A blink of her eye and the woman was gone, and Wynter was immediately aware of how she was stuck in Marcus’s office with no one but a bloody and pretty much unidentifiable corpse to keep her company.
She opened her mouth and let out a blood-curdling scream. The loudest, most painful shriek she had ever cried before. She didn’t stop until she was hoarse and delirious with shock.
But then, she was acutely aware of a pair of strong arms picking her up off the floor and holding her close. Someone was shushing her and sharing their warmth to help soothe her, and it felt amazing.
Wynter was so glad not to be alone with David any longer that she clung to her saviour harder, expecting it to be Marcus, but when she peered up into his face, she found the hard set of a different man’s jaw. His was chiselled and strong, and beautiful. She saw blond hair instead of his dark grey, and then the most incredible grey-blue eyes that locked on hers and held them.
“It’s okay,” the man told her in a heavily accented voice, “we can take care of ‘dis.”
Three
The elevator then arrived with a ding and Wynter felt the air in the room suddenly go ice cold. It was as if someone had just turned on the air conditioning full blast, and every inch of her went back to being frozen. She knew it was Marcus and could sense his rage emanating out of him in waves, but for whatever reason, he wasn’t making a show of force against the man holding her. And he wasn’t running over to release her from his grip.
The room was silent and still, everything at a standstill, as if time itself had stopped. Wynter knew she had to do something, and so tried to wriggle out of the grasp still holding her tightly. It was no use. The man just pressed her harder against him.
“What is the meaning of this, Jakob?” Marcus shouted, and her odd saviour stopped dead. He didn’t so much as draw a breath, and after a second, he seemed to decide on his course of action.
The man holding her turned and as he did, Wynter could see Marcus properly at last. His gaze locked on hers and her stomach lurched. Was he angry with her for accepting the strange man’s help? Did he blame her for what had happened to David? She couldn’t read him at all, but knew one thing for sure. She was going to be in some serious trouble if she didn’t get away from the man who had scooped her into his arms. Jakob, or so Marcus had called him. The name sounded foreign, which matched his accent. Perhaps Russian?
“While you were distracted, your slave was attacked, old friend. It’s a good thing your Priestess arrived in time to save her,” Jakob replied in that same accented tone, his voice deep and gruff. It was alluring, and she stared up into his face again. He really was an admirable sight, and the lack of emotion on his face only made her more attracted to him.
Jeez, she really did have a type. And a hell of a lot of issues.
Wynter shook it off, figuring it was just another vampire and their captivating way they had about them. The magic lure they had that made you go willingly towards death. He would undoubtedly drink her dry given half the chance, just like the rest of them.
Marcus stepped closer to the pair of them, but didn’t seem in any rush to come and get her. Maybe he was proving to his guest that he was still in control and so didn’t need to fight him. Or maybe the message was to her. Either way, she could tell the gory scene he’d just found in his office had mystified him. Wynter guessed he had been expecting to find it empty of all but her once he returned, and yet he’d walked in to find her in the arms of another vampire while another of his blood slaves lay dead on the ground.
“I knew my Priestess would handle things in my absence,” Marcus replied with an air of nonchalance Wynter almost believed, if it weren’t for the remarkable chill still lingering in the air between them. He then put out his hand, his palm up. “Come, Wynter,” he told her, as if she was still under his spell and he was summoning her to him. As though he still had the power to force her movements.
She knew she had to play along. To pretend she was still hexed. For whatever reason, Jakob had to think she was beholden to Marcus for purposes other than bribery and forced submission, and so Wynter gave it all she had to try and wriggle free from his hold.
With a huff, he finally let her clamber out of his grasp, and Wynter made for Marcus as quickly as her shaky legs could take her. She was sure to go in a large arc around the crumpled body still lying in a heap in the centre of the office, his blood now dark and congealed. David’s face was almost unrecognisable and Wynter had to look away from the awful sight or else she had a feeling she might be sick.
She focused instead on Marcus’s outstretched hand and ran the last few steps to take it and let him pull her to him. Wynter tucked herself under his arm and tried to focus solely on him, but then she turned her face and caught Jakob staring at her.
He was too intense. Too knowing. He was watching her with a look that said he was reading her like a book, and she didn’t like it one little bit.
Marcus bristled and held Wynter closer. “Please take a seat, Jakob. Allow me a moment to settle my slave and I’ll be right with you.”
Without waiting for the go ahead, Marcus then led Wynter away and behind the glass partition. With her still tucked under his arm, he took her into the bathroom and then held her at arm’s length, eyeing her up and down.
“I’m s-sorry,” she mumbled, looking down at her nightdress that was covered in dirt and blood from her altercation with David. Wynter knew Marcus liked her clean, but now she felt more than just dirty. She felt broken. All she could picture when she closed her eyes was David’s face, and the dark look on it as he’d eyed her and forced himself into her personal space. She could still feel his hands on her, and a shudder echoed down her spine.
“Take it off,” Marcus answered with a frown, and she immediately did as she was told. “Did he hurt you?” he then asked and Wynter nodded. “Where?”
She showed him her neck and the friction burns to her knees and elbows. Marcus said nothing as he then inspected her body thoroughly, checking each bruise and scrape David had given her. He even parted her thighs to check he hadn’t caused any damage there, and seemed satisfied enough that she was still in one piece and hadn’t been violated. “Get washed up and dressed, and then get some rest. I’ll be back shortly.”
Marcus then turned to leave, but Wynter grabbed his hand. He twisted and scowled at her, but she refused to back down and stared into his eyes pleadingly.
“Please don’t leave me,” she implored.
Marcus’s eyes flashed with that iridescent brightness at her plea, but he seemed lost for words. Wynter used the silence to her advantage and stepped closer to him, nestling her cold and naked body against his before planting a soft kiss against his pursed lips. “Please, Marcus. Stay.”
“No,” he eventually groaned before gently pushing her away.
Wynter knew he had to get back to his guest, but the rejection aroused venomous feelings from within her and she lashed out. She slapped Marcus as hard as she could manage and then tried for a second one, but he was too quick. He grabbed her flying hand and stopped it with ease, and then frowned down at her through hooded eyes. “You get one, Wynter. Don’t push it. Trust me, if David wasn’t already dead, I’d have him strung up so I could butcher him slowly. Take pleasure in his pain and torment. And all in vengeance for his crimes against you, my sweet.”
A sob burst from her chest and Wynter shook her head franticly as she crumbled once again.
“Liar,” she cried, “you don’t care about me.” She then wrenched out of his grip and stumbled away, catching herself just before she went crashing into the glass door to the shower cubicles.
“Yeah, keep telling yourself that if you think it’ll help,” Marcus retorted before heading for the door.
“Fuck off,” Wynter croaked, but then her heart sank when he opened the door and did exactly that.
By the time she’d cleaned herself up, Wynter was already a lot calmer, but she still hated the idea of being alone. She’d been in
the bathroom a while and hoped to God that Marcus’s meeting with the strange and yet enigmatic Jakob was over so she didn’t have to be on her own once she was back out in the living space behind the office.
She emerged in just a towel and went to the dresser, expecting to find another old-style nightie there, but instead she found black leggings and a fluffy jumper with stars painted on it. They were just like the ones she wore to bed at home in her cold house and Wynter climbed into them both with a soppy smile. This was much better than the old fashioned nightgowns Marcus had insisted she wear before. Warmth immediately spread through her and Wynter felt tired at last. In fact, she was exhausted.
She went over to the sofa and sat on it, listening for any sign of Marcus and Jakob around the corner. She could hear them talking, however the conversation was too muffled for her to make out. But at least Marcus was there. He was close by. She pulled her knees up and hugged them, willing sleep to come, but it didn’t. She was just too on edge. Too wired.
She stood and began to pace up and down in a bid to expel her nervous energy, and was about to give up and run for the elevator when the Priestess appeared out of nowhere and blocked her path.
“Come,” her deep voice whispered, and the witch held out her gloved hand. Wynter refused to take it though. She was still wary of the strange woman, even after she’d saved her. Especially after that. Her chosen method was not what Wynter would’ve ever had in mind.
“Where?” she demanded, earning herself a laugh of amusement.
“To sleep,” the Priestess then answered, but she dropped her hand and instead went to the couch, where she sat and nestled herself against one of the corners to get comfortable. She then placed one of the pillows on her lap and patted it gently.
“Just sleep?” Wynter asked, but she was already moving towards her anyway. Already succumbing to her tiredness and the deep-seated sense of trust she somehow had towards the strange woman. Something about the Priestess made Wynter want to be near her. Want to touch her. It was like they were already part of one another. As if they had shared more than just a few fleeting moments together. Wynter couldn’t put her finger on why, but she was already beginning to feel like she knew her.
“I’ll protect you, my love. Watch over you,” the Priestess insisted, and Wynter climbed down on the sofa, fighting a yawn as she went. She then put her head on the pillow and closed her eyes, and couldn’t deny she felt calmer than she had a few minutes earlier. Sleep was taking her, and Wynter let it.
She felt safe, kind of like her guardian angel was watching over her. The woman who had protected her from an attacker. The one who was there when Marcus had refused her. It didn’t matter whether she agreed with her methods or not, what mattered was that the Priestess had been there for her when it counted. Even if she’d never seen her face, she was still the closest thing she had to a friend right now.
“Thank you,” she whispered, and then let herself fall into a deep and dreamless sleep.
***
The pleasantries and small talk over, Marcus turned to Jakob and got down to business. He’d had enough playing nice and knew it was time they were honest with each other about why the dangerous and somewhat unpredictable vampire assassin had turned up at his club unannounced. He wasn’t here of his own accord, Marcus knew that much at least, and so he fixed him with a knowing stare.
“So, she sent you to spy on me?” he asked, and Jakob nodded. They both knew who he was on about. Jakob’s employer, Camilla. “And you came. You saw. Time to relay back about what I’ve been up to and why I’ve ignored her invitations to spend an evening with her. But then you showed yourself rather than slink away unnoticed. Why?”
Jakob’s lip curled into a knowing smile, and it was all Marcus could do not to reach over and slap the guy. He’d been right. Jakob had been slinking around unannounced and hadn’t intended on showing himself. It wasn’t hard to figure out why.
“I ‘vas intrigued by your slave. That man desired her so much he was willing to do whatever it took to have her. I could smell his desperation a mile away, and your Priestess isn’t much better. She wants her. And so do you.” Jakob then rubbed his strong chin thoughtfully and readily revealed what was on his mind. “She has you all ensnared. Don’t think I cannot see your affection for her,” he told him, and Marcus didn’t deny it.
He couldn’t lie, especially not to a skilled interrogator such as Jakob. It was the assassin’s job to figure people out. To spot the truth and catch his prey in their lies. And it was true. Wynter sure did have them all tied up in knots around her little finger. Thank God she didn’t realise it, otherwise they would have a real issue with who was in control here. Marcus would be forced to show her it was him, and deep down, he didn’t actually want to offer her his firm hand. He wanted to protect Wynter. To care for her. To love her…
No, he told himself. To love meant being weak, and that would never happen.
“And so what if the girl does have us spellbound? Her presence here is solely to feed me and entertain me, which she’s doing a good job of. I don’t see what business it is of yours, or your employer’s?” he snapped.
Jakob shook his head, laughing to himself, and then he regarded Marcus with a smile.
“She gets jealous. You know ‘dat. You’ve never given her a reason to be jealous before, but now all of a sudden you refuse to accept her invitation for an audience. Camilla simply wished to know why.”
He didn’t believe that for a single moment. She had to be more than just jealous to send Jakob after him.
“Indeed, and yet she and I have had the same arrangement for hundreds of years. Neither one of us forces the other to tend to their carnal needs. It is a mutually pleasurable affair, and one neither of us can claim to be exclusive or binding. Should I wish to refuse her and never take her to my bed again, I can without explanation. Please remind your boss of that,” he countered.
“Surely you are not foolish enough to believe you mean nothing to her? To think she will let you go without a fight?” Jakob asked, but they both knew Marcus was neither a fool nor someone’s boy-toy. He would take Camilla down in a heartbeat if he needed to and wouldn’t so much as break a sweat in the process. But of course, that was exactly why an ancient vampire such as Camilla would have an assassin in her employ. A ruthless, cunning killer with no conscience and no soul, who would do his research well and find a way to end Marcus for her. She wouldn’t even need to get her own hands dirty. Jakob had been her puppet for hundreds of years and while Marcus was still sure he would win in any fight, he knew one with him would be lengthy, bloody, and costly.
Jakob was notorious in his world. So famed for his retched way of life that vampires and all manner of magical creatures knew his face in every corner of the world. If he arrived in town, they all knew someone was about to die, and just had to hope it wasn’t their name on his list.
He’d torn apart entire families before finally ripping out his true target’s heart. He’d broken apart souls that had been merged for decades, killing both parties in the process. And then there had been the business with the village he had laid waste to simply because their leader had offended him by cheating in a game of poker. Such violence in his wake. Such chaos. And all without an ounce of guilt. No shame in what he had done or the legacy of nought but anarchy and death Jakob would undoubtedly leave behind.
Marcus wasn’t willing to risk a war with him simply because his jilted lover had decided to take his dismissal badly. He knew an alternative had to be arranged. Or at the least, he would need to negotiate.
“Perhaps you should step up in my place, Jakob? You’ve remained loyal to Camilla for a long time and yet, as far as I can tell, have never been rewarded with more than your usual fee for serving her. Makes one wonder if there’s something more than just your loyalty keeping you bound to her?”
Jakob frowned but didn’t answer. He simply remained stoic, but he still bristled angrily and his reaction made Marcus wonder if he might be r
ight. Maybe the heartless assassin was indeed a lover as well as a fighter. “You have seen for yourself how busy I am with my work. Tell Camilla I send my apologies, but I shan’t be visiting with her again.”
“You have a new lover in her place. Understood,” Jakob snapped, and now it was Marcus’s turn to have to hold back his anger.
How dare he presume that something sexual was going on between him and Wynter? Jakob had no place there with them and Marcus was quick to tell him so.
“Speculating will only make you look weak. Like a gossiping little woman deciding on stirring up trouble where there isn’t any. I took you for better than that, old friend…”
Jakob rose to the challenge. He stood and fixed Marcus with a venomous stare.
“I ‘vill tell Camilla you are indisposed. You can explain the rest to her yourself when she pays you a visit, which we both know will be her next approach. Thank you for your hospitality,” Jakob answered, his voice robotic and forcibly calm.
“Farewell,” Marcus answered, and then he watched as Jakob disappeared into the night via the open window at the other end of the room, rather than the door.
He inwardly cursed the highly trained soldier for being able to come and go as he damn well pleased, and then locked the place up tight. Marcus also checked every inch of his office, and he made a decision then and there to hire some more guards. Not humans this time, but something more on the same level as Jakob. Something powerful enough to hold him off, should the day come that the assassin came to visit for reasons other than to check up on him at Camilla’s behest.
When he was satisfied that his fortress was clear and he and his minions were alone again, Marcus headed into the back of the huge office, and he let out a contented sigh when he found his Priestess still watching over Wynter as she slept.
He’d hated having to leave her, especially when she had begged him not to go, but had been forced to keep up appearances for Jakob’s—and ultimately Camilla’s—sake. The assassin couldn’t know how his soul had yearned to comfort hers in her moment of need. How desperate he’d been to stay with her. And how heart breaking it had been to have to walk away.
Round Two Page 3
