Beyond the Grave Read online

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  ImaJinn Books

  www.imajinnbooks.com

  Copyright ©2008 by Lina Gardiner

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  NOTICE: This work is copyrighted. It is licensed only for use by the original purchaser. Making copies of this work or distributing it to any unauthorized person by any means, including without limit email, floppy disk, file transfer, paper print out, or any other method constitutes a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines or imprisonment.

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  CONTENTS

  Prologue

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINTEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

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  BEYOND THE GRAVE

  By Lina Gardiner

  Prologue

  Shadows created images of creatures that couldn't possibly exist.

  Tonight he was shadow.

  The jogging path wound through the deepest gloom while intermittent street lights cast their glow to the edges of the darkness, unable to penetrate the night.

  He heard the car door shut and waited. He'd made it this long because he was patient.

  Her footsteps approached. She faltered, unsure.

  "Over here,” he said, keeping his voice low and only for her.

  "Where? I can't see you."

  Her voice wasn't right. Too harsh.

  He closed his eyes and imagined her the way she should be. With a voice that could entrance a man without effort, and blood red lips as luscious as her voice.

  This poor second stumbled on the gravel path, still searching for him.

  "Darling, I'm glad you were able to find some time for me,” he crooned from the security of the darkness, luring her to him.

  She turned toward his voice. If he didn't look too closely she could almost be the one he really desired.

  He sighed and tried to block the disappointment that threatened to annihilate his pleasure.

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  CHAPTER ONE

  "Jess! Wake up, Jess, you're having a nightmare."

  Without opening her eyes, Jess Vandermire reached out. Her hands caressed John Brittain's bare chest before she grabbed his shoulders and pulled him on top of her. As always, his heat and strength filled her with need.

  "Good morning to you, too, sweetheart,” Britt said, laughing a little, then moaning as she began to lick, then trail kisses along his neck.

  At first he offered no resistance. He was more than willing—until her eye teeth elongated and she tentatively pressed them against his flesh. All part of the sensual experience. One quick bite and she'd be there.

  "Shit! Oh shit, Jess! What the hell are you doing?” He tried to push himself off her, but she was stronger than him, especially now that she needed to feed.

  His panic barely registering, she yanked him closer, her fingers digging into his upper arms. His body felt so good against hers, and she reveled in his raw masculinity.

  "God in Heaven, Jess, stop right now! Fight it. You don't want to do this to me. I don't want you to do this to me."

  Those few words broke her concentration long enough to realize what was happening.

  She'd been about to bite him!

  With one hand she shoved him so hard he flew off the bed and landed on the floor on the other side.

  What in God's name? Her eyes flashed open and she sprang onto her knees. Usually the process of her undead slumber was like night and day. One minute nothing, the next minute total awareness. So what had just happened?

  Raking one hand over her face, she tried to clear her head while out of the corner of her eye she saw Britt in a heap on the floor, his left hand clutching his neck.

  Had she bitten him? Oh God, had she bitten him?

  "I don't know what happened,” she said in a broken voice. “Britt, can you ever forgive me?"

  Remnants of her nightmare began to filter into her consciousness. Not only had she attacked him in the heat of bloodlust but she vividly remembered killing her own brother. Could still taste the tang of blood on her fangs.

  "Oh my Lord, I killed him, didn't I?” her voice cracked and she covered her face with her hands.

  "Killed who?” Britt rose to his feet. She bit the inside of her lip when he didn't approach her.

  "I finally let the darkness take over. I've killed my own brother.” Her voice broke.

  "You didn't kill, Regent, Jess. You're here. In my apartment. Don't you remember?"

  Britt sounded pretty shaken up, too. Maybe even scared. She'd never heard him scared, not even when they'd fought Prometheus, one of the most vicious vampires she'd ever met.

  Suddenly, she remembered everything with horrifying clarity. She'd been about to drain Britt's blood before he spoke those words that brought her back, before she'd tossed him out of bed for his own safety.

  She ripped the sheet from the bottom of the bed and gripped it tight to her chest. She couldn't look at him. If she'd pierced his skin, took one tiny drop of his blood she'd never be able to forgive herself and she knew with ironclad certainty he'd never be able to forgive her, either.

  Her gaze brushed across his chest, then to his neck, still covered by his hand.

  "Did you say I had a dream?” A small frown marred her forehead.

  "Yes. Why?"

  "Because I can't dream. I haven't been able to since I was turned."

  "Well, you've just had a dream, and it was a doozy."

  "Please, God. Tell me I didn't bite you,” she begged.

  He swallowed and tentatively pulled his hand away. Probably as afraid as she was to see what she'd done, he turned to look at his reflection in the dresser mirror, then tipped his neck sideways to get full view of his flesh.

  Superior vision came in handy. She saw his unblemished flesh before he could. “There's no mark.” Her voice came out in a whisper.

  His shoulders sagged and he took a slow breath, relief evident on his face.

  The overpowering sense of dread remained. “It couldn't have been a dream, Britt. I must have left the apartment while you were sleeping."

  Britt faced her, but his expression remained cautious. “You'd never kill your brother."

  "How can you say that so easily after what I nearly did to you?"

  Seeing the hesitation behind his eyes was worse than bathing in holy water. She looked away and cursed under her breath.

  "Jess, you've got to believe me. You didn't hurt your brother, and you didn't hurt me either. I'm fine,” he said, even though a sheen of perspiration glistened on his forehead. He bent over her and his moist, warm lips brushed her forehead.

  Her mouth opened. How could he be so forgiving? Why wasn't he as terrified about what had nearly happened as she was?

  Dressed in low slung p.j. bottoms, he strode to the tiny living room just off his bedroom alcove, picked up the phone from the coffee table and dialed. His gaze never left her while he waited.

  She wrapped her arms around herself and held her breath.

  "Regent, Britt, here. How are you? Listen, Jess wants to ta
lk to you. She's had a bad dream, and needs to hear your voice."

  Even before she took the phone from Britt she heard her brother's excited voice spewing through the phone.

  He really was alive!

  As happy as she was to hear his voice, the meaning of what had happened solidified in her mind. “Regent, it may have been a dream, or maybe it was a premonition, I'm not sure,” she said, “Either way, it isn't a good omen."

  "Of course it's a good thing,” Regent said. “You had a dream, which means you weren't totally in vampire stasis. So what if it was a nightmare? After all you've been through the past fifty years, a dream would most likely be dark."

  "Don't get your hopes up. I must have been awake and only thought I was dreaming.” She felt Britt staring at her as surely as she saw her own white knuckled hand grasping the phone.

  Regent laughed. Nothing would dissuade him from thinking this was the best thing that had happened to her in decades.

  Her brother wouldn't be quite so happy if he knew what she'd nearly done to Britt. The closest she'd come to attacking a mortal since she'd turned James, her partner, into a vampire decades ago.

  Her heart clinched into a tight knot. James had been someone she'd cared for, too. Maybe not in the way she cared for Britt, but like a brother, and look what she'd done to him.

  She could never be trusted.

  It killed her to set her brother up for another disappointment. He'd tried so hard to save her when she'd turned into a vampire. In fact, he'd been able to partially save her soul through faith and prayer. Something that made the other vampires despise and fear her, because she had abilities they'd never know.

  "I'll see you soon, Regent.” She hung up the phone. “He won't listen to reason. He thinks I'm on the road to salvation. I didn't have the heart to tell him what I nearly did to you."

  "But you didn't bite me, Jess.” She watched Britt's Adam's apple move, his mouth purse slightly. His blue-eyed gaze always did amazing things to her physiology. She'd never considered just how potent he was to her, until now. He could set her on fire with a mere look. But right now, there was something else in his gaze. Something she'd never seen before.

  His body language said it all. The darkness inside her had won tonight. “I'm a vampire, Britt. A bloodsucking killer. You must be painfully aware of that now. Dreaming won't change anything. In fact, after what I nearly did to you, I don't think I'm on the road to humanity. I think I just got a whole lot more dangerous."

  "I don't believe that,” he said. “We'll figure this thing out, together, Jess."

  Together? He must be in shock. Hadn't had time to process what she'd nearly done. “You don't care if the dream is a dark portent? You don't care that I nearly bit you, drained you of your blood without knowing what I was doing?"

  "I'm sure we can find out why it happened. Maybe with Regent's expertise we can come up with a reason,” he said.

  "Is it really that simple for you? Don't you understand, in my dream I killed my brother. Drank his blood, and he died. I'm capable of doing that.” She nearly choked on her next words. “And I very nearly drank your blood, too."

  "But you didn't. You stopped when I asked you to."

  "Asked me to?” She laughed bitterly. “Don't you mean fought me to stop? Screamed at me not to do it. What if you can't stop me next time?” Her face felt like stone, just as cold and unfeeling as the rest of her—right down to her black soul. She dropped the sheet, unabashed by her naked form, and pulled on her clothes.

  "You're leaving?"

  She couldn't look at him again. “I am. In fact, I can't believe for one second that you could possibly want me to stay."

  Since he'd joined her team his strength and his street sense had never failed him. And he never failed to impress her, though she'd never admit that to him or to anyone else. He was as tough as they got, but he had a fatal flaw. A soft spot for a vampire.

  If only she could let her hand trail over his body, experience his warm flesh against hers, but she couldn't bear to see his expression replaced by fear ever again.

  "This has changed everything,” she said. “I made a mistake thinking we could do this."

  "Nothing has changed.” He folded his hands across his chest. “You've got to give me a chance to prove to you that we can get past this. You can't hide behind your fears of being a vampire, forever."

  "Can't I?” She pulled in a long breath. “You could be dust in the ground before I make up my mind."

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  Smart enough not to push too far, Britt kept his feelings to himself. It wasn't wise to tick Jess off, especially when she was already upset. He could tell she was fighting the transition to vampire. Her inner demon was always ready to come to the fore when she was stressed. Knowing Jess the way he did, she didn't want him to see her like that again so soon after she'd nearly attacked him.

  "Go ahead and get dressed, Jess. I want our first time to be unforgettable,” he said.

  "How long have you had these suicidal inclinations, Lieutenant Brittain?” She pushed off the bed and made for the kitchen to grab her leather backpack. “I shouldn't have deluded myself into believing I could have a normal relationship."

  "You carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. No one can do that alone."

  She felt the endless cold of the undead seeping back into her. Death touching her flesh ... and her soul. Until then, she hadn't even realized he'd made her feel almost warm.

  "You're wrong about me. I have no choice but to be alone. That is my penance to pay. And when Regent dies, I'll be completely alone. No one else can take his place in my heart."

  "I don't want to take his place, Jess. I want to make my own place. You have room in your heart for me, whether you know it or not."

  "You're delusional.” She grabbed her car keys off the rickety kitchen table and slammed out of his apartment.

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  CHAPTER TWO

  "Goddamnit!” Britt rammed his hand into the mirror after checking his neck for the umpteenth time. Two hours had passed and he kept looking at his damned flesh. What the hell was wrong with him? There wasn't a mark anywhere on his skin.

  Tiny cracks spidered out from the spot where his fist had connected with the mirror. Great! Add seven years bad luck to his paranoia.

  Was he afraid of Jess? Afraid of what she could do to him? He dropped onto the couch and lowered his head into his hands. His feelings for her hadn't changed. She was a vampire and he had to come to terms with what had nearly happened tonight before they could move forward.

  That is, if Jess ever let him back into her life after the way he'd mishandled things. He shouldn't have let her leave like that. She'd been angry. And disillusioned by his reaction to her near attack. Who could blame her?

  She hadn't made it this long as a vampire without having immeasurable strength of will. She could shut him out forever if she really wanted to. "Shit!"

  His phone rang. “Brittain, here."

  "John, can you come to Central Park right away? We've got a dead body. A female,” Sampson Case, Jess's Forensic Vampirologist said. “I know you're on your time off, but I'd like you to attend this scene."

  Unusual to say the least. Why in the world would Sampson call him to a crime scene on his day off? “Who found her?"

  "A civilian.” Sampson sighed. “Poor SOB. Listen, I need you here."

  "I'll be there in a couple of minutes,” Britt said, slamming down the phone and grabbing his badge off the dresser before he tore down the stairs to his police-issued car.

  As usual, a bloodthirsty crowd had gathered at the perimeter of the yellow tape. The sun had set two hours ago and night had settled over the city creating dark corners and hidey holes in the park.

  Citizens of New York thought the killers in this area were gang members. Truth was, gangs stayed away from this section of the park. He'd heard it from, Julio, a friend who lived in his building. None of the locals wandered into this particular g
ang's territory unless they wanted to die.

  Showing his badge to an officer protecting the perimeter, Britt strode across the freshly mowed lawn, now glistening with dew.

  "Sampson.” Britt touched the Forensic vampirologist on his shoulder to get his attention.

  Sampson turned and blinked at Britt through goggles. With his white hood up and tied tight under his chin, he exemplified the typical geek scientist. One who was very good at what he did. Sampson smiled. “Glad you could make it, Britt."

  Looking over his shoulder, Britt eyed the familiar faces of the team on duty. “Aren't I stepping on Brogan's territory?"

  "Normally, yes, but this is something that requires specialized knowledge,” Sampson said, letting his gaze wander in the direction of his forensic crew before he led Britt out of earshot.

  What kind of specialized knowledge did Sampson think he had over the other Black Ops team members? Britt ran his fingers through his hair and set his jaw.

  "Jess isn't with you?” Sampson asked. His voice held a note of tension.

  "No, she's not with me. Why?"

  "You'll see.” Sampson motioned for Britt to follow him, and he led him closer to the victim.

  Britt's gut tightened as he stepped toward the body. Why the hell was Sampson being so cryptic? It wasn't like him.

  A dark haired woman lay on the ground. Her throat had two sets of gaping holes with blood tracks going in two directions. The first set would have been made when she was standing, and the second set had been left when she'd dropped to the ground in this very spot.

  "Vamped,” Britt said in a monotone. Nothing uncommon in this city lately. Jess's and Britt's team had taken out a horde of vampires in the last few weeks. Unfortunately, that didn't mean there were no vampires left in the city.

  "She certainly was bitten. But there's something else, Britt. Something I didn't want anyone but you to see.” Sampson looked around, as though to make sure no one could hear him. He pulled an evidence bag of his pocket, the contents clamped in his hand so tightly his knuckles were white even through his glove. He opened his fist to produce Jess's jewel encrusted dagger.