9781936653027BorntobeWildArsuaga (17 page)

“Do you think they infected her with the virus
because someone found out about a connection with you?”

“I doubt it. She was into kinky vampire sex and
messed with the wrong one. I don’t think working at SGM had anything to do with
it,” Martin said.

“I wouldn’t be so sure to dismiss her that way.
Alina never mentioned anything about a bondage and discipline sex club,”
Johnson said.

“My point exactly,” Martin said.

“No. The rogue left Miami months ago. The virus
would have been long gone by now. Why did this case show up again? Alina was on
to something. This wasn’t a random act of getting the virus from sex with an
infected vampire. I feel it in my gut, this was murder,” Johnson said.

“What did Alina do at SGM?” Alex asked.

“A lab tech like me.
Why?”

“Hmm.
Well, maybe the
company is in need of a new lab tech. I can apply for the job.”

“You?
And what do you
know about medical research? That’s the department Alina worked.”

Alex rolled her eyes. Jordan snickered. Johnson was
in trouble.

“Before I went in the family business, I was in
pre-med, studying to be a doctor. Does that answer your question, pretty boy?”

“Open mouth,” Johnson began to say.

“Insert foot and I kick your ass with mine,” Alex
finished.

“Okay, I see I may never win an argument with
you.”

“Probably not.”

“Yeah, my brother and I learned a long time ago,
not to argue with her, and we’re older and bigger.” Jordan laughed, softly.

“I don’t like the idea. It could be dangerous. If
Alina was murdered because she stumbled onto something, you could meet with the
same fate by walking into a trap and not know it,” Johnson said.

“I’d have you Johnson. We don’t need much proof,
either a virus sample or documentation showing SGM is perpetrating this. The
outcry from the general public will take over and all will be safe in the world
again. Case closed.”

“It’s not that simple Alex,” Martin said. “Wish it
were. It’s going to take more than finding evidence. We have to convince
everyone up the chain of command all the way to the President all the while
keeping the public calm. We can’t have rioting in the streets. This literally
could turn into a blood bath if we’re not careful.”

“Alex, you sure you want to do this. They’re
right. This could be dangerous,” Jordan said.

“I’ll be fine. The trick is to get hired. The rest
should be a piece of cake.”

“Okay, I’ll try and set it up when I go in. I’ll
get you an interview today, if I can without raising suspicion. We have a
couple of hours to get you prepped,” Johnson said.

“Prepped?
For what?”

“Mind blocking techniques, new identity,
background check, everything you need to know to work at SGM and stay alive.”

“Alex, I want you to know what we’re allowing you
to do is to be kept quiet. This is unorthodox for the Bureau to allow private
citizens to assist in a covert operation, especially an unauthorized operation,
so if you get into trouble, I can’t guarantee we will be able to help you or
even acknowledge you’re with us. I’m allowing this only because of my
friendship with your parents and I know I probably couldn’t stop you. You have
the same fiery spirit I remember your mother had at your age. She was a little
spitfire,” Martin said, grinning and reliving a fond memory by the glint in his
eyes.

Alex gave him her steely, serious look. “I
understand and appreciate your comments. My parents trained me well. I’ll stay
out of trouble so you won’t have to worry.” She turned her attention to Johnson.
“Besides, Johnson here will have my back, right?”

“If I have to, but you better not do anything
stupid like Alina did. I’ve worked hard on this case and I’m not letting a
bounty hunter ruin it.”

Rising from the chair, she closed the distance
between them. “Bring it on, pretty boy. I can take you blindfolded and one hand
tied behind my back.”

“We’ll see how tough you are after I screen you.”
He leaned into her, within inches, the heat between their bodies radiating into
the air around them. His eyes deepened into an icy sapphire blue.

“Lead the way.”

“You know, maybe this isn’t such a good idea,”
Jordan interjected.

“Shut up Jordy, pretty boy here has to test his
manhood by putting me in my place.”

“All right, you two, call a truce.
Alex, Jordan do you mind waiting outside?
I’d like to speak
with Agent Johnson privately.”

They nodded and left the office.

“Johnson, what the fuck has gotten into you? I’d
expect this out of Palmer, but you?”

“I…I don’t know. That woman gets under my skin.
There’s something about her. I instantly felt, like, I don’t know what it
was…annoyed, maybe.”

“Hmm…more like aroused, intoxicated, and
stimulated. I was like that with her mother. Katie Carlton could walk into a
room and have
me
so fired up with passion in my head
as well as between my legs I couldn’t concentrate. Darn near got myself killed
one night not paying attention to what I was doing. So, son I know what the
little red-haired spitfire is doing to you.”

“What happened with you and…?”

“Nothing.
She was married
to my friend. We both knew it couldn’t work and wasn’t right. I asked for a
transfer and got it. I met my wife shortly after transferring and she helped me
take my mind off Katie. You’ll get over it. Women like Katie and Alex are too
wild for men like us, Johnson. They need men who can tame their wild side.
We’re too by the book. We’re tempted, we want to taste it, but we can’t
maintain the pace.”

Johnson stood blinking at his boss. He never knew
this about him. Probably too much information really, but Martin didn’t treat
him with disdain, he actually related to him. That’s what it was, why he rode
him so hard about his work, he reminded him of himself when he was that age.
Hmm, who knew?
“Thanks for the insight
boss. I’ll think about what you’ve said.” He turned to leave.

“Johnson,” Martin called out. Johnson stopped in
the doorway. “You don’t have to like this assignment, but you are one of my
best agents. You’ll do anything to get the bad vamp. But, don’t jeopardize Alex
to get what you want. Look out for her.” He paused and made eye contact with
Johnson. “Don’t disappoint me, or I’ll have your ass.”

Johnson gave Martin a slight nod, and exited the
office. He would get Alina’s killer and the rogue vamp with the virus. He
didn’t like how he had to do it, working with the hell-on-wheels, red-head, but
he’d get the job done.

*
* * *

“You know I still don’t understand why I need a
new identity. No one at SGM knows me as Alexandra Carlton.”

“It’s for the protection of you and your family.
It minimizes your chances of being caught, but if you are, your family will
remain safe.” Johnson explained, handing her paperwork.

“Alyson Lansing.
Really?
And
with a ‘y’, but of course.
Who came up with this name for me? They could
have asked for my opinion at least.”

“I think it suits you,
Aly,
with a ‘y’
.
” Jordan
teased.

“Aly? You used to call me that when I was a little
girl.”

“I know, sis.”

“Okay Alyson Lansing it is. Now what’s next,
Johnson?”

Johnson snickered. “We don’t have much time left
before I have to leave. Meet me for dinner around six-thirty.”

“Excuse me?”

“So I can show you Human Resources where you put
in your application. You can be in and out before any of the vamps show up.”

“There are vamps working at SGM? Doing what,
trying to figure out a cure for their vampirism?” she asked, snickering.

“Now that’s funny. Most of the vamps I’ve run into
like being vamps. I don’t think they would want to be cured if there were a way
to reverse the process. The vamps at SGM I’ve noticed work as bodyguards on the
executive level and a few at the top-level lab. There aren’t many, but you know
who they are. They try to probe your mind.”

“Well how fun is this going to be? My skills are
rudimentary at best. Are you sure I’ll be safe until you can work with me on
the mind-block techniques?”

“Stay close to me and you’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, since you let Stefan
seduce
you so easily. I’m not letting you in there at night without mind protection,”
Jordan said.

“Stefan? You’ve been with a vamp?” Johnson asked.

Alex glared at Jordan. “How do you think I found
out about SGM? He used me, I used him. Mutual exchange of information can be
beneficial between consenting adults.”

“Mutual exchange?
Alex,
you did a blood exchange? That means you’re bonded. He can track you. I still
think this is a bad idea,” Johnson said.

Alex’s porcelain white skin blushed to a soft
shade of red. It never occurred to her that the relationship with Stefan might
become a topic of conversation with strangers. For that matter, she never even
expected to discuss the relationship with people she did know. Her feelings for
him crept up on her and before she knew it, landed a direct hit on her heart,
knocking her off-balance. Leaving Virginia was imperative. Tracking Ecaterina
was only an excuse, but a damn good one. The idea of falling for a man in such
a short period of time, much less a vamp, still left her muddled and confused.
Bounty hunters didn’t fall for vamps; they hunted them, staked and destroyed
them. “No matter what you say, I’m doing this. Can we change the subject?”

“Stubborn little brat. There’s nothing I can say
to talk you out of this, is there?” Jordan asked.

“No.”

“I have to get to work.
Pleasure
meeting you Jordan.”
Johnson turned his attention to Alex. “I’ll meet
you in the lobby of SGM at six-thirty.”

Chapter 16

The metal clicking of the
door latch woke Stefan from his nightmarish twilight sleep. How long had it
been since he was locked in the brightly lit chamber?
Surely no more than one night, maybe two, or
even three.
He lost track. His hunger was strong, yanking at his
innards, the pain almost intolerable.
The
psycho bitch will pay.

Upon arriving in Miami, Stefan became shackled
again and ushered into a waiting limousine with Ecaterina, Gerry, and another
male vampire. The pain from the silver-coated restraints ate into his flesh,
blistering his wrists yet again. Fighting against the confinement would have
caused more pain so he succumbed to Ecaterina and her minions. Common sense
told him he needed to bide his time until the opportunity arose to fight. Now
was not the time.

They’d arrived a few hours before sunrise, to a
large complex comprised of two glass and concrete buildings, twenty stories
tall with a central atrium entrance between them.

After clearing security at the rear entrance, the
entourage passed down the long sterile white corridors on the lower floors of
the south building. Soft lights illuminated overhead. As they approached a door
marked 1407, he knew they reached the destination. The pace slowed and stopped
in front of the door.

Stefan’s menacing gaze ran over Ecaterina slowly,
inch by inch. He didn’t miss anything and he lingered on her face. His
emotionless eyes met her imperious ones. “I thought you wanted my help? Why are
you holding me? These walls can’t restrain me Ecaterina.” His voice blared with
fire and hate.

“I don’t think I like you very much Stefan,” she
said, sizing him up the same way he had appraised her. “You used to enjoy the
rough play and killing. Now I have to use force to convince you to play.” She
motioned for the guards. “We’ll see how arrogant you are after a few days
without feeding.” Her words were harsh.

The shackles were removed.

He surveyed the room. A single mattress cot rested
against one wall, a wash basin and toilet on another, and a table and chair
off-center of the room comprised the entire room’s furnishings. The walls were
silver, including the ceiling, the floor carpeted. His heart slammed hard in
his chest.

“Ah, you see. There is no escape Stefan. The walls
are reinforced and sound-proofed. After a few days deprived of blood and sleep,
you will come to do Emil’s bidding.” Turning on her heels to depart, she
stopped at the door. “And I told you, my name is Cat! I don’t want to tell you
again. Address me as anything else and you
will
be punished.”

Those were the last words he heard her speak days
ago. Time ceased to exist inside the four walls. The lights in the room
remained lit with no way to shut them off so couldn’t gauge how long he’d been
confined. He forced himself to sleep, but it was fitful. The hunger raged
within with the insatiable desire to sink his fangs into flesh overpowered his
senses. His brain was aware of the torture his captors put on him, but his body
didn’t care. It wanted satisfaction.

His mind raced with thoughts of Alexandra. They
parted under less than ideal circumstances. As the hours and days passed, he
yearned for her, for her body, for her blood. His entire being remembered the
sweet smell and taste of her. Pain pierced throughout his gums, his fangs ached
when they strained to push through for release. The raw need for blood wrenched
in his gut. He grew weak, and spent most of his time lying on the cot doubled
over in a fetal position. After a period of time, he put up a mental block to
prevent Alexandra from hearing any of his anguish because he was unable to
control his pain and emotions. Once they had a blood exchange, he had the
ability to communicate with her mentally and in his weakened state, the pain
might transfer to her.

Stefan’s thinking clouded as the hours passed and
the hunger grew, gnawing endlessly at his gut. He screamed expletives in his
native language when his fangs elongated after he rested. He was losing the
battle to suppress the surging fire coursing through his veins and had to bite
something, anything. Nothing in the room except the pillow and mattress were
soft, except for his flesh. He rolled up his sleeve and sank his fangs into his
forearm, drawing blood. He drank, relieving the cramping pain briefly. Clarity
of thought returned, but was short-lived, buying a few hours of sleep.

The second clicking of the metal broke through his
hunger daze. Was he going insane, hearing noises now? A thud broke the silence
in the room. His thoughts were, if this was the psycho bitch walking through
the door, he would muster all his remaining strength and attack her. Dying in
the process would put him out of his miserable existence if nothing else. His
only regret would be not seeing Alexandra one more time.

He rolled on his side and lifted heavy eyelids.
The scent of human blood wafted through the air flaring his nostrils before his
eyes focused clearly on the figure slumped on the floor. His primal instincts
took over. Without thought of the consequences his actions might bring, he
moved with vampire speed and pounced on the human body on the floor. Within
seconds his fangs dropped and bit into the soft flesh of the neck of the
victim, devouring the life’s essence, the warm elixir nourishing his blood
deprived body. He tore into the neck without regard to pleasure or pain to the
human, drinking and sucking with such zeal until every last drop exited the
female body. The screams were distance white noise in Stefan’s head, to be
turned out.
His only concern—blood.
He released the
pale, drained body, falling back on his knees.

Laughter tickled the hairs on his skin; the pitch
in his eardrums vibrated him back to his mental senses. The reality hit him as
he watched the last of life’s breath pass from the human female.
No, no I didn’t!

He rose to his feet and cried out a primal growl,
shaking the walls of the chamber.
“
Ahh
!
What have I done?” His heart raced and his chest heaved. The instant remorse he
felt for taking the female’s life cut deep into his soul. A tear of blood
trickled down his cheek.

His eyes opened. Ecaterina stood in the doorway,
dressed in black leather skintight pants and bra, and a devilish grin across
her lips.

“You bitch, why have you tortured me? Revenge for
me leaving you years ago? Why?”

“You’ve done exactly what you were meant to do
Stefan. You are a natural killer, our new vampire enforcer. You are no longer
with Gregori’s family. You will belong to the Blood Family Dragomir. You belong
to me.”

“Never, I choose who I work for and I sure as hell
don’t belong to you. Gregori may have a few words to say about this. And as far
as you are concerned, I threw you out a long time ago.”

“Fool. Don’t you get it? I still love you. I never
stopped loving you,” she said, closing the distance between them.

“Stay back Ecaterina. In my current state, I’ll
kill you. Don’t think I won’t.”

“You don’t know what you do to me, Stefan. I’ve
missed you baby.” Running long fingers over his silk shirt, she felt erect
nipples pressing through the fabric. “You always liked it when we played rough.
Remember? I’d tease you and you’d punish me. We’d fuck.” She licked her bottom
lip and sucked it in her mouth. Her free hand ran over his burgeoning erection.
“Punish me, Stefan. You know you want to. Top me, baby, I’m ready to play and I
can tell you are too.”

He wanted to punish her, not play. The beast in
him wanted to be released. By the gods, he wanted release and satisfaction for
the torture he had endured. He ordered her to take her leather pants off.
Ecaterina grinned and complied without saying a word. She remained standing
wearing only a bra and the small triangle of fabric, black and white satin
animal print covering her pussy. He inspected her, circling slowly.

“Drop on all fours bitch and spread your legs.”
Silently, she obeyed. He said nothing further, nudging her legs apart with his
foot. He had every intention to show her rough play and pain for what she’d
done to him. His only thoughts were to release the beast within him.

The sound of his unbuckling belt echoed in the
sound-proofed room. With one swift movement he ripped the belt through the
loops of his jeans. The whoosh caused Ecaterina to risk a quick glance to the
side to see what he did. He straddled her waist, facing backwards, his legs
gripping tight against her, and standing upright. Her whole body lurched
forward with pain and shock as the first blow from his belt stung her ass
cheeks. She clenched her muscles to brace against the pain he inflicted. She
gasped as he continued deliberately lashing her. He hit downward, not across,
and moved the belt from one buttock to the other. Ecaterina cried out, in a
confusion of pain and pleasure. Involuntarily, she rounded her back, and leant
forward, anything to escape the cruel blows he delivered.

Stefan spoke, his voice menacing and cruel. “If
you move like that again, you will be punished more.
Return
to your position, slut.”

Obediently, Ecaterina sank back down. Satisfaction
welled up inside him. His strokes increased with vigor, placing each blow
directly across her tender cheeks, now a bright rosy red. Stefan stepped away
from her examining the marks carefully, his head cocked to one side. Like
examining his photographs, looking for the perfect sunrise at dawn, the colors
in perfect harmony with the landscape, he admired his work. What he saw
satisfied him.

He bent down, putting one finger under her chin
and tilting her face upward. His cock was hard, and Ecaterina knew what he
wanted her to do before he spoke.

He laid his hand on his hard cock. “You want this,
don’t you? Not today. Not ever.”

Ecaterina’s long fingers ran over his erection through
the fabric. He hated this part of the beast—willing to fuck anything when it
tasted blood, and demanding satisfaction. The bitch kneeling before him
disgusted him, but she held him prisoner. He had to find a way to break free.
Whipping her to a bloody pulp wouldn’t afford him the opportunity.

“You’re going to pay for this, Ecaterina.” His
tone was low and menacing, but he sensed she wasn’t in a mood to listen.

“Why?” she replied, raising an eyebrow. “Because I
want to show you what you’ve missed, who you really are, baby? Don’t tell me
you don’t enjoy whipping me into submission. You know you loved fucking me too.
Admit it.”

“You satisfied an itch before, nothing more. Denying
me blood for a few days and offering up an innocent for me to kill doesn’t
change anything either. If I could rip your heart out right now and get away with
it, I would. Don’t think for one moment I wouldn’t try if I got the chance.”
His eyes narrowed and glowed red.

“I’m more than that to you. We’re bonded and
always will be. Fuck me now, baby and forget about our past. We can start fresh
with
Dragomir’s
family.”

“No. Now, answer my question,” he hissed. “Why?
You asked me in Virginia to help you. I said no. You brought me here and
tortured me. You’re trying to seduce me into fucking you. Why?
To recruit me for the Dragomir Family?”
To what end? I’m not
doing anything without knowing what’s in it for me. I want the truth.” He
grabbed her hair, yanked it hard and then pushed her back.

“You ask too many questions, baby.” Moving quickly
across the room, she retrieved her clothes. “Come with me. It’s time you meet
your new Master.”

“No shackles this time?”

“No baby, there’s no place you can run. And you
want answers, don’t you?”

He looked over at the dead female on the floor.
“What about this?” gesturing with his head toward the lifeless body.

“She’ll be disposed of. Let’s go.” Within seconds
after making a waving motion with her hand above the door, a metal clicking
noise sounded and the door opened. Two tall, muscular male vampires dressed in
solid black stood outside the room ready to escort Ecaterina and Stefan to
their next destination.

“Where’s your boy toy?”

“Dead.
Now shut up and
let’s go.”

Stefan had revenge on his mind.

And Alexandra.

*
* * *

As Stefan turned the corner of the corridor he
heard a familiar voice, “Alexandra?” he whispered in his mind, turning to see
where the voice came from.

He peered down the hallway past the shoulder of
one of the male bodyguards flanking him. A glimpse of a woman walking with a
man rounding a far corner caught his eye. Long, straight dark red hair tied
back in a ponytail vividly stood out against the back of the white lab coat.
Identical to the way Alexandra liked to wear hers, but why would she be here?
His brow crinkled.

Ecaterina looked over at him. “Did you say
something?”

Realizing she sensed his silent speculations, he
replied guardedly, “No.” The group turned down the same hallway as the mystery
woman took, headed toward the elevators. Stefan lost sight of the redhead as he
stopped with the others in front of the lift doors.

All the way to their destination, he thought of
how his foolish woman tracked Ecaterina here. Alexandra suspected her as the
rogue. She must have left Virginia the day after he gave her a blood exchange.
No doubt her brother convinced her. If he had more time, he could have changed
her mind.
Damn! Alexandra, you’re in over
your head working here.

The elevator doors opened to the Executive Level,
Floor Twenty, and the private spaces of the owner of SanGeneMur
Pharmaceuticals. The large expanse suited a man of such wealth and power.
Gleaming black granite floors greeted Stefan as he stepped off the lift. The
pitch black night sky through the floor to ceiling plate glass windows provided
the backdrop for the room’s canvas that lay ahead. Ecaterina quickly moved
ahead of him walking briskly toward a massive desk back against the background
of windows. The two bodyguards remained stationed by the elevator door, feet
firmly planted, and arms crossed on chests. One of them motioned for Stefan to
follow Ecaterina into the room.