Scarlet (38 page)

Raphael strolled into the room with Catherine by his side. All three recruits stiffened at seeing her.

"Isn't she the one we saw taking orders from Roark yesterday?" Takeo asked, his contempt evident.

"Yes," Raphael said.

"What is she doing here?" Takeo asked, staring daggers into the woman.

"Catherine's going to help us rescue Red."

"Call me Chaos," she said. "Everyone does."

"Don't you think she's a little on the small side?" Takeo asked, ignoring what she'd said. "Not to mention the wrong side of this equation. Seems to me the tactical team is part of the problem, or hadn't you noticed?"

"We can't trust her, mon," Demery said, shaking his head. "She's the enemy."

Raphael smiled, Hashing his fangs. "We can now," he said.

The three men realized instantly what Raphael meant.

"Are you sure?" Juan asked. "I'd hate for you to be wrong and get us all killed."

Demery and Takeo turned to Juan. "There's no ignoring the bite, although I'd feel better if Demery and I bit her. too," Takeo
said.

"Yeah, mon. At least we'd know what she was thinking then. Can't be too careful."

Raphael hissed in warning. "That's not going to happen," he said, pulling Catherine behind him. He'd never been territorial when it came to women, but she brought out the beast in him. His actions were met with three sets of raised brows. But Raphael was in no mood to explain himself. "I will take responsibility for her," he said, hoping that wasn't the wrong thing to do. What was he thinking?
Of course
it was the wrong thing to do, but he couldn't stop himself. He wasn't about to let the two men bite Catherine. She was his.

"You picked a fine time to become blood whipped," Takeo
said, shaking his head in disgust. "I'm telling you now
she makes one wrong move and we're fanging her."

The men would die trying, Raphael mused before reining in his wayward thoughts.

"How can she help?" Juan asked.

"I believe a demonstration is in order," Raphael said, pulling her out from behind him. "My dear, if you don't mind. Gentleman, feel free to threaten her."

Catherine took a hesitant step forward, her limbs trembling beneath her uniform. As soon as she reached the center of the room, the three men stepped forward, forming a tight
circle around her. She closed her eyes. Raphael felt her power flow, washing over the recruits. Now that he'd taken her blood, it had little effect on him. Too bad he couldn't say
the same about her.

The three men swayed on their feet. Juan dropped to one knee. She slipped away easily to rejoin Raphael. The re-cruits blinked several times and looked around in confusion.

"What the hell?" Takeo said, shaking his head to clear it. "What were we doing?" he asked.

"I don't remember," Juan said. He stood and reached for a nearby column to steady himself.

"Neither do I," Demery added.

Raphael waited for the men to notice them standing near the doorway. His arms were crossed and he didn't bother to hide his amused smile. "Gentlemen," he said, drawing their attention to him.

"What are you doing here?" Takeo asked, stepping forward. Aggression marked his flawless features.

Demery hissed at him from behind his protective mask.

"Enough with the theatrics. I've been here the whole time. Don't you remember?" he asked.

The men shook their heads again and frowned.

"My thoughts don't make sense," Juan said. "They're jumbled along with my psychic gift."

"Neither do mine," Demery added. "The last thing I remember is—" He clutched his temple and a vein popped out on his forehead.

 "What did you do to us?" Takeo glared at Raphael.

"It wasn't me," he said. "I'd like you to meet Catherine Meyers. She has an interesting ability that will come in handy, when we find Red."

"She did this to us?" Juan gasped. "How?" His dark eyes narrowed in suspicion. "And why aren't you affected?"

"I'm not letting anyone fuck with my head." Takeo rushed forward to grab her.

Raphael pulled her out of the way, shoving her behind him. The move was revealing. "I wouldn't if I were you." He said in warning. "It does affect me just not in the same way."

"What kind of game are you playing, vamp?" Takeo asked.

"No game," Raphael said, shaking his head. "I'm quite serious. You touch her. You die."

"We can't trust her, especially if she has the ability to leave
us confused. What if she does that when we're looking for Red?" Demery asked.

"Yeah," Takeo added.

"She could lead us right to slaughter and there wouldn't be a damn thing we could do about it."

"She won't do that," Raphael said.

You can't know that for sure," Juan countered.

"Yes, I can," Raphael said softly. His gaze slid over her.

Takeo crossed his arms over his chest mirroring Raphael's stance. "How can you be certain?"

"Because if she does, I'll kill her."

*    *    *

Catherine blanched. His cold stark words were in direct contrast to his heated glances. How had she gotten herself into this mess? She was still having a hard time processing all that had happened. How could she have killed two people without knowing it?

Raphael had said she'd been drugged. Had Roark done that when she and Bannon went to visit him? If so, had Bannon been drugged, too, or was she the "lucky" one? Catherine hadn't noticed any changes in his behavior, but she hadn't noticed any changes in hers either. Roark was good. She'd give him that. She'd always been so careful about showing her power. Using it only when she needed it. Catherine had thought she had hid it well. Yet this vampire had swept in and uncovered the truth with an ease that left her head spinning.

She might have fucked Raphael, but she didn't trust him. Catherine still couldn't believe she'd done that. Even now she could feel the impression of his hands on her body, the tiny brands his fingertips had burned into her flesh.

She looked around at the four men. Each was so different from the other. Yet they all had an element of danger to them. It was not only in their eyes, but in their stances as well. They didn't trust her. The feeling was mutual. They were monsters, even though they didn't look it from the outside. Monsters that until yesterday she'd believed were more myth than anything.

Even now, she could see the hate in the exotic man's amber gaze. He would like nothing more than to tear her apart. Not that she could really blame him, if she'd done everything her seducer had claimed. As much as she didn't want to believe Raphael, something told her he was telling the truth. Catherine swallowed the bile threatening to choke her.

Why had she told the tactical team to leave her? Because Raphael asked? Ridiculous. She'd simply been in fear for her life. And the danger wasn't over yet. Catherine thought about calling the commander to throw herself on his mercy, but she didn't think Raphael would allow it. At least not yet. No, he had plans for her. Plans that sounded quite illegal.

She looked around and quivered. There'd be no escaping these men. Not now. Maybe never.

chapter twenty-five

Red glanced at Morgan. He'd passed out thirty minutes ago and she hadn't been able to revive him. His stomach was concave, but soon it would bloat from lack of food and water.

"Roark!" she shouted. "Roark, I know you can hear me. Morgan needs food and water or he'll die." She choked on the last word, fear beating at her. "Roark! Damn you!"

Red pulled at the chain around her ankle. It wouldn't budge. She examined the wall, pressing in various places to test its strength. It was slick, but solid, like the shackle imprisoning her.

The door opened. She stilled, expecting to see Roark. Hope blossomed as she recognized the man in the doorway. "Michael? Thank God you're here."

He scurried forward, carrying a tray of food and water. He opened the cage and set the tray down between them, then unlocked one of Morgan's wrists so he could reach the food.

"Michael, you have to get us out of here. Roark is going to kill us." Red said.

He didn't respond.

"Michael please."

His head slowly turned, his black eyes staring at her. The wild look in them caused Red to take a step back.

"What has he done to you?" She kept her voice low and soothing.

Michael opened his mouth to answer. A scream scorched the air where words should've been. He clutched his head then started batting at the air.

"Keep them away," he gasped. "Don't let them get me."

Red looked beside her, trying to see what disturbed him so, but there was nothing there.

"Stay away," he said.

Michael's power slammed her into the cell wall, knock-ing the air out of her lungs as it lifted her off the ground. He continued swatting at invisible enemies, while his power held her long enough for him to back out of the cage and lock it behind him. He scrambled out the door, clawing at the walls like a trapped beast who'd tasted freedom but had it taken away. The second he was out of sight, Red dropped to the ground with a thud.

She struggled to her feet. "What have you done to him, you bastard?"

Roark's disembodied voice came out of a hidden speaker in the wall. "Watch your tongue or you'll end up just like him."

Red shuddered. She had to find a way out of here. She wouldn't end up like Michael. She'd die before she'd let that happen. She turned back to Morgan, who was starting to rouse now that his wrist was free.

"You have to eat," she said. "There's water on the tray, too. Can you hold it?"

He moaned when he tried to reach the water. His hand dropped as if the effort were too great.

"Morgan, I need you to eat so that you can get your strength back. We are going to get out of here."

His amber eyes flickered open and he looked at her.

"That's better," Red said. "Now drink the water slowly. You can't afford to throw it up. This may be all we get."

Morgan nodded and reached for the canteen again. This time he grasped it. He put it to his mouth and removed the cap with his teeth, then poured some of the liquid into his mouth. Morgan swallowed, choking.

"Have a little more," Red said. She didn't need much. It was more important that he hydrate. He'd gone without far longer than she.

"You need some," Morgan croaked.

"I will once you've drunk your fill. Make sure you get some of the food on the tray."

"I know what you're doing," he said.

Red smiled. "Yeah, I'm saving your life."

He flashed a half-grin back at her, then winced as his lip split. "I can't believe I was stupid enough to fall for his ploy."

"You weren't being stupid. You thought you were protecting your family. No one can fault you for that." "

You can. And you
should,"
he said, placing the canteen on the tray so that she could reach it.

Red picked it up and shook it. There wasn't much left, but that was okay. She didn't need much. She'd done survival training with the tactical team. She could go for a long time without food or water. She placed her lips on the cap and tipped it up. The liquid was warm, but she didn't care. Red swallowed it, then put the canteen back on the tray.

"He only gave us these supplies so he could play with us longer," Morgan said. "You do know that, right?"

Red had suspected Roark hadn't given them the food and water to be humane. It didn't matter what his reasons were. All she was concerned about was their survival. And they couldn't survive without the basics.

"Yes, I know," she said. "And I don't care."