Infamous: (A Bad Boy Romantic Suspense) (42 page)

“Don’t worry, Robert and Dimitri are already taking care of them,” Tina said. She was pulling on some gloves, then pulling out silver chains.

“They got out already?” I asked, grabbing a few. I could hear Alexis making angry sputtering sounds from below us, trying to move.

“They were out before she played that vid. It was a recording from a little while ago,” Tina said.

“And Tasha?” I said as we began wrapping Alexis in the silver. She made little mewling noises, clearly not as up for the pain as Robert and Dimitri had been.

“She’s out and with some friends of mine,” she said.

“Who?” I asked, covering Alexis’s mouth with a cloth. It helped muffle her whines.

“One of the other werewolf guards, Sam. He’s been a friend of mine a long time. He got her out and she’s with his pack right now. Don’t worry, she’ll be out for hours. She won’t remember anything. And we’ll pick her up on our way back,” she said.

“Oh.”

“Now let’s get the hell out of here before that creep Stoller shows up,” she said. We dragged Alexis with us. She was surprisingly light and Tina was surprisingly strong. We weren’t about to leave her anywhere she could be found.

We took our time getting to the rendezvous point. We knew the place was crawling with werewolves and while Tina assured me there was no love lost, I wasn’t going to count on anything.

Which, as it turned out, was a very, very, very good thing.

When we got to the meeting spot, no one was there. We were hidden in some bushes, Alexis beside us with eyes like burning coals. I nodded at Tina, who dosed her again. The vampire’s eyelids got heavy, then she dropped off. Finally.

Something about the situation didn’t feel right. It had been too easy to get out, for one thing. I could believe Alexis was overconfident to the point of negligence, but Stoller was a whole other story. We hadn’t seen hide or hair of him since he’d dropped me off with her. I just didn’t see that guy disappearing and leaving everyone alone.

So we waited.

When Robert and Dimitri didn’t show up within half an hour, I think we both knew something was very wrong. We stashed Alexis’s unconscious form in the hollow of a large tree and Tina sent out some kind of changeling call to have her picked up. It sounded a bit like an owl with a metallic edge to it. I hoped to never see her again.

Then we headed back to the castle.

My hands were feeling cold and clammy and everything about the place just seemed wrong. I mean, more wrong. I was glad Tasha was out of there, but clearly something had held up Robert and Dimitri. And I had a bad feeling I knew who.

I was glad Tina was there. Trying to do this alone would have been terrifying. Well, more terrifying. I didn’t want to die but I was ready to if that’s what it took. This had to end, one way or another.

“So, what do you think we’re going to face?” I asked, not worrying too much about whispering. I had a feeling stealth wasn’t really going to do much. We were going to have to fight.

“Not really sure. I’m mostly just hoping it won’t be a cadre of vamps and werewolves. You?” she said.

“You know, it is weird Alexis hasn’t had any other vamps around. I wonder why,” I mused. We walked softly down a corridor that led, I thought, back to the main chamber where I’d had my little tête à tête with Alexis.

“Probably too suspicious. She didn’t want to risk anyone else finding out. Vamps aren’t that trustworthy. Her being a case in point,” Tina said, then put her arm out.

We listened until we heard some snuffling, and then a large gray wolf was in front of us.

“Oh, hey, Sam,” said Tina, relaxing. He trotted over and rubbed his nose on her leg.

“Your friend?” I asked. Then his nose was in my crotch.

“Sam! Behave,” Tina said sharply. He backed up, only looking a little sheepish. I suppressed a laugh.

“It’s fine. But we should get going. Can Sam take us to them?” I asked. Tina looked at him, and he sort of dog-nodded. Which is a little weird, but these are the times we live in.

We took off at a trot, following Sam’s rather large tail. He moved confidently, making sharp turns, never hesitating in his chosen direction. I could hear him sniffing and snuffling. And I wondered.

There were no other sounds around us, though it continued to reek of mold and old, still water. Every hallway looked the same to me, so I was glad to be with those who could sense the differences. I was equally glad not to have to smell my way through life. I mean, can you imagine what a busy city street must be like? Or a subway station? Years of pee and bodies and blood. Centuries, even. That kind of scent layering must play havoc with the nose, making smells almost like living things.

As I pondered the intricacies of sniffing the world, we came out into a cold, wide room, very much like a crypt. There were large stone casings in the walls, skulls and death masks carved into the pillars. Yep, definitely a crypt.

There were numerous dark entryways and exits that could have led deeper down or out, no way to tell.

And I realized, too late, that we’d been led right into a den.

“Oh, Sam,” said Tina.

“Trap?” I asked, though I already knew. I watched the werewolf hang his head and put his tail between his legs. He whined something that sounded very much like an apology and then slunk away.

“Yeah. Sorry,” Tina said.

“Bound to happen. Don’t be sorry about it. We’ll handle it,” I said.

I heard a familiar, grating laugh echo through the chamber. I looked towards the archway in front of us and waited.

When Stoller’s silhouette finally appeared in the frame of the arch, I had to stifle a gasp. He’d been tall and spindly and off when I’d first encountered him, though he’d been looking distinctly unpleasant earlier that day what with the face-melting issue.

Now, however, he was positively monstrous.

Stoller was at least eight feet tall now, which was apropos. Because he also had eight limbs that moved with an upsetting speed. His face hung forward on a long, segmented neck. His face also had eyes with many facets and mandibles around his currently leering mouth. The body behind him was full of wiry hairs, and a stinger, sharp and deadly, pushed up from the end. He was like some kind of arachnid/scorpion hybrid. Insect-like (though of course, spiders aren’t) and not. The effect was more than unsettling. It was deeply grotesque.

“You can’t handle me,” he said, mandibles clacking together. He was dragging something behind him. And in another moment I saw what.

Robert and Dimitri were bound with silver, writhing though not crying out. Their teeth were bared, sharp, and their eyes were flat black coals. Stoller was dragging them like sacks, taking a clear sense of glee in parading them around, helpless.

“I don’t know where Alexis has gotten off to, but as far as I’m concerned our contract was fulfilled. So now you’re mine. Scared yet?” he said, whipping my two lovers around and hitting them against a pillar with an upsetting whump sound. They hissed at him but could not move or do anything.

“Oh, I don’t know. I’ve squished my fair share of bugs,” I said. I was amazed my voice sounded so steady. Stoller’s face twisted.

“I’m really going to enjoy ripping that smart mouth out of your head,” he snarled. It was a pretty good threat, really. But I stood my ground. And felt in my pocket for the little secret weapon I’d been carrying since we left London.

“I bet. But you’re going to have to catch me to do it.” And I took off at a dead run, trying to put as much distance between him and Tina as I could before he caught me. I looked back just once to see if he’d done what I’d hoped, and he thankfully had. He’d dropped Dimitri and Robert in his desperation to get at me. Tina was already unwrapping the silver that bound them.

Stoller was going to catch up with me, I knew that. Actually, I was counting on it. But I couldn’t let him know that, so I ran for all I was worth.

In fact, I ran so well my plan nearly backfired. I was almost at a yawning archway when I felt one of his horrible legs wrap around my waist. I sighed, then tensed. Timing was going to be everything.

He twisted me around and lifted me, painfully, between his sharp claws.

“Gotcha,” he said. I looked into his triumphant face, every shred of humanity gone, faceted eyes wild, mouth crunching and slavering.

“Stoller?” I said, carefully reaching into my pocket and pulling out a small tube.

“What, meat?” he said.

“Surprise, said the fly to the spider,” I said, and brought up the little aerosol bottle of bug spray and depressed the top, emptying it into his shocked, horrified face. It was intensely satisfying.

He dropped me, but it was too late. I’d gotten him in the eyes and mouth, and he howled in agony, thrashing.

Unfortunately, as he thrashed, one of his long legs came down and speared through my thigh. Right through the artery. I saw the blood start to seep out in a dizzying rush. Stoller, meanwhile, spiraled away from me, shrieking, and stumbled down a passageway, into darkness. We could hear him bubbling with pain until the cries became whimpers. And then silence. It was over fast.

And I would be over soon, too. I pushed myself back until I was against a pillar and then rested. Everything was leaking out of me and I found it didn’t really hurt.

Dimitri and Robert were staring down the tunnel after Stoller, in apparent shock, while Tina rushed over to me. She took one look at my face, which was drained of color, then down at my leg.

“Get the fuck over here, you two! Now!” she yelled. She then pressed her hands against my leg. Her little hands were immediately soaked with my blood.

“Oh, Emma,” Robert breathed. He knelt down, looking at the wound. Dimitri came to my other side and pushed back my sweaty hair.

“Emma, love,” he said.

“Not too bad for a human, yeah?” I smiled. My eyelids felt heavy.

“You’re my new hero,” said Tina, taking my hand. Hers was slippery and red.

“We can help,” said Robert. I looked at him.

“I was kind of hoping I’d get more time for this particular decision,” I said.

“Well, you don’t. If you don’t let one of us bite you, you’ll die,” Dimitri said angrily.

“I know. But I can’t choose,” I said, feeling myself slipping, wanting desperately to sleep. Tina slapped me.

“Don’t you dare nod off, Emma,” she commanded.

“Noted. No nodding off,” I said, smiling at her. She gripped my hand tight.

“Let one of them do it, Emma. You don’t deserve to die like this,” she said.

“In a crypt, after killing a giant spider thing? I don’t know, that’s a pretty badass way to go. If you’re going to,” I said.

“Don’t joke. Not now,” said Dimitri. He sounded desperate.

“Emma, please,” Robert said. His voice was quiet, afraid. I looked at them both affectionately.

“It’s a big commitment. Forever,” I said.

“We’ll take care of you,” Robert said, touching my cheek.

“Yeah, see, that’s what I’m afraid of. I don’t want that. I want partners, not caretakers,” I said. The blood was really pumping out of me. I knew I didn’t have much time and that I was just putting off the inevitable.

And then a thought occurred to me.

“What if…you both bit me?” I asked, feeling a sudden change in the air I said it. As though something Important was about to happen. “What would happen then?”

They stared at me.

“Is that a no?” I asked. “Because I’m just dying here, so someone should probably say something.”

“It’s just…well…” Dimitri looked at Robert.

“Yes, we…,” Robert started, then stopped.

“They don’t know. No one’s ever done it,” said Tina, getting to the point as usual.

“So it can’t be?” I said.

“No, it’s just no one ever has. We have no idea what would happen. Maybe nothing,” Dimitri said.

“Or maybe something,” said Robert, looking at him. They took a moment, eyes locked. Then they both nodded.

“We’ll try,” Robert said.

“Will I have to drink your blood or anything? Because I’m not sure I can do that,” I said weakly, stalling a little. It was dangerous. I knew I was close to bleeding out.

“No, it only takes the bite,” Dimitri said. They were watching me, eyes shining, muscles tense. I could tell they were eager to bite me but were holding back. Some of it was their base instinct, some carnal desire, and love.

“Okay. Try not to, you know, kill me by mistake.” They didn’t laugh.

I sighed and tried to prop myself up a little but ended up slumping down further instead. They both knelt before me, each taking a hand and exposing a wrist.

“Do it,” I breathed.

I watched their heads descend, their lips part and curl back, exposing their teeth, white and sharp.

Then they were fastening their jaws onto my skin. I braced for the pain. They bit.

It was like having ten orgasms at once. It was so intense I couldn’t make a sound, just a wordless cry of joy. My back arched, my legs tightened, and I was held up only by their mouths on my wrists. Then knelt as if in prayer, I offered myself completely.