Immortal Danger (Night Watch 0.5)

Not a cushion, a car seat. They were in the SUV.

But they should have been in the tunnels, finding Cammie.

Cammie.

"I need you to listen to me, Slick."

He tried to turn his head toward her voice. Tried and failed.

"I don't know how the hell you're still breathing, but I'm gonna get you someplace safe, okay?"

No, they couldn't leave yet. Not without Cammie.

"Just hold on for me. Just-"

"C-Cam…" It was all he could manage. The effort left him shaking with exhaustion.

Silence. Then, "She wasn't there. They'd already taken her."

He remembered hearing her voice, calling for help. Adam tried to shake his head. They couldn't leave, not without her.

"Dammit!" The curse exploded from her. "Fine. Hell. You just better not die on me, you got that?"

A door slammed.

Silence.

Adam stopped fighting the agony that racked his body.

Don't die.

Not a promise he could make right then.

Her eyes were tearing. No, watering. From the sun. Had to be from the sun.

How was the man still alive? And how much longer would he stay that way? Maya spared a glance for her hands as she hurried back over the rough terrain. At least six of her fingers were broken. Dried blood coated her hands, from fingertip to wrist.

But she'd gotten him out.

As much as she wanted to run like hell from Blood Rock and the heat of the sun, Adam wasn't going to let her leave yet.

Not without Cammie.

Maya knew Cammie was long gone. She'd found the tape recorder's broken remains under Adam's body. One look, and she'd known how the vamps set the trap for Adam.

No, Cammie wasn't in the tunnels.

But maybe she'd find someone else who could help them-and she didn't really care if that help was given willingly or not.

"Dammit, settle down in there!" Maya's voice. "I'm not going to hurt you!"

Adam jerked at the shout, then heard her snarl, "Yet."

He didn't understand. Why would Maya be threatening to hurt him? Were they still in the tunnels? No, the car-

"It's okay, Adam." Her voice was softer now, almost soothing. That didn't make a bit of sense.

When had Maya ever been soothing? Wild. Hot. Sexy. And very often dangerous. But soothing? Not his Maya.

"We're safe, now. You hear me? Safe."

A warm, soft cloth had been pulled over his chest.

He was laying down, Adam realized. Not in the car: he didn't feel the cushions of the seat beneath him. No, this seemed more like-

"You're in bed, back at the motel," she said, almost as if she'd sensed his thoughts. Maybe she had. They were linked and-

Her fingertips stroked his cheeks, felt strangely rough against his skin. "Can you hear me?"

He tried to nod, but found he couldn't move his head.

Fear rose in his throat.

"Adam?" A whisper. "Adam! Adam!" More demanding now. And she had fear in her voice. A fear to match his.

Since when was Maya afraid of anything? "I need you to open your eyes. Can you do that for me? Please, Adam, just open your eyes-for a minute, okay? Let me know that you're still in there."

He was there. Right beside her. He could hear every word she said. Could feel her body so close to his. He tried to open his eyes, struggled.

Her breath caught. "Adam?"

His lashes fluttered.

"That's it, that's…"

He couldn't get them to open, and the effort had left him feeling hollowed out.

"You can hear me." Absolute certainly now. "Then listen up, Slick."

Slick. He'd rather liked it when she called him Adam.

"Time's running out. You're hurt bad. Real bad."

Yeah, he'd managed to work that one out for himself.

"You're not going to make it," she said softly and her fingertips rasped across his brow. "I don't even know how you're still alive now."

She was telling him-No! He wasn't dying. He-

"There's a chance, a very, very small chance…" She swallowed and he could hear the painful click perfectly. "Th-that I can change you."

Change him. Turn him into a vampire.

"You've lost a lot of blood," she murmured, "and the damage-it's so bad that I-I'm not sure you'll survive long enough for the exchange." She drew in a deep breath. "But it's your only chance."

No. He couldn't change. It wasn't possible for him.

"It's your choice." Her breath feathered over him and he knew she'd leaned in close. "I-I won't make this decision for you-so I need some kind of sign here, Adam. I need to know, need to see what you want me to do."

He understood what she was saying, and what she wasn't. Maya wouldn't take the option of dying away from him, as it had been taken from her.

"Give me a sign," she said, "and make it fast."

But he couldn't move. Couldn't even lift his lashes. He didn't want to die and he sure as hell didn't want to transform-becoming a vampire wasn't an option for him.

He tried to talk. Vaguely, he remembered saying something to her before, but now, all he managed was a faint moan and a choked gurgle.

"Adam!" Maya wiped his lips and he understood the moisture he felt sliding down his chin was his own blood.

Not a good sign.

Shit.

"You're dying. There isn't any time left."

He wanted to look at her. To see her face once more and to find out if she was really crying, because it sure sounded like she was.

The great Maya Black. Crying over someone like him.

"Choose, Adam. Show me something… choose! "

Her words rumbled against his right ear. Then her mouth moved down, pressed against his throat and he felt the edge of her teeth.

Choose.

There was no choice.

Gathering every bit of strength he had, Adam managed to jerk away from her, just one tiny inch.

Maya lifted her head. Gazed at his battered face.

Adam.

He was choosing death.

Her hands clenched into fists and the tears tracked down her cheeks.

CHAPTER 8

Maya was staring at him.

Adam frowned, pushing his body up slowly from the soft mattress.

She stood at the foot of the bed, her hands clenched at her sides, a frown pulling her brows low.

Not staring. Glaring at him.

He swallowed. His throat felt dust dry and hurt like a bitch.

"Water's on the table." Her voice was hard.

Adam glanced to the right. Saw a half-full pitcher of water.

A chair had been pulled to the edge of the bed. Red-stained cloths littered the floor.

He lifted his hand for the pitcher.

"Here." Maya had moved almost soundlessly. She poured the water into a cup, held it to his lips.