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“Trivial details.” I waved her accusation away, kissing her again. “In the grander scheme of things, my plan worked out rather well.”
I felt her smile against my lips. “Yes, yes. You’re a genius. Congratulations.”
My phone chimed in my pocket and I groaned. “That’s probably Max again. She still hasn’t forgiven me for leaving Hunter in charge.”
“In Max’s defense, Hunter’s rule over the office sounds rather tyrannical. All that power must have gone to her head.”
I put the phone to my ear, shooting Sky a wry smile at her comment. “Max, for the last time, I’m not coming back for another two weeks–”
“You need to get back here right now.” Hunter’s voice had me straightening up, the urgency of her tone setting off alarm bells in my head.
Sky watched me quizzically as I got to my feet and pressed the phone tightly to my ear. “What happened?”
Hunter’s voice was grave. “There’s been another attack. Jeremy targeted some of our staff. Twelve of them have been found dead.”
“How? Where?” my words were strangled, fear clogging my throat. “How many more are missing?”
“Too many.” There was an edge of desperation in Hunter’s words, a pleading note that alluded to just how dire the situation had become. “People are afraid. We need you here, Jordan.”
“All right.” I lowered my phone, locking eyes with Sky who by then had picked up on my distress. “Sky, I have to go. They need me back there.”
Fear flashed in her eyes as she scrambled to her feet. “Now? But what about Jeremy? Who’s going to keep an eye on the twins while we’re gone?”
“I’mgoing back,” I emphasized, wrapping my arms around her waist. “But I can’t risk taking you with me. Jeremy has been killing vampires, my people. They need me there. But that doesn’t mean I should put you in harm’s way too.”
The manor, I knew, had strong wards around it. No unwelcome guest would be able to get close to the front door. And with Sigrid lurking on the property, nobody would want to, anyway. My mate would be far safer here in the middle of nowhere than she would be in Manhattan. Though it hurt me to leave her behind, it had to be done.
At Sky’s incredulous expression, I stood on my toes to peck a kiss to her forehead. “I know you want to be by my side for this. But you’ll be safer here—Sigrid will be able to keep watch until I get back.”
Sky looked like she wanted to argue further, but instead she shook her head and lifted my hand to her heart. “Okay. I’ll wait here. But promise me you’ll be careful out there? Promise me you’ll come back in one piece.”
“Of course I’ll come back.” I enveloped her in a tight embrace, and Sky clung to me like I was the only solid thing in a world of smoke. “I’ll always come back.”
In the depth of my heart, I hoped that I would be able to keep that promise.
Chapter 16
SKY
“Comeonyoustupidhunk of junk!” I kicked the rusty geyser with one foot, babbling a string of curses when white hot pain shot up my leg.
Jordan had been gone for only two days and already I was running into problems. I had grown so accustomed to the vampire’s presence that her sudden absence was painfully noticeable. Jordan had kept in contact as much as she could, but the anxious voice in my head continually reminded me that disaster could strike at any moment. Every dragging instant between phone calls was a tumultuous mess of uncertainty.
My fear and frustration had risen to a head when the rusting outdoor geyser started spitting out cold, dirty water. The twins needed their baby formula and I needed a hot bath, so I donned my dirtiest jeans and set out to try to fix the damned thing.
Sigrid had turned her nose up at the prospect of helping me and Jordan was too far away to offer any assistance in the matter. She didn’t even know where the geyser was, informing me over the phone to “fetch some water from the river like people did in the old days.”
Unsurprisingly, she didn’t know the location of said river either.
Which was why I found myself outside in the rain, knee-deep in mud and cursing at an inanimate object. I had managed to scout out a wrench from somewhere in the attic of the fancy establishment, but I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to use it.
“Just – give – me – hot – water!” I went for another kick, missed, and landed on my ass in the mud.
I was just about to give up and head inside when a sudden prickling fear crawled across the back of my neck.
“Ahem.”
My head snapped around fast enough to give me whiplash and I squinted at the figure standing over me. “Oh, Elijah. Hey…”
