Captured In Sin

by Devlin Chase

  Yet, of all of them, he was the one who shunned human contact the most. They all knew why and gave him his space but Darien was concerned that he might not be able to keep his emotions under control long enough to see this assignment through. Angelo had an anger problem that was difficult to deal with at the best of times. Oh hell, if truth be told, they all had anger issues. It was what had made them perfect weapons for the Obscura in the first place.

  He sighed as he considered how to answer the question, relieved when Galena wheeled a trolley into the dining room and served dinner.

  As soon as the others were eating Angelo asked again, leaving him little choice but to answer.

  “Yeah, I spoke to her. And no, it didn’t go well.”

  He leaned back in his chair, waiting for the ribbing to start. It came faster than he’d expected.

  A tinkle of laughter came from the far end of the table as Marabella’s mocking silvery gaze met his. Riley was fast on her heels, leaning in to stare at Darien. His sleek red hair draped his pale face like a long curtain but it was his sea-green eyes that fell on Darien with piercing intensity.

  “You told her the truth, didn’t you?”

  When there was no reply he laughed softly. “Oh, man. You know you gotta lie to ‘em.” He waved his fork in Darien’s direction. “It’s the only way they’ll believe you.”

  Then he had to put down the fork as he laughed, not unlike the way Catherine had reacted just a few hours earlier. Darien was hugely unimpressed but he rode it out as the others joined in. There were the usual remarks made, many of which he’d used on others before.

  How could you be so stupid? What were you thinking, telling her the truth? How lame assed could you be to tell someone you’re a vampire?

  On and on it went, until they’d laughed themselves out and resumed eating.

  “Are you all finished?” Darien asked, his face dark. “No more cracks to make at my expense?”

  While too many faces still grinned at him, enjoying his discomfort, at least they all nodded and shook their heads correctly in response.

  “Fine. So I told her the truth and it backfired.” He fiddled with his lighter. “But I never told her I’m a vampire, okay?” The lighter skidded across the table. “And yeah, I should have given her some bullshit story, but I didn’t. I think it’s better that she knows the truth.”

  Five pairs of inhuman eyes were suddenly trained on him. Nobody spoke; they just stared.

  “What?”

  It was like a flashlight had gone off as they all blinked and then stared down at their food with sudden concentration.

  All that could be heard was the sound of knives and forks on crockery. Finally Brent’s bored voice broke the silence.

  “Dude, you really should have lied to her.”

  Chapter 4

  Cat felt like she needed a pair of eyes in the back of her head as she left her apartment the next morning. All this staring over her shoulder was going to give her a cramp in the neck.

  It was Saturday and she didn’t need to go to work so she was dressed casually in black skinny jeans, tucked into her boots. A zipped up black leather jacket over a long sleeve t-shirt kept the chill out as she walked to the post office on the corner of her block.

  She couldn’t resist another glance behind her before pushing through the revolving door but there was no sign of Darien Hawkwood.

  Her eyes felt gritty from lack of sleep as she made her way over to the mailboxes that lined an entire wall of the depot. Typically there was no mail for her; just an assortment of adverts that she dumped in a bin already overflowing with the same.

  At the counter she purchased a length of bubble wrap and a postage box, stepping into a privacy cubicle and pulling the figurines she’d stolen just two nights before from her jacket pocket. She stared at them for a moment.

  Justin had a thing for Delft and she knew he could get a good price for the tiny windmill and plate she held in her hands. The beauty of them made no impression on her; she hadn’t taken them because she liked Delft. She’d taken them because she knew they would be worth a fair amount.

  She wrapped them up and placed them inside the box. Once sealed and addressed, she went back to the counter and posted the box to a private mailbox across the city. Justin, super-fast fence that he was, should have a buyer within days of receiving the parcel and her share should be in the account within hours of him getting paid.

  They’d been working together for the past couple of months, meeting at a pawn shop where she’d been offloading items a bit too high value for her regular fence. He’d offered to move the items for her and, when she’d received more than she’d expected, they’d struck up a wary relationship. Justin had proven to be entirely trustworthy and scrupulous about paying her what she was owed.

  They seldom met face to face but, on one rare occasion when they’d met for coffee he’d admitted that he missed the thrill of breaking in and looking for anything of worth; and if the car accident which had left him in a wheelchair hadn’t happened he probably would have been nailed by the cops already because he’d enjoyed it too much. Now he was stuck in the chair, his freedom gone.

  Cat had wheeled him out of the shop and jokingly threatened to push him in front of a bus, wheelchair and all. He’d laughed and told her to fuck off. But his mood had lightened after that.

  Now, with the latest package on its way to Justin, she left the depot and headed down the road. She had a standing appointment on Saturdays that she always tried not to miss.

  Two blocks and ten minutes later she was being buzzed in through the gate. Sister Agnes met her at the door to the orphanage, her habit ditched in favor of a crew neck sweater and faded denims.

  “Morning Catherine. Are you well?”

  The usual greeting, always uttered in such a calm, soft voice, was soothing to Cat and she smiled warmly at the older woman. “Always good, thank you sister.”

  Together they walked through the crowded building, the sound of children’s laughter echoing from rooms unseen.

  “How’s she been this week?”

  Cat asked the question quietly, hoping for a favorable response yet terrified that the news would be bad.

  Thankfully the nun smiled and Cat breathed a sigh of relief, becoming aware that she’d been holding her breath.

  “Sonia has been quite stable and in good spirits. She’s been eating, which is always a good sign.”

  Cat smiled, relief coursing through her body.

  Sonia Vermeulen had captivated Cat the first time they’d met, almost a year ago, when Cat had been delivering plane tickets for a seminar one of the sisters was to attend in Cape Town.

  The young girl, small for her eight years, had been sitting on the entrance steps, her matchstick arms wrapped around legs that were hardly more substantial. She’d looked up as Cat walked past, a smile on her urchin face.

  They’d made eye contact and, before she knew why, Cat was sitting on the steps and they were chatting about the merits of Disney Princess over Barbie Mariposa. Cat knew nothing about dolls, or kids, but she was back the following week with a bunch of crayons and coloring books.

  A routine had quickly developed and Cat usually spent her Saturday mornings with Sonia, coloring pictures or combing the ratty hair on the little girl’s doll. On a few occasions they’d visited the zoo or the nearly shopping mall’s fun park. But mostly their time was spent at the orphanage; Sonia’s condition not allowing her much freedom.

  When Sister Agnes had told her about the leukemia, Cat had been devastated. Sonia had never spoken about it, never complaining about being ill; nothing more than needing to rest after playing.

  Cat had asked the nun what treatment was being given and been dismayed to learn that Sonia had already had a round of chemotherapy and, while it was currently holding the disease at bay, it was not a long term solution. Sonia needed nothing less than a bone marrow transfusion.

  Cat had immediately joined the bone marrow donation register
and had asked them to specifically screen her for a match. When the results showed that she was a reasonably good match she’d been overjoyed. But her elation was short-lived. With the match being only favorable rather than perfect, the state hospitals were unwilling to cover the cost of an operation they felt the outcome of which was largely indeterminable. They weren’t prepared to risk failure at such a high monetary cost and had opted to keep treating Sonia with chemotherapy. Only if the treatment failed would they consider a bone marrow transplant.

  Cat’s own medical scheme would not cover the cost either; Sonia was not an immediate relative so the only option left was to begin adoption procedures. But the process was lengthy; nobody wanting such an ill child being taken in by a single woman.

  But Cat was not giving up hope and, while discussing travel plans with a client one day she’d realized how she could afford to cover the cost of the operation privately.

  She would become a Robin Hood of sorts. By relieving her clients of items covered by their insurers, she could put the money they earned into a rebated fund account in Sonia’s name.

  Sister Agnes had assisted in opening the account and Cat had immediately transferred the bulk of her inheritance; but it wasn’t enough. So, just a few months ago, she’d decided to put her plan into operation.

  She’d suffered through sleepless nights before her first robbery. It didn’t sit well that she was planning to rob her clients, even though she was sure that they were insured, and she’d begun dropping the rates she charged her clients, giving them the benefit of her commissions in case they became her unwitting targets.

  The gesture had seemed inadequate until she remembered some of the things her father had told her while she was growing up.

  To save a life, he had said, is the greatest gift one person could give to another and sometimes we have to do bad things with the best of intentions.

  It was those words which had sealed her fate and she’d set the date for the first robbery. Everything had gone according to plan and so began her nights of larceny.

  True, she hadn’t done it to all her clients and her forays were, in fact, quite infrequent. But she still felt guilty anyway. She just kept in mind that, if all went well, she would be able to save Sonia’s life and offer her a home.

  Her mind was alive with thoughts as she pushed open the door to the dormitory, her eyes seeking out the bed in the far corner.

  Sonia was sitting her narrow bed, the covers pulled up to her chin. A book was open in her lap although she didn’t appear to be reading. But, as Cat approached, she turned her head and smiled with such happiness that Cat thought her heart might break.

  “I didn’t think you were going to come.”

  The girl had wriggled her arms out from under the covers and had them spread wide as Cat leaned down and gathered her into her arms.

  “I had to run a quick errand but there would be nothing that could stop me from visiting you.”

  Sonia smiled and, for an instant, the dark smudges under her eyes seemed to vanish. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  They spent the rest of the morning building jigsaw puzzles on the bed. After getting the girl to eat a sandwich at lunchtime, Cat got ready to leave, promising to be back the following Saturday.

  “Love you, kiddo.” She kissed the top of the girl’s head before walking over to the door.

  “Love you too.”

  She turned as she reached the door. Sonia had snuggled back down under the blankets and pulled one hand out to wave before Cat finally passed through the doorway.

  Sister Agnes was hovering at the front entrance.

  “The account almost has the funds necessary for the operation to go ahead.”

  Cat feigned surprise. “Really? That’s fantastic!”

  Sister Agnes nodded, her eyes bright. “I don’t know how the word got out, but we’ve had some very generous donations lately.”

  Cat smiled. She knew just how generous they had been.

  “But it’s just sad that they’re anonymous,” the nun sighed. “It would have been nice to be able to thank them.”

  Cat touched the woman’s arm. “I think seeing Sonia well again will be reward enough.”

  The nun smiled at the words and nodded her head wisely. “You’re right. We shouldn’t question how God sees to the care of his little children.”

  Cat managed another smile, the guilt riding high in her throat. If only Sister Agnes knew…

  Then she was outside and raising her face to the sun. Despite being winter it was unusually warm out in the sunshine and she soaked up the heat as she swallowed down the tears that threatened to choke her.

  ***

  Darien had hardly slept, passing the hours until sunset checking on his portfolio of investments and stocks.

  As usual, he was making money hand over fist. But unlike usual the knowledge brought him no pleasure. Instead he trolled through the accounts with boredom, his brain hardly registering the growth in his myriad bank accounts.

  His mind was on Catherine; the image of her slender throat bared seductively as she’d thrown her head back and laughed; the way she made him want to pull her across the table and kiss her. Finally, when she wouldn’t get out of his head, he pushed his laptop away and paced around the huge bedroom.

  A shower did little to relieve his tension. In fact, as he stood under the pounding spray, he found himself thinking about how her eyes had flashed with blue fire before she’d stormed out of the restaurant. With a groan he became hard, his erection demanding attention which he stubbornly refused.

  The images in his head changed and he saw her naked, spread out on his bed. He pictured himself making his way slowly up her welcoming body, feeling her tremble as he used his mouth and his hands to bring her to a shattering orgasm.

  This time his groan came out through gritted teeth as he reached down, servicing his arousal with ruthless determination. When he stepped from the shower he was still breathing hard, his face flushed.

  He toweled off and dressed quickly in black jeans and a charcoal grey V-neck sweater before leaving his room. He was hoping the others were still sleeping but, as he reached the kitchen, he found Angelo sitting at the large worn table, a mug of coffee in front of him and the Pretoria News in his hands. He glanced up as Darien walked in.

  “Hey man. You’re up early.”

  Darien poured himself a mug of coffee from the thermos Galena had left on the counter. “Couldn’t sleep.”

  He sat at the table and pulled the other section of the paper closer, staring without interest at words he wasn’t even registering. He pushed it away and eyed the walls of the windowless kitchen. The Council had built the house back in the nineties, when the scope of their global investments had spread into South Africa. Carefully designed, it gave no indication that it was fully sealed from the sunlight during the day.

  A companionable silence lingered. Dressed in only a pair of worn jeans, Angelo seemed impervious to the chill in the air, the swirling tattoos on his upper chest and shoulders moving as he breathed. Darien had often wondered about the tattoos but he’d never gotten around to asking about them. He was about to now when he realized it would be just to make small talk, so he picked up his mug and took a swallow of coffee instead, his mind going back over the conversation they’d had the night before.

  After dinner the others had drifted off into the night again, seeking any and all means to relieve the boredom they were battling with while they awaited the Council’s next instructions. Only Angelo had stayed, saying he’d rather watch something on the plasma than hit the pubs and nightclubs again. Only a week before he’d gone to the State Opera and been subjected to what he’d called a caterwaul to the heavens. Being Italian, and over three hundred years old, he’d enjoyed his share of opera; but what he’d heard had brought him home looking like he wanted to hurl over the tiles. Never again, he’d announced, as he’d stalked through the house.

  Darien could sense that the male was on edge and he
hoped Angelo wasn’t heading into one of his downward spirals; the last one had lasted over two years and he’d been unbearably moody.

  They’d moved to the den, the light from the huge screen breaking the darkness while the sounds of gunfire and yelling filled the silence.

  Finally Angelo had turned and fixed him with a piercing stare.

  “Why did you tell her the truth?”

  The question had caught Darien off guard and he’d stalled. Something about the way Angelo was asking the question made him hesitate. The male was leaning forward, his expression serious; as though it was of vital importance to know what had compelled him. Darien had sensed that Angelo was battling with his inner demons, perhaps wondering how he would confront the human he was watching over when the time came.

  “I don’t know,” Darien finally answered. “It just felt like she deserved to know what’s really going on.”

  Angelo had nodded and leaned back into the couch. His voice was soft. “There’s something off about this whole situation, man.”

  Darien had nodded. “Yeah, I feel you on that one.”

  “I mean, we’ve been on guard duty how many times before.” Angelo picked at a piece of lint on his shirt. “But why does there have to be six of us watching over two humans? It just doesn’t make sense. Jacen isn’t that strong.”

  Rubbing a hand over the stubble that was already lining his cheeks, Darien had agreed. It seemed like overkill to him too, even if Jacen was a council member now. He’d been one of them once, a brutal response to many of the Obscura’s problems.

  But Council member or not, the Obscura was worried. Jacen had gone missing in action and they had discovered he’d gone to South Africa to find a pair of humans they’d not even known existed. So a team had been assembled and dispatched, selected purposefully as they’d all worked together, and with Jacen, many times before.

  The two humans, Catherine and Frankie De Sano, were to be protected at all costs. As the leader of the team Darien was to personally ensure the safety of the female. The Obscura wanted regular updates on their progress and if anyone saw Jacen they were forbidden to apprehend or harm him unless he made a direct and hostile attack on the humans.