My stomach was gurgling, and I had no idea what was happening to me. Itching the back of my arm, I nodded. “Just been feeling sick lately, I’m sure it’ll pass.”
His face scrunched as he looked around the area. “These people are disgusting.” Gabe craned his neck, looking in all directions. “Is this how theylive?”
“It was a shock to me, too.”
To our left, a loud gasp was followed by a wet splat. Turning my head, I saw a girl with a halo of wild, dark curls surrounding her oversized glasses. At her feet lay a tray of food, scattered across the ground. In shock and surprise, she gasped, her hands flying up to cover her mouth.
A large smile graced my face, and a laugh caught in my throat. I waved my hand, beckoning her to come over. “Hi, Vanessa!”
With a shy smile and a small, trembling wave, she timidly sauntered toward us. “H-hi, Vinny.” She scanned Gabe from head to toe, and she bit her bottom lip. “Is this who I think it is?”
“Nessa, meet Gabe. My boyfriend from Elysium.” I held my arms out like I was presenting at an award show. “You know, the one I told you about?”
An excited squeal escaped from Nessa’s mouth. “A tall, dark, and handsome man with perfectly coiffed hair and a gorgeous five o’clock shadow? I instantly knew it was him as soon as I saw you two together!” She danced around in front of us. “You’re right, he’s evenhotterthan how you described him!”
“Uh…I’m right here?” Although he was accustomed to adoration in Elysium, Gabe secretly relished the attention. The murmur of compliments was a soothing balm to his ego.
I giggled. “How’s everything been here?”
Gabe held her gaze, and she was captivated by him. I’m sure it felt as if she was looking at a mythical being, and if she blinked, he would vanish. With a heart-struck smile plastered on her face, she made sure her eyes never left him. “Here? Good, fine. Everything’s fine.”
I crossed my arms and snapped my fingers in front of her face. “Everything’s fine? What about the bomb?”
She shook her head as if she had come out of a trance. “Right, the bomb, yes.” She scrunched her frizzy hair. “Not many people died, luckily. Some of those that did had families, and now we’re unsure what to do with the orphaned children.”
“Do you know who did it? Are there any rumors?” Gabe asked.
Nessa’s large eyes panned over to me. “Even his voice is dreamy, like warm molasses.”
Whatever that means.
“We don’t know who detonated the bomb, probably the vampires, if I had to guess.”
“Gabe,” I turned to him, “if it wasn’t you, is there a chance it was someone who worked for my father?”
“I was traveling here for days and didn’t see anyone out there.” He shrugged and shook his head. “But I suppose it is possible, your dad is a powerful man. He’s done many things I thought weren’t possible.”
Nessa grabbed my hand. “Come, please have dinner with me tonight, both of you.”
I shook my head. “It’s really okay, we should rest.”
Her fingers traced the contours of Gabe’s muscular arm. “Just a bite?”
Gabe nodded to me, his fangs fully extending. “Just a bite.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
An icy wind whipped against my body, but I held my arms firmly around Jude’s waist. The snowmobile rattled and bucked its way through the snowy landscape, the occasional jarring bumps a welcome distraction for my itchy, restless body. We’d been driving for what felt like an eternity, and my body felt numb from the freezing cold.
As we navigated the vast, windswept tundra, the biting wind stinging our faces, my mind replayed the events leading up to our departure. I’d been sleeping soundly, the thin pillows cradling my head, feeling soft and luxurious against my cheek. The scratchy blanket wrapping around my body felt like a heavy comforter, and the hard mattress I lay upon could’ve been made of spikes, but I was so tired that I didn’t mind. Throughout the night, dreams came to me easily, and my subconscious drifted from one restful dream to another.
A loudbanginterrupted my slumber, and hearing the noise caused my body to jump. My eyes snapped open in terror, expecting a snarling pack of Dogs to be in my room, ready to pounce. Instead, I saw Jude standing in front of the metal doorto my room, holding two large fur-lined jackets with a scowl adorning his face.
Gabe ran in from the adjoining room with an angry look on his face. “Are you okay?”
I found myself unable to look away from his sculpted body, admiring the way his hair perfectly complemented his toned abs and chest. Sitting up in bed, I tore my gaze from the breathtaking figure standing before me, turning to the surprised blond man now at the foot of my bed. I’m sure he expected Gabe and me to be in the same bed, but seeing him realize how wrong he was filled me with quiet satisfaction.
And I reveled in that.
