Well, that kind of hurt. She didn’t know why, but it stung.“What do you mean you don’t know?”
“We don’t know. Maxwells have, as far as we know, one mateonly that can save us from the curse of death. I don’t know if it’s genetics,fate, or a combination, Ivy, but you’re it for me. I know it, and I think youknow it, too.”
He’d only kissed her three times throughout the years. Shewasn’t ugly. She knew it. She might not be movie-star glamorous, but she wasdecent to look at. “Don’t you want sex?” she asked.
Finally, an expression filtered through his eyes. It was allflash and heat and gone as quickly as it had arrived. Every nerve she hadjumped around in her body, landing low in her abdomen. Warning hissed throughher, and she stilled out of instinct.
“Are you asking for sex, darlin’?” he asked, his slightScottish brogue melding with what sounded like a place where cowboys lived. Washe now a cowboy?
“No.” She tossed her head. She might be the world’slongest-living virgin, but there was no way she’d beg any man for sex, even theonly one who could give it to her. “Of course, not.” And yet, curiosity hadalways been her bane. “But I have to ask, don’t you miss it?” She couldn’timagine that he’d been a virgin for the hundred and fifty years he’d livedbefore he found her.
“Of course, I miss sex,” he said, pinching the bridge of hisnose as if he were getting a headache.
“Then why? Why have you never made a move?” She liked recentvernacular and was more than happy to use it.
He looked at her then, his gaze blazing, tension rolling offhim in fiery-hot waves and heating the car’s interior. “Because you didn’t havea choice in becoming my mate.”
She paused. All these years, she’d thought he wasn’tinterested. She hadn’t given any consideration to any other reasons. “You savedmy life.”
“Again, you didn’t have a choice in that,” he admitted. “Andyou were young, scared, and fresh. You needed to live your life and discoveryour strength.”
She’d appreciated not only the freedom but also thefinancial support to explore. However, she could support herself now, and shewas ready to actually live. “Why are you here, Athan?” she asked. “Why,really?”
He sighed. “I need blood, Ivy, and per our agreement, you’regoing to give it to me.”
Her head shot up, and she opened her mouth to say something,anything that would teach him that she was no longer his to play with. She hadher own mind and life, and she either wanted to know everything or she wantedout.
Just then, an explosion rocked the car, and they flew intothe air. Her head hit the roof, and sparks blazed through her skull. Then…nothing.
Chapter Three
Glass sliced into Athan’s face, and he pivoted instantly totake Ivy down to the floor of the car. She’d hit her head already and wasn’tmoving. Fury lanced through him. He lifted his head, barking out orders for hisyounger brother, Klyde, who was driving the vehicle. A series of bulletsimpacted the glass, and Klyde fell sideways with the car careening toward whatlooked like a coffee shop.
Growling, Athan jumped up and leaped through the partitionbetween the front and back seats as glass sliced his neck. He landed in thefront seat and pivoted, shoving Klyde out of the way so he could grab the wheeland yank it to the side to avoid hitting two women who were scrambling to getaway from their table.
Back on the road, he drove rapidly, trying to find theenemy’s location. They weren’t above him, so they must have been on thesidewalk, which meant he could outrun them. He careened around a corner whilepulling his phone from his back pocket and punching the gas. Tersely, he barkedorders to any of his men in the area, still searching for the enemy.
Two motorcycles rode up behind him, and both riders startedfiring green lasers—immortal weapons that’d turn into raw steel the instantthey hit flesh.
He glanced behind himself to make sure Ivy was still down.She wasn’t moving, but at least she was out of the line of fire. So, heconcentrated fully on the two enemies and their supercharged bikes. They wereon unmarked black motorcycles with helmets, and both looked tall and broad,though he couldn’t determine their species. A minivan and Town Car were infront of him, so he let them slow him down enough.
The guy on the left quickly approached, and Athan spunaround and nicked him with his back bumper. The attacker flew off themotorcycle and through the window of what looked like a shoe store.
Athan spun around a corner to see two of his soldierscareening his way, both on bikes. The only way to handle Los Angeles trafficwas on motorcycles. He spun again and let the men ride past him and take over,driving rapidly north and then backtracking several times before barreling intoan underground parking garage. The door immediately shut after him, and hescreeched to a halt near the elevator.
Klyde moaned next to him and then shook his head, sittingup. Blood cascaded down his face, and he prodded his cheekbone, which had a bonesticking out. “I think I was shot.”
“I think you were, too,” Athan said, nearly ripping open theback door to reach for Ivy.
She still wasn’t moving. He gently pulled her out andchecked her for injuries. She wasn’t cut, but she was bruised and had a lumpthe size of an egg on her forehead. He cradled her gently and ran to theelevator with Klyde stumbling along behind him.
“Did you see who it was?” Klyde gasped, leaning over andsucking in air. He had the Maxwell dark hair, but his eyes were a light tawnybrown. Normally. Right now, they were a furious silver.
“No. Could have been anybody,” Athan muttered, theadrenaline still shooting through his veins.
“Yeah, right,” Klyde said.
Athan nodded. “I know, but it could be. I don’t know who itwas. Hopefully, we caught at least one of them.” At the moment, he’d likenothing more than to interrogate whoever had shot at them.
