Charleston Past Midnight (20 page)

Her slight hand wraps around my wrist, tugging urgently. “What is it, what’s wrong?” She senses my one-eighty shift in emotions and is scared.

Pulling her quickly back into the mouth of the alley, I say as calmly as possible under the circumstances, “Wrap your arms tightly around my waist and close your eyes, Calla.”

She complies instantly, knowing that the information delivered on that call was miles away from ‘good.’ I band my arms around hers and swiftly trace us to the one place where I know she’ll be secure, the one place he’s never infiltrated—our safe house in Spain.

* * *

Her surprised gasp fills the still, archaic space. I keep my hold firm and stare down into her wide eyes, “All right?”

Her eyes track around the walls to take in the priceless tapestries then farther up to view the ancient ceiling, painted in highly detailed relief with corals and myriad shades of blue.

“What is this place?”

Opening my arms, I reluctantly release her and step back. “We’re in Spain, and for now, it’s where you’ll be safe. I must go. Stay within the villa, Calla, I’m not flexible on this. I will return when I’ve cleared thing up back in Charleston.”

“Wait!” She lunges for me, grasping my forearm, wisely sensing that I am about to trace.

In a low, nervous tone, she pleads, “Tell me what’s going down tonight, Severin. You expect me to be a part of this equation yet you insist on keeping me in the dark. I deserve to know the truth, especially if it involves me. What is it?”

I shake my head, reluctant to give her the limited and undoubtedly dire information concerning her best friend’s welfare. No, I can’t leave her here to dwell on it alone. She would try to do something irrational and get herself hurt. I press my lips together and am about to tell her goodbye when she whispers, “Wait, was that Case’s deep voice I heard on that phone call? Oh God, is it Kiana? Is she in danger? You assured me that he was looking out for her! Oh God! What is it? Tell me right now!” She lets loose a fierce shriek I’ve never heard from her before.

I can’t lie to her. She would never forgive me. But I can gloss over the truth to smooth the brutal reality of the situation.

“It was him calling, Calla, and the best thing you can do for her right now is stay here. I can’t help her if I’m worried about
you.
Time is of the essence. I must go now. The others are waiting for me.”

“No! You will not leave me here! I get that you need your control in and out of the bedroom, Severin, I do, and believe me, normally I’m all on board for it, but this … this is different and you know it! I can’t just sit here knowing that she might face the same danger I did. I’m going back with you.”

I’m furious that she is too headstrong to see the big picture. I don’t have the time or patience to lay it out for her—that her roommate’s abduction is a trap to lure her to Valdon. For me, it’s a clear choice—that is, if it ever came down to the wire between Calla’s future or her friend’s life. She is not going anywhere near him. Period.

I make a wide step back toward the large fireplace, stare into her livid eyes, and trace back to Charleston before she can utter another word. I hope desperately that the memory I have of her in my mind will not be my last.
No, this time I play to win.

* * *

“Thank fuck you’re here! I was about to take off without you.”

Case is vibrating with rage as he grates the words out. I watch him shift from foot to foot, all two hundred and fifty pounds of him primed to attack.

My eyes meet Ambrose’s. He’s standing beside Alina, who is flipping a small yet lethal dagger up into the air in a repetitive motion. Everyone has their coping mechanisms for stress. Ambrose and I both internalize the anger until we’re ready to mete out the punishment—the calm before the storm, so to speak.

Ambrose speaks quietly, in a nearly detached tone, “I know where their place is. They have a large compound on the banks of the Wando River. We’ve all agreed that the closest we’ve been to that location is The Middlefield Marina. Do you know it?”

“Yes, I’ve been there as well.”

“Right then, once we’re there we shouldn’t be but half a mile from them. I suggest we ring him up and get him to invite us over for a little chat, maybe allude to negotiations.”

“Done. Let’s go.”

Within seconds we arrive at the empty dock. The water laps endlessly against the white vessels that are bobbing in the water. I pull out my phone and touch the screen, knowing that he will pick up, that he wants Calla desperately. My blood pounds in my head and I struggle to not crush the slim device in my palm as his smooth, arrogant Russian-accented voice answers. “Talk to me,” he says.

“I want the human.”

“For once we are in agreement, because
I
want Calla.”

“I’m coming to you.”

“Divine. We are located at the end of Chippewa Trail. We will meet you out back near the riverbank.”

“Fine.”

I’m about to disconnect when he says in a poisonous tone, “And Severin, she will die a horribly slow death if you do not produce what I want this evening. I will take out her lover as well, simply to prove my point.”

I hear a crack, followed by several others that happen in rapid succession as I realize I have unconsciously crushed my iPhone into shards.

From behind me I hear Ambrose say in a flat voice, “Well, I see that went well.”

Case growls low, clearly pissed and ready to unleash his wrath on the assholes that have his lady. Good, we’re going to need
exactly
that kind of temperament if we hope to pry her from them unscathed.

“We go on foot from here. They are not far. Follow me. Go by instinct. If it comes down to a fight, let Alina secure the human while we have at it. Time is against us. Sunrise is set for six ten this morning. It’s imperative that we get the human away from them as quickly as possible.”

After they agree on our plan of action we take off at a steady run toward the West. I’m in the lead and we cross the distance in little time. As we close in, I quickly tally their shadowed figures. There are six, total, not counting the human girl. I’ve faced worse odds alone. It’s not the numbers or their fighting skills that concern me, it’s Valdon’s ability to tap into thoughts. It’s impossible to fight effectively when you are trying to wipe your next move from your mind. That fact alone is why he is superior and has been unstoppable so far. To add to the mess, I’ll also have to focus on not giving him any inkling as to where Calla is hidden.

We stride confidently into the clearing that separates the elevated, ultra-modern home from the river. My eyes latch onto the petrified human who is tethered by her long hair to Valdon’s hand. She whimpers in fear but I can tell she is trying hard to not to scream out. She knows what they are by now. Case has already shared with me that she’s willingly shared her blood with him. He assured me that she was solid and if he got the sense she was going to ever share their little secret then he would wipe her clean and cut her loose. I believe him; he’s never given me a reason not to. She finds Case’s eyes as we cross into the moonlight and a little strangled sound of terror bubbles up from her throat.

Fuck! Don’t let Case lose his shit before we even begin negotiating ….

“Where is she?” Seeing that Calla isn’t among our group, Valdon is clearly agitated.

“Somewhere safe.” My words drip hatred as I stride closer, stopping only when he yanks back hard on the girl, causing her to scream out and grab at his hand, frantic to break his punishing hold on her hair.

I sense that Case is about to self-combust beside me. I hope that Ambrose will step in to bring him down a notch before all hell rains down.

“Hand over the human and we’ll walk away. Believe me, you don’t want a fight with us.”

He sneers cruelly, “You think you know the whole picture, Severin, but what you’re not aware of is that Katerina and I were lovers long before you ever walked this earth.”

I try not to look stunned as he continues, “That’s right, she was mine in all ways and tried to escape from me, and that was not remotely acceptable. Another choice piece of detail for you is that
I
was Katerina’s maker. She was indebted to me. With her death I lost her powers of seeing the future. It is a rare gift that will help to ensure that this faction will survive any future turmoil. Calla will serve me with hers. She will replace Katerina.”

That blow was so unexpected that I actually step back and hear Ambrose cough in shock.
He was her creator?
Holy fuck! Suddenly her shrouded past comes into crystal clear focus. She never shared with us
how
she was turned or why she was so afraid of Valdon. In the end she annihilated herself, seeing it as the only means at her disposal to thwart him, knowing that he would stop at nothing to have her back under his control. Ambrose and I are both weighted with guilt over what happened. These details, had they ever been brought to light, might have helped us to protect her. Still, that is in the past, and we can’t undo what has been done. I can only direct my attention on the circumstances before me. I have to call his bluff.

In a nonchalant manner I toss out, “Well, that’s not saying much about your qualities as a maker if she would rather take herself out in a bath of sunlight than let you lay a finger on her again. I’m guessing you must have really sucked in bed. And for the record, Calla is just as strong-willed as Katerina. She would never stand for you manipulating her.”

I’m going to make him so furious that he will hopefully trip up.

His eyes narrow into evil slashes of ice as he hisses, “You know nothing!”

In a nearly bored tone I stick the dagger in farther. “I know what Katerina told me about you. That’s enough for me.”

That did it.

Kiana is hauled up to his chest. His fangs are bared and his eyes never leave mine as he threatens menacingly, “I will drain her dry and toss you her corpse when I’m done. Your choice, starting now!”

Like a cobra I watch him plunge his razor sharp fangs into her neck. She bellows in agony as Case takes off in a sprint toward her. Two of his massive guards lunge for him and the furious blows start up. Ambrose and Alina take on the other two as the last one blocks my path to Valdon.
No time!
I can hear the girl’s heart stammering in her chest. With the way he’s drawing her down, she has maybe two minutes left.
Fuck!

I go straight for the thug and manage to get the big bastard in a headlock. He’s struggling furiously and is clocking me in the ribs with precise, heaving blows. I pummel my fist into his face over and over again, hearing first his orbital bone crunch, followed by the cartilage of his nose.

Slower …. She’s fading.

Off to my right Case shouts, “Tell him!” It’s the first time I’ve heard the male at his wit’s end, and even though I have a good idea what she means to him I won’t give Valdon her location.
Never.

Again he yells desperately, “He’s fucking killing her, Severin!”

I hear a crack and know that one of my right ribs just gave way. No matter. Shaking off the pain and intent on replacing it with adrenaline, I slide my hands from his neck farther up to grip the back of his head tightly. Then I slam it down, delivering a brutal hit with my knee.

That does it. He’s out momentarily, but most likely not for long. He drops to the ground like a stone tossed into the sea. I waste no time gunning straight for the now unconscious girl. Suddenly, before I reach him he unlatches his fangs and stares right at Case.
Something’s not right.

Although his eyes are locked with Case’s, his are miles away
. Oh fuck no! Don’t let him read his mind!
I’m powerless to stop him if he does. I sprint faster. Nearly there ….

Suddenly his eyes refocus and he turns to grin at me. “Got her,” He sneers.

I reach out, desperate to get my hands on him before he can trace. My fingertips brush the front of his dark shirt as he disappears right before my eyes. Kiana falls onto her side in the grass.

No time!

I whip around to make certain that things are in our favor and that everyone will be all right if I leave. The sudden blow comes from behind, knocking me to the grass with the force of a Rottweiler on the attack. I flip around, breaking his hold and prepare to take out the vampire I laid out only moments before.

Rage burns in his black eyes as he strikes out for my face. I rear back, missing his calculated blow by centimeters. I’m frantic to get to her but I can’t be careless. I leap back to my feet and we begin to stalk each other in a slow circle, both searching for any hint of weakness. He’s huge, built like Valdon, and I wonder if he specifically recruits former heavyweight boxers as his guards. That or former military assassins with special ops training. His guys are tough, exceedingly. I’m going to have to outsmart him.

He turns and swiftly executes a high roundhouse kick that catches the edge of my chin as I jump back. Behind the vampire I catch sight of Case’s hulking frame, bent low over Kiana. I hear his bass voice speaking rapidly to her but I’m too busy to pay close attention.

An idea comes to mind as I hiss to my opponent, “Missed landing that one. Must be rusty, either that or your boss keeps all the good shit for himself.” I’m dead set on getting him furious. Then I’ll make my move. I keep going, “Yeah, that must be it, you look like a hired hand. You’re the boss’s guard dog who’s perfectly content with scraps. Come on, you pussy. Show me your best, because we both know you could never deliver the goods.”

That did it. He bellows out a furious shout and in a flash I watch him drop low to execute a quick sweep with his right leg, primed on taking mine out. I grab for his ankle as it comes in close. Grasping it tightly in both hands, I concentrate my power and twist hard, hearing it snap in my hands. He screams and makes a mighty effort to pull away but I leap onto his chest before he can trace or flip out of the way.

I’m just about to start whaling on him when a large black boot comes into view, pressing directly against the vampire’s bare throat. I cast my eyes up and see Ambrose staring down at me. He’s bloodied but in better shape than the bodies splayed out on the lawn.