My Immortal (18 page)

“I am your king.” One of Jamison’s brows kinked up. “Kneel.”

“You took my sister and sentenced her to a life she didn’t ask for.” Stevie balled her fists and shored up her courage. “You stole the lives of countless others. You can have whomever you want.
Why me?”

“You elude me.
The rest fall like dominoes, but not my precious Stephanie.
I threaten you, and still you run to this perversion of a man. I’ll treat you with dignity, my bride. You’ll live with honour as my queen.”

Lettie stalked towards Storm but stopped when Jamison spoke. When she turned the layers of her skirt churned about in a whirl. “Jamison, I thought I was your queen!”

“You’re used goods, sweetheart.” Jamison snapped his fingers. “I’m through with you.” He snapped his fingers again. His lips curled into a frown “Why don’t you fall?”

“I’m not like them! I’m stronger.” Lettie’s voice cracked as she whipped out a gun. “And if I can’t have Storm and be the queen, then no one can.” When she turned, hate flashed in her red eyes. She aimed at Storm’s head. “Beg me for your life. Plead with me to show you mercy.”

Jamison crossed his arms. “Bruce, finish Storm. He’s a bother.”

“Yes.” Bruce’s fangs dripped with blood as he strode past Stevie. “I’ll do your bidding, Master.”

“Take me.” Stevie sidestepped Bruce and situated herself between Lettie and Storm. “I implore you to spare him.” Someone needed to stand up to evil. Stevie knew in her heart she’d chosen the right path.

“Stevie, no!”
Allan, Todd and Storm spoke in unison.

“Oh, for God’s sake.”
Lettie clicked the safety. “I’ll kill all of you if I have to and then I’ll let Bruce rip you to bits.” Reaching out with lightning reflexes, she grabbed Stevie’s arm and hurled her into Jamison’s embrace. “Be with the man you deserve.”

“No.” Although the stench of death on Jamison’s breath soured her stomach, Stevie stood firm in her decision. Her resolve grew. No one would hurt Storm or Gypsy. None of her friends would die under her watch.

Jamison and Lettie spoke in unison. “No?” Wind billowed around Jamison’s cape. “No one tells me no.”

“I am.”

“Ask your worthless sister. She’s cowering behind those doubly worthless men, but when I had her in my bed, she begged for more.
Screamed for me!”
His laugh crackled in the night air. “Now she’s my child!”

“I belong to Doris and Lloyd Persing.” Gypsy stepped out from behind Todd and Allan. “And I never liked you. Your breath reeks like ass!”

“Shut up, bitch.” Jamison stood toe to toe with Stevie. “Come, my bride.”

“No!” Storm’s voice broke. “I won’t let you.”

“Fool!” Baring his fangs, Jamison hissed. “You’re nothing to her. Bruce! Go!”

When she glanced over her shoulder, Storm strained within Bruce’s grasp and against the curse freezing him to the spot. “Baby, fight it.” As Bruce’s fingers tore into Storm’s flesh, a blood curdling scream ripped from his throat. “Fight him, Stevie.”

Jamison’s hand chilled her arm. “Come.” His single command thundered through the night air. A spark of lightning crackled in the distance.

Obliging, Stevie angled her neck. “I hate you.”

“My bride.”
Jamison licked his lips. His fangs extended to razor-sharp points. “I knew you’d come to me.”

Stevie balled her fists and winced as he pierced her skin. Where Storm touched her with finesse, Jamison tore at her with the ferocity of an animal. Storm’s words echoed in her head.
No one but me.
She closed her eyes and took a long breath. She belonged to Storm. She loved him.

When she opened her eyes a second later, Jamison snarled.
“Tainted.”
He forced her away from his grasp with a shove.
“Lying bitch.
He cursed you to remain his.”

“Then he’s tainted, too.” Behind her, Lettie shrieked. “She can’t do this to me. Storm belongs to me.”

“Then do as you wish, pet.” Jamison shrugged. “You’ll pay for lying to us—with your life.”

An ear-splitting crack thundered through the air. Warmth spread through Stevie’s stomach. What the hell? She wobbled on her feet. Pain radiated from her stomach in a tight spiral. The acrid scent of smoke filled the air. She clasped her belly and stared at her hands, stained with crimson.
Her blood?
She glanced at Storm as her vision went fuzzy. Maybe he couldn’t keep her safe after all.

Oh shit.

Storm watched his world fall apart as Stevie dropped to the ground. Through sheer willpower, he overcame Jamison’s curse and thrust Bruce aside. The vampire flopped to the ground with a thud. Storm bounded to Stevie’s side. Blood oozed from the gaping wound in her stomach. He cradled her body in his arms. Tears wetted his cheeks.

“Storm.”
Her words came out in a whisper. “I love you.” She swallowed hard and her eyes fluttered shut.
“So much.
I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before. I love you, my immortal.”

Pain seared his heart.
Fuck. No.
O’Toole took too damn much, Storm refused to let him take Stevie as well. He ripped open his wrist with his fangs and forced a few drops of his blood past her lips. Although he hated himself for turning her, knowing she’d be with him for the rest of his immortal days relieved some of the sting—if he changed her in time. When Storm looked up, Jamison stood at Stevie’s feet.

“You can’t be with her if you’re dead.” Jamison aimed the gun at Storm’s head. “And I can’t let you live now.”

Storm ducked as Jamison’s shot went wild. The crack split the night air. “You fucking lose!” Storm stood and fired the gun Stevie carried in her shoulder holster. “No one takes my mate.” He emptied the clip of silver bullets into Jamison’s body.
“No one!”

“I made you.” Jamison screamed and threw his arms into the air. “You’re nothing without me.”

Beside Storm, Todd roared and surged towards Bruce. He impaled the other vampire with ease. Allan pointed his weapon at Lettie’s heart. “This is for Gypsy and Stevie.” Within moments, he peppered Lettie’s body with bullet holes.

As Jamison and Lettie fell to the ground, Storm dropped to one knee next to Stevie. Once again, he cradled her body. More tears burned behind his eyes. He hated crying—it was a sign of weakness. But he’d rather be nothing without her love. She did the one thing he’d never been able to do—stand up to the devil. He turned his face to the sky and screamed until his throat ached.
So much death, so much destruction, and all of it because one man wanted to rule the world.
It needed to end.

“It’s over.”

Blinking back the wetness in his eyes, Storm gazed at Stevie.
“Babe?”
Her blue eyes blazed with passion.
With life.
How’d he miss her survival?

“I’m not ready to leave you, not yet.” She wiped her thumb over his cheek. “And I never will be.”

Storm glanced at Todd and Allan who both had Gypsy in a bear hug. “Are you guys okay?”

“Better than okay.”
Allan nodded.

Todd winked. “You both saved us all.”

Wriggling from their collective grasp, Gypsy ran to Stevie’s side. She hugged her sister and kissed Storm on the forehead. “Now go home and take care of my badass sister.”

“Forever.”
Storm wrapped his arms around Stevie. He’d never let her go. Not as long as he had a breath in his immortal body. He belonged to her.

Stevie smiled.
“Forever.”

Epilogue

A week later, Storm clung to Stevie as she slept. With Allan and Todd’s help, she’d moved into his house, while Gypsy moved into Stevie’s former apartment. Storm smoothed a lock of Stevie’s hair between his fingers, savouring the flaxen texture. Her rose scent soothed his soul. For a moment, he peered into her mind. In her dreams, she fantasised about him. A blush swept over his cheeks. If he thought her lusty in real life, her dreams needed an X rating.

When she stirred and shifted her ass into the spoon of his hips, he groaned. Storm slid her hair off her neck and nuzzled the creamy flesh. “You’ll be the death of me, my love.”

“You can’t die.” She giggled. “I won’t let you.”

So she was awake. Without breaking the skin, he nipped the tender spot behind her ear. “Are you angry I turned you, love?”

Stevie rolled over and looked Storm in the eye. “You didn’t ask, but I didn’t have a choice.”

“How so?”
His heart beat sped and his throat clogged with emotions he didn’t want to name.

Stevie wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her pelvis into his. “When Jamison shot me, all I thought about was dying. Our lives together just got started and here he was to take it away. I’d never trade our time, but I sure as hell didn’t want to spend eternity miserable.” She flipped her hand through the air. “Oh, I knew you’d move on and find someone new. It would happen. You’re handsome. But I wasn’t sure I could spend that same eternity watching you make love to another woman.” Tears slipped down her cheeks, despite her attempts to laugh. “I guess that’s selfish, but I wanted you to change me so we could have forever together.”

Storm kissed away her tears and held her tight. “That isn’t any more selfish than my changing you because I couldn’t bear to spend my eternity without you, too. You’re the only woman who matters to me, babe.” Reaching under the pillow, he produced a necklace. “You’re so important to me that I want to make our mating legal in the mortal sense.”

Stevie covered her mouth with her hands and gasped. More tears streaked down her cheeks. “Are you serious?”

“Take my last name. It’s not much, but it’s the best thing I can give you.” He fumbled to remove the emerald and diamond ring from the golden chain, “I love you, Stevie.”

When he took her left hand in his, a tear slipped across the bridge of her nose. He wiped away the wetness with the pad of his thumb. “Happy tears, I hope.”

She pressed her lips together. Her chin quivered as he slid the ring past her knuckle. “If you can handle my bruised and beaten heart, then I’ll marry you.”

“Yes?”

“Yes.”

Storm cupped her cheeks and rained kisses all over her face. “I know an effective way to help heal your heart.”

Her eyes sparkled and a grin curled the corner of her mouth.
“How?”

“Come a little closer, love. I’ll give you all the time and tenderness you need.” He smoothed his hand down her side and swatted her ass. “We have an eternity together. I’d prefer spending it making love.”

“Shut up and kiss me.”

“Yes, ma’am.”