Red (18 page)

Just her luck, this nutball was riding the crazy train. The look in his eyes and his actions to date told her he wasn’t quite what you would call stable.

“So you just work for the
Venifucus
, then? You’re a pawn but not an actual man of power. Pity.” She used her most insulting tone and was gratified when his spine stiffened in offense. His brutal grip on her wrist tightened too, but she did her best not to grimace at the pain.

“I don’t work for
them
.” His outraged whisper was even more effective than if he had shouted. “They work for me.”

“You’re a fool if you believe that.” She held his gaze, looking for any sign of weakness—or sanity.

“Don’t call me a fool. You’re the one who will die by my hand. After I’ve drained you of all your power.”

“To what end? What are you going to do with all that magic? If you’re not a mage, what are you?”

“I never said I wasn’t a mage. I am descended from one of the oldest bloodlines in Europe. I just don’t have a lot of my own power. But I’ve learned how to drain it from Others. Like I will drain yours and claim it for my own.”

Oh yeah, he was definitely loony tunes.

“You’ve done this before,” she concluded.

Trying to turn someone else’s magic to your own purposes against the will of the original being was not for the faint of heart—or the weak of mind. That was something Slade had mentioned when they’d been talking about magic earlier. She still had a lot to learn about this new world, but Trisha thought she knew what had happened to the pathetic creature who had hold of her arm. He’d driven himself crazy trying to tame other people’s magic. Magic he was never meant to wield.

“Many times,” he confirmed. “You don’t stand a chance. It’s cute of you to try and stop me, but you won’t win in the end.”

“We’ll just have to see about that.” She could see the deadness in his eyes now. The utter loss of whatever spark of humanity had once lived there. What he’d done to others had snapped back on him until he’d lost his mind.

“You’re coming with me, one way or another. Let’s go.”

Trisha planted her feet even as he yanked on her arm. She used the strength of the water behind her to help her hold her position. The fine mist in the air made it almost impossible for him to pull her anywhere.

“I’m not going anywhere with you.” She sent him a smile that seemed to infuriate him. He yanked harder and the mist—of which there was precious little in this desert climate—started to give way.

Dammit
. Trisha redoubled her efforts to hold herself close to the water. If he managed to pull her away from it, she’d be lost. She needed the water. It was her power. Her life. Her magic.

He stopped pulling but didn’t let her go. He was very angry and his face was red with emotion and the effort he’d expended trying to pull her.

“Fine. We’ll do this the messy way then.”

He turned his head slightly and let loose and ear-splitting whistle. Trisha winced at the sound even as she noticed a number of large men emerging from the crowd around her. They were focused on Billings, which was probably why they weren’t affected by the illusion the vampires continued to maintain. Other people walking on the Strip didn’t seem to see the confrontation, but the men who’d been so focused on her would-be attacker weren’t susceptible to the subtle mental suggestion of the vampires. Or, at least, the half-dozen men who were heading straight for her didn’t seem to be affected.

They came toward her—three on the right and three on the left. Her heart sank and she knew she couldn’t handle this alone. She sent a simple pulse of thought through the water, knowing her brothers would understand. They were ready to act—she could feel their watching presence hidden beneath the calm waters of the manmade lake. They were only holding off for the right moment.

As Billings tugged at her again and his henchmen drew near, all hell suddenly broke loose. Water erupted out of the lake behind her, a wave on her right and one on her left. And riding those waves were her brothers, Jimmy and Rick. They used the water to propel them up and over the railing as if they were surfing, only there were no boards involved.

When they hit the pavement, their clothing was dry and the water went neatly back into the lake…mostly. Some of it wrapped around their opponents. Or at least, it tried to. A trick she’d seen her brothers practice a million times didn’t seem to want to work. Somehow, the henchmen were warded against magic.

But that wasn’t a problem. Her brothers didn’t have to rely on magic alone. They were well able to take on three goons each hand-to-hand. It would just take a little longer to mop the floor with them. That was all.

Or so she hoped.

Chapter Nine

Slade arrived just as Steve started to feel the effects of some kind of paralyzing spell the mage had been trying to cast at Trisha. In one way, he was glad to take the brunt of it, but the dying need to get to his mate clawed at his insides. Steve didn’t have all that much protection against this kind of magic. It had a lesser effect on him than it probably would have had on a human, but he was still having real trouble with it.

He saw the mage smile as he went down on one knee before him. Steve didn’t like it. His Alpha nature bowed to no man—especially not this evil thing that had tried to hurt Trisha. He fought against the magic, moving steadily closer and allowing his hands to shift into the battle form claws that could do so much damage.

Given a single chance, Steve would gladly sink his claws deep into the evil man’s flesh, rending and tearing, showing no mercy. He only needed a single break in the debilitating magic that held him back.

“Hold him there, buddy. I’m coming up from behind.” Slade’s voice sounded in Steve’s ear over the tac radio. Steve felt a moment’s triumph. A little assist was all he needed. “I’ll go high,” Slade said, and it was music to Steve’s ears. He poised to strike.

As one of Slade’s arms snaked around the mage’s neck and the other yanked one arm back hard, breaking the spell, Steve struck at his legs, claws sinking deep. The mage’s scream satisfied the cat as he pounced with Slade, taking the mage to the ground in a bloody heap.

“I’ve got him,” Slade said quickly. “The spell is broken and he won’t be casting any others. Go help your mate.”

Gratified by the backup, though the cat wanted to kill, Steve turned and ran for Trisha. In the short moments he’d been incapacitated, the situation had gotten considerably worse.

She was fighting Billing’s hold on her arm, not giving too much ground, Steve was glad to see, but those six henchmen were closing in fast. And then there was a wave—an actual wave of water—that rose from the lake behind her. It deposited two burly men in fatigues, one on each side of Trisha, and Steve knew they had to be her brothers.

Sure enough, even as he ran toward them, the two warriors engaged with the goons. They waded in with fists and feet, taking three attackers each and doing very well, but they wouldn’t be fast enough. Billings still had hold of Trisha and was making some headway in hauling her along with him.

He’d already pulled her several yards down the block, away from the ongoing battle and they seemed to be picking up momentum. Steve put on a burst of speed and adjusted his angle of attack.

Leaping through the air using all of his skill and agility, he dove for Billings, coming in from the side. He knocked the man off his feet and the great momentum carried them both over the railing and right into the lake. The water churned around them as they fell in, disorienting Steve for a moment while he tried to figure out which end was up and where his prey had gone.

Steve liked the water, but he’d never really had to fight in it before. It would take a moment to adjust. He just hoped he had a moment to spare.

Trisha gasped as Billing’s hand wrenched her arm and then lost its grip. She watched in shock as Steve appeared, flying through the air from out of nowhere to tackle Billings and take him right over the rail. She ran to the rail and watched them both fall in a writhing tangle into the lake.

Trisha didn’t think twice. She hopped up on the rail and dove in after them. She could handle just about anything in the water, but she worried for Steve. She’d only just found him. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing him so soon. She loved him.

That thought clear in her mind, Trisha waited for the bubbles to clear and nearly gasped at what she saw. Billings had somehow reversed positions and was doing his best—which was surprisingly good—to drown Steve.

Fury took over. Fury fueled by fear for the man she loved with all her heart. Trisha called on the water as she had never done before, asking it to separate the men and sweep the evil one away, holding him far from her and Steve. Currents began to build and only a moment later—though it felt like an eternity—the water complied.

Steve was freed from Billings’s hold and he pushed for the surface, in desperate need of air. Trisha swam over to him, staying beneath the surface for now, keeping an eye on Billings. She didn’t want him to get away.

There were two splashes and her brothers appeared at her side. She pointed to where Billings thrashed against the current she had created and Jim smiled. Rick started swimming toward Billings while Jim motioned for her to rise to the surface. His gestures told her they would take care of Billings.

Glad to be rid of the duty and certain her brothers would know what to do with the man, Trisha followed her heart to the surface…and Steve. She swam upward, right into his waiting arms, and she’d never felt anything better than his embrace.

“Are we clear? I saw your brothers go in,” he asked, even as he held her tight.

“They’re taking care of Billings. I held him in a current, but Jim and Rick are better at that kind of thing than I am. They do it for a living. I’m just an amateur.”

“You’re amazing, Trisha.” His words touched her deeply.

“I love you, Steve.”

She kissed him with so much emotion little swirls of energy filled the water around them, cocooning them in a safe, protected circle where nothing could come between them. They were alone in the universe—and the entire Las Vegas Strip.

When Steve released her finally, after long, pleasurable, emotion-filled moments, Trisha suddenly realized that while the vampires were shielding them from human view, there was a whole contingent of Others—shapeshifters, vampires and their allies—who could, and did, see them. Many curious stares were focused on her.

She ducked a little behind Steve, but it didn’t help all that much. There were still a lot of interested eyes on them.

“Um… I think we should probably get out of here.” She could feel the heat of a blush in her cheeks.

“Can you do that wave thing like your brothers?” he asked, almost daring her.

“Yes, but…it’s a little showy. And everybody’s watching.” Her gaze darted toward the onlookers, then she looked downward, self-conscious. But Steve placed one finger under her chin and coaxed her to raise her gaze to meet his.

“All the more reason to show off a little. Shifter society is all about hierarchy. Since you can’t shift, you need to earn the Clan’s respect in another way. You’ve gone a long way toward doing that here tonight, so why not finish strong?” His gaze dared her to give it a try and she’d always loved a dare.

“Okay. Just hang on, and I’ll have us on the sidewalk in a jiff.” She held his hand tight.

With her free hand, she made a tiny wave in the water at her side and put some of her power behind it until it grew to a towering height that lifted them up and over the railing. It deposited them on their feet on the sidewalk and then she sent the water back into the lake, thanking it for its assistance with a thought.

If every other magical creature on the Strip hadn’t been watching before, they certainly were now. Keeping Steve’s words about hierarchy in mind, she kept her chin up and her head held high. She looked over at him and saw the wide grin on his face even as he scanned the crowd, making sure they were safe.

He was such a good man. Such a fierce protector. A great lover. And the best friend she thought she’d ever have. Even after such a short time together, she knew in her heart they were on the same wavelength. They’d shared a lot in a compressed time, but even more than that, she knew him for the match to her soul she’d hoped—but never quite dared believe—she’d find.

Steve was it for her. Her man. Her mate.

After tonight, any tiny remaining doubt had been laid to rest.

With a quick burst of her magic, she dried them both, sending the moisture back into the lake. Just that short contact with the lake water told her something she had expected but had hoped wouldn’t happen. She shuddered.

“What?” Steve asked, sensitive to her moods. He’d probably felt her shiver through their joined hands.

“Billings is dead. He refused to be subdued, and in the struggle the water claimed him.”

The look in Steve’s eyes held both compassion and a determined sort of satisfaction. “I’m not sorry the threat he posed to you is at an end, but it would have been good to be able to question him.” Steve would have said more, but his brother Mag walked over, accompanied by a distinguished-looking man and a gorgeous, fragile female.