Blood and Revenge: Under the Skin Serial Part 4 Read online

  Sloan nodded, agreeing with Hollis’ statement.

  “I don’t trust his fashion sense, but Vexie is good people, Brahm.” Claudia grabbed his hand and squeezed. “You can trust him.”

  With that, Abraham relaxed and smiled up at Claudia with all the adoration all three of my guys give me every time they looked at me.

  Seriously ... how the hell did she miss that?

  After I recounted the story of what happened to Abraham, it was decided we all needed a day to relax and rest. We had one more day before Bellamy planned to attack and all the STF was getting ready for the counterattack.

  I finally met this Bishop Bentley character and boy, they were not exaggerating. I almost wet my pants when he walked into the room.

  He agreed that his team would be helping Hollis’ take down Bellamy. He even contacted the human police at NYPD to let them in on what would be happening. They’d all be given specialty weapons to help combat the vampires, but were told to keep what was happening as on the down low as possible. We couldn’t incite panic or let Bellamy know we were onto him. They weren’t pleased, but they knew that no vampires other than our little group and the ones within the STF were to be trusted. There was no telling who was loyal to Bellamy and who was just an innocent vampire caught in the middle of a war.

  It was decided that all my guys would just stay with me at mine and Claudia’s apartment, while she stayed with Abraham at the club. None of us wanted to be separated right now and Claudia would be fine with Abraham once again.

  The sun set on the night before Bellamy would attack, and I awakened to all my men talking amongst themselves quietly. I slid my coffin lid open and eyed them suspiciously. Vex was dressed in his usual clothes, but was wearing one of Hollis’ vests with the STF patch taken off.

  “What’s going on?” I asked them, getting a bit worried he was about do something really dumb.

  “I think I know of some other vampires who would stand against Bellamy,” Vex replied, walking up to me and brushing a stray dread from my face. “I would have to check a few of the places they nest and ...”

  “And?” I prodded; dread hitting my stomach like a ten-pound weight.

  “And ... I have to go alone.”

  ‘What?” I shouted at him, making him lean back in shock. I looked over his shoulder at Hollis and Sloan, both looking guiltily at their feet. “And you two agreed this was okay?”

  “It’s a smart move, Luce,” admitted Sloan, coming up to me and rubbing the back of my shoulder. “The humans have no idea what they’re up against and we have no idea how many vampires Bellamy has. We need the bodies.”

  “Vex is gonna be a body if they decide to kill him. There may not even be a body left!”

  Vex grabbed my shoulders, forcing me to look at him. “Lucy, I’m almost offended you think I can’t take care of myself. I will be fine. I’m positive they will be on our side. It’ll take me only a few hours there and back. Trust me, okay?”

  I chewed my lip, debating on if I could hold him down until he relented on this fool’s errand. But then common sense kicked in and I saw the bigger picture. We did need all the help we could get and Vex was hundreds of years old, making it least likely they’d be able to take him. With logic taking over, my shoulders sagged and I nodded my head in defeat.

  “Alright. But you better take a cell phone with you and keep me updated or so help me, I will find you, stake you, and then give Betty to Sloan to use as an everyday tool.”

  Vex gasped dramatically, his hand flying behind him to grasp the hammer itself protectively. “You wouldn’t dare! She’s worth more than that!”

  “Then I suggest you keep in touch. Deal?” I raised my brow, challenging him to test me on this.

  “Deal. You’re an evil woman, Lucy Bryant,” he said with a smile and leaned down to kiss me. He kept it short because the other two still getting used to the idea of him being with me alongside them, but it still had all the meaning it needed to in it.

  I felt the loss of his presence the moment he left, trying my hardest not to show it to the other two. I plopped down on the couch and searched for the remote between the cushions, hoping to watch something that would take my mind off worrying. When I finally felt it and pulled it out, a hand came over me and snatched it from me.

  Sloan was leaned over me smiling like the dog that got the bone. “Nope! No TV. You’ve been gone for weeks and we want to spend time with you,” he said, tossing the remote to the other couch.

  “We can’t do that watching TV? I need to distract myself.”

  Hollis sat to my right, his arm coming around to rest on the back of the couch behind me. “We could, but we have other things in mind,” he responded with the same look that Sloan had just given me.

  My stomach twisted anxiously, having an idea of where this was going. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t almost instantly wet with need, at the thought of both taking me together. Sloan jumped over the couch and landed on my other side, his hand gliding up the inside of my thigh and his mouth next to my ear. I shuddered at the sensations that shot through me at such gentle touches.

  “We will be distracting you just fine, Luce. Don’t you want us?” Sloan whispered huskily.

  I felt Hollis lean in on my other side, his lips caressing my bare shoulder and hand on the inside of my other thigh. My body was beginning to shake with desire, my breathing coming out in gasps. They had no idea how badly I wanted this, but I couldn’t tell them that because Sloan’s hand went higher, sliding in beneath my underwear. My head flung back, a moan escaping from my lips.

  “I don’t think she can answer you. Maybe we should make her see reason. What do you think, Sloan?” Hollis said, his hand coming up to knead my breast and teeth grazing my exposed neck.

  “I’m all for making her see reason, maybe some stars right after. You know, let’s make her scream while we’re at it.”

  His fingers plunged into me, making me do exactly what he wanted. I screamed in ecstasy at his touch.

  I was picked up and placed on the soft carpet on the floor, both of my men lifting their shirts over their heads as the stood above me, giving me an uninterrupted view of both of their drool worthy, sculpted torsos.

  “Think you can handle both of us at once, Lucy?” Sloan asked me seductively as he and Hollis dropped to their knees simultaneously on either side of me.

  “Y-yes. Please...” I begged them, bringing my hands up to touch both of their chiseled abs.

  “Well, since you said please,” Hollis said in a low growl.

  Then they descended on me.

  They were a frenzy of mouths and hands, touching me everywhere and ridding me of my clothes as they went. I fell into a state of absolute bliss as they kissed, bit, and licked their way along my body. It took a bit of practice maneuvering ourselves into positions that benefited us all at once, but I was always the center of all the pleasure. They were everywhere.

  At one point, Hollis had bitten me just beside my core, causing one of the most violent climaxes I’d ever experienced. It was all almost too much to bear, but it was the most exceptional sexual experiences of my life being with them at once.

  We went on for the next two hours, none of us stopping to rest at any point in time.

  When we finally did, we all lay there exhausted. Sloan on his back with his arm slung over his eyes as he tried getting his breathing under control. Hollis rested on his stomach, arms splayed out on either side of him. I lay in between them, my head on Sloan’s chest, my right leg resting between Hollis’. My right hand played with Sloan’s hair while my other rested over Hollis’ arm slung over my stomach.

  This was how Vex found us when he came back.

  He had texted me from the phone Hollis had given him thirty minutes ago, saying that the vampires were in fact on our side and would fight with us.

  “What the hell? How come I wasn’t invited to the Lucy Love Nest?” Vex jested above us with a smirk firmly in place and his arms crossed over his c
hest.

  “It’s not my fault. They just attacked me,” I defended myself with a grin that was anything but innocent.

  “Yes, pet. You look absolutely ravished.” Vex chuckled and held a hand out for me. I grabbed it and he lifted me up, bringing me into his arms for a warm hug. “Next time I want in.”

  “As long as you don’t bring Betty, were good.” Sloan mumbled from the floor.

  “Why must you always ruin my fun?” Vex kicked at Sloan’s foot.

  I swear these men of mine would never get boring.

  Chapter 26

  The following morning after being made into a sexy sandwich by Hollis and Sloan and before the sun came up, we all made our way to the STF station.

  There’d be no resting for me today.

  We had to get with all of the team members from Hollis’ and Bishop’s teams to go over the game plan for the coming fight we’d be facing this evening. Claudia and Abraham were meeting us there. Abraham offered to lend a hand on the condition that Claudia would be kept out of it. She was angry, obviously, but I agreed with him. Claudia was less of a fighter than I was.

  There had been a huge fight between me and the guys on my participation. Vex was teetering between letting me and not, but Hollis and Sloan had both argued with a resounding no.

  “She isn’t a fighter, Vex! You weren’t there when your men took her that night. She doesn’t know how to fire a weapon and was too scared to even move off the floor. This is too much for her!” Sloan had shouted at him.

  “Um, I’m right here,” I’d argued, apparently invisible.

  “You weren’t there when she fought me off. Yes, she was scared, but she’s also tactical and a good runner. I couldn’t catch her even drugged out of my mind!” Vex argued back.

  “Still right here, guys.”

  “I’m not comfortable with her being there. We’d all be too worried about watching her back instead of ours. Concentration would be completely out the window,” Hollis added.

  “Guyyyyys,” I had said a little louder, still being completely ignored.

  “Just give her a gun and put her between all three of us. I think she’d surprise you if you just let her,” Vex stated with a shrug.

  They continued arguing back and forth, so I slipped off the bar stool I was sitting on and grabbed Hollis’ gun from his holster on the table, still very much invisible to them.

  I checked if it was loaded and then held it up, aiming at the eye socket of a skull on the poster hanging by the door. When my sight was lined up, I fired.

  The loud bang of the gun had all three of my men ducking down, looking everywhere for the threat, only to see me standing there with the gun. I lowered it and set it down back in its holster.

  “What the fuck, Luce?” Sloan had shouted. All three of them stood there gaping at me.

  “If all of you would stop prattling on to each other like I’m not even here, you’ll notice I actually have pretty good aim.” I had pointed at the direct bullseye mark in the middle of the eye socket I’d been aiming at.

  “When the hell did you learn to shoot that?” Hollis had asked while walking over to grab his gun and attach it to his belt.

  “One of Vex’s men showed me while I was there. He would give me lessons while watching over me when Vex was gone,” I had said with a shrug. I hadn’t told Vex that because I hadn’t wanted him to get mad at the guy.

  “Which one?” Vex had asked.

  “Gangly one with the hair that fell in his face all the time.”

  “Ah. Thomas. He had a soft spot for you. I should’ve known.” Vex had given me a look of pride for that shot.

  After showing them that I could handle it just fine, and some more arguing on my part, they’d finally relented and agreed for me to join the fight. So long as I stayed by at least two of them at all times.

  We made it to the station and walked into a room I hadn’t been in before. It was massive and had weapons of all shapes and sizes lining the walls. Ammunition and smaller guns were placed on a few tables that sat in the middle of the room. All-in-all, this room looked more like a military establishment than a police force. Hell, these guys made the military look like a regular old SWAT team with the types of weaponry they had holed up in here. But I guess when the targets you’re aiming at are faster, stronger, and heal from most anything; you need bigger, badder weapons to fight back with.

  There were at least eighty agents scattered around the large room, all either cleaning weapons or gearing up in tactical vests. Some of them nodded their heads or greeted Hollis as we entered, paying no mind to little ole me walking between my three massive men.

  Bishop Bentley was speaking to one of the men at the back of the room in hushed tones, but glanced up when we arrived. He excused himself and made his way to Hollis, shaking his hand when we approached.

  “I gathered extra men from some of the stations in the other burroughs,” Agent Bentley explained. “Safe to say New York City itself is the prime target, after reviewing your information. He takes this city; the others will fall not long after.”

  “I don’t doubt you’re right,” Hollis replied. “This is Vex,” he motioned at my maker. “He’s responsible for the information feed. If anyone will know Bellamy’s tactics or how he organizes his vampire army, it’ll be him.”

  I looked at my maker and wasn’t surprised to see him looking excitedly at the explosives. I elbowed him, noticing he wasn’t even paying attention to Agent Bentley as he started talking to him.

  He rubbed the spot and tapped my nose in admonishment before addressing the agent. “Sorry, distracted by all the fun stuff. What did you want from me?”

  Agent Bentley cast a glance at Hollis in a way as if to ask, ‘Are you fucking kidding me?’

  “I need you to address the teams and fill them in on what ways we’ll need to fight Bellamy and his vampires,” Agent Bentley snorted out in disdain.

  I was half expecting smoke to actually flow from his nostrils. Vex was either really brave or really indifferent to the intimidating agent. I chalked it up to his ability to find entertainment in violence that overruled his ability to be intimidated.

  “Yes. I suppose I could do that.” He kissed my cheek. “Time to go play teacher, pet. Keep out of trouble. Or at least, don’t do anything I would do.”

  I shoved his arm with a giggle, telling him to follow the bull shifter and play nicely.

  “Lucy, you go with Sloan to the station’s gun range while I debrief my team and get ready. I want to make sure that shot you fired wasn’t just lucky. These targets will be moving and will also be faster in more unpredictable patterns. If I’m putting a gun in your hand, I wanna make sure you are the best shot you can be with it.”

  I gave him a two-finger salute and winked. “Aye, aye captain!”

  He smirked and kissed me, giving me a seat on my behind as Sloan and I turned to head to the gun range. “Smart ass,” Hollis quipped at me.

  “Come on, Rambo,” Sloan said putting my head under his armpit in a playful headlock. “Let’s see what you go.”

  I laughed and shoved him off me, feeling a little less nervous about tonight than I was on our way here.

  I successfully proved that I was actually pretty decent with a gun. I didn’t know how, but apparently my coordination and steady hand from tattooing were a major part of it.

  Claudia and Abraham had come to find me and Sloan when it was time to start getting ready to go. Claudia would stay behind with the technical support, helping to keep tabs on all our locations when we arrived on scene.

  When we got to the room where everyone was gathered before, I was a little intimidated by the sight of so many geared up STF agents. All of them were in the usual black uniform; tactical vests, black military style boots, fatigues, and their badges hanging from their necks. This time, however, they were all loaded completely with tons of weapons. I saw some with swords strapped to their backs, a couple with small rocket launchers, some heavier machine guns and even o
ne with damn ninja stars. It was like walking onto the set of an action movie.

  Hollis saw me and came over, grabbing my elbow and hauling me off to a room attached to this one. It was filled with benches and lockers, reminding me of my high school gym days in a way. He walked me to the back of the room to a bench, a pile of clothes sat there.

  “This is the women’s locker room. These should fit you. If any of it is too loose, let me know.” He dug between the piles and pulled out a serrated dagger, turning it so the handle was pointed at me. “The dagger is just for emergencies, because I’d rather you not have to get up close and personal fighting any of these vamps should we lose sight of you.”

  I took it in my hand and tested the weight of it. It was a lot lighter than it looked like it would be and fit comfortable in my hand. I tapped the side of the blade. The burning sensation made me smile. It was silver.

  “This I like,” I said with an appreciative smile.

  “It’s not a toy, Lucy,” sighed Hollis.

  “Says who?” I jested at him.

  “Dear god, you really were made by Vex. How am I just now seeing this?”

  I playfully punched his arm. “I know it’s not a toy. Go. I’ll get changed and meet you back out there.

  “You’ll be the death of me Lucy Bryant.” He kissed my forehead and left.

  I eyed the uniform, not liking that I had to wear it. I’d felt Hollis’ uniform and the material was extremely constricting. I guess tighter clothes were needed for some reason.

  I quickly changed, happy when I realized the inside was a lot softer than the outside. The vest was heavy, but not too much so. I strapped everything on then sat and looked at the boots. They were large and clunky, making me dread walking in them. I looked down at my boots, not many differences in the two, but mine were smaller and more worn. I ended up deciding to stick with my own. A good pair of shoes was always necessary when running and I could run in these babies faster than most people could run in tennis shoes.