“I first saw you late one Friday night. You were walking back from one of those dreadful clubs they had back then. With him.”
Callum.
Peter mumbled something that Jesse didn’t catch. “You were so beautiful. You captured my interest like nothing I’d seen in all my years. All sharp angles and lean limbs. And you were so full of laughter.”Because I was happy. “I watched you for months.”
“Months?” Jesse’s voice came out rough, ragged, as the words sank in. “I thought our first meeting was an accident.” Jesse had been drunkenly wandering the dark alleys on his way back from a bar, hoping someone would put him out of his misery. And then as if reading his mind, Peter had appeared, offering him a way to escape.
“No.” For once Peter’s voice was absent any mocking tone. “The more I watched, the more I wanted. But I knew you’d never leave him. Not willing anyway.” He paused, and Jesse wanted to tell him to stop, didn’t want to hear what he knew Peter was going to say, but he couldn’t find his voice. “So I did what I had to do.”
“Youkilled Callum.” Jesse’s fingers gripped the sheets on the mattress so tightly, the material tore.
“No. But a few encouraging words in the right ears, and it took care of itself.”
Rage built inside him, so strong Jesse shook with it. “All these years you let me believe he died because of what we were to each other.”
“He did,” Peter hissed. “The men who killed him were more than willing, believe me.”
“But you made it happen. Callum died because he was in your fucking way.” Jesse sprang off the bed and grabbed hold of the bars at the front of his cell, barely registering the effect of the iron. “You took away the man I loved and then stepped in when I was broken, offering me the one thing you knew I needed most.”
Escape.
He’d wanted to end his life, and Peter had offered him a way out. Jesse remembered a huge part of him had hoped it wouldn’t take, that he’d never wake up again. But he had, and Peter— He closed his eyes, swaying as the full horror dawned on him. “I hate you,” he whispered. All those months spent in Peter’s bed, in his arms, taking comfort from the very person who’d killed Callum.
Jesse would throw up if he could.
“Hate can’t last forever, Jesse.” Peter’s voice had taken on a soft lilt, meant to soothe, but it fanned the fire in Jesse’s belly. “Eventually you’ll come to understand, to see that we’re meant to be together. I can wait for as long as it takes.”
He’s insane.
The thought had crossed Jesse’s mind a couple of times before, but he’d never really believed it until now.
Peter would never stop.
If the VLCD didn’t kill him, Peter would serve his time, and then be set free to terrorise Jesse for all eternity. Just like sires used to do in older times.
Unless you kill him.Peter’s words came back to him and Jesse returned to his seat on the bed, ignoring Peter’s attempts at further conversation as his mind began to put things together.
When a guard appeared a few hours later with their blood ration, Jesse stood and walked over to collect it. Time to test if he was allowed visitors or not.
“I’d like to see Raphael.”
TWO GUARDS WAITED outside the door to the interview room, guns lowered, but they kept their gazes trained on Ian and Raph as they passed.
“The door stays open,” one of them said.
“Of course,” Raph replied, as though he expected nothing less.
Ian felt as though he should be sweating, he was so nervous, but his palms remained frustratingly dry.
“You okay?” Raph murmured, and Ian gave a quick nod in return.
He’d glutted himself on blood earlier, and although being surrounded by humans wasn’t ideal—they still smelled good to him—as long as their blood stayed inside their bodies, he felt as though he could handle it.
For now anyway.
The room consisted of a large rectangular table and four chairs. Nothing else.
Cate sat at the far side of the table with Blake next to her, holding her hand. They were both staring at Ian, and he stopped just inside the room, not sure whether to stay where he was or risk taking a seat opposite them. “Hey,” he said. “Is it okay if I sit?” He gestured towards the chairs, then felt foolish because, where else did they think he meant?
