All That Bleeds (16 page)

Fury flashed in the woman’s eyes. “He’d still be dead and so would you.” The woman grabbed Phyllis, one of Alissa’s
writers, by the hair and jerked hard enough to make Phyllis yelp and fall to her knees.

Alissa’s muscles clenched, but she swallowed her gasp. The female ventala lived up to their reputation for explosive rage. A violent twist of Phyllis’s hair made the writer shriek in pain. Alissa had to stop the ventala before she did permanent damage.

“You don’t want this,” Alissa said, thousands of years of muse magic distilled into her every word and breath. “You’re smart, calculating, cool. Your reserve is to be admired.”

The red mouth slackened ever so slightly and the expression softened. Fingers slipped from Phyllis’s hair, and Jack jerked his arm free. All the aspirants backed out of reach. Alissa remained still as the woman’s dark eyes blinked and cleared.

“You bitch,” she sneered. “I’m going to—”

“You want to sit down. You want that now. You’re exhausted.”

The woman’s shoulders slumped, and her body sagged. Alissa jerked the gun free of her bag and pressed it against the woman’s chest a few inches below her left clavicle.

When the woman’s eyes cleared, she roared with fury.

“The gun is loaded with V3 bullets. If I pull the trigger, they’ll tear holes through your heart. I don’t want to hurt you, so back up slowly. You’re relaxed, calm, and you want to step aside and let me pass.”

The woman started to move, but then shook her head and clamped hands over her ears, growling. “Bitch, I am so going to kill you.”

Three things happened almost at once. With her scarlet mouth open, the woman lunged for Alissa’s throat; Alissa’s finger pulled the trigger; and the woman was jerked through the air by Merrick.

The bullet went through the woman’s arm to embed itself in a column, leaving a bloody spray. With his left arm around the woman’s waist, Merrick’s free hand shoved Alissa’s forearm down, so the gun was pointed at the floor. The woman shouted curses as Merrick flung her through the air. She landed on a couch, but erupted off it, pulling a blade loose as she launched herself toward him like a Fury.

Merrick crouched and rose in a blindingly quick move. His left arm deflected her right, making the blade miss his throat, but it still slashed across his shoulder as her body connected with his.

The woman’s eyes widened in shock, and she crumpled. Merrick lowered her to the floor, and Alissa watched his right hand emerge from under her. The long blade in his hand was stained the red of a cocktail cherry.

Cato Jacobi, whose mouth dripped with the blood of his victims, wailed, “Tamberi!”

Merrick slid his blade back under his pant leg and yanked open the woman’s suit jacket. Crimson bloomed from her torso like an opening rose. He thumped his palm down in the center, compressing the wound.

“Put it back in your purse,” Merrick said.

Alissa’s eyes darted to the gun, and she shoved it away. Cato Jacobi slammed his way past bodies, ready to attack.

“She’ll be all right!” Merrick said, making Jacobi come up short. “Here,” Merrick said. “Press here.”

Cato dropped to his knees and shoved his hand over the wound.

“I stopped short of her heart.”

“I’m going to kill you,” Cato rasped.

“You’re welcome.”

Merrick stood, and Mr. Orvin appeared right behind him, shaking his head. “It’s a bloody mess. He killed a couple of them.”

“I saw,” Merrick said. “These are yours?” he asked Alissa, nodding at her aspirants.

“Yes,” she said.

Merrick glanced at the shredded shirt and bleeding wound on Ox’s thick neck. “How bad is that?”

“A scratch. He tried to get a bigger piece, but didn’t.”

“Take these people to the front and wait for the cops. Cato may lose control again. You’ve got your gun. Use it if you need to. Leg wound if you can since he’s Victor’s kid, but if you’ve got to kill him, I’ll have your back until it’s over.”

Ox nodded gravely. “Thanks, boss, but no worries. I won’t let it go there.”

“Man plans. God laughs,” Merrick murmured and turned to Alissa. “Miss North, I’m your escort if you need one.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

She followed him in silence. Neal’s body and two others lay in pools of blood. Her stride faltered.

“Oh no,” she whispered.

Merrick’s hand closed on her arm and stopped her from going to them. “Keep walking.”

“I—”

“You can’t help. Come with me. Let me get you out.”

She allowed Merrick to pull her along. “He’s dead because he tried to help me,” she said, guilt and grief threatening to consume her.

“Then don’t let him have died for nothing.”

They exited through the glass door, and Merrick strode directly to the valet stand. “Miss North’s keys,” he demanded. The startled valet fumbled for them as several black sedans pulled up. Sirens wailed in the distance as she took the keys from the boy.

Several men in black suits leapt from the cars.

“Merrick,” the leader said. “What’s the situation?”

“See for yourself,” Merrick said, walking her away.

“I’ll take her,” the man said, gesturing for the others to go in.

Merrick moved so that she was on the far side of his body. “Witnesses saw me walk her out. She goes back where she belongs.”

“I have my orders,” the ventala said.

Without breaking his stride, Merrick whipped a gun out and pointed it at the man. “And I’ve got an alley and a stubborn streak.”

The other ventala stepped back. “Easy, Merrick.”

“It can be,” Merrick replied. “Get the door, Miss North.” Alissa pulled open the heavy door, not sure where it led to. “I’m right behind you,” Merrick said.

She raced down the poorly lit stairwell into an underground parking structure. She spotted her car and rushed to it. Her hands shook slightly as she opened the door. She looked over her shoulder and found Merrick approaching.

“You’ll drive,” he said, striding around the car while scanning the area. He waited until she was in the leather bucket seat with the door closed before he climbed in himself.

Belted in, she started the car.

“Head there,” he said, pointing. She pressed the pedal, and the car roared forward.

“This car’s all engine,” he said.

“Yes,” she said, distracted by her racing thoughts. “It’s a prototype. A V-10 engine that runs principally on solar and electric power.” She was so upset; she wasn’t sure why she was talking about cars or why she was talking about anything. The image of the fallen men kept flashing before her eyes. She pursed her lips, knowing that she’d missed whatever Merrick had just said. She needed to concentrate on driving.

“What?” she asked.

“It’s okay,” he said, squeezing her arm gently. The touch helped focus her.

She stopped at the security arm blocking the drive. It didn’t open. “We may have to go the other way.” She shifted into reverse as he opened his door.

“Be right back.” He got out and snapped the wood gate, tossing it aside. When he climbed back in, he said, “At the end of the drive, turn left.”

She didn’t hesitate. Down the drive and onto the road, she followed his instructions without question. He took them on a twisted path through the Sliver, down dark streets, through alleys and neighborhoods, but, with a pounding heart, she drove like a race car driver on the final lap. The need to get behind the Etherlin’s protective walls consumed her.

With one last turn, the shining silver and iron gate appeared fifty feet in front of them. Halogen and ultraviolet lights blazed bright.

Home.
Relief flooded through her.

“Stop,” he said.

The car jerked to stillness at her tap on the brake. With adrenaline licking her veins, she felt like she’d biked to the gate rather than driven. She forced her breathing to slow.

“Nice driving, North.”

“Nice navigating,” she said. She glanced at him. He was
handsome and thoroughly disreputable looking with his five o’clock shadow and the dark sunglasses he slid on to shield his eyes. “Thank you for the rescue.”

“I was in the neighborhood.” He opened the door, but paused when she laid a hand on his arm. He pulled the door closed again.

“I owe you so much. I want to give you a ‘thank-you’ gift. What can I send? I don’t know what you’d like. A car like this? A year’s supply of bullets in a rainbow of metals?”

He flashed a smile.

“Seriously. What does someone like you need? Please tell me.”

“Another time.” His voice was smooth, but she felt a vibration that stirred her muse senses. A secret lay under the surface of his easy reply.

She nodded absently, studying his face. “A part of my talent relies on me being able to read people.”

“And?”

“And you’re very difficult to read, Mr. Merrick, but you’re still part human.”

“Again, and?”

“I think you already know what you want. Unless it’s something you know I can’t give, ask for it.”

“This isn’t the place.”

That had the ring of truth. “All right.” She stretched a finger out and slid the sunglasses a few millimeters down the bridge of his nose. “If I kiss you good-bye, will you lose control?”

Dark eyes stared into hers. “Only if you want me to.”

Her fingertips rested on his jaw, and she leaned forward. She inhaled his breath: liquor and cloves. His vampire magnetism pulsed, making her body tighten in anticipation. She brushed her lips over his, her lids fluttering closed. He tasted of expensive scotch with a spicy hint of lime, and underneath something delicious she couldn’t name. Him, she guessed.

Her other hand rose to his throat, feeling his steady pulse thump under her hand as her tongue explored his cool mouth. She felt the razor scrape of his fangs, and the dilemma of
whether to end the kiss arced through her. Sense warred with its age-old enemy: temptation.

She tipped her head back, sucking the drop of blood inward and swallowing it. He exhaled roughly, and she felt the rigid clench of his muscles.

“Your control is amazing,” she whispered.

“Seems that way, does it?”

“Yes, it does.”

He leaned back in his seat, pushed his sunglasses up, and took one more long breath.

A crack of noise on the roof made her jump.

“Took them longer than I expected,” he said.

“What?” she asked, blinking. The car was parked in the shadows and, with the tinted windows, no one could’ve seen inside, but she had been too distracted to notice anyone approach.

The door was pulled open and, when the ES officers identified her passenger, the muzzles of automatic weapons pressed against Merrick’s head from both sides.

Victor Jacobi sat in a chair in the surgical intensive care visitors’ area. Cato paced back and forth, cursing and shaking his fists.

“You have to let me go with the hit squad. I have to be there when he buys it.”

Victor clenched his jaws, trying to control his rage. His kids attacking humans in a public place? Merrick gutting his daughter like a fucking fish? Victor wanted blood to spill till the rivers turned red.

When the call he’d been waiting for came, it saved him from having to talk to Cato, whose head Victor wanted to slam against the wall.

“Yes?” Victor said.

“Well?” the voice asked.

“No, she’s back on your side of the wall. She was armed. What the fuck was that?”

“That’s not my problem. You’ve had her delivered into your hands twice without a security team.”

“Well, we’re going to have to try again,” Victor said angrily.

“I don’t think so. The Handyrock’s incident will be known. There will be a security crackdown even in the Etherlin.”

“Well, you’ll find a way around it.”

“No, I won’t. You obviously can’t get the job done. I heard she had help from one of your own syndicate members.”

“Yeah, we’ll take care of that.”

“Do it, and I’ll talk to you again at some point.” The connection went dead.

Victor shut the phone.

“Who was that?” Cato asked.

“Never mind. That’s my goddamned business, not yours.”

“What about Merrick?” Cato demanded. “You can’t let him get away with this.”

“Forget Merrick. I ordered the hit on him yesterday.”

Etherlin Security wore navy trousers and maroon blazers with a silver crest over the heart. To Merrick they looked like overgrown prep school boys. In spite of the attire, they were well trained and well armed. There were three of them, which were odds he could survive if he took a stand, but he’d have to kill, and she’d seen enough violence for the night.

He rested his hands on top of his head and let them take his weapons. They barked questions at him, which he didn’t answer, and he covered his smile when she defended him.

They were respectful toward her, but also tried to hustle her away. She stood her ground. If he’d been in their place, the temptation to pick her up and transport her bodily into the Etherlin would’ve been pretty strong. As soon as the Sliver police arrived, she’d be taken to the station for a statement and stuck on the dangerous side of the wall. If he’d been ES, they wouldn’t have been standing around in the street.

One of them pressed an earpiece and took a step back. A moment later, he explained the situation to whoever was on the other end.

“Yes, sir.” He turned. “Miss North, let’s get you back into the Etherlin. Why don’t you drive your car through?”

“What about Mr. Merrick?”

“Director Easton would like to talk to the ventala. We’ll escort him to the post.”

“He’s not a prisoner. He saved my life and, likely, the lives of my aspirants. Give him back his weapons and let him go on his way.”

“Director Easton—”

“Doesn’t have jurisdiction out here and can’t detain Mr. Merrick. Let him go.”

“I’m sure he won’t mind accompanying us.”

Alissa marched over to the one holding his weapons, retrieved them with a firm jerk, and walked them to Merrick.

“Mr. Merrick, I apologize. Thank you for seeing me safely home.” She handed him his guns and knife. “Good night.”

“Night,” Merrick said.

Taking note of the fact that ES had their guns on him again, she said, “I’ll wait here until you’re safely on your way. Take my car.”