Page 35

Then I only had one thought.

Leia.

Fear flung me into motion, and fear wasn’t something I was familiar with. People were afraid of me, but I was never afraid. Only now I was. What had these fuckers done to Leia? Was she still alive? Had I been too late—had one of them drawn blood and claimed her?

My throat dried at that thought. I stood to lose everything because of my own stupidity. I never should have brought Leia here. An unclaimed virgin? My mate? I hadn’t even fucking claimed her, and I’d trusted other vampires to abide by rules of honor and respectability? I was the dumb fucker. Total fucking screw up. And I’d fucking believed fucking Francois.

Fuck.

I exhaled a hissed breath as I raced back to where I’d left her. The image of Leia almost getting fed on—maybe even about to get her throat ripped out by little New Orleans vampires—was still front and center in my head. And I hadn’t been there. I’d misplaced my faith when I put it in Francois, and I wouldn’t make that mistake again.

More than anger, something territorial clutched me, something… I hesitated, almost unwilling to identify it. Something protective. But then I shook my head. Of course, I was protective—my whole fucking future depended on not letting Leia get killed or claimed by anyone else.

I arrived back where I’d left Leia to find Jason kneeling protectively at her side. No one was really paying much attention to one more passed out person on the streets of New Orleans, especially with Jason right there. He definitely gave off the air that he had the situation all under control.

“How is she?” I all but skidded to a stop next to them.

He patted her hand. “Mumbling a bit. In and out.”

As if she’d heard my voice, her eyes snapped open, and she started to scream. The sound began quietly but grew louder and higher pitched until I leaned over her, looking into her eyes.

“You need to sleep,” I murmured. “Sleep and forget this.”

As I spoke, repeating the soothing words, her scream died away, her eyes closed once more, and her tense muscles relaxed.

Shit. I was an asshole. Using compulsion on my mate? But I didn’t know how else to calm her. She didn’t trust me yet, and I needed her mind whole. She’d just seen literal monsters, ones she shouldn’t even know existed. They’d almost killed her, and I couldn’t let them live in her thoughts. She needed to sleep. Both sleep and to forget as I’d commanded.

“I need to get her back to the helicopter.” I reached for her, but Jason lifted his hand.

“Uh, you’ve got something on your face, Nic.” He made as if to point out where on his own face then just made a circular motion over the whole thing. “Kind of…there.”

I lifted my finger and swiped it down my cheek. It came away slick and red. “Well, shit.” I couldn’t exactly go marching back through The Neutral Zone carrying my mate and wearing the blood of my enemies.

I wiped the sleeve of my jacket over my skin, but Jason shook his head.

“I think you’re just making it worse.” He stood and shrugged his own jacket off. “Here, swap with me. I’m on clean up duty anyway, right?”

I nodded. “Although it wasn’t meant to go down like this. You get rid of the bodies. I’ll take Leia home.” I looked at her face and an exhale gusted out of me, regret both uncomfortable and unfamiliar. “I shouldn’t have brought her. But what were my options? I only trust you with her, and I needed you with me. Give me a call when you’re done here?”

He grimaced, sucking in air between his teeth. “How many pieces did you leave them in?”

Leia groaned.

“Oh, putting them back together would require an instruction manual and tools.” My words were for Jason, but my attention was entirely on Leia.

Jason stood from his crouch and shrugged his jacket off before handing it to me and taking my blood dampened one in return.

“We’re very lucky you favor black clothing,” he grumbled.

I ground my teeth a little as I looked at Leia. “She’s wearing gray, though.”

“Be careful how you pick her up. Keep her held against you in case there’s blood transfer.” He shrugged. “Vampirism should come with a how-to guide.”

Usually, Jason’s ridiculous comments amused me, but not right now. I reached for Leia and drew her into my arms, settling her against me. I’d have to walk through The Neutral Zone, and Francois definitely had cameras, but he also knew I was protective of Leia, so this shouldn’t look too odd. Or I could just say Bourbon Street had been too much for her. I slipped her shoes off and let them dangle from one of my fingers, like any man trying to make his mate comfortable.

“Call me.” I flung the words over my shoulder as Jason melted into the shadows and I strode toward the restaurant, the most vital thing in my life in my arms.

I didn’t take the main door into The Neutral Zone. Every diner in the place didn’t need to see Leia asleep as I carried her. I took a side entrance closer to the stairs that would eventually lead to the roof instead.