Scarlet Assassin (22 page)

Suddenly she was lifted off her feet again. Selene grabbed her ass and pulled Francesca up on to her hips and wound Francesca’s legs around her waist. Without thinking Francesca lifted her face, closed her eyes and waited for the kiss she knew was coming. Trying to steel her body even if only for a moment, she wanted to be in control of the situation as it unfolded. That was an exercise in futility, because the moment their lips met Francesca was gone. Francesca’s arms wrapped around Selene’s shoulders steadying her body, as Selene rocked her against her hard stomach. Selene growled, pushing her into a dark corner against the wall. Francesca felt teeth graze her neck and jerked her body against Selene’s, taking her further into the darkness that enveloped them both.

“You have no idea what your messing with, Francesca,” Selene said, a husky tone giving Francesca goose bumps.

“I want to…I want to know you…” Francesca threaded her fingers in Selene’s hair and forced her lower. A flick of her nipple caused a sharp intake of breath. She was so far gone she didn’t know when Selene had pushed her shirt up and unhooked her bra, exposing her for Selene’s pleasure.

“There may be no going back, Francesca.”

The warning went unheeded as Francesca begged for more. A door opened and she was on Selene’s desk, again. Her mind spinning with all the endorphins, she begged for more, more mouth, more touching and more…

Things crashed around her as she felt Selene step away. Suddenly cold and shocked, Francesca reached up and covered her breasts. Standing only a foot away Selene looked like a wild animal. Her eyes red and remote, her hair tussled and uncontrolled, Selene seemed more feline than human as she crawled towards Francesca.

“I warned you, Francesca. I tried to tell you that we wouldn’t be good together, but you’ve sealed us together with your innocence, your virginal blood. My kind of darkness isn’t for your kind.” Selene’s tone was foreboding, ominous.

“My kind? I don’t understand, Selene.” Francesca felt like she should be afraid, but something inside her embraced this dark Selene. She didn’t fall for the
bad girl
type. It didn’t intrigue her. Selene was something else though. All she wanted was for Selene to own her, to take her.

Fangs popped, Selene started to morph in to her heightened state and all Francesca could do was watch as it happened. Waves of sexual tension buffeted Francesca’s body as Selene stalked closer. Finally towering over Francesca, she reached up and caressed Selene’s face, her fingers rubbed her lips open and she touched a fang.

****

Selene froze at the touch. Instead of being scared, Francesca’s fingers opened her lips and touched one fang and then the other. Selene practically melted when Francesca licked her lips and pulled Selene down to kiss her. Her body arched at the contact, Francesca pulled her on top of her body and begged her to touch her.

“You’re not surprised, scared?”

“You’re like AJ and AJ doesn’t scare me. Why should you?”

Pulling back she felt Francesca wrap herself around her body stopping her from standing up, Selene growled. “You’ve been with AJ?”

Francesca rested on her elbows, clearly shocked by the accusation. “No, AJ has a girlfriend. Why would I be with AJ?”

“How do you know about AJ then?” Selene leaned back, putting more distance between them. Her mind raced at what Francesca had said. How could Francesca possibly know AJ was a vampire? Why wasn’t she afraid? Everyone was afraid of her kind, everyone. Her body ached for release, but this new information was like a cold shower to her body. It shook and cramped as it rolled back into its human form.

Selene unwrapped Francesca’s legs from her waist and stumbled backwards to the couch. She ran her fingers through her hair, pulling her braid from behind her and flicking the end, something she did when she was perplexed. Her mind felt like it was recovering from a hangover. Dropping her head back, her world spun until she closed her eyes. Filling her lungs with a deep breath, she suddenly had Francesca straddling her lap, her warm breath on her face.

“Tell me what is happening to me, Selene.” Francesca forced Selene to face her. “I can’t stop thinking about you. I think about fucking you, I dream about it, my body aches for your touch. What’s going on?”

Selene could barely look at Francesca. She suddenly wanted to put as much distance between them as possible. Even though Francesca knew what she was, she wouldn’t be deterred. She couldn’t scare Francesca into silence. In fact, the exact opposite, Francesca clung to her like a wet T-shirt, exposing Selene to the world, at least Francesca’s world.

“My skin craves your fingers on it. I want–”

“Silence.” Selene tried to stand, but Francesca pushed her back into the couch.

Her shirt was ripped open, buttons scattering everywhere. Francesca craned her neck down and let her tongue glide over Selene’s neck. Sliding off her lap and kneeling on the floor, Francesca attacked her stomach with little bites and then licked the nips. Pulling at the belt around Selene’s waist, she opened her jeans and tried to pull them off.

“Lift,” Francesca commanded. She narrowed her eyes with a sexy smoldering gaze that nearly sent Selene over the edge. Selene’s thoughts ricocheted around trying to make sense of the sudden twist of fate.

Chapter Twenty-nine

The dark hallway seemed to go on forever. The only saving grace was the gentle breeze that still blew in AJ’s face. Her legs were heavy and she still struggled to stay upright. Her focus to keep moving was seeing Clarissa’s face and killing De Marcus. Squinting, she thought she could see light further down the hallway. Finally, she’d be out of the hellhole and on her way home. Footfalls made her stop. Someone was behind her, but she wasn’t sure if they were in the same tunnel, or if it was just echoes traveling down the three separate hallways. She slipped against the wall, knowing if someone were following, her outline would stand out against the backdrop of the light.

Staying close to the rough cement wall, AJ tried to pick up the pace. She became winded the more she exerted, pushing herself harder meant expending more energy and her body just wasn’t ready for the taxing getaway.

“Shh, hear that?”

AJ’s ears picked up a voice behind her, freezing she held her breath.

“Naw, I don’t hear anything,” a male voice said.

“I heard something. I know that bitch is down here, where else could she be? She was practically dead.”

“Did you see, Sherman? She did a pretty good job on his wrists. Drained him…” Fingers snapped together. “Like that, I betcha. Besides, look what she did to Butch. Bashed his head in and cut it off.”

“Yeah, that’s why we have to find her. Who’s gonna take over the coven. I mean, De Marcus? I heard he’s been angling to be high lord.”

The voices faded away from AJ but they’d at least let her know that Butch was dead and they were after her. The coven was rudderless. That didn’t mean the boat couldn’t float, it would just take a while for the next leader to step up and take it. God only knew who that would be and how much of a blood bath would have to happen before a leader was declared. The ascension to power was never easy for vampires, at least not at the coven. She’d seen it at least a dozen times since she’d been turned. Men still dominated the hierarchy due to their sheer numbers. While there were women in the coven, the old ways still existed at some level. Men turned men in greater numbers than women. Women were seen as members of their master’s harems. Breaking free of the tyrannical hold was hard for women. Vampires had an innate need to belong to a family structure. It’s what kept them together through thick and thin. Women were oppressed and men maintained control of their family’s futures. Basically, the coven in a nutshell.

Reaching into her pocket she pulled out the cell phone she still had, and a few capsules. Breaking one, she shoved it under her tongue and rested against the cold wall. The time on the phone told her that sunrise would be in a few hours. Then what was the light streaming in ahead of her? Moving closer, she heard water moving and suddenly she was sloshing ankle deep in sludge. Stepping further, the water rose to her knees, but the light was still significantly further down the tunnel. Backpedalling, she stepped out of the wet and flung herself on the ground.

“Could this night get any worse?”

Voices.

“I just had to ask, didn’t I?” She slid her body back against the wall. “Why didn’t I take the right tunnel?”

More voices, this time edging closer to her location. She needed to make a choice. She wasn’t in any shape to fight it out with whoever was coming down the tunnel, but she didn’t want to have to swim if she could avoid it. Looking up she noticed the dark recesses above the opening. It was still a ways down, but she could either hide in the freezing water, or hope she had the strength to suspend herself above the opening. The pitch-black darkness of the corners would keep her hidden until she assessed the situation. Then there was the possibility that the opening was just that, an opening to the outside. AJ shook her head. Butch would have had all accesses to the coven sealed or locked down to prevent any possibility of trespassers getting in by accident.

Voices came closer.

She needed to act fast. Pushing herself up, she waded into the water. Her body shivered instantly, the water stunk and the cold was biting. Apropos, AJ thought, the biting cold reference for a vampire. The bottom dropped off suddenly and her feet slipped off the edge. Now she was treading water. The opening was closed off by bars dropping into the water. She’d have no leverage to launch herself up into the corner, so she was stuck in the water. Turning around she tried to focus on the voices coming closer. She could make out two, maybe three men moving towards her. She swam back into the corner opposite of the lit opening. The light would blind the men and hopefully scan right past her, but she couldn’t take any chances.

The phone and capsules in her pocket!

Shit!

Reaching into her pocket she passed the phone and grabbed the few capsules she had left. Without thinking, she popped them in her mouth.
Yuck
. Whatever was in the water was now in her mouth.
Shit
. She didn’t have a choice. Lose the blood supply or take what she had and hope for the best. He body wasn’t functioning normally and all the capsules she’d taken in the last few hours should have put her in a blood hangover. Her body needed all she could handle right now or she wouldn’t be able to defend herself if trouble came knocking.

“See anything, Sherman?”

“I told you last time I didn’t see anything, asshole.”

“Look closer, she’s gotta be down her somewhere. I could smell her back there. I’m sure of it.”

“You sure you weren’t smelling that shit you stepped on in that other tube?”

“Silence you morons. Listen.” An authoritative voice commanded.

“I don’t hear anything but Sherman farting.”

A gurgling sound pierced the silence. Mr. Authority was probably strangling the smartass. AJ knew the type well. Chances are Mr. Authority was vying for high lord, and his ace in the hole was her. If he brought her back he could challenge anyone who had any thought of moving on the position.

“Shuuut-uuuup,” he hissed. A thud sounded, someone landed on the ground. “Check out the water.”

“I ain’t goin’ in there. There are snakes, bugs and shit floating around in there.” Sherman protested.

AJ felt herself gag at the new information. Sliding a hand over her mouth, she bit the side of her lip, letting blood fill her mouth mixing with the capsules under her tongue. She hoped it would amp the dose and mix quicker into her system.

“There…did you hear that? Get your ass in that water and check it out. If you don’t, you’re going in, just not coming out. Get my drift?” Mr. Authority threatened the two men.

“Fine. You first, Sherman.” His voice squeaked out. Obviously he was the one Mr. Authority grabbed by the throat.

“Both of you get your asses in there.”

“Fine,” they said in unison.

AJ retreated into the corner, ready to submerge in the dirty water if she needed to. She couldn’t fight the two men, so she’d have to outwit them. The light was behind and to her side, so she could see them clearly as they waded into the water. Each man moved so slow she was sure their leader would push them in and as if on cue he pushed them face first into the water with his foot.

“Hurry-up and get your asses in there.”

Standing and spiting mouthfuls of water, the men growled at Mr. Authority.

“Asshole,” one whispered.

Wading out deeper into the water, AJ kept an eye on them as they split up and went to the side of the catch-bowl. Moving along the wall, they waved their arms into the center hoping to catch something. One of them edged closer. AJ knew her only option would be to go under and stay submerged until he’d passed. Looking around she searched for something to use as a weapon. Anything would do. Remembering the cell phone in her pocket, she pulled it out and flipped it open, nothing. Slipping under the water, she could see just enough through the green murky muck to see the man close the distance between them. Swimming towards the center of the water, she tapped the man on the leg as he passed by. It was enough to send the man screaming back towards Mr. Authority.

“Something touched my leg. I felt it.”

“Get your ass back in there.”

“Fuck you, I told you there were probably snakes in there and I felt one. Hard sombitch hit me on the thigh.”

“You want to see if she’s in there, then you get your ass in there.”

“Puss.”

AJ could hear the gruff voice and knew he didn’t have balls enough to come into the water. Guys like that delegated to others, but they didn’t do dirty work and this was definitely dirty work.

“Hey, Sherman. You got anything?”

“Nope.”

“Get yer ass out of there then. We have another tunnel to check out. So let’s get busy. We’ll burn it. Go back and get a few gas cans and flood this tunnel, then light it up. The smoke’ll vent out of that hole right there.”