Linx disappeared again, then reappeared long enough to rain blows upon Alexei and Viktor. The men swung and missed, nearly hitting each other. Linx kicked Viktor in the solar plexus, doubling him over and slammed his fist into Alexei’s throat. The big man wheezed and dropped to his knees. Linx punched him in the head. Alexei fell over. Viktor moaned and Linx backhanded him. By the time he was finished, all three men were unconscious.
Sergei came out of his office with a shotgun in his hand. "What did you do to my men?” he asked, surveying the carnage. “Do you have a death wish?" He cocked the gun.
"No, but you must," Linx said. "Did you think I'd let you get away with threatening Tabitha? A man who threatens defenseless women has no honor."
"You're a dead man," Sergei said. “You just don’t know it yet.” He fired. The concussion of sound from both barrels going off was deafening.
Linx faded instantly. When he reappeared again, he had Sergei by the throat, his claws sinking deep. "Do not make threats you cannot keep."
Sergei choked and blood trickled down the front of his shirt.
Taylor came running out of the back office. "What are you doing? Are you trying to get us killed?"
"He will not harm you or your sister. If he does, I will return and strip his flesh from his bones." Linx glared at Sergei, making sure the beast glowed in his eyes.
Taylor scrambled back with an alarmed cry. "What are you?"
Linx spared her a glance. "It's not important 'what' I am. All that's important is that Sergei understands what will happen to him if any harm comes to your sister." He squeezed and heard the man wheeze. "Nod if we understand each other."
Sergei's jaw clenched and he glared in defiance.
Linx tightened his grip and felt the blood flow increase. "I said, nod if we have an understanding."
Sergei looked over at Taylor, a promise of retribution in his eyes, then he nodded.
Linx squeezed until he passed out, then stared at the woman whose face was so much like the one haunting him. "You're coming with me."
Taylor backed away. "I can't go. If I leave, he'll come after me and kill me."
Linx shook his head. "No, he won't."
She rubbed her trembling hands over her arms. "You don't know him like I do," she said. "He doesn't forgive and he never forgets. By coming here and doing this--” Taylor motioned to the bodies on the ground. “You've signed mine and Tabby's death warrants."
"I have ensured your safety," Linx said. "A simple thank you would be enough. Now get your things. You’re coming with me."
Taylor backed away.
“After everything he’s done to your sister, you still want to stay with him?” Linx could understand her fear, but not her misplaced loyalty.
“I have no choice.”
"Fine, we'll do this the hard way." Linx took out his weapon, flicked it to stun and fired. Taylor's eyes rolled back in her head. He caught her before she hit the dirty carpet.
Linx carried the unconscious woman out the back door and found a sleek, black vehicle parked in the alley. The design told him it was built for speed with its highly polished paint and shiny silver wheels. The dark windows gave the driver total anonymity, while the car all but screamed for attention. Linx knew it had to belong to Sergei. He was the only man that he’d met vain enough to need it. He gently placed Taylor on the ground and went back inside to retrieve the keys. He located them in Sergei's office shoved in a drawer.
After liberating the keys, he walked back out into the alley and opened the car door. He lifted Taylor and slipped her onto the backseat, then jumped behind the wheel.
He wasn't altogether certain how to operate the machine, but he'd watched Tabby and the taxi driver enough to have a pretty good idea. Linx figured if he could drive a spaceship, this land vehicle shouldn't be much of a problem.
It turned out he was right about operating the vehicle, but he could’ve done with a better understanding of what the various lights and signs meant. Linx didn't think Sergei was going to be too happy with that four-foot long 'scratch' running down the side of his ‘Porch’. At least that’s what Linx thought the vehicle was called, although after the last turn, it might’ve been missing a few letters.
It took some backtracking, but Linx eventually found Tabby's home again.
Tabby stepped out onto the front porch when he pulled in, her eyes widening when they landed on the car. "What are you doing here? How did you get Sergei's car?" Suspicion dripped from every syllable.
“He didn’t loan it to me, if that’s what you’re thinking.” Linx's temper flared, but he bit back words guaranteed to provoke her. He put the car in park and stepped out of the vehicle. "I took care of the problem."
Tabby frowned. "The only problem I have is you."
"I'll be gone soon enough. In the meantime, I'd appreciate some help getting your sister out of the car."
Tabby rushed forward. "What is Taylor doing here?"
"I couldn't exactly leave her after my conversation with Sergei and his men." Linx smirked. “I thought you’d be pleased.”
"I am.” She stepped closer. “Now tell me about this conversation you supposedly had." Tabby looked inside the car. Her eyes widened when she saw Taylor slumped forward in the front seat. "What have you done?"
"I got your sister back for you," Linx said. "You said that's all you wanted. All you cared about." He didn’t try to conceal his bitterness or the pain that came from her rejection.
"What's wrong with her?" Tabby glared at him.
Linx glanced at his passenger. "She's stunned, but is otherwise unharmed.”
"How did that happen?" she asked. This time there was something on her face that Linx hadn't seen before...fear. Tabby slowly backed away.
"I would never harm you or your sister. She didn't want to leave Sergei after I'd spoken to him." He gave her a pointed look. "It was not safe for her to stay."
Understanding dawned and Tabby nodded.
"If you help me get her into the house, I will leave you and you'll never have to see me again." She had no idea how much it cost Linx to say those words. He felt as if his two hearts were being ripped from his chest. But if his absence would ensure Tabby’s happiness, then somehow he’d force himself to leave.
The beast within him snarled, but he steadfastly ignored it. He’d just have to find another woman, another mate.
Even as the thought crossed his mind, Linx knew he wouldn’t be able to replace Tabby so easily.
* * * * *
For some reason the idea of never seeing Linx again, didn't sit well with Tabby. She may not know him fully or understand his motives, but thus far he'd come through for her when she'd needed him. Of course, that knowledge didn't stop the growing concern in the back of her mind from kicking its way to the forefront. She knew there was more going on here, than what he'd said.
Tabby examined Linx from head to toe and noticed that his knuckles were red and slightly swollen. "What exactly did you say to Sergei?"
"I asked him to leave you and your sister alone," he said.
Tabby wasn't buying the look of innocence on his face, even if there was something about it that made her heart melt. "What did Sergei say?"
Linx shrugged. "Not much at first, but eventually he agreed that it would be in his best interest to do so."
"Uh-huh, sure." There was no way Sergei would just agree to something like that. He was a man used to getting his way in all things. "That’s such a nice story. What are you leaving out?"
"Nothing," he said.
She knew it was a lie, but didn’t call him on it. Tabby helped Linx carry Taylor into the house. She could see the bruises on her twin's face beneath her carefully applied makeup. She wondered, not for the first time, how long Sergei had been abusing her. Linx placed Taylor onto the couch and walked to the door. Tabby's heart tripped and began to pound. He was really going to leave. And she’d never see him again.
What did you expect? It’s not like you asked him to st
ay.
Tabby recognized panic when she felt it. "Where will you go?" she asked before she could stop herself.
"I told you that I'd leave you alone,” Linx said. “I always keep my word.”
Tabby glanced back at Taylor. "Thanks for bringing my sister home." She watched him walk to the door. Something inside of her cried out as he stepped outside. Tabby knew his leaving was for the best, but that didn’t stop a part of her from wanting him to stay.
Linx opened his mouth like he wanted to say more, but nodded instead and left.
A lump formed in Tabby's throat as she tried to swallow. Her eyes burned as she blinked back tears. What was wrong with her? She'd only met the guy a few days ago, so why did it feel like her heart was breaking?
* * * * *
Taylor woke with a start. Tabby had been sitting by her side for over an hour, when her sister shot up and frantically looked around.
"Where's the monster?" Taylor asked.
Tabby frowned. Maybe her sister's brain had been damaged when Linx stunned her because she wasn't making any sense. "Honey, you're at home."
Taylor stared at Tabby for what seemed like an eternity. "Where did that guy go that you were with the other day?"
"Linx?"
"I don't know what his name is. The one you had sex with on the video," she blurted.
Tabby flushed. She and her twin were close and talked about everything...or had in the past, but for some reason she didn't feel comfortable discussing Linx. And she certainly didn’t want to talk about the video. She’d been reliving that night in her head ever since he walked out the door. “Why do you want to know?”
Taylor did a quick scan of the house. "Is he here?"
"No." She didn’t miss him. And Tabby would continue to tell herself that until she believed it.
Her sister deflated in front of her eyes. "Thank goodness."
Tabby’s brow furrowed. Why would Taylor say that, especially after everything Linx had done for them—for her? "I think maybe you need to lie back down."
Taylor stared at her, then slowly did as she’d suggested.
"Would you like a glass of water?" Tabby asked as much for herself as for her sister. It was obvious that Taylor was in shock. She just didn’t understand why.
She nodded. "Yeah, that would be nice. I don’t feel so well."
Tabby walked into the kitchen. More than anything else, she wanted to get her thoughts straight. She needed answers from Taylor and she wasn't precisely sure where to begin. She grabbed a glass and filled it with water, then walked back into the living room.
"What happened?" She handed Taylor the water.
Taylor's wild gaze continued to explore the room. "Are you sure he's gone?"
"Yes! I don’t know why you keep asking," she said. "Did Linx hurt you?"
Taylor frowned, then her expression cleared. "No, not exactly hurt, but he shot me with something."
Tabby’s breath froze in her lungs. "He shot you?" She thought about the weapon he’d aimed at Viktor’s and Alexei’s car. Had he used the same thing? If it could do that to an engine, what would it do to a person? Tabby scanned Taylor from her toes to the top of her head and back again.
Taylor rolled her eyes. "It wasn't with a gun. At least not any kind of gun I'd ever seen before," she said.
“Was it a Taser?” Tabby asked.
Taylor shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. There wasn’t any electricity.”
"Start from the beginning and tell me everything that happened." Tabby took a deep breath and slowly let it out. It was a good thing Linx wasn’t still here or she’d strangle him.
Taylor's nose crinkled as she tried to recall. "I came out after the fight. Well near the end anyway."
"What fight?" Tabby's heart began to pound. What had Linx done? He'd said he had made sure they were safe by speaking with Sergei. She'd known that was a lie, but hadn't questioned him further. His knuckles had been red, but other than that, he appeared unharmed. Perhaps Taylor was over-exaggerating the seriousness of the situation.
"He took out all three of Sergei's men, then he attacked Sergei himself," she said.
Or maybe not, Tabby thought.
Taylor looked at her sister. "I've never seen anything like it. One minute he was there, the next he disappeared. Like a ghost. He had fangs and claws." Her voice trailed off as she put her fingers up to her mouth to simulate teeth. "I think he might be a vampire."
Tabby blinked. "I'm sorry, did you say vampire?" She'd never heard anything so ridiculous in her life. It was more than obvious that Taylor was suffering from a concussion. “I think I need to get you to the hospital.”
Her sister's chin shot up. "I know it sounds crazy, but you didn't see him. He moved so fast and fought so good. He was like a Ninja. When he got his hands around Sergei's throat, I'm telling you, he didn’t look human. He looked like some kind of animal with glowing red eyes, long claws, and sharp teeth. I’ve never been so scared in my life. " She scrubbed a hand over her face as if to erase the memory. "Boris called him a demon. I'm beginning to think that he's right."
"Linx is not a vampire and I’m pretty sure he’s not a demon. But I’d bet my house that he is a soldier," Tabby said. That made far more sense than him being some kind of supernatural creature. She glanced at her twin. Her sister looked so sincere. Whatever Taylor had seen had definitely freaked her out. Maybe the shock of witnessing all that violence had triggered her imagination. It was compensating for the missing pieces of her memory.
Yeah, that had to be it. The other option was unthinkable.
"How do you know he’s not a vampire?" Taylor asked, scanning Tabby's neck for bite marks.
She wouldn't find any. At least not where she was looking. Linx had nipped her during their lovemaking, but he'd done so on her shoulder. He hadn't left fang marks behind, but he had left a whopper of a hickey. Telling Taylor so wouldn’t help bring her sister back to reality. It would only fuel her fantasies. “Listen, my name isn’t Sookie. This isn’t Louisiana. And I don’t have any blood drinks in my refrigerator.” Tabby stared at her. “And if that wasn’t reason enough, then I’d like to point out that vampires aren’t real.”
Taylor didn’t look convinced as she took another sip of water.
“I’ve seen Linx during the day, okay?”
Taylor scowled. "Well, he could still be a demon. They can go wherever they want anytime they want."
"Do you hear yourself?" Tabby asked. "I'm mean, really hear yourself? You're starting to worry me."
"There’s nothing wrong with my head," Taylor said defensively. "I know what I saw. Sergei and the others saw it, too. It’s only a matter of time before they recover enough to come looking for him. And I suspect they’ll start here."
Fear slithered down her spine, settling into Tabby's gut. "Linx said that everything would be okay now. Except maybe in a church."
Taylor glared at her. "All he did was piss off an already pissed off Sergei."
Tabby looked at her. "Why, Tay? Why did you stay?" It was a question that she'd been asking herself for months. She desperately needed an answer. "You know what kind of man Sergei is."
Taylor crossed her arms over her ample chest. "He's not always an asshole, you know? When we first met, Sergei treated me like a princess."
She sighed. "Princesses don't have to strip for their boyfriends in order to stay in his good graces."
Taylor’s gaze dropped, then quickly returned. "I don't strip for Sergei. I strip because I enjoy the attention. You're just jealous."
Tabby snorted. "Jealous? Jealous! Is that what you think?"
"Yes." Taylor nodded.
“Then you’re delusional,” Tabby said. "Did it ever occur to you that I didn't want you to end up like Sergei's last girlfriend? She's dead, Taylor. He discarded her like week-old garbage."
"The police found no evidence that Sergei had anything to do with her disappearance and subsequent murder," Taylor said. "I asked Sergei and he was upset that
I'd even think such a thing."
Tabby couldn't believe the words pouring out of her twin's mouth. "He's part of the Odessa Mafia. What did you expect him to say? Yeah, honey, I beat the crap out of her and tossed her in the dumpster."
Taylor scrambled off the couch until they were standing eye to eye. "You don't know him. You never even gave him a chance. You have always been so judgmental. Maybe if you spent time on your own social life, you wouldn't have to worry so much about mine. At least I don't date monsters,” she spat.
Tabby reeled back as if she'd been slapped. All these years she'd done everything to try to help her twin out. She had no idea that all she'd been doing was building Taylor's resentment. "You don't mean that." She couldn’t mean that. Didn’t she understand how worried she was?
"I do!" Taylor said.
Her twin was right about one thing. Tabby had spent more time trying to fix her sister's love life than she'd spent working on her own. Well that was about to change, starting now.
"Had I known that was how you felt, I wouldn't have bothered." It was a lie and they both knew it, but Taylor didn't call her on it. Tabby thought about Linx. Maybe if she hurried, she would be able to find him at his hotel before he left town.
Taylor straightened her shirt and walked over to the front door. “I tried to tell you. You just wouldn’t listen.”
"Where are you going?" Tabby asked, though in her heart, she already knew.
"Back to Sergei," Taylor said. “He loves me.”
And you don’t was left hanging in the air between them.
"Is that why he puts so many bruises on your face?"
Taylor’s hand rose subconsciously to her cheek. When she realized what she was doing, she lowered it and gave Tabby a sad look. "I'd worry about my own life, if I were you. Sergei doesn’t want to hurt me. He wants Linx. And he won’t think twice about going through you to get to him."
Phantom Warriors Volume 1 (Novel length) Page 24