Midnight Masquerade

by Nancy Gideon

  He moved down the walk, his agitation hurrying his pace so that he was all but invisible to the human eye. But the animals sensed him. A chaos ensued in their cages and houses. Howling and banging quickened at his passing, for they knew one of their own was on the hunt and death was in the air.

  He honed in on the scent, the dark, compelling fragrance that had his appetite pounding and his senses razor sharp. He could feel Bianca Du Maurier close by but was careful not to explore that prickling awareness lest he give them all away.

  As if she didn't know they were coming for her.

  He hoped Rae knew. He hoped she wasn't afraid.

  And then he saw her, and terror bobbed up in his throat as big as the Times Square ball on New Year's Eve.

  The obnoxious detective. Gabriel's partner ... what was his name? Palmer. Palmer had Rae bent over the cement wall, hanging head first over the water below. Only his balancing grip on the waistband of her jeans kept her from plunging the twenty feet. And if the fall wasn't bad enough, the audience observing them looked to be tough to play to. Two Sumatran tigers paced the edge of the water, drawn by the same scent that called to Nick. Rae's blood.

  "Stop right there, Flynn, or your girlfriend here will need a mortician, not a lawyer."

  Palmer didn't know about his altered state.

  "You drop her, and I'll drop you one second later,” he promised as he continued his approach.

  Rae met his gaze. There was no fear in her eyes, only anger and concern ... for him. “Nick, he's not alone."

  Her warning wasn't necessary. His instincts shivered with Bianca's presence, though she'd yet to put in an appearance. She was close, probably watching to see how things would unfold before she chose to involve herself. Let her underlings take the risk. That's how she'd lived so long.

  Too long.

  He had to act. He had to get Rae out of their hands. But was he overestimating his untested skill at the risk of her life? He didn't have time to wonder. It was time to trust himself.

  "Go ahead and drop her, you son of a bitch. Or do you have to hide behind a woman to consider yourself a man?"

  Nick's acidic drawl was an insult that could not go unanswered to a man of Palmer's ego. While he sneered at Nick, he gripped Rae's feet and flipped her over the wall.

  Before she had time to cry out, before she touched the water, Nick had her safe in his embrace.

  "I've got you, cher."

  And she had him, tightly about the neck in a near stranglehold as he hovered a scant inch above the water's surface.

  His highly sensitized faculties filled up with her—the way she fit his body with a lush strength, the way her quickened breathing made her breasts surge against him in a primal rhythm, the way the scent of her blood dazzled his thinking into a frenzy of want and need and urgency. But it was the way his heart swelled up with love that overwhelmed his new exaggerated responses.

  And he knew right then that she would never have any reason to fear him.

  "You took your sweet time getting here,” she complained weakly. “What? Was there traffic?"

  Relief shuddered through him as he hugged her close. “I came as quickly as I could."

  The soft stroke of her shaky laughter teased against his neck. “I guess in this case, quick is good.” Then her tone sobered. “She's in the bat house behind the water fall."

  "Can I trust you to stay out of trouble while I deal with her?"

  She leaned back far enough to capture his dark gaze with the intensity of her own. “I trust you, Nick.” Then she glanced down to see their feet caressing the surface of the pond. “Just don't let me go."

  "I won't."

  With that husky twofold promise, he begin to rise up, bringing both of them up to the level of the wall.

  Where Palmer was waiting with gun drawn.

  His finger spasmed on the trigger, but just when the bullet should have sped from the chamber to burrow into Rae Borden's back, a slender hand gripped the barrel, crushing it shut.

  "Have you no respect for true love?"

  And he screamed silently as Nicole LaValois went into his veins. She stepped away, delicately dabbing at the sides of her mouth as Nick and Rae settled beside her. Palmer crumpled boneless to the walk. At Rae's questioning glance, the other woman smiled.

  "Don't worry. My appetite never runs big enough for the kill—even if they deserve it. He'll be a little less of a problem when he wakes up."

  "Nicole, keep her safe for me."

  When Rae understood that he was leaving her, her grip on him tightened. But the fear in that action, the fear that steeped dark and desperate in her gaze, never transitioned to speech. Her words were brave and encouraging.

  "Be careful. Come back to me."

  "Always.” To both things.

  She hugged him about the neck, unwilling and momentarily unable to let him go. He was pleased to oblige her and gloried in their embrace for another long minute.

  The bastard had cut her.

  The wound wasn't severe, but it still seeped blood. With her arms wound about him, the opportunity was too tempting. He had to know. He turned his head slightly to move his lips upon that gash, not to drink but to lave along the cut in a slow, sensuous stroke. The taste of her was close to orgasmic. He'd expected his control to falter, but what pushed him to the brink was a deep, desperate desire. Desire for this woman, this brave, reckless woman whose sweet richness danced upon his tongue. Then his head canted slightly as he puzzled over a variation in that essence that he couldn't quite grasp. He pondered over it as Rae eased back from his arms. Her look was guarded and confused, too. But there was no fear of him in that steady stare.

  "Stay with Nicole."

  She nodded. Then bit her lip to hold back her cry for him to stay, too. But he was gone, a blur of motion streaking down the steps into the bat cave. And all she could think was not how much he'd changed when he'd become something foreign and somewhat frightening, but how much—more—he was. Gone was the hesitancy, the uncertainty, the unwillingness to commit to anyone or anything. He was a man of purpose and focused power. And, strange as it might be, she found that irresistibly arousing. The gash on her arm, instead of aching from the abuse, tingled where he'd licked the blood away. It made her think of the ancient childhood ritual of becoming blood brothers. Is that what they were now, bound by the primitive sharing, or had only the first step been taken? Would she find the courage to continue down that forbidden path of promise and dark passions with Nick Flynn as her guide?

  "Men. Always in such a rush to plunge into danger while we women know that survival is found in restraint."

  The purr of Bianca's voice startled Rae from her flirtation with the unknown. Confronting her now was an evil that might well end any chance of exploring those possibilities.

  "Bonsoir, Nicole, my dear friend and pupil."

  Nicole met her congenial greeting with a rightful contempt. “We were never friends, and the only things you taught me were lies and the bitter taste of revenge."

  "You learned those lessons well, my dear, but perhaps you did not pay close enough attention."

  She struck with a stunning viciousness, gripping Nicole by the shoulders and flinging her back into the retaining wall with a force that sapped her breath. Then Bianca had the younger woman by either side of her head, smashing it again and again into the cement until Nicole ceased to struggle. She stood, wiping her hands on her snug silk skirt as she smiled down at the limp figure in satisfaction.

  "There. That ought to distract your brutish husband long enough for me to deal with our meddling human friend.” She turned to Rae with a hiss and a display of her fangs. “Time to make final payment for all the inconvenience you've caused me."

  "I pay as I go,” Rae stated. She gripped the silver crucifix and yanked to break the slender chain. Then, as the snarling vampiress leapt toward her, Rae dropped the cross and chain down the low vee neckline of Bianca's blouse.

  With a screech of agony, Bianca's tho
ughts of retribution became a writhing need to rid herself of the object that burned her breasts and belly.

  With Bianca momentarily distracted, Rae took the surest and riskiest means of escape. Hoping her knowledge of late night vampire lore was correct that they loathed the water, she vaulted over the wall and cannonballed into the moat below. Stunned by the shock of the water, she pushed off the bottom to find herself treading to stay afloat. Above, Bianca's shrieking stopped. It was then she heard the hungry growls from the shore. The tigers paced restlessly, their cunning yellow eyes assessing the distance between them and supper. Knowing the cats had no such aversion to water, Rae began to swim.

  * * * *

  Bianca's sonic screams drew them back for a rendezvous at the point where they'd left the women.

  "Mon Dieu!"

  Marchand rushed to the crumpled Nicole, his features stark with terror and rage when he saw the blood on the wall behind her head.

  "Is she all right?"

  It was a long moment before Marchand replied to Gerard's worried question.

  "Just stunned."

  "Rae?” Nick scanned the area frantically. No sign of her.

  Nicole moaned softly and forced her eyes open. Her anguished gaze sought Nick's. “I'm sorry. It was Bianca. She's after Rae. Hurry."

  Marchand looked to the others, obviously torn between his duties.

  "We'll handle this, Frenchman,” Gerard assured him with a grim smile.

  "Her evil must end."

  "It will.” Nick's promise finished the discussion.

  Then they hunted the night.

  Nick led, his senses tuned in two directions, one being the dark vibrations from Bianca and the other to the uniquely human essence of the woman he loved. They were close, almost one. Struggling to suppress his raging fear for Rae's safety so he could accurately read the signs, he skirted the cement walls next to the pond. There, he nearly lost the trail, overwhelmed by the strong musky odor that stained the walls—scent marks freshened by the tigers each day to claim their territory. A bold reminder that they were on the big cats’ turf and the blonde demon was not the only one following the scent of live blood along the terraced hills, under spreading oaks and Himalayan pines.

  Tangled impressions fought for dominance—the sharp throb of Bianca's hunger, the luring pulse of Rae's heartbeats, so fast and furious, the wildly dangerous scent of the cats all intermingling. He couldn't separate one from the others. And then he understood why.

  A shrill female scream brought the hairs of his nape up on end.

  "Rae."

  Chapter

  Twenty-four

  Rae pushed her way through the bamboo thicket, shoving between the canes as threatening sounds pursued her. She had no hope of outdistancing that relentless predator, nor could she simply hide and wait for the saving grace of dawn. The only chance she had was staying on the move, becoming a difficult target until Nick arrived to rescue her. A sobbing laugh escaped her. Yes, she the intrepid loner, the fiercely independent female, wanted ... desperately needed help.

  She'd torn a strip from the bottom of her shirt to bind her arm, stopping the bleeding that was like a beacon to those who followed. It ached incessantly now, a dull reminder that she alone was human and vulnerable in this game of cat and mouse. Or big cats and deadly rat.

  She pushed through the last of the canes to find herself in a small clearing. She surveyed her surroundings as she leaned forward, palms on knees, to catch her breath. Her advance was blocked by a high wall. Large openings had been scooped out of its surface.

  Tiger dens.

  Great.

  "Nick, save my ass,” she panted softly.

  "I'm sorry. You'll have to settle for me."

  Too weary to straighten, too realistic to assume a fighting pose, Rae glared at her in defiance. There was a small satisfaction in knowing that Bianca looked as bad as she felt. Gone was the coolly elegant sophisticate. Her blonde hair was disheveled, and her silk clothing torn and stained. The pale skin of her bosom revealed by the low scoop of her blouse was blistered and burned from contact with the silver cross and chain. There was nothing lovely about the gaunt, pain-ravaged features that confronted her.

  She looked pissed.

  "If I take no other pleasure this night, it will be the joy of tearing out your throat and drinking down your miserable life."

  Rae braced for the attack as a powerful roar announced the end.

  But the sound didn't come from Bianca.

  Rae stumbled back with an involuntary cry as two huge paws settled on Bianca's shoulders. The tiger's weight carried her to the ground, then they were struggling—fang to fang, claw to claw—a beast of the jungle versus a demon of the supernatural. Rae shrank away from the horrible sounds, snarls, yowls and finally a wail of pain as the victor found the other's jugular then tottered upright, bathed in the other's blood.

  "Prepare to die, bitch,” Bianca promised, wiping the gore from her face with a yet taloned hand.

  A mocking chuckle from behind her jerked her focus from her human nemesis.

  "Cara mia, look at you. Such a sight I never thought to see. You are ... a mess."

  Her clothing torn, her shoulders clawed and skin shredded, the demon tried nonetheless to assume a haughty attitude. “So cruel with your comments, Gerardo, my love. Take pity on me in the name of the fondness we once shared."

  "Pity? Like the pity you felt when you left me chained to a wall to face the light of day? I think I can manage an equal compassion."

  "Gerard, don't be mean. Your disloyalty wounded me deeply. I was angry with you. It was a lover's tiff, that's all. I would have taken you back. I would take you back now. Remember how you once loved me."

  His smile made him at once beautiful and brutal. “I remember how your greedy act cost me all that I once loved."

  "Surely you've forgiven me for that. After all,” she goaded, “you've done worse yourself."

  "I've atoned for my sins. Time for you to atone for yours."

  "Perhaps, but I will not go alone."

  With a manic shriek, Bianca whirled to rush at Rae ... and found herself impaled upon the bamboo stake Nick braced before him. She stared at the two of them in surprise, at the small-change lawyer and his tough-minded lover and then down at the length of wood piercing her black heart. She laughed faintly at the ridiculousness of being defeated by such a pair. Then she collapsed under the weight of souls she'd stolen over the centuries.

  There was no dramatic flash of fire. No rending of the heavens to announce her demise. Just a crumbling from corpse to cinder-like ash that scattered on the breeze as the once reigning queen of the night was no more.

  * * * *

  Rae had known it would be difficult to say good-bye, but she hadn't expected it to tear her heart in two.

  They stood in the drive at the LaValois's big estate as she swiped unashamedly at her tears. She'd managed some degree of dignity until he turned to her with a final smile.

  "It's not like we won't see each other again. We're partners, Sugar Rae."

  With a wail, Rae launched herself into Gabriel McGraw's arms, hugging him fiercely as she sobbed over the friend she was losing and the love he had lost. He simply held her for a long moment until she got her careening emotions under control. She dried her eyes on the shoulder of his gaudy shirt and stepped away with an apologetic, “I'm sorry. I'm usually not such a basket case."

  "You're a mother-to-be. It's allowed.” Then he clamped his jaw shut at her look of dismay. “Oops. Was it a secret?"

  "How did you know?"

  "Nick told me."

  "How did he know? I wasn't even sure myself."

  "Something about a blood test."

  She flashed back to Nick's sensuous kiss on her injured arm. “Oh."

  Gabriel touched her damp cheek. “You've got what you want, Rae. Don't let go. Don't let pride get the best of love and push you to making the same mistake I did."

  She covered his hand with her
own. “You'll have your happiness, too. I know it."

  His smile was bittersweet. “I haven't searched so long to give up easily. I'll find her and I'll find Zanlos. And I'll settle things with him for the both of us."

  He leaned forward to place a kiss upon her other cheek then turned to vault into the big Mercury. It started with a roar and sped down the drive toward a different destiny. Rae hugged to herself as she saw him lift a hand in farewell.

  "Godspeed, Gabriel."

  She took a deep breath. Time to secure her own destiny.

  They watched the parting scene from the house. Gerard looped a companionable arm about his brooding relative's shoulders.

  "Do not worry, my friend. She has eyes for only one man."

  "Who's no longer a man."

  Gerard's laughter mocked his sober statement. “It depends upon your definition of man. Do you love her any less now?"

  "No."

  "Do you want her any less than before?"

  "No.” A passionate growl that made Gerard grin.

  "Then what is the problem? Non capisco."

  "What could I possibly give her the way I am now?"

  "Why, anything but an afternoon wedding. And, of course, she'll have to adjust to the changes in your ... um, personal life."

  More alarmed than embarrassed, he gasped, “No sex?"

  "Only about a dozen or so times between dusk and dawn, depending upon her stamina.” He winked. “Like I said, an adjustment.” He embraced his stunned relative, kissing him fondly in European fashion upon either cheek. “I must go. My wife prefers me home. She fears I will fall into bad habits if on my own for too long. Bid the Frenchman and his lovely Nicole good-bye for me. And I shall expect a visit soon. Don't forget your family, both new and growing and old."

  And Gerard was gone, hurrying to beat the dawn back to New Orleans and eager for the arms awaiting him there.

  Leaving Nick to wait with equal parts eagerness and apprehension as Rae came inside. She paused when she saw him, her expression unreadable except for the edge of caution. She knew he knew.

  "When were you going to tell me?” He nodded toward her belly for clarification, as if it was needed.