by Jessica Lee
“Excellent work, Mr. Santini,” Dominic said, one hand inside the pocket of his pin-striped trousers, while the fingers of his free hand worked a thin cigar. Behind him lurked two of his hired muscle, one on either side. Of course. At least two had tailed him during the retrieval.
“No skin off my neck,” Markus replied. “What the hell has the Enclave ever done for me, except try to force their morals down my throat?” Markus reached down and pulled the dagger at his thigh free and twirled the hilt inside his palm. “If I’d wanted a spanking for my bad attitude, I could have found someone a hell of a lot prettier to deliver it.”
Dominic smirked and another chuckle, coming from Enrique, echoed in the room.
“I like the way you speak your mind,” Dominic said. “Once we’re finished here, you and I should talk about your future plans.”
“This was a…unique situation.” Markus sauntered over to the table filled with an assortment of tubes and cylinders. Picking up one of the syringes, he examined the sharp point of the needle at the end. Oh, hell no. This madness must be stopped. “I do believe I’ve had my fill of reporting to a Master or Mistress.” Markus’s gaze roamed upward and to the hazy windows running along the perimeter of the room. Where the hell are you, Kenric? I can’t keep them distracted much longer.
“Suit yourself,” Dominic uttered behind him. “See to the female,” he ordered his staff. “Strap her down and get her ready to be purged. We need to process her tissue and get her out of here as quickly as possible.”
Panic seized Markus’s chest, and he spun on his heels. “Wait,” he called out, stopping the others in their tracks. “I’ll handle her while you get whatever it is you need to set up.”
“Fine,” Dominic replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I don’t give a shit who straps her down, as long as it gets done.”
Markus sheathed his weapon and inserted himself between Alexandria and the other vampires in the room. Rolling her onto her back, Markus seized her wrists. Alexandria blinked up at him, her violet eyes darkened to a deep purple surrounded by a ring of fire. Her right hand edged closer to her thigh and Markus followed its path, watching as she wrapped her fingers around the hilt of her dagger. Hell, yeah. No one had checked if “Eve” had any weapons on her. He’d brought her in, so the others would have assumed he would have disarmed her in case she woke from the tranquilizer. That was his vixen. She wouldn’t go down without a fight.
Giving her a quick nod of acknowledgment, he tightened the silver-laced restraint on her left wrist, leaving the other, nonvisible, hand unbound. A sizzle coming off her flesh met his ears, and a grimace rolled across her expression. An arrow of pain shot through his chest at the sight. Fuck. It killed him to hurt her.
Sorry. He mouthed the word, his spine rigid with constraint. It was all he could do not to roar, rip the bindings from her arm, and tear Enrique’s heart from his chest with his bare hands.
“You guys weren’t going to start without me, were you?” Christian appeared around the corner.
Air Markus had no idea he’d been holding made a mass exit from his lungs. The redhead’s presence was a damn good sign. It meant the Enclave shouldn’t be far behind. Markus’s fists curled in anticipation.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Enrique grabbed the other male’s arm and jerked him forward, his upper lip curled back, baring his fangs.
“Why the hell would I hang around that mansion anymore? Tonight’s the night we finally get our payoff. We. Remember?” Christian smirked.
“Whatever.” Enrique grunted and dropped his hand. “Just stay out of the damn way.” He turned his attention to Dominic. “Speaking of payoffs.”
Dominic motioned to one of his bodyguards with a flick of his wrist. The large male grabbed a thick briefcase from the floor by his leg and hefted it onto one of the tables. “I’ve fulfilled my part of our bargain.” Dominic lifted a finely arched brow. “And once I have everything I need from her, it’s yours.”
“Then by all means.” Enrique nodded in the direction of Alexandria. “Proceed with all haste.”
Dammit. He couldn’t stall any longer. Where the hell was the Enclave?
“Take care of her,” Dominic instructed his staff.
“Yes, sir,” they responded in unison. One of the males finished gathering the supplies as the other approached Alexandria.
Stepping aside, Markus’s jaw ticked and his palms itched with the need for violence. But they were outnumbered, and if he jumped in too soon things could unravel out of control—fast. And he refused to put Alexandria at even greater risk. Yet if the troops didn’t make an entrance soon, he’d have no other choice.
The burly vamp-for-hire clamped onto Alexandria’s hood and yanked it back before taking his blade to the sleeve covering the arm next to him.
Son of a bitch. His pulse pounded like a damn sledgehammer inside his head.
A wide lock of hair covered her face, but how long would it take before someone noticed it wasn’t Eve? Before the large bastard rammed a needle into her arm?
“What the fuck!” In a flash of color, Enrique charged toward Alexandria.
Shit…meet fan.
Enrique shoved the bodyguard aside. The male staggered but regained his footing, confusion screwing up his face. A roar erupted from Enrique as he snagged a handful of Alexandria’s hair, yanking her head up from the table. Alexandria gasped, her eyelids flickering open.
Markus wrapped his fingers around the hilt of his dagger. Not yet. Not yet. Come on, Kenric.
“You son of a bitch,” Enrique growled, his head jerking toward Markus. “Did you really think substituting this cunt for Eve had a fuck’s chance in hell of working?”
“What kind of trick is this?” Dominic shouted, closing in on his partner in crime. “Seize him!”
The bodyguards charged toward Markus. Pulling his dagger, Markus backed up a few steps, maneuvering into his fighting stance. Clutching the hilt of his blade, he was more than ready for whatever the two overgrown dickheads wanted to throw at him.
“I’d control that temper of yours, Santini,” Enrique called out. “If you want her throat to remain intact.”
Flickering his gaze to where Enrique held Alexandria, his heart stalled in his chest. Alexandria stared back at him, fear etched in her pale expression. Enrique grinned, satisfaction gleaming in his black eyes as his blade pressed into her throat. Markus froze, allowing the hired muscle to slam into him, latching onto each of his arms.
“I still can’t believe you’d put Eve’s life above the female who only a year ago you would have done anything to save.” Enrique shook his head.
“Let her go, Enrique,” Markus commanded. “She’s innocent in all this. It’s me you want. Make me pay. Not her.”
Enrique laughed, the sound manic, crazed. “So sorry, pretty boy. You’ve fucked me over once too often. And as delightful as it was, your cock’s not going to save your whore this time.”
Alexandria blinked at the reference, and her brow furrowed.
Dammit. Of course he’d bring up their past. Enrique would say and do whatever he needed to make the moment more agonizing for him. Markus’s gut churned at the idea of what she had to be thinking of him. Because without a doubt, she had to remember now what he’d agreed to do with that sick son of a bitch.
Enrique nodded toward Dominic’s guards. “You’re going to want to restrain him with the silver-laced chains until I’m done with her.”
“Before this night is over,” Markus snarled, jerking hard on the male’s grip, “I swear to you, Enrique, you’ll feel the burn of my blade in your heart.”
“Please,” Enrique drawled, then laughed. “Don’t make promises you know you can’t keep.” The dark vampire looked to Christian. “Grab the chain for the boys.”
“He’s not the only one who’s going to pay for this mistake, Enrique,” Dominic announced. “This is a major fuckup and I blame you.” The tall, curly-headed vampire paced the room, mumbling wh
at Markus could only assume were a plethora of curses in Spanish. “Dammit, Enrique. You know this is a setup. Kill them both so we can get the hell out of here.”
“That’s what I intend to do if you’ll shut up!” Enrique spat. He yanked hard on Alexandria’s hair, forcing her to cry out, her back arching.
Pain stabbed through Markus’s own head at the sound of her distress. “You’re mine, Enrique,” Markus gritted out. “You only thought you knew misery with Marguerite.”
“Hey, big guy!” Christian yelled, carrying a mass of chain in his gloved hand.
One of the guards holding Markus glanced Christian’s way at the same moment the redhead tossed the thick metal toward him. Reflex had the burly vampire releasing Markus’s arm to catch the flying silver-coated chain.
Yes! Who would have thought the young vampire possessed that much cunning?
Markus swung his forearm up and slammed it into the vampire’s massive skull. Out of the corner of his eye, Markus caught a blur of red flashing in Alexandria’s direction.
Christian.
What the fuck was he trying to do?
Roaring, Markus whipped around and rammed a fist into the face of the other bodyguard. The tall hulk of a male staggered backward, blood spraying from his mouth. Markus jerked his attention back to the female who owned his soul, at the same time a venom-laced cry bounced off the metal walls, filling Markus’s ears. Every neuron in his body screamed in helpless rage as Enrique stumbled away from Alexandria, his palm gripping his biceps. Christian’s tall form lay sprawled on top of her, a crimson stream trailing off the table.
“Noooo!” Markus roared.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Markus’s enraged bellow rang inside Alex’s head.
Dammit. She couldn’t move. Christian’s dead weight had her pinned to the table. Dead weight. Dear God, had Enrique killed him? She’d never expected the young male to jump the crazy bastard. At the very moment she’d made a move for her weapon, Christian had come out of nowhere and dived for Enrique. The elder vampire had jerked the knife away from her throat and thrust it into the younger male, halting him in his tracks. She’d taken the split second of a distraction to launch her own attack on Enrique and sliced Enrique’s arm with her silver-laced blade. But Christian had collapsed on top of her, dislodging her weapon from her hand before she’d been able to inflict much damage.
“Alexandria!” Markus called out, and the weight of Christian’s body lifted from her chest. Alex groaned. “Fuck!” His wide eyes scanned her, and she could have sworn horror clouded his gaze at the sight of the blood covering her torso.
“It’s not mine,” she quickly explained. “It’s Christian’s.”
A visible wave of relief washed over his expression. A corresponding warm and fuzzy rush filled the pit of her stomach. Her safety mattered—she mattered to him.
Markus glanced down at Christian’s chest, and she followed his line of sight. A spray of crimson bloomed on the front of his white graphic tee, actively leaking his life’s essence.
“He should make it,” Markus muttered and lowered the other male’s body to the floor.
Alex scrambled to work on the buckle to her restraint. She had to get free and help. Shit. She fumbled with the metal, her fingers not wanting to cooperate. This was taking too long.
“You’re not going to get away with doing this to me!” Enrique yelled. Blood dripped from the open wound, and he fisted the thick hilt of a knife. Enrique charged back in their direction.
“Markus!” she cried out.
He spun, bringing his own blade up with him in a wide arc. He carved a path across Enrique’s chest, opening a wide gash. The other male gasped and stumbled back.
But it wasn’t over. Not by a long shot. Tossing the restraint from her wrist, Alex swung her legs over and shoved away from the table.
The guards were shaking off their blows, and the first one had already risen. Growling, the large male bared his fangs in Markus’s direction. Alex grabbed the closest thing next to her, an aluminum IV pole, ready for his attack. It sucked, but it was better than nothing. She could at least give the bastard a damn good headache and slow him down. The powerful male pivoted, preparing to come after them, when another appeared.
With preternatural speed, the massive blond intruder collided with the guard. The impact lifted the hulk of a vampire from his feet, sending him flying into the metal wall on the opposite side of the room. His body slammed into the metal with a heavy thud, and he slid down the wall like a swatted fly into a heap of beefy arms and legs.
Turning toward her and Markus, the new guy grinned. “Miss me?” he asked.
Arran.
“Shit, yeah,” Markus muttered. “About damn time.”
A long sigh exited Alex’s lungs. The Enclave had arrived.
At that moment, Kenric and Guerin appeared from the opposite side of the wall of crates. With his dark waves draped over his forehead and his eyes bloodshot, Guerin appeared barely recovered from whatever formula had been in the bullet.
“You sorry motherfucker…” Enrique cursed, and the clang of metal sliding against metal rang out in the open space. Alex’s attention darted to the maniac’s fist, where he’d exchanged his blade in favor of a large hacksaw from one of the carts. She didn’t even want to imagine how they’d originally intended to use the tool. “This could have been a fresh new start.” A perverted chuckle bubbled up from the battle-scarred male. A stream of garnet seeped from the wound in his chest, staining the ripped charcoal-colored shirt. A similar trail of blood covered his forearm. “But oh, hell no. You’d rather side with these pussies.” He waved the saw at the others as he edged closer to Markus. Yet her warrior stood there in silence, his face a stoic mask.
Her warrior? At what point had she claimed him?
“I should have known better,” Enrique scoffed. “Look how you screwed over Marguerite.”
Something moved behind Alex, drawing her attention. The last guard, sensing he was outnumbered, made a run for the exit. Guerin zoomed in the direction of the escaping vampire, equipment in his path clattering to the floor.
This was her chance. A temporary diversion that would allow her to ease closer to Enrique. She scanned the various objects around her: vials, needles, jars. There had to be something better, smaller and heavier, she could use. The pole was too long and she might take out Markus in the process. She needed something blunt to knock the shit out of him and give Markus an advantage.
Dammit.
Nothing.
Well, except… Her lip curled. What the hell. If nothing else, this would be quite satisfying.
“You want a piece of me, Enrique?” Markus cocked his head and beckoned him with his free hand. “Come on. I’m dying for you to try,” he said, his voice deep, his tone lethal.
Taking that as her cue, Alex inhaled deeply and, using all the supernatural force she could muster, charged the sadistic monster. She collided into Enrique, knocking the shocked vampire off his feet. Together, they hit the concrete, punching the air from her lungs. The hacksaw he’d been holding hit the floor with a loud clank and skidded out of sight.
“You bitch!” Enrique flipped, taking her to her back.
How the hell had he recovered so fast?
Straddling her, he held her in place with one arm and reared his other back, claws extended. “Going to rip you apart,” he raged, fangs glistening in the fluorescent lights.
“Like hell,” Markus snarled, and seized the furious vampire by the throat, lifting him off her with one arm.
Enrique’s body left hers a second before Markus slammed the other male onto his back. Alex scrambled onto her knees, never allowing the two out of her sight. Enrique’s hands clamped onto Markus’s wrist, the warrior’s knuckles white from his chokehold.
“That’s the last time you’ll ever put your hands on her,” Markus avowed.
“Kill me,” Enrique managed to squeak out. “But you’ll never erase me from your mind.”
“The past, Enrique,” Markus said, “is where you’re going to stay.”
The chilling sound of bone crunching filled the space around Alex. Markus eased back onto his heels and retrieved his blade from the floor beside him. Lifting the weapon, he centered it over his target, then plunged the silver-coated dagger into Enrique’s heart. Within seconds, the vampire’s body began to crackle and pop. His torso distorted, swelling to twice its size before imploding into a pile of ash.
And just like that, he was gone. Forever.
Markus wiped the metal across his thigh, then slid it back into its sheath. Twisting around to face her, he straightened to his full height. Damn. He was a foreboding creature of the night with his swirling black and red tattoos wrapping both arms. His hair had come loose from its band and covered one side of his face, streaks of blood marring the other cheek. The male looked wild, untamed, and ready to strike.
His glare locked with hers and the effect should have sent shivers of intimidation down her spine. Yet gooseflesh raced across her arms, her nipples hardened to stiff peaks, and she realized she’d never wanted any man more in her life.
“What in the hell were you thinking?” Markus asked, breaking the connection.
“What?” Had he somehow read her mind? “What are you talking about?”
“Attacking Enrique like that?”
A spark of annoyance flashed over her, shoving her attraction to the side for the moment. “I was thinking of a way to help save your ass,” she snapped.
“I had it under control,” he bellowed. “He could have killed you.”
“He didn’t,” she bit out. “I’m still here, and so are you.” Silence blanketed the room, jarring her, and she did a quick survey of what was left around them. They were alone. “I guess we both got what we wanted,” she muttered, doing her best not to look at him again. She couldn’t. Because if she did, she wasn’t sure if she could keep herself from diving into his arms and never letting go.
Madness.
“Shit! Where’s Dominic?” Markus marched toward the exit.
“I don’t know.” She shook her head. “Guerin went after the guard, and then everything else happened so fast. I lost track of him.”
