Blood and Bite (12 page)

She looked up when one of the men flashed his light, off and
on in quick succession. Llodra had been found.

Her heart beat with painful thuds as she picked her way
toward the corner. Llodra lay with a vampire on either side of him, still as
death.

Could it really be that easy?

Was it over?

She gave a nod to Z, who quickly silvered Llodra with enough
of the stuff to deep even the strongest vampire from breaking free.

And just like that, Llodra was theirs.

The pain must have awakened him, but his thin howls of agony
did nothing to stir his children as Shiv Crew quietly and quickly slew them.

Strad, tearing the place apart in his search for Matthew,
was the one who found Ellis.

Llodra had tied and gagged Ellis and turned him on his
stomach. Ellis was under a table in the darkest corner of the basement, a
filthy rag tied around his eyes.

When Strad pulled him into his arms Ellis began struggling
and trying to scream, until Rune ripped the blindfold off so he could see her.

“It’s us, baby,” she whispered, and wrapped her arms around
both Ellis and Strad. He was alive.

Levi tugged her away. “Let me…” He flipped his long braid
over his shoulder and pulled Ellis out of Strad’s arms.

After Strad handed Ellis over, he continued silently on his
desperate search for Matthew.

From behind her came the sounds of the crew staking
vampires. The
thwack!
of
the vguns, followed by
the thick slicing sounds of blades cutting through delicate necks.

 Levi lowered himself to the floor and cradled Ellis,
whose strangled voice broke through the gag. Rune gently cut it from his mouth
and discovered that Llodra had stuffed a ball of cloth into Ellis’s mouth
before tying the dirty rag over his lips and securing it behind his head.

Levi pulled the cloth from his mouth as Rune freed his
hands. Ellis groaned. “I can’t move my arms,” he mumbled, his voice still oddly
muffled.
“My ears, Rune.”

Llodra had stuffed thick, twisted bits of what looked like
sponge deep into Ellis’s ear canals. Rune gently pulled them out, grinding her
teeth.

Bound, blind, and deaf, Ellis had been shoved terrified into
the dark and…

“Oh fuck me,” Rune whispered, getting Levi’s attention. She
dropped her gaze to Ellis’s neck where her light had picked up three sets of
fang marks. They’d fed on him.

Llodra hadn’t
meant
to kill Ellis.

She glanced at the restrained vampire, who had been silently
watching them.

He smiled.

She was on her feet and walking toward him before she
realized she’d even risen.

Llodra had given her yet another present. He’d attempted to
turn Ellis.

He’d fed from Ellis, and if he’d forced Ellie to drink his
blood, the chances were good that Ellis would turn.

Unless he was very, very lucky, Ellis would turn.

He would become a child of Llodra’s.

A vampire.

Jack stopped her before she reached the mad master. “You
can’t kill him, sweetheart.”

She wrapped her fingers around his wrists. “Did you see what
he did, Jack? Did you see?”

He pulled her against his chest and for once she didn’t
stiffen or try to pull away. She was devastated.
If Ellie
turned…

If only she hadn’t forced him to go with her, carrying the
fucking blood.

But she had, and regret wasn’t going to change a damn thing.

Jack took her shoulders and shook her lightly. “He’s alive,
Rune.”

“
Is
he, Jack?”

“The vampires are dead—every last fucking one of them,” Raze
called.

Rune took little pleasure in Llodra’s moan. “My children,”
he cried.

She pulled out of Jack’s arms, wiped her eyes, and
straightened her spine. “Let’s get Llodra to RISC and Ellis to the hospital.”
She looked around for
Strad,
saw him standing silently
against the far wall.

“There was no sign of Matthew,” Jack murmured.

Rune strode to Ellis and gently took his hand. “Did you hear
or see anything of Matthew, baby?”

Ellis shook his head,
then
grimaced.
“I’m sorry. He was not here.”

“What about…” she hesitated. “Blood and
Fire, the two animals.”

“No.”

Levi tightened his arms around Ellis. “No more questions.”

Rune nodded. “Strad, carry Ellie up.” She pointed at Llodra.
“I’ll call RISC to transport this fucking piece of trash out of here. Z, call
the paramedics for Ellis.”

The likelihood of Llodra giving them Matthew’s location was
slim, but RISC would give it everything they had.

She watched Strad as he lifted Ellis from Levi’s arms. The
berserker would be in on the questioning. Llodra was going to suffer.

But the master was familiar with suffering. He would not
talk if he didn’t want to talk.

Simple as that.

She left Jack to babysit Llodra until he could be
transported out. RISC would bring a lightweight but sun-proof coffin-like
container. They’d lock Llodra into it, still silvered, and then would wrap the
entire vessel with silver.

Levi sat in her SUV with Ellis, waiting for the paramedics.
A couple of neighbors had gathered together and stood watching the scene.

“It never ends, does it?” called one of them when she caught
sight of Rune. “Even with your house burned down, you still bring the
monsters.”

Rune ignored the humans and looked around for Strad. He
walked around her house, staring at the ground, and she realized he was
searching for freshly turned earth.
For a grave.

Her heart broke for him. She walked toward him.
“Strad.”

He glanced up. “Where the fuck is he, Rune?” He went back to
searching, not expecting an answer.

She grabbed his forearm.
“Strad.”

He sighed and stared down at her for a long moment, then
finally leaned toward her and kissed her forehead. “Go to the hospital with
Ellis.”

There was nothing she could do.

She turned to leave, and before the thought had fully formed
in her mind she turned back, pulled his face down to hers and kissed him on the
mouth, hard. “Berserker, I know there’s a lot going on right now.” All she
wanted to do was kiss him again but she stepped back. If she didn’t say what
was on her mind right then, she never would. “The two of us…we have to work
this out. I…” She darted her gaze away from him and could feel heat climbing
her face. “I feel something for you.”
Great Rune.
Smooth.

She took a deep breath and tried again. “What I mean is
,
I think the two of us should give whatever is between us a
chance.”
Dammit.

And as uncomfortable as she had ever been in her life, she
turned and walked quickly away. She’d just let him know she was willing to be
with him, and the thought scared her.

An image of Tina’s face swam in her mind but she pushed it
away. She’d feel like shit tomorrow. Right now she was a little occupied with
guilt over Ellie. Tina would have to wait.

The paramedics arrived and just as they lifted Ellis inside,
the RISC van rolled down the street.

It had been a productive morning.

Levi stood beside her, staring forlornly after the departing
ambulance. He and Denim looked so much alike she’d had trouble telling them
apart until she got to know them. Or maybe it was the fact that Denim’s face
had been marked by his stepfather, and Levi’s had not. That made identification
a little easier.

“You going to the hospital, baby?” she asked him.

“I am so fucked up,” he murmured, and she was pretty sure he
hadn’t even heard her.

“Dude, I know the feeling.” She clapped him on the back.
“I’ll see you there.”

She glanced back at the desolate berserker as she walked to
her car. He stood with his back to her, his long spear shining in the weak
sunlight of the cold morning.

He looked more alone than anyone she’d ever seen.

And he’s mine.

Maybe, just maybe, that would help her get through the days
to come.

She drove to the hospital, Levi following her.

Ellis smiled weakly when she and Levi were finally allowed
to see him. “Hi.”

Rune smoothed his hair off his forehead. “Hi, baby.”

Levi shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “You
okay?”

“I’ll be fine.”

She didn’t want to ask him, but she had to know. “Ellie…did
Llodra make you feed from him?”

He frowned. “No. I…I don’t think so. I don’t remember much.
Why?”

“Ellie—”

His eyes widened and he slapped a hand to his neck where a
bandage hid the fang marks.
“Oh, no.
You think…” He
couldn’t even say it.

“I don’t know,” she whispered. “I don’t know.”

Ellis horrified gaze flew to the man standing beside her.
“Levi?”

Rune muttered an excuse and backed away, giving the two men
some privacy. Ellis was going to have a hard few days—they
all
were—while they waited to see if he would turn.

If he did, he would change. He wouldn’t be Ellie anymore, not
really. Vampires lost a lot of what had made them human. Empathy, sympathy,
respect for human life, morals…

It was too much for her to think about.

Ellis as a bloodthirsty, vicious monster?

No.

It couldn’t happen.

She waited for nearly an hour before checking on Ellis once
more. Levi still stood at Ellie’s
bedside
and looked
no less relaxed than he’d appeared earlier.

“Call me if you need anything,” she told Ellis, then glanced
at Levi.
“You too, Levi.”

She grabbed a coffee and cheeseburger from the cafeteria and
after eating she left the hospital. First she would visit Tina and hope her
guilt wouldn’t show in her eyes. After that, she was going to RISC.

They would question Llodra and she wanted to be there when
they tore the vampire apart.

She parked along the street and sat for a moment, staring up
at Strad’s apartment. Beneath the apartment was a two car garage, its doors
hiding Tina’s car. Strad would have parked inside as well, had he been home,
but he would be at RISC waiting for his chance with Llodra.

Unless RISC restrained the berserker, she didn’t believe
Llodra would survive the questioning. Strad was full of desperation and agony.
Add to that cocktail the rage always swirling inside him, and Strad was going
to hurt someone.

The insidious fear she’d always had of him was fading, but
she still carried a healthy respect for the dangerous man.

Now that fear was tempered by…softer
feelings.

She sighed and climbed from her SUV. Tina was going to be devastated
that Matthew hadn’t been found. Surely Strad had already informed her, so Rune
wouldn’t have to do that, but the woman would need a shoulder. Strad and Tina
didn’t seem to get along well enough to lean on each other.

She hadn’t been keeping an eye on the new COS church or Tim
Emerson—and he was due for a visit. She added that to the long list of things
she needed to do.

She knocked once before using her key to open the door. She
hadn’t expected Tina, usually sedated and unable to drag herself from bed, to
answer the knock.

She walked through the silent living room and into the
kitchen, shaking her head at the overly loud television coming from upstairs.
Tina probably hadn’t turned it off since Rune’s last visit. At least the noise
was some sort of company for her.

After she’d brewed some coffee and made Tina a sandwich, she
carried the tray up the stairs. When she reached the closed door she balanced
the tray with one hand and began to turn the doorknob.

Her heartbeat picked up speed and for a second she felt
dizzy. She grimaced as the knots in her stomach twisted viciously.

Fuck.

Inside that room, something was wrong.

Something was terribly wrong.

Hands shaking, she managed to hold the tray while shoving
the door open, hard and fast.

“Tina,”
she called, hearing the breathless panic in
her own voice, expecting to find the woman dead of an overdose on the bed.

But that wasn’t what she found.

Tina squealed and grabbed for the sheets, which had ended up
twisted and in a heap at the foot of the bed.

She yanked the sheets to her nude body.

Rune began backing from the room. “Oh shit, Tina, I’m
sor
—”

But then Tina, her cheeks a little less pale than they’d
been the last time Rune had seen her, rolled off the man she’d been fucking.

Strad swung his bare legs off the bed and stood, unconcerned
with his own nudity. He started toward her, his hand out. “Rune, it’s not—”

Numb, she dropped the tray. Its clatter jerked her from her
frozen surprise and she yanked one of her shivs from a sheath. “You need to
stay where you are, Berserker, because if you come one step closer I will cut
you.”

Her fangs dropped and her claws fought to break free, but
with her entire body shaking from the effort, she forced herself not to attack
him.

She’d been such a fucking idiot.

“Rune, you have to listen.”

She smiled. “You’re wrong about that. All I have to do is
leave.” She nodded at Tina, who stared at both of them with slowly dawning
realization, and left the room.

She didn’t remember getting in her car, didn’t remember
driving away, but somehow she made it to the RISC building.

And suddenly every little bit of joy she’d felt when
thinking of Strad was gone. She was empty.

The brutal images of him standing before her naked and
pleading began to hit her brain, unrelenting in their cruel intensity.

His eyes, as blue as hers but dark with
agony and regret.
His long, black hair, covering
massive shoulders.
His erection, hard and glistening, that he’d just
pulled from his wife.

She’d been an idiot.

Fucking berserker.

Stiff with determination and pain she left her car, pushing
Strad deep into a dark corner of her mind. She abandoned him there and strode
into RISC.

Jeremy, I need you, you fucking bastard.

Stop it. Stop it.

There was work to do.

Lex was sitting in Rune’s office, staring listlessly at
nothing, when Rune walked in. Z was there as well, talking in a low voice to
Raze.

“Hi guys,” she said.

They turned to greet her, faces somber.

“How is Ellis?” Raze asked.

“Don’t know, yet. It could be days before…” She gestured.
“Or if.”

Lex frowned and stood, walking unerringly toward Rune.
“Something else has happened. You’re hurt.”

Raze crossed his arms and glared. “Whose ass do I need to
kick?”

Lex grabbed Rune’s hand.

“Lex, fucking stop that.” Rune snatched her fingers out of
Lex’s grip.

But Lex had gotten enough from that brief touch. “The
fucking berserker,” she said, surely mimicking what she’d picked up inside
Rune’s head. She turned to Z and Raze. “The fucking berserker has betrayed
her.”

“God,” Rune said, and burst into tears. Helpless to stop,
she stood there and bawled as her crew looked on in open-mouthed shock.

She was sure she couldn’t have possibly been more humiliated
than she was at that moment.

She was wrong.

Owen stepped into the room, followed by Denim. The only ones
missing were Levi, who was with Ellis, and Jack. And she was sure he’d be along
any minute. Even as she thought it, he walked in.

Fuck me.

And then, it got worse again.

Strad pushed his way through her men and stood in front of
her.
“Rune.
Don’t.”

“What the fuck did you do to her?” Raze asked, his voice low
and gritty.

 Lex, as though unable to resist, reached out and
touched the berserker’s arm. She immediately gave a short yelp and snatched her
hand back, holding it to her chest. Then she began crying as well.

“Well, fuck,” said Jack. “What…”

Rune, disgusted with
herself
,
scrubbed the bloody tears from her cheeks and took a deep breath.
“Lex.
Lex, what is it?”

Lex’s lips quivered as she tried to force back her own
tears. “I…” She looked toward Strad. “What’s that
inside
you?”

“I can answer that,” Rune said. “It’s rage inside him. Isn’t
it, Berserker?”

He simply stared at her, frustration in every line of his
body.

“I apologize for my little meltdown,” Rune said. If she didn’t
diffuse the situation her men were going to end up in a battle she did not want
to see.

“Rune,” Z said, “What—”

“Nothing, Z. Guys, go home and get some sleep. Llodra is in
custody and that’s something to be happy about. Take the rest of the day off and
in the morning we’ll get an early start on the search for Matthew. I’ll keep
you updated on Ellie.” Her voice caught when she said his name, but she paused
for a second and continued. “I also want to visit SCOS, see what they’re up to.
And…” she looked at Strad. “Let me know how it goes with Llodra. I don’t think
I’ll sit in after all.”

God, she was tired. Her mind was exhausted as well as her
body, and if she didn’t get some sleep she was going to collapse.

Strad clenched his fists, never once taking his stare off
her.

She headed for the door, needing to get away from him. She
was too close to breaking down again.
Food, coffee, and bed.
That was all she’d allow herself to think about for the next few hours.

“Rune,” Lex called,
a desperation
in her voice Rune hadn’t heard before.

She stopped at the doorway. “Yes?”

Lex walked closer, reaching her hand out,
then
retracting it. “Can I stay with you?”

Rune looked at Denim, surprised. He shrugged, as clueless as
she was. “Lexi, of course you can stay with me.”

Lex shuddered,
then
whispered a
quick thanks.

Something had been off with her since Rune had left for the
clinic, according to Ellis, and Rune hadn’t had time to talk to her about it.
That night, she would get to the bottom of what was bothering Lex.

Ignoring Strad’s fierce, hungry stare, she took Lex’s arm
and walked from the building.
Time to recharge.
She
was drained.

Owen followed her out, but waited until Lex had shut her
door before he spoke. He leaned against the car, his battered hat firmly in
place. He wore the same long, thin coat she’d first seen him in. “Rune.”

She put her hand on her door handle but didn’t open it.
“What do you need?”

“You’re busy tonight,” he said, pointing his chin toward
Lex, “but tomorrow night I want to cook you dinner.”

She stared. “You want to cook me dinner,” she parroted.

He gave a crooked half smile and nodded.
“Yup.”

“Dude, I don’t need your kind of trouble. And you for damn
sure don’t need mine.”

He crossed his arms and stared her down, then gave her his
address. “Eight o’clock. If you can’t make it, call me.” And without another
word he walked away.

She got in the car and turned to Lex, shaking her head.
“That cowboy is…”

“Weird,” Lex said, smiling.

“A little bit, yeah.” She started the car and drove out of
the parking lot, her thoughts on Owen. She was interested but mostly because
she was nosy as hell. He had a story she wanted to hear.

She would need someone new to feed from.

And she wanted sex.

She sighed.

“Sometimes I wish I had a guy,” Lex said.

“Anyone in particular?”

Lex’s eyes jerked crazily, her body vibrating the tiniest
bit. “Who do you have in mind? And don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m
talking about. You’ve been hiding something for a while now.”

Rune bit her lip.
Dammit Raze, you need to take care of
business.
“Oh, you know.
One of the crew, maybe.”

Lex snorted. “No one wants me.”

“You’re wrong about that. You’re beautiful, smart, and one
of the best fighters I’ve ever known. Anyone would want you. But that’s not the
point. You have to find someone worthy of you.”

“You’re biased.”

“Yeah.
So?
It’s still the truth.”

Lex was silent for so long Rune thought the conversation was
ended. “When my mother had control of me, she…”

God.
No more pain. Don’t
tell me.
“What?”

“She sold me by the hour,” Lex answered, her voice a
monotone. “I’m not sure I could be with a man now.”

“Fuck, Lex.” Rune hit the steering wheel.
“Fuck.”

Lex nodded.
“Yeah.”

Karin Love was human, but the worst monster Rune had ever
heard of. She wanted to break the woman out of prison just so she could kill
her.

“I’m sorry you were ever hurt, baby. I hate that fucking
bitch.” She hesitated. “Is that what’s been on your mind lately?”

“What?”

“Ellis said you were not yourself while I was gone, and I’ve
noticed a change in you. What’s bothering you?”

Lex sighed. “Oh.”

“Talk to me.”

“You’ve had about as much as you can take for one day. We’ll
talk about it tomorrow.”

“I can be here for you now just as well as tomorrow. I’ve
neglected you long enough.” She tried for a smile, and failed.

Lex remained silent but Rune could almost feel her need to
unload.

She pulled into a fast food drive-through. “Burgers and
fries
good
?”

Lex nodded. “I’ll have a chocolate shake, too.”

The silence was thick and tense as they waited for their
order. Rune was sure she was not going to like what Lex had to tell her.
“Something happened while I was gone. Didn’t it?”

“Sort of.”

“Look, Lex. Just tell me.”

“Drop it until we’ve eaten. I
will
tell you because
I…I don’t know what else to do. But let’s get to your room and eat first. Trust
me. It can wait.”

Once they were inside her room Lex flipped on the TV for
background noise as they ate, then Rune took a long, hot shower.

She didn’t want to delay whatever Lex had to tell her, she
really didn’t. But at the same time, she
so
did.

Sometimes a person just needed a break from bad shit
happening—it just didn’t seem like she was going to get one.
Ever.

She leaned her head against the shower wall as hot water
pounded her back, trying to keep thoughts of Strad from intruding upon her
watery serenity.

But the berserker wasn’t going to leave her in peace.

She let the water run over her face, washing away any
remaining stain from her earlier pink-tinged tears. She’d never been one to cry
over a fucking man, but one hard blow after the other had made her vulnerable.

Yeah, that was it.

She still had to read Amy’s emails and deal with her
emotions over that horror. And wait impatiently to see if Ellie was going to
become a vampire.

And find Matthew…

One bad thing on top of the other.

And now Lex waited in the other room.

But at least Llodra had been captured. He couldn’t kill any
more humans. Or turn them.

She sighed and shut the water off. No sense in delaying
further. Maybe soon she could lie down and sleep for a few hours.

Rune walked out of the bathroom, towel-drying her hair. Lex
was already in the bed. If she was lucky, the girl would be asleep and—

“Come lie down, Rune. I’ll tell you my…news and we can get
some sleep.”

Her eyes heavy, Rune pulled the window shades, shut off the
TV, and got into bed beside Lex. She stared up at the ceiling. “Okay, Lex. Tell
me what’s wrong.”

Lex’s soft breathing was the only sound in the room.
Finally, she put the back of her hand against Rune’s arm and started talking.

Rune didn’t pull away. Lex needed human contact and from
what Lex had told her, any thoughts she plucked from another person’s head was
jumbled and unclear if she didn’t actually make contact with her palm—which was
why, when she wanted to read someone, she wrapped her fingers around the wrist,
or arm.

Maybe Lex had lied about that to relax the crew. Whatever,
Rune wasn’t going to shove her away.

“You saved my life when you fed me,” Lex began. “I drank
your blood. I’m stronger now. I can read easier, I can tolerate silver…” She
took a deep breath. “I am less weak emotionally.”

“But,” Rune said.

Lex nodded.
“But.
It seems as
though your blood is addictive.”

At first Rune didn’t understand. “I—” And then it hit her
like a bus. “Oh, God,” she said, groaning. “I’ve addicted you to my fucking
blood.”

She should have known. She was some kind of freaking fucked
up mutant vampire. She should have known.
But with just one
feeding?

“But,”
Lex said again.

She couldn’t even look at the
Other
,
whose hell she had unintentionally made hotter.
“But?”

“It seems I am satisfied by drinking, you could say, of your
energy. It helps me to just be near you. When you were gone, I thought…”

She didn’t have to finish her sentence. “I’m so sorry,
baby,” Rune whispered. “You should have told someone. I would have left the
fucking clinic…”

Lex shook her head. “You needed to get help for the hatred
inside you. Did it help, Rune?”

Maybe the self-hatred was still there, but the doctors had
helped her deal with it in better ways than hurting herself. They’d taught her
to deal with her pain in ways that weren’t likely to kill her. “Yes.”