by Cat Miller
“Don’t move asshole! That’s my Berretta against your thick skull.” He received a tap on the back of the head to emphasize the statement.
“Damn it! Let me up, Candy!”
He remained still. His friend wasn’t afraid to use that gun and she was very territorial. He had trespassed in her home and she would defend it to the end. She loosened her hold and turned his face into the dim light shining down the hallway.
“Derek? Jesus! I almost capped you. What the hell are you doing? If anyone saw you I’m kicking your ass! And stop calling me Candy!” she hissed and smacked him in the back of the head.
Candice was the closest thing to family he’d ever had, beside his mom. She’d taken him under her wing and trained him to fight. She was a petite spitfire with a head of deep red curls, the biggest blue eyes he had ever seen and a smart-ass mouth. She was also a cop on the human police force. That made it difficult for them to see each other anymore. He was a criminal and the worst sort of vampire. She was a defender of justice and humanity.
After her run in with the Master years ago, Candice decided to be more than just another vampire debutant waiting for her fanged Romeo to come and sweep her off her feet. She became a cop, because females aren’t accepted in the Warrior ranks. If it hadn’t been for her training, Derek would have died long ago.
“Come on, Candy. You know I’m smarter than your brothers in blue.” She finally let him up, but gave him a swift kick in the ass to send him sprawling again before she backed away.
“My name is Candice. Officer I’ll-kick-your-ass to you boy. Do I look sugary sweet to you? No! So stop calling me Candy!”
She was in rare form. He must have really freaked her out with the B and E. Derek looked around the dark room and found Brandi wedged against a cabinet on the other side of the kitchen. The force of Candy’s attack must have launched her across the room.
“I’m sorry I broke in. I was hoping you wouldn’t be home. I needed a hide out.” Quickly he began checking Brandi for injuries. She appeared to be sleeping and he hoped she hadn’t hit her head.
“And you thought the home of a police officer was a great place to take cover. Do you know what will happen to my career if you get caught here?” She was still fuming.
It was unusual behavior for her. He had snuck into her place many times and had a gun pulled on him before, but she’d never leapt before she looked before. Derek swept Brandi up and carried her to the spare bedroom before he began to explain his predicament. At the end of his brief explanation of how he found Brandi being assaulted, he left out their history and who she was, as well as the reason why he had to hide with her. Candice smiled broadly and shook her head.
“You’ve got the hots for miss who-needs-panties-that-actually-cover-my-ass in there. I can’t believe it. After all these years of hiding and protecting your secrets from our people you are risking it all for a girl who can’t be bothered to leave the corner and cover her ass before she gets high. What was that, dental floss?” She didn’t bother to hide her disapproval.
“Screw you, Candy. We’ll just leave. She’s not like that and I won’t listen to you talk about her like she’s one of your perps. I told you she was being assaulted. That’s all I can say.”
He couldn’t explain the Hypno situation or his involvement in the kidnappings to her. Candice still had strong ties to the Enclave. Derek couldn’t risk testing her loyalty. They had an understanding. Whatever she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.
“No. Don’t go,” she sagged into the corner of her sofa. The warm golden light of the lamp shone through her red hair,making her look as if flames were curling around her heart shaped face. “I’m just on edge. There have been a rash of missing person reports and it’s got me snapping at everyone. I’m sorry.”
Derek had to tread carefully. Candice knew he hung with bad people and kept lots of secrets. She knew he did what he had to do to survive and protect his mother. She was freaking out because she had witnessed both the recent attacks by his Master and the ones years ago before he was born. Both times it had started this way. First the humans go missing, then the vampires. He could never tell her he worked for the man that killed her best friend and sent her into a life of public service. He knew about the missing humans. He could tell her exactly where they were. He had helped capture half of them.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled from behind the hands that were covering her face.
“Look, Candy. Just let me keep an eye on her until she comes around. Then we’ll go.” Without looking up,Candy nodded her agreement.
Derek went to look in on his patient. Brandi was stretched out on the bed with a blanket tucked under her arms. Her chest rose and fell reassuringly. Though he knew for his own sanity he shouldn’t, Derek climbed in next to her. He watched her sleep for over an hour, enjoying the chance to be close to her before he dozed off. When he slept he dreamt of her. In his dreams Brandi knew his real identity and didn’t care. In his dreams she took him into her heart and her body. In his dreams he was the kind of man she deserved.
Derek woke to find Brandi snuggled against his side. She was still groggy, but awake. His heart thudded in his chest while he waited for her to realize who she was in bed with. He waited for her to rail at him in disgust that he would touch her.
“Mad at you,” she murmured sleepily. “You’re bad. Really bad.” She softened the rebuke by snuggling closer.
Derek finally allowed himself a deep breath. She was obviously still under the influence, but she knew exactly who he was.
“I know, Sparky. I’m the worst of the worst.” He stroked her arm. Brandi’s nose wrinkled and she shook her head slightly.
“No. That’s not true. You could have shot me in the chapel. You could have let Darren take Dani without a fight. You could have walked away and ignored what those guys were doing tonight. You didn’t. You did what a good man would do,” she paused. “What is sparky?” she asked.
“You are Sparky. You’re a little fire starter, aren’t you?” He immediately wished he hadn’t mentioned it when she stiffened, “Don’t worry. I haven’t told anyone and I won’t.”
“I won’t snitch on you, either. I… I’ve worried about you.” She played with the button on his shirt. “Are you okay?” she asked.
“Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself. You need to be worrying about staying out of dark alleys.” His tone was too harsh, but her concern made him uncomfortable. He was still waiting for her to scream and curse at him.
“Not my fault.” Brandi’s lower lip began to tremble and she began to pull away.
“I know, damn it!” Derek snapped.
He just didn’t know how to deal with her. He had wished so many nights that he could hold her and now that he had her in his arms, his brain was telling him to push her away. He couldn’t afford to care about anyone. So why the hell had he been following her around for months? He looked down to find her peering up at him through a dark sweep of lashes.
“Thank you. I promise not to tell anyone who you really are. I won’t tell them you save damsels in distress and warn people when they’re in danger,” shewhispered.
Brandi reached up and pulled his face down to meet hers. She brushed her lips against his softly once, twice, again. Derek closed his eyes and breathed in the sweet purity of her. She stilled and when he opened his eyes, she was asleep again. It would take some time for her to sleep off the Hypnovam.
The kiss had been so delicate but the continued shifting in his chest had been violent. He had to get away from her to rebuild his walls. She had cracked them with her gently searching fingers and warm lips that tasted of cherry flavored lip gloss and forgiveness.
****
Griffin sat on the curb outside of the Council chamber and fumed. He had finally laid his eyes on Tessa after over six months of searching for her and pleading with her through the bond they shared. The Council had sent a request through Chase Deidrick that she appear and give them her account of the
events that had led to her injuries and the recovery of two of his daughters after a kidnapping attempt. They needed to know if she had seen anyone or heard anything that might lead them to the identity or hiding place of the Rogue. She hadn’t of course. She gave them her account of the evening with a respectful tone he knew she didn’t feel. She hated them all,and while they thought of her as a human trespasser in a world where she didn’t belong, she desperately wanted to tell them what she really thought of their council. He could see it in her eyes, but she wouldn’t do that. This was their daughter’s world now and Tessa wouldn’t do anything that would make the transition any harder for Soliel.
She spoke and he watched her mouth. Those bow shaped lips that he knew would taste like warm vanilla and hot woman made him hungry for a sip of her sweetness. It had been so long since he had felt true desire for anything or anyone. Just being in the room with her had him panting.
As usual the Council hadn’t enteredthe chamber until everyone was assembled and waiting for them. So, he hadn’t seen her arrive. Once the hearing was over and they had dealt with disputes between several vampires, everyone was dismissed. Griffin had been surprised Soleil hadn’t escorted her mother to the hearing. She didn’t need to because when the crowd dispersed, Doc Stevens stepped up to take Tessa’s arm and lead her from the chamber. The familiar way he touched her and leaned in to whisper words of praise for her having controlled her temper told Griffin exactly where she’d been hiding. He had never thought to ask Doc if he knew where Tessa had gone after her release from his care. It seemed as if Doc was still taking very good care of Griffin’s mate. Jealousy bubbled up in his gut.
Griffin quickly made his way to the parking lot in an effort to corner her before she disappeared again. They were halfway to Doc’s SUV when he caught up with them. Tessa looked pale and too thin. Griffin had always loved her lush curves and full hips. She had been temptation itself and always would be. The cream colored suit she wore hung a bit too loosely and gave a sallow cast to her skin. It seemed as if her recovery was slow going. Maybe his jealousy was unwarranted. It looked as if she was still in need of treatment. Griffin would be sure to send a healthy donation to Doc’s clinic in gratitude for his services.
“Tessa, love. May I have a word with you?” Not waiting for an answer to his request, Griffin took her arm and tugged her toward his vehicle. Doc followed closely with a defiant frown.
“Griffin, I need to get Tessa back home. She’s not well.” Doc tugged on her other arm, pulling her back toward his vehicle. Being pulled in two different directions, Tessa sighed and turned to force them both to release her. Griffin and Doc stared at each other over her head. She sighed again and walked back toward Doc’s SUV. Doc grinned smugly and followed Tessa.
“Tessa, please. Just give me a moment of your time,” Griffin pleaded.
“Griffin, she really isn’t in any condition to deal with stress. Saving the life of your child left her weak and her immune system was compromised. We’ve been fighting illness and infections, one of which is still plaguing, her.” Doc explained.
“I’m okay, Reilly.” She patted his arm and his whole body softened when he looked down at her. Doc nodded his understanding and strode off to wait by his vehicle. He watched tensely and waited for her to need him.
Reilly? She called him by his first name? Funny, but Griffin had never thought to ask the man’s name. He had always just been Doc. But Griffin knew he needed to focus. He only had a moment to try explaining his position. Tessa didn’t turn to look at him.
“Go ahead, Griffin. Say whatever it is that will make you feel better. Tell me you’re sorry and that you had no choice. Tell me you love me, but your people and your family were more important than my life. Tell me a worthless human wasn’t worth saving. Go ahead. I’m listening.”
Then she turned and pierced him with the ice-blue force of her eyes. Griffin said the only thing that came to his mind.
“I do love you. I still love you.”
Her eloquent silence and absence of expression told him everything he needed to know. Griffin had let her down for the last time. Tessa shook her head and walked away. When she reached Doc, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and led her to the passenger side. They drove off and Griffin stood frozen to the asphalt until the weight of his heart forced him to the ground.
****
Brandi was going to be late, again. Karrie was going to rip her a new asshole. It really wasn’t her fault this time, but she couldn’t very well walk in there and spit out the truth. She could just imagine looking up into the no nonsense expression Karrie would be wearing when she tried to explain that she had fed from a drugged human. Dani would be listening while Brandi explained that she had been saved from a forced bonding.
Never mind that the man that had saved her was the very same man that had helped to drug and kidnap Dani, ruining her bonding ceremony and causing the life threatening injury that had nearly killed Dani’s mother. Brandi was sure it wouldn’t please them to know that she had spent the night in the arms of a man that had assured her that he hadn’t been the one who had shot her twice in the back. No, it was his partner for the evening, Darren. Yes, Darren. You know? The guy that sold Dani out to the Rogue in order to force a blood bond she would never have agreed to. Yeah. That conversation wasn’t going to go in her favor.
She entered the dojo and Karrie turned from her conversation with Cayden and Dani to scowl at her. Karrie had an intimidating presence. She was taller than most women at five foot ten inches. She had the perfect balance of feminine curves and muscle tone. She scared the shit out of Brandi when she looked down at her with angry,dark eyes that were just slightly slanted at the corners. Brandi would just suck it up and take her licks. No way was she going to explain the events of the night before. Especially with Cayden standing near-by. Cayden eyed her thoughtfully and leaned over to whisper something to Dani. It was still a little weird seeing Cayden and Dani together again after he rejected her, ending their relationship over a year ago.
Dani and Brandi had decided that they needed to be able to defend themselves in the event of an attack in which their extra sensorial powers were rendered useless. She could have used what they’d learned the night before if she hadn’t been drugged out of her mind. She’d have to be more careful about feeding at the club. Whatever Brooke had ingested had put Brandi down for a good twelve hours.
“Look, princess, if you’re not going to take this seriously,stop wasting my time,” Karrie growled down at Brandi.
Brandi started to respond that she was sorry and did take it very seriously when Karrie cut her off, “Don’t give me any excuses. I don’t want to hear it.”
As they went through their stretches and some cardio to loosen up, Brandi noticed Cayden watching her intently and so did Karrie. Brandi felt as if Cayden knew her secret and was just waiting to expose her. Karrie seemed to believe he was checking her out with male interest. If Karrie only knew that she and Cayden had grown up together she would see it was only brotherly concern on his face.
“Are you enjoying the view, Paris?” Karrie barked at him.
Cayden snapped out of his inspection of Brandi as if he hadn’t realized he was staring. You could always tell when Karrie was pissed at Cayden because she used his last name to address him. Karrie had been raised on the Enclave. Her father was a Wrath leader and her two brothers were both warriors. It was a constant source of agitation for her that women weren’t permitted to be warriors. She trained alongside her brothers and learned everything they learned from their father. She was as skilled as most warriors and Brandi admired Karrie’s ass kicking skills when she wasn’t using them to kick her ass.
“Shut up, Karrie. Something is wrong with Brandi. Something is odd. I’m just trying to figure out what it is.” He dismissed Karrie’s jealousy and continued to watch Brandi.
“I’m fine, Cayden. I’m just a little tired. I went out last night. You know how that can be.” Brandi decided it would be b
etter to take some shit for hitting the club alone, when they all knew they were under orders to only go out to feed in groups, than to have Karrie beat her ass over an imagined slight.
Karrie and Cayden had a thing going on that Brandi wasn’t sure was entirely healthy for either of them. Karrie had always had a crush on Cayden. What sane single female wouldn’t? Brandi would be attracted to him if he weren’t already the big brother she never wanted. Cayden was a strong warrior with the face of a Greek god combined with the physique of a body builder. Cayden had never paid any attention to Karrie until after his fall out with Dani and Chase. Their relationship seemed strained and unnatural.
After a hard work out including a mixture of martial arts and other hand to hand tactical training both Brandi and Dani fell to the floor. They lay there sweating and breathing hard.
“I can’t believe we signed up for this shit,” Dani panted.
Long strands of sweaty, sable, white and red hair from her ponytail stuck to her face and neck. Brandi just laughed. Cayden walked toward the door and stopped dead when he got closer to the two woman stretched out prone on the floor. He reached down and plucked Brandi up off the floor. He held her at eye level and examined her eyes, breathing deeply all the while. Karrie was hissing in the background.
“I know what’s wrong with you,” he brought her closer to smell her hair and neck. “You smell like that damn drug. You smell like Dani did after she’d been stolen away from me,” Cayden cursed. He placed her gently back on her feet and waited for an explanation.
****
Greyson stalked around his lover and waited for answers. She was so small and fragile looking, propped up on the warrior sized exam table in the infirmary. Cayden had marched her into the Enclave, and called for Doc to come check her out. Greyson’s team had just returned from a deployment that had taken them to a southern Enclave for several weeks, when he was informed of her arrival. When he found her she had been stripped, poked, prodded and her parents had been called. It really screwed with his head that he was dating a woman that still answered to her mommy and daddy.
