Taken by the Others (3 page)

While I was in the drawer, I ran my fingertips over the leather belt with three matching silver stakes in their sheaths. I could literally feel discontent radiating from the thing.

“Sorry,” I said, feeling more apologetic toward the inanimate object than I was toward the vampire a few minutes ago. “Maybe after Royce is gone, I’ll take you out. Not right now.”

There was a brief sense of anger, but the bad vibes and discontent dissipated. Still, I could practically hear it grumbling. The spirit inhabiting the thing was not happy being cooped up in my drawer. Sometimes I took it out and wore it around the apartment when I was alone. The only way for it to experience life was through the one wearing it, and I was the first person to take any notice of what it wanted for the last fifteen years or so. It had been a while since the last time I took it out. I felt bad leaving it rotting with my winter clothes, but I couldn’t exactly walk around the city with a bunch of deadly weapons wrapped around my waist.

Then again, this was New York.

Whatever. I’d worry about the belt’s hurt feelings later, after I was done dealing with Royce. Sliding the drawer shut, I headed out to the living room and set the gun on an end table. Just in case the vamp got any funny ideas. I wasn’t as good a shot without the belt, but I figured the visible threat would serve better than any words I could dish out. Aside from which, if it got to the point where I needed to use the gun to deal with Royce, I was royally screwed anyway.

Next came perfume. I went into the bathroom and dug around under the sink until I found one of the small glass vials that held cinnamon-and clove-scented liquid. It gleamed a pale golden hue in the harsh fluorescent light. Dabbing a couple of drops onto my wrist, I rubbed it into the skin and then applied some to my throat, right above the pulse point.

The Amber Kiss perfume was a concoction made by some alchemists centuries ago that keeps Others from being able to pick up the wearer’s scent and suppresses the appetite of a vampire. It makes me smell less like food, basically. I liked the way the stuff smelled, though Chaz didn’t and complained that it made him sneeze. I didn’t need it to protect against him, of course, but I would wear it if it worked on vamps and other, hungrier, Weres. Fortunately for me, my encounters with such creatures were infrequent enough that I had a supply to last a few lifetimes.

Lastly, I adjusted the little black charm I was wearing so it lay hidden under my blouse. According to Arnold, it kept magi and vamps from using their mind-mojo on me.

Arnold, Sara’s current beau, had given me all of the stuff I used as protection against Others. He also happened to be head of the security section for The Circle, the East Coast’s premier coven of actively practicing magi.

Frankly, I wouldn’t be alive right now if not for all the help Arnold had given me the last few months. It was with the help of his magic, his ideas, and his choice of weaponry that I made it out on top fighting against the Borowsky kid and his girlfriend. I was also glad Arnold and Sara had hooked up. They’d taken a much-needed vacation out to Sara’s property in the Hamptons for the last two weeks and were due back on Sunday. I wouldn’t pester him with questions until they were back. Hopefully Royce would be cooperative enough as to let me know exactly what was going on before I had to resort to bugging Arnold about it. Knowing the vampire, I wouldn’t hold my breath.

I knew very well that Royce’s modus operandi was essentially “manipulate first, ask questions later.” He’d see my contacting him as an opportunity of some kind and use it to the hilt. The only question was how he intended to go about it. I’d have to be on my toes to make sure I didn’t fall for any of his tricks or machinations.

Like it or not, we were still contractually bound. As far as I knew, we were not in any danger that might lead him to needing me or my skill set. However, there was a chance he might try to talk me into working for him. I had the feeling he was afraid of me, and that was why he was always trying to find a way to get me under his thumb. Better to control that which you fear than be ruled by it, right? Was I playing right into his clutches by inviting him over?

Well, yes.

However, unlike the first few times we’d met, this time I knew exactly what he was capable of and would be on guard. I’d been able to avoid his manipulations in the past, so with some ingenuity, a little luck, and by keeping alert for his tricks, I should be able to do it again.

While I rubbed the last little bit of the Amber Kiss into my skin, I could hear my cell chiming from the other room. A text message.

When I opened it up, I saw it was from Chaz. I glanced at the time; it was already past eleven. Bastard.

SORRY ABOUT 2NITE. PACK EMERG. WILL CALL U LATER. RAIN CHECK 4 SAT? LOVE U.

Disgusted, I tossed the phone back down on the table. He was three hours late getting back to me. I’d answer him when I was good and ready.

Muttering darkly, I huffed over to the couch and sat down. I flicked on the TV but didn’t focus on the screen as I stared. I wasn’t sure why I was so mad. I mean, things came up at work all the time that made me late for our dates. It wasn’t entirely fair of me to be pissed at him for putting his responsibility to his pack first–but I could not let go of my anger.

About five minutes after I sat down, I heard a brisk rapping. I remembered the Chinese food I’d ordered that felt like a decade ago, and my stomach growled right on cue.

“One sec, be right there!” I jumped up and hurried to the door, snagging up my purse on the way to pay the delivery guy.

I pulled open the door, and was met by the glowing red eyes and bared fangs of a very pissed-off-looking vampire.

Chapter 4

I screamed and backpedaled as the vamp reached out for me, tripping over my own feet and landing on my ass as he was blasted back by the shields Arnold had thoughtfully installed for me.

“Fuck!” the thing exclaimed, bringing singed, reddened fingers to its mouth to suck on.

I couldn’t help but stare, open-mouthed, wondering where the hell this guy had come from. Supernatural power aside, he was built like a linebacker and looked like he could have snapped me in two without breaking a sweat while he was still alive. Trying to contemplate how strong he must be now with added vampiric strength was terrifying.

“Who the hell are you?”

He looked up from his injured hands to glare at me, his eyes still glowing that fierce red. I flinched when he raised a fist the size of my head to send a shockwave through the barrier as he punched it. “Come to me!” he demanded, staring right into my eyes.

I couldn’t help but bark out a short laugh. “Are you crazy? I’m staying right here. Well, not right here.” I struggled up to my feet with as much grace as I could muster, backing up a bit more from the door for good measure. I trusted Arnold’s skills, but I wasn’t sure how much physical force the barrier could withstand. This would be the first time it had been put to the test against forced entry, so I wanted to have some distance between us in case the thing gave out. “Get out of here! Leave me alone!”

His face twisted in confusion, some of the anger dwindling out of his eyes. “I said come here. Why aren’t you obeying me?”

“Gee, I don’t know. Maybe because I think you’re a freaking lunatic?”

His shoulders slumped, his eyes turning a warm, chocolate brown, a slightly darker shade than his hair. His hair was short, but he ran his hands through it in a nervous gesture, like he was used to it being longer. “Well, that’s never happened before. Uhm. Look at me! That’s right, look right into my eyes. Now–come here!” he demanded again, this time with a touch of desperation.

It’d be sort of funny and corny if I hadn’t realized he was trying to use a very illegal black enchant to get me to do his bidding. All praise for the good luck charms given to me courtesy of The Circle, bless their magic little hearts.

“No,” I said flatly, regaining some of my confidence since both the shields and my charm looked to be holding up just fine. “Who are you? What do you want?”

He scratched the side of his head, looking puzzled. I started edging toward the table with my cell phone and the gun on it.

“Well, shoot. I really didn’t want to do this. Thought this was just gonna be some quick smash-and-grab.”

Exasperated, I repeated myself. “Hello? Who sent you? What do you want from me?”

“Max Carlyle wants you. I’m one of his assistants, Peter. He sent me to come get you.” He brightened up some, sounding hopeful. “Don’t suppose you’d come along willingly, would you?”

My God, this guy was dumber than a box of rocks.

“Not after that little show of temper,” I said.

“Damn!”

“So, get the fuck out. Go away. If Max Carlyle wants to talk to me, tell him to just call my fucking office to arrange an appointment like everybody else,” I said, grabbing my phone. “If you don’t leave in the next ten seconds, I’m calling the cops.”

“They can’t do anything to me. No human is strong enough to take me on.”

“Good for you,” I muttered, shaking my head at his naпvetй. He must be newly turned. Like within the last few days newly turned to be this stupid. Guess he hadn’t heard that it was now standard issue for cops to carry crosses and holy water with the rest of their equipment.

I could practically picture a dim lightbulb buzzing to life above his head, his look suddenly going sly. His voice turned sickly sweet, cajoling. “You’ve got to come out of there sometime. Why don’t you come along now and make this easier on everyone?”

Yeah, like he could possibly sweet-talk me after flashing fangs. “Give me a break. Look, fang-boy, I’m not interested. If you hadn’t gone all vampire-y on me, maybe I would’ve listened to what you had to say. As it is, I’ll be calling the police now.” I started dialing, staring at him, free hand braced on my hip as I waited on hold for an operator to pick up. It didn’t take long.

“Hi, I’ve got a vampire who’s threatening me and trying to break into my apartment.” The angry epithets and pounding sounds followed by pained howls must have sounded awfully funny to the operator on the other end of the line. “Could you guys get here quick? I could really use some help. Here’s the address …”

I hung up while the operator was still sounding completely frazzled, telling me to “stay calm” and that “help was on its way.” I was more interested in what Peter was up to. Tilting my head to the side, I examined the vampire, who was alternately cursing the pain in his hands and still trying to find a crack in the defenses around my door.

“Not the brightest crayon in the box, are you?”

He glared at me, a glimmer of red returning to his eyes. “Shut up! Max said you were a troublemaker, not a bitch.”

“Guess he didn’t hear I’m a New Yorker.”

Peter was abruptly jerked backward off his feet, out of my line of sight. I shifted to peek into the hall and see what was going on.

“What is the meaning of this?” came Royce’s smooth voice, warm with anger as he held the much-beefier-looking Peter by the back of the neck. He picked him up like he weighed as much as a housecat and flung him down the hallway. My brows rose to my hairline at that little display. I knew Royce was strong, but I’d never seen him use that strength so blatantly. Except when we were fighting to the death that one time–but I digress.

“You presume to touch my property without permission?” My eyes narrowed at that. Property, was I? “Go back to Max and tell him I want recompense for this grievance. Immediately!”

Peter growled out something I couldn’t quite hear, then audibly lumbered off toward the stairs. Weird. Never heard a vampire that tromped around so loudly. Usually they were light on their feet, quiet and swift like cats. Like predators.

Royce, for example, could move with a speed and fluidity that defied physics and not make a single whisper of sound in the process. The one time I’d seen him do it, it scared the living hell out of me. That, coupled with the stupidity of Peter’s actions, only reinforced my assumptions about him being newly turned.

Royce’s gaze shifted to meet mine, and for just a second I thought I felt the same type of pull and compulsion to come to him that Peter had vainly and oh-so-obviously tried to use on me. I turned my gaze away with more effort than such a simple act should have taken.

“Thanks for getting rid of him.”

He nodded and then turned his attention to my doorway. His thin lips quirked upward in a smirk as he ran a fingertip along the frame, sending luminous ripples through the otherwise invisible shield that kept out all things Other aside from those I personally keyed to it. A tendril of whitish smoke curled from his fingertip as it reddened, much like Peter’s hands had. “This is new.”

“Yeah, well, some creatures of the night can’t take a hint,” I said, moving to take his wrist below the cuff of his elegantly tailored suit jacket and pull him past the barrier.

Though he looked surprised at the touch, he didn’t resist. The barrier clung to him like Saran Wrap, more grudging than it had been for Chaz the first time I tried this, not wanting to let the vampire pass. Guess it was smarter than I was, trying to keep the dangerous stuff out instead of inviting it in for a little chat.

Once he was past it and the tug of resistance faded, I immediately let him go, shut the door, and backed away to put some much-needed space between us. “You’ve got good timing. Want to tell me what that was all about?”