Nightfall (24 page)

From here forward, cowboy, every vampire will know you
are mine.

I am yours, Mistress. Always.

Visions of the two of them naked and riding Midnight swirled
in his mind. He imagined taking her on the horse they rode bareback beneath a
bright silver moon. His cock buried deep inside her, the black mane of the
horse streaming beneath the stars.

When she lifted her head he missed the loss of contact. The
touch of her tongue lapping at the wound was like the feel of velvet. Her lips
as they pressed a kiss were warm. But when she smiled at him her fangs were
still visible, tinted silver from the third mark serum.

Is it…done?

He wasn’t sure why he’d asked, but when he did, she seemed
surprised he’d realized that there was more to it. “To complete the process,
you must also bite me. Drink of my blood.” She pointed to a spot on her neck.
“Bite me here. Hard. You won’t hurt me, I promise.”

His body tightened. “I don’t want to injure you.”

“The pain lasts a millisecond. But you have to do it.” She
leaned down to give him close access to her neck.

I never thought I’d be doing such a thing.

I never thought I’d make you my full servant. Do it,
Quinn.

He tunneled his fingers in her hair, drawing her head close
to him and pressing an open-mouthed kiss to the spot she’d indicated. He sucked
the flesh, reddening the skin. Before he could lose his nerve, he bit down
hard, puncturing it. He wasn’t sure what to expect, but the taste of her blood
was rich, sweet…delicious. Somehow he knew it had to do with their bond. Then
other things started to happen.

Because of the second mark, he already had a sense of her in
his mind, but this was different. It was as if every part of him opened up to
her, invited her in. He felt her energy fill him, felt his own flow back into
her, as if their souls were weaving together. For a moment it seemed as if she
was tugging his heart right out through his chest, a disconcerting experience,
but she wound her arms around him, put her cheek against him, made a humming
noise.

I love her.
The desperate words formed in his brain
but he knew she could hear him.
I love you.

You are mine.
Her mind voice was different, a feral
edge to it that said whatever was happening was affecting her as well. He felt
her shudder. Gripping her hips with his rough palms, he let the feel of her,
naked skin against naked skin, steady him.

Always and forever.

You are mine forever, Quinn. There is no going back. I
won’t let you go now.

She’d said it was the last choice he’d ever have the freedom
to make, when it came to her. Maybe it was as Sam had implied, that he’d made
his choice subconsciously, but the point was, he’d known there was no turning
back, even before she declared it now.

“As if I’d want to,” he growled.

Her fingers tightened on his wrist. “I was right, what I
first thought when I saw you. Magic has touched you.”

The odd note to her voice made him struggle to think
coherently. “I told you about Sam.”

She nodded, sliding her fingers along the length of his bare
arm, over his tight biceps, down the skin of his forearm, to his palm, and
worked the track back, a soothing yet provocative touch at once. Proprietary.

“Your friend marked you in some way as well. I felt it. A
soul protection, Quinn. A blessing, but more than that. He keeps tabs on the
state of your soul.”

“Like a wire tap?”

Her lips curved. “Less nefarious in purpose. It means you matter
to him. But I find myself resenting it a bit. I prefer my ownership to be
exclusive.”

The weakness in his body faded, replaced by a surge of
strength and a feeling of exhilaration. He brought her head down to him and
kissed her hard, fangs and all, absorbing her breath. “It is,” he muttered.

She broke the contact. “I don’t want to pierce you again,”
she chuckled.

He didn’t care. He wanted to roll her over and bury himself
in her. But she tightened her thighs, anticipating him, and licked the skin where
she’d marked him instead. “Already you’re healing. Look. This is our sign.”

The skin on his wrist had already closed. Riding on the
flesh was a mark. Somewhat between the raised texture of a brand, and the
darker pigment of a birthmark, it was far more detailed than he’d have
expected. Narrowing his eyes, he realized it looked like…a bit. The straight
bar of metal, the loops at the end for reins, a frayed short rein curling out
from each one. Like the one she’d placed in his mouth?

Her smile was a self-satisfied one. “Someone wanted to
remind you of this night forever.”

Forever.

When she moved to lever herself from his body he held her to
him another blink before releasing her.

“I feel as if I could round up the cattle by myself.” He
gave her a lazy grin. “Although I have other things on my mind.”

“I want to bathe you. Run my fingers over those rope burns
on your wrists before the third mark makes them fade.” Her lips curved in a
tiny smile. “You were an animal, Quinn. One I’d love to ride again and again.”

There was a strange tilting happening inside him, a seesaw
between exhaustion and a reservoir of energy, pushing against his insides like
a dam about to break. She soothed the odd feeling with another stroke of her
fingers. “Easy, Quinn. Let the mark take full effect.”

“But my Mistress wants me in the shower.”

“She’ll have you there. When she says you’re ready. For now,
she says stay.” Her fingers wrapped around his cock, her blue eyes glinting.

“Whatever pleases you, Mistress.”

A couple days later, Selene agreed it was time to go visit
Butch. Quinn was glad she didn’t argue about him accompanying her. Apparently
giving him the third mark had resolved. She’d even had him call Dix, because in
the very hierarchical world of vampires, it was etiquette for the servants to
make the initial contact, unless a vampire didn’t have a servant.

Well, now she did.

It takes a little while, but when you next wake, the
effect will be complete. Your senses will be more acute, your need for sleep reduced.
Which means we can make much better use of the nighttime hours.

She’d told him that as he drifted off that night she’d
marked him. Though she’d been right, he was still getting used to the effects. The
second mark had been an energy boost, but the third one was even better. His
senses—smell, vision, hearing, all of it—were exponentially better. If he had a
mere two hours sleep, he was good for a day or more of ranch work, and still
had energy to spare even after the other hands were dragging.

They told him his new woman wasn’t wearing him out enough,
because now it was accepted that he and Selene were an item. Everyone seemed to
feel pretty good about it, even Annette, though she fussed about not yet
meeting the girl. He figured he’d fortify himself with some alcohol for that
meet, but then Selene told him that it took about a keg to get a third mark
drunk.

Talking to Dix had been an interesting conversation, for
certain. When he called him up, pulling out that business card to ensure he had
the right number, the phone had rung about five times. The moment Dix answered
the cell, Quinn knew the sounds of a man busy in the daily running of a ranch.
It made him feel better about the newness of all this. He proceeded as if it
were a call about any other type of ranch business.

“Dix, this is Quinn Pedraza from Last Chance. You remember
me? From the cattlemen’s meet?”

“Sure do. You were one of the few who didn’t want to chew on
every agenda point like a cow’s cud. Though I still think you’re bass-ackward
about that groundwater ownership issue.”

“Boy, you were just in six beers too many. You’d have seen
my point if you were sober.”

Dix chuckled at that, but proving Quinn’s point about him
being up to his ass in alligators, the man got right down to brass tacks. “So
what can I do you for?”

“I’d like to request a meet with your boss. I’ve got someone
who needs to talk to him. At night.”

Quinn didn’t think anyone was listening in on his phone
calls, but he figured it wouldn’t take Dix long to pick up on what he was
seeking. Still it was startling how fast Dix recognized it.

“Someone he’s met before?”

The man’s tone actually changed to something way more
formal, and dead serious as any military man or cop Quinn had ever met. Despite
his self-admonition to treat this like any other ranch business, it was a
cold-water reminder he was entering a world where he was going to be a babe in
the woods. He pushed down his uneasiness about that though. He’d been that way
at his first rodeo. He’d figured it out and survived to tell the tale. He knew
how to change gears to suit a new environment.

“No sir.” Respect, not deference. They were both servants,
after all. “She needs help. But she’s not coming empty-handed. She’s hoping
what she has to offer makes it a mutually beneficial deal.”

“Hmm. Didn’t know you were involved in that business, Quinn.
But when we met, I had a feeling the potential was there.”

“That’s the way it seems to work. What I’m learning, that
is.”

“How long have you been working for her?”

Quinn considered how best to put it. “Full salary started
about a week ago. Been negotiating terms for several weeks.”

“Yeah, usually happens that fast. Butch interviewed and took
me on within about a week.” Humor laced Dix’s tone at the double meanings, but
Quinn stayed silent, waiting on the calculations he was sure were happening.
Was Dix talking to Butch in his head? Selene was pretty out of it by this time
of day, but maybe older vampires were different. The pause stretched out, and
then Dix’s next words proved it.

“Need her name, Quinn. And where she’s from.”

“She’d rather wait until she’s there. There’s a protection
issue at stake.”

“Wasn’t a request.”

Quinn bit back an oath, because Dix’s voice said Butch meant
it, in spades. “If my answer works for you and your boss, we’d like to come
tonight. Respectfully.” Else they might be running tonight, not knowing if
Butch had let the cat out of the bag.

Another pause. “Not a matter of it working for me, Quinn.
Only for him.” That was obviously Dix’s part, the next part coming from the
third party to their conversation. “Yeah. Tonight works, if the name passes.”

“Selene Torres. Out of New York.”

“How long has she been down here without Butch knowing about
her?”

“She’s been working my bar for about a month now.” Selene
had made it clear Quinn had to be entirely honest, no fucking with this guy.
An
overlord can pick up a lie from a human faster than shit through a goose,
Quinn. We tell the truth and see where the chips fall.
Though she’d been
pale when she said that. Paler than usual. Apparently hiding out in a territory
without an overlord knowing you were there wasn’t a good thing. Which was why
Quinn would have preferred the question not be asked. He forced himself not to
say anything as the silence drew out, but then he couldn’t help it.

“She’s tough as nails, but she was running scared. Sir.” Now
that he knew Dix was the intermediary, he’d act like he was talking to the guy
in charge. “She’s young. I think she would have reached out sooner otherwise.
She didn’t intend any offense.”

“How young?”

“Sixty-two. Made,” he added, probably unnecessarily, since
she’d made it clear born vampires were much higher ranked in her world.

“Christ,” Dix muttered. “Goddamn baby idiot.”

Quinn blinked, not sure from whom that comment had come and
too surprised to be affronted or know how to respond. Dix saved him the
trouble.

“Be here by midnight tonight. You got access to a plane?”

“Yeah. I fly.” He’d get the chance he’d wanted to take her
up in his small plane. Further, the flight saved them a long drive that might
bleed into daylight hours and give his Mistress significant problems.

“Use it. We have a landing strip. I’ll text you the
coordinates.” Dix paused, and when he spoke this time, his voice had a more
informal tone, telling him they might be more “alone” now, just the two of
them. “And Quinn?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t ever negotiate or give ultimatums like that stuff
about her name when dealing with someone like my boss. He let it pass, because
it was a minor point and because you’re new to this, but take my advice and
don’t do it again. You have about as much to learn as she does.”

He bit back a lot of retorts to that, but Dix had already
cut the connection.

That was that.

Flying was sometimes necessary for the big distances he’d
traveled and, since Quinn preferred to be the one at the controls, he’d taken
flying lessons once he’d earned enough on the rodeo circuit. Early on, he’d
supplemented his rodeo income with ranch work on other spreads and many of the
larger ones had private planes. Some had their own hangar and runway, others
used private airfields. But however they did it, they were always glad to pay a
little extra for a hand who could sit in the pilot’s seat.

He’d never been so glad to have the skill as he was for
this. Flying his own plane also saved any questions about why he’d be taking
off after dark and landing at Butch’s private airstrip just before midnight.

He’d contacted Selene to convey Dix’s information. She’d
made arrangements for the others to run After Dark for the time needed and arrived
at his place within an hour after nightfall. She was a little pale and
tight-lipped, not wanting to indulge in much chitchat. He’d gotten her stuff
stowed and had them in the air as soon as possible.

Respecting her mood, he stayed silent for the first part of
the trip, casting sidelong glances at her. She’d stayed pretty much motionless,
staring out in the darkness. Eventually, he started to feel a desire to help
her relax some. This might go good or bad, but it was his experience being too
uptight made a tense situation worse.

“So, can a vampire die if she falls out of a plane?” he
asked, a random question just to determine where her mind was at.

“No,” she said, without a hitch, as if they’d been having a
conversation all along. “But I expect it would still be a tremendously
unpleasant experience, because pain is pain. Humans are just fortunate that
certain levels of pain kill them. Vampires don’t have that luxury.”

“How about third mark servants?”

She gave him a glance. “Reconsidering the wisdom of all
this?”

“Nope. Just trying to get you to smile.” Reaching over, he
clasped her hand, found it cold.

“I was insane to pull you into this. I was away from this
world for only a few months, but apparently long enough to make me forget how
horrible and brutal it is.”

“What did Laurent do to you?” He frowned.

She shook her head. “It’s not that. He could be a tyrant at
times, but it comes with the territory, pun intended.” A ghost of a smile, no
humor to it, crossed her face. “It’s just…it’s hard to describe unless you see
it. Maybe it’s different if you’re born into it. When I was turned, the Vampire
Council fabricated my mortal death. Made my parents think I died in a car crash
on a trip, the body too burned to be identified, closed casket. All while I was
locked up, dealing with my blood lust. When I was able to control that, I raged
against it, wanted to go to them, see them once more, somehow soften the blow.
They forbade that for twenty years, and when you are forbidden to do something,
you listen. Or pay the consequences.”

Her jaw set. “You learn about the pain thing,” she said. “It
was Laurent’s job to administer that, keep me in line during those first
difficult years. Some of it I now understand better, the importance of
protecting the existence of vampires, how essential that is, but vampires…we
sort of enjoy administering pain. I guess you’ve noticed that.”

Quinn tried to push away any images that came to mind of
Selene being punished, harmed. What he heard in her voice, saw in her face,
seemed a far cry from the mix of pleasure and agony he’d experienced at her
hands. He also tried to push down the rage he felt at anyone inflicting pain
upon her.

“When my father died of a heart attack, they let me go see
the funeral, from a distance. They buried him next to my grave, which has a
body in it that isn’t me.”

He thought about how his mother would feel if he or one of
his brothers was killed in a car accident, then thought about faking it, being
alive to know he’d caused her that anguish. He didn’t even want to imagine it,
which explained the anguish that remained in her voice, all these years later.

She went back to staring out the window. “I’ve never
returned. I never even go near that town, and I avoid the state if I can.
Doesn’t matter. I expect Mom is gone now, or close to it, and I haven’t seen my
siblings in nearly forty years. What will she think when she gets to heaven and
finds I’m not there? Finds out the truth?”

They were coming in for a landing. For the next few moments,
they were silent again as he brought the plane down, but once it was taxiing
down the runway, he reached out, touched her hand.

“I expect she’ll realize it was all done to protect her,
because her daughter loved her that much.”

Her gaze came back to him at that, as if recalling herself
and her first responsibility. “Quinn, I need you to listen to me. I know the
core of you is about protecting me, but when we’re with Butch…it’s likely he’s
going to get rough, to make a point about me being in his territory without his
permission, about bringing this kind of problem to his door without any
heads-up. If you interfere with however he reacts toward me, he will kill you
without even blinking, and it will go even worse for me. You understand?”

He’d brought the plane to a stop at the end of the runway as
he’d been instructed. He didn’t see any welcome party, but beyond the runway
lights, it was full dark. Then he saw the flash of headlights, a signal to draw
their attention. With the enhanced night vision the third mark gave him, Quinn
could discern an SUV waiting, just as Dix had said. He signaled back and the
runway lights were cut, apparently their plane being the only arrival tonight.
“What are we talking about? Him hitting you?” No way in hell was he standing by
for that.

“Possibly. Very likely, at the least.” She gripped his
wrist, hard, her nails digging in, and he registered the strain on her face.
“This is incredibly important, Quinn. Whatever happens here, I can handle. I
can endure. It won’t be any worse than what I dealt with under Laurent and
during my forced transition. Now that I’ve third marked you, I can draw
strength from you to handle this. I can’t do that if you’re dead.”

Practical, but he could tell from her expression her reason
for telling him wasn’t for her own benefit. “If I was too weak to stop myself
from marking you,” she said steadily, “linking your life with mine, please
don’t destroy me by getting yourself killed as a result of this. Be there for
me after. Your job during is simply to be an obedient servant. Don’t walk ahead
of me, don’t speak unless spoken to. I don’t know what kind of vampire Butch
is, but they can run from really formal and uptight to far more relaxed. It’s
better to err on the side of the former. Promise me. Please.”

He was pretty sure her nails were drawing blood, but he
covered her hand with his, met her gaze. “I’ll do my very best. I promise. But
I can tell you, standing by while some asshole beats on a woman is probably the
hardest thing anyone could ask of me.”