Agent Johnson Page 2

  “How old were you then?”

  “Nine,” he answered. “My brother was fifteen then.”

  “So, after that it was just your mom, you, and your siblings,” she mused and looked around the waiting room. “When my dad died, it was just me and my mom. She never remarried.”

  “The year you were born, I was working as a police officer in Portland Oregon,” he told her, and she looked at him again. “I had been many places, and done many things before then, and many more after before the bureau was formed.

  “What did you do before you were turned?”

  “I was in the military,” he answered. “The last mission I was supposed to do was aborted, and we were all sent home. That was in April of nineteen-eighty.”

  “Is that when you were changed?”

  “No,” he replied and looked at his hands. “I was changed on July fourth of that year.”

  “You don’t have to tell me.”

  “I’ve never talked about this with anyone,” he confessed. “The VEB knows when I was changed, and some of the things that followed, but I don’t even know who changed me.”

  “Is that common?”

  “Not really. Most vampire stay with their creator for a time. My creator fled after he slaughtered my family and started the process of changing me.”

  “Oh,” she said and looked at his hands. They were curled into fists, and she knew he was thinking about what he would do if he ever encountered his creator.

  “Maggie,” he said, and she pulled her gaze from his fists to his eyes. “I will never hurt you.”

  “I don’t know why, but I believe you,” she repeated her words from earlier.

  “Good,” he said and relaxed a little.

  When she laid her small hand on his arm, he laid his hand on top of it and relaxed a little more.

  “Margaret Torres,” a nurse called from an open door, breaking the moment.

  “Time to get you checked out,” he said and moved his hand.

  “Will you come with me?”

  “I promised you I wouldn’t leave you,” he reminded her. “And I keep my promises.”

  “Thank you,” she said, nearly silently. “Thank you for everything.”

  Instead of answering, he took her small, pale hand in his large, dark one, and led her to the door.

  “Her name’s Maggie, not Margaret,” he told the nurse when they stopped in front of her. “I’d appreciate it if you’d call her Maggie.”

  “Yes, sir,” the nurse responded. “Let’s get you in a room so you can be checked out.”

  “Thank you,” Maggie whispered to Leland as they followed the nurse.

  “Anything for you,” he responded, speaking so quiet she wasn’t sure she’d heard him correctly.

  Chapter Three

  Later that afternoon Maggie sat in the back of a black SUV and looked at the four vampire she was riding with. Leland was sitting beside her, and that comforted her a little, but she couldn’t help but be afraid of the other three. The one Leland called Baxter was driving and kept looking in the rear-view mirror at her.

  “Baxter, you’re frightening her,” Johnson nearly growled out and the other agents looked at him curiously.

  “I’m not doing anything,” Baxter said and chuckled when he growled again.

  “Relax, Johnson,” the one they called Martin said and glanced back at them from the front passenger seat. “No one is going to hurt her.”

  “I know that, but she doesn’t,” he responded, and Maggie wondered why he was calling them out over her.

  “I’m okay,” she said quietly.

  “None of us will harm you,” the agent behind them assured her. “My name is Zyan, or Agent Jensen. You can trust us.”

  “Forgive me if I have a hard time believing that after what I’ve been through,” Maggie said nearly silently.

  “No one will hold it against you if you don’t believe us,” Baxter told her. “You, and the others we rescued today, have been through a kind of hell most of us could never even imagine, and it will take time for you to trust anyone. But know that we are the good guys, and we will not harm you.”

  “How old are you, Baxter?” Maggie asked.

  “I was changed when I was thirty,” he answered. “That was back in nineteen forty-two.”

  “And the rest of you?” She asked, looking at Jensen and Martin.

  “I was changed in nineteen seventy-two. I had just turned twenty-eight,” Martin answered.

  “I’m a bit older than these three,” Jensen told her. “In vampire years, that is. I was nineteen when I was changed, but that was back in eighteen ninety-six.”

  “How old are you, Maggie?” Baxter asked as he turned onto the street the house was on.

  “I’m twenty. The day I was taken I was shopping with my Mom. We were looking for her something to wear for an upcoming date she had,” she told them, and Johnson heard the sadness in her voice.

  “Baxter,” he said as they pulled into the driveway. “Once we find Jackson, I will be needing some time off to help Maggie find her Mother.”

  “We’ll talk about it once we find Jackson,” Baxter responded. “But for now, we need to get inside so we can discuss the next step we’re taking.”

  “There’s nothing to discuss,” Johnson told him as he got out of the SUV. “Once we find Jackson, I’m taking some time off.”

  With that, he took Maggie’s hand and pulled her toward the door of the house.

  “Leland, don’t jeopardize your job for me,” she said quietly, as he opened the door and walked inside.

  “I’m not,” he assured her.

  “Finally,” someone said from out of sight.

  “Shush, Harrison,” Leland said and grinned at the tall man who walked into the front room.

  “Everything check out okay?” Karma asked, looking at Maggie.

  “Yes, I’m fine,” Maggie responded with a small smile.

  “Good,” Karma said and looked at Johnson. “We have three places with train tracks mapped out.”

  “When are we heading out?” He asked.

  “First thing in the morning,” Harrison told them. “We will need light, and the sun is just about to go down.”

  “That will give Maggie a chance to get to know the Huntresses who will be guarding her,” Nevaeh said and looked at the little human.

  “How many Huntresses will be here with her?” Johnson asked.

  “Three all the time, and more when the situation calls for it,” Nevaeh answered and motioned for the Huntresses to join her. “Randee, Ashtyn, and Lexie will be here with you at all times, but I want you to meet the small group we have with us, so you know who is who.”

  “I’ve met Nikki and Delanie,” Maggie said and looked at the two she’d met at the warehouse earlier.

  “Then let me introduce you to the rest,” Nevaeh told her. “This is Gina, she’s my second in command, and Sally. There are many more Huntresses, but they are back at the compound in California.”

  “I think I can remember everyone,” Maggie said and looked at the faces surrounding her. “Is there a place I can get a shower?”

  “Yes, and since we’re about the same size, I have some clothes you can wear,” Sally said and smiled at her.

  “Thank you,” she said and looked at Leland. “Will I see you before you leave?”

  “Yes, considering I’m not leaving,” he told her and brushed his hand down her hair. “I promised to keep you safe, so I’ll be staying here until we find Jackson.”

  “Okay,” she responded and smiled at him before following Sally up the stairs.

  “What’s going on with you and Johnson?” Sally asked as she led Maggie into the bedroom she was sharing with Ashtyn.

  “I don’t know what you mean,” Maggie responded. “He rescued me, and has promised to help me find my Mom.”

  “It’s more than that,” Sally replied. “He looks at you like Dylan looks at Karma and Harrison looks at Nevaeh.”

 
“And how is that?” Maggie asked, not really understanding what Sally was getting at.

  “Like you’re the only female on the planet,” she answered, and Maggie looked at her in astonishment.

  “He and I just met,” Maggie responded after a minute.

  “That doesn’t always matter when it comes to vampire,” Sally responded.

  “Maybe not, but it matters to me,” Maggie told her. “Now, can you show me where I can shower? I haven’t been clean in a very long time.”

  “Sure,” Sally responded before handing Maggie a pair of jeans and a shirt. “Will these do for now? I’m sure the agents, or possibly Karma, will take you to get a few things of your own soon.”

  “These are fine,” Maggie responded. “I will likely burn what I’m wearing after my shower.”

  “I don’t blame you at all,” Sally responded. “The bathroom is the next door on the right. Just come downstairs when you’re finished, and you can get something to eat.”

  “Thank you,” Maggie replied before she walked from the room.

  Once in the bathroom, she locked the door behind her and leaned against it. There was something about Leland Johnson, something she couldn’t explain, but given the circumstances and who awaited her when she got back to Miami, nothing could ever come from whatever this was she was feeling.

  Shaking herself, she pushed off the door and walked to the shower. She knew if he touched her, she’d never be able to tell him no, but she also knew that’s exactly what she’d have to do.

  Chapter Four

  “Maggie,” Johnson called out as he climbed the stairs. He knew exactly where she was, but didn’t want to scare the hell out of her by barging in on her. They had one of Crompton’s men in the basement, and he wasn’t about to let her see or hear anything that was going on in there.

  “In here,” she called out from an open door and he grinned. She had no idea what the sound of her voice, the smell of her blood, did to him and if her told her, it would terrify her.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “A lot better than when you found me yesterday,” she answered and smiled at him. “Nikki told me you found a girl in one of the buildings in the area you were searching.”

  “Yes,” he responded as he slowly walked toward her. He wanted nothing more than to use vampire speed to reach her, but again, he didn’t want to frighten her. “Her name is Caia, and she is Jackson’s younger sister.”

  “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “We also found someone else in one of the warehouses,” he answered honestly. “He works for Crompton, and they are questioning him as we speak.”

  “Where are they?” She asked.

  “In the basement,” he answered, going with honesty again.

  “Why aren’t you down there, too?”

  “Because I wanted to be up here,” he told her. “I wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

  “That was very sweet of you, but I’m fine.”

  “And I didn’t want you to accidently go down there while Delanie was questioning him.”

  “Why?”

  “You’ve been through enough, and watching the Huntress interrogation tactics isn’t something you need to do,” he answered and she frowned. “Maggie, the Huntresses aren’t bound by the same laws the vampire are, and they will do whatever it takes to get the information they’re looking for.”

  “Whatever it takes?” She asked, just as a loud scream filled the house, causing her to jump.

  “Whatever it takes,” he responded and reached out to lay his hand on her arm. “No one will ever hurt you again.”

  “How can you promise me that when you just said the Huntresses will do whatever it takes to find the information they want?”

  “Are you a vampire set on harming humans despite the new laws?” He asked her with a crooked grin that caused her heart jump and her breathing to deepen. He knew she was just as attracted to him as he was to her, but there was no way he was going to act on any of that yet. Not while she was recovering, and not while she was still in danger.

  “No,” she responded and pulled her full bottom lip into her mouth.

  “Then you’re safe,” he assured her as he watched her nibble on her lip. The sight of it caused his cock to harden, and thoughts of nibbling on every inch of her raced through his mind.

  “Leland,” she said softly after a small growl escaped before he could stop it and he could hear the fear in her voice.

  “I will never hurt you, Maggie,” he told her and took a small step away from her. He needed to put some distance between them before he took what his body was craving. “I promise you, I will never hurt you.”

  She nodded but didn’t meet his gaze, as he took another small step back.

  “Maggie, look at me,” he said, and she immediately snapped her gaze to his. “I will never hurt you.”

  “Okay,” she said softly.

  “I’ll let you get some rest,” he told her and took another step back. “I’ll be downstairs if you need anything.”

  “Okay,” she said again, just as softly as before.

  Nodding, he turned and headed out the door.

  “Leland,” she said nearly silently just before he closed the door.

  “Yes?” He asked without stepping back into the bedroom or turning to face her. He knew if he looked at her again the thoughts racing through his head would become actions.

  “Thank you,” she responded.

  “Anything for you,” he told her for the second time since they’d rescued her then shut the door behind him.

  “You okay?” Baxter asked when Johnson entered the kitchen.

  “No,” he responded and glanced around the room for a moment before looking at the door. “Keep an eye on Maggie. I need to get out of here for a few minutes.”

  “We will be heading out in a few minutes. Caia is showing Jensen and the others where Crompton’s house is, and we’re going to check it out,” he responded.

  “Yeah, okay,” Johnson replied and looked at the door again.

  “What’s going on?” Baxter asked, worried.

  “I have no idea,” Johnson responded and walked to the door. “I’ll meet you at the SUV.”

  “Okay,” Baxter answered. “We’ll be out in just a minute.”

  “Okay,” Johnson responded, fighting the urge to run upstairs and take Maggie into his arms. He wanted her more than he had wanted anything in his entire life, but he knew if he took what he wanted, he’d hurt her, and hurting her wasn’t an option.

  ****

  “Where is everyone?” Maggie asked when she walked into the kitchen and saw there were only the Huntresses there.

  “They went to find Crompton’s house. They think there could be a lead to Jackson there,” Nikki answered. “They only took Delanie with them in case they had to get somewhere fast. They didn’t want us humans slowing them down.”

  “Leland said he’d be here when I came down,” Maggie said softly.

  “If it helps any, he looked very torn when he walked out the door earlier,” Gina commented.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Remember what I told you last night?” Sally asked, and Maggie nodded. “I think that vampire recognizes you as his lifemate, and leaving you here, even knowing no vampire can get in here to you, goes against everything inside him.”

  “I…” Maggie started and stopped. After taking a deep breath, she shook her head and started again. “I can’t be his lifemate.”

  “Why?” Randee asked.

  Maggie looked at the Huntresses for a moment before she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She needed to tell Leland this before she told anyone else, but she felt she needed to explain to the ladies protecting her, too.

  “I’m engaged to someone else,” she responded. “Just before I was taken, I found out I was pregnant, and my boyfriend proposed to me. I accepted but was taken just a couple days later, when I was shopping with my mom. I lost the baby shortly after that.”


  “That doesn’t mean you can’t be his lifemate,” Ashtyn commented. “Nevaeh was married before she became leader of the Huntresses, and Harrison thought Dylan’s mom was his lifemate before he met Nevaeh. Trust me, after seeing Karma and Dylan, and Nevaeh and Harrison, we can see the signs clearly. Johnson is showing all the signs of a vampire who has met the other half of his soul.”

  “Have you told Johnson what you just told us?” Gina asked, thinking about the agent she’d grown to care about.

  “No,” Maggie answered softly.

  “You need to,” Nikki told her. “If for no other reason than he’s promised to take you back to Miami once we find Jackson.”

  “I will tell him,” she assured the Huntresses. “Maybe not today, but I will tell him.”

  “Good,” Gina said and smiled a little. “They’re back.”

  “How do you know?” Maggie asked, not hearing anything to tell her anyone was here.

  “Just do,” Gina responded and headed into the living room just as the door opened.

  When the group walked in Maggie noticed neither Dylan nor Baxter had on shirts. Despite how toned, and absolutely gorgeous, both men looked, her eyes immediately found Leland, who looked just as he had when he’d left her earlier.

  As the others walked past her and into the dining room where they had everything set up, Leland walked to her.

  “Are you okay?” She asked, noticing the look in his eyes.

  “I’m fine,” he responded and reached out to run his hand down her long, dark hair.

  “What happened?”

  “We found Crompton’s house,” he answered, leaving out the part where they all could have been killed.

  “Why are Dylan and Baxter both shirtless?” Gina asked, pulling his gaze from the only woman he wanted to look at.

  “The house was booby-trapped, and Karma got burned,” he answered. “She saved us all though. She noticed something none of the rest of us did, and for that I will forever be in her debt.”

  “What happened, exactly?” Maggie asked.

  “We’ll talk about it later,” he responded and stepped back from her before walking into the dining room with the others.