The Turning: Book Two in The Medici Warrior Series

by Emily Bex

  73

  Teleporting to her car in the gym garage, Rissa sped home. Her anger was receding, but her fear of what Max would do continued to grow. Once he found out the potion was missing he might link it to her, but she highly doubted it. At least, that’s what she tried to convince herself. After all, he must have tons of enemies, what master didn’t?

  She knew Alec wasn’t at home, he’d been scheduled for the entire evening and she knew he’d be late. Once inside the house she ran for the shower, scrubbing herself raw, cleaning the sandy grit from her hair and covering herself in a luxurious lotion to further mask the scent of sun and sand and Max. Curling up in her bed, she lay there and thought about the day, and dreamt of tomorrow when she met her liaison and get those vials. Alec would be so impressed, now she just had to come up with a believable story of how she got them.

  Max slept little, tossing and turning, waking often to see her face. How could she betray him in this way? Why lead him on? Why make him think they could be together again? Why? It was all too clear why. To distract him so she could get the potion for her Alec. Well, my sweet angel, if I can't have you, no one will.

  Max had tried to crumble Alec's empire and expose him to the mortal community by trying to force him out in the open with all the rogue attacks, make him weak in her eyes and have her return to him. He tried to lure her away with a lifestyle he knew she craved, and it had all come to nothing, except his humiliation and failure. There was only one way to get her out of his mind, and that would be to end her life. Max was sending one of his best warriors, the only one to escape the ambush at Bel Rosso, the Butcher. He would be loaded with the potion, so she and any protectors would not detect his scent. The Butcher would take her down. The Butcher would wait for her at the gym. It will be so easy, my Rissa. You make it so easy with your predictable schedule. This ends tonight.

  Alec returned home later than usual, and Rissa pretended to be asleep. He didn’t attempt to wake her, apparently oblivious to the events of the day. He woke early, dressed and gave her a quick kiss, telling her he’d see her tonight. She waited until he was gone before getting up and dressing. After working all day in her office it was finally time to head to the gym. This felt like the longest day of her life and she worked out like a fiend, releasing her anger and pain. At the agreed upon time, she made her way to the locker room to meet her contact and exchanged a large wad of bills for the vials. When Rissa was sure she was alone again she pulled a vial out and examined it. They were made of very hard plastic, perfect for toting around. Stuffing them in her purse, she grabbed up the rest of her things and headed to the nearly empty garage. It was late and most people in G-town were tucked into their expensive homes by now.

  From her position crouched low outside of the gym, Fiamma kept her eyes peeled for anything unusual. Last night’s raid on the city brought many careless mortal deaths, the work of a single rogue warrior. Master had hoped this was over, but clearly, something was still going on out here. Shade sent them all back on duty tonight to keep things under control, and she was assigned to following Master Alec's mate. Since dusk all she had done was exercise at that damn gym. Fee saw a hooded figure approach and enter the gym garage. Rissa was finally leaving the gym so Fee moved in closer to the garage entrance but didn’t enter. She was better off staying out here where she could monitor both the inside and outside of the garage. If there was a problem she could be on it in no time.

  The Butcher was confident the female warrior wouldn’t pick up his scent as he strolled into the dark parking garage. He chose a pillar near the entrance to the gym where he could be hidden, and yet, had a clear view of anyone who came into the garage. He watched as Rissa pushed open the door, completely distracted, balancing a large gym bag and a purse. She was looking for her car keys, oblivious to her surroundings when he slipped up behind her. Why make this quick when she was such an easy target and he could have some fun with it. He stepped up right behind her, whispering in her ear. "Greetings from Max, my angel."

  Rissa felt his hot breath and the deadly voice sank deep into her soul. Trying to focus, she concentrated all her skills and zeroed in on him. Swinging her leg, she kicked it hard into his crotch and saw him crouch over in pain as she did a backflip over his head. He rose up, fangs bared and eyes blazing and the sight before her was terrifying. He was definitely here on a mission and if his words did not cut her to the bone, his looks did He was ferocious, muscled and raging, and she knew she was out of her league.

  The Butcher sprang forward and grabbed her around the throat with both hands, squeezing hard enough to block her air, but not hard enough to snap her neck, yet. She dropped her purse to the ground as she clawed at his hands, trying to pull them away from her throat. Her feet kicking against the pavement as he lifted her just slightly off the floor, just high enough to make her feel she didn’t have sure footing. Just high enough to let her know she wasn’t going anywhere. He watched as her mouth opened and closed, gasping for air that wasn’t there, her eyes wide with fear. Then he squeezed, just a little tighter. Rissa’s heart was slamming inside her chest, her beast couldn’t fight this.

  ”Alec! Help me! Master, please!”

  Fee heard scuffling feet and teleported immediately behind them. She saw he had Rissa by the throat, and Fee hoped the bitch had been smart enough to call her own damn master, but she could have some fun in the meantime. She taunted the rival warrior.

  “Pick on someone your own size. She isn’t meaty enough for your taste!”

  Rissa went down hard, gasping for air when he let go and turned to Fee. Clutching her throat, gasping and coughing, she looked up to see a red-headed Amazon woman in leather taking on this insanity. “Alec, please!”

  Leaping and spinning in the air, Fee took the opportunity to catch him when he was still off guard. She grabbed him by the collar and slung him over the hood of the car.

  Pushing herself backward and out of the way, Rissa saw the vials rolling out of her purse. She scrambled to retrieve them then crawled further back into the darkness, terrified beyond anything in her life. She watched in horror as the rogue sprang from the hood of the car and attacked the female warrior in red.

  Alec was home reading through a fuck load of legislation when he heard her scream his name, and he felt the power of her fear. He teleported to the gym parking garage where Rissa was on the garage floor, gasping and choking. He saw two other vamps in a struggle. One was male and the other a female, a red-head all in leather. She had to be one of Shade's. No time for a conversation, he could only hope he made the right choice.

  He lifted the male up with one hand and pulled him backward crushing him to his chest and with his other hand he twisted his head until he heard it snap. The body went limp in his hands and Alec let him drop to the floor. He looked over the female standing before him. Definitely one of Shade's.

  Fee nodded her head at him. "Thanks for the assist."

  Alec turned to Rissa who was still crouched on the floor, clutching her purse. He squatted down in front of her, put his hand under her chin and lifted her face to him, her eyes still wide.

  "It's okay, Rissa. Come on, let me help you up. We're going home now.” He lifted her into his arms and teleported out, nodding to the red-head as he left.

  Rissa knew he had saved her from certain death. She clung to him, head buried deep into his neck as she felt them teleport back home.

  At home, Alec carried her to their bedroom. Shade's warrior bought Alec time to get to her. Clearly, the rogue was toying with her, because if he’d moved more quickly, attacked from behind... Alec pushed the thought from his head. He laid her on the bed and tugged at the purse she still clutched to her chest. “Rissa, let go of your purse. You're safe now.”

  He stroked her hair and he could feel her tremble. Her neck already showed evidence of the attack. He leaned in and whispered, “Rissa, it's Alec. Look at me. You're safe now. I want you to drink from me. Do you understand? Drink from me, and it will heal you.”<
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  She felt the softness of the bed against her back and his voice broke through her black panic as she tried to steady her breathing. The vials rolled from her clenched fist as she struggled to reach him, her voice scratchy and weak as she whispered, “Master.”

  He turned his neck to her and felt the sting of her bite as she began to drink. He saw the two vials roll from her hand onto the bed. Picking them up, he turned them in his hand before placing them on the bedside table. He cradled her head to his neck, letting her drink her fill, healing the red scars around her neck, calming her fears as his blood filled her, making her strong again. Her hands gripped his shoulders, her lips suckled at his neck, as she fed. He knew she drank more from fear than injury. This would be a reality check for his Rissa. For the first time in her immortal life, she had faced an enemy vamp with the intent to kill.

  “You're safe now, my darling.” As she unlatched, he kissed away the blood on her lips and brushed the hair away from her face. He lay down beside her and pulled her back against his chest before pulling the blanket up.

  “Rest. Sleep. Heal, my darling.”

  Fee quickly moved the dead rogue to a prime spot where the early morning sun could do its work before anyone noticed the body. Pulling out her cell, she called Shade and wasn’t surprised when he answered immediately. He was at the Dead House waiting for any news. She updated him with the details of the attack on Alec’s mate then headed out to find Marcello and see if there was any activity showing on his grid.

  Cazzo! Good fucking thing I had them out there tonight. After last night, he’d known instinctively that it wasn’t over yet. Attacking Kate and now Rissa, this bastard meant business. Cuerpo must have had a small band of followers who were looking to avenge his death. He knew at least one rogue had fled from the scene of the ambush on Bel Rosso. Shade needed to know if Alec had any ideas what this attack might be about. Dialing him up, he waited, unsure if Alec would be able to answer if he was attending to Rissa.

  AIec was lying quietly in bed next to Rissa as he stared at the ceiling. She had finally fallen into a deep healing sleep. Her neck would heal quickly, but her psyche would take a little longer. He heard his cell phone ringing in the study. He slipped from their bed and moved quickly to the study to check the phone. He was expecting this call. “Brother...”

  “Alec, how’s Rissa? Fee just called, gave me the details. Is Rissa okay?”

  “She’ll be fine, thanks to that red-head in leather. She bought me enough time to respond. Whoever that rogue was, he was just toying with her, planned to take her out slowly. If he’d moved faster, I'm pretty sure we’d be looking at a different outcome. So, what the fuck, brother? First, your mate and now mine? Whatever the fuck this is, it sure isn't over. Rissa doesn't know it yet, but her ass will be grounded here for a while until this gets sorted out. I can't stay here all day, so I’ll need you to assign someone to watch the house. And you know Rissa, she'll be looking for any way out.”

  Shade nodded. “When I watched the security video, I told you one got away. I think that may be the one you just took out, bro. I agree, Rissa needs to stay put. I’ll think about who would be a good protector for her. I think a female might work out better for Rissa. If you need anything else, you know where to find me. Take care of your mate, and I’ll send over someone to provide permanent protection tomorrow evening. You need final approval?”

  Alec grunted. “You chose, I'm sure I'll be happy with her. Rissa, that's another story.”

  Max grabbed his cell phone on the first ring expecting it to be the Butcher. Looking down he recognized Tomas’ number. What the fuck was going down now? Tomas broke the news that the Butcher was dead, and that fucking bitch was safe. One of Shade's warriors interrupted the attack and Alec got to her and the Butcher. Max threw the phone across the room. Fuck! Everything failed! It was all for her and she threw it in my face. He teleported out of the condo where he had made love to her, and out of this fucking town where she walked the streets. He teleported to the island where they had spent the day, and he set it on fire. He stood silently and watched as it burned to the ground, the house and the cabana, gone. When the flames started to ebb, he teleported to his home in Bangkok, as far away from her as he could get. His hatred for her matched the love he had once felt, and it burned out of control. Someday, my angel... someday.

  74

  Shade hung around the Dead House waiting for everyone to get back and give their morning reports. When Marcello and Fiamma walked in, Shade shook his head. Fee looked like she walked straight out of some damn club and not someone who just tackled a deadly rogue vampire. Aside from the attack on Rissa, there had been no other rogue activity in any of the other districts tonight but he knew they’d need to remain vigilant. For the time being they would continue to monitor the city.

  “Are you two done slapping backs? I need to speak with Fee. Alone.”

  Fee’s night had been made even better by the fact she was the only one who saw any action tonight. Unfortunately, she had to defer to the master to take the kill, typical male vampire. Alec’s method was too easy for her taste, snapping a neck, clean and done. Fee preferred a bit more blood and a battle with the blades to challenge her skills. As a woman, she always had to be a bit better than the boys. Shade sat down at his desk, papers strewn everywhere. Fee could tell he was bored out of his head, and restless to get back to Kate. She chuckled to herself. Kate surely had her master handled, and the kill she chalked up with Cuerpo was the stuff of legend. Damn, that girl was going to make a hell of a Medici Queen. She closed the door behind her and approached the desk. “What did I do now?”

  Shade rolled his eyes at her. “You didn’t do anything, just sit down. I have a dilemma and I need a female perspective. What we talk about stays between us, Fee, I’m in no mood to play games, this is serious business. Si?”

  “Of course, master. I’m listening. What’s the problem?”

  “Well, tonight, you got a look at Rissa. You also got a close-up view of him. They are no normal vampire couple. They live a high-profile lifestyle in the public eye, as mortals. The rogue attack spooked her. He is happy with your performance, but did you have to wear the damn red leather?”

  Letting a slow grin build on her face, she stared at him. “What? Are you now enforcing a dress code? Because if you are, I have a few complaints about Raven. I had Cory custom design these for me, and in my defense, I need to be a lure as well as battle, to draw out any vamps that might be looking for a bite or two.”

  He shook his head at her. “Sometimes I worry about you, warrior! Now listen up. Alec wants me to send a protector for Rissa. He will keep her ass in the house for a while, and I don’t have to tell you, she is one bitch on wheels. No one is going to tie her fancy ass down inside that house for long. She has a business to run, so she won’t sit still. Rissa is no skilled warrior and this was her first experience encountering a hostile. Alec has never used a protector before, she wouldn’t have it, but now he has no choice.” Shade ran his hands through his hair. “He has never taught her how to do a damn thing to defend herself.”

  Fee crossed her arms over her chest and thought to herself, Hit too close to home, did it? Shade continued. “I need a female for this job with Rissa and they will need to be a day-walker. I need someone with excellent skills, a solid rep, someone who can outwit Rissa. And that’s saying something. Her protector will not be able to stick out in social situations, she needs to blend into the background when necessary and not look out of place. So I am asking you, who the hell can I bring into this? I thought of you, Fee, but you aren’t a day-walker, and Olivia is too inexperienced. I need someone with damn good experience with weapons, especially guns. She can’t be toting a fucking sword in crowds around here.”

  Fee ran the list of needed skills through her head, trying to match them up with the other female warriors she knew. “So you need someone with style and class, but solid with a weapon, someone used to working closely with masters. Why are you
specifically looking for a female? Just curious.”

  Shade laughed. “Well, I have a score to settle with Rissa, and she won’t be expecting a female. You have someone in mind?”

  Fee flipped her hair back. “There’s only one female warrior I can think of that suits this job perfectly, and that’s Jacqueline.” She watched his face and waited for the dawning of recognition come back to him. Fee was pretty sure he hadn’t seen her for a very long time nor would he have any idea where she was and what she was doing these days, but Fee did.

  Shade looked back at her in confusion until the memory of Jacqueline surfaced. “You mean Jacks!”

  Fee sat back in the chair. “Yes, Jacks. She’s perfect for this job. She would fit in with the social elite, not a problem. She’s independent, needs no backup and she can dress up like a damn movie star if need be. Bitch can talk her way out of anything, but she’s an artist with any firearm. And she’s day-walker.”

  “Cazzo! I haven’t seen her since she left camp. That was forever ago. I completely lost track of her. I know she only came to train at Medici for a while. She is fucking perfect for this gig. Do you know where she is?”

  “She’s close, New England somewhere the last I heard. You know she’s going to cost you. She only takes top dollar clientele, masters only, and only the most powerful. She wasn’t at Medici long. If you remember, she was sent there by another master who wanted her trained in firearms. I’ve stayed in contact with her, as I do with all my sisters. If I’m not mistaken, Jacks may even know Master Alec. Isn’t he from that area? Jacks is gorgeous, sleek, turns heads and you know as well as I do, it will take something extraordinary to deal with that blonde I saw tonight. She reeked of major diva attitude.”

  Shade threw back his head, laughing. “Oh, Jacks could show Rissa a lot of things. Damn Fee, Jacks would be perfect for this job. Can you contact her for me? Ask if she’s interested. Alec has more fucking money than brains, so price is no obstacle. If she can meet me at the house early tomorrow night, I would make myself available. We weren’t close, she stuck close to camp and had her nose to the grindstone the whole time, but she isn’t a female you forget easily, and I can only imagine what she has become now.”