Hupotasso (Vampire Bachelor Games #2)

45

45

My heart’s breaking as he walks into the room and looks at me with gentle concern, but like a robot, I do as I’m ordered — I can’t do otherwise.

“Why do you cry?” Jag asks as he strides towards the bed where I sit, head in hands, sobbing.

The sobs, at least, are real. I don’t want to do what I have to do.

“If it’s for Eleanor,” he says gently, “dry your eyes. I’m sure she’s going to pull through. She’s been through worse.”

“It’s not that,” I shake my head.

“Is it the Russian? You don’t need to fear Spider’s minion any longer. Viper killed her.”

‘Of course he did. Tatyana might have revealed to Falcon that I was under Viper’s control. He couldn’t have that.’

My heart soars at the news Tatyana’s dead. But killing her doesn’t free me. Only Viper’s death can do that.

“Where is Viper?”

“Falcon ordered him to leave the castle for an indefinite period of time when he learned that Tatyana had been invited here to torture you.”

He reaches out and squeezes my shoulder.

“Why didn’t you say something? To me, at least?”

I can’t tell him that I’ve been gagged, so I try another tack.

“You haven’t been here,” I sigh. “And when you came back the words just wouldn’t come. I wish to God I could have told you, Jag, told anyone…”

I begin to feel a choking sensation, and clearing my throat I quickly change the subject. In the past when I’ve inched too close to breaking my vow I’ve actually felt like I was suffocating. It’s terrifying.

“Where’s Falcon?” I cough.

“The hospital,” he sighs. “I expect he isn’t going to leave until he knows Eleanor’s in the all-clear. She’s been resuscitated three times already. Mostly, though, I believe he feels completely exposed knowing she was harmed while under his roof. He feels responsible, and he’s not going to trust anything but Fort Knox-level security now. He’ll be busy personally putting that in place, if I know Falcon.”

I sigh. Once upon a time I’d been the recipient of his security and care, when I’d been in hospital. But that had all been smoke and mirrors. Just lies for The Games; he never cared for me.

I shake my head as Jag walks to the drinks cabinet and raises a glass, offering me a drink. If I start, I might not stop, and I’m going to need my wits about me to complete my task. Also, lately I’ve been overly emotional and feeling nauseous, and I need no further triggers, such as alcohol, to induce that. Last night had been, without exception, one of the most upsetting since my arrival.

The blue lights and the sound of a helicopter had woken me.

If I hadn’t been dividing my sleeping locations between the sitting room and all the other bedrooms and small unoccupied rooms I could find, I wouldn’t have even noticed the drama. The walls are very thick in this castle and my wing is quite isolated. But I’d stumbled back to the small sitting room in my wing after Viper had told me what he wanted and fallen into an instant catatonic slumber on the red velvet settee.

When I’d seen the blue lights in the trade car park at the back of the castle I knew something terrible must have happened. Vampires don’t go to human hospitals. Only humans do. And the only humans I knew of, apart from the staff, were Falcon’s mistresses and his mother. I assumed an injured staff member wouldn’t warrant a medical evacuation by air, or the sheer chaos that was happening in the car park. So, donning a robe, I’d left my wing to investigate — and walked into a blood bath.

Fortunately, in the time it had taken me to get to Eleanor’s room and push through the staff and medics to witness what had occurred, Asumpta had already cleared me of any involvement, despite Viper’s assertion that I was responsible.

I don’t know why she’d defended me; she’d made it clear many times that she hated me as much as the rest of the family. At Viper’s pointed glare I’d done what I was told and asserted I’d issued the invitation. But Asumpta ignored me and firmly reiterated I was not responsible for inviting Tatyana because I’d told her weeks ago I had no idea who Viper’s anticipated guest was.

Viper and Asumpta argued then, a violent argument, and Jag had to separate them and order Viper to leave the room.

Then Tatyana’s severed arm had been studied and Jag had announced the bite marks were clear as day, despite all the blood.

But it wasn’t the arm, the fight, or Tatyana that drew my attention.

I couldn’t take my eyes off Falcon.

Devastated is the only way I can describe him.

As his mother was pulled from his arms by the medics, his expression became one of a lost little boy. Every atom of my body urged me to run to him and wrap him in my embrace and tell him everything was going to be alright.

Instead, I’d turned and walked back to my wing. Falcon would find no comfort in my arms, just as I would not, could not , find any in his.

And now, despite everything, I had to continue Viper’s repulsive plan and put another nail in Falcon’s metaphorical coffin as Jag returns to sit beside me.

“I’m so lost, Jag, so lost,” I murmur through my fingers.

“You’re not lost,” he sighs. “Everything will soon be put to rights. Angelina, Falcon learned something else when his mother was hurt.”

I shake my head.

“I don’t care what he learned, Jag. I can’t deny it any longer.”

Sighing, he takes my hands from my face and I lean across and rest my head against his chest.

“Can’t deny what?” He murmurs, his arms enclosing me naturally, as I knew they would. As Viper knew they would.

I raise my tear-stained face to his.

“That I love you. I love you , Jag.”

He looks down into my eyes, his own full of surprise and pain, and shakes his head.

“This is wrong,” he whispers. “You can’t, we can’t…”

“I know,” I groan, clinging tightly to him. “I’m married to your best friend. But he hates me, Jag, and these past few months I’ve come to realise that you and I, we have a bond. We share something, something special…”

“No,” he groans as I lean up and press my lips to his.

“You’re the only one who believes in me, who’s always believed in me,” I whisper against his lips, “the only one I trust. You’re the only one, Jag,”

“God forgive me,” he murmurs as I pull him on top of me. “I love you too, Angie.”