Heiress to a Curse

by Zandria Munson

  “You are unbelievable! Trust me, the last thing on my mind is mating with a horned man-beast.” She dragged one finger down the page until she found the name of that bar.

  If she wasn’t going to get any assistance from the authorities, then she was simply going to continue investigating on her own.

  Zappo’s Bar was a small establishment in the Jamaica Bay area. It overlooked the water and provided a cozy hangout for the odd crowd. Marius assessed the tattooed and disreputable-looking bunch as he and Alexandra entered the double doors. He’d been both impressed and angered by her dedication to find the missing child. The risks she was willing to take were remarkable, but dangerous nonetheless. Strangely, her enthusiasm had become infectious, for he now found himself hoping that they were able to rescue the child before the new moon—before he was compelled to kill her.

  They approached the bar, drawing the attention of the customers who were sober enough to keep their heads off the tables. He hadn’t expected an inconspicuous entry. They were clearly out of place and would no doubt draw some negative attention. He wasn’t concerned about that. He had other things to worry about. The sun would be setting in a few hours, and his transformation would follow. He could feel the familiar ache in his bones and taste the metallic bile that always accompanied damnation. He was taking a risk just being there. Alexandra would have to conduct her interviews and be quick about it.

  She slid onto a bar stool and offered the bartender a friendly smile. One of the men at the lower tables watched as she crossed one slender, stocking-clad leg over the other, his attention trailing higher to the gray skirt molded to her thighs and hips. Marius fixed the man with a lethal look, forcing him to turn away.

  “What can I get for you folks?” asked the bartender. He was a heavy man with a beard and ponytail.

  “Do you have any diet soda?” Alexandra asked.

  He nodded. “I have Coke and Sprite.”

  “I’ll have a Coke, thank you,” she said.

  Marius seated himself on the stool next to her. “I’ll have a brandy. Thank you.”

  The bartender moved to the other end of the counter to fill their orders.

  Marius glanced around the room a second time then looked at Alexandra. “How do you intend to gain information from these people?” he asked.

  She sighed. “I’ll use the same story I gave the cashier in that store. Hopefully it’ll work.” When the bartender returned with their drinks, she proceeded. “Excuse me, but I’m at my wits’ end here. My brother and I have been everywhere looking for a man whose vehicle I hit yesterday while pulling out of a parking spot. He was nowhere in sight during the accident, and when I returned to the scene I was only able to get a quick look at him before he drove away. I tried to find him and was directed here.”

  Marius watched as she affected a helpless expression. He restrained a smile. Alexandra was as helpless as she was unimaginative.

  The bartender nodded. “I’ll help you if I can.”

  She paused as if trying to remember. “I think his name’s Tom. Tom Richardson.”

  He shook his head. “Sorry, I don’t really know anyone by name here.”

  “Well, perhaps you would know him if I told you what he looked like. He’s tall, about six foot, dark hair, and he has a tattoo of a large spider on his arm.”

  The bartender nodded slowly. “Yeah, there’s a guy like that who comes in here. He’s in a few times a week. They call him Spider,” he supplied.

  She traced a finger along the rim of her glass and smiled softly. “Spider? Now that’s an unusual nickname. Do you know anything about him?”

  “Wait now. We don’t talk personal about our customers here.”

  “That’s too bad. I really thought you’d be able to help me.” She dipped a finger into the soda and she brought it to her lips.

  Marius’s attention moved to her mouth as her finger slipped in. The woman was definitely a seductress. He steeled himself to remember that he was playing the role of her brother. It wouldn’t do either of them any good if he became obviously aroused.

  The bartender’s eyes were fixed to her mouth and dipped into her cleavage as she reached for a napkin. “Well, I guess I can make an exception this time.” He leaned over the counter until his face was mere inches from her. “Last I heard, the Feds were after him. Not sure why, but there’s been talk about murder. I think he killed some guy out of state or something.”

  “So he’s on the run?” she whispered in return.

  The bartender shrugged. “I can’t say for sure. You know how rumors go.”

  “I see.” Alexandra sighed. “I guess I can forget about finding him, then. Well, thanks for your help, anyway.” She gave him a little pat on the arm.

  “Sure.” He grinned before moving to serve another customer.

  Marius sipped his brandy. “Is there no other way for you to learn more about this man you seek?” he asked.

  She sighed. “I don’t know. I can’t just sit by and wait for this guy to show up. I’ll try to gain the assistance of the Criminal Records Department. If he’s got a rap sheet there’ll be an address on it.”

  Marius narrowed his eyes on her. Again he wondered why she seemed so driven. Did she know the child? Her mother, perhaps? She seemed obsessed. It was a sad thing to see the innocent fall prey to the wicked, but then that was life. He’d seen it happen so many times in his many years. Alexandra’s relentless determination was definitely something to be admired.

  She took one last sip of her soda and stood. “Come on, we’re wasting time here.”

  Grateful to be leaving the objectionable establishment, Marius downed the last of his brandy and tossed a bill on the counter. They left the way they’d come then headed toward his black Mercedes. He was about to disable the alarm when he noticed a vehicle pulling into the lot a few spots from where he was parked. Apparently it didn’t slip Alexandra’s attention, either, for she halted abruptly. It was the blue van that had been parked outside the bookstore. She looked ashen as she waited for the driver to exit.

  “That’s not him,” she murmured as a man wearing a biker’s jacket and tattered jeans stepped out of the driver’s side. Hazel eyes turned to him then, reflecting a sense of security. “Marius, I’m going to talk to him.”

  He nodded, his thoughts momentarily flooded by the irony of the situation. To think that he was a predator, waiting to end her life, and now on this night he served as her protector. She felt secure with him.

  As the man approached, Alexandra moved to intercept him. “Excuse me, can I have a moment of your time, please?” She greeted the man with a smile.

  He slowed his pace and a grin crept to his lips. “Sure. You can call me Dash, and what’s your name, beautiful?” He trailed his gaze over her body in a slow perusal.

  She seemed taken aback by his blatant assessment, but continued. “Jennifer. And I just wanted to know if that van belongs to you.”

  Beady eyes shot to Marius then back to her. “Why you wanna know?” he asked suspiciously.

  “Well, it looks exactly like a van that a friend of mine owns.”

  He laughed. “Lots of vans look like this one. What, you think your friend has the only one in the world?”

  Playing along, Alexandra laughed softly. “No, I didn’t say that. I just wanted…”

  “Who the hell is this guy?” Dash nodded toward Marius. “I hope you two ain’t cops.”

  “He’s my brother, and we’re not cops,” she reassured him.

  His lustful stare trailed over her again. “Your brother, eh? Well, why don’t you leave him to enjoy his evening and you can spend some time with me. I’ll answer all your questions.” He grinned.

  Marius experienced a surge of rage. He told himself that it wasn’t the lewd manner in which this sot regarded Alexandra that angered him, but the time that was being wasted. Each second brought him closer to his transformation, and he needed to see Alexandra home safely before that happened.

  Withou
t hesitation, he stepped around her, gripped the collar of Dash’s jacket and drove him up against the outer wall of the bar. He ignored Alexandra’s gasp and pinned the man with a venomous stare.

  His opponent struggled uselessly. “What the hell is wrong with you? Take your goddamned hands off me!” he barked.

  “You failed to answer the question,” Marius gritted out. “How did you come to be in possession of that vehicle?”

  “I ain’t telling you nothin’! Now get your hands off me before I bash your head in!”

  He swung a fist and Marius caught his hand before it made contact with his jaw. There was a snapping sound and Dash cried out in agony.

  “Speak!” Marius demanded. “I’ll not ask you a second time.”

  The man groaned loudly. “Okay, okay! The van belongs to my friend Spider. He called me yesterday and told me to pick it up from somewhere in the downtown area,” he mumbled.

  “And where is this friend?”

  “How the hell should I…ahhh! Okay! He was leaving town, didn’t say where he was going, but he was in a hurry.”

  Alexandra moved to Marius’s side. “When was the last time you saw him?” she asked.

  Dash’s eyes remained squinted in pain as he spoke. “I don’t know. Maybe two, three weeks ago.”

  “Do you know where he lives?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “We ain’t lovers. I just see him at the bar once in a while.”

  Alexandra looked up at Marius. “That’s enough,” she said softly. “Let’s go.”

  He complied, releasing Dash to fall on the ground. Without waiting for him, Alexandra turned and began walking toward the car. His long strides brought him to her side and he sent her a glance. She seemed frustrated, disappointed, upset even.

  She met his stare. “That wasn’t necessary. I think you broke his arm.”

  “It is not broken, merely dislocated.”

  “It doesn’t matter. Did you even consider what will happen if Dash decides to call this guy and tell him that someone nearly broke his arm asking questions about him? No, obviously you didn’t. That killer is going to panic, if he hasn’t already, and he’s going to get rid of any evidence, including Mady.”

  Marius’s eyes narrowed on her. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. She was admonishing him for obtaining the information she needed. “How can you be certain that he would not have made such a call even if I had not wrenched the information from him?” he countered.

  Her mouth opened to argue, but a scream emerged instead. “Marius!”

  He followed her eyes and shot a quick look over his shoulder. Dash was racing toward him, one hand limp at his side and the other gripping a jagged-edged blade. Marius spun around and the knife missed his back, but plunged into his arm. The pain was minute compared to the anger that surged through him.

  A dangerous growl escaped him and Marius slammed a fist into Dash’s jaw, sending him sprawling to the ground. The hairs on his nape stood on edge and he thirsted for blood. It was too near to his transformation for this. The beast within him was already taking over, and had Alexandra not been present, he would’ve ripped the man limb from limb.

  He pulled the blade from his arm and tossed it aside. The laceration was fairly deep, but he’d survive. When he looked up at Alexandra, he could see the fear and worry mingling over her face.

  She moved toward him. “We have to get you to a hospital,” she said with a shaky voice.

  He glanced at his arm again. The wound was nothing. He would heal quickly. “Get in the car,” he growled and stormed past her.

  Chapter 10

  Men. They were all alike—stubborn and hardheaded. And Marius Drakon was no exception, Alexandra fumed. With his hot temper, he’d nearly gotten himself killed. She felt guilty for being upset with him though. He’d only been trying to help her. Yet she wondered if his help had done more damage than good. One thing was for certain—there was far more to Marius Drakon than what met the eye. Behind his expensive clothing and sedate demeanor lay a creature of ill patience and aggression.

  She sighed as she wiped the last bit of blood from his arm. The wound he’d sustained needed stitches, but he’d refused to be taken to the hospital. She couldn’t tell if it was his stubborn male pride that prevented him from going, and she’d given up trying to convince him that he needed medical attention.

  Since they’d arrived at his apartment some thirty minutes ago, he’d said very little to her. She wasn’t sure what he was thinking, for his features were shrouded in obscurity, revealing nothing.

  She scanned the elaborate display of antique pieces in his living room. She’d been amazed to see how vast his collection was.

  “So, how did you become interested in antiques?” she asked, hoping to warm the atmosphere.

  Marius took the bait. “Let’s just say that I am intrigued by old things. Times have changed, and although it can be said that life is easier, the world has lost so much of its beauty.”

  As he spoke, Alexandra found that she couldn’t keep her attention from straying surreptitiously over him. His beautiful head was bowed and that sensual mouth of his tempted her to lean in and taste it. His chest was bare, too, emanating strength and stamina. He was like a prized Arabian stallion, and she was in the mood for a long, hard ride. Her eyes flitted to his strong fingers, which were busy tracing the edges of a small lacquered box that sat on a table next to the couch. An unwanted image flashed in her mind: those lean digits, moving down to the soft slit of her body in the same fashion, and then slipping in when they found her portal. A soft moan forced its way out of her throat.

  Marius looked up suddenly. “Does something ail you?”

  She shook her head. “I need something to secure this. There’s no tape in this first-aid kit.” She forced herself to focus on the length of gauze she was wrapping around his arm.

  He reached behind his head and drew the leather thong from his hair. “You may use this.”

  She accepted it and wound it carefully about his arm. “All done,” she announced once the dressing was held securely in place.

  Marius stood suddenly and turned to face her, his face framed by a heavy curtain of dark gypsy hair. With her heels off, she suddenly realized just how large the man was. He towered at least a head above her and his body exuded an intense energy that was a combination of what seemed to be savage lust and something darker, the very thing that drew her to him.

  Silver eyes turned to assess her handiwork. “Thank you,” he said.

  She nodded slowly. She didn’t trust herself to speak. She was too overwhelmed by the desire she felt mounting within him. And as his gaze raked the length of her, she knew he was going to kiss her. She could sense it.

  He advanced a step, eliminating the distance between them. A dangerous look crossed his face and an unspoken ultimatum registered in his eyes; she could leave now with every part of herself intact or she could stay and face the consequences. Her heart began to pound and she was sure he could see the pulse throbbing at the base of her throat.

  Another moment slipped by and when she remained as she was, he reached out and Alexandra found herself thrust against him as his strong hands encircled her slender waist. His touch was like molten lava—it seared her skin and sapped her energy.

  And as he leaned into her, she shuddered. When their lips touched the sparks of passion ignited into a feverous holocaust. She moaned, but the soft sound was masked by the savage growl that escaped him.

  The kiss deepened, sending her soaring into oblivion. Only they existed, climbing the crescent of desire. Their lips mated hungrily. It was a battle that had been brewing since the day she’d first laid eyes on him.

  The strength of his body forced her backward onto the couch. Alexandra knew she should protest. She tried to remind herself that they’d only just met, yet she was helpless. His scent was like a potent drug. It encompassed her, surging into her nostrils with each ragged breath. And the taste of him was like nothing she’d e
ver known, and she wanted more.

  His mouth slipped to the soft curve of her throat and she gasped. Never in her life had she been touched this way, and never had she experienced such intense pleasure and such longing. Her body arched against him, fitting perfectly against his contours. His touch became bold. His hands roamed her body, cupping and kneading her breasts then straying lower to caress the soft skin of her thighs. Alexandra clung to him for dear life, her nails biting his flesh. His administrations were enough to scatter rational thought.

  His fingers moved to the buttons of her blouse and deftly undid them. She wore a pretty lace bra, and she watched as his head dipped and he caught one nipple between his lips. Greedily, he suckled through the sheer material and her nipple tightened.

  Alexandra gasped and arched toward him. She desperately needed to feel his naked flesh against her own. She reached for him, pulling as if she was drowning and he was her lifeline. His torso was magnificent, a tapestry of thick cords and ripples that hinted at his sheer strength. Alexandra ran her hands over him, relishing the heady sensation that enveloped her. She wanted him. Already her body throbbed and ached and begged for his attention.

  Marius drew back to look at her. A growl escaped him, a deep and carnal sound.

  Her breathing ragged, Alexandra met his dark stare. His brows furrowed and he watched her as if she’d just grown an extra head. The strength had been sapped from her limbs and the searing heat of his lips remained on her mouth.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked in a shaky breath.

  Marius’s jaw clenched. Savage lust burned within his eyes as he loomed above her, dangerously close to possessing her.

  “Leave,” he rasped.

  Alexandra blinked in disbelief. Was he actually dismissing her? The strained expression on his face told her that he was, and with much effort. Why? He obviously wanted her—the bulge in his pants was proof enough.

  She rose to her elbows. “Did I do something wrong? Was I too forward?”

  Without saying a word, he stood and turned away. He moved toward an antique dresser that stood against the wall and braced his knuckles on the surface, hanging his head.