Of A Darker Nature (15 page)

Marcus cut the Corvette’s engine. Streetlights glinted off the hood and lit Emily’s face with neon. He lowered the blindfold and dropped it onto her lap.

Her gaze immediately dropped to his mouth. “What are we doing here? Aren’t you taking me home?”

He didn’t want to stop at the funeral home, but it was on the way. “You have blood here?”

Emily paled. Perhaps she had just remembered she shared space with a monster. “Beau usually keeps some on hand. Why?”

He allowed his gaze to rove over her, making sure she got the point. Corey was right, she did have long legs. “I’ll get hungry eventually and will need something to sustain me. Unless you’re on the menu?”

Her fingers curled around the door handle. He knew—perhaps even before she did—that she would bolt from the car. She’d barely opened the door by the time he was on the sidewalk next to her.

“Let’s not do anything silly, Freckles.”

“Don't call me that.” She shied away from his outstretched hand and hurried up the steps.

He followed her inside.

Beau looked up from the desk in the foyer. His gaze shot from Marcus to Emily, a look of worry on his face. He and Beau were well acquainted, having known each other for about two decades.

Marcus laid a wad of bills on the desk. “Hello, Beau. I'll take all the blood you can spare.”

The look on Emily’s face was priceless. Perhaps Beau had failed to mention he used to be one of Isabella’s enforcers.

Beau gathered the money. “I hear only a few survived the fire. I trust Isabella was unharmed?”

“Yes, it turned out to be an inside job. They got five of our enforcers.”

“That’s a shame,” Beau stuffed the bills into his pocket. “What about your protégé and the Wu twins?’

“Corey is making great strides and Jai Li is awesome as always. The fire claimed Wu.”

Beau sobered when he met Marcus’s gaze. “What about Evan? He got out?”

“Of course. I rescued him first.” Marcus chuckled at Beau’s expression. He looked like he’d swallowed a bug. Maybe he was unsure whether Marcus was kidding or not. He wasn’t.

Beau looked over the wire-frame glasses perched on his nose. “I guess you’ll need replacements?”

“You’re welcome to come back, Beau. I’m sure Isabella would love to see you again, and we could certainly use the help.”

“Thanks, but no. I’m doing fine without all of Isabella’s drama and the ridiculous conspiracy theories.”

Marcus brushed the hair out of his eyes. “Not all of them turned out to be so ridiculous, now did they?” He offered a hopeful smile. “Consider it, will you?”

“I’ll give it some thought. That’s all I can promise.” Beau cast a guilty look in Emily’s direction. Her face radiated the betrayal she felt toward Beau’s omission of the truth. Beau slunk away to prepare the containers of plasma.

“Come on, Freckles, let’s go home.” Marcus smiled at Corey’s desire to play house with her. Isabella had been wise not to send the testosterone driven kid. Maybe he’d invent a few delectable tales to regale him with after this was all over. The idea of all the decadent things he could create almost made him laugh out loud.

A gasp drew his attention to the back of the building. Wren hustled down the hall toward them. She wore a gray dress that looked like an old pillowcase. Strappy shoes, the kind he liked to think of as Jesus-sandals, decorated her feet. He recognized her from the apartments.

“What’s going on? Are you okay, Emily?” Her gaze flew from Emily to him, then back again. “You better not hurt her.”

Did she really think he’d feel threatened by her bravado?

The witch’s eyes radiated fear, though she did her best to look aggressive. “We don’t want any trouble. Why don’t you just leave?”

“Are you going to call Starr as soon as we're out the door?” He forced a smile.

“Not if you leave. Alone.”

“I'll save you the trouble. Tell me where Starr is, and I'll go to her.”

Wren shook her head. “I don't talk to her unless I have to.”

Marcus made a tsking sound.

“You ran to her at the apartments. Looks like the two of you are buddies to me.”

“You tried to kidnap me!” Wren shouted, her voice rose to a shrill level.

Emily’s mouth fell open. “Is that true?”

“Not exactly.” Marcus grinned. “We only wanted to talk. I would have released you.”

“Right. After you mind fucked me.” Her hand closed on something in one of the big front pockets of her dress. “Or fed on me.”

Marcus shrugged with indifference. “Even so, it’s better than what Starr will do to you.”

Emily inched toward Wren. “Why the hell doesn’t anybody tell me anything around here?”

Marcus ignored her. “I saw you talking to the witch last week at Red Door. What are her plans, little bird?”

Wren's face contorted. “I talk to a lot of people at the bar. Vampires included.”

Marcus tested the tip of his tongue against a fang. “Hmm, you must be friends with everyone, my mistake.”

She cursed under her breath. “I’m not against your kind.”

“Then why are you helping Starr Carter?”

Wren pulled an ornate silver cross from the pocket and raised it. “I have no choice.”

Emily gripped her friend’s forearm, forcing her to lower the gothic bauble. “Wren, don’t. He isn’t going to hurt us.” Emily didn’t appear fully convinced, but he applauded the effort.

Marcus raised a dark brow. “A cross? Surely you know better.”

Wren’s smile looked more like a pained grimace than anything else. “Yes, but if I push this little button on the side…” The hiss of a blade filled the parlor. “It’s silver and guaranteed to screw you up. Want a demonstration?’

He offered a pleasant smile. “It kind of looks like a prop from those old black and white movies doesn’t it? Am I supposed to throw my arm over my face and hiss now?”

Wren blushed and flicked her gaze in Emily’s direction. “I think you’ve found the danger and darkness your cards spoke of.”

Wren replaced the cross. She gave Emily a meaningful look. “Scream if you need me. I’m going to make sure Beau gives this monster lots of blood, so he doesn’t get the urge to snack on you.”

Back in the car, Marcus glanced at Emily. She insisted on pressing her back against the door so she could keep an eye on him. Every time he shifted gears, her gaze followed the movement then jerked back up to his face.

“Does your mistress really think I’m involved with Starr Carter’s coven?” Her hands were in her lap, worrying the frayed hem of her shirt.

“She sent me to look after you, didn’t she?”

“But if I were part of her coven, she wouldn’t have sent those vampires to get me. Would she?”

Marcus glanced at his passenger. “For all I know it was just an elaborate set up to get me away from her. If so, we fell for it, didn’t we? Starr’s no dummy. Apparently Trent has filled her in on enough to keep us guessing.”

Emily continued to stare out the window at the dwindling streetlamps. They would be out of city limits in a few minutes, and her silence indicated that she had grown wary again. “You pissed the mistress off. I overheard you talking to the others. She’s sending you away at a time when she needs you. So, what’d you do? Or was it something you didn’t do? Is this your punishment?”

Marcus generally refrained from answering questions he felt were beneath him. Of course, he wasn’t usually sent on detestable errands like babysitting either. He glanced over at her, long legs and all. Damning Corey for putting those ideas into his head, he switched lanes without answering.

Emily poked his arm with an index finger. Her movement was stiff and jerky as if the idea of touching him was repulsive. “Do I have to break your arm again to get an answer? It’s not my fault she’s mad at you. So what did you do?”

Her humor was welcome in this awkward arrangement between them. “You name it. I’ve done it.”

The expression on the girl’s face was almost endearing. He enjoyed knowing he could make her blush so easily. “This week it’s because I no longer wish to be her bedmate, so naturally she thinks I’m sleeping around. Last week, she decided I was distancing myself to stage a hostile takeover.”

“Are you?” She moved the air vent to point away from her. “Is there any justification for her fears?”

Marcus smiled, enjoying the conversation. He supposed he hadn’t had what one would consider a normal conversation in ages. He wasn’t entirely certain this qualified as normal, but he’d play along a while longer. “A gentleman never tells.”

Emily huffed with exasperation. “I’m talking about distancing yourself. Not that I’m complaining or anything, but it seems like you were awful quick to grab her. I thought royalty—imagined or not— didn’t like the help laying hands on them.”

“I suppose it depends on how I lay my hands on her.”

“Oh my god. I thought you were the grown-up of the bunch.” Emily shook her head and looked out the window again.

It seemed their discussion had ended for now. Too bad, he had quite enjoyed it. “Will your roommate be a problem?”

“She’s probably at work right now. She’s leaving for Florida the day after tomorrow, so I guess it doesn’t matter.” Emily fell into a sullen silence afterward.

Marcus maneuvered the car down the dirt road leading to her house. Everything looked good so far, but he’d give the house and property a thorough check. “How do you stand living out here in the boonies? I’ll be bored to death.”

“I love it out here. Or at least I used to, before the city and all its problems showed up on my doorstep.” She glared at him. “You’re already dead.”

“Ouch, point taken.” This assignment was going to be a barrel of fun.

The bedroom door flew open and banged against the wall. Pictures on the wall fell to the floor. Emily threw the covers over her head and groaned. “Five more minutes.”

Brenda stalked into the bedroom, her tread heavy in the silence. She yanked the covers clean off the bed. “Get your scrawny ass out of bed!”

Emily shielded her eyes from the afternoon sunlight streaming through the windows. She worked her mouth. It felt like a thick wad of cotton had been stuffed inside. “What’s wrong with you?”

“There are containers of blood in the fridge and a pair of boots on the porch. Never mind the Corvette parked behind your crappy Bug, and you’re asking me what’s wrong?”

Emily sat bolt upright. Holy crap, she’d forgotten to tell her about Marcus. Brenda must have come home after Emily had fallen asleep. She sat up and rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands.

“I have to admit I’m surprised by your choice in men. I hoped it’d be Scott, not Beau. I mean, I never thought a nosferatu was your type.” Though she sounded chipper, Emily noticed the angry squint to Brenda’s eyes. “So where is he, you little minx? Where’d you stash him?”

Emily still wore the clothes from the night before. She slipped on a pair of flip-flops. “Holy crap, I can’t believe I fell asleep with him here! Only, it isn’t who you think.”

She hurried over to the dresser and examined herself in the mirror. There were no bite marks that she could see. Blowing out a shaky breath of relief, she turned to face Brenda.

Brenda stood directly behind Emily with hands on her hips. She didn’t bother to hide the look of disgust on her face. “My god, it was bad enough that I believed it was Beau.”

Emily blinked and fought the grin twitching at her lips. “Why would you think it was him of all people?”

“I should have known it wasn’t. The car is too nice for stuffy old Beau. Only, I’m reasonably sure he wouldn’t hurt you.” Brenda followed Emily out of the room. “You brought a nosferatu home. Are you out of your freaking mind?”

Emily stepped onto the porch and found a pair of black biker boots underneath the windowsill. Dried mud caked the soles. “Big deal, I’m sure people do it all the time.”

“Sure they do. They’re the ones who wake up with a sketchy memory and a few pints of blood missing.” The expression on Brenda's face was one of annoyance. “Ever since you found out about them, you've been too damned fascinated. You can’t just pick one up like you would a stray and hope to domesticate him. Do you even know what you’ve gotten yourself into?”

“Brenda, it wasn’t my idea.”

Brenda’s face went through a series of expressions. None were attractive. “He used mind control?”

Emily tried to think of where Marcus might hide from the sun. It would be a whole lot easier if Brenda would stop freaking out for a moment and let her think.

“I’m glad you were smart enough to get some blood. They’re ravenous upon waking.” Brenda groaned with irritation. She grabbed Emily’s arm and gave her a rough shake. “Hello? Do you understand the complexity of the situation?”

“Sorry, I’m listening.” The fact that Brenda felt so passionate about it made her grin.

“You might want to ask Beau for pointers on how to keep your new pet from eating you.” Brenda leaned over the railing, shooing a lazy bee. “If you plan to keep him around, you’d better learn how to handle your emotions too.”

Emily understood the being hungry bit, she just wasn’t sure what emotions had to do with anything.

“They feed off emotion as much as they do blood, Em. The anger or fear you feel can fuel their desires, and I don’t mean in a good way. You’d better remember that while he might seem nice, you’re never going to be more than a snack. The faster you get him out of here the better off you’ll be.”

What distressing news. “Why doesn’t anyone ever tell me this stuff? They should pass out pamphlets for this type of thing.”

“It’s very simple. They're predators, and you’re the prey. That’s all you need to know. It’s their instinct to hunt you. If you let him bite you, you’re his.” She toed the heel of Marcus’s boot. Red mud flaked off and fell onto the porch.

Brenda kicked them aside then turned to face Emily. “He didn’t bite you, did he?”

“Of course not!” Truthfully, she wasn’t sure. She didn’t feel any different, and she was alive. That was a decent starting point.

Brenda nodded toward the plume of dust that followed a silver truck up the gravel road. “Are you expecting company?”

“That’s Scott.”

“Jeez, what’d you do to piss him off?” 

Scott flung the truck door open then stalked up the walkway. His head tilted and his nostrils flared. It reminded her of a dog who’d caught the scent of something to chase.

Wren got out of the passenger's side in a much slower, more cautious way.

Scott bounded up the stairs, facial features twisted into a dark scowl. “What the hell is going on? Are you okay?”

Brenda snorted. “Good luck getting information out of her. It took me a good five minutes just to get her to admit there’s a vampire on the premises.”

Emily groaned and used the front of her flip-flop to nudge a couple dead honeysuckle blooms off the edge of the porch. “Tattletale.”

Scott spied the boots and frowned. “Wren said you were with one last night. She didn’t think you wanted to be with him, so I came to check it out. I wish she’d called last night instead of waiting until this morning.”

“Sorry!” Wren removed a large black tote bag from the truck. She moved closer to the house and withdrew a hammer and box of nails from the bag.

Emily eyed her suspiciously. “What are you doing?”

“Protection spell.” The short walk from the truck to the porch left her gasping. She laid the bag aside and withdrew several nails. Holding them in her mouth, she bent to pound them into the ground. 

Emily gripped the railing. “Stop it! Get up.”

She pounded two more only a few feet apart. “I'm trying to help you.” 

“I don't want your help.” Emily gritted her teeth. “Did Starr send you to mess with me?”

Wren cast a worried glance at Brenda. “Look, I only came out here to bless your house and offer a protection spell. I’m trying to be a friend, Emily.”

Emily shuffled into the house. The coffeepot promised a calm task. She poured fragrant grounds into the basket and filled the carafe with water. Everyone, including Wren, trundled in behind her.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you,” Wren said in a melancholy voice.

“So, about this vampire?” Scott prodded in a not so gentle manner. “Who is it?”

“I don’t think who I bring home is anyone’s business but my own. No one sent me the memo saying you and Brenda are my designated keepers.”

Hands on hips, Scott matched her glare. “Excuse me for being concerned about your safety. Wren said the guy was an enforcer and that he offered Beau his old job back. I got a little concerned about who your house guest might be.”

Wren sank onto one of the kitchen chairs. She offered a friendly smile. “I just wanted to be sure you were safe.”

Brenda extracted mugs from the cupboard. “An enforcer? Wow. That’s some heavy shit.”

Scott grimaced at Brenda. “That’s beside the point.”

“Did you meet her?” Brenda knocked one of the cups over in her excitement. “What’s the mistress of the city like?”

“I don’t know.” Emily rubbed at her temples. “Scary. Crazy.”

“Wow.” Brenda seemed stuck on that word. “Where does she live now that her mansion burned down?”

Wren bit her bottom lip and glanced up at Emily. She seemed on the verge of saying something, but dropped her gaze back to the table instead.

Emily shrugged, thinking about the freaky ordeal she’d gone through. “I don’t know. He blindfolded me. They have hideouts all over the city. It could have been anywhere.”

Brenda looked a little disappointed with the answer. “Where is your vampire, by the way?”

Staring at her toenails, which were a lovely shade of cotton candy pink, Emily shook her head. “I don’t know. He said he wanted to take a look at the property, make sure nothing was amiss. I decided to watch television, and I guess I fell asleep on the couch.”

“I woke you up in bed, remember?” Brenda gave her a meaningful look as if to say, “See, I told you so. You can’t trust them.”

Emily watched Scott’s expression change from irritated to hostile. His gaze moved over her body. Was he checking for telltale signs that Marcus had touched her?

“They sleep underground sometimes,” Wren offered. “Maybe he didn’t trust you not to open the curtains and burn him to a crisp while he slept.”

“Long story short, she sent him to babysit me. There’s a ley line somewhere on the property, and she’s afraid I’ll let Starr use it. She sent her big bad enforcer to persuade me otherwise if Starr puts a spell on me.”

Seeing Scott’s confused face prompted Emily to explain ley lines and what she’d seen through Pete.

Brenda stared at Wren over her untouched mug. “You're a witch. Can’t you tell where the ley line is?”

Wren shook her head and cupped trembling hands around her cup of coffee. “I have no idea.”

Scott dumped the rest of his down the sink. “Maybe your landlord knows. Have you asked him?”

Emily lifted a shoulder. “His RV is back, but he hasn’t answered his door in days. I don’t know where he could be. I left a note. Hopefully, he’ll get back to me soon. Part of me still thinks he’s made a mistake.”

“Is that Bill’s car at the end of the drive?” Scott questioned. “There’s a car sitting at the end of your driveway, but no one’s in it.”

The pit of Emily’s stomach dropped. Were Starr Carter’s people watching the house? “Is it white?”

“No, dark blue. It’s an older Ford.” Scott peered out the window. “That’s weird. I don’t see it now.”

Brenda scooted her mug in circles, leaving a ring of coffee on the table. “What if Starr had already contacted Bill and he signed it over to you to keep her from getting it? Maybe that’s why she searched you out.”

“How would Starr know he gave me the property? I didn’t even know until after she came to see me.”

Her friend’s brown eyes narrowed. “Maybe Bill told her?”

Scott gave Emily’s shoulder a comforting squeeze. “We’ll get this figured out.”

Brenda scooted her chair away from the table. Her movements were rough. “I’ve got to go pick up my last paycheck. I’m going to rent a room near the airport tonight. There’s no way I’m staying here.”

Emily stood and watched her friend buzz around the room. Scott had backed away, content to stay out of the middle of it.

Brenda stopped in the doorway and offered Emily a pointed look. “My plane leaves early tomorrow morning and I don’t want to spend the entire night worrying about your vampire giving me a hickey. If you were smart, you’d leave and get a motel room too.”

She had forgotten about Brenda’s flight. Her friend retrieved keys from the pegboard and a sense of sadness flooded through Emily. Even after the moving truck had come and loaded most of her things yesterday, they hadn’t spoken about Florida. They hadn’t even discussed whether or not she planned to come back.

“Will you call and let me know when you get there?”

Brenda seemed to know where Emily’s thoughts were. “It’s for the best. I’ll be back later to get the rest of my stuff.” She hurried out of the house and got into her car. She didn’t even wave goodbye.

Scott studied the storm clouds forming in the gray sky. “Why didn’t you just say you needed a bodyguard? I would have been more than happy to watch over you. I love you, Emily. You know that.”

Scott’s cheeks flamed, and he quickly added, “I love you like a sister. If anything were to happen to you…”

She felt obligated to make a fuss. “I told you it wasn’t my idea. I don’t even want him here.”

Wren's gaze jerked up. “At least take this protection charm.” She removed a small sachet from her pocket and held it by a ribbon. “It doesn't smell that great, but it works.” 

Emily wrinkled her nose. The spices and oils Wren used were quite stout. “What do I do with it?” 

“Keep it on you at all times.” 

Scott’s hazel eyes were dark with irritation. There was an odd set to his jaw. “You don’t understand how frustrating this is. I hate that you’ve gotten caught up in something you can’t control, and I don’t know how to help you. Do you want me to come back after he’s awake and make him leave?”