John The Deliverer

by Rhiannon Neeley

  The two men glared at each other, baring their teeth like warring wolves. "We've met," Raven growled, his eyes never leaving Devlin.

  A bright flash caught their attention. A woman standing by the restrooms had just taken their picture.

  After what she had just witnessed, Maddie's fear was real now. She had to think of an excuse to escape. The amateur photographer had given her an out.

  Maddie glared at both men. "Just great. I'm going to have to look at my picture in the paper again. Thanks a lot, you two." She pulled her purse strap over her shoulder and turned toward the exit. "You two fight it out on your own. I'm leaving." Maddie quickly made her way to the door and headed directly to her car, mumbling about stupid men all the way.

  * * * *

  Raven glared at Devlin. "So, you were here when you called."

  "Of course. I wanted to see how you were doing."

  Anger boiled inside of Raven. Devlin was within reach of Raven's hands and his hands itched with the urge to strangle the monster. "I thought you feared she was a hunter. Why would you put yourself in jeopardy, coming here alone?"

  Devlin grinned evilly and started to walk toward the exit. "What makes you think I would come alone?"

  Raven followed him. "Where is Eric?"

  Devlin waved at him as he exited into the night. "He is safe in Chicago with Claire. The others traveled with me." Devlin stopped on the sidewalk and took a deep breath. "Such clear air here. Delicious." Then he turned on Raven. "Find out what I need to know and do it quickly."

  Raven stood his ground. "I told you I would."

  Devlin sneered at him, then with his vampiric speed, disappeared.

  Raven fumed. His eyes scanned the parking lot, searching for Madison. There, she was just pulling her car out from a parking place. Raven watched as she drove out of the parking lot. He couldn't catch her now.

  If Devlin was in town, she was in imminent danger.

  Raven would have to stay close to her, find out what he needed to know.

  And protect her if he had to.

  * * * *

  Maddie wanted to floor the accelerator as she left the mall parking lot--burning some rubber would feel so good. But doing so would only serve to draw more attention to herself. The last thing she needed was to be picked up by the cops. She didn't need any more attention.

  Stopping at a red light, Maddie shook her head, trying to clear her mind. What she had seen back there at the mall certainly wasn't real. She was under too much stress. Yes, that was it.

  She had not seen fangs, glowing like ivory death, in Raven and Devlin's mouths. No, she didn't. She had to convince herself that she hadn't seen the sharpened canines that peeked out between Raven's sensuous lips. And she hadn't seen the vicious sharpened teeth hiding just inside Devlin's smile.

  The light turned green. Maddie heard her tires squeal in her rush to get moving. She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly, trying to calm herself.

  There would be no hayride for her tonight. Nuh-uh. She was going home and locking her doors.

  Her thoughts warred against each other, denying what she had seen but knowing in her heart that it was true.

  Devlin, the man who had looked so normal and Raven, the man she couldn't stop dreaming about, were vampires.

  Chapter Four

  Raven quickly returned to his hotel. He had to quickly go to Madison's house. Without returning to his room, he went directly to his car, got in and turned the ignition. Gunning the accelerator, Raven roared out of the hotel parking lot. The sleek black car sped through the small town, purring like a panther in Raven's capable hands. He knew where he was going--he had looked up Madison's address late last night. Hopefully she would already be there.

  Raven chided himself for walking to the mall instead of driving. But he had had no idea Devlin had been so close. Raven would have to warn Dirk that his sources were letting him down--Dirk should have known that Devlin was on the move. And that the others had traveled with him.

  The others, Stephen and Patrick, were not as powerful as Devlin. They followed Devlin's lead like stray pups. But they were vampires just the same and just as dangerous as Devlin, if not more so. They did not have the control Devlin possessed. They were young by vampire standards and had not yet learned to truly control their blood lust.

  Just as Claire, who now was in charge of Eric, had not completely mastered her hunger. She could not be depended upon to control herself if the hunger came upon her in a weak moment.

  Alone with her, Eric was in real danger.

  Raven slowed the car as he approached Madison's small ranch-style home. He shut off the ignition and let the car coast to a stop down the street from her house.

  She was there. Her car was in the driveway. And the lights inside the house were blazing.

  Raven rolled down the car window and lit a cigarette. Best to calm himself, to rid himself of the worst of his rage at Devlin, before he tried to approach her. He also needed a few moments to collect his thoughts on how to proceed.

  Madison needed to know the danger she was in, especially since Devlin had actually approached her. Raven narrowed his eyes in thought. Devlin must not be as afraid of Madison as he thought. Of course, Devlin was a very powerful vampire. It was possible that after Devlin had gotten a look at Madison, he figured he could handle the small, cinnamon-haired sprite of a woman. Even if she was a hunter.

  Raven smoked his cigarette and watched the house, thinking.

  * * * *

  Madison had arrived home in record time.

  She immediately locked all of the doors, then went back through the house, double-checking them. Her hands shook as she inspected the windows, Tinker following behind her, meowing. "Can't you just shut up for a minute?" Maddie said as she paced through the kitchen.

  Devlin Morse had seemed so normal. How could he be a vampire? She thought vampires all had a sort of powerful aura about them.

  Like Raven.

  Raven was the definition of a vampire, she thought. Dark and mysterious. Sensual with a presence that made you never want to take your eyes off him. Even the way he carried himself, like an animal on the prowl. It made her fingers twitch, wanting to touch him. He was absolutely not what she would call a normal-looking man.

  Madison wanted normal.

  But who was she fooling? She had been looking for someone to suit her new lifestyle, her normal lifestyle. But normal had never really been her cup of tea. She had always been attracted to men with either a sense of danger or mystique about them.

  Raven suited her tastes completely.

  But he was a vampire.

  "Argh! This is crazy," Maddie said, pacing the kitchen. "He can't be a vampire. Nobody can 'be' a vampire." But he had the look, the moves and the teeth. Maybe she had drawn them to her by writing the book. Hadn't Leah just dubbed her the 'Vampire Queen'?

  Thinking of Leah, she picked up the phone and dialed Cover to Cover. She had to warn Leah. Devlin and Raven could still be at the Mall. Maddie bit her fingernail as she listened to the phone ring on the other end of the line. What if those two were waiting outside the Mall and Leah walked out into the darkness by herself?

  "Cover to Cover. How can I help you?" Leah's voice chirped in her ear.

  "Thank goodness. You haven't left yet."

  "Maddie? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

  "Yes, yes, I'm fine," Maddie said, flapping her hand in the air. "Listen, that guy that I left with, Devlin and you know the other one ... from the reading?"

  "Raven?"

  "Yes. If you see them, don't go near them. Get away as fast as you can. They might be still there..."

  "Maddie, what has gotten into you?" Leah asked, interrupting.

  "Just do what I say. Don't go near them. They may both still be there."

  "Raven was here at the Mall when you left? I didn't see him."

  "I did. He made a scene when he saw me with Devlin."

  "He must really like you," Leah said with a small chuckle
.

  Maddie stomped her foot. "It's not funny, Leah. Somebody took my picture again, right in the middle of the argument. But that's not what I'm trying to warn you about."

  "They didn't do anything to you, did they?" Leah was alarmed.

  "No. I left by myself while they were still arguing." Maddie glanced down at Tinker, who was sitting at her feet. He was quiet, his yellow eyes trained toward the front door. Maddie followed his gaze, looking at the deadbolt. It was still locked. "I'm trying to warn you that Devlin and Raven might do something," she told Leah.

  Leah laughed out loud. "What do you mean 'do something'? Surely they aren't going to get into an argument over me. It's you they want."

  "Leah will you listen to me?" Maddie was really getting aggravated at Leah's attitude. "Am I going to have to come back down there so you don't have to go to your car alone?"

  "Okay. What is so bad about them?"

  Maddie hesitated only for a second. Leah had to believe her. Leah was her best friend, wasn't she? "They're vampires, Leah."

  Silence.

  Maddie bit her lip. "Leah? Did you hear me?"

  "Yes. I heard you. Have you been drinking? You know how your imagination runs wild when you're..."

  "I have not been drinking!" Maddie stomped her foot again. Tinker made a mad dash to get out of her way. "Raven and Devlin are vampires. I saw their teeth."

  "Uh huh. Okay, Maddie. I'll walk out with George. He's still here stocking shelves. You need to get some sleep. I think you're really stressed out."

  "Just please, listen to me this one time, Leah. I know I sound crazy but I know what I saw."

  "Get some rest Maddie. I'll call you in the morning okay?"

  "All right." Maddie hung up the phone, hoping Leah had taken her seriously enough to have George walk her to her car.. She'd never forgive herself if her friend were attacked by a vampire.

  Maddie made one final trip through the house, checking the doors.

  . According to legend, a vampire couldn't enter the house unless invited and she sure was glad that she hadn't asked either one of them home for coffee. Her nerves were just about ready to blow and she needed sleep. She had to work on the new book and she also wanted to see if she could find anything about Raven and Devlin. Where had they come from? Devlin had said he was from Chicago. Raven must be too. She'd hit the Internet hard in the morning and see if she could turn up their names.

  But for now, she needed to wind down. After assuring herself everything was as secure as she could make it, Maddie decided she needed a hot, relaxing bath.

  Tinker followed her into the bathroom and jumped on the vanity top as Maddie turned on the water in the tub. Bubbles. She needed bubbles. Maddie reached for her melon-scented bubble bath and poured in a generous amount. The scent of melon started to fill the bathroom as the tub filled with water.

  Then she went to her bedroom for her robe.

  When she returned to the bathroom, Tinker lay on the vanity, his yellow eyes wide.

  "What is wrong with you? Stop looking so scared. You're making me nervous." Maddie hung her robe on the hook on the back of the bathroom door and began to undress. Tinker must be feeding off of my nervousness, she thought, watching the cat. He still hadn't relaxed. She could tell that his muscles were tensed. With a sigh, Maddie eased herself into the fragrant steamy water. "Oh yes," she said as the water warmed and caressed her body. She lay back in the tub, bubbles washing around her shoulders, while Tinker draped himself across the vanity top watching her with half-closed eyes. He had finally settled down a bit. Tomorrow was Wednesday and Maddie was relieved to remember she had no appointments scheduled. She planned to spend most of the day finishing her vampire costume for Halloween, which would be on Thursday. Maddie swirled the warm water around her, easing herself lower into the tub. Laying her head back, she closed her eyes. Without volition, her mind went to the tall, dark man who was invading her thoughts. She damned him in her mind--because of him, she couldn't think about finding a normal guy now.

  John Raven had ruined any chance of that with one extremely seductive kiss.. Why am I so attracted to you--a vampire? she thought. She knew the reason. He resembled the man she had created who could fulfill her every need and then some. Who could satisfy her desire for the wild side. And Raven could definitely not be labeled 'normal' by any means.

  Maddie relaxed, letting the water sooth her jangled nerves and let her mind wander.

  * * * *

  Raven stalked around Maddie's house moving silently through the shadows. He had seen her locking all of the doors and checking the windows. His best bet was the back door. He could open it with the set of lock picks in his coat pocket.

  Raven approached the door, careful not to move in front of the kitchen window. He wasn't sure where Maddie was at the moment and he didn't want to touch her mind now. He mounted the small set of steps at the door and listened. No sound came from inside. Carefully, he used his picks to trip the lock.

  Raven took a deep breath and eased the back door open.

  Still, no sound from the front rooms of the house. She was somewhere in the other end of the house, then. Raven slid quietly through the door and into the kitchen. He silently closed the door and stood still, listening.

  She had a cat. Raven could smell it. Though the odor would not be noticed by a normal person, Raven had worked hard on developing his sense of smell. He and Eric had contests over who had the better nose.. Eric had always been amazed at Raven's expertise, especially because Raven smoked. Smoking typically killed the sense of smell. But Raven had overcome it. As he had overcome many other things in his life.

  He heard the sound of water moving. He crept across the kitchen, hesitating in the doorway. In front of him was the living room, to his right a hallway that must lead to the other end of the house. Raven cocked his head, listening again.

  Then he caught the sweet scent of perfumed water. Bubble bath. He smiled slowly. Madison was in the tub. What a perfect place to hold her captive while he questioned her. She would have nowhere to run.

  As he continued soundlessly into the hallway, Raven's pulse picked up. Just the thought of seeing Madison, naked, in the tub, was making his heart race.

  He cautiously approached the open door of the bathroom.

  It was the scent of melons. He recognized it now. Her skin would smell as sweet if he got close enough to breathe in her scent.

  Water swished.

  Raven peered around the edge of the open door.

  The vision of her, lying back in the tub, bubbles caressing the curve of her breasts, took his breath away. Her eyes were closed and he watched as her lovely hands moved slowly in the water, creating ripples. Each tiny wave lapped at her breasts and as the wave washed away, it exposed the rosebuds of her nipples. She was beautiful.

  Raven leaned against the doorframe and ran his tongue over lips that had become suddenly dry. His heart thudded in his chest as a slow smile played across his lips, imagining the many ways in which he could pleasure her.

  And she, him.

  Then, no longer able to help himself, Raven touched her mind.

  * * * *

  Maddie was fantasizing about John Raven. He was her vampire lover and she, his slave.

  And the fantasy played out behind her closed eyelids.

  Madison sighed, pretending the warmth of the water was Raven's hands, moving over her skin, urging her into a hot wetness of desire. With every swish of her hand, the bubbles floating on top of the water caressed her breasts. As the water receded on the wave, the bubbles clung to her nipples, bursting into a thousand small explosions. Her nipples hardened as Madison imagined Raven's hot tongue lavishing her sensitized breasts, teasing them, making her want to release the pent-up frustration that she felt with the flick of his tongue as he captured her nipple between his vampire teeth.

  She let herself float on this steamy dream until suddenly, she heard Tinker scramble on the vanity top and let out an evil hiss.

  Maddi
e frowned, her fantasy interrupted, and opened her eyes. "What is your problem?" she asked the cat. Tinker had his back up and was pressed against the wall at the edge of the vanity top. His large golden eyes stared at the open bathroom door.

  Gooseflesh rose on Maddie's skin as she eased herself up to a sitting position. Something was there. At the door.

  Maddie slowly turned her head to look.

  Raven leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed over his wide chest. A tiny smile touched his lips and his eyes, dark as midnight, looked dreamy and distant.

  Instantly, Maddie was furious. "How did you get in here? Get out of my house!"

  Raven raised an eyebrow. "That's not very hospitable of you."

  Maddie sat up further and pointed toward the door. "I said get out!"

  Raven's eyes traveled over her, raking her skin with fire.

  "Oh!" Maddie dropped back down under the water, desperately trying to cover her nakedness. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. "Aren't vampires supposed to be 'invited' into the house? Otherwise they can't enter."

  Raven smiled at her and waved a powerful hand. "Myth." He moved into the room.

  Tinker could no longer take the suspense. He let out a low growl and dashed from the room in a blur of fur.

  Maddie shivered under the water. Good grief, she was helpless here. Better not to show her fear.

  Raven parked himself on the edge of the vanity. "Why did you leave the Mall so quickly?"

  Then, a thought struck her. "How did you know where I lived?" she asked, her eyes narrowed.

  Raven picked up a metal nail file from the vanity top and nonchalantly began to file his nails. "I have my ways. I get out and about a lot this time of year."

  "Really," Maddie said. How in the world was she going to get out of this predicament?

  Raven looked at her with hooded eyes. "You've been thinking about me."