Scarlet Assassin (26 page)

“Don’t romanticize your own death, De Marcus. Nobody gives a shit if you die. If they did they would be here to save you.”

“You’ll risk your ability to walk in the light just for revenge, Selene?” Blood spurted from his mouth as he tried to breath.

“Revenge is just like deceit, only it leaves a sweeter taste on your tongue. I’ll let you know how it tastes when I see you in hell.”

Without hesitating, she transformed and bit down on his neck, savoring the last of his life, draining it completely out of him. The smell of smoke, blood and something else, something dark filled her nostrils. His energy became hers and she shook, feeling his essence vibrate through her. No one was around to see him die, no one to see her rise victorious over his body. She stood alone in the darkness, blood dripping from her mouth. The sounds of sirens drawing closer reminded her that she didn’t have much time. She slung him over her shoulder and carried his limp body further away from the chaotic scene unfolding behind her. Selene had waited so long for this day. She wasn’t about to be denied the ability to make sure De Marcus was finally dead.

****

The sound of an explosion rocked the club, but no one dancing even paid attention. The bass of the music only added to heart rocking vibrations, but Clarissa and Jax stood looking at each other.

“What was that?” Clarissa grabbed Jax’s arm and steadied herself.

“I’ve got a bad feeling.”

“What’s wrong?” Francesca asked.

“Nothing,” they said in unison.

“Maybe I should go and see what happened?” Jax said tossing his head at the front door.

“We’ll just wait here,” Clarissa said, patting Francesca’s hand trying to reassure the poor girl. She studied the woman, wondering what it was about her Selene found so intriguing. Clarissa hadn’t met any of Selene’s
friends
. That part of Selene’s life was off-limits to everyone, including Clarissa and AJ. While she considered Selene a dear friend, she doubted Selene thought the same of her and AJ. They would always be just on the periphery of Selene’s life, one foot in and one foot outside the boundaries that Selene set for herself.

“So how did you meet Selene?”

“Selene?”

“Yes, that dark and sexy woman I saw you intimately engaged with earlier.”

The silence between the two women was voluminous considering they sat in a crowded nightclub. Clarissa waited as Francesca clearly seemed to measure each word before speaking. “Oh please, I’ve known Selene for a very, very long time. Probably longer than you’ve been alive—”

“Oh…you’re…I mean, you and Selene are
old
friends?”

“Old?” Clarissa wasn’t quite grasping the meaning of old, but the emphasis was there and she was sure that Francesca knew something she shouldn’t.

“Well, I mean you look so young, you can’t be that old, right?”

“Quite right, so back to the question, how did you two meet?”

Again, Francesca hesitated and Clarissa wanted to strangle the girl. It wasn’t a trick question. Besides, why was she trying to make conversation with someone she was sure Selene was either going to eat or dump? Anyway, Francesca wasn’t even Selene’s type.

“Work.”

“Work?”

“Hmm, work. I work for Lockwood Pharmaceuticals and she came into the office one day.”

“Really?”

“Yep, she had business with the owner and we ran into each other at the office.”

“I see,” The world just became a little smaller imagining this slip of a girl working at Lockwood Pharmaceuticals, her Lockwood Pharmaceuticals.
Office staff. Really Selene, can’t you do better than that?
She
thought looking Francesca over.

“How do you know Selene?” Francesca threw the question right back at Clarissa.

“We meet years ago here in this very club,” Clarissa answered. A wicked grin creased her face. She watched as Francesca put two and two together and seemed to fade at her response.

“Oh, I see.”

“Don’t worry dear, that was years ago, but we’ve stayed friends, sort of.” Clarissa implied. She knew she was being evil, but for some reason she was jealous of having to share Selene with someone else. She had something Clarissa would never have, an innocence that made her appealing and she was sure that’s what Selene found so attractive. She’d have no idea who Selene really was, what kind of danger she was in or that she could easily lose it all with just a bite.

A hush suddenly came over the club and then a murmur started. Clarissa and Francesca stood to see what was going on. The dance floor parted just as a woman weaved her way towards them.

“AJ,” Clarissa said as she was swept off her feet.

Chapter Thirty-eight

Selene moved cautiously through the darkness. The back of her club was only a few hundred yards away. She felt different. Lighter. Scared.
Free
. She’d made a promise to herself only days earlier that if she killed De Marcus she’d stop working as an assassin and take her life back. Now, she had to fulfill that promise to herself and she wondered if she could. The strain of De Marcus both physically and emotionally weighed on her. Then there was Francesca. Walking away from this life would open up other possibilities for them. Was she ready for that?

Pulling keys from her ripped pants she unlocked the heavy door, swung it so hard that it slammed against the cement wall and bounced back hitting De Marcus’s body as she peered into the dark storeroom. Flipping the light on with her elbow she balanced the body and reached for the cold storage door. She locked him inside for safe keeping while she got cleaned up and prepared to burn his body. It was the only way to make sure a vampire was dead never to return. She’d done it with others and now she would do it one last time, and this time it would mark the end of one life and the beginning of another. This time she would offer Clarissa the honor of torching the bastard who had made her life a living hell for so long. She deserved that much.

Slipping past the crowd in the club, she spotted Clarissa, her arms wrapped tightly around AJ. Francesca sat at the bar, safe and enjoying a drink. She suddenly could only focus on Francesca. She could summon her, if she wanted. Bring her to her room and ply her with thoughts of rapturous love making, but she wanted Francesca to come willingly not through subversive thoughts or deception. Hanging her head she waited in the hall and watched Francesca interacting in the group. Was this what it was like to fall for someone? Did doubt always creep in and take over? Only moments ago she was self-assured, self-absorbed and arrogant. She could have any woman in the club tonight and yet the thought of Francesca rejecting her sat in the pit of her stomach.

Suddenly she needed to talk to Francesca, alone and now.

****

AJ couldn’t breathe. Clarissa held her tight and wouldn’t let go.

“Sweetheart, please. You’re hurting me.”

“Oh my god. Look at your face. Are you all right?” Clarissa ran her hands over AJ’s body. When she flinched at the touch on her side Clarissa pulled the sweatshirt up.

“Is that a bullet hole? Who shot you? When did you get shot? Where did you go?” Clarissa peppered her with questions.

“Slow down.” AJ swayed a little and before she could move Clarissa pushed her onto a bar stool. “I’ll be fine.”

“Would you like me to look at that, Ms. Lockwood?” Francesca offered.

“Dr. Swartz, I didn’t see you standing there. How are you? Better yet, what are you doing here?”

AJ felt Clarissa’s gaze move from her to Francesca and back again. This time she was poking around in her thoughts.

“Don’t do that,” she said, looking at Clarissa. “She’s an employee.”

“I see.”

“Do you my love? Jealousy isn’t your color. Besides, you know I only have eyes for you.” AJ moved closer to her lover and smiled.

“Well I feel stupid,” Francesca whispered.

“Why’s that?” AJ said wrapping an arm around Clarissa’s middle pulling her closer.

Clarissa put her finger over AJ’s lips. “Nothing, my love,” Clarissa interjected. “We just found out that we have a few things in common.”

Pulling Clarissa’s finger off her lips she kissed the tip. “Do
we
now and what would that be?”

“Selene.” Francesca and Clarissa said in unison.

“Where is Selene?” AJ cut Clarissa off.

Before they could say anything else, Selene walked from the back of the club. Blood matted her hair down against her face. She walked with a limp and she smelled of smoke and dirt. Francesca ran to her and grabbed her arm, helping her to a barstool.

“What happened?”

“I got into a fight with that guy who had his hands on you.” Selene grabbed the bar to keep her from toppling over.

“Oh my god. Can I have a towel please?” Francesca ordered.

AJ stood, giving Selene her seat.

“AJ? When did you get here?”

“Just now. Hell, you look like I feel. I hope you got the better end of the deal?” Slapping Selene on the back, she smiled. Knowing Selene, the bastard was probably dead and deservedly so.

“Yeah, he’s in the back storeroom.”

“Who?” Everyone chimed in.

AJ waited while Selene ordered a drink, downed it, and then looked at Francesca and then answered. “AJ, can I see you in the back?”

The two walked away. Neither spoke a word until they were out of ear shot of the group.

“What happened?”

“De Marcus.”

“What? Where?”

“He’s dead.” Selene tossed her head towards the storeroom. “He’s in the back.”

“No shit?”

“No shit.”

AJ searched Selene’s face and wondered what had changed. Usually she would have a swagger, a sign of a deed well done. Only this time she was reserved, quiet and solemn.

“You okay?” AJ grabbed her shoulder and started to knead the bunched muscle.

“Yeah.” Selene looked over AJ’s shoulder at Francesca.

“What happened at the coven?”

“Long story, I’ll tell you later.”

“We good?”

“Yeah.” Selene kept her eyes on Francesca, never looking at AJ.

“Hmm, I see.”

“You see what?” Selene questioned angrily.

“It’s Francesca.”

“It’s nothing. I’ve done the job you hired me to do. We’re even. I need a shower. I figured we’d take De Marcus out to the mine and burn him. I think we should let Clarissa have the honors since he was the bastard who took her innocence.” Selene turned back towards the bar and then looked back at AJ. “You okay with that?”

“Yeah.”

Chapter Thirty-nine

Francesca sat at the bar nursing a drink, watching AJ and Clarissa across the room catching up. She’d heard bits and pieces of their conversation. Enough to know that AJ was almost killed earlier, but survived because of her love for Clarissa. Why couldn’t she find that kind of love? Would she be willing to give it all up for someone like Selene? Her life, would she trade it for an eternity of love? She wasn’t sure she knew Selene well enough to give something so precious so quickly. Perhaps if they dated, got to know each other better. God, why did she always try to wrap everything in a nice little package and…. Her cell phone brought her back to reality.

“Hello?”

“Are you okay?”

She could hear the concern in Daphne’s voice. Shit, she’d completely forgotten about her friend.

“I’m sorry, Daphne. I completely forgot to call you. Are you okay?”

“I’m good, I was just worried about you. A nice gentleman from the club brought me home. He made sure the apartment was fine and then left. I’ve been sitting here worried about you. When are you coming home?”

“I’m on my way now.” Francesca conceded deep down inside that she wasn’t going to be one of those women who threw themselves at someone who didn’t want her.

“Good, I can’t wait to hear how it went with tall, dark and sexy.”

She heard Daphne giggling on the other side of the line. If she only knew, Francesca thought. “Well there isn’t much to tell.”

“Hmmhmmm.”

“I’ll catch a cab and see you in about fifteen minutes.”

“Okay, see you them.”

A soft touch on her arm turned her around. Selene stood close to her, smelling washed and a gentle smile reached her eyes.

“Can I take you home?”

Francesca panicked. “I don’t think–”

“It’s okay. I’ll have Jax take you home.”

She cursed herself. This was the opening she’d waited for, right?

“Wait, are you sure you have time? I mean AJ and Clarissa have been waiting for you, too.”

“Do you mind if I take Francesca home? We can take care of that other business when I get back, if that’s all right?”

“This is more important,” AJ said, winking at Selene. “Go, take care of your business. That other stuff will wait till you get back.”

“Thanks.”

Francesca smiled at her boss. She wasn’t sure what was going on between Selene and AJ but she was glad to have the opportunity to finally talk to Selene.

“Thank you.” Francesca hugged AJ and Clarissa good-bye. “I’ll see you at work.”

AJ patted her side and said, “Thanks for stitching me up. I think I’ll take a couple of days off. See you Monday.”

“Okay, see you Monday.”

With that, she was out of the club and into the dark, cold damp night with Selene right behind her.

****

Selene opened the car door for Francesca, but stopped her before she got in.

“I’m not very good at this kind of thing…”

Before Selene could finish her sentence, Francesca melted against her. Her head buried against Selene’s chest. Wrapping her in a tight embrace, Selene felt the world fall away, leaving them to each other. Tipping Francesca’s chin up, she looked into soft, understanding eyes.

Light.

That’s all she could think of when she looked into them.

“I can’t promise you a lot, but how ’bout we take this one day at a time? I know we’ve sorta jumped the gun right into intimacy, but if you’re willing to step back and start fresh, I’d like to do something I’ve never done before.”