Mary Ann. Walk to me. Slowly.
A strangling sound slipped from her. Cant.
You dont issue orders, little boy. I do, said the man standing behind her. The man pointing a gun at her head.
He was tall, blond and lean. He wore a flannel shirt, the sleeves rolled up halfway on his arms to reveal several tattoos. Wards. Against what, Riley couldnt tell. Yet. He needed a closer look. What he did know? Anger pulsed from the guy in dark, agitated waves. Hed shoot, and he wouldnt care about the dead bodies he left behind.
Riley cursed himself for not teaching Mary Ann how to react in this type of situation. You hurt her, he said just as calmly, and Ill kill you. That was not an empty boast.
Throughout his life, hed done that and more. Hed never been one to strike without cause, but hed never been one to sit back and take whatever was being served, either.
Thatll be a little hard for you to do if youre dead, now wont it. A statement when it should have been a question. But dont you worry. Ill make it fast.
The sad thing was, Riley had no argument. No real defense. Had he not lost his wolf, he would have heard the man enter the house. Failing that, he would have smelled him. Instead, hed allowed his ex-girlfriend to be terrorized. He kinda deserved what he got.
Not Mary Ann, though, she didnt deserve any of this. Nothis ex. Only then did he realize hed just thought of her in past tense, rather than present. Something hed never done before, not with her.
The man pushed the gun into her scalp, which pushed her forward. She stumbled into the room.
Im so sorry, she whispered, tears pooling in her eyes. He snuck up on me, and I
Shut up, girl. Ive heard enough from you.
When she was finally within reach, Riley latched onto her arm and jerked her behind him. She was trembling, her fingers clutching at his. There was no time to comfort her. To act as her shield, he had to release her completely. Her palms flattened on his back, then fisted in his T-shirt. Then she released him as he had done to herand stepped beside him.
He stepped in front of her and glared over at the gun-wielding human, whod watched the entire scene with a hard, seen-it-all-before expression. They were about the same height, which put the guy at about six foot three.
Are you Joe Stone?
There was a flash of surprise in the guys eyes, but he ignored the question to ask one of his own. Are you the kids who busted my neighbors window and left blood everywhere?
Yeah, Riley answered. So?
So? Such blatant honesty left the guy reeling but only for a moment. Who are you, and what are you doing in my house?
Should he give the truth or a lie this time? Who was this person? He and Aden had the same hair color and the same square chin, but then, thousands of people did. Nothing else looked similar.
The mans face was rough, his nose slightly crooked, as if it had been broken a time or ten, and there were tiny scars crisscrossing on his cheeks. Aden had an angels face, no suggestion of roughness.
I asked you a question, boy.
And I didnt answer it. Dont poke at the bear. Especially when his wolf couldnt eat that bear.
A new concept for Riley. On paper, he was older than this man. Used to be strongeron paper and in a ring. A lot stronger. And a lot meaner. Now what was he? Pathetic, thats what.
We know your son, Mary Ann said with a calm, even tone. Aden. Haden, I mean. Everyone calls him Aden.
No expression change from Stonehenge over there. Worse, his grip on the gun was steady, proving his strength. Anyone else would have already grown tired of its weight. I have no idea what youre talking about.
Oh, I thoughtyou should havemaybe we werethis isnt happening! she cried. What if were in the wrong house?
We arent, Riley said.
She spoke over him. Sir, Im sorry. Very sorry. We shouldnt have
A primitive part of Riley wanted to punish the man for crushing her fighting spirit. And maybe her recent brush with death was partly to blame, too, having dulled her brave streak andhey. Shed just inched her way in front of him again. For the love ofshe was trying to act as his shield.
So much for a crushed spirit.
He could have taken that as a sign she still maybe kinda sorta loved him. But all he could think was that she no longer viewed him as strong enough to take care of her. Why would she? He didnt.
Joe Possible cocked the gun, getting serious. You got five seconds to start talking, boy, or your brains will paint my walls.
Are you going to count out loud so I can spew all my secrets at the last possible moment? There was no need to wait for Joes reply. And he planned to treat the man like he was Joe from then on. Otherwise, Riley would flounder. You know exactly who Aden is. Hes your son. As he spoke, he shoved Mary Ann behind him. One step, two, he backed her up, trying to get her to the window. She could jump through and run, and he could deal with the situation without fear of casualties.
I dont have a son.
I dont believe you.
Dont care. Why would you think I was this Joe?
News flash. Answering a question with another question doesnt make you smart or mysterious.
Those dark eyes narrowed farther, becoming tiny slits. Watch the attitude, kid. Im the one with the gun.
Another backward step. Almost there
I know what youre doing, so dont you dare move another inch. Joe advanced until the barrel of the gun was pressing into Rileys chest. Youre not leaving here. Not until I get some answers.
Like yours is the first gun Ive had pointed my way. You want me scared, do something original. You want answers, let the girl go.
No, Mary Ann said, and he reached back to squeeze her arm, a silent command to shut the hell up. Im staying.
Dont listen to her.
Too late, Joe said. I listened. She stays.
Oh, hell, no. They werent playing that game. Youll regret that decision. Riley put his hands up, palms out, as if he were submitting.
Actually, I dont think I will.
Moving swiftly, Riley grabbed the gun and pushed down, hard. Joe fired off a shot, but the bullet slammed into the floor.
Riley didnt release him but held him like that and punched him once, twice, with his other hand. Then, while Joe was dazed, he used both hands to twist the gun, breaking Joes trigger finger in the process. He could have fired off a shot himself, but he didnt. He just pulled the weapon from the now-loosened grip and aimed.
Told you.
Cursing under his breath, grimacing, Joe held up his hands, palms out. Unlike Riley, he meant it. His broken finger lay at an odd angle, the rest of the appendage useless.
Riley kept the gun trained on him, certain he had other weapons stashed in other places. Move, and itll be the last thing you do. Mary Ann, call Aden.
What? Why?
He needs to be here.
From the corner of his eye, he saw her withdraw her cell and scroll through her address book. A few seconds later, she was whispering into the receiver. All the while, he kept the bulk of his attention on Joe, on the lookout for a reaction. Besides a slight hitch of breath and a truckload of trembling, the guy gave no reaction.
If youre not Joe Stone, he said, determined to uncover the truth before Aden got here, who are you?
A gulp. All right. Ill play. Lets say I am this Joe Stone. What would you want with me?
Okay. So. He was Joe, no doubt about it. Why else would he have asked that question? But why the subterfuge? An apology for starters.
For protecting my home?
For abandoning your son.
A twitch underneath his eye. From irritation? Or guilt?
Mary Ann? Riley said.
Y-yes?
Come here.
She was at his side a second later. Adens on his way.
Thats good. Now hold the gun, he said, still not taking his eyes off Joe.
What!
Fear once again pulsed from her.
Hold the gun, keep your finger on the trigger and squeeze if he moves.
Okay. Sure. Yes. Okay. With trembling hands, she reached out and did as he instructed. The gun was heavy, and he doubted she would be able to hold it for long, so he moved quickly, stalking to Joe and patting him down, but always staying out of Mary Anns line of fire. Riley found three blades, a syringe of something and a Taser. What he didnt find was ID.
Through it all, Joe stood completely still. Smart of him.
Riley, Mary Ann said.
Youre doing good, sweetheart. He shoved Joe to the bed, away from the discarded blades, Mary Ann following with the barrel of the gun. Sit down and stay down.
Joe sat, and Riley returned to Mary Anns side. When he reclaimed the gun, she let out a relieved breath.
Grab the blades and stand beside the door. Anyone besides Aden or Victoria walk into this room, stab them.
No one else is here, Joe said. And no one will be coming to my rescue.
Dudes default tone was emotionless, and hed gone back to it. Riley arched a brow at him. Paula, your wife, isnt going to come busting in to save you, then?
Bronzed skin paled to a sickly gray. No, shes not. And dont think to go looking for her. Shes safe.
Oh, yes. This was Joe Stone.
Silence reigned, until an hour later, Aden arrived, Victoria behind him. Both wore wrinkled clothing, and both had total bed head. Victorias cheeks were flushed, and there were two perfect punctures in her neck. Hell, there were even puncture marks in Adens neck, though his were jagged, clearly torn, as if hed fended off a human.
Victoria was getting sloppy. If only that were the least of Adens worries. They werent just feeding off each other now, which was dangerous, considering what theyd just been through, they were sleeping together. As Riley could attest, nothing productive happened when you mixed business with pleasure.
And if Adens beast got freeif Victoria lost herself to blood lustwell, no one would survive. But both were steady on their feet, neither was trembling, and neither was salivating and staring at thumping pulses.
Good thing. Those vampire beasts reacted to aggression and testosterone, and there was a lot of that in the air right now, practically thickening into a fog.
Joe stiffened, suddenly on alert. And surprise, surprise, he wouldnt look in Adens direction. He looked everywhere but at Aden.
Rest of the house is clean, Victoria said. And no one suspicious is watching from the other houses.
Theyd been together a long time. She knew how Riley operated, and what information he desired without being told.
Aden looked Joe over, his expression remaining blank. This is him? But oh, he couldnt hide the anger in his tone. He was also intrigued.
Yeah, Mary Ann said. Thats him.
Riley gave him a moment to gather his thoughts.
Im not who you think I am, Joe said, still unwilling to glance at Aden, who spent the next few seconds guiding Victoria beside Mary Ann and blocking both females from Joes line of vision.
Not a very good liar, Joey. Id stop trying to sell that story. You already admitted to knowing Paula.
Or I pretended to.
Whatever. Riley lowered the gun, pointing the tip at the carpet. Oh, and if you dont think I can aim and fire faster than you can grab one of my friends, test me. I dare you.
Joes lips pressed into a thin line.
Who do we think you are? Aden asked, jumping back into the conversation.
Yourfather. He nearly choked on that.
And youre not?
Silence. Then, Why are you looking for him?
Thats something Ill discuss only with him.
Again, silence. Silence so tense Riley could have cut through it with a knife. He was shocked when Aden walked forward, slow and deliberate, and crouched in front of Joe.
Joe flinched but otherwise made no motion to dodge his attention.
Tell me who you are, Aden said.
Mother ofAden had just used Voice Voodoo, as Mary Ann called it, and hed leaked enough power to force even a wolf to do what he wanted. Most times, wolves were immune.
And apparently, so was Joe. No, he said, at last looking Aden in the eye. So youre one of them. Emotion now, and a lot of it. Disappointment, incredulity, anger.
The muscles in Adens back rippled under his T-shirt. One of who?
The vampires. Who else?
Those two wordsthe vampireswere a revelation. Joe knew what was out there. Joe knew about the otherworld.
So you know they exist? Aden choked out.
At least you dont try to deny it, Joe said flatly. But his anger was draining, along with the rest of the emotions, and fear was taking over.
Are you my father?
Why do you want to know?
This again. Another pause, this one longer. Then Aden gave Joe the answers he wanted. I have three souls trapped inside my head. I can do things, weird things, like travel to past versions of my life, wake the dead, possess other peoples bodies and predict the future.
And?
Aden laughed bitterly. And, you say, as if all of that isnt enough. And. I want to know if anyone else in my family wasislike me. I want to know why Im like I am. I want to know why my own parents were unwilling to help me.
The slightest narrowing of his eyes, Joes lashes the same chocolate color as Adens. And you think answers will help you understand?
They wouldnt hurt.
Do you hope your parents will apologize? Tell you they were wrong? Welcome you back into their arms? Now Joe was the one to laugh bitterly. I can tell you right now, youre gonna be severely disappointed if so.
Riley didnt have to see his kings face to know hed just been cut to the bone. Aden might never have admitted it, but he would have loved those things. Probably craved them in secret. A secret buried so deep hed kept it from himself. But being rejected like that, no matter what lies hed told himself about wanting nothing to do with his birth parents, he wouldnt be able to stop himself from caring now.
Believe me, Aden said, reverting to his own emotionless state, I want nothing to do with the people who left me to rot in mental institutions. The monsters who placed me in the care of doctors who hurt me and foster families who tried to beat the normal into me.