Page 32 of By The Moon

Skylar. Why him of all vampires? They’d been friends for decades. Had he been one of Maxim’s men the entire time or had he been turned at some point and hidden it from all of them? Louis would find out even if he had to tear Skylar apart. No one touched his mate.

When the kettle boiled, Louis made Jerome’s drink, picked up the pain meds and carried them through to the bathroom. Jerome was already in the bath, letting it fill around him, and smiled when he saw Louis enter the room.

“Thanks.”

“Take some pain meds now, then relax. When you’re ready I’ll help you get out and you can have something to eat and then go to bed. You need to rest and let your body heal.”

“Are you going to question him?”

Louis sat on the edge of the bath and watched Jerome before answering. “I want to be there but if you need me here then I’ll stay.”

“No. He was your friend and he betrayed your trust. You should be there when they speak to him. I’ll be fine here. This place has great security. There’s no way one of those vampires can get in here without an alarm sounding. We’d know the second they teleported inside.”

“You really don’t mind?”

“No and it’s you who should question him. It’s me he kidnapped and I’m your mate so you need to be there.” Jerome took his pills and hissed. “Hate taking them.” Leaning back in the bath, he sighed. “How long was I gone for? It felt like it was days but it can’t be that long.”

“Less than twenty-four hours. Felt like a lifetime.”

Jerome raised his hand and Louis took it, kissing the palm. “I knew you would come. I might have been scared at times but I knew you would find me. I knew you would never stop looking for me until you knew what had happened to me. I trust you.”

“I love you.” Louis bent over Jerome and kissed him softly on the lips. “I would have never stopped searching for you. Never.”

“I know,” Jerome whispered. “I love you, too. I have waited years for my mystery man, my savior, to come to me and I’m not letting you go now you’re here. You’re mine, Louis.”

“I am yours and only yours. Now and forever. Let me cook you something to eat and then I’ll go and speak to Skylar. I want this over and done with as soon as possible, then I can come home to you and we can live the rest of our lives together.”

“You say the sweetest things. I fancy waffles and bacon with syrup. Not healthy but screw it. I deserve it.”

Louis chuckled, kissed Jerome again and stood. “Waffles, bacon, and syrup it is. I’ll do it now.”

It didn’t take long for the food to cook, and by the time it was finished Jerome was in bed, tucked under the covers. Louis watched him eat, and when he’d finished, cleaned up then tucked him into bed. Trailing his fingers over Jerome’s cheek, Louis kissed him softly then left.

Walking into their security building, Louis headed toward the cells, where he knew Skylar would be held. He could already hear the screaming and winced when Skylar threatened to castrate Gray. Gray grinned and waved at Louis as he entered the cell.

“He’s having a gay old time in there.” Louis arched an eyebrow at Gray. “Gay used to mean happy in the old days. So gay old time meant happy time but now you can’t say it. I miss saying it.” Shrugging, Gray pushed away from the wall and bowed. “He’s all yours.”

“No one’s been in?”

“A doctor, to check him over. He accidently hit a few items as we put him inside. The wall, door, floor, Kelvin’s fist. You know. Everyday things.”

Louis snorted. “He’s so accident prone. I’m glad he had you and Kelvin there to help him.”

“Well, what’s a good vampire to do but to help his fellow citizen.”

“And I salute you for that.” Facing the door, Louis straightened. “Let’s see what he has to say.”

Chapter Fourteen

Louis stood in front of Skylar, who was seated in a chair that was bolted to the floor. His hands were held down so he couldn’t leave the room, and as soon as he saw Louis he said, “I didn’t mean it.”

“You said enough when we tracked your location and rescued my mate Jerome. You’d drugged him, stripped him naked, had him held in a room he couldn’t escape from. You planned to harm him, hurt him, and then kill him and dispose of his body.” Louis paused and breathed deeply. He could feel his hands clench, his chest tightened and he took several seconds to relax. “Maxim. How long have you been one of his people?”

“I’m not. I only mentioned him because I was angry and scared.”

Louis arched an eyebrow. So it was going to be like that. As if Louis hadn’t been in the room, hearing everything Skylar screamed as they’d captured him. “I heard you. We all did, and we’re tracking your bank accounts, the properties you own and your movements over the past few days. We know you’ve beenin contact with Maxim. We know you work with him. Make this easier for yourself and tell us the truth.”

Skylar shook his head. “I am telling you the truth. I said those things in the heat of the moment. I didn’t mean any of them.”

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