Love & Accusations Read online

  The memory was in his mind before he could stop it. Her naked, sweat-slicked body, all sharp lines and whipcord muscle, glistening in the flickering light from the fire. She hovered above him, his fingers digging into her hips as he guided her up and down on his cock, chest heaving as she moaned out his name, the dark pools of her eyes gazing into his soul. It was the first time they’d made love; a long weekend alone at his parent’s cabin in Missouri.

  The thought of her poised above him, pliant and wanting, was enough to make him harden with a groan. He tried again to push the image of long, lean legs wrapped around his waist out of his mind; the last thing he needed was to fantasize about the bounty hunter out to haul him off to jail.

  A familiar tingling surged at the back of his neck, and Jackson knew she had found him. He leaped out of the chair, ignoring his raging hard-on as he snatched up the shotgun.

  Chapter 6

  The memory hit her suddenly, hard enough to knock air from her lungs. He was beneath her, hands digging into her hips as he guided her up and down his length, filling her with each long stroke. He had a crooked smile on his face as he gazed up at her, her fingers dragging furrows down his sculpted chest. She could still smell the smoke from the fireplace and taste the tang of red wine.

  A flush heated her cheeks as she struggled to push the thought of him far away. He was on her, inside her, his moans filling her ears. She let out a quiet growl as she drove forward, the roof of the cabin coming into view.

  Whatever he was, she did not appreciate his fantasies invading her thoughts. She wasn’t quite ready to admit that she was still utterly sexually attracted to her high school sweetheart, who may or may not be a psycho serial killer.

  Carmina shook her head, silently slipping her gun from its holster. She knew she was close to the cabin, and she was officially done fucking around with him, visions of sexy time or not. No way in hell was she going to let him keep using his fucked-up version of mind control on her. She was going to capture him and collect on the bounty, one way or another.

  Her eyes swept the forest. If it weren’t for the fact that she was here to capture a suspected serial killer, the place would be idyllic. Ancient aspens grew in thick groups around the cabin, shading the gray logs from the brilliant autumn sun. A tidy pile of freshly chopped wood confirmed what her other senses already told her—this abandoned cabin wasn’t empty. Moving silently, she slipped down toward the cabin and into the clearing, ending a few feet from the front door. At the same moment, a shotgun peeked from the doorway, raised in her direction.

  Carmina had her gun up in an instant, sighting in on the man who was barely peeking out the door frame, hollering, “Freeze, Lane!”

  He shook his head once as he racked a round into the shotgun, a hard and desperate look on his face. “This is private property. Get the hell out of here. You’re trespassing.”

  She scoffed, shaking her head once. “Sorry buddy. You’re coming with me. Got a warrant for your arrest and everything. Something about murdering a bunch of women. Ring a bell?”

  “Look, Cari, I didn’t fucking kill anyone, OK? I don’t know who did it, but it wasn’t me.” Anger and frustration cracked in his voice, and the barrel of his gun dipped slightly. She watched it carefully, waiting for it to be clear of her body. She’d been in this situation before—catch them off guard and then rush them. Often dangerous, but usually worked out fairly well for her.

  They stared at one another across the short distance for several long moments. She exhaled, forcing her voice to remain firm. “Look, I don’t know what you are, Jax, but I’m taking you in, and you’re going to have your day in court. Now, you can either come with me quietly, or we can do this the hard way.” Her resolve wavered, now that she was faced with him. She’d seen many criminals, and while they always swore they were innocent, it was rare to see one as insistent as Jackson. She wanted to believe him. Hell, she almost did. But that didn’t change what she had to do.

  A pulse of power swam across the back of her mind, stronger than it had been before; more persistent and malevolent. She shook her head violently, trying to rid herself of his presence. “And stop doing that!”

  Chapter 7

  Jackson felt her scowl at him, and he dropped the muzzle to the ground and surveyed the clearing. The presence. He’d felt it before; the night the first woman was murdered. Something hot and heavy at the edge of his mind, a slimy presence that seemed to be drawn from the depths of the earth.

  “Cari, I’m not doing anything…”

  Jackson swallowed hard as he glanced back, her eyes wide and angry. Beneath the expression, he could see something else, something he had never seen on her face before—fear. “There’s something coming, Cari, and it’s not me.”

  Cari seemed to understand his words, and she nodded once, a grim look settling over her features. She closed her eyes for a moment, took a breath. Power settled over her like a mantle, wrapping her in strength. Cari pursed her lips and rotated slowly, her eyes sweeping the clearing in front of the cabin. She pitched her voice low, a soft and dangerous tone tinting her words, “Stay behind me, Jackson.”

  “What? Like hell! What…”

  “Shut up!” she snapped, not looking at him as she shook her head again, her eyes still searching the forest. “I can’t think with you back there talking to me.”

  Jackson fell silent as he took a step back. His mind swirled as he tried to comprehend what was happening here. Cari, of all people, was here. And that thing he had felt in his mind was back, dark and sinister and definitely not his imagination. The light was dimming just outside of the clearing, as though something was sucking it out of the area. The slimy feeling in the back of his mind intensified, and he could feel the creature, a dark essence looming around them.

  A chuckle burbled in his mind. Well, well, well. A little puppet and a pretty witch. Whatever shall I do with the two of you?

  Panic rose in his throat, and he pushed it away, glancing at Carmina. The sudden tension in her shoulders told him she’d heard it, too.

  Her voice was quiet and calm. Jackson had no idea what the creature meant when it called her a witch, but she seemed remarkably serene about the whole fucked up situation, when most people would be fleeing. “Jackson, do you know what that thing is?”

  He bit back a snarky response about inviting it in for tea and cookies, shaking his head once. “I have no idea. But I’ve felt it before.”

  “When?”

  Jackson swallowed hard as he considered her question. If he told her, it might just incriminate him more. On the other hand, there was definitely something out there, and he had a feeling she might be able to help him with this. “The night the women were killed, and the others were attacked. But I’ve never felt it like this. It feels stronger now.”

  Cari nodded once, grimacing as she scanned the clearing. “Right. Can you shut it down? Push it out of your mind, maybe push it away? I don’t have any fucking idea what you are exactly, but you’ve got something mind-affiliated going on.”

  “What? What the hell are you talking about, Cari? I don’t know how to do…”

  “Just try, Jax! Just try to push it out of your mind. Focus!” A tremor of anxiety laced her voice, and he had to wonder exactly what he had gotten himself into here.

  Jackson closed his eyes for a moment and focused on the presence in his mind. It pushed against him, and he pushed back, entering into a battle of wills with the invader.

  You think I’m that easy to get rid of, do you? Don’t you worry, Jackson. We’re going to become good friends.

  Jackson pushed again, his ears ringing as a headache spiked through his frontal lobe.

  Blood dripped down his arms, pooling on the ground beneath him. His body ached, like he’d been running a marathon, but it felt good. Power surged through him, his body tingling with it.

  She was lying on the ground, covered in blood. Her heartbeat was fading into nothingness, and there was a swell of satisfaction at that. The
witch—no, Cari—was dead, and he was happy.

  He didn’t recognize the knife in his hand, but symbols ran along the blade, slowly filling with her blood. He laughed as he pushed her back with his toe.

  “Payback’s a bitch, isn’t it?”

  Jackson’s stomach turned and he gagged, trying to hold back his reaction. His hands shook, and a cold spike slid down his spine. He couldn’t hurt her; he would never hurt her. He opened his mouth to warn her, tell her to run far away from him before the creature could possess him. All that came out was a quiet groan as darkness pressed in against him, his vision blurring at the edges. The trees swayed with the wind, and the creature, a nebulous darkness held together with bands of brilliant blue light, closed in.

  Their voices rang out in concert, a distant memory of the way they’d always been able to finish one another’s sentences. “Oh, fuck…”

  Chapter 8

  Carmina had no idea what it was at first. Nothing more than a dark shape moving through the trees. She knew it was wrong—she could feel the evil playing at the edges of her consciousness. Dark words whispered across her mind, urging her toward all manner of deplorable actions. Her body was tugged toward Jackson, reacting to the closeness of him.

  It would be so easy, Carmina. He wants you. Turn around and take him. Devour him alive.

  It was evil and ancient, and that was all she really needed to know. She dropped her gun back in its holster, her hand moving to the large knife hidden beneath her jacket.

  Jackson’s eyes followed her movements as he stepped toward her, hissing in her direction. “What the hell are you doing? Why aren’t you shooting it?”

  “Shut up, Jackson! This shit is hard enough without you distracting me. Hope you aren’t squeamish about blood.” She didn’t give him an opportunity to respond before the knife was out, slicing deep into the palm of her hand.

  Power pulsed in the air. Although she hadn’t practiced in years, blood was always the strongest element. And the most unpredictable. She just hoped she could harness enough power to drive it away. As her blood dripped to the ground, collecting in small pools, the creature laughed.

  You think that will scare me away? You, with so little power...pathetic child. I am going to kill you slowly, and you will suffer. You are going to pay, and then I will find the rest of your family. Each and every one of you will suffer the way I did.

  Jackson inhaled sharply, and she knew he had heard the voice as well. He pushed his shoulder against hers as he tried to move forward. She flung out an arm to stop him, thinking he intended to go to the creature.

  “Cari. Let me help.”

  Jackson hesitated for a moment, as if debating what he could do. He reached one long arm around her, slicing his palm on her knife before grabbing her bloody hand in his.

  The world exploded in sound and color as power swelled around them, flowing through their shared blood. She had never felt anything like it: raw and intense power pulled from deep within herself. She tried to jerk away, tried to scream—she couldn’t harness this power, couldn’t control it, but she couldn’t stop herself. Words fell from her lips in a language she didn’t recognize, and before her, the creature recoiled.

  Searing light filled her vision, and then everything went dark.

  It was warm and comfortable, and she didn’t want to wake up. Something pressed against her mind. Something important. Something she couldn’t put off. She struggled to hold onto sleep, to the blissful unawareness that she was so unaccustomed to.

  He was next to her. A warm, comfortable presence. His mind nudged against hers, and his concern and his fear pressed against her.

  With a quiet groan, Carmina started to drag herself out of peace, a pang of regret in her chest as sleep faded, replaced by the sharp tang of pain. Her body throbbed with a dull ache that she recognized. She had overexerted herself, tried to pull on too much power, and she would pay the price for days, if not weeks. The throbbing in her joints almost eclipsed the pain in her hand. Cari focused on the sharp ache there, using it to catapult her into the waking world.

  Opening her eyes was the worst mistake she’d made all day. The sudden light brought a wave of nausea. She swallowed back bile, refusing to add to her misery by throwing up in front of the man who should by all rights be handcuffed in the backseat of her car and halfway to the police by now.

  “Hey. Carmina? You still with me?” His voice was gentle and laced with concern. He was worried about their situation, about the creature from the woods, but his most pressing worry seemed to be her.

  “I’m fine. Really, it’s nothing.” Her mind formed the words, but all that came out was a quiet groan.

  “Take it easy, OK? You’re safe now, it’s OK.” The room darkened as the sound of curtains drawing closed brought her some measure of relief. She let out a sigh as she struggled to sit up. Looking weak in front of him was the last thing she wanted, but she had to admit that this day had been full of that.

  Warm, strong arms wrapped around her shoulders, gently helping her rise. She bit back a sob of pain, letting out a ragged gasp instead. His touch sent tendrils of energy down her arms. It was a pleasant distraction, and all she wanted was to lean in against his muscular chest. Despite what her body desired, he was still a wanted man, and that made this a very, very bad idea.

  Jackson seemed to take the hint. After she was propped up with a pile of old, scratchy pillows, he retreated. She could feel his eyes on her, but at least he was done touching her. She found herself wishing she could drag him back to her side and pull his arms around her.

  “So. What the hell was that thing? What happened out there?” Jackson’s voice was quiet and intense.

  Carmina let out a heavy breath. The twinge in her side told her that at least one rib was bruised, but all things considered, she had a feeling that she had gotten off light. They both had, simply by surviving the encounter. She nodded once as she carefully tested the dim room, finally allowing her eyes to open fully. It took a moment for her to clear the fuzz from her mind as she focused in on the handsome man across the room from her. Her voice was thin and scratchy, but it was better than crying. “A spirit. Ancient and evil.”

  He nodded once, running his hands through his shaggy hair and frowning deeply. “OK. I don’t get what that means, but OK. Ancient and evil spirit in the woods. Why was it here? What the hell did it want? And how did you do...what you did? What we did.”

  Her mind swam at his questions. She had no idea where to start, so she looked down at her hand. It still hurt, but he’d taken the time to clean and bandage it. For that matter, he’d brought her into the cabin and settled her into what appeared to be the only bed. “I need some water. And painkillers.”

  He rose quickly, and eagerness swelled through their shared link. Even something as menial as fetching her drugs made him feel useful. “There’s a bottle in my bag. Two of them. Please.”

  Chapter 9

  Jackson didn’t want to leave her. Not even to step out of the room to fetch a bottle of water. She looked so small and weak in the bed, though he knew she was anything but. The image of her glowing with power was seared into his mind—in that moment, he could have sworn she was some kind of goddess reborn. Whatever she’d done, it had been enough to drive the creature away from them.

  He was still trying to wrap his mind around what he’d seen. His hand ached from the deep gouge there, and he was trying to puzzle out why he’d been possessed to do such a thing. But he couldn’t deny that it had felt amazing. Power had surged between them, and he felt like he was something more. Something strong, unique, and altogether too sensual.

  She swallowed the pills with a swig of water, wincing as it went down. She didn’t speak or even look at him again until she had downed the entire bottle, relief smoothing the lines of her face.

  “I believe you, Jackson.”

  He jerked his head up, peering at her. “What?”

  “About the murders. I believe you. You didn’t do it.” />
  Something tight unwound in his chest. Even though he had known from the start that he was innocent, there was a part of him that wondered if he hadn’t snapped and killed the women without remembering it. Knowing that she believed him made it easier somehow. It wouldn’t stand up in a court of law, but a feeling of hope flared in him. Just one ally could help him get out of this mess.

  She glanced up at him, her eyes dark and serious. “That thing? I’ve never encountered one before, but I’ve heard legends. They feed off people, drawing out their energy. They thrive on blood and death.”

  He frowned again, perching on the edge of the bed, trying to give her the space that she seemed to need, but wanting to hear more. “Yeah, but, those women...they said it was me…”

  “Ravagers. They’re called Ravagers. They can change their faces. I think that maybe...it picked you for some reason. There’s something about you that it’s latched onto.”

  “Like what? What could it possibly want from me?”

  She looked at him for a long moment, peering deep into his eyes. He felt bare before her, like she was the first person who could see him for who he really was. She sighed softly, rubbing her face.

  Jackson watched her intently, sitting very still. He wanted to reach out, take her in his arms and feel her form pressed against his chest. Kiss every inch of her body until whatever horrible things she had seen to create that hard shell around her fell away. He knew her, though, and he knew that any sudden movements would send her running from him again.