by Various
“Diego, I can’t.” She shook her head, pulling harder from his determined embrace. There was no contest.
“Shh, Titania. Remember, you will be unaware, and I will ensure you are free before you open your beautiful eyes at dusk.”
She thumped her forehead into his chest, the morning beating at her harder. “You can do that?” Her muscles were growing heavy, and it was getting harder to think. Time was running out.
“I would do anything to make you happy.” He curled his body protectively over hers. “I will hold you as I have since the moment I met you. Close to my heart.”
Tears pricked her eyes. “Why do you have to say such nice things?” She wanted to cry out in frustration, except she didn’t have the strength.
He didn’t answer, but cuddled her tenderly as he floated them to the waiting bed.
“I hate spiders, Diego. I really do.” It was a weak protest, her limbs already dead weight.
“They will not come near. I promise you.” He brought her up onto his shoulder, his embrace tender, his words understanding. The first sensations of earth covering their legs filtered into her thoughts, and she wanted to scream to be let out. Air rasped through her lungs as fear raked through her. Nails clawed as she fought against the sleep that was inescapable.
Diego pulled the blanket higher, tucked it around her. Her last moment of clarity was met with the heavy, cool weight of earth cocooning them in. And the knowledge that she was being buried alive.
* * * *
Titania awoke with a jerk of muscles. She pushed up sharply, whipping her head around to discern where she was, expecting the crush of earth like she had that morning. Trees surrounded her instead, and the sky was wide open overhead. Relief flooded her. She collapsed with a sigh, landing on Diego’s solid shoulder. She stared at the darkening horizon, the last rays of day disappearing beyond the trees.
They were together on cool earth, the hole nowhere to be seen, nothing giving a hint to its existence from the night before. She snuggled under the cotton blanket, pulling herself closer to the solidity of Diego’s body.
“That was dirty, Diego,” she told him.
“Oh?”
“Yes, you knew once it got too late, there wouldn’t be much I could do about it.”
“But you did not wake below ground, just as I promised.”
His hand traveled in languid sweeps up and down her side. Typically how she woke up every night, come to think of it. Connecting.
She rose up on a hand, staring down at him. “How did you do it? You always wake up before me.”
“I can wake a few minutes sooner because I have a stronger tolerance to the sun. Which is a good thing.” He palmed her cheek. “I never want to see or feel you suffer as you did last night. If we should ever have to spend the sunlight hours beneath ground again, I will ensure you do not have to suffer for it.”
His lips were warm and hungry when he found hers, stealing the last sane thought from her mind. They curved into a sexy smile when he released her.
She shook her head at him, chastising him. “So not fair,” she repeated. “But I forgive you, Diego. I understand.”
Diego stood and stretched, lean muscle and dark hair glistening in streaming starlight. “Come, cara. It is time.”
It took only a few quick minutes to clean any sign of occupation from the picnic site. Diego checked the camouflaged files taken from Tenorio’s lab, ensuring they were untouched. With an outstretched hand, he braced Titania to his chest.
They vanished from where they stood to reappear in a darkened alley off Grant Street. Sounds and smells of open restaurants and people assaulted Titania with a punch of humanity. She closed her eyes, willing the upheaval to ease. Diego held her securely until she was able to concentrate beyond the heady pulse of life walking just out of reach.
“Easy, cara.” His hands swept up and down her back.
“I’m fine.” She straightened, needing to prove to herself she could do this. She could walk and talk and act human. Her diet had changed, but she hadn’t. She found his hand with hers. “Let’s go find them.”
They strode past store fronts and restaurants to the end of the block where Houston and Laney were waiting. She refused to think about the hunger beginning to gnaw at her.
“I will take care of you, cara. You will be safer with Houston while I hunt.”
“Houston,” Diego greeted.
“Did you have any luck?” Houston asked when they drew near to be heard. They huddled together just beyond a dimmed storefront, out of the path of pedestrians.
“We did. We found where David was taken. There are others.”
Laney paled, and Houston placed a protective arm around her waist. “Others?” Her voice wobbled.
“Tenorio had other test subjects, men and women. We found their files at the burned-out lab. Four of the women are there.” Titania didn’t complain when Diego pulled her closer as well, keeping the group tight, everyone talking in low voices.
“That does complicate things,” Houston muttered, raking a hand through his hair. “Any suggestions?”
Diego nodded and explained, “He has wooded lots on all sides of his property. The building they are being held in is a refurbished storage building separate from the main house, with a basement and holding cells. The cells are guarded and electronically triggered to alarms. His security is aware, unlike the men before.”
Houston let out a whistle. “He doesn’t play, does he?”
Diego shook his head, his expression stony. “No. Two of the women, I fear, will need help being removed, as well as David. And then they will need to be hidden and given medical attention. There is a good chance there are more somewhere.”
“How are we going to get five out of there?” Houston’s gaze roved around the street, unhurried, thinking. Unobtrusively, he pushed Laney further behind him. Before Titania could ask, Diego had shifted, turned, and she found herself blocked behind their two large bodies as well.
“What is it?” she asked, her fingers clutching at Diego’s leather coat.
“There is a man watching us from the other block,” Houston replied.
“Do you think he recognized me?” Titania asked. She had basically disappeared in a puff of smoke from the public eye. An eyewitness sighting of her would be good money for a tabloid.
“I don’t know. Just stay put for once.” She frowned at Houston’s order, but she didn’t argue. She gripped Laney’s fingers briefly when she reached out, whether in comfort or reassurance, it didn’t matter.
She noted it when Diego relaxed beneath her fingers. “It is all right, cara. It is Nathan.”
“Nathan? Who’s he?” Houston asked, perplexed.
“A friend,” Titania answered, partially moving to stand with Diego. Nathan cautiously approached them, keeping a wary eye on Houston.
He swept a glance to Diego. “I’m glad I found you two.” Nathan kept his hands loose at his sides, even though he looked ready to run at the slightest sneeze.
“Why?” Diego asked.
“I found this.” Nathan pulled a page clipping from his pocket, handing it to Diego. He took a mincing step further away from Houston. “The article was printed in all the inner-city rags.”
“What is it?” Laney asked, trying to peek around Houston’s arms and shoulders, which were keeping her completely apart from Nathan.
Diego read the clipping. “Tenorio is hunting. He is looking for any information on his ‘niece’ abducted from her home. The description is Titania’s. It says the last sighting was here, in San Francisco.”
“He’s offering big bucks,” Nathan pointed out. “Everyone who wants the money will be trying to spot her.”
“Why do you think this applies to us?” Diego asked, a cool demand.
Nathan blanched, if possible, but stood his ground. “I recognized her, man. I’m not an idiot. I know who Titania is. Denise loved her music.”
“How did you know she was connected to this?” Dieg
o held the paper between his fingers.
Nathan’s gaze fell like lead, his hands plunging into his pockets. “I followed you last night.”
Diego’s hand snapped out and wrapped around Nathan’s throat, dragging him away from the street. “Why?” he snarled.
Nathan’s gaze rounded. “Look, man. I only stayed for a minute.” He clutched at the hand around his throat, then let his hands drop when he was pointless. “I was curious. I was scared. I still am. I didn’t know how much I could trust you.”
“Diego, let him go. Please,” Titania said, placing a light touch to his arm.
“He deserves to die.”
“Why? Because he’s having as hard a time as I am? Let him go.” Titania pulled on his arm until he grudgingly released Nathan. Nathan swallowed and rubbed his throat.
“I’m sorry, all right? I didn’t hang around, but I recognized the crib. Everyone in the Bay area knows who Albert Tenorio is. And when I saw this, I knew it had to be for her. Mr. Tenorio doesn’t have any relatives.”
“That’s all right, Nathan. Thank you for wanting to warn us,” Titania said, ignoring the undercurrent running through the males.
He started to offer her a smile, but it died on his mouth when Diego snarled again.
“Stop it! You’re just mad that you didn’t know he was there.”
“How is that?” Diego asked, a silken threat, his gaze flashing in the shadows of the doorway where they stood.
Nathan quivered but answered. “I just didn’t hang around. Hell, with all those damn guns, I didn’t want to test this immortality crap.”
Diego snorted. “They hurt, but bullets will not kill you.”
“I am sorry,” Nathan offered again with a repentant expression to match his tone. “I hope this makes up for not trusting you. I won’t bother you again unless you look for me.” He whirled to trudge up the street.
Titania tugged on Diego’s sleeve. “We could use an extra set of hands.”
Diego frowned, glanced at Houston, who only shrugged in confusion. “Hell,” he muttered. Diego followed after Nathan.
“Stay with Houston. Nathan and I will hunt and meet you.”
“Great, I’m still being passed around like a child.” She glared down the block, but both men were gone. “Well, come on. I know where he wants to meet us.”
“Is he another…?” Laney asked. Her eyes were a little rounded now that Nathan had left them.
“Yes.” Titania waved a hand. “Come on. I can give you an idea of the compound on the way.”
Houston drove outside the city limits as Titania described what they were up against, the injuries of the other women and David. “He’s got a ton of men and enough cameras to make his own production company.”
“This won’t be easy,” Houston said.
“No, but I will not leave those women behind. I can’t,” she added in a quieter tone. “I was almost one of them.”
“I know, Tani.” He caught her gaze in the rearview. “I wouldn’t ask you to either.”
Her smile felt brittle. “Thanks.” She reached out for Diego, closing her eyes, letting her head drift to the leather rear seat in Houston’s car. He was already on his way to join them.
Houston parked over a mile from the compound, killing the engine, blanketing them in complete darkness. Diego and Nathan appeared a few feet away from the vehicle, joining them.
“We flew over the compound on the way,” Diego began. “Tenorio is not there.” There was a strong note of frustration in his voice. “The situation is as it was last night.”
“Does anyone have a plan yet?”
The silence was long, with no one seeming to have a clue on how to go about the planned rescue.
Nathan cleared his throat. “I do, if you want to hear it.”
The group huddled closer, Diego automatically pulling Titania closer when Nathan began to explain what he had thought of after flying over the buildings.
“How is that going to work?” Laney asked with a worried frown.
“I was an electronics major. I know how to jump electrical pulses. You can at least get into the cells without them knowing about it.”
“And the cameras?” Houston asked.
“The same thing. They’ll feed a loop view.”
“You can do this because you’re a vampire?” Laney asked.
Nathan grinned, though his laugh was a shaky gurgle. “Hell no. I have to get into the computer room and reprogram the computers. I can get in because I’m a vampire,” he finished with a shrug. “It’s amazing how quickly you can clear a room when it drops by twenty degrees.”
Titania’s brow rose at that, but Diego said, “How long will you need to do this?”
“About ten minutes ought to do it.”
“We still only have room for one in the back of the car,” Houston pointed out.
“You will have to take two, if they are still physically able. We will remove them first. You need to be gone before we disappear with the other three.”
“The cabin?” Laney asked.
“It is the best option. No one knows of it.” Diego shifted, sensing the night around them. “There will be rain before the night is over. That will help us.”
“What about Tenorio?” Houston looked over his shoulder in the direction of the compound.
“He will be found.” Diego’s tone had gone deathly cold. Titania shivered. “It is time.”
“One diversion coming up,” Nathan said right before he shifted to a barn owl.
“Can he be trusted?” Houston asked as soon as Nathan was gone.
“I believe so.” Diego found Titania’s hand with his. “Wait here and leave as soon as we return. We will meet you at the cabin.”
“Be careful. Both of you,” Laney said.
* * * *
Wispy clouds were beginning to drift in from the ocean, a sign of the rain Diego had foretold. Titania sat in the bower of the trees where she and Diego had hidden the night before, her lips caught between her teeth as they waited for Nathan’s diversion.
“Can we do this, Diego? There are so many men. And how are we going to move so many?”
“You are stronger, cara. You will not have any difficulty carrying one of the women,” he told her absently, watching the patterns of the patrols beneath them.
Titania steadied herself on her perch, focusing toward the one voice she knew. “Lily? Can you hear me?”
“Titania! Oh, thank God.” The sob of relief was deep.
“Is everyone able to be moved?”
“I think so. Tabitha is weak. I don’t know how she’s held out for so long.” The voice in Titania’s head was scared, hopeful, and very worried for the other woman.
“We will help everyone. Stay calm no matter what happens. It’s going to get wild in a few minutes.”
“We’re ready.”
Titania firmed her lips, watching as Diego was, waiting. A shrill alarm began to blast from the far side of the compound, drawing several groups of guards away at a sprint from the carriage house.
“There is diversion number one,” Diego said. A second alarm began at the top of the mansion. “He is good, forcing them to more than one point. It will thin them out regardless of what we are doing.” Diego waited a few more seconds, then with a quick kiss to Titania’s lips, changed his shape. She did the same, following closely on his heels.
“Stay close, cara.”
He stopped on the roof, slipping through a vent as a cloud of mist. Well, if he can do it, she muttered to herself and concentrated. It was a good thing mist couldn’t make sound. At some point, she would get used to the gifts that had been given to her by becoming a vampire.
She watched as, one by one, the four guards on the first floor collapsed. Diego reformed before her eyes, his expression grim, seeing his handiwork. “They are not dead, but they deserve to be.”
Tani stood with him. “Are there more?”
Diego shook his head. “Two of them were below when the
alarms sounded. Let us get David and the others out while we can. Hopefully, Nathan has released the alarms on the cells.”
He turned and marched into the basement of the small building. Titania had to cover her mouth to not cry out. “This is awful!” She raced to David, still hanging limply in his bonds, wrenching frantically on the cell door until it popped open. “Oh, God! David!”
Diego made small work of his bonds, and David collapsed into a pile at their feet. He was alive, but barely.
“I will see to Tabitha and Lily.”
She nodded, urging a weakened David to his feet. Diego had been telling the truth. Her strength had multiplied unbelievably as she singularly hoisted him upward.
A scream brought her hopping out of the cell, supporting David over her shoulder. “Diego!” she shouted, seeing him slam backward into the wall, held with an invisible hand.
“Lily! Help me!” The woman’s scream was tortured, desperate.
“Tabitha? Listen to my voice,” Tani said. “We are here to help you. Do you understand me?” There was no answer. She addressed the redhead. “Lily? Are you bound?”
“No.”
“Your cell should be unlocked. All of them should be. Help Tabitha. She’s delirious. We need Diego to get all of you out of here.”
A furtive hand closed around a metal bar. The cell opened slowly. “Oh, my God! You did it!”
“Quickly, Lily. Distract her. We don’t have a whole lot of time.” Titania kept a locked arm around David’s waist. Seconds ticked past.
Lily lurched to Tabitha’s bedside and began crooning to her, brushing her hair with a shaking hand. The other two cells popped open, the remaining women eyeing the scene in shock.
“Come on! Get out of here!” Titania’s sharp shout broke them out of their spells, her chin pointing toward the stairs. “Upstairs! We need to get everyone out before they realize you’re gone.”
They rushed out of the room.
“What about Tabitha?” Lily looked over her shoulder, desperation in her eyes.
“If she’ll release Diego, he can carry her. We need to go. Now!”
Lily nodded sharply and began talking with hushed haste to Tabitha. When the manacle enslaving her at her ankle shattered, Titania knew Diego was free. Lily gasped, watching it fall to the ground.
