9781936653027BorntobeWildArsuaga

by Cynthia Arsuaga

  “You’re going to pay for this, Ecaterina.” His tone was low and menacing, but he sensed she wasn’t in a mood to listen.

  “Why?” she replied, raising an eyebrow. “Because I want to show you what you’ve missed, who you really are, baby? Don’t tell me you don’t enjoy whipping me into submission. You know you loved fucking me too. Admit it.”

  “You satisfied an itch before, nothing more. Denying me blood for a few days and offering up an innocent for me to kill doesn’t change anything either. If I could rip your heart out right now and get away with it, I would. Don’t think for one moment I wouldn’t try if I got the chance.” His eyes narrowed and glowed red.

  “I’m more than that to you. We’re bonded and always will be. Fuck me now, baby and forget about our past. We can start fresh with Dragomir’s family.”

  “No. Now, answer my question,” he hissed. “Why? You asked me in Virginia to help you. I said no. You brought me here and tortured me. You’re trying to seduce me into fucking you. Why? To recruit me for the Dragomir Family?” To what end? I’m not doing anything without knowing what’s in it for me. I want the truth.” He grabbed her hair, yanked it hard and then pushed her back.

  “You ask too many questions, baby.” Moving quickly across the room, she retrieved her clothes. “Come with me. It’s time you meet your new Master.”

  “No shackles this time?”

  “No baby, there’s no place you can run. And you want answers, don’t you?”

  He looked over at the dead female on the floor. “What about this?” gesturing with his head toward the lifeless body.

  “She’ll be disposed of. Let’s go.” Within seconds after making a waving motion with her hand above the door, a metal clicking noise sounded and the door opened. Two tall, muscular male vampires dressed in solid black stood outside the room ready to escort Ecaterina and Stefan to their next destination.

  “Where’s your boy toy?”

  “Dead. Now shut up and let’s go.”

  Stefan had revenge on his mind.

  And Alexandra.

  * * * *

  As Stefan turned the corner of the corridor he heard a familiar voice, “Alexandra?” he whispered in his mind, turning to see where the voice came from.

  He peered down the hallway past the shoulder of one of the male bodyguards flanking him. A glimpse of a woman walking with a man rounding a far corner caught his eye. Long, straight dark red hair tied back in a ponytail vividly stood out against the back of the white lab coat. Identical to the way Alexandra liked to wear hers, but why would she be here? His brow crinkled.

  Ecaterina looked over at him. “Did you say something?”

  Realizing she sensed his silent speculations, he replied guardedly, “No.” The group turned down the same hallway as the mystery woman took, headed toward the elevators. Stefan lost sight of the redhead as he stopped with the others in front of the lift doors.

  All the way to their destination, he thought of how his foolish woman tracked Ecaterina here. Alexandra suspected her as the rogue. She must have left Virginia the day after he gave her a blood exchange. No doubt her brother convinced her. If he had more time, he could have changed her mind. Damn! Alexandra, you’re in over your head working here.

  The elevator doors opened to the Executive Level, Floor Twenty, and the private spaces of the owner of SanGeneMur Pharmaceuticals. The large expanse suited a man of such wealth and power. Gleaming black granite floors greeted Stefan as he stepped off the lift. The pitch black night sky through the floor to ceiling plate glass windows provided the backdrop for the room’s canvas that lay ahead. Ecaterina quickly moved ahead of him walking briskly toward a massive desk back against the background of windows. The two bodyguards remained stationed by the elevator door, feet firmly planted, and arms crossed on chests. One of them motioned for Stefan to follow Ecaterina into the room.

  He ventured further into the dimly lit two-story sprawling room. Stefan remained alert, scanning the surroundings, to pick up on any unforeseen lurking predators. The antique furnishings mixed with modern art lent an artistic touch to the room’s décor—one his art background could appreciate. Masterpieces hung on the walls, sculptures posed upon pedestals, and art glass with light streamlined directly down on them were scattered throughout. Who the hell is this man?

  Stefan spotted Ecaterina standing by the hand-carved wood desk. Someone sat in the chair, with back turned, and he was only able to see the top of the man’s head—black hair, straight, pulled tight to the head. Stefan moved toward the shadowed man and Ecaterina, not taking his eyes off the psycho bitch. She grinned. He wondered if it was from their earlier encounter or something more of things to come.

  “You’re still a man with a heart of stone, but an eye for beauty I see, Stefan.” The familiar voice from behind the black chair boomed, clear and distinct from Stefan’s distant past.

  Stefan righted his posture, his eyes darkened as the chair slowly swiveled around revealing the mystery shadow man.

  “And you’re still the son-of-a-bitch liar you always were, Dragos. You’re the head of this family?” Stefan asked keeping a steely eye on the seated man.

  “Dragos? This is Emil Dragomir, Stefan. Show him respect.” Ecaterina scowled.

  “No my dear, Stefan is correct.” The stealthy six foot three inch tall man rose from the chair and moved around to greet Stefan. His dark designer suit cut his athletic physique with lines accentuating his broad shoulders and trim hips. “My true name is Dragos Munteanu and I’m Stefan’s sire.” His embrace clenched around Stefan’s shoulders, cold and tight. “What, no warm welcome for your true Lord Master?” The fortyish appearing silver-eyed shadow man drew back, with his arms extended and hands resting on Stefan’s shoulders. “What has it been, four hundred years, maybe less? But, who’s counting.” Dragos smiled, bright white teeth shining against his tanned skin.

  “Not long enough.”

  “Oh, such hostility from my favorite son. Look at you, Stefan, dark and brooding, nothing changes with you, does it? You’re looking so pale too. Tsk, tsk. I’ll have you set up for our special tanning beds. A few sessions and you’ll look marvelous.”

  Stefan made a low growl.

  Ecaterina moved toward the two men. “Emil, why didn’t you tell me your real name? I don’t understand the secrecy.”

  “Oh my dear, there’s no deception. I changed my name so it didn’t sound so…shall we say, Old World. No different than you changed yours.”

  She nodded.

  “Changing your name won’t change your evil ways, Dragos. So let’s just cut through the bullshit. Why did you find it necessary to kidnap me? You could have asked me to come without all the theatrics.”

  “True enough. But you wouldn’t have, we both know that.” He walked toward a credenza sideboard and poured liquor in a glass. “Would you like something? Cognac Paradis. Is it still your favorite?”

  Stefan shook his head. “I’m not interested in your hospitality.”

  “I would have seen you days ago, but…Cat wanted to play. She talked me into making you suffer for her own personal reasons.” He grabbed her hand and kissed her palm. “I tend to indulge her.”

  Stefan let out a low growl and curled his fingers into his palms. The two bodyguards moved closer, but Dragos waved them off.

  “Ah, my son, do not be upset with Cat, I would have done the same. Your torture was for your own good. You had to find the way back to your true nature. Your real bloodlust has been lost, too humanized, and now you’ve been returned to the family where you belong.” Dragos upturned his palms and stretched them out in front of him.

  “Dragos, I’ve no interest in returning to your sick blood clan. You can continue to torture me all you want, but I will not do your bidding.”

  “Hmm, we’ll see Stefan. Perhaps you’ll change your mind once you see your friends dying.” He walked back around his desk and sat down. He motioned for Stefan to sit, “Please.”

  “What ar
e you talking about?”

  “Aren’t you going to ask me how I came to run the largest pharmaceutical company in the world? Haven’t you figured it out yet, my son?”

  Stefan thought about what Dragos said. “You’re behind the deadly virus, but for what reason? Killing humans makes no sense. Why destroy our food supply?”

  “C’mon baby, think.” Ecaterina demanded, stepping behind Stefan, splaying her hands over his chest. “If the humans are scared into thinking there’s a vampire virus that can kill all of them, they’ll change the laws right now allowing easy access to us. No more cheap or free vampire blood exchanges…” She softly spoke into his ear.

  “And…those who are addicted to our blood will pay for the privilege. The price of vamp blood goes up and you control the price. Is that your plan?”

  “Because changing the laws is only part of the plan. Once we get the laws changed, I will unleash our designer blood I’ve named Blue. Preliminary tests show it is more addictive than the real thing. It hits the streets in a couple of weeks. And that is where you come in Stefan.”

  “I’m not a drug dealer now, nor do I intend to become one in the future.”

  Dragos laughed. “I’m not asking you to deal. No, no, no. What I am asking is for your special talents in making people disappear. I have a FBI agent who has been an annoyance the past six months and I’ve tolerated him only because I’ve been waiting for the right moment. The moment is now.”

  Stefan glanced over at Ecaterina. “This is the same agent you told me about in Virginia? Johnson wasn’t it? And a couple bounty hunters, too?”

  “Very good. You remembered. But forget the bounty hunters. I made them up. I thought maybe if I told you there were hunters you’d agree, since I know you hate them with a passion.”

  “Mmm, yeah, I do.” Except one.

  “Special Agent Scott Johnson has been a thorn in my side long enough. He thought his cleverness would get him into my secret lab, but his little Romanian snitch got too close and almost tipped him off about Blue before I wanted it leaked. The FBI thinks they can control us, but if I have anything to do with it, I’ll have the Vamp Unit shut down for good,” Dragos said.

  “And you want me to help you shut them down? I’m an enforcer. I make humans and vamps disappear if they get out of line with the established laws. You give me too much credit. I’m good, but not that good. How exactly am I to take care of this problem for you, kill all of them at the Vamp Enforcement Unit? If I do it, I’d have the entire Bureau after me. I don’t have a death wish.”

  “I’m asking for one man right now. The rest you can take care of as you like, when you like. And for your trouble, I’m offering you the position as my Elector Palatine.”

  “I’m honored you would bestow on me the title of your second in charge over your great family, but, why? I have made my hatred for you quite known throughout the community over the years. Why are you wanting me back at your side Dragos, what do you really want from me?”

  “You are my favorite, always have been, despite our falling out centuries ago. I always knew you would come back and serve by my side when the time was right. I made you. You have my blood, a Macedonian king’s blood, strong and fierce. It is your duty, your right to stand by me while we, together create the Sange Empire.”

  “And if I refuse?”

  “You won’t.”

  “What makes you so sure? Being your Elector is no guarantee. How do I know any of this…this virus and Blue designer blood is real? Or your grand plan of changing the vampire laws, which by the way have been in existence over a hundred years and will be hard to abolish overnight? There are a lot of variables. I’d have to see all the details before I make a decision.”

  Dragos curled one corner of his mouth. “You always were a man of caution. I will show you everything. Come. I’ll take you on a tour.”

  * * * *

  “Aly? Are you all right? You haven’t been yourself all night. Have you been practicing the mind-block exercises I’ve taught you?” Johnson asked.

  “Yes, Johnson. Stop babying me. I get enough of that from my family.” She rubbed fingers across her forehead. The nagging headache wouldn’t go away, similar to the one a week ago. This had to be the effects of her body purging the vamp blood from her system. It must be like a hangover. Earlier, she thought Stefan’s voice called out to her in the hallway on the way to dinner. She laughed silently. If he were here, he would have come for her.

  “I’m not babying you. I don’t want your cover blown. The vamps around here would kill you first, and ask questions later. You’d disappear and no one would ever find your body. Aly, you have to be careful. We are close to getting information on this special project brewing. I’m so glad you were able to get hired into Alina’s position and can get info on the secret ideas they’re cooking up in there. Have you learned anything more about the Blue serum?”

  “Nothing. I’ve been cautious. Everyone in the lab is still skittish after Alina’s death. A few of them think she picked up the virus from here. Others think it had to do with excessive participation at the vamp club. She was close to a vamp who still works there and maybe he turned her in. Maybe the truth is somewhere in-between, possibly letting something slip during a sexual encounter with a vamp.”

  “I’d be dead by now Aly. No, I don’t think so. You keep working to find out about this new serum and I’ll keep pushing to get info on the owner. Any luck on your end with this Dragomir guy?”

  “Jordy is networking with his contacts. Seems all he can find out is the man is from Croatia originally, lived in several countries, made it big in the seventies with fiber optics and rolled that into cable and oil in the eighties. After that he goes off the radar. He’s still digging.” With the headache hanging on, she continued rubbing her forehead.

  “We have to wind this case up. It’s getting too dangerous for you here. Look at you, Aly. You’re having trouble blocking. Are you good until eleven?”

  “I have a headache. No vamp is trying to read my mind. I’m fine. Let me get back to the lab and work on finding out about this Blue and meet you when our shift is over.” Rising to leave, he grabbed her hand.

  “Aly, be careful.”

  Disengaging her hand, she pressed down on the laminate tabletop, and smiled. “I will.”

  Alex left the break room and walked back to the lab, Room 1527, the secret lab as Johnson liked to term it. She didn’t think there was anything secret about it. Sure, the tight security required a retinal scan to gain entry, not surprising because the entire facility had high security. Frankly the immediate hiring of her at the interview floored her. The Bureau did a bang up job on her background profile and resume, speaking medical and scientific jargon didn’t hurt either. The undercover work excited her and Johnson made the after work practice sessions enjoyable as well.

  Every night he would meet her in the employee parking lot. They’d stop by a small local watering hole and have a beer or snack and head back to his apartment for a couple of hours of mind-block practice. After the third night she noticed a difference with Johnson. He asked her to call him Scott who under any other circumstance probably would be okay except somehow it seemed personal, too personal.

  Granted, she liked him, but not in that way. The circumstances by which they were thrown together was unusual and sometimes harmless flirting can happen, but it was just that, harmless. The feelings for Stefan complicated her life enough and no way in hell she could mix another relationship into the pot.

  Rounding the corner to the lab, two solidly built and ominous-looking men dressed in total black abruptly stopped her. Their attire reminded her of Stefan’s wardrobe. Right away she knew they were vamp bodyguards and immediately threw up a mind block.

  “Sorry miss,” one of the guards said. “You’ll have to wait until Master Dragomir leaves this corridor.”

  “But my break is over. I’ll get in trouble if I’m late returning. Is Master Dragomir going to let my supervisor know why
I was late? I doubt it.”

  “Sorry, miss. The security protocol requires no admittance.”

  “Security protocol? You’ve got to be kidding. This entire building is secured. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t pass muster. This is just great.” Crossing her arms over her chest, she began tapping her foot on the terrazzo floor.

  “Do you have any idea how much longer this will take?” She asked the vamp bodyguards, neither moved, or even blinked the entire time they faced each other.

  Neither one responded.

  “Great, now you ignore me. At this rate I might as well go back to the break room and come back later.”

  One of the bodyguards cocked his head. “Your choice miss.”

  With a loud harrumph, she shook her head in frustration. Turning on her heels she headed back down the hallway. A few feet later, the sound of voices and stirring bodyguards got her attention, especially a familiar male’s voice. Stopping in her stride, she turned and walked back toward the lab.

  “Can I pass? Sounds like whoever was in the lab has left.”

  The one remaining guard peered over his shoulder. “Almost…okay, you can go.”

  Glancing down a long corridor, she glimpsed a woman in skin-tight leather pants, with long black hair, and extremely high red stilettos. Alex knew there were others in the group because the raven-haired woman talked to someone out of view. The woman looked very familiar, even from the distance and from the back, but then again most female vamps Alex ran across all looked alike—tall, dark hair and slutty wearing black leather and stilettos. No imagination or style.

  “I thought you were late returning?” the bodyguard said, his husky low voice startled her from her thoughts.

  “Uh, yeah I was just wondering who the woman was.” She placed her eye on the retinal scanner.

  The door lock clicked. Entering the lab with an authoritative stride, she smiled at the bodyguard in passing.

  “No one to concern you,” he said, turned and jogged down the corridor to meet up with the others.