Runestone (10 page)

She clasped his head to her and arched to meet his nipping bites. “Yes, Sean. Make love to me. Don’t ever forget how much I need you.”

Sean riveted his gaze to the alabaster column of Evangeline’s throat as he ran a forefinger over the matching runes and stars on his forearm. The lines of her tattoo haunted him more than ever. Back in Chicago, before either of them had realized her new immortal status, the inky lines had driven him wild with need. The beauty captivated him. And now, the tattoo held deep meaning to both him and Evangeline.

A map leading to Will.

Where the hell was he, and why wasn’t he able to Call to her? After the stranger had answered Will’s cell, Sean hadn’t risked leaving any message that might give Will’s enemy any information he might use against Will. But his cell weighed like a stone in his pocket, reminding him of the all the things he couldn’t explain now. His guilt over marrying Evangeline without Will as witness. That he loved Will.

They’d gotten through customs without a glitch. To his relief, Gracie’s fake passport wasn’t given a second glance. The flight was uneventful, and though Evangeline was suffering from exhaustion, she refused to close her eyes for a moment, for fear she’d miss a vital conversation between the immortals.

Now they were on the ground in Mexico City, waiting to find transport for seven people. They were sprawled throughout the waiting area, all slumped in chairs except for Dante, who paced relentlessly. Lillian was asleep with her head on Nathan’s shoulder, and Maria’s eyes flicked from her husband to a novel.

Gracie lounged in an uncomfortable chair, her long legs extended and her hair half-concealing her face as she talked with her mother on her cell. Her voice was pitched low, but it was impossible not to overhear.

“Mom, I don’t know when I’ll be back in the states, but I’m okay. Immortal, remember?” She whispered this, her green eyes flashing around her to make sure no pedestrians were near.

Sean looked on with amusement. He could only imagine what the other end of the conversation was, as a year ago, Gracie’s parents had watched their daughter suddenly turn from gawky teen to bombshell in six seconds flat. It was only natural for them to be protective. If Sean had a daughter, he’d act the same.

“Yes, I’m sure there are gangs in Mexico City,” she said, rolling her eyes. “There are gangs all over the world.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and flushed ten shades of red as she listened to her mother’s comeback. “For the love of—Mom! I promise that while I’m in South America, I won’t ‘fall in’ with a gang. And I assure you that if I do, I will practice safe sex!”

Nathan issued a low chuckle and Lillian roused from her sleep to bat him. Blood suffused Maria’s face as she struggled not to laugh. Dante clapped a hand to his mouth, and Evangeline turned her face against Sean’s shoulder and shook with silent giggles.

Gracie shielded her eyes with a hand and spoke furiously. “All right, Mom. I know. I’ll keep in touch. Love you too.”

Without meeting anyone’s gaze, she tucked the phone into her backpack. And then in a small voice, she said, “Oh, gawwwd, that woman.”

Everyone burst into hysterics. Gracie cradled her head in her hands and rocked with her own mirth. Sean realized he was overreacting with the rest, but their tension level was so high that any release felt almost orgasmic.

Nathan squeezed her shoulder. “It’s all right, dear. We promise not to let you ‘fall in’ with any gangs.”

She removed her hands long enough to ball up one fist and punch him hard in the thigh.

Suddenly, Maria’s head snapped up. Dante stopped laughing and jerked as if someone had jammed a blade between his ribs.

Sean tensed, on the alert for danger. He might not be immortal, but his martial arts training had proved handy more than once.

Maria slowly rose to her feet as a young man walked into their midst. Dante moved to shove her behind him, but she put a hand on his arm. “No, it’s all right.”

Sean and Evangeline stood too, and everyone crowded around the man, who was slim and wiry, with skin the deep hue of Brazilian coffee and markings on his forearms. Not tattoos, but scars. Ritualistic cuttings.

He spoke in a slow, rich tenor, his words like water creaming over rocks. Sean couldn’t make out what he was saying, but it wasn’t Spanish.

When Maria spouted a reply, he realized it was the ancient language of the Mayans. The young man spoke more rapidly, hands waving in excitement. He pointed to Maria, and then his bicep. Sean knew from Evangeline that Maria’s tattoos were sleeves—jaguars leaping and circling her slender upper arms.

Sean hooked a hand around Evangeline’s waist and pulled her closer to his side, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the newcomer. Was he immortal? As a mortal, Sean couldn’t pick out the immortal glow, though he’d seen something different about Evangeline before he knew the truth. Now, if he caught a glimpse of Will out of the corner of his eye, he detected a subtle difference, as if he projected an inner radiance. But when he looked at Nathan or Dante or the other immortal women, he only saw flesh and blood.

Suddenly, Maria spoke. “This is Javier.”

The man repeated a word in his rapid way.

“Javy,” she corrected. “He likes to be called Javy. He’s come for us.” She grinned. “Acan sent him.”

Gracie glanced up, her rosy lips falling open in surprise. Lillian and Nathan exchanged a triumphant look, but Evangeline continued to gape at them, as uninformed as he was. Sean and Evangeline were obviously out of the loop.

“Acan was my Maker, an ancient shaman. Javy says he’s seen us in the flames. He sent Javy to come fetch us.”

Evangeline quivered, and Sean lowered his mouth to her ear. “It’s all right, baby.”

“It’s starting,” she whispered back. She lifted a violently shaking hand to his chest and twisted the cloth of his shirt. Sean covered her hand and dipped his mouth to the corner of her eye.

The movement drew Javier’s attention. His black gaze rested on her with interest. Too much interest. Sean noted his perusal of her immortal tattoo, and how his eyes lingered on each body part.

Sean’s muscles flexed, and he mentally went through the moves he’d use on this guy with the roving eyes if need be. Fighting stance. Knife hand to the side of the neck. Four knuckle strike to the jaw. That should incapacitate him nicely. And if not, a roundhouse to the midsection would.

His glare scorched the young messenger. Javier turned away. Flustered, he stuttered a reply to Maria.

Within minutes, they were following Javier out into the brilliant Mexican sun. Sean blinked at the glare as he guided Evangeline to an ancient minibus.

He caught Nathan’s eye, and Nathan raised one blond brow as if to say, “Is this thing going to get us there?” Then he ushered Lillian through the doors.

The interior was bare—metal and glass and plywood seats where the upholstery had been torn away. There were two rows of five seats, but one in the back had been torn out and an ice cooler stood in its place.

Sean drew Evangeline snugly onto his lap, holding her hips in place so her round little ass was cradled against his groin. Last night, he’d taken her slowly, but thoroughly, driving her hard and deep, his cock seeming to swell with each thrust, trying to become part of her.

The memory of her rough gasps and her delicious sex flush made him stir now. She wriggled a little at the stiffening of his cock under her warm, wet sex.

She slipped her tongue into his ear. “Not here,” she whispered.

“Soon.” His reply was a promise.

Suddenly, he realized Javier’s eyes were on her again. A growl burned in his throat, but before he could utter a word, Javier looked away.

Gracie leaned over Sean and Evangeline’s seat, her long hair falling over her cheek as she spoke. “Don’t mind Javier. He’s not being insolent. He’s infatuated with immortals. I think since Evangeline’s tattoo is the only one visible amongst the group, he can’t help but look.”

He hoped she was right. The adrenaline kicking through his system leveled off and he relaxed minutely. “Thanks Gracie.”

“No prob.” She sat back just as Javier took the driver’s seat and the bus lumbered into the traffic.

Within minutes, the cabin filled with exhaust smoke. The guys got up to open the thin glass windows, but several of them were jammed on this minibus-hell. Sean felt like someone would begin a rousing rendition of '99 bottles of beer' any moment. The surrealism mounted inside him.

I’m flying through the streets of Mexico City in a death trap with a group of immortals, attempting to hunt down our lover.

The scream of the engine and the grinding of the gears beneath Javier’s fist prohibited any talk, so Sean used his hands to tell Evangeline how fucking sexy she was. He slipped a finger into the waistband of her slim jeans, and downward, into the seam of her ass.

She issued a soft moan against his chest and squirmed.

He threw a look around the cabin. Dante and Maria were focused on the road as Maria jabbered to Javier. Nathan and Lillian were crouched low in their seat, so only the tops of their heads were visible. And behind Sean and Evangeline, the thin strains of Gracie’s iPod sounded. So no one would notice if Sean stole a kiss, or even a little fondle.

His fingertip swooped between her ass cheeks, lower, and then he gently spread them. Her rosebud lips parted and she nuzzled close, seeking a kiss. Just as his mouth closed over hers, she stiffened, and then let out a little cry. Maria and Dante whipped around to look at her. Lillian and Nathan turned around.

“What is it, baby?” Sean cupped her face gently, but her eyes were glazed, her expression lost. He knew beyond a doubt she was having a Vision.

“Oh, no,” Gracie said in a small voice. She sank into the seat across the narrow aisle from Sean, and pressed a finger to Evangeline’s tattoo.

Evangeline’s breath stuttered from her, but her gaze didn’t focus.

Sean shook her a little. “Tell us what you see, Evangeline.” The urgency in his voice broke through to her, and though she stared fixedly, her pink tongue slipped out and wet her lower lip.

“Will.” Her features pinched, and Sean wondered if she was Calling to him, if their link had opened.

Dante crouched in the aisle before where she sat on Sean’s lap. He gripped her limp hands. “Evangeline, tell us everything you see. We might need it.”

At once, her words began to pour out. “He’s surrounded. Fighting. In the thick of a group of. . . immortals. All aglow. Nine of them. Jungles and rain and ohhh—.” A low scream burst from her, and she launched to her feet, nearly shoving Dante onto his ass. He caught himself and stood, hunched over with his head against the short ceiling of the bus.

Her slender fingers hooked into claws, and she tore at her hair.

Sean and Gracie reached for her simultaneously, and suddenly Nathan was there, his big hand wrapping around the ivory column of her Evangeline’s throat.

A spurt of anger bathed Sean’s insides, coating his tongue with bitterness. Dammit, if one of these fucking selfish immortals would only share his blood, Sean could help Evangeline with his touch.

Her raspy voice raised the hair on his nape. “An immortal struck him in the mouth with a rifle. He’s spitting blood and teeth. His front tooth is chipped. His hair is soaked, streaming into his eyes, but he’s laughing. Dear God, he’s going to be killed!” She turned into Sean’s arms. Her fingernails bit into his upper arms and the wan oval of her face turned up, beseeching him.

“You’ve got to help him. Sean, please. We’ve got to get there!”

Before Sean could reply, her eyes widened, and she sank into the trance again.

“He’s firing, mowing down an immortal. Blood. Stench of guts. And one behind him. He’s whirling and shooting in the same movement. Another man’s falling. More are running. Bullets everywhere. Grazing the bark by the tree he’s leaning against. Shearing branches off. Leaves fluttering in the air. Green. Wet. Pouring rain. Water mixing with the blood from his mouth, staining his jaw pink.”

She was sobbing now. Sean lashed her to him, supporting her slight weight, and trying his best to absorb her tremors. Beneath them, the bus bumped and jarred them. He locked his thigh muscles in attempt to stay upright.

Javier spouted something, and Maria instantly translated. “Hold on, he says. We’re about to climb.”

Sean stole a glance at the landscape beyond the window. The city had had been left behind and the mountain ranges that blocked the horizons were now immediate. Javier ground the gears and the bus lurched, the engine screaming. Where the fuck were they going? How was this little trip up the mountain known as Popocatepetl going to help Evangeline get to Will, who was obviously shooting it out with a group of immortals?

A knife of dread twisted in Sean’s gut. From Evangeline’s words, he could picture the events all too well. If only they’d give him immortality and let him loose him into the fray, he’d take some of the bastards out.

“Marcus.”

Evangeline’s single word was strangled.

He nudged her face up using his knuckles beneath her chin. Frantically, he scanned her face, but she wasn’t coherent. She was still lost in the Vision. “Marcus? What about him?”

“He’s responsible for this battle. Marcus is the reason Will is in danger. He’s put together the destructive forces.” Her voice took on a strange singsong cadence.