Raiding the waterfront had been a tactical move, another nail in his enemy’s coffin. The boathouse had been a waystation for Boras’s slave trade, a place to hold his inventory until he could arrange an auction. The vampire relied on his sales to fund his businesses and support his meager army. Gabriel was systematically destroying him by freeing his slaves, burning every club and property Boras owned. Even the twisted vampire’s allies were abandoning him. Defecting, they came to Gabriel. Some pledged their never ending loyalty to the first Chieftain of the Outcast Society while others begged him for mercy. He had none.
“I understand. His blatant disregard for the code and disrespect for your territory must be dealt with.” Gannon took a deep breath as if summoning the courage to proceed. “I also understand the need to end the slave trade, but, fuck, you’ve started a new Clan and a war.”
“I did what was necessary.”
The Outcasts Society needed to be united. They needed order, law, and protection from cruel, corrupted vampires such as Boras, who would use them, and the Red Order witches that would hunt them to extinction. Gabriel knew creating a Clan and becoming King was the only way to gain enough power, authority, respect, and support to accomplish his goals: destroy Boras and his like, outlaw human slavery, unite, bring peace and honor to the Outcasts. He’d do all within his power to elevate the Tapof Clan to the level of the old Clans.
“Ever since you found her picture in that empty cell, you’ve been infatuated with her,” Gannon continued. “Hell, you purchased a record label after you learned she was a gifted singer and even flew to Denver yourself to sign her.”
Gabriel’s anger kindled and he snapped, “Say it, Gannon.” He knew where this conversation was headed. Gannon had remained silent for far too long regarding his obsession with the girl.
Gannon released a string of curses. He scrubbed his face with his hands then met Gabriel’s gaze once more. “I’m worried about you, man. It’s as if she has you under some kind of spell. You’ve been miserable and I can’t stand watching you torment yourself over her.”
“And?” Gabriel insisted when Gannon fell abruptly silent.
Gannon sighed, “In the 150 plus years I’ve known you you’ve hated humans.”
Gabriel’s hands curled into fists at his sides. Yes, it was no secret he loathed mortals. They were selfish, greedy, petty, weak creatures. Torturing himself over an insignificant human was beneath him, it didn’t make sense. They were fleeting beings, never worth developing an attachment to. He’d spent too much time, energy, and man power hunting her. Why? He didn’t know her. He owed her nothing. She was just like any other nameless mortal.
Focusing on his mission—destroying his enemies—was paramount. Running Boras to ground, uniting and strengthening the Outcasts and building his Clan had to come first.
Even if he did find Jordan, there was no telling what conditioned she’d be in. Humans were fragile and Jordan was small, delicate. He’d seen countless mortals like her who’d been taken from the realm of light and imprisoned in the darkness. Beautiful females were repeatedly raped and bled to the point of death until their soul’s perished leaving them hollow vessels—a twisted vampire’s favorite play thing. Jordan’s fate would be no different, unless he found her.
Mine, the vampire within him snarled.
His demon side had never craved a specific female. Hell, it couldn’t care less if he ever took a woman to his bed. It existed only for blood and death. But it wanted her.
Gabriel shook his head, confused by the driving, desperate need to hold her. To lose himself in her bright violet eyes. To be entranced by her angelic voice and hypnotized by her dance. To feel her. To possess her. Claim her.
He massaged his temples, a pathetic attempt at trying to ease some of the tension that coiled within him.
For fuck-sake.
Gabriel didn’t know how to respond to Gannon. He knew he couldn’t leave her to her fate and he loathed to acknowledge her situation was alarmingly similar to his own. But, she was mortal, and he cared nothing for their ilk. He used them, taking advantage of their repulsive nature. From around the globe they flocked to his city, Las Vegas, where he preyed on their sins. None were innocent, but…Jordan’s vibrant eyes had been honest, her words true, and despite her past, she was kindhearted. Someone like her didn’t stand a chance in the slave trade.
Gabriel imagined Jordan locked in a cell, shackles cutting into her delicate flesh, her battered body trembling. He cringed thinking of her chained naked to a male’s bed. Her beautiful face streaked with tears, her limbs covered with dark bruises from greedy hands. Her neck and wrists gnawed raw by jagged fangs. He knew her cries of pain would be ignored and her pleas for mercy would be mocked. After four months, there was likely nothing left of her.
Gabriel silently begged the Graces yet again for Jordan to be a fighter. Only a warrior could survive such torment.
You’ll never find her. Pavlo’s words drifted through his thoughts.
Gabriel cursed. “I need to do this.”
Gannon nodded and Gabriel was relieved his friend accepted his answer. He couldn’t explain, there were no words that could describe the unbearable ache that constricted his chest and heated his blood every time he thought of her.
“We should head out,” Gannon suggested after a long silence.
Dawn was quickly approaching. Gabriel should be pleased their raid had been successful. They’d dealt Boras yet another blow, but the victory was hollow.
“Come on, man, we need to get out of here. The mortals are getting too close for comfort,” Gannon stressed, referencing the sirens that were drawing near.
Gabriel nodded and turned toward the exit. The instant his frame moved from the moonlight, the room brightened. Pavlo’s blood gleamed beneath the shimmering rays, the pool of crimson soaking the discarded papers. A single, plain post card caught his attention. Something tugged at the edge of his memory, drawing him forward. Gabriel knelt, brushed aside slivers of wood and glass shards to grab the card. Despite being removed from the blood, the stain continued to spread, revealing elegantly scrolled letters.
Gabriel’s heart slammed to a stop, the air in his lungs painfully punched out as his brain struggled to process what he’d found. Stunned, he traced the numbers and words with trembling fingers. He hadn’t seen an invitation like this since his time spent as a slave. It was an ancient trick to conceal messages, a paper specially treated to share its secrets only when smeared with vampire blood.
“Find something good?” Gannon asked.
Gabriel stood motionless. The Graces had finally shone their light of fortune upon him.
Unbelievable. He shuddered. He had been about to leave and burn the boathouse to the ground. God, the thought twisted his gut. This card was the key to finding her and he’d almost destroyed it. He’d almost lost Jordan forever.
Gabriel turned the card in his hand to show Gannon the slowly fading words as the blood began to disappear.
Gannon frowned. “What the hell is that?”
The corners of Gabriel’s lips slowly lifted into a smile. “An invitation.” He tucked the once again blank, pristine white card into his pocket with Jordan’s photo.
“An invite?” Gannon arched a brow and chuckled, “Our presence has been formally requested?”
“Night after next, Boras’s head Slave Handler, Ross Klein, will be holding an auction on Mukwa territory where, and I quote, ‘an exotic, burgundy haired beauty with striking eyes will be the featured prize.’ What do you think,” Gabriel cracked his leather clad knuckles, “should we crash their party?”
Gannon chuckled again. “I think we must. After all, we were invited and it would be rude not to attend.”
“My thoughts exactly,” Gabriel agreed as he removed the dagger strapped to his thigh. Pressing a hidden button with his thumb, a pen sized bomb ejected from the blade’s hilt. Gabriel tossed it to the corner of the office then replaced the dagger. “Time to go.”
; Gannon followed his king, together they to join the soldiers and climbed into the awaiting blacked out SUVs.
Gabriel gave a nod to his explosives expert. Instantly, the building fell. Wood planks shot out in every direction. Destroyed. The boom obliterating the stillness of the waterfront.
A dangerous calm settled over him as they drove away, leaving the former slave house engulfed in flames. The invitation had revealed much more than just a time, date and location for the next slave auction. It exposed Boras’s secret. The card was the vampire’s death certificate.
Destroy, the demon gleefully hissed.
Yes, Gabriel would take tremendous pleasure in destroying his enemy and all of his allies.
He absently brushed his hand over his chest, his fingers skipping past the slave brand on his left pectoral before tracing the outline of the invitation and the edge of Jordan’s photo.
He’d have her. In forty-eight hours, she’d be his. Gabriel’s eyes darkened and the tips of his fangs sharpened, excited anticipation charged his body.
The vampire within him growled low, Mine.
Chapter Two
Silvie knelt beside the last cot situated in the back corner of the room. Her dark hair fell across her shoulders as she reached out and gently placed her palm on the frightened, young woman’s brow. “You’re safe here,” Silvie whispered.
The girl nervously swallowed then gave a nod. Silvie drew the blanket up to her chin and smiled. “Sleep now and dream happily.” Her soft, lulling voice disguised the magical command and the young woman’s eyes slowly drifted closed.
Silvie would see to it the girl remembered nothing of her capture or captivity. She would remove her memories, just as she had with the other mortals rescued from the slave trade this night.
A golden, shimmering light began to radiate from Silvie’s hand as she used her gift to shift through the girl’s mind. Erasing the terror was easy, constructing new memories to explain and fill in the gap of days, weeks and, in some cases, months was the tricky part. She searched the young woman’s mind for a reason she may have suddenly left home without a word to family or friends. Fortunately, the girl had an ex-boyfriend Silvie could pin it on.
After fabricating the new memories, she settled the woman into a deep, healing sleep, as she had with the others.
Silvie straightened her spine and drew trembling fingers through her own hair, pulling it up and away from her face. Using a little magic, she tied it up into a messy bun atop her head.
This had been a long night. No, scratch that. It had been a long four months. She’d done everything within her power to help the new Tapof Clan. She was exhausted. Drained. She needed to rest, to replenish her magic, but she didn’t have time. Everything was happening so fast. She wished the world would stop spinning long enough for her to catch her breath and gain her bearings.
Her shoulders sank as she released a heavy sigh.
“High Priestess,” Kate whispered from behind her.
Silvie turned to face her childhood friend and fellow Shaw witch. “They’re all sleeping.”
Kate glanced around the cot filled room, the humans peacefully dreaming, their minds and bodies recovering. Tomorrow, they would wake with no recollection of their internment or the fanged demons that tormented them and be free to return to the realm of light that belong to the mortals.
“You’ve done amazing work, my lady,” Kate praised.
Silvie pushed herself to her feet. “We should go down stairs, the soldiers will return any minute. Some may need medical attention.”
Kate gave a determined nod and hurried from the room.
Silvie took in a deep breath, steeling herself for Gannon’s arrival. Despite her efforts to ignore her attraction to the handsome vampire, being near him always put her on edge. Ever since they met over half a year ago at Sire Dimitri and Queen Kerstyn’s wedding, Silvie had battled the dangerous emotions he invoked within her. Living with his Clan the last four months had only drawn them closer together. They’d spent hours talking and laughing, savoring every moment of quiet and peace between the war and destruction that surrounded them. She’d fallen hard for the vampire, but love was a luxury she couldn’t indulge. Yet, his sandalwood scent, hazel gaze and seductive smile made her heart pound while his carefree charm and undying loyalty made her soul long for something that could never be.
As a Shaw Priestess she would remain chaste and as the niece of the tribe’s Shaman, her fate and future had already been decided. But the knowledge did nothing to stave off her dreams and fantasies. If things were different, if laws could be rewritten…She was a fool to hope. Everything would play out as it should and she would be powerless to stop it.
Squaring her shoulders, she turned toward the exit. With a simple thought the door to the temporary infirmary closed gently behind her. The sounds of arriving soldiers filled the downstairs halls. The scent of blood and gun powder assaulted her as she descended into the harried chaos. The vampires disarmed before heading across the hall to be inspected by the Shaw witches for injury. If they needed treatment, they were directed to the kitchen, if not they headed to the garage for debriefing and then to the basement to rest safely away from the sun. Dawn was approaching. Only the older and more powerful vampires possessed the strength to function during daylight hours.
Everything seemed to be under control, but Silvie could feel the underlying sense of urgency rippling through the air. She knew the cause, she’d foreseen the raid and knew what Gabriel would find.
“My lady,” an all too familiar voice called out over the din.
She suppressed a pleasurable shudder and turned to face the vampire of her fantasies. “Good evening, Sir Knight.”
Gannon paused a moment before smiling, “I doubt I’ll ever get used to that.”
“You’re a Black Knight and heir to the Tapof throne. You’ll grow accustomed to the titles and formality,” she assured him.
He shrugged. “I suppose, but those are two things I never thought would happen. Hell, I guess you can never say never.”
Silvie forced a smile. She and Never were old acquaintances.
“I hope you’re prepared to pay up.” Gannon threw his arms wide. “Look your fill,” he said as he began to slowly spin around.
Silvie unabashedly devoured his six foot two, muscled frame with her gaze. His face was smudged with soot, but the grime did nothing to detract from his classic features. His square hard jaw line, high prominent cheek bones, and smooth tan skin was a beautiful testament to his father’s Cherokee heritage, while his bewitching hazel eyes, thin nose, and pure black hair revealed his mother’s Shaw decent.
“No bullet wounds. No blood,” he declared. “And it’s time collect.”
She reached forward and poked her finger through the tear at his shoulder. “Your jacket is ruined, none the less,” she teasingly tsked.
“An unfortunate tragedy,” Gannon replied with a nonchalant shrug.
Silvie’s shoulders fell with an exaggerated sigh, “Fine, I concede defeat. You’ll have your chocolate chip cookies.”
“With M&Ms?”
“Yes, with M&Ms,” she confirmed.
Gannon pumped his fist in triumph and she forced another smile. She would bake the cookies and someone else would deliver them.
She swallowed the lump of sadness that suddenly formed in her throat. “Well, I was on my way to help Kate with the wounded,” she said, brushing past him.
Gannon frowned and grabbed her wrist. He pulled her into the nearby shadows of the unused dining room. Her skin burned from his touch and she yearned to feel that delicious heat all over her body. Not going to happen, she sternly reminded herself.
Without releasing her, Gannon stepped forward, closing the distance between them. Her breath caught when he licked his lips. She knew he wouldn’t kiss her, but damn, she would love to be kissed by him. Slowly. Deeply. Her knees weakened at the thought and her body swayed toward his. Her breasts brushed his hard chest and even through
their clothing she could feel his heat. Gannon steadied her by placing his hands on her shoulders.
“You good?” he asked, his voice a rough whisper.
Silvie blinked in confusion, her mind a haze of repressed romantic desires. Would he wrap his arms around her?
“Are you feeling okay?”
Concern flickered in his eyes. Why concern? Her brain finally shifted back into gear. Because he thinks you almost fainted just now, she chided herself.
“Yeah.” She shook her head. “I’m fine, just a little tired.”
Gannon cupped her face. The tender act made her heart ache. “You should rest. You’ve been working too hard.”
On impulse, Silvie rubbed her cheek against his palm and he began to stroke his thumbs along the lines of her cheek bones. She wanted to melt against him, to fall into his arms, surrender to his strength and passion. She hated to pull away, knowing this was likely the last time she’d ever feel his touch. Silvie felt the sting of tears fill her eyes as his hands fell to his sides. Casting her gaze to the floor, she hoped he hadn’t seen the sadness cross her face. She swallowed hard and prayed her voice wouldn’t waiver when she spoke. She had to tell him she was leaving. Tonight was the last night she’d be able to lend him and Gabriel aid. Her uncle and, more importantly, her tribe needed her to return. She couldn’t delay anymore.
“Thank you for your kindness,” she whispered, still unable to meet his gaze.
An uncomfortable moment of silence ticked by and then another. Silvie struggled to resist the urge to peer into his thoughts. She rarely used her gift and unskilled as she was with it, he’d be able to sense her presence in his mind.
Finally, as if he made a decision, Gannon released a heavy sigh. “You should head back to Las Vegas with the others,” he said. “Our next mission will be much too dangerous for you. Gabriel and I are only taking our ten best soldiers.”
“Mission?” she absently asked, still dazed.
“Yes. Gabriel believes he’s discovered the whereabouts of an auction house. We’ve already made arrangements with our allies in Minnesota. We’ll have a runway for the jets and a safe house set up. We leave at nightfall. It’ll be a quick turnaround trip.” He paused to glance down the hall and probed their surroundings with his sense. Once satisfied no one would hear his words, he continued, “Gabriel thinks the girl, Jordan, might be at the auction house. For Gabriel’s sake I hope…” He shook his head. “We’ll return to Las Vegas after the mission.”
Caressed by the Edge of Darkness (Rulers of Darkness Book 5) Page 3
