by Ainsley Cole
She flung the needle at him and he ducked, letting it slam into the bricks behind his head. Marley used his lack of attention to her advantage and she launched herself at him, slamming him against the wall and Absinthe grunted, her fingers closing around his trachea, “I will kill you, like I killed your lying fuck of a brother.”
Abe gripped her wrists, feeling the pressure around his neck loosen and he watched as Marley’s eyes started to roll, her body sway, “What the fuck?”
Her eyes rolled back in her head, as it tipped back, and she slumped.
Absinthe caught her, lifting her to his chest, his lips going to her forehead, “I’m sorry.”
He turned, walking back down the hall, kicking the Lycan on the way through and he carried her out of the club. The bouncer at the door stepped back, nodding his head as the vampire and his intended quarry walked past.
Abe smirked to himself, he had told the Lycan he’d only come to get her. Turning, he went to the end of the alley and into the dark, before taking off in a run.
He had three hours of darkness left. It took one and a half, with his normal speed, to get to Miami. But carrying Marley would slow him down a little, maybe another half hour. That left him time to get her secured until tonight and he hoped Othello still had the cure.
****
“You come to kill me Raynes?”
Rhayden stepped out of the darkness, staring at Johann. He was sitting in a chair, back to him and Rhayden wanted nothing more than to go over and break the mongrel’s neck. But he didn’t instead he clenched his teeth, uttering one word, “No.”
“Come to take me back to Absinthe? Wow. Always the good little fetch dog.” Johann stood, turning and smiled.
Rhayden’s anger raced through him, “What did you do to Marlene?”
“Brennan? Oh, you know, something to pep her up a bit. I take it you found her?”
He lifted the edge of his shirt, showing Johann the still healing wound on his stomach and the vampire’s eyes dropped to it, “You could say that.”
“She managed to get you. Nice. Didn’t think she would take to the Lycan derivative well. But you lot pump her so full of serum each time she is hurt, her immune system is compromised—she seems to have bonded with it nicely. Now she can turn into the one thing you hate more—”
“Where is Linda?” Rhayden asked, stepping forward, his hands balled at his sides.
Johann turned, walking to the window, smiling out across the lights of Jacksonville, “Safe.”
“Where?” Rhayden growled and Johann turned raising an eyebrow.
“Uh, uh, not telling.” He shook his head.
Rhayden stormed across the room, grabbing the vampire’s jacket and flung him against the opposite side wall, his body smacking against the plaster.
Johann chuckled, shaking his head as he stood, looking back to him. He grinned, his fangs staying hidden, not an ounce of anger in his eyes, “Wow, just as angry as she was. Little vixen has you whipped.”
“You are going back to the mansion.” Rhayden spat, his hand coming to his jeans and he pulled out a pair of gloves.
“Wow, really? Getting old school on me?” Johann asked and Rhayden ignored him. Reaching into the back pocket of his jeans, he slid out the pair of pure silver cuffs from the confines. “Nice. Haven’t seen a pair of them in over a century.”
Rhayden stepped forward and Johann did the same, going to his knees, hands out. The pale vampire stopped, looking at him, tipping his head to the side, “You’re not going to fight it?”
“Why should I? I want finality Rhayden. I want this to end. My father’s legacy fulfilled. So, let’s end it.”
Warily, Rhayden reached out and placed the cuffs on Johann’s wrists. Clicking them closed. Within seconds, the vampire’s eyes rolled back in his head and he slumped to the ground, his body comatose.
Pushing his hands through his hair, before pulling the gloves off, Rhayden crouched down. Pushing them onto Johann’s hands, he covered the metal. He stood, crossing to the window, fishing his phone from his pocket, dialing the mansion.
It rang and rang and Rhayden frowned, almost hanging up, as it connected.
“Raynes Manor, this is Othello.”
“Othello? It’s Rhayden. I have Johann. Is Absinthe back yet?” he asked, walking back to the unconscious man, checking to make sure he was still out to it.
“Not yet nephew, but he did call almost an hour ago, saying he had Marlene and would be back soon. What about you?”
“I won’t make it back in time for sun up. Not carrying Johann. I will hibernate here and be back as soon as I can tonight.”
“Good idea.”
“Do you have the cure?”
“No.”
Rhayden’s head spun, “What?”
“If Johann took it, he has the cure as well Rhayden, check him.”
He knelt next to the vampire, rummaging in his pockets and his hand closed around a small vial in his jacket. He pulled it out, looking down at the pale amber liquid, seeing the inscription. “LD295?”
“That’s it. It’s a pale amber color. If you take the top off, it should smell like—”
Rhayden popped off the cap, lifting it to his nose. “Like Lycan ass.”
“Yes, something like that,” Othello chuckled. “Good you have the cure. How long until sun up?”
Rhayden looked to the sky outside the window, “An hour—maybe less.”
“There is a safe house in Orlando. It will lessen your time to get back with the cure. Make it there. I will give you the address, you ready?”
“Yep.” Rhayden said.
“Apartment 290 the Vue at Lake Eola. It is a sealed, dark room. My man inside will make sure it is ready. Go to the back door and ask for Vic.”
“Okay, got it.” Rhayden pressed the end button. Leaning over, he picked Johann up, slinging him over his shoulder and carried him out of the room.
Smiling at the receptionist, using his vampire-ish charm, he chuckled, patting Johann on the back of the thigh, “Buddy drank too much.”
She flushed, nodding her head. Rhayden walked out the main doors of the hotel and into the night. Turning to the left, he walked down the street, ignoring the weird looks from guys and gushing looks from the women.
Turning down the nearest alley he let his feet sweep him into a pelting run. He had an hour to get to Orlando and out of the sun’s rays.
****
Absinthe placed Marley on his bed, smoothing back her hair. Othello clicked his tongue as he entered the room.
“Tsk, tsk Absinthe. If I had known, when you were born, you would risk your life for a human woman, I might have wrung your neck before you even uttered your first cry.”
“Thanks,” Absinthe retorted, smoothing back Marley’s hair and he looked at his uncle. “Do you have the cure?”
“No.”
Absinthe choked his stomach roiling, “Excuse me?”
“Rhayden does, he found it on Johann,” Othello said, leaning over Marley, looking at her closely. “You had to drug her?”
“Yes, she was so strong, tried to kill me. She almost killed Rhayden.”
“Korin told me about it.”
“Where is Rhayden?”
Othello turned his head, looking out the window, “Should be in Orlando by now. I have an apartment there I use sometimes.”
“The Vue.”
“Yes. He will be fine. I rang Ricky on the front desk. He will give him the card.”
“Good, he is closer then, won’t be long until he can get here.”
“Yes, and cure her. She is a bit of an enigma, our dear Marlene Brennan. She fits into our world so well.” He leaned in, his hand coming out.
Absinthe reached out, pushing it away, shaking his head. Othello looked at him, raising an eyebrow, “Please uncle, I can’t bear to see anyone else touch her, she has been through so much.”
“And your brother? How does he feel about that?”
“He is the only other one
who can. Me and Rhayden, that’s it. No one else. Ever.” He murmured quietly, his gaze not leaving Marley’s face.
“I see. It’s moved on from a fetish, hasn’t it?” Othello asked, stepping back and Abe smoothed the back of his knuckles against her soft cheek.
“Uncle, Marley has never been a fetish.”
Four
Rhayden’s eyes fluttered open; seeing the automated lights had come on. His neck ached, and he lifted himself from the bed, crossing to the bathroom. Opening the door, he smirked, seeing Johann still stuffed in the tub.
Turning, he went to the fridge, pulling out a bag of blood and popped it into the sink. Running hot water over it to take the chill from it, his phone rang. Walking back to the bedroom, he swept it off the bedside table and held it to his ear, “You’ve reached Rhayden, leave a—”
“Hey little brother,”
Rhayden grinned, “Absinthe.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes. Are you?” he asked, walking back into the kitchen. He shut off the hot water, pushing the pack under the surface, wincing slightly at the heat on his skin.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“And Mars?”
There was a pause and, causing Rhayden to frown, “She attacked me Rhayden. I had to sedate her. I found her trying to fuck a Lycan.”
Rhayden blinked, trying to imagine what his brother had seen, “Excuse me?”
“She was wrapped around him, kissing him, trying to rip his clothes off.”
“Did you kill it?” he asked, anger surging through him. How could she? After she had been almost killed by two of the flea-bags in the last two months. He knew how—it had to do with the comatose vampire in the bathtub.
“No, I was in a Lycan nightclub. Don’t fancy taking on the more than thirty fur balls in there. I felled it. It’s going to have a fucking bad headache.” He chuckled. “I brought Marley back here. She is still sedated until you get back, which is why I’m calling.”
“I’m about to feed,” Rhayden said, bringing the blood-bag out of the sink. He brought it to his mouth, taking a drag on the small valve at the bottom of it, letting the barely warm blood slid down his throat. He pulled it away, licking his lips, not wanting to waste a drop, even though it tasted like shit. “Then I will be leaving. Do you know how heavy this fucker is?”
“I can imagine. I’ll leave you to it then and see you when you get back here. And Rhayden, hurry, I don’t want to keep her drugged up too long.”
“No problem. I will be as quick as I can.” He replied, and the phone clicked.
Rhayden put down the phone on the counter, walking through the room drawing on the bag of blood. He stepped up to the bathroom door, holding it out, “Want some?”
He laughed at the unconscious man and turned, walking back to the kitchen. Dumping the now drained bag into the bin, he picked up his phone, sliding it into his pocket, before going back to the bathroom.
He leaned down and picked Johann up, slinging him over his shoulder and turned, walking out of the room. The vampire’s head smacked on the doorframe as he left the room and Rhayden chuckled, “Sorry—not.”
He closed the door, walking down the hallway, depositing the slide card on the night desk, “Everything in order, Mr. Raynes?”
“Yes, thanks, Ricky. Might want to empty the trash.”
“Very good sir.”
Rhayden nodded, leaving the building, heading down to the basement, the same way he had entered the hotel. He nodded to Vic and the vampire opened the back door, letting him out into the night and Rhayden let his feet carry him back to the mansion.
****
“Rhayden is here, sir.”
Absinthe opened his eyes, looking at the man at the door, “Thank you, Tony.”
He nodded, turning to leave and Abe sat forward.
“Tony,” The man stopped and turned, looking back to his Lord. “I have been so busy with Marlene I haven’t been paying you and Maddi attention. How is she? Is she doing well?”
“She is doing fine Sir, the baby is growing well, she is feeding enough, and making sure she can birth him right.”
“And she has how long to go?”
“Almost two week’s, sir.”
“Okay. Well, no matter what happens over the next couple days, I will be there, like I should.” Abe stated, and Tony nodded.
“Very good sir,” he turned and left.
Abe sat back in the chair, staring at the door. It pushed open again and Rhayden walked in, the small vial in his hand, “Here.”
He put it on the table and Absinthe looked at the tiny container of amber liquid. He raised an eyebrow, looking up at his brother, “That’s it?”
“Yep, not much hey?” he said, slumping into the chair, looking at him. “You sure this is going to work?”
“I hope so.” Abe said sitting forward and he picked up the vial, tumbling it over in his hands.
“What happens if it doesn’t?”
“Then you know we have no other choice—”
“You’d end her life?” Rhayden asked, his shock coming through in his voice.
“She actively sought out a Lycan yesterday. What would have happened if the bloody mutt had of bitten her? It would have turned her completely. I don’t want her to go through that. I want her to go back to being our Marley.”
Rhayden sat forward, his hand going to his brother’s shoulder, “If it comes to it, I will do it. I know how much she means to you.”
“No. I don’t want you hating me. She means just as much to you, as me,” Absinthe replied, staring at him. “If we have to kill her, we will both have to do it.”
****
Marley sniffed, her nose assaulted with blood and the smell of vampires. They smelt of copper and death. How had she not smelt it before the underlying stench of rot before? Was it the blood they consumed? Or was it just them in general?
“Marlene.”
Turning her head toward who spoke, her eyes opened.
Against the far wall stood Othello, flanked on either side by Absinthe and Korin.
She grinned at the pale vampire, wondering if she could con him into helping her. He’d been so keen to have her in Vegas, “Oh, hi Korin. Still up for that dinner? Might get interesting afterwards. I’m sure you and I could have a really good, hard f—”
“Marley, that’s enough.” Absinthe hissed, and she cocked her head to the side. Sliding her gaze to him, she sucked her tongue over her teeth.
Trying to lift her arms to flip him off, she found both them and her legs had been bound to the chair. Only her head was mobile, and she glared at the trio, anger surging through her.
“Or what? You’ll drug me again? Big old bad Absinthe Raynes couldn’t even handle a horny human.”
“You’re not completely human though, are you Mars?”
The voice sent a thrill through her.
A thrumming deep in the pit of her stomach excited her and her head turned as Rhayden stepped out from behind her. Stepping into the light, his arms crossed over his chest, eyes bright.
She stared at him, tipping her head back, marveling at how damn beautiful he was. Him and his brother—
“Johann injected you with a Lycan derivative. You have their strength, attitude—”
She grinned, cutting him off, “Wow. You survived.”
Copper flared in his eyes and she smirked, her gaze dropping to his torso. That perfect body of his. A lither copy of his brother’s, “Show me.”
“Show you what?” he asked, and she tipped her head to the side, grinning.
“Where I stabbed your pretty ass— Come on. It would have left a mark, like your claws did on me. Remember that, the time you stabbed me with your claws? Do you remember the way if felt? I do, it stung like hell. Come on pretty boy, show me,” She taunted, watching as Rhayden turned his head to Absinthe. “What? Always need your big brother’s permission? Whipped puppy.”
Rhayden growled, sending a spike of longing into the pit of her sto
mach and she licked her bottom lip, winking at him.
“Come on…show me…”
He lifted the front of his black shirt, showing her the faint scar, which ran just left and above his belly button.
She wanted to run her tongue along it, take him on the hard floor in front of the other three vampires, “Aww, did I do that?”
Rhayden shoved his shirt back down angrily as she laughed.
Absinthe stepped forward, a syringe brandished in his hand. She glared at it, her laughter cut short, “What is that?”
“The cure.” He replied, walking up to her and she turned her head, watching him.
“Like fuck you’re going to stick that shit in me.” She spat, gnashing her teeth at him and Absinthe stepped back, pain flashing across his features.
“Marley please…”
“Marley please.” She copied, her laughter starting back up and he looked at his brother nodding.
Rhayden grabbed her, and she twisted, snapping her teeth at him. He jumped back as Abe came at her, the needle grazing her skin. She yelped and twisted, the ropes which held her to the chair snapping—
She flung her arms out, slashing at Rhayden with her somehow sharper nails. Someone grabbed her from behind, strong arms encircling her chest, holding her still.
“Marlene, calm down.” Othello’s voice slithered into her ear and she kicked out, needing to get loose. But his grip was strong, and Korin grabbed one leg, Rhayden the other.
Her hair was moved to the side and the cold sting of the needle as it sunk into her neck made her squeal.
Bucking, the cold liquid invaded her veins. Her legs were released as Othello let her go and she slid off the chair, dropping to the floor.
Marley went to her hands and knees, clawing at her throat, “It burns!”
Crawling to the corner, she curled up on the cold floor, her whole body shaking. Vision blurring, her hearing became dull and she closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around her knees, shuddering.
“Marley…” Abe’s voice was distorted, and she turned her head away, trying to melt into the bricks.
“Absinthe, let it work, give her time. Come back later.” Othello’s words came through, thick and deep, burrowing into her brain.
She screwed her eyes closed further, trying to make the pain go away. Hearing the door close, she shivered, drifting in and out of consciousness.
