Scarlet Assassin (13 page)

Walking her way along the walls, she ran her hands over them and counted out the length of each. Smooth, cold and nothing. No marks, no holes, no windows. A pang of anxiety threaded through her. Nobody knew where she was and Clarissa wouldn’t miss her for hours. How long had she been out? She rubbed her wrist and felt her watch. They hadn’t taken it. She’d been out for two hours. Another hour and Clarissa would be home.
God, if I’d only left a note
. AJ wished she’d taken Selene’s advice now.

AJ sat back down on the metal bed. What was Butch up to? What game was he playing and when did she get a chance to make a move?

Several sets of heavy footsteps echoed down the hall and drew closer. Metal scraped against metal and the door opened, flooding the cell with light.

“Well Alexandra, I see you’re awake–”

“What the fuck is going on, Butch?” AJ stood, but before she could move closer two men stepped into the cell with guns drawn. “Isn’t that a little excessive, even for you?”

“Alexandra, Alexandra…do you really think I’ve lived this long being careless around people like you?”

“What do you mean people like me?”

“It’s no secret you want me dead, Alexandra. I’m just surprised you had the nerve to show up here acting so innocent.” Butch leaned against the door and leered at AJ.

“What the hell are you talking about? I came here hoping you’d see reason and help me get De Marcus.” AJ felt her temper getting the best of her. Watching the men who stepped closer, she knew the guns wouldn’t kill her, but it would take her down long enough for Butch to either drain her or cut her head off, killing her either way.

“He said you’d say that.” Butch sipped from the cup he carried into the room. AJ could smell the coagulating blood and she wanted to wretch.

“He, who?”

“De Marcus.”

Butch smiled a sickening sweet smile that made AJ want to puke. De Marcus. It figured he was behind Butch’s hysteria about protecting the coven against her. What other poison had De Marcus planted in Butch’s demented mind? AJ had suspected Butch was losing his marbles decades ago, but as long as he had left her alone she didn’t care if the bastard went bat-shit crazy holed up in the coven. The life of a vampire had a bloody secret no one wanted to talk about, mental illness. Living so long sometimes wore on those not ready for it. Changes in culture, times, and even countries could start to drive someone mad. AJ had seen it before, the dementia-like state some vampires lapsed into replaced their ability to think and react clearly. The weakest reverted back to their early days of feeding frenzies and violence. If they were lucky someone put them down quickly before they made a mess of things. AJ had heard of a group of vampires that had formed to exterminate the mentally ill. It was an ugly thing to have to do, but she applauded their efforts to keep the bloodlines clean. Often times these rogue vampires turned drug dealers, gang bangers and other nefarious types that would keep them supplied with fresh meat. The consequence of these gangs was that they were more dangerous than the mental patient who turned them. Clearly, he was past crazy and on his way to being a raving lunatic with the help of someone even more maniacal than himself.

“You’ve got to be kidding me, Butch. Answer me this, why would I come here if I wanted to kill you?” AJ knew reasoning with someone like Butch was hopeless, but she needed to try and save her life. “I could wait until you were out at night somewhere alone, all by yourself and slit your throat.”

“See, I knew you wanted to kill me. I’m just smarter than you, admit it AJ.” Butch stepped back as AJ swung for him.

“You stupid bastard—” She took a gun butt to her stomach and gutted out the rest, “You’re being played for a fool.”

Falling to her knees she dry heaved, gasping for breath. She’d kill Butch just for the pleasure of watching the life seep out of his eyes. There was no way he was going to leave the coven alive.

“Alexandra, one would think you would’ve learned your lesson by now.” A deep voice boomed in the room.

De Marcus.

Why wasn’t she surprised? He’d made it clear that Clarissa was his and that she was the only thing standing in his way of having her. Now she’d finally come face-to-face with the bastard.

“De Marcus, still the same pompous ass you were way back when?” She stared up into the shadow that blocked the light seeping in behind him. She couldn’t see his face, but she didn’t need to, his image was burned into her retinas. The only thing that would exorcise that would be to kill the bastard.

“Still the bitch I remember. Looks like things aren’t working out too well for you, now are they?” Shoe leather tried to make contact with AJ’s face but she shifted to her side easily enough, grabbing his loafer and pulling him down to the floor. With lightning quick reflexes, she bit his ankle and sucked. The taste of his putrefied blood almost made her throw it back up, but she held on as long as she could before rolling him under the weight of her body. Straddling him, she landed two good punches before she was wrestled off him.

“You fucking bitch you’re going to pay for that, you know,” he growled, rubbing his ankle and baring his fangs. As he moved closer AJ struggled to break free of the guards grip. Her arms were wrenched behind her back and the guards forced her forward, exposing her neck to the sharp tips of De Marcus’ bite. She felt him sink his fangs into her neck, his cold lips wrapping around creating a suction that made her ill. She started to gag, just his touch her made her want to vomit. Before she could protest, De Marcus’ head was yanked off her neck.

“Off, De Marcus. We need her if we’re going to get Clarissa and Selene.”

The pain as his fangs tried to stay anchored, nearly ripping her flesh made her scream out in pain.

“You fucking bastard. I’ll make you pay for that.”

“Relax, Alexandra. You’ll live for now.”

The fact that he kept calling her by her old name was an irritant she could ignore, but Butch’s droll responses to the threat at hand was starting to grate on her. He clearly didn’t see the way De Marcus was manipulating him. De Marcus obviously had him so twisted, the truth was something that hung out on the periphery if his mind, just out of reach.

The smell of coppery blood permeated the room. The guards’ visceral reaction was evident as they tried to control their amped up bodies from changing. Sweat beaded on their faces as AJ moved into a corner of the room. From her vantage point she could see the potential explosion and like a dog, backed into a corner. She started to morph into a form she hadn’t taken in a year, not since she’d been attacked out on a running trail in the park. Her guts churned as De Marcus’ blood worked its way through her. Her fingers cracked, her nails lengthened and she squeezed her body tight, trying to control her urge to fight back.

“Relax,” Butch said through an inappropriate laugh. “Everyone calm down. Boys, back out and leave us. I think I can handle Ms. Locke.”

Bastard!

“Alexandra, we’re going to keep you here for a few days, just until we have what we want.” Butch’s maniacal smile creased his forever-young face.

“And what is that?” She knew the answer, but playing dumb might help.

“Selene.”

“And Clarissa,” De Marcus added. “Don’t forget I want what’s mine. She belongs to me.”

“Yes, yes, you’ll have your precious Clarissa, De Marcus.”

“Over my dead body,” AJ said, standing. Sliding against the wall she tried to move closer to the duo. “I won’t let you touch a hair on her head, you bastard.”

“You won’t be around to stop me. See with you in here, you won’t be able to feed and if you don’t feed, you die. So, how long would you say that will take Butch? A week, maybe two?”

“Funny you should ask, my friend. If we help it along it could take a matter of days at the most.” Butch snapped his fingers and two men carrying what looked to be medical equipment walked in and waited by the door.

“Don’t do this, Butch. I’m warning you this could get ugly.”

“Alexandra, you aren’t exactly in a position to negotiate or give orders.” Butch looked at the men and tossed his head towards AJ.

“I want that bitch to suffer, so don’t drain her completely. I want her to feel death approaching, to contemplate what she’s done to me and how her life will end. I want her body to be ravaged by the lack of blood, to feel the torture as it eats itself alive.” De Marcus stuck his hands in his pants pockets and leaned against the cold cement wall.

“Oh don’t worry, she’ll suffer. A day or two, three at the most, if all goes as planned. That will give us time get to Selene and Clarissa before they start to worry and go bananas.”

“Guards,” Butch yelled. “Hold her down.”

AJ had one chance and that was to bulldoze her way past the bulky men. Fully changed she growled, put her head down and ran towards the men. Surprise wasn’t her friend. One of the men pulled a Taser and shot her. The electricity surged through her body, jerking her to a stop, flopping her to the floor. Her mind said fight, but her body could only writhe as the man held the trigger down for a continuous jolt.

“Okay, that’s enough. She’s down.”

AJ felt the tingling in her muscles as the effects of the Taser wore off. It wouldn’t kill her, but she’d feel it for a while. She searched the room, trying to fix on something to keep her mind focused. Nothing came into view but the brightness from the lights overhead. A poke in her arm made her grimace in pain and then she felt it. Her life’s essence being drained from her. It was slow at first, like the first effects of a drug high, relaxing and mind altering, as her brain was slowly deprived of life. She tried to look down to see how much blood they’d taken but her head was held in place. De Marcus’ face hovered over hers. She wanted to reach up to wipe the sneer off his face, but she could move.

“Okay, that’s enough.” Butch held two bags of blood over her for inspection. “This should do it. I’ll be enjoying this later, Alexandra. So, while you’re in here dying, I’ll be drinking you. Poetic don’t you think?”

“Fuu…f…fuck you,” she rasped out. Her eyes could only follow his back as he left with the others. The slam of the door proof they were gone.

“How long do you think it will take?” A voice she didn’t recognized asked.

“Not long, trust me. I’ve done this before. I want you to check on her in a few hours, maybe tomorrow and give us a progress report. We’re going to find Clarissa. If Selene shows up, keep her busy until we return.”

The voices faded away.

Chapter Fifteen

Clarissa pulled up to the entrance of her driveway, pushed the button for access, and pulled through the security gate. Watching it close in her rearview mirror, she looked around, searching for anything that might be out of place. She’d conditioned herself, at AJ’s urging, to be more observant of her surroundings. Clarissa wasn’t as bad as AJ who preferred to sit with her back to the wall in a restaurant and face the door. AJ was becoming paranoid and it worried Clarissa.

Darkness closed around her as she made her way up the driveway. It felt good to be home, in her space and surrounded by her things. She’d taken things to AJ’s and AJ, please her heart, had never made her feel like a guest. In fact, she’d done the exact opposite the moment they’d found each other. Smiling, she remembered their first time together after finding each other again.

“Alexandra, please…” Clarissa’s voice, heavy with desire, pleaded. “…I’m not sure that I can—”

AJ snapped out of her self-induced haze. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking.” Trying to stand, AJ felt a hand push her back.

“Stop.” Clarissa cupped AJ’s face in her hands and steadied her. “I was going to say, I don’t know if I can stop. I don’t know if I want to stop.” Translucent pools of green started to shift into a darker, urgent green. Clarissa struggled with herself. Trying to maintain her composure, her body begged for release. “I’ve hurt you tonight and I’m the one that’s sorry. I’m sorry for ever believing De Marcus, for believing that you’d hurt my family.” A finger stopped Clarissa’s lips, but she pulled it down and continued, “For never coming to find you. I’ve wasted all of these years with bitterness and anger, and thoughts of revenge.”

Standing, AJ pulled Clarissa even tighter to her body, her lips next to her ear. “Listen to me. Every breath I share with you is a gift, one I don’t want to take for granted. Tomorrow will take care of itself, so let’s take tonight to explore and reacquaint ourselves with each other. Let me make love to you. Please?” AJ knew she sounded desperate, but it was all she had right now. The strong, independent woman was left at the ball. She had humbled herself to Clarissa in hopes of reconciling with her and she wasn’t ashamed of it. But tomorrow she knew what she needed to do, so tonight she needed to right her world with Clarissa. She needed to show Clarissa she hadn’t forgotten about her, that the monster Clarissa thought she was had never existed. Not then, not now and not ever.

AJ felt Clarissa wrap her legs around her waist, gently rocking her hips against AJ’s rock hard abs underneath the sweatshirt. The walk to AJ’s room was painstakingly slow and arduous. Each thrust against AJ’s body was an exercise in patience. Grabbing Clarissa’s ass AJ pulled her up and kissed her. AJ’s tongue demanded entrance and wouldn’t be denied. Feeling as if she would swallow Clarissa whole, AJ lowered her lips to the pulsing vein and started to caress the throbbing underneath. Moans had replaced the pleading and AJ tried to move faster, but spied the couch and decided
to nestle Clarissa into its leathery palm. The bedroom would be for another time.

That moment, that one moment in time would replace all the hurt, the pain and the misery Clarissa had endured at the hands of De Marcus. Forgiveness had taken time, and AJ had given her every opportunity to leave in the months that followed. No pressure, no guilt, just plenty of time. A love like theirs couldn’t be rushed, but it couldn’t be forgotten either.

“Come on Nef, we’re home. Well, we’re at our other home,” Clarissa said, pulling the kitty carrier out of the back seat. Clarissa flinched and covered her eyes when the security light picked up her movement and flashed on. AJ had them installed after Selene had killed the assassin who’d thought Clarissa was an easy target. The perimeter and the house were lined with lights and cameras, catching any action that might take place. The reassuring purr of Nefertiti always brought Clarissa back to reality and a quick smile. A serenity washed over Clarissa, as she pushed the door open and watched as Nefertiti regally exited her confined space. Arching and stretching and then brushing against her pant leg, before launching herself into the darkness beyond the driveway, Nefertiti was home.