Dark Passion Rising (10 page)

 Marcus nodded.  “There was something about the attack that was
off.  It was too well planned.”

 Whatever Tambra would have said died on her lips as the front
door burst open, slamming back against the wall.  Marcus was in front of her so
quickly she never saw him move, his big body tense, ready for battle.

 Cody stood at the door way, his service revolver aimed at
Marcus.  He moved into the room, catching sight of Tambra as she peeked over
Marcus’s shoulder.  Tambra had never seen Cody look as cold as he did sizing
Marcus up.

 “Come toward me, Tam.  I have him covered,” Cody said evenly.

 “Wait, Cody, he’s not here to hurt me.”  Tambra moved away from
Marcus slowly, sweeping her arm in front of Marcus’s body.

“There’s blood all over your door step, what am I supposed to
think?” Cody barked.

 “Not mine, its Marcus’s, put the damn gun down,
now
.”

 Cody frowned, eyes narrowing in on Marcus.  “You’re the vampire,”
he stated, more an acknowledgement than a question.

 Marcus arched an eyebrow.  “You’re the partner?”

 “Oh, for crying out loud, lose the alpha shit already!” Tambra
huffed, glaring at both of them.

 Cody slowly lowered the gun.  “Would someone care to tell me
what the hell is going on?”

 “Shut my door, it’s almost daylight,” Tambra said, glaring at
Cody and crossing her arms over her chest.

 “Will the vampire go up like a roman candle if the sunlight
touches him?”

“The vampire has a name.  It’s Marcus Valerian,” Marcus cut in.

“Cody is still coming to grips with the Breeds’ existence,” Tambra
interjected, trying to diffuse the testosterone in the room.  “Just out of
curiosity, what the hell are you doing here?  I told you I would call you.”

 “Yeah, well, you were pretty upset with me last night and I
couldn’t let it go.  I did try to call you but you weren’t picking up my
messages.  I got worried so decided to come by to check if you were alright.  I
don’t believe in any of this shit, but you’re still my friend.”  Cody glanced
sheepishly at Tambra.  “I’m really sorry about last night.  I’m trying like
hell to wrap my brain around all this.  I keep thinking the next thing you’ll
be telling me is that Leprechauns really do exist.”

 “You will have to ask Adrian about that,” Marcus laughed.

 “Not even going to go there,” Cody muttered, shaking his head.  “The
lock’s busted, Tam.  I’ll replace it and your door will be good as new.  Who’s
going to tell me what happened?” 

 Marcus leaned his muscular body against the wall, hands plunged
deep in his back pockets.  Tambra had to stop herself from groaning out loud as
a wave of lust uncoiled low in her belly.  All she could think about was
tracing the wide expanse of his chest with her tongue.  She turned away,
stalking over to the closet to get some cleaner and rags.  She went out to
scrub the vampire blood off her front porch, keeping the door open so she could
listen as Marcus explained the events that lead to him showing up at her front
door step.

 She was just putting away her cleaning supplies when Marcus’s
cell went off, the ring shrill in the small confines of her apartment.  She
turned away as he dug into his front pocket, causing his jeans to dip
dangerously low over his hips.  His voice sent tingles down her spine.  He was
as decadent as dark chocolate, and just as addicting.  

Dimly, Tambra wondered what was wrong with her.  Her skin felt
itchy and tight, her body burning up with fever.  Need swamped her, nearly
doubling her over with its intensity.  A low whimper pushed past her tight
throat and her world spun.  She caught the edge of her table to steady herself
as she tried to breathe past the sensations raging inside her.

 Cool hands stroked her arms, the smell of dark spices and male
assailed her senses. 
Marcus
.  His presence surrounded her, calming her. 
He murmured something in her ear, but she could not make any sense out of what
he was saying.  It didn’t matter what he said only that he touched her, giving
her an anchor in the tide of sensations threatening to take her down.  She
closed her eyes and drank deeply of his smell.  His strong arms locked around
her, drawing her back against his chest.  

She had thought that vampires would be cold, and without a
beating heart, but she found this to be another misconception.  Marcus was warm,
and the beat of his heart vibrating against her back soothed her further,
bringing her back to herself.  She took a shuddering breath and stepped away,
pounding down the urge to go back into the circle of warmth and peace she found
in Marcus’s arms.

 Darting a quick glance at Cody, who was sitting on the couch
with his long legs stretched out in front of him, she smiled encouragingly at
the concern she saw in his eyes. 

“I’m okay now,” she assured him.

 “What the hell was that all about?” Cody demanded, the edge of
fear sharpening his voice.

 “The Rising is coming.  I need to get her to my house where it
can happen in safety.  Pack what you need, Tambra.  I have a car coming for us. 
It should be here in a few minutes.”

 “Now wait one goddamned minute!  No one is taking Tambra
anywhere.”  Cody sprang from his seat, his anger radiating from him like a heat
wave.

 Marcus let his fangs drop as he hissed at Cody.  

“Back off!”

 Cody blinked in shock, taking a large step back as he registered
the large set of fangs.

“
No fucking way!”
  

 “Cody, it’s okay, really,” Tambra assured him.  “I think it
would be safest for everyone if I went with Marcus.”

 “Not without me you’re not.” Cody ground out.

 “Please, Marcus.  He’ll only follow us anyway,” she asked,
placing her hand on his arm.

 Marcus sighed tiredly.  “Alright, he comes, but I’ll be watching
him very carefully,” he warned the younger man, giving him a pointed look that held
promise of quick and painful retribution if he placed so much as a toe out of
line.  Tambra looked from one to the other, unsure if she could leave them
alone.

“You two behave, I’ll be just a moment,” she warned them, heading
into her bedroom.  She wondered just what she would need for the occasion.  After
all, it wasn’t every day that someone changed into an animal or died trying.

****

 “You fool, what were you thinking?  Attacking Marcus now?”  Temple’s
voice was deceptively smooth and calm as he admonished the man on the other end
of his cell phone.

 “I saw a chance to uncomplicate things and I took it,” Temple’s
informant defended. “There is nothing to tie us to the incident.  No harm, no
foul.  Besides, my plan would have worked if it weren’t for those imbalanced ferals
of yours.  She would have been yours before the Rising.  As it stands now, my
window of opportunity may be closed.”

 “Save your pitiful excuses.  I will
no
t tolerate failure
of any kind.  Do I make myself clear?” Temple snarled.

 “Like crystal”

 “Good.  The next time we talk, you will be able to report that you
have the woman.”

 Temple ended the call before his control unraveled.  He was
seriously considering removing the Were just for the frustration he caused. 
Replacing him would not be that difficult. The only thing that made him
hesitate was the tie he had to Tambra.  Miguel Suarez had proved useful until
this blunder.  When Temple had first met Miguel, twenty years ago, Miguel had
just been turned.  Temple had been impressed with the control the new Were had
shown during his first shift.  Managing the blood lust was no easy task, yet
Miguel had done just that when he refused to kill a homeless man in the alley
that night.

 No, Temple would keep Miguel right where he was.  He had no
doubts to his loyalty. Miguel was ready to deliver Tambra to him on the
proverbial silver platter.  He would have to trust him to carry out his end. 
There was far too much in play for his attention to be diverted.

 The fall of the Tribunal was at hand, and with it, the
destruction of their precious Enforcers.  A new world order would rise from the
ashes of the corrupt and stagnant leadership of the Tribunal.  No more hiding
from humans.  The Breeds would be free to walk amongst them, taking their
rightful place as the rulers in the world.  Temple was on the cusp of a new
day, exhilarated at the possibilities that spread out before him.

 The destruction of Marcus Valerian was an extra bonus.  Temple
was going to enjoy dealing the death blow to the proud vampire.  He could
almost hear the sweet sound of Marcus pleading for an end to his misery. 

 The sound of his cell going off made him frown.  “Speak,” he
barked.

Lucian’s voice came through the other end.  “Tambra is leaving
her apartment with Marcus and that partner of hers, Cody O’Bannon.”

 Disconnecting the call, he smiled.  Tambra was very close to
Rising, and he would be there when it happened.  Perhaps he didn’t need Miguel
after all.

Chapter Ten

 Marcus ground his teeth together so hard he feared the pressure
would break his jaw.  His stomach cramped, warning him he needed blood before hunger
incapacitated him.  Though his wounds had partially healed without feeding, he
would not be at top form unless he took some blood.

Leaning his head against the head rest, he watched Cody in the
rear view mirror, grudgingly admiring the man’s loyalty to Tambra.  In all the
countless centuries he had lived, he had found few who were capable of such a
thing.  His eyes moved to Tambra, sitting with her eyes closed, head back.  The
white expanse of her slender throat tempted him.  His ears picked up the slow
steady beat of her heart.  His gaze lowered to her white tee shirt, stretched
tight over her full breasts.

 He wrenched his gaze away and focused on the road ahead.  Tendrils
of pink, orange and violet streaked the sky, the dark shadows of night were
retreating.  The car wove slowly through the early morning congestion, already
backing up traffic.  

 “You missed the…group’s report,” Adrian said, slow and hesitant
as he drove through the side streets toward home.

 Marcus had been irritated and mildly surprised when Adrian had showed
up with the car and not Alistair.  His irritation came with Tambra’s reaction
to the tall Tuatha Dé Danann.  He had seen the reaction before, from many women,
but the idea of Tambra looking at Adrian in the same way set his teeth on edge.
 Jealously was a new emotion to him, and one he found he didn’t like at all.

  “You can speak in front of them, they know everything.”

 Marcus watched as one blonde brow arched in surprise.

“Very well then.  According our intel, attacks on humans and
other Breeds has increased.  Ryes found the lair of at least fifteen feral
Weres near the Fremont Experience.  He had to call in Christophe to help with
the clean up.”

 “Casualties?” Marcus asked.

 “Two human males and one female, all dead,” Adrian said grimly.

 “Damn.  Anything new from Zeke?”

 “He’s tracking activity from all over the globe.  It seems that
the violence is escalating.  The Tribunal is ordering all Breeds to stay away
from the human population.  Failure to comply will be punishable by death.”

 “What do you mean ‘all over the globe’?” Tambra cut in.

 “The activity against humans is not isolated to Las Vegas.  Zeke,
one of our Enforcers, has been tracking the incidents,” Adrian said, eyes never
leaving the road ahead.  “The order from the Tribunal will make more work for
us and we’re spread thin enough as it is.”

 “Something doesn’t sit right about all of this,” Cody spoke up.  He
had kept silent since Adrian had picked them up.  “These are not random acts
here.  The attack on Marcus and the escalation of these acts of violence at a
global level points to some sort of mass movement.  Clearly, there is someone
behind of all of this.”

 “Yeah, problem is when we capture a feral they off themselves
before we can get any information out of their dammed, worthless hides,” Adrian
replied.

The rest of the drive was spent in silence, each of them lost in
their own grim thoughts.  It wasn’t until they turned into the drive way of a
massive three story home that Marcus let out a growl.

“Shit, when did
he
get here?”

 Tambra followed his glare to brand new silver Mercedes SLR parked
in the driveway. “Who is that?”

 “Fox,” Adrian replied.  He parked and exited the car.  Catching
Marcus’s attention, he nodded to the Mercedes.  “Let me run interference.  You
just get Tambra inside and settled.” 

 Marcus nodded slightly toward Adrian before taking Tambra’s arm
and showing her to a smaller door on the side of the house, Cody in tow.  Once
inside the service door, Marcus led them through a dimly lit, dark paneled
hallway.  At the end stood another door, larger than the rest.  Marcus opened
it and continued at least two stories down a metal spiral staircase.  The dark
wood walls changed to rock, and the temperature dropped a good ten degrees as
they descended to a large, cavernous space.

Cells lined the walls.  In the center was a laboratory cordoned
off by large panels of glass.  Inside the large structure was an impressive
amount of machinery, humming merrily away.

 “What is this place?” Tambra asked Marcus.

 “Those cells are where we keep our law breakers, and this is our
laboratory.  We run DNA  matches, take blood samples.”

“CSI with a twist.”  Cody nodded, obviously impressed.  “You have
a doctor?”

“Tegan is a medic.  He is familiar will all Breed physiology and
has spent several of your lifetimes studying medicine in human universities.”

 “Several lifetimes?  Just how long have you all lived?” Tambra
asked.

 A hint of a smile played on Marcus’s lips.  “A very long time.”