“I
have plenty of other visitors besides you to keep me on my toes thank you very
much.”
“I
suppose you’re talking about the thirty-foot top of the range speedboat that
was here yesterday.” Nate raised an eyebrow, a slightly disgruntled
expression on his face. “I could see all the gold bling that joker had
around his neck from my place. Friend of yours?”
Why
Nate should be annoyed Charisse would never know, she’d been the one forced to
deal with the smitten speedster who compared her hair to shimmering flames and
stammered that her zinc covered nose was perfection in his eyes.
Seriously, her nose? Charisse fought hard not to squirm, giving Nate her
most bland look. “Navigation was down, he needed directions.” She’d
hustled the dazed Romeo off the rock quick smart, barely letting Bettina get a
taste. Perhaps that was why bitch rock wasn’t making any demands today
over their bond; she was in one of her snits and sulking.
“And
the day before that, the two guys on jet skis?”
Charisse
glared at him. “What, are you spying on me?”
“Not
at all, I’ve been working on the roof, kind of hard not to look out this way
occasionally, make sure you’re not being bothered by any more drunken
fishermen.”
“No
more drunks.” Thankfully, since the inebriated had so few defences
against her siren call and were all too easy for Bettina to digest their sloppy
emotions. “Just a lot of people being friendly or needing help.”
“Right…”
Nate studied her intently. “You know I will work out what your secret is
Cyd. I’m getting closer every day.”
Reluctantly
he got to his feet, if he stayed much longer he’d fall asleep, and he couldn’t
afford to be out after dark until he’d gauged how big a threat vamp Queen,
Destiny, was going to be. If it was just her solo, fine. They’d
fight. She’d die. But if she had managed to lure in more minions, then he
needed to play it smart and pick them off first.
And
the one thing he couldn’t afford was to be seen in the company of any female
after dark. Maat, he shouldn’t even be out here now. He refused to
let anyone else get caught up in the middle of what was going on between him
and Vampira and get hurt like Vivian had.
“I
don’t have any secrets.” Charisse assured him with wide green eyes as she
likewise got to her feet, thankful that Bettina was being docile today, she
didn’t want Nate with his sharp reflexes, and miss nothing warrior gaze, to
clue into the fact that she was the pet of a large rock. An irony, if
there ever was one.
“Well
Cyd.” Nate moved up next to her. Liking the way her wide mouth
opened in surprise at his sudden nearness. Maat be damned, he liked this
woman, possibly even more since he knew of the perpetual battle she waged with
her inner demon. She was smart, funny, intriguing and downright gorgeous.
“I’m probably going to regret this.”
Wait!
What? Charisse had barely a moment to register how ridiculous and kind of
insulting his statement was before she was swept up in his arms, his lips
swooping down onto hers.
Cyd
tasted like the heat of a summer’s day combined with lush ripe fruits and
decadent spices, heady and forbidden. Nate grappled with those gorgeous
curves of hers through layers of material, running his hands over her back,
down her narrow waist, to cup that tight rear end of hers. Oh so tempted
to rip that damn ugly sundress off of her.
Charisse
whimpered, the kiss had been a surprise but her response to it was what truly
shocked her. Goddess, the man was all things made of heat and iron under
her touch. Being in his arms, it felt so right, her fingers sinking into
those glossy over long locks of his, her other hand gripping the bare flesh at his
waist, almost as if she intended to prevent him from moving away from
her. And those lips of his… so soft, teasing, tempting her, Goddess damn
him, challenging her. She wanted so much more from him than a kiss she
wanted…
Suddenly,
a ball of white-hot anger, fear and hatred exploded out from her… from the bond
she shared with Bettina. As it exploded outwards from her, it ripped Nate
from her arms, flinging him out to sea. Shit, Charisse ran to the edge of
the rock in time to see Nate bob to the surface. Absently she rubbed her
middle, that bolt of whatever energy that Bettina had managed to create had
hurt. Goddess only knew how injured Nate was, and how he was going to
react to being mysteriously flung fifty feet out to sea.
“Nate!
Are you okay?”
Treading
water Nate sent her a wave before touching his cheek and coming away with a
smear of zinc cream. Laughing, he tossed his head back to get the hair
out of his eyes. “I’m fine. I don’t suppose you want to explain
what just happened?”
“Umm,
would you believe more static electricity?”
Nate
let out a bark of laughter. “Sure Cyd, if that’s the way you want to play
it.” Nate glanced towards the horizon; he couldn’t afford to get too
caught up in the mystery that was Charisse and forget the approaching
sunset. “Well, since I’ve been voted off the island, I might as well head
home. Bye Cyd, thanks for the drink.”
“Hey!”
Charisse watched him churn through the water fast, headed in the direction of
Kaleidoscope Cove. “Hey!” She really wanted to know what he’d meant
by that statement he’d made just before he kissed her… that he was going to
regret it. What the hell had he meant by that?
“And
you!” She glared down at the rock. “Where the hell do you get off
pulling a stunt like that? Do you know how much that hurt?” No
wonder Bettina had been silent for the last day or so, the crazy possessive
bitch-rock had been amassing her strength to whammy Nate. “I don’t care
if you don’t like him… you are never… ever, to do anything like that again.
He could have been seriously injured. I’m warning you now, one more
incident like that and I will hire a floating crane and a wrecking ball and
smash you to smithereens.”
Goddess,
she hugged her arms to her sides so she would stop shaking. What had just
happened? That kiss? Bettina striking out like that? That
kiss? Nate’s statement that he was going to regret kissing her?
That kiss? Bettina’s smug satisfaction that she’d sent Nate packing all
but threatening to smother her. Goddess she needed a drink.
Chapter
Seven
It
was just after midnight.
Nate was
halfway through ripping up the rotting floorboards in the room he was currently
referring to as the library. Dropping the crowbar he scooped up a waiting
bottle of water, chugging down half its contents. Phew, with a clean rag
he wiped the sweat and dust off his face and throat.
For
the umpteenth time he wondered if he should go check to see if the lights were
on at Charisse’s cottage on the beach yet. No, getting worked up was a waste
of his energy; she’d probably just gone out for the evening with those cousins
of hers… or some guy. The bottle of water still in his hand cracked open,
splashing its remaining contents onto the floor.
It
better not be some guy, he could just imagine some drunken slob drooling all
over her or some wannabe Romeo, trying to flatter his way into her pants.
The woman attracted men to her like honey attracted flies; drunken
fishermen, bling covered guys with more money than sense and loud jokesters on
even louder jet skis.
Damn
his self-imposed imprisonment. Speaking of which, his head snapped around
to the open window.
“Hey
there Lover, miss me?”
“Well
if it isn’t the vamp Queen with the stripper name… what was it again?
Deedee? Desiree? No… that’s right… Destiny.” If he’d still
been holding the crowbar he would have been tempted to try and spear her with
it. Issuing a small sigh, he turned fully to face her. “Doesn’t the
catsuit thing ever get old?”
Destiny
gave a small pout, the tips of her razor sharp incisors digging into her bottom
lip, the index finger of her right hand playing absently with the zipper of her
black leather suit.
The zipper stopped
only a few inches above her navel, all the better to display the sides of her
small breasts and supermodel thin curves. Despite the incisors and the
paleness of her skin she was an eerily beautiful woman, if one was willing to
ignore the flat out crackerjack-box crazy in those silver, cat-like eyes of
hers.
“I
presume you’re still a little peeved about your girlfriend?”
“You
hurt a very good friend of mine.”
Destiny
shrugged, a small smile playing at the edges of her lips. “It’s hardly my
fault the little bimbo doesn’t know how to fly.” Destiny’s gaze travelled
ever so slowly up Nate’s frame. “I’m so looking forward to licking blood
off all that gorgeous muscle. I haven’t forgotten what you taste
like. The memory has been keeping me up days… a combination of sunshine
and dark rum, intoxicating. We’re going to have so much fun together, you
and I, why don’t you come outside so we can play?” She patted her
brutally short, slick backed white blonde hair, before trailing the hand down
over her pale throat, arching her neck enticingly.
“I’m
not really in the mood for a play date tonight Destiny. Floors to finish…
axes to sharpen.” He kept his gaze deliberately on her pale white throat.
“You…
always with the teasing Lover. Just when are you going to deliver on all
those promises you make?”
“How
about you and me, tomorrow night, under the stars? You bring the beer and
I’ll provide the blood-shed.”
Destiny
quivered slightly before smiling. “You’re such a tease Lover.
Anticipation is one thing, but I feel like I’ve waited long enough to taste you
again.”
Nate
smiled, sweeping an arm out in open invitation for her to join him inside.
Destiny
laughed, it sounded like chains being dragged over jagged metal. “Oh
Lover, I didn’t come down in the last rain of blood. Perhaps you need a
little incentive.” She glanced back over her shoulder as headlights swept
down the driveway. “Ah, right on time.”
Maat,
who could that be? Nate was concerned but smart enough not to make any
rash moves until he understood exactly what Vampira had up her too tight
leather sleeve. He could hear a distant car door slam and a male
voice. “Pizza delivery. Hey what the…”
“Food’s
here.” Destiny rubbed her hands together. “Of course I’d prefer
prime beefsteak. You sure you won’t reconsider coming outside to play
Lover?”
Nate
rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’m coming. Just give me a few
minutes to clean up.” He turned stalking upstairs to the Master bedroom
where the only working bathroom was located and where he also happened to store
all his weapons.
“Hurry.”
Destiny’s voice drifted after him. “The boys are getting hungry.”
*
*
*
Nate
stood in the dark by the window of the first floor master bedroom. He’d
pulled on a t-shirt and grabbed two swords in readiness. Now he was just
taking a moment to assess the situation. One slutty vampire Queen
strutting about below, eyeing the remains of the old rotting decking he hadn’t
found time yet to tackle. A few feet further out, three vampire minions
huddled around a confused and frightened young man in a red and white checked
shirt. This had all the hallmarks of an ambush, his instincts telling him
there was probably at least one, if not more minions, lurking out of
sight.
Damn
Destiny’s psychotic soul.
Moving
back a few feet, Nate eyed the dimensions of the window frame. He prayed
to Maat this would work, an innocent’s life was at risk. He took a deep
breath and then one more for luck. Okay, let the games begin.
He
dived through the window at just the right speed, tucking and rolling mid-air
so that he landed, blades already spinning, right next to the cluster of
minions. Scalping one, and leaving another with his right arm attached at
the shoulder by little more than skin and muscle. Unfortunately no
decapitations and the pizza guy was still being held tightly in the grip of the
only uninjured minion. Off to the side he heard Destiny giggle and clap
her hands together in excitement, she was one sick bitch. He needed to
move fast before she decided to join in.
Leaping
through the air, he twirled and thrust his swords, looking for openings in the
vamp assassins’ defences. Damn freaky assholes, with those impenetrable
bands of metal strapped to their forearms acting as shields, swiping back at
him with deadly dagger-sharp fingernails.
Nate
hadn’t been a warrior of Maat for over a hundred years for nothing.
Number one priority in any fight, find the weakest member and take them
out.
Leaping
and spinning, he moved intentionally, keeping the three vamps clustered tightly
together, that way none of them could get behind him and they impeded each
other’s movements. Plus they had to factor in the pizza guy, trying to
keep a tight hold of him and use him as a shield at the same time. Whilst
they were doing that, Nate made sure to pay particular attention to the vamp
with the right arm hanging by a thread. With only one working arm he was
having a hard time trying to both shield and fight at the same time. And
his fellow minions weren’t helping, as they jostled and bumped in to one
another.
It
was obvious these guys had never worked as a fighting team before and that was
definitely in Nate’s favour, as he feigned a leap in the air, instead, dropping
to his knees and lopping off one-working-arm’s right leg just below the
knee.
Off
balance, the vamp fell back into his fellow minions. They all went down
like bowling pins. Nate had no recourse but to drop one of his swords so
that he could reach down and drag the pizza guy out of the mess of flailing
limbs, flashing claws and snapping of shark like teeth. He should have
remembered the male of the vamp species had rows of jagged teeth, unlike the
female, who apparently only had the razor sharp incisors.
The
reminder was doubly painful as one of the vamps managed to sink its teeth into
the arm he was now holding the pizza guy by, its jaw locked down tight.
Shit, he slammed the hilt of his sword hard into its face, once, twice.
All the while the pizza guy was limp and moaning in his grip. Third
strike he broke the vamp’s jaw.
“Run
for the house.” Nate gave the pizza guy a hard shove towards the safety
of the house and its threshold, which no vamp, uninvited, could cross.
But the dude was too dazed, instead of running he just staggered a few feet
before sinking to the ground, a shivering frightened mess. Maat damn
it. Some people had absolutely zero survival instincts.
With
his remaining sword, Nate backed up, holding off the minions as they regrouped
and advanced, even the one legged vamp, who was dragging himself slowly forward
with his one good arm, jaws snapping at Nate’s ankles. His mind whirled
with options. Unfortunately there was only one strategy open to him that
would get the innocent across the safety of the threshold before the vamps
could descend and capture them both. Fuck, this was going to hurt.
Taking
a deep calming breath he thrust and parried his sword with lightning fast
speed, the attack forcing the vamps on the defensive. The moment they
reared back he threw his sword up into the air, whirled around, scooped up the
pizza guy by the scruff of the neck and the waistband of his jeans and sent him
hurtling through the air to slam against the buckled conservatory double doors
that wouldn’t latch properly. The doors flinging open wide under the
impact, the delivery kid’s body disappearing inside the house accompanied by a
series of loud thumps and one low, reassuring, muffled groan.
Nate
hadn’t watched to see where the kid landed, trusting his instincts, he’d
already turned back to snatch his sword out of the air, ready to continue the
fight. No surprise that was the moment, two, previously hidden vamp
minions, appeared out of the darkness. One coming at him from the right,
waist high, the second, dropping down from the roof above to land on his back.
The rest of the minions seeing an opportunity tackled him en masse.
Somewhere in the mix Nate managed to smash his head hard against some long
forgotten broken off slab of paving hiding under the dirt.
For
a moment he saw stars, then everything went black.