Immortal Cravings: Boxed Set

by Ainsley Cole

  Dumping the lot of it on the couch and floor, she wandered to the study, sinking into the chair in front of the desk and she opened her laptop, switching it on for the first time in almost a year.

  She hadn’t been back to the apartment much; staying at the mansion with Absinthe, travelling for work. She’d once entertained the thought of selling it and moving in with her vampire lovers. But it had been the last piece of her family, the only thing she had to remind her of them—she was glad she hadn’t.

  Bringing up her emails, she filtered through them, deleting the junks and the ones she’d already opened from Abe.

  It left her with one—

  The name was a fake she could tell by looking at it, just a bunch of random letters and numbers. There was no subject either, but it had attachments and she clicked on it.

  The email itself was also empty and her stomach roiled with fear as she clicked on the file attachment and waited for it to download. Would her computer now be infected with a virus? Had she opened malware—

  She clicked on the downloaded file and waited, the pictures slowly taking shape. Her eyes widened, hand coming to her mouth. Turning from the computer, Marley raced to the bathroom and vomited the small salad she had bought for lunch, “Oh my God.”

  She wiped the back of her hand over her mouth and flushed the toilet, walking back to the study, steeling herself for the photos of Linda.

  They had been of the night she had supposedly been killed. There was blood everywhere.

  Marley could even see the paleness of her sister’s thyroid cartilage and her hand went to her mouth again, willing the vomit to stay in her stomach.

  Sitting in front of the computer, she flicked through them, seeing Linda from all different poses and she felt the sickness leave her—anger taking hold.

  Linda’s body was in the back of a car—not her car.

  Marley had expressly remembered taking her to a hospital, carrying her into it, screaming for someone to help her.

  She had been questioned, but Marley had lied.

  She’d told the nurses, doctors and police, she’d been mauled by an animal.

  It hadn’t been too far from the truth; to her, Johann was an animal. They had pronounced her dead; nothing they could do, even the local PD hadn’t been too worried about it.

  There had been a small write up about it in the local paper—end of story.

  There had been some trouble with a local cop getting too involved—but it had worked out in the end and it had all blown over.

  But now it seemed it hadn’t.

  Marley looked up to the urn on the bookshelf. She had asked the Hospital to cremate her, send her the ashes.

  So, if Linda was alive—whose ashes did she have?

  Looking back to the computer, she clicked again, hoping to see something else. But the slide started again, back to the first picture and she frowned, wondering if Johann had made a sick joke out of this.

  Maybe she wasn’t alive, maybe he had taped her voice, manipulated it. But her mind shifted back to what Absinthe had said.

  She’s not what you think she is.

  Marley sighed, closing the emails and lifted herself from the chair, head pounding. She walked to the bathroom, stripping off and climbed under the scalding shower.

  Sagging to the floor, she lifted her knees, putting her head to them and sobbed.

  Having spent close to an hour in the scalding water, Marley finally climbed from it, walking through the apartment. Collapsing onto the bed, hair wet, pajamas clinging to her still wet skin, she closed her eyes.

  When she woke, she hoped Linda was fine, safe and sound and it had all been a bad dream.

  Two

  Rhayden’s eyes fluttered open, the stillness of the night waking him. He sat up, stretching his limbs. He hadn’t slept rough like this in over fifty years and a small thrill went through him at the fact he had disobeyed his brother. He hadn’t done that for a while either.

  Climbing to his feet, he moved to the front of the container, pushing open the door with ease. Stepping out into the open air, his gaze moved to the horizon, the sun leaving a small orange tinge to the sky. Turning his head, he looked toward Jacksonville, the twinkling lights shimmering on the horizon.

  Somewhere in the jungle of concrete and glass were Marley—and Johann.

  He frowned as he started to move, needing to find her as quickly as possible, wanting to keep her safe from a very dangerous creature.

  Knowing he couldn’t run far in this city, without being noticed, Rhayden stepped out onto the street, hailing a cab. It slowed, and he stepped inside, “Where to?”

  “Riverside Avenue.”

  “Swanky.” The driver replied, putting the car into gear, ringing up the meter and Rhayden sat in silence. Listening to the driver dribble on about the weather, how hot the days had been—after a while he just stopped talking and Rhayden got lost in his own thoughts.

  He knew if Marley saw Johann on her own, she would die. If she died, there wouldn’t be a hole in the world the man would be able to crawl into, where they wouldn’t find him. He would pay and there would be nothing anyone could do about it—not even Othello would be able to keep him safe.

  Moving his gaze to the towering apartments in the distance, he hoped by the time he got there, it wouldn’t be too late.

  ****

  A sting to her neck made Marley’s eyes fly wide open.

  Johann was standing over her, a malicious grin on his twisted features, “Hello there, Miss Brennan.”

  She rolled to the side, scrambling to her feet. Her hand came to her neck as Johann stepped back. His hand lifted, a syringe perched between his fingers, a small bead of brackish liquid sitting at its tip, “What—”

  “Have I just done to you?” he asked, replacing the cap. He slipped it into his pocket, turned and walked out of the room.

  Marley’s body swayed, vision blurring.

  Putting her hand out, she tried to steady herself against the wall, but her head seemed to be filled with cotton. Shaking it, she used the wall as a guide, stumbling along to the door.

  Tripping into the living room, she leaned against the small sofa, trying to regain some control of her wayward body. Lifting her head, pinpointing the creature she’d been so desperate to find for the last two years, she glared at him.

  Johann was perched on the bench, his legs swinging, and he grinned at her, childlike—but menacing.

  He’d had that look in Vegas.

  Amused, but psychotic.

  “Where is my sister?” she asked, her voice slurring.

  “Linda? Oh, you know,” He waved his hands, smiling. “Around, somewhere. I don’t really keep tabs on her. Free spirit she is, just like her big sister.”

  “You told me she would be here.” Marley said, trying to be firmer with her tone.

  Johann laughed, high pitched, digging into her brain, “Ha! No, I didn’t. I said—if you want her, I’m at your apartment. Learn to listen, Miss Brennan.”

  “Why?”

  “Why what?” he asked, his eyes opening wide. “Why am I doing this? Why did I hurt her? Why, why, why? You know, I asked Absinthe the same thing. Why did he kill my father? Why did he ruin my father’s legacy? Why, why, why? And you know what he said?”

  Marley’s head shook involuntarily. She really didn’t care what the asshole back in the mansion said to the asshole in front of her. She just wanted her sister and to get the hell out of here.

  “He said it was his job,” Johann’s tone became cold and he jumped down off the bench, walking toward her. “His job Marlene. He killed my father, ruined his legacy, because someone told him too.”

  “So…what’s this…got…to do…with me? She asked, her voice becoming thick, her body was heavy, and he smiled, leaning in, his mouth close to her ear.

  “Everything, Marlene. Everything.” He stepped back as she lazily arced her fist toward him. Johann laughed, gripping her wrist, pulling her close as he wrapped his other arm
around her waist.

  He dragged her around the apartment, dancing—humming crazy carnival music.

  Marley’s head spun, her arm coming up, trying to push Johann away from her. She could smell the fetid stench of old blood from his breath and her stomach roiled. She wanted to vomit all over his nice suit.

  “I wanted to hurt Absinthe. Hurt him, like he’d hurt me. Take away the one thing he treasures above all else,” He spun her around, letting her lax body fall to the sofa. He was beside her, leaning close like a lover, his nose running along her neck. “To take his Coven. That would have been sweetness. Watch him crumble as I claimed the last of my father’s Mated, finished his work. I could have been content with that.”

  Marley tried to move away, but Johann grabbed her arm, dragging her closer.

  “But then you came along, his need for you was so apparent. I had been watching him, trying to find a way into his mansion to finish the job. Then your perfect little ass turned up, flaunting your beauty; blatantly rejecting his offer.” Johann’s nose was back against her throat again, his tongue flicking out. “I knew if I made you go back to them— taking you in the end, would far out-way the pleasure I would have had, from just ruining his coven.”

  He was crazy. Marley could hear it in his voice. The insanity for the revenge he thought was so justifiably his, seeding his voice, “Y—you killed my sister.”

  “Did I?” he asked, standing up, smoothing his jacket. “I remember biting her, such a sweet tasting little thing she was. Sixteen, right? Such a beautiful little sixteen-year-old she was too, nice body, great skin, even better tasting blood.”

  “She was dead,” Marley replied, the sluggishness in her limbs was disappearing and she slowly moved, sitting up, glaring at him. “I took her to the hospital. They pronounced her dead.”

  “Of course they would. I gave her a drug. Her heart beat slowed down so much, it seemed like she was dead.” He said shrugging and Marley shook her head.

  “No, she was dead.”

  “No, she would have been, if I hadn’t saved her from the fire,” He quipped, and Marley stared at him, the accusation on his features encouraging her anger. “How could you? Send your sister to a fire—alive? She would have burned to death. It’s just inhumane—”

  Marley screamed launching herself at Johann, her hands going around his throat. He gripped her wrists as she brought her knee up, connecting it with his ribs. It didn’t seem to falter him, and she twisted, trying to bring the other knee up.

  The vampire let go of her wrists and grabbed her hips, slamming her against the wall, cracking her back on the hard surface.

  “Oh, nice Marlene. Show me what you’ve got. You don’t know how much this turns me on,” He growled, pushing his head forward, snapping his teeth at her. His fangs were close to her skin, but the grip she had on his throat, kept him at bay. “I see the injection I gave you is working.”

  He lifted his hands, between her arms, chopping out at them. Her hands released on his throat and he moved his right arm, sucker punching her in the stomach.

  The breath left her, and Marley wheezed, dropping to her knees, arms going around her waist.

  “I take this as our goodbye for now sweet Marlene. But believe me, we will see each other again, real soon and we will finish what we started. But for now—” he crouched down, smoothing her hair from her face as she still gasped for breath. “I am going to enjoy see what you do to the Raynes’ brothers.”

  With that he stood, bringing his fist up and slammed it down onto her face and Marley blacked out.

  ****

  He watched as Johann stepped out of Marley’s apartment, adjusting his suit as if it was nothing and Rhayden’s anger flooded through him. He started to run at him, “Johann!”

  The vampire turned his head, grinning and started to walk in the opposite direction, quickly disappearing around the corner.

  Rhayden stopped at the apartment door, seeing it ajar. He looked to it, ignoring the vampire which had just disappeared—his priority was his lover.

  Pushing opened the door, Marley was slumped against the wall.

  “Mars!” he raced to her, lifting her body to his arms and turned, taking her to the bedroom. Laying her on the soft mattress, his hand smoothed over her face, slipping to her neck, checking her pulse. “Mars?”

  Her skin was pallid, her breathing shallow and he noticed the bruising on her cheek bone.

  Rhayden moved her head to the side, trying to see the extent of the bruising—seeing a small puncture wound on her throat. He frowned, turning her head again.

  “Marley!” he shook her, with a little more force than he would otherwise use with her. “Come on woman! Marlene!”

  Her eyes snapped open, rolling around, before they centered on him. She pushed at him, “Get off me!”

  Rhayden stumbled back, his eyes wide as she lifted herself off the bed, glaring at him, “Marley, it’s me.”

  “Go away. You shouldn’t be here.” She spat, looking at the door behind him and she crossed to it, shoving him to the side.

  Usually she was weak, when it came to moving him in any way. He would have easily been able to stand there, let her bounce off him— there was something different about his beautiful human lover and he followed her out of the room.

  She walked around the apartment, her gaze darting to everything, as if trying to seek out a scent. Rhayden frowned, tipping his head to the side, trying to figure out what seemed so wrong, “Marley?”

  Her head turned to him, but her gaze didn’t meet his. She was listening, but not actively looking at him, “Did you know?”

  “Know what?” he asked, feigning idiocy—but he knew exactly what she meant.

  “About my sister? That she was alive?” He leaned against the wall, and she finally slowed, turning herself to him, glaring. “Did you know?”

  “What’s wrong with you? You look jacked up. Did Johann do something?” He stepped forward, wanting to make sure she was okay. She turned from him, walking to the window, looking out over the city. “Marley.”

  She turned back to him, her beautiful eyes, harsh.

  “You didn’t answer my question Raynes,” Rhayden stopped, looking at her, the use of his last name making him wary. She had never called him Raynes. Not once in their whole time of knowing each other and they’d been at each other’s throats on more than one occasion. “Did you know?”

  “Marley, please.” He didn’t want to be doing this right now. He wanted to be wrapped around her, safe and secure—but he suddenly didn’t feel safe.

  “Tell me,” She said, turning to him, her hands moving to behind her back. Every single nerve ending in his entire body lit up, screaming at him this situation was wrong. There was something fundamentally dangerous about the woman who was now sauntering over to him. “Tell me if you knew. Did he tell you? Did your big brother let you in on the little secret?”

  Her voice was coy, gaze soft and Rhayden felt his body respond to her.

  It always did—his cock hardened, fangs itching to descend and taste her dizzying blood. His mouth opened, wanting to tell her no.

  Lie to her make her happy, so she would let him make love to her—

  But his brain didn’t cooperate, not wanting to lie to her anymore and the wrong word came out, “Yes.”

  The change in her was instant.

  Gaze darkening, lip curling up in a snarl, Marley launched herself at him. Her hands went to his throat and Rhayden gripped her arms, swinging her to the side, away from him, “Marley! Stop!”

  She came at him again, screeching and he grabbed her arm, spinning. He held her back hard against his chest as she kicked and screamed, her body writhing in his grasp. Rhayden gritted his teeth, trying to hold onto her. She was suddenly so damn strong—

  “Marley, stop, please. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “I’ll fucking hurt you! You lying piece of shit!” she screamed, and she threw her head back, connecting it with Rhayden’s nose.

>   Cartilage cracked, and blood flowed, pain radiating across his face. He dropped her to the ground, hand coming up to his face.

  “Fuck me! What the fuck is wrong with you!?” Her fist whipped up and he stepped back, just as it missed his face, blood splashing from his broken nose. “Marley!”

  Rhayden grabbed her again, flinging her across the room. Her body hit the wall on the other side, the sickening thud making his stomach churn.

  Marley dropped to the floor in a pile, laying still.

  He had hurt her—the one thing he told himself he would never do.

  But as he stepped forward to check on her, his lover stood, her gaze on him. Her head tipped to either side, cracking her neck with sickening crunches. Marley slowly leaned over, sliding the kitchen knife out of the block on the bench, her grip tightening on it, “Want to play rough, lover?”

  She ran at him, the knife coming up.

  Rhayden ducked to the side, his arm coming up to protect himself. With quick movements, he gripped her wrist, and squeezed, trying to get her to drop the weapon. But as soon as he thought he had the upper hand, she quickly changed the knife to the other and with one quick turn—

  ****

  The knife plunging up into Rhayden’s chest, through his belly should have brought her sorrow.

  Marley knew she loved this man, his brother—they were her everything.

  They meant more to her than all the money, riches.

  Now, even her own sister really paled in comparison to what she had for the Raynes brothers. She had been under the impression Linda was dead, she had moved on—planned for life once she had avenged her death.

  But right now, she felt nothing as the vampire grunted and stepped back. His hands went to the blade. Looking down at it, his gaze lifted, eyes wide, irises fading to white.

  “Marley—” He dropped to his knees, hands bloodied, the white shirt he was wearing quickly staining red. Rhayden looked up at her, blood coating his teeth as he mouthed her name. “Mars.”

  She watched, tilting her head to the side as he blinked, his eyes fading back to blue. Rhayden slumped back against the wall, his one leg tucked underneath out in front of him as his hands fell from the knife.