Sam had dropped me off at Jo’s house on base at her request, and I followed her to her office. Apparently, she wanted to chat. I imagined she wanted to pick my brain and see where I stood when it came to her brother or the pregnancy or both.
I didn’t mind. I needed all the friends I could get. Plus, she was studying hematology and genealogy, so what better person to talk to? I hoped she could help me find a way to learn more about my mom and her ancestors.
Jo rushed in. “Excuse the mess. I’ve got finals coming up.”
I giggled. “I think you need more books,” I teased. “It’s a mini library in here.”
Three large bookcases were packed, an oblong table had several scattered on it, and her desk had a stack of medical textbooks about five books high. Beneath the chaos was a well-decorated room with soft-blue walls, sheer gray curtains covering one window, and a portrait of Webb, Abbey, and her hanging on the wall behind two tan fabric chairs.
“That’s what Webb tells me all the time. But we have a great library on base and a more extensive one at vampire headquarters in Boston.” She plucked a lap blanket off one chair. “You can sit here.”
I would rather have curled up on the window seat, which seemed like a cozy place to drink a glass of wine and read a good book. Although I would rather have sipped bourbon.
Jo laughed. “You’re a hard-core woman if you like bourbon.”
I tore my gaze away from the motes dancing through the rays of sunlight spilling through the sheer curtains and angled my head at her.
“Sorry. I try hard to stay out of people’s heads. But sometimes, it just happens.”
I’d forgotten she could read minds. “No worries,” I lied. I made a mental note to make sure I remembered her abilities. “Jordyn told me about the library in Boston.” Since we were on the topic, it wouldn’t hurt to ask for her help. “I don’t know if Sam told you, but there are vampires on my mother’s side. Do you think I could find anything in any of the libraries about her family? I understand you keep good records on most vampires.” I sank into one of the chairs.
“It’s possible. What’s her last name? Not that I know every vampire. But I’ve been doing research on my own mom and her genealogy.” She wiped her hands on her black leggings, which she wore with a peach top that hung to mid-thigh. Her feet were bare and her toenails painted pink just like her well-manicured nails.
“Drake. But she told us she didn’t have any siblings and that her parents had died when she was young.”
She snagged a lone book off the floor and placed it on the table.
I did a double take. “The Science Behind Vampires,” I mumbled. “What? Someone actually wrote a book about your kind?”
She laughed. “You remind me of me when I first found this book.” She handed it to me. “I came across it in a funeral home, of all places.”
I choked. “That’s spooky.”
She sat in the matching chair next to me then switched on the torch lamp between us. “It was quite freaky. I was human when I found it, but I had been experiencing some physical changes and had no clue what was happening to me. You have much to learn, Layla.”
I opened the book. “No kidding. I have so many questions, it isn’t even funny.” I scanned the table of contents. My eyes widened on chapter nine, “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Vampire Sex but Were Afraid to Ask.” I snorted.
“That’s a good one.” She giggled.
My cheeks flamed like I was standing over a fire. “Can I borrow this? It’s not for the chapter on sex,” I was quick to add. “The topics look interesting.” I flipped open one of the pages she had bookmarked with a sticky note. “Wow! Genetically engineering a vampire. Have your adversaries gotten their hands on this book? I mean, isn’t this the process that manufactures humans into vampires?”
“The chapter doesn’t detail how. And it’s quite difficult to find the right… recipe, if you will. My uncle was a great geneticist, but he wasn’t successful, although he came close before his death. As a result, his last batch of testing resulted in half-breeds like Ben.”
“Fascinating,” I muttered.
“And scary. This is the very reason Sam and I have been hunted and why Roman wants Abbey. It’s also why your baby might be on the most-wanted list of power-hungry assholes who want to build armies and become rich in the process.”
My pulse stuttered as fear needled across my arms. I’d heard Sam when he said something similar, but hearing Jo articulate it with more anger seemed to turn on my panic radar. Then again, ever since Sam told me he loved me, I hadn’t been thinking of much else.
“I feel your anxiety,” Jo said. “This is one of the reasons I wanted time alone with you. I like you, Layla. I think you’ll be good for my brother. But I need you to hear me.”
Closing the book, I gave her my full attention as my stomach sank like a ship in rough seas.
She crossed one leg over the other and impaled me with a stern look that shackled me to my chair. “You will be the number one target from here on out if anyone outside our circle finds out you’re pregnant with a Mason baby. You cannot think for one second that you can handle things on your own or live by yourself. You must have a guard around you at all times. I don’t know if Sam told you that or what you two decided on, but he’s not the only one you’re dealing with now. I will go to the ends of the Earth to make sure nothing happens to you and the baby. But I need you to tell me you understand. I need you to be 100 percent sure this is what you want.”
Jo Mason was beautiful and well put together, inside and out. Manicured nails. Perfect makeup. Thick, shiny black hair with streaks of purple. Those casual clothes I was sure she’d bought at a high-end clothing store. Silver eyes that shone like diamonds—and when they transformed to vampire mode, the violet color reminded me of a rare amethyst. Inside, she was intelligent with a heart of gold, from what I’d seen so far in how she handled Abbey and Sam. But the curtness in her tone, her sharp glare, and her pursed lips told me she was more lethal than Sam could ever be.
Unease sliced across my skin as I raised my chin. “With all due respect, because I have a ton of it for you, I will not be held prisoner because I’m pregnant with Sam’s baby. I understand the danger. I understand that my child could be hunted. I will do everything I can to make sure he or she is safe. Is this what I want? Honestly, I’m not ready for a baby. But I’ve never run from anything. Well, maybe your brother.” Nervous laughter rumbled free.
She smiled warmly. “You’re not running from him but from your own feelings for him. He loves you.”
A flush rushed to my cheeks. “He told me this morning.”
She sucked in air. “Oh, my word.” She held a hand to her heart. “I mean, I knew it, and not because I’ve been in his head. As twins, we have this connection, and it’s stronger now that we’re vampires. But to know he’s said it to you, that it came out of his mouth, is epic. And how do you feel?”
“Frankly, things are moving at the speed of light. I haven’t had time to process. But to be honest, he’s everything I want in a man. He’s caring. He knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to go after it. He’s hot. Powerful. Determined. Can be an ass, but so can I. And he’s a hell of a protector when it comes to those he loves. The latter quality reminds me of my dad.”
She lit up as though she'd won a prize. “Webb reminds me of my dad in some ways too.”
I lowered my gaze to the book. “I need you, Jo. I need Dr. Vieira too. I’m swimming against the current here. I would like to think I know what I’m doing, but I don’t. A natural-born vampire baby? I’m scared to death.”
She moved quickly, and when I blinked, she was kneeling before me. Her silver eyes flashed to violet and brimmed with tears. “You’re not alone. I’m in this with you. I will help you every step of the way.” She clutched my knees. “You have the best doctor in the world at your disposal.”
I grabbed her hands and let out a huge breath. “Thank you. It’s great to know I can count on you. But Dr. Vieira hasn’t dealt with a pregnancy where the fetus requires blood as a food source.”
She pushed to her feet. “True, but he’s working hard to find out why.”
“You don’t think I’ll give birth to a baby vampire with fangs, do you?” The moment I said that, it sounded stupid. “Maybe that’s the reason why the fetus needs blood.”
She stared at me as though I was right.
“Oh my God. I’m right, aren’t I?”
She tilted her head slightly. “We speculate but aren’t sure. No one during our existence has had a vampire baby.”
The air jetted from my lungs “I think I’m about to be sick.” I held my stomach, needing to escape, puke, run, hide—or all of the above.
Then something Dr. Vieira said hit me like a hard wind on a stormy day. “In our world, Layla, you’ll learn that some things don’t have an explanation, especially when magic is involved. And you’ll hear me say this many times: nothing is normal when it comes to Sam or Jo.”
I stood on shaky legs as nausea sloshed in my stomach. “I need to use the bathroom.”
She pointed to her left, seemingly alarmed that she’d told me the things she had. “Down the hall. When you’re done, meet me in the kitchen. I’ll fix us some tea.”
I rushed out as acid shot into my throat.