And for the first time, Beckham’s face was illuminated in the streetlight. As she stared into Beckham’s endless dark eyes, Reyna’s gasp was audible.
His fangs were bared and he looked furious. Beyond furious.
Dangerous.
Ruthless
Deadly.
“Becks,” she whispered in horror.
But he didn’t seem to hear her. The only sound that followed was the sickening crunch as Beckham turned the vampire’s head to an unnatural angle. He fell to the ground. Dead.
Reyna’s mouth hung open. Holy shit! He had just killed for her. She couldn’t comprehend it. She was wavering in and out of consciousness. She grasped at it with straws desperate not to succumb to the darkness.
“Little One,” he said softly as he approached her. She watched him suck in a deep breath and then hold it as he bent down toward her. He scooped her up in his arms as if she weighed nothing.
“Everett,” she mumbled.
Beckham sighed and then nodded. He would take care of it. He didn’t even have to say a word.
“Thank you,” she whispered before darkness carried her under.
* * *
—
Reyna awoke to find herself laid out on soft cushions. Her body ached everywhere, and she had a splitting headache. As she tried to sit up, she groaned. A hand rested on her shoulder to lay her back down.
“Take it easy,” Beckham said.
She peeled her eyes open. Beckham was sitting next to her on the couch in the living room of his penthouse.
“Becks,” she said, her voice raspy.
She had never been this happy to see him. She couldn’t believe that she was here right now, that he had followed her, that he had saved her. All she wanted to do was reach up and run her hand down his beautiful face and apologize for ever doubting him. Her gratitude was beyond measure. In his eyes, she no longer saw the monster who had snapped the vampire’s neck in half, but a man searching her for signs of distress. A man who may have chosen to take a Permanent Subject against his will, but would no less take care of her for it.
Beckham averted his own searching gaze and reached over to the table for a glass of water. “Drink something.”
She took it without complaint and managed a few sips. “You saved my life,” she said, swallowing back the emotions threatening to take over.
“You were supposed to stay safe.”
Reyna didn’t know what possessed her to do it, but this time when the need to touch him took over, she didn’t suppress it. She reached her hand out to his face and placed it gently against his cheek. His skin was cool to the touch. Yet she felt like she was burning up. Whether from the life-threatening experience or the growing shift in what his nearness did to her, she didn’t know.
“Becks,” she repeated softly.
He turned his head away from her hand, refusing to look at her. “I lost control,” he said gruffly. “You shouldn’t have had to see that.”
“You saved my life.”
She wasn’t sure what part of that wasn’t clear to him. She could have died out there. She was so close to dying, and he had come in and saved her. Everything that had been foggy before was now clear. She didn’t need to fear Beckham. He wasn’t going to hurt her, and she needed to start to trust him. He wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to protect her if he was going to hurt her himself.
“You shouldn’t have even been in that position,” Beckham said. “You were in the club and then suddenly you were gone.”
“You followed me?”
He met her gaze again. “You were lucky I did. Otherwise I never would have found you when I did.”
“Yes. I was very lucky,” she whispered.
It was easy to remember the horrible way the vampire had approached her. The way he had fed on Everett. The way he had come after her.
“What happened to Everett?” She sat up quickly at the realization and her vision blurred. She put her hand to her head and moaned, relaxing back into the cushions.
“You need to rest, Reyna. Everett has been taken to the hospital. He lost a lot of blood and needs a transfusion. I had my medical team look at you and him, and then after we bandaged you up, they took him.”
She touched the back of her head where she had been pushed into the dumpster. There was a large square bandage in place.
“How long have I been out?”
“About a half hour. We had to stop the bleeding.” He reached back and touched her head tenderly.
The bleeding. Her blood. What had the other vampire said about her blood? Of all the strange things that had happened tonight whatever that thing had said about her blood made the least amount of sense.
“Beckham, that vampire…he said something weird.” He arched an eyebrow at her in question. “He said that my blood smelled good…like the nectar of the gods and that he’d heard of blood like mine.”
“You were probably just delirious and are remembering wrong,” Beckham said.
“No,” she insisted. She remembered that. She swore she did. “I wasn’t delirious. He said my blood smelled different.”
“He was starving. A pathetic vagabond, who refuses to get into the new system. I’m sure your blood smelled like life itself to him.”
Reyna bit her lip and stared up at Beckham under thick dark lashes. “It didn’t smell any different to you?”
Beckham paused for a moment before speaking. “No.”
She remembered how he had inhaled deeply when he had gotten close to her, and then didn’t say anything, as if he was holding his breath. It had to mean something. But why would he lie to her? What could he gain from that?
“Okay,” she finally muttered. “When can I see Everett? I need to make sure he’s okay. He was only out there because of me in the first place.”
“Tomorrow,” he said decidedly. “The transfusion takes a couple hours, and he’ll need to rest. Like you, Little One.”
Reyna slumped back against the pillows. “This is all my fault,” she murmured. “If I hadn’t gone into that alley this would have never happened.”
“Why did you go in the first place?”
He looked none too pleased, but Reyna realized this was the first conversation they’d had where they hadn’t argued. This almost felt…normal.
But his question brought up a whole new wave of emotions. She remembered all too well what had drawn her out of the club and led her to that alley. She had been so desperate to get away from Everett and the intimate look on his face. She was confused with why her mind kept drifting back to Beckham instead of the cute boy in front of her that she had just run.
“Little One?” he prodded.
She looked at him tentatively. “I was thinking of you.”
Beckham stiffened under her gaze. She knew she wasn’t hiding her emotions. Her heart was fluttering in her chest and against her throat. In that moment, her eyes were a window to her soul, and she knew that he could translate what she was thinking.
“How?” he finally asked.
Reyna’s blush deepened.
He reached forward and touched her dark hair, which had fallen out of its updo. His fingers threaded through the strands, careful not to touch the knot on the back of her head. Beckham was normally rough and demanding, but here he was so gentle. His thumb ran along the inside of her neck.
“That blush is dangerous,” he growled, clearly trying to restrain himself.
His fangs were bared and he looked furious. Beyond furious.
Dangerous.
Ruthless
Deadly.
“Becks,” she whispered in horror.
But he didn’t seem to hear her. The only sound that followed was the sickening crunch as Beckham turned the vampire’s head to an unnatural angle. He fell to the ground. Dead.
Reyna’s mouth hung open. Holy shit! He had just killed for her. She couldn’t comprehend it. She was wavering in and out of consciousness. She grasped at it with straws desperate not to succumb to the darkness.
“Little One,” he said softly as he approached her. She watched him suck in a deep breath and then hold it as he bent down toward her. He scooped her up in his arms as if she weighed nothing.
“Everett,” she mumbled.
Beckham sighed and then nodded. He would take care of it. He didn’t even have to say a word.
“Thank you,” she whispered before darkness carried her under.
* * *
—
Reyna awoke to find herself laid out on soft cushions. Her body ached everywhere, and she had a splitting headache. As she tried to sit up, she groaned. A hand rested on her shoulder to lay her back down.
“Take it easy,” Beckham said.
She peeled her eyes open. Beckham was sitting next to her on the couch in the living room of his penthouse.
“Becks,” she said, her voice raspy.
She had never been this happy to see him. She couldn’t believe that she was here right now, that he had followed her, that he had saved her. All she wanted to do was reach up and run her hand down his beautiful face and apologize for ever doubting him. Her gratitude was beyond measure. In his eyes, she no longer saw the monster who had snapped the vampire’s neck in half, but a man searching her for signs of distress. A man who may have chosen to take a Permanent Subject against his will, but would no less take care of her for it.
Beckham averted his own searching gaze and reached over to the table for a glass of water. “Drink something.”
She took it without complaint and managed a few sips. “You saved my life,” she said, swallowing back the emotions threatening to take over.
“You were supposed to stay safe.”
Reyna didn’t know what possessed her to do it, but this time when the need to touch him took over, she didn’t suppress it. She reached her hand out to his face and placed it gently against his cheek. His skin was cool to the touch. Yet she felt like she was burning up. Whether from the life-threatening experience or the growing shift in what his nearness did to her, she didn’t know.
“Becks,” she repeated softly.
He turned his head away from her hand, refusing to look at her. “I lost control,” he said gruffly. “You shouldn’t have had to see that.”
“You saved my life.”
She wasn’t sure what part of that wasn’t clear to him. She could have died out there. She was so close to dying, and he had come in and saved her. Everything that had been foggy before was now clear. She didn’t need to fear Beckham. He wasn’t going to hurt her, and she needed to start to trust him. He wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to protect her if he was going to hurt her himself.
“You shouldn’t have even been in that position,” Beckham said. “You were in the club and then suddenly you were gone.”
“You followed me?”
He met her gaze again. “You were lucky I did. Otherwise I never would have found you when I did.”
“Yes. I was very lucky,” she whispered.
It was easy to remember the horrible way the vampire had approached her. The way he had fed on Everett. The way he had come after her.
“What happened to Everett?” She sat up quickly at the realization and her vision blurred. She put her hand to her head and moaned, relaxing back into the cushions.
“You need to rest, Reyna. Everett has been taken to the hospital. He lost a lot of blood and needs a transfusion. I had my medical team look at you and him, and then after we bandaged you up, they took him.”
She touched the back of her head where she had been pushed into the dumpster. There was a large square bandage in place.
“How long have I been out?”
“About a half hour. We had to stop the bleeding.” He reached back and touched her head tenderly.
The bleeding. Her blood. What had the other vampire said about her blood? Of all the strange things that had happened tonight whatever that thing had said about her blood made the least amount of sense.
“Beckham, that vampire…he said something weird.” He arched an eyebrow at her in question. “He said that my blood smelled good…like the nectar of the gods and that he’d heard of blood like mine.”
“You were probably just delirious and are remembering wrong,” Beckham said.
“No,” she insisted. She remembered that. She swore she did. “I wasn’t delirious. He said my blood smelled different.”
“He was starving. A pathetic vagabond, who refuses to get into the new system. I’m sure your blood smelled like life itself to him.”
Reyna bit her lip and stared up at Beckham under thick dark lashes. “It didn’t smell any different to you?”
Beckham paused for a moment before speaking. “No.”
She remembered how he had inhaled deeply when he had gotten close to her, and then didn’t say anything, as if he was holding his breath. It had to mean something. But why would he lie to her? What could he gain from that?
“Okay,” she finally muttered. “When can I see Everett? I need to make sure he’s okay. He was only out there because of me in the first place.”
“Tomorrow,” he said decidedly. “The transfusion takes a couple hours, and he’ll need to rest. Like you, Little One.”
Reyna slumped back against the pillows. “This is all my fault,” she murmured. “If I hadn’t gone into that alley this would have never happened.”
“Why did you go in the first place?”
He looked none too pleased, but Reyna realized this was the first conversation they’d had where they hadn’t argued. This almost felt…normal.
But his question brought up a whole new wave of emotions. She remembered all too well what had drawn her out of the club and led her to that alley. She had been so desperate to get away from Everett and the intimate look on his face. She was confused with why her mind kept drifting back to Beckham instead of the cute boy in front of her that she had just run.
“Little One?” he prodded.
She looked at him tentatively. “I was thinking of you.”
Beckham stiffened under her gaze. She knew she wasn’t hiding her emotions. Her heart was fluttering in her chest and against her throat. In that moment, her eyes were a window to her soul, and she knew that he could translate what she was thinking.
“How?” he finally asked.
Reyna’s blush deepened.
He reached forward and touched her dark hair, which had fallen out of its updo. His fingers threaded through the strands, careful not to touch the knot on the back of her head. Beckham was normally rough and demanding, but here he was so gentle. His thumb ran along the inside of her neck.
“That blush is dangerous,” he growled, clearly trying to restrain himself.
