Page 58 of Graced
Nash remained silent.
Sitting back up, he confronted the man he thought he could trust.“Why, Nash?Why did you do it?”He didn’t have to explain what he meant.The man understood.But when Nash continued to keep mum, he pressed the issue.
“Grace doesn’t have much time.You know that.We both know that.I have to get her away from those men, and I have to do it now.Are you going to help me?Or am I going to have to go it alone?”
He could tell Nash was thinking.Or remembering.Clear signs of distress flashed across the man’s face.
“Can I even trust you anymore?How can I ever trust you again after the stunt you pulled?”
Nash’s gaze remained fixed on the TV even though it wasn’t on.“Did you drink her blood?Can you see in color, too?”
“Yes.And yes.”
The man finally turned his head to look at him.“When were you going to tell me?Or were you ever going to tell me?”
Rhyne had no choice but to be bluntly honest.“Remember that bag of AB negative from a few days ago?I didn’t know that was her blood.I woke up the next morning and…it was like a miracle.So I took the empty bag back to Norris and asked him if there was more.Or to see if he could find out whose blood it was.”He shook his head.“I didn’t find out it was Grace’s blood until after I met her.By that time, Welsh had run across her and had a taste of her.I couldn’t tell him I already knew her and what her blood could do.”He braced himself.“Nash, I think I’ve fallen in love with her.That’s the biggest reason why I have to get her away from Welsh and Cargill’s nest.”
“And do what?Skip town?”
“I haven’t thought that far ahead,” Rhyne admitted.“Right now I’m focused on getting Grace back.So make up your mind whether or not you’re sticking with me or with him.”Still seeing the man’s hesitation, he asked, “Seriously, Nash.What’s going on between you two?And don’t give me any bullshit that I’m imagining things.You know I can smell a lie a mile away.”
Nash adjusted himself in the rocker.“Let’s just say I owe him big time, and he’s never let me forget it.”
“Or settled the score?”
A head shake was the answer.
“Well, I’d say this little escapade has wiped that slate clean.Welsh has a price on his head now.He’s broken the number one rule of vamp law and brought himself to their attention.Do you want to hang around and get caught up in his web?You know as well as I do that if you don’t separate yourself from him, he’s going to end up throwing you under the bus.He’s done it before, and he’ll keep doing it until he gets somebody else killed.I just don’t want that somebody to be Grace.”
Nash continued to stare at him.
Rhyne gave a sigh of defeat.“All right.Stay here.You’ve done your deed for the day, ramming into that cop car.By the way, how did you know which one Grace was in?”
“Cargill has one of those police band radios in his car.”
Well, that was a nice piece of the puzzle to have.
Getting to his feet, Rhyne gave the man one final look.“I don’t suppose you know where Welsh has taken her, do you?Is he coming back for you so you can join them?Or is he going to call you to let you know where to find them?”
“Welsh lost his phone somewhere out in the field near the hospital.That’s why he called you using mine,” Nash informed him.“He’s supposed to have one of Cargill’s men call me sometime this evening to let me know where I can meet up with them.”
Rhyne gave a bark of laughter.“You know damn well Welsh has written you off.He’s not about to call you because he knows you’ll just lead the police straight to him.”He pointed to the front door.“There’s an undercover cop car watching this place right this minute, hoping Welsh will either show up, or one of us will leave and take them there to him.”He slapped his chest.“Let me do that.Let me lead the cops to him.Help me get Grace.”
“And then what’ll you do?”Nash demanded, his face flushed.
It was then that Rhyne knew what his roommate feared.“What will she and I do?Honestly, I don’t know.I don’t even know if she’ll want to stay with me after all she’s been through.But if she’s willing to take the chance, I’ll gladly let her take the lead.”
“Would you leave town?Or stay?”Nash tried to clarify.
Rhyne shrugged.“I will do whatever will make her happy.Whatever I can do to keep her happy.And safe.”
“So you won’t be joining another nest?”Nash insisted.
It almost saddened Rhyne to realize the man feared having to go it alone, and he couldn’t blame him.It was a terrifying ordeal to put a single vampire through.
And then it hit him.
Smiling, Rhyne shook his head.“There won’t be any need to join another nest.Not when I can form one of my own.”
