by Laken Cane
Tina closed her eyes and thought, saying nothing for a couple of minutes. Finally she opened her eyes. “I can’t think of anything at all.” Her voice was soft. Hopeless.
Rune noticed lines around her eyes that hadn’t been there the first time they’d met. Losing a kid would do that to a person. “Any strange calls to your cell? Did Sherry say anything at all that didn’t make sense, or that sounded suspicious?”
“No. No.”
Dammit. “Has anyone you didn’t know been inside this apartment?”
“Besides the woman you recommended to take care of us?”
Rune flinched. “Yes. Other than Sherry, anyone you didn’t know?”
“Not really. FBI. Policemen.”
“Maybe we need to go farther back.”
“Look. I’m sure it’s the same people who tried to take him in Philadelphia. But I don’t know them.” She clenched her fists. “I don’t know anything. Your ghoul is wrong.”
“I don’t think he is. We just have to find the thread.”
“Strad is afraid he’ll hurt you, you know,” Tina said.
Rune stared. “What?”
“I love Strad, I do, but—”
“Tina. I don’t want to talk about that.”
Tina went on as though Rune hadn’t spoken. “But we are so tame together. There is no amazing spark that will send Strad into his…rage, or whatever the hell it is, and make it dangerous for me.” She met Rune’s stare. “Sex, I mean.”
Rune swallowed. “I really don’t want to fucking talk about that.”
Tina smiled, but it was not a pretty smile. “Strad told me yesterday he’s filing for divorce. Even if he can’t fuck you, he can’t stand to be without you.”
He’s addicted to my bite. Not me. Rune stood, refusing to think about Tina’s words. The woman was mad with pain. “You’re not making any sense. I should go. If you think of—”
“Sit down, Rune. I’ve lost my child and my husband.” She tilted her head and looked up at Rune through bloodshot eyes. “And yes, I sort of blame you for both of those losses. The least you can do is sit down and let me talk.”
Rune sat down.
“You should have told me, you know,” Tina said. “About your feelings for him.”
“There wasn’t anything to tell.”
“Obviously there was, but whatever. When Strad and I met, I was working as a waitress in a diner beside a hospital. I may have told you.” She paused. “Strad had been in a fight and was pretty messed up. He’d gone to the hospital for stitches.” She pointed to her head. “You know how badly he has to be hurt to go to a hospital.”
Rune nodded. She’d seen the scars on Strad’s head, starting high on his forehead, wrapping around his temple and disappearing into his hair.
“Anyway, he went in, got stitched up and came into the restaurant for some dinner.” Tina smiled. “He was all enormous and bloody and…” She shuddered. “Who would have thought I’d end up with someone like that? Certainly not I. Not my parents.
“But I was vulnerable.” She darted her gaze at Rune. “I told you about the COS man I was seeing.”
“Yeah.”
Again, Tina smiled, as though those troubled times escaping COS were bittersweet. Perhaps they were. “My ex got one good look at Strad and it didn’t take him all day to leave me alone.” She paused. “You know, he really did love me. My ex, I mean.”
“But he was bat shit crazy.”
Tina inclined her head. “A little. He was so zealous he was dangerous. All that really mattered to him was getting the approval of his superiors.”
Rune shifted impatiently. “What does that have to do with—”
“I’m trying to explain to you about Strad. Maybe you don’t know him as well as you think you do.”
Rune’s mouth was as dry as old carpet. “Meaning?”
“You’ve seen Strad fight.”
“Yeah.”
“He’s different then. You know…”
“All his suppressed rage comes out.”
“It’s frightening.”
“It’s fucking terrifying.”
“If he loses control during sex and all that passion come out…”
“Oh shit,” Rune whispered.
“Exactly.”
“But?”
Tina shrugged and made a wry face. “Maybe you’re better off staying out of his bed. I know you addicted him to your blood.”
“You say that the same way you’d say I got pregnant to trap him.”
“He wants to be with you so badly because he’s addicted to your blood. It’s not like he loves you.”
Rune drew back, a little shocked at Tina’s viciousness. “I’m staying out of his bed because he isn’t finished with you.” She shook off the sudden image of him in bed with Tina. “The addiction, our feelings for each other, anything else is not your fucking business.”
“He’s dangerous. Dangerous especially to you. You two let off sparks I can almost see when you’re together.” She clenched her fists. “I thought it was aversion. That you two rubbed each other the wrong way. Boy, was I ever wrong.” She didn’t even try to make her laugh sound anything other than bitter. “But those sparks…if you’re not careful, they’re going to cause a fire that will destroy you both.”
She remembered the insidious fear she’d always had of the berserker and knew she’d sensed something. Deep down, she’d known he was a danger to her. “Tina—”
“Imagine all that rage coming out when he’s on top of you.”
Rune shuddered. Yeah. Scary as fuck. “He wouldn’t hurt me. He’s stronger than that.”
“Would you be willing to take that chance? To test it?”
Rune hesitated, flashing back on the amazing kiss in her office. Yeah, she’d test it. Had tested it. The passion was there but Strad hadn’t gone nuts and fucked her into a coma.
Once more, she stood. “I’m not testing anything. The berserker is not mine to test. I have to go to work. You’ve reminded me that I need to pay SCOS a visit. Let me know if you think of anything you might have forgotten to tell me.”
Tina twisted her hands. “Find my kid and I’ll forgive you everything.”
Rune wasn’t going to try to make excuses or argue that none of it was really her fault. It was. She nodded once, then strode from the room.
She believed Gunnar. Tina knew something, but understanding just what that was would be a problem.
She sped away from Strad’s apartment, needing to put some distance between herself and the hurting blonde.
She refused to think about Strad. She needed to think about finding Matthew, not how having sex with Strad might put her in the ground. It wasn’t death that scared her. It was what came before. For all she knew she might be immortal, as terrible as that was. Yes, there were worse things than death.
Before she could lose herself in those thoughts, her cell rang. She glanced at the display before putting it to her ear. “Elizabeth. What’s up?”
“I’m sending you and your crew to Willowburg. Rue Canyon Road. There’s a clinic there—”
“I know it.” Lex had nearly died there. That clinic was where Rune had fed her to save her life. It was where Lex had become addicted to Rune’s blood.
“Others have stormed the clinic and are refusing to let Dr. Haas do her work. Now they are threatening to destroy the place. I have a feeling things are going to escalate quickly.”
“Why?”
“Dr. Haas is taking care of a human patient in the clinic. The Others are furious that one of their own would allow a human inside their clinic, let alone take care of him.”
“What human would want to be a patient in an Other clinic?”
Elizabeth paused. “I should have started with that.”
A familiar knot began to twist inside Rune’s stomach. “Who?”
“Ellis. I’m sorry I didn’t handle this well. My excuse is that I have a lot on my mind.”
Fuck me. “I’ll call h
im. Thanks.” She hung up, taking a deep breath before calling Ellis. She’d neglected him. Now he was in the middle of a clinic seized by Others and she had no idea what the fuck was going on.
Levi answered Ellis’s phone. “Rune, I’m sorry.”
“I’ll deal with you later. Tell me what’s going on.”
“It got out of hand fast. I was getting ready to call you.”
“Explain, Levi.”
“Ellis is afraid he’s going to turn. Is certain of it. I can’t deny the hospital personnel treated him differently. Ellis got upset. I took him out of there. I brought him here because I know this place. I trust Haas.” Levi was talking fast, as though he was going to lose his phone, and the background noise, while muted, was frantic.
“How is Ellie?”
“Scared.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Which of the crew are you bringing?”
“How many Others are there?”
“A lot, Rune. Better bring—”
“Give me the fucking phone!”
Rune heard a struggle as someone fought with Levi for the phone, heard Ellie’s panic as he yelled Levi’s name, and then there was only silence.
If a crowd of Others had forced their way into the clinic, Levi alone couldn’t handle them. He needed his crew.
She called Raze. “I need you at Rue Canyon Road in Willowburg. The clinic is under attack by Others. Ellie and Levi are there and in trouble.”
“On my way.”
She called the rest of the crew in as quickly, then concentrated on getting to Willowburg as fast as she could.
But two minutes later, her phone rang again.
She answered, afraid the call would bring more bad news. Ellie, hang on until I get there. “Hello?”
There was only dead air for a few seconds. Finally a man spoke, his voice soft. “Rune Alexander.” He drew her name out in a vaguely familiar—and irritating—way.
She frowned, darting between a minivan and an old truck. “Who is this?”
“This is Tim Emerson. I thought it was time we talked. Honestly, Alexander, I expected you to pay me another visit. You’ve been very…slow. In more ways than one.”
“What the fuck do you want?”
“You, Alexander,” he said, after a pause. “I want you.”
“Sorry, dude. I’ve cut back recently.”
“On?”
“On dating pieces of shit.”
She could almost see him shudder. When he spoke, his voice was high and offended. “You really think I’d want to date you?”
She sighed. “No, dude. Not really. Why don’t you tell me what you do want before I end this fucking call?”
Now it was his turn to sigh. “So antagonistic. I need you to come to the church. Now. Is that clear enough for you?”
“Why?”
“Let’s just say I believe you can do something wonderful for me.”
“You’re wrong. I might, however, do something painful to you.”
“That’s a chance I’m willing to take.”
“Dude, I’m on my way to an emergency. Whatever crazy shit is in your head right now, you hang on to that. My crew and I will be in to see you soon. Count on it.” And she started to take the phone from her ear.
“I have the child.”
And just like that, she got it. She finally got it. She began to shiver. “You’re Tina’s ex.”
“I knew she wouldn’t keep her mouth shut about her sordid past.” His tone was mild, as though they were just a couple of people talking about a boring television show. “Here is my warning to you. If you call anyone, if you let anyone know what I’ve told you, I won’t hesitate to finish him off. We’ve gotten everything we’re going to get from the kid. I’ll trade him for you.”
“How’d you do it?”
“What?”
“Take him. How did you take Matthew?”
He laughed. “It was easy, Alexander. The big bald babysitter was most helpful when I showed her cash.”
“You had Sherry killed in Texas.” It wasn’t a question. She knew he had. Tim Emerson had reached out to his slayer connections and they’d snuffed out that girl’s life like it was a dim candle flame.
“Sherry doesn’t matter. The question is, do you want to give the boy back to his mama, or do you want him to die?”
“I’m on my way.”
“Oh, and Rune. Leave your weapons and cell in the car. I will search you.”
He clicked off and she listened to dead air for several long moments before she remembered to pull the phone from her ear. Emerson had Matthew. COS had Matthew. All along.
It was almost impossible not to call Strad.
But she didn’t.
Emerson wasn’t lying. Even if he was, she wasn’t taking a chance with Matthew’s life.
Choices, choices.
She’d go in and get the kid. She would make Tim Emerson cry for death long before she gave it to him.
Yeah. Because her life was always that easy.
The crew would take care of Ellie. She put him in a corner of her mind for later. Right now, she had to concentrate on helping a little boy.
And destroying an evil man.
Chapter Twenty-Four
She cursed her trembling hands as she rid herself of her weapons, haphazardly tossing belts, guns, and shivs into her car.
She might find Matthew alive and well inside that church, but where COS was concerned, she couldn’t get too optimistic.
The outside of the building looked so benign, giving no hint of the bleak darkness inside. Her walk from the car to the front doors seemed to take an eternity, each step an effort. Her gut was screaming for her to run back to the car and get the hell out of there—to call in reinforcements.
It was every horror movie she’d ever seen, scoffing at the stupid heroine for going into the house, the basement, the woods. Alone.
She knew bad things were about to happen, but she kept right on walking.
There was nothing else she could do.
Not really.
She pushed the door open and went inside, her senses on full alert.
The room was large and dim, as though sunlight couldn’t possibly penetrate the stained glass windows. She caught a certain scent she’d smelled only in churches, one she’d never really been able to identify.
And another scent, weak, but there. The scent of disease. One of the people standing there was ill.
Emerson waited, but he wasn’t the only one.
“Cuff her,” he said, nodding to a man standing behind her. He looked at someone else, a tall redhead who glared at Rune as though Rune had somehow managed to offend her. “Mare. Hide her car.”
The man behind Rune grabbed her arm and she heard the chain of handcuffs rattle as he started to follow his boss’s orders.
Rune turned, almost casually, and punched him in the throat.
He gagged, eyes bulging, and fell to the floor trying to breathe.
She turned back to Emerson, who watched her with a gleam of amusement—and no surprise.
“I saw that coming,” he said, smiling.
“Where’s the kid?”
“Rune,” he said, his voice soft, “I appreciate your bad ass, truly I do. But you’re in my house now. And nothing that happens from here on out is going to be good for you. I can promise you that.” He walked closer to her, unafraid.
“I want to see the kid, Emerson.”
He ignored her words. “We’re going to do this again and if you don’t behave, the kid will be hurt. Nod if you understand.”
Fuck you, asshole. “Yeah, I get it.”
He looked down at the man she’d punched. He still knelt on the floor with his fingers to his throat. “Corbin. Get up. If you let her punch you again, the kid isn’t the only one who will suffer for it.”
Corbin got to his feet. Rune didn’t flinch as he bruised her arms with his angry grip. He tightened the cuffs too much, on purpose, she was
sure.
She was also sure the tight cuffs were just a drop of annoyance in what would soon become a river of pain. Before this was over, Emerson was going to hurt her, and he was going to enjoy it.
“Are you immortal, Alexander?” the COS leader asked, genuine curiosity in his eyes.
“I don’t know.”
He nodded. “You’re like a baby. I’ll tell you what. When you’ve done what I need you to do, I’ll help you find out. Deal?”
He and Jeremy Cross could have been brothers. They had the same soullessness in their eyes, the same desperate evil in their smiles.
She sneered. “You know what, Emerson? I’ll be the one walking away from this. In the end, you’ll just be dead.”
For one millisecond, before he could control it, she saw his fear. His eyes dilated and his lips parted, a quick breath of terror escaping into the still, musty church air.
He was afraid of her. And he knew she knew.
She sighed, waiting for it, and he didn’t disappoint her.
He doubled his fist and hit her, smiling with grim satisfaction when she spat blood. And then he hit her again.
Corbin held her against him, his hands steadying her. “Hurt?” he asked.
I’m surrounded by sadistic bastards. Was she surprised? Not even a little bit. She pushed away from Corbin, her attention on the SCOS leader.
Her lips numb, swollen, and bloody, she spread her feet to balance herself. “Fuck you, Emerson. You’re shit, hitting a restrained woman.”
He threw back his head and laughed, then stopped as abruptly as he’d started. “You’re not a woman, Alexander. You’re a monster.” He eyed her mouth. “You’re healing as I watch.”
“Jealous?” she asked, knowing better than to push him, unable to stop.
“Oh no. I’m grateful you’re a monster. That’s why you’re here, actually.”
“You said you’d trade the boy for me.”
He shrugged. “I lied. I can’t let him go.”
“So your plan is to kill us both.”
“Did you really think I wouldn’t?”
“I had a chance to save the kid, Emerson. I took it.”
“Yes,” he replied. “Such a brave soul. Or you would be, if monsters had souls.”