Caressed by Night (16 page)

“There is no need for you to go through your savings when I am perfectly capable of providing for you.”

“I’m not a gold digger.”

“I know.”

“It’s just…that’s how I am beginning to feel.” She ran a hand through her rain-dampened hair. “We’ve been living together for almost two weeks and I have yet to find a job. I haven’t even been called in for an interview.”

“You will find a fulfilling job that you will love. Sometimes these things take time.”

Her eyes narrowed and she leaned forward, resting her elbows on the counter. “Have you seen something?”

He nodded. “And I will not tell you.”

She sighed, “What am I going to do in the meantime?”

“Allow me to take care of you. I know it is a foreign concept, but is that not what couples do? People who are in a relationship, they take care of each other. Help each other. There is no shame in living with your lover and borrowing his car. Besides, you pay your cell
105

phone bill, put gas in the car, do the laundry, and have thrown money at me for utilities. You are not…what is the word? Freeloading.” Kerstyn’s laugh brought a smile to his face. The rich sound tugged at his heart and made his skin tingle.

“Sometimes you sound like you’re from a different world,” she said between giggles.

He shrugged. “I must not be transitioning with the times as well as I once did.”

She laughed harder and Dimitri fell victim, his large shoulders shaking as he laughed with her. Kerstyn wiped at her eyes, brushing away tears. Once her giggles died, she finished her coffee as Dimitri watched her, his eyes sparkling with happiness. He could feel joy creep into his black heart.

“Thanks for the drink. I really needed it.”

“Your pleasure is mine.”

She swept him with a heated gaze before giving him a come-hither wink. “We can put that to the test later. Now, I am going to take a nice hot shower.”

“I will make dinner arrangements.”

She leaned over the counter and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

Dimitri watched Kerstyn ascend the stairs and waited to hear her bedroom door close before he stepped back to the patio doors. The air shimmered and the hairs on the back of his neck rose. He was not alone.

“You may show yourself.”

Silvie materialized on the patio, the air unfolding about her.

“We need to talk,” she said, brushing past him into the kitchen.

“About?”

“Your revenge plan.”

“There will be no issues.”

She nodded. “And it will set off a course of events that will be unstoppable and unavoidable.”

His body went cold. “For who?”

“Gabriel and Kerstyn.”

106

“Have you seen something I have not?”

Silvie shook her head and leaned against the counter. “No. I see the same as you.”

Dimitri’s eyes narrowed as he picked up the slightest waver in her voice. Was she lying?

Silvie took in a deep breath and let it slowly escape her lips.

“My uncle has sent me.”

“The Shaman,” he said in understanding.

The leader of the Shaw tribe was all-knowing, all-seeing. There was nothing he could not do. If he had sent Silvie to him with a warning, he would be a fool not to listen.

“Ven will be in Vegas soon. Your attack will force him into action.”

“As is my goal.”

She nodded, her straight black hair slipping over her shoulders.

“I know your plan and you have set up quite a nice trap.”

“Did the Shaman say it would work?”

“To stay in the good graces of Mother Earth, he must obey her laws. The future is intended to be a mystery. He will not tell.” Dimitri shrugged. He knew that would be her answer. There had been two instances in Dimitri’s abnormally long immortal life when the Shaman shared his secrets. The first had been the night Dimitri and world had changed forever and the second, when he had to decide to fake his death or reveal Ven as a traitor.

“After tonight, everything will tumble into place.”

“What does this have to do with Gabriel and Kerstyn?” Silvie dropped her head, unable to meet Dimitri’s burning gaze.

Her uncle had entrusted her with his secrets. She wanted to tell Dimitri what she knew. She wanted to warn him, but she was bound to silence.

She had to choose her words carefully.

“These coming days will be a test for you all. I suggest you tell Kerstyn your purpose for being here. She deserves to know the risks.

She must not be caught unaware or left unprotected.” Silvie’s last word stung Dimitri’s ears. His greatest fear was leaving Kerstyn vulnerable and alone. He knew he could not possibly
107

be with her always.
What was that phrase the humans used? Ah, yes,

“twenty-four-seven”.

“Will Ven come after her?”

Silvie lifted her eyes. “Ven doesn’t believe the rumors about you are true, but he had heard there was a woman seen with you.

Rumors are circling as we speak as to who she is and how she is connected to you. After your attack, Ven will become extremely interested in knowing her identity and what she means to you. He will want to strike back and he will try anything to weaken you.” His suspicions were confirmed. He would have to arrange for security; Kerstyn could not be left defenseless.

“What of Gabriel?”

Silvie pushed herself away from the counter. “He is strong and resilient. He’ll recover from what is heading his way. I needed you to know that after tonight, things will change.” She slowly walked back out to the patio. “I must meet Gabriel and Gannon in Chicago. You still want me to erase Ven’s captives’ memories, correct?”

“Yes. Please, be thorough.”

“I will,” she assured him as she began to fade. “Don’t worry, Dimitri. Kerstyn is much stronger than she looks.” He opened his mouth to demand what she meant, but she was gone. Vanished. He cursed and turned from the patio, slamming the doors closed with his mind.

Kerstyn’s sweet, rose scent tickled his nose. Slowly turning, he found her standing just inside the kitchen. She wore a white terry-cloth robe with her hair wrapped in a dark, green towel that rested atop her head like an ancient, Egyptian crown. Her eyes were wide and quizzical.

“Is something wrong?”

108

The snow crunched beneath Gabriel’s heavy boots. He crouched low, hugging the shadows with Gannon next to him while the rest of their raiding team used the cars across the street as cover. They watched with a predatory gaze as men poured from the seemingly abandoned warehouse.

Just as Gabriel had predicted, the guards vacated their posts the instant they received word their home was quickly burning to the ground. He waited for the last of the vampires to pile into a red Dodge Ram pickup before motioning to his men to begin the next stage of their attack.

Beside him, Gannon withdrew his laptop from his military style backpack and began to furiously bang away at the keys.

“The security system is tight,” Gannon whispered, “but I’ll hack it and turn the cameras off.” He continued to hit the keypad.

Seconds crept by as he disabled one security precaution after another.

Gabriel pulled a paper from his back pants pocket. They had cased the place last night and he scanned the mapped layout of the warehouse again. His men would split up into three teams. The first would sweep the offices and take everything they could possibly find.

The second was the bomb squad; they would set the bombs that would ensure the building was reduced to rubble. The last group would free the humans.

“Done,” Gannon announced, snapping his computer closed. He shoved it back in his bag and shrugged it back over his shoulders.

Gabriel and Gannon darted across the street keeping to the shadows and joined the rest of the team.

“Stick to the plan,” Gabriel whispered. “We have twenty minutes before the security system is back up and the bombs detonate.

The vans will be around back by the emergency exit. If you aren’t out, you will be left behind, understood?”

109

The men nodded.

Gabriel took in a deep breath. His nerves were raw, his body cold, and his heart thundered. The last time he had felt this on edge had been the night he escaped from bondage.

“Go,” he snapped, shoving away the evil memories of his past.

The men stood and headed toward the door, which swung open upon their approach. The entrance was vacant. The raiders scattered, each team heading in a different direction.

Gabriel and Gannon sprinted up the stairs to the first of the two levels of cellblocks.

When no one met them at the top of the narrow stairs, they silently jogged across the landing to the double swinging doors.

Pressing themselves against the wall on both sides, they drew their knives.

Gabriel closed his eyes and allowed his senses to focus and probe the chambers beyond the door. There were four guards: one standing just inside, the others scattered about the office and…he swallowed the bile that burned his throat. The first row of slave blocks was on this level, beyond the office. He could smell their terror, taste their hate, and feel their despair deep within his soul. His heart tightened and bled for the innocent, disgustingly weak, humans.

Reining in his powers, his eyes snapped open, and, for a breath, he held Gannon’s gaze. They both nodded, knowing once inside they would split up, and, no matter what happened, they would stick to the plan.

They burst through the swinging doors, sending them slapping against the wall. Gabriel quickly dispatched the vampire who had been standing just beyond the doors. With one smooth movement, he grabbed the guard, hauled him aside, and plunged his dagger deep within his chest, piercing his heart. He wrenched his weapon free and spun away, the body thudding to the floor.

Shots splintered the air as the pair dodged the rain of bullets.

Gannon kicked the gun from one guard’s grasp before driving his dagger home. The vampire sputtered as his body stiffened. Gannon gave his dagger a twist before pulling it free of his enemy’s heart.

“Gannon!” Gabriel snapped.

Gannon turned, barely missing the bullets meant for his back.

He ducked, using the metal desk as cover, waiting for the prefect
110

moment to take down the trigger-happy guard. An evil smile curled his lips as he heard the gun click. Out of ammo.

He jumped to his feet and sent his knife flying through the air with such force his weapon embedded itself in the guard’s frontal lobe.

The vampire hit the cement floor, his body twisting, his fingers clawing at the hilt of the dagger. In a flash, Gannon stood over him. He yanked the dagger free only to plunge it into the vampire’s heart.

Gabriel squared off with the last guard. The vampire tossed his now empty gun aside and raised his fists. Wanting to make quick work of the guard, Gabriel delivered a mind-numbing roundhouse kick. The guard flew back, slamming into the wall, his head cracking the plaster.

Gannon blinked in disbelief. He had not seen Gabriel move, but he stood, his dagger buried to the hilt in the vampire’s chest. He liberated his weapon and wiped the blood from his blade on his jeans.

“Like butter,” he hissed as he placed his dagger in the sheath concealed by his leather jacket. “Let’s get moving.” He stormed past the now-vacant desks and pulled open the heavy, vault-like door.

The room was dimly lit by what little moonlight shone through the dirt-covered windows. There were no lights in this part of the building. Cells with thick, gleaming, silver bars lined the walkway, which dead-ended at the emergency exit.

“My God,” Gannon’s whisper ended with a cough. He covered his mouth and nose with his hand. “That stench.” Gabriel nodded. He knew the putrid odor all too well.

The bars that contained the humans were pristine, polished even, but they could not restrain the smell of human waste, blood, and gut-wrenching fear. He struggled to maintain his focus and self-control.

Now was not the time to skip down memory lane.

Gabriel pointed toward the stairs on the right. His partner gave a curt nod before heading to the second level to free the other prisoners.

Slamming his fist against a shining, red button on the wall, the cell doors snapped open. Not a single human moved toward an exit.

They huddled in the corners, their eyes downcast as Gabriel began to walk down the narrow walkway between the cells.

“We are not here to harm you,” he announced, his voice echoing through the cellblock. “I know you’re all frightened, but if you
111

come with me, you will be fed, clothed, and protected. You will be able to wash and sleep soundly. Medical attention will be provided to those in need.”

Still, no one moved, but he felt their eyes on him, burning him.

“We don’t have much time,” he said, “please, come with me.”

“Will you free my mother?”

Gabriel’s head snapped around to find a girl in her early teens standing just inside a cell. Her hair was matted with blood, her face badly bruised, her clothing stained a dark crimson and three sizes too large for her small frame.

“Where is your mother?”

“On the level above,” she said, her voice cracking on every other word.

Gabriel nodded. “My friend has gone upstairs to release the others.”

The girl cautiously stepped from her cell, her bare feet silent on the cold, cement floor. She slowly came to stand by his side. Breathless moments passed as the others waited for him to attack her, to bite her, to drain her.