Infinity Unleashed (8 page)

Selena shrugged. “He is who he is… and so are you. It doesn’t mean it can’t work. Besides, you two are miserable without each other.” She pursed her lips. “Has it ever occurred to you that maybe if you stuck around and showed him you’re willing to give him what he needs, then maybe you could finally tame the wild vampire?”

“Tame?” Kara looked at her as if she was crazy. “He tried to kill me, multiple times.”

Selena smiled widely. “He has a temper. He’s working on it.” She pointed at her. “And your temper’s not any better. You tried to kill him too. That’s sazón… passion. Either way, make this shit work because I can’t stand being around him lately. His violent outbursts are getting worse.”

Kara’s emotions raced before she could push them away. She hated what he made her feel. He was her only weakness and he knew it. “He’s a vampire. That’s what he does… kill. He’ll never change. Not for me. Not for anyone.”

Selena sighed tiredly. “I give up. You know the way.” She turned her back on Kara. “Make good decisions, Valkyrie.”

Kara fluffed her hair anxiously before walking through the ultra-chic restaurant. She had to get her energy focused on her impending showdown with one of the most ruthless vampires in New York… Cortez Taron. This time she would make sure her faceoff with him would be different. She had a strategy, but she knew there was no getting side-tracked by his cat-and-mouse games. Absolutely no conversation about sex, and for fuck’s sake… she was going to avoid talking about their relationship or lack thereof.

And every one of her strategies went flying out of her head when the vampire from hell, Cortez, strolled up to her, looking handsome and impeccably dressed in his trademark black custom-made suite.

Standing like he was preparing to fight, he loomed over her.

His eyes narrowed. His sensual lips pulled into a thin line. Her heart raced, remembering how hard those lips were when he licked her own. When he kissed her neck, God, she shuddered… His lips and tongue were wickedly lethal. She bit back the lusty sigh before it slipped out.



“Ah, Querida.” His sinfully delicious voice was like a caress against her breasts.

She barely fought the delicious shiver that ran down her spine.

She hated and loved the way he stubbornly refused to stop using the Spanish endearment, Querida—darling—instead of her name.

His lips curled up into a smile as his eyes slid from her black stilettos to her long tanned legs, then her curves encased in her tight, caramel sheath dress.

“You look beautiful, as usual.”

Before she could protest, he pulled her close with one smooth move, sliding his hands up and down her body. Her sex clenched from the hottest frisk in damn history. Annoyed at herself, she smiled coldly before spinning away, stepping back quickly.

“Behave, Cortez. I’m not carrying a weapon on my body.” Technically true. It wasn’t her fault his cockiness prevented him from checking for the gun she stashed in her designer clutch. “Trust me.”

He laughed tauntingly before waving away his hovering enforcers. “Trust is something that must be earned, Querida, and you are far from earning mine.” He pulled her close, their lips almost brushing, millimeters apart.

She gazed up at him, desperately trying to tamp down the image of his hands on her body before stepping back, resisting the urge to run her fingers through his dark hair. She turned away, looking pointedly at the decked-out table set for one with lit candles. It was too romantic for her taste.

“Aw… the vampire did all this for me?”

He scowled. “Everyone has to eat.”

She cursed herself for noticing how ridiculously sexy his scowl was. “You’re a vampire. You don’t eat.”

“I do eat and well.” His gaze lingered on her body, sending a jolt of lust whipping straight to her sex. She squeezed her legs together, smothering the delicious pulsing.

His nose flared with a knowing smile. “It’s been a while, but believe me… my tongue game is still on point.”

She swallowed hard. He was still the only man on earth who evoked both rage and lust at the same time. Pulling out her chair, he tilted his head. “Have a seat, Valkyrie.”

Kara sat down smoothly, taking the napkin from the table, giving it the tiniest whip before laying it on her lap. Cortez caressed her back before walking over to the opposite side of the table. Her body tensed and she slipped her hand into her clutch, palming her gun.

Cortez sat down, leaning forward menacingly. “Hands on the table. Now!”

She grunted before slowly putting her hand on the table. “Can you blame me? Last time you tried to kill me.”

Casually, he poured champagne into her glass, then filled his glass with blood. She reached forward, grabbing her glass. She swallowed the liquid hard, thinking.

He swirled his half-full glass of blood with a brooding stare. “Correction. I tried to kill the bear-shifter who was touching my mate.” He looked at her pointedly. “You just got in the way…” His lips curled up with distaste. “Next time, think before flaunting your lovers in my fucking restaurant. It’s damn disrespectful.”

She bristled. “You don’t own me, Cortez. Besides, he had no clue about you and me.” No one knew Cortez was her ex-lover and she planned on keeping it that way. “You almost killed him.”

Cortez stared at her for a few seconds. “I was in a very forgiving mood that night.” He shrugged. “I granted him mercy. Now he’s learned a valuable lesson: don’t fuck with what’s mine.”

She skewered Cortez with an enraged stare. “You don’t…” Her voice rose and she caught herself, giving him a now-composed stare. “Own me, Cortez.”

“Are you sure?” Cortez responded, looking at her coolly before taking a sip of blood. He deliberately ran his tongue slowly over his luscious lips, taunting her. Kara bit back a whimper.

“What do you want, Querida?”

She swallowed over her pride and did something that under normal circumstances she would move heaven and earth not to do… ask for his help.

“I need your help.” She gritted the words through stiff lips.

He calmly placed his glass onto the table, twirling the stem. “I give. You take. However, you refuse give me what I want. Now is that fair?”

She looked at him incredulously. “You know that I can’t give you what you want,” she sputtered. No matter how much she wanted to.

He sneered, “Then why the fuck should I give a shit that Infinity was taken by the Degrassi pride?”

She didn’t blink. Nothing was secret in the Others’ world, especially to a powerful man like Cortez. “You know why. She’s my daughter.”

His face tightened. “She’s not your daughter. She’s property of Glen and the High Council. You would do well to remember that.”

Her eyes narrowed. “I love her just the same.”

He tilted his head, eyes transformed to blood red. “Love?” He snarled. “You and I don’t know the meaning of love.” He leaned forward, grabbing her face. “We understand lust, greed, death, and power. Love is not in our fucking vocabulary.”

Her heart raced as she pulled her face away from him. If only he knew how much she understood what love was, but a cold-hearted man like Cortez would never understand. Cortez wouldn’t understand how much Infinity had changed her life for the better. Infinity made her a better woman—a woman who now put selfish things aside and was willing to lay down her life for her daughter.

Steeling her heart, she looked at him coldly. “This is not about you or me. I need an audience before the Other Council. I need her back, and the only way to do that is by breaking the pact with the tiger-shifters.”

“You want us to go against the High Council?” He laughed mockingly. “That’s a very bold request. To go against Glen is a death sentence.” He raised a brow. “Personally, I don’t give a shit about Glen or the High Council. They don’t give a shit about me, but I’m not putting my clan in danger to save Infinity unless there’s a damn good reason. And this is not it.”

She arched a brow. “You’re telling me that saving your sorry vampire ass is not a good enough reason?”

“If you’re talking about that bullshit rumor that Glen plans to use her to kill all Others, then no. No one believes that shit except you and a bunch of crazy rogues. Besides, the Others have grown very strong and will fight Glen to survive. And last but not least, there’s no way in hell I’m putting my destiny in the hands of a girl that doesn’t even know the truth about who and what she really is. I don’t trust her.”

She pounded on the table. “Well, I do.”

Cortez shook his head in amazement. “You trust her? That’s comical. You didn’t even trust her enough to tell her the truth. Now, that jackass Mason, who thinks he’s the next leader of the tiger-shifters, has kidnapped her. Do you know how dangerous that is?”

Kara’s fists clenched.

He continued. “I warned you this would happen. She’s now under the control of the one Other on this earth she should never be with.” He slammed his hand on the table, rattling the glasses. “And now you walk into my restaurant, demanding we declare war against the tiger-shifters?” He threw his hands up in the air. “Unbelievable.”

“I did it to protect her.”

He bristled, pointing his finger at her with anger. “Bullshit! You did it to protect yourself. Now tell me, Querida. Are you willing to accept the repercussions of going against Glen?”

Her eyes narrowed. “I don’t owe him or the High Council anything. And at this point, I don’t give a shit if the Others know the truth about her. If it will save her ass, I’ll do what’s necessary.”

He laughed icily. “If you had told the truth, you wouldn’t be in this predicament. Do you know the wrath that will be unleashed if the Others find out she was created to finish what Mist couldn’t? They’ll kill her.” He smiled coldly. “Or pimp her out to the highest bidder. That’s one powerful little girl, and whoever owns her will have the High Council by the balls. But you already know that.”

Kara opened her mouth, then snapped it shut. There was no easy answer this time. It was complicated. He knew it and so did she.

“I’ll always be here protect her and guide her to do the right thing. But if she wants to use her power to kill the Others, I know that even I can’t stop her.” She locked eyes with him. “I know what you’re thinking, Cortez. You want to kill her, but I’m telling you that would be a big fucking mistake. Despite the evil Glen put inside her, Infinity is still the Immortals’ spirit daughter. Kill her and they will retaliate.”

His eyes hardened. “No one has seen or heard from a damn Immortal in years. They turned their backs on us. Even Azura walked away when she lost the chance to lead the High Council. Glen and Gibbs are the last of the Druids.”

“The Immortals didn’t turn their backs on us. I feel them every day and they’re waiting.”

“Waiting for what?” He sneered.

“I don’t know… but I think it has to do with Infinity. That’s why she must live.” She couldn’t trust Cortez with what she suspected. It was too dangerous. The fact that Infinity was coming into her powers as Glen’s probation period was ending reeked of brewing trouble ahead. The Immortals were plotting something big.

Cortez snorted. “Bullshit! The Immortals don’t give a shit if Infinity dies. The only logical thing to do is kill her before she kills us.”

She leaned forward angrily. “She’s our only salvation.”

He gave her a little sliver of a smile, like a cat with a mouse. “You mean the Valkyries’ only salvation. Are you sure
you
aren’t compromising everyone with your refusal to kill her for purely selfish reasons?”

“I’m not afraid to die, Cortez. We all must pay for our sins.”

“Querida, I was born from sin and death. I have nothing to repent for.”

She arched a brow. “Who are you kidding? Both of us have plenty of repenting to do.”

He snorted before pushing back from the table and walking over to the window with long, graceful strides. He stared silently at the Manhattan skyline before finally saying, “I will call the Other Council, but I can’t guarantee they’ll agree to sever the pact.” He turned to look at her. “In truth, it’s not something I believe is in the best interest of my clan or Others.”

She stood and walked over to him. “Leave the convincing to me.”

Cortez yanked her close. Kara blinked. Confused and suspicious. Her eyes looked for tricks, but all she saw was rare emotion in his eyes before he kissed her hard and fast. She moaned as their tongues dueled and hands moved fast, hungry and desperate. Cortez pulled back, pressing his lips against her neck. She tensed before running her hands through his silky hair, briefly enjoying the pleasure of his smell and touch before grabbing his hair roughly, yanking him away.

Roughly, he grabbed her face between his hands. “Would it be so bad to stay by my side as my consort?”

“And then what?” She hissed. “We pretend the evil man you are doesn’t exist? I’m no saint, but I’m not a cold-blooded killer either… not anymore.”

He snarled before grabbing the back of her neck, holding her immobile. “I’m not going to change, Kara. Even for you.”

She closed her eyes briefly, pushing down all of the regrets, hope, and frustration. It would never work between them. “Did I ever ask you to change?”

“This is me. Take or leave it,” he barked.

She blinked back the unexpected tears. “I have to leave it, Cortez. My daughter and Valkyries need me. You don’t.”

“You’d be surprised about what I need,” he responded with a husky voice.

Her heart stopped, her love for him fighting its way to the surface before she buried it with brute force. “We both have needs, but yours don’t matter.”
Not anymore.

He grabbed her hand roughly, making sure to graze his canines against it while kissing it. “Well, that’s a damn shame.” He pushed her away roughly. “Well, let the circus begin…” He pulled out his cell and began dialing.

CHAPTER 7

New York… Friday

The ringing of Boulder’s cell echoed throughout the vehicle. He jammed his finger against the speaker button. “Yeah?”

“We’ve got a problem,” Kara hissed. “Cortez just called the Other Council.”

“And?”

“There’s some internal fighting about having the meeting today.”