questions and comments, but the whoosh of the elevator door washed all of it away. I wiped my clammy palms on my black pants. Then rubbed my ruby necklace between my fingers for good luck.

Dad and Tripp exited before Sam and me.

“We have a few minutes before we need to be in the courtroom. Mr. Rose is waiting for us in a private room,” Dad announced. “We’ll go over any last-minute details.”

Sam and Tripp stood guard in the hall while Dad and I slipped into what looked like a boardroom. A large rectangular wood table sat in the middle, with tall back leather chairs positioned around it. Mr. Rose stood in front of a bank of windows, overlooking the city of Boston. The rain continued to fall, and drops skated down the glass.

“Ah, you’re here,” Mr. Rose said, removing his hands from his pants pockets. He wore a navy suit with a crisp white shirt and royal blue tie. His sand-colored hair was slicked back—with gel, I assumed. “Let’s have a seat.” He pulled out a chair.

Dad and I did the same, rolling our chairs closer to the enormous conference table.

“I was able to find out two of the judges on the case.” Mr. Rose kept his gaze on Dad. “Dyson and Radisson.”

“You don’t know the third?” Dad asked.

“No. I heard through the grapevine the elders were appointing a new judge to their ranks.”

“So, is there a jury?” I had no clue how the vampire government ruled their nation.

“No,” Mr. Rose supplied. “The decision will be decided among the three judges—or elders, as they’re called in your world. Now, the solicitor representing St. Anne’s Academy will be Maddox Tinsley.”

Maddox had been one of the solicitors on the panel when Dad had to make a case for Sam and me to stay on base during our bloodlust quarantine instead of being admitted to Grayson Manor.

“She seemed nice when I met her,” I commented, for no apparent reason.

Dad harrumphed, and Mr. Rose’s face twisted into an are-we-talking-about-the-same-person look.

“So she’s not nice?” I asked.

“You let me worry about all this, Jo.” Mr. Rose glanced at me with confidence and control. “I’ve been handling cases for vampires for a couple of years. I know these people, how they tick, and what they’re going to do.”

I shrugged. “Okay.” I still was unsure as to why Dad hired a human to represent me.

Tripp stuck in his head. “Commander, a word, please?”

Dad disappeared with Tripp.

I pushed back my chair and walked over to the window. “I’ve never spent any time in Boston. Is that the Charles River?”

Mr. Rose spun around his chair. “Yes, it is. On the other side is Cambridge, home to some of the best colleges in the country. I’m hoping Darcy will get accepted to Harvard, but Mrs. Rose is set on her going to Boston College.”

I almost laughed. Darcy didn’t have the grades to get into Harvard. At least, I didn’t think so. She had gotten a few bad grades in English and math. Plus, Darcy had expressed her lack of interest in college in general. She wanted to go to beauty school and become a hairdresser.

Silence swirled as we both enjoyed the view. Three rowing teams were racing each other, looking majestic against the dreary backdrop of the city.

“What if they find me guilty? What happens then?” I wrapped my arms around my waist, a shiver crawling up my spine. Dad and Mr. Rose had avoided the questions when I asked them a few days ago.

“They have special places for the criminals. But, Jo, you’re not going to jail.” He rose from his chair and walked over to stand near me.

“How do you know?” I looked up at him.

“I’m the best.” He put his hands in his pockets.

“You’re also overconfident.” The words slipped.

“I am. And if you were in my shoes, you would be, too.”

“Do you know something I don’t?” I asked, still looking at him.

“Dr. Vieira has evidence that speaks to your innocence.”

My jaw dropped. Before I could get the words out of my mouth, Dad stepped back in, running his hand through his hair.

“What’s wrong?” I asked. Was Webb in trouble?

“It’s not Webb,” he said as he looked at his watch. “We found Ben.”

“Where is he?” God, I hoped he was okay.