Scarlet Assassin (20 page)

If Selene didn’t know better, she would have thought Clarissa had peered into her thoughts a moment ago. Selene had perfected the ability to prevent someone from intruding on her mentally. AJ, at two hundred years her senior, was the only one old enough in Selene’s circle of friends who could penetrate her mind. Clarissa, while older than Selene, had been a slave too long and a submissive had baggage to overcome before she could even get close to Selene. Clarissa could connect to AJ, their bond as lovers connected them deeper than a vampire to vampire connection.

“I’m fine, trust me.” She patted Clarissa’s hand reassuringly and gave her a half-hearted smile. “I can’t do this much longer. After De Marcus is caught or killed, I’m done.”

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

Looking to change the subject and get it off her, Selene quipped. “How about we just get back to the club and wait for AJ?”

“Do you think she’s there?”

“Probably.” Selene lied, but didn’t have the heart to tell her AJ was most likely running for her life. Her comment about being “fine in a few hours” didn’t sound encouraging. If she died, Selene would kick her ass. Metaphorically of course.

“God, I can’t wait to put my arms around her.”

 “Hmm.”

****

Francesca’s hand froze on the ornate brass handle on the massive door to the Dungeon. She wanted to turn and run. Her fight or flight response multiplied inside. She’d never been one to act irrationally, which is why she couldn’t seem to explain what her heart was telling her head. Her body ached for attention, to relive the experience from the night before, again.

“Hey, wait up,” Daphne said, following behind. “Gosh, you’re in a hurry.”

“Sorry, it looks like rain.”

“Really?” Daphne raised her hands as if she was trying to catch a few phantom raindrops. “I don’t think so, are you okay? I know I can be pushy, so if this is a bad idea we can go home.”

Francesca could hear the quiver in Daphne’s voice. She was all talk and little action and Francesca had called her bluff this afternoon. The taunts and chatter were driving her crazy. When she couldn’t take anymore, she threw it back in Daphne’s face and mounted the challenge.

“If you want to go, fine. Let’s go tonight. I want you to experience this all first-hand.”

Now, Francesca wished she’d kept her own mouth shut. Lately she’d felt bullied into things, like Dorothy and the night at the Dungeon. This afternoon Daphne’s taunts had been the final poke. So she poked back and here she was, her hand ready to pull the door to another peek into a different world she never thought she’d ever experience again.

“Okay.” Daphne grabbed Francesca’s upper arm and gripped it tight. “Let’s go inside.”

“Look, just one thing. Please don’t embarrass me. Okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“Just try and play it cool. Don’t freak out, don’t shout anything inappropriate, and please, please don’t touch anyone or volunteer. Okay?”

“Damn, Frankie. You must think I’m some adolescent school boy, jeeze.”

“In a word, yes.”

“Seriously?”

Francesca just rolled her eyes at Daphne.

“Fine. Look but don’t touch and no inappropriate talking. Happy?”

“We’ll see.”

Ducking into the dark club, Francesca pulled Daphne through the doors and into an experience she was sure would change them both.

Chapter Twenty-seven

AJ pulled the cell door closed and grabbed the keys she had fished out of the guard’s pocket. A locked door kept people out, just as easily as they kept people in and by the time anyone in the coven missed Butch, she’d be long gone. Her knees shook with each step and it was clear she still needed time to rest. Hiding in the coven wasn’t an option. Without a leader or a direct successor the coven would be in instant turmoil and AJ didn’t need to be around when the shit hit the fan.

AJ scanned the area, checking for cameras. The coven didn’t have them installed anywhere, which meant she might make it out without being seen. Slipping down the hall she listened to every sound, down to the mouse scrambling along the wall ahead of her. Her mouth watered at the thought of its warm blood pulsing through its tiny body. She hated thinking like an animal, but would do whatever it took to get back to Clarissa. Following the squeaks, she knew the mouse would lead her to an exit or at least to a dark hiding hole. Maybe not her size, but at this point she would take anything. The silence of the coven pretty much assured her that it was daylight, but she wasn’t sure for how much longer. She worried about Clarissa and the head start De Marcus had on her. One thing she knew, it was long enough for De Marcus to get back to the bay area and get to Clarissa. A sense of relief flooded her, she was lucky Selene had taken her call, Clarissa was safe and in good hands.

Footfalls drawing closer made her scramble for cover. Slipping into a dark room, she waited just inside the door for the person to pass. She briefly contemplated pulling them into the room and draining them, but another body plus Butch’s disappearance would be hard to hide without alerting someone. The sound of a heartbeat stopped her, then another and another and…all pulsing in the room. She was in a den of sleeping vampires. Her heart raced with one thought running through her mind:
Run
!

Slipping her head out the door, she watched another guard slowly make her way down the hallway. Peering towards her exit she waited until she thought the coast was clear and snuck quietly out of the room. Sweat slipped between her breasts and down her back. At least her body was starting to function. Now it was imperative to make her way to freedom and safety. Time wasn’t her friend, she needed to make a quick exit and return to Clarissa.

“The others should be rousing soon, come here.” A voice somewhere behind her whispered.

Great, I roll right into a sex scene, wonder if they’d be interested in a three-way?
Sarcasm was the only way AJ could handle the situation as she tried to block out the sounds of flesh slapping.

A scream broke the silence, rousing vampires from their waning sleep. It was only a matter of time before the coven became active again and her cover would be blown. Reaching for the nearest door handle she opened it, hoping it didn’t lead to another den of vampires. The darkness while inviting came with the fear of not knowing what was inside. Her eyesight weakened just like her body, impaired her ability to see any great depth. Pounding footsteps made her rush inside. She’d take her chances with a few over the many that would respond to the blood curdling scream. Obviously, someone had found Butch and now they would mount a full-scale effort to find his killer and the only person supposed to be in that cell: AJ.

A coat closet, she was in a damn closet. She fumbled around, searching around for something more than fabric, something she could use to protect herself. Riffling through pockets, she was coming up empty. Pushing the coats aside, she searched deeper into the bowels of the closet. The space didn’t end. She moved deeper and deeper behind the jackets. Was this a passageway? Darkness enveloped her the farther she moved into the closet. Dank musty air pricked her nostrils, wetness sloshed around her feet.
I hope that isn’t something other than water.
The floor sloped downward into a void. She kept moving. The unknown was better than staring down the barrel of a rifle. She just had no way of knowing where it did end up, but she’d rather take her chances in the blackness of the tunnel, as long as it led her away from the coven and to freedom.

Inching further into the darkness, all she wanted to do right now was rest. Her body ached as it tried to replenish the blood she’d lost. Her enhanced capsules were working, but she was just this side of death and escaping its clutches her body started to swell. Her muscles were finally becoming engorged with her own blood and the fog her mind mingled in was slowly starting to clear. She’d need to give Dr. Swartz a pay raise for the improved formula. Sliding down against the wall she squatted, trying to rest. AJ cradled her pounding head in her hands and slowed her breathing. She didn’t want to waste valuable energy overtaxing her heart and spending what she didn’t have to lose. Closing her eyes, she focused her other senses to engage her surroundings—no movement anywhere. In fact, it seemed even her mouse had deserted her, too. Her mind drifted to Clarissa, the last time they cradled each other in bed. The pillow talk moments kept them wound tighter together than anything else they could do. Often times they shared bits and pieces of their past. They could spend eternity in cuddle mode and never cover all that had happened in their lives.

Leaning her head against the damp cement wall, she dozed quietly for a few minutes. She faced a dilemma–take another concentrated capsule or find someone to feed on. Blood from someone would heal her more efficiently than waiting for the concentrate to work, but it would have lingering affects to her mentally. The mental orgasm a vampire received when they fed off a body was like playing with fire for her. She’d abstained for so long and yet in one day she had swallowed more blood than she had in years and she could feel the craving rising again in the pit of her soul.

Dangerous.

Startled awake by the phone in her hand, she looked down at the number pushing across the screen. Thankfully, its former owner set it to vibrate, not ring or she was sure it would bring the coven running. One bar for a signal meant there was no chance she could call out. She was amazed she’d gotten the call to Selene out tucked away in the cell. Fates were on her side, finally. Clutching it like a lifeline. she thanked whoever was watching over her right now for giving her the peace of mind to hold on to it. Standing, she wobbled a little, but felt a bit stronger, at least. A left turn would take her back into the heart of the coven. Looking right, she had no idea where it led, but she’d take her chances and the opportunity for more time to gain her strength back. Holding the wall to keep her steady, she moved further into the hallway. Suddenly she was standing at the junction of three paths. Turning in a circle, she saw only darkness in each direction. No landmarks, no directions and no visible markings gave AJ no idea which way led her out and home to Clarissa. Peering into each hallway, a cool breeze lightly caressed her face, blowing wisps of hair out of her face. That meant an open door or window down the hallway to the left and she hurried in that direction, hoping she was making the right choice.

Chapter Twenty-eight

The last few minutes sitting in front of the club were silent. Selene and Clarissa were lost in their own thoughts. Selene knew Clarissa worried about AJ and she contemplated the darkness that seemed to be invading her. Selene would need to make a drastic change and soon or she would be relegated to the darkness forever.

“That was AJ on the phone earlier,” Selene dropped the bomb, waiting for the explosion she knew would follow.

“What?”

“She said she tried to call your phone and left a message.”

“Why didn’t she ask to talk to me?”

“She’s on her way home. She didn’t sound good, but she said De Marcus is on his way to find you and I should take you to the club.”

“What do you mean she didn’t sound good? Is she hurt?”

“Don’t know.”

“Well why the fuck didn’t you ask?”

“Calm down, Clarissa. You and I both know that AJ does what she wants. She was at the coven.”

“What? Are you fucking kidding me?”

“This is why she didn’t want to talk to you. I’m sure she’ll explain things when she gets back.”

“You lied to me, Selene. You said it was a friend.” Clarissa yanked her phone from the charging unit.

“Sometimes you have to lie to protect.” Selene was unapologetic. Clarissa would have to understand that to protect her, Selene would do whatever it took to keep her safe. It wasn’t negotiable. She owed it to AJ.

Selene could hear the message AJ left Clarissa. The instructions were different than what AJ had told her, so there might be a fight when they got to the club.

“AJ said I should go to the penthouse–”

“We’re not going to the penthouse, Clarissa. She told me to take you to the club, it’s much safer there than trying to get you inside the penthouse.”

“Why would she say to go to the penthouse then?” Clarissa listened to the message again.

“The situation obviously changed. You heard her on the phone with me, I know you did.”

Clarissa was quiet. She touched the face of the phone with AJ’s picture as the background image.

“Look, I know you want me to take you to the penthouse, but AJ wants us to go the club. Besides, I can protect you better there.” Selene knew there wasn’t a choice in the matter and even if it had been up to her, she still wouldn’t let Clarissa go to the penthouse.

“Fine, then we go to the club. That’s where she’ll be looking for us.” Clarissa acquiesced.

“Thanks.”

“For what?” Clarissa looked out the window.

“For not making me be the bad guy.”

“Oh, you don’t need my help for that. You have a
lock
on bad girl, trust me you’ve got it down pat.”

“You might be right.” All Selene wanted was a drink, a shower and quiet. At least until AJ got there and then the shit could hit the proverbial fan. Tapping the button for the garage door, she waited until it was just high enough to clear her coup and then slowly drove through, watching her rearview mirror for any strays that might try to follow her in. She wouldn’t put it past De Marcus to case her place and AJ’s, but Selene had patrols on the perimeter around the clock.

“I want to sit here for a few minutes and catch my breath.” Selene tilted the steering wheel up and leaned against the head rest. “I’m tired, Clar. I’m so tired.”

“I know you are, honey.” She felt Clarissa pat her hand, just as she dozed off.

****

Jerking, Selene sat up. “How long have I been out? Christ, why did you let me fall a sleep?”