Take My Breath Away

Take My Breath Away

  Book II in the Southern Exposure Saga

  By Lari Smythe

  Cover design by Lari Smythe

  Cover Art by Caitlin Smith

  Copyright 2014 Lari Smythe

  ISBN 9781310893186 (.ebpub version)

  * * *

  Special thanks to Twelve Oaks Bed And Breakfast for allowing me to use a photo of their establishment in the cover design. If you've ever wanted to experience 'Antebellum Remade', visit Twelve Oaks in the historic heartland of Covington, Georgia.

  * * *

  Southern Exposure

  Prologue

  Even from their first contact in high school, neither Izzy or Jason remembered their childhood friendship. Jason was seven at the time and the babysitter he adored was a fond, but distant memory. For Izzy, it was more than just the passage of time. The crash and the violent change to a vampire had taken with it her human memories. For both of them, the affection was still there, just waiting to be awakened.

  From the unquestionable chemistry of their first, inadvertent touch in the hallway at school, they were irrefutably drawn toward one another. They were outsiders to the local kids. Jason tried to fit in with football, but Izzy chose to keep a safe distance by dressing in the Emo style. It wasn't easy for either one of them, from Izzy's lust for Jason's blood, too Jason's infatuation with pale Emo girl. They were like fire and ice, they just didn't seem to belong together.

  The night of their first official date, under a canopy of twinkle lights, Jason told Izzy that he loved her and that he knew she was a vampire. At the same time, Izzy professed her love to Jason, but in doing so realized that she had put him in immeasurable danger not only from herself, but by breaking the vampire code of secrecy.

  There was only one choice to protect the one she loved, and that was to leave. The decision was crushing. Izzy headed across country to find and destroy the monster that changed her, and then, end her existence for it was impossible to exist without Jason.

  Jason began to put the pieces together and chased after her where he uncovered the evidence of her human life and their previous childhood friendship. It all came to a head that night when Izzy faced off against her creator, but Jason's presence would be the deciding factor in Izzy's choice to fight and die, or love and exist. The realization that her change had been an act of compassion, not one of anger or thirst helped, but it was the love Izzy and Jason shared that tipped the scales.

  Chapter 1 Jason

  I was eager, even excited to show Izzy everything I had discovered about her human life in Forks. We did our touring late at night to avoid the possibility of someone recognizing her. There was little doubt the Chief of Police suspected something after his surprise visit to my hotel room, but for what ever reason—probably his daughter—he chose to let it go. Twice, when a police cruiser approached us, the officer waved, or just nodded and continued on. So it was pretty obvious that the Chief had instructed them to give us a wide berth—I mean two teenagers out in the middle of the night and nothing?

  Even with the wealth of information I'd been able to learn from the library and courthouse, it didn't kindle any memories like Izzy had hoped. I took her to the house where she lived, the Outfitters that her dad owned and her old school. She had even jimmied the lock so we could get inside, but it hadn't helped. I wasn't surprised to see she had been a good student although I was surprised her records were still on file. Then, there was the stop I couldn't forget—it was the look on her face when she saw the family gravestone with her name engraved in it. I'd had good intentions, but I don't think the flowers I got her to lay on the gravesite helped—no, there was no doubt something changed and I guess it was completely understandable, I couldn't imagine what it must have felt like. Forks was behind us now, we were on our way back to Boonsboro.

  We'd stopped for gas almost two hours ago and since that time I don't think Izzy had even flinched. I didn't want to intrude—I knew she had a lot to process, but I was beginning to worry. "You okay?" I tested.

  No response.

  "Seriously, are you okay?" I half yelled over the Jeep's flapping, canvas top, although I knew she could hear a whisper with her supernatural hearing. Still nothing, so I let off the gas and headed toward the rest stop, ramp up ahead.

  "I'm fine," Izzy said in a monotone voice, her face—what I could see of it—void of any emotion.

  "Hey, I know it's been a lot to absorb, but we'll be fine, I promise. All in remember?"

  She turned her head toward me, her honey eyes—which were normally vivid with emotion—were cold, distant. "I remember."

  "We'll be okay."

  Izzy's gaze returned to the road ahead. "You don't need to stop."

  I accelerated past the rest area. Accept for the whine of the engine, and an annoying exhaust leak that had developed, it was silent again for the next twenty miles. The road was covered with a thin coating of sleet so this was no casual drive. My fingers were tingling from the death grip I had on the steering wheel. Suddenly, the cab was filled with a blast of frigid air.

  "Don't you dare!" I yelled, panicked at the thought she might run away again. "If you jump I'll crash into that tree." I glanced down at the speedometer. "We're doing almost 60 mph and this thing doesn't have airbags. I'm serious! You won't have a choice, you'll have to change me or let me die if you even have that choice." I punched the gas and wiggled the steering wheel to emphasize my point.

  Leave it to me to do something stupid. That little wiggle on the icy pavement was just enough to send the Jeep careening out of control toward the massive tree.

  "Stupid boy!" Izzy growled before leaping from the Jeep. With supernatural precision, she had hold of the rocker panel before her feet hit the pavement. We slid sideways, my side toward the tree, with Izzy hanging on to the rocker panel with both feet firmly on the road like she was Superwoman. The Jeep bounced violently when the wheels dropped off the pavement. No doubt it would have flipped if not for Izzy's grip, but the gravel shoulder gave her feet something to dig into and we jerked to a stop just inches from the tree.

  "I didn't mean it," I apologized, "I was kidding."

  Before she could respond, the halo of icy-mist around us began to strobe blue and red. A police car pulled to a stop next to the Jeep.

  "You two okay?" The police officer said.

  "Yeah—I mean yes, Sir," I panted. His eyes glance down at Izzy's feet.

  I looked back at our skid and you could plainly see where Izzy's feet had cut a furrow in the gravel.

  He glanced back in the same direction.

  "I must have hit a patch of ice," I said.

  "The entire Interstate is a 'patch of ice'," the officer replied. "It's especially treacherous with those short wheel based vehicles. Might be good for four-wheelin' but not so good on icy pavement. Too twitchy."

  "Good to know."

  "You alright, Miss?" he asked, directing his attention toward Izzy.

  "I'm fine, thought I was going to puke so I got out—after we stopped," she quickly added.

  The officer looked back up the skid marks again and then addressed me. "You sure you're not stuck?"

  "No, Sir, we're fine. Thanks for stopping though—I think I'm going to take it a whole lot slower."

  "There you go. No shame in being cautious, although it might be better off to find a place for the night. Well, you two be safe." The heavy, dark atmosphere closed in as the flashing lights stopped and the police car pulled away.

  "Whew, that was close. Last thing we need is the Highway Patrol checking IDs—Izzy? Izzy? What is it?"

  "Stay here." She started toward the tree line that was illuminated by the Jeep's headlights.

  I slid across the console toward her opened door
. "Don't you try to—"

  She turned instantly. "I thought we were past that."

  "So did I until that little stunt of yours. I'm sorry, I didn't mean that like it sounded, but you scared me to death."

  "I'm not going to run off—I wasn't back there either, I just needed some air and well, you didn't give me a chance to explain, you just kept talking."

  "Okay, I guess I might have over reacted a little."

  "You think? Wait here, there's something I need to check out." She disappeared into what looked like the faint outline of an overgrown tunnel of underbrush.

  I knew she could sense things that I couldn't, but what could have possibly perked her interest way out here in the middle of nowhere? I sat there for what seemed like an eternity; finally glancing over at the tree I'd almost plastered my face against. Apparently I wasn't the only one to lose it on this road. There were several old, gnarled gashes in the side of the tree. One of them was really deep. Whoever made that probably didn't live to tell about it. Wait a minute—that's impossible—no way, not in a million years, did she seriously think—I jumped out of the Jeep and stumbled though the tangled underbrush. When I emerged on the other side, Izzy was stooped down next to a bubbling stream. She glanced up at my clumsy approach.

  "You don't think?" I started.

  "This has to be the place." Her voice was a pained whisper.

  "There's no way we could be that lucky—I didn't mean lucky, I meant fortunate—"

  She glared at me.

  "You know I didn't mean it like that." I squatted down next to her. "You really think this is where it happened?"

  She plunged her hand into the crystal, clear water, groped around in the gravel bottom and pulled out what looked like a broken headlight bezel.

  "Yeah, okay sure, a car wrecked here—several from what I saw in that tree up there, but how can you be sure this is where you crashed?"

  Izzy looked across the creek toward two massive moss encrusted trees. "That's where I first saw her, although I didn't know who she was or what she would do to me at the time."

  "You're absolutely sure?"

  She stood. "Yes, this is where my family—where I died."

  I got a flash of her family's tombstone back in Forks. Seeing her name carved into that stone again gave me a chill. "Okay—okay," I stammered, "sure, I can see how you could look at it like that, this could be where Isabella Newton died, but this is also where Izzy—you were born. This is what made us possible."

  She looked perplexed.

  "No, really. I'm sorry the accident happened—that your parents were killed, but if it hadn't happened and the events that it set in motion we would have never been. We were born here."

  She smiled, the first time since we'd left Forks. "Such a romantic."

  "You bring that out in me."

  "And you really don't care that I'm a vampire?"

  "You are definitely the hottest vampire I know."

  "Oh, and you know how many?" She laughed.

  "I bet your parents heard that—seriously, I bet they're happy you're still here."

  The humor that lit her face wilted.

  "Come on, Izzy, think about it. Heck, I was never a big believer in the whole life after death—heaven thing. Sure, I went to church every Sunday, but that was for Mom, until I met you. The way I figure it, if you exist, then why not God?"

  "So, you finally get it, vampires and God are opposites."

  "I didn't say that. I said if mythical creatures like you can exist, then there certainly is the possibility that God exists. So, if God exists then heaven must exist, and if heaven exists then your parents must be there looking down on you, thankful you're alive."

  "But I'm not."

  I slipped my arm around her waist and kissed her. She resisted at first, but like me she really was powerless over our chemistry. "Now don't tell me your parents aren't just grinning from ear to ear?"

  Izzy pushed back. "I'm not so sure my dad would approve," she said, looking me up and down. She tensed suddenly, her gaze immediately drawn into the dark forest.

  "What is it?"

  Izzy slid herself between me and whatever it was she heard.

  It's really hard to explain, but I could feel her senses prickling with awareness, sight, scent, hearing, even touch probing the darkness. And then, just as suddenly, she relaxed. "He's gone."

  "He? Oh, one of you."

  Her eyes tightened momentarily.

  "I didn't mean it like that. I've been saying that a lot."

  "Yes you have." She straightened up. Come on, we have a long way to go. Mind if I drive?"

  "Sure, not a problem. And I didn't mean—"

  She put her hand across my mouth. "I know." She stayed behind me, almost pushing me forward through the tangled underbrush and I got the distinct impression that whoever, or whatever she had sensed wasn't really gone at all. As soon as my butt hit the passenger's seat, she was behind the wheel. We took off in a shower of mud and ice.

  I didn't say anything for maybe ten minutes—it was obvious she was concentrating, but when she relaxed, I asked, "You're not going to tell me what that was all about are you?"

  She looked over and winked. "Nothing to worry your pretty head about."

  I'm not sure we'd even made it over the first mountain before I fell asleep. I was still pretty much running on fumes since my all night vigils in Forks. All the sleepless nights, waiting, watching, hoping I would find her had taken a toll, but she was worth it—worth every sleepless night.