Sookie

Chapter Twenty-Five

Any person, fang-friendly or not, who lived in the tri-state area knew of the vampire bar in Shreveport. Even before I left home I had a front row seat to the heated debate. It was seriously the last place on earth I wanted to be. I pulled around back and I knocked on the service entrance. Not to my surprise, but immense consternation, a vampire answered the door.

There was an air of authority to him. "I am Sheriff Compton," he said, stepping outside. No fucking way I was setting foot in that place and he knew it.

"Congratulations," I told him. "I want my brother."

"He broke vampire law." he informed me.

"He's a dumbass."

"That is no excuse," he supplied.

"I'm not making an excuse, I'm stating fact. He's a dumbass, but I'm not. If my brother broke vampire law, then by those same laws his punishment is left to my husband, not you." His face didn't betray any shock, but I knew he was expecting me to be ignorant on the matter. If only he knew the half. "You have five seconds, and then I'm going to call my husband and tell him you're picking on me."

"I'm sure he would never..." Eric said.

It didn't matter that in this darkness I couldn't see him clearly. I would know that cool baritone anywhere. "Hi," I said lamely.

"Hello lover," he murmured with his lips suddenly at the base of my neck. I felt his arm around me, and it helped ease the anxiety I felt at being out behind a bar late at night with some strange vampire. It's true what they say; better the devil you know than the angel you just met. In this instance I preferred the devil. If there was nothing else I knew, I knew that Eric wouldn't kill me.

"You were late to meet me." he said nipping playfully at my ear. Like always my body was miles ahead of anything else my brain had to say. I leaned into him and wound my arm around his neck.

"I'm sorry," I said sincerely.

"You are forgiven," he said kissing my temple. Then he turned his head toward the vampire by the door as though he was taking notice of him for the first time. To be honest I'd forgotten about him too. "I believe my wife made a request."

Eric's tone was cordial, polite, and so very respectful. At that exact moment, all the voids that were inside the bar scattered. Literally, one second there were at least ten vampires in the immediate area, and then just two. There was some kind of silent vampire communication and the other vampire nodded.

"Come," Eric said squeezing my hand.

The thought of leaving my brother there made me sick, but I left knowing that if nothing else I had vampire law on my side—for once. And I was sure that whatever my brother had done that other vampire imprisoning him without informing Eric pretty much negated it. It didn't change the anger I felt. I couldn't image what my brother had gotten himself into.

Eric drove me back to my house the entire way there he was silent and I wondered if he was angry with me. He was always touching me in some way but he appeared removed.

"I took Cypher and Lynx," I said trying to test the waters.

"I am glad you did," he said. He smiled at me and held my hand as he continued to maneuver effortlessly through the night. We arrived at my house and I had yet to shut the door when I saw the headlights turning on my driveway. I read the minds of the occupants. Two were Eric's personal guards. One was Jason.

"Hey," my brother greeted, walking past me.

Hey? That was it? He thought he was just going to sidestep me after the lame greeting without an explanation or a thank you? He thought wrong. When Jason opened the door to let himself into my house, I slammed it shut, narrowly missing catching his fingers in the jam.

"What did you do?" I asked, rounding on him.

In the past I'd stayed out of his mind as a courtesy, but he had exhausted my consideration. He was dumb as a bag of hair and I was stuck with him for the rest of my life. I resented that fact as much as I resented Niall and Eric. I asked that question and I saw the whole story in his mind. I saw how he had hooked up with a groupie who had been trying to get to Eric. She was addicted to V. She had introduced him to it and they had been burning his money to get their high.

Somehow the Rattrays had gotten involved. They had the bright idea to catch a vampire to support their habit. The vampire had died as they drained him. I could see that my brother didn't want to hurt anyone. I could see that he wanted to stop it, but it wasn't enough this time. I was horrified, disgusted, and so very furious.

"You stupid, selfish, sonofabitch!" exploded, "How many lives do you think I have to sacrifice for yours?"

My God! What the hell was wrong with me? How plainly did he have to spell it out? He lived his life, and I spent mine cleaning up his messes! For crying out loud, it was my birthday and look what I was dealing with! The sad part was I would have been content if he had just forgotten and stayed out of trouble, but no, he couldn't even give me that much.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I didn't mean for that to happen."

That was the problem. He never thought anything through, but he was always sorry as I was paying the price for his stupidity. "Fuck your sorry!" I shouted, I hadn't realized I was attacking, slapping and kicking him until I felt Eric pulling me back.

"That is enough," Eric said,

I was fighting the hold, but it was like having steel garters strapped across my waist, pinning my arms to my side. I kicked, and he lifted me off my feet entirely.

"Calm down Lover," Eric repeated, "If you harm yourself in my arms or his they will pay us in kind."

I looked and found that while my Shadow Wraiths had disappeared once Eric had returned, they were back now. All I could see of them was their pale glowing eyes. Both pairs were trained on Eric like a fat kid eyeing a chocolate cake. Batanya and Clovache were winging Eric, ready to take on the threat. This wasn't what I wanted, not here, not while I couldn't be sure of the outcome. I let my body go lax.

"I tried to stop it," Jason said, "You know I didn't mean any harm."

"Go to hell!" I screeched, fighting Eric's hold all over again, "Go straight to hell! You don't give a shit about me! You don't care what it costs me to be your keeper!"

This fury had been building since the day he had left me to walk home from school alone—I was seven. That childhood anger mounted with every nameless, faceless woman Jason had put ahead me. It continued to pile on with his cheap last minute Christmas gifts. Niall was right. I gave and gave in the hopes that I could show him what it was like so maybe he could one day return the consideration. All he did was take, and now there was nothing left for me to give.

"I'm done with you, Jason." I told him calmly. "You're on your own."

"I'm sorry Sook," he said, sounding contrite as the Britlingen began towing him away. "You're all I have,"

"Now you've got nothing," I told him, "Same as me."

The anger that had been so righteous and white-hot had faded. There was just pain. I got back in the car. Naturally the minute the dark sedan sped off the tears began. I hated that when I got this furious I cried. Before I could blink, Eric had his arms around me and my head on his chest. Being this close to him was becoming one of the most predictable places in my world. It didn't matter that it was all a sham.

"I hate him," I sobbed, "I hate him so much."

"You are angry with him," Eric said, wiping my tears. "It is not the same thing."

He was right, but I wasn't ready to admit it. The ride to the airport was silent as was the flight. Before I knew it, I was back at the house in New Orleans and in Eric's room, in his bed.

"I'm sorry you are unhappy," he said, wrapping himself around me. "I wished for you to have a good day."

"It's not your fault," I replied, and for once, it really wasn't.

It was my brother's. It was always Jason, but this was the first time in ages my brother's pain hadn't overshadowed my own. Earlier I'd looked at him and those fond memories where he helped me reach the tall shelves, or when he taught me to swing a bat weren't enough.

I was all out of sympathy. I was all out of pity. I was done. I took a patently clear glance at the bewildering, dark hollow place my life had become. There was no one to soothe my hurt or shoulder my burdens after Gran passed but Jason, and he had never cared to.

"I have something else for you," Eric said, pulling me from my thoughts.

I groaned long and hard, which made him laugh. "The house was perfect, beyond that even," I said caressing his face. "Thank you but sweetheart, I don't need anything else."

"You are welcome," he said rolling me to sit astride him. "Take this last little thing because it would make me happy for you to have it."

He was flashing a smile that was both seductive and roguish. In the spirit of the remaining minutes of my birthday, I nodded.

"Close your eyes," he said.

Again I complied. I heard the nightstand drawer open and close, and I cringed internally. The remodeling of the house was one thing. I knew this was going to be some obnoxious thing I would have to pretend to cherish.

"Happy Birthday, Wife of mine," he said, placing something square into my hands.

Okay. Not at all what I was afraid of. I was looking down at what was a plain a photo frame that appeared to have a black screen. I didn't know why my taking a blank picture frame would make him happy. Well at least he was trying for normalcy. This wasn't over the top so it would be easy enough to keep it.

"Thank you," I said kissing his cheek.

Eric rolled his eyes. "You are welcome," then he pushed a button on the side and it came to life.

The first thing I saw was Gran holding me at the County Hospital. I couldn't have been more than a few minutes old. The pictures played a slideshow of my life. All of them involved more of me and Gran than my own parents. I saw my middle school graduation. I'd begged and pleaded with Gran to buy me that dress. It wasn't until I got a job did I know how much it had really set her back.

The images continued to go further and further back into my past. I saw pictures of my parents as kids. I even saw Gran as a little girl with her parents and siblings. I saw her in her wedding dress. I saw her in her youthful splendor as I could have never imagined. She was so beautiful. There were even some of her parents' youths. So many of the pictures depicted my farmhouse in various stages of it's' life, including the latest remodeling.

Tears stung my eyes, and for the second time today I was speechless. "This is…" Words failed me and I kissed him. He returned the kiss briefly, but then pulled away. That was a first. I looked at him confused.

"I love you," he said, looking at me. I couldn't say it back. Not ever, the game would be over. He would know I was lying. "You don't have to say anything back. I only want you to know." Then he kissed me.

One article at a time we stripped off each other's clothes. He let me set the pace as he always did. I wanted slow and passionate. My body did, but my heart wouldn't let me. It couldn't forget who I was with and what he had done. If I did, then this would be the best birthday ever. I would let myself have that much if only for one night.

Without regard I let myself go, becoming more wanton as he got more frenzied. I wanted to make him as crazy as he made me when his lips roamed down my body. I was on my knees and moved my kisses moved to his sex. I was being painfully deliberate in my movements. I kissed everywhere except the one place I knew he was begging for me to. My lips were close enough to his thick throbbing cock so he could feel the warmth of my breath, but I didn't give in to him.

"Lover," he called. It was a desperate cry for release.

"Wait baby," I murmured.

He groaned as if he was in pain but nodded. "Yes," he said.

The rest of his body was arching, begging me to touch, and suck him into my mouth. I wanted to. One of the things I was more than familiar with was the taste of him on my tongue. It was a taste of victory. I continued to tease him and enjoyed the increasingly needy noises escaping him. He thrashed under me, moaning out my name with mixed pleas for release. Normally it was the other way around; I was under him and begging for him to finish me.

"Please," he begged.

Finally I wrapped my lips around his cock. "Yes…" he moaned, "Like that."

I took my time. He seemed to be fighting. He wanted me to take all of him, but he was squirming away. I picked up the pace and sucked him deeper and deeper into my mouth. What I couldn't fit, I stroked with my hand. I massaged his tightened balls, and with the moisture from my mouth, I lubed two fingers and breached his puckered hole. My fingers were deep inside him when I lightly dragged my teeth along his shaft and grazed the head of his cock. With a wordless shout he came. I swallowed all he gave, and milked out as much as he had to give. I've had sex with him enough to know this was just the first round. I wasn't wrong.

Before I could blink he pounced on top of me. His lips were on my mine. Then they traveled to my neck and he seemed frenzied. He kissed any part of me he could touch and felt him growing hard for me again. The normal care he seemed to take with me was gone. I barely got a chance to register the edge of ferocity to him before he flipped me on my stomach.

I knew this was going to be rough and my body could hardly wait. One of his hands went to the back of my neck, keeping my face down. His other hand held my hips and he forced me to the mattress and pried my legs apart with his knees. In the same move he shoved his thick member deep inside me. I choked out a moan as pleasure tore through me.

Eric fisted his fingers in my hair and tilted my head to the side. "I can't be gentle," he growled into my ear. "Can you take it?" The edge to his voice only made me wetter and more eager to receive him.

"Yes baby," I said, hiking my bottom up and spreading my legs father apart for him. "Fuck me."

He pulled back and slammed into me. His hands palmed the globes of my ass and he spread me open for his attentions. I felt every hard inch of him. He was pounding into me with more force than I thought I could bear. It felt like I was coming apart one nut and bolt at a time. I didn't want him not to stop but I also couldn't take much more but I tried. Over my head our fingers were intertwined. It was to restrain me and to give me something to keep me centered but that was the only allowance I received as continued to ride me hard and fast.

My third orgasm was chasing at the heel of my second, my body was sweat slicked and sore and I was hoarse from screaming. But I just wanted more. I could feel the familiar tension in the pit of my stomach reach a fever pitch. The more I moved with him the higher the sensation climbed. He wouldn't push me over this time. Instead he dragged out that moment where I was teetering and bracing for release. He dragged it out and I begged.

"Eric…ugh…baby please," I had no idea what I was begging for. It felt so good it hurt but it hurt too good to pull away. I took it because I wanted to please him and my body was helpless against the feel of his.

"What do you want my love?" he called in a voice that was pure sin.

"You," I moaned. "Want...you."

My mind was gone. I just needed to stop the madness or I'd be completely lost. He brought his chest down to my back and despite the awkward angle he found my lips. His hand reached around and rubbed my already engorged clit. His body rocked against mine and I moved into each deep thrust. My desperate cries were lost as I swallowed his groans.

The orgasm that had been stalled stunned my body once it escaped. Tears escaped my eyes and I felt the world explode over and over again. I was lost to this world and to myself. That abysmal place that only came from our coupling pulled me away.