He pulled into the parking lot and put the Rover in park, then turned in his seat to look at me. “I can’t picture you with black hair. What did you see?” He took one of my hands, his thumb rubbing circles on my palm, the leather from his glove smooth on my skin. He would have to stop that if he didn’t want me to act inappropriately at work.
“When I was about fifteen, I was out with a friend, one of the few that I had. We had gone to a movie, some sappy romantic comedy with Meg Ryan in it, and it had let out about nine or so. We were waiting for my dad to come get us, and we had gone around to the side of the theater to sneak a smoke. Don’t judge.” I pointed a finger at him, but he just shook his head, intent on my story. “Anyway, there was something back there. Josie, my friend, didn’t see her, but I did. She was standing there in the shadows, and she had just finished a, well, her dinner, I guess. She seemed shocked that I could see her, and she hissed at me, crouching over the person at her feet, like a lioness guarding her meal.” I shrugged. I hadn’t thought about that night in years; in fact, I had forgotten about it, like I had the werewolf.
“Didn’t it bother you?”
“What bothered me was that I thought we were next.”
“It didn’t bother you that you had witnessed a human being fed upon?” He seemed incredulous.
“Well, yes and no. I couldn’t believe that Josie didn’t see her, so I thought maybe I was going crazy, and that my mother was right. I didn’t say anything about what I saw to them, and Josie and I got out with no puncture wounds.” I shrugged nonchalantly, although Gareth wasn’t so nonchalant about it.
“Do you know how lucky you were?” he whispered, as affected by my memory as if it had been him in that alley with me.
I nodded, looking down at our clasped hands. “I think that she was so shocked that I could see her that it threw her off. Josie couldn’t see her, so I guess she was, what did you call it? Faded?” It was his turn to nod.
“Were you normal in any way?” His sarcasm was back in full force, and I cast him a glare.
“Oh that was smooth. Yes, I was normal. I liked movies and fashion and music. I didn’t have a lot of friends, like I said, but I went out, went to the mall, the movies. Got good grades in school. That’s what led me here, to you.”
He brought my hand to his lips and kissed each fingertip, and I sighed.
“I couldn’t be happier that your odd road led you here.”
“Me too.”
He looked like he wanted to lean over and kiss me, but we didn’t know who was watching, so instead he squeezed my hand one last time and got out, coming over to open my door. I couldn’t help but look around for lurking vampires, but there was nothing and we went in side by side and rode the elevator back up, our lunch date over and we were back to boss and employee.
He came back to my office around quitting time and sat down in the chair in front of my desk. “Are you ready?”
“For what?” I looked up from my computer. I had just finalized my choices and was composing an e-mail to the candidates, inviting them to interview with me for positions.
“To go home. It’s almost six.”
“I still have so much to do. I’ve missed so much work, and now that you’ve put me in this position,” I made a face at him that he smirked at, “I have even more work to do. I think I’m going to stay for a while.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. We don’t know who the spy is, and I don’t think it’s safe for you to be here alone. Remember what happened last time you worked late.” He gave me a pointed stare at my cheek, which was finally beginning to look normal.
“You could stay with me, be my personal bodyguard.” I wheedled.
“We’re meeting Noah at the house in an hour to strategize.” He reminded me, and I rolled my eyes. “I’m a girl, I don’t strategize.”
“Bollocks. You have a brilliant mind for strategy.” His compliment, given more as an observation than anything, warmed me to my toes.
“I think you’re biased, but I’ll take the compliment and thank you. I really do need to work on some things. I’ll be fine.” I assured him. He looked at me, his gaze scrutinizing. “Really. If I need you, I will call you. You could get to me faster than the cops could, and are definitely armed better. Besides, with the added security and the night guards on high alert, I’m as safe as if I was in the Pentagon.”
His mouth twisted in a grimace. “Your faith in me is heartwarming, but I’ll be a half hour away. You could be dead by the time I get back here. I have to travel by conventional means to get here, you know. Too many witness otherwise.”
“Gareth, I’ll be fine.” I assured him again. “I’ll just stay another hour, I promise.”
That seemed to at least pacify him, if not make him happy, but he got up, moved over to the door, shut it quietly, drew the blinds. I came around the desk and moved into his arms, laying my head on his chest.
“I can’t help but worry about you, but I trust you to stay out of trouble. Don’t leave this office and come straight home.” He whispered into my hair.
I hugged him tight, pressing into him as though I could become one with him. “I will. Let Gerry know that I’m still up here, ok?”
He leaned back from the circle of my arms, cupped my face and pressed a light kiss to my lips.
“I will.”
He opened the door and left, and I grudgingly went back to my desk, concentrating on wording my e-mail right. Grammar was never my strong suit.
Before I knew it, an hour had flown past and I hastily got up from the computer, turning it off, setting my desk to rights. I grabbed my jacket and scarf and hurried from my office. On the elevator ride down, I let Gareth know I was on the way and stepped out into the lobby. This whole telepathic thing was so much better than phones, or maybe that was the laziness in me coming out, but it so came in handy.
Gerry wasn’t at the desk when I walked by, but I didn’t give it too much thought. He had to step away and do rounds, I’m sure and the night guards were probably with him. It never crossed my mind that the front desk was supposed to be manned at all times, considering what had happened here not two weeks ago. My mind was not on my surroundings, caught too much in work, so when someone came up behind me in the parking lot and hooked a punishing arm around my neck, effectively cutting off my air supply, I didn’t even have time to call to Gareth.
Chapter Eighteen
I came awake slowly, my mind cloudy. I was in the backseat of a car, and there were people arguing in the front. I couldn’t make out what they were saying though and before I could realize what was going on, one of them had jumped into the back with me. Vampires. No human could move that fast.
“Call your man and you’re dead before the echo of your scream dies in his head.” It hissed in my ear, its carrion breath wafting across my mouth and nose, making me gag.
Pain radiated through my throat, my words when they fought their way out were rough and gasping. “What do you want with me?”
They both laughed. “We don’t want anything from you. It’s Padraigan who wants you.”
Would this madness ever end? I thought about calling Gareth anyway, but before I had the chance, the one that was in the back with me gave a low chuckle. “Go ahead, call him. After all, you’ll just be doing Padraigan a favor by bringing him where we’re going.”
I clamped down on my mind. I was sure that Gareth could handle himself, but if he was worried about me, it might be distraction enough to get him killed.
I sat up straight, my head swimming. I couldn’t see anything in a real sense, because my eyes were blindfolded, but obviously the idiots didn’t know that I was capable of seeing without them. They were also under the impression that I couldn’t escape, as my hands and legs were free, instead of being tied up. With the speed in which they moved, no wonder they weren’t worried that I could get away.
The one driving had long, blonde hair, reminiscent of the hair bands that dominated the eighties and shar
p features, like a fox. The one in back with me also had blonde hair, platinum in color, in a short spiky cut. His muddy eyes were on me, and I shivered at the lack of humanness in them. These were the vampires that nightmares were made out of, as far from Gareth as you could get.
“She does look good. Maybe once Padraigan is done with her, he’ll toss her our way?” Spike mused, leaning toward me to sniff my hair. I suppressed a shudder as he licked the column of my neck.
“Cool customer, aren’t you?”
“Leave her alone asshole. I would hate to see what Padraigan would do to you if you lost control.” Blondie had a surprisingly cultured voice for someone who looked like an eighties reject.
“I’m just playing with her.” He laughed, taking one last sniff of my hair.
“Touch me again and I’ll rip your heart out with my bare hands.” I managed to sound vicious, or so I thought, but he just laughed at me, that awful breath wafting over me again.
“Knock it off.” Blondie grumbled from the front.
Spike subsided, reclining in the seat and watching me. I concentrated on where we were going, and I committed street names and landmarks to memory. I didn’t know if I was going to get out of this alive, but if I did I would know where to bring the others.
I suffered a brief moment of despair when I thought that all we had going for us were two witches, a sorcerer, and a vampire, but quickly fought it back. Obviously Padraigan had minions, and they were vicious killers, but we had a few tricks up our sleeve and were more than a match for them.
I had to think quickly, try to find a way out of this mess without them realizing it, and without calling to Gareth. It would have been pointless to try while we were moving, and it would take too much time to try to lead him to where they were taking me; they would most likely catch on or catch a stray thought. It was too dangerous and I didn’t want to risk it.
Despite my myriad of abilities, I had no clue what time it was, or how long I had been passed out, but if I wasn’t home by six thirty, seven at the latest, Gareth would come looking for me, and if he tried to link with me and found my mind blocked…
I didn’t think about that, couldn’t think about it, so I turned my thoughts back to trying to find a way out myself.
I couldn’t escape from the car; that much was obvious. They would catch me before I even took two steps, so I had to wait until we got to Padraigan, then maybe when someone’s guard was down I could try then. If only Gareth didn’t have the hang up about making me a vampire, I could have been on more solid ground and at least had a larger margin for success.
I was still trying to figure out my options when we pulled up to our destination.
“Padraigan won’t like you blocking your thoughts, so you better be prepared to open that mind of yours.” Blondie remarked from the front seat, and I laughed with a bravado I didn’t feel.
“Yes, you’re right, how silly of me to not think about what Padraigan wants.” I replied sarcastically and I was rewarded with the awful brain freeze. It didn’t have a tenth of the power that Padraigan’s attack had, but it still smarted. I didn’t care; I would fight with whatever weapon I had, and if sarcasm was one of them, I would use it.
They left me blindfolded, still not knowing I could see where we were, and forced me to walk with them down a dark alley. I tried to stumble convincingly, so they wouldn’t suspect me, and fell into Blondie once to be real convincing, but he just jerked me upright with a muttered curse.
We went in through a steel door and entered a warehouse. The smell of mold and dank water made me wrinkle my nose, and the floor under my feet was gritty with broken glass and dirt.
It was empty, the high windows painted black, and was intermittently lit by bare light bulbs hanging far above, dressed in a layer of cobwebs.
This was Padraigan’s lair? It was more like a set from a movie or a Mafia boss’ killing place. The bold part of me wanted to laugh out loud at the ludicrousness of it. Surprisingly, I wasn’t intimidated by the echoing, empty space, but then I caught site of Padraigan, standing in a well lit office at the other end. He was looking out at me, a broad grin on his face, like he was welcoming a friend. It gave me the creeps, that grin.
I caught sight of movement in the shadows as we walked toward the office, and I saw a man standing there, his long legs spread in a relaxed military stance, his hands clasped in front of him.
He was tall and broad shouldered, with dark, curly hair that almost touched his shoulders and green eyes that looked oddly familiar. He was gorgeous, with straight, black eyebrows over those green eyes, and a rugged square jaw and full mouth. I didn’t think that I would ever get used to these stunning creatures, with their flawless beauty and perfectly formed bodies.
Then he winked at me. It wasn’t lascivious, or mocking, that wink. It was an acknowledgement, just a slight dipping of the eyelid, almost imperceptible. I contained my surprise, but barely. I had an ally here? He wasn’t anyone that I knew, although I knew I had seen those eyes before.
As the two vampires led me towards Padraigan, I watched the man out of the corner of my eye, and he watched me in return.
Then it hit me, who he was. It was hard to reconcile the flesh and blood man standing in this dank warehouse with the huge wolf writhing with pain in a cold clearing, but it could only be Damien.
I wrenched my gaze forward so my face didn’t give anything away, and focused my attention on Padraigan.
He was dressed all in black again, the black trousers and black button down shirt fitting him as if they were tailored to his frame. His black hair was pulled back in a queue and his black eyes were watching me as I filed into the office between Blondie and Spike. Considering the color of his heart, all the black suited him.
He nodded to the two vampires and they left the office. He moved across the office to stand before me and reached behind my head to untie the blindfold. I resisted the urge to cringe, my mind fighting my body to stay still.
“I know you can see me through the blindfold, so there’s no use for it, is there? Your tricks are well known to me.” His voice was solicitous, his tone mild.
“But my mind isn’t.” I countered.
He chuckled, shaking his head.
“In time it will be. I don’t think you could stand up very long with what I have planned for you.”
I shook my hair back, my stance defiant.
“You could try, but I’ll die first before I tell you anything.”
He laughed at that, throwing back his head and letting the laughter roar out.
“Famous last words. You humans never cease to amaze me with your tenacity. Why do you bother? Hmmm,” his voice trailed away in a low chuckle as he shook his head from side to side. “As it is, I don’t have death in mind for you. Death would be the easy way out, and it’s so easy to kill you humans. No, I have something else planned.” His eyes flashed with dark pleasure, as if the thought of doing harm to me was the height of enjoyment for him. It probably was.
I could only imagine one thing, and for once, the thought of becoming a vampire was not a welcome one. This thing was not what I wanted to create me; it would taint it for me, and I would have to spend eternity knowing that his blood ran through me. I had to repress another shudder at the thought. I didn’t want him to see weakness.
He walked around me, much like Gareth had that night at the bar, but this was a different kind of perusal.
“I know that you can guess what it is. For a human, you’re amazingly astute, but that would come after. I would take my time and enjoy turning you, maybe making it last a few weeks. Your blood would be very sweet.” He stopped behind me and moved my hair away from my neck. His mouth tasted my skin, and I couldn’t stop the shudder now. It rippled through me with revulsion, and I gagged.
“Find me repulsive, do you? No matter; it’s not for your pleasure, although you do seem to be attracted to our kind.”
“Gareth is a hundred times the man you will ever be. Don’t insult him
by comparing yourself to him.” I spit out and for that I was slapped. He was suddenly in front of me and his hand lashed out and crashed into my cheek. My head snapped to the side with the force of it and although the pain was amazing, my cheek bone didn’t feel broken.
I slowly looked back at him, my hands fisted at my sides. I tamped down on the fury coursing through me, trying to gain control. I would attack when I had more control.
“Your punishment the other day for your little remark should have shown you that I’m not someone to trifle with. Control your tongue.”
“Why should I? Oh and about the other day, are you that mad that I stole something from you that you never had?” I lifted my chin defiantly, but I knew even before the red light flared into his eyes that I had gone a little too far.
His hand came up again and clamped under my chin, cutting off my air supply. He slowly lifted me, until I could barely touch the floor with the toes of my shoes. As my vision blurred I fought back a paralyzing fear and the urge to kick out. I only had his statement to go on that he wouldn’t kill me, he already mentioned that, but I didn’t want to lose consciousness
His eyes bored into mine, and I could feel him in my head, pushing at my thoughts. I stared back as well as I could, my eyes starting to close, and fought to maintain control of my mind. He loosened his grip a little and my brain received much needed oxygen, but he didn’t set me down, just increased the pressure on my mind. I squeezed my eyes shut and concentrated all my power on keeping my mind closed.
With a snarl he threw me, and I hit the wall across the room amazingly hard, landing at the base in a heap. My body screamed in pain, and I thought my wrist might have broken when I landed on it. I pushed myself up with my left hand and cradled my right hand to my chest. I tried to move it, but it was too painful. Fucker.
He crouched down in front of me, grasping my chin and holding my head steady.
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