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He searched my face. “You’re looking for a miracle, Jill.”
I nodded. “Every damn day, actually.”
His expression darkened, and any trace of humor that had previously touched there vanished to nothing. “You know very well that Carson said this serum’s effects are permanent.”
“And Carson never lied about anything else?” I pointed out. “Because I think he lied to you about pretty much everything for your entire life.”
He hissed out a breath. “I don’t know.”
I took it as a small win. “Exactly. You don’t know what the future holds, and neither do I. For the record, though, I don’t believe anything’s ever completely permanent. Especially not this.”
With that, I went up on my tiptoes and pressed my lips against his. He didn’t push me away, but he didn’t allow himself to fully kiss me back, either. I could taste him, I could feel him, I could touch him. But I couldn’t really be with him.
At least, not at this very moment.
But I had plenty of patience when it came to Declan. And a generous splash of optimism.
For such a tough-looking man, one you might not want to run into in a dark alley, one who looked like he could kill someone with his bare hands—and Declan definitely could—I literally ached for him. But it was an ache that would have to go untended. Like he said, he was like a robot right now—virtually emotionless and without the distraction of lust or desire. Too bad. They were very worthy distractions.
His gray eye held an edge of regret when I pulled back from him. “I’m sorry, Jill.”
“Don’t be sorry,” I told him.
“Fair enough.” He nodded curtly. “And try not to doubt Jackson too much. Even an alpha douchebag like him can be an asset when he wants to be. Now, let’s go see this scientist and get a cure for you, so you can forget all about this nightmare once and for all, and finally get back to your normal life. Okay?”
I tried to meet his gaze again, but he’d already turned away from me.
“Okay,” I replied softly.
Without another word, Declan pushed open the warehouse door and walked through to join Jackson on the other side. But his message had been clear. He meant that I could forget about him. Because Declan Reyes, dhampyr vampire hunter, someone with scars deeper than only physical, fully believed that he had no place in my regular human life.
And that realization completely broke my heart.
But that was a subject for another day. For now, it was time to get on with this one.
I wasn’t sure what I expected to see on the other side of the nondescript door that allegedly led to a secret research facility, but I couldn’t say that I was terribly impressed.
It looked like nothing more spectacular than an abandoned warehouse the size of a football field. Cement floors. Piles of boxes—cardboard and large wooden ones. Strewn garbage. Steel pillars reached up to the roof three stories above my head. And a whole lot of empty space.
“No guards?” I asked, and my voice sounded so loud and echoey that it made me jump.
Damn paranoia.
“Not up here,” Jackson replied. “But there are security cameras everywhere and all areas are monitored. Not very many people know this place exists, and anyone authorized to work here is thoroughly screened and background-checked. The elevator only works for those who know the code.”
“You know the code?” Declan asked.
“Got it memorized.” Jackson tapped his temple and then raised his brow at me. “Feel better now?”
I scanned the empty warehouse, unable to locate a single security camera, but I knew that didn’t mean anything. They could be well hidden. “Not really,” I admitted.
“You’re free to leave,” he said, gesturing toward the door. “Exit stage left.”
That was definitely an option. But it was an option I knew I wasn’t going to take.
“No, we’re good,” I said. “Lead the way.”
“Follow me.” Jackson walked toward an elevator to our right, partially hidden behind a stack of cardboard boxes. There was a keypad to the side of it and he punched in a code. I tried to see it, and memorize it, but his fingers moved far too quickly.
