Of A Darker Nature Read online

  “Relax,” a deep voice consoled. “We just need to get her to do a couple jobs. That’s all. Starr said she won’t hurt her if she cooperates.”

  Marcus cast one last glance at Darla. He would have liked to question her further, but didn’t have the time to spare.

  The knob jiggled, and the door creaked open. Two men and a woman entered the room. The woman with vivid purple streaks in her hair spotted Marcus first and shrieked. He dropped the papers, and the woman ran back outside.

  A rather large black man pointed in Marcus’s direction. “Bloodsucker!”

  Darla darted toward them. The skinnier man made a move to withdraw a gun from his waistband.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Marcus warned. The man didn’t listen.

  Marcus vaulted over the sofa and grabbed him. The guy didn’t get a chance to bring the weapon up before Marcus twisted his head like a corkscrew. A pop-crack issued from the man’s neck.

  The black man at his side swung a fist the size of a sledgehammer. The third knuckle had a pentacle tattoo inked onto it.

  Marcus twisted away as his fist slammed into the wall. Darla orbited around them and screeched. Marcus batted her out of the way. She stumbled and banged her head against the wall.

  “Get him, Ace!” An ugly expression twisted Darla’s face. She tried to grab Marcus's arm again.

  Ace came toward Marcus again. This time, he pulled a switchblade from his back pocket. The blade appeared to be silver.

  “Fun time’s over.” Marcus grinned at him and sidestepped another grab.

  Ace swung again. The blade came nowhere near Marcus. The vampire moved too fast.

  The giant of a man circled him again. Marcus caught the hand with the blade. He forced Ace to turn it toward his own chest. The tip pierced the big man's t-shirt, and he groaned with pain. “Tell me where I can find Trent and the witch and I might let you live.”

  Ace did his best to mask the sting of the blade, but tears formed at the corners of his eyes. A droplet of red bloomed at the knife’s entry point.

  "Where is she, big guy?" Marcus taunted.

  Ace’s cell phone hummed in his back pocket. “They’ll know something’s wrong if I don’t answer.”

  Marcus grinned. “Where's the witch?”

  “Go to hell.” Ace managed to twist away. He still clutched the knife like a lifeline.

  “Tell me where to find Starr Carter.”

  Ace diverted his gaze. The witch must have schooled her goons on how to avoid being enthralled.

  “She's probably on her way upstairs.”

  Marcus grabbed Darla and thrust her in front of his body as Ace swung again. This time the blade sank deep. The pungent tang of blood and spilled bowels filled the room, and Darla’s squeals died shortly. She gasped, hands fumbling at her opened abdomen. Blood and entrails escaped between her fingers, and her eyes widened in disbelief.

  She slumped in his arms, breath hissing out between clamped teeth. Marcus dumped her and spun away. He watched Ace bend over the girl from the doorway. A bleak expression overcame his ogre-like features.

  He hoped it would be a meaningful message if he left the hulk to explain. “See you around.”

  The woman with purple streaks in her hair stood near the stairs. She tried to mold herself to a large potted plant. “They're waiting for you at the front and in the parking lot.”

  “If you're lying…”

  “I'm not, I swear!”

  He gripped her arm and dragged her down the stairs with him. She stumbled alongside him until they reached the lower level where he shoved her against the brick wall. She squeezed her eyes shut and brought her shoulders up to protect her neck.

  “Look at me.”

  “Please…” The woman's entire body quivered with terror. A fine sheen of sweat broke out on her upper lip.

  “Look at me or I'll make an example of you.”

  Jai Li pushed away from the wall. Black waist length hair drifted across her face. Knee high boots covered pale, slender legs that led to a barely legal mini skirt. Her modest bosom threatened to spill over the low-cut shirt she wore. “Did you bring us a snack?”

  His captive whimpered.

  “Perhaps. Or maybe she’ll save herself by answering a few questions.”

  Jai Li's almond shaped eyes squinted with worry. “I hope Corey's okay. We were supposed to meet back at the car, but he hasn't returned yet.” She moved away from them to peer out into the lot.

  Her petite body moved with catlike grace and confidence.

  Marcus gripped the captive's shoulders and thrust her against the wall. Tears leaked from her eyes, but they remained closed.

  “You have to get out of here. Starr’s put a price on your head. She fears you're more dangerous than the mistress.” The woman glanced up at him then snapped her eyes shut again. “Don't let her get you.”

  Marcus and Jai Li exchanged a frown. She may have opened up, but Marcus wasn't ready to trust her yet. “What's your name, meat bag?”

  “Wren,” the purple haired woman answered without hesitation.

  “You’re coming with us, Wren.”

  Jai Li gripped her other arm, and they led her toward the parked cars. Thus far, none of Starr's people were in sight.

  Wren stumbled alongside them, unable to break free. “You want to know Starr's whereabouts?”

  “For starters,” Jai Li growled.

  “Well, we've got a problem because I don't know. The people who are closest to her scatter throughout the city. No one stays in the same place more than a few days at a time. She invokes a spell to keep you from finding her. You could stand outside her door and not even realize she's on the other side.”

  “Change of plans.” Marcus shoved Wren toward the car.

  “Wait! Where are we going?” Wren stiffened her legs, refusing to move.

  “To see Emily Cross.” He practically salivated at the idea. Ever since their encounter in the mortuary, she'd invaded his dreams and stayed on his mind. Maybe if he could see her again, he could get rid of this enchantment she seemed to have over him. He'd prolonged searching her out in hopes that his infatuation would pass. In his daydreams, she was a siren who tempted him with rose petal lips, smoldering green eyes, and the cutest freckles he'd ever seen.

  “Why?” Wren tried to jerk her arms free.

  “I'd like to see firsthand how she reads the dead.” Not to mention he wanted to taste her, touch her, and thoroughly explore her abilities. It was unlike him to entertain fantasies like this, especially when they centered on a mortal creature.

  Wren may have reacted, but it was interrupted by Jai Li.

  “There he is!” Jai Li shouted, rousing him out of the fantasy.

  Corey, tall and thin with spiky hair and studded leather wristbands, skidded around the corner of the liquor store across the street. He appeared out of breath as he stumbled toward them. The clink of metal from his bondage pants and the coppery stench of blood followed him across the street. “They’re on my tail.”

  Marcus tossed Jai Li the keys to the car. Corey dove into the backseat.

  “Take him back to Isabella, but make sure no one tails you.”

  “She's coming,” Wren murmured, but didn't seem happy about it. Her eyes were wide with fear and her chin quivered.

  The hairs on the back of Marcus’s neck stood up with apprehension. Trent and a couple of his helpers had just entered the parking lot. A platinum-haired black woman stood across the street between the buildings Corey had just passed.

  Wren managed to twist away. She tottered toward Ace, who burst out of the alley they'd just left.

  Starr Carter and three humans stalked closer. The witch turned up her hands, and Marcus swore a faint glow shimmered within her cupped palms. Her eyes seemed to shine with an unusual radiance. He was mesmerized by whatever she had done and almost missed the shadows of the others creeping closer.

  The car roared to life. Leaning across the seat, Jai Li opened the pass
enger’s door. “There’s too many. Let’s go!”

  Marcus slid across the hood of the car. Jai Li had already let the car roll away from the curb by the time he lunged inside. She laid rubber. The back end fishtailed, knocking over a newspaper machine and narrowly avoided a telephone pole.

  The witch stepped into the street behind them. Fury masked her dark face. Her hand lifted and she made a jerking motion. The man next to Trent flew from the sidewalk as if pulled by an invisible string. His body struck the hood of the car with a bone cracking thud. His pained face had pressed against the fractured windshield before the body bounced over and away. It landed on the street, limbs akimbo.

  “Holy fuck! Did you see that?” Jai Li accelerated around a corner. “She was out in the open! Anyone could have seen it.”

  Corey laid his head against the seat and shut his dark eyes. The pained grimace that wound across his face concerned Marcus. Twisting in the seat, Marcus turned to study Corey. The kid's gaze looked unfocused, and there were dark areas beneath his eyes. His breaths came in shallow, labored gasps. "Hey, you okay?"

  “What’s wrong with him?” Jai Li switched lanes. The big car lurched and growled.

  Marcus crawled over the plush leather seats into the back and ignored her huffs of irritation. After a few choice curses in Chinese, she growled, “Don’t scuff my seats, heathen!”

  Marcus took Corey’s face in his hands. He seemed to be close to unconsciousness, maybe even going into shock. His veins stood out in stark contrast against pale skin. “Where are you injured?”

  “It hurts.” Corey's head rocked back. “What’s happening to me, Marcus? Feels like my insides are on fire.”

  “Stay with me, kid. Tell me where it hurts.” Marcus ran his hands over Corey’s chest and arms. He maneuvered him until he lay against his chest and examined his back too. Corey didn’t help much in the exploration as he slipped in and out of consciousness.

  “Did she spell him?” Jai Li asked.

  A car behind them laid on its horn. Jai Li accelerated, and the big sedan lurched forward.

  Corey made a desperate noise and convulsed. His eyes rolled up into his head until only the whites showed. He bucked against the seat, and his heels thrummed on the floorboard. Christ, a seizure too?

  Marcus ran his hands down Corey’s legs and found a small tear in his pants. He ripped the fabric away. A sliver of silver, probably a penknife, had broken off on the inside of Corey’s thigh. The kid had bled out while he ran for his life. His body must be fighting, attempting to mend what had broken. Corey’s system had too little blood left to aid the process. Marcus had never seen anyone react this way to silver. Corey might find true death if they didn’t get him some sustenance soon.

  The blade had broken off flush with the skin. The area around it was angry and inflamed. Now that it no longer bled, it had begun to heal and seal the silver inside the wound.

  Corey’s eyes were glassy and vacant. His words slurred together like he was drunk. “Must've got me when I ran past them. Broke it clean off, huh?”

  “Hold on, Corey, this is going to hurt like a son of a bitch.” Marcus dug his finger and thumb into the meat of Corey’s thigh to extract a long, slender piece of silver. The blade slipped from the soft tissue. Corey screamed and clutched at Marcus's shoulders.

  Corey slumped over, and blackened saliva leaked from the corners of his mouth.

  “Shit! Pull over!”

  The car bumped to a stop against the curb. Marcus wrenched the door open and pulled Corey from its confines. The younger vampire spewed frothy black liquid across the cement.

  Marcus helped him get into the car afterward. He allowed the younger vampire to collapse against him. Jai Li pulled back onto the road. Marcus was surprised that she said nothing about the ruined seats.

  Corey clutched at him, holding on like a frightened child.

  Marcus embraced him. “I've got you.”

  Jai Li’s concerned gaze darted from the road to the rearview mirror. “Is he going to die?”

  “Not if I can help it.” Marcus raised his left wrist to Corey's lips. “Feed.”

  Corey turned his face away. “It’s forbidden.”

  “It’ll stay within this car. No one will ever know.” Marcus shot a pointed look in Jai Li’s direction. “He’s already one of us. It’s not like I’ll sire a new vamp.”

  She considered this a moment then nodded. “Do it, Corey.”

  Marcus used his thumbnail to tear the skin. Blood welled in the cut, and he pressed it against Corey’s mouth. “Drink it or you’ll die.”

  Corey latched onto his wrist. His throat worked greedily as Marcus's blood flowed into his mouth.

  “Should I find a donor?” Jai Li’s petite features darkened with concern.

  "Yeah, he needs more blood than I can give him. I don't think he can wait.”

  After a few moments, Marcus pulled his arm away. Corey made a desperate noise and grabbed for him. Marcus cradled him against his chest and murmured words meant to soothe. Corey’s body relaxed a bit, and he seemed to doze.

  They were close to the Lincoln crossover, an old city bridge where the homeless and prostitutes gathered. “Pull over here.”

  Moments later, he plucked a listless Corey from the car and sat him near the underpass. Jai Li went in search of a warm body. She returned after a few moments, a woman in hot pants and a tube top with her. Jai Li must have said something that frightened her. The woman’s fear radiated toward them in waves. Marcus’s hunger reared its head, eager for nourishment.

  He joined Jai Li beside the car while Corey fed. “You know this can never leave the three of us, right?”

  Jai Li watched Corey with wary eyes. “I agree. It stays with us. Isabella will never know.”

  Marcus spotted the blade he’d pulled from Corey’s leg. He snatched it off the floorboard. While it was true that vampires were allergic to silver, it was uncommon for one to react so violently. It weakened their kind, but as far as he knew, it was never life threatening.

  Jai Li wrapped her arms loosely around Marcus's waist and rested her forehead against his shoulder. “I thought we were going to lose him.”

  He put an arm around her and tossed the blade aside. It skittered across the concrete and left a black smear in its wake. “Maybe it isn't just silver.”

  A light breeze blew long strands of black hair across Jai Li's face when she pulled away. “Do you think it had a spell on it? Can the witch do that?”

  He stared at the car's dented hood. “Honestly, she could be capable of anything. I just don't know. I've never encountered anyone like her before.”

  Jai Li moved to the front of the car and ran her hand along the hood’s curve. Her lips pressed into a thin line. “I hate that bitch.”

  “Looks like Corey’s done,” Marcus pushed away from the vehicle. “Why don’t you pop the trunk and I’ll gather his trash.”

  Emily tackled Brenda's laptop and the maze of information it contained. There was so much data on the web, and she had no idea where to begin.

  “Want some help?” Brenda bit off the end of a peanut butter sandwich.

  “Nah, I just got a little sidetracked.”

  Brenda eased onto the couch next to her. She chewed slowly and watched Emily peck at the keys with one stiff finger. “Honestly, you type slower than my grandma.”

  That was saying a lot since the woman had died ten years ago.

  Brenda pawed through the various books piled on the coffee table then grimaced at the titles. The Idiot's Guide to Witchcraft. Paganism and You. Beginner's Guide to Wicca. She didn’t mention the vampire encyclopedia lying next to Emily.

  “Why the sudden interest? Is Christianity not working for you anymore?”

  Emily placed the computer on top of the table. “It's working just fine, thanks.”

  “I’ll help if you tell me why we're doing research on witchcraft, of all things.”

  Emily debated on exactly how much she wanted to admit. �
�A witch wanted to hire me to do a reading. I turned her down.”

  Brenda gawked at her. “How'd she even know you could?”

  “I have no idea, but I got a bad vibe from her.” A little chill raced down Emily's spine at the memory of Starr's threats.

  Brenda flopped back onto the couch to stare at her through lowered lashes. She gestured toward the pile of books. “Is that why you’re reading this crap?”

  “Sort of. This witch did something to me. She forced me to remember the car crash.” Unable to say the rest out loud, Emily shook her head. “It was so real like I was reliving it.”

  “Oh my god, Em.” Brenda sat up, her eyes wide. “Are you okay?”

  “If I never see Starr Carter again, it’ll be too soon.”

  “Starr Carter? She and some of her coven came into the bar a few nights ago. They were real rowdy and tried to recruit new members.” Brenda reached across and lifted the laptop screen. Her eyebrows rose at the search results listed. “I see you’ve been researching your talent again. Did you find a way to get rid of it?”

  “No. There's not a lot of info about necro-telepathy. What little I did find was for some nerdy game.” She shrugged. “What were you saying about Starr Carter?”

  “She was telling everyone that vampires killed her family.” Brenda lowered her voice as if telling a campfire tale. “Starr was just a kid at the time. The police found all this witchcraft stuff in her bedroom and thought she did it.”

  Emily shivered. “Do you believe vampires could be real, Brenda? I mean, Beau swears they are, and you said you had seen some weird stuff at the club.”

  Brenda’s dark eyes searched Emily's face. “I honestly do, sweetie. I wouldn't have believed it possible a few years back, but just think about it. You can read the dead. Starr Carter is a witch who can do real magic. Beau is a self-confessed vampire. I guess just about anything seems possible nowadays.”

  “Maybe you've seen my John Doe at the club?” Emily struggled to keep her excitement tamped down.

  Brenda's face remained neutral during Emily’s description of the alleged vampire. “I see lots of people. Unless they're real weirdoes, they don't stand out in my memory. Sorry, Em.”