Chapter 29

“Kinsley.”

My name was spoken so softly, I had trouble distinguishing if I’d heard or dreamt it.

“I need you to wake up for a few minutes.”

I opened my eyes to see Emil leaning over me. I licked dry lips and the taste on my tongue brought it all back. I was awake now. “Did it work?” My throat was so dry I could barely get the words out.

He nodded. “Yes, the poison is gone.” He sat down beside me.

I processed that. “Good.” Inhaling, I checked that my stomach was going to behave now. “I’m going to have to find that guy.”

Emil smirked, “retribution later.” He said quietly, “right now we need to heal that.” His eyes flicked to my arm.

I lifted it. The pain brought it all back again. “It’s not bleeding.”

He shook his head, “no, I sealed the outside, but the inside needs healing.”

I nodded, not able to understand what he was saying. “Tell me it doesn’t require any more elixirs.”

His soft chuckle broke the silence of the room. “No. Just some blood.” He winked at me.

“Right.” I tried to sit up, my head thrummed with pain. Wincing, I put my head back down. “I think I’m a little dehydrated.”

Reaching beside me, he lifted a cup. “Here, take a few sips.” He lifted my heavy head with one hand and held the cup near my lips.

I took a small sip and realized it was some sort of tea. I wasn’t fond of mint, but right now if it got rid of the nasty taste in my mouth, I would drink the whole thing.

Lowering my head back down, he stood up and pulled his shirt over his head.

I glanced everywhere but his body, to try to hide my awkward feelings. There was no one else in the room. “Is everyone all right? Leone’s leg?” I tried to remember more. “Was the cut on Quinton poisoned too?”

He picked up one of his switch blades off the table. “Everyone else is fine.” He stood there, towering over me giving me a look I couldn’t solve. “Quinton’s cut healed immediately.”

I swallowed nervously, “good.” I blew out a breath, silently cursing myself for acting like a schoolgirl that had never been around a man without a shirt before.

Emil smirked and lay down beside me.

That didn’t help me feel any more comfortable.

“It’s all strange.” He said softly, forcing me to angle my head and look right at him.

His face was scant inches from my face. I nodded in a jerky motion. “Yeah.”

“I’m sure you’ll feel better after this.” He lifted the blade, “shall we?”

I appreciated he was trying to keep this clinical, however my heart dancing inside my chest wasn’t allowing me to be that cool. In a smooth move, he dragged the blade over his skin and pulled me closer. I didn’t pause to regret that he’d marred such a nice chest, I eagerly closed my mouth over the gash and took his blood into my body. As it sealed, I went to lift my head.

“Once more.” He said in a gravelly voice.

I had no objections at all. Just the small amount I’d taken had eased the pounding in my head. I licked over the second cut to make sure it left no scar. “Thank you.” I said softly, again not sure of what one should do in a situation like this. I looked back up at him. Red eyes met mine. I licked over the fangs in my mouth.

“Feed.” He said as his eyes locked on my own.

I didn’t hesitate. After blood loss it was hard to control the urge to feed and being up against his naked chest seemed to make it worse. Later when I could control my own body, I’d have to figure out why I’d never had these other urges while feeding, like I did now. It had to be the mate thing. If that was the case, how did mates ever leave one another’s side?

Pulling my head back, Emil crushed my mouth with his own. He seemed to be starving in the same ways I was. I used my grip on his hair to pull my body up and closer to his, not wanting him to find a reason to stop.

Struggling to breathe, I looked at him when he ripped his mouth from mine.

“I have to taste you.” He growled as his hot breath hit my throat.

I couldn’t have uttered a word to save my life, I tipped my head back giving him access. When his fangs pierced the skin, I moaned in a way I’d only ever done when the situation was sexual.

His hot tongue moved over the wound, then he crushed me against his chest and held me there.

I don’t know how long we laid there like this. I was in no hurry to move and he seemed to be on the same page as I was.

A knock on the door startled us both to move apart.

“Yes?” Emil’s voice was almost deafening after the long silence.

“A heads up, Mr. Hinton is on his way up.” Leone called through the door.

I almost flipped off the other side of the bed, I moved so fast.

Emil got up and held his hand out to tell me to stay put. “Thanks.” He said loud enough Leone would hear.

I watched him pull his shirt back on and move to turn the light on. I looked down and checked that I was decent. I had no idea whose shirt I was wearing. “I’m suddenly twelve again and getting caught kissing a boy in the barn.” I whispered.

He glanced at me over his shoulder as he went to the door, one eyebrow raised, “we’ll discuss this boy in the barn later.” He opened the door and left it open.

Leone glanced in a nodded. “Guess we’re blood now, huh?”

I remembered he’d had to give me blood. “Thanks for that.”

He shrugged, “anytime.” He looked toward the stairs. “At least there’s no bond that way.”

I looked to Emil, and then gave Leone a quick smile. “Yeah.”

“Enforcer.”

I blew out a quick breath when I heard my father's voice.

“I’m sorry for breaking protocol and asking to come…”

“It’s understandable.” Leone replied and motioned to come in the room.

I sat straighter as soon as he walked in. “Dad?”

He assessed me as he walked toward me. “I was with Ellis when he got the call from his brother.” He looked at Leone. “I just needed to see, with my own eyes, that she is fine.”

I slid to the end of the bed and got up. Touching my shoulder, I looked down to see there was only a slight red mark now.

“May I suggest chain mail be placed in her sleeves?” My dad said to Emil with a smirk.

Emil glanced at me, amusement in his eyes. “It might be a wise idea.”

Leone snorted, “you’re going to be exhausted if you have to heal her twice a day.” He chuckled, “I know how tiring it is.”

I gave him a look that said stop talking, then watched my father raise both eyebrows and look at me. “I’m fine.” I said quickly. I turned to Leone, “did my tracker work?”

Leone nodded. “Yeah, we know where it is.” He pulled something out of his pocket and held it up, “and this, they’re making it there, is the main component for the illegal porters and stabilizers.”

A breath of relief whooshed out of my mouth. “Great.” I glanced from one man to the other. “When do we go shut it down?”

Emil cleared his throat. “Tomorrow.” He left no room for comment with that.

Leone nodded, “we have a team watching it now.” He motioned to my arm, “they’re prepared for us, so we need to come up with a good plan to get in and out without injuries.”

“Can’t we just take a pill or something that will prevent that poison from working?” I wanted to get back there as soon as possible and find that idiot that had been the cause of my having to drink that stuff.

Emil and Leone exchanged a look.

“That’s a good question.” Leone pulled out his phone. “Everyone is down in the solarium,” he glanced to my father, “go down and grab something to eat.” Turning he walked out the door with his phone against his ear.

I felt even more awkward.

“You should eat.” Emil said.

“I’ll head back to the farm.” My father smirked at me, “I think it’s best we leave out the details of your day for your mother.”

I cringed, “yes. Good idea.”

With an abrupt nod to me, he turned and bowed his head to Emil. “I will see myself back to the foyer. Ellis is waiting for me there.”

I nodded. “I’ll call you later.”

“Thank you.” He inclined his head to Emil again.

Emil said nothing, just gave him a quick nod as reply.

I didn’t move or speak until I could hear his boots on the stairs. “Well.” I looked at Emil. “I’m going to…”

Emil moved over to stand in front of me. “If I asked you to sit out when we breach of that building, would you?”

I had to give him points for asking and not trying to make it an order. “No.”

His blue eyes searched my face for a moment. “Fair enough, but please stay with your guards.”

I gave him a bored look. “I am a guard.”

He shook his head as he walked over and picked up his jacket. “Not anymore.”