Blood Awakening (5 page)

Nachari just shook his head and turned to face
Ciopori. “Good luck with him,” he mused. And then he pulled his head back
inside and shut the door.

When Marquis looked over at the princess, she was
standing several feet away with one hand on her hip, the corner of her mouth
turned up in a scolding smile. “So, I take it vampires are not only
passionate...and protective...but they are also extremely jealous and
territorial. Is that not right, warrior?”

Marquis bared his fangs and stalked over to the
beautiful female, moving very, very slowly, his gait the easy shift of a predator,
his large, muscular frame expanding and contracting with every step. “
Extremely
territorial
,” he snarled.

Ciopori laughed and covered her mouth with one hand.
“You mustn’t be concerned about other men, Marquis.” And then she eyed the
strong warrior from the tip of his head to the bottom of his toes and let out a
long, drawn-out sigh. “You have absolutely nothing to be jealous of, my love.
Trust
me
.”

Marquis threw open the door to his office at the
end of the main foyer on the top, executive floor of the Dark Moon Casino. The
elegant suite took up both sides of the hall, the center facing outward toward
the eight remaining offices. It was decorated in rich, dark colors and sparsely
fitted with refined cherry-wood furniture.

Marquis’s desk faced the entry, overlooking a
black leather sofa, which was flanked by two, matching high-backed chairs with
dual cherry-wood end tables. The east and west walls were made of floor-to-ceiling
windows—the back wall, a series of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.

Kristina Riley sat on a burgundy chaise in front
of the window, her small frame slumped over, her knees tucked tightly to her
chest. Her face was shielded behind her shoulder-length, naturally-curly red
hair, but Marquis could smell the bruises...as well as her fear.

As was typical for Kristina, she was wearing a
suede mini-skirt with a fitted top and a pair of three-inch heels; her legs were
scratched and bleeding as if she had tried to crawl away from her attacker
across a rough patch of ground. There were fingerprints marring her throat and
a cigarette burn on her left arm.

Chad Baxter immediately jumped up when his boss
entered the room: The stalwart employee went through the same series of
adjustments each time Marquis showed up for work. There was an initial scent of
fear, an instinctive reaction to the presence of such a powerful creature—whether
Chad knew what Marquis was or not—then his adrenaline would level off as he
remembered the trust between them; and finally, he would shift from his natural
dominant personality to a more appropriate submissive one.

It all took place lightning-quick, on an
unconscious level, yet none of it escaped Marquis’s awareness. It was simple,
really. Marquis Silivasi was an intimidating male, even to other vampires. To
humans, his presence was like having a wild animal in their midst: His
predatory nature seeped through his pores, the threat of aggression simmered just
below the surface, and his calm, sculpted exterior did very little to hide the
unconscious projection of what he was.

To her credit, Kristina displayed no fear. Her
reaction to Marquis was always the same—one of casual acceptance and absolute
safety.

“Evening, boss,” Chad greeted.

Marquis looked in the male’s direction and
inclined his head before stalking over to Kristina. “What happened?”

Kristina slowly looked up beneath a black-eye and
brushed a trickle of blood away from her busted lip. And then she simply shook
her head.

“Where is he?” Marquis demanded.

Kristina shook her head more adamantly this time. “Don’t,
Marquis...please. It’ll only make things worse.”

“Not this time.” Marquis scowled. “This time, when
I am through with Dirk, he will never touch you again.”

Kristina looked up and studied her boss with scrutinizing,
deep blue eyes. Her heart-shaped lips quivered as she recognized the truth of
what he said. “Do you mind if I talk to Marquis alone?” she asked Chad.

Chad took a step toward the door. “Not at all.” He
regarded Marquis. “I’ll be right outside if either of you need me for
anything.”

Marquis nodded. “Thank you.”

Once the door was closed behind Chad, Kristina
stood up and tried to walk to the other side of the room, but Marquis caught
her by her arm and turned her to face him. He raised her chin with his hand. “If
I don’t put an end to this, Kristina, he is going to kill you. Is that what you
want?”

Kristina frowned. “No…no, of course I don’t. But I
don’t want him dead, either.”

Marquis remained silent.

Kristina sighed then, her bright eyes becoming dim.
“Marquis, we both know you can’t deal with Dirk—after everything he’s done—and not
kill him. What are you gonna do? Warn him? Break an arm or a leg? He’ll say
something smart. I know he will...and that’ll be the end of it.” She reached
out and took his hand. “Please, boss…let me handle it: I’ll figure somethin’
out. I swear.”

Marquis surveyed the bruises on her neck, Dirk’s
fingerprints. “Kristina, you know that I respect you, that my family cares for
you, and that it is not our way to interfere in the affairs of...mortals. But
this thing with Dirk...it’s over. Your relationship with him is over.”

Kristina put her head down in her hands and sighed
with frustration. She was fighting to hold back tears. “What do you mean by
over
?”

Marquis refused to be more specific. “Just...
over
.”

Kristina began to shake. “Oh, God, Marquis, this
is way out of hand. You can’t just—Marquis, if you took Dirk outta the picture,
you’d have to erase all my memories, or I’d go insane. So, what then? You’re
just gonna wipe-out the last five years of my life? No way! Please...don’t.
Please
.
I’m asking you not to—just let me call the police.”

“Again?” Marquis asked.

Kristina nodded. “They’ll lock him up this time. I
swear, they will.”

“For how long?” Marquis scowled. “How many
restraining orders has he violated already, Kristina?”

Kristina shook her head. “That was my fault...I took
them all back.”

“Yes…so you could go back to him.”

Kristina nodded and averted her eyes. “I know.”

“Kristina,” he said sternly, “it really doesn’t
matter if it’s Dirk’s inability to stop hurting you or your inability to stop
letting him, the end result is the same. And I don’t see either one of you
stopping.”

Kristina started to protest, but Marquis held up
his hand. “The thing of it is this: When you came into our world, when you were
given the choice to keep or relinquish your memories—your knowledge of Dark
Moon Vale—you made a covenant to honor and serve the house of Jadon in exchange
for our shelter, protection, and care. We are not as you are.
I
am not
as you are. I have tried to view this from a human point of view, but Dirk has
crossed an irreversible line: As a male who is bound by a covenant to protect
you, I no longer have a choice in the matter.
These are the laws of my kind
.”

Marquis walked over to his desk and sat down in
the large burgundy chair. He placed his elbows on the desktop and folded his
hands; his chin rested on his fingers while he considered his next move.

Kristina waited quietly, her body visibly
trembling.

After several minutes had passed, Marquis raised
his head and regarded Kristina with resolve. He knew his eyes were cold, like
two hollow coals, as they always appeared vacant when he made up his mind to
enact final-retribution. “I will allow you to keep all of your memories, as
long as you show me that you can handle them. But Dirk’s time with you has—how
shall I say?—come to an end.”

Kristina gasped. “No, Marquis!
No!
Please,
just listen. I have this—”

Marquis raised his hand again, this time taking abrupt
control over Kristina’s body. For a fleeting moment, her vocal cords no longer
worked, and her tongue was paralyzed. It was just long enough to halt her
speech—like flipping an
off-switch
on her protest—while still forceful enough
to show her the discussion was over.

Marquis meant business.

Kristina sat down in one of the high-backed chairs
across the desk and began to cry, her face growing white as a sheet.

Marquis hit the intercom and asked Chad to return.

When Chad came in, he took one look at Kristina,
glanced over at Marquis, and winced, his soft, hazel eyes narrowing with compassion.
“It’ll be all right, Kristina,” he offered.

“No, it won’t,” Kristina sobbed.

When Marquis didn’t bother responding, Chad’s face
turned the same shade as hers. Only, he wasn’t about to question his boss.

“So, has her schedule been taken care of?” Marquis
asked, abruptly changing the subject.

Chad cleared his throat and ran his hand through
his short, dirty-blond hair. “Uh...yeah, Lacy is covering her shift for
tonight, and José was able to get Emily to cover for the rest of the week.”

Marquis nodded. “Good. And security? How are you
handling that?”

Chad sat down in the remaining chair across from
his boss. “Well, you said you wanted us to allow Dirk to come in if he showed
up; so right now, we’ll know the minute he breaches the perimeter, and at least
two guards will stay tight. But no one’s gonna confront him or call the police...not
without your go-ahead. Unless of course, he acts like the ass he is, and we
have to deal with him in the interest of our other patrons.” He immediately
turned to Kristina and shrugged. “Sorry.”

Kristina began to sob all over again.

“Good. That’s fine.”
My brother...

Kagen Silivasi answered the telepathic call
immediately.
Greetings, Marquis: How are you?

I am well, Kagen, and you?

Very well.

Kagen simply waited then.

Marquis didn’t call out to his brothers often. Usually,
if he wanted something, he just demanded it, or took it, or put the command
directly in their minds. If Marquis was calling him now, Kagen had to know it
was important.

I am at the casino with Chad and Kristina,
Marquis
explained.
Dirk has made a real mess of her this time. I would like to bring
her by the health center.

Kagen sounded puzzled.
You want
me
to
treat her? Why not just use a human doctor, as usual?

Not this time,
Marquis argued
. As soon as
Dirk shows his face, I’m going to remove the problem once and for all; the less
contact we have with humans, the less potential drama...or mess.

Kagen cleared his throat.
I see.
He paused
for a moment.
Well, I must say, I’m glad you’re going to finally put a stop
to this.

It is long overdue, and I have neither the time
nor the inclination to deal with it anymore—which is why I have an additional
favor to ask of you.

‘Ask?’ 
Kagen sounded surprised.

Marquis sighed telepathically.
Yes...
ask...
unless
and until you say no, of course.
There was no hint of humor in his
voice...because he meant none.

Kagen laughed anyway, although his laughter
sounded primitive, both amused and irritated. But then, that was Kagen: the
kindest and the meanest of the Silivasi brothers at the same time. Luckily for
the rest of them, the easy-going persona took up ninety-five percent of his character;
however, when that five percent came out, even Marquis knew enough to clear a
path...although not because he feared him. Marquis feared absolutely no one and
nothing—save, perhaps, Napolean Mondragon—but when Kagen got that damn-mean, it
just wasn’t worth all the energy it took to try and calm him down.

I’m listening
, Kagen drawled, Mr. Nice Guy
spilling over.

I want you to keep Kristina for the next week
or so. I don’t want her staying anyplace where Dirk might find her, and if for
some reason, he does happen to track her to the clinic, then you are to…take
care of him…for me, long before he gets anywhere near her. No human involvement.

I have no problems with Kristina—or handling
Dirk—I’ll keep her.

Good. Be well, then, Kagen.

And you as well, my brother.

 Marquis looked across his desk at Chad, who was
still waiting patiently for his boss’s directions. “I’m going to take Kristina
to the health center, where she’ll be staying for a few days.”

Kristina looked up, startled. Her eyes grew wide,
and her face hardened like stone. If there was any doubt that Marquis meant to
kill Dirk, it was gone now. She was being placed under the supervision of a
Master vampire until her boyfriend was in the ground. By the look on her face, she
knew it was final. The situation had been removed from human hands.

“Absolutely no one is to know where she is,”
Marquis admonished, staring at Chad. “And the moment you see Dirk, you call me.
Are we clear?”

“Crystal, boss.”

“Good.”

Kristina dropped her face in her quivering hands,
defeated.

It was dark when Marquis pulled his H3T Hummer onto the private dirt road that
led to Kagen’s health clinic and private residence. The graphite metallic truck—with
its eighteen-inch chrome wheels and ebony leather seats, encased with cashmere
inserts—made easy work of the rough terrain, and it took them less than ten
minutes to pull into the front lot of the clinic once they made the final turn.

Kagen Silivasi was a true loner—preferring to live
as far back into the mountain as possible. The high-tech clinic was virtually
hidden within a dense forest of pine and spruce trees, anchored into the base
of a steep mountain. Kagen’s own personal residence was about one mile west of
the center, also built half-in, half-out of the steep, rocky crevice.