Passion Bites: Biting Love, Book 9 (25 page)

Elena had forsaken her usual SMAW and Rambo’d what looked like a semi-automatic rifle except normal bullets wouldn’t have sent vampires stumbling backwards with that stunned expression.

Nixie swung what looked like a hockey stick but, from the severed vampire heads, must have been an axe enhanced by freaking lasers; Twyla fired a silver-quarreled crossbow.

Sail-nose and the rest of Luther’s henchvamps faltered, their stunned expressions frankly funny. I knew what they were thinking. These were
humans,
slower than vampires and not nearly as strong, and it should have been like feeding from a hedgerow of ripe raspberries.

But the humans
fought,
and their surprising lack of fear made the rogues hesitate enough that the Alliance males wiped up.

Until a revived Luther stumbled into the lobby, leaning heavily on his minion Owun. A quick check of the monitors showed he’d left only a handful of minions minding Luke and me.

The blond vampire snarled, “What the
fuck.
”

Julian faltered. “Luke? What’s wrong?”

My heart dropped into my stomach. He thought Luther was Luke.

“What are you doing?” Luther screamed at his minions. “They’re humans, idiots. Blood cows. Kill them!”

As he raved, spittle flying, Luther’s vampires and henchmen rallied. One grabbed Julian from behind.

Julian smashed a furious elbow into skull, the vampire falling with a whump, but then Julian only stood there. “Luke, what’s gotten into you?”

I clutched a fist by my throat. His hesitation might get him killed.

All four Alliance vampires were definitely confused and distracted by “Luke” and his apparent defection. Meanwhile dozens of Luther’s men were starting to take out Alliance humans.

“Join them,” I urged Luke. I ran to the door. “Let them know that’s not you.”

“Right.”

I opened the door—and saw the rocket launcher.

Boom.

I would have been an Alexis-shaped smudge on the opposite wall if Luke hadn’t misted into me, taking me to the ground milliseconds before the charge shot over. As it was, I felt the wind flash above us, and the force of the explosion taking out part of the wall.

“Human,” Luke growled. He lifted me and ran for the door.

I figured out the significance of that as he spun and used his back to bowl over the quartet of men guarding us—apparently Luke knew he could get out because he was faster than the human could reload and stronger than all four.

He hit the stairwell. He didn’t run downstairs so much as leap over handrails from staircase to staircase. We burst into the lobby in time to see vampires slapping weapons from human hands, Luther screaming them into a frenzy. I hadn’t seen his color so well on closed circuit but here I could see how gray he was, how bloodshot his eyes. In his own way, he must have had Luke’s will of iron.

“He’s not me,” Luke shouted. “That’s Marrone—he’s my triplet!”

The Alliance vampires startled, and then Bo growled and went for Luther.

“You’ve spoiled everything
again!
” Luther grabbed a pair of blades out of a minion’s hands and lurched out of Owun’s steadying grip to kamikaze toward Luke, screaming like a madman.

Luke set me down and, naked, stood before me like a shield made of flesh and blood.

I shrieked at him to get out of the way.

“Shh, Alexis.” He stood there, utterly calm, relaxed. “I’ve trained for this.”

Luther roared, blades glinting sharp in the half-light. There Luke was, that big dumb shield…as Luther brought the blades down to bite Luke’s vulnerable flesh, Luke shimmered… I was suddenly dragged a foot back, Luke’s strong arms around me—

Revealing Zinnia. The mother of the graceful blond children so like Luke and Logan, the mother of
Luther’s
children, had Elena’s SMAW fitted to her shoulder.

“I know you,” she said in a tone like death. “You clouded my mind then, but it’s clear now.
This
is for my children.” Her shoulder jerked as she pulled the trigger.

Luther’s eyes went round. He wavered as if trying to mist, then his expression changed to terror. He must’ve realized the chemical cocktail in his blood didn’t let him.

“
Master.
No!” Owun leaped in front of Luther, catching the brunt of the charge.

Blood sprayed. The human fell, a hole in his chest.

He wasn’t much of a flesh shield either. The charge hit Luther and cored him too.

Slowly, almost gracefully, the blond man fell to the floor.

Henchvamps scattered.

“Bo! Here.” Elena tossed a pair of handcuffs to her big Viking husband. He slapped them onto Luther and touched the button. A green light went on, probably some sort of electric mist deterrent. He didn’t need it, but they didn’t know that.

The Alliance members started to help their wounded outside. I turned to Luke, my need in my eyes.

He smiled and zipped away to get my medical kit.

“
Byornsson.
” Elena pulled her T-shirt tail out of her pants, then tugged it off over her head, wadded it up and threw it at me. “Put this on. Your Ds are making my near-Bs feel distinctly inadequate.”

As I put the shirt on over my naked body—it was a bit tight in the chest—the Strongwells lugged Luther out. The handcuffs told me that, despite the hole in his chest, they expected him to survive.

Owun’s body was left where it was. Nobody touched it; many refused even to look at it.

Traitor.

I sank down next to his broken body. Whoever he’d been to the Emerson household, to me he was John Umbras, Lizelle’s abusive husband.

Dead.

A small hand rested lightly on my shoulder. I looked up. Nixie and Julian were behind me. Nixie simply said, “What’s wrong?”

“I knew him.” I sighed and rose. “He’s my best friend’s husband.
Was
her husband.”

They exchanged a glance.

Julian said, “We’re sorry for your loss.”

Nixie said, “Look, we have to spin a story, to explain his—” she touched her breastbone, “—you know. A gas leak or something, but we can make him the hero.”

“No.” I was already shaking my head. “Make the story whatever you like. Whatever horrible things he did to you, he treated Lizelle worse.”

I was about to tell Julian and Nixie where they could find my friend when Luke swept in with my backpack. He pulled me into a hug. “You did it.” He blinked against my hair. “Logan said his wife saved herself from a vampire, but I…I didn’t believe it. I didn’t think a human could.”

My heart warmed. “Told you so.”

“I hope you continue to tell me so.”

At the words, my heart began to beat faster.

He raised his head to hold me at arms’ length. “Adelaide didn’t even try to hold the attackers off.” A bloody tear glistened on his cheek. “You did. You did what Adelaide should have done.”

“No. I only did what Adelaide
would
have done, had she known what I know.”

We stared into each other’s eyes, our future singing between us.

Then Julian said, “Marrone is really your brother?” and the moment was lost.

We broke the embrace. Julian, black brow arched, was watching Bo and Elena drive Luther away in their sedan.

Luke nodded. “I was as dumbstruck. Turns out Logan and I aren’t twins but triplets, along with Marrone, or rather Luther. I found out his real identity when he was spieling off the usual villain’s gloating. ‘Appreciate my brilliance, you peon.’ Apparently he’s been planning his revenge for over four hundred years.”

Julian whistled. “That’s a long time to hold a grudge.”

“It was a big grudge.”

“Luke, Julian…” I needed them to come with me to get Lizelle. But I’d had time to consider that if more of Luther’s minions still lurked about the building, I didn’t want them to know where she was, and the bad guys potentially getting to her before I did. I floundered, eventually came up with, “Could you help me with something before I get started on first aid?”

As we clomped downstairs, Luke told Julian about the secret hospital floor, and what Luther was doing. Julian looked grim.

My friend and her daughter were shaken, but fine—at least physically. I’d do a thorough examination after we were out of there, but it looked like Una didn’t have any complications from the vampire blood. But of course we’d have to talk. I hadn’t made up my mind how much Lizelle needed to know about John/Owun, or her daughter’s experience at his hands—although it might have been reassuring for her that he hadn’t just sweet-talked her back this last time but had probably used some version of vampire-enhanced compulsion—but of course she’d have to hear about his death.

But I couldn’t find the words. We went back upstairs, me to help the households’ injured, Julian to take care of buttoning up the rest of the building and I still hadn’t told her. No plan, yet it had to be done. “Lizelle,” I finally said.

“What’s going on there?” She pointed.

A small crowd had gathered, milling around where Owun lay.

I shivered. Owun’s body. I’d seen my share of death, but he was someone I’d known. A terrible man, yes, but it still bothered me. And it would bother Lizelle more. I started to steer her and Una around the crowd. “I have to tell you something first.”

“Wait.” Luke stopped and stared, surprise obvious.

That was when Twyla turned from the gathering, her face pale. “I can’t believe… Look.”

Dropping my arm from Lizelle, I barged through the people ringing Owun. Except the floor was empty.

Owun’s body was gone.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

“Marrone’s lieutenants must’ve sneaked past us,” Twyla said. “Taken the body.”

“It’s the only explanation,” Luke agreed, but I could see his sharp frown.

It was a mystery, but we had more pressing matters. The backup Alliance vampires and humans had arrived in several vans. Lizelle and Una left with the first one headed home. I field-treated a couple broken bones and a concussion. The worst casualties had already been stabilized in the windowless back of another Alliance van with the judicious application of vampire blood. Nikos was looking a little older again, but not as bad as five years ago.

We returned to Julian’s townhouses. I was picturing the long hot shower I’d take at home, when Nikos appeared at the front doorway.

“Elias. Secure line. Bring the doctor.” He disappeared into the house.

The Emersons exchanged a telling glance, then waved us inside. My shower would have to wait.

“No.” Luke’s hand on my arm stopped me. “You’re low on blood, and you’ve used up any energy you had caring for the wounded. You require medical attention.”

“I need answers more.”

“No, I forbid it—”

“By what right?”

“Uh-oh,” Nixie said. “Mate spat. Time to dip out.”

“Actually, I want to see what happens.” Julian’s black brows rose. “You know you do too.”

“Okay, me too.” They turned bright eyes on me.

I only had eyes for Luke. “You’re not my mate,” I pointed out. “You said as much. Ergo, you have no say in what I do.”

His gaze fired red-gold and his jaw clenched in obvious frustration. “If I
were
your mate—”

“You still couldn’t order me around. I might give more weight to your opinion, but I’d make the final decision. I’m captain of my own life, Luke.”

A growl vibrated from his throat. “I don’t like it.”

“What, me not getting medical treatment, or you not being able to compel me?”

“Both.” He sighed and wrapped arms around my waist. “A compromise, then. If we go to the meeting first, will you seek healing after?”

“See, was that so hard? Sure.”

“Good. And yes, it was hard.” He ushered me over the threshold. “So what’s going on?”

“Bo said he was going to call Elias,” Julian said. “To let him know what happened—what Elias doesn’t know already—and find out what he wants done with Marrone. Luther. Damn, that’s going to take some getting used to.”

The meeting room was behind an innocent wall panel down a dark corridor. Thank goodness the room itself was brightly lit, although the weapons on the wall were a bit intimidating. Vampires and spouses were already seated around a large table, a conference hub in the middle and a large flat panel screen on the wall, live but entirely black.

As soon as Luke and I sat, Julian punched a button on the hub. “We’re all here, sir.”

“Good,” a voice said, deep and dark as the vast night.

The blackness stepped back and was revealed as a shirt on a male chest so enormous it could’ve been its own country.

And the chest
kept
stepping back, kind of like the opening shot of the fighter in Star Wars. As huge as the guy was, I was expecting a prize fighter’s tomato-nosed visage. Nothing could’ve been further from reality.

When the face was finally revealed, it was youngish, black locks tousled carelessly over an intelligent forehead. Razor-sharp cheek bones, nose, sensuous lips. “As handsome as sin” is a bit of a cliché, but with this guy I suddenly understood the deeper meaning. His face and physique was so compelling, I wanted to grab Luke and sin my pants off.

This was Luke’s boss, the mega-rich vampire who’d aided our search for my brother-in-law’s cure? Put him in shorts and a college sweatshirt and he could’ve been mistaken for a frat boy, if an Olympic-size, do-me version of one.

Then I saw Elias’s eyes. Black, opaque, something ancient and alien behind them.

Those eyes shifted to me—the eyes only, not one other muscle moved—and I swear he saw straight into my soul. I shivered.

His gaze returned to Bo. “I have only a few minutes so we must be brief. You have captured Giuseppe Marrone and lost track of his right hand man, Owun.”

Bo said, “Yes, we followed Marrone after his minion kidnapped our children—”

“Yeah, what the hell, dude?” Nixie broke in. “Why didn’t you do your usual omniscient shtick and call
before
Owun took the kids?”

Elias breathed in, a flaring of nostrils and an inflation of his chest from huge to gargantuan. “Unfortunately, I am overseas and therefore less omniscient than usual. So what did Marrone’s birth name turn out to be?”

“You
knew?
” Luke’s nails shot out, until they were claws biting into the table’s lacquer. “You knew Luther was my brother?”

“Luther? Ah. I suspected. There were secrets surrounding you and Logan—how you were turned together, why a vampire as old as Ruthven took an interest in your small household—holes that could be filled by a relative wanting revenge on you both. Of all the local players, Marrone, or rather Luther, made the most sense.”

“So why didn’t you tell me?” Luke growled it.

“If I were Dr. Byornsson, I’d say because I didn’t
know,
only guessed, and could have been wrong.”

He knew my name.
Okay, maybe that shouldn’t have surprised me, but I thought my involvement with formulating Ric’s antidote was anonymous at the time.

“If I were Ms. Sparta, I’d say because it was your story to discover. Ms. Emerson would say it’s because I think myself too important to worry about everyone. Take your pick. Now. What information have you for me?”

“Luther is behind the vampire drugs.” Luke’s words still held an edge. “Enhanced hypnosis, vampire tranquilizer and poison, maybe more.”

I said, “He also accidentally developed enhanced resistance to hypnosis…”

That black gaze returned to me and instantly the words dribbled from my brain. I now know what power Medusa wielded. The impact of those eyes hinted at an immensely strong personality behind them. Even peer reviews hadn’t made me immune to this guy.

I cleared my throat and scrambled for my last thoughts. “What he really tried to do was develop a large-scale, ongoing delivery system, but it backfired, at least here in Meiers Corners. He’s no scientist—he ‘tests’ by taking potshots. In this case he put his vampire compulsion enhancer into the Meiers River. But something in our diet or already in our water supply subverted that into a compound to enhance our resistance. I suspect microbrewing byproducts.”

“Explaining why so many vampire mates have come from your small community. Excellent, Dr. Byornsson. Now I have a question for you. In your opinion, could the lab you saw have sustained Luther’s discoveries?”

“Speak English, dude,” Nixie said.

I realized from the question Elias thought Luther hadn’t developed those drugs on his own, and frowned. “Well, yes. The facilities I saw were all top-notch.” But now doubt had entered my mind.

Luke took my hand, and doubt bled away.

“Well.” Elias’s black eyes took in each of us, sort of the way a vacuum sucks everything in its path. “I will give you this word of caution. You’ll want to re-interview your donors and their dependents. In case another Owun Umbras lurks in your ranks.”

“Damn it. You’re right.” Bo slammed a large, white-knuckled fist into the table, his scowl almost alarming even me.

“But not this very moment.” Elena put a hand on her husband’s biceps. “Wait until you’re not angry. Most likely our people are all innocent, and you wouldn’t want to scare innocents, right?”

His fist relaxed and he almost smiled down at her. “How did I get such a wise wife?”

“Luck.” She smiled back. “But you keep me with great sex.”

Elias cleared his throat. “Now. About Luther.”

“What about the fucker?” Bo asked. “He dies.”

“He has committed heinous crimes against vampires and humans, and certainly he’ll be punished. But unless we want to be tarred with the same brush, we must give him the chance to reform that we give all our enemies.”

“You mean counseling?” Luke said with a snarl. “With the horrors he’s committed?”

“He is your brother, is he not? Your blood? Don’t you want him to have the chance to make amends to all injured parties? If he declines, he dies the final death, and all chances end.”

Luke slapped the table. “But if he accepts, he lives in comfort! That’s no justice.”

“Ah.” Elias looked sad. “Do you want justice? Or revenge?”

Luke’s anger bled away to confusion, and I recalled thinking how much less Luther had become because he’d lived a life of revenge. I didn’t want that for Luke.

I put a hand on his and asked Elias, “He’ll be confined?”

“Yes, if he accepts the offer of atonement and remediation.”

“Well, I hope he doesn’t accept,” Julian said.

“Oh, he will,” Twyla said. “He’s a shyster. He’ll say yes, because he’ll think he’s going to charm his way out of any actual punishment.”

“Him, charming?” Elena’s eyes were comically wide.

My cousin shrugged. “In his own way.”

“Perhaps,” Elias said. “But the solution is simple. Put someone absolutely incorruptible in charge of him.”

“Who?” The question came from more than one mouth.

“Isn’t it obvious? Zinnia Steel.”

“
What?
” Julian said.

“After what he did to her?” Luke said. “Drugging her, impregnating her not once but twice—”

“
Dude.
” Nixie gazed at Elias, awe clear on her face. “That is so freaking bad.
Because
of what he did to her.”

Julian frowned. “But he drugged her to be pliable—”

“She’s not drugged anymore,” Elias pointed out. “She is a vampire mate, normally immune to compulsion.”

“Points to Scary Ancient,” Nixie said. “She’ll chat Luther to death. He’ll be screaming in no time.”

“Fitting.” Elias’s dark chuckle was so sexy, I was overrun by ripples of
me want
. “I believe we’re done. Except for one thing.”

“What’s that?” Bo asked.

“If I may speak with Dr. Byornsson for a moment?” Elias said. “
Alone.
”

Adrenaline goosed me, my heart suddenly thudding in my ears. I looked to Luke for help, but he was frowning at Elias. I glanced at Nixie and Twyla. They both gave me a “Go for it!” look, then exchanged glances that carried a more subtle “Glad it’s not me”.

“Um…okay?”

People around the table began rising and filtering out.

“Not alone,” Luke said. “Not with another male. Alexis is my…” He faltered, a confused look crossing his face.

“Exactly,” said Elias, and I don’t think I imagined that dark purr in his voice.

“I’ll be fine.” I touched his hand to let him know I appreciated his support.

As soon as the door was shut and I was alone with that black gaze, Elias said, “Do you want to know why Luther targeted you?”

My drug expertise was the obvious answer, but something told me he didn’t mean that.

He didn’t wait for my nod so much as speak the moment he saw the realization in my eyes. He was scary perceptive.

“Luther wanted revenge on his brothers, but his minion Umbras wanted it on you, because you helped his wife and child walk away. He still will.”

“Umbras is dead.”

“Of course. My mistake.”

“How do you know about Lizelle and me anyway?”

“How do you know how to diagnose an illness?” he shot back.

“Well…years of study in medicine, years of experience with actual patients and hundreds of hours continually refreshing my knowledge base.”

“Exactly. But substitute human nature for medicine, decades for hours and centuries for years.”

While I chewed on that, out of the blue, Elias said, “Vampires mate for life.”

“O-kay.” I wondered what important thing he thought he’d imparted with that statement. He didn’t strike me as the kind to engage in idle chitchat. “So, Nixie and Twyla aren’t getting rid of their significant others any time soon.”

“You misunderstand. Mating…locks lives together. If the human dies, the vampire dies.”

“Right. Got it. Mated to a human, the vampire gets a death sentence.”

He shook his head, a brisk, irritated flick. “The vampire has ways to extend his or her human mate’s life.”

“Got it,” I said again, though I really didn’t.

“Dr. Byornsson. Luke and Logan are identical twins. Studies show twins take similar jobs, spouses, etc. There will be echoes in their lives that for anyone else would be coincidence.”

Logan’s wife was a computer guru. Was Elias saying Luke would only marry a geek? “So?” I was getting irritated. What was wrong with a nice doctor for a wife?

“So look for the echoes. They will point to the differences.”

I glowered at him so he’d see my annoyance as well as hear it. Nixie’s “Speak English” echoed in my head. “Can’t you simply say what you mean?”

A chill silence and an onyx-black glare greeted that, sending my stomach through its wash cycle. Finally he said, “An incident wounded them both, but it scarred each differently.”

“You mean France, Adelaide?”

“Yes. Suffice it to say, Luke needs healing.”

“You want me to help him? You’ve known him longer. Why haven’t you?”

I expected that black glare slashed across my throat in return. But he only said mildly, “Why do you think I’m having this conversation with you?”

That shut me up.

“I’ve encouraged Luke to found a household, because in doing so, he must deal with his past. Which is where you come in.”

“Me?”

“If you’re up for the challenge. One more word, and then I must go.”

“But you haven’t really told me anything yet!”

“I’ve told you everything you require, if you have ears to hear it. Remember, when things look darkest, that is when you must strive the most for the light.”

And on that apocalyptic-sounding note, his image disappeared.