Simon inwardly cringed at the mention of Jeanie’s name. He’d done a lot of things he wasn’t proud of; things he’d come to regret after meeting Jacie.
His gaze drifted back to the little girl, his mind recalling the night two years ago when he’d taken her to lure Lydia to his side. It seemed an eternity had passed since that that dreadful time. Whether she knew it or not, Jacie had inadvertently saved him. “I’m all too aware of Svetlana’s abilities. I also know her well enough to be certain she will not have me staked.”
“What if she attacks here while you’re gone?” Madison pointed out. “What then?”
Simon ran a hand down his face. “I have to find a way to destroy her.”
“You can’t kill her, Simon…but I can.”
Heat swirled behind Simon’s eyes. “You will not go anywhere near that sadistic bitch!”
“I’m the only one who can,” Madison argued.
“You’re insane, Madison. Svetlana is not going to leave herself unprotected. Especially not during slumber. She’ll have an army of mindless muscle guarding her at all times. Forget it.”
A determined look settled in Madison’s eyes. “I am not some prissy little female who can’t take care of herself. Besides, I have Sawyer.”
That angered Simon even more; though he had no idea why. What did he care if she idolized Sawyer? It wasn’t as if he gave two shits about her. Did he? “You’re not going after Svetlana.”
Madison spun toward the house. “I don’t recall asking your permission.”
Simon found himself holding her against the door, her arms pinned at her sides.
“Let me go,” she bit out between clenched teeth.
His gaze lowered to her lips. Even angry, they were alluring.
“Don’t you—”
He closed his mouth over hers, effectively cutting off her words.
Madison stiffened in his arms, her lips hard and unyielding.
Still, Simon kissed her. He couldn’t seem to stop himself. She tasted of woman and wine…and, man, was it intoxicating.
Her mouth suddenly softened, and her body relaxed against him. A moan escaped her, only to be swallowed up by Simon’s feverish kiss.
She opened for him, tilting her head to give him better access. Simon was lost.
Jacie’s tinkering laughter rang out from the court yard, bringing Simon back to reality. He broke off the kiss, backing up enough to gaze into Madison’s eyes.
Neither of them spoke for several heartbeats, the sound of their uneven breathing echoing between them.
The crack of Madison’s palm against Simon’s cheek brought him out of his frozen state. He stared back at her for a moment longer and then vaulted to the rooftop.
Simon paced along the top of Roman’s fortress, unable to purge the memory of Madison’s lips from his mind. He’d kissed her. And damn him, but she tasted incredible.
The door opened below him, and Sawyer’s voice drifted to the rooftop.
Simon slowed his steps, listening as the shifter spoke to Madison in a soft, deep voice. “Roman wants everyone in the training room in twenty minutes.”
“Has something new transpired?”
“Not that I’m aware of. He wants to discuss our options.”
“I’ll be right there.”
Simon stayed still as Madison ordered Jacie to bring her puppy and follow her inside. The door closed softly behind them.
Guilt settled in Simon’s gut. If not for him, Roman wouldn’t be calling a meeting in the training room. He’d be holding his beautiful wife, tucking sweet Jacie into bed, and enjoying the life he’d recently been blessed with. Instead, he was now forced to double up on security in hopes of holding Svetlana at bay.
Well, no more, Simon decided, jumping to the ground below. He would leave the compound and do everything in his power to lure Svetlana far away from Atlanta.
Chapter Seven
Madison leaned against the wall in the training room, her heart still hammering from the kiss Simon had forced upon her. Not that she’d fought him very hard. If she were being honest with herself, she’d enjoyed it way more than she cared to admit.
She’d never imagined in a million years that Simon would taste as good as he had. He was a vampire for crying out loud. He should have tasted of death and disgust.
Bringing her hand to her mouth, she touched her bottom lip, reliving the feel of his tongue licking her there.
His scent remained on her skin, tantalizing and teasing in its masculine essence.
Angry with her body’s betrayal, Madison yanked her hand away from her face and attempted to block out the memory of that kiss.
The door opened and Sawyer stuck his head inside. “Le Blanc is gone.”
Madison’s heart stuttered.
“What do you mean gone?” Roman growled, barreling toward the door.
Sawyer shrugged. “I saw him sail over the gate a couple of minutes ago.”
Madison followed Roman from the room, Lydia tight on her heels.
“We have to go after him,” Lydia blurted, hurrying to catch up to her mate. “Svetlana will have him in her clutches before the sun comes up.”
Roman continued down the long hallway. “What the hell is he thinking?”
Madison knew good and damn well what Simon thought. “He’s worried about us. Especially, Jacie.”
“What are you going to do?” Lydia grabbed onto Roman’s arm, forcing him to stop and face her.
“I’m going after him.”
Madison shook her head. “You can’t go after him. It’ll be daylight soon. If you get caught out there and she gets her hands on you too…”
“Think of Jacie,” Lydia argued. “You can’t leave her unprotected.”
Roman looked from one to the other. “Simon hasn’t always been the most honorable vampire I know, but he’s become a friend over the past couple of years. I can’t just leave him out there to face Svetlana alone.”
“I’ll go.”
All eyes swung in Sawyer’s direction.
The massive werewolf’s expression remained blank. “Lydia’s right. You’re needed here.”
“I’m coming with you,” Madison announced.
Sawyer’s gaze sliced in her direction. “Not on your life.”
She lifted her chin. “You can’t stop me. Besides, no one can shoot better than me, and we both know it.”
Long seconds ticked by before Sawyer finally responded. “I don’t like it.”
“You don’t have to like it,” Madison shot back. “Let’s go.”
With a reluctant nod, Sawyer spun on his heel. “Gather what you need. We leave in ten minutes.”
Madison faced Roman and Lydia, their faces pale and drawn. “I know what I’m doing.”
Roman briefly closed his eyes and then blew out a breath. “Promise me that you’ll stay close to Sawyer at all times. Get in there and get Simon out. Don’t be a hero by going after Svetlana.”
“I’ll be back before the sun sets tonight.” With that, Madison jogged off toward her room.
Once inside, she changed into black jeans, a black sweatshirt, boots, and a jacket.
She hurried over to her bed, bent and pulled a duffle bag full of guns from beneath it. She didn’t have to check to know how much ammo she had, Madison had always been prepared.
* * * *
Daylight was beginning to show by the time Sawyer’s truck stopped in front of a wrought iron gate. “It’s not too late to turn back.”
Madison opened her door and jumped out.
“I’ll take that as a no,” he murmured, following suit.
“Are you sure this is the right place?”
Sawyer rounded the truck and stood next to her. “I’m positive. I can smell Simon’s stench from a mile away.”
Madison held her tongue. A couple of hours ago, she would have agreed with the wolf, but that was before Simon had kissed her. She knew all too well that the vampire had no such stench.
Tossing he
r bag of weapons over the gate, Madison gripped the cold iron bars and quickly scaled it.
Sawyer, obviously having leapt over, waited for her on the other side.
Madison picked up her bag of guns and trekked up the drive toward a two-story house in the distance.
The fog was slowly dissipating by the time the two of them arrived on Simon’s porch. Madison kept her gaze trained on her surroundings while Sawyer eased over to a window, bent the bars covering the glass, and shattered the pane. “He’s definitely in there.”
Madison waited for Sawyer to climb through and open the door. She stepped inside.
The first thing she noticed was the lack of pictures on the walls. No mirrors or knickknacks anywhere in the room. Just a brown sofa and a matching loveseat.
They crept deeper inside, coming to stop at in the kitchen. “Where would he sleep?”
“Somewhere underground,” Sawyer rumbled, running his palms along the walls.
Madison stared at the back of his head. “Ya think?”
Glancing over his shoulder, Sawyer sent her a pitiful excuse for a grin. “Sorry. I couldn’t help myself.”
With a sigh of irritation, Madison marched into the kitchen. She stepped inside an empty pantry, tapping her toe along the baseboards. A panel moved. “Over here.”
Sawyer joined her in the pantry, grabbed onto the panel, and pulled it from the wall to reveal a silver door underneath. “Son of a bitch!”
Madison reached out and tried the large door handle. It turned easily in her hand.
“He’s insane,” Sawyer growled. “Doesn’t he realize that he’s vulnerable down there with an unlocked door?”
Madison stepped forward to find a set of stairs leading down into total darkness. “I believe that was the point.”
Unzipping the bag she carried, Madison retrieved a flashlight, switched it on, and descended the stairs.
“You’re just going to rush right down there without knowing what lies in wait,” Sawyer bit out, coming down behind her. “Damn fool woman.”
Shining the light along the walls, Madison soon located a switch and flipped it up. The room flooded with light.
To Madison’s surprise, it looked completely different than the upstairs. The walls were a warm chocolate-brown, trimmed in a cream color. A large flat screen television hung on one wall while paintings and different pieces of art littered the rest. Soft, beige carpet adorned the floor, and a huge king-sized bed sat in the center of it all.
And there, on his back in the middle of said bed, lay a very naked, very well endowed…Simon Le Blanc.
“I’ll never be able to unsee that,” Sawyer snapped, curling his lip.
Neither would Madison. In fact, she couldn’t bring herself to look away.
Simon’s body had to be the most perfectly sculpted work of art she’d ever seen.
A sound came from upstairs.
Sawyer stiffened, placing a finger to his lips. He motioned for her to stay put as he quietly moved toward the stairs.
Madison got it in gear, rushing forward to grab onto the arm of his shirt.
He leaned down until his mouth was next to her ear. “Lock this iron door behind me. Do not open it for any reason. No matter what you hear.”
“I’m not going to stand down here while you go up there alone. I’m not a coward,” she hissed back.
A muscle ticked along Sawyer’s jaw. He yanked his chin toward Simon’s sleeping form. “That’s what you’re here for. You can’t help him if you get yourself hurt or worse. Now lock the damn door behind me and do not come out for any reason.”
Sawyer rushed up the stairs without another word, quietly closing the door behind him.
“Son of a bitch.”
Chapter Eight
Simon could feel Madison’s anxiety, her despair. He could also hear the fighting taking place outside, sense the presence of more than a dozen men.
Furious at his body’s inability to move, Simon had no choice but to lay there experiencing Madison’s helplessness and rage at the situation.
Why the hell had she come after him? He was a vampire. And not just any vampire, but an old one who’d been around long enough to acquire the strength of an elder. Besides, he’d known what he was doing when he left the compound. He also knew that Svetlana’s men wouldn’t attempt to move him during the daylight hours. She would have made sure of it.
A round of gunfire erupted somewhere on the grounds, drawing Simon out of his reflective state. He strained to open his eyes to no avail. The sun had come up, and with it, the deep sleep of a vampire.
Though Simon could hear what went on around him, he remained powerless to do anything. Madison, run! his mind screamed, listening to the rapid beating of her heart.
The distinct sound of a magazine being thrust into a weapon could be heard over the gunfire taking place above ground. Madison was preparing to fight.
He suddenly realized she headed for the stairs. He could hear the soles of her boots, thumping on the floor as she stormed toward the heavy iron door. It slammed shut behind her.
* * * *
Simon wasn’t sure how much time had passed with him lying in a helpless pool of rage before he realized the shooting had stopped.
The door was thrown open once more. He stiffened, attempting to identify the person who’d breached his lair. Madison.
He could hear her heavy breathing as she scurried about his room, obviously in search of something. He wanted to call out to her, to rise up and shield her from the danger he felt in their midst.
Damn his comatose state. It would be hours before the sun went down.
A string of curses left Madison’s lips and she disappeared up the stairs once more.
The smell of blood drifted down into Simon’s room, swirling around him in a fog of hunger that ripped at his insides. But it wasn’t Madison’s blood he scented. No, this belonged to something…other.
Straining to gauge the situation upstairs, Simon fought to stay alert, but the steady rising of the sun drained him of consciousness and sleep eventually overtook him.
* * * *
Madison’s blood-soaked hands slipped free of their hold as she attempted to drag Sawyer’s massive body inside the house.
She scanned the trees in the distance, wiped her bloodied hands on her jeans, and gripped Sawyer’s wrists once more.
With a mighty heave, she managed to move him a few inches. Her breath punched in and out of her chest, and her muscles shook from the strain of dragging him over the threshold. But she’d be damned if she would leave Sawyer outside—dead or not.
Once his feet cleared the doorway, she slammed it shut and threw the bolt home. Not that a lock would stop an invasion, but it might buy her some time.
Madison was fairly certain she and Sawyer had taken out the army of men that had attacked them, but not before one emptied a volley of bullets into Sawyer’s body. Madison also knew that it was only a matter of time before more men showed up to finish them off.
Locking her teeth in determination, Madison continued to drag Sawyer’s great weight, inch by agonizing inch, into the kitchen and eventually…the pantry.
She lowered the shifter’s arms to the floor, ran down the stairs that lead into Simon’s sleeping quarters, and grabbed a dark, chocolate rug.
Hurrying back up the stairs, she laid the soft rug at the top of the landing, wedged part of it under Sawyer’s massive shoulders, and allowed the rest of its chocolaty softness to drape down the steps.
“This better work,” she whispered, placing her hands beneath his arms. She pulled with everything she had until Sawyer’s upper body rested on the rug.
Scaling back to the bottom of the rug, Madison gripped it in both hands, locked her legs and heaved once more.
Sawyer’s giant form began to move slowly at first, until Madison had to jump to the side or be mowed down as his body picked up momentum. He landed with a thunk on the carpet below.
Madison ran back up the stairs and pu
lled the iron door closed. She hurried to her duffle bag, retrieved two more handguns, and checked the magazines. Fully loaded.
Stuffing both weapons into the waistband of her jeans, she knelt down next to Sawyer and laid two fingers against his throat. His pulse was faint, but he had one. “You’re going to be alright, Sawyer.”
With a determined breath, Madison jumped to her feet and pulled a knife from her boot. She ran into the bathroom, grabbed several towels, and returned to Sawyer’s side.
Slicing his shirt down the middle, she peeled it open to reveal six bullet holes in his torso.
The smell of burning flesh hit her full on in the face, leaving no doubt the bullets used were silver. As was her knife, she thought, laying it aside to scan the room for something else she could use.
Madison ran back into the bathroom, jerking open drawers and cabinets when her gaze landed on the mirror above the sink.
She ripped the mirror from the wall, slamming it against the corner of the countertop. It shattered on the floor at her feet.
Carefully sifting through the shards of glass, Madison found one that would hopefully do the trick.
She quickly returned to Sawyer’s side, kneeling down next to him. “This is going to hurt like hell,” she whispered, her voice wobbly with unshed tears. “I’m sorry.”
Chapter Nine
Simon’s eyes opened the second the sun began to set. He flew from the bed, nearly mowing Madison down in the process.
The sight of her standing there, her hair all askew and blood smeared along her cheek, nearly sent him to his knees in relief. “Why the hell did you come here?”
She wiped the back of her hand across her forehead, her gaze flicking down his nude body before she turned her face away. “We have to get Sawyer out of here. He needs help.”
The blush on her cheeks wasn’t lost on Simon. He blurred to his closet and dressed faster than her eyes would be able to track. “You shouldn’t be here. Your fool ass is lucky to be alive.”
“Luck had nothing to do with it,” she snapped back. “We can argue about my presence here, later. Right now, we need to get Sawyer to safety before Slutlana shows up. He needs blood, and not your average garden variety kind.”
Midnight Secrets: A Dark Vampire Romance (Secret Series Book 2) Page 3