Taken by the Others (27 page)

Guaranteed, even with the lawyers on his bankroll, it would still take a while to sort out this mess and get Royce cleared of any charges. Was Max trying to temporarily get us out of the way, or was this meant as a smear campaign against Royce? The press would be on top of this in short order. No one, not even the feds, could hide a slaughter of this magnitude for long. The paparazzi would have a field day with this. No doubt the general public would be terrified of all things Other for a good long while.

That led me to wonder. Did Max have something more sinister in mind for this scene, or was he just trying to get us off his back long enough to do something even worse? Maybe he wanted time to entrench himself somewhere else, move to another haven. Maybe he wanted to make Royce’s life an (un)living hell for the next few years. Let’s face it: even the best lawyers and marketing people money can buy wouldn’t fully remove the taint this would put on Royce’s rep. But why would Max do that if he intended to kill Royce, as he’d said to me back at that house in the woods?

Maybe Max had meant to make people afraid of vampires again, stop seeing them as people, and view them all as a menace or a threat. Royce had mentioned Max didn’t agree with vampires going public. Maybe that meant he didn’t want vampires to be legal citizens anymore.

Or maybe I was just reading too much into it and he only did it to make things harder on Royce. I just couldn’t be sure.

Damn it, I needed fewer questions and more answers.

John took us down to the basement and opened up another hidden escape tunnel below ground. Useful, but creepy.

‘I thought tonight was about the hunt,’ the belt whined at me as we ran, halogen lights flashing by. It was impossible to tell how many we’d passed or how far we were going. ‘I was looking forward to killing vampires again. Couldn’t you take down one of these? You don’t need them for anything now.’

I am so not debating this with you right now, I thought as hard as I could at it.

‘You’re no fun,’ it sulked, quieting again. Thank God.

John veered off down a narrower and not quite so well-lit tunnel. Some of the lamps were out. Guess this one wasn’t used as often.

After a while, we reached a door for which he produced–you guessed it–another key. He gestured for me to go first, very gentlemanly.

Thus, I wasn’t expecting to be faced with a smiling Max Carlyle as soon as I emerged into a basement. I froze at the sight of him, wide eyes taking in the crowd of vampires at his back. There were almost as many vamps here as Royce had brought with him to Twisted Temptations.

No. Not all vampires. I recognized some of Max’s human flunkies who’d helped kidnap me, as well as Peter and Nicolas. The mage had a huge white bandage taped to his forehead and temple, and was glaring daggers at me. Crap, the White Hats hadn’t killed him; they’d only knocked him out when they came to rescue me.

My heart seized up on me, my shock leading me to falter. The vampire beside John grabbed my arms, wresting them to the small of my back while John shut the door, cutting off any hope of escape. There wasn’t time to feel betrayed; everything was moving too fast for that.

The vamp who grabbed me must not have known about the belt. He wasn’t holding me too tightly. In a panic, I took advantage of his weak grip by twisting to the side, the terror and surge of adrenalin making me willing to do absolutely anything to break free. God, I did not want to be back in the hands of Max Carlyle. Not again–not after what I’d just seen.

‘There’s too many! Don’t fight so hard. You’ll give yourself away and won’t get another chance to escape.’

Panting with terror, I did as the belt advised and stopped pulling quite so hard. The vamp holding me was still cursing and struggling with effort. Another set of hands tightened on one of my arms. The first vampire shifted his grip so he and John each held me pinned between them. I made a little sound of pain when John’s fingers dug in, crushing my bicep through the thick layers of leather trench coat and armor.

I could’ve kicked at them, and possibly succeeded at cracking shins and breaking kneecaps with these heavy boots, but the belt was right. It was too soon to give myself away. For the moment, I’d play hurt and scared little human.

“Good to see you again, Shiarra,” Max purred.

He came closer and tipped up my face, though I tried vainly to pull back from his touch. Panic threatened to take me again, and it was all I could do to keep from throwing my full weight back to avoid contact. Max’s gray eyes were calm, collected, nothing like they should be after he caused the deaths of so many people.

I’m pretty sure mine reflected that I was scared shitless.

“I hadn’t taken you for the sort to use such a hands-on method at revenge. I’m glad you came with Alec to investigate the club; it makes things ever so much easier.”

“So glad I could be of service,” I snarled sarcastically, falling back on bravado. There had to be something I could do to escape. When his fingers tightened, tilting my head back, I lost it. In my haste to keep from being put in a position to be bitten again, I lashed out at him and kicked his knee. The belt interceded, preventing me from putting the full force of my augmented strength and speed behind it.

Despite the belt dampening my efforts, it was still like striking a solid block of granite. I winced in pain as Max stumbled back, eyes widening as he reached down to clutch at his leg. Damn it, I must have hit him too hard. John snarled and twisted my hair up in his fist, yanking my head back so hard, I’m surprised my neck didn’t snap.

“No. Let go, John,” Max ordered. He sounded rather breathless, his composure lost in an instant to interest, not fear or pain. John reluctantly disentangled his fingers from my hair, once again gripping my upper arm with both hands. “My, my. Not what I was expecting at all.”

Damn it, damn it, damn it! I’d meant to make Max back off, not become more intrigued with me.

He slid closer again, the movement smooth and graceful. Either I hadn’t injured him as much as I’d hoped, or he was very good at rapid healing. Probably both. I tried swallowing past the fear closing my throat, to think of some witty one-liner to deflect the turn of his thoughts, but nothing was coming to mind beyond gibbering terror.

“I suppose it wouldn’t change anything to tip my hand now,” he said, more to himself than anyone else. He put his hand under my chin again, but this time it was to force me to stare directly into his gaze. I couldn’t look away. “Don’t do that again, hmm?”

There was nothing for me but his eyes, his voice in my universe. I willed myself to fight, to strike him again, to lash out somehow, but my body didn’t want to cooperate. Something was dreadfully wrong here.

“Behave yourself. I’ll take care of you.”

His voice wrapped around me like a security blanket. Safe, warm, comforting. Had I done something wrong? Maybe I shouldn’t have tried to hurt him. I should apologize for kicking him, shouldn’t I? Then I could bathe in that warmth, fall into the safety of his arms.

What was wrong with me? With a low growl, I closed my eyes, summoning as much strength of will as I could. This was a vampire, a murderous vampire who had killed too many people for me to count. I’d seen the evidence of it with my own eyes not an hour ago. Why did I feel such a strong draw to him, to do what he said?

Help me, I pleaded inwardly, mentally grasping at the only straw I had. I had the charm; he wasn’t supposed to be able to do this to me. Why weren’t the belt and the charm keeping him out of my mind? I tried to reason with the belt, pleading the only way I knew how without giving myself away to Max.

Please, do something, help me stop this. It’s not supposed to be this way!

Distantly, very distantly, the belt whispered an answer. I’d never heard it sound so quiet and afraid before. ‘This isn’t something I can help you fight. The charm won’t protect you from this. You’re bound to him.’

“No! Oh, God, no!” I cried, my voice gone thin and reedy with shock and fear. I hadn’t meant to say those words aloud but I couldn’t help it. Bound? I wasn’t supposed to be bound to anybody! That meant he could bend me to his will, use me like those people I’d seen at the police station so many months ago, straining against the handcuffs binding them to their chairs as they cried and screamed for their dead vampire master.

Those soft hands caressed my face, thumbs lightly brushing along my cheeks to wipe away my tears.

“Hush,” he said, that pleasant voice teasing at my senses. “Open your eyes, Shiarra. Look at me.”

I tried to fight it. I didn’t want to open my eyes.

But I had to.

I practically melted at the sight of his soft smile, seeing he wasn’t angry. He cared for and loved me. Why was I supposed to be fighting this? He backed away a few steps, and I surged toward him, crying out as those cruel hands tightened on my arms, keeping us apart.

Some tiny voice in the back of my mind was screaming, but it was easy to ignore.

“You won’t hurt me again, will you, pet?”

I shook my head, not trusting my voice. Was he angry with me for hurting him? It was accidental, like his hurting me before was accidental. I never should have touched him, not like that. He never meant to hurt me before. I was sure of it. That smile–I’d give anything just to see that smile of his one more time.

“Your scent is different. Muted somehow. Underneath it, it’s like you’re healthy,” he murmured, regarding me with some wariness. “Humans don’t heal that quickly. Explain.”

“I have this perfume. A mage gave it to me. He says it’s supposed to make me smell less like food to vampires.” I rushed the words out, wanting to please him. He needed to know I wouldn’t use it to hurt him. Not now. At his thoughtful nod, I continued. “The hunters who came to save me gave me a transfusion to help me get better faster from when … from before.”

I faltered, not wanting to talk about being bitten. The thought still frightened me, even with the haze of adoration I had for him.

“Come to me.”

As soon as John and the other vampire released me, I flung myself into Max’s open arms. He’d keep me safe. He’d make the others stay away and leave me alone. Tears of joy sprang to my eyes when he wrapped his arms around me. He wasn’t so mad at me after all. One hand lightly brushed through my hair, the other cradling me to his chest as he whispered so soft and endearing into my ear.

“You’re mine now.”

Chapter 28

I’m not sure where we were once we reached the end of the tunnel. Truthfully, at the time, I didn’t care. Leaving the building was something of a blur. I don’t have any recollection of the interior except for the basement. I didn’t take note of my surroundings until much later, when I sat in the back of a car with John at the wheel and Max’s arm around my shoulder. I’d never felt so safe, so loved, or so needed before.

A part of me–a very small part of me–knew I had to do something about my friends. A bit more knew I’d have to visit some revenge on John for his betrayal. Soon, but not now. For the moment, I was safe and happy where I was. The idea of leaving Max’s side was about as appealing as stepping barefoot on a slug.

I thought about what was happening and what I was feeling. My analytical capabilities were, to some extent, functioning again. It was only when I looked into Max’s eyes that I became so enamored I couldn’t think of anything but him. Concentrating on anything else was hard, but without his eyes on mine, I could focus on more than just how much I wanted to please him.

We were going to Royce’s main home here in the city. I hadn’t known he had more than one until John mentioned it in passing. Max was planning on taking charge of each location, one by one, and assimilating or destroying all of Royce’s existing servants. With Royce tied up at the police station, now was the perfect time to destroy the heart of his network of vampires here in New York City. Royce might be able to throw enough money and lawyer-speak at the cops for them to let him go later tonight, but by then it would be too late. Even if he found out about Max’s plan, he’d never be able to pool the resources he’d need to fend off what would be waiting for him when he got home.

The only one of Royce’s friends who knew about John’s betrayal was me. Royce wouldn’t be expecting to be met by a whole crapload of bad guys when he came home to hide or sleep for the day. Or whatever it was vamps did while daylight still shone. He’d be off his guard and outnumbered.

I was only half listening while Max and John discussed some details about divvying up Royce’s empire between them. John’s reward for his treachery was to take Royce’s place as master over the New York territories and to assume ownership of his holdings. As payment for putting him in charge, he would funnel money and other resources to Max in his hometown of Chicago.

Hatred for John was building up from a slow simmer to a boiling froth. That backstabbing little shit had to die.

Max’s fingers tightened on my shoulder. Maybe he felt my tension building. I forced myself to relax and conceived soul-warming thoughts about using the stakes riding at my hip to destroy that cowardly flunky’s withered husk of a heart.

After a while, those images worked their way into words, soft though they were. ‘Don’t look into his eyes again. I can’t help you if you’re under his influence.’

My breath caught in my throat as I realized all those thoughts of violence weren’t my own. It was the belt unhooking some of Max’s claws so I could fight back. I hadn’t meant to draw attention to myself, but Max shifted at the subtle change in my breathing, looking down at me. I fought the urge to look up and meet his eyes, instead keeping my head bowed and leaning into his arm. By resting my cheek against his chest, I had a great excuse not to look up and destroy this tenuous thread to sanity the belt was helping me build upon.