Damn, she was hot, Simon thought, watching her whiskey-colored eyes shoot daggers at him.
He glanced down at Sawyer, pale and unconscious on the floor. Simon would love nothing more than to leave the dog there to die, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. The idiot werewolf had risked his life for him. The least Simon could do would be to repay him in kind.
With a sigh of resignation, he dropped to his haunches next to Sawyer, bit into his wrist and moved to place it over the guy’s parted lips.
“What the hell are you doing?” Madison darted around the foot of the bed and grabbed onto Simon’s arm. “He would never accept blood from you.”
Simon shrugged. “Then he can die.”
Anger flashed. “If you will help me get him to his truck, I’ll drive him back to the compound where a transfusion can be done. I’ll give him some of mine.”
“No!” Simon snarled before he could stop himself.
Madison blinked as if momentarily surprised.
Simon cleared his throat, confused by his reaction to Madison’s words. “He doesn’t have enough time.”
She glanced down into Sawyer’s face. “Are you sure? I dug all the silver out.”
“Though you removed the bullets, fragments of silver remain inside him. He’s too weak to dispel them.”
Madison released Simon’s arm. “Do it.”
Returning his wrist to Sawyer’s mouth, Simon peered back at Madison. “I’m only giving him enough to speed up his healing, not enough to alter him in any way.”
Madison simply nodded, keeping her eyes downcast. She pulled her cellphone free and made a call.
Seconds ticked by with Simon listening to Madison explain the situation to Roman before he removed his wrist from Sawyer’s mouth and licked the wound closed. He stood, gripped the wolf beneath the arms, and tossed him over his shoulder. “We need to get out of here. The sun has fully set.”
Madison ended the call. She grabbed her duffle bag and moved to step around Simon.
He stopped her. “You stay behind me.” He moved up the stairs, keeping his senses alert for signs of danger. Svetlana had sent in an army to retrieve him, and when they didn’t return, she would surely come looking for them.
Simon made it as far as the kitchen before nausea rolled through his gut. The distinct smell of roses swirled around him, telling him that Svetlana had arrived.
“My, my, this couldn’t be more perfect if I’d orchestrated it myself. A vampire, a werewolf, and a twit.”
Simon turned to find Svetlana standing behind Madison, her arm wrapped around the redhead’s neck.
He quickly glanced at Madison to see her staring back at him with anger in her eyes. The fool girl didn’t have enough sense to be afraid.
“Let her go, Svetlana. If you injure her in any way, you’ll bring the wrath of Roman Castillo down on you.”
Svetlana knew as well as Simon that Roman was an extremely powerful vampire. He had been since taking the blood of Lydia Hughes.
Uncertainty appeared in Svetlana’s eyes, but was gone as quickly as it appeared. Without taking her gaze from Simon, she leaned in and rubbed her cheek along the side of Madison’s face. “So pretty.”
“Don’t,” Simon bit out, taking a step toward them.
Madison’s lips peeled back over her teeth. “She doesn’t have the balls.”
At any other time, Madison’s bravery would have turned Simon on. Not tonight.
Svetlana gripped her by the hair and yanked her head to the side.
“Wait!” Simon dropped Sawyer to the floor. “You don’t need her. My blood is far more satisfying than hers. Take mine.”
Madison hadn’t moved. She stared straight ahead, anger and rebellion evident in her stance. Damn, but she was beautiful.
Svetlana paused, the blue of her eyes turning red.
Simon took a step closer. “Let’s leave here, just you and me.”
“Don’t attempt to play me for a fool, Le Blanc. We’ve already been down this road. Unfortunately for you, I know how it ends.”
Madison’s fingers flexed. She carefully inched her knife out of the waistband of her pants, gripping it by the handle.
Simon wanted to howl in denial. If Madison did what he knew she was about to do, she would surely die.
Chapter Ten
Madison had never been more pissed off in all her life. The feel of Svetlana’s fangs so close to her neck had terrified her, sending fury coursing through her veins. If the Queen of the Undead meant to take her out, then she would have one hell of a fight on her hands.
Taking advantage of the vampire’s focus on Simon, Madison tightened her hold on the hilt of her knife. She carefully inched it free and then thrust the silver blade into Svetlana’s stomach.
The unholy scream that came from Svetlana’s throat ricocheted off the walls of the kitchen, spurring Madison into action. She dropped to the floor, yanked a small handgun from her boot, and opened fire.
All hell broke loose.
Svetlana roared in agony, her body flying backward, only to scramble up the wall and onto the ceiling.
Madison swung her arm in several directions, attempting to track the injured vampire’s movements.
The breath left Madison’s lungs as she was jerked off the floor by an unseen force.
Simon, Madison realized, her stomach in her throat. He’d snatched her from the room and was in the wind before she could comprehend what had happened.
The sounds of Svetlana’s screams could be heard behind her, until they grew faint and disappeared altogether. Still, Simon ran. He didn’t stop until the lights of the city came into view.
“We have to go back,” Madison demanded, pushing against his chest. She noticed they were in a small suburban neighborhood.
Simon set her on her feet and barked out a harsh laugh. “Go back? Have you lost your mind?”
“We left Sawyer there. She’ll kill him!”
“It’s too late for him. She’s already killed him.”
Madison shook her head in denial. “You don’t know that. She’s injured. She—”
“You’re not going back.”
Her cellphone buzzed in her back pocket. She fished it out, pressed the green button, and brought it to her ear. “Roman, Svetlana has Sawyer. You have to go to Simon’s house and help him.”
“I’m at Simon’s place now,” Roman answered. “Sawyer’s not here. Tell me what happened.”
Madison swallowed hard. “She must have taken him.”
A brief pause ensued before Roman answered. “Where are you?”
“I’m with Simon. We’re just outside town.”
Roman blew out a breath. “Svetlana is injured. I can smell her blood.”
Madison explained everything that had happened since her and Sawyer’s arrival at Simon’s home, ending with, “She’ll kill him, Roman. You have to find her.”
“I’ll find her, Madison. In the meantime, you and Simon need to get back to the compound.”
Madison unconsciously shook her head. “We can’t go back there. I won’t put Lydia and Jacie in that kind of danger.”
“Alex and Niko are there. Svetlana won’t get past the gates.”
“No. I’m not willing to risk it.”
Roman sighed through the phone. “Do you remember that old house I showed you last year?”
“The one you lived in long ago?”
“Yes…I want you to go there. I’ll call as soon as I can.”
Madison tightened her grip on the phone. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to look for Svetlana. She couldn’t have gotten far in her condition. She’s holed up somewhere in my territory. I just have to figure out where.”
Madison disconnected the call and turned to face Simon.
“I heard,” Simon murmured before she opened her mouth. “We need a car. It’ll help mask our scent.”
Glancing around, Madison’s gaze landed on a dark gray sedan parked along the curb. She jogged over, a
nd tried the door. “It’s locked. We’ll have to break the window.”
“We can’t break the glass. It’ll defeat the purpose of masking our scent,” Simon argued. “Stay here.”
Madison watched with baited breath as Simon blurred from her field of vision. He returned a moment later, dangling a set of keys from his fingers.
He quickly unlocked the door and climbed behind the wheel. “Let’s go.”
Madison jogged around to the other side and quietly got in. “Where did you find the keys?”
“On their kitchen table.” He started the engine and pulled away from the curb. “Which way?”
“Go east.” She rattled off the address.
Madison leaned back in her seat, fighting the panic that threatened. She couldn’t take her mind off Sawyer.
“She hasn’t killed him.”
Simon’s quietly spoken words did little to soothe Madison’s nerves. “How can you be so sure?”
“Because, she took him with her. Which means she wants information.”
Madison was going to be sick. “She’ll torture him.”
“Not for a while. She’s injured. She’ll need to sleep to regain her strength.”
“For how long?”
Simon met her gaze. “A couple of days, maybe three…at best.”
Madison turned to stare out the window. “Roman will find her. He has to.”
“If anyone can, it’s Roman.”
Neither of them spoke the rest of the trip, each lost in their own thoughts.
“Take a right up there.” Madison pointed to a barely noticeable drive just past an old mailbox on the side of the road.
Simon turned onto the gravel drive without a word, the headlights of the car bouncing off the surrounding trees.
“That’s it?” Simon nodded toward the old log house.
“You were expecting something else?”
He parked the car close to the front porch, and switched off the engine. “I never knew about this place.”
Madison opened her door and got out. “I believe that was the point. Roman built it in the late eighteen hundreds while you were no doubt committing atrocious acts all over the globe.”
“Define atrocious?”
Stepping up onto the cedar wood porch, Madison removed a small chunk of wood from one of the beams. She plucked out the key before replacing the piece of wood.
Simon lifted an eyebrow. “You just happened to know where he keeps the key?”
“Of course. I’m part of his security team.” Opening the door, Madison pushed it wide and stepped over the threshold. “I even know what brand of socks he wears.”
Chapter Eleven
Simon entered the old cedar house, his gaze touching on everything around him. He could almost feel Roman’s presence, detect his scent that still lingered in the walls.
Madison flipped on the lights and stopped next to a fireplace, white puffs of smoke leaving her mouth with every breath she took. She rubbed her palms up and down the front of her jean-clad thighs.
Realizing she was cold, Simon scanned the walls for a thermostat. “I’ll just get the heater going for you.”
She glanced up, rubbing her hands together. “There is no heater…only a fireplace.”
“Okay, I’ll go out and grab some firewood.”
Madison sent him a grateful look. “It’s in the barn around back.”
Simon stepped outside and closed the door before rounding the house and blurring his way to the barn.
Thoughts of Svetlana plagued him as he gathered an armload of wood. If she managed to get her hands-on Madison, she would rip her to shreds.
Why did Simon suddenly care about what happened to the tall redhead? He’d never particularly liked her, especially after she’d tried to kill him a couple of years ago. She’d emptied an entire round of silver bullets into him while he’d been restrained. Yet, there he was, gathering wood to keep her warm.
He carried the load back inside, stacked it next to the fireplace, and grabbed a box of matches that rested on the mantle. He had a fire going in no time.
Madison pulled a chair up close and held her hands out toward the crackling flames. “Thank you.”
Warmth seeped into Simon that had nothing to do with the fire and everything to do with the woman next to him.
He abruptly spun back toward the door.
“What are you doing?”
Stopping with his hand on the knob, he answered without looking back. “You’re going to need food.”
“But Svetlana—”
“Won’t be a problem tonight,” Simon interrupted. “You’re safe for now.”
“It isn’t me that she wants.”
Simon stomach tightened. Could Madison be concerned for his welfare? He looked back over his shoulder. “You’re worried for me?”
She shifted her gaze back to the flames, ignoring his question. “Grab me a toothbrush while you’re in town.”
“I’ll get you some soap while I’m at it. You smell as if you’ve been rolling in straight-up dog.” He jerked the door open and left before she could respond.
* * * *
The next hour was spent with Simon attempting to grab enough essentials to last Madison for the next few days. He’d bought everything he could think of that she might like, from ribeye steaks to strawberry scented shampoo.
He pulled back into the drive, grabbed the bags from the front seat and blurred his way to the front door.
It opened before he could touch the knob. “Were you followed?”
Simon shot her a blank look.
“Yeah, I suppose that was a stupid question,” Madison muttered, stepping back to allow him access.
“Clearly.” Simon strode through the now toasty front room and laid the bags on the table in the kitchen.
Madison followed. She leaned over the table and began curiously sifting through the bags before plucking out the soap, shampoo, toothbrush and toothpaste. “I’m going to take a shower.”
“In cold water?”
She shook her head. “I turned on the hot water heater when you left. It should be heated up by now.”
An image of her peeling out of those jeans she wore floated through Simon’s mind. He looked away. “He installed a water heater but not central heat?”
“He was planning on adding the central heat at some point. I guess he never got around to it.”
Simon changed the subject. “I got you something to wear until we can get your clothes washed.”
“I appreciate that.” She dug through the bags once more.
The sound of Madison’s footsteps disappearing down the hall eased some of the tension in Simon’s shoulders. What was it about her that affected him so? And why now?
Simon had always found Madison attractive, but there had literally been thousands of attractive women in his past. So many, in fact, that Simon had lost interest in sex decades ago. Not that he didn’t enjoy the company of a beautiful woman on occasion…he did. He’d simply grown bored of their vain mannerisms. Madison was different. She didn’t have a vain bone in her delicious body.
Simon quickly put the food away and took down a plate to lay a steak on. Once he had the meat seasoned, he sifted through the cabinets until he located a cast iron skillet.
Placing the steak in the skillet, he turned it on low heat and trailed into the living room to sit in the chair Madison had vacated.
The scent of strawberries and Madison drifted down the hall, up Simon’s nose, and straight into his sex.
His shaft hardened instantly to throb in time with his heartbeat. Simon wanted her. There was no denying it. He wanted her beneath him, surrendering to him and coming apart for him. Damn her.
“Something smells incredible.” Madison trailed into the room wearing the sweat suit Simon had purchased for her, and holding an armload of wet clothes. Her long, red hair lay over her shoulders in damp disarray, giving her an innocent appearance.
Simon fought to keep his fangs behi
nd his lips. He wanted to point out that she smelled just as incredible to him as that damn steak did to her. Instead, he muttered, “It’s steak. It should be ready in a few minutes.”
A soft sigh escaped her. She moved further into the room, unfolded the wet clothes from her arms and draped them along the hearth. He noticed that her feet were bare.
She cleared her throat. “Look. It’s obvious that we could be stuck together in this confined space for a few days. What do you say we put our differences aside and make the best of the situation?”
“If you’re attempting to bed me, all you need do is ask.”
She reached out and smacked him on the back of the head. “Lowlife.”
Simon chuckled and got to his feet, forcing her to back up a step. “Take a pill, sweet thang. I’m only teasing you. Unless of course you’re considering it?”
“Go take a shower,” she bit out.
He turned to go and then stopped to glance back at her. “Last chance?”
“Go!”
With a shrug, he sauntered off down the hall.
Chapter Twelve
Madison devoured the steak Simon had cooked for her before opening a pack of donuts and scarfing down a couple of those too. She washed up her dishes, grabbed a bottled water, and moved to lie on the couch.
The blanket draped along the back smelled musty and old, but Madison didn’t care. She’d washed her socks, along with her bloodied clothes in the shower, and they were now drying in front of the fire.
Pulling her feet up as high as she could get them, she covered them with the blanket and closed her eyes. She would just rest for a minute while Simon showered.
Madison ran, ignoring the branches that tore into her skin. She glanced down at the white nightgown she wore in a daze, hating the way it tangled around her legs. She noticed her feet were bare, as were her arms.
The cold night air whipped through her hair, stinging her face with its icy tendrils.
She could hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears to drown out her rapid breathing.
A high-pitched laugh echoed from behind her, ricocheting off the surrounding trees. “Madisonnnn?”
Madison had always considered herself to be strong. She’d seen things that would strike fear into the hearts of the bravest of men. But whatever chased her right then terrified her. And it was closing in.
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