Tall, Dark, and Deadly: Seven Bad Boys of Paranormal Romance

by Laura Kaye

  Marguerite slid from her chaise, delighted to see Enrique had not returned empty-handed.

  “Mistress, I present to you what you’ve requested.” Enrique bowed before her and tossed a barely conscious male at her feet.

  The offering collapsed to the floor before struggling to push to his knees, unable to stand. Glazed eyes looked up as she glided forward. The man’s face held bruises and lacerations, no doubt from the hard battle with her DE-addicted vampires. He weaved, even on his knees, under the influence of the ketamine-filled darts Enrique had acquired.

  Marguerite grabbed the swaying male by his long black hair and yanked his head back. His blank gray eyes stared at her with large, dilated pupils.

  “You are a handsome one,” she said with a smile, stroking the short black goatee at his chin. “I shall enjoy you immensely.”

  She laughed, then reached for the neck of his sweater and ripped the soft material from his body. He fell forward as the material gave way, his palms slapping the wooden floor from the weight of his impact. His bare back glared with the exact prize she’d hoped to find. An infinity symbol with a bloodied dagger piercing its center covered his left shoulder blade.

  Marguerite smiled and bent forward. “Welcome to my home, Enclave Warrior,” she whispered into his ear.

  …

  “So, what’s the verdict, Wildflower? Can you live with what you know about who I am?” Layers of conflicting emotions flickered across Emily’s face as Kenric waited for her decision. She’d been pissed at his assertive tactics to maneuver her to a more private area. He wasn’t pleased about that. But he had had to get her alone. The woman had a way of turning him inside out and chipping away at the hard edge of his control. The look in her eyes had killed him. In that moment of his confession, everything had registered for her—he saw it in her eyes and in the accusing look she gave him.

  She’d understood how far-reaching his powers as a vampire extended.

  Even though what she’d experienced in the ER had not been consensual, he’d wanted her to know feeding could also be a very intimate experience. It didn’t have to be an act of violence. He didn’t take pleasure in abusing his power. He did what he had to, for survival.

  Not sadistic pleasure.

  He would run himself through before he ever became like Marguerite.

  Kenric ground his back teeth, waiting for her answer. An even-bigger question loomed in the back of his mind. The one he kept trying his damnedest to avoid.

  Was he prepared for what he needed to do if her answer was no?

  He’d held her in his arms, imprinted her scent and taste. Could he remove her memories, walk away, and never look back? Only twenty-four hours had passed, and it annoyed the hell out of him that he didn’t like the idea of having to let her go. But there would be no other choice, if she said no.

  After what felt like an eternity had passed, she parted her lips and spoke, “Yes, I think I can live with it.”

  “Good.” Kenric dropped her hand and turned, hiding his sigh of relief, his stomach unwinding from its knotted state.

  “Whoa, wait one minute there.” She grabbed his arm. He pivoted back around. “I said I could live with it, but that didn’t mean everything was settled, just like that.” Emily snapped her fingers. “We still need to talk about what this means.”

  “What else is there to discuss?” Kenric’s voice dropped an octave as he leaned against the wall, his hand resting beside her head.

  “Hey! Are we still planning to put our heads together over here and get this situation handled?” Guerin called out from the other side of the room.

  Kenric glared over his shoulder. “Yeah, that’s the plan. Why? You got somewhere to be, Romeo?”

  “No, nowhere to be, my man.” Guerin shook his head. “Just itching to get started, that’s all.”

  “We can talk more later,” Kenric said, returning to Emily, his voice barely above a whisper. “I needed to confirm once more that you were on board with all this.” He brushed his knuckles along the delicate surface of her cheek. So very smooth. Her eyelids shuttered under his caress. Kenric yanked his thoughts and hand back from the road they were headed down. He needed to handle his present situation.

  “It’s either black or white with me,” he said. “Either you can handle this, or you can’t. I’ve already said this upstairs, but I have to be sure you completely understand. I’ll be entrusting you not only with my own existence but with my entire Enclave’s.” He reached to brush her cheek once more but fisted his hand instead and dropped his arm to his side. “You’ve said you can handle this. Please be very sure, Wildflower. If you give me your word, it will be all I ever need to hear.”

  Emily chewed her lower lip and searched his face, and her heart, one more time before she answered. “You have my word,” she breathed.

  Kenric leaned in as if to kiss her but, at the last second, froze. Instead of the feel of his lips, two fingertips trailed down her cheek, then dropped. She gasped. Damn him. He continued to hover above her lips, his breathing harsh. At least he was breathing. The air felt locked inside her chest, waiting for his next move.

  And then it came.

  He closed the distance, but a second before his lips touched hers, he diverted his path, brushing the rough texture of his five o’clock shadow along her cheek. The warmth of his breath at her ear heated her core.

  “Good. Because I wasn’t ready to let you go.” He turned without another word and headed back to his team. Her knees wobbled as she returned to the group and took her seat. Emily tried to ignore the stares that burned into the side of her head as the team waited to hear from their leader.

  Kenric moved to stand beside her. This time, he placed his hand on her shoulder before he spoke. She pinched her lips tight, hiding the satisfied smile.

  “We will proceed as planned,” he said. “Emily will be assisting us in whatever way she can. To put everyone’s mind at ease, she is fully aware of what might happen if others find out what she’s learned today. I’ve placed my trust in her. As you know, that is not something I do lightly, since she’ll be aiding not only me but the entire Enclave. Emily is now considered under my protection. Therefore, she is under the protection of the Enclave. Understood?”

  The weight of his words crashed on her shoulders. He trusted her completely. She would have never guessed how heavy it felt to carry the load of someone’s faith in you. It was damn hefty.

  Emily held her breath as two of the team’s warriors approached her.

  “It will be my honor.” Logan knelt before her, taking her hand in his. He lifted her hand, placing it near his lips. Was he going to kiss her? She braced herself.

  Only he inhaled instead.

  The air slid from her lungs. It didn’t feel intimate, like when Kenric had done something similar upstairs. That had made her heart skip a beat. This was more like a simple handshake. All very formal and ceremonial.

  Next, Guerin came and proceeded in the same manner. “It will be my honor as well.” Placing her hand close to his face, he breathed deep.

  Emily glanced up at Kenric, about to ask about all the smelling, but he beat her to it.

  “Each warrior has taken your scent, because you are now under their protection. They have imprinted you in their minds. Should the need ever arise, if you’re near, they will find you.

  “Impressive,” she mumbled, staring at the back of her hand.

  “Two of the Enclave’s warriors are still on patrol. When they return, both will take the same vow to keep you safe. You are important to me, therefore, you are important to them.”

  Over the next few hours, Emily worked with Elle reviewing the records she’d been able to crack within the hospital’s system. Instead of deleting the files which showed anomalous results, they entered bogus, normalized ones. Too many of the staff involved in Kenric’s case would remember the John Doe admitted on the thirteenth of November. For the record to disappear entirely would raise even more suspicion on top of h
is vanishing act.

  Alongside her and Elle, Kenric examined every detail. Emily couldn’t help noticing the camaraderie that existed between Elle and Kenric. She wondered how long they’d known each other and how exactly Elle had come to be part of the Enclave. Had there ever been more to their relationship? God, she wanted to groan from the green and ugly monster stirring her insides each time Kenric glanced at Gabrielle. But nothing about their interaction suggested more than a common bond. She shouldn’t feel anything at all about a man she’d only met yesterday. When this was over, she had to make an appointment with her ob-gyn. Maybe her estrogen levels were out of whack.

  “How about tomorrow night?”

  “What?” Emily dropped her pen and glanced up in Kenric’s direction. “What about tomorrow night?”

  “If you’re working tomorrow night, I’ll meet you there. Together, we can make sure all my blood samples do a disappearing act.”

  “Yeah, sure. Tomorrow night sounds good.”

  “Perfect,” he said. “With all of the samples gone, they won’t be able to reconfirm or deny the changes in the results. Good job, ladies.” Kenric lowered his gaze to Emily. She cleared her throat and quickly turned her attention back to her notes, trying to hide her smile. He didn’t need any more encouragement.

  With the complete names of the consulting specialist and emergency physician obtained from John Doe’s record, Logan and Guerin volunteered to pay them a visit and alter a few select memories. Elle deleted the request for the consult, since the blood work no longer indicated a problem. Everything from files to thoughts needed to match.

  At last, Kenric spoke the words she’d waited for all evening. “Let’s get you home.” He turned back to Elle. “I’d like to discuss the other matter with you that Guerin asked you to work on when I get back.”

  Elle nodded. “Okay. I have some stuff bookmarked for you to check out.” Kenric gave an affirmative lift of his chin, then returned his attention to Emily.

  Emily gathered her work clothes, and Kenric escorted her to the garage.

  He opened the door of a shiny black convertible sports car. It sat between a BMW and what looked like a Bentley.

  “Is this a Lamborghini?” Emily swung a glance over her shoulder at Kenric before her rear came into contact with the most buttery-soft leather she’d ever sat on.

  Kenric climbed into the driver’s seat and cranked the sleek speed machine. “Yes, it is.”

  “What is it that you do, anyway, other than kill really bad vampires and drive very fast cars?”

  “Let’s just say it doesn’t hurt to be in possession of a great deal of very old money. And a damn good stockbroker.”

  “Ah, I see.” Emily stroked the rich feel of the leather bracing her thighs. Her butt was in cushioned heaven.

  “Actually, this is a Murciélago LP 640 Roadster, to be exact.”

  “Ooh la la. Sounds like it was built for speed,” she said.

  He chuckled, and the black roadster rumbled forward like a predator on a leash, begging for release.

  “Murciélago is Spanish for bat,” he said.

  Emily glanced his way. A devilish grin sat on his lips.

  “Oh, you would have a car named bat, vampire.” She laughed, and it felt good.

  “Buckle up, Wildflower.” Kenric shifted and punched the accelerator, laying her back against the seat with the force of the acceleration.

  Hot damn.

  “You like that, don’t you?” Kenric’s azure eyes sparkled in the moonlight that beamed in through the open top.

  She just smiled in answer to his question, allowing her head to plop against the headrest. Closing her eyes for a moment, she enjoyed the feel of the wind in her hair.

  Relaxed, Emily lifted her lashes and rolled her head to the left. The breeze smoothed Kenric’s raven hair away from his face, accentuating the sharp and sophisticated lines.

  He was beautiful, the scar on his right cheek the only imperfection she could find. Truly, it wasn’t a flaw at all. It reminded her of how much man lay beneath. Emily rubbed her palm over her breastbone as if she could calm the sudden jump in her pulse. Her hand dropped to her stomach, trying to calm the nervous flutters. She wished she could blame it on the intensity of the ride, but she knew they came from the man sitting next to her at the wheel.

  As they neared Elizabeth Bay, she picked a star and made a silent wish toward the heavens for the drive to last a little longer. Because for right now, she liked how safe, happy, and free he made her feel.

  But all too soon, it was over.

  Kenric pulled into the hospital’s parking garage, and Emily directed him to the fourth level, where she’d parked her car the previous night. He pulled up into the vacant space beside her vehicle and cut the engine. She grabbed her things and made her exit.

  Emily tossed her clothes into her car and performed a quick check that her wallet and cell phone were still in her glove box. She straightened and smoothed her shirt with sweaty palms. Could anything feel more awkward? This hadn’t been a date. It had been more like a kidnapping. But her captor hadn’t been human, and she’d somehow allowed herself to be pulled into his world and was about to help him commit a crime. She felt like she’d been strapped to a monster of a roller coaster, mad as hell for permitting herself to climb on board, but loving every minute of the ride.

  “Do you want me to call you tomorrow evening so that we can coordinate when and where to meet? I’ll give you my number, and I would like yours as well…after I follow you home and make sure you’re safe,” he said.

  “Oh, no. That’s not necessary.” Emily shook her head. She didn’t need this guy to know where she lived.

  “I think it is. You’re under my protection now.” Kenric got out of his car, sauntered over, and, with a molten look, lifted a lock of her hair from her shoulder and gently pushed it back.

  How could something as simple as a touch to her hair send electricity running through her insides? She opened her mouth again to say it wasn’t necessary, but ended up groaning in frustration instead. The firm set of his jaw declared he would see her home. What little she already knew of him told her he did what he wanted, permission or not.

  “Fine. You win. This time.” Emily dropped into the seat of her very used Corolla, then glanced over her shoulder. “But don’t get used to it.”

  One corner of his mouth lifted as if he found her humorous. “Warning noted,” he said.

  “I live on Magnolia Island.” She closed her door, the action a little harder than necessary but still pretty darn satisfying. Rolling down her window, Emily looked up and met his gaze. “Try to keep up if you can.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  Chapter Ten

  Two hours later, and Arran had yet to find any sign of Markus. He rolled his Ducati to a stop, snatched his helmet off, and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket.

  “Damn, voice mail again.” He clenched and unclenched his fist, waiting for the beep. “Markus, where the hell are you, man?” he growled out, wishing he had an addict’s head to pound his fist into and exorcise some of his frustration. “Call me when you get this, you bastard, and let me know you’re alive. If you don’t, I’m going to kill your ass and feed you to those fucking bloodsuckers.” With that said, he punched End Call on a snarl.

  Only a few more hours remained before he would have to go in. “Fuck!”

  He punched speed dial for the compound. Maybe they’d heard from Markus. If not, Kenric and Guerin needed to know he’d gone missing.

  “Arran?” Gabrielle answered on the second ring, her voice urgent but soft and warm. “Are you okay?”

  His pulse surged. She probably thought he must be close to death. He never called in.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” He tried to sound calm and indifferent. A difficult feat, considering what had gone down with his partner tonight and the beautiful woman on the other end of the line that kept him tied in knots. “Markus and I took on a few DEADs. We got separated. Has
he checked in within the last few hours?”

  “No, he hasn’t.” Her words were hesitant. Probably from shock. He’d probably spoken more to her in the last minute than in the previous five years she’d lived on the estate.

  “Inform Guerin and Kenric that Markus has gone missing, and I’ll be out searching until sunrise. Notify me immediately if you hear anything from him.”

  “Will do.”

  “Good.”

  “Arran?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Be safe,” she whispered.

  Arran closed the phone and rolled his shoulders. He didn’t need attachments. She especially didn’t need to attach herself to him. One big mistake he wouldn’t allow her to make. After what Gabrielle had been through, he definitely was not what she needed.

  He cranked his bike and yanked his helmet into place. Twisting the throttle, he burned out, leaving a boiling cloud of white smoke in his wake. He hoped like hell that if he didn’t locate Markus before dawn, his partner found cover from the rising sun—before it found him.

  …

  Emily shoved the key into the deadbolt for her unit. The heavy fall of boots on the wooden steps behind her told her that Kenric was right on her heels. She wondered what he thought of her meager accommodations. Her gaze wandered to the complex’s faded brown paneling. It had seen better days. The constant salty spray coming off the ocean played havoc on any dwelling. Everything in the area appeared much older than its actual years. Her mom’s thirty-year-old condominium complex looked closer to sixty. Mom had loved it here, and Emily loved the memories—the ones before her dad had lost his battle with the bottle.

  “Come on in—if you must,” she said, flipping the light switch to the right of the door.

  Emily strode through the living area toward her bedroom, talking as she went. “Make yourself at home. I’m going to change my clothes. I won’t be long.” She glanced back and pointed in the direction of the small galley kitchen. “There should be something to drink in the fridge. Oh.” She halted and then turned. “That’s if you drink anything other than—well—you know.” She shrugged, knowing her smile had to look uncomfortable.